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Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

State whether true or false: (a) When the British captured Bengal they framed many new laws to regulate the rules regarding marriage, adoption, the inheritance of property, etc. (b) Social reformers had to discard the ancient texts in order to argue for reform in social practices. (c) Reformers got full support from all sections of the people of the country. (d) The Child Marriage Restraint Act was passed in 1829.

Answer. (a) True (b) False (c) False (d) False

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What social ideas did the following people support? a. Rammohun Roy b. Dayanand Saraswati c. Veerasalingam Pantulu d. Jyotirao Phule e. Pandita Ramabai f. Periyar g. Mumtaz Ali h. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Answer. Rammohun Roy – Ban of Sati Dayanand Saraswati – Widow Remarriage Veerasalingam Pantulu – Widow Remarriage Jyotirao Phule – Equality amongst castes Pandita Ramabai – Women’s education Periyar – Equality for untouchables Mumtaz Ali – Women’s education Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar – Widow remarriage

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?

After the revolt of 1857, the British Crown directly took over the Indian administration. The powers of the East India Company were transferred to the Crown. The following changes were made: Doctrine of Lapse policy was abolished The number of Indian sepoys was reduced in the army so that in future, they would not be able to rebel against the British Zamindars’ and landowners’ rights were further enhanced The Crown promised that it would not interfere with the religion of the people. A Viceroy and a Secretary of the state were appointed for the administration of Indian society.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?

The British followed a two-pronged approach to suppress the rebel landowners of Awadh. They are as follows: The first approach was to hang the rebel landowners who had killed British personnel in order to threaten the people of Awadh by showing them the consequences of any revolts in future. The second approach was to reward the loyal landowners of Awadh. The British stated that if the landowners had not killed any British personnel and if they agreed to submit before the British, they would be offered safety and could retain their share of lands.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support for the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?

Aurangzeb was considered the last strong and powerful Mughal ruler of India. After his death, the Mughal rulers had only a symbolic presence. But Mughal rulers still had their influence over small chiefs and rulers across the country. The revolt of 1857 started only when Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last ruler of the Mughals, gave his permission. His support for the revolt made leaders from various places become confident about opposing the British. Zafar asked all the leaders to form a confederacy to fight against the British. Many small and large kingdoms, rulers and chieftains supported the revolt after Bahadur Shah Zafar extended his support to the revolt. Hence, his support for the rebellion had a widespread effect on the people and the ruling families.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?

The British became confident about their position in India because of the following reasons: The Mughal rulers, after the death of Aurangzeb, were not strong and powerful. Hence, it was easier for the British to annex states. The disunity between nawabs and the Mughal rulers helped the British have a firm stronghold over Indian society, starting from Bengal. The policies, like Subsidiary Alliance, helped the British annexe territories one after another, without the use of any military power. The revolt of 1857 was crushed by the British, leading to their supremacy over Indian society.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?

The last Mughal emperor was Bahadur Shah Zafar. His title as the Mughal emperor was a symbolic one. After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal rulers lost their power and held only a symbolic stature. Zafar was also the symbolic head of the 1857 revolt. However, once the revolt was crushed, Bahadur Shah Zafar was tried in court. He was blinded by the British and was imprisoned. Later in 1858, he, along with his wife, was sent to Rangoon, where he died in 1862.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?

The new cartridges were unacceptable to the Indian sepoys, as they held the belief that these had been coated by the fat of cows and pigs. The sepoys had to bite the cartridges to load them. But their religion did not allow them even to touch these cartridges. Hence, they refused to use the new cartridges.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?

After 1830, the Company allowed Christian missionaries to function freely in its domain and even own land and property. In 1850, a new law was passed to make the conversion to Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors. Many Indians began to feel that the British were destroying their religion, their social customs and their traditional way of life.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?

Rani Lakshmibai was the queen of Jhansi. She had adopted a son. Hence, she wanted her son to be the ruler of Jhansi. However, according to Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse policy, an adopted heir would not be allowed to acquire the kingdom once the father died, and the same would be annexed by the British. Hence, Rani Lakshmibai’s demand to recognise her adopted son as the male heir of the kingdom was refused by the British.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

Discuss those developments of the 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.

The developments of 1937-47, which led to the creation of Pakistan, are given below: A two-nation theory – Initially the Muslim league never mentioned Pakistan to be the nation of Muslims however; since the 1930s, it started demanding a separate country for Muslims. Provincial elections of 1937 – The elections were a decisive factor for Muslim league to decide that Muslims are a minority in India and they have to have a separate nation for them for their just representation in the politics. Rift between congress and Muslim league – When congress rejected the Muslim league’s offer for a joint congress-league government in united provinces, the league decided to part ways forever. Failed talks – No discussion could turn out to be successful, where both Congress and Muslim league could come to a conclusion of a single nation. British too, at the end of 2nd world war, opened negotiation talks with both congress and the league. However, it turned futile. Provincial elections of 1946 – Muslim league’s spectacular victory on the seats reserved for Muslims gave them the confidence to create a separate nation. Mass agitation – The failure of cabinet mission of 1946 led to the mass agitation led by the Muslim league. Partition was finalised and Pakistan was born.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?

The Salt March related the general desire of freedom to a specific grievance shared by everybody and thus did not divide the rich and the poor. Hence, in 1930, Gandhiji declared that he would lead a march to break the salt law.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India. How did people understand Gandhiji?

Different places in the country showed different reactions, given below: At Kheda in Gujarat, Patidar peasants organised nonviolent campaigns against the high land revenue demand of the British. In coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were picketed. In the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, tribals and poor peasants staged a number of “forest satyagraha”, sometimes sending their cattle into forests without paying grazing fee. In Sind (now in Pakistan), Muslim traders and peasants were very enthusiastic about the Khilafat call. In Bengal too, the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation alliance gave enormous communal unity and strength to the national movement. In Punjab, the Akali agitation of the Sikhs sought to remove corrupt mahants – supported by the British – from their gurdwaras. People thought of Gandhiji as a kind of messiah, as someone who could help them overcome their misery and poverty. Gandhiji wished to build class unity and not class conflict. Yet, peasants could imagine that he would help them in their fight against zamindars, and agricultural labourers believed he would provide them with the land. At times, ordinary people credited Gandhiji with their own achievement.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from that of the Moderates?

In the fight for swaraj, the radicals advocated mass mobilisation and boycott of British institutions and goods. Some individuals also began to suggest that “revolutionary violence” would be necessary to overthrow British rule. Moderates, on the other hand, wanted to follow the rules, the laws and the order posed by the British. They followed the ‘practise of prayers’ which the radicals totally opposed

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against British rule?

The Moderate leaders wanted to develop public awareness about the unjust nature of British rule. They published newspapers, wrote articles and showed how British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the country. They criticised British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different parts of the country to mobilise public support. They felt that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice and so would accept the just demands of Indians. What was necessary, therefore, was to express these demands and make the government aware of the feelings of Indians.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?

In 1940 the Muslim League had moved a resolution demanding “Independent States” for Muslims in the north-western and eastern areas of the country. The resolution did not mention partition or Pakistan.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

What economic impact did the First World War have on India?

The First World War altered the economic and political situation in India. It led to a huge rise in the defence expenditure of the Government of India. The government, in turn, increased taxes on individual incomes and business profits. Increased military expenditure and the demands for war supplies led to a sharp rise in prices, which created great difficulties for the common people. On the other hand, business groups reaped fabulous profits from the war. The first world war caused a decline in imports from other countries into India.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?

The Congress was composed of the representatives, not of any one class or community of India, but of all the different communities of India. Hence, the party wished to speak for the masses in the fight for freedom.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?

People were dissatisfied with British rule because of the following reasons: British were exercising control over the resources of India British were attempting to control the lives of its people and until this control ended, India could not be for Indians. The Arms Act was passed in 1878, disallowing Indians from possessing arms. The Vernacular Press Act was also enacted in 1879, in an effort to silence those who were critical of the government. In 1883, there was a furor over the attempt by the government to introduce the Ilbert Bill. The bill provided for the trial of British or European persons by Indians, and sought equality between British and Indian judges in the country.

Social StudiesClass 8CBSE

How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police reports?

Answer. The nature of the information that historians get from old newspapers and police reports can be entirely different. Typically, a historian collects information from a wide variety of sources that includes both official and unofficial documents. The police report comes from an administrative viewpoint, and the types of details that we can obtain from them are often restricted. A police report is strictly confined to the procedures and is concerned with record-keeping, rather than building a narrative. Journalism and reporting tools follow a different approach that might bring out the finer details about an event or a happening. Often police reports might oversee or neglect information that does not directly serve the function of law enforcement. Being a mass media, newspapers provide more backdrop, context and elaborate descriptions. But the relative merits and accuracy of a piece of information from any source can only be determined after proper research and investigation. To get a balanced and clearer picture of a period in history, historians often go through as many sources as possible, while keeping in mind the biases and interests that could be behind them.

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