World History MCQs
World History Multiple Choice Quiz Questions (MCQs) on Ancient World History, Medieval World History and Modern World History for various UPSC, PCS and other Competitive Examinations.
1. Which country was known as Gold Coast in past?
[A] Burkina Faso
[B] Togo
[C] Ghana
[D] Mali
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Ghana]
Notes:
Gold Coast was a region in West Africa that is now known as the country Ghana. The region was named the Gold Coast because of its large supplies of gold and the market for it during the transatlantic slave trade. The Gold Coast was also a trade hub for slaves.
The Portuguese named the area Mina, which means “mine”, after finding so much gold between the Ankobra and Volta rivers in the 15th century. The English colonists later adopted the name Gold Coast.
The Gold Coast was a British colony. In 1957, the Gold Coast gained independence from Britain and became the country Ghana. Kwame Nkrumah led the independence movement and became Ghana’s first prime minister and president.
2. The term “two-state solution", sometimes seen in news, would settle dispute between:
[A] India and Pakistan
[B] Israel and Palestine
[C] China and Taiwan
[D] Ukraine and Russia
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Israel and Palestine]
Notes:
The two-state solution refers to a solution of Israeli-Palestinian conflict which calls for “two states for two groups of people.” The two-state solution envisages independent State of Palestine as a single democratic country alongside the State of Israel.
3. From which one of the following nations Armenia got its independence in 1991?
[A] United Kingdom
[B] Portugal
[C] Soviet Union
[D] Netherlands
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Soviet Union]
Notes:
Armenia became independent in 1991 during the dissolution of Soviet Union. On 21 September 1991, Armenians voted a referendum favouring independence of Armenia from the Soviet Union or USSR. Armenia gained independence formally on 26 December 1991.
4. The “Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict” is a territorial dispute between which among the following nations?
[A] Armenia and Russia
[B] Armenia and Azerbaijan
[C] Azerbaijan and Russia
[D] Azerbaijan and Iran
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Armenia and Azerbaijan]
Notes:
Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict is a territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This region is legally recognized under the control of Azerbaijan. The conflict further leads to a full-scale war between 1988 and 1994.
5. Ancient Mesopotamia was located in which of the following present day counties?
[A] Turkey
[B] Israel
[C] Iraq
[D] Iran
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Iraq]
Notes:
Mesopotamian civilizations formed on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the modern day Iraq and Kuwait. Some of the major Mesopotamian civilizations are: Sumerian, Assyrian, Akkadian, and Babylonian civilizations.
6. Which of the following was the first dynasty in China?
[A] Tang
[B] Xia
[C] Han
[D] Shang
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Xia]
Notes:
The Xia dynasty is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography. It was the first government to emerge in ancient China and became the first to adhere to the policy of dynastic succession.
7. Which of the following factors led to the decline of European nobles in Late Middle Age?
[A] Rise of nation states
[B] Decreasing importance of towns and cities
[C] Increase in influence of serfs
[D] Collapse of international trade
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Rise of nation states]
Notes:
Rise of nation states led to the decline of European nobles in Late Middle Age. Primarily, the emergence of strong European monarchs led to a decline in the power and authority of the feudal lords.
8. Which of the following was the first who ventured out into the Atlantic Ocean?
[A] Spanish Sailors
[B] Portuguese sailors
[C] German Sailors
[D] British Sailors
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Correct Answer: B [Portuguese sailors]
Notes:
With the introduction of the Mariner’s compass into Europe by the end of the thirteenth-century Portuguese sailors became the first who ventured out into the Atlantic Ocean which was still dreaded by European sailors.
9. Which of the following was one of the earliest findings of prince Henry’s mariners?
[A] Azores
[B] Canaries
[C] Madeira
[D] Cape of good hope
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Madeira]
Notes:
Portuguese sailors were the first who ventured out into the Atlantic Ocean and discovered the Azores and the Canaries in the fourteenth century. Madeira was one of the earliest findings of prince Henry’s mariners in 1420.
10. How many expeditions did Columbus make to the Americas?
[A] 2
[B] 3
[C] 4
[D] 5
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [4]
Notes:
The explorer Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who discovered the Americas and whose journeys marked the beginning of centuries of transatlantic colonization. He made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502.