BPSC 2020 — History Questions with Answers
All 42 History previous-year questions from BPSC 2020, each with the correct answer and a full explanation. Practise them as a free, timed mock test with instant scoring.
Practice History as a timed test →- Q1.Medieval History
Which Mughal ruler built factories for painting?
- a)Humayun
- b)Akbar
- c)Jahangir
- d)Shah Jahan
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q2.Modern History
By whom was the Dual Government system implemented in Bengal?
- a)Warren Hastings
- b)William Bentinck
- c)Robert Clive
- d)Lord Curzon
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q3.Modern History
Who among these participated in the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893?
- a)Dayanand Saraswati
- b)Swami Vivekananda
- c)Mahatma Gandhi
- d)Raja Rammohan Roy
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q4.National Movement
Who formed the Swaraj Party in 1923?
- a)Mahatma Gandhi
- b)Vallabhbhai Patel
- c)C.R. Das & Motilal Nehru
- d)B.R. Ambedkar
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q5.Peasant Movements
Who wrote the famous play 'Neel Darpan', which depicts the oppression of indigo cultivators?
- a)Sharatchandra Chattopadhyay
- b)Rabindranath Tagore
- c)Barindra Ghosh
- d)Dinabandhu Mitra
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q6.Modern History
The famous Battle of Wandiwash in 1760 was fought by the British against whom?
- a)French
- b)Spain
- c)Mysore
- d)Carnatic
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q7.Modern History
Which of the following acts introduced the separate electorate system in India?
- a)Regulating Act, 1773
- b)Charter Act, 1833
- c)Pitt's India Act, 1784
- d)Indian Councils Act, 1909
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q8.Peasant Movements
In 1831, under the leadership of Budhu Bhagat, the Kol rebellion took place in which region?
- a)Kutch
- b)Singhbhum
- c)Western Ghats
- d)Satara
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q9.Modern History
Who led the 1857 revolt in Bihar?
- a)Nana Saheb
- b)Tantia Tope
- c)Kunwar Singh
- d)Maulvi Ahmadullah
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q10.Modern History
Who drew Gandhiji's attention to the plight of indigo farmers in Champaran?
- a)Rajendra Prasad
- b)Anugrah Narayan Sinha
- c)Acharya Kripalani
- d)Rajkumar Shukla
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q11.Ancient History
Which was the first capital of the ancient Mahajanapada Magadha?
- a)Pataliputra
- b)Vaishali
- c)Champa
- d)Anga
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q12.Modern History
Swami Sahajanand was associated with which of the following?
- a)Tribal movement in Bihar
- b)Labour movement in Bihar
- c)Peasant movement in Bihar
- d)Caste movement in Bihar
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q13.Modern History
Which of the following was Gandhiji's first Satyagraha movement in India, in which he used civil disobedience?
- a)Champaran
- b)Kheda
- c)Ahmedabad
- d)Rowlatt Satyagraha
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q14.Ancient History
In which of the following Harappan cities have traces of ploughed fields been found?
- a)Kalibangan
- b)Dholavira
- c)Mohenjo-daro
- d)Lothal
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q15.Ancient History
Triratna or Three Jewels, such as Right Knowledge, Right Faith, and Right Conduct, are associated with which of the following?
- a)Buddhism
- b)Hinduism
- c)Jainism
- d)Christianity
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q16.Ancient History
Which of these rulers organized the Fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir?
- a)Ashoka
- b)Ajatashatru
- c)Kanishka
- d)Kalashoka
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q17.Medieval History
Which Delhi Sultan adopted the policy of 'Blood and Iron'?
- a)Iltutmish
- b)Balban
- c)Alauddin Khalji
- d)Muhammad bin Tughlaq
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q18.Medieval History
Which medieval Indian empire was famous for large-scale local self-governance?
- a)Chalukya
- b)Chola
- c)Solanki
- d)Parmar
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q19.Modern History
In the year 1632, which company established its factory in Patna city of Bihar?
- a)British East India Company
- b)Dutch East India Company
- c)Portuguese East India Company
- d)French East India Company
- Q20.Modern History of India
Which law was NOT historical in the development of the constitution during the British rule?
- a)Regulating Act, 1773
- b)Charter Act, 1833
- c)Government of India Act, 1919
- d)Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955
- Q21.Modern History of India
Where was the first session of Congress held in Bihar?
- a)Patna
- b)Gaya
- c)Muzaffarpur
- d)Darbhanga
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q22.Modern History of India
What title was given to Jayaprakash Narayan?
- a)Praja Hitechhu
- b)Loknayak
- c)Lokmanya
- d)Rashtranayak
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q23.Modern History of India
In which of the following colleges did Gandhiji study?
- a)Samaldas College, Bhavnagar
- b)Dharmendra Singhji College, Rajkot
- c)Gujarat College, Ahmedabad
- d)Bahauddin College, Junagadh
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q24.Modern History of India
Who among these actively participated in the Revolt of 1857?
- a)Nana Saheb (Kanpur)
- b)Begum Hazrat Mahal (Lucknow)
- c)Maulvi Ahmadullah (Faizabad)
- d)Begum Zeenat Mahal (Delhi)
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q25.Modern History
About which act did Jawaharlal Nehru say that "we were given a car with all brakes but no engine"?
- a)Act of 1858
- b)Act of 1909
- c)Act of 1919
- d)Act of 1935
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q26.Modern History
How many days did the Dandi March last?
- a)10 days
- b)20 days
- c)24 days
- d)30 days
- e)None of the above / More than one of the above
- Q27.Modern History
With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs of term and its meaning. Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: An Aurang was a warehouse/manufactory for textiles, not a treasury, so pair 1 is wrong; a Banian was indeed an Indian agent of the Company and a Mirasidar was a hereditary landholder liable to pay revenue, so pairs 2 and 3 are correct.
- Q28.Ancient History
With reference to the religious history of India, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Sthaviravadins belong to the Theravada (Hinayana) tradition, not Mahayana, so statement 1 is wrong; the Lokottaravadins were an offshoot of the Mahasanghikas and Mahasanghika deification of the Buddha contributed to Mahayana, so 2 and 3 are correct.
- Q29.Modern History
Which of the following statements correctly explains the impact of the Industrial Revolution on India during the first half of the nineteenth century?
- a)Indian handicrafts were ruined.
- b)Machines were introduced in the Indian textile industry in large numbers.
- c)Railway lines were laid in many parts of the country.
- d)Heavy duties were imposed on the imports of British manufactures.
Explanation: In the first half of the nineteenth century the chief impact was the ruin of Indian handicrafts due to cheap machine-made British imports; machines, railways and protective duties came later.
- Q30.Ancient/Early Medieval History
Consider the following events in the history of India: (1) Rise of Pratiharas under King Bhoja; (2) Establishment of Pallava power under Mahendravarman-I; (3) Establishment of Chola power by Parantaka-I; (4) Pala dynasty founded by Gopala. What is the correct chronological order of the above events, starting from the earliest time?
- a)2 - 1 - 4 - 3
- b)3 - 1 - 4 - 2
- c)2 - 4 - 1 - 3
- d)3 - 4 - 1 - 2
Explanation: Mahendravarman-I (Pallava, early 7th century) is earliest, then Gopala founding the Palas (mid-8th century), then the Pratihara rise under Bhoja (9th century), and finally Parantaka-I (Chola, early 10th century), giving the order 2-4-1-3.
- Q31.Medieval History
Which of the following phrases defines the nature of the 'Hundi' generally referred to in the sources of the post-Harsha period?
- a)An advisory issued by the king to his subordinates
- b)A diary to be maintained for daily accounts
- c)A bill of exchange
- d)An order from the feudal lord to his subordinates
Explanation: A Hundi was a financial instrument used in trade and credit, essentially a bill of exchange.
- Q32.Modern History
With reference to the book 'Desher Katha' written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: 'Desher Katha' warned of colonial domination of the mind and inspired swadeshi cultural performances, but Deuskar used 'desh' in the sense of the whole nation rather than only Bengal, so only statements 1 and 2 are correct.
- Q33.Modern History
The Gandhi-Irwin Pact included which of the following?
- a)1 only
- b)1, 2 and 4 only
- c)3 only
- d)2, 3 and 4 only
Explanation: The Gandhi-Irwin Pact invited Congress to the Round Table Conference, withdrew the ordinances and released prisoners not charged with violence, but Irwin rejected Gandhi's demand for an enquiry into police excesses, so the answer is 1, 2 and 4 only.
- Q34.Modern History
The Vital-Vidhwansak, the first monthly journal to have the untouchable people as its target audience, was published by
- a)Gopal Baba Walangkar
- b)Jyotiba Phule
- c)Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
- d)Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
Explanation: Vital-Vidhwansak was started by Gopal Baba Walangkar, an early figure in the anti-untouchability movement.
- Q35.Ancient History
With reference to the history of India, the terms 'kulyavapa' and 'dronavapa' denote
- a)measurement of land
- b)coins of different monetary value
- c)classification of urban land
- d)religious rituals
Explanation: Kulyavapa and dronavapa were units used for the measurement of land, referring to the area sown with a particular quantity of seed.
- Q36.Ancient History
Who among the following rulers advised his subjects through this inscription? 'Whosoever praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of excessive devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severely.'
- a)Ashoka
- b)Samudragupta
- c)Harshavardhana
- d)Krishnadeva Raya
Explanation: This message of tolerance among sects is from Ashoka's Rock Edict XII, emphasizing respect for all religious sects.
- Q37.Ancient History
With reference to the cultural history of India, which one of the following is the correct description of the term 'paramitas'?
- a)The earliest Dharmashastra texts written in aphoristic (sutra) style
- b)Philosophical schools that did not accept the authority of Vedas
- c)Perfections whose attainment led to the Bodhisattva path
- d)Powerful merchant guilds of early medieval South India
Explanation: In Mahayana Buddhism the paramitas are the perfections (such as generosity and patience) that a being cultivates on the path to becoming a Bodhisattva.
- Q38.Modern History
In the context of Indian history, the Rakhmabai case of 1884 revolved around. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)1 and 3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: The Rakhmabai case raised questions of the age of consent and the restitution of conjugal rights, contributing to the later Age of Consent Act, but it was not centrally about women's right to education, so 2 and 3 only.
- Q39.Modern History
Indigo cultivation in India declined by the beginning of the 20th century because of
- a)peasant resistance to the oppressive conduct of planters
- b)its unprofitability in the world market because of new inventions
- c)national leaders' opposition to the cultivation of indigo
- d)Government control over the planters
Explanation: Indigo cultivation declined chiefly because the invention of synthetic dyes made natural indigo unprofitable in the world market.
- Q40.Modern History
Wellesley established the Fort William College at Calcutta because
- a)he was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so
- b)he wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India
- c)he wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment
- d)he wanted to train British civilians for administrative purposes in India
Explanation: Wellesley founded Fort William College to train newly arrived British civil servants in Indian languages and administration.
- Q41.Modern History
With reference to the history of India, 'Ulgulan' or the Great Tumult is the description of which of the following events?
- a)The Revolt of 1857
- b)The Mappila Rebellion of 1921
- c)The Indigo Revolt of 1859-60
- d)Birsa Munda's Revolt of 1899-1900
Explanation: 'Ulgulan' (Great Tumult) refers to the Munda rebellion led by Birsa Munda in 1899-1900.
- Q42.Ancient History
With reference to scholars/litterateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- a)1 and 2 only
- b)2 and 3 only
- c)3 only
- d)1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Panini predates Pushyamitra Shunga and Amarasimha is traditionally linked with Chandragupta-II (not Harsha); only Kalidasa's association with Chandragupta-II is correct, so the answer is 3 only.
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