60+ Important History MCQs with Answers – GK & Competitive Exams

60+ Important History MCQs with Answers

Practice these History MCQs with answers — perfect for SSC, UPSC prelims, banking, railway and state competitive exams. Answers are provided for quick revision.

1.          (i) Who is often called the 'Father of History'?
(ii) Aristotle
(iii) Herodotus
(iv) Thucydides
Answer: (iii) Herodotus

2.          (i) In which year did World War I begin?
(ii) 1912
(iii) 1914
(iv) 1918
Answer: (iii) 1914

3.          (i) Who was the first President of the United States?
(ii) Thomas Jefferson
(iii) George Washington
(iv) John Adams
Answer: (iii) George Washington

4.          (i) The Industrial Revolution began in which country?
(ii) France
(iii) England
(iv) Germany
Answer: (iii) England

5.          (i) Who discovered the sea route to India in 1498?
(ii) Christopher Columbus
(iii) Vasco da Gama
(iv) Ferdinand Magellan
Answer: (iii) Vasco da Gama

6.          (i) Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal?
(ii) Akbar
(iii) Jahangir
(iv) Shah Jahan
Answer: (iv) Shah Jahan

7.          (i) When did India gain independence?
(ii) 1945
(iii) 1947
(iv) 1950
Answer: (iii) 1947

8.          (i) Who founded the Maurya Empire?
(ii) Ashoka
(iii) Chandragupta Maurya
(iv) Bindusara
Answer: (iii) Chandragupta Maurya

9.          (i) The ancient Olympic Games originated at which place?
(ii) Athens
(iii) Olympia
(iv) Sparta
Answer: (iii) Olympia

10.      (i) Who was the founder of the Gupta dynasty?
(ii) Chandragupta I
(iii) Samudragupta
(iv) Chandragupta II
Answer: (ii) Chandragupta I

11.      (i) Which empire was Ashoka associated with?
(ii) Maurya Empire
(iii) Gupta Empire
(iv) Chola Empire
Answer: (ii) Maurya Empire

12.      (i) Who wrote 'The Prince'?
(ii) Thomas More
(iii) Niccolò Machiavelli
(iv) John Locke
Answer: (iii) Niccolò Machiavelli

13.      (i) The Renaissance began in which country?
(ii) France
(iii) Italy
(iv) England
Answer: (iii) Italy

14.      (i) The French Revolution began in which year?
(ii) 1776
(iii) 1789
(iv) 1804
Answer: (iii) 1789

15.      (i) Who led the Salt March (Dandi March) in 1930?
(ii) Jawaharlal Nehru
(iii) Subhas Chandra Bose
(iv) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: (iv) Mahatma Gandhi

16.      (i) Which battle marked the end of Napoleon’s rule (1815)?
(ii) Battle of Trafalgar
(iii) Battle of Waterloo
(iv) Battle of Leipzig
Answer: (iii) Battle of Waterloo

17.      (i) Who established the Delhi Sultanate in 1206?
(ii) Qutb-ud-din Aibak
(iii) Iltutmish
(iv) Alauddin Khilji
Answer: (ii) Qutb-ud-din Aibak

18.      (i) Which ruler introduced the Mansabdari system?
(ii) Akbar
(iii) Humayun
(iv) Jahangir
Answer: (ii) Akbar

19.      (i) The 'Doctrine of Lapse' was associated with which power?
(ii) British East India Company
(iii) French East India Company
(iv) Dutch East India Company
Answer: (ii) British East India Company

20.      (i) Who started the 'Swadeshi Movement' in 1905?
(ii) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(iii) Leaders of the Indian National Congress and local leaders in response to the Partition of Bengal
(iv) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: (iii) Leaders of the INC and local leaders (Swadeshi in response to 1905 Partition)

21.      (i) The Reformation was started by which leader?
(ii) John Calvin
(iii) Martin Luther
(iv) Henry VIII
Answer: (iii) Martin Luther

22.      (i) Which ancient civilization built the Pyramids?
(ii) Mesopotamians
(iii) Egyptians
(iv) Indus Valley people
Answer: (iii) Egyptians

23.      (i) The Harappan civilization belonged to which age?
(ii) Bronze Age
(iii) Iron Age
(iv) Stone Age
Answer: (ii) Bronze Age

24.      (i) Who was the first woman ruler of the Mughal Empire in practice (regent)?
(ii) Nur Jahan
(iii) Jahanara Begum
(iv) Razia Sultana
Answer: (ii) Nur Jahan (powerful queen & regent influence)

25.      (i) The famous 'Rosetta Stone' helped decipher which script?
(ii) Cuneiform
(iii) Egyptian hieroglyphs
(iv) Sanskrit
Answer: (iii) Egyptian hieroglyphs

26.      (i) The US Civil War was fought between which years?
(ii) 1861–1865
(iii) 1846–1848
(iv) 1914–1918
Answer: (ii) 1861–1865

27.      (i) Who was the principal architect of the Indian Constitution?
(ii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
(iii) Sardar Patel
(iv) Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: (ii) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

28.      (i) The 'Iron Pillar' at Mehrauli dates to which period?
(ii) Gupta period
(iii) Maurya period
(iv) Mughal period
Answer: (ii) Gupta period (often attributed to Gupta era craftsmanship)

29.      (i) Who introduced the Permanent Settlement (1793) in India?
(ii) Lord Cornwallis
(iii) Lord Wellesley
(iv) Lord Dalhousie
Answer: (ii) Lord Cornwallis

30.      (i) The Quit India Movement was launched in which year?
(ii) 1940
(iii) 1942
(iv) 1946
Answer: (iii) 1942

31.      (i) The Bayeux Tapestry depicts which event?
(ii) The Norman Conquest of England (1066)
(iii) The fall of Rome
(iv) The Crusades
Answer: (ii) The Norman Conquest of England

32.      (i) Which empire built the Angkor Wat temple complex?
(ii) Khmer Empire
(iii) Majapahit Empire
(iv) Sukhothai Kingdom
Answer: (ii) Khmer Empire

33.      (i) Who was the British Viceroy who enacted the Indian Councils Act 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms)?
(ii) Lord Curzon
(iii) Lord Minto
(iv) Lord Hardinge
Answer: (iii) Lord Minto (with John Morley)

34.      (i) The Sepoy Mutiny / First War of Independence took place in which year?
(ii) 1857
(iii) 1837
(iv) 1875
Answer: (ii) 1857

35.      (i) Who established the Mughal rule firmly after Babur?
(ii) Humayun
(iii) Akbar
(iv) Shah Jahan
Answer: (iii) Akbar

36.      (i) The 'Dandi March' lasted for how many days approximately?
(ii) 6 days
(iii) 24 days
(iv) 10 days
Answer: (iii) ~24 days (March 12–April 6, 1930)

37.      (i) The famous 'Hammurabi's Code' belongs to which civilization?
(ii) Egyptian
(iii) Babylonian (Mesopotamia)
(iv) Indus Valley
Answer: (iii) Babylonian (Hammurabi was a Babylonian king)

38.      (i) The Constituent Assembly of India first met in which year?
(ii) 1946
(iii) 1947
(iv) 1950
Answer: (ii) 1946

39.      (i) Who is credited with founding Islam?
(ii) Jesus
(iii) Muhammad
(iv) Moses
Answer: (iii) Muhammad

40.      (i) Which ancient Indian text is attributed to Chanakya (Kautilya)?
(ii) Arthashastra
(iii) Manusmriti
(iv) Ramayana
Answer: (ii) Arthashastra

41.      (i) The Peloponnesian War was between which two Greek city-states/groups?
(ii) Athens and Sparta
(iii) Athens and Thebes
(iv) Sparta and Corinth
Answer: (ii) Athens and Sparta

42.      (i) Who led the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia (1917)?
(ii) Joseph Stalin
(iii) Vladimir Lenin
(iv) Leon Trotsky
Answer: (iii) Vladimir Lenin

43.      (i) The Berlin Wall fell in which year?
(ii) 1989
(iii) 1991
(iv) 1987
Answer: (ii) 1989

44.      (i) Which Indian ruler issued the Edicts engraved on pillars and rocks?
(ii) Ashoka
(iii) Chandragupta Maurya
(iv) Harsha
Answer: (ii) Ashoka

45.      (i) Who translated the Bible into English (complete translation credited)?
(ii) William Tyndale (early translations) / King James translation widely used (1611)
(iii) Martin Luther
(iv) John Wycliffe
Answer: (ii) William Tyndale (early) and later King James Version (1611) — but common answer: King James Version (1611)

46.      (i) The 'Satyagraha' movement was pioneered by whom?
(ii) Subhas Chandra Bose
(iii) Mahatma Gandhi
(iv) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Answer: (iii) Mahatma Gandhi

47.      (i) The Salt Satyagraha began from which place?
(ii) Dandi (Gujarat)
(iii) Champaran
(iv) Sabarmati
Answer: (ii) Dandi

48.      (i) The oldest known law code is associated with which civilization?
(ii) Code of Ur-Nammu (Sumerian)
(iii) Hammurabi's Code
(iv) Twelve Tables of Rome
Answer: (ii) Code of Ur-Nammu is older; Hammurabi's is also ancient (commonly taught: Hammurabi)

49.      (i) Who led the 1857 rebellion at Meerut and Delhi as a nominal leader?
(ii) Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah Zafar)
(iii) Nana Sahib
(iv) Rani Lakshmibai
Answer: (ii) Bahadur Shah II (as nominal leader in Delhi)

50.      (i) Who was the famous Chola king known for naval expeditions and temple building?
(ii) Rajaraja I and Rajendra Chola I
(iii) Pulakeshin II
(iv) Krishna Deva Raya
Answer: (ii) Rajaraja I and Rajendra Chola I

51.      (i) The 'Non-Cooperation Movement' was called off after which event?
(ii) Chauri Chaura incident (1922)
(iii) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
(iv) Simon Commission arrival
Answer: (ii) Chauri Chaura incident

52.      (i) Which Indian leader founded the Forward Bloc after leaving Indian National Congress?
(ii) Subhas Chandra Bose
(iii) C. Rajagopalachari
(iv) S. S. Bose
Answer: (ii) Subhas Chandra Bose

53.      (i) Who established Persian as a court language in India during the Delhi Sultanate?
(ii) Iltutmish and subsequent sultans used Persian influence widely (Persian became language of administration under many sultans)
(iii) Akbar
(iv) Sher Shah Suri
Answer: (ii) Persian became common in administration during the Delhi Sultanate (and later Mughal period)

54.      (i) The 'Doctrine of Lapse' was cancelled by which act or change?
(ii) After 1857 it effectively ended British policy changes; no single act — policy abandoned by East India Company as direct Crown rule after 1858
(iii) 1858 Government of India Act
(iv) Charter Act 1833
Answer: (ii) Doctrine effectively ended after 1857 leading to Crown rule under Government of India Act, 1858

55.      (i) Who was 'Rana Pratap'?
(ii) Mughal Emperor
(iii) Rajput king of Mewar (Maharana Pratap Singh)
(iv) Maratha leader
Answer: (iii) Maharana Pratap Singh, king of Mewar

56.      (i) The ‘Maratha Confederacy’ was consolidated under which leader?
(ii) Shivaji
(iii) Peshwa administration (Balaji Vishwanath, Balaji Baji Rao etc.)
(iv) Baji Rao I (as Peshwa he expanded Maratha power)
Answer: (iv) Under Peshwas (Baji Rao I widely credited with expansion)

57.      (i) The Portuguese established their first stronghold in India at which place?
(ii) Goa (later capital)
(iii) Diu
(iv) Calicut (Kozhikode)
Answer: (ii) Goa became the main stronghold (Vasco da Gama first reached Calicut; Goa was main colony)

58.      (i) The system of 'Ryotwari' settlements was introduced by which official?
(ii) Thomas Munro and others in Madras presidency (early 19th century)
(iii) Lord Cornwallis
(iv) Lord Wellesley
Answer: (ii) Thomas Munro (Ryotwari system in Madras and parts of Bombay)

59.      (i) Which was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire?
(ii) Hampi (Vijayanagara)
(iii) Mysore
(iv) Warangal
Answer: (ii) Hampi (Vijayanagara)

60.      (i) Who was the founder of Sikhism?
(ii) Guru Nanak
(iii) Guru Gobind Singh
(iv) Guru Angad
Answer: (ii) Guru Nanak

61.      (i) The 'Treaty of Versailles' ended which war?
(ii) World War I
(iii) World War II
(iv) Napoleonic Wars
Answer: (ii) World War I (treaty signed 1919)

62.      (i) 'Jallianwala Bagh Massacre' occurred in which year?
(ii) 1919
(iii) 1920
(iv) 1915
Answer: (ii) 1919

63.      (i) Who gave the slogan 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it'?
(ii) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(iii) Lala Lajpat Rai
(iv) Bipin Chandra Pal
Answer: (ii) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

64.      (i) Which empire was famous for the 'Qutub Minar'?
(ii) Delhi Sultanate (Qutb-ud-din Aibak initiated; Qutub complex developed by early sultans)
(iii) Mughal Empire
(iv) Maurya Empire
Answer: (ii) Delhi Sultanate (Qutb-ud-din Aibak & Iltutmish)

65.      (i) Who was the last Mughal emperor?
(ii) Bahadur Shah II (Bahadur Shah Zafar)
(iii) Bahadur Shah I
(iv) Aurangzeb
Answer: (ii) Bahadur Shah II

66.      (i) The Twelve Tables were associated with which ancient civilization?
(ii) Greece
(iii) Rome
(iv) Babylon
Answer: (iii) Rome

67.      (i) The Battle of Plassey (1757) was won by which company commander?
(ii) Robert Clive
(iii) Warren Hastings
(iv) Lord Clive
Answer: (ii) Robert Clive (also known as Clive of India)

68.      (i) Who was the first Indian to become the Viceroy of India? (trick Q — none)
(ii) Lord Wellesley
(iii) No Indian ever served as Viceroy under British rule
(iv) Lord Curzon
Answer: (iii) No Indian served as Viceroy (Viceroys were British)

69.      (i) Which movement did B.R. Ambedkar lead for Dalit rights and social reform?
(ii) Dalit and social reform movement culminating in conversion to Buddhism (Ambedkar led Dalit movement and social reform initiatives)
(iii) Khilafat movement
(iv) Non-Cooperation movement
Answer: (ii) Ambedkar led Dalit rights movement and social reform

70.      (i) Who wrote the 'Historia' often identified with early Roman history? (alternate common Q)
(ii) Livy
(iii) Tacitus
(iv) Herodotus
Answer: (ii) Livy (Roman historian)

71.      (i) Which Indian king expanded the Satavahana power and trade in early centuries CE?
(ii) Gautamiputra Satakarni
(iii) Kharavela
(iv) Harsha
Answer: (ii) Gautamiputra Satakarni

72.      (i) Who led the Champaran Satyagraha (1917) — the first active Satyagraha led by Gandhi in India?
(ii) Mahatma Gandhi
(iii) Rajendra Prasad
(iv) Motilal Nehru
Answer: (ii) Mahatma Gandhi

73.      (i) The 'Salt Tax' was a part of colonial taxation targeted by which movement?
(ii) Civil Disobedience Movement (Salt Satyagraha)
(iii) Non-Cooperation Movement
(iv) Quit India Movement
Answer: (ii) Civil Disobedience Movement

74.      (i) The earliest urban culture of the Indian subcontinent is known as?
(ii) Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization)
(iii) Vedic Civilization
(iv) Mauryan Civilization
Answer: (ii) Indus Valley Civilization

75.      (i) Which Mughal emperor attempted to introduce Sulh-i-kul (universal tolerance) and patronized arts?
(ii) Akbar
(iii) Jahangir
(iv) Aurangzeb
Answer: (ii) Akbar

76.      (i) When did India become a Republic (adoption of constitution)?
(ii) 26 January 1950
(iii) 15 August 1947
(iv) 26 January 1949
Answer: (ii) 26 January 1950

77.      (i) Who was the founder of the Maurya dynasty’s most celebrated emperor Ashoka’s grandfather?
(ii) Chandragupta Maurya
(iii) Bindusara
(iv) Bimbisara
Answer: (ii) Chandragupta Maurya

78.      (i) The 'Berlin Conference' (1884–85) regulated colonization of which continent?
(ii) Asia
(iii) Africa
(iv) South America
Answer: (iii) Africa

79.      (i) Which Indian movement demanded 'Purna Swaraj' (complete independence) in 1930?
(ii) Indian National Congress (Lahore session, December 1929 declared Purna Swaraj, observed 26 January 1930)
(iii) Muslim League
(iv) Forward Bloc
Answer: (ii) Indian National Congress (Lahore session)

80.      (i) Who built the Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur?
(ii) Raja Raja Chola I
(iii) Rajendra Chola
(iv) Kulothunga Chola
Answer: (ii) Raja Raja Chola I

81.      (i) Which treaty ended the First Anglo-Afghan War or notable Anglo conflicts? (example: many treaties exist) — common exam Q: Treaty of Allahabad ended which war?
(ii) Battle of Buxar (1764) led to Treaty of Allahabad (1765)
(iii) Treaty of Paris
(iv) Treaty of Versailles
Answer: (ii) Treaty of Allahabad followed Battle of Buxar (1764)

82.      (i) Who was the founder of the Mauryan capital Pataliputra’s major urban layout reformer?
(ii) Ajatashatru expanded Pataliputra earlier; Mauryan development under Chandragupta and Ashoka
(iii) Ashoka
(iv) Chandragupta Maurya
Answer: (iv) Chandragupta Maurya (Pataliputra as Mauryan capital expanded under early Mauryas)

83.      (i) The famous Mughal miniature painting style flourished under which emperor?
(ii) Akbar and Jahangir (Mughal painting school flourished under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan)
(iii) Aurangzeb
(iv) Humayun
Answer: (ii) Akbar and Jahangir

How to use this post

(i) Read the question first, try answering mentally;

(ii) Check the correct answer shown after each question;

(iii) Bookmark & revise regularly for best retention.