WBCS 2020 — History Questions with Answers
All 100 History previous-year questions from WBCS 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 India
Jizya was abolished by the Mughal ruler
- a)Babur
- b)Humayun
- c)Akbar
- d)Aurangzeb
- Q2.Freedom Struggle
The Tebhaga Movement of 1946 is associated with which of the following states of India?
- a)Andhra Pradesh
- b)West Bengal
- c)Bihar
- d)Odisha
- Q3.Medieval India
The Persian ruler who besieged Qandahar in Jahangir's reign was
- a)Shah Muhammad
- b)Shah Parvez
- c)Shah Abbas
- d)Shah Raza
- Q4.Medieval India
The founder of the Lodi dynasty was
- a)Bahlul Lodi
- b)Sikandar Lodi
- c)Ibrahim Lodi
- d)Daulat Khan Lodi
- Q5.Modern India
The Peshwa accepted the Subsidiary Alliance with the British by
- a)Treaty of Purandhar
- b)Treaty of Bassein
- c)Treaty of Salbai
- d)Treaty of Surji Arjangaon
- Q6.Art & Culture
The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded by
- a)Ram Mohan Roy
- b)William Jones
- c)W. W. Hunter
- d)William Bentinck
- Q7.Medieval India
King Jaypala, who faced Sultan Mahmud's invasion belonged to the
- a)Chalukya dynasty
- b)Hindushahi dynasty
- c)Pandya dynasty
- d)None of the above
- Q8.Ancient India
The river Chenab was known in the Vedic period by the name of
- a)Askini
- b)Purushni
- c)Vitasta
- d)Shutudri
- Q9.Medieval India
The Mughals imported fruits from
- a)Samarkand
- b)Arabia
- c)Kabul
- d)Portugal
- Q10.Ancient India
When and by whom were the Ashokan Inscriptions deciphered for the first time?
- a)1787 - John Tower
- b)1810 - Harry Smith
- c)1825 - Charles Metcalfe
- d)1837 - James Prinsep
- Q11.Freedom Struggle
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place in the city of
- a)Amritsar
- b)Lahore
- c)Bombay
- d)Hyderabad
- Q12.Medieval India
The popular name of Muizuddin Muhammad Bin Sam was
- a)Sultan Mahmud
- b)Muhammad Ghori
- c)Timur
- d)None of the above
- Q13.Freedom Struggle
The author of the book "The Indian war of Independence 1857" was
- a)Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
- b)V. D. Savarkar
- c)R. S. Sharma
- d)R. C. Majumdar
- Q14.Freedom Struggle
Who founded the Indian Independence League (1942) in Tokyo?
- a)Taraknath Das
- b)Raja Mahendra Pratap
- c)Subhas Chandra Bose
- d)Rash Bihari Bose
- Q15.Medieval India
The Somnath Temple of Gujarat was destroyed by Sultan Mahmud in
- a)1015 AD
- b)1020 AD
- c)1025 AD
- d)1027 AD
- Q16.Ancient India
Kalibangan is located at
- a)Gujarat
- b)Rajasthan
- c)Himachal Pradesh
- d)Punjab
- Q17.Medieval India
Silver 'Tanka' and Copper 'Jital' were introduced by
- a)Qutubuddin Aibek
- b)Raziya Sultana
- c)Iltutmish
- d)Balban
- Q18.Ancient India
Vedic literature is also known as
- a)Shruti
- b)Smriti
- c)Sanhita
- d)Vedanga
- Q19.Modern India
Which of the following reform movements was the first to be started in the 19th Century?
- a)Prarthana Samaj
- b)Arya Samaj
- c)Brahmo Samaj
- d)Rama Krishna Mission
- Q20.Medieval India
Which of the following works refer to the History of Sind and it's conquest by the Muslim?
- a)Taj-ul-Maathir
- b)Chach Namah
- c)Lubab-ul-Abab
- d)Kitab-i-Tahqiq
- Q21.Modern India
The Constituent Assembly was set up under the
- a)Cripps Mission
- b)Wavell Plan
- c)Cabinet Mission Plan
- d)Nehru Report
- Q22.Medieval India
Which Mughal Emperor was a patron of Hindustani music and was popularly known as Rangila?
- a)Bahadur Shah I
- b)Bahadur Shah II
- c)Muhammad Shah
- d)Ahmed Shah
- Q23.Freedom Struggle
The Cripps Mission visited India in
- a)1927
- b)1939
- c)1942
- d)1946
- Q24.Medieval India
Who of the following became a member of the Din-i-Ilahi?
- a)Todar Mal
- b)Raja Birbal
- c)Raja Man Singh
- d)Tansen
- Q25.Medieval India
Ghazi Malik was the actual name of
- a)Ghiyas uddin Tughlaq
- b)Muhammad bin Tughlaq
- c)Firuz Shah Tughlaq
- d)None of the above
- Q26.Ancient India
The river most mentioned in the Rigveda is
- a)Sindhu
- b)Shutudri
- c)Saraswati
- d)Gandaki
- Q27.Freedom Struggle
Who was the founder of the All India Communist Party (AICP) in 1924?
- a)Satyabhakta
- b)C.R. Das
- c)M. N. Roy
- d)N. D. Majumdar
- Q28.Freedom Struggle
The leaders of the Home Rule Movement borrowed the term 'Home Rule' from a similar movement in
- a)Ireland
- b)Scotland
- c)U.S.A.
- d)Canada
- Q29.Modern India
Which of the following is correctly matched?
- a)Rabindra Nath Tagore - 'Nil Darpan'
- b)Dadabhai Naoroji - 'Indian Unrest'
- c)Dinabandhu Mitra - 'Gora'
- d)Ramesh Chandra Dutt - 'Economic History of India'
- Q30.Freedom Struggle
The members of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan's Red Shirt Movement were known as
- a)Khidmatgars
- b)Insan-i-Khidmatgar
- c)Khuda-i-Khidmatgar
- d)Angels of Freedom
- Q31.Medieval India
Aurangzeb sent Mukarrab Khan against
- a)Shahji Bhonsle
- b)Shivaji
- c)Sambhaji
- d)Shahu
- Q32.Art & Culture
Which of the following facts about the Taj Mahal is incorrect?
- a)It is a magnificient Mausoleum
- b)It was built by Shah Jahan
- c)It is situated outside the Agra Fort
- d)The names of artisans who built it are engraved on it
- Q33.Medieval India
Two major crops introduced in India during the Mughal period were
- a)Millet and Groundnut
- b)Potato and Mustard
- c)Tobacco and Maize
- d)Indigo and Maize
- Q34.Medieval India
The Russian merchant traveller Nikitin visited South India in
- a)14th Century
- b)15th Century
- c)16th Century
- d)None of the above
- Q35.Freedom Struggle
Arrange the following events in a correct sequence of the Indian National Movement- (i) Foundation of Indian National Congress (ii) Simon Commission (iii) Home Rule Movement (iv) Cabinet Mission
- a)(i), (iii), (ii), (iv)
- b)(iii), (i), (iv), (ii)
- c)(i), (ii), (iv), (iii)
- d)(i), (iv), (iii), (ii)
- Q36.Ancient India
The learned lady who is said to have debated with the famous law-giver Yajnavalkya was
- a)Gargi
- b)Maitreyi
- c)Kamala
- d)Kalindi
- Q37.Medieval India
Who constructed the 'Grand Trunk Road'?
- a)Akbar
- b)Sher Shah Suri
- c)Ashoka
- d)Samudra Gupta
- Q38.Modern India
Which of the following statements about Henry Louis Vivian Derozio is incorrect?
- a)He was born in Calcutta in 1809.
- b)He taught at the Sanskrit College between 1826-1830.
- c)He died of Cholera at the age of 22.
- d)His followers were known as Derozians.
- Q39.Freedom Struggle
Who was the founder of the Secret Society Abhinava Bharat?
- a)Naren Bhattacharji
- b)Jatin Mukherjee
- c)Damodar Chapekar
- d)Ganesh Savarkar
- Q40.Ancient India
Which of the following is the biggest Harappan civilization site?
- a)Ropar
- b)Lothal
- c)Kalibangan
- d)Rakhigarhi
- Q41.Medieval India
The Persian poet Firdausi who composed 'Shah Namah' was associated with the court of
- a)Sultan Mahmud
- b)Muhammad Ghori
- c)Shah Tahmasp
- d)None of the above
- Q42.Freedom Struggle
Rani Gaidinliu, a rebel leader against the British was from
- a)Tripura
- b)Assam
- c)Nagaland
- d)Manipur
- Q43.Freedom Struggle
Khilafat Movement was organised by
- a)Jinnah
- b)Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
- c)Ali Brothers
- d)Agha Khan
- Q44.Ancient India
What is the meaning of the word 'Sangam' in the Sangam Age?
- a)Royal Court
- b)Assembly of Poets
- c)Assembly of religious teachers
- d)Meeting of rivers
- Q45.Modern India
The treaty of Seringapatam is associated with the end of
- a)Second Anglo - Maratha war
- b)Third Anglo - Maratha war
- c)Third Anglo - Mysore war
- d)Fourth Anglo - Mysore war
- Q46.Medieval India
Kamban's Ramayana in Tamil was written during the reign of
- a)Chalukya
- b)Pallavas
- c)Cholas
- d)Kakatiyas
- Q47.Modern India
Who was the first Indian to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army?
- a)Subroto Mukherjee
- b)K. M. Cariappa
- c)F. J. Manekshaw
- d)R. D. Katari
- Q48.Medieval India
Which of the following systems were the backbones of the Vijayanagar administration?
- a)Nitinirdesha and Dandniti
- b)Karyapalika and Nayankara
- c)Nayankara and Ayagar
- d)Dandniti and Spy system
- Q49.Freedom Struggle
The Non-cooperation Movement was called off due to
- a)Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- b)Chaurichaura Incident
- c)Poona Pact
- d)Gandhi-Irwin Pact
- Q50.Freedom Struggle
Gandhiji's 'The story of my experiments with truth' was originally written in Gujrati. Who translated it into English?
- a)Maganlal Gandhi
- b)Mahadev Desai
- c)Pyarelalji
- d)Sushila Nayyar
- Q51.Ancient India
The Nayanar group of saints in North India were devotees of Lord
- a)Vishnu
- b)Shiva
- c)Krishna
- d)Buddha
- Q52.Medieval India
Ramchandra Yadav, who faced Alauddin's invasion was the ruler of
- a)Devgiri
- b)Malwa
- c)Ujjain
- d)Telengana
- Q53.Ancient India
The word 'Veda', derived from 'Vid' refers to
- a)Knowledge
- b)Energy
- c)Truth
- d)Karma
- Q54.Modern India
The Kuka Movement was started in the mid nineteenth century in
- a)Western Punjab
- b)Maharastra
- c)Bengal
- d)Madhya Pradesh
- Q55.Freedom Struggle
Vande Mataram was first sung at the session of the Indian National Congress in
- a)1886
- b)1892
- c)1896
- d)1904
- Q56.Ancient India
The Indian who was involved in the excavations of Harppa and Mohenjodaro is
- a)S. D. Rathore
- b)K. K. Menon
- c)R. D. Banerjee
- d)R. D. Sharma
- Q57.Freedom Struggle
Apart from the Quit India Movement, which started on 9th August 1942, what other sensational activity of the freedom fighters took place on that date in 1925?
- a)Salt Satyagraha
- b)Boycott of Simon Commission
- c)Champaran Satyagraha
- d)Kakori mail train robbery
- Q58.Freedom Struggle
Who among the following was not involved with the foundation of the Anushilan Samiti of Calcutta in 1902?
- a)Promotha Mitter
- b)Abani Mukherjee
- c)Barindra Kumar Ghosh
- d)Jotindra Nath Banerjee
- Q59.Freedom Struggle
Montague Chelmsford reforms which formed the base of Government of India Act, 1919, introduced which of the following in India?
- a)Self Governance
- b)Dyarchy
- c)Indian Administrative Service
- d)Indian Police Service
- Q60.Freedom Struggle
The Ghadar Party was founded (November 1913) at San Francisco, USA by
- a)Madam Bhikaji Cama
- b)Lala Har Dayal
- c)Shyamji Krishna Verma
- d)Both (A) and (B)
- Q61.Ancient India
Which particular city became the nodal point for trade routes running from north to south and east to west in the pre-Gupta and Gupta periods?
- a)Taxila
- b)Mathura
- c)Ujjain
- d)Vidisa
- Q62.Ancient India
Rulers of which dynasty patronised Jainism?
- a)Chalukya
- b)Pallava
- c)Rashtrakuta
- d)Chauhan
- Q63.Modern India
Which European power was the last to reach India?
- a)Portuguese
- b)The Dutch
- c)British
- d)French
- Q64.Medieval India
Which Mughal Emperor transferred the capital from Agra to Delhi?
- a)Jahangir
- b)Shah Jahan
- c)Aurangzeb
- d)Bahadur Shah
- Q65.Modern India
Vasco da Gama, the sailor was a
- a)Portuguese
- b)American
- c)German
- d)Italian
- Q66.Medieval India
The Mughal Prince who was well versed in Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit was
- a)Prince Akbar
- b)Prince Salim
- c)Prince Sulaiman Shukoh
- d)Prince Dara Shukoh
- Q67.Freedom Struggle
Which of the following organisations was not established by B. R. Ambedkar?
- a)Zero club
- b)Depressed classes Institute
- c)Samaj Samata Sangh
- d)Peoples Education Society
- Q68.Modern India
The administrative consequence of the Revolt of 1857 was the transfer of power from
- a)East India Company to the British Crown.
- b)British Crown to the East India Company.
- c)East India Company to the Governor General.
- d)British Crown to the Board of Directors.
- Q69.Ancient India
Who, of the following, opined that the original homeland of the Aryans was the Artic region?
- a)Bal Gangadhar Tilak
- b)Max Muller
- c)Dayanand Saraswati
- d)A. C. Das
- Q70.Modern India
The revolt of the Khasis against the British was led by
- a)Surendra Rai
- b)Titu Mir
- c)Birsa Munda
- d)Utirot Sing
- Q71.Modern India
Permission to the British to establish their trading centre at Surat was given by the Mughal Emperor
- a)Babur
- b)Humayun
- c)Akbar
- d)Jahangir
- Q72.Medieval India
'Diwan-i-Khairat', a Ministry of Charity was organised by
- a)Alauddin
- b)Ghiyas uddin
- c)Firuz Shah
- d)None of the above
- Q73.Art & Culture
Sant Jnaneshwar was the author of
- a)Amrutanubhav
- b)Rukmini Swayamvar
- c)Dasbodha
- d)Vivek sindhu
- Q74.Freedom Struggle
The 'Young India' was edited by
- a)Jawaharlal Nehru
- b)Mahadev Desai
- c)Mahatma Gandhi
- d)Acharya Narendra Dev
- Q75.Medieval India
Who is the only woman historian to write a historical account of the Mughal period?
- a)Gulbadan Begum
- b)Noorjahan
- c)Jahanara Begum
- d)Zebun-nissa Begum
- Q76.Medieval India
Who faced defeat in the Battle of Chandawar in 1194 AD?
- a)Bhima II
- b)Jaichand
- c)Lakshman Sena
- d)Muhammad Ghori
- Q77.Freedom Struggle
Who among the following was the first leader to organise Labour Movement in India?
- a)B. P. Wadia
- b)Lala Lajpat Rai
- c)N. M. Lokhandy
- d)N. G. Ranga
- Q78.Modern India
Universities in the Presidency towns in India were established in the year
- a)1857
- b)1858
- c)1900
- d)1909
- Q79.Freedom Struggle
The second Muslim President of the Indian National Congress was
- a)Ajmal Khan
- b)M. A. Jinnah
- c)Abul Kalam Azad
- d)Rahimtullah M. Sayani
- Q80.Medieval India
Who was the author of 'Tabaqat-i-Nasiri'?
- a)Ibn Batuta
- b)Minhaj-us-Siraj
- c)Isami
- d)Ziauddin Barani
- Q81.Medieval India
Who was the Hindu king at the time of Muhammad bin Qasim's invasion of Sind?
- a)Dahir
- b)Hala
- c)Harsha
- d)Ananda Pala
- Q82.Freedom Struggle
Mahatma Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 from
- a)Sabarmati Ashram
- b)Ahmedabad
- c)Porbandar
- d)Dandi
- Q83.Freedom Struggle
Which among the following is not a literary work of Mahatma Gandhi?
- a)'Hind Swaraj'
- b)'Indian Opinion'
- c)'Yugantar'
- d)'Young India'
- Q84.Modern India
Who was the founder of the Prarthana Samaj?
- a)Raja Ram Mohan Roy
- b)Dayanand Saraswati
- c)Atmaram Pandurang
- d)Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- Q85.Modern India
The Revolt of 1857 did not acquire much intensity in
- a)Delhi
- b)Awadh
- c)Bombay
- d)The Chambal region
- Q86.Ancient India
Which of the following statements is incorrect about the position of women during the age of Buddha?
- a)The position of women generally deteriorated.
- b)There were several instances of child marriages.
- c)Polygamy was gradually growing among the ruling classed.
- d)Education was denied to women.
- Q87.Freedom Struggle
In which year was Lala Lajpat Rai deported to Mandalay for organising the agrarian movement in Punjab?
- a)1905
- b)1907
- c)1909
- d)1911
- Q88.Art & Culture
The Dilwara Temples at Mount Abu were constructed during the rule of
- a)Chalukyas
- b)Solankis
- c)Kalachuris
- d)None of the above
- Q89.Medieval India
What was the 'Araghatta'?
- a)A machine to break forts
- b)An irrigation canal
- c)A device to lift water
- d)A type of cloth
- Q90.Modern India
The National Council for Education was set up in the year
- a)1906
- b)1908
- c)1909
- d)1911
- Q91.Ancient India
Which dynasty ruled over Magadha after the Mauryan dynasty?
- a)Satavahana
- b)Sunga
- c)Nanda
- d)Kanva
- Q92.Ancient India
Who was the most important God in the Rigveda?
- a)Agni
- b)Indra
- c)Varun
- d)Vishnu
- Q93.Modern India
Who become the first Chief Justice of India after Independence?
- a)Dilip Bose
- b)Harilal J. Kania
- c)S. P. Mukherjee
- d)Nandlal Bose
- Q94.Ancient India
Which of the following was the basic unit of Vedic society?
- a)Jana
- b)Vidatha
- c)Parivar
- d)Sangh
- Q95.Medieval India
The name of Sultan Mahmud's father is
- a)Alptigin
- b)Sabuktigin
- c)Ulugh Khan
- d)None of the above
- Q96.Modern India
The English East India Company ceased to be a trading company by which of the following legislations?
- a)Pitts India Act of 1784
- b)Charter Act of 1833
- c)Charter Act of 1813
- d)Government of India Act, 1858
- Q97.Ancient India
Who among the following scholars declared that the 'Saptsindhava' region was the homeland of the Aryans?
- a)Dr. A. C. Das
- b)Prof. Max Muller
- c)Prof. Karl Penta
- d)Dr. K. K. Sharma
- Q98.Freedom Struggle
What proposal was made in the 'August Offer' of 1940?
- a)Dominion Status
- b)Provincial autonomy
- c)Representative Government at the centre
- d)Complete Independence for India gradually
- Q99.Art & Culture
Who composed the Sanskrit kavya 'Saundarananda'?
- a)Asvaghosa
- b)Kalidasa
- c)Nagarjuna
- d)Visnu Sharma
- Q100.Ancient India
"The most unique feature of this site is its dockyard; the world's first tidal port, which served as a main seaport for the Indus people". The above statement holds true for which site?
- a)Ropar
- b)Lothal
- c)Rakhigarhi
- d)Banawali
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