Tamil Nadu History Quiz – Questions with Answers
The history of Tamil Nadu stretches back more than two thousand years, from the poets of the Sangam age to the great temple-building kings and the brave men and women who stood up to colonial rule. This free Tamil Nadu history quiz takes you through those stories one question at a time. Each question has four options and a short explanation, so the quiz works as a quick revision tool for students and a fun refresher for everyone else.
What this quiz covers
- The great dynasties – the Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas and Cheras, their capitals and their kings.
- Temples and monuments – the Great Living Chola Temples and the rock-cut wonders of Mahabalipuram.
- Ancient Tamil Nadu – the Sangam age and archaeological sites such as Keezhadi.
- The colonial period – European trading posts, early revolts and the freedom movement.
- Modern milestones – such as the renaming of Madras State as Tamil Nadu.
The age of the great kings
The Pandyas ruled from Madurai, a city closely linked to the Tamil Sangams, the legendary academies of poets. The early Cholas had their capital at Uraiyur, now part of Tiruchirappalli, and are remembered for Karikala Chola, to whom the Kallanai (Grand Anicut) across the Kaveri is attributed. The Pallavas ruled from Kanchipuram and left behind some of India's finest rock-cut art. Mahabalipuram takes its name from "Mamalla", a title of the Pallava king Narasimhavarman I, and its monuments, including the Pancha Rathas, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The imperial Cholas reached their peak under Rajaraja Chola I, born Arulmozhivarman, and his son Rajendra Chola I. Rajendra built a new capital, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, and sent a famous naval expedition against the Srivijaya kingdom of Southeast Asia. The great temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram together form the UNESCO site known as the Great Living Chola Temples. Kalki's much-loved novel Ponniyin Selvan has brought this era alive for generations of readers.
Resistance and freedom
Tamil Nadu saw some of the earliest resistance to British rule. Veerapandiya Kattabomman, the palayakkarar of Panchalankurichi, and Velu Nachiyar, the queen of Sivaganga, are celebrated as early heroes. The Vellore Mutiny of 1806 was one of the first large uprisings by Indian soldiers against the East India Company. In the freedom movement, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai challenged British shipping by starting the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company at Tuticorin, earning the name "Kappalottiya Tamizhan", and C. Rajagopalachari led a salt march to Vedaranyam. Rajaji later became the only Indian to serve as Governor-General of independent India.
In 1969, Madras State was officially renamed Tamil Nadu, a milestone you will find in almost every GK book.
Study tips
- Make a dynasty table. Write each dynasty, its capital and one famous king or monument.
- Link people to places. Kattabomman – Panchalankurichi, Velu Nachiyar – Sivaganga, VOC – Tuticorin.
- Learn only the big dates. 1806 and 1969 are worth remembering; most questions ask "who" and "where".
- Visit if you can. A trip to Thanjavur or Mahabalipuram makes history stick. See our temple towns guide and chat with locals in the Thanjavur or Madurai rooms.
For a broader warm-up, read our Tamil Nadu GK questions with answers, then try the Tamil Nadu GK quiz and the geography quiz.
Play the history quiz above, read every explanation, and then test yourself in the timed TN Quiz game in the TNChatZone app, where you can win coins just for fun – they have no cash value.
All 25 questions with answers
Try to answer before you tap "Show answer".
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Which city was the capital of the Pandya kings?
- A. Thanjavur
- B. Madurai
- C. Kanchipuram
- D. Uraiyur
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✅ Madurai
The Pandyas ruled from Madurai, which became a great centre of Tamil learning, trade and temple culture.
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Which city was the capital of the Pallava dynasty?
- A. Kanchipuram
- B. Madurai
- C. Thanjavur
- D. Karur
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✅ Kanchipuram
The Pallavas ruled from Kanchipuram, which grew into a great centre of temples, learning and silk weaving.
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Uraiyur, now part of Tiruchirappalli, was an early capital of which dynasty?
- A. Pandyas
- B. Pallavas
- C. Cholas
- D. Cheras
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✅ Cholas
Uraiyur was the capital of the early Cholas of the Sangam age, before the later Cholas made Thanjavur their capital.
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Which Chola king built the capital city of Gangaikonda Cholapuram?
- A. Rajaraja Chola I
- B. Karikala Chola
- C. Kulothunga Chola I
- D. Rajendra Chola I
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✅ Rajendra Chola I
Rajendra Chola I built Gangaikonda Cholapuram, meaning "the city of the Chola who conquered the Ganga", after his northern campaign.
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Rajendra Chola I led a famous naval expedition against which Southeast Asian kingdom?
- A. Srivijaya
- B. Khmer
- C. Champa
- D. Majapahit
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✅ Srivijaya
Rajendra Chola I sent a naval expedition against the Srivijaya kingdom, which controlled sea trade routes in Southeast Asia.
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Rajaraja Chola I was known by which name before he became king?
- A. Karikalan
- B. Arulmozhivarman
- C. Aditya Karikalan
- D. Vijayalaya
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✅ Arulmozhivarman
Rajaraja Chola I was born Arulmozhivarman. He is the "Ponniyin Selvan" of Kalki's famous novel.
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Who wrote the historical Tamil novel "Ponniyin Selvan"?
- A. Sujatha
- B. Sandilyan
- C. Jayakanthan
- D. Kalki Krishnamurthy
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✅ Kalki Krishnamurthy
Ponniyin Selvan was written by Kalki R. Krishnamurthy and first appeared as a serial in Kalki magazine. It tells the story of the young Rajaraja Chola.
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Thanjavur's Brihadeeswarar Temple is part of which UNESCO World Heritage Site?
- A. Group of Monuments at Hampi
- B. Great Living Chola Temples
- C. Western Ghats
- D. Mountain Railways of India
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✅ Great Living Chola Temples
The Great Living Chola Temples site includes the temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram.
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The Airavatesvara Temple, one of the Great Living Chola Temples, is at which place?
- A. Darasuram
- B. Srirangam
- C. Tiruvarur
- D. Chidambaram
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✅ Darasuram
The Airavatesvara Temple is at Darasuram near Kumbakonam and was built by the Chola king Rajaraja II.
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Mahabalipuram is named after "Mamalla", a title of which Pallava king?
- A. Mahendravarman I
- B. Simhavishnu
- C. Narasimhavarman I
- D. Nandivarman II
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✅ Narasimhavarman I
Narasimhavarman I was known as Mamalla, "the great wrestler", and the port town of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) takes its name from him.
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The Pancha Rathas, five monolithic rock-cut shrines, are at which place?
- A. Kanchipuram
- B. Thanjavur
- C. Madurai
- D. Mahabalipuram
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✅ Mahabalipuram
The Pancha Rathas at Mahabalipuram were carved by the Pallavas and are part of the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The Kailasanathar Temple in Kanchipuram was built by which dynasty?
- A. Pallavas
- B. Cholas
- C. Nayaks
- D. Pandyas
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✅ Pallavas
The Kailasanathar Temple was built by the Pallavas and is one of the oldest structural stone temples in Tamil Nadu.
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The Kallanai (Grand Anicut) across the Kaveri is traditionally attributed to which king?
- A. Rajaraja Chola I
- B. Karikala Chola
- C. Nedunchezhiyan
- D. Senguttuvan
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✅ Karikala Chola
The Kallanai is credited to the early Chola king Karikala Chola and is one of the oldest water-regulating structures in the world still in use.
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The ancient Tamil Sangams (academies of poets) are traditionally linked with the patronage of which dynasty?
- A. Cholas
- B. Cheras
- C. Pandyas
- D. Pallavas
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✅ Pandyas
Tradition holds that the Tamil Sangams met under the patronage of the Pandya kings, with the last Sangam at Madurai.
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The Keezhadi archaeological excavation site is in which district?
- A. Thanjavur
- B. Sivaganga
- C. Tirunelveli
- D. Ramanathapuram
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✅ Sivaganga
Keezhadi lies in Sivaganga district, close to Madurai and the Vaigai river, and its finds point to an ancient urban settlement.
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Who is known as "Kappalottiya Tamizhan" (the Tamil who sailed ships)?
- A. Subramania Siva
- B. Vanchinathan
- C. Tiruppur Kumaran
- D. V. O. Chidambaram Pillai
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✅ V. O. Chidambaram Pillai
V. O. Chidambaram Pillai earned this title by starting an Indian-owned shipping company to challenge British control of sea trade.
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V. O. Chidambaram Pillai started the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company at which port?
- A. Tuticorin
- B. Madras
- C. Nagapattinam
- D. Cuddalore
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✅ Tuticorin
VOC launched the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company at Tuticorin (Thoothukudi), running ships between Tuticorin and Colombo.
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Veerapandiya Kattabomman was the palayakkarar (chieftain) of which place?
- A. Sivaganga
- B. Ramanathapuram
- C. Panchalankurichi
- D. Ettayapuram
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✅ Panchalankurichi
Kattabomman ruled Panchalankurichi in present-day Thoothukudi district and is remembered for refusing to pay tax to the British East India Company.
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Velu Nachiyar, who fought against the British, was the queen of which kingdom?
- A. Pudukkottai
- B. Sivaganga
- C. Ramnad
- D. Madurai
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✅ Sivaganga
Velu Nachiyar was the queen of Sivaganga. She fought the East India Company and won back her kingdom, and is remembered as Veeramangai.
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In which year did the Vellore Mutiny take place?
- A. 1857
- B. 1799
- C. 1806
- D. 1824
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✅ 1806
The Vellore Mutiny of 1806 was one of the earliest large uprisings of Indian soldiers against the East India Company, half a century before 1857.
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In which year was Madras State officially renamed Tamil Nadu?
- A. 1956
- B. 1969
- C. 1972
- D. 1947
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✅ 1969
Madras State was officially renamed Tamil Nadu on 14 January 1969, which means "the land of the Tamils".
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Fort St. George in Chennai was built by which power?
- A. The Portuguese
- B. The French
- C. The Dutch
- D. The English East India Company
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✅ The English East India Company
Fort St. George was built by the English East India Company in the 17th century and was one of its earliest strongholds in India. The city of Madras grew around it.
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Tharangambadi (Tranquebar) was a trading settlement of which European nation?
- A. Denmark
- B. France
- C. Portugal
- D. Netherlands
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✅ Denmark
Tranquebar was a Danish settlement, and the Dansborg Fort built by the Danes still stands by the sea there.
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During the 1930 Salt Satyagraha, C. Rajagopalachari led a salt march to which place in Tamil Nadu?
- A. Rameswaram
- B. Thoothukudi
- C. Vedaranyam
- D. Mahabalipuram
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✅ Vedaranyam
Rajaji led a march from Tiruchirappalli to Vedaranyam on the coast to make salt in defiance of British law, in step with Gandhi's Dandi March.
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Which Tamil leader was the only Indian to serve as Governor-General of independent India?
- A. K. Kamaraj
- B. C. Rajagopalachari
- C. R. Venkataraman
- D. S. Satyamurti
Show answer
✅ C. Rajagopalachari
C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji) became Governor-General in 1948, the last person to hold the post before India became a republic.
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