In this Page we have given West Bengal Class 8 English Medium History Solution Chapter 4 The Nature of Colonial Economy Question and Answer for our Students of West bengal Class 8 English Medium. Hope this following Question Answer will help our Students.
1.) Fill in the blanks with the correct alternative:
a) Permanent settlement was started by…………….. (Hastings/Cornwallis/ Dalhousie)
Ans: Cornwallis
b) Mahalwari system started in ……………..(Bengal/North India/South India)
Ans: North India
c) Dadan means……………. (advancepayment/abwab/unpaid labour)
Ans: advance payment
d) Thefirstjutefactory incolonial India cameup at ……………(Rishra/ Calcutta/ Bombay)
Ans: Rishra
e) The out flow out of wealth from the country isknown as …………(Drain of wealth/ de-industrialisation/bargadari system)
Answer: Drain of wealth
2) Pick the wrong statement:
a) Permanent Settlement started in 1794
b) Indigorevolt occurred inMadras.
c) The cotton cultivation in Deccan waslinked toAmerican civil war.
d) TheIndian marketsaw an influx ofindigenouscommodities with theexpansionof railways.
e) The telegraph system was setup inthe Company is interest.
Ans: a) Permanent Settlement started in 1794
b) Indigorevolt occurred inMadras.
3) Answer briefly (30-40 words):
a) What was the sunset law?
Ans: Therevenue of the Zamindars, wasto behanded tothe Company by the due date. If the revenue failed to be handed to the Company by the sunset of the fixed day, the Company had the power to grab the zamindar’s land. This was the sunset law.
b) What doyou understand by commercialisation of agriculture?
Ans: The colonial government emphasized cultivation of tea, indigo, jute, wool, etc. The extension of railways, increasingimports led to the commercialisation of agriculture.
c) Why did the ‘Deccan riot’ occur?
Ans: The sahukar money lenders took advantage of the Famine and drought and against loans,the sahukars demanded control over the produce.The cotton cultivators of Deccan revolted against this. Peasants attacked the sahukars and burnt all their documents. This revolt, which continued from May to September 1875 was called’ Deccan riot’ by thecolonial rulers.
d) What is drain of wealth?
Ans: The British were exploiting and transferring India’s wealth. India’s wealth was taken out of the country. This prevented India’s economic development.This taking away of wealth is known as ‘drain of wealth.’
e) What is de-industrialisation?
Ans: By 1813 the Company had lost monopoly rights over Indian markets. British products were being gradually imported to India. Facing unequal competition,the native industries went into a decline. This is known as de-industrialisation.
4) Write in your own words (120-160 words) :
a) What wasthe effect of Permanent Settlement on peasant society?
Ans: The Permanent Settlement system helped the zamindars to prosper, but did nothing for the peasants. The peasants were dependent on the zamindars.Before the colonial rule, the peasants too had rights over the land. Permanent Settlement took away the peasants’ right and turned them ill to subjects. The High rates of revenue collection burdened the peasants greatly A number of illegal taxes or abwab was also extracted from the peasants. If the peasant failed to pay revenue, the zamindar had the power to take away their land.
The zamindars under the pressure of the Company started burden the peasants. The permanent settlement made a decline of Bengal. Cornwallis threw the peasants, bound to their hands and legs to the zamindars and made no laws to ensure the protection of the peasants from the zamidari torture. The extortion of the peasants by the zamindars became hereditary, but Cornwallis did nothing and thus the Permanent Settlement had a huge impact on the peasant society.
b) Compare and contrast Permanent Settlement system with Ryotwari and Mahalwari system.Which was of lesser harm tothepeasants? Give reasons.
Ans: The Permanent Settlement system ofrevenue assessment started in 1793. The amount of revenue due to the Company from the zamindaris had been fixed. Thus Company servants could not extract any revenue at will. The Permanent Settlement system helped the zamindars to prosper, but did nothing for the peasants. The peasants were dependent on the zamindars.Before the colonial rule, the peasants too had rights over the land. Permanent Settlement took away the peasants’ right and turned them into subjects.
According to the Ryotwari system, the Company leaned towards direct tax collection from the peasants.The condition of the Ryotwari system was timely payment of revenue. The beginning of nineteenth century saw Ryotwari system being implemented in various regions of Madras and Bombay.
According to the Mahalwari system, the government entered into an agreement with theZamindar or pradhan of the mahal. The agreement covered theentire village community.
Ryotwari System was of lesser harm tothepeasants because it increased and recognized the rights of the farmers.
c) Did commercialisation of agriculture discontent and revolt?How will you view ‘Deccan riot’ inthiscontext?
Ans: A targe section of peasants could not use superior cattle,seeds, fertilizer and tools. Besides, the high revenue decreased thepeasants income. The profit from agriculture was mainly takenby the government, zamindars and money lenders. The government had no policy to protect the interest of the peasants. Many peasants were transformed into agricultural labourers.
The negative effect of the commercialisation of agriculture had led to peasant uprisings in various regions. Due to the American civil war in the second half of the nineteenth century,the demand for cotton had gone up. As a result cotton cultivation in the Deccan, had increased. After the civil war, around 1870 the price of cotton fell in the Deccan. High revenue demand oppressed the peasants. Famine and drought made the situation more critical.The sahukar money lenders took advantage of the situation. Against loans,the sahukars demanded control over the produce.The cotton cultivators of Deccan revolted against that. Peasants attacked the sahukars and burnt all their documents. The revolt took intense form in Ahmednagar andPune districts.This revolt, which continued from May to September 1875 was called ‘Deccan riot’ by the colonial rulers.
d) What relation did the company’sbusinesspolicy have with Bengal textileindustry? Whydidthe Indians form indigenous banks andinsurance companies?
Ans: The Company used Bengal revenues to export Indian items. The Company misused its political power to control excise policy of native trade. The weavers of Bengal were forced to sell at low price or at a price fixed by the British, This adversely affected the textile industry.The Bengal weavers had to purchase raw thread at high price. The textile industry suffered. Indian textiles industry had lost its foreign market by 1813 and at the same time was competing with foreign products. Instead of a competitive and open market, the English East India Company gained a monopoly position.
The Indian businessmen were deprived of and discriminated against while applying for bank loans or in the rate of interest in pertaining such loans. This was the reason why the Indians form indigenous banks and insurance companies
e) Discuss the expansion of colonial rule in India with regard to railwaysand telegraph system.
Ans: The chief symbol of colonial rule was the rail system. Itconnected various parts of India together.However the way in which it was developed, showed that the British did not intend it for India’s development. The mainobjective of the railways was to speed up colonial rule.The railways had been established to protect colonial interests of the British empire. Many British items reached the Indian market from at ports from cheap costs via the railways.
The telegraph system, like the railways, came up inthehalf of the nineteenth century. Military and political needs of the colonial rule demanded the telegraph system.Railways and telegraph system expanded together. Through telegraphs, the railway stations communication with each other. The railway signal system worked out through the telegraph system.The telegraph system had been established to safeguard British colonial interests. Important news and information could be quickly communicated to centres of power through telegraph. By 1870 there was a telegraphy communication between Britain and India. As a result, the British empire’s authority in India grew in administrative, economic and military matters.
5) Imagine and write (within 200 words):
a) Suppose you aretravelling by train for the first time. Describe your pre-boarding and post-boarding experience ina letter addressed toyour friend.
Ans:
Bhavan – 86
Baidyapara, West Bengal
Kolkata 70084
7th November, 1900
Dear Mehak,
I do hope this letter finds you and your parents in good health. Let me make your day by telling you about my train journey from Kolkata to Digha.
We reached the Howrah station by 10 p.m. and our train was due to depart at 10:30 p.m. on 1st November. I made myself comfortable on the window facing seat and the berth was perfect for the sleep at night. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. the next day, and saw the beautiful paddy fields across the window. I started to read a book while the scenic beauty of the outskirts took my heart away. And before I knew, I reached Digha station. The station was so beautifully decorated that I decided to take a troll around the station.
Being my first time experiencing the railways, it has now become one of my favourite memories in my life so far. I hope you enjoyed reading the letter. Do send me a letter about your trip to Chandigarh.
Yours faithfully,
Aryaman
b) Suppose you are a resident of the Deccan in the 1870s. Record in your personal diary the discontent of the peasants of the region regarding cotton cultivation.
Ans:
Date: 15th November, 1875.
Dear diary,
I still remember the negative effect of the commercialisation of agriculture and how it led to peasants uprisings in various regions. Due to the American civil war in the second half of the nineteenth century,the demand for cotton had gone up. As a result cotton cultivation in the Deccan, had increased. After the civil war, around 1870, the price of cotton fell in theDeccan.High revenue demand oppressed the peasants. Famine and drought made the situation more critical. Then came the sahukar money lenders, who purposely tookadvantageof the situation. Against loans, the sahukars demanded control over the produce.The cotton cultivators, like us of Deccan revolted against this. We attacked the sahukars and burnt all their documents. The revolt took intense form in Ahmednagar and Pune districts. The revolt was termed as the ‘Deccan riots’ which lasted from the May to September, 1875.
Also See: Chapter 3 Establishing the Colonial Authority Solution