General Knowledge MCQs
Topic Notes: General Knowledge
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
21661
Extraterritorial rights meant that foreigners were:
Answer:
Not subject to local laws
In China and the Ottoman Empire, westerners were tried in their own courts under their own laws, causing great resentment among the local population.
21662
What was the 'British East India Company'?
Answer:
A private joint-stock company that ruled India
For over a century, this private company acted as a sovereign power in India, with its own army and administrative system.
21663
The Battle of Isandlwana (1879) was a significant defeat for which empire?
Answer:
British Empire
In a shock to the world, a Zulu army armed with spears and shields defeated a British column equipped with modern rifles.
21664
Who founded the De Beers diamond company?
Answer:
Cecil Rhodes
Cecil Rhodes founded De Beers, which monopolized the global diamond trade, and used his wealth to expand British imperial control in Africa.
21665
Sphere of Influence refers to:
Answer:
An area where an outside power claims exclusive investment or trading privileges
This was common in China, where European powers and Japan controlled economic rights in specific regions without formally annexing them.
21666
The 'Maji Maji Rebellion' in German East Africa involved:
Answer:
Religious belief that magic water would protect against bullets
Africans resisting German forced labor believed a magic water (Maji) would turn German bullets into water; thousands were massacred by machine guns.
21667
Which European power controlled the East Indies (modern Indonesia)?
Answer:
Netherlands (Dutch)
The Dutch East India Company (VOC) and later the Dutch government controlled the resource-rich archipelago known as the Dutch East Indies.
21668
The 'Salt March' was a protest against British imperialism led by:
Answer:
Mahatma Gandhi
Gandhi led the non-violent march in 1930 to protest the British monopoly on salt, a key event in the Indian independence movement.
21669
Paternalism in colonial rule refers to:
Answer:
Treating subjects as children needing guidance but denying them rights
Paternalism was a policy where Europeans governed people in a parental way by providing for their needs but not giving them rights or self-governance.
21670
The construction of the Panama Canal was completed by:
Answer:
United States
After the French failed, the US took over the project (supporting Panama's independence from Colombia to get the rights) and completed the canal in 1914.