Practise Indian History for UPSC Prelims, state PCS and SSC exams with 10 sets of 15 questions each (150 questions in all), covering ancient, medieval and modern India. Every question has an explanation, and your score is tracked set by set.
- Pick any set below. Your progress in every set is saved on this device, so you can switch sets and come back to the same question later.
- Tap an option (or press A, B, C, D) to answer and see the explanation. Press Enter or tap Next to move on.
- When you finish a set you get your score, a review of every answer, and the option to start the next set.
All questions with answers and explanations
Prefer to read rather than take the test? Every question from the 10 sets is listed below with the correct answer and a short explanation, 150 questions in all. Open a set to see its questions. It works well for a quick revision the night before, or for checking a question you got wrong in the test above.
Ancient India: Foundations
Which is considered the earliest urban civilization in India?
- (a) Maurya Empire
- (b) Gupta Empire
- (c) Indus Valley Civilization
- (d) Mughal Empire
Answer: (c) Indus Valley Civilization. Indus Valley Civilization is the earliest known urban culture in India.
The Great Bath was discovered at which Indus Valley site?
- (a) Harappa
- (b) Mohenjo‑daro
- (c) Lothal
- (d) Kalibangan
Answer: (b) Mohenjo‑daro. Mohenjo‑daro’s Great Bath indicates advanced water management.
Who was the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism?
- (a) Rishabhanatha
- (b) Parshvanatha
- (c) Mahavira
- (d) Neminatha
Answer: (c) Mahavira. Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara; Rishabhanatha was the first and Parshvanatha the 23rd.
The First Buddhist Council was held at?
- (a) Rajgir
- (b) Vaishali
- (c) Pataliputra
- (d) Bodh Gaya
Answer: (a) Rajgir. First Buddhist Council was at Rajgir to compile Buddha’s teachings.
Who wrote the Arthashastra?
- (a) Kalidasa
- (b) Kautilya
- (c) Banabhatta
- (d) Megasthenes
Answer: (b) Kautilya. Kautilya (Chanakya), adviser to Chandragupta Maurya, wrote the Arthashastra on statecraft and economy.
Which ancient university in Bihar, founded in the Gupta period under Kumaragupta I, became a great centre of Buddhist learning?
- (a) Takshashila
- (b) Nalanda
- (c) Vallabhi
- (d) Odantapuri
Answer: (b) Nalanda. Nalanda was founded under Kumaragupta I and later patronised by Harsha and the Palas.
Who was known as the ‘Indian Napoleon’?
- (a) Samudragupta
- (b) Ashoka
- (c) Chandragupta II
- (d) Harshavardhana
Answer: (a) Samudragupta. Samudragupta’s conquests earned him this title.
Pushyamitra Shunga overthrew which dynasty?
- (a) Maurya
- (b) Gupta
- (c) Satavahana
- (d) Kushan
Answer: (a) Maurya. He founded the Shunga Dynasty after ending the Maurya rule.
Which port was important in the Indus Valley trade?
- (a) Lothal
- (b) Tamralipti
- (c) Arikamedu
- (d) Bangalore
Answer: (a) Lothal. Lothal was a major maritime port.
The Vedic texts are mainly in which language?
- (a) Sanskrit
- (b) Pali
- (c) Prakrit
- (d) Tamil
Answer: (a) Sanskrit. Early Vedic literature is in Sanskrit.
The decimal system was developed in India by?
- (a) Harappans
- (b) Gupta period
- (c) Maurya period
- (d) Chola period
Answer: (b) Gupta period. The decimal system was refined during the Gupta period.
Which city was the capital of Mauryan Empire?
- (a) Taxila
- (b) Ujjain
- (c) Pataliputra
- (d) Kanauj
Answer: (c) Pataliputra. Pataliputra was the Mauryan capital.
The Bhagavad Gita is a part of which text?
- (a) Ramayana
- (b) Rigveda
- (c) Mahabharata
- (d) Arthashastra
Answer: (c) Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is in the Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata.
The Iron Pillar near Qutub Minar was built during?
- (a) Gupta period
- (b) Maurya period
- (c) Mughal period
- (d) Chola period
Answer: (a) Gupta period. It reflects advanced metallurgy in the Gupta age.
Who defeated Alexander’s general Seleucus Nicator?
- (a) Chandragupta Maurya
- (b) Bindusara
- (c) Ashoka
- (d) Harsha
Answer: (a) Chandragupta Maurya. Chandragupta Maurya defeated Seleucus Nicator after Alexander’s invasion.
Delhi Sultanate and Mughals
The Delhi Sultanate was established by?
- (a) Alauddin Khilji
- (b) Qutb‑ud‑din Aibak
- (c) Balban
- (d) Iltutmish
Answer: (b) Qutb‑ud‑din Aibak. Qutb‑ud‑din Aibak founded the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 CE.
The Bhakti Movement emphasised?
- (a) Ritual worship
- (b) Devotion and equality
- (c) Military conquest
- (d) Trade
Answer: (b) Devotion and equality. Bhakti saints stressed devotion and spiritual equality.
The Mughal Empire in India began after which battle?
- (a) Buxar
- (b) Plassey
- (c) Panipat 1526
- (d) Haldighati
Answer: (c) Panipat 1526. Battle of Panipat in 1526 marked the beginning of Mughal rule.
Akbar’s religious policy was called?
- (a) Din‑i‑Ilahi
- (b) Sikhism
- (c) Zoroastrianism
- (d) Shariat
Answer: (a) Din‑i‑Ilahi. Din‑i‑Ilahi was Akbar’s syncretic policy to foster tolerance.
Who introduced the Mansabdari system?
- (a) Babur
- (b) Akbar
- (c) Sher Shah Suri
- (d) Aurangzeb
Answer: (b) Akbar. Akbar introduced the Mansabdari administrative system.
The Red Fort in Delhi was commissioned by?
- (a) Akbar
- (b) Shah Jahan
- (c) Aurangzeb
- (d) Jahangir
Answer: (b) Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan built the Red Fort as his palace.
What was the official court language of the Mughal Empire?
- (a) Arabic
- (b) Turkish
- (c) Persian
- (d) Urdu
Answer: (c) Persian. Persian was the language of the Mughal court and administration; Akbar made it the language of revenue records too.
The battle of Khanwa was fought between?
- (a) Mughals and Rajputs
- (b) Sultanate and Rajputs
- (c) British and Marathas
- (d) Mughals and Afghans
Answer: (a) Mughals and Rajputs. Babur defeated Rana Sanga at Khanwa.
Sher Shah Suri gave peasants which documents recording their rights and revenue obligations?
- (a) Patta and Qabuliyat
- (b) Iqta and Jagir
- (c) Farman and Nishan
- (d) Dastak and Firman
Answer: (a) Patta and Qabuliyat. Under Sher Shah, the patta stated the state's demand and the qabuliyat was the peasant's deed of agreement.
The Qutub Minar construction was begun by?
- (a) Aibak
- (b) Iltutmish
- (c) Balban
- (d) Alauddin Khilji
Answer: (a) Aibak. Qutb‑ud‑din Aibak began building Qutub Minar.
Which Sultan built the Alai Darwaza?
- (a) Alauddin Khilji
- (b) Balban
- (c) Iltutmish
- (d) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Answer: (a) Alauddin Khilji. Alauddin Khilji added Alai Darwaza to Qutub complex.
Which empire followed the decline of the Mughal power?
- (a) Maratha
- (b) Gupta
- (c) Maurya
- (d) Satavahana
Answer: (a) Maratha. Marathas rose as Mughal power waned.
Which Bhakti poet, a devotee of Krishna, wrote the Sursagar?
- (a) Surdas
- (b) Tulsidas
- (c) Kabir
- (d) Ravidas
Answer: (a) Surdas. Surdas, a 16th-century poet in Braj Bhasha, wrote the Sursagar on the childhood and life of Krishna.
Which Sultan invaded India first among these?
- (a) Mahmud of Ghazni
- (b) Alauddin Khilji
- (c) Timur
- (d) Babar
Answer: (a) Mahmud of Ghazni. Mahmud of Ghazni led early raids into India.
The Bahmani Sultanate was founded in 1347 by:
- (a) Mahmud Gawan
- (b) Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah
- (c) Yusuf Adil Shah
- (d) Quli Qutb Shah
Answer: (b) Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah. Alauddin Hasan (Hasan Gangu), titled Bahman Shah, founded the Bahmani Sultanate with its capital at Gulbarga.
Modern India and Freedom Struggle
Battle of Plassey was fought in?
- (a) 1757
- (b) 1764
- (c) 1773
- (d) 1784
Answer: (a) 1757. Battle of Plassey was fought in 1757.
The Revolt of 1857 began at?
- (a) Meerut
- (b) Delhi
- (c) Lucknow
- (d) Kanpur
Answer: (a) Meerut. It began with sepoys in Meerut.
Who was the leader of the revolt in Jhansi (1857)?
- (a) Rani Lakshmibai
- (b) Begum Hazrat Mahal
- (c) Nana Sahib
- (d) Tantia Tope
Answer: (a) Rani Lakshmibai. Rani Lakshmibai led the Jhansi front.
Indian National Congress was founded in?
- (a) 1885
- (b) 1905
- (c) 1919
- (d) 1920
Answer: (a) 1885. INC was formed in 1885.
Who was founder of INC?
- (a) A.O. Hume
- (b) Dadabhai Naoroji
- (c) G.K. Gokhale
- (d) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: (a) A.O. Hume. A.O. Hume initiated the forum for Indian political dialogue.
Swadeshi Movement was in response to?
- (a) Rowlatt Act
- (b) Partition of Bengal
- (c) Simon Commission
- (d) Khilafat
Answer: (b) Partition of Bengal. It began after Bengal was partitioned.
Non‑Cooperation Movement launched in?
- (a) 1919
- (b) 1920
- (c) 1930
- (d) 1942
Answer: (b) 1920. It was launched in 1920 by Gandhi.
Civil Disobedience Movement began with?
- (a) Quit India
- (b) Dandi March
- (c) Champaran
- (d) Khilafat
Answer: (b) Dandi March. Salt Satyagraha started the larger Civil Disobedience Movement.
Quit India Movement was launched in?
- (a) 1935
- (b) 1940
- (c) 1942
- (d) 1947
Answer: (c) 1942. Quit India was launched in 1942.
The slogan ‘Do or Die’ is associated with?
- (a) Non‑Cooperation
- (b) Civil Disobedience
- (c) Quit India
- (d) Swadeshi
Answer: (c) Quit India. Gandhi used this in Quit India call.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in?
- (a) Amritsar
- (b) Delhi
- (c) Lahore
- (d) Kolkata
Answer: (a) Amritsar. Brutal firing happened at Amritsar.
Permanent Settlement was introduced by?
- (a) Cornwallis
- (b) Curzon
- (c) Dalhousie
- (d) Ripon
Answer: (a) Cornwallis. Cornwallis introduced zamindari under Permanent Settlement.
Ryotwari system was introduced by?
- (a) Thomas Munro
- (b) Ripon
- (c) Curzon
- (d) Hastings
Answer: (a) Thomas Munro. Thomas Munro developed ryotwari system.
Cabinet Mission came to India in?
- (a) 1942
- (b) 1946
- (c) 1947
- (d) 1950
Answer: (b) 1946. Cabinet Mission arrived in 1946.
India became independent in?
- (a) 1945
- (b) 1946
- (c) 1947
- (d) 1950
Answer: (c) 1947. India gained freedom in 1947.
Mauryas, Sangam and Guptas
The Harappan script is primarily written on?
- (a) Palm leaves
- (b) Stone inscriptions
- (c) Seals
- (d) Copper plates
Answer: (c) Seals. Harappan seals bear inscriptions in the Indus script.
The Mahajanapadas period preceded which empire?
- (a) Maurya
- (b) Gupta
- (c) Mughal
- (d) Shunga
Answer: (a) Maurya. Maurya Empire succeeded the Mahajanapadas.
Kautilya’s Arthashastra deals with?
- (a) Military, Politics, Economics
- (b) Religion
- (c) Philosophy
- (d) Mathematics
Answer: (a) Military, Politics, Economics. It focuses on statecraft, military, and governance.
Who was the last Mauryan emperor?
- (a) Chandragupta Maurya
- (b) Bindusara
- (c) Ashoka
- (d) Brihadratha
Answer: (d) Brihadratha. Brihadratha was assassinated by Pushyamitra Shunga.
Sangam literature is associated with which region?
- (a) North India
- (b) South India
- (c) East India
- (d) West India
Answer: (b) South India. Sangam literature originates in Tamil Nadu.
Ashoka’s Kalinga war led to?
- (a) Expansion
- (b) Conversion to Buddhism
- (c) Decline
- (d) Rise of Maurya
Answer: (b) Conversion to Buddhism. Ashoka embraced Buddhism after the Kalinga war.
Who built the Sanchi Stupa?
- (a) Ashoka
- (b) Chandragupta
- (c) Harsha
- (d) Samudragupta
Answer: (a) Ashoka. Ashoka commissioned the Sanchi Stupa.
Gupta dynasty is known as?
- (a) Golden Age
- (b) Iron Age
- (c) Medieval Empire
- (d) Slave Dynasty
Answer: (a) Golden Age. The Gupta period is called India’s Golden Age due to cultural progress.
Which Pala ruler founded the Vikramashila university?
- (a) Gopala
- (b) Dharmapala
- (c) Devapala
- (d) Mahipala
Answer: (b) Dharmapala. Dharmapala founded Vikramashila in present-day Bhagalpur district, Bihar.
The Kushan ruler Kanishka was known for?
- (a) Buddhism patronage
- (b) Hindu temples
- (c) Jainism
- (d) Persian conquest
Answer: (a) Buddhism patronage. Kanishka promoted Buddhism, especially Mahayana.
The Chola dynasty is especially remembered for:
- (a) Maritime trade and a strong navy
- (b) Desert warfare
- (c) Nomadic raids
- (d) Founding Buddhism
Answer: (a) Maritime trade and a strong navy. The Cholas built a strong navy and controlled trade across the Bay of Bengal and with South-East Asia.
Who wrote Indica, an account of Mauryan India?
- (a) Megasthenes
- (b) Fa-Hien
- (c) Hiuen Tsang
- (d) Al-Biruni
Answer: (a) Megasthenes. Megasthenes, ambassador of Seleucus Nicator, described Chandragupta Maurya's India in Indica.
Which Mauryan ruler was known as 'Amitraghata' (slayer of enemies)?
- (a) Chandragupta Maurya
- (b) Bindusara
- (c) Ashoka
- (d) Dasharatha
Answer: (b) Bindusara. Greek writers call Bindusara Amitrochates, from the Sanskrit Amitraghata.
Kalidasa was a court poet in which dynasty?
- (a) Gupta
- (b) Maurya
- (c) Chola
- (d) Mughal
Answer: (a) Gupta. Kalidasa flourished in the Gupta period.
Ashoka's Major Rock Edict XIII is important because it describes:
- (a) The Kalinga war
- (b) The First Buddhist Council
- (c) The Sanchi Stupa
- (d) His coronation
Answer: (a) The Kalinga war. Rock Edict XIII records the Kalinga war, the suffering it caused and Ashoka's turn to dhamma.
Mixed Revision: Ancient to Modern
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) is credited with defeating which rulers of western India?
- (a) The Shakas (Western Kshatrapas)
- (b) The Kushanas
- (c) The Hunas
- (d) The Pallavas
Answer: (a) The Shakas (Western Kshatrapas). Chandragupta II ended the rule of the Western Kshatrapas (Shakas) in Gujarat and Malwa, which gave the Guptas access to western ports.
Vikramaditya is associated with which dynasty?
- (a) Gupta
- (b) Maurya
- (c) Chola
- (d) Kushan
Answer: (a) Gupta. Vikramaditya refers to Chandragupta II of Gupta dynasty.
The Second Buddhist Council was held at:
- (a) Rajgir
- (b) Vaishali
- (c) Pataliputra
- (d) Kashmir
Answer: (b) Vaishali. The Second Council met at Vaishali about a century after the Buddha's death, under Kalashoka.
The Bhakti saint Kabir emphasized?
- (a) Devotion to God
- (b) Caste hierarchy
- (c) Military rule
- (d) Commerce
Answer: (a) Devotion to God. Kabir preached devotion beyond caste distinctions.
Which Sultan shifted the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Devagiri)?
- (a) Alauddin Khilji
- (b) Muhammad bin Tughlaq
- (c) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
- (d) Iltutmish
Answer: (b) Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Muhammad bin Tughlaq moved the capital to Daulatabad in 1327 and later returned to Delhi.
Which Mughal ruler built Fatehpur Sikri?
- (a) Akbar
- (b) Babur
- (c) Shah Jahan
- (d) Aurangzeb
Answer: (a) Akbar. Akbar shifted his capital to Fatehpur Sikri.
Sher Shah Suri is known for?
- (a) Rupee coin system
- (b) Zamindari
- (c) Mughal conquest
- (d) Trade
Answer: (a) Rupee coin system. Sher Shah Suri standardized currency and administration.
The Battle of Talikota (1565) led to the decline of which empire?
- (a) Vijayanagara
- (b) Bahmani
- (c) Mughal
- (d) Maratha
Answer: (a) Vijayanagara. The Deccan Sultanates defeated Vijayanagara at Talikota, and its capital Hampi was destroyed.
Tipu Sultan fought against?
- (a) British East India Company
- (b) Mughals
- (c) Marathas
- (d) French
Answer: (a) British East India Company. Tipu Sultan resisted British expansion in Mysore.
The Marathas were founded by?
- (a) Shivaji
- (b) Baji Rao
- (c) Tukojirao
- (d) Madhavrao
Answer: (a) Shivaji. Shivaji established the Maratha kingdom.
The Treaty of Srirangapatna (1792) ended which war?
- (a) First Anglo-Mysore War
- (b) Second Anglo-Mysore War
- (c) Third Anglo-Mysore War
- (d) Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
Answer: (c) Third Anglo-Mysore War. It ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War; Tipu Sultan ceded half his territory to the Company and its allies.
Who led the Revolt of 1857 at Kanpur?
- (a) Nana Sahib
- (b) Kunwar Singh
- (c) Bahadur Shah Zafar
- (d) Begum Hazrat Mahal
Answer: (a) Nana Sahib. Nana Sahib, adopted son of the last Peshwa Baji Rao II, led the revolt at Kanpur with Tantia Tope.
The Subsidiary Alliance system was introduced by:
- (a) Lord Cornwallis
- (b) Lord Wellesley
- (c) Lord Dalhousie
- (d) Warren Hastings
Answer: (b) Lord Wellesley. Lord Wellesley used the Subsidiary Alliance to bring Indian states under British control; Hyderabad was the first to accept it in 1798.
The Mahalwari system of land revenue was introduced mainly in:
- (a) Bengal
- (b) Madras
- (c) North-Western Provinces and Punjab
- (d) Bombay
Answer: (c) North-Western Provinces and Punjab. The Mahalwari system, proposed by Holt Mackenzie, settled revenue with village communities in the North-Western Provinces, Punjab and parts of Central India.
Who was the first Viceroy of India after the Crown took over in 1858?
- (a) Lord Dalhousie
- (b) Lord Canning
- (c) Lord Elgin
- (d) Lord Lytton
Answer: (b) Lord Canning. Lord Canning, Governor-General during the revolt, became the first Viceroy in 1858.
Harappans to Mughals
Indus Valley Civilization was primarily located in?
- (a) Punjab and Sindh
- (b) Bihar and Bengal
- (c) Madhya Pradesh
- (d) Tamil Nadu
Answer: (a) Punjab and Sindh. It was centered around Punjab and Sindh region.
Which animal is NOT commonly depicted on Harappan seals?
- (a) Unicorn bull
- (b) Elephant
- (c) Tiger
- (d) Horse
Answer: (d) Horse. Harappan seals show the unicorn bull, elephant, tiger and rhinoceros; the horse is not clearly depicted.
The Sangam assemblies of Tamil poets were held under the patronage of which dynasty?
- (a) Cholas
- (b) Cheras
- (c) Pandyas
- (d) Pallavas
Answer: (c) Pandyas. Tradition says the three Sangams were held at Madurai and nearby places under the Pandya kings.
The Gandhara school of art developed under which dynasty?
- (a) Mauryas
- (b) Kushanas
- (c) Guptas
- (d) Cholas
Answer: (b) Kushanas. The Gandhara school flourished under the Kushanas and shows strong Greco-Roman influence.
Which Gupta-period scholar wrote the astronomical work Pancha Siddhantika?
- (a) Aryabhata
- (b) Varahamihira
- (c) Brahmagupta
- (d) Bhaskara I
Answer: (b) Varahamihira. Varahamihira wrote Pancha Siddhantika and Brihat Samhita in the 6th century CE.
Nalanda University was famous for?
- (a) Buddhist studies
- (b) Hindu studies
- (c) Jain studies
- (d) Islamic studies
Answer: (a) Buddhist studies. It was a major Buddhist learning center.
Who founded the city of Pataliputra?
- (a) Bimbisara
- (b) Ajatashatru
- (c) Udayin
- (d) Chandragupta Maurya
Answer: (c) Udayin. Udayin, son of Ajatashatru, founded Pataliputra at the confluence of the Ganga and Son and moved the Magadha capital there.
Which Chinese traveller studied at Nalanda during Harsha's reign?
- (a) Fa-Hien
- (b) Hiuen Tsang
- (c) I-tsing
- (d) Sung Yun
Answer: (b) Hiuen Tsang. Hiuen Tsang stayed in India from about 630 to 645 CE and studied at Nalanda.
Harsha ruled in which century?
- (a) 7th century
- (b) 6th century
- (c) 5th century
- (d) 8th century
Answer: (a) 7th century. Harsha ruled in the 7th century CE.
Which empire is associated with Ajanta caves?
- (a) Gupta
- (b) Maurya
- (c) Mughal
- (d) Chola
Answer: (a) Gupta. Gupta period saw flourishing of Ajanta cave art.
Sultanate ruler Alauddin Khilji is known for?
- (a) Market reforms
- (b) Buddhism
- (c) Maratha alliance
- (d) Art
Answer: (a) Market reforms. He introduced market and price control reforms.
The Second Battle of Panipat (1556) was fought between Akbar's forces and:
- (a) Ibrahim Lodi
- (b) Hemu
- (c) Sher Shah Suri
- (d) Rana Sanga
Answer: (b) Hemu. Bairam Khan, leading Akbar's forces, defeated Hemu at Panipat in 1556.
Babur was a descendant of?
- (a) Timur and Genghis Khan
- (b) Akbar
- (c) Shah Jahan
- (d) Humayun
Answer: (a) Timur and Genghis Khan. Babur descended from Timur and Genghis Khan.
The Sikh Gurus established which city?
- (a) Amritsar
- (b) Delhi
- (c) Lahore
- (d) Patna
Answer: (a) Amritsar. Amritsar was established by Guru Ram Das.
Who wrote Ain-i-Akbari?
- (a) Abul Fazl
- (b) Badauni
- (c) Faizi
- (d) Nizamuddin Ahmad
Answer: (a) Abul Fazl. Abul Fazl wrote the Akbarnama, whose third volume is the Ain-i-Akbari on Akbar's administration.
Reformers and Nationalists
Who founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828?
- (a) Debendranath Tagore
- (b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- (c) Keshab Chandra Sen
- (d) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Answer: (b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha in 1828, later called the Brahmo Samaj.
Civil Disobedience Movement was launched by?
- (a) Gandhi
- (b) Tilak
- (c) Nehru
- (d) Subhas Bose
Answer: (a) Gandhi. Gandhi initiated it via Salt March.
The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was an agreement between:
- (a) Congress and the Muslim League
- (b) Moderates and Extremists only
- (c) British and the Congress
- (d) Gandhi and Ambedkar
Answer: (a) Congress and the Muslim League. In the Lucknow Pact, the Congress and the Muslim League agreed on joint demands; the Congress accepted separate electorates.
The Hunter Commission of 1882 was set up to review:
- (a) Primary and secondary education
- (b) Famine relief
- (c) Police administration
- (d) Army organisation
Answer: (a) Primary and secondary education. The Hunter Education Commission under Lord Ripon reviewed the progress of education since Wood's Despatch, especially primary education.
The Vernacular Press Act (1878) was passed by:
- (a) Lord Lytton
- (b) Lord Ripon
- (c) Lord Curzon
- (d) Lord Mayo
Answer: (a) Lord Lytton. Lytton's Vernacular Press Act restricted Indian-language newspapers; Ripon repealed it in 1882.
The First Battle of Panipat was fought between?
- (a) Babur and Ibrahim Lodi
- (b) Akbar and Hemu
- (c) Shah Jahan and Mughals
- (d) Tipu Sultan and British
Answer: (a) Babur and Ibrahim Lodi. Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi in 1526.
The third battle of Panipat was fought between?
- (a) Marathas and Afghans
- (b) Mughals and Marathas
- (c) British and Marathas
- (d) Sikhs and Mughals
Answer: (a) Marathas and Afghans. Marathas fought Ahmad Shah Abdali.
The Sepoy Mutiny took place in?
- (a) 1857
- (b) 1847
- (c) 1860
- (d) 1850
Answer: (a) 1857. 1857 rebellion marked first major anti-British uprising.
Who founded the Servants of India Society in 1905?
- (a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- (b) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- (c) M.G. Ranade
- (d) Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer: (b) Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Gandhi's political guru, founded the Servants of India Society.
Tipu Sultan was also called?
- (a) Tiger of Mysore
- (b) Lion of Delhi
- (c) King of Awadh
- (d) Shah of Bengal
Answer: (a) Tiger of Mysore. He is known as Tiger of Mysore.
Who founded the Ghadar Party in 1913?
- (a) Lala Har Dayal
- (b) Bhagat Singh
- (c) Rash Behari Bose
- (d) Udham Singh
Answer: (a) Lala Har Dayal. Lala Har Dayal and Sohan Singh Bhakna founded the Ghadar Party in San Francisco.
Who gave the slogan 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it'?
- (a) Gandhi
- (b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- (c) Bipin Chandra Pal
- (d) Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer: (b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Bal Gangadhar Tilak popularised this slogan during the Home Rule movement.
The Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 was led by:
- (a) Gandhi
- (b) Vallabhbhai Patel
- (c) Rajendra Prasad
- (d) J.B. Kripalani
Answer: (b) Vallabhbhai Patel. Vallabhbhai Patel led the Bardoli peasants against a revenue increase and was given the title Sardar.
Simon Commission was boycotted because?
- (a) No Indian members
- (b) Taxation
- (c) Salt Tax
- (d) Land Revenue
Answer: (a) No Indian members. It had no Indian members.
Rowlatt Act was opposed in?
- (a) 1919
- (b) 1920
- (c) 1918
- (d) 1922
Answer: (a) 1919. It extended repressive wartime measures in 1919.
Bengal to Independence
Who was the Nawab of Bengal defeated at the Battle of Buxar along with Mir Qasim and Shah Alam II?
- (a) Siraj-ud-Daula
- (b) Shuja-ud-Daula
- (c) Mir Jafar
- (d) Alivardi Khan
Answer: (b) Shuja-ud-Daula. At Buxar (1764) the Company defeated Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daula of Awadh and the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.
Battle of Buxar was fought in?
- (a) 1764
- (b) 1757
- (c) 1773
- (d) 1784
Answer: (a) 1764. British defeated Mughal and allies.
Who wrote 'Discovery of India'?
- (a) Nehru
- (b) Tagore
- (c) Ambedkar
- (d) Gandhi
Answer: (a) Nehru. Jawaharlal Nehru authored it during imprisonment.
The Salt Satyagraha took place in?
- (a) Dandi
- (b) Champaran
- (c) Kheda
- (d) Ahmedabad
Answer: (a) Dandi. March to Dandi against salt tax in 1930.
First Indian to win Nobel Prize?
- (a) Rabindranath Tagore
- (b) C.V. Raman
- (c) Amartya Sen
- (d) Hargobind Khorana
Answer: (a) Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore in Literature, 1913.
The Bengal Renaissance began in?
- (a) 19th century
- (b) 18th century
- (c) 17th century
- (d) 20th century
Answer: (a) 19th century. 19th century cultural and intellectual awakening.
Who wrote the song 'Vande Mataram'?
- (a) Rabindranath Tagore
- (b) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
- (c) Aurobindo Ghosh
- (d) Sarojini Naidu
Answer: (b) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. Vande Mataram appears in Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's novel Anandamath (1882).
The Home Rule Movement was led by?
- (a) Tilak & Annie Besant
- (b) Gandhi
- (c) Nehru
- (d) Lala Lajpat Rai
Answer: (a) Tilak & Annie Besant. Tilak and Annie Besant initiated it.
The Simon Commission arrived in India in?
- (a) 1928
- (b) 1919
- (c) 1930
- (d) 1942
Answer: (a) 1928. It faced protests for having no Indian members.
Bhagat Singh and B.K. Dutt threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly in protest against:
- (a) The Rowlatt Act
- (b) The Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill
- (c) The Simon Commission
- (d) The Salt Law
Answer: (b) The Public Safety Bill and Trade Disputes Bill. In April 1929 they protested against the Public Safety Bill and the Trade Disputes Bill, then courted arrest.
Partition of Bengal first occurred in?
- (a) 1905
- (b) 1911
- (c) 1947
- (d) 1920
Answer: (a) 1905. Partition implemented by Lord Curzon in 1905.
The Revolt of 1857 is also known as?
- (a) Sepoy Mutiny
- (b) Swadeshi
- (c) Civil Disobedience
- (d) Non-Cooperation
Answer: (a) Sepoy Mutiny. It was the first war of Indian independence.
Who founded the Indian Association in 1876?
- (a) Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose
- (b) Dadabhai Naoroji
- (c) A.O. Hume
- (d) Pherozeshah Mehta
Answer: (a) Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose. Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose founded the Indian Association in Calcutta, a forerunner of the Congress.
The Kakori train action of 1925 was carried out by members of:
- (a) Hindustan Republican Association
- (b) Ghadar Party
- (c) Anushilan Samiti
- (d) Indian National Army
Answer: (a) Hindustan Republican Association. Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan and others of the Hindustan Republican Association took government money from a train at Kakori.
Who was the Viceroy when the partition of Bengal was annulled in 1911?
- (a) Lord Curzon
- (b) Lord Minto
- (c) Lord Hardinge
- (d) Lord Chelmsford
Answer: (c) Lord Hardinge. The partition was annulled in 1911 under Lord Hardinge; the capital was also moved from Calcutta to Delhi.
Early Medieval and South India
The Kushan dynasty is famous for?
- (a) Trade and Buddhism
- (b) Art only
- (c) Military only
- (d) Agriculture only
Answer: (a) Trade and Buddhism. Kushans promoted trade and Mahayana Buddhism.
Which Harappan site lies on the banks of the Ghaggar in Haryana and is among the largest Harappan settlements?
- (a) Rakhigarhi
- (b) Lothal
- (c) Kot Diji
- (d) Sutkagendor
Answer: (a) Rakhigarhi. Rakhigarhi in Hisar district, Haryana, is one of the largest Harappan sites.
The Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya belonged to which dynasty?
- (a) Sangama
- (b) Saluva
- (c) Tuluva
- (d) Aravidu
Answer: (c) Tuluva. Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529) was the greatest ruler of the Tuluva dynasty.
Raja Raja Chola was famous for?
- (a) Temple building and naval power
- (b) Poetry
- (c) Buddhism
- (d) Metalwork
Answer: (a) Temple building and naval power. He expanded Chola power and built Brihadeeswarar Temple.
Which Chola king built the Brihadeeswarar temple at Thanjavur?
- (a) Rajendra I
- (b) Rajaraja I
- (c) Parantaka I
- (d) Kulottunga I
Answer: (b) Rajaraja I. Rajaraja I completed the Brihadeeswarar (Rajarajeshvara) temple around 1010 CE.
Harsha ruled from?
- (a) Kanauj
- (b) Pataliputra
- (c) Delhi
- (d) Ujjain
Answer: (a) Kanauj. Harsha established Kanauj as capital.
Which Gupta-age work by Kalidasa is a drama?
- (a) Meghaduta
- (b) Abhijnanashakuntalam
- (c) Raghuvamsha
- (d) Ritusamhara
Answer: (b) Abhijnanashakuntalam. Abhijnanashakuntalam is a play; Meghaduta and Ritusamhara are poems and Raghuvamsha is an epic poem.
Who composed the Ashtadhyayi?
- (a) Panini
- (b) Kalidasa
- (c) Valmiki
- (d) Bharavi
Answer: (a) Panini. Panini wrote the grammar treatise Ashtadhyayi.
Nalanda was destroyed in the late 12th century by:
- (a) Mahmud of Ghazni
- (b) Bakhtiyar Khilji
- (c) Muhammad Ghori
- (d) Timur
Answer: (b) Bakhtiyar Khilji. Bakhtiyar Khilji's forces destroyed Nalanda around 1193 CE.
The Pala dynasty was primarily in?
- (a) Bengal and Bihar
- (b) Punjab
- (c) Deccan
- (d) Gujarat
Answer: (a) Bengal and Bihar. Pala dynasty ruled Bengal and Bihar region.
Vikram Samvat calendar was established by?
- (a) King Vikramaditya
- (b) Ashoka
- (c) Harsha
- (d) Chandragupta II
Answer: (a) King Vikramaditya. Vikramaditya started the era in 57 BCE.
Who was famous for rock-cut architecture at Ellora?
- (a) Rashtrakutas
- (b) Gupta
- (c) Maurya
- (d) Chola
Answer: (a) Rashtrakutas. Rashtrakutas built Kailasa temple at Ellora.
The Battle of Tarain (1191) was fought between?
- (a) Prithviraj Chauhan and Muhammad Ghori
- (b) Mughals and Rajputs
- (c) Marathas and Mughals
- (d) British and Tipu Sultan
Answer: (a) Prithviraj Chauhan and Muhammad Ghori. Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Muhammad Ghori initially.
The Second Battle of Tarain (1192) resulted in:
- (a) Prithviraj Chauhan's victory
- (b) Muhammad Ghori's victory
- (c) A treaty
- (d) Mahmud of Ghazni's victory
Answer: (b) Muhammad Ghori's victory. Muhammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan in 1192, opening north India to Turkish rule.
The Vijayanagara empire was founded by?
- (a) Harihara I and Bukka I
- (b) Krishnadevaraya
- (c) Tipu Sultan
- (d) Rajendra Chola
Answer: (a) Harihara I and Bukka I. Founded by Harihara I and Bukka I in 14th century.
Medieval Rulers to 1947
Who built the Grand Trunk Road (Sadak-e-Azam) in its medieval form?
- (a) Akbar
- (b) Sher Shah Suri
- (c) Ashoka
- (d) Shah Jahan
Answer: (b) Sher Shah Suri. Sher Shah Suri rebuilt the road from Sonargaon in Bengal to Peshawar, with sarais at regular intervals.
Battle of Haldighati was fought between?
- (a) Mughals and Rajputs
- (b) British and Marathas
- (c) Sikhs and Mughals
- (d) Tipu Sultan and British
Answer: (a) Mughals and Rajputs. Mughals under Akbar vs. Maharana Pratap.
Who among the following Mughal emperors died after falling from the stairs of his library?
- (a) Babur
- (b) Humayun
- (c) Jahangir
- (d) Shah Jahan
Answer: (b) Humayun. Humayun died in 1556 after falling down the stairs of his library, the Sher Mandal, in Delhi.
The Vijayanagara capital was at?
- (a) Hampi
- (b) Delhi
- (c) Kanauj
- (d) Jaipur
Answer: (a) Hampi. Hampi was the capital city of Vijayanagara.
Tulsidas wrote?
- (a) Ramcharitmanas
- (b) Geet Govind
- (c) Mahabharata
- (d) Ashtadhyayi
Answer: (a) Ramcharitmanas. Ramcharitmanas is his epic rendition of Ramayana.
Rani Durgavati fought against?
- (a) Mughal Empire
- (b) British East India Company
- (c) Marathas
- (d) French
Answer: (a) Mughal Empire. She fought Mughal invasion in 16th century.
Which Mughal emperor abolished the pilgrim tax and jizya?
- (a) Babur
- (b) Akbar
- (c) Jahangir
- (d) Aurangzeb
Answer: (b) Akbar. Akbar abolished the pilgrim tax in 1563 and jizya in 1564; Aurangzeb reimposed jizya in 1679.
Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan ruled which kingdom?
- (a) Hyderabad
- (b) Mysore
- (c) Travancore
- (d) Carnatic
Answer: (b) Mysore. Hyder Ali rose to power in Mysore; his son Tipu Sultan fought the British until his death in 1799.
The Moplah (Mappila) rebellion of 1921 took place in:
- (a) Bengal
- (b) Malabar
- (c) Punjab
- (d) Gujarat
Answer: (b) Malabar. The Mappila uprising took place in the Malabar region of present-day Kerala in 1921.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy is known for?
- (a) Social reforms
- (b) Revolts
- (c) Maratha expansion
- (d) Trade
Answer: (a) Social reforms. He advocated against Sati and for education.
The Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by?
- (a) Dalhousie
- (b) Cornwallis
- (c) Curzon
- (d) Wellesley
Answer: (a) Dalhousie. It annexed princely states without heirs.
Who returned the knighthood in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
- (a) Rabindranath Tagore
- (b) Jamnalal Bajaj
- (c) C.V. Raman
- (d) Motilal Nehru
Answer: (a) Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in 1919 after the massacre at Amritsar.
Who founded the Swaraj Party in 1923 along with Motilal Nehru?
- (a) C.R. Das
- (b) Gandhi
- (c) Tilak
- (d) Subhas Chandra Bose
Answer: (a) C.R. Das. Chittaranjan Das and Motilal Nehru formed the Swaraj Party to contest elections to the legislative councils.
The Mountbatten Plan was announced on:
- (a) 3 June 1947
- (b) 15 August 1947
- (c) 20 February 1947
- (d) 26 January 1950
Answer: (a) 3 June 1947. The 3 June Plan accepted partition; British PM Attlee had announced on 20 February 1947 that Britain would leave by June 1948.
Who called the Cripps proposals 'a post-dated cheque on a crashing bank'?
- (a) Nehru
- (b) Gandhi
- (c) Jinnah
- (d) Patel
Answer: (b) Gandhi. Gandhi's description reflected the Congress's rejection of the 1942 Cripps offer of dominion status after the war.
← Previous: Indian Economy (PYQ 2016-2025) | Next: Indian History (Test 2) →
See everything in one place: UPSC Prelims Practice Hub
Comments
Post a Comment