Q.1 Which dynasty immediately preceded the Tang Dynasty in China?
Han Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
Song Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
Explanation - The Sui Dynasty unified China after centuries of division and laid the foundation for the Tang Dynasty, which followed.
Correct answer is: Sui Dynasty
Q.2 Who was the only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor during the Tang Dynasty?
Empress Dowager Cixi
Wu Zetian
Ban Zhao
Li Qingzhao
Explanation - Wu Zetian declared herself emperor in the Tang Dynasty and established her own Zhou dynasty before restoring the Tang.
Correct answer is: Wu Zetian
Q.3 What was the capital of the Tang Dynasty at its height?
Luoyang
Beijing
Chang'an
Kaifeng
Explanation - Chang'an (modern Xi’an) was a cosmopolitan hub and one of the largest cities in the world during the Tang Dynasty.
Correct answer is: Chang'an
Q.4 Which system of selecting officials was greatly expanded during the Tang and Song dynasties?
Hereditary system
Civil service examinations
Military merit system
Royal appointment
Explanation - Both Tang and Song dynasties expanded the use of Confucian-based civil service exams to recruit officials on merit.
Correct answer is: Civil service examinations
Q.5 What religion saw significant growth and influence during the Tang Dynasty?
Islam
Buddhism
Christianity
Shinto
Explanation - Buddhism flourished during the Tang Dynasty, influencing art, politics, and daily life before facing later suppression.
Correct answer is: Buddhism
Q.6 Which invention of the Song Dynasty revolutionized printing?
Paper
Movable type printing
Gunpowder
Compass
Explanation - Movable type printing, developed by Bi Sheng, allowed for more efficient reproduction of texts.
Correct answer is: Movable type printing
Q.7 Which dynasty first used paper money on a wide scale?
Tang Dynasty
Song Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Explanation - The Song Dynasty introduced the use of paper money due to the difficulty of transporting heavy coins for trade.
Correct answer is: Song Dynasty
Q.8 The Grand Canal was most important for connecting which two regions?
North and South China
China and India
China and Korea
East and West China
Explanation - The Grand Canal connected northern political centers with southern agricultural areas, supporting economic integration.
Correct answer is: North and South China
Q.9 Which dynasty saw the invention of gunpowder?
Tang Dynasty
Song Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Explanation - Gunpowder was invented in the Tang Dynasty by alchemists seeking immortality formulas.
Correct answer is: Tang Dynasty
Q.10 Neo-Confucianism became especially prominent under which dynasty?
Tang Dynasty
Song Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Explanation - Neo-Confucianism, blending Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist ideas, became the dominant ideology during the Song Dynasty.
Correct answer is: Song Dynasty
Q.11 Which Tang emperor is credited with expanding China’s influence into Central Asia?
Emperor Xuanzong
Emperor Taizong
Emperor Gaozu
Emperor Zhongzong
Explanation - Tang Taizong led military campaigns that extended Chinese influence deep into Central Asia.
Correct answer is: Emperor Taizong
Q.12 Which dynasty is often called the 'Golden Age of Chinese poetry'?
Han Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
Song Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Explanation - The Tang Dynasty produced great poets such as Li Bai and Du Fu, marking a golden age for Chinese poetry.
Correct answer is: Tang Dynasty
Q.13 The Song Dynasty is divided into which two periods?
Early and Later Song
Northern and Southern Song
East and West Song
Golden and Decline Song
Explanation - After losing northern China to nomadic invaders, the dynasty continued as the Southern Song.
Correct answer is: Northern and Southern Song
Q.14 Which foreign group forced the Song Dynasty to retreat south in 1127?
Mongols
Khitan Liao
Jurchen Jin
Tibetan Empire
Explanation - The Jurchen Jin Dynasty conquered northern China, forcing the Song court to relocate south to Hangzhou.
Correct answer is: Jurchen Jin
Q.15 Which Tang emperor presided over a flourishing period but faced the An Lushan Rebellion?
Taizong
Gaozu
Xuanzong
Zhongzong
Explanation - Emperor Xuanzong oversaw Tang prosperity, but the An Lushan Rebellion (755 CE) devastated the empire.
Correct answer is: Xuanzong
Q.16 What was the main crop that supported population growth during the Song Dynasty?
Wheat
Barley
Rice
Millet
Explanation - The introduction of fast-ripening Champa rice boosted agricultural output, supporting large population growth.
Correct answer is: Rice
Q.17 Which Tang poet was known as the 'Poet Immortal'?
Du Fu
Li Bai
Wang Wei
Bai Juyi
Explanation - Li Bai, one of the greatest Tang poets, was renowned for his romantic and imaginative style.
Correct answer is: Li Bai
Q.18 Which Tang poet is famous for his realistic depictions of hardship and war?
Du Fu
Li Bai
Wang Wei
Su Shi
Explanation - Du Fu’s poetry reflected the struggles of ordinary people, especially during the An Lushan Rebellion.
Correct answer is: Du Fu
Q.19 What role did scholar-officials play in the Song Dynasty?
Military commanders
Administrative bureaucrats
Religious leaders
Farmers
Explanation - Scholar-officials, selected through exams, managed administration and governance in the Song Dynasty.
Correct answer is: Administrative bureaucrats
Q.20 Which Chinese invention helped improve navigation during the Song Dynasty?
Gunpowder
Compass
Abacus
Seismograph
Explanation - The magnetic compass was perfected during the Song Dynasty, revolutionizing sea trade and navigation.
Correct answer is: Compass
Q.21 What was the primary focus of Neo-Confucian philosophy?
Mystical Daoism
Practical governance
Moral self-cultivation
Buddhist enlightenment
Explanation - Neo-Confucianism emphasized moral development and the pursuit of virtue as central to human life.
Correct answer is: Moral self-cultivation
Q.22 Which dynasty lost control of northern China to the Khitan Liao before the Song Dynasty rose?
Tang Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
Explanation - After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the north was controlled by the Khitan Liao before the Song unified most of China.
Correct answer is: Tang Dynasty
Q.23 Which city became the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty?
Luoyang
Kaifeng
Hangzhou
Nanjing
Explanation - Hangzhou served as the capital of the Southern Song after the loss of northern China to the Jurchens.
Correct answer is: Hangzhou
Q.24 Which artistic form reached new heights under the Song Dynasty?
Sculpture
Landscape painting
Drama
Calligraphy
Explanation - Song Dynasty artists like Fan Kuan and Guo Xi created masterpieces of landscape painting emphasizing harmony with nature.
Correct answer is: Landscape painting
Q.25 Which Tang capital city was a major center of trade on the Silk Road?
Chang'an
Kaifeng
Hangzhou
Guangzhou
Explanation - Chang’an was a major cosmopolitan center and a key Silk Road hub during the Tang Dynasty.
Correct answer is: Chang'an