Which of the following cities lost their importance after the British takeover of Indian states due to the decline of royal patronage for artisans and court gentry?

Thanjavur, Dhaka and Murshidabad

The correct answer is Option 1: Thanjavur, Dhaka and Murshidabad

NCERT: In India the impact of the very same British industrialisation led to deindustrialisation in some sectors, and decline of old urban centres. Just as manufacturing boomed in Britain, traditional exports of cotton and silk manufactures from India declined in the face of Manchester competition. This period also saw the further decline of cities such as Surat and Masulipatnam while Bombay and Madras grew. When the British took over Indian states, towns like Thanjavur, Dhaka, and Murshidabad lost their courts and, therefore, some of their artisans and court gentry. From the end of the 19th century, with the installation of mechanised factory industries, some towns became much more heavily populated.