Q.1 Which European power was the first to establish a colonial empire in the Americas?
France
Spain
Portugal
England
Explanation - Spain, under explorers like Columbus and conquistadors, was the first major European power to establish colonies in the Americas after 1492.
Correct answer is: Spain
Q.2 What was the primary goal of the British East India Company in India?
Religious conversion
Trade and profit
Education reforms
Agricultural development
Explanation - The British East India Company was a trading corporation that aimed to maximize profits through control of trade in India.
Correct answer is: Trade and profit
Q.3 Which 19th-century policy justified European imperialism as a 'civilizing mission'?
Social Contract
Social Darwinism
Mercantilism
Manifest Destiny
Explanation - Social Darwinism applied the concept of 'survival of the fittest' to justify European domination over non-European peoples.
Correct answer is: Social Darwinism
Q.4 Which European nation colonized Indonesia?
Portugal
Spain
Netherlands
Britain
Explanation - The Dutch established control over the Indonesian archipelago, creating the Dutch East Indies.
Correct answer is: Netherlands
Q.5 The 'Scramble for Africa' mainly took place during which period?
15th century
17th century
19th century
20th century
Explanation - The late 19th century saw European powers divide Africa among themselves, formalized by the Berlin Conference of 1884-85.
Correct answer is: 19th century
Q.6 Which war led to the British gaining control over large parts of North America from France?
The Napoleonic Wars
The Seven Years’ War
The Boer War
The Crimean War
Explanation - The Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) resulted in Britain gaining French territories in North America.
Correct answer is: The Seven Years’ War
Q.7 Which European country was the colonial ruler of the Congo Free State?
France
Belgium
Britain
Germany
Explanation - King Leopold II of Belgium personally controlled the Congo Free State, leading to severe exploitation and atrocities.
Correct answer is: Belgium
Q.8 Which term describes the system where colonies exist primarily for the benefit of the mother country?
Nationalism
Mercantilism
Feudalism
Industrialism
Explanation - Mercantilism emphasized colonies as suppliers of raw materials and markets for the mother country's goods.
Correct answer is: Mercantilism
Q.9 Which Asian country successfully resisted colonization during the 19th century?
India
Vietnam
Thailand (Siam)
Philippines
Explanation - Thailand maintained independence by skillful diplomacy between British and French colonial interests.
Correct answer is: Thailand (Siam)
Q.10 What was the Opium War primarily fought over?
Territorial expansion
Opium trade disputes
Missionary activities
Taxation policies
Explanation - The Opium Wars (1839–42, 1856–60) were fought between Britain and China over British opium trade and China's sovereignty.
Correct answer is: Opium trade disputes
Q.11 Which African country was founded in the 19th century as a settlement for freed slaves?
Ghana
Liberia
Nigeria
Sudan
Explanation - Liberia was established with the support of the American Colonization Society as a homeland for freed African Americans.
Correct answer is: Liberia
Q.12 Which event marked the beginning of British political control in India?
Battle of Buxar
Battle of Plassey
Sepoy Mutiny
Treaty of Allahabad
Explanation - The British victory at the Battle of Plassey (1757) laid the foundation for British political dominance in India.
Correct answer is: Battle of Plassey
Q.13 Which country controlled Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos during the colonial period?
Britain
France
Portugal
Netherlands
Explanation - France colonized Indochina, which included Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, in the 19th century.
Correct answer is: France
Q.14 The Berlin Conference (1884–85) is most associated with which continent?
Asia
South America
Africa
North America
Explanation - The Berlin Conference regulated European colonization and trade in Africa during the 'Scramble for Africa.'
Correct answer is: Africa
Q.15 Which empire was referred to as 'the jewel in the crown' of the British Empire?
Egypt
South Africa
India
Australia
Explanation - India was called 'the jewel in the crown' because of its vast resources, wealth, and strategic importance to Britain.
Correct answer is: India
Q.16 Which rebellion in India in 1857 challenged British rule?
Civil Disobedience Movement
Sepoy Mutiny
Quit India Movement
Non-Cooperation Movement
Explanation - The Sepoy Mutiny (also called the First War of Independence) began in 1857 as Indian soldiers revolted against British control.
Correct answer is: Sepoy Mutiny
Q.17 Which canal, completed in 1869, became vital for European imperial interests in Asia?
Panama Canal
Corinth Canal
Suez Canal
Kiel Canal
Explanation - The Suez Canal connected the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, drastically reducing travel time to Asia.
Correct answer is: Suez Canal
Q.18 Which war marked Japan’s rise as an imperial power?
First Opium War
Russo-Japanese War
World War I
Second Boer War
Explanation - Japan’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05) shocked the world and established it as a major imperial power.
Correct answer is: Russo-Japanese War
Q.19 Which European power colonized the Philippines before the United States?
Spain
Britain
Portugal
Netherlands
Explanation - Spain controlled the Philippines from the 16th century until the Spanish-American War in 1898.
Correct answer is: Spain
Q.20 Which ideology promoted territorial expansion as a divine right in the United States?
Isolationism
Manifest Destiny
Mercantilism
Colonialism
Explanation - Manifest Destiny was the belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the North American continent.
Correct answer is: Manifest Destiny
Q.21 Which European explorer is associated with the conquest of the Aztec Empire?
Francisco Pizarro
Christopher Columbus
Hernán Cortés
Vasco da Gama
Explanation - Hernán Cortés led the expedition that overthrew the Aztec Empire in Mexico in 1521.
Correct answer is: Hernán Cortés
Q.22 Which African kingdom resisted Italian colonization at the Battle of Adwa (1896)?
Ghana
Nigeria
Ethiopia
Kenya
Explanation - Ethiopia defeated Italy at the Battle of Adwa, preserving its independence while much of Africa was colonized.
Correct answer is: Ethiopia
Q.23 Which U.S. war in 1898 resulted in its control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines?
Mexican-American War
Spanish-American War
World War I
War of 1812
Explanation - The Spanish-American War marked the emergence of the U.S. as a colonial power with overseas territories.
Correct answer is: Spanish-American War
Q.24 Which British colony was originally established as a penal settlement in 1788?
South Africa
India
Australia
New Zealand
Explanation - Britain initially used Australia as a penal colony, sending convicts there starting in 1788.
Correct answer is: Australia
Q.25 Which empire colonized Brazil?
Spain
Portugal
Britain
Netherlands
Explanation - Portugal claimed Brazil after the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 and maintained control until independence in 1822.
Correct answer is: Portugal