Ten Great Conquerors in the History of the World Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. He united the nomadic tribes in northern China during the 12th and 13th centuries. What conqueror of northern China extended his conquest to territories as far as Afghanistan?

Answer: Genghis Khan

Genghis Khan (1162-1227) was originally known as Temujin of the Borjigin tribe. His father was a khan of this small tribe, and was murdered when Temujin was very young. His family was then discarded and he was left to die. He survived, however, grew in strength, and united the nomadic tribes in northern China.

His conquest of northern China and territories as far as Afghanistan paved the way for his grandson, Kublai Khan, to conquer the whole of China, and found the Yuan Dynasty. In his lifetime, he conquered land area four times the size of Alexander the Great and twice the size of the Roman Empire.

2. He was a great man who lived in 4th century BC. At the age of 22, he conquered Greece and set off to campaign in Asia Minor. What conqueror died at the age of 33?

Answer: Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) was a prince of Macedonia and was tutored by Aristotle. By the age of 22, he conquered Greece and started his campaign in Asia Minor.

In Syria he defeated Darius III and gained control of the entire Mediterranean coast. His campaign went as far as India. At the age of 33, he caught a fever in the midst of his campaign. He returned to Babylon, where he died. His empire stretched from Greece to northern India.

3. He was born in modern day Uzbekistan. He was an intellectual who rose quickly to become a senior minister to the Mongol khan. What conqueror in the 14th and early 15th century used Samarkand as his base?

Answer: Tamerlane

Tamarlane (1336-1405), aka Timur "The Lame", had a slight paralysis down one side of his body as a child. He started his career as a politician in the Mongol regime and quickly rose to become a senior minister.

He overthrew the Mongols and started a series of campaigns against them. He admired Genghis Khan and claimed to be a descendant of Genghis's second son. Using Samarkand as the base, he conquered Persia, Armenia, Georgia and part of Russia.

4. He was known as "The Scourge of God", and inherited his throne in modern Hungary in the 5th century AD. What conqueror was partly responsible for the eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire?

Answer: Attila the Hun

Attila the Hun (406-453) was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until 453. He was also the undisputed leader of the Ostrogoths, Alans, and other tribes in Central and Eastern Europe.

He was the most feared enemy of the Western and Eastern Roman Empire, although he failed to take Constantinople or Rome. His area of conquest extended from Germany to the Caspian Sea and lasted for almost 20 years. He died in 435 AD, while planning for further campaign against the Romans.

5. What conqueror during the 8th and 9th centuries was sought by the pope to repel the Lombards of Italy? He also successfully defended the Christians against the Muslim Saracens and pagan Saxons.

Answer: Charlemagne

Charlemagne (742-814), aka Charles the Great, was the King of Franks. His empire covered France, Germany and parts of Italy. Although he was a tall man at 6 feet 4 inches, his father was Pepin the Short, who was only around 5 feet.

At the age of 27, he defeated the Lombards of Italy and took over the crown. He set up his capital at Aachen, located in the western part of modern-day Germany. In his lifetime he fought 53 campaigns, which he led most of the time. He successfully defended the Christians against the Muslim Saracens and pagan Saxons, killing thousands in a single day battle. He died at the age of 72 from a fever.

6. He ruled ancient Egypt for fifty-four years. What Egyptian ruler in the 15th century BC, took over throne at the age of seven, and conquered Palestine, Syria, Nubia and Mesopotamia?

Answer: Thutmose III

Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC) was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. During the first 22 years of his reign, he shared power with his stepmother, Hatshepsut.

In 20 years, he conducted at least 16 campaigns, capturing 350 cities in Palestine, Syria, Nubia and Mesopotamia. He was considered the greatest conqueror; during his reig, he brought Egypt to the height of its power in the eastern Mediterranean.

7. He later became a devout Buddhist. Which Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty ruled present day India, Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan?

Answer: Ashoka the Great

Ashoka the Great (304-232 BC) was his father's favourite son. After the death of his father, he killed all his brothers and started a brutal campaign to expand his empire.

He embraced Buddhism as he was saddened by the sight of more than 100,000 citizens killed at Kalinga (present day Odisha). He became a changed man after becoming a Buddhist, establishing just laws and setting up pillars with edicts. He treated all his subjects as equals regardless of caste.

8. Which Persian emperor founded the Achaemenian Empire during the 6th century BC? He was mentioned in the Bible as the liberator of the Jews after he conquered Babylon.

Answer: Cyrus the Great

Cyrus the Great (580-529 BC), aka Cyrus II, created the first charter of human rights which is now displayed at the British Museum. His empire stretched from India to the Middle East, northern Africa and Greece.

He was a tolerant ruler to those who would peaceably become part of the Persian Empire and recognize his authority, and was called the father of his people by the ancient Persians.

9. He was the first ruler to unite China in the 3rd century BC. Who was the ruler whose empire fell in a short space of 15 years?

Answer: Qin Shihuang

Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC), aka Ying Zheng, took over the rule of his country in 246 BC when he was 13 years old. In 230 BC, King Zheng started his conquest of the Warring States.

By 221 BC, all the 6 states (Wei, Han, Zhao, Chu, Yan and Qi) were subdued and united under one government. His reign, however, lasted only 15 years due to an uprising by peasants, which was followed by rebelling nobles, who believed that his rules were too harsh.

10. He was the first Roman Emperor during the 1st century BC to 1st century AD. What ruler conquered more lands than his grand uncle?

Answer: Augustus Caesar

Augustus Caesar (63 BC - 14 AD) was the grand nephew of Julius Caesar. In 43 BC, after Caesar's death, he formed a triumvirate with Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus.

In 30 BC, he conquered Egypt after defeating Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at Actium. Under his rule, the Roman Empire was expanded into present day Hungary, Croatia, Spain and France.

Source: Author sw11

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The history of mankind is often influenced by the results of epic wars. Throughout history, the fates of entire civilizations were decided by their leaders.

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