Month: May 2022

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

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JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

JAC Class 8th Civics Understanding Secularism InText Questions and Answers

Page 19

Question 1.
Re-read the introduction to this chapter. Why do you think retaliation is not the proper response to this problem? What would happen if different groups followed this path?
Answer:
Retaliation is not the proper response to this problem because it generates lots of negative effects in the society. The security of the nation would break if different groups follow this way.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Page 20.

Question 2.
Discuss in class: Can there be different views within the same religion?
Answer:
Yes, there can be different views within the same religion. Can discuss with examples in the class answer given by the teacher.

Page 22

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism 1

Answer:
The teacher answered that the school declares holidays on the occasions of national festivals and no religious ceremony is organized in the school. This is not done because we can not give importance to only one festival or religion. Though people are free to celebrate there festivals on their own way.

Question 4.
Government schools often have students from different religious backgrounds. Re-read the three objectives of a secular State and write two sentences on why it is important that government schools do not promote any one religion?
Answer:
It is important that government schools do not promote any one religion because if the government itself does not follow the rules in the Constitution, a nonnal citizen will also not understand the importance of following it. Also, it results in the discrimination between the students belonging to different religious backgrounds.

Page 25

Question 5 .
Can you think of a recent incident, from any part of India, in which the secular ideals of the Constitution were violated and persons were persecuted and killed because of their religious backgrounds?
Answer:
Students can do it on their own with the help of journals, old newspaper and internet.
Hint:
Communal riots in 2002 where there is a clear violation of secular ideas of the constitution).

JAC Class 8th Civics Understanding Secularism Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
List the different types of religious practice that you find ¡n your neighbourhood. This could be different forms of prayer, worship of ditTerent gods, sacred sites, different kinds of religious music and singing, etc. Does this indicate freedom of religious practice’?
Answer:
The different types of religious practices that we can see in our neighbourhood are as follows:

  1. Hindus visit Temple. They perform puja and worship the idols of their Gods and Goddesses. They do kirtans, satsang, jagran and yagna.
  2. Muslims visit mosque and worship their sacred book the Question uran. They offer namaaz.
  3. Sikhs visit Gurudwara. worship their sacred book Guru Granth Sahib by offering prayers and listening to shabad-kirtan.
  4. Christians visit Church and worship Jesus Christ. They sing carols. Yes, this indicates freedom of religious practice as the people in India have the freedom to practice the religion of their choice while living together in peace and harmony.

Question 2.
Will the government intervene if some religious group says that their religion allows them to practise infanticide? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, the Government will intervene if some religious group says that their religion allows them to practice infanticide. Infanticide involves the killing of an infant (a small child) which is clearly a cruel and harsh crime. This practice violates the human right ‘Right to Life’.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 3.
Complete the followig table:

Objective One religious community does not dominate another.
Why is this important? The State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals.
Example of a violation of this objective That some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community.

Answer:

Objective Why is this important? Example of a violation of this objective
One religious community does not dominate another. This is important for maintain peace and harmony in the country. A hindu religious procession was not allowed to cross the roads passing through the mosque.
The State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals. This is important to uphold the ideals of a democratic nation which gives freedom to citizens to follow any religion. Demolition of Babri Masjid Lower caste people are discouraged to enter the temple.
That some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community. This is important to establish the sense of equality. Example of a violation of this objective

Question 4.
Look up the annual calendar of holidays of your school. How many of them pertain to different religions? What does this indicate?
Answer:
The annual calendar of our school marks several holidays that pertain to different religions. Various festivals for which holidays are declared are mentioned below:

Religion Holidays
Hindu festivals Diwali, Holi, Dussehra, Shivratri, Ram Navmi
Muslim festivals Id-ul-zuha, Id-ul-fitar, Muharram
Sikh festivals Gum Nanak Jayanti. Gum Gobind Singh Jayanti, Vaisakhi, Lohri
Christian festivals Christmas, Good Friday

This clearly proves that India is a secular country and here all the religions are equally respected.

Question 5.
Find out some examples of different views within the same religion.
Answer:
Many religions in our country are further divided into groups and communities that hold opinions differing from each other. Some examples of such groups and communities existing within the same religion are given below:

  1. In Hindu religion, there are hundreds of gods and goddesses that are worshipped by different groups of people and in different forms.
  2. Jains are divided into Shwetambar and Digambar.
  3. Muslims are divided into Shias and Sunnis.
  4. Buddhist followers are divided into Mahayana and Hinayana.

Question 6.
The Indian State both keeps away from religion as well as intervenes in religion. This idea can be quite confusing. Discuss this once again in class using examples from the chapter as well as those that you might have come up with.
Answer:
The Indian state both keeps away from religion, as well as intervenes in religion. The central as well as state governments declare holidays on the occasions of festivals belonging to different religions, but no religious function is celebrated by any of the governments. People of the country are free to celebrate these religious festivals in their own way. However, the Indian state comes to intervene only if any religious practice disturbs the peace and harmony of the country. If some section of the people belonging to the same religion are denied the right to enter their place of worship then the state can intervene to resolve the issue and help the deprived section regain its rights.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 7.
This poster alongside highlights the need for ‘Peace’. It says, “Peace is a never-ending process…. It cannot ignore our differences or overlook our common interests.” Write in your own words what you think the above sentences are trying to convey? How does it relate to the need for religious tolerance?
JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism 2
This chapter had three drawings on religious tolerance made by students of your age. Design your own poster on religious tolerance for your peers.
Answer:
This poster gives us a message for the establishment of peace and harmony. It clarifies that peace is a long-cherished process and we cannot ignore the differences or interests. Only after establishing a coordination between the common interests, peace can be maintained. It relates to the religious tolerance because it is the most sensitive issue. Students need to do this part on their own as they have to draw posters on religious tolerance.

JAC Class 8th Civics Understanding Secularism Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Only a secular State can realise its objectives to ensure the following which is according to the Constitution:
(a) One religious community does not dominate another.
(b) Some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community.
(c) The State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals.
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

Question 2.
Secularism is important because
(a) Acts of discrimination take place more easily when one religion is given official recognition by the State at the expense of other religions.
(b) Acts of discrimination does not take place more easily when one religion is given official recognition by the other countries at the expense of other religions.
(c) Acts of discrimination take place more easily when one religion is not given official recognition by the State at the expense of other religions.
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Acts of discrimination take place more easily when one religion is given official recognition by the State at the expense of other religions.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 3.
India follows a strategy of non interference because:
(a) For faster economic development of the country.
(b) To achieve objectives of a truly religious State.
(c) To achieve objectives of a secular State.
(d) All of these
Answer:
(c) To achieve objectives of a secular State.

Question 4.
The term secularism refers to the separation between the power of and the power of the State.
(a) law
(b) religion
(c) science
(d) colonisation
Answer:
(b) religion

Question 5.
Everyone should wear helmets while riding a two-wheeler but Sikh people are not wearing helmets because
(a) Pagri (turban) protects person’s head equal to helmet.
(b) the Indian State recognises that wearing a pagri (turban) is central to a Sikh religious practice and inorder not to interfere with this, allows an exception in the law.
(c) the Indian State recognises that wearing a pagri (turban) is in fashion to a Sikh religious practice and in order not to interfere with this, allows an exception in the law.
(d) All of these
Answer:
(b) the Indian State recognises that wearing a pagri (turban) is central to a Sikh religious practice and inorder not to interfere with this, allows an exception in the law.

Question 6.
Untouch ability is an old age practice of……..
(a) Islam
(b) Sikhism
(c) Hinduism
(d) Buddhism
Answer:
(c) Hinduism

Question 7.
………….. can not be done in government schools.
(a) Celebrate religious festivals
(b) Celebrate national festivals
(c) Sing the national song
(d) All of these
Answer:
(a) Celebrate religious festivals

Question 8.
………is not in Indian Constitution.
(a) Fundamental Rights
(b) Reservations
(c) Equality
(d) Discrimination
Answer:
(d) Discrimination

Question 9.
During Hitler’s rule, in Germany.
(a) assassination of Mahatma Gandhi
(b) killing of Jews
(c) end of World War
(d) none of these
Answer:
(b) killing of Jews

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 10.
Majority of the population of Israel is ……
(a) Jewish
(b) Muslim
(c) Christian
(d) Buddhism
Answer:
(a) Jewish

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you understand by ‘freedom to interpret’?
Answer:
‘Freedom to interpret’ means an individual’s liberty to develop his own understanding and meaning of the religious teachings.

Question 2.
What do you mean by the concept of ‘principled distance’?
Answer:
The concept of ‘principled distance’ means that any interference in religion by the State has to be based on the ideals laid out in the Constitution.

Question 3.
How are non-Muslims treated in Saudi Arabia?
Answer:
In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not allowed to build a temple, church, etc., nor can they gather in a public place for prayers.

Question 4.
Define the word ‘establishment’.
Answer:
The word ‘establishment’ means that the legislature cannot declare any religion as the official religion. Nor can they give preference to one religion.

Question 5.
State the most important aspect of secularism.
Answer:
The most important aspect of secularism is its separation of religion from State power. This is important for a country to function democratically.

Question 6.
List the former French colonies.
Answer:
The former French colonies are Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 7.
Can anyone criticize the unpopular laws? If yes, by which medium?
Answer:
Yes, anyone criticize the unpopular laws. The medium can be newspaper, journals, social media, Television, etc.

Question 8.
What do you mean by controversial law?
Answer:
A law when it supports a group or community or disregard a group or community is called as a controversial law.

Question 9.
What do you mean by coercion?
Answer:
Coercion is a process in which we the people make other people do something forcefully or oppressing them with power.

Question 10.
Define majority.
Answer:
The people who are more in number in a fixed geographical area or in a fixed demography is known as majority.

Question 11.
When does a Bill become an Act?
Answer:
A Bill becomes an Act after the assent of the President.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What provision has been made by the government to follow religious equality in government spaces, schools and offices?
Answer:
In India, government spaces like law courts, police stations, government schools and offices are not supposed to display or promote any one religion. Government schools cannot promote any one religion either in their morning prayers or through religious celebrations.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 2.
How the act of discrimination took place?
Answer:
The act of discrimination takes place when members of one religious community either oppress, ill-treat or discriminate against members of other religious communities. These occurs more easily when one religion is given official recognition by the State at the expense of other religions.

Question 3.
For what reason government schools are not allowed to celebrate religious festival?
Answer:
Government schools are not allowed to celebrate religious festival because the celebration would be a violation of the government’s policy of treating all religions equally. Government schools cannot promote any one religion either in their morning prayers or through religious celebrations.

Question 4.
What is secularism in Indian context?
Answer:
Secularism refers to the separation of religion from the State. The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices as they interpret these ideas. In keeping with this idea of religious freedom for all, India had adopted a strategy of separating the . power of religion and the power of the State.

Question 5.
When was law passed by French government banning religious symbols in school? What was its impact?
Answer:
In February 2004, France passed a law banning students from wearing any conspicuous religious or political signs or symbols such as the Islamic headscarf, the Jewish skullcap, or large Christian crosses. This law has encountered a lot of resistance from immigrants who are mainly from the former French colonies of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Question 6.
How does the Indian constitution ensure its objectives of secular state?
Answer:
The Indian Constitution ensures its objectives of a secular state in the following manner:

  1. One religious community does not dominate another.
  2. Some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community.
  3. State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals.

Question 7.
With the help of a situation prove that the Indian secular state can intervene to prevent the religious domination concerning different groups of the same religion.
Answer:
Where members of the same religion, the upper-caste Hindus dominate other members the lower castes within it. In order to prevent this religion-based and excludes and that violates the Fundamental Rights of people who are citizens of this country. exclusion and discrimination of lower castes, the Indian Constitution banned untouchability. In this situation, the State is intervening in religion in order to end a social practice that it believes discriminates and excludes that violates the Fundamental Rights of lower castes who are citizens of the country.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 8.
State Article 17 in the Right to Equality, in the Indian constitution.
Answer:
Article 17 in the Right to Equality is related to the ‘Abolition of Untouchability’ in the Indian constitution.
It states that ‘Untouchability’ is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden. The enforcement of any disability rising out of Untouchability shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.”

Question 9.
In which way the different laws are made by the government?
Answer:
When the government feels the necessity to implement certain rules and regulations inside the country for the people, it derives a law and passes it in both the parliament houses. Finally with the assent and approval from the President this becomes the law and act as a force.

Question 10.
What do you understand by Indian Secularism.
Answer:
India Secularism can be understood by the following ways:
(i) Here, one religion community does not dominate the other religion community.
(ii) Some groups of religious community does not dominate the another group of same religious community.
(iii) The States provides security to every religious community and does not imposes their own religion to other community.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
How does the Indian state work to prevent domination of the majority religious group?
Answer:
The Indian State works in various ways to prevent the domination of the majority religious groups in the following manner:

(i) First, it uses a strategy of distancing itself from religion. The Indian State is not ruled by a religious group and nor does it support any one religion. In India, government spaces like law courts, police stations, government schools and offices are not supposed to display or promote any one religion.

(ii) Secondly, Indian secularism works to prevent the above domination is through a strategy of non¬interference. This means that in order to respect the sentiments and give respect to all religions and not interfere with religious practices, the State makes certain exceptions for particular religious communities.

(iii) Third, Indian secularism works to prevent the domination listed earlier is through a strategy of intervention. The State intervenes in religion in order to end a social practice that it believes discriminates and excludes and that violates the Fundamental Rights of people who are citizens of this country.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 2 Understanding Secularism

Question 2.
Explain the Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005.
Answer:
The Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005 was enacted to remove gender discriminatory provisions in the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. According to the Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005 sons, daughters and their mothers can get an equal share of family property after the death of their father. Before this act, only the son of the family was eligible to inherit the property of his father.

There were several cases in front of the court of law regarding the discrimination taking places in families ‘ for the properties of their father. To tackle this gender discrimination and biasedness, the government brought the Hindu Succession Amendment Act, 2005. This was applied on all the religions – Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists. This Act enabled comprehensive system of inheritance without any sort of discrimination.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

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JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

JAC Class 8th Civics The Indian Constitution InText Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Discuss with your teacher what you understand by the term ‘constitutive’. Provide one example of ‘constitutive rules’ from your everyday life.
Answer:
Students need to attempt it on their own (with the help of their teacher).
Hint:
Constitutive means fundamental.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Question 2.
Why did the people of Nepal want a new Constitution?
Answer:
The people of Nepal wanted a new Constitution because the country got a new democratic government and they were free from monarch rule. Hence, they need to change all its constitutive rules to make a new country for the people of Nepal.

Page 7

Question 3.
In what way is the class monitor misusing his power?
Answer:
The class monitor made false complains about Anil to the teacher. In this way, he was misusing his power. Though Anil did not do anything but the class monitor convinced the teacher that Anil was not obeying him and was talking loudly in the absence of teacher. When the teacher heard this, she was angry • with Anil and didn’t listen to Anil and scolded and punished him.

Question 4.
In which of the following situations is a minister misusing his power:
(a) refuses to sanction a project of his ministry for sound technical reasons;
(b) threatens to send his security staff to rough up his neighbour;
(c) calls up the police station asking them not to register a complaint that is likely to be filed against his relative.
Answer:
A minister misusing his power in thefollowing situations:
(b) threatens to send his security staff to rough up his neighbour;
(c) calls up the police station asking them not to register a complaint that is likely to be filed against his relative.

Page 8

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution 2

Question 5.
Who is in a minority in the above storyboard? In what way is this minority being dominated by the decision taken by the majority?
Answer:
In the above storyboard, girls are in a minority. The minority are being dominated by the majority as they imposed their wish. Hence, girls have to do what the boys want.

Page 9

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution 3

Question 6.
Why was Shabnam happy that she had not watched TV? What would you have done in a similar situation?
Answer:
Shabnam was happy that she had not watched TV because instead of watching her favoutite show, she revised her 2 chapters for the test. As a result, she performed well in the rest as most of the questions came from that 2 chapters only.
If I would have been in Shabnam’s place, I would have done the same.

Page 13

Question 7.
Discuss the difference between State and Government with your teacher.
Answer:

State Government
The state refers to the political institution that represents a sovereign people who occupied a definite area. Such as the different states of India. It is responsible for administering and enforcing law in the whole  country. It can change with elections.

Question 8.
Which Fundamental Rights will the following situations violate:
(a) If a 13-year-old child is working in a factory manufacturing carpets.
(b) If a politician in one state decides to not allow labourers from other states to work in his state.
(c) If a group of people are not given permission to open a Telugu- medium school in Kerala.
(d) If the government decides not to promote an officer of the armed forces for being a woman.
Answer:
Fundamental Rights that violate the situations:
(a) Right against Exploitation
(b) Right o Freedom
(c) Cultural and Educational Rights
(d) Right to Equality.

Page 15

Question 9.
The Constitution also mentions Fundamental Duties. Find out with the help of your teacher what these include and why it is important for citizens in a democracy to observe these.
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own with the help of teacher.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Question 10.
Illustrate each of the 11 Fundamental Duties with drawings, pictures, poems or songs and discuss them in the classroom.
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own.

JAC Class 8th Civics The Indian Constitution Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why does a democratic country need a Constitution?
Answer:
A democratic country needs a Constitution because of the following reasons:

  1. Constitution lays out certain ideals that form the basis of the kind of country that we as citizens aspire to live in.
  2. It lays out all important instructions and regulations that govern decision making within different societies of the country.
  3. Constitution provides as a strength of rules and principles as the basis of the way in which people want their country to be governed.
  4. It presents rules and regulations to safeguard the interests of minorities and prevent them from being dominated by the majority section.
  5. It also lays down certain directives based on which people belonging to different religions and communities can co-exist in harmony.
  6. It provides rules that guard against this misuse of authority by our political leaders.
  7. It also provides certain fundamental rights to its citizens and protects their freedom.

Question 2.
Look at the wordings of the two documents given below. The first column is from the 1990 Nepal Constitution. The second column is from the more recent Constitution of Nepal.

1990 Constitution of Nepal Part 7: Executive 2015 Constitution of’ Nepal Part 7: Federal Executive
Article 35: Executive Power: The executive power of the Kingdom of Nepal shall be vested in His Majesty and the Council of Ministers. Article 75: Executive Power: The executive power of Nepal shall, pursuant to this Constitution and law, be vested in the Council of Ministers

What is the difference in who exercises ‘Executive Power’ in the above two Constitutions of Nepal?
Answer:
The difference in exercises ‘Executive Power’ in the above two Constitutions of Nepal are:

1990 Constitution of Nepal Part 7: Executive 2015 Constitution of’ Nepal Part 7: Federal Executive
Article 35 of the 1990 Constitution of Nepal states that the whole powers to rule the country is vested in the king of the country and the ministers appointed under him. Article 75 of the 2015 Constitution of Nepal states that the rules and management of the country will be based on the laws mentioned in the Constitution of the country under the supervision of the council of ministers.

Question 3.
What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives?
Answer:
If there are no restrictions on the power of the elected representatives then the leaders might misuse their powers and authority. The outcome would have emerged as injustice against the people of the country. Therefore, the Indian constitution has provided certain guidelines to safeguard the country against such misuse of power by our political leaders.

Question 4.
In each of the following situations, identify the minority. Write one reason why you think it is important to respect the views of the minority in each of these situations.
(a) In a school with 30 teachers, 20 of them are male.
(b) In a city, 5 per cent of the population are Buddhists.
(c) In a factory mess for all employees, 80 per cent are vegetarians.
(d) In a class of 50 students, 40 belong to more well-off families.
Answer:
The minorities are:
(a) Female teachers :
The 10 female teachers teaching in the school come under the minority category. It is important to respect the views of the minority so that they do not feel underpowered by the majority. They also contribute to the standard of teacher.

(b) Buddhists:
Buddhist population are in minority and their views should be respected. People should be careful while taking any decision for the interest of the majority as it should not hurt the religious feelings or beliefs of the Buddhist population.

(c) Non-Vegetarians:
20 percent of non-vegetarians are minority. In the factory mess, it is important that the food prepared must be prepared to fulfill the diet requirements of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

(d) Not from well-off families – The 10 students come under the minority category who do not belong to well- off families. It is important to respect their views as they are also equal to others and there should be no kind of discrimination based on the financial backgrounds of students in the class.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Question 5.
The column on the left lists some of the key features of the Indian Constitution. In the other column write two sentences, in your own words, on why you think this feature is important:

Key Features                          Significance
Federalism
Separation of Powers
Fundamental Rights
Parliamentary Form of Government

 

Key Features Significance
Federalism Both Center and states have their respective powers and cooperate with each other keeping in view the integrity and unity of the nation.
Separation of Powers Separate powers are given to legislatives, executives
Fundamental Rights Rights are given to all citizens without any discrimination for their development on the basis of caste, creed, religion or sex.
Parliamentary Form Parliament has two wings – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. A bill becomes an act after passing from both the wings and consented by the President of India. To be a member of Lok Sabha, every citizen can contest an election and had to win it.

Question 6.
Write down the names of the Indian States, which share borders with the following neighbouring nations:
(a) Bangladesh
(b) Bhutan
(c) Nepal
JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution 4
Answer:
Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, West Bengal, Assam, are the Indian states, shared boarders with Bangladesh. Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, share boarder with Bhutan. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, West Bengal share boarder with Nepal.

JAC Class 8th Civics The Indian Constitution Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Question 

Question 1.
On which date the Indian Constitution came into effect?
(a) On 26 November 1949
(b) On 26 January 1950
(c) On 26 September 1949
(d) On 26 March 1950
Answer:
(b) On 26 January 1950

Question 2.
The important fundamental rights to Equality is mentioned in of the constitution?
(a) Article 14-18
(b) Article 29-30
(c) Article 23-24
(d) Article 19-22
Answer:
(a) Article 14-18

Question 3.
Which one of the following is not a key feature of the Indian Constitution?
(a) Separation of Power
(b) Presidential form of Government
(c) Secularism
(d) Federalism
Answer:
(b) Presidential form of Government

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Question 4.
Fundamental rights refer to:
(a) The list of subjects of the state government.
(b) The list of subjects of both the state and central governments.
(c) The list of subjects of the central government.
(d) The basic rights which are granted to citizens for the holistic growth of the individuals.
Answer:
(d) The basic rights which are granted to citizens for the holistic growth of the individuals.

Question 5.
The fundamental right that guarantees the citizens the right to practise and propagate the religion they desire is
(a) Freedom of Belief
(b) Freedom of Faith
(c) Freedom of Religion
(d) Freedom of Caste
Answer:
(c) Freedom of Religion

Question 6.
……….was the President of the Constituent Assembly.
(a) Mahatma Gandhi
(b) Lala Fajpat Rai
(c) Jawaharlal Nehru
(d) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Answer:
(d) Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Question 7.
Dr B.R. Ambedkar is the……..
(a) Father of the Indian Constitution
(b) Father Of the Nation
(c) Nation’s pride
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Father of the Indian Constitution

Question 8.
Answer:
…….. is the third tier of Government in India.
(a) State Government
(b) Municipal Government
(c) Panchayati Raj
(d) Central Government
Answer:
(c) Panchayati Raj

Question 9.
The monarchy system was in……. till 2006.
(a) Bhutan (b) Sri Lanka
(c) Burma
(d) Nepal
Answer:
(d) Nepal

Question 10.
……. was/were the member/s of the Constituent Assembly.
(a) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(b) Jawaharlal Nehru
(c) AKAyyar
(d) A11 of these
Answer:
(d) Nepal

Very Short Answer Type Question 

Question 1.
Name the Father of the Indian Constitution.
Answer:
Dr B.R. Ambedkar is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution.

Question 2.
In Nepal, when did the Interim Constitution come into effect?
Answer:
In Nepal, the Interim Constitution came into effect from January 15, 2007.

Question 3.
What do you mean by monarchy?
Answer:
A form of government in which final authority and power are rested with the King is known as monarchy.

Question 4.
What do you mean by a ‘State’?
Answer:
A political institution that represents a sovereign people who occupy a definite territory is known as a ‘State’.

Question 5.
What is universal adult franchise?
Answer:
Universal Adult Franchise means that the right to vote should be given to all adult citizens without the discrimination of caste, class, colour, religion or gender.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Question 6.
How does the Indian Constitution protect minority rights?
Answer:
The Constitution usually contains rules and regulations that ensure that minorities are included in everything that is routinely available to the majority.

Question 7.
State any three provisions made in the Constitution to prevent exploitation.
Answer:
Three provisions made in the Constitution to prevent exploitation are as follows:

  1. prohibits human trafficking,
  2. forced labour,
  3. employment of children under 14 years of age.

Question 8.
What do you mean by Right to Constitutional Remedies?
Answer:
Right to Constitutional Remedies means that this allows citizens to move to the court if they believe that any of their Fundamental Rights have been violated by the State.

Question 9.
What do you mean by Right to Freedom of Religion?
Answer:
Right to Freedom of Religion means religious freedom is provided to all citizens. Every person has the right to practice, profess and propagate the religion of their choice.

Question 10.
Write in brief on Cultural and Educational Rights.
Answer:
Cultural and Educational Rights means the Constitution states that all minorities, religious or linguistic can set up their own educational institutions in order to preserve and develop their own culture.

short answer type questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by tyranny of majority?
Answer:
Tyranny of the majority refers to unhealthy situations where a majority continuously enforces decisions that exclude minorities and go against their interests. Every society is prone to this tyranny of the majority. The Constitution usually contains rules that ensure that minorities are not excluded from anything that is routinely available to the majority. Constitution is precisely prevent this tyranny or domination by the majority of a minority.

Question 2.
What are the functions of the three main organs of the government?
Answer:
Three main organs are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The functions of these three main organs of government are:

  1. The basic function of Legislative body is to make laws, introduce new legislation in the Parliament or State Assembly and the members of these bodies are directly elected by the citizens for Lower Houses and indirectly in the case of Upper Houses.
  2. The Executive body has the duty to execute and implement the laws & legislation laid out the legislative body and the duty lie with Chief Minister of a State and Prime Minister of India, both represent executive organ of State and Union respectively.
  3. However, since some laws and legislation made needs to be interpreted as well, then in that situation Judiciary has its jurisdiction, highest court in India is Supreme Court, state highest court is High Court and rest are District Courts.

Question 3.
What are the factors the drafting committee had to take into consideration while drafting the constitution?
Answer:
The country was made up of several different communities who spoke different languages, belonged to different religions and had distinct cultures and traditions. Also, when the Constitution was being written, India was going through considerable turmoil. The partition of the country into India and Pakistan was imminent, some of the Princely States remained undecided about their future, and the socio-economic condition of the vast mass of people appeared dismal. All of these issues played on the minds of the members of the Constituent Assembly as they drafted the Constitution.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Question 4.
What is the importance of constitution?
Answer:
Importance of constitution:

  1. A Constitution helps serve as a set of rules and principles that all persons in a country can agree upon as the basis of the way in which they want the country to be governed.
  2. The Constitution often lays down rules that guard against this misuse of authority by our political leaders.
  3. Constitution ensures that a dominant group does not use its power against other, less powerful people or groups.
  4. The Constitution helps to protect us against certain decisions that we might take that could have an adverse effect on the larger principles that the country believes in.

Question 5.
How constitution of India is formed?
Answer:
The long experience of authoritarian rule under the colonial state convinced Indians that free India should be a democratic country in which everyone should be treated equally and be allowed to participate in government. To work out the ways in which a democratic government would be set up in India and the rules that would determine its functioning was being planned. This was done not by one person but by a group of around 300 people who became members of the Constituent Assembly in 1946 and who met periodically for the next three years to write India’s Constitution. Between December 1946 and November 1949, the Constituent Assembly drafted a constitution for independent India.

Question 6.
What do you mean by the legislature, the executive and the judiciary?
Answer:
The legislature refers to our elected representatives. The executive is a smaller group of people who are responsible for implementing laws and running the government. The judiciary refers to the system of courts in this country.

Question 7.
What were the important points of the text prepared by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, who was the Chairman of the constitution drafting committee? The Answer:
important points of the text prepared by Dr. Ambedkar are:

  1. Constitutional guarantees and protections for individual citizens
  2. Freedom of religion
  3. Abolition of untouchability
  4. Outlawing of all forms of discrimination
  5. Economic and social rights for women
  6. Reservations of jobs in the civil services, schools and colleges for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Question 8.
What do you think are the negative things of a democratic society?
Answer:
The negative things in a democratic society is that power can be misused. Sometimes the majority can suppress the minority. The citizens need certain rules to save themselves from folly.

Question 9.
Define the term Constitution.
Answer:
In large societies in which different communities of people live together, the rules are formulated through consensus, and in modem countries this consensus is usually available in written form. A written document in which we find such rules is called a Constitution.

Question 10.
What did Dr Ambedkar state about scheduled caste?
Answer:
Dr. Ambedkar stated about scheduled caste that although the laws might exist, scheduled castes still had reason to fear because the administration of these laws were in the hands of ‘caste Hindu officers’. Therefore, he urged scheduled castes to join the government as well as the civil services.

Long Answer Type Question 

Question 1.
Describe in detail the various features of Indian constitution.
Answer:
The various features of Indian Constitution are as follows:
Federalism:
Federalism refers to the existence of more than one level of government in the country. In India, we have governments at the state level, at the center and Panchayati Raj is the third tier of government.

Parliamentary Form of Government: The different tiers of government consist of representatives and authorities who are elected by the people. The constitution of Indian guarantees universal adult franchise for all citizens. This means that the people of India have a direct role in electing their leaders or representatives. Apart from this, every citizen of the country, irrespective of his/ her social background, can also contest j- in elections. These representatives are accountable to the people.

Separation of Powers:
According to the Constitution, there are three organs of government. They are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. In order to prevent the misuse of power by any one branch of government, the Constitution says that each of these organs should exercise different powers.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Civics Chapter 1 The Indian Constitution

Fundamental Rights:
The section on Fundamental Rights has often been referred to as the ‘conscience’ of the Indian Constitution. Fundamental Rights protect citizens against the arbitrary and absolute exercise of power by the State. The Constitution guarantees the rights of individuals against the State as well as against other individuals. The Constitution also guarantees the rights of minorities against the majority.

The Constitution also has a section called Directive Principles of State Policy. This section was designed by the members of the Constituent Assembly to ensure greater social and economic reforms and to serve as a guide to the independent Indian State to institute laws and policies that help reduce the poverty of the masses.

Secularism:
A secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as the state religion.

Question 2.
Describe briefly on the struggle for freedom in Nepal.
Answer:
Nepal has witnessed several people’s struggles for freedom and democracy. There was a people’s struggle in 1990 that established democracy which lasted for 12 years until 2002. In October 2002, King Gyanendra, citing the Maoist uprising in the countryside as his reason, began taking over different aspects of the government with the army’s assistance. The King then finally took over as the head of government in February 2005. In November 2005, the Maoists joined other political parties to sign a 12-point agreement. This agreement signalled to the larger public an imminent return to democracy and peace. In 2006, this people’s movement for democracy began gaining immense force. It repeatedly refused the small concessions that the King made and finally in April 2006 the King restored the Third Parliament and asked the political parties to form a government. In 2007, Nepal adopted an Interim Constitution.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 6 Human Resource

by

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 6 Human Resource

JAC Class 8th Geography Human Resource InText Questions and Answers

Page 63

Question 1.
Study Fig. 6.1 and find out of the world’s total population which continent has: Of every 100 people in the world…
JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 6 Human Resource 1
(a) only 5 per cent
(b) only 13 per cent
(c) only 1 per cent
(d) only 12 per cent
Answer:
(a) North America
(b) Africa
(c) Ocenia (Australia, New Zealand, Pacific islands)
(d) Europe

Page 64

Question 2.
Look at Fig 6.2 and find out: of these countries how many are in Asia? Colour them on a world map.
JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 6 Human Resource 2
Answer:
There are 7 countries in Asia Japan, Russia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, India and China. On a world map, students need to colour on their own.

Page 67

Question 3.
Every human being is potential resource for the society. What will be your contribution as a human resource?
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own.

JAC Class 8th Geography Human Resource Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 2.

(i) Which does the term population distribution refer to?
(a) How population in a specified area changes over time.
(b) The number of people who die in relation to the number of people born in a specified area.
(c) The way in which people are spread across a given area.
Answer:
(c) The way in which people are spread across a given area.

(ii) Which are three main factors that cause population change?
(a) Births, deaths and marriage
(b) Births, deaths and migration
(c) Births, deaths and life expectancy
Answer:
(b) Births, deaths and migration

(iii) In 1999, the world population reached
(a) 1 billion
(b) 3 billion
(c) 6 billion
Answer:
(c) 6 billion

(iv) What is a population pyramid?
(a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.
(b) When the population density of an area is so high that people live in tali buildings.
(c) Pattern of population distribution in large urban areas.
Answer:
(a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.

Question 3.
Complete the sentences below using some of the following words:
sparsely, favourable, fallow, artificial, fertile, natural, extreme, densely When people are attracted to an area it becomes populated Factors that influence this include climate; good supplies of resources and land.
Answer:
When people are attracted to an area it becomes ..densely., populated Factors that influence this include ..favourable., climate; good supplies of …natural… resources and …fertile… land.

Question 4.
Activity
Discuss the characteristics of a society with ‘too many under 15s’ and one with ‘too few under 15s’.
Hint:
need for schools; pension schemes, teachers, toys, wheel chairs, labour supply, hospitals.
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own.

JAC Class 8th Geography Human Resource Important Questions and Answer

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
When was the Ministry of Human Resources Development created to help the people of India to be healthy, educated and happy?
(a) 1990
(b) 1980
(c) 1995
(d) 1985
Answer:
(d) 1985

Question 2.
More than 90 per cent of world’s population lives on about per cent of the land surface.
(a) 30
(b) 20
(c) 10
(d) 40
Answer:
(c) 10

Question 3.
Population……..is the number of people living in a unit area of the earth’s surface. India has 382 people per square per kilometer whereas the world’s average is 14 only.
(a) density
(b) pyramid
(c) distribution
(d) number
Answer:
(a) density

Question 4.
The difference between emigrant and immigrant is:
(a) An emigrant is a person leaving her home country and an immigrant is a person leaving his home country.
(b) An emigrant is a person leaving her home country and an immigrant is a person entering a new country.
(c) An immigrant is a person leaving her home country and an emigrant is a person entering a new country.
(d) None of these
Answer:
(b) An emigrant is a person leaving her home country and an immigrant is a person entering a new country.

Question 5.
The main factors that brings a population change of an area are
(a) births, deaths, migration.
(b) births, deaths, style.
(c) births, deaths, religion.
(d) births, deaths, climate.
Answer:
(a) births, deaths, migration.

Question 6.
The least number of people live in the………continent.
(a) Africa
(b) Asia
(c) Antarctica
(d) Europe
Answer:
(c) Antarctica

Question 7.
The most populated continent is …….
(a) North America
(c) South America
(b) Asia
(d) None of these
Answer:
(b) Asia

Question 8. According to population, India’s rank in the world is…….
(a) first
(b) second
(c) third
(d) fourth
(d) none of these
Answer:
(b) second

Question 9.
Human resources differ from one another in respect of………
(a) education level
(b) sex
(c) age
(d) all of these
Answer:
(d) all of these

Question 10.
The method and way in which people are spread across the surface of the earth is called as the pattern of population.
(a) distribution
(b) density
(c) pyramid
(d) none of these
Answer:
(a) distribution

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by birth rate and death rate?
Answer:
The number of live births per 1000 persons is known as birth rate. The number of deaths per 1000 persons is known as death rate.

Question 2.
Which country has experienced a loss in population due to emigration?
Answer:
Sudan is the country which has experienced a loss in population due to emigration.

Question 3.
What is the percentage of the world’s population who lives in about 10% of the land surface?
Answer:
The world’s population who lives in about 10% of the land surface is 90 per cent.

Question 4.
Why is population growth slowing in United Kingdom?
Answer:
In United Kingdom, population growth is slowing because of both low birth and death rates.

Question 5.
What do you mean by life expectancy?
Answer:
The number of years that an average person can expect to live is known as the life expectancy.

Question 6.
What is called as the pattern of population distribution?
Answer:
The way in which people are spread across the earth surface is called the pattern of population distribution.

Question 7.
What do you understand by population density?
Answer:
By population density we understand that it is the number of people living in a unit area of the earth’s surface. It is normally expressed as per square km.

Question 8.
People migrate from rural areas to urban areas. Why?
Answer:
Within countries large number of people may move from the rural areas to urban areas in search of better employment, education and health facilities.

Question 9.
Who are immigrants?
Answer:
Immigrants are those people who arrive in a country.

Question 10.
Who are emigrants?
Answer:
Emigrants are those people who leave a country.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
Distinguish between productive and dependent population.
Answer:

Productive Population Dependent Population
Population engaged in productive economic activities. Population is dependent on productive population and not engaged in any economic activities.
15-59 years of age group belongs to this category. Below 15 years and above 60 years belongs to this group.
People are economically independent. People are economically dependent.

Question 2.
What is the general movement of international migrations? Why it happens?
Answer:
The general movement of international migrations is from the less developed nations to the more developed nations in search of better employment opportunities and better living standards.

Question 3.
When was Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PKVY) started? What was the objective of this scheme?
Answer:
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PKVY) was started in 2015. Its aim was to train one crore Indian youth from 2016 to 2020. The objective of this scheme is to encourage towards employable skills by giving quality training to probable and existing wage earners.

Question 4.
What does the shape of a population pyramid of Japan point out? Answer: In countries like Japan, low birth rates make the pyramid narrow at the base. Decreased death rates allow numbers of people to reach old age.
JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 6 Human Resource 3
Answer:
Population Pyramid of Japan – The base of the pyramid is narrow. This indicates less birth rate when compared to the death rate. Since the birth rate is less, the number of children who grow into adults will also be considerably less. So, the overall population is also less.

Question 5.
Why some countries such as Kenya have high population growth rate?
Answer:
Some countries such as Kenya had high population growth rate because they have both high birth and death rates. Nowadays, with improved health care, the death rates have fallen but birth rates still remain high which leads to high growth rate.

Question 6.
What has caused the population explosion?
Answer:
In 1804, the world’s population reache(d) one billion. A hundred and fifty years later, in 1959 the world’s population reached 3 billion and it is often known as population explosion. Less than 40 years later, in 1999, the population doubled to 6 billion. The main reason for this growth was that with better food supplies and medicine, numbers of deaths were fallen down, while the number of births still remained fairly high.

Question 7.
Do you think climate affect the population distribution of an area? If yes, then how?
Answer:
Yes, I think climate affects the population distribution of an area. People usually avoid extreme climates that are very hot or very cold like Sahara desert, polar regions of Russia, Canada and Antarctica.

Question 8.
In brief write about the distribution of population.
Answer:
Distribution of population:

  1. More than 90 per cent of the world’s population lives in about 10 per cent of the land surface.
  2. The distribution of population in the world is extremely uneven. Some areas are very crowded and some are sparsely populated.
  3. Very few people live in high latitude areas, tropical deserts, high mountains and areas of equatorial forests. Many more people live north of the Equator than south of the Equator.
  4. Almost three-quarters of the world’s people live in two continents Asia and Africa.

Question 9.
Why do you think population study essential for the government?
Answer:
Population study is essential for the government because it helps to plan for the areas such as education, housing, social security, education, employment and environmental preservation and conservation.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Explain briefly the Ministry of Human Resources Development in India.
Answer:
The Ministry of Human Resources Development in India is an Indian government ministry which is responsible for the development of human resources. It has been divided into departments:

  • The Department of School Education and Literacy: it deals with primary education and literacy.
  • The Department of Higher Education: it deals with secondary and post-secondary education.

In 1910, under the British rule, the department originated as the Indian Education Department. After independence, the Ministry of Education was created in 1947. The Ministry of Education was merged with the newly created Ministry of Human Resources Development in 1985. The Ministry’s objective is to achieve universal access and enrollment, universal retention of children upto 14 years of age in school and essential and fundamental improvement in the quality of education to enable all children to achieve substantial levels of learning. Also paying special attention to disadvantaged groups such as the poor, females and the minorities.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 5 Industries

by

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 5 Industries

JAC Class 8th Geography IndustriesIn Text Questions and Answers

Page 48

Question 1.
Trace the journey of your shirt from a cotton field to your wardrobe.
Answer:
Cotton yam that is used in making cotton garments have to go through a long journey from fields to our wardrobes. The first step is naturally growing cotton in the fields which takes a long time and lot of efforts. Cotton is found in small bud like structures. During harvesting season, farmers pluck out cotton buds and separate raw cotton. The raw cotton is then spinned on a hand loom or power loom. After spinning, cotton yam is weaved to make finished cotton cloth. This cloth is used by tailors to make different garments and sold to retailers. We buy garments from retailers and that is how it reaches us.

Page 49

Question 2.
Give some examples of agro-based industries.
Answer:
Some agro-based industries are tea industry, sugar industry, textile industry, food processing industries.

Page 50

Question 3.
Find out the inputs, outputs and processes involved in the manufacture of a leather shoe.
Answer:
The inputs, outputs and processes involved in the manufacture of a leather shoe:

Input:
Raw material, labour, land cost, transportation cost, infrastmcture.

Output:
Leather shoes

Processes:
Activities to convert hide into leather, washing, cleaning, cutting into different design, sewing, polishing, packing, then out for sale in market.

Page 55

Question 4:
With the help of an atlas identify some iron and steel industries in India and mark their location on an outline map of India.
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own.

Page 58

Question 5.
Collect different types of pieces of cloth from a tailor’s shop and classify them under cotton, silk, synthetic and woolen. Find out the raw materials used in their manufacturing.
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own. Raw material cotton crop silkworm yam wool

Page 58

Question 6.
On an outline map of the world mark the places which provide raw material to cotton textile industry of Osaka.
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own.

JAC Class 8th Geography Industries Textbook Questions and Answers

Answer The Following Questions.

Question 1.

(i) What is meant by the term ‘industry’?
Answer:
The term ‘Industry’ deals with the economic activity that is concerned with production of goods, extraction of minerals or the provision of services.

(ii) Which are the main factors which influence the location of an industry?
Answer:
The main factors which influence the location of an industry are land, labour, water, power, availability of raw materials, transport and market.

(iii) Which industry is often referred to as the backbone of modern industry and why?
Answer:
Iron and steel industry is often referred to as the backbone of modem industry because most of the things are either made of iron or steel or whose products are used as raw materials for other industries.

(iv) Why cotton textile industry rapidly expanded in Mumbai?
Answer:
Cotton textile industry rapidly expanded in Mumbai because of many favourable conditions such as it has warm and moist climate, facility of port for importing machineries, availability of raw materials and skilled labour easily.

Tick the correct answer.

Question 2.

(i) Fort Gloster is located in
(a) West Bengal
(b) California
(c) Gujarat
Answer:
(a) West Bengal

(ii) Which one of the following is a natural fibre?
(a) nylon
(b) jute
(c) acryclic
Answer:
(b) jute

Distinguish between the followings.

Question 3.

(i) Agro-based and mineral based industry
Answer:

Agro-based industry Mineral based industry
Plants and animal based products are used as raw materials. Mineral ores are used as raw materials.
It provides employment mostly in rural areas. It provides employment in both mral and urban areas.
Examples: jute industry, cotton industry, diary products, etc. Examples: iron and steel industry, etc.

(ii) Public sector and joint sector industry
Answer:

Public sector industry Joint sector industry
These industries are owned and run by the government. These industries are owned and operated by the state as well as individuals.
Examples: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., BHEL, Steel Authority of India Ltd., etc. Examples: Maruti Udyog, etc.
These are managed by the workforce appointed by the government. These are managed by government as well as private employees.

Question 4.
Give two examples of the following in the space provided:
(i) Raw Materials: ………..and……….
Answer:
plants, ores.

(ii) End products:………. and………..
Answer:
Motorbikes, shoes

(iii) Tertiary Activities:……… and ………
Answer:
Banking, transport

(iv) Agro-based Industries:………… and ……
Answer:
Jute, sugar industry

(v) Cottage Industries: …… and ……
Answer:
Pottery, mats
Answer:

(vi) Co-operatives: and
Answer:
Sudha dairy, Khadi industry

Question 5.
Activity
How to identify a location for establishing an industry :
Divide your class into groups. Each group is a Board of Directors faced with the problem of choosing a suitable site for an iron and steel plant of Developed Dweep. A team of technical experts has submitted a report with notes and a map. The team considered access to iron ore, coal, water and limestone, as well as the main market, sources of labour and port facilities. The team has suggested two sites, X and Y. The Board of Directors has to take the final decision about where to locate the steel plant.

  • Read the report submitted by the team.
  • Study the map to find out the distances of the resources from each site.
  • Give each resource a ‘weight’ from 1 to 10, according to its importance. The greater the ‘pull’ of the factor on the industry the higher the weight from 1 to 10.
  • Complete the table on the next page.
  • The site with the lowest total should be the most satisfactory site.
  • Remember each group of directors can decide differently.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 5 Industries 1
Report Factors/Resources affecting the location of a proposed Iron and Steel Plant on Developed Dweep.

  • Iron ore:
    This is a very large deposit of low grade iron ore. Long distance transportation of the ore would be uneconomic.
  • Coal:
    The only coalfield contains rich deposits of high grade coal. Transportation of the coal is by railway, which is relatively cheap.
  • Limestone:
    This is widely available over the island, but the purest deposits are in the Chuna Mountains.
  • Water:
    Both the tributaries of River Neel carry sufficient water to supply a large iron and steel plant in all seasons. The sea water because of its high salt content is unsuitable.
  • Market:
    It is expected that the chief market for the Plant’s products will be the engineering works of Rajdhanipur. Transport costs for the products-mainly small steel bars and light steel plates would be relatively low.
  • Labour supply:
    This will have to be recruited mainly from the unskilled workers in the 3 fishing villages of Hill, Rah and
    Sing. It is expected that most workers will commute daily from their present homes.
  • Port facilities:
    These are at present minimal. There is a good, deep natural harbour at port Paschimpur developed to import metal alloys.
Resource Distance from X Distance from X Weighting 1-10 Distance X weight for site X Distant X weight for site Y
Iron ore
Coal
Limestone
Water
Chief market
Labour supply
Total =

Students need to do it on their own

JAC Class 8th Geography Industries Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:
The countries where the textile industries concentrated are…….. .
(a) Japan
(b) India
(c) Taiwan
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

Question 2.
Steel is widely used for industrial purposes because
(a) of ability to resist rusting.
(b) of being tough.
(c) both a and b
(d) none of these
Answer:
(c) both a and b

Question 3.
The is a mineral based industry.
(a) coffee
(b) petrochemical
(c) sugar
(d) cotton
Answer:
(b) petrochemical

Question 4.
Public sector plants market their steel through:
(a) SAIL
(b) Tata Steel
(c) TISCO
(d) HAL
Answer:
(a) SAIL

Question 5.
In India, has emerged as the ‘electronic city’.
(a) Bengaluru
(b) Mumbai
(d) Pune
Answer:
(a) Bengaluru

Question 6.
The first cement plant was setup in….. .
(a) Kolkata
(b) Chennai
(d) Delhi
Answer:
(b) Chennai

Question 7.
Silica is used as raw material in industries.
(a) steel
(b) aluminum
(c) cement
(d) none of these
A(c) cement

Question 8.
The largest producer and consumer of steel in the world is/ are
(a) India
(b) China
(c) USA
(d) both b and c
Answer:
(b) China

Question 9.
The challenge that Jute industry facein India is/are:
(a) competition from synthetic substitution.
(b) poor market price.
(c) low productivity of labour.
(d) high cost.
Answer:
(a) competition from synthetic substitution.

Question 10.
Industrial accidents usually happen due to
(a) technical failure.
(b) negligence.
(c) irresponsible handling of materials.
(d) all of these
Answer:
(d) all of these

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Which industry uses Bauxite as raw material?
Answer:
The industry which uses Bauxite as raw material is Aluminum industry.

Question 2.
Which place/city is known as the ‘Manchester of India’?
Answer:
Ahmadabad is known as the ‘Manchester of India’.

Question 3.
Where was the first textile mill in India established?
Answer:
The first textile mill in the country was established at Fort Gloster near Kolkata.

Question 4.
What are the major hubs of Information Technology industry in the world.
Answer:
The major hubs of Information Technology industry are the Silicon Valley of Central California and the Bangalore region of India.

Question 5.
In which countries iron and steel industries in the world are located?
Answer:
The countries in which iron and steel industry is located are Germany, USA, China, Japan and Russia.

Question 6.
What is the link between the mines and the industry in Pittsburgh?
Answer:
The link between mines and the industry in Pittsburgh is one of the world’s best routes for shipping ore cheaply – the famous Great Lakes waterway.

Question 7.
From where does the iron ore come to Pittsburgh?
Answer:
The iron ore come to Pittsburgh from the iron mines at Minnesota, about 1500 km from Pittsburgh.

Question 8.
What do you mean by sunrise industries? Give examples.
Answer:
Emerging industries are also known as ‘Sunrise Industries’. These industries include Information Technology, Wellness, Hospitality and Knowledge.

Question 9:
Where do we find the major industrial regions of the world?
Answer:
Major industrial regions of the world are eastern North America, western and central Europe, eastern Europe and eastern Asia.

Question 10.
In which year, the industrial disaster occurred in Bhopal?
Answer:
On 3rd December 1983, the industrial disaster occurred in Bhopal.

Short Answer Type Questions 

Question 1.
Which industries have replaced the cotton textile industry of Osaka?
Answer:
The cotton textile industry of Osaka has been replaced by other industries, such as iron and steel, machinery, ship building, automobiles, electrical equipment and cement.

Question 2.
What does industrial system composed of?
Answer:
Industrial system composed of the following things:

  • input
  • processes
  • output.

Question 3.
What do you mean by marine based industries?
Answer:
The products from sea and oceans are used as raw materials in marine based industries. Some examples of this industries are manufacturing fish oil, processing sea food.

Question 4.
List the important industrial regions of India.
Answer:
Industrial regions of India are:

  • Gurgaon-Delhi-Meerut region
  • Mumbai-Pune region
  • Ahmedabad-Baroda region
  • Chhota Nagpur region
  • Bengaluru-Tamil Nadu region
  • Vishakhapatnam-Guntur region

Question 5.
Why several textile mills close down in Ahmedabad in recent years?
Answer:
Several textile mills have closed down in Ahmedabad in recent years because of the emergence of new textile centres in the country as well as non-upgradation of machines and technology in the mills of Ahmedabad.

Question 6.
What products do industrial plants in Jamshedpur produce?
Answer:
In Jamshedpur, several other industrial plants were set up after TISCO. They produce chemicals, locomotive parts, agricultural equipment, machinery, tinplate, cable and wire.

Question 7.
Why did the cotton textile industry in India could not compete with the industries in the west initially?
Answer:
The production of handwoven cotton textile was expensive and time consuming. Hence, traditional cotton textile industry could not face the competition from the new textile mills of the West, which produced cheap and good quality fabrics.

Question 8.
List the similar points between information technology industry in Bangalore and California.
Answer:
Similar points between information technology industry in Bangalore and California are:

  1. Presence of high quality educational institutions and advanced scientific and technological centres.
  2. Availability of skilled work force.
  3. Good access to markets.
  4. Pleasant climate with an attractive and a clean environment.
  5. Well developed and well connected.

Question 9.
What do you mean by small scale industry?
Answer:
Small scale industries run on small capital and technology that produce large volumes of products such as silk weaving and food processing industries.

Question 10.
What do you mean by secondary activities?
Answer:
In secondary activities or manufacturing, raw materials are changed into products of more value to people. Such as, pulp changes into paper and paper into notebook. These steps represent the different level of manufacturing processes.

Long Answer Type Questions 

Question 1.
On the basis of ownership, industries can be classified into how many parts? Explain.
Answer:
On the basis of ownership, industries can be classified into 4 sectors. They are private sector, state owned or public sector, joint sector and cooperative sector.Private sector industries are owned and operated by individuals or a group of individuals. Examples are Reliance Industries, Adani Groups, Birla Groups, etc The public sector industries are owned and operated by the government.

Examples are Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Steel Authority of India Limited, BHEL, etc Joint sector industries are owned and operated by the state and individuals or a group of individuals. An example of joint sector industry is Maruti Udyog Limite(d) Co-operative sector industries are owned and operated by the producers orsuppliers of raw materials, workers or both. Example of co-operative venture are Anand Milk Union Limited and Sudha Dairy.

Question 2.
On the basis of raw materials, industries can be classified Explain.
Answer:
On the basis of raw materials, industries can be classified into the following industries: agro-based, mineral based, marine based and forest based Agro-based industries use plant and animal based products as their raw materials. Examples of agro-based industries are food processing, vegetable oil, cotton textile, dairy products and leather industries. Mineral based industries are primary industries that use mineral ores as their raw materials. The products of these industries feed other industries.

Example Iron made from iron ore is the product of mineral based industry and this is used as raw material for the manufacture of a number of other products, such as heavy machinery, building materials and railway coaches. Marine based industries use products from the sea and oceans as raw materials. Some examples are industries processing sea food or manufacturing fish oil. Forest based industries utilise forest produce as raw materials. The industries associated with forests are pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, furniture and buildings.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 5 Rulers and Buildings

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 5 Rulers and Buildings

→ Kings and their officers built two kinds of structures between the eighth and the eighteenth centuries: the first were forts, palaces and tombs which were safe, protected and the second were structures meant for public activity including temples, mosques, tanks, wells, caravan, sarais and bazaars. From the eighteenth century only, domestic architecture like large mansions (havelis) of merchants has survived.

→ Engineering Skills and Construction:

  • Buildings and monuments provide a deep understanding of the technologies used for construction.
  • Architects started adding more rooms, doors and windows to buildings between the seventh and tenth centuries.
  • The trabeate or corbelled style was used in the construction of temples, mosques, tombs and in buildings attached to large stepped-wells (baolis) between the eighth and thirteenth centuries.
  • From the twelfth century, two technological and stylistic developments are visible. First is the weight of the superstructure above the doors and windows was sometimes carried by arches. This architectural form was called “arcuate”. Second is, the use of Limestone cement increased in construction.
  • The temples were decorated with detailed carved structures and had shikhara as well in the early eleventh century.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 5 Rulers and Buildings

→ Building Temples, Mosques and Tanks
As temples and mosques were the places of worship hence they were beautifully constructed. They also exhibit the pow’er, wealth and devotion of the patron.
JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 5 Rulers and Buildings 1

  • Kings constructed all the largest temples. These depicted the”picture of the world they rule. On the other hand, the other lesser deities in the temples were gods and goddesses of the allies and subordinates of the ruler. The temple w’as a miniature model of the world ruled by the king and his allies.
  • There were people who did not claim to be incarnations of god and they were Muslim Sultans and Padshahs but Persian court chronicles described the Sultan as the “Shadow of God”.
    Rulers got the chance to proclaim their close relationship with God by constructing the places of worship which was important in an age of rapid political change. Rulers also offered encouragement and support to the learned and pious people.
  • Sultan Iltutmish constructed a large reservoir just outside Dehli-i Kuhna called as the Hauz-i Sultani or the “King’s Reservoir” for which he acclaimed lots of respect universally.

→ Why were Temples Targeted?

  • Temples were built by the kings to demonstrate their devotion to God and their power and wealth, hence they attacked on one another’s kingdoms and looted the temples.
  • In the early ninth century, the Pandyan king Shrimara Shrivallabha invaded Sri Lanka and defeated the king, Sena I (831-851) and seized the Buddha monasteries and all the jewels. This blowed the pride of them.
  • In the early eleventh century, when the Chola King Rajendra I built a Shiva temple in his capital. He filled it with prized statues of gods and goddesses seized from defeated rulers.
  • Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed the temples during war as the one he did was Somnath temple which was attacked many times and sacked the temple as he tried to win credit and accolades. Even Portuguese attacked the temples and mosques in 1546.

→ Gardens, Tombs and Forts:

  • Architecture became more complex under the Mughals. Babur was interested in planning and laying out formal gardens which were placed within rectangular walled enclosures and divided into four quarters by artificial channels called as Chahar Bagh.
  • During Akbar’s reign, many important architectural innovations happened. One of the important aspects of Mughal architecture which was first visible in Humayun’s tomb was the central towering dome and the tall gateway (pishtaq).
  • During Shah Jahan’s reign, we observe a huge amount of construction activity especially in Agra and Delhi. The ceremonial halls were carefully planned for public and private audience (diwan-i khas or diwan-i aam). These courts were also described as chihil sutnn or forty-pillared halls, placed within a large courtyard.
  • The Chahar Bagh garden was also known as the “river-front garden”. The Taj Mahal, the greatest architectural accomplishment of Shah Jahan’s reign also adapted the river-front garden.
  • He developed this form of architecture as a means to control the access that people had to the Yamuna river.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 5 Rulers and Buildings

→ Region and Empire:

  • Between the eighth and eighteenth centuries there was also a considerable sharing of ideas across regions due to increased construction activities, the traditions of one region were adopted by another.
  • The local rulers in Bengal had developed a roof that was designed to resemble a thatched hut. This “Bangla dome” was liked by the Mughals very much that they used it in their architecture. The impact of other regions was also evident. In Akbar’s capital at Fatehpur Sikri many of the buildings used the architectural styles of Gujarat and Malwa.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

→ In the middle age, Mughals had a very powerful empire. From the latter half of the sixteenth century till the seventeenth century, they expanded their kingdom from Agra and Delhi and controlled nearly over all the subcontinent.

→ Who were the Mughals?

  • The Mughals were the successor of the two great descent of rulers.
  • From their maternal side, they were the descendants of Genghis Khan and from their paternal side, they were the descendant of Timur. However, Mughals were proud of their Timurid ancestry. They celebrated their genealogy pictorially.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

→ Mughal Military Campaigns

  • The first Mughal emperor, Babur captured Delhi and Agra by defeating Ibrahim Lodi in the battle of Panipat in the year 1526.
  • After the death of Babur in 1530, his son Humayun became the second Mughal emperor.
  • Humayun was defeated by Sher Khan twice in Chausa (1539) and Kanauj (1540) and forced him to flee to Iran. He recaptured Delhi in 1555 with the help of Safavid Shah but died in an accident a year later.
  • At the age of 13 years, Akbar became the emperor of Delhi. He was handling
    the empire successfully as he was very competent. He seized Chittor in 1568 and Ranthambhor in 1569. He started the military campaign in Gujarat during the period 1570-1585 which was followed by the campaigns in Bihar, Bengal and Orissa. In 1605, Akbar died.
  • Jahangir became emperor in 1605, he was the son of Akbar. He continued the military campaigns started by Akbar. He campaigned against Sikhs and Ahoms. He died in the year 1627.
  • Shah Jahan continued the campaign in the Deccan. Amongst Shah Jahan’s sons there was a conflict over succession. Aurangzeb was victorious and his three brothers were killed including Dara Shukoh in Agra, Shah Jahan was imprisoned for the rest of the life. He died in the year 1666.
  • Aurangzeb succeeded the throne and one of his major campaign was against Maratha chieftain Shivaji. Initially, Aurangzeb got success but later on Shivaji became an independent king and resumed campaigns against Mughals.
  • Marathas started the guerrilla warfare hence from 1698, Aurangzeb personally managed campaigns. He also faced revolt in north India of the Jats, Sikhs and Satnamis.

→ Mughal Traditions of Succession
Mughal followed the Timurid custom of coparcenary inheritance means a division of the inheritance amongst all the sons. They didn’t believe in the rale of primogeniture or birthright, where the eldest son inherited his father’s estate.

→ Mughal Relations with Other Rulers

  • Mughal campaigned constantly against rulers who refused to accept their authority. But many rulers also joined them voluntarily as the Mughals became powerful. The Rajputs were the one who joined. Many of them married their daughters into Mughal families and received high positions. But many were against them as well like the Sisodiya Rajputs.
  • However, they were honourably treated by the Mughals even if defeated, given their lands (watan) back as assignments (watanjagir).

→ Mansabdars and Jagirdars

  • The people who joined Mughal service were enrolled as Mansabdars. They were an individual who holds a mansab which means to hold a position or a rank.
  • Mughals used a grading system to fix three things viz; rank, salary and military responsibilities.
  • Zat was a numerical value which determined the rank and salary.
  • Mansabdars received their salary as revenue assignments known as jagirs which were similar to iqtas.
  • Jagirs were carefully assessed during the Akbar’s reign so that their salary were more or less equal to the mansabdar. But it was not same in the reign of Aurangzeb means the actual revenue collected was often very less from the granted sum. Hence, many jagirdars tried to extract as much revenue as possible while they had a jagir.

→ Zabt and Zamindars

  • The term zamindar was used to describe all intermediaries, whether they were local headmen of villages or powerful chieftains.
  • Akbar’s revenue minister, Todar Mai did a survey on crop yield and based on the data he fixed the tax on each crop for a ten-year period from 1570-1580.
  • The revenue system was introduced by Todar Mai and was called as zabt.
  • Zamindars had powers. Due to Mughal exploitation, zamindars and peasants revolted against them. Hence, from the end of the seventeenth century, it challenged the stability of the Mughal Empire.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

→ A Closer Look – Akbar’s Policies

  • Abul Fazl wrote Akbar Nama which gives us details about Akbar’s reign.
  • As per Abul Fazl. the empire was divided into provinces known as subas and were governed by a subadar. Each province had a diwan or a financial officer.
  • Subadars were supported by different officers. They were the military paymaster called as Bakhshi. the minister in charge of religious and patronage called as Sadr, military commanders known as Faujdars and town police commissioners known as Kotwal.
  • Religious discussions were done at ibadat khana. Akbar got support from Abul Fazl in framing a vision of governance around the idea of Sulh-i Kul. These principles were later followed by Jahangir and Shah Jahan.

→ The Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century and After

  • Mughal empire had administrative and military efficiency which led to economic and commercial prosperity. They enjoyed a great deal of influence and power.
  • The wealthier peasantry, artisans, merchants were rising high in monetary terms and
    power, whereas, the primary producers lived in poverty.
  • Hence, by the end of the seventeenth century, the Mughal empire started declining which gave rise to many independent provinces like Hyderabad and Awadh.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

→ Many new dynasties came into existence in the subcontinent between seventh and twelfth centuries.

→ The Emergence of New Dynasties:

  • There were big landlords or warrior chiefs in different regions of the subcontinent in seventh century.
  • They were working under the existing kings as samantas or subordinates. As moderately they gained power and wealth and eventually they declared themselves to be maha-samanta, maha-mandaleshvara.
  • Some of them asserted their independence from their overlords. Rashtrakutas were the subordinates of Chalukyas in Karnataka. Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed a ritual called hiranyagarbha (means, the golden womb) in eighth century.
  • Some other lords were same as Rashtrakutas were Kadamba Mayurasharman and Gurjara-Pratihara Harichandra who successfully established their kingdoms.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

→ Administration in the Kingdoms:

  • Titles such as maharaja-adhiraja (great king, overlord of kings), tribhuvana- chakravartin (lord of the three worlds) were adopted by these new kings. They shared their power with their samantas as well as alliance with traders, brahmanas and peasants.
  • Peasants, cattle-keepers, artisans, were persuaded or compelled to surrender part of what they produced. They were the main producers of the states.
  • These products were used to finance the king’s establishment, as well as for the construction of temples and forts. They were also used to fight wars, which were in turn expected to lead to the acquisition of wealth and access to land as well as trade routes. Sometimes these were claimed as “rent” due to a lord who asserted that he owned the land. Revenue was also collected from traders.

→ Prashastis and Land Grants:

  • Learned Brahmanas composed the Prashastis who often helped the kings in the administration. They tell us how rulers wanted to characterize themselves as heroic, courageous and victorious warriors.
  • Long Sanskrit poem was composed by Kalhana, who described the history of kings who ruled over Kashmir. But he was different from the writers of Prashastis as he was very critical and analytical about the kings and their policies.

→ Warfare for Wealth

  • The city of Kanauj in the Ganga valley was a specific region, which every dynasty tried to control. For centuries, three main dynasties; Rashtrakuta, Gurjara-Pratihara and Pala dynasties fought over it. Because of this long conflict, historians describe it as the “tripartite struggle”.
  • Temples were often targeted when the kings attacked other kingdoms which were sometimes extremely rich. Usually, kings built those to show and exhibit their power and resources.
  • One such ruler was Sultan Mahmud Ghazni of Afghanistan, who ruled from 997 to 1030 CE. His main aim was to attack wealthy temples, which included the temple of Somnath, Gujarat. He continued to control over parts of Central Asia, Iran and north¬western part of the subcontinent.
  • The Arabic work, known as the Kitab-ul Hind, written by a scholar named Al-Biruni on appeal of Sultan remains an important source for historians. He also consulted Sanskrit scholars to prepare this.
  • Some other kings were also engaged in war, those were Chahamanas, later known as the Chauhans, who ruled around Delhi and Ajmer.
  • They tried to expand their territories but were opposed by Chalukyas and Gahadavalas in the west and east region.
  • The popular Chahamana ruler was Prithviraja III (1168-1192), who defeated an Afghan king, Sultan Muhammad Ghori in 1191, but lost to him the very next year in 1192.

→ A Closer Look-The Cholas

  • From Uraiyur to Thanjavur
  • In the Kaveri delta, the subordinates to the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram Muttaraiyar rose to power.
  • Vijayalaya, who belonged to the family of the Cholas from Uraiyur, captured the delta in the middle of the ninth century. He also built the Thanjavur town and a temple for goddess Nishumbhasudini there.
  • The most powerful Chola ruler was Rajaraja I. He expanded his territory over most of. these areas and reorganised the administration of the empire. Rajendra I was Rajaraja’s son and he continued his legacies and policies. He was also very famous like his father.
  • Splendid Temples and Bronze Sculpture
  • Rajaraja and Rajendra built big temples in Thanjavur and Gangaikonda-cholapuram.
  • Temples were the core place of economic, social and cultural life apart from the place of worship.
  • Chola bronze images were very extraordinary and considered amongst the finest in the world. These were associated with the temples.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

→ Agriculture and Irrigation

  • Agriculture developed a lot and contributed to the achievements of the Cholas.
  • They made several water channels which provided the necessary moisture for agriculture especially cultivation of rice.
  • Different methods were used for irrigation such as huge tanks were constructed to collect rainwater, digging of wells. Irrigation works require planning – organising labour and resources, maintaining these works and deciding on how water is to be shared.

→ The Administratioir of the Empires

  • Ur means settlements of peasants, which became prosperous with the spread of irrigation agriculture. Villagers formed larger units in groups called nadu. The village council and the nadu had many administrative services including giving out justice and collecting taxes.
  • Some rich landowners got titles from Chola kings like muvendavelan (a velan or peasant serving three kings), araiyar (chief), etc., as markers of respect, and assigned them with important offices of the state at the centre.
  • Brahmanas also received land grants or brahmadeya. Hence, a large number of Brahmana settlements rose in the Kaveri valley. Each land was looked after by an assembly or sabha of major Brahmana landholders. These assemblies worked thoroughly and efficiently.
  • Nagarams which means associations of traders also occasionally performed administrative functions in towns.
  • Inscriptions show that the sabha had separate committees to look after irrigation works, gardens, temples, etc.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 How, When and Where

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JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 How, When and Where

→ How Important are Dates?

  • History is certainly about changes that occur over time. It is about finding out how things were in the past and how things have changed.
  • We can only refer to a span of time, an approximate period over which particular changes became visible.
  • For different events such as when the king was crowned, when he got married, etc., specific dates can be determined, and in histories such as these, debates about dates continue to be important.

→ Which dates?

  • Dates become vital because we focus on a particular set of events as important. If our focus of study changes, and we begin to look at new issues, a new set of dates will appear significant.
  • In the histories written by British historians in India, the rule of each Governor-General was important.
  • All the dates in these history books were linked to these personalities – to their activities, policies, achievements.
  • In the histories that revolve around the life of British Governor-Generals, the activities of Indians simply do not fit, they have no space.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 How, When and Where

→ How do we periodise?

  • In 1817, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, named James Mill published a massive three-volume work, A History of British India.
  • In this, he divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British. This periodisation came to be widely accepted.
  • We periodise in an attempt to capture the characteristics of a time, its central features as they appear to us. So, the terms through which we periodise – that is, demarcate the difference between periods become important.
  • Mill thought that all Asian societies were at a lower level of civilisation than Europe. According to him, history, before the British came to India, Hindu and Muslim despots ruled the country.
  • Religious intolerance, caste taboos and superstitious practices dominated social life. British rule, Mill felt, could civilise India.
  • In fact, Mill suggested that the British should conquer all the territories in India to ensure the enlightenment and happiness of the Indian people. For India was not capable of progress without British help.
  • We should also remember that even rulers in ancient India did not all share the same faith.
  • If we don’t consider British classification, historians have usually divided Indian history into ‘ancient’, ‘medieval’ and ‘modem’. This division too has its problems.
  • Under British rule people did not have equality, freedom or liberty. Nor was the period one of economic growth and progress. Many historians therefore refer to this period as ‘colonial’.

→ What is colonial?

  • When the subjugation of one country by another leads to these kinds of political, economic, social and cultural changes, we refer to the process as colonisation.
  • All classes and groups did not experience these changes in the same way.

→ How do We Know?
Administration produces records

  • One of the important sources is the official records of the British administration. The British believed that the act of writing was important. Every instruction, plan, policy decision, agreement, investigation had to be clearly written up.
  • The British also felt that all important documents and letters needed to be carefully preserved. So, they set up record rooms attached to all administrative institutions.
  • The village tahsildar’s office, the collector, the commissioner’s office, the provincial secretariats, the law courts had their record rooms. Specialised institutions like archives and museums were also established to preserve important records.
  • In the early years of the nineteenth century, these documents were carefully copied out and beautifully written by calligraphists.
  • By the middle of the nineteenth century, with the spread of printing, multiple copies of these records were printed as proceedings of each government department.

→ Surveys become important

  • The practice of surveying also became common under the colonial administration. The British believed that a country had to be properly known before it could be effectively administered.
  • By the early nineteenth century detailed surveys were being carried out to map the entire country.
  • From the end of the nineteenth century, Census operations were held every ten years.
  • There were many other surveys such as botanical surveys, zoological surveys, archaeological surveys, anthropological surveys, forest surveys.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 How, When and Where

→ What official records do not tell

  • Official records tell us what the officials thought, what they were interested in and what they wished to preserve for posterity. These records do not always help us understand what other people in the country felt, and what lay behind their actions.
  • We have diaries of people, accounts of pilgrims and travellers, autobiographies of important personalities and popular booklets that were sold in the local bazaars.
  • Leaders and reformers wrote to spread their ideas, poets and novelists wrote to express their feelings as printing spread.
  • All these sources, however, were produced by those who were literate. It becomes difficult to know about the tribals and peasants.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 India After Independence

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JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 India After Independence

→ A New and Divided Nation:

  • When India became independent in August 1947, it faced a series of very great challenges with refugees to settle down with home and jobs.
  • Around 500 princely states were there, each of whom had to be persuaded to join the new nation.
  • The new nation had to adopt a political system that would best serve the hopes and expectations of its population.
  • At Independence, the vast majority of Indians lived in the villages.
  • In the cities, factory workers lived in crowded slums with little access to education or healthcare.
  • The new nation had to lift its masses out of poverty by increasing the productivity of agriculture and by promoting new, job-creating industries.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 India After Independence

→ A Constitution is Written

  • Between December 1946 and November 1949, some 300 Indians had a series of meetings on the country’s political future. The meetings of this “Constituent Assembly” were held in New Delhi.
  • These discussions resulted in the framing of the Indian Constitution, which came into effect on 26 January 1950.
  • One feature of the Constitution was its adoption of universal adult franchise.
  • All Indians above the age of 21 years would be allowed to vote in state and national elections. This was a revolutionary step for never before had Indians been allowed to choose their own leaders.
  • A second feature of the Constitution was that it guaranteed equality before the law to all citizens, regardless of their caste or religious affiliation.
  • Under the new Constitution, they would have the same rights as Hindus – the same opportunities when it came to seeking jobs in government or the private sector, the same rights before the law.
  • A third feature of the Constitution was that it offered special privileges for the poorest and most disadvantaged Indians.
  • After a long debate, the Constituent Assembly also recommended that a certain percentage of seats in legislatures as well as jobs in government be reserved for members of the lowest castes.

→ Along with the former untouchables, the adivasis or Scheduled Tribes were also granted reservation in seats and jobs.

  • The Constituent Assembly spent many days discussing the powers of the central government versus those of the state governments.
  • Some members thought that the Centre’s interests should be foremost.
  • Other members felt that the provinces should have greater autonomy and freedom.

→ The Constitution sought to balance these competing claims by providing three lists of subjects:

  • A Union List, with subjects such as taxes, defence and foreign affairs, which would be the exclusive responsibility of the Centre;
  • A State List of subjects, such as education and health, which would be taken care of principally by the states;
  • A Concurrent List, under which would come subjects such as forests and agriculture, in which the Centre and the states would have joint responsibility.

→ Another major debate in the Constituent Assembly concerned language.

  • A compromise was finally arrived at: namely, that while Hindi would be the “official language” of India, English would be used in the courts, the services, and communications between one state and another.
  • The most important role was played by Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who was Chairman of the Drafting Committee, and under whose supervision the document was finalised.
  • In his final speech to the Constituent Assembly, Dr Ambedkar pointed out that political democracy had to be accompanied by economic and social democracy.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 India After Independence

→ How were States to be Formed?

  • Back in the 1920s, the Indian National Congress, the main party of the freedom struggle had promised that once the country won independence, each major linguistic group would have its own province.
  • India had been divided on the basis of religion: despite the wishes and efforts of Mahatma Gandhi, freedom had come not to one nation but to two.
  • Both Prime Minister Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel were against the creation of linguistic states.
  • The Kannada speakers, Malayalam speakers, the Marathi speakers had all looked forward to having their own state. The strongest protests, however, came from the Telugu-speaking districts of what was the Madras Presidency.

→ In October 1952, a veteran Gandhian named Potti Sriramulu went on a hunger strike demanding the formation of Andhra state to protect the interests of Telugu speakers. As the fast went on, it attracted much support. Hartals and bandhs were observed in many towns.

  • On 15 December 1952, fifty-eight days into his fast, Potti Sriramulu died.
  • On 1 October 1953, the new state of Andhra came into being, which subsequently became Andhra Pradesh.
  • A States Reorganisation Commission was set up which submitted its report in 1956 recommending the redrawing of district and provincial boundaries to form compact provinces of Assamese, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu speakers respectively.
  • In 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into separate states for Marathi and Gujarati speakers.
  • In 1966, the state of Punjab was also divided into Punjab and Haryana, the former for the Punjabi speakers (who were also mostly Sikhs), the latter for the rest (who spoke not Punjabi but versions of Haryanvi or Hindi).

→ Planning for Development

  • Lifting India and Indians out of poverty, and building a modem technical and industrial base were among the major objectives of the new nation.
  • In 1950, the government set up a Planning Commission to help design and execute suitable policies for economic development.
  • There was a broad agreement on what was called a “mixed economy” model. Here, both the State and the private sector would play important and complementary roles in increasing production and generating jobs.
  • In 1956, the Second Five Year Plan was formulated. This focused strongly on the development of heavy industries such as steel, and on the building of large dams.
  • These sectors would be under the control of the State.
  • Some felt that it had put inadequate emphasis on agriculture. Others argued that it had neglected primary education. Still others believed that it had not taken account of the environmental implications of economic policies.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 India After Independence

→ The Nation, Sixty Years On

  • On 15 August 2007, India celebrated sixty years of its existence as a free nation.
  • That India is still united, and that it is still democratic, are achievements that we might justly be proud of.
  • As many as thirteen general elections have been held since Independence, as well as hundreds of state and local elections. There is a free press, as well as an independent judiciary. Finally, the fact that people speak different languages or practise different faiths has not come in the way of national unity.
  • On the other hand, deep divisions persist. Despite constitutional guarantees, the Untouchables or, as they are now referred to, the Dalits, face violence and discrimination.
  • As many observers have noted, the gulf between the rich and the poor has grown over the years.
  • The Constitution recognises equality before the law but in real life some Indians are more equal than others. Judged by the standards it set itself at Independence, the Republic of India has not been a great success. But it has not been a failure either.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 9 The Making of the National Movement: 1870s–1947

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JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes History Chapter 9 The Making of the National Movement: 1870s–1947

→ The Emergence of Nationalism:

  • What is this country of India and for whom is it meant? The answer that gradually emerged was: India was the people of India – all the people irrespective of class, colour, caste, creed, language, or gender. And the country, its resources and systems were meant for all of them.
  • The awareness came that the British were exercising control over the resources of India and the lives of its people and until this control was ended India could not be for Indians.
  • The consciousness began by the political associations formed after 1850 especially in the 1870s and 1880s.
  • Most of these were led by English educated professionals such as lawyers. The more important ones were the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, the Indian Association, the Madras Mahajan Sabha, the Bombay Presidency Association, and of course the Indian National Congress.
  • They worked with the idea that the people should be sovereign means a modern consciousness and a key feature of nationalism.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 9 The Making of the National Movement: 1870s–1947

→ The Arms Act was passed in 1878 disallowing Indians from possessing arms.

  • The Act allowed the government to The Making of the National Movement: 1870s – 1947 confiscate the assets of newspapers including their printing presses if the newspapers published anything that was found objectionable.
  • In 1883, there was a furore 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. But when white opposition forced the government to withdraw the bill, Indians were enraged.
  • The Indian National Congress was established when 72 delegates from all over the country met at Bombay in December 1885.
  • The early leaders were Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, S. Subramania Iyer and others was largely from Bombay and Calcutta.
  • Naoroji was a businessman and publicist settled in London and for a time member of the British Parliament had guided the younger nationalists.
  • A retired British official, A.O. Hume also played a part in bringing Indians from the various regions together.

→ A nation in the making

  • In the first twenty years, the Congress was moderate in its objectives and methods.
    During this period, it demanded a greater voice for Indians in the government and in administration.
  • The demand for Indianisation of the administration was part of a movement against racism since most important jobs at the time were monopolised by British officials and they generally assumed that Indians could not be given positions of responsibility.
  • Other demands included the separation of the judiciary from the executive, the repeal of the Arms Act and the freedom of speech and expression.
  • The early Congress also raised a number of economic issues.
  • The Congress demanded reduction of revenue, cut in military expenditure, and more funds for irrigation.
  • 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 felt that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice and so they would accept the just demands of Indians.

→ “Freedom is our birthright”

  • In Bengal, Maharashtra and Punjab, leaders such as Bepin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai were beginning to explore more radical objectives and methods.
  • They criticised the Moderates for their ‘politics of prayers’ and emphasised the importance of self-reliance and constructive work.
  • Tilak raised the slogan, ‘Freedom is my birthright and I shall have it! ’

→ In 1905, Viceroy Curzon partitioned Bengal. At that time Bengal was the biggest province of British India and included Bihar and parts of Orissa.

  • The main British motives perhaps were to curtail the influence of Bengali politicians and to split the Bengali people.
  • All sections of the Congress, the Moderates and the Radicals as they may be called opposed the partition of Bengal.
  • The struggle that unfolded came to be known as the Swadeshi movement which was strongest in Bengal but with echoes elsewhere too. In deltaic Andhra for instance, it was known as the Vandemataram Movement.
  • To fight for swaraj, the radicals advocated mass mobilization and boycott of British institutions and goods.
  • Some individuals also began to suggest that ‘revolutionary violence’ would be necessary to overthrow British rule.
  • A group of Muslim landlords and nawabs formed the All India Muslim League at Dacca in 1906.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 9 The Making of the National Movement: 1870s–1947

→ The League supported the partition of Bengal.

  • Some seats in the councils were now reserved for Muslims who would be elected by Muslim voters.
  • The Congress split in 1907. After the split the Congress came to be dominated by the Moderates with Tilak’s followers functioning from outside. The two groups reunited in December 1915.
  • Next year the Congress and the Muslim League signed the historic Lucknow Pact and decided to work together for representative government in the country.

→ The Growth of Mass Nationalism

  • 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.
  • On the other hand, business groups reaped fabulous profits from the war.
  • The war also led the British to expand their army.
  • Many returned after the war with a view in which imperialist powers were exploiting the peoples of Asia and Africa and with a desire to oppose colonial rule in India.
  • In 1917, there was a revolution in Russia. News about peasant’s and worker’s struggles and ideas of socialism circulated widely which inspired Indian nationalists.

→ The advent of Mahatma Gandhi

  • Gandhiji, aged 46, arrived in India in 1915 from South Africa.
  • His South African campaigns had brought him in contact with various types of Indians: Hindus, Muslims, Parsis and Christians, Gujaratis, Tamils and north Indians and upper class merchants, lawyers and workers.
  • Mahatma Gandhi spent his first year in India travelling throughout the country, understanding the people, their needs and the overall situation.
  • His earliest interventions were in local movements in Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad where he came into contact with Rajendra Prasad and Vallabhbhai Patel. In Ahmedabad he led a successful millworkers’ strike in 1918.

→ The Rowlatt Satyagraha

  • In 1919, Gandhiji gave a call for a satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act that the British had just passed.
  • Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and others felt that the government had no right to restrict people’s basic freedoms.
  • Gandhiji asked the Indian people to observe 6 April 1919 as a day of non-violent opposition to this Act. Satyagraha Sabhas were set up to launch the movement.
  • The Jallianwala Bagh atrocities inflicted by General Dyer in Amritsar on Baisakhi day (13 April), were a part of this repression.
  • On learning about the massacre, Rabindranath Tagore expressed the pain and anger of the country by renouncing his knighthood.

→ Khilafat agitation and the Non-Cooperation Movement

  • In 1920, the British imposed a harsh treaty on the Turkish Sultan or Khalifa.
  • The leaders of the Khilafat agitation, Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali now wished to initiate a Non-Cooperation Movement.
  • Gandhiji supported their call and urged the Congress to campaign against ‘Punjab wrongs’ means Jallianwala massacre, the Khilafat wrong and demand swaraj.
  • The Non-Cooperation Movement gained momentum through 1921-22.
  • Many lawyers such as Motilal Nehru, C.R. Das, C. Rajagopalachari and Asaf Ali gave up their practices.
  • British titles were surrendered and legislatures boycotted.
  • The imports of foreign cloth fell drastically between 1920 and 1922.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 9 The Making of the National Movement: 1870s–1947

→ People’s initiatives

  • Different classes and groups, interpreting Gandhiji’s call in their own manner, protested in ways that were not in accordance with his ideas.
  • In Kheda, Gujarat, Patidar peasants organised non-violent 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 satyagrahas’.
  • In Sind now in Pakistan, Muslim traders and peasants were very enthusiastic about the Khilafat call.
  • In Bengal, 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 who were supported by the British from their gurudwaras.
  • In Assam, tea garden labourers, shouting ‘Gandhi Maharaj ki Jai’ demanded a big increase in their wages. In the Assamese Vaishnava songs of the period the reference to Krishna was substituted by ‘Gandhi Raja’.

→ The people’s Mahatma

  • Gandhiji wished to build class unity and not class conflict. Peasants could imagine that he would help them in their fight against zamindars and agricultural labourers believed he would provide them land.
  • At the end of a powerful movement, peasants of Pratapgarh in the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) managed to stop illegal eviction of tenants. But they felt it was Gandhiji who had won this demand for them.

→ The happenings of 1922-1929

  • Gandhiji abruptly called off the Non-Cooperation Movement when in February 1922 as a crowd of peasants set fire to a police station in Chauri Chaura. He was a follower of non-violence.
  • Chitta Ranjan Das and Motilal Nehru argued that the party should fight elections to the councils and enter them in order to influence government policies.
  • Through sincere social work in villages in the mid-1920s, the Gandhians were able to extend their support base. This proved to be very useful in launching the Civil Disobedience movement in 1930.
  • Two important developments of the mid 1920s were the formation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu organisation and the Communist Party of India.
  • The decade closed with the Congress resolving to fight for Puma Swaraj means complete independence in 1929 under the presidentship of Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • Consequently, ‘Independence Day’ was observed on 26 January 1930 all over the country.

→ The Marth to Dandi

  • In 1930, Gandhiji declared that he would lead a march to break the salt law.
  • According to this law, the state had a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of salt.
  • Gandhiji and his followers marched for over 240 miles from Sabarmati to the coastal town of Dandi where they broke the government law by gathering natural salt found on the seashore and boiling sea water to produce salt.
  • Peasants, tribals and women participated in large numbers.
  • The combined struggles of the Indian people bore fruit when the Government of India Act of 1935 prescribed provincial autonomy and the government announced elections to the provincial legislatures in 1937.
  • The Congress formed governments in 7 out of 11 provinces.
  • After 2 years of Congress rule in the provinces in September 1939, the Second World War broke out.

→ Quit India and Later

  • Mahatma Gandhi decided to initiate a new phase of movement against the British in the middle of the Second World War.
  • Gandhiji and other leaders were jailed at once but the movement spread. It specially attracted peasants and the youth who gave up their studies to join it.
  • By the end of 1943, over 90,000 people were arrested and around 1,000 killed in police firing. In many areas orders were given to machine-gun crowds from airplanes.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 9 The Making of the National Movement: 1870s–1947

→ Towards Independence and Partition

  • 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 provincial elections of 1937 seemed to have convinced the League that Muslims were a minority, and they would always have to play second fiddle in any democratic structure.
  • The Congress’s rejection of the League’s desire to form a joint Congress League government in the United Provinces in 1937 also annoyed the League.
  • At the end of the war in 1945, the British opened negotiations between the Congress, the League and themselves for the independence of India.
  • The talks failed because the League saw itself as the sole spokesperson of India’s Muslims. The Congress could not accept this claim since a large number of Muslims still supported it.
  • Elections to the provinces were again held in 1946. The Congress did well in the ‘General’ constituencies but the League’s success in the seats reserved for Muslims was spectacular.
  • In March 1946, the British cabinet sent a three-member mission to Delhi to examine

→ The Making of the National Movement: 1870s -1947 the demand and to suggest a suitable political framework for a free India.

  • After the failure of the Cabinet Mission, the Muslim League decided on mass agitation for winning its Pakistan demand. It announced 16 August 1946 as “Direct Action Day”.
  • By March 1947, violence spread to different parts of northern India.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 8 Women, Caste and Reform

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JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes History Chapter 8 Women, Caste and Reform

→ Two hundred years ago things were very different. Most children were married off at an early age.

  • In some parts of the country, widows were praised if they chose death by burning themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands.
  • Women who died in this manner whether willingly or otherwise, were called ‘sati’ which means virtuous women.
  • In many parts of the country people believed that if a woman was educated, she would become a widow.
  • In most regions, people were divided along lines of caste. Brahmans and Kshatriyas considered themselves as ‘upper castes’.
  • Traders and moneylender were referred as ‘Vaishyas’ were placed after them.
  • Then came peasants and artisans such as weavers and potters who were referred as ‘Shudras’.
  • At the lowest rung were those who laboured to keep cities and villages clean or worked at jobs that upper castes considered polluting, that is, it could lead to the loss of caste status. They were untouchables.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 8 Women, Caste and Reform

→ Working Towards Change

  • The development of new forms of communication started. For the first time, books, newspapers, magazines, leaflets and pamphlets were printed.
  • All kinds of issues such as social, political, economic and religious could now be debated and discussed by men and sometimes by women as well in the new cities.
  • The discussions could reach out to a wider public and could become linked to movements for social change.
  • Raja Rammohun Roy (1772-1833) founded a reform association known as the Brahmo Sabha (later known as the Brahmo Samaj) in Calcutta.
  • People such as Rammohun Roy are described as reformers because they felt that changes were necessary in society, and unjust practices needed to be done away with.
  • Rammohun Roy was keen to spread the knowledge of Western education in the country and bring about greater freedom and equality for women.

→ Changing the lives of widows

  • Rammohun Roy began a campaign against the practice of sati.
  • Rammohun Roy was well versed in Sanskrit, Persian and several other Indian and Europeon languages.
  • He tried to show through his writings that the practice of widow burning had no sanction in ancient texts.
  • In 1829, sati was banned.
  • Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, used the ancient texts to suggest that widows could remarry.
  • A law was passed in 1856 permitting widow remarriage.
  • By the second half of the nineteenth century, the movement in favour of widow remarriage spread to other parts of the country.
  • In the Telugu-speaking areas of the Madras Presidency, Veerasalingam Pantulu fonned an association for widow remarriage.
  • In the north, Swami Dayanand Saraswati who founded the reform association called Arya Samaj also supported widow remarriage.

→ Girls begin going to school

  • Vidyasagar in Calcutta and many other reformers in Bombay set up schools for girls.
  • Throughout the nineteenth century, most educated women were taught at home by liberal fathers or husbands. Sometimes women taught themselves.
  • In the latter part of the century, schools for girls were established by the Arya Samaj in Punjab and Jyotirao Phule in Maharashtra.
  • In aristocratic Muslim households in North India, women leamt to read the Koran in Arabic.
  • Reformers such as Mumtaz Ali reinterpreted verses from the Koran to argue for women’s education.

→ Women write about women

  • From the early twentieth century, Muslim women like the Begums of Bhopal played a notable role in promoting education among women. They founded a primary school for girls at Aligarh.
  • Another remarkable woman, Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain started schools for Muslim girls in Patna and Calcutta.
  • By the 1880s, Indian women began to enter universities.
  • Tarabai Shinde, a woman educated at home at Poona published a book Stripurushtulna (A Comparison between Women and Men) criticising the social differences between men and women.
  • Pandita Ramabai, a great scholar of Sanskrit felt that Hinduism was oppressive towards women and wrote a book about the miserable lives of upper-caste Hindu women.
  • By the end of the nineteenth century, women themselves were actively working for reform.
  • From the early twentieth century, they formed political pressure groups to push through laws for female suffrage (the right to vote) and better health care and education for women.
  • In the twentieth century, leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose lent their support to demands for greater equality and freedom for women.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 8 Women, Caste and Reform

→ Caste and Social Reform

  • In Bombay, the Paramhans Mandali was founded in 1840 to work for the abolition of caste.
    During the nineteenth century, Christian missionaries began setting up schools for tribal groups and lower caste children.
  • The poor from the villages and small towns many of them from low castes began moving to the cities where there was a new demand for labour.
  • Some also went to work in plantations in Assam, Mauritius, Trinidad and Indonesia.
  • The army also offered opportunities to lower caste people. A number of Mahar people who were regarded as untouchable, found jobs in the Mahar Regiment.
  • The father of B.R. Ambedkar, the leader of the Dalit movement taught at an army school.

→ Demands for equality and justice

  • By the second half of the nineteenth century, people from within the Non-Brahman castes began organising movements against caste discrimination and demanded social equality and justice.
  • The Satnami movement in Central India was founded by Ghasidas who worked among the leather workers and organised a movement to improve their social status.
  • In eastern Bengal, Haridas Thakur’s Matua sect worked among Chandala cultivators.
  • In what is present-day Kerala, a guru from Ezhava caste, Shri Narayana Guru, proclaimed the ideals of unity for his people.
  • According to him, all humankind belonged to the same caste. One of his famous statements was one caste, one religion, one god for humankind.

→ Gulamgiri

  • One of the most vocal amongst the low- caste leaders was Jyotirao Phule. He was bom in 1827 and studied in schools set up by Christian missionaries.
  • As the Aryans established their dominance, they began looking at the defeated population as inferior as low caste people.
  • According to Phule, the upper castes had no right to their land and power. In reality, the land belonged to indigenous people, the so- called low castes.
  • He proposed that Shudras means labouring castes and Ati Shudras means
    untouchables should unite to challenge caste discrimination.
  • The Satyashodhak Samaj which is an association Phule founded propagated caste equality.
  • In 1873, Phule wrote a book named Gulamgiri meaning slavery.
  • He was concerned about the plight of upper caste women, the miseries of the labourer, and the humiliation of the low castes.
  • This movement for caste reform was continued in the twentieth century by other great dalit leaders such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in western India and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker in the south.

→ Who could enter temples?

  • Ambedkar was bom into a Mahar family. In school he was forced to sit outside the classroom on the ground and was not allowed to drink water from taps that upper caste children used.
  • On his return to India from US in 1919, he wrote extensively about upper caste power in contemporary society.
  • In 1927, Ambedkar started a temple entry movement, in which his Mahar caste followers participated.
  • Ambedkar led three such movements for temple entry between 1927 and 1935.
  • His aim was to make everyone see the power of caste prejudices within society.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes History Chapter 8 Women, Caste and Reform

→ The Non-Brahman movement

  • In the early twentieth century, the non-Brahman movement started.
  • The initiative came from those non-Brahman castes that had acquired access to education, wealth and influence.
  • E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker or Periyar as he was called came from a middle-class family.
  • He had been an ascetic in his early life and had studied Sanskrit scriptures carefully.
  • Convinced that untouchables had to fight for their dignity, Periyar founded the Self Respect Movement.
  • He became a member of the Congress but left it in disgust when he found that at a feast organised by nationalists, seating arrangements followed caste distinctions.
  • He argued that untouchables were the true upholders of an original Tamil and Dravidian culture which had been subjugated by Brahmans.
  • Periyar was an outspoken critic of Hindu scriptures especially the Codes of Manu, the ancient lawgiver and the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayana.
  • Orthodox Hindu society also reacted by founding Sanatan Dharma Sabhas and the Bharat Dharma Mahamandal in the north and associations such as the Brahman Sabha in Bengal.
  • The object of these associations was to uphold caste distinctions as a cornerstone of Hinduism, and show how this was sanctified by scriptures.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes