Question

When the British hoisted their flag ‘Union Jack’ in Pune?
a. 1816
b. 1817
c. 1818
d. 1819

Answer 1

Hint: The ‘Union Jack’ flag was hoisted at the Shaniwarwada in Pune. This marked the start of the British Raj or the British rule in India. This continued for one hundred and twenty-nine years after which independence was granted on August 15, 1947.

Complete answer: A war known as the Third Anglo-Maratha War was fought between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire in India. The British invaded the Maratha empire. The British troops were led by Governor-General Hastings. On the other hand, Peshwa Baji Rao II along with other kings rose against the East India Company.
But British victories were swift which resulted in the break up of the Maratha empire and loss of independence. The Peshwa was defeated in battles of Khadki and Koregaon. Thus, the war left the company in control of almost all of the areas in India which are present south of the river Sutlej.
Let us look at the given options now.
Option a- In 1816, many kings of the Maratha region were coming together to fight against the British. In this year, Madhoji Bhonsle had signed a treaty with the British. But he supported Peshwa Baji Rao II against the British. This is the wrong answer.
Option b- The Third Anglo-Maratha War began in 1817 in which the British won and took over most parts of the Maratha empire. The year in which the war ended was when the flag ‘Union Jack’ was hoisted. This is an incorrect option.
Option c- The war between the East India Company and the Marathas ended in 1818. After this, the British took over the province of Pune and hoisted their flag ‘Union Jack’ to mark the starting of their rule. This is the correct answer.
Option d- By 1819, the British had already established themselves in the Maratha region and in Pune. So, the flag was already hoisted before that. Thus, it is the wrong option.
Hence, the correct option is ‘c’.

Note: The son of Baji Rao II who fought with great valour against the British was an adopted one. His name was Nana Sahib and he became one of the greatest rebels in the war of 1857. We can say that he started the agitation because of the doctrine of lapse and thus began the revolt of 1857 which was a turning point in India’s freedom struggle.