Asian History Quiz

Question 1

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes connecting China to Europe. What was its primary commodity?

Accepted Answer

Silk, spices, precious metals, glassware, and ideas (including Buddhism, Islam, and plague)

Answer

Silk only

Answer

Spices and gold only

Answer

Silk and porcelain only

Question 2

Genghis Khan founded the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. At its height, it was:

Accepted Answer

The world's largest contiguous empire, spanning from the Pacific to Eastern Europe

Answer

The world's largest empire by total area including oceans

Answer

The largest empire in Asia only

Answer

An empire centred only on Central Asia

Question 3

Japan's Meiji Restoration (1868) was significant because:

Accepted Answer

Japan modernised rapidly, adopting Western technology and institutions to avoid colonisation

Answer

Japan became a democracy for the first time

Answer

Japan was defeated by China and forced to modernise

Answer

Japan opened to trade after centuries of isolation under the Tokugawa shogunate only

Question 4

Which dynasty built the Great Wall of China?

Accepted Answer

The Ming Dynasty (who rebuilt much of it), though it began under the Qin Dynasty

Answer

The Han Dynasty only

Answer

The Tang Dynasty

Answer

The Song Dynasty

Question 5

The Indian independence movement was led primarily by the Indian National Congress and which leader?

Accepted Answer

Both Gandhi and Nehru

Answer

Jawaharlal Nehru

Answer

Subhas Chandra Bose

Answer

Mahatma Gandhi

Question 6

The Mughal Empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent. Who founded it in 1526?

Accepted Answer

Babur

Answer

Akbar the Great

Answer

Shah Jahan

Answer

Aurangzeb

Question 7

The Taj Mahal was built by which Mughal emperor, and why?

Accepted Answer

Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in childbirth

Answer

Akbar, to mark his reign's greatest achievement

Answer

Aurangzeb, as a mosque

Answer

Humayun, to mark India's unity

Question 8

China's 'Long March' of 1934-35 was:

Accepted Answer

A military retreat by Mao Zedong's Communist forces covering over 9,000 km to evade Nationalist forces

Answer

A series of trade caravans across the Silk Road

Answer

A forced march of prisoners across China

Answer

An annual festival march through Beijing

Question 9

Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 triggered which event?

Accepted Answer

US entry into World War II in both the Pacific and Europe

Answer

The beginning of the Pacific War

Answer

Japan's declaration of war against only the USA

Answer

Britain's declaration of war against Japan only

Question 10

The partition of British India in 1947 created which two new nations?

Accepted Answer

India and Pakistan

Answer

India and Bangladesh

Answer

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh

Answer

India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Question 11

The Cultural Revolution in China (1966-76) was initiated by whom and what was its aim?

Accepted Answer

Mao Zedong, to eliminate 'bourgeois' elements and reassert Communist revolutionary ideals

Answer

Zhou Enlai, to modernise China's economy

Answer

Deng Xiaoping, to open China to capitalism

Answer

Jiang Zemin, to promote Chinese nationalism

Question 12

The Korean War (1950-53) ended in a stalemate. Korea remains divided along approximately which parallel?

Accepted Answer

The 38th parallel

Answer

The 35th parallel

Answer

The 40th parallel

Answer

The Yalu River

Question 13

The Vietnam War ended in 1975 with what outcome?

Accepted Answer

North Vietnam and the Viet Cong captured Saigon, unifying Vietnam under communist rule

Answer

USA and South Vietnam won

Answer

A peace agreement created two permanently separate Vietnams

Answer

The USA withdrew but South Vietnam remained independent

Question 14

The Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989 ended with:

Accepted Answer

A military crackdown by the Chinese government, killing an unknown number of protesters

Answer

The fall of the Communist government

Answer

Successful democratic reforms

Answer

The resignation of Deng Xiaoping

Question 15

The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, ruled Cambodia from 1975-79. What were they notorious for?

Accepted Answer

A genocide that killed an estimated 1.5-2 million Cambodians (about a quarter of the population)

Answer

Economic reforms that modernised Cambodia rapidly

Answer

Defeating the USA in the Vietnam War

Answer

Building Angkor Wat

Question 16

The Japanese internment camps during WWII held which group of people within the USA?

Accepted Answer

Japanese-Americans (including US citizens)

Answer

German-Americans

Answer

Italian-Americans

Answer

All Asian-Americans

Question 17

India's caste system, among the world's oldest social stratifications, has how many main varnas (castes)?

Accepted Answer

4

Answer

3

Answer

5

Answer

7

Question 18

Which was Asia's first independent republic, established after a revolution against Spain in 1899?

Accepted Answer

The Philippines

Answer

Indonesia

Answer

India

Answer

Vietnam

Question 19

The economic miracle of the 'Asian Tigers' in the late 20th century refers to which four economies?

Accepted Answer

Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan

Answer

China, Japan, India, South Korea

Answer

Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan

Answer

Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia

Question 20

The Opium Wars between Britain and China (1839-42 and 1856-60) resulted in China being forced to:

Accepted Answer

Pay reparations and cede Hong Kong to Britain, among other concessions

Answer

Adopt Christianity as a state religion

Answer

Join the British Empire voluntarily

Answer

Stop all trade with other nations