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Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with answers on “The Expansion of European Powers in Asia – World History”

  1. Which European country was the first to establish a sea route to India in the late 15th century?
    • A) Spain
    • B) Portugal
    • C) England
    • D) France

    Answer: B) Portugal

  2. Who was the Portuguese explorer credited with the first successful voyage from Europe to India?
    • A) Christopher Columbus
    • B) Ferdinand Magellan
    • C) Vasco da Gama
    • D) Bartolomeu Dias

    Answer: C) Vasco da Gama

  3. Which European power established the first trading post in India at Calicut in the late 15th century?
    • A) Spain
    • B) England
    • C) Netherlands
    • D) Portugal

    Answer: D) Portugal

  4. Which company was established by the English crown to trade in the East Indies and later became a dominant power in India?
    • A) Dutch East India Company
    • B) British East India Company
    • C) French East India Company
    • D) Portuguese East India Company

    Answer: B) British East India Company

  5. Which event marked the beginning of significant Dutch colonial expansion in Asia?
    • A) The establishment of Batavia (Jakarta)
    • B) The capture of Goa
    • C) The Treaty of Nanking
    • D) The Battle of Plassey

    Answer: A) The establishment of Batavia (Jakarta)

  6. Which European country established the colony of Hong Kong in the 19th century?
    • A) Spain
    • B) France
    • C) Portugal
    • D) Britain

    Answer: D) Britain

  7. What was the primary aim of the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)?
    • A) To divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal
    • B) To establish peace between European powers in Asia
    • C) To resolve trade disputes in Asia
    • D) To end the Anglo-Dutch wars

    Answer: A) To divide the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Spain and Portugal

  8. Which battle marked the beginning of British dominance in India over the French East India Company?
    • A) The Battle of Plassey
    • B) The Battle of Buxar
    • C) The Battle of Carnatic
    • D) The Battle of Waterloo

    Answer: A) The Battle of Plassey

  9. Who was the British commander responsible for the victory at the Battle of Plassey in 1757?
    • A) Robert Clive
    • B) Warren Hastings
    • C) Lord Cornwallis
    • D) Richard Wellesley

    Answer: A) Robert Clive

  10. Which European power was known for its involvement in the opium trade in China during the 19th century?
    • A) Portugal
    • B) Spain
    • C) France
    • D) Britain

    Answer: D) Britain

  11. What was the name of the conflict between Britain and China over the opium trade and other issues in the mid-19th century?
    • A) The Opium War
    • B) The Boxer Rebellion
    • C) The Taiping Rebellion
    • D) The First Sino-Japanese War

    Answer: A) The Opium War

  12. Which treaty ended the First Opium War and ceded Hong Kong to Britain?
    • A) Treaty of Nanking
    • B) Treaty of Versailles
    • C) Treaty of Tientsin
    • D) Treaty of Portsmouth

    Answer: A) Treaty of Nanking

  13. Which European country controlled the Spice Islands (now part of Indonesia) during the 17th century?
    • A) Spain
    • B) Portugal
    • C) Britain
    • D) Netherlands

    Answer: D) Netherlands

  14. Which treaty concluded the Second Opium War and granted several concessions to Britain and France?
    • A) Treaty of Nanking
    • B) Treaty of Tientsin
    • C) Treaty of Paris
    • D) Treaty of Portsmouth

    Answer: B) Treaty of Tientsin

  15. Which European country established the French Indochina colony, which included present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia?
    • A) Spain
    • B) Britain
    • C) France
    • D) Portugal

    Answer: C) France

  16. Which 19th-century rebellion in China aimed to overthrow the Qing Dynasty and was partially influenced by anti-foreign sentiments?
    • A) The Taiping Rebellion
    • B) The Boxer Rebellion
    • C) The Boxer Rebellion
    • D) The Nian Rebellion

    Answer: A) The Taiping Rebellion

  17. Which European power controlled the region of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) before it was ceded to Britain?
    • A) Portugal
    • B) Spain
    • C) Netherlands
    • D) France

    Answer: C) Netherlands

  18. Which Asian country successfully resisted European colonialism and remained independent during the 19th and early 20th centuries?
    • A) India
    • B) Thailand
    • C) China
    • D) Japan

    Answer: B) Thailand

  19. What was the primary reason for the British colonization of Singapore in the 19th century?
    • A) To establish a major naval base and trading port
    • B) To access gold and silver mines
    • C) To spread Christianity
    • D) To control the opium trade

    Answer: A) To establish a major naval base and trading port

  20. Which European country established a significant presence in the Philippines in the 16th century?
    • A) Portugal
    • B) Spain
    • C) Britain
    • D) France

    Answer: B) Spain

  21. Which treaty was signed between Britain and Japan in 1858 that allowed for increased British influence in Japan?
    • A) Treaty of Kanagawa
    • B) Treaty of Tientsin
    • C) Treaty of Portsmouth
    • D) Treaty of Nanking

    Answer: A) Treaty of Kanagawa

  22. Which rebellion in India in 1857 was also known as the Sepoy Rebellion?
    • A) The Indian Rebellion of 1857
    • B) The Indian Mutiny
    • C) The Indian War of Independence
    • D) The Sepoy Uprising

    Answer: A) The Indian Rebellion of 1857

  23. Which European power had significant influence over the region of Indochina before World War II?
    • A) Germany
    • B) Spain
    • C) Britain
    • D) France

    Answer: D) France

  24. Which conflict was fought between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom in South Africa in 1879?
    • A) The Anglo-Zulu War
    • B) The Anglo-Boer War
    • C) The South African War
    • D) The Boer Rebellion

    Answer: A) The Anglo-Zulu War

  25. Which European power established the colony of Singapore in 1819 as a strategic naval base?
    • A) Portugal
    • B) Britain
    • C) France
    • D) Spain

    Answer: B) Britain

  26. Which European country was the main colonial power in Indonesia before its independence in 1945?
    • A) Britain
    • B) Spain
    • C) Portugal
    • D) Netherlands

    Answer: D) Netherlands

  27. Which war was fought between the British Empire and the Qing Dynasty, resulting in the Treaty of Nanking?
    • A) The First Opium War
    • B) The Second Opium War
    • C) The Boxer Rebellion
    • D) The Sino-Japanese War

    Answer: A) The First Opium War

  28. Which Asian country successfully modernized and resisted Western colonization during the 19th century?
    • A) China
    • B) India
    • C) Thailand
    • D) Vietnam

    Answer: C) Thailand

  29. Who was the leader of the nationalist movement in India that aimed to end British colonial rule?
    • A) Jawaharlal Nehru
    • B) Mahatma Gandhi
    • C) Subhas Chandra Bose
    • D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

    Answer: B) Mahatma Gandhi

  30. Which European country controlled the territory of Macau in China until 1999?
    • A) Spain
    • B) Portugal
    • C) Britain
    • D) France

    Answer: B) Portugal

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