Short Answer Type Questions
1. What was the supremacy of East India company in war?
Answer: East India company intruded with powerful weapons and thus defeated the Indian princely states easily.
2. What was the resentment of common people?
Answer: Common people were tired of wars, loots by thugs and tyranny of princely states.
3. How did the common folk react to the British conquests?
Answer: The common folk wanted to lead peaceful lives. So they were happy to have a stable rule. However people also realized that the king and princes were of their own motherland.
4. What were the social and religious malpractices that prevailed during British rule?
Answer: Religious leaders preached ideas like untouchability, child marriage and against women folk. Social and religious degradation had started pushing women inside their homes.
5. Why did Ram Mohan Ray visit England?
Answer: Ram Mohan Roy had a great respect for every religion. He was attracted by science and modernity. He felt that knowledge should be practical and scientific.
6. Why were the Britishers termed as ‘oppressors’?
Answer: Britishers turned apathetic towards Indians. They passed regulation III in 1818 where they could put Indians to jail without trial in a court. Any British official was paid off beyond measures. Indian industries were dying because of the heavy imports of British goods.
7. What was Macaulay’s proposal for Indian education system?
Answer: Before 1835, education in India was in Persian and Sanskrit. Macaulay proposed to educate the students in English language so as to make them understand English and to work as clerks in their offices.
8. What forces worked as ‘sparks’ before the Revolt in 1857?
Answer: Heavy taxes were levied on the farmers. They were loosing their lands. Industries were dying as expert bulk was cheaper. Discrimination in British and Indian armed forces brought discontentment amongst Indian forces.
9. What was the significance of sending chapattis and lotus flowers?
Answer: Sepoys revolted against the tyranny and discrimination of officials. So they decided to unite themselves to revolt against exploitation by sending secret messages as chappatis and lotus flowers.
10. What brought various rulers to fight together?
Answer: Various rulers came under one flag. The patriots pounced upon the British and fought pitched battles all over North India.
11. Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1857?
Answer: Yes, the Indian Princes were short-sighted in their approach. They fought against each other with the help of the British. Thus the British became the virtual rulers.
12. How did the East India company subdue the Indian princes?
Answer: The Indian princes were constantly at war with each other. They called the English merchants to help them in their fights. The people had no peace due to such constant fights. The rivalries helped the East India company subdue the Indian princes one by one.
13. Quote the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same principles.
Answer: Ram Mohan Roy said, “Cows are of different colours but the colour of their milk is the same”. Similarity different religious preachers may sound different but the real meaning and lesson from them are always same.
14. In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians?
Answer: The British rulers passed a resolution under which an Indian could be sent to jail without trial in a court. The goods manufactured in England were exempted from custom duty. The officers prospered on the company’s loot and their private business flourished.
15. Name these people.
(i) The ruler who fought pitched battles against the British and died fighting.
(ii) The person who wanted to reform the society.’
(iii) The person Who recommended the introduction of English education in India.
(iv) Two popular leaders who led the revolt (Choices may vary.)
Answer:
(i) Tipu Sultan of Mysore.
(ii) Raja Ram Mohan Roy of Bengal.
(iii) Lord Mecaulay
(iv) Nana Sahib Peshwa, Kunwar Singh, Begum Hazrat Mahal.
Long Answer Type Questions
1. How did British East India Company extend its power in India?
Answer: The Indians were not united. The Indian princes were short-sighted. They fought amongst each other. In order to defeat the other Kings, they called The British and ultimately defeated them.
2. How were the Indian princes short-sighted?
Answer: The Indians were not united at that time. The Indian princes fought among each other. There was no peace due to constant fights. They called the British to defeat the other Kings but were not aware of the future consequences. Tipu Sultan who was far-seeing ruler fought bravely against the British and fought till death. The British defeated the other kings and later dethroned them also. This shows that the Indian princes were short-sighted.
3. How did the British subdue Indian princes?
Answer: The Indian princes fought amongst each other. They had no unity. One of them took help from the British and defeated the other princes. But they did not realise the future consequences. With the help of the rivalries, the East India Company subdued the Indian princes one by one.
4. What were the different opinions of the Indians about the British rule in India?
Answer: The peoples of India had different opinions about the British. Some of them were happy as they thought that the British brought peace. They considered them to be sent from God, while others were not happy. They were disappointed that their kings were dethroned and they became the slaves of the foreigners.
5. How did India turn socially superstitious? Discuss untouchability and child marriage?
Answer: The religious leaders preached ideas like untouchability and child marriage. They spread false information. According to them, anyone who crossed the seas would lose his religion. Not only that, they believed that the misery that happened at that time was only because of the women.
Untouchability and child marriage were the social stigma that was prevalent at that time. Untouchability is an act which discriminates among people on the basis of their caste. Child marriage is a practice in which the marriage is done at a very young age.
6. How did the British destroy the farmers and businessmen?
Answer: The British implemented various laws in order to make more profits. They imposed heavy taxes on the peasants which forced farmers to abandon their lands. The British were taking their crops and if anyone dared not to pay them, then the British would send them to jail. Not only the farmers, but the businessmen in India were affected too. The British East India Company decided that the good that were manufactured in England should not have any import duty when it was being brought to India. Thus, this destroyed the Indian industries. This ruined the artisans and lead to famine which happened in between 1822 and 1836.
7. How did Raja Ram Mohan Roy understand what was wrong with the country? What did he tell his wife Uma?
Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a learned person from Bengal understood what was wrong with the country. He believed that our ancient culture was great. He understood that superstitions should be eradicated as it was ruining the society.
He told his wife Uma that Cows were of different colours but the colour of its milk was same. In the same way, different teachers had different opinions but the essence of religion was the same.
8. What attracted Raja Ram Mohan Roy? What did he tell the British in England? Why did he go to England?
Answer: Raja Ram Mohan Roy was attracted by science and technology. His knowledge was modern and modern. He told the British that he would accept them as rulers and in the same way, they should accept the Indians to be subjects and they must remember their duties and responsibilities towards the subjects. He went to England to see what made the British so powerful.
9. Tell us about Regulation III. How were the British officers making profit?
Answer: The Regulation III was implemented by the British. The British implemented this policy to oppress Indians. According to this act, the Indians could be jailed without a trial in the court. The British officers drew big salaries and also made fortunes in private business.
10.How did the British destroy the cotton weavers of India?
Answer: The Indian cotton textiles were the leading cotton producers at that time. Butafter the British took its hold over the country, they ruined the industry sobadly. They didn’t pay the textile workers properly. Moreover, they imposedhigh taxes on imports of Indian textile products to England. On the other hand,very low taxes were imposed on the Britain textiles and these were thenimported to India. The British textiles were handmade as well as cheaper thanthat of the Indian textiles as a result of which its demand decreaseddrastically.
11. How did Lord Macaulay plan to destroy the Education of India and to make Indians
low-profile?
Answer: Earlier Education System in India was done in Sanskrit and Persian language.Lord Macaulay suggested teaching the Indians the English language. It would beeasier to communicate with the peoples who would be working under them. Actually, the main motive was not to teachthem rather to destroy the education system.
12. How did Indians take the Western education as opportunity?
Answer: Some of the Indians took the Western education as an opportunity and a newgroup of intellectuals was being produced. As they were educated so theydecided to educate others and worked for the country. They tried to improve thematerial conditions. They even decided to convey their grievances to theBritish Parliament.
13. In what ways there had been grudge among Indians against the British?
Answer: The British didn’t care for the Indians at all. They used unfair means againstIndians. The Indians understood their real motive. They discussed about theirproblems. The kings had turned into puppet rulers. The common people had losttheir jobs and lands. They were even converting their religions which created afeeling of grudge amongst them.
14. Why did the Santhals go rebellion against the British?
Answer: The Santhals lost their lands in Bengal after the implementation of the newlaws. They became quite desperate. In the year of 1885, they rose in rebellionand massacred Europeans and their supporters alike.
15. Tell us about Sepoy Mangal Pandey. How Mangal Pandey was a spark for the mutiny?
Answer: Sepoy Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier who fought bravely against theBritish and played a significant role in the First Indian War of Independenceheld in the year of 1857. He attacked the adjutant of his regiment on March 29,1857 and later was executed.
After Mangal Pandey was executed, it led to widespread fire amongst the peoples.
Revolt spread almost everywhere. Thus, by this way the spark of mutiny started
in India and later turned out to be the First war of Independence.
16. How did the British cheat Hindus and Muslims with new rifle?
Answer: The British were quite clever. They didn’t try to understand the Indiancustoms. The new Enfield rifle needed to be loaded before using it. The problemthat prevailed was that the person who was using it needed to bite off thecartilage. But the cartilage was made from the grease of pigs and cows. Thiscreated a religious sentiment among the Hindus and the Muslims in India. Bythis way, the British cheated Hindus and Muslims in India.
17. What was the meaning of chapatti and Lotus in the fight?
Answer: The meaning of chapatti was that it was sent to other villages and wassymbolised as support and the Emperor might ask for their services. Similarly, Lotus was being circulated as a symbol of unity and support.
18. Discuss the outbreak of the mutiny. Refer Bahadur Shah and others who joined the fight.
Answer: As the British East India Company imposed heavy taxes and forced people toleave their lands. The Santhals in Bengal became desperate. In the year of1855, the Santhals revolted and massacred the Europeans and their supportersalike. After the execution of Sepoy Mangal Pandey, there was a violent outbreakat Meerut. Emperors like Bahadur Shah joined too and it was a widespreadmovement.
19. What did Begum Hazrat Mahal and Ahmedulla say against the British?
Answer: Begum Hazrat Mahal was the former ruler of Lucknow. She told that her kingdomwas being taken away by the British. On the other hand, Maulvi Ahemedulla raised power against British. He influenced people to join the movement. Hesaid, “Rise, brothers, rise!” He told the English people were ruining their lands.
20. Discuss the role of Tatiya Tope, Nana Saheb and Kunwar Singh in the mutiny?
Answer: Tatiya Tope played a significant role in the First Indian War of Independence. Hewas an important ruler of Cawnpore. He decided to make Peshwa Nana Saheb as his leader in the war of independence. Kunwar Singh, who was eighty years old fought bravely and he was being shot a bullet on his wrist. He said to mother Ganga that it was his last offering to her.
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