Lesson Y8-U06-L03

Benin A Great West African Kingdom Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 12

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y8-U06-L03, Benin A Great West African Kingdom: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 12: Year 8: Meanwhile Elsewhere, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What was the title given to the all-powerful king of Benin?

    • The Pharaoh
    • The Oba
    • The Emperor
    • The Sultan

  2. What were the famous metal plaques of Benin created to record?

    • Religious prayers
    • Kingdom history
    • Military treaties
    • Tax records

  3. What does it mean to violently rob, burn and destroy a captured city?

    • To sack
    • To colonise
    • To siege
    • To annex

  4. What does the word 'punitive' mean in a historical military context?

    • Done to explore
    • Done to punish
    • Done to protect
    • Done to trade

  5. In which modern country was the historical Kingdom of Benin located?

    • Ghana
    • Modern Benin
    • Southern Nigeria
    • Mali

  6. From which decade did Benin trade with European merchants?

    • The 1880s
    • The 1680s
    • The 1480s
    • The 1280s

  7. What feature sat at the exact centre of Benin City?

    • The Oba's palace
    • The grand market
    • The central temple
    • The military fort

  8. What did Dutch visitors in the 1600s compare Benin City to?

    • A desert camp
    • A rural village
    • A roman ruin
    • A European city

  9. Under whose direct control did the master metal casters of Benin work?

    • Religious priests
    • Military generals
    • The Oba
    • Foreign merchants

  10. Which complex metalcasting technique was used to create the Benin Bronzes?

    • Die casting
    • Lost-wax casting
    • Sand casting
    • Iron smelting

  11. What were the Benin Bronzes mostly made of?

    • Brass
    • Pure iron
    • Solid silver
    • Solid gold

  12. What do the massive earth walls and ditches around Benin City demonstrate?

    • Natural erosion
    • Foreign slave labour
    • High organisation
    • Accidental design

  13. In what year did the British attack Benin in the 'Punitive Expedition'?

    • 1914
    • 1897
    • 1853
    • 1939

  14. How many troops did Britain send against Benin in 1897?

    • About 12,000
    • About 120
    • About 1,200
    • About 120,000

  15. What happened to the Oba of Benin following the British attack in 1897?

    • Retirement
    • Imprisonment locally
    • Exile
    • Execution

  16. Where did the majority of the looted Benin Bronzes end up after 1897?

    • Buried in Nigeria
    • Global museums
    • Private royal vaults
    • Destroyed completely

  17. According to the 1668 Dutch account by Dapper, how was Benin City designed?

    • Well planned
    • Chaotic and cramped
    • Purely defensive
    • Abandoned entirely

  18. Why must historians be cautious when using Dapper's 1668 written account of Benin?

    • Second-hand reports
    • Written after 1897
    • It is a forgery
    • Biased royal propaganda

  19. Why did British observers falsely label the Kingdom of Benin as 'savage' in the 1890s?

    • To encourage fair trade
    • To promote cultural exchange
    • To document local farming
    • To justify military attack

  20. Which feature best demonstrates the sophistication of the Kingdom of Benin?

    • Nomadic pastoralism
    • Skilled bronze casting
    • Feudal manors
    • Tribal tent camps

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