100 General Knowledge Questions on Indian History (GK)

1. Ancient India – 25 Questions

1. Which was the oldest civilization in India?
   → Indus Valley Civilization
   
   

2. What were the major cities of the Indus Valley Civilization?
   → Mohenjo-daro and Harappa
   
   

3. Name the major ancient texts of India.
   → Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana
   
   

4. Who was the founder of Buddhism?
   → Gautama Buddha
   
   

5. Who was the prominent saint of Jainism?
   → Mahavira
   
   

6. Who founded the Maurya Empire?
   → Chandragupta Maurya
   
   

7. Which religion did Ashoka adopt?
   → Buddhism
   
   

8. What were the main centers of education in ancient India?
   → Nalanda and Takshashila
   
   

9. When did Alexander the Great invade India?
   → 326 BCE
   
   

10. Who was Chanakya (Kautilya)?
    → Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya
    
    

11. Who was the last ruler of the Maurya Empire?
    → Bindusara
    
    

12. Which were the major art centers of ancient India?
    → Gupta period temples and sculptures
    
    

13. Which king introduced the Khadgaraj scheme?
    → Ashoka
    
    

14. Who issued the first coins in India?
    → Maurya Empire
    
    

15. Name a famous scientist of ancient India.
    → Aryabhata
    
    

16. Who is considered the first classical playwright of India?
    → Bharata Muni
    
    

17. Samudragupta belonged to which dynasty?
    → Gupta Dynasty
    
    

18. Where was Nalanda University located?
    → Bihar
    
    

19. What was Takshashila University famous for?
    → Education and warfare
    
    

20. Who developed Ashtanga Yoga?
    → Patanjali
    
    

21. Name the primary Ayurvedic texts of ancient India.
    → Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita
    
    

22. What are the five elements (Panchamahabhutas) in Indian philosophy?
    → Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Sky
    
    

23. Who is Kautilya?
    → Chanakya
    
    

24. After which war did Ashoka adopt Buddhism?
    → Kalinga War
    
    

25. What were the major metals used in ancient India?
    → Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron
    
    

2. Medieval India – 25 Questions

26. Who founded the Mughal Empire?
    → Babur (1526)
    
    

27. Name two prominent ministers in Akbar’s court.
    → Birbal, Raja Man Singh
    
    

28. Who built the Taj Mahal?
    → Shah Jahan
    
    

29. When did Aurangzeb rule?
    → 1658–1707
    
    

30. Who founded Sikhism?
    → Guru Nanak Dev Ji
    
    

31. Which power ruled India before the Mughals?
    → Delhi Sultanate
    
    

32. Who built Fatehpur Sikri?
    → Akbar
    
    

33. Who were the main figures of the Bhakti movement?
    → Kabir, Surdas, Mirabai
    
    

34. What is the main Sikh religious place?
    → Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple, Amritsar)
    
    

35. Name the major Mughal architectural monuments.
    → Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Taj Mahal
    
    

36. Name prominent medieval Indian poets.
    → Mirabai, Tulsidas
    
    

37. Who established the Maratha Empire?
    → Chhatrapati Shivaji
    
    

38. What was the main feature of Mughal revenue administration?
    → Land Revenue
    
    

39. Which law/policy did Akbar introduce?
    → Sulh-i-Kul (Religious tolerance)
    
    

40. What is the famous memoir of Babur called?
    → Baburnama
    
    

41. Where is the Red Fort built by Shah Jahan?
    → Delhi
    
    

42. Which tax did Aurangzeb reintroduce?
    → Jizya
    
    

43. Name the major centers of Muslim rule in India.
    → Delhi, Agra, Lahore
    
    

44. Who was the prominent leader of the Marathas?
    → Shivaji
    
    

45. Where was the major Rajput center?
    → Rajasthan
    
    

46. Where was the Sultanate capital located?
    → Delhi
    
    

47. Which style of architecture was prominent during the Mughal period?
    → Mughal style
    
    

48. Name the main painting schools of the Mughal era.
    → Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan courts
    
    

49. Which form of classical music developed in medieval India?
    → Hindustani classical music
    
    

50. Who established the Sikh Empire?
    → Ranjit Singh
    
    

3. Modern India – 25 Questions

51. When did British rule begin in India?
    → 1757 (Battle of Plassey)
    
    

52. What is the 1857 revolt called?
    → First War of Indian Independence
    
    

53. Which movement did Mahatma Gandhi start with the Salt March?
    → Civil Disobedience Movement
    
    

54. When is India’s Independence Day?
    → 15 August 1947
    
    

55. Who was the first Governor-General of independent India?
    → Lord Mountbatten
    
    

56. When was the Indian National Congress founded?
    → 1885
    
    

57. When was the Quit India Movement launched?
    → 1942
    
    

58. What was the famous nickname of Bhagat Singh?
    → Shaheed Bhagat Singh
    
    

59. Which Nobel Prize did Rabindranath Tagore win?
    → Literature (1913)
    
    

60. Who was the President of the Constituent Assembly?
    → Dr. Rajendra Prasad
    
    

61. Who was the first Prime Minister of India?
    → Jawaharlal Nehru
    
    

62. Name prominent revolutionaries of India’s independence struggle.
    → Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandrashekhar Azad
    
    

63. When did the Civil Disobedience Movement take place?
    → 1930
    
    

64. Who introduced the first law reforms in India?
    → Lord Curzon
    
    

65. When was the first railway line in India started?
    → 1853, Mumbai–Thane
    
    

66. Which event intensified the freedom movement after 1919?
    → Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
    
    

67. Who led the Quit India Movement?
    → Mahatma Gandhi
    
    

68. When was the Constitution of India adopted?
    → 26 January 1950
    
    

69. Who became the first President of India?
    → Dr. Rajendra Prasad
    
    

70. Who became India’s first Vice President?
    → Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
    
    

71. Who was India’s first female Prime Minister?
    → Indira Gandhi
    
    

72. When was India’s first Lok Sabha election held?
    → 1952
    
    

73. Who led the Dandi March?
    → Mahatma Gandhi
    
    

74. When did the Non-Cooperation Movement occur?
    → 1920–1922
    
    

75. Who founded the Indian National Army (INA)?
    → Subhas Chandra Bose
    
    

4. Indian Culture, Heritage & Interesting Facts – 25 Questions

76. What is Khajuraho famous for?
    → Architecture and sculptures
    
    

77. Where are the Ajanta and Ellora caves located?
    → Maharashtra
    
    

78. Name the eight classical Indian dance forms.
    → Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Odissi, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohiniyattam, Sattriya
    
    

79. Name the major festivals of India.
    → Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas
    
    

80. What is the national bird of India?
    → Peacock
    
    

81. What is the national animal of India?
    → Tiger
    
    

82. What is considered India’s national sport?
    → Hockey
    
    

83. How many colors are there in the Indian flag?
    → Three (Saffron, White, Green)
    
    

84. What is India’s national song?
    → Vande Mataram
    
    

85. What is India’s national flower?
    → Lotus
    
    

86. What is the main language of India?
    → Hindi
    
    

87. Name important literary achievements of India.
    → Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita
    
    

88. What are the main musical notes in Indian classical music?
    → Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni
    
    

89. Name important Indian art centers.
    → Khajuraho, Mathura, Varanasi
    
    

90. What was the main purpose of the Bhakti movement?
    → Love and devotion to God
    
    

91. Who were India’s foreign collaborators during the independence struggle?
    → Rabindranath Tagore, Bhagat Singh
    
    

92. Name key revolutionaries of India’s freedom struggle.
    → Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandrashekhar Azad
    
    

93. When is India’s Republic Day celebrated?
    → 26 January
    
    

94. How many seats are there in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha?
    → Lok Sabha – 545, Rajya Sabha – 245
    
    

95. Name the main movements of India’s independence struggle.
    → Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India
    
    

96. Where did India’s education system originate?
    → Ancient Gurukuls and Universities
    
    

97. What is the biggest national festival of India?
    → Diwali
    
    

98. Name examples of India’s prominent architecture.
    → Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Fatehpur Sikri
    
    

99. Name major civilization centers of India.
    → Indus Valley, Magadha, Maurya Empire
    
    

100. Which movements did Mahatma Gandhi lead?
     → Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India