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The Magna Carta (Great Charter of Liberties) was sealed in England in:
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Answer: Option D — 1215
Detailed Solution
The Magna Carta ("Great Charter") was sealed by King John of England on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede, a meadow on the River Thames near Windsor.
About the Magna Carta:
- It was written in Latin.
- It was a peace treaty between King John and a group of rebellious barons, who were angry about his heavy taxes, his arbitrary rule and his military failures in France.
- It was drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, to make peace between them.
- It established for the first time that the king was subject to the law, not above it.
Its most famous clauses (39 and 40) said that no free man could be imprisoned, stripped of his rights or property, outlawed or exiled except by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land, and that justice could not be sold, denied or delayed.
It also limited the king's power to raise taxes without the consent of a council of barons.
Pope Innocent III annulled it within weeks, and civil war followed (the First Barons' War). However, it was reissued with changes in 1216, 1217 and 1225, and became part of English law.
Its importance:
- It is regarded as one of the most important documents in the history of democracy and the rule of law.
- It influenced later documents such as the English Bill of Rights (1689), the US Constitution and Bill of Rights (1791), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
- Its ideas of "due process of law" and "habeas corpus" developed from it.
- Four original copies of the 1215 charter survive: two in the British Library (London), one at Lincoln Cathedral and one at Salisbury Cathedral.
Other important English documents:
- Petition of Right (1628): limited the powers of King Charles I.
- Habeas Corpus Act (1679).
- Bill of Rights (1689): after the "Glorious Revolution" (1688); established the supremacy of Parliament.
"Magna Carta" of other fields:
- Fundamental Rights (Part III) are called the "Magna Carta" of the Indian Constitution.
- The Queen's Proclamation of 1858 is sometimes called the "Magna Carta of Indian liberty".
Why not the other options?
- ✗1066 is the year of the Norman conquest of England (Battle of Hastings).
- ✗1295 is the year of the "Model Parliament" of King Edward I.
- ✗1689 is the year of the English Bill of Rights.
Quick tip
Remember: Magna Carta = 15 June 1215 (King John; Runnymede; king subject to law); Bill of Rights = 1689; Norman Conquest = 1066; Fundamental Rights = "Magna Carta" of the Indian Constitution.
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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.