Which event or document began to curb royal power and protect nobles' rights in 1215?

• A. Inquisition
• B. Becket
• C. Charlemagne
• D. Magna Carta

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that a foundational document established limits on the king’s authority and protected certain rights through law. The Magna Carta, sealed at Runnymede in 1215 after pressure from rebellious barons, declared that the king’s power was not unlimited and that governance would follow legal rules. It required the king to respect feudal rights, seek consent for taxes, and guarantee due process, including protection from unlawful imprisonment and a fair hearing. This created the precedent that rulers are subject to the law and that nobles—eventually extending to others—hold certain legal protections. In the long run, it helped shape constitutional limits on royal power and influenced the development of parliamentary and judicial systems. Other items listed are different historical phenomena: the Inquisition is a church court, Charlemagne belongs to an earlier era, and Becket relates to earlier church-state conflict, not the 1215 moment.