Indian History Most Important Questions (MCQs) for Competitive Exams
Indian History is a vital part of almost every competitive exam. In this article, we’ve provided the compilation of Indian History Most Important Questions (MCQs) that are frequently asked in competitive exams like UPSC, State PSC, SSC, Railways, NDA, CDS, Banking, AFCAT etc.
Q1. Where did the telegraph line be laid first?
B. Agra to Jaipur
C. Delhi to Shimla
D. Raniganj to Calcutta
Ans: A
Q2. Which Indian territory was formerly known as ‘Black Water’ before Independence?
A. Lakshadweep Group
B. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
C. Diu
D. Aliabet and Khadiabet
Ans: B
Q3. Where was Guru Nanak Dev (the originator of Sikh religion) born?
A. Amritsar
B. Anandpur Sahib
C. Talwandi
D. Patna Sahib
Ans: C
Q4. Amir Khusrow was the disciple of whom?
A. Mirza Ghiyas Beg
B. Nizamuddin Auliya
C. Asadulla Beg
D. Sheikh Salim Chisti
Ans: B
Q5. Which ruler of Bengal gave a portion of Orissa to the Marathas?
A. Shaista khan
B. Murshid kuli khan
C. Alivardi khan
D. Sirajuddaula
Ans: C
Q6. Who the following told, “Hunuz Dilli durast” (Delhi is still far away)?
A. Amir khusrow
B. Nizamuddin Auliya
C. Yahya Sirhindi
D. Moinuddin Chisti
Ans: B
Q7. Gandhi Ji started the Non-Cooperation Movement in?
A. 1880
B. 1900
C. 1920
D. 1940
Ans: C
Q8. Who was the eldest brother among the Pandavas?
A. Yudhishthira
B. Bhima
C. Sahadeva
D. Nakula
Ans: A
Q9. _____ is well-known for the golden beautification of the Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara in Amritsar, famously known as the Golden Temple.
A. Charat Singh
B. Ranjit Singh
C. Duleep Singh
D. Maha Singh
Ans: B
Q10. ………………. comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution.
A. Nalanda
B. Rani ki vav
C. Hill Forts of Rajasthan
D. Fatehpur Sikri
Ans: A
Q11. What does the wheel in the National Flag represent?
A. Speed
B. Truth
C. Growth
D. Future
Ans: C
Q12. Battle of Kanauj was fought in the year ___________?
A. 1764
B. 1526
C. 1540
D. 1857
Ans: C
Q13. Gandhi Ji studied Law in ____ .
A. India
B. United Kingdom
C. South Africa
D. Bhutan
Ans: B
Q14. Gol Gumbaz is located in?
A. Kerala
B. Gujarat
C. Rajasthan
D. Karnataka
E. Madhya Pradesh
Ans: D
Q15. Which emperor shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?
A. Aurangzab
B. Muhammad Bin Tughlaq
C. Sher Shah Suri
D. Genghis Khan
Ans: B
Q16. Group of Monuments at Hampi is in…………..
A. Karnataka
B. Madhya Pradesh
C. Maharashtra
D. Rajasthan
Ans: A
Q17. Battle of Haldighati in 1576 was fought between Akbar and _____ .
A. Sher Shah
B. Maharana Pratap
C. Hemu Vikramadtiya
D. Nader Shah
Ans: B
Q18. Which Sikh Guru compiled the `Adi Granth’ the holy scripture of Sikhism?
A. Guru Hargobind
B. Guru Amar Das
C. Guru Arjan Dev
D. Guru Ram Das
Ans: C
Q19. In which year was Satya Sodhak Samaj founded by Jyotirao Phule?
A. 1865
B. 1873
C. 1861
D. 1870
Ans: B
Q20. Mihira Bhoja was the ruler of_________.
A. Chola
B. Rashtrakuta
C. Chalukya
D. Pratihara
Ans: D
Q21. The invasion of Delhi by Taimar in_____ A.D marked the end of the Tughlaq
empire.
A. 1645
B. 1398
C. 1452
D. 1215
Ans: B
Q22. Who among the following was one of the Governors during the reign of Allauddin Khilji?
A. Jalal-ud-din Khilji
B. Shams-ud-din Iltutmish
C. Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
D. Nasiruddin Mahmud
Ans: C
Q23. Which queen of the Kakatiya dynasty ruled over Warangal, part of modern Telangana?
A. Rudramadevi
B. Ahilyadevi
C. Bhagwati
D. Bhanumati
Ans: A
Q24. Which Sikh Guru initiated ‘The Khalsa’?
A. Guru Nanak Dev
B. Guru Gobind Singh
C. Guru Angad Dev
D. Guru Tegh Bahadur
Ans: B
Q25. Bahadur Shah (First) was born in the year ________.
A. 1543
B. 1643
C. 1743
D. 1843
Ans: B
Q26. Sri Aurobindo was born in the year
A. 1772
B. 1822
C. 1872
D. 1922
Ans: C
Q27. Whom did Akbar defeat in the 2nd battle of Panipat in 1556?
A. Genghis Khan
B. Nader Shah
C. Hemu Vikramaditya
D. Bajirao I
Ans: C
Q28. During Tomara dynasty which of the following city was the capital of India?
A. Meerut
B. Delhi
C. Kolkata
D. Haryana
Ans: B
Q29. The ploughed fields have been found at which among the following sites of Harappan Civilization?
A. Mohenjodaro
B. Chanhudaro
C. Kalibangan
D. Harappa
Ans: C
Q30. The present day city of Bhopal was built by which of the following Pratihara rulers?
A. Mahendra Bhoja
B. Rajyapala
C. Vijayasena
D. Mihir Bhoja
Ans: D
Q31. During the reign of which of the following kings did Chinese traveler Xuan Zang visit India?
A. Harshvardhan
B. Prabhakar Vardhan
C. Chandragupta Maurya
D. Ashoka
Ans: A
Q32. Who among the following was killed by Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Battle of Pratapgarh?
A. Afzal Khan
B. Asghar Khan
C. Shaista Khan
D. Shuja Khan
Ans: A
Q33. Alexander invaded India in _________.
A. 467 BC
B. 323 BC
C. 454 BC
D. 326 BC
Ans: D
Q34. In which year did the Convention of
Wadgaon take place?
A. 1779
B. 1789
C. 1769
D. 1799
Ans: A
Q35. The quote “The shots that hit me are the last nails to the coffin of British rule in
India.” Belongs to which of the following freedom fighters?
A. Lala Lajpat Rai
B. Chandrashekhar Azad
C. Bhagat Singh
D. Ram Prasad Bismil
Ans: A
Q36. The Barabar Caves, the oldest surviving rock-cut in India, mostly belong to which of the following periods?
A. Chola Dynasty
B. Gupta Empire
C. Maurya Empire
D. Chera Dynasty
Ans: C
Q37. From which monument, Gautama Buddha propagated his divine knowledge of
Buddhism to the world?
A. Humayun’s Tomb
B. Mahabodhi Temple Complex
C. Qutub Minar
D. Red Fort Complex
Ans: B
Q38. The silver coin ‘tanka’ was introduced by _________.
A. Qutubuddin Aibak
B. Iltutmish
C. Balban
D. Bahram Khan
Ans: B
Who were the patrons of Sangam Literature?
A. Nayakas
B. Chandellas
C. Pandyas
D. Solankis
Ans. C
Q39. The people of the Indus valley civilization worshipped.
A. Vishnu
B. Pashupati
C. Indra
D. Brahma
Ans: B
Q40. Who was the founder of the Satvahana Empire?
A. Kanha
B. Simuka
C. Hala
D. Gautamiputra
Ans: B
Q41. Abdul Fazal was the son of a Sufi saint; name him.
A. Sheikh Mubarak
B. Hazarat Kwaja
C. Nasiruddin Chirag
D. Baba Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
Ans: A
Q42. According to the categories of land mentioned in the Chola inscriptions ___________ was known as the land gifted to temples?
A. Vellanvagai
B. Brahmadeya
C. Shalabhoga
D. Devadana
Ans: D
Q43. Rajendra I was the son of?
A. Bindusara I
B. Devabhuti I
C. Skanda Gupta I
D. Rajaraja I
Ans: D
Q44. Name the Commission that came to India in 1928 to reform India’s constitutional system.
A. Rowlatt Act
B. Pitt’s India Act
C. Partition of Bengal
D. Simon Commission
Ans: D
Q45. Gol Gumbaz was designed by?
A. Ustad Ahmad of Lahouri
B. George Wittet
C. Henry Irwin
D. Yaqut of Dabul
Ans: D
Q46. For how many days did Mahatma Gandhi’s volunteers of the Salt satyagrah walked?
A. 24
B. 36
C. 12
D. 6
Ans: A
Q47. The Tomara Rajputs, were defeated in the middle of the twelfth century by the
Chauhans of _________.
A. Ayodhya
B. Ajmer
C. Dwarka
D. Gwalior
Ans: B
Q48. Arrest of _________ in 1930 led to angry demonstrations in streets of Peshawar.
A. Abdul Ghaffar Khan
B. Abul Kalam Azad
C. Zakir Hussain
D. Muzaffar Ahmed
Ans: A
Q49. During their rule the British persuaded or forced cultivators in Madras to grow __________.
A. Jute
B. Tea
C. Sugarcane
D. Rice
Ans: D
Q50. Which act ended the “Trade Monopoly” of the East India Company?
A. Regulating Act of 1773
B. Pitt’s India Act of 1784
C. The Charter Act of 1833
D. The Charter Act of 1813
Ans: D
Q51. Takshashila University was located between which two rivers?
A. Indus and Jhelum
B. Jhelum and Ravi
C. Beas and Indus
D. Satluj and Indus
Ans: A
Q52. Who is the most prominent god of ‘Rig Veda’?
A. Indra
B. Agni
C. Pashupati
D. Vishnu
Ans: A
Q53. Match the following.
Column-I
1. Brihadeswara Temple
2. Dilwara Temple
3. Lingraja Temple
4. Hampi Group Monuments
Column-II
a. Odisha
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Karnataka
d. Rajasthan
A. 1–c, 2-d, 3–a, 4–b
B. 1–a, 2–c, 3–d, 4–b
C. 1–b, 2–d, 3–a, 4–c
D. 1–b, 2–a, 3–d, 4–c
Ans: C
Q54. Who amongst the following was the successor of Sikh Guru Har Krishan?
A. Guru Angad Dev
B. Guru Tegh Bahadur
C. Guru Hargobind
D. Guru Amar Das
Ans: B
Q55. According to the categories of land mentioned in the Chola inscriptions________ was known as the land gifted
to Brahmanas?
A. Vellanvagai
B. Brahmadeya
C. Shalabhoga
D. Devadana
Ans: B
Q56. The ‘Instrument of Surrender’ which ended the Portuguese rule in India was
signed on __________.
A. 29th December 1951
B. 26th January 1948
C. 15th August 1947
D. 19th December 1961
Ans: D
Q57. Who among the following was the last Nawab of Awadh?
A. Muhammad Mukim
B. Amjad Ali Khan
C. Saadat Ali Khan
D. Wajid Ali Shah
Ans: D
Q58. In which year was the Battle of Saragarhi fought?
A. 1897
B. 1878
C. 1854
D. 1867
Ans: A
Q59. Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose founded __________ in Bengal in 1876.
A. Bengal Association
B. Oriental Association
C. Indian Association
D. Tathagat Association
Ans: C
Q60. When was the ‘Battle of Tukaroi’ fought?
A. 1575
B. 1546
C. 1565
D. 1532
Ans: A
Q61. British East India Company defeated the Portuguese in the _____.
A. Battle of Suvali
B. Battle of Buxar
C. Battle of Plassey
D. Battle of Chamkaur
Ans: A
Q62. Mitra Mela was a revolutionary organisation founded by Veer Savarkar in the year ______.
A. 1864
B. 1873
C. 1900
D. 1856
Ans: C
Q63. Who was the ruler of the Vaghela Dynasty of Gujarat after whose defeat the kingdom was passed to Allauddin Khilji?
A. Saranga Deva
B. Arjuna Deva
C. Rama
D. Karandev
Ans: D
Q64. In which year was the ‘Battle of Goa’ fought?
A. 1510
B. 1524
C. 1502
D. 1514
Ans: A
Q65. _____ assumed the title of ‘Gangaikondachola’ or the conqueror of the river Ganga.
A. Vijjayalay Chola
B. Rajaraja Chola I
C. Rajadhiraja Chola
D. Rajendra Chola I
Ans: D
Q66. In which year did the Patharughat Peasant Uprising against the tax policies of British take place in Assam?
A. 1894
B. 1873
C. 1862
D. 1885
Ans: A
Q67. Who among the following wrote the book ‘A History of the Sikhs’?
A. Khushwant Singh
B. Amrita Pritam
C. Bhai Vir Singh
D. Gurbachan Singh Talib
Ans: A
Q68. Mahatma Gandhi formed the Natal Indian Congress in the year____.
A. 1874
B. 1854
C. 1863
D. 1894
Ans: D
Q69. The first Anglo-Burmese war ended with the signing of the ____.
A. Treaty of Salbai
B. Treaty of Yandabo
C. Treaty Of Purandar
D. Treaty of Titalia
Ans: B
Q70. One of the prominent Buddiest structures in India, _______ Stupa at sarnath was constructed by the great Mauryan king, Ashoka.
A. Dhauli
B. Dhamekh
C. Bharhut
D. Lalitgiri
Ans: B
Q71. The Qutub Minar was named ofter the Sufi saint_________.
A. Syed Waheed ashraf
B. Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari
C. Khawaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar kaki
D. Qutub-ud-din Aibak
Ans: C
Q72. Which Indian monument was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in the year 1799?
A. Mysore Palace
B. Hawa Mahal
C. Leh Palace
D. Mattancherry Palace
Ans: B
Q73. In 1026 AD, who attacked and looted the famous Somnath temple?
A. Muhammad Ghauri
B. Mahmood Ghazni
C. Genghis Khan
D. Nadir Shah
Ans: B
Q74. The invasion of Delhi by Taimar in _____ A.D marked the end of the Tughlaq
empire.
A. 1645
B. 1398
C. 1452
D. 1215
Ans: B
Q75. _______ was the first Muslim ruler whose empire covered almost the whole of India up to its extreme south.
A. Allaudin Khilji
B. Jalal-ud-din Khilji
C. Ghiyas ud din Balban
D. Firoz shah Tughlaq
Ans: A
Q76. Who was the founder of the Chalukya dynasty?
A. Pulaksen First
B. Kirtivarman
C. Narasimhavarman
D. Mangalsa
Ans: A
Q77. Which of the following is not one of the monarchy states that existed in India in the seventh and early sixth centuries BC?
A. Magadha
B. Vaishali
C. Avanti
D. Kosala
Ans: B
Q78. Prithviraj Chauhan married _________. She was the daughter of his enemy Jaichandra Gahadwal.
A. Krishnavati
B. Purvavati
C. Somyukta
D. Saumyavati
Ans: C
Q79. Stories of buddha’s birth and his previous lives are contained in:
A. Tripitakas
B. Triratnas
C. Pancharatna tales
D. Jatakha tales
Ans: D
Q80. Which of the following pairs contributed significantly to integrate the princely states into Indian Inion?
A. Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru
B. Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon
C. Sardar patel and Mahatma Gandhi
D. Sardar patel and K. M. Munsi
Ans: B
Q81. The Simon Commission was formed to review
A. Legislatures in India
B. Fitness of India for further reforms
C. In position of the viceroy
D. A constitution for India
Ans: B
Q82. Bahadur Shah, the ruler of Gujrat was killed in a conflict with which of the following?
A. Dutch
B. English
C. Portuguese
D. French
Ans: C
Q83. Lord Cornwallis is known for
A. Permanent revenue settlement of Bengal
B. Attacking the caste system
C. Land revenue settlements of United States
D. Ryotwari settlement of Madras
Ans: A
Q84. The writer of Ram Charit Manas, Tulsidas, was related to which ruler?
A. Chandragupta Mourya
B. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah
C. Harsha
D. Akbar
Ans: D
Q85. Who was the founder of Banaras Hindu University?
A. Sukumar Dutt
B. Madan Mohan Malviya
C. Dr. Rajendra Prasad
D. Motilal Nehru
Ans: B
Q86. Ibn Batuta visited India during the reign of
A. Iltutmish
B. Ala-ud-din Khalji
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Balban
Ans: C
Q87. What was the northwestern border of the Mughal Empire during the region of Akbar?
A. Punjab
B. Hindu kush
C. Kabul
D. Sindh
Ans: B
Q88. In which among the following King’s region Persian traveler Abdur Razzaq came to India?
A. Dev Rai l
B. Krishna Dev Rai l
C. Dev Rai ll
D. Krishna Rai ll
Ans: C
Q89. The ruins of the ancient city of Hampi – capital of Vijayanagara – is located in which present day Indian state?
A. Haryana
B. Bihar
C. Karnataka
D. Telangana
Ans: C
Q90. In which year Sanchi was discovered after being abandoned for nearly 600 Years?
A. 1820
B. 1818
C. 1814
D. 1816
Ans: B
Q91. Which of the following leaders formed ‘India Home Rule Society’?
A. Shyamji Krishna Varma
B. Annie Besant
C. Lala Hardayal
D. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Ans: A
Q92. Which of the following writers has called Akbar’s Din-i-ilahi as a monument of his folly, not of wisdom?
A. Badayuni
B. Vincent Smith
C. Barani
D. W. Haig
Ans: B
Q93. The famous Kosijura Case of Bengal happened in whose reign?
A. Warren Hastings
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. John Shore
D. Wellesley
Ans: A
Q94. When was the Arya Samaj divided on principles?
A. 1893
B. 1895
C. 1903
D. 1913
Ans: A
Q95. Which dynasty was ruling in Vijaynagar empire at the time of the Battle of Talikota?
A. Sangam
B. Aniridu
C. Taluva
D. Saluva
Ans: C
Q96. The foreign traveler who visited India during the reign of Shahjahan was
A. Thomas Roe
B. William Hawkins
C. Ibn Batuta
D. Manucci
Ans: D
Q97. Which of the following Vedas is not a part of Vedatrayi?
A. Rig Veda
B. Yajur Veda
C. Sama Veda
D. Atharva veda
Ans: D
Q98. Who among the following built the first Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar?
A. Chandragupta Maurya
B. Ashoka
C. Kanishka
D. Harshavardhana
Ans: B
Q99. The ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harappa show that these were magnificent and well planned
A. Agrarian Cities
B. Religious Cities
C. Merchant Cities
D. Shore Cities
Ans: C
Q100. Who said, “Truth is the ultimate reality and it is God”?
A. Swamy Vivekananda
B. Rabindranath Tagore
C. M. K. Gandhi
D. Radhakrishnan
Ans: C
Q101. In which of the following years sea travel has been made mandatory for Indian soldiers?
1854 AD
1856 AD
1857 AD
1858 AD
Ans: B