Chapter 3 - Effects of British Rule
1. Rewrite the statements by choosing the appropriate options
(1) Portuguese, ……………, French, British participated in the competition of capturing Indian market.
(a) Austrian
(b) Dutch
(c) German
(d) Swedish
Ans: Option (b) – Dutch
(2) In 1802 Peshwa …………… signed the Subsidiary Alliance with the British.
(a) Bajirao I
(b) Sawai Madhavrao
(c) Peshwa Nanasaheb
(d) Bajirao II
Ans: Option (d) – Bajirao II
(3) Jamshedjee Tata started the manufacturing of steel at Tata Iron and Steel industry established in …………….
(a) Mumbai
(b) Kolkata
(c) Jamshedpur
(d) Delhi
Ans: Option (c) – Jamshedpur
2. Explain the following concepts.
(1) Civil Services
Ans:
(i) There was a need for bureaucrats to strengthen British rule in India.
(ii) Lord Cornwallis introduced the Civil Service, which became an important part of the British government.
(iii) The territories occupied by the British were divided into districts for administrative convenience. The district administration was headed by the collector.
(iv) The officers appointed through the Civil Service (ICS) were taken into administrative services.
(2) Commercialisation of Agriculture
Ans:
(i) In the pre-British period, farmers used to cultivate food grains to fulfill domestic needs as well as those of the village.
(ii) The British government gave encouragement to the cultivation of cash crops like indigo, cotton, tobacco, tea, etc.
(iii) The shift from the cultivation of foodgrains to profit-yielding cash crops is known as the commercialization of Agriculture.
(3) Economic policies of British
Ans:
(i) A capitalist economy prevailed in England due to the Industrial Revolution.
(ii) This system was brought to India to nurture the British economy.
(iii) It resulted in economic gains for England but exploitation and impoverishment for India.
3. Explain the following statements with reasons.
(1) Farmers in India became bankrupt.
Ans: The British made a number of changes to the existing system to increase revenue.
(i) The payment of revenue was made compulsory in cash and within the prescribed time limit.
(ii) Land was confiscated if the revenue was not paid in time.
(iii) The land revenue collection differed from place to place, which resulted in the exploitation of the farmers.
(iv) Farmers were forced to sell their produce to merchants and middlemen at a low price in order to generate revenue.
(v) Farmers mortgaged land to pay tax and became indebted to moneylenders.
In this way, the farmers became bankrupt in India.
(2) There was decline of traditional industries in India.
Ans:
(i) The British government levied heavy duty on the goods exported from India to England.
(ii) The goods imported from England were produced in factories on a large scale and at a minimum cost.
(iii) The duty levied on them by the British was far too little.
(iv) So, these goods were cheap as compared to traditional goods.
(v) The Indian artisans found it difficult to compete with low-priced British goods.
(vi) Eventually, this led to the closing down of traditional industries in India.
4. Complete the following table.
| Person | Work |
|---|---|
Lord Cornwallis | ......................... |
..................... | Passed Sati Prohibition Act |
Lord Dalhousie | ......................... |
......................... | Established ‘Asiatic Society of Bengal’ |
Ans:
| Person | Work |
|---|---|
Lord Cornwallis | Introduced the Civil Services in India. |
Lord William Bentinck | Passed Sati Prohibition Act. |
Lord Dalhousie | Rejected adoption policy and annexed Indian states. |
William Jones | Established ‘Asiatic Society of Bengal’ |