Which of the following pairs of years and historical events is correctly matched?

The Second Anglo-Afghan War took place between 1878 and 1880, making the pair 1878: Second Anglo-Afghan War correctly matched [2]. The war began under Lord Lytton's 'Policy of Proud Reserve' and concluded with the Treaty of Gandamak in 1879 [1]. Regarding the other options: the Ilbert Bill controversy occurred in 1883–1884 during Lord Ripon's tenure, not 1885. Fox's India Bill was introduced in 1783, but it failed in the House of Lords, leading to the fall of the coalition government; it was not a 1785 event. Lord Curzon was appointed Viceroy in late 1898 but officially assumed office in January 1899 [2]. Therefore, only the first option provides a precise historical match for the start of the conflict [2].

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > British India and the North-West Frontier > p. 135
2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 36: The Evolution of Nationalist Foreign Policy > 1880 to First World War: Anti-Imperialism and Pan-Asian Feeling > p. 620