50 Medieval History Quiz Questions and Answers

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Prepare to journey back to a time of knights, castles, and intricate politics with our exciting medieval history quiz.

These 50 medieval quiz questions and answers are your gateway to understanding a captivating era that left an indelible mark on the world.

Our Middle Ages quiz is a fantastic resource for beginners and history enthusiasts alike, providing a comprehensive overview of an era defined by significant shifts in religion, culture, and politics.

Divided into five engaging rounds, this medieval history quiz will guide you through a thrilling exploration of the period between the 5th to the 15th century.

This isn’t your ordinary trivia game. Our medieval history trivia promises to transport you back in time, walking you through the intricate maze of kingdoms, exploring the lives of influential figures, and revealing fascinating aspects of daily life.

Whether you’re preparing for a history exam, brushing up on your trivia skills, or simply intrigued by the medieval era, our medieval history questions and answers are designed to make history both fun and accessible. So, are you ready to get started?

Round 1: Easy Medieval History Trivia Questions

Let’s get started with some easy medieval trivia questions.

1. The Medieval period is generally thought to have begun in 476 with the fall of which empire?
2. What modern country would you visit to explore the medieval streets of Constantinople?
3. Who was the first Holy Roman Emperor?
4. In which modern country was The Prophet Mohammed born in 570?
5. What is the period of European history between 500 and 1000 sometimes known as?
6. What country did William the Conqueror become king of in 1066?
7. Which city was the main target of the First Crusade?
8. What is the infamous general and ruler Temüjin more widely known as?
9. What was the name of the knightly code of honour, religious duty and social grace?
10. Which English king signed the Magna Carta?

Round 1: Easy Medieval History Trivia Questions and Answers

1. The Medieval period is generally thought to have begun in 476 with the fall of which empire? The Roman Empire
2. What modern country would you visit to explore the medieval streets of Constantinople? Turkey
3. Who was the first Holy Roman Emperor? Charlemagne 
4. In which modern country was The Prophet Mohammed born in 570? Saudi Arabia
5. What is the period of European history between 500 and 1000 sometimes known as? The Dark Ages
6. What country did William the Conqueror become king of in 1066? England
7. Which city was the main target of the First Crusade? Jerusalem
8. What is the infamous general and ruler Temüjin more widely known as? Genghis Khan
9. What was the name of the knightly code of honour, religious duty and social grace? Chivalry
10. Which English king signed the Magna Carta? King John

Round 2: Medieval History Multiple-Choice Questions

1. What is Pope Gregory I often known as?
   1. Gregory the Great
   2. Gregory the Terrible
   3. Gregory the Uncouth 
   4. The Prince Pope
2. Which of the following was not invented in the medieval Muslim world?
   1. Coffee
   2. The toothbrush
   3. Anaesthesia
   4. The guitar 
3. Which Chinese dynasty ruled from 618 to 907?
   1. The Sui
   2. The Tang
   3. The Min
   4. The Liao 
4. At its peak, the Umayyad Caliphate was one of the largest empires in history. Which of the following modern countries was not part of that empire?
   1. Portugal
   2. Armenia
   3. Bulgaria
   4. Cyprus
5. In 930, Arab thinker al-Razi finished his masterwork, The Comprehensive Book, summing up all knowledge of that era in which field?
   1. Mathematics
   2. Medicine
   3. Astronomy
   4. Alchemy
6. Which of the following cities was not founded by the Vikings?
   1. Dublin
   2. Limerick
   3. Grimsby
   4. York
7. Roughly, what was the population of the world in the year 1000?
   1. 300 million
   2. 500 million
   3. 800 million
   4. 1 billion
8. Which modern country was the centre of the Khmer Empire?
   1. Thailand
   2. Indonesia
   3. Cambodia
   4. Malaysia
9. Lady Godiva is famous for riding naked through the streets of Coventry in the 13th century, but what was she protesting?
   1. The execution of her husband
   2. Her forced marriage
   3. The status of women in the community
   4. Oppressive taxation by the local lord
10. How many years did Dante Alighieri take to write The Divine Comedy?
    1. 7 years
    2. 12 years
    3. 17 years
    4. 22 years

Round 2: Medieval History Multiple-Choice Questions and Answers

1. What is Pope Gregory I often known as? A. Gregory the Great
2. Which of the following was not invented in the medieval Muslim world? D. The Guitar
3. Which Chinese dynasty ruled from 618 to 907? B. The Tang
4. At its peak, the Umayyad Caliphate was one of the largest empires in history. Which of the following modern countries was not part of that empire? C. Bulgaria
5. In 930, Arab thinker al-Razi finished his masterwork, The Comprehensive Book, summing up all knowledge of that era in which field? B. Medicine
6. Which of the following cities was not founded by the Vikings? D. York
7. Roughly, what was the population of the world in the year 1000? A. 300 million
8. Which modern country was the centre of the Khmer Empire? C. Cambodia
9. Lady Godiva is famous for riding naked through the streets of Coventry in the 13th century, but what was she protesting? D. Oppressive taxation by the local lord
10. How many years did Dante Alighieri take to write The Divine Comedy? B. 12 years

Round 3: Medieval History Quiz – True or False

1. The period between 1000 and 1300 is often known as ‘The High Middle Ages’.
2. In the year 1000, Constantinople was the most populous city in the world.
3. The Normans started out as Viking settlers in Northern France.
4. Barcelona was the political and cultural capital of Spain under the Umayyad Empire.
5. Though their heartland was in Scandinavia, the Vikings travelled as far afield as modern-day Canada, Iraq, Algeria and Iran.
6. England’s Richard I, France’s Philip II and The Holy Roman Frederick I all teamed up to lead the second crusade.
7. The flying machine was invented in Medieval Germany, though the inventor, Firnas, died when his creation crash-landed.
8. The Mongol Empire spread as far west as the city walls of Vienna, but the invading army retreated from the city so that its leader could vote for a new emperor back in Mongolia.
9. In the 13th century, the average life expectancy in England was just 18 years old.
10. There were just over 70 years between the Mongol Empire’s height and its disappearance.

Round 3: Medieval History Quiz Answers – True or False

1. The period between 1000 and 1300 is often known as ‘The High Middle Ages’. True
2. In the year 1000, Constantinople was the most populous city in the world. False, that would be Angkor in modern-day Cambodia
3. The Normans started out as Viking settlers in Northern France. True
4. Barcelona was the political and cultural capital of Spain under the Umayyad Empire. False, it was Cordoba
5. Though their heartland was in Scandinavia, the Vikings travelled as far afield as modern-day Canada, Iraq, Algeria and Iran. True
6. England’s Richard I, France’s Philip II and The Holy Roman Frederick I all teamed up to lead the second crusade. False, they lead the third crusade
7. The flying machine was invented in Medieval Germany, though the inventor, Firnas, died when his creation crash-landed. False
8. The Mongol Empire spread as far west as the city walls of Vienna, but the invading army retreated from the city so that its leader could vote for a new emperor back in Mongolia. True
9. In the 13th century, the average life expectancy in England was just 18 years old. False, archeologists estimate it to have been around 35 
10. There were just over 70 years between the Mongol Empire’s height and its disappearance. True

Round 4: Medium Medieval History Trivia Questions

If these medieval pub quiz questions were too easy for you so far, here is a round that should spice things up a bit.

1. Which Renaissance thinker coined the term ‘Middle Ages?’
2. Taking the throne in 481, which ruler is generally considered to have been the first king of France?
3. Where did the first Viking raid in Britain take place?
4. Which city was the capital of the Umayyed Caliphate?
5. The Great Schism of 1054 was the permanent split between the Catholic Church and what?
6. Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar is a national hero in Spain for defeating a Muslim army in Valencia in 1094, but what is he better known as?
7. Which royal house came to the throne of England with the ascension of Henry II?
8. Which Medieval European queen is sometimes called the ‘Grandmother of Europe’ because of all the royal lines she started or marriages she arranged?
9. In which city was the first European university founded in 1158?
10. In 1324, the richest man ever to have lived, Mansa Musa, embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca, giving away some much money as he went that he crashed the price of what for years to come?

Round 4: Medium Medieval History Trivia Questions and Answers

1. Which Renaissance thinker coined the term ‘Middle Ages?’ Petrarch 
2. Taking the throne in 481, which ruler is generally considered to have been the first king of France? Clovis I 
3. Where did the first Viking raid in Britain take place? Lindisfarne
4. Which city was the capital of the Umayyed Caliphate? Damascus 
5. The Great Schism of 1054 was the permanent split between the Catholic Church and what? The Eastern Orthodox Church
6. Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar is a national hero in Spain for defeating a Muslim army in Valencia in 1094, but what is he better known as? El Cid
7. Which royal house came to the throne of England with the ascension of Henry II? The House of Plantagenet
8. Which Medieval European queen is sometimes called the ‘Grandmother of Europe’ because of all the royal lines she started or marriages she arranged? Eleanor of Aquitaine 
9. In which city was the first European university founded in 1158? Bologna
10. In 1324, the richest man ever to have lived, Mansa Musa, embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca, giving away some much money as he went that he crashed the price of what for years to come? Gold

Round 5: Hard Medieval History Trivia Questions

Now this one is for the history buffs! Here are all the hard Middle Ages trivia questions.

1. The Justinian Plague was one of the deadliest pandemics in history. What disease do modern scientists believe was probably behind the outbreak?
2. Vladimir the Great, Yarslav the Wise and Sviatopolk The Accursed were all rulers of which Medieval state?
3. Legendary Viking warrior Ragnar Lothbrok was supposedly killed by the King of Northumbria by being thrown into a pit of what?
4. What did St. Cyril and St. Methodius invent in the 9th century to help spread Christianity in Eastern Europe?
5. During which century did the first Shogun come to power in Japan?
6. What city did Ghengis Khan found in 1220?
7. Which 13th century English philosopher developed the Occam’s Razor theory?
8. In the Fifth Crusade, armies from England, Austria, Germany and Hungary tried unsuccessfully to conquer which country?
9. Which pope established the Inquisition?
10. Excluding the Great Pyramid of Giza which still stands, The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the last Wonder of the Ancient World to be destroyed. Why did the Lighthouse finally collapse in the 15th century?

Round 5: Hard Medieval History Trivia Questions and Answers

1. The Justinian Plague was one of the deadliest pandemics in history. What disease do modern scientists believe was probably behind the outbreak? Bubonic Plague
2. Vladimir the Great, Yarslav the Wise and Sviatopolk The Accursed were all rulers of which Medieval state? Kievan Rus
3. Legendary Viking warrior Ragnar Lothbrok was supposedly killed by the King of Northumbria by being thrown into a pit of what? Snakes
4. What did St. Cyril and St. Methodius invent in the 9th century to help spread Christianity in Eastern Europe? The Cyrillic Alphabet
5. During which century did the first Shogun come to power in Japan? The 12th Century
6. What city did Ghengis Khan found in 1220? Karakorum
7. Which 13th century English philosopher developed the Occam’s Razor theory? William Of Ockham
8. In the Fifth Crusade, armies from England, Austria, Germany and Hungary tried unsuccessfully to conquer which country? Egypt
9. Which pope established the Inquisition? Pope Gregory IX
10. Excluding the Great Pyramid of Giza which still stands, The Lighthouse of Alexandria was the last Wonder of the Ancient World to be destroyed. Why did the Lighthouse finally collapse in the 15th century? An earthquake

We hope you enjoyed these medieval trivia questions and answers. If you did and want to play some more, don’t hesitate to check out our other history quizzes.

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