Class 12 History MCQ Quiz

Welcome to Class 12 History MCQs! This page contains important multiple-choice questions from Class 12 History chapters. These MCQs are designed to help students practice for:
✔ CBSE Class 12 Boards
✔ Competitive exams
✔ Entrance tests

Each question includes the correct answer and an explanation. This improves your understanding and makes your concepts stronger.

Answer the questions and click "Show Answer" to check.

1. Who was the founder of the Maurya Empire?

A) Chandragupta Maurya
B) Ashoka
C) Bindusara
D) Chanakya
Correct: A) Chandragupta Maurya
Explanation: Chandragupta Maurya established the empire around 321 BCE with help from Chanakya.

2. The Battle of Plassey was fought in which year?

A) 1757
B) 1764
C) 1857
D) 1947
Correct: A) 1757
Explanation: It marked the beginning of British colonial rule in India.

3. The Great Bath has been found at?

A) lothal
B) Harappa
C) Mohenjo-Daro
D) Dholavira
Correct: C) Mohenjo-Daro
Explanation: The Great Bath is one of the most famous structures of the Indus Valley Civilization, located in Mohenjo-Daro.

4. Which metal was NOT used by Harappans?

A) Gold
B) Silver
C) Iron
D) Copper
Correct: C) Iron
Explanation: The Harappans did not use iron; they primarily used copper, bronze, gold, and silver.

5. Who was the last Mughal emperor?

A) Akbar
B) Aurangzeb
C) Bahadur Shah II
D) Jahangir
Correct: C) Bahadur Shah II
Explanation: He was the last Mughal emperor, deposed by the British in 1857.

6. Harappan script is?

A) Undeciphered
B) Alphabetic
C) Syllabic
D) Ideographic
Correct: A) Undeciphered
Explanation: The Harappan script remains undeciphered despite numerous attempts by scholars.

7.Dholavira is located in?

A) Punjab
B) Gujarat
C) Rajasthan
D) Maharashtra
Correct: B) Gujarat
Explanation: Dholavira is an archaeological site of the Indus Valley Civilization located in the Kutch district of Gujarat.

8.The earliest Tamil texts are known as?

A) Vedas
B) Sangam Literature
C) Upanishads
D) Puranas
Correct: B) Sangam Literature
Explanation: The Sangam literature is the earliest known Tamil literature, dating back to around 300 BCE to 300 CE.

9.The ruling dynasty of Magadha during Mauryan period?

A) Nanda Dynasty
B) Gupta Dynasty
C) Maurya Dynasty
D) Shunga Dynasty
Correct: A) Nanda Dynasty
Explanation: The Nanda Dynasty ruled Magadha before the rise of the Maurya Empire.

10.Ashoka’s inscriptions were written in?

A) Sanskrit
B) Prakrit
C) Pali
D) Tamil
Correct: B) Prakrit
Explanation: Ashoka's inscriptions were primarily written in Prakrit, using the Brahmi script.

11.Mahabharata was originally composed in>

A) Pali
B) Prakrit
C) Sanskrit
D) Tamil
Correct: C) Sanskrit
Explanation: The Mahabharata was originally composed in Sanskrit and is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.

12.The founder of Buddhism is/

A) Mahavira
B) Gautama Buddha
C) Ashoka
D) Chanakya
Correct: B) Gautama Buddha
Explanation: Gautama Buddha is the founder of Buddhism, which originated in India in the 6th century BCE.

13.‘Kitab-ul-Hind’ was written by?

A) Al-Biruni
B) Ibn Battuta
C) Marco Polo
D) Fa-Hien
Correct: A) Al-Biruni
Explanation: Al-Biruni was a Persian scholar who wrote 'Kitab-ul-Hind', a comprehensive account of Indian culture, science, and religion in the 11th century.

14.Kabir was associated with?

A) Bhakti Movement
B) Sufi Movement
C) Jainism
D) Buddhism
Correct: A) Bhakti Movement
Explanation: Kabir was a prominent poet-saint associated with the Bhakti Movement, which emphasized devotion to God and social equality.

15.Vijayanagara Empire was founded in?

A) 1336 CE
B) 1400 CE
C) 1206 CE
D) 1500 CE
Correct: A) 1336 CE
Explanation: The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 CE by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I.

16.The revolt of 1857 started from?

A) Delhi
B) Lucknow
C) Meerut
D) Kanpur
Correct: C) Meerut
Explanation: The revolt of 1857, also known as the First War of Indian Independence, began in Meerut on May 10, 1857.

17.Non-Cooperation Movement was launched in?

A) 1915
B) 1920
C) 1930
D) 1942
Correct: B) 1920
Explanation: The Non-Cooperation Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 as a non-violent protest against British rule in India.

18.Dandi March was part of?

A) Quit India Movement
B) Civil Disobedience Movement
C) Non-Cooperation Movement
D) Swadeshi Movement
Correct: B) Civil Disobedience Movement
Explanation: The Dandi March, led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930, was a significant event in the Civil Disobedience Movement against the British salt tax.

19.The Mountbatten Plan was announced in?

A) 1945
B) 1946
C) 1947
D) 1948
Correct: B) 1946
Explanation: The Mountbatten Plan, which outlined the partition of India, was announced in June 1947.

20.The chairman of the Drafting Committee was?

A) Jawaharlal Nehru
B) B.R. Ambedkar
C) Sardar Patel
D) Maulana Azad
Correct: B) B.R. Ambedkar
Explanation: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution.

21. Who wrote the book ‘Arthashastra’?

A) Megasthenes
B) Chanakya
C) Banabhatta
D) Kalidasa
Correct: B) Chanakya
Explanation: Arthashastra is a treatise on statecraft written by Kautilya (Chanakya).

22. The capital of the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka was?

A) Pataliputra
B) Taxila
C) Ujjain
D) Kausambi
Correct: A) Pataliputra
Explanation: Pataliputra was the main capital during Ashoka’s reign.

23. Which site provides evidence of a dockyard?

A) Harappa
B) Lothal
C) Dholavira
D) Kalibangan
Correct: B) Lothal
Explanation: Lothal has evidence of the world’s earliest known dockyard.

24. Who was the first Gupta ruler to issue silver coins?

A) Chandragupta I
B) Samudragupta
C) Chandragupta II
D) Skandagupta
Correct: C) Chandragupta II
Explanation: Chandragupta II issued silver coins after conquering Western India.

25. The ‘Tripitaka’ is the holy book of?

A) Buddhism
B) Jainism
C) Hinduism
D) Zoroastrianism
Correct: A) Buddhism
Explanation: Tripitaka contains the teachings of Buddha.

26. Ibn Battuta visited India during whose reign?

A) Akbar
B) Muhammad bin Tughlaq
C) Alauddin Khalji
D) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Correct: B) Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Ibn Battuta served as the Qazi of Delhi.

27. The author of ‘Ain-i-Akbari’ was?

A) Abul Fazl
B) Badauni
C) Akbar
D) Amir Khusro
Correct: A) Abul Fazl
Explanation: It is the third part of Akbarnama.

28. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in?

A) 1917
B) 1919
C) 1920
D) 1935
Correct: B) 1919
Explanation: General Dyer ordered firing on peaceful protestors.

29. Harappans worshipped?

A) Pashupati seal
B) Mother Goddess
C) Trees
D) All of the above
Correct: D) All of the above
Explanation: Many religious symbols appear in Harappan culture.

30. The Father of Indian Renaissance is?

A) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
B) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
C) Swami Vivekananda
D) Dayananda Saraswati
Correct: A) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Explanation: He fought against social evils and founded Brahmo Samaj.

31. The system of Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by?

A) Lord Wellesley
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Hastings
D) Lord Ripon
Correct: A) Lord Wellesley
Explanation: It strengthened British control over Indian princely states.

32. Gandhiji’s first Satyagraha in India was in?

A) Ahmedabad
B) Champaran
C) Kheda
D) Bardoli
Correct: B) Champaran
Explanation: It was related to indigo farmers in Bihar.

33. Who built the Red Fort in Delhi?

A) Humayun
B) Shah Jahan
C) Akbar
D) Aurangzeb
Correct: B) Shah Jahan
Explanation: Built in 1648 in Mughal architectural style.

34. The Permanent Settlement was introduced in?

A) 1757
B) 1773
C) 1793
D) 1813
Correct: C) 1793
Explanation: Introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal.

35. The Indus Valley Civilization was discovered in?

A) 1850
B) 1901
C) 1921
D) 1935
Correct: C) 1921
Explanation: First found at Harappa by D.R. Sahni.

36. The Razmnama is a Persian translation of?

A) Ramayana
B) Mahabharata
C) Vedas
D) Upanishads
Correct: B) Mahabharata
Explanation: Akbar ordered its Persian translation.

37. Chola inscriptions were mostly written in?

A) Sanskrit
B) Tamil
C) Prakrit
D) Kannada
Correct: B) Tamil
Explanation: Chola records were engraved in Tamil language.

38. The leader of the Khilafat Movement was?

A) Maulana Azad
B) Ali Brothers
C) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
D) Lala Lajpat Rai
Correct: B) Ali Brothers
Explanation: Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali led the movement.

39. Who founded the Arya Samaj?

A) Swami Vivekananda
B) Dayananda Saraswati
C) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
D) Annie Besant
Correct: B) Dayananda Saraswati
Explanation: Arya Samaj promoted Vedic teachings.

40. The Rowlatt Act was passed in?

A) 1917
1919
1920
1921
Correct: B) 1919
Explanation: It allowed arrest without trial, causing mass protests.

41. The capital of the Chola Empire was?

A) Thanjavur
B) Madurai
C) Kanchipuram
D) Uraiyur
Correct: A) Thanjavur
Explanation: Thanjavur was the main political center of the Cholas.

42. Who composed the Allahabad Pillar inscription?

A) Harisena
B) Banabhatta
C) Kalhana
D) Ashvaghosha
Correct: A) Harisena
Explanation: Harisena wrote it during Samudragupta’s reign.

43. Bhimbetka caves are located in?

A) Madhya Pradesh
B) Rajasthan
C) Uttar Pradesh
D) Gujarat
Correct: A) Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Famous for prehistoric rock paintings.

44. Who introduced the Mansabdari system?

A) Akbar
B) Jahangir
C) Aurangzeb
D) Shah Jahan
Correct: A) Akbar
Explanation: It was a grading system for military and civil officers.

45. ‘Indica’ was written by?

A) Herodotus
B) Megasthenes
C) Fa-Hien
D) Hiuen Tsang
Correct: B) Megasthenes
Explanation: He was a Greek ambassador at Chandragupta Maurya’s court.

46. Shivaji belonged to which clan?

A) Solanki
B) Sisodia
C) Bhonsle
D) Rathore
Correct: C) Bhonsle
Explanation: Shivaji was born in the Bhonsle Maratha clan.

47. Which movement is associated with “Do or Die”?

A) Non-Cooperation Movement
B) Swadeshi Movement
C) Quit India Movement
D) Civil Disobedience Movement
Correct: C) Quit India Movement
Explanation: Gandhi gave the slogan in 1942.

48. The Ghadar Movement was launched by?

A) Lala Hardayal
B) Bhagat Singh
C) Chandrashekhar Azad
D) Mangal Pandey
Correct: A) Lala Hardayal
Explanation: The Ghadar Party aimed at overthrowing British rule.

49. Who was the first woman ruler of Delhi?

A) Razia Sultan
B) Rani Lakshmi Bai
C) Noor Jahan
D) Jahanara Begum
Correct: A) Razia Sultan
Explanation: Razia Sultan ruled Delhi from 1236–1240 CE.

50. The Partition of Bengal took place in?

A) 1905
B) 1911
C) 1885
D) 1920
Correct: A) 1905
Explanation: Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal which led to mass protests.

51. The Father of the Indian Constitution is?

A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) B.R. Ambedkar
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Rajendra Prasad
Correct: B) B.R. Ambedkar
Explanation: He was the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.

52. The Hampi ruins belong to which empire?

A) Gupta Empire
B) Chola Empire
C) Vijayanagara Empire
D) Mughal Empire
Correct: C) Vijayanagara Empire
Explanation: Hampi was the capital of Vijayanagara.

53. Fa-Hien visited India during whose reign?

A) Ashoka
B) Harsha
C) Chandragupta II
D) Samudragupta
Correct: C) Chandragupta II
Explanation: Fa-Hien wrote about Indian society and Buddhism.

54. The term ‘Mahayana’ is associated with?

A) Hinduism
B) Buddhism
C) Jainism
D) Zoroastrianism
Correct: B) Buddhism
Explanation: Mahayana Buddhism focuses on Bodhisattvas.

55. Which monument is called the “Symbol of Love”?

A) Qutub Minar
B) Red Fort
C) Taj Mahal
D) Charminar
Correct: C) Taj Mahal
Explanation: Built by Shah Jahan in memory of Mumtaz Mahal.

56. The Treaty of Allahabad (1765) was signed between?

A) British and Aurangzeb
B) British and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II
C) British and Tipu Sultan
D) British and Marathas
Correct: B) Shah Alam II
Explanation: It granted Diwani rights to the British.

57. The Swadeshi Movement began after which event?

A) Jallianwala Bagh
B) Partition of Bengal
C) Dandi March
D) Quit India Movement
Correct: B) Partition of Bengal
Explanation: It emphasized boycotting British goods.

58. Who discovered the sea route to India?

A) Christopher Columbus
B) Vasco da Gama
C) Ferdinand Magellan
D) Marco Polo
Correct: B) Vasco da Gama
Explanation: He reached Calicut (1498).

59. Who was the first Governor-General of India?

A) Warren Hastings
B) Lord Cornwallis
C) Lord Wellesley
D) Lord Dalhousie
Correct: A) Warren Hastings
Explanation: He served from 1773 to 1785.

60. Who led the Revolt of 1857 in Kanpur?

A) Rani Lakshmibai
B) Nana Saheb
C) Bahadur Shah II
D) Kunwar Singh
Correct: B) Nana Saheb
Explanation: He played a major role in Kanpur during the revolt.