Thousands of years. Ancient civilizations, freedom struggles and modern nations. India has it all. To know it all can be overwhelming sometimes for students when they are preparing for exams or quizzes. We have attempted to make it easier in this article.
Compiled here for you is a set of 150+ Indian history questions and answers spanning the length and breadth of our historical legacy. These are categorized into three categories – ancient history, medieval history and modern Indian history. Some of the more modern ones may seem fairly recent, but will someday need to go into the annals of history. So, a blend of GK for today will strengthen your command over Indian History in the years to come.
Hope you enjoy refreshing your knowledge on the legacy you have inherited!
Ancient Indian History Questions:
- Who is known as the Father of Indian History?
Answer: Kalhana for his work, Rajatarangini. - Which is the oldest civilization in India?
Answer: The Indus Valley Civilization. - Which city was the largest in the Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: Mohenjo-Daro. - What was the script used in the Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The script is undeciphered. - Which Indian archeologist discovered Mohenjo-Daro?
Answer: Rakhal Das Banerjee - Who discovered the Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: Sir John Marshall. - Which Veda is the oldest?
Answer: Rig Veda. - Who founded Buddhism?
Answer: Gautama Buddha. - Where did Buddha attain enlightenment?
Answer: Bodh Gaya. - Who was the founder of Jainism?
Answer: Mahavira. - Who was the first Mauryan emperor?
Answer: Chandragupta Maurya. - Who wrote the Arthashastra?
Answer: Kautilya (Chanakya).
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Answer: Ashoka. - What symbol was associated with Emperor Ashoka?
Answer: The Lion Capital of Ashoka – on the Ashoka Stambha at Qutab Minar - Which dynasty is known as the golden age of India?
Answer: The Gupta Empire. - Who was called the “Napoleon of India”?
Answer: Samudragupta. - Who built the famous Nalanda University?
Answer: Kumaragupta. - Which river was central to the Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The Indus River. - Which animal seal was most famous in the Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The Unicorn Bull seal. - Which metal was unknown to the Indus Valley people?
Answer: Iron. - What was the main occupation of the Vedic people?
Answer: Agriculture and cattle rearing. - Which Veda contains musical hymns?
Answer: Sama Veda. - Which Veda deals with rituals and sacrifices?
Answer: Yajur Veda. - Which Veda contains magical spells and charms?
Answer: Atharva Veda. - What is the sacred language of ancient Indian scriptures?
Answer: Sanskrit. - Which ancient text is called the oldest epic in the world?
Answer: The Mahabharata. - Who wrote the Ramayana?
Answer: Sage Valmiki. - Who composed the Mahabharata?
Answer: Ved Vyasa. - Which kingdom was ruled by Bimbisara?
Answer: Magadha. - Who founded the Nanda dynasty?
Answer: Mahapadma Nanda. - Which Greek ruler invaded India during ancient times?
Answer: Alexander the Great. - Which Indian king fought Alexander?
Answer: Porus.
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Answer: Pataliputra. - Which Buddhist council was held during Ashoka’s reign?
Answer: The Third Buddhist Council. - Which emperor spread Buddhism outside India?
Answer: Ashoka. - Which famous cave paintings are located in Maharashtra?
Answer: Ajanta Caves. - Which caves are known for rock-cut temples in Maharashtra?
Answer: Ellora Caves. - Who wrote the play Abhijnanasakuntalam (also known as Shakuntala)?
Answer: Kalidasa. - Which Gupta ruler is associated with the Iron Pillar of Delhi?
Answer: Chandragupta II. - Who was the famous astronomer of the Gupta Age?
Answer: Aryabhata. - Which ancient Indian university attracted foreign students?
Answer: Nalanda University. - Which dynasty built the Sun Temple at Konark?
Answer: Eastern Ganga Dynasty. - What is the meaning of “Buddha”?
Answer: The Enlightened One. - Which religion believes in Ahimsa as a central principle?
Answer: Jainism. - What was the main teaching of Buddhism?
Answer: The Middle Path. - Which king adopted Jainism in later life?
Answer: Chandragupta Maurya. - Which ancient Indian doctor wrote the Charaka Samhita?
Answer: Charaka. - Which ancient surgeon is known as the Father of Surgery?
Answer: Sushruta. - Which script was used in Ashokan inscriptions?
Answer: Brahmi script. - Which dynasty came after the Mauryas?
Answer: The Shunga Dynasty. - Which Chinese traveller visited India during Harsha’s reign?
Answer: Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang). - Who was Harshavardhana?
Answer: A ruler of North India from the Pushyabhuti dynasty.
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Medieval Indian History Questions:
- Who founded the Mughal Empire?
Answer: Babur. - Who built the Red Fort?
Answer: Shah Jahan. - Who built the Taj Mahal?
Answer: Shah Jahan. - Who was the last Mughal emperor?
Answer: Bahadur Shah II (Zafar). - Who was the first woman ruler of Delhi?
Answer: Razia Sultana. - Who introduced the Mansabdari system?
Answer: Akbar. - Who discovered the sea route to India?
Answer: Vasco da Gama. - Where did Vasco da Gama land in India?
Answer: Calicut (Kozhikode). - Who built the Qutub Minar?
Answer: Qutb-ud-din Aibak (completed by Iltutmish). - Who founded the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer: Qutb-ud-din Aibak. - Which dynasty ruled before the Mughals in Delhi?
Answer: The Delhi Sultanate. - Who was known as the “Slave King”?
Answer: Qutb-ud-din Aibak. - Who shifted the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad?
Answer: Muhammad bin Tughlaq. - Which ruler introduced token currency?
Answer: Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
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Answer: Alauddin Khilji. - Which Sultan controlled market prices in Delhi?
Answer: Alauddin Khilji. - Who founded the Mughal dynasty in India?
Answer: Babur. - Which battle established Mughal rule in India?
Answer: The First Battle of Panipat (1526). - Who succeeded Babur?
Answer: Humayun. - Who defeated Humayun temporarily?
Answer: Sher Shah Suri. - Who built the Grand Trunk Road?
Answer: Sher Shah Suri. - Who was Akbar’s guardian during his early reign?
Answer: Bairam Khan. - Which Mughal emperor followed the policy of Sulh-i-Kul?
Answer: Akbar. - What does Sulh-i-Kul mean?
Answer: Universal peace. - Who wrote the Akbarnama?
Answer: Abul Fazl. - Which Mughal ruler built Fatehpur Sikri?
Answer: Akbar. - Who was Jahangir’s wife known for political influence?
Answer: Nur Jahan. - Which Mughal emperor built the Peacock Throne?
Answer: Shah Jahan. - Which Mughal ruler imposed Jizya tax again?
Answer: Aurangzeb.
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Answer: Shivaji Maharaj. - Who was Shivaji’s mentor?
Answer: Samarth Ramdas. - Which Sikh Guru founded the Khalsa?
Answer: Guru Gobind Singh. - Which Guru compiled the Adi Granth?
Answer: Guru Arjan Dev. - Which monument is associated with Guru Arjan Dev?
Answer: Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple). - Who founded the Vijayanagara Empire?
Answer: Harihara and Bukka. - Which Portuguese traveller/ historian visited Vijayanagara?
Answer: Domingo Paes. - Which famous battle led to the decline of Vijayanagara?
Answer: Battle of Talikota. - Who founded the Bahmani Kingdom?
Answer: Alauddin Bahman Shah. - Which ruler was known as Zinda Pir?
Answer: Aurangzeb. - Which language developed greatly during medieval India?
Answer: Urdu. - Who translated the Mahabharata into Persian?
Answer: Abul Fazl and his team under Akbar. - Which saint popularised the Bhakti movement?
Answer: Ramananda. - Which Sufi order became famous in India?
Answer: Chishti Order. - Who was the famous Sufi saint of Ajmer?
Answer: Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
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Modern Indian History Questions:
- The Battle of Plassey was fought in which year?
Answer: 1757. - Who defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah in Plassey?
Answer: Robert Clive. - The Revolt of 1857 is also known as?
Answer: The First War of Indian Independence. - Who was the leader of the Revolt of 1857 in Kanpur?
Answer: Nana Sahib. - Who led the revolt in Jhansi during 1857?
Answer: Rani Lakshmibai. - Who founded the Indian National Congress?
Answer: A. O. Hume. - When was INC founded?
Answer: 1885. - Who gave the slogan “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it”?
Answer: Bal Gangadhar Tilak. - Who is known as the Father of the Nation?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi. - When did the Jallianwala Bagh massacre happen?
Answer: 1919. - Who was the Governor-General during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
Answer: Lord Chelmsford. - Which movement started after the Chauri Chaura incident?
Answer: The Non-Cooperation Movement was withdrawn after the incident. - The Salt March began from which place?
Answer: Sabarmati Ashram. - In which year did the Quit India Movement start?
Answer: 1942. - Who gave the slogan “Do or Die”?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.
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Answer: 15 August 1947. - Who was the first President of India?
Answer: Dr. Rajendra Prasad. - Who was the first Prime Minister of India?
Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru. - Who wrote the Indian Constitution?
Answer: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman of Drafting Committee). - When was the Indian Constitution enforced?
Answer: 26 January 1950. - Who was known as the “Iron Man of India”?
Answer: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. - Who was India’s first woman Prime Minister?
Answer: Indira Gandhi. - Who founded the Arya Samaj?
Answer: Swami Dayanand Saraswati. - Who is called the “Nightingale of India”?
Answer: Sarojini Naidu. - Who was known as Netaji?
Answer: Subhas Chandra Bose. - Which Act transferred power from the East India Company to the British Crown?
Answer: Government of India Act 1858. - Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
Answer: Lord Dalhousie. - Who founded the Brahmo Samaj?
Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy. - Who started the Ramakrishna Mission?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda. - Which session of Congress demanded Poorna Swaraj?
Answer: Lahore Session (1929).
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Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru. - Which movement followed the Partition of Bengal?
Answer: Swadeshi Movement. - In which year was Bengal partitioned?
Answer: 1905. - Who founded the Forward Bloc?
Answer: Subhas Chandra Bose. - Which newspaper was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak?
Answer: Kesari. - Who wrote Hind Swaraj?
Answer: Mahatma Gandhi. - Which freedom fighter is known as Punjab Kesari?
Answer: Lala Lajpat Rai - Who formed the Azad Hind Fauj?
Answer: Subhas Chandra Bose. - Who threw bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly?
Answer: Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt. - Which revolutionary was hanged with Bhagat Singh?
Answer: Rajguru and Sukhdev. - Which pact was signed between Gandhi and Irwin?
Answer: Gandhi-Irwin Pact. - Which committee drafted the Indian Constitution?
Answer: Drafting Committee. - Who was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India?
Answer: C. Rajagopalachari. - Which commission led to widespread protests with the slogan “Simon Go Back”?
Answer: Simon Commission. - Which event inspired Gandhi to launch the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Answer: Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
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Answer: Lala Har Dayal. - Who designed the Indian national flag?
Answer: Pingali Venkayya. - Which Viceroy announced the partition of Bengal?
Answer: Lord Curzon. - Which movement encouraged Indians to boycott British goods?
Answer: Swadeshi Movement. - What was the INA?
Answer: Indian National Army. - Who gave the slogan “Jai Hind”?
Answer: Subhas Chandra Bose. - Which leader is associated with the Bhoodan Movement?
Answer: Vinoba Bhave. - Which operation integrated Hyderabad into India?
Answer: Operation Polo. - Who was the first Education Minister of India?
Answer: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. - Which Indian leader presented the Objective Resolution?
Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru. - Who coined the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad”?
Answer: Maulana Hasrat Mohani. - Which day is celebrated as Republic Day in India?
Answer: 26 January. - Which war led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971?
Answer: Indo-Pak War of 1971. - Who was India’s first Chief Election Commissioner?
Answer: Sukumar Sen. - Which mission landed India on the Moon in 2023?
Answer: Chandrayaan-3.
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Final note
Whether you’re preparing for school exams, Olympiads, or competitive tests, this list of Indian history knowledge questions offers a quick and effective revision tool.
