Concept:Primary sources are original, firsthand evidence created during the time period being studied. They are more reliable than secondary sources.
Explanation:The question asks for primary sources to study the East India Company’s transformation into a colonial power.
Option A: Paintings commissioned by the British show only a single, static moment. They cannot reveal the gradual change over time, so they are not the best primary source for this purpose.
Option B: Records of speeches given by British administrators in Parliament are direct, firsthand accounts of events and policies during that era. They are primary sources.
Option C: An article in a history journal written by observers at that time is also a primary source because it records contemporary views and events.
Thus, options B and C are primary sources suitable for understanding the transformation.
Answer:Only B and C (Option D)