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160+ World History Solved MCQs

These multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are designed to enhance your knowledge and understanding in the following areas: General Knowledge (GK) , Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) .

1.

Who were the Axis powers in World War-II?

A. Poland, Japan, Germany
B. Italy, Japan, Britain
C. Germany, Italy, France
D. Germany, Italy, Japan
Answer» D. Germany, Italy, Japan
Explanation: Axis Powers was the alignment of nations that fought in the Second World War against the Allied forces. The Axis grew out of the Anti- Comintern Pact, an anti-communist treaty signed by Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan in 1936. The Kingdom of Italy joined in 1937. The "Rome-Berlin Axis" became a military alliance in 1939 under the Pact of Steel, with the Tripartite Pact of 1940 leading to the integration of the military aims of Germany and its two treaty-bound allies.
2.

Where was Pablo Picasso from?

A. Spain
B. Italy
C. France
D. Great Briton
Answer» A. Spain
Explanation: Pablo Picassowas a Spanish painter, sculptor and play wright who spent mostof his adult life in France. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century. As an artist and an innovator, he is responsible for co-founding the entire Cubist movement alongside Georges Braque that changed the face of European painting and sculpture.
3.

"The Three Emperors' League", 1873 was also known as -

A. Dreikaiserbund Treaty
B. Triple Alliance
C. Reinst !ranee Treaty
D. The Dual Alliance
Answer» A. Dreikaiserbund Treaty
Explanation: The League of the Three Emperors, also known as Dreikaiserbund, was an alliance between the German Empire, the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary, from 1873 to 1887. It was part of the diplomatic web created by Otto Bismarck (1815-1898) to keep France isolated. The first League of the Three Emperors was in effect from 1873 to 1875.
4.

Who said "Man is a social animal"?

A. Aristotle
B. Rousseau
C. Laski
D. Plato
Answer» A. Aristotle
Explanation: In his 'Politics,' Aristotle said: "Man is by nature a social animal; an individual who is unsocial naturally and not accidentally is either beneath our notice or more than human." According to him, Society is something that precedes the individual.
5.

Who said that "Where there is no Law there will not be Liberty"?

A. Karl Marx
B. Plato
C. Machiavelli
D. John Locke
Answer» D. John Locke
Explanation: John Locke, in the 6th Chapter of his Second Treatise of Civil Government, said: So that, however it may be mistaken, the end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom: for in all the states ofcreated beings capable of laws, where there is no law, there is no freedom: for liberty is, to be free from restraint and violence from others. "
6.

Whose teachings inspired the French Revolution?

A. Locke
B. Rousseau
C. Hegel
D. Plato
Answer» B. Rousseau
Explanation: Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism of French expression. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought. During the period of the French Revolution, Rousseau was the most popular of the philosophers among members of the Jacobin Club. Rousseau, a Freemason, was interred as a national hero in the Pantheon in Paris, in 1794, 16 years after his death.
7.

Which two countries were involved in a Hundred Years War?

A. Turkey and Austria
B. England and France
C. Palestine and Israel
D. Germany and Russia
Answer» B. England and France
Explanation: The Hundred Years' War was a series of conflicts waged from 1337 to 1453 between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France and their various allies for control of the French throne. It was the result of a dynastic disagreement dating back to William the Conqueror who became King of England in 1066, while remaining Duke of Normandy.
8.

The State is a necessary evil ac-cording to –

A. Communists
B. Liberalists
C. Individualists
D. Anarchists
Answer» B. Liberalists
Explanation: One of the principles of liberalism is that the state is a necessary evil. It states thatif the state is to fulfill its function, it must have more power at any rate than any single private citizen or public corporation; and although one might design institutions to minimize the danger that these powers will be misused, one can never eliminate the danger completely.
9.

The famous painting 'Monalisa' was the creation of :

A. Michael-Angelo
B. Leonardo-DaVinci
C. Piccasso
D. Van Gogh
Answer» B. Leonardo-DaVinci
Explanation: Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait of a woman by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci, which has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world. It is believed to have been painted between 1503 and 1506.
10.

The United Kingdom is a classic example of a/an

A. aristocracy
B. absolute monarchy
C. constitutional monarchy
D. polity
Answer» C. constitutional monarchy
Explanation: Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified, or blended constitution.
11.

The Treaty of Versailles humiliated -

A. Austria
B. Germany
C. England
D. France
Answer» B. Germany
Explanation: The "Isrealy of WI-sallies was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War 1. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June, 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
12.

'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity' is the call associated with -

A. American Revolution
B. French Revolution
C. Chinese Revolution
D. Russian Revolution
Answer» B. French Revolution
Explanation: Liberty, equality, fraternity (brotherhood)”, is the national motto of France, and is a typical example of a tripartite motto.
13.

Karl Marx lived in exile and wrote from

A. Moscow
B. London
C. Paris
D. Stockholm
Answer» B. London
Explanation: Karl Marx spent most of his life in exile. He was exiled from his native Prussia in 1849 and went to Paris, from which he was expelled a few months later. He then settled in London, where he spent the rest of his life in dire poverty and relative obscurity.
14.

Napoleon-I and the Duke of Wellington fought the famous -

A. Battle of Austerlitz
B. Battle of Leipzig
C. Battle of Borodini
D. Battle of Waterloo
Answer» D. Battle of Waterloo
Explanation: The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by the armies of the Seventh Coalition, comprising an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army.
15.

Which country emerged as the biggest colonial power at the end of the nineteenth century?

A. France
B. Spain
C. Britain
D. Germany
Answer» C. Britain
Explanation: Briain emerged as the biggest colonial power at the end of the nineteenth century.
16.

Where was Christopher Columbus from?

A. Venice
B. Genoa
C. Spain
D. Portugal
Answer» B. Genoa
Explanation: Christopher Columbs (1451- 1506) was an Italian navigator. He begged the King and Queen of Spain for a ship to sail west to India. In 1492 he discovered the route to America, Bahamas.
17.

Who among the following played a prominent role during the "Reign of Terror" in France?

A. Voltaire
B. Ma rat
C. Robespierre
D. Montesquieu
Answer» C. Robespierre
Explanation: The Reign of Terror (5 September 1793 - 28 July 1794) was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of the revolution." Robespierre, a French lawyer and politician, was an important figure during the Reign of Terror, which ended a few months after his arrest and execution in July 1794.
18.

Who discovered the sea route to India?

A. Vasco-da-gama
B. Columbus
C. Magellen
D. Bartho-lomev-Dias
Answer» A. Vasco-da-gama
Explanation: Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who discovered the sea route to India from Europe through the Cape of Good Hope.He was successful in crossing the Indian Ocean and anchored off the city of Calicut, India, on May 20, 1498.
19.

Pablo Picasso, the famous painter was

A. French
B. Italian
C. Flemish
D. Spanish
Answer» D. Spanish
Explanation: Pablo Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright who spent most of his adult life in France. Among his most famous works are the protoCubist. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907), and Guernica (1937), etc.
20.

John Locke profounded :

A. Social Contract Theory
B. Theory of Divine Rights
C. Patriarchal Theory
D. Theory of Force
Answer» A. Social Contract Theory
Explanation: John Locke was one of the proponents of Social Contract theory. According to it, the origin of the state is due to general agreement freely entered into by equal and independent individuals living in a state of nature to form themselves in to a community and obey a government established by them. Hobbes, Rousseau and Kant also contributed to the theory.
21.

The Greek viewed "politics" on the basis of :

A. Both ethical and legalistic terms
B. Ethical terms
C. Terms of power
D. Legalistic terms
Answer» B. Ethical terms
Explanation: The Greek viewed politics on the basis of ethical terms. The very word comes from the title of Aristotle's book 'Politics' (politika means "affairs of the cities') that discussed the city (polis) or "political community" as opposed to other types of communities and argued that the highest form of community is the polis since public life is farmore virtuous than the private and because men are "political animals.'
22.

Who was the first Calipha -

A. Sulaiman, the Great
B. Abu Bakr
C. Iman Hussain
D. Constantine
Answer» B. Abu Bakr
Explanation: Abu Bakr was a senior companion (Sahabi) and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death. As Caliph, Abu Bakr succeeded to the political and administrative functions previously exercised by Muhammad, since the religious function and authority of prophethood ended with Muhammad's death according to Islam. He was called AI-Siddiq (The Truthful).
23.

In which country is Karabla, the holy city of Shia Muslims located?

A. Iran
B. Iraq
C. Jordan
D. Syria
Answer» B. Iraq
Explanation: Karbala is a city in Iraq, southwest of Baghdad. The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala (680), is amongst the holiest cities for Shia Muslims after Mecca and Medina. It is home to the Imam Hussein Shrine. Karbala is famous as the site of the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali (Imam Hussein), and commemorations are held by millions of Shias annually to remember it. Karbala is considered sacred by all Shias.
24.

The world's oldest continuously inhabited city is -

A. Jerusalem
B. Baghdad
C. Istanbul
D. Damascus
Answer» D. Damascus
Explanation: Damascus is often claimed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, and evidence exists of a settlement in thewider Barada basin dating back to 9000 BC. However, within the area of Damascus, there is no evidence for large-scale settlement until the 2nd millennium BC. It has been continuously inhabited since the Chalcolithic period.
25.

Zend-Avesta is the sacred book of the -

A. Parsees
B. Jains
C. Jews
D. Buddhists
Answer» A. Parsees
Explanation: The Avesta is the Plimary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, and is composed in the Avestan language, The word Zend literally meaning "interpretation", refers to late Middle Persian language paraphrases of and commentaries on the individual Avestan books: they could be compared with the Jewish Targuins.
26.

Peking is the sacred place of -

A. Taoism
B. Shintoism
C. Confucianism
D. Judaism
Answer» C. Confucianism
Explanation: Peking (Beijing) is the sacred place of Confucianism. It was founded by King Fu Tsu, better known as Confucius, in 500 BC. Its sacred text is The Analects'.
27.

On which side did Japan fight in the First World War?

A. none, it wag neutral
B. with Germany against United Kingdom
C. against Russia on its own
D. with United Kingdom against Germany
Answer» D. with United Kingdom against Germany
Explanation: The First World War involved all the world's great powers, which were assembled in two opposing alliances: the Allies (based on the Triple Entente of the United Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy). These alliances were both re-organized and expanded as more nations entered the war: Italy. Japan and theUnited States joined the Allies, and the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria the Central Powers.
28.

During the reign of which dynasty was the Great Wall of China constructed?

A. Sung
B. Tang
C. Han
D. Chin
Answer» D. Chin
Explanation: The Great Wall of China was mainly built during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, along the country's northern border to prevent the invasion of Huns. Qin Shi Huang was the founder of the Qin (Chin) dynasty and was the first emperor of a unified China in 221 B.C. Later the Han (202 B.0 - 220 A.D), the Northern Qi (550-574), the Sui (589-618), and particularly the Ming (1369-1644) were among those that rebuilt, remanned, and expanded the Walls.
29.

From which country did the USA purchase Alaska to make it the 50th federating State?

A. Canada
B. Britain
C. Russia
D. France
Answer» C. Russia
Explanation: Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. Alaska was purchased from Russia on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million. The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized for incorporated) territory on May 11, 1912, and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.
30.

Who was the American leader who led a non-violent movement to obtain full civil rights for American Negroes?

A. Abraham Lincoln
B. John F. Kennedy
C. Martin Luther King
D. George Washington
Answer» C. Martin Luther King
Explanation: Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 -April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American Civil Rights Movement.
31.

Who discovered America?

A. Vasco-da Gama
B. Columbus
C. Captain Cook
D. Amundsen
Answer» B. Columbus
Explanation: Christopher Columbus completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents. Those voyages, and his efforts to establish permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola, initiated the Spanish colonization of the New World.
32.

Which one of the following coun-tries was first to establish a modern-democracy?

A. France
B. England
C. America
D. India
Answer» C. America
Explanation: The Constitution of the United States of America, adopted in 1788, provides the world's first formal blueprint for a modern democracy. It provided for an elected government and protected civil rights and liberties for some. It led to representative democracy that is considered as an essential ingredient of any democracy.
33.

The policy of racial discrimination followed in South Africa was called:

A. Non-Aligned
B. Civil Rights Movement
C. Apartheid
D. Suffrage
Answer» C. Apartheid
Explanation: The policy of racial discrimination followed in South Africa was called Apartheid.
34.

Who was popularly known as Africa's Gandhi?

A. Mir Kat-zai
B. Nelson Mandela
C. Firoz Gandhi
D. M.K. Gandhi
Answer» B. Nelson Mandela
Explanation: Nelson Mandela. the former President of South Africa, was known as Africa's Gandhi. Like Martin Luther King Jr., Tanzania's Julius Nyerere and Zambia's Kenneth Kaunda, Mandela was deeply influenced by Gandhi's 'passive resistance' and `satyagraha' as effective political tools for use by unarmed victims of a powerful opponent.
35.

Whih one of the following U.S. President visited China in 1972 for strengthening diplomatic ties?

A. Richard Nixon
B. George Bush (Senior)
C. D Eisenhower
D. J.F.Kennedy
Answer» A. Richard Nixon
Explanation: On February 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon arrived in China, becoming the first U.S. president to do so since China was established in 1949. This was an important event because the U.S. was seeking to improve relations with a Communist country during the Cold War.
36.

The American Civil War saw the end of

A. Slavery
B. Landlordism
C. Monarchy
D. Apartheid
Answer» A. Slavery
Explanation: The American Civil War (1861- 1865), in the United States often referred to as simply the Civil War and sometimes called the "War Between the States", was a civil war fought over the secession of the Confederate States.
37.

Indonesia was a colony of which of the following countries?

A. Dutch
B. Spain
C. Portugal
D. Belgium
Answer» A. Dutch
Explanation: The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War H. It was formed from the nationalized colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Dutch government in 1800. This colony which later formed modern-day Indonesia was one of the most valuable European colonies under the Dutch Empire's rule, and contributed to Dutch global prominence in spice and cash crop trade in 19th to early 20th century.
38.

In which country the Head of the State gets his office by the law of hereditary succession?

A. China
B. Sri Lanka
C. France
D. Japan
Answer» D. Japan
Explanation: The Emperor of Japan-- defined in the Constitution is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people" (Article 1) and generally recognized throughout the world as the Japanese head of state — is a ceremonial figurehead with no independent discretionary powers related to the governance of Japan. The post is hereditary and is monarchical.
39.

The city of "Tashkent" is located in -

A. Uzbekistan
B. Kazakhstan
C. Russia
D. Kyrgystan
Answer» A. Uzbekistan
Explanation: Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. This historic city is associated with the Tashkent Declaration of 10 January, 1966 which was a peace agreement between India and Pakistan after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The Soviets, represented by Premier Alexei Kosygin moderated between Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President Muhammad Ayub Khan.
40.

French revolution broke out in the year

A. 1917
B. 1911
C. 1789
D. 1790
Answer» C. 1789
Explanation: The French Revolution was a period of far-reaching social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799, and was partially carried forward by Napoleon during the later expansion of the French Empire. The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, established a republic, and finally culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon.
41.

1917 is know for -

A. Battle of Trafalgar
B. Battle of Waterloo
C. End of the World War I
D. The Russian Revolution
Answer» D. The Russian Revolution
Explanation: The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which dismantled the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the communist government. The Emperor was forced to abdicate and replaced by a provisional government during the first revolution of February 1917.
42.

Potato was introduced to Europe by :

A. Portuguese
B. Germans
C. Spanish
D. Dutch
Answer» C. Spanish
Explanation: Potato was brought to Europe from the New World by Spanish explorers. Sailors returning from the Andes to Spain with silver presumably brought maize and potatoes for their own food on the trip. Historians speculate that leftover tubers (and maize) were carried ashore and planted.
43.

Of the following, in which did Napoleonic France suffer final defeat?

A. Battle of Trafalgar
B. Battle of Wagram
C. Battle of Pyramids
D. Battle of Austerlitz
Answer» A. Battle of Trafalgar
Explanation: Battles of Wagram, Pyramids and Austerlitz resulted in decisive victories for Napoleon. The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition (AugustDecember 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). The battle was the most decisive British naval victory of the war.
44.

The Cremean War was fought between

A. France and Britain
B. Russia and Turkey
C. France and Turkey
D. Britain and Turkey
Answer» B. Russia and Turkey
Explanation: The Crimean War (October 1853 - February 1856) was a conflict between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between major European powers for influence over territories of the declining Ottoman Empire.
45.

Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany in -

A. 1930
B. 1929
C. 1936
D. 1933
Answer» D. 1933
Explanation: Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and dictator of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945.
46.

With the fall of which among the following, the French Revolution began?

A. Bastille
B. Communes
C. Jacobin Club
D. Pillnitz
Answer» A. Bastille
Explanation: The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris, France on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint of the French Revolution.
47.

Waterloo is located in

A. England
B. France
C. Spain
D. Belgium
Answer» D. Belgium
Explanation: The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. An Imperial French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon was defeated by the armies of the Seventh Coalition, comprising an Anglo-Allied army under the command of the Duke of Wellington combined with a Prussian army under the command of Gebhard von Blucher. It was the culminating battle of the Waterloo Campaign and Napoleon's last.
48.

Like Vedic Aryans, the custom of Sacrificial-fire was also followed by –

A. Romans
B. Greeks
C. Iranians
D. All the above
Answer» D. All the above
Explanation: The practice of worshipping sacrificial fire or Tajna' was common to the Aryans, the population of Greece and Rome and the Iranians. The antiquity of the belief and reverential practice of the sacred fire were common among people of the Mediterranean, and the Iranian plateau and the peninsula of India.
49.

Who has given a call "Go back to nature"?

A. Plato
B. Aristotle
C. Rousseau
D. Hobbes
Answer» C. Rousseau
Explanation: Rousseau gave the call "Go Back to Nature". Jean - Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778) was Swiss-born French political philosopher who propounded Social Contract Theory - that men were born free, but lived everywhere in chains.
50.

Who is called the "Greatest investigator of antiquity"?

A. Aristotle
B. Darwin
C. Cuvier
D. Socrates
Answer» B. Darwin
Explanation: The discovery of human antiquity was a major achievement of science in the middle of the 19th century, and the foundation of scientific paleoanthropology. Charles Darwin established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding.

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