In which year was the first Indian bank Bank of Hindustan established?

Introduction / Context:
The history of banking in India is a favourite topic in general awareness and banking exams. One of the earliest banks in the Indian subcontinent is usually identified as the Bank of Hindustan. Knowing the year in which it was established helps candidates place the development of Indian banking in a proper timeline and distinguish between early private banks and later modern institutions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question specifically mentions Bank of Hindustan as the first Indian bank.
• Several years are offered as options, ranging from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century.
• The answer is to identify the correct year from the given list.
• The focus is on historical fact, not on the later fate of the bank.

Concept / Approach:
Standard banking history references identify Bank of Hindustan as having been established in the late eighteenth century during the British period. It predates banks such as the Bank of Bengal and the Bank of Bombay. Among the given options, the year that matches this accepted historical fact is 1770. The other years either precede the growth of modern style banking in India or correspond to later developments that relate to different institutions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the rise of organised banking in India is associated with the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Step 2: Recognise that 1677 is too early for the establishment of a formal bank of this type in the Indian context. Step 3: Note that 1770 appears in many standard references as the founding year of Bank of Hindustan. Step 4: Understand that dates like 1796, 1831 and 1911 are connected with other events and institutions, not this specific bank. Step 5: Select 1770 as the correct year from the listed options.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, one can look at the typical sequence of banking milestones in India as described in exam guides. They usually start with Bank of Hindustan founded in 1770, followed by the establishment of Presidency banks such as Bank of Bengal in the early nineteenth century. Later, these banks were merged to form the Imperial Bank of India, which became the State Bank in the mid twentieth century. The year 1911 is associated with other institutions, not with Bank of Hindustan. This sequence supports 1770 as the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, 1677, is too early and does not match known records of Bank of Hindustan. Option C, 1796, is sometimes associated with other financial developments but is not the widely accepted founding date of this bank. Option D, 1831, belongs to a later period of Indian banking when other institutions emerged. Option E, 1911, is much later and relates to early twentieth century banks, not the eighteenth century Bank of Hindustan.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is mixing up dates of different institutions because they all appear close together in study material. Students might confuse the establishment of early British controlled banks with the formation of later public sector banks. Some also memorise lists without understanding the chronological flow, which makes it easy to swap dates under exam pressure. Creating a simple timeline from Bank of Hindustan in 1770 through Presidency banks and later nationalisation can help fix these dates more firmly in memory.

Final Answer:
1770.