Lesson Y8-U06-L05

Y8-U06-L05 Comparing Three Civilisations Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 12

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson Y8-U06-L05, Comparing Three Civilisations: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 12: Year 8: Meanwhile Elsewhere, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What is a 'similarity' when comparing two things?

    • A way in which two things are the same or alike
    • A type of source written by a historian who studied both events
    • A date on which two events took place in the same year
    • A way in which two things are completely unrelated to each other

  2. What is a 'difference' when comparing two things?

    • A way in which two things were both written in the same language
    • A measure of how long an empire lasted from its start to its end
    • A way in which two things are not the same
    • A way in which a source was made by a person who was alive then

  3. What does it mean to 'compare' things in history?

    • To describe one civilisation in great detail and ignore the others
    • To look at two or more things to find their similarities and differences
    • To list every date on which an event took place in chronological order
    • To choose the best source for an essay and reject the rest

  4. Which word describes a large, organised society with cities, rulers, trade and culture?

    • Mausoleum, a grand building constructed to hold the tomb of a ruler
    • Canton, the single southern port where foreign traders could buy and sell
    • Civilisation
    • Dynasty, a family of rulers who pass power down through the generations

  5. Who ruled Benin?

    • A king called the Oba
    • An emperor known as the Son of Heaven
    • A sultan with a palace in Agra
    • A caliph who lived in Istanbul

  6. Which similarity is shared by Mughal India and Qing China?

    • Both were ruled by emperors
    • Both had no rulers and were governed by village councils
    • Both were ruled by an Oba who was treated as a god
    • Both were ruled by parliaments elected by the people

  7. What title did the Qing emperor hold in Chinese tradition?

    • Sun King
    • Shah of Shahs
    • Great Khan
    • Son of Heaven

  8. Which European power traded with Benin later in its history?

    • Sweden
    • Austria
    • Portugal
    • Russia

  9. What was Benin famous for in its culture?

    • The porcelain bowls painted with dragons and flowers
    • The Benin Bronzes, which were brass sculptures
    • The silk tapestries woven in the palace in Benin City
    • The tea ceremonies held in the palace gardens each spring

  10. Which civilisation was famous for porcelain, painting and grand palaces?

    • Mughal India
    • Benin
    • The Aztec Empire
    • Qing China

  11. Which statement best describes the religion of Mughal India?

    • Its rulers were Muslim, but most of its people were Hindu
    • All of its people followed Confucian values and the teachings of Confucius
    • Its rulers were Christian, and its people were mostly Muslim
    • Its people worshipped the Oba as a sacred king in every village

  12. Which belief system shaped Qing China's society?

    • Christian teachings from Portuguese missionaries in the palace
    • Hindu teachings that stressed the importance of the castes
    • Confucian values, which stressed respect for order and family
    • Traditional Benin worship of the Oba and the ancestors

  13. Which trade good was important to the wealth of both Mughal India and Qing China?

    • Ivory
    • Silk
    • Brass
    • Coal

  14. Which of these is a difference between Mughal India and Benin?

    • Mughal rulers were the Oba, while Benin's rulers were emperors who lived in Agra
    • Mughal rulers were Muslim, while Benin's traditional religion honoured the Oba and the ancestors
    • Mughal rulers were Hindu, while Benin's rulers were Christian missionaries
    • Mughal rulers ruled from Istanbul, while Benin's rulers ruled from the Ottoman capital

  15. Why is comparison useful for historians studying the period c.1500-1900?

    • It stops us thinking that Britain was the only great power of the age
    • It removes the need to study any country except Britain
    • It proves that Britain was always the richest country in the world
    • It shows that all civilisations had the same rulers and religions

  16. Which word is most useful for signalling a contrast in comparison writing?

    • However
    • Also
    • Similarly
    • Both

  17. A student writes 'Mughal India and Qing China were both wealthy empires, whereas Benin was a kingdom.' Which technique does this use?

    • Listing dates in order without any analysis
    • Describing each civilisation in turn without linking them
    • Comparing similarities and differences
    • Quoting a source without explaining what it means

  18. Which question should be asked of all three civilisations for a fair comparison?

    • Which of them had the best weather for growing crops?
    • Which of them had the most famous sporting heroes?
    • Which of them had the largest collection of modern cars?
    • Who ruled them?

  19. Which statement best explains why the three civilisations matter to British history?

    • They were wealthy and powerful at the same time as early-modern Britain, showing many centres of power
    • They were all located in Europe, so British pupils should focus on them alone and ignore the wider world entirely
    • They were all conquered by Britain before 1500, so they are not important to Tudor and Stuart history
    • They were smaller and weaker than Britain, so they can be ignored in lessons about the wider history of the world

  20. What is the best method for comparing three societies?

    • Choose the society you like best and ignore the other two, since one example is enough to judge the period
    • Describe the first society in full detail, then the second, then the third
    • Read one book about the three societies and copy its conclusion, because one textbook gives the most balance
    • Ask the same question of each society and then sort the answers into similarities and differences

All KS3 History quizzes