Which of the following cities had the first municipal corporation to be established in India during British rule?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the topic of urban local government in India. Municipal corporations are important local bodies responsible for governance in big cities. Under British rule the very first municipal corporation in India was set up in one of the Presidency towns. Knowing which city received this institution first helps you understand how urban administration began to develop during the colonial period.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The setting is British ruled India.
- The institution is a municipal corporation, an early form of modern city government.
- The cities listed include major colonial centres such as Madras, Bombay and Calcutta.
- The question asks which city had the first municipal corporation.

Concept / Approach:
The main concept is the historical development of local self government. In 1688 a municipal corporation was created in Madras, making it the oldest municipality in India and among the earliest outside Britain. Similar corporations in Bombay and Calcutta came only later, in the eighteenth century. Therefore the answer must be Madras, not Bombay or Calcutta, even though all three are famous Presidency cities.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the British East India Company first developed strong administrative structures in its three Presidency towns Madras, Bombay and Calcutta.Step 2: Among these, Madras received a municipal corporation in the late seventeenth century, around 1688.Step 3: Bombay and Calcutta corporations were formed later, around 1726, as the British refined their model of urban local governance.Step 4: Compare these historical facts with the options. Madras Municipal Corporation clearly emerges as the first.Step 5: Confirm that other listed cities, such as Allahabad and Delhi, gained modern municipal institutions only much later in the nineteenth century.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can use a simple memory hook. The British first established their early base in South India at Madras before expanding in Bengal and western India. So the first fully structured municipal corporation also appeared there. Textbooks on Indian polity and history consistently mention Madras Municipal Corporation of 1688 as the earliest in India. Remember that if you see a question about first municipal corporation under British rule, Madras is the safest answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Allahabad Municipal Corporation: Although Allahabad became an important administrative city later, it was not among the original Presidency towns and did not get the first corporation.
- Bombay Municipal Corporation: Bombay received a municipal body after Madras, around the early eighteenth century, so it cannot be the first.
- Calcutta Municipal Corporation: Calcutta also followed Madras, becoming a major capital city later in the colonial era.
- Delhi Municipal Committee: Delhi emerged as a major capital only in the twentieth century under British rule and gained modern municipal institutions much later than the Presidency towns.

Common Pitfalls:
The most frequent confusion is between Madras, Bombay and Calcutta because all three were Presidency towns with similar administrative experiments. Students often incorrectly choose Calcutta because it eventually became the capital of British India. A reliable method is to link Madras with the earliest experiments, Bombay and Calcutta with later expansion, and Delhi with even later imperial developments in the twentieth century.

Final Answer:
The first municipal corporation to be established in India during British rule was the Madras Municipal Corporation.