CBSE Class 8 History MCQs

CBSE Class 8 History MCQs are a fast, exam-ready way to revise the CBSE Class 8 Social Science syllabus chapter-wise. On this page Students will find History MCQs for Class 8 with answers and concise explanations, aligned to the latest CBSE pattern and competency-based assessment.

Practice chapter-wise Class 8 History Multiple Choice Questions, attempt a free online MCQ test (timer + instant score), and download MCQ PDFs for offline study. Each set mixes recall, timeline, map/source-based and application questions from chapters like From Trade to Territory, Ruling the Countryside, When People Rebel (1857), Women, Caste and Reform, The Making of the National Movement, and more.

Chapterwise Class 8 History Online MCQ

Class 8 History MCQs with our chapter-wise online tests—aligned to the latest NCERT pattern. Each quiz runs on a timer with instant scoring, detailed answer review, and a mix of recall, timeline, source-based, and map-based questions. Use these to assess concepts quickly before downloading the chapter PDFs.

Chapter-Wise Important MCQs for CBSE Class 8 History

Prepare faster with Class 8 History MCQs aligned to the latest CBSE syllabus. This page offers chapter-wise important multiple-choice questions with answers and concise explanations, perfect for last-minute revision and competency-based assessment. Practice History MCQs for Class 8 from every chapter—How, When and Where; From Trade to Territory; Ruling the Countryside; 1857 Revolt; Women, Caste and Reform; The Making of the National Movement; India After Independence and more. 

Attempt our online MCQs tests, or download chapter-wise MCQ PDFs to study offline. Whether you need objective questions, worksheets with answers, or exam-focused important questions, this hub covers everything to help you score high in CBSE Class 8 History.

Chapter 1: How, When and Where 

History written by James Mill divided Indian past into:

(a) Ancient–Medieval–Modern

(b) Hindu–Muslim–British

(c) Vedic–Post-Vedic–Modern

(d) Early–Middle–Late
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Mill’s periodisation was Hindu, Muslim and British.

A key source for colonial governance details is:

(a) Oral epics

(b) Archaeology alone

(c) Official records and surveys

(d) Stone inscriptions
Answer: (c)
Explanation: The British produced extensive surveys, minutes and reports.

The term “colonial” refers to:

(a) Local self-rule

(b) Rule by elected Indians

(c) Rule by a foreign power over another country

(d) Tribal self-governance
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Colonisation = political and economic control by a foreign power.

One reason historians question dates-only history is because:

(a) Dates are inaccurate

(b) Social processes matter as much as events

(c) Calendars changed

(d) None
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Processes/contexts explain why events occur.

Surveys like revenue and botanical surveys aimed to:

(a) Entertain officials

(b) Record folklore

(c) Map, classify and control resources

(d) Promote festivals
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Knowledge aided efficient extraction and rule.

Chapter 2: From Trade to Territory 

The Battle of Plassey (1757) led to the defeat of:

(a) Mir Qasim

(b) Siraj-ud-Daulah

(c) Shah Alam II

(d) Haidar Ali
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Clive’s forces defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah at Plassey.

The Battle of Buxar (1764) established Company supremacy over:

(a) Marathas

(b) French and Dutch

(c) Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, Shah Alam II

(d) Tipu Sultan
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Triple alliance was defeated at Buxar.

The Company received Diwani of Bengal in:

(a) 1757

(b) 1765

(c) 1773

(d) 1793
Answer: (b)
Explanation: In 1765 it got revenue collection rights.

Subsidiary Alliance is associated with:

(a) Dalhousie

(b) Wellesley

(c) Cornwallis

(d) Bentinck
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Lord Wellesley popularised it c. 1798.

Doctrine of Lapse was pursued by:

(a) Hastings

(b) Dalhousie

(c) Ripon

(d) Curzon

Answer: (b)

Explanation: Annexed states without natural heirs.

Chapter 3: Ruling the Countryside 

Permanent Settlement (1793) was introduced by:

(a) Cornwallis

(b) Dalhousie

(c) Wellesley

(d) Bentinck

Answer: (a)

Explanation: Fixed revenue with zamindars in Bengal.

Ryotwari system operated mainly in:

(a) Bengal

(b) Madras and Bombay

(c) Awadh

(d) Punjab

Answer: (b)

Explanation: Direct settlement with cultivators.

Mahalwari settlement linked revenue to:

(a) Individual ryots only

(b) Zamindars only

(c) Village/estate (mahal) collectively

(d) Merchants

Answer: (c)

Explanation: Revenue assessed on the mahal.

Indigo planters’ system forcing peasants to grow indigo was the:

(a) Ryoti system

(b) Nij cultivation

(c) Taccavi loan

(d) Mirasi system
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Under ryoti, peasants took advances to grow indigo.

The Indigo Revolt (Blue Rebellion) took place in:

(a) 1848–49

(b) 1857

(c) 1859–60

(d) 1869–70
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Peasants of Bengal resisted planter oppression.

Chapter 4: Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age 

“Dikus” in tribal context means:

(a) Fellow tribes

(b) Outsiders/Exploiters

(c) Priests

(d) Chiefs
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Term used for non-tribal outsiders.

Shifting cultivation among tribals is called:

(a) Terrace farming

(b) Jhum

(c) Plantation

(d) Drip farming
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Plots cleared and rotated.

Forest laws under colonial rule:

(a) Expanded tribal rights

(b) Had no impact

(c) Restricted access to forests

(d) Abolished police
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Reserved forests curtailed traditional use.

Leader associated with the Ulgulan movement (1890s):

(a) Tilka Manjhi

(b) Birsa Munda

(c) Sidhu

(d) Kanhu
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Birsa led a widespread rebellion in Chotanagpur.

A major effect of traders/moneylenders entering tribal areas was:

(a) Debt and alienation of land

(b) Free education

(c) Forest restoration

(d) Tax abolition
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Cash advances trapped tribals in debt.

Chapter 5: When People Rebel (1857 and After) 

Immediate cause of the 1857 revolt:

(a) Land revenue hikes

(b) Greased cartridges

(c) Doctrine of Lapse

(d) Annexation of Awadh
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Grease was believed to be from cow/pig fat.

The last Mughal emperor proclaimed in 1857:

(a) Akbar II

(b) Bahadur Shah Zafar

(c) Aurangzeb

(d) Shah Alam I
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Rebels sought his symbolic leadership.

One major centre of revolt in central India was led by:

(a) Rani Lakshmibai (Jhansi)

(b) Tipu Sultan

(c) Haidar Ali

(d) Nana Fadnavis
Answer: (a)
Explanation: She fought the British fiercely at Jhansi/Gwalior.

After 1857, governance shifted to:

(a) Company Charter renewed

(b) Crown rule under Government of India Act 1858

(c) Provincial councils

(d) Local boards
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Company’s rule ended; Crown assumed control.

Post-1857 army policy aimed to:

(a) Increase only Bengal regiments

(b) Reduce Indian proportion and prevent unity

(c) Abolish cavalry

(d) Recruit only artisans
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Recruitment patterns were altered to avoid collective revolt.

Chapter 6: Colonialism and the City (Delhi)

The imperial capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in:

(a) 1857

(b) 1885

(c) 1911

(d) 1935
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Announced at the 1911 Delhi Durbar.

“Shahjahanabad” refers to:

(a) British civil lines

(b) Old Delhi built by Shah Jahan

(c) Cantonment area

(d) New Delhi plan
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Walled city with Red Fort and Chandni Chowk.

New Delhi was designed mainly by:

(a) Le Corbusier

(b) Lutyens and Baker

(c) Edwin Maxwell Fry

(d) Charles Correa
Answer: (b)
Explanation: They planned the imperial capital.

After 1857, many areas of Delhi were:

(a) Restored to old nobility

(b) Demolished and repurposed for British control

(c) Given to traders

(d) Turned into farms
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Mughal elites were displaced; spaces militarised.

“Civil Lines” in colonial cities were primarily for:

(a) Indian artisans

(b) British officers’ residences

(c) Markets

(d) Temples
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Segregated European residential zones.

Chapter 7: Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners 

British “Calico Acts” restricted import of:

(a) Silk

(b) Indian cotton chintz

(c) Wool

(d) Linen
Answer: (b)
Explanation: To protect British textiles.

Company’s gomasthas often:

(a) Supported weavers’ unions

(b) Advanced cash but enforced low prices

(c) Abolished penalties

(d) Fixed high wages for weavers
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Advances bound weavers to Company contracts.

“Wootz” is associated with:

(a) Pottery

(b) High-quality Indian steel

(c) Indigo dye

(d) Silk weaving
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Celebrated crucible steel from south India.

TISCO (Tata Iron and Steel Company) was founded in:

(a) 1868

(b) 1885

(c) 1907

(d) 1919
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Founded at Sakchi (later Jamshedpur).

A reason for decline of Indian handlooms was:

(a) Abundant raw cotton

(b) Factory-made Manchester goods flooding markets

(c) Government subsidies to weavers

(d) None
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Machine production outcompeted handmade textiles.

Chapter 8: Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation 

Macaulay’s Minute (1835) promoted:

(a) Persian education

(b) English education

(c) Sanskrit colleges expansion

(d) Only technical schools
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Advocated English as medium.

Wood’s Despatch (1854) is called the:

(a) Magna Carta of English Education in India

(b) Vernacular Charter

(c) Orientalist Manifesto

(d) None
Answer: (a)
Explanation: It laid the framework for modern education.

Orientalists argued for promoting:

(a) European sciences only

(b) English education only

(c) Classical Indian learning (Sanskrit/Arabic)

(d) Military schools
Answer: (c)
Explanation: They valued indigenous scholarly traditions.

New pedagogy under the British emphasised:

(a) Oral recitation alone

(b) Printed textbooks, timetables, exams

(c) Only home-schooling

(d) Guild apprenticeships
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Formalised classroom structures were introduced.

Many pathshalas adapted by:

(a) Closing entirely

(b) Integrating new rules and calendars

(c) Turning into factories

(d) Teaching only crafts
Answer: (b)
Explanation: They aligned to inspection and timetable systems.

Chapter 9: Women, Caste and Reform MCQs

Sati was abolished in:

(a) 1805

(b) 1829

(c) 1856

(d) 1861
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Under Bentinck; Rammohan Roy campaigned for it.

Widow Remarriage Act came in:

(a) 1829

(b) 1856

(c) 1873

(d) 1891
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Supported by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Jyotiba Phule founded Satyashodhak Samaj to:

(a) Promote only Sanskrit

(b) Challenge caste inequalities

(c) Expand Company rule

(d) Encourage foreign trade
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Worked for lower-caste rights and education.

Periyar’s Self-Respect Movement emerged in:

(a) Bengal

(b) Punjab

(c) Madras Presidency (Tamil region)

(d) Assam
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Critiqued caste and Brahmanical dominance.

Pandita Ramabai is known for:

(a) Military reforms

(b) Women’s education and social work

(c) Tax collection

(d) Indigo planting
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Pioneer in women’s rights and learning.

Chapter 10: The Changing World of Visual Arts 

“Company paintings” typically depicted:

(a) Only abstract art

(b) Indian themes for European patrons

(c) Cave murals

(d) War photography
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Hybrid style serving colonial tastes.

A nationalist turn in art is associated with:

(a) Bengal School/Abanindranath Tagore

(b) Dutch guilds

(c) Mughal atelier only

(d) Greek classicism
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Promoted swadeshi aesthetics and wash technique.

Raja Ravi Varma was noted for:

(a) Woodcut cartoons only

(b) Oil portraits/mythological canvases

(c) Only landscape sketches

(d) Terracotta
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Combined European realism with Indian themes.

Kalighat paintings evolved near:

(a) Ajanta

(b) Calcutta (Kolkata)

(c) Delhi

(d) Madurai
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Popular bazaar paintings near Kalighat temple.

Prints and oleographs helped:

(a) Restrict art to courts

(b) Mass circulation of images

(c) Ban religious themes

(d) Replace schools
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Enabled affordable, widespread art consumption.

Chapter 11: The Making of the National Movement (1870s–1947) 

The Indian National Congress was founded in:

(a) 1861

(b) 1885

(c) 1905

(d) 1919
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Formed with A.O. Hume’s initiative.

“Moderates” mainly demanded:

(a) Immediate independence through revolt

(b) Constitutional reforms and councils

(c) Military dictatorship

(d) Partition
Answer: (b)
Explanation: They used petitions, resolutions, budget critiques.

The Swadeshi movement was triggered by:

(a) Rowlatt Act

(b) Partition of Bengal (1905)

(c) Simon Commission

(d) Quit India
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Boycott and national education spread.

Civil Disobedience Movement began with:

(a) Dandi March (1930)

(b) Jallianwala Bagh (1919)

(c) Champaran (1917)

(d) Lahore Session (1929)
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Gandhi broke the salt law.

“Purna Swaraj” resolution was adopted at:

(a) Surat 1907

(b) Nagpur 1920

(c) Lahore 1929

(d) Karachi 1931
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Congress declared complete independence as the goal.

Chapter 12: India After Independence MCQs

The Constitution of India came into effect on:

(a) 26 November 1949

(b) 15 August 1947

(c) 26 January 1950

(d) 2 October 1950
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Republic Day marks enforcement of the Constitution.

The first general elections were held in:

(a) 1947–48

(b) 1951–52

(c) 1956–57

(d) 1961–62
Answer: (b)
Explanation: India voted under universal adult franchise.

Planning Commission was set up in:

(a) 1947

(b) 1949

(c) 1950

(d) 1952

Answer: (c)

Explanation: To direct planned economic development.

States Reorganisation (linguistic basis) largely occurred in:

(a) 1956

(b) 1962

(c) 1975

(d) 1984

Answer: (a)

Explanation: Boundaries redrawn along language lines.

A key challenge after independence was to:

(a) Restore monarchy

(b) Integrate princely states and rehabilitate refugees

(c) Abolish elections

(d) End planning

Answer: (b)

Explanation: Nation-building priorities included integration and resettlement.

Why Infinity Learn’s Class 8 History MCQs Are the Best

Infinity Learn offers NCERT, chapter-wise multiple choice questions with answers, explanations, PDFs, and online tests—all optimized for fast revision and exam performance.

• 100% NCERT alignment: Every set mirrors the Our Pasts-III syllabus so you practice exactly what schools test.
• Chapter-wise coverage + smart sequencing: From How, When and Where to India After Independence, MCQs are grouped by chapter and arranged from easy → medium → exam-level.
• Concise explanations (1–2 lines): Each answer includes a quick rationale, perfect for last-minute revision and concept clarity.
• Competency-based mix: Includes recall, timeline, source-based, and map-based items to match the latest CBSE pattern.
• Freshness you can trust: Visible “Last Updated” tags on each chapter signal content recency—great for students, teachers, and Google.