Question 1

In which year did the INA trials begin?

Accepted Answer

1945 The major INA trials began in 1945 at the Red Fort in Delhi. The British prosecuted officers such as Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sahgal and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon. 1947 was the year of Indian independence, not the beginning of the trials. Exam tip: Link the INA trials with the Red Fort and 1945.

Question 2

The establishment of Nalanda University is generally dated to which century?

Accepted Answer

5th century Nalanda University is generally dated to the 5th century. Remember it as a major centre of learning in ancient India.

Question 3

In which year did the Slave dynasty begin?

Accepted Answer

1206 CE The Slave dynasty began in 1206 CE with Qutb-ud-din Aibak. Link it with the beginning of the Delhi Sultanate.

Question 4

In which year was the Sayyid dynasty founded?

Accepted Answer

1414 CE The Sayyid dynasty was founded in 1414 CE by Khizr Khan. It came to power in Delhi after the Tughlaq dynasty.

Question 5

Kabir's birth is generally dated around which year?

Accepted Answer

1398 CE Kabir's birth is generally dated around 1398 CE. Remember dates of Bhakti saints with approximate context.

Question 6

In which year did Babur capture Kabul?

Accepted Answer

1504 CE The direct answer is C: 1504 CE. Babur captured Kabul in 1504, during the period when he was building a base in Central and South Asia. Step by step: Babur first ruled in the Ferghana region; after repeated struggles he moved toward Kabul; in 1504 he took control of Kabul; Kabul later became an important base for his move toward India, culminating in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. Option A, 1498, is not the accepted year of Babur’s capture of Kabul. Option B, 1526, is the year of the First Battle of Panipat and the beginning of Mughal rule in Delhi and Agra, not the capture of Kabul. Option C is correct. Option D, 1527, is associated with the Battle of Khanwa, not Kabul. Memory cue: Kabul 1504, Panipat 1526, Khanwa 1527.

Question 7

In which year was the Battle of Ghaghra fought?

Accepted Answer

1529 CE The Battle of Ghaghra was fought in 1529 CE between Babur and Afghan forces. Remember Babur's battles in order from 1526 to 1529.

Question 8

In which year did Babur die?

Accepted Answer

1530 CE Babur died at Agra in 1530 CE, after which his son Humayun succeeded him as the Mughal emperor. 1526 CE was not the year of Babur's death; it was the year of the First Battle of Panipat, when Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi and established Mughal rule. Exam tip: Remember 1526 for the First Battle of Panipat and 1530 for Babur's death.

Question 9

In which year was the Battle of Kannauj or Bilgram fought?

Accepted Answer

1540 CE The Battle of Kannauj was fought in 1540 CE between Humayun and Sher Shah Suri. After this battle Humayun had to leave India.

Question 10

In which year was Akbar crowned?

Accepted Answer

1556 CE Akbar was crowned in 1556 CE at Kalanaur in Punjab when he was about 13 years old. In 1555 CE, his father Humayun regained Delhi; it was not the year of Akbar’s coronation. Exam tip: Remember 1556 CE for both Akbar’s coronation and the Second Battle of Panipat.

Question 11

In which year did Akbar start Din-i Ilahi?

Accepted Answer

1582 CE Akbar introduced Din-i Ilahi in 1582 CE. It was not a mass religion; rather, it was an ethical-spiritual order influenced by ideas from different faiths and associated with Akbar's policy of sulh-i kul. 1605 CE was the year of Akbar's death, so it is not correct. Exam tip: Remember 1582 CE as the date of Din-i Ilahi.

Question 12

In which year did the East India Company establish a factory at Surat?

Accepted Answer

1613 CE The East India Company established a factory at Surat in 1613 CE. Connect it with the expansion of English trade in India.

Question 13

In which year was Guru Arjan Dev martyred?

Accepted Answer

1606 CE Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, was martyred in 1606 CE. His martyrdom is an important event in Sikh history and occurred during the early seventeenth century. The date should be distinguished from the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1675 and from the birth or accession dates associated with other historical figures. Accurate chronology helps students place major developments in Sikh history in the correct period.

Option D, 1606 CE, is correct. Option A, 1582, is too early, and option B, 1605, is associated with a nearby period but not the year of Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom. Option C, 1675, refers to a later Sikh martyrdom, that of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Thus the correct choice follows from matching the event with its established historical year: Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom occurred in 1606.

Question 14

In which year was Fort St George established in Madras?

Accepted Answer

1639 CE Fort St George was established in Madras in 1639 CE. It was an important English trading centre.

Question 15

In which year did Aurangzeb become the Mughal emperor?

Accepted Answer

1658 CE The direct answer is B: Aurangzeb became Mughal emperor in 1658 CE. After Shah Jahan became ill, a war of succession took place among his sons. Aurangzeb defeated his main rivals, imprisoned Shah Jahan and took effective control of the empire in 1658. Option A, 1627, is not the year of his accession; it is close to the period before Shah Jahan’s reign. Option B is correct because Aurangzeb’s accession is dated 1658. Option C, 1674, is associated with Shivaji’s coronation, not Aurangzeb becoming emperor. Option D, 1707, is the year of Aurangzeb’s death and the end of his reign. Memory cue: Aurangzeb ruled 1658–1707; the first number is accession and the second is death.

Question 16

In which year is the establishment of Fort William at Calcutta generally dated?

Accepted Answer

1700 CE The establishment of Fort William is generally dated to 1700 CE. Link it with English trading power in Bengal.

Question 17

In which year did Nadir Shah invade India?

Accepted Answer

1739 CE The direct answer is option B: 1739 CE. Nadir Shah, the ruler of Persia, invaded the Mughal Empire in 1739. He defeated the Mughal forces at the Battle of Karnal and then entered Delhi. The invasion is especially remembered for the severe plunder of Delhi and the taking of the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor, although details of individual events should not be confused with the date. Step by step: Nadir Shah came from Persia; the Mughal Empire was weakened; he defeated the Mughal army at Karnal; he entered Delhi in 1739 and looted it. Option A, 1707, is the year of Aurangzeb’s death, not Nadir Shah’s invasion. Option B, 1739, is correct. Option C, 1757, is linked with the Battle of Plassey. Option D, 1761, is linked with the Third Battle of Panipat. Memory cue: “Nadir Shah—Delhi plunder—1739.”

Question 18

In which year did Hyder Ali become the ruler of Mysore?

Accepted Answer

1761 CE The direct answer is D: 1761 CE. Hyder Ali rose from military service to become the effective, or de facto, ruler of Mysore in 1761. The question asks when he became the ruler, and the standard school-history date is 1761. Step by step: identify the person, Hyder Ali; identify the event, his rise as the real ruler of Mysore; match that event with the remembered date, 1761 CE; therefore choose D. Option A, 1757, is associated with the Battle of Plassey, not Hyder Ali’s rise in Mysore. Option B, 1764, is associated with the Battle of Buxar. Option C, 1799, is the year Tipu Sultan was defeated and Mysore changed hands after the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, long after Hyder Ali’s rise. Option D is correct. Memory cue: Hyder Ali—Mysore’s effective ruler—1761.

Question 19

In which year was the Rohilla War fought?

Accepted Answer

1774 CE The direct answer is A: the Rohilla War was fought in 1774 CE. The Rohillas were Afghan chiefs who controlled Rohilkhand. In 1774, the Nawab of Awadh, supported by the British East India Company, fought the Rohillas; their defeat brought Rohilkhand under Awadh’s control. Option A is correct because 1774 is the accepted year of the Rohilla War. Option B, 1765, is associated with the Treaty of Allahabad and the Company receiving the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Option C, 1784, is linked with the India Act of 1784, not this war. Option D, 1799, is associated with the death of Tipu Sultan at Seringapatam. Memory cue: Rohilla War—Rohilkhand—1774.

Question 20

In which year did the Third Anglo-Mysore War end?

Accepted Answer

1792 CE The Third Anglo-Mysore War ended in 1792 CE with the Treaty of Seringapatam. Tipu Sultan had to cede territories to the British East India Company and its allies. The year 1799 CE marks the end of the Fourth, not the Third, Anglo-Mysore War. Exam tip: Remember the pair—Third War: 1792, Treaty of Seringapatam.

Question 21

In which year was the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War fought?

Accepted Answer

1799 CE The Fourth Anglo-Mysore War was fought in 1799 CE between the British East India Company and Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan died during the battle of Seringapatam, after which British influence over Mysore was established. The year 1792 CE is associated with the Treaty of Seringapatam after the Third Anglo-Mysore War. Exam tip: Remember that the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and Tipu Sultan’s death are linked with 1799.

Question 22

In which year did the Second Anglo-Maratha War begin?

Accepted Answer

1803 CE The Second Anglo-Maratha War began in 1803 CE. Link it with a major conflict between the British and the Marathas.

Question 23

In which year did the Third Anglo-Maratha War begin?

Accepted Answer

1817 CE The Third Anglo-Maratha War began in 1817 CE and continued until 1818 CE. The East India Company defeated the major Maratha powers in this war, leading to the near end of Maratha political dominance in India. The year 1803 is associated with the beginning of the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Exam tip: Remember the starting years in order—First: 1775, Second: 1803, Third: 1817.

Question 24

The final decline of Maratha power is generally associated with which year?

Accepted Answer

1818 CE The final decline of Maratha power is generally associated with 1818 CE. It is related to the result of the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

Question 25

In which year was Punjab annexed into the British Empire?

Accepted Answer

1849 CE Punjab was annexed into the British Empire in 1849 CE. It happened after the Second Anglo-Sikh War.

Important Dates in Indian History

Practice questions

01 In which year did the INA trials begin?

02 The establishment of Nalanda University is generally dated to which century?

03 In which year did the Slave dynasty begin?

04 In which year was the Sayyid dynasty founded?

05 Kabir's birth is generally dated around which year?

06 In which year did Babur capture Kabul?

07 In which year was the Battle of Ghaghra fought?

08 In which year did Babur die?

09 In which year was the Battle of Kannauj or Bilgram fought?

10 In which year was Akbar crowned?

11 In which year did Akbar start Din-i Ilahi?

12 In which year did the East India Company establish a factory at Surat?

13 In which year was Guru Arjan Dev martyred?

14 In which year was Fort St George established in Madras?

15 In which year did Aurangzeb become the Mughal emperor?

16 In which year is the establishment of Fort William at Calcutta generally dated?

17 In which year did Nadir Shah invade India?

18 In which year did Hyder Ali become the ruler of Mysore?

19 In which year was the Rohilla War fought?

20 In which year did the Third Anglo-Mysore War end?

21 In which year was the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War fought?

22 In which year did the Second Anglo-Maratha War begin?

23 In which year did the Third Anglo-Maratha War begin?

24 The final decline of Maratha power is generally associated with which year?

25 In which year was Punjab annexed into the British Empire?

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