History – Medium Level – GK Questions

Answer: Sidhu and Kanhu

The Santhal Rebellion (1855-56) was led by brothers Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu against British exploitation and zamindari oppression in present-day Jharkhand. It was one of the largest tribal uprisings in colonial India. [[30]]

Answer: Kesari

Bal Gangadhar Tilak started 'Kesari' (in Marathi) and 'Mahratta' (in English) in 1881. These newspapers became powerful tools for mobilizing public opinion against British rule. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Vernacular Press Act (1878), introduced by Lord Lytton, allowed the government to confiscate printing presses and seize publications of Indian language newspapers deemed seditious. It was repealed by Lord Ripon in 1881. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Hunter Commission (1882), chaired by William Wilson Hunter, reviewed the progress of education since Wood's Despatch. It emphasized expanding primary education and encouraging private enterprise in education. [[30]]

Answer: Calcutta

The University of Calcutta was established in 1857, along with universities in Bombay and Madras. These were modeled after the University of London and focused on affiliated colleges. [[30]]

Answer: Thomas Babington Macaulay

Macaulay's Minute (1835) advocated for English education to create 'a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste and opinions'. This led to the English Education Act of 1835. [[30]]

Answer: Lord William Bentinck

Lord William Bentinck, with support from Raja Ram Mohan Roy, abolished Sati through Regulation XVII of 1829, prohibiting the immolation of widows on their husbands' funeral pyres. [[30]]

Answer: True

Lord Dalhousie (1848-56) introduced the Doctrine of Lapse, annexing princely states like Satara, Jhansi, and Nagpur that lacked a natural male heir. This policy fueled resentment leading to the 1857 Revolt. [[30]]

Answer: True

The Battle of Wandiwash (January 22, 1760) saw British forces under Sir Eyre Coote defeat the French under Comte de Lally. This victory effectively ended French military ambitions in India. [[30]]

Answer: Paris

The Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the Seven Years' War globally and the Third Carnatic War in India. France regained its trading posts but agreed not to fortify them, effectively ending French political ambitions in India. [[30]]

Answer: War of Austrian Succession

The First Carnatic War (1746-48) was the Indian theatre of the War of Austrian Succession (1740-48) in Europe. It saw French forces under Dupleix capture Madras from the British. [[30]]

Answer: Louis XIV

The French East India Company was founded in 1664 during the reign of Louis XIV, under the guidance of Finance Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Pondicherry became their main settlement in India. [[30]]

Answer: False

Though Vasco da Gama first landed at Calicut (1498), the Portuguese established their first factory at Cochin (Kochi) in 1503. Calicut's Zamorin was hostile to Portuguese trade ambitions. [[30]]

Answer: Aurangzeb

Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam and for defending the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits. His martyrdom is commemorated at Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Delhi. [[30]]

Answer: True

Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606) compiled the Adi Granth (later Guru Granth Sahib) in 1604, installing it at the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar. He was the first Sikh Guru to be martyred. [[30]]

Answer: Bajirao I

Bajirao I (1720-1740) served as Peshwa under Chhatrapati Shahu. He expanded Maratha territory from Malwa to Delhi through brilliant military campaigns, earning the title 'Thorale Bajirao' (the great). [[30]]

Answer: True

The Third Battle of Panipat (January 14, 1761) saw the Maratha forces led by Sadashiv Rao Bhau defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali's Afghan army. This halted Maratha expansion northward and weakened their power. [[30]]

Answer: True

Gol Gumbaz (1656), the mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah in Bijapur, features a dome with a diameter of 44 meters – the second-largest pre-modern dome after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Its whispering gallery is famous. [[30]]

Answer: Kalhana

Kalhana wrote Rajatarangini in Sanskrit during the 12th century. It is considered one of the earliest historical chronicles in Indian literature, covering Kashmir's history from mythical times to his era. [[30]]

Answer: Chand Bardai

Chand Bardai, court poet of Prithviraj Chauhan, composed Prithviraj Raso in Brajbhasha. Though its historical accuracy is debated, it remains an important source for medieval Rajput history. [[30]]