Q.1 What is the basic definition of a monarchy?
A government ruled by elected representatives
A government ruled by religious leaders
A government ruled by a king or queen
A government without any leader
Explanation - A monarchy is a form of government where power is vested in a single person, usually a king or queen, often hereditary.
Correct answer is: A government ruled by a king or queen
Q.2 Which of the following is an absolute monarchy?
United Kingdom
Saudi Arabia
Japan
Sweden
Explanation - Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy where the king has almost complete authority, unlike constitutional monarchies such as the UK or Sweden.
Correct answer is: Saudi Arabia
Q.3 What is a constitutional monarchy?
A monarchy where the ruler has no power
A monarchy governed by a written constitution that limits the ruler’s powers
A monarchy where only religious law is followed
A monarchy where power is taken by force
Explanation - In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch’s powers are limited by a constitution, and real political authority is usually held by elected officials.
Correct answer is: A monarchy governed by a written constitution that limits the ruler’s powers
Q.4 Which European country transitioned from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy after the Glorious Revolution of 1688?
France
Spain
England
Portugal
Explanation - England transitioned to a constitutional monarchy after the Glorious Revolution, which limited the monarch’s powers and increased parliamentary authority.
Correct answer is: England
Q.5 Who is considered the head of state in a monarchy?
Prime Minister
King or Queen
Parliament
People
Explanation - In monarchies, the king or queen serves as the head of state, symbolizing national unity.
Correct answer is: King or Queen
Q.6 Which political theory supports the idea that monarchs derive their authority directly from God?
Democratic theory
Social contract theory
Divine right theory
Legal-rational theory
Explanation - The Divine Right theory argues that monarchs are chosen by God, making their authority unquestionable.
Correct answer is: Divine right theory
Q.7 Which of these monarchies is purely ceremonial today?
Norway
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Brunei
Explanation - Norway is a constitutional monarchy where the king’s role is ceremonial, with real power held by parliament.
Correct answer is: Norway
Q.8 What is the hereditary principle in monarchy?
Power passes through elections
Power passes from monarch to their relatives
Power is taken by conquest
Power is based on wealth
Explanation - In monarchy, hereditary succession means leadership is passed down within a royal family, typically to the eldest child.
Correct answer is: Power passes from monarch to their relatives
Q.9 Louis XIV of France is famously quoted as saying, 'I am the State.' This reflects which form of monarchy?
Constitutional monarchy
Absolute monarchy
Ceremonial monarchy
Elective monarchy
Explanation - Louis XIV epitomized absolute monarchy, where the king held centralized, unchecked power.
Correct answer is: Absolute monarchy
Q.10 What is an elective monarchy?
A monarchy where the monarch is elected rather than hereditary
A monarchy where citizens elect representatives
A monarchy chosen by divine signs
A monarchy that allows parliament to elect laws
Explanation - An elective monarchy allows monarchs to be chosen by a vote, rather than by inheritance. The Holy Roman Empire was one such example.
Correct answer is: A monarchy where the monarch is elected rather than hereditary
Q.11 Which of the following modern countries still practices absolute monarchy?
Japan
Sweden
Saudi Arabia
Belgium
Explanation - Saudi Arabia remains an absolute monarchy where the king holds supreme power, unlike Japan, Sweden, or Belgium which are constitutional monarchies.
Correct answer is: Saudi Arabia
Q.12 In which form of monarchy does the monarch act as a symbolic leader with little to no governing authority?
Absolute monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Elective monarchy
Despotism
Explanation - In constitutional monarchies, the monarch’s role is largely ceremonial, while elected leaders govern.
Correct answer is: Constitutional monarchy
Q.13 Which philosopher criticized absolute monarchy in favor of a social contract?
John Locke
Niccolò Machiavelli
Thomas Hobbes
Voltaire
Explanation - John Locke opposed absolute monarchy, advocating for a government based on social contract and consent of the governed.
Correct answer is: John Locke
Q.14 What is a regent in a monarchy?
A substitute ruler governing on behalf of a monarch
A nobleman assisting the king
An elected representative
A rival claimant to the throne
Explanation - A regent rules temporarily when the monarch is too young, absent, or incapacitated.
Correct answer is: A substitute ruler governing on behalf of a monarch
Q.15 Which Asian country has the world’s oldest continuing monarchy?
China
Japan
Thailand
Bhutan
Explanation - Japan’s imperial family claims the world’s oldest continuing hereditary monarchy, dating back over 1,500 years.
Correct answer is: Japan
Q.16 Which monarch is known as the 'Sun King'?
Henry VIII
Louis XIV
Philip II
Charles V
Explanation - Louis XIV of France, called the 'Sun King,' symbolized absolute monarchy and centralized power in his reign.
Correct answer is: Louis XIV
Q.17 What is primogeniture in monarchy?
A system where the eldest child inherits the throne
A system where the youngest child inherits
A system where monarchy alternates between genders
A system of elected succession
Explanation - Primogeniture refers to the practice of passing the throne to the eldest child, usually the eldest son historically.
Correct answer is: A system where the eldest child inherits the throne
Q.18 Which revolution ended the absolute monarchy in France?
The American Revolution
The French Revolution
The Russian Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
Explanation - The French Revolution of 1789 abolished absolute monarchy and eventually led to the execution of King Louis XVI.
Correct answer is: The French Revolution
Q.19 Which modern monarch holds the title of 'Emperor'?
The Emperor of Japan
The King of Spain
The Queen of Denmark
The King of Norway
Explanation - Japan is unique today in having an emperor rather than a king or queen as monarch.
Correct answer is: The Emperor of Japan
Q.20 What is the difference between monarchy and democracy?
Monarchy is hereditary, democracy is elective
Monarchy always has a parliament, democracy does not
Monarchy is always constitutional, democracy is absolute
Monarchy requires voting, democracy does not
Explanation - A key difference is that monarchy usually passes power through family inheritance, while democracy is based on elections.
Correct answer is: Monarchy is hereditary, democracy is elective
Q.21 What is the term for a monarchy where both genders can inherit the throne?
Salic Law
Absolute primogeniture
Elective monarchy
Despotism
Explanation - Absolute primogeniture allows the eldest child, regardless of gender, to inherit the throne.
Correct answer is: Absolute primogeniture
Q.22 Which monarch is constitutionally recognized as the 'Defender of the Faith' in the UK?
Queen Elizabeth II
King Charles III
Prince William
Prince Harry
Explanation - The title 'Defender of the Faith' is traditionally held by the British monarch, currently King Charles III.
Correct answer is: King Charles III
Q.23 Which famous monarch had six marriages and established the Church of England?
Henry VIII
Edward VI
James I
Charles I
Explanation - Henry VIII famously had six wives and broke from the Catholic Church, establishing the Church of England.
Correct answer is: Henry VIII
Q.24 Which of these is NOT a type of monarchy?
Absolute monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Military monarchy
Elective monarchy
Explanation - Military monarchy is not a recognized type; monarchy is usually classified as absolute, constitutional, or elective.
Correct answer is: Military monarchy
Q.25 The Spanish monarchy was restored after the dictatorship of:
Franco
Mussolini
Hitler
Napoleon
Explanation - After the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, Spain restored its monarchy with King Juan Carlos I.
Correct answer is: Franco