The Ilbert Bill, proposed in 1883 during colonial rule in India, aimed to amend existing laws to provide equality between Indians and Europeans in terms of the criminal jurisdiction of courts - which is accurately depicted in option 1.

Option 2 suggests the bill was meant to impose severe restrictions on the freedom of the press, but this is not accurate. The Ilbert Bill was concerned with legal jurisdictions, not with control over the press.

Option 3 implies the bill intended to encourage native Indians to appear for civil service examinations by conducting them in India. However, this also is not related to the Ilbert Bill, which dealt with legal matters and not civil service examinations.

Option 4 indicates that the Ilbert Bill sought to amend the Arms Act to allow native Indians to possess arms. This, too, is not correct, as the bill focused on legal jurisdiction rather than changing regulations on firearm possession.

In summary, only option 1 correctly describes the purpose of the Ilbert Bill of 1883.