History MCQs for UPSC Prelims — July 2026

Q1. The Malwa Agency, created in 1895 as a subdivision of the British Central India Agency, comprised a defined group of princely states. Consider the following: 1. Rewa 2. Barwani 3. Datia 4. Jaora Which of the above is/are NOT correctly listed as constituent states of the Malwa Agency?

  1. Rewa
  2. Barwani
  3. Datia
  4. Jaora
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q2. Consider the following statements about Dhar, the Paramaras and their neighbourhood: 1. Dhar served as a Paramara capital and was a centre of learning under Raja Bhoja. 2. The structure at Dhar popularly called 'Raja Bhoja's school' takes its name from paved slabs bearing inscriptions of Sanskrit grammatical rules. 3. The Paramaras began as feudatories of the Gurjara-Pratiharas of Kannauj. 4. Mandu, near Dhar, was the 14th-15th-century capital of the Malwa kingdom and was captured by the Marathas in 1632. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Dhar served as a Paramara capital and was a centre of learning under Raja Bhoja.
  2. The structure at Dhar popularly called 'Raja Bhoja's school' takes its name from paved slabs bearing inscriptions of Sanskrit grammatical rules.
  3. The Paramaras began as feudatories of the Gurjara-Pratiharas of Kannauj.
  4. Mandu, near Dhar, was the 14th-15th-century capital of the Malwa kingdom and was captured by the Marathas in 1632.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Consider the following statements about the Paramaras of Malwa and their capitals: 1. The Paramaras began their political career as feudatories of the Rashtrakutas, and their capital shifted from Ujjain to Dhar. 2. Dhar became a celebrated centre of Sanskrit learning under Bhoja, whose reign falls in the first half of the eleventh century. 3. Paramara rule over Malwa is placed between about 800 and 1200 CE, and ended with the kingdom's absorption into the Gurjara-Pratihara empire. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Paramaras began their political career as feudatories of the Rashtrakutas, and their capital shifted from Ujjain to Dhar.
  2. Dhar became a celebrated centre of Sanskrit learning under Bhoja, whose reign falls in the first half of the eleventh century.
  3. Paramara rule over Malwa is placed between about 800 and 1200 CE, and ended with the kingdom's absorption into the Gurjara-Pratihara empire.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Consider the following statements about the history of Vande Mataram: 1. It was first published on 7 November 1875. 2. It was adopted as a song of the Swadeshi movement in 1905. 3. The statement according it equal honour with the National Anthem was made by the President of the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950. 4. It was first included in the novel Anandamath, and only later published separately in a literary journal. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was first published on 7 November 1875.
  2. It was adopted as a song of the Swadeshi movement in 1905.
  3. The statement according it equal honour with the National Anthem was made by the President of the Constituent Assembly on 24 January 1950.
  4. It was first included in the novel Anandamath, and only later published separately in a literary journal.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q5. Consider the following statements about Vande Mataram and the works associated with it: 1. The novel Anandamath was written by Rabindranath Tagore, whereas the song Vande Mataram itself was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. 2. Vande Mataram was first published in the journal Bangadarshan several years before it appeared in the novel Anandamath. 3. The song was set to music by Rabindranath Tagore and was sung at a session of the Indian National Congress in 1896. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The novel Anandamath was written by Rabindranath Tagore, whereas the song Vande Mataram itself was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.
  2. Vande Mataram was first published in the journal Bangadarshan several years before it appeared in the novel Anandamath.
  3. The song was set to music by Rabindranath Tagore and was sung at a session of the Indian National Congress in 1896.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. Consider the following items associated with the history of the National Song 'Vande Mataram': 1. Bangadarshan — the periodical in which the song first appeared in print, in 1875. 2. Anandamath — the novel of 1882 into which Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay incorporated the song. 3. The 1896 Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress — the occasion of the song's first public rendition, sung by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay himself. 4. Akshaya Navami — the day, corresponding to 7 November 1875, on which the song is believed to have been written. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Bangadarshan — the periodical in which the song first appeared in print, in 1875.
  2. Anandamath — the novel of 1882 into which Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay incorporated the song.
  3. The 1896 Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress — the occasion of the song's first public rendition, sung by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay himself.
  4. Akshaya Navami — the day, corresponding to 7 November 1875, on which the song is believed to have been written.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q7. With reference to the origin of the National Song 'Vande Mataram', which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. It was composed exclusively for the novel Anandamath and had never appeared in print before that novel was published.
  • B. It was adopted as the National Song by a resolution of the Constituent Assembly written into the text of the Constitution.
  • C. It has been sung at every annual session of the Indian National Congress since the foundation of the Congress in 1885.
  • D. It first appeared in print in the Bengali periodical Bangadarshan in 1875, before being incorporated into a novel.

Q8. Which one of the following statements about a monument at Sarnath is correct?

  • A. The Chaukhandi Stupa is the only stupa at Sarnath built entirely by Ashoka.
  • B. The Dharmarajika Stupa is the tallest surviving structure at the site.
  • C. The Dhamek Stupa marks the place where the Buddha delivered his first sermon.
  • D. The Mulagandhakuti Vihara is the earliest stupa raised over the Buddha's bodily relics.

Q9. The dharmachakra (wheel of law) carved on the abacus of the Lion Capital of Ashoka found at Sarnath has how many spokes?

  • A. 8
  • B. 24
  • C. 12
  • D. 32

Q10. Sarnath is counted among the four principal pilgrimage sites of Buddhism. Consider the following statements: 1. Sarnath is associated with the Buddha's first sermon, while Bodh Gaya is associated with his enlightenment. 2. Lumbini marks the Buddha's birth, while Kushinagar marks the site of his enlightenment. 3. The first sermon at Sarnath is remembered as the first 'turning of the wheel of dharma', delivered at the Deer Park at Isipatana. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Sarnath is associated with the Buddha's first sermon, while Bodh Gaya is associated with his enlightenment.
  2. Lumbini marks the Buddha's birth, while Kushinagar marks the site of his enlightenment.
  3. The first sermon at Sarnath is remembered as the first 'turning of the wheel of dharma', delivered at the Deer Park at Isipatana.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. In his first sermon at Sarnath, the Buddha expounded the Four Noble Truths and set out the Middle Path consisting of how many components (the 'fold' of the path)?

  • A. Four
  • B. Twelve
  • C. Eight
  • D. Ten

Q12. Consider the following statements about Sarnath in relation to the principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites: 1. Sarnath is associated with the Buddha's first sermon, whereas Bodh Gaya is associated with his enlightenment. 2. After Sarnath's inscription, three of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites are on the World Heritage List. 3. Kushinagar, associated with the Buddha's parinirvana, was inscribed on the World Heritage List together with Sarnath in 2026. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Sarnath is associated with the Buddha's first sermon, whereas Bodh Gaya is associated with his enlightenment.
  2. After Sarnath's inscription, three of the four principal Buddhist pilgrimage sites are on the World Heritage List.
  3. Kushinagar, associated with the Buddha's parinirvana, was inscribed on the World Heritage List together with Sarnath in 2026.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q13. In which one of the following did Vande Mataram FIRST appear in print?

  • A. In the novel Anandamath, in 1882
  • B. In the periodical Bangadarshan, in 1875
  • C. In the newspaper Amrita Bazar Patrika, in 1885
  • D. In a pamphlet circulated at the 1896 Calcutta session of the Congress

Q14. Lothal, the venue announced for the EAS Maritime Heritage Festival, is chiefly renowned as the site of which one of the following?

  • A. The Great Bath, a large public water tank
  • B. The world's oldest known artificial dockyard
  • C. The earliest evidence of a ploughed agricultural field
  • D. The largest Harappan settlement by area

Q15. The colonial-era law frequently cited for entrenching landholding among Punjab's dominant agricultural castes while excluding Dalit communities from land ownership was:

  • A. The Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887
  • B. The Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887
  • C. The Punjab Land Alienation Act, 1900
  • D. The Punjab Alienation of Land (Amendment) Act, 1938

Q16. As per the 1931 Census, approximately how many followers in Punjab registered under the newly recognised 'Ad Dharm' religion?

  • A. About 42,000
  • B. About 1.2 lakh
  • C. About 8.4 lakh
  • D. About 4.2 lakh

Q17. With reference to the Ad-Dharm movement and Ravidassia identity in Punjab, consider the following: 1. The Ad-Dharm movement was founded in 1926 under the leadership of Mangu Ram Mugowalia. 2. Ad-Dharm was first recorded as a separate religion in the Census of 1921. 3. Mangu Ram Mugowalia had earlier been associated with the Ghadar movement. 4. The Ravidassia identity draws on the teachings of Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century saint of the Chamar community. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Ad-Dharm movement was founded in 1926 under the leadership of Mangu Ram Mugowalia.
  2. Ad-Dharm was first recorded as a separate religion in the Census of 1921.
  3. Mangu Ram Mugowalia had earlier been associated with the Ghadar movement.
  4. The Ravidassia identity draws on the teachings of Guru Ravidas, a 15th-century saint of the Chamar community.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q18. Under the indenture system, approximately how many Indian labourers migrated to Mauritius to work on its sugar plantations?

  • A. About 50,000
  • B. About 150,000
  • C. Over half a million
  • D. Over five million

Q19. The mass statelessness of Indian-origin (Malaiyaha) plantation Tamils in Ceylon originated principally with which one of the following enactments passed in the first years after independence?

  • A. Ceylon Citizenship Act, 1948
  • B. Indian and Pakistani Residents (Citizenship) Act, 1949
  • C. Ceylon (Parliamentary Elections) Amendment Act, 1949
  • D. Grant of Citizenship to Persons of Indian Origin Act, 2003

Q20. The 1925 report on the condition of Indian labourers in Ceylon (which found that about 40% lacked a living wage) was submitted by the Agent of the Government of India in Ceylon, S. Ranganathan, who belonged to which one of the following services?

  • A. Indian Political Service
  • B. Indian Foreign Service
  • C. Indian Civil Service (I.C.S.)
  • D. Ceylon Civil Service

Q21. In the colonial period, the office of the 'Agent of the Government of India in Ceylon' was primarily meant to:

  • A. assess and collect plantation revenue on behalf of the Ceylon government
  • B. represent the Government of India and oversee the welfare of Indian emigrant (indentured) labour in Ceylon
  • C. license kanganies and regulate estate recruitment on behalf of the Ceylon government
  • D. promote Indian export trade to Ceylon as a commercial commissioner

Q22. Which one of the following was the leading plantation crop that first spearheaded Ceylon's colonial economy before being devastated by a fungal leaf disease in the 1870s?

  • A. Coffee
  • B. Tea
  • C. Rubber
  • D. Coconut

Q23. The minimum wages of Indian (estate) labour recruited to Ceylon's plantations were first brought under statutory regulation by which one of the following enactments?

  • A. Estate Labour (Indian) Ordinance, No. 13 of 1889
  • B. Minimum Wages (Indian Labour) Ordinance, No. 27 of 1927
  • C. Allowances to Plantation Workers Act, No. 72 of 1981
  • D. National Minimum Wage of Workers Act, No. 3 of 2016

Q24. Which one of the following was the first company to undertake commercial tea production in India, taking over the experimental tea holdings in Assam in 1839?

  • A. Assam Company
  • B. East India Company
  • C. Jorehaut Tea Company
  • D. Darjeeling Tea Company

Q25. The expression 'Vande Mataram' is most accurately translated as which one of the following?

  • A. I bow to thee, O Mother
  • B. Long live the Motherland
  • C. Victory to Mother India
  • D. Hail, O sacred land

Q26. In which year was the poem Vande Mataram first published, in the Bengali literary journal Bangadarshan?

  • A. 1875
  • B. 1882
  • C. 1896
  • D. 1905

Q27. Irom Sharmila, the 'Iron Lady of Manipur', continued her hunger strike demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for approximately how many years?

  • A. 6 years
  • B. 11 years
  • C. 16 years
  • D. 21 years

Q28. With reference to the historical 'Cadaver Synod', consider the following statements: 1. It was a posthumous trial in which the exhumed corpse of Pope Formosus was put in the dock. 2. The trial was convened by Pope Stephen VI (VII), a political adversary of Formosus. 3. Formosus was acquitted and his papal acts were solemnly upheld by the synod. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It was a posthumous trial in which the exhumed corpse of Pope Formosus was put in the dock.
  2. The trial was convened by Pope Stephen VI (VII), a political adversary of Formosus.
  3. Formosus was acquitted and his papal acts were solemnly upheld by the synod.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q29. National Handloom Day, observed on 7th August, was designated to commemorate which one of the following events?

  • A. The launch of the Swadeshi Movement at Calcutta Town Hall in 1905 against the partition of Bengal
  • B. The formation of the All India Handloom Board in 1945
  • C. The enactment of the Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act in 1985
  • D. The conclusion of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement in 1974

Q30. The Moderate nationalists' long-standing demand was that the Indian Civil Service examination be held simultaneously in how many locations?

  • A. One (in India only)
  • B. Two (in India and in England)
  • C. Three
  • D. Four