Class 8 – Page 4 – Jharkhand Board Solution

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 6 Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Prasanna

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 6 Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners

JAC Class 8th History Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners InText Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Why do you think the Act was called the Calico Act? What does the name tell us about the kind of textiles the Act wanted to ban?
Answer:
The Act was called the Calico Act because in 1720, the British government enacted a legislation banning the use of printed cotton textiles called chintz in England Since, the manufacturers were unable to compete with the Indian market.

Page 72

Question 2.
Read Sources 1 and 2. What reasons do the petition writers give for their condition of starvation?
Source 1:
‘We must starve for food” In 1823 the Company government in India received a petition from 12,000 weavers stating:
Our ancestors and we used to receive advances from the Company and maintain ourselves and our respective families by weaving Company s superior assortments. Owing to our misfortune, the aurangs have been abolished ever since because of which we and our families are distressed for want of the means of livelihoo(d) We are weavers and do not know any other business. We must starve for food, if the Board of Trade do not cast a look of kindness towards us and give orders for clothes. Proceedings of the Board of Trade, 3 February 1824.

Source 2:
“Please publish this in your paper” One widowed spinner wrote in 1828 to a Bengali newspaper, Samachar Darpan, detailing her plight:

To the Editor, Samachar, I am a spinner. After having suffered a great deal, I am writing this letter. Please publish this in your paper … When my age was … 22, I became a widow with three daughters. My husband left nothing at the time of his death … I sold my jewellery for his shraddha ceremony. When we were on the verge of starvation God showed me a way by which we could save ourselves. I began to spin on takli and charkha … The weavers used to visit our houses and buy the charkha yarn at three tolas per rupee. Whatever amount I wanted as advance from the weavers, 1 could get for the asking. This saved us from cares about food and cloth. In a few years ’time I got together … Rs. 28. With this I married one daughter. And in the same way all three daughters …

Now for 3 years, we two women, mother- in-law and me, are in want of foo(d) The weavers do not call at the house for buying yarn. Not only this, if the yarn is sent to market it is still not sold even at one-fourth the old prices. I do not know how it happened I asked ‘ many about it. They say that Btlati 2 yam is being imported on a large scale. The weavers buy that yarn and weave … People cannot use the cloth out of this yarn even for two months; it rots away. A representation from a suffering spinner
Answer:
They are the weavers and they don’t know any other work. The yam sent to the market is not sold even at the nominal price.

Page 75

Question 3.
Why would the iron and steel making industry be affected by the defeat of the nawabs and rajas?
Answer:
The iron and steel making industry were affected by the defeat of the nawabs and rajas because the swords which they used were made of iron and steel. But, with the defeat of nawabs and rajas by the British, imports of iron and steel stopped from Britain.

JAC Class 8th History Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners Textbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
What kinds of cloth had a large market in Europe?
Answer:
Cotton and silk were the clothes that had a large market in Europe. Also different varieties of Indian textiles were also sold, they were Chintz, Jamdani, Bandana etc.

Question 2.
What is jamdani?
Answer:
Jamdani is a fine muslin in which beautiful motifs are woven in the loom. A mixture of cotton and gold threads are used The most important jamdani weaving centres were Dacca in Bengal and Lucknow in United Provinces.

Question 3.
What is bandanna?
Answer:
Bandanna is a bright colour scarf used for neck or head The term derived from the word ‘bandhna’ and it means bright colour cloth produced through the method of tying and dying.

Question 4.
Who are the Agaria?
Answer:
Agaria are the group of men and women who forms a community of iron smelters.

Question 5.
Fill in the blanks:
(a) The word chintz comes from the word .
(b) Tipu’s sword was made of steel.
(c) India’s textile exports declined in the century.
Answer:
(a) chhint
(b) Wootz
(c) nineteenth

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 6.
How do the names of different textiles tell us about their histories?
Answer:
The following names of different textiles tell us about their histories: Muslin – European traders first encountered fine cotton cloth from India carried by Arab merchants in Mosul(now Iraq). So, they named all finely woven textiles as muslin. . Calico – When the Portuguese first came to India in search of spices they landed in Calicut on the Kerala coast in south-west India. The cotton textiles which they took back to Europe along with the spices came to be known as calico (derived from Calicut) and subsequently calico became the general name for all cotton textiles. Chintz – It is derived from the Hindi word chhint which means a cloth with small and colourful flowery designs. Bandanna – The word bandanna refers to brightly coloured and printed scarf for the neck or hea(d) Though, the term derived from the word bandhna means tying and referred to a variety of brightly coloured cloth produced through a method of tying and dying.

Question 7.
Why did the wool and silk producers in England protest against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century?
Answer:
The wool and silk producers in England protested against the import of Indian textiles in the early eighteenth century because textile industries had just begun to develop in England and unable to compete with Indian textiles, English producers wanted a secure market within the country by preventing the entry of Indian textiles.

Question 8.
How did the development of cotton industries in Britain affect textile producers in India?
Answer:
The development of cotton industries in Britain affected textile producers in India in the following ways:

Indian textiles had to compete with British textiles in the European and American markets.
Due to very high duties imposed on Indian textiles which were imported from Britain, exporting textiles to England became increasingly difficult.
By the beginning of the nineteenth century, English made cotton textiles successfully ousted Indian goods from their traditional markets in Africa, America and Europe.
Bengal weavers were the worst hit. Most of weavers in India were now thrown out of employment.
By the 1830s, British cotton cloth flooded Indian markets. This badly affected not only the specialist weavers but also spinners.

Question 9.
Why did the Indian iron smelting industry decline in the nineteenth century?
Answer:
Indian iron smelting industry began to decline in the nineteenth century due to the following reasons:

The new forest law of British government prevented people from entering the reserved forests. Thus, the iron smelters were not able to find wood for charcoal and iron ore for producing iron.
Defying forest laws, they often entered the forests secretly and collected wood but they could not sustain their occupation on this basis for long. Many gave up their work and looked for other means of livelihood
In some areas, the government did grant access to the forest but the iron smelters had to pay a very high tax to the forest department for every furnace they used This reduced their income.
By the late nineteenth century, iron and steel was being imported from Britain. Ironsmiths in India began using the imported iron to manufacture utensils and implements. This inevitably lowered the demand for iron produced by local smelters.

Question 10.
What problems did the Indian textile industry face in the early years of its development?
Answer:
The Indian textile industry faced many problems in the early years of its development:
(i) It found it difficult to compete with the cheap textiles imported from Britain.
(ii) In most countries, governments supported industrialisation by imposing heavy duties on imports. This helped in eliminating competition and protected infant industries. But the colonial government in India usually refused such protection to local industries.

Question 11.
What helped TISCO expand steel production during the First World War?
Answer:
The following reasons helped TISCO expand steel production during the First World War:

The World War I broke out in 1914 and demanded a huge amount of iron and steel for the production of ammunition which Britain had to fulfill.
TISCO built shells and carriage wheels for the war.
Indian market turned to TISCO for rail works.
By 1919, British government started to buy 90% of the steel manufactured by TISCO.

(Let’s Do)

Question 12.

Find out about the history of any craft around the area you live. You may wish to know about the community of craftsmen, the changes in the techniques they use and the markets they supply. How have these changed in the past 50 years?
Answer:
Students need to do it on their own.

Question 13.
On a map of India, locate the centres of different crafts today. Find out when these centres came up.
Answer:
Student need to do it on their own.
Hint:

Bengal was an important centre.
Dacca(now in Bangladesh) was . famous for jamdani and mulmul weaving.
Southern Indian region had important cotton weaving centres such as Madras, Pondicherry, etc

JAC Class 8th History Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
The industries which were important for the industrial revolution in the modern British world are:
(a) textile, cotton, and steel
(b) textile, steel, and IT
(c) textile, iron, and steel
(d) IT, iron, and, steel
Answer:
(c) textile, iron, and steel

Question 2.
Indian print cotton clothes are:
(a) chintz, khassa, and bandanna
(b) silk, khadi, and khassa
(c) chintz, dhasa, and darya
(d) bandanna, darya, and dhakka
Answer:
(a) chintz, khassa, and bandanna

Question 3.
The inventor of steam engine was:
(a) John Kaye
(b) Albert Einstein
(c) Richard Arkwright
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(c) Richard Arkwright

Question 4.
Chhipigars are:
(a) Dyers
(b) Block printers
(c) Weavers
(d) Farmers
Answer:
(b) Block printers

Question 5:
…….. towns emerged as important new centres of weaving in the late 19th century.
(a) Kolkata and Delhi
(b) Patna and Bombay
(c) Sholapur and Delhi
(d) Sholapur and Madura
Answer:
(d) Sholapur and Madura

Question 6.
The charkha was put at the centre of the tricolour flag that the Indian National Congress adopted which came to represent India in
(a) 1942
(b) 1931
(c) 1945
(d) 1920
Answer:
(b) 1931

Question 7.
India’s first cotton mill was setup in the year……… in
(a) 1854, Bombay
(b) 1864, Bombay
(c) 1854, Kolkata
(d) 1873, Delhi
Answer:
(a) 1854, Bombay

Question 8. gives the Wootz steel its cutting edge and high strength.
(a) a very low level of carbon
(b) a high level of carbon
(c) a high level of aluminium
(d) a low level of aluminium
Answer:
(b) a high level of carbon

Question 9.
The first world war broke out in………
(a) 1917
(b) 1918
(c) 1919
(d) 1914
Answer:
(d) 1914

Question 10.
Tata Iron and Steel Company in Jamshedpur gets it water from the river…….
(a) Narmada
(b) Subarnarekha
(c) Ganga
(d) Sutlej
Answer:
(b) Subarnarekha

Very Short Answer Type Question

Question 1.
The people of the Agaria tribe helped Dorabji Tata and Charles Weld to discover a vast source of one of the finest iron ores in the world Where were these deposits found?
Answer:
These deposits were found in the Rajhara hills.

Question 2.
Patola weaving was famous in which period?
Answer:
Patola weaving was famous in mid nineteenth century.

Question 3.
What do you mean by piece goods?
Answer:
Piece goods were woven cloth pieces that were 20 yards long and 1 yard wide.

Question 4.
What was the use of bellows?
Answer:
Bellows were used for pumping air that kept the charcoal burning.

Question 5.
Why were Indian textiles renowned in the world?
Answer:
Indian textiles had been renowned both for their fine quality and exquisite craftsmanship.

Question 6.
Name the place where chintz was produced during the mid- nineteenth century?
Answer:
Chintz was produced in Masulipatnam, Andhra Pradesh in mid-nineteenth century.

Question 7.
In what way the Indian cotton factories prove to be helpful during the First World War?
Answer:
During the First World War when textile imports from Britain declined and Indian factories were called upon to produce cloth for military supplies. These factories proved to be helpful.

Question 8.
Why do you think printed Indian cotton textiles were popular in England?
Answer:
The printed Indian cotton textiles in England and Europe were popular because of their exquisite floral designs, fine texture and relative cheapness.

Question 9:
Where Wootz steel was produced?
Answer:
Wootz steel was produced in all over South India but specially in the state of Mysore.

Question 10.
Why did TISCO have to expand its capacity?
Answer:
TISCO had to expand its capacity during the First World War to meet the demand of the war.

Short Answer Type Question

Question 1.
What do you understand by smelting?
Answer:
Smelting is the process of obtaining a metal from rock or soil by heating it to a very high temperature or of melting objects made from metal in order to use the metal to make something new.

Question 2.
What was named as ‘calico’?
Answer:
When the Portuguese first came to India in search of spices they landed in Calicut on the Kerala coast in south¬west India. The cotton textiles which they took back to Europe along with the spices was known as ‘calico’ (derived from Calicut).

Question 3.
Describe briefly the growth of cotton mills in India.
Answer:
In 1854, the first cotton mill in India was set up as a spinning mill in Bombay. By 1900, over 84 mills started operating in Bombay. Mills came up in other cities too. In 1861, the first mill in Ahmedabad started A year later a mill was established in Kanpur in the United Provinces. Growth of cotton mills led to a demand for labour. Thousands of poor peasants, artisans and agricultural labourers moved to the cities to work in the mills.

Question 4.
Wootz steel making process was completely lost by the mid-19th century. Why?
Answer:
Wootz steel making process was completely lost by the mid-nineteenth century because of the following reasons:
(i) The swords and armour making industry died with the conquest of India by the British.
(ii) Imports of iron and steel from England displaced the iron and steel produced by craftspeople in India.

Question 5.
In what ways did the invention of spinning jenny and steam engine revolutionised cotton textiles moving in England?
Answer:
Competition with Indian textiles led to a search for technological innovation in England In 1764, the spinning jenny was invented by John Kaye which increased the productivity of the traditional spindles. The invention of the steam engine by Richard Arkwright in 1786 revolutionised cotton textile weaving. Cloth could now be woven in immense quantities and cheaply too.

Question 6.
Britain came to be known as the workshop of the world Why?
Answer:
In the nineteenth century, mechanised production of cotton textiles made Britain the foremost industrial. And, when its iron and steel industry started growing from the 1850s, Britain came to be known as the “workshop of the world”.

Question 7.
Name some communities famous for weaving?
Answer:
Some famous communities for weaving are:

the tanti weavers of Bengal.
the julahas or momin weavers of north India.
sale and kaikollar and devangs of south India.

Question 8.
What happened to the weavers and spinners who lost their livelihood?
Answer:
Many weavers became agricultural labourers. Some migrated to cities in search of work and some went out of the country to work in plantations in Africa and South America. Some of these handloom weavers also found work in the new cotton mills that were established in Bombay (now Mumbai), Ahmedabad, Sholapur, Nagpur and Kanpur.

Long Answer Type Question

Question 1.
Why do you think handloom weaving did not completely die in India?
Answer:
Handloom weaving did not completely die in India because of the following reasons:

Some types of cloths could not be supplied by machines such as, machines could not produce saris with intricate borders or cloths with traditional woven patterns. These had a wide demand not only amongst the rich but also amongst the middle classes.
The textile manufacturers in Britain did not produced the very coarse cloths used by the poor people in India.
In the late nineteenth century, Sholapur in western India and Madura in South India emerged as important new centres of weaving.
Later during the national movement, Mahatma Gandhi urged people to boycott imported textiles and use hand-spun and hand-woven cloth. Hence, Khadi gradually became a symbol of nationalism.

Question 2.
Describe
(a) the process of weaving.
(b) Patola weave.
Answer:
(a) Process of weaving

The first stage of production was spinning, the work mostly done by women. The charkha and the takli were household spinning instruments. The thread was spun on the charkha and rolled on the takli.
When the spinning was over the thread was woven into cloth by the weaver. In most communities weaving was a task done by men.
For coloured textiles, the thread was dyed by the dyer who are known as rangrez. For printed cloth the weavers needed the help of specialist block printers known as chhipigars.

(b) Patola weave

It came into existence in the mid-nineteenth century.
Patola is a double ikat woven sari usually made from silk which is made in Patan, Gujarat.
They are very expensive and were worn only by those belonging to royal and aristocratic families.
Patola-‘weaving is a closely guarded family tradition.
It was also woven in Surat, Ahmedabad
It was highly valued in Indonesia. It became a part of the local weaving tradition there.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Prasanna

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age

JAC Class 8th History Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age InText Questions and Answers

Page 42

Question 1.
Look carefully at the tasks that Baiga men and women did Do you see any pattern? What were the differences in the types of work that they were expected to perform?
Answer:
The women and men shares equal responsibility of work. Like in all the tribes, men do difficult and dangerous tasks like hunting and cutting trees etc, whereas women are generally restricted to agriculture activities and household chores.

The Baiga tribes practice shifting cultivation in forest area and live a nomadic life. They are also woodsman and good hunters.
Men and women share the full responsibility for household chores like cooking, fishing, and woodcutting except hunting.
They derive income from bamboo products, sale of honey, and by hiring themselves out as labourers.

Page 47

Question 2.
Find out whether the conditions of work in the mines have changed now. Check how many people die in mines every year, and what are the reasons for their death.
Answer:
The conditions of work in the mines have not changed much now. Thousands of people die in mines every year due to the following reasons:

Collapse of safety equipments
Flooding in the coal mines
Emission of poisonous gas
Breaking out of fire in the mines.

Page 50

Imagine you are a jhum cultivator living in a forest village in the nineteenth century. You have just been told that the land you were born on no longer belongs to you. In a meeting with British officials you try to explain the kinds of problems you face. What would you say?
Answer:
A Jhum cultivator living in forest villages in the 19th century and on the verge of being evicted from the land they have been living in for generations, will tell British officials about the problems they will face upon the prohibitions.

The Jhum cultivators will tell the British officials about their inability to procure land for cultivation owing to their poor economic conditions. They will also tell about their lack of knowledge of other cultivation methods, other than shifting cultivation. In the face of ban on shifting cultivation, they will face intense lack of food leading to starvation, and even death.

JAC Class 8th History Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age Textbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks:
(a) The British described the tribal people as …….
(b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as……….
(c) The tribal chiefs got………… titles in central India under the British land settlements.
(d) Tribals went to work in the …….. of Assam and the ……… in Bihar.
Answer:
(a) wild and savage
(b) broadcasting
(c) land
(d) tea plantations; coal mines

Question 2.
State whether true or false:
(a) Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds.
(b) Cocoons were bought from the Santhals and sold by the traders at five times the purchase price.
(c) Birsa urged his followers to purify themselves, give up drinking liquor and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.
(d) The British wanted to preserve the tribal way of life.
Answer:
(a) False
(b) True
(c) True
(d) False

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 3.
What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?
Answer:
Problems faced by shifting cultivators under British rule were as follows:
(i) For administrative and economic reason, the British wanted the jhum cultivators to settle down and become peasant cultivators. The British effort to settle jhum cultivators was not very successful. Settled plough cultivation is not easy in areas where water is scarce and the soil is dry. In fact, jhum cultivators who took to plough cultivation often suffered since their fields did not produce good yields.

(ii) The life of shifting cultivators was directly connected to the forest. So, changes in forest laws had a considerable effect on their lives. The British extended their control over all forests and declared that forests were state property. In these forests people were not allowed to move freely, practise jhum cultivation, collect fruits, or hunt animals. Many were therefore forced to move to other areas in search of work and livelihood

Question 4.
How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?
Answer:
Under British rule, the functions and powers of the tribal chiefs changed considerably. They were allowed to keep their land titles over a cluster of villages and rent out lands, but they lost much of their administrative power and were forced to follow laws made by British officials in Indi(a) They also had to pay tribute to the British, and discipline the tribal groups on behalf of the British.
They lost the authority they had earlier enjoyed amongst their people, and were unable to fulfil their traditional functions.

Question 5.
What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?
Answer:
The following facts account for the anger of the tribals against the dikus were:

The British had the land policies which were destroying their traditional land system.
Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land
Their traditional culture were criticized by the missionaries.

Question 6.
What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?
Answer:
Birsa’s vision of a golden age was an age of truth in which like the past, the tribal people would have a good life, tap natural spring, construct embankments, plant trees and orchards and practice cultivation to earn their living. He spoke about an age in which people ‘ will not kill and harm one another and would live an honest life. He also had a vision of a reformed tribal society in which there was no place for vices such as uncleanliness, witchcraft, liquor and outside forces like moneylenders, missionaries, traders, landlords. Such a vision appealed to the people of the region because all the vices and outside influences about which Birsa talked were indeed thought by everyone as the main root cause of their misery and suffering.

(Let’s Do)

Question 7.
Find out from your parents, friends or teachers, the names of some heroes of other tribal revolts in the twentieth century. Write their story in your own words.
Answer:
Jatra Oraon:
He was a tribal freedom fighter from the Chhotanagpur region is the present day state of Jharkhan(d) During his leadership Oraon movement against the British colonial rule during 1914-19. He fought for Oraon Raj. He criticised liquor drinking and superstitious practices among Oraons. His religious movement gave way to a “no-rent payment” campaign. Jatra declared that his followers should stop ploughing the field of landlords and not work anymore as coolies or labourers for non-Oraons or for the government.

He also questioned the traditional leadership of the pahans and mahtos the village headmen. The basic idea behind this movement was that land was a gift of God and that no one had the right to interfere with the tribals right over lan(d) Jatra, along with his leading disciples was arrested in 1814. After his release, he abandoned the leadership of the movement. Later he came in contact with Gandhi and joined the Non-Cooperation Movement against the British.

Rani Gaidinliu:
Rani Gaidinliu was bom in the present-day state of Manipur. At the age of 13, she joined in the Indian freedom struggle with Haipou Jadonang. Jadonang was the political and spiritual leader of Nag(a) Jadonang started a movement to drive away the British from Manipur. He was captured and hanged by the British. After the death of her Gum, Gaidinliu assumed leadership of the movement. The British tried to suppress the movement. Rani went undergroun(d) But, very soon she was arrested in 1932. She was sent to jail. Gaidinliu was released after India gained its independence. She was honored with Tamrapatr(a) and Padma Bhushan awards, Jawaharlal Nehru called her ‘Rani’ of the Nagas. She passed away on February 17, 1993.

Question 8.
Choose any tribal group living in India today. Find out about their customs and way of life, and how their lives have changed in the last 50 years.
Answer:
Gaddis:
Gaddis are a pastoral tribe of Himachal Pardesh. They are shepherds by occupation. Gaddi women are very hardworking. They cut grasses and carry them to distant places and even climb mountains, to their home. Gaddi have their own traditional dance form. In this form, a couple dances for a while and is later replaced by another couple. The onlookers sing and clap to encourage the dancers. Due to the conversion of pasture lands into grazing lands and tax on pastures and animals, they suffered a lot during the British rule. Their conditions did not become ‘ good till independence. However, after the independence, Gaddis were restored with their pasture lands and grazing tax was abolishe(d) The Government has begun various welfare schemes. They have also been provided reservation.

JAC Class 8th History Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
The color of the flag raised by Mundas as a symbol of Birsa Raj
(a) White flag
(b) Red flag
(c) Green flag
(d) Orange flag
Answer:
(a) White flag

Question 2.
The Khonds were from
(a) Jharkhand
(b) Punjab
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Odisha (earlier Orissa)
Answer:
(d) Odisha (earlier Orissa)

Question 3.
Flower/s which were used to colour clothes and leather was/ were
(a) Kusum
(b) Palash
(c) Rose
(d) Both a and b
Answer:
(d) Both a and b

Question 4.
The shepherds of Kullu were
(a) Santhals
(b) Van Gujjars
(c) Gaddis
(d) Baigas
Answer:
(c) Gaddis

Question 5.
The Santhals reared .
(a) sheep
(b) cocoon
(c) yak
(d) none of these
Answer:
(b) cocoon

Question 6.
Mahua is:
(a) stem of a tree.
(b) a flower that is eaten or used to make alcohol.
(c) root of a tree.
(d) leaves of a tree.
Answer:
(b) a flower that is eaten or used to make alcohol.

Question 7.
Birsa belonged to the tribe.
(a) Santhals
(b) Kols
(c) Mundas
(d) None of these
Answer:
(c) Mundas

Question 8.
The British saw settled tribal groups such as the and Santhals as more civilized than hunter gatherers or shifting cultivators.
(a) Gonds
(b) Mundas
(c) Kols
(d) Kandhas
Answer:
(a) Gonds

Question 9.
Bakarwals are from…..
(a) Bihar
(b) Gujrat
(c) Punjab
(d) Kashmir
Answer:
(d) Kashmir

Question 10.
Bewar a term used in Madhya Pradesh for…..
(a) rearing
(b) shifting cultivation
(c) hunting
(d) both a and b
Answer:
(b) shifting cultivation

Very Short Answer Type Question

Question 1.
Who were called as Mundas?
Answer:
A tribal group that lived in Chottanagpur were called as Mundas.

Question 2.
Birsa belonged to which village and state?
Answer:
Birsa belonged to a village known as Chottanagpur in Bihar(now Jharkhand).

Question 3.
Jhum cultivation is known by which name?
Answer:
Jhum cultivation is also known as shifting cultivation.

Question 4.
When and where was the forest satyagraha started?
Answer:
The forest satyagraha started in 1930s in the Central Provinces.

Question 5. It was below the dignity of which tribe to become a labourer?
Answer:
It was below the dignity of a Baiga tribe to become a labourer.

Question 6.
The British want tribal groups to settle down and become peasant cultivators. Why?
Answer:
The British wanted the tribal groups to settle down and become peasant cultivators because settled peasants were easier to control and administer than people who were always on the move.

Question 7.
Which leaves are used for making plates by the Dongria Kandha women of Orissa?
Answer:
Pandanus leaves leaves are used for making plates by the Dongria Kandha women of Orissa

Question 8.
What do you mean by fallow field?
Answer:
A field which is left uncultivated for a while so that the soil recovers fertility is called as fallow field

Question 9.
Who were the outsiders being referred to as dikus?
Answer:
The outsiders who were being referred to as dikus were missionaries, moneylenders, Hindu landlords, and the British government.

Question 10.
Why was Birsa found guilty?
Answer:
In 1895, British arrested Birsa and declared him guilty on charges of rioting and jailed him for two years.

Short Answer Type Question

Question 1.
Name the five tribes found in India
Answer:
The five tribes found in India are as follows:

The Van Gujjars of the Punjab hills,
The Labadis of Andhra Pradesh,
The Gaddis of Kulu,
The Bakarwals of Kashmir
Santhals ofHazaribagh (Jharkhand).

Question 2.
British officials see settled tribal groups in different way to those who lived in the forest. How?
Answer:
British officials saw settled tribal groups such as the Gonds and Santhals as more civilised than hunter gatherers or shifting cultivators. Those who lived in the forests were considered to be wild and savage and hence, they needed to be settled and civilized

Question 3.
What are the different types of activities where tribal people were involved?
Answer:
The different types of activities where tribal people were involved are as follows:

Jhum cultivators or shifting cultivators
Hunters and gatherers
Herded animals
Some took to settled cultivation

Question 4.
What was the importance of Birsa movement?
Answer:
The importance of Birsa movement were in the following ways:
The movement forced the colonial government to introduce laws so that the land of the tribals could not be easily taken over by the outsiders or dikus. The movement also showed that the tribal people had the capacity to protest against injustice and express their anger against British rule.

Question 5.
What are the features of tribal people?
Answer:
The features of tribal people were as follows:

Most tribal people had customs and rituals that were very different from those laid down by Brahmans.
The tribal people’s societies also did not have the sharp social divisions that were characteristic of caste societies.
All those who belonged to the same tribe thought of themselves as sharing common ties of kinship.

Question 6:
The silk growers (Santhals) of Jharkhand faced problem during the nineteenth century. What was it?
Answer:
The Santhals reared cocoons in Hazaribagh(now in Jharkhand). The traders dealing in silk sent their agents who gave loans to the tribal people and collected the cocoons. The growers were paid only ? 3 to ? 4 for a thousand cocoons. These were exported to Burdwan or Gaya where they were sold at five times the price. The middlemen made huge profits as he arranged deals between the exporters and silk growers. Hence, the silk growers earned very little and nominal amount.

Question 7.
Why was the British effort to settle jhum cultivators not very successful?
Answer:
The British efforts to settle jhum cultivators not very successful because jhum cultivators who took to plough cultivation often suffered since their fields did not produce good yields. The jhum cultivators in northeast India insisted on continuing with their traditional practice. It was difficult to carry on settled plough cultivation in areas where water is scarce and the soil is very dry. Hence, the British faced widespread protests and therefore, they allowed them to carry on shifting cultivation in some parts of the forest.

Question 8.
What problem did the British face after they brought changes in forest laws? Did they solve this problem? How?
Answer:
The British faced many problems after they brought changes in forest laws. They stopped the tribal people from living inside forests. They lost labour force because most of the jhum cultivators moved to other areas in search of work. Yes, British officials solved this problem by giving jhum cultivators small patches of land in the forests and allowing them to cultivate these on the condition that those who lived in villages would have to provide labour to the Forest Department and look after the forests. The Forest Department established forest villages in many regions to ensure a regular supply of cheap labour.

Question 9.
The tribals consider the moneylenders as the cause of their misery. Why?
Answer:
The tribals consider the moneylenders as the cause of their misery because tribals took loans from the moneylenders to meet their cash requirements. But these moneylenders charged high interest rate on these loans leading to debt and poverty of the tribal.

Question 10.
What were the usual chores of tribes during the month of Baisakh?
Answer:
The usual chores of tribes during the month of Baisakh were that during this month the burning of forests took place where women gathered unbumt wood to bum. Men continued to hunt close to the village.

Question 11.
Discuss the tribal group’s trade activities in the nineteenth century. How did they come to see traders as Dikus and enemies?
Answer:
Tribal groups were depended on moneylenders and traders as they often needed money to buy and sell goods that were produced within the locality. Traders sold their goods at high prices. Moneylenders gave loans to the tribes which met their cash needs adding to what they earned but as the interest charges were high on the loans most of the tribal people were indebted and lived in poverty. Hence, tribal groups came to see the moneylenders and traders as evil outsiders and the cause of their misery.

Long Answer Type Question

Question 1:
How did different tribal groups earn their livelihood?
Answer:
Tribal people in different parts of India were involved in a variety of activities. The different tribal groups earn their livelihood in following ways:

Some of them practiced jhum cultivation, also known as shifting cultivation. This was done on small patches of land mostly in forests.
In many regions, tribal groups earn their livelihood by hunting animals and gathering forest produce. They saw forests as essential for survival. The Khonds were such a community living in the forests of Orissa (now Odisha).
Many tribal groups lived by herding and rearing animals. They were pastoralists who moved with their herds of cattle or sheep according to the seasons. When the grass in one place was exhausted, they moved to another area
Many from within the tribal groups had begun settling down and cultivating their fields in one place year after year instead of moving from place to place.

Question 2.
Discuss the problems which the shifting cultivators face under British rule.
Answer:
The problems faced by shifting cultivators under British rule were as follows:

(i) For administrative and economic reason, the British wanted the jhum cultivators to settle down and become peasant cultivators. The British effort to settle jhum cultivators was not very successful as settled plough cultivation is not easy in areas where water is scarce and the soil is dry. In fact, jhum cultivators who took to plough cultivation often suffered since their fields did not produce good yields.

(ii) The life of jhum cultivators was directly connected to the forest. So changes in forest laws had a major effect on their lives. The British extended their control over all forests and declared that forests were state property. In these forests, people were not allowed to move freely, practise jhum cultivation, collect fruits, or hunt animals. Many were therefore forced to move to other areas in search of work and livelihood

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Bhagya

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 4 Agriculture

→ Three types of economic activities are involved in transformation from a plant to a finished product. These are primary, secondary and tertiary activities.

Agriculture, fishing and gathering are examples of primary activities. It includes all those connected with extraction and production of natural resources.
Manufacturing of steel, baking of bread and weaving of cloth are examples of secondary activity. It is concerned with the processing of the primary resources.
Transport, trade, banking, insurance and advertising are examples of tertiary activities. These provide support to the primary and secondary sectors through services.
In the world, 50 per cent of persons are engaged in agricultural activity. Two-thirds of India’s population is still dependent on agriculture.
The land on which the crops are grown is known as arable land. Favourable topography of soil and climate are vital for agricultural activity.

→ Farm System:

The important inputs in agriculture or farming are seeds, fertilisers, machinery and labour.
Ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvesting are other operations involved.
The outputs from the system include crops, wool, dairy and poultry products.

→ Types of Farming:
Farming is categorised into two main types. These are subsistence farming and commercial farming.

→ Subsistence Farming:

This type of farming is practised to meet the needs of the farmer’s family.
Subsistence farming can be categorised as intensive subsistence and primitive subsistence farming.

→ Intensive Subsistence Farming:

In this type, the farmer cultivates a small plot of land using simple tools and more labour.
Rice is the main crop. Other crops include wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds.
It is prevalent in the thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of south, southeast and east Asia.

→ Primitive Subsistence Farming:

It can be categorised in shifting cultivation and nomadic herding.
Shifting cultivation is also known as ‘slash and bum’ agriculture.
It is practised in the thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of south-east Asia and north-east India.
These are the areas of heavy rainfall and quick regeneration of vegetation.
Crops like maize, yam, potatoes and cassava are grown.
Once the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot.

→ Nomadic herding is the type of farming where herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water, along defined routes. Due to climatic constraints and terrain, this type of movement arises.

Commonly reared animals are sheep, camel, yak and goats.
They provide milk, meat, wool, hides and other products to the herders and their families.
It is practised in the semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India, like Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.

→ Commercial Farming:

In this type of farming, crops are grown and animals are reared for sale in market.
Commercial farming is categorised in three types: commercial grain farming, mixed farming and plantation agriculture.

→ Commercial grain farming crops are grown for commercial purpose.

Commercially grown grains are wheat and maize.
Major areas are temperate grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia.

→ Mixed farming:

In this type of farming, the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock,
Major areas are in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, south-east
Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

→ Plantation agriculture:

In this type of farming, single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown.
Large amount of labour and capital are required. Transport network is essential for such farming.
Majorly they are found in the tropical regions of the world. Some of the examples are rubber in Malaysia, coffee in Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka.

→ Major Crops:

Major food crops are wheat, rice, maize and millets. Jute and cotton are fibre crops. Important beverage crops are tea and coffee.
Crops are grown to meet the requirements of the growing population.

→ Rice:

It is the major food crop of the world.
It is the staple diet of the tropical and sub¬tropical regions.
China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka and Egypt are the major producers of rice.
It needs high temperature, high humidity and rainfall. It grows best in alluvial clayey soil.

→ Wheat:

It requires moderate temperature and rainfall during growing season and bright sunshine at the time of harvest.
USA, Canada, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and India are the leading producers of wheat. In India it is grown in winter.

→ Millets:

Millets are also known as coarse grains. It includes jowar, bajra and ragi.
It can be grown on less fertile and sandy soils. It needs low rainfall and high to moderate temperature and adequate rainfall.
Leading producers are India, Nigeria, China and Niger.

→ Maize:

It requires moderate temperature, rainfall and lots of sunshine and fertile soil.
North America, Brazil, China, Russia, Canada, India, and Mexico are the producers of maize.

→ Cotton:

It requires high temperature, light rainfall, 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine for its growth.
It grows best on black and alluvial soils.
The leading producers of cotton are China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt.

→ Jute:

It is also known as the ‘Golden Fibre’.
It requires high temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate and grows well on alluvial soil.
The leading producers of jute are India and Bangladesh.

→ Coffee:

It requires warm and wet climate and well drained loamy soil.
The leading producer is Brazil followed by Columbia and India.

→ Tea:

It requires cool climate and well-distributed high rainfall throughout the year for the growth of its tender leaves.
Kenya, India, China, Sri Lanka produce the best quality tea in the world.

→ Agricultural Development:

It refers to efforts made to increase farm production in order to meet the growing demand of increasing population.
Another aspect of agricultural development is mechanisation of agriculture.
The major aim of agricultural development is to increase food security.
Developing countries which has large populations usually practice intensive agriculture.
Larger holdings are more suitable for commercial agriculture as in USA, Canada and Australia.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 2 Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Bhagya

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 2 Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources

→ Mamba and Peter stay in two different parts of the world and lead very different lives. This difference is because of the differences in the quality of land, soil, water, natural vegetation, animals and the usage of technology. The availability of such resources is the main reason places differ from each other.

→ Land:

One of the most important natural resources is Land.
Land covers only about thirty per cent of the total area of the earth’s surface and all parts of this small area are not habitable.
Due to varied characteristics of land and climate there is uneven distribution of population in different parts of the world.
Plains and river valleys are suitable land for agriculture. Hence, these are the densely populated areas of the world.

→ Land Use:

Land is used for different causes and purposes such as agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, roads and setting up of industries.
Certain physical factors such as topography, soil, climate, minerals and availability of water determines the use of land.
Other important determinants of land use pattern are human factors such as population and technology.
Land can be divided into two categories on the basis of ownership as – private land and community land.
Private land is owned by individuals and community land is owned by the community for common uses like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or medicinal herbs. The community lands are also known as common property resources.
The major threats to the environment because of the expansion of agriculture and construction activities and proceedings are land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, and desertification.

→ Conservation of Land Resource:
The common methods used to conserve land resources are afforestation, land reclamation, regulated use of chemical pesticide and fertilisers and checks on overgrazing land.

→ Soil:

Soil is the thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth and it is very closely linked to land.
Category of soil is determined the landforms.
Organic matter, minerals and weathered rocks found on the earth forms the soil.
The right mix of minerals and organic matter make the soil fertile.

→ Factors of Soil Formation:
The nature of the parent rock and climatic factors are the major factors of soil formation. The topography, role of organic material and time taken for the composition of soil formation are the other factors. Though they all differ from place to place.

→ Degradation of Soil and Conservation Measures:

The major threats to soil are soil erosion and depletion.
Soil degradation happens due to deforestation, overgrazing, overuse of chemical feritilisers or pesticides, rain wash, landslides and floods.

→ Few methods of soil conservation are:

Mulching: The bare ground between plants is covered with a layer of organic matter like straw and it helps to retain soil moisture.
Contour barriers: Along contours, stones, grass, soil are used to build barriers. To collect water, trenches are made in front of the barriers.
Rock dam: Rocks are piled up to slow down the flow of water and it prevents gullies and further soil loss.
Terrace farming: Terraces or broad flat steps are made on the steep slopes so that flat surfaces are available to grow crops. This reduce the surface runoff and soil erosion.
Intercropping: Different types of crops are grown in alternate rows and are sown at different times to protect the soil from rain wash.
Contour ploughing: To form a natural barrier, ploughing is done parallel to the contours of a hill slope for water to flow down the slope.
Shelter belts: Mainly in the coastal and dry regions, rows of trees are planted to check the wind movement to protect soil cover.

→ Water:

Earth is also known as an ‘water planet’ because three-fourths of the earth’s surface is covered with water.
The ocean water is not fit for human consumption as it is saline.
Fresh water accounts for only about 2.7 per cent. In this 2.7 per cent, about 70 per cent of this occurs as ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland and mountain regions and these are inaccessible due to their locations.
Only 1 per cent of freshwater is available and fit for human use. It is found in the form of ground water, as surface water in rivers and lakes and as water vapour in the atmosphere.
The most precious substance on earth is fresh water. Its total volume remains constant.
Humans use huge amounts of water for drinking, washing but also in the process of production.
The main reasons leading to shortages in supply of fresh water is either due to drying up of water sources or water pollution.

→ Problems of Water Availability:

Scarcity of water is present in many regions of the world. Mostly countries located in climatic zones are most susceptible to droughts, face great problems of water scarcity.
Water shortage may be a result of variation in seasonal or annual precipitation or by over-exploitation and contamination of water sources.

→ Conservation of Water Resources:

World is facing a major problem in accessing the clean and adequate water sources.
To conserve this valuable resource, steps need to be taken.
The major contaminants in waterbodies are the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage, agricultural chemicals and industrial effluents and pollute water with nitrates, metals and pesticides.
Water pollution can be controlled by treating these effluents suitably before releasing them in waterbodies.
Another method to save surface runoff is water harvesting.
Drip or trickle irrigation is very useful in dry regions with high rates of evaporation.

→ Natural Vegetation and Wildlife:

Natural vegetation and wildlife exist only in the narrow zone of contact between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere and that is known as biosphere.
The life supporting system is called as the ecosystem. Here, living beings are inter-related and interdependent on each other for survival.
There are innumerable uses of plants. They provide us with timber, give shelter to animals, produce oxygen, protects soils essentials for growing crops, help in storage of underground water, give us fruits, nuts, latex, turpentine oil, gum, medicinal plants and the paper.
Animals big or small, all are integral and essential in maintaining balance in the ecosystem.
A vital cleanser of the environment are the vultures and considered as scavengers because they have the ability to feed on dead livestock.
Animals provide us milk, meat, hides and wool.
Bees and birds have an important role to play as decomposers in the ecosystem.

→ Distribution of Natural Vegetation:

Temperature and moisture are the factors for the growth of vegetation.
The major vegetation types of the world are grouped as forests, grasslands, scrubs and tundra.
In regions where heavy rainfall occurs, huge trees may thrive.
In the regions of moderate rainfall, short stunted trees and grasses grow forming the grasslands of the world.
In the regions of low rainfall, thorny shrubs and scrubs grow.
Tundra vegetation of cold Polar Regions comprise of mosses and lichens.
Population is growing in rapid way and to feed the growing numbers, large regions of forests have been cleared to grow crops. Forests are vanishing rapidly. An urgent need has come up to protect from destruction this valuable resource.

→ Conservation of Natural Vegetation and Wildlife:

Many species have become endangered and some are on the verge of extinction.
Some of the human and natural factors which gives momentum to the process of extinction of these resources are deforestation, soil erosion, constructional activities, forest fires, tsunami and landslides.
Another major and important issue is poaching. The animals are poached for collection and illegal trade of hides, skins, nails, teeth, horns as well as feathers.
The animals which are poached are tiger, lion, elephant, deer, blackbuck, crocodile, rhinoceros, snow leopard, ostrich and peacock. We need to create awareness to conserve these animals.
To protect our natural vegetation and wildlife, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves are made.
Awareness programmes such as social forestry and Vanainohatasava should be encouraged at the regional and community level.
School children should also be encouraged to gain more knowledge about such awareness programs and try to conserve it.
Laws has been passed in many countries against the trade as well as killing of birds and animals. In India, killing lions, tigers, deer, great Indian bustards and peacocks is illegal.
Lists of several species of animals and birds in which trade is prohibited has been established by an international convention CITES.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 1 Resources

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Bhagya

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 1 Resources

→ Any object, substance or material that has utility or usability makes a resource.

The substances which have certain values becomes a resource.
The two important factors that can change substances into resources are time and technology.
Time and technology are related to the needs of the people.
Human beings themselves are the most important resource. It is their ideas, recommendations, knowledge, inventions and discoveries that lead to the creation of more resources in the world.

→ Types of Resources
These are mainly divided into three categories:

Natural resources
Human made resources
Human resources

→ Natural Resources

Natural resources are the resources that are drawn from Nature and used without much alterations.
The natural resources are the air which we inhale, the rivers and lakes, the soils, minerals. These resources are presents of nature to living things and can be used directly.
Sometimes technology may be needed to use a natural resource in the finest manner.
Natural resources can be divided into:
- Renewable resources
- Non-renewable resources

→ Renewable Resources

These are the resources which get renewed or refilled quickly.
Solar energy and wind energy are some of the resources which are unlimited and are unaffected by human activities.
But some renewable resources such as water, soil and forest can affect the living things. In many parts of the world now a days, a major problem has come up. There is a shortage and drying up of natural water.

→ Non-renewable Resources

These are the resources which are present in fixed amount.
These are found inside the earth and take millions of years to form.
Fossil fuels, oil, natural gas, and coal and nuclear energy are some of the non-renewable resources.
In current scenario, around 84% of the total amount of energy used globally comes from fossil fuels.

→ Certain physical factors such as terrain, climate and altitude lead to the distribution of natural resources. Due to the unequal distribution of resources, these factors differ a lot over the earth.

→ Human Made Resources:

Human made resources are those natural resources whose original form has been changed to some other form.
Human beings use natural resources for their needs such as buildings, bridges, roads, etc.
Technology is also one of the forms of this resource.

→ Human Resources:

Knowledge, skill and technology help people to create more resources when they need to do so. Hence, human beings are a special human resource.
Human beings become a valuable resource due to education and health.
Human Resource Development is to enhance and improve the quality and attributes of person’s skills so that they are able to create and generate more resources.

→ Conserving Resources:

Resource conservation means utilising resources veiy carefully and giving them time to get renewed and restore.
Sustainable development means to balance the need to use resources and also preserve them for the future.
Many ways are there to conserve resources such as reducing consumption, recycling and reusing thing.
It is our responsibility and task to ensure that:
- Sustainable use of renewable resources.
- On the earth, the varied range of life is conserved.
- Minimise the damage to natural environmental system.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 10 Law and Social Justice

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Bhagya

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 10 Law and Social Justice

→ To protect people from any kind of exploitation, the government makes certain laws. These laws try to ensure that unfair practices are kept at a minimum in the markets.

Private companies, contractors, business persons normally want to make as much profit as they can.
To ensure that workers are not underpaid, or are paid fairly, there is a law on minimum wages.
The minimum wages are revised upwards eveiy few years.
There are also laws that protect the interests of producers and consumers in the market.
These help ensure that the relations between these three parties – the worker, consumer and producer – are governed in a manner that is not exploitative.
The government has to ensure that these laws are implemented. This means that the law must be enforced. Enforcement becomes even more important when the law seeks to protect the weak from the strong.
Many of these laws have their basis in the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

→ What is a Worker’s Worth?

One reason why foreign companies come to India is for cheap labour.
Wages that the companies pay to workers, say in the U.S.A., are far higher than what they have to pay to workers in poorer countries like India.
Cost cutting can also be done by other more dangerous means. Lower working conditions including lower safety measures are used as ways of cutting costs.
Making use of the workers’ vulnerability, employers ignore safety in workplaces.

→ Enforcement of Safety Laws:

As the lawmaker and enforcer, the government is supposed to ensure that safety laws are implemented.
Instead of protecting the interests of the people, their safety was being disregarded both by the government and by private companies.
With more industries being set up both by local and foreign businesses in India, there is a great need for stronger laws protecting worker’s rights and better enforcement of these laws.

→ New Laws to Protect the Environment:

In 1984, there were veiy few laws protecting the environment in India, and there was hardly any enforcement of these laws.
The environment was treated as a ‘free’ entity and any industry could pollute the air and water without any restrictions.
In response to this pressure from environmental activists and others, in the years following the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Indian government introduced new laws on the environment.
In Subhash Kumar vs. State of Bihar (1991), the Supreme Court held that the Right to Life is a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution and it includes the right to the enjoyment of pollution-free water and air for full enjoyment of life.
The government is responsible for setting up laws and procedures that can check pollution, clean rivers and introduce heavy fines for those who pollute.

→ Conclusion:

A major role of the government, is to control the activities of private companies by making, enforcing and upholding laws so as to prevent unfair practices and ensure social justice.
This means that the government has to make ‘appropriate laws’ and also has to enforce the laws.
Laws that are weak and poorly enforced can cause serious harm, as the Bhopal gas tragedy showed.
People must demand stronger laws protecting workers’ interests so that the Right to Life is achieved for all.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 9 Public Facilities

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Bhagya

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 9 Public Facilities

→ Water and the People of Chennai:
Different situations are mentioned about the water supply and the people of Chennai.

→ Water as Part of the Fundamental Right to Life:

Water is essential for life and for good health.
India has one of the largest number of cases of diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera.
The Constitution of India recognises the right to water as being a part of the Right to Life under Article 21.
There should be universal access to water.
There have been several court cases in which both the High Courts and the Supreme Court have held that the right to safe drinking water is a Fundamental Right.

→ Public Facilities:

There are things like electricity, public transport, schools and colleges that are also necessary. These are known as public facilities.
The important characteristic of a public facility is that once it is provided, its benefits can be shared by many people.

→ The Government’s Role:

One of the most important functions of the government is to ensure that these public facilities are made available to everyone.
In most of the public facilities, there is no profit to be had.
Private companies provide public facilities but at a price that only some people can afford.
This facility is not available to all at an affordable rate.
Public facilities relate to people’s basic needs.
The Right to Life that the Constitution guarantees is for all persons living in this country. The responsibility to provide public facilities, therefore, must be that of the government.

→ Water Supply to Chennai: Is it Available to All?

While there is no doubt that public facilities should be made available to all, in reality we see that there is a great shortage of such facilities.
Water supply in Chennai is marked by shortages.
The burden of shortfalls in water supply falls mostly on the poor.
The middle class when faced with water shortages are able to cope through a variety
of private means such as digging borewells, buying water from tankers and using bottled water for drinking.
Apart from the availability of water, access to ‘safe’ drinking water is also available to some and this depends on what one can afford.
In reality, therefore, it seems that it is only people with money who have the right to water – a far cry from the goal of universal access to ‘sufficient and safe’ water.

→ In Search of Alternatives:

A similar scenario of shortages and acute crisis during the summer months is common to other cities of India.
The supply of water per person in an urban area in India should be about 135 litres per day (about seven buckets) – a standard set by the Urban Water Commission.
Whereas people in slums have to make do with less than 20 litres a day per person (one bucket), people living in luxury hotels may consume as much as 1,600 litres (80 buckets) of water per day.
A shortage of municipal water is often taken as a sign of failure of the government.
Within India, there are cases of success in government water departments, though these are few in number and limited to certain areas of their work.
It has also used the services of private companies for transporting and distributing water but the government water supply department decides the rate for water tankers and gives them permission to operate. Hence, they are called ‘on contract’.

→ Conclusion:

Public facilities relate to our basic needs and the Indian Constitution recognises the right to water, heath, education, etc., as being a part of the Right to Life.
One of the major roles of the government is to ensure adequate public facilities for everyone.
There is a shortage in supply and there are inequalities in distribution.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 8 Confronting Marginalisation

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Bhagya

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 8 Confronting Marginalisation

→ Religious solace, armed struggle, self improvement and education, economic uplift – there appears to be no one way of doing things. Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims, women and other marginal groups argue that simply by being citizens of a democratic country, they possess equal rights that must be respected.

→ Invoking Fundamental Rights:

The marginalised have drawn on the rights in two ways: first, by insisting on their Fundamental Rights, they have forced the government to recognise the injustice done to them. Second, they have insisted that the government enforce these laws.
In some instances, the struggles of the marginalised have influenced the government to frame new laws in keeping with the spirit of the Fundamental Rights.
Article 17 of the Constitution states that untouchability has been abolished, this means that no one can henceforth prevent Dalits from educating themselves, entering temples, using public facilities, etc.
Untouchability is a punishable crime now.
Article 15 of the Constitution notes that no citizen of India shall be discriminated
against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. This has been used by Dalits to seek equality where it has been denied to them.
Dalits can ‘invoke’ or ‘draw on’ a Fundamental Right (or Rights) in situations where they feel that they have been treated badly by some individual or community or even by the government.
By granting different forms of cultural rights, the Constitution tries to ensure cultural justice to such groups.
The Constitution does this so that the culture of these groups is not dominated nor wiped out by the culture of the majority community.

→ Laws for the Marginalised:

There are specific laws and policies for the marginalised in our country.
There are policies or schemes that emerge through other means like setting up a committee or by undertaking a survey, etc.

→ Promoting Social Justice:

As part of their effort to implement the Constitution, both state and central governments create specific schemes for implementation in tribal areas or in areas that have a high Dalit population.
One such law/policy is the reservation policy that today is both significant and highly contentious.
The laws which reserve seats in education and government employment for Dalits and Adivasis are based on an important argument.
Governments across India have their own list of Scheduled Castes (or Dalits), Scheduled Tribes and backward and most backward castes. The central government too has its list.
Students applying to educational institutions and those applying for posts in government are expected to furnish proof of their caste or tribe status, in the form of caste and tribe certificates.

→ Protecting the Rights of Dalits and Adivasis
In addition to policies our country also has specific law’s that guard against the discrimination and exploitation of marginalised communities.

→ The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989

In order to indicate to the government that untouchability was still being practised and in the most hideous manner, Dalit groups demanded new laws that would list the various sorts of violence against dalits and prescribe stringent punishment for those who indulge in them.
The Act contains a very long list of crimes some of which are too horrible even to contemplate.
The Act does not only describe terrible crimes but also lets people know what dreadful deeds human beings are capable of.
The Act distinguishes several levels of crimes. Firstly, it lists modes of humiliation that are both physically horrific and morally reprehensible and seeks to punish.
Secondly, it lists actions that dispossess Dalits and Adivasis of their meagre resources or which force them into performing slave labour.
At another level, the Act recognises that crimes against Dalit and tribal women are of a specific kind and, therefore, seeks to penalise anyone who assaults or uses force on any woman belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe with intent to dishonour her.

→ Adivasi Demands and the 1989 Act:

The 1989 Act is important for another reason – Adivasi activists refer to it to defend their right to occupy land that was traditionally theirs.
Activists have asked that those who have forcibly encroached upon tribal lands should be punished under this law.
C.K. Janu, an Adivasi activist, has also pointed out that one of the violators of Constitutional rights guaranteed to tribal people are governments in the various states of India.
She has also noted that in cases where tribals have already been evicted and cannot go back to their lands, they must be compensated.

→ Conclusion:

The existence of a right or a law or even a policy on paper does not mean that it exists in reality.
People have had to constantly work on or make efforts to translate these into principles that guide the actions of their fellow citizens or even their leaders.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 7 Understanding Marginalisation

June 4, 2022May 24, 2022 by Bhagya

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 7 Understanding Marginalisation

→ What Does it Mean to be Socially Marginalised?

To be marginalised is to be forced to occupy the sides or fringes and thus not be at the centre of things.
In the social environment too, groups ‘ of people or communities may have the experience of being excluded. Their marginalisation can be because they speak a different language, follow different customs or belong to a different religious group from the majority community.
They may also feel marginalised because they are poor, considered to be of ‘low’ social status and viewed as being less human than others.
They experience a sense of disadvantage and powerlessness vis-a-vis more powerful and dominant sections of society who own land, are wealthy, better educated and politically powerful.
Economic, social, cultural and political factors work together to make certain groups in society feel marginalised.

→ Who are Adivasis?
Adivasis, the term literally means ‘original inhabitants’ are communities who lived and often continue to live in close association with forests.

Around 8 per cent of India’s population is Adivasi and many of India’s most important mining and industrial centres are located in Adivasi areas – Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Bokaro and Bhilai among others.
• There are over 500 different Adivasi groups in India.
Adivasis are particularly numerous in states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and in the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
Adivasi societies are also most distinctive because there is often very little hierarchy among them.
Adivasis practise a range of tribal religions that are different from Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.
It often involves the worship of ancestors, village and nature spirits, the last associated with and residing in various sites in the landscape – ‘mountain-spirits’, ‘river- spirits’, ‘animal-spirits’, etc.
Adivasis have always been influenced by different surrounding religions like Shakta, Buddhist, Vaishnav, Bhakti and Christianity.
Adivasis have their own languages (most of them radically different from and possibly as old as Sanskrit), which have often deeply influenced the formation of ‘mainstream’ Indian languages, like Bengali.
Santhali has the largest number of speakers and has a significant body of publications including magazines on the internet or in e-zines.

→ Adivasis and Stereotyping:

Often Adivasis are blamed for their lack of advancement as they are believed to be resistant to change or new ideas.
Adivasis are invariably portrayed in very stereotypical ways – in colourful costumes, headgear and through their dancing.
This often wrongly leads to people believing that they are exotic, primitive and backward.

→ Adivasis and Development:

Metal ores like iron and copper, and gold and silver, coal and diamonds, invaluable timber, most medicinal herbs and animal products (wax, lac, honey) and animals themselves (elephants, the mainstay of imperial armies), all came from the forests.
Forests covered the major part of our country till the nineteenth century and the Adivasis had a deep knowledge of, access to, as well as control over most of these vast tracts at least till the middle of the nineteenth century.
Often empires heavily depended on Adivasis for the crucial access to forest resources.
In the north-east, their lands remain highly militarised.
India has 104 national parks covering 40,501 sq km and 543 wildlife sanctuaries covering 1,18,918 sq km. These are areas where tribals originally lived but were evicted from.
When they continue to stay in these forests, they are termed encroachers.
Having gradually lost access to their traditional homelands, many Adivasis have migrated to cities in search of work where they are employed for very low wages in local industries or at building or construction sites.
45 per cent of tribal groups in rural areas and 35 per cent in urban areas live below the poverty line.
Many tribal children are malnourished. Literacy rates among tribals are also very low.
Destruction in one sphere naturally impacts the other. Often this process of dispossession and displacement can be painful and violent.

→ Minorities and Marginalisation

The term minority is most commonly used to refer to communities that are numerically small in relation to the rest of the population.
It encompasses issues of power, access to resources and has social and cultural dimensions.
Safeguards are needed to protect minority communities against the possibility of being culturally dominated by the majority. They also protect them against any discrimination and disadvantage that they may face.
The Constitution provides these safeguards because it is committed to protecting India’s
cultural diversity and promoting equality as well as justice.

→ Muslims and Marginalisation

Recognising that Muslims in India were lagging behind in terms of various development indicators, the government set up a high-level committee in 2005.
Chaired by Justice Rajindar Sachar, the committee examined the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim community in India. The report discusses in detail the marginalisation of this community.
The social marginalisation of Muslims in some instances have led to them migrating from places where they have lived, often leading to the ghettoisation of the community. Sometimes, this prejudice leads to hatred and violence.
The experiences of all the groups point to the fact that marginalisation is a complex phenomenon requiring a variety of strategies, measures and safeguards to redress this situation.

→ Conclusion:

Marginalisation is linked to experiencing disadvantage, prejudice and powerlessness.
Marginalisation results in having a low social status and not having equal access to education and other resources.
Marginalised communities want to maintain their cultural distinctiveness while having access to rights, development and other opportunities.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside

June 4, 2022May 23, 2022 by Prasanna

JAC Board Class 8th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside

JAC Class 8th History Ruling the Countryside InText Questions and Answers

Page 28

Question 1.
Why do you think Colebrook is concerned with the conditions of the under-ryots in Bengal? Read the preceding pages and suggest possible reasons.
Answer:
Colebrook is concerned with the conditions of the under-ryots in Bengal due to some socio-economic reasons.

In 1765, Diwani rights were given to the East India Company by the Mughals.
In 1773, in famine many people lost their life and most of the things.
Agriculture production worsene(d)
People could not purchase things as they used to buy.
The East India Company paid low price to farmers, craftsmen and artisans.

Page 30

Question 2.
Imagine that you are a Company representative sending a report back to England about the conditions in rural areas under Company rule. What would vou write?
Answer:
The conditions in rural areas under Company rule is not in good condition. Most of the people are poor and does not have enough food to eat. Many people are unable to pay the revenue hence they deserted the place.

Page 36

Question 3.
Imagine you are a witness giving evidence before the Indigo Commission. W.S. Seton Karr asks you “On what condition will ryots grow indigo?” What will your answer be?
Answer:
The conditions on which the ryots will grow indigo are.

They will not be forced to grow indigo.
They will sell the product in the open market from where they can earn a good profit.
They will grow indigo as per their convenience and will.
The revenue which they had to pay should be adequate and not too high

Page 38

Question 4.
Imagine a conversation between a planter and a peasant who is being forced to grow indigo. What reasons would the planter give to persuade the peasant? What problems would the peasant point out? Enact their conversation.
Answer:
Students need to do it in class with the ‘ help of the teacher.

JAC Class 8th History Ruling the Countryside Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Match the following.

Ryot	village
Mahal	peasant
Nij	cultivation on ryot’s lands
Jiyoti	cultivation on

Answer:

Ryot	Peasant
Mahal	Village
Nij	cultivation on planter’s own land
Jiyoti	cultivation on ryot’s lands

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks.
(a) Growers of woad in Europe saw …………… as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.
(b) The demand for indigo increased in late eighteenth-century Britain because of ………..
(c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of …………
(d) The Champaran movement was against……….
Answer:
(a) indigo
(b) synthetic dyes
(c) industrialisation
(d) indigo planters

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 3.
Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.
Answer:
Main features of the Permanent Settlement are.

By the terms of the settlement, the rajas and taluqdars were recognized as zamindars.
They were asked to collect rent from the peasants and pay revenue to the Company.
The amount to be paid was fixed permanently and it was not to be increased ever in future.
It was felt that this would ensure a regular flow of revenue into the Company’s coffers and at the same time encourage the zamindars to invest in improving the land
Since the revenue demand of the state would not be increased, the zamindar would benefit from increased production from the land

Question 4.
How was the mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?
Answer:
The mahalwari system was different from the Permanent Settlement in the following ways.

Mahalwari system	Permanent Settlement
Mahalwari system was devised by Holt Mackenzie which came into effect in 1822, in the North Western Provinces of the Bengal Presidency.	Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793.
The amount to be paid was to be revised periodically and not permanently fixe(d)	The amount to be paid was fixed permanently i.e., it was not to be increased ever in future.
The village headman was given the charge forcollecting the revenue and paying it to the ^Company.	The zamindar was given the charge for collecting the revenue and paying it to the Company.

Question 5.
Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.
Answer:
Two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue were.

Driven by the desire to increase the income from land, revenue officials fixed too high a revenue demand which the peasants were unable to pay.
Peasants were unable to pay, ryots fled the countryside and villages became deserted in many regions.

Question 6.
Why were ryots reluctant to growindigo?
Answer:
Ryots were reluctant to grow indigo because of the certain reasons.

Under this system, the planters forced the ryots to a sign an agreement or contract known as satta
Those who signed the contract got cash advances from the planters at the low rate of interest to produce indigo.
But the loan committed to the ryots for cultivating indigo on atleast 25% of the area under his holding.
The price they got for the indigo they produced was very low and the loan process was a never ending cycle.
The planters usually insisted that indigo should be cultivated on the best soil in which peasants preferred to produce rice.
Apart from it, indigo has deep roots and it exhausts the soil quickly. After an indigo harvest, the land could not be sown with rice.

Question 7.
What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?
Answer:
The circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal were as follows.

The indigo lyots felt that they had the support of the local zamindars and village headmen in their rebellion against the planters.
The indigo peasants also imagined that the British government would support them in their struggle against the planters.
The ryots saw the tour of the Lieutenant Governor as a sign of government sympathy for their plight.
The magistrate Ashley Eden issued a notice stating that ryots would not be compelled to accept indigo contracts.
As the rebellion spread, intellectuals from Calcutta rushed to the indigo districts. They wrote of the misery of the ryots, the tyranny and despotism of the planters and the horrors of the indigo system.
Worried by the rebellion, the government set up the Indigo Commission to enquire into the system of indigo production. The Commission held the planters guilty and criticised them for the coercive methods they used with indigo cultivators.
It declared that indigo production was not profitable for ryots. The Commission asked the ryots to fulfill their existing contracts but also told them that they could refuse to produce indigo in future,
After the revolt, indigo production collapsed in Bengal.

(Let’s Do)

Question 8.
Find out more about the Champaran movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s role in it.
Answer:
The Champaran Movement 1917 was actually an agitation of indigo tenant farmers of Champaran, Bihar against the British indigo planters. The Zamindars had leased the villages to British Indigo planters. The planters began to oppress peasants in many ways. They extract high rents, illegal dues and forced peasants to grow indigo on 3/20th of their total lan(d) They used force to make peasants to grow Indigo and also dictated the price of Indigo which was very low. So, the peasants were tired of the oppression and thus invited Gandhi to represent their grievances. Gandhi reached Champaran and launched the agitation against the Indigo planters.

There began non-violent protest and hunger strike against the planters. So the method of Satyagraha which later became the tool of freedom struggle for Indi(a) Moreover, Gandhi defied the warning of the magistrate to return back and adopted non-violent methods for the concessions of peasants. So the movement is being called the first Civil Disobedience. The movement also made Gandhi the National leader and he began to be called Mahatma or Bapu. The movement was successful and The authorities later gave some concessions to the indigo peasants.

Question 9.
Look into the history of either tea or coffee plantations in Indi(a) See how the life of workers in these plantations was similar to or different from that of workers in indigo plantations.
Answer:

(i) Accounts of earlier Indian history do not mention the use of tea or its cultivation. We get a mention by a Dutch sea-traveller in 1598 that tea is being eaten as well as drunk in Indi(a)

(ii) In 1824, tea plants were discovered in the hills of the Indian state of Assam. The British introduced tea culture into India in 1836. India had been the top producer of tea for nearly a century.

(iii) The workers in the tea plantations were oppresse(d) They were given low wages. There were poor housing and lack of social mobility. For making more profits, the tea planters reclaimed wastelands where the workers had to labour hard to develop plantation. For this, the planters introduced indentured labour system. The local as well as outside labourers were employed under contract.

(iv) There were two types of indentured labour system- Arkatti and Sardari. Under Arkatti system, unlicensed recruitment was carried from Chotanagpur and other tribal areas of the sub-continent. Under the Sardari system new labourers were employed by those who were already employed in the plantation gardens.

(v) The labourers had to work hard The outside labourers had to stay at the garden for a longer period They were not permitted to meet their family, even on occasions. They were exploited in many ways. They were not allowed to leave the plantation garden during the contract period

(vi) The labourers in the tea plantations and indigo farming were similar in the way that they were exploited heavily. The profit was made by the owners and the labourers got almost nothing. They were different in the way that, however, there was a contract with the planters, but indigo workers were not under indentured labour system.

JAC Class 8th History Ruling the Countryside Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
The Mughal emperor appoint the East India Company as the Diwan of Bengal in………..
(a) 12th August 1756
(b) 12th August 1758
(c) 12th August 1765
(d) 19th August 1765
Answer:
(c) 12th August 1765

Question 2.
The Permanent Settlement was introduced in………
(a) 1793
(b) 1797
(c) 1794
(d)1799
Answer:
(a) 1793

Question 3.
The zamindars were not capable of investing in the improvement of land because
(a) the farmers were not experienced in agriculture.
(b) the revenue that had been fixed was so high that the zamindars found it difficult to pay.
(c) farmers did not have access to the latest farming technologies.
(d) both b and d
Answer:
(b) the revenue that had been fixed was so high that the zamindars found it difficult to pay.

Question 4.
The other plant on which the European cloth manufacturer depended on apart from Indian indigo was
(a) Woad
(b) Opium
(c) Heena
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Woad

Question 5.
The two main systems of cultivating indigo in India during Company period were…….
(a) Nij
(b) Mahalwari
(c) Ryot
(d) both (a) and (c)
Answer:
(d) both (a) and (c)

Question 6.
The cultivation system in which indigo was produced by the planter in lands that he directly controlled is known as
(a) ryoti
(b) nij
(c) systematic
(d) none of these
Answer:
(b) nij

Question 7
The problems with the nij and ryoti systems were
(a) planters found it difficult to expand the area under cultivation.
(b) planters needed many ploughs and bullocks and large areas to cultivate indigo and these were very hard to come as peasants were busy with rice cultivation.
(c) indigo could be cultivated only on fertile lands and these were all densely populate(d)
(d) all of these.
Answer:
(d) all of these.

Question 8.
The condition of the ryot system contract that was not in favour of the cultivators was/were
(a) those who signed the contract had to pay cash advances to the planters without interest to produce indigo.
(b) those who signed the contract got cash advances from the planters without interest to produce indigo.
(c) those who signed the contract got cash advances from the planters at low rates of interest to produce indigo on at least 25% of their land
(d) both (a) and (c)
Answer:
(c) those who signed the contract got cash advances from the planters at low rates of interest to produce indigo on at least 25% of their land

Question 9.
The ‘Blue Rebellion’ happened in the year……. .
(a) 1859
(b) 1759
(c) 1869
(d) 1769
Answer:
(a) 1859

Question 10.
The indigo planters of Bengal shifted their operations to ………..
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Bihar
Answer:
(d) Bihar

Very Short Answer Type Question

Question 1.
Who was the Governor General of India when the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal?
Answer:
Lord Cornwallis was the Governor General of India when the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal.

Question 2.
What role did women play in the cultivation of indigo?
Answer:
The role women played in the cultivation of indigo was to carry the indigo plant to the vats.

Question 3.
Who were the gomasthasl
Answer:
Gomasthas were the agents of planters.

Question 4.
Who created Kalamkari print?
Answer:
Weavers of Andhra Pradesh in India created Kalamkari print.

Question 5.
Where did the Portuguese begin cultivating indigo?
Answer:
The Portuguese began cultivating indigo in Brazil.

Question 6.
Who was the President of the Indigo Commission?
Answer:
W.S. Seton Karr was the President of the Indigo Commission.

Question 7.
Where did the English cultivate indigo?
Answer:
The English cultivated indigo in Jamaica

Question 8.
Where did the Spanish begin cultivating indigo?
Answer:
The Spanish began cultivating indigo in Venezuela

Question 9.
Which system forced the people to take the help of Mahatma Gandhi to get their grievances redressed from the government.
Answer:
The system which forced the people to take the help of Mahatma Gandhi to get their grievances redressed from the government was teenkathia system.

Question 10.
The Bengal peasants were forced to grow a crop plant by the Company. Which plant was that?
Answer:
The Bengal peasants were forced to grow a crop plant by the Company. The plant was jute plant.

Short Answer Type Question

Question 1.
Describe the Munro system.
Answer:
The new system that was devised came to be known as the ryotwar (or ryotwari). It was tried on a small scale by Captain Alexander Read in some of the areas that were taken over by the Company after the wars with Tipu Sultan. Subsequently developed by Thomas Munro, this system was gradually extended all over south Indi(a) Read and Munro felt that in the south there were no traditional zamindars. The settlement, they argued, had to be made directly with the cultivators {ryots) who had tilled the land for generations. Their fields had to be carefully and separately surveyed before the revenue assessment was made.

Question 2.
How was indigo cultivated under the ryoti system?
Answer:
Under the ryoti system, the planters forced the ryots to sign a contract, an agreement (satta). At times they pressurised the village headmen to sign the contract on behalf of the ryots. Those who signed the contract got cash advances from the planters at low rates of interest to produce indigo. But the loan committed the ryot to cultivating indigo on at least 25 per cent of the area under his holding. The planter provided the seed and the drill, while the cultivators prepared the soil, sowed the seed and looked after the crop. When the crop was delivered to the planter after the harvest, a new loan was given to the ryot, and the cycle started all over again.

Question 3.
What were the consequences of the economic crisis that gripped Bengal?
Answer:
The consequences of the economic crisis that gripped Bengal were.

Artisans were deserting villages since they were being forced to sell their goods to the Company at low prices.
Peasants were unable to pay the dues that were being demanded from them.
Artisanal production was in decline and agricultural cultivation showed signs of collapse.
In 1770, a terrible famine killed ten million people in Bengal. About one-third of the population was wiped out.

Question 4.
Where did the slave revolt take place in 1791?
Answer:
In the French colony of St Dominque situated in the Caribbean islands, the African slaves who worked in plantations rebelled in 1791.

Question 5.
Why did cloth dyers prefer indigo to woad?
Answer:
Cloth dyers preferred indigo as a dye because indigo produced a rich blue colour whereas the dye from woad was pale and dull.

Question 6.
Indigo trade attracted foreign traders. In which way?
Answer:
As the indigo trade grew, commercial agents and officials of the Company began investing in indigo production. Over the years many Company officials left their jobs to look after their indigo business. Attracted by the prospect of high profits, numerous Scotsmen and Englishmen came to India and became planters.

Question 7.
What gave rise to the Champaran Movement?
Answer:
When Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa, a peasant from Bihar persuaded him visit Champaran and see the plight of the indigo cultivators there. Mahatma Gandhi’s visit in 1917 marked the beginning of the Champaran movement against the indigo planters.

Question 8.
By the late nineteenth century, the Company forced cultivators in various parts of India to produce which crops?
Answer:
By the late nineteenth century, the Company forced cultivators in various parts of India to produce these crops jute in Bengal, tea in Assam, sugarcane in the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh), wheat in Punjab, cotton in Maharashtra and Punjab, rice in Madras.

Question 9.
Why was the Indigo Commission set up by the government? What were its findings and suggestions?
Answer:
The Indigo Commission was set up by the government to enquire into the system of indigo production because they were worried by the rebellion, the government brought in the military to protect the planters from assault. The Commission held the planters guilty and criticised them for the coercive methods they used with indigo cultivators. It declared that indigo production was not profitable for ryots. The Commission asked the ryots to fulfil their existing contracts but also told them that they could refuse to produce indigo in future.

Question 10.
Why did the demand for Indian indigo increase?
Answer:
By the end of the eighteenth century, the demand for Indian indigo grew further. Britain began to industrialise and its cotton production expanded dramatically, creating an enormous new demand for cloth dyes. While the demand for indigo increased, its existing supplies from the West Indies and America collapsed for a variety of reasons. Between 1783 and 1789 the production of indigo in the world fell by half. Cloth dyers in Britain now desperately looked for new sources of indigo supply and hence the demand increased

Long Answer Type Question

Question 1.
The indigo peasants decide they would no longer remain silent. Why?
Answer:
The indigo peasants became united and rebelled They showed their anger in the following ways.

The condition under which the indigo cultivators had to work was intensely oppressive and very harsh. Hence, they decided not to grow indigo.
Ryots refused to pay rents to the planters and attacked indigo factories armed with swords and spears, bows and arrows.
Women turned up to fight with pots, pans and kitchen implements.
Those who worked for the planters were socially boycotted and the gomasthas means agents of planters, who came to collect rent were beaten up.
Ryots swore they would no longer take advances to sow indigo nor be bullied by the planters’ lathiyals.
Even in some places, the zamindars went around villages urging the ryots to resist the planters.
These zamindars were unhappy with the increasing power of the planters and angry at being forced by the planters to give them land on long leases.

Question 2.
The planters reluctant to expand the area under nij cultivation till the late 19th century. Why?
Answer:
The planters reluctant to expand the area under nij cultivation till the late 19th century because the planters many problems in the nij system. They were as follows.

The planters found it difficult to expand the area under nij cultivation. Indigo could be cultivated only on fertile lands and these were all densely populated
Only small plots scattered over the landscape could be acquired Planters needed large areas in compact blocks to cultivate indigo in plantations.
Nor was labour easy to mobilise. A large plantation required a vast number of hands to operate. And labour was needed precisely at a time when peasants were usually busy with their rice cultivation.
Nor could supplies be easily got from the peasants since their ploughs and bullocks were busy on their rice fields and again exactly at the time that the indigo planters needed them.
Investing on purchase and maintenance of ploughs was a big problem.

JAC Class 8 Social Science Solutions

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

June 4, 2022May 23, 2022 by Bhagya

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

→ In large societies in which different communities of people live together, these rules are formulated through consensus and in modem countries this consensus is usually available in written form. A written document in which we find the rules is called a Constitution.

→ Why Does a Country Need a Constitution?

The Constitution serves several purposes. First, it lays out certain ideals that form the basis of the kind of country that we as citizens aspire to live in. Or, a Constitution tells us what the fundamental nature of our society is.
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.
This includes not only the type of government but also an agreement on certain ideals that they all believe the country should uphold.
In 2006 the people of Nepal finally succeeded in putting an end to the powers of the King. The people had to write a new Constitution to establish Nepal as
a democracy. The reason that they did not want to continue with the previous Constitution is because it did not reflect the ideals of the country that they want Nepal to be and that they have fought for.
The people of Nepal adopted a new Constitution for the country in 2015.
The second important purpose of a Constitution is to define the nature of a country’s political system.
The Constitution plays a crucial role in laying out certain important guidelines that govern decision making within these societies.

→ In a democracy, we choose our leaders so that they can exercise power responsibly on behalf of common people.

However, there is always the possibility that these leaders might misuse their authority and the Constitution usually provides safeguards against this.
In democratic societies, the Constitution often lays down rules that guard against the misuse of authority by our political leaders.
The Right to Equality is one of the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.
Another important function that a Constitution plays in a democracy is to make sure that a dominant group does not use its power against other, less powerful people or groups.
The Constitution usually contains rules that ensure that minorities are not excluded from anything that is routinely available to the majority.
Another reason why we have a Constitution is precisely to prevent this tyranny or domination by the majority of a minority.
The third significant reason why we need a Constitution is to save us from ourselves.
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.

→ The Indian Constitution: Key Features

By the beginning of the twentieth century, the Indian national movement had been active in the struggle for independence from British rule for several decades.
During the freedom struggle the nationalists had devoted a great deal of time to imagining and planning what a free India would be like.
The leaders work was to work out the ways in which a democratic government would be set up in India and the rules that would determine its functioning.
• 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.
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.
The final document also reflects its concern for eradicating poverty through socio-economic reforms as well as emphasising the crucial role the people can play in choosing their representatives.

→ The key features of the Indian Constitution are given below:

Federalism
Parliamentary Form of Government
Separation of Powers
Fundamental Rights
Secularism

→ Federalism:

This refers to the existence of more than one level of government in the country. In India, we have governments at the state level and at the centre. Panchayati Raj is the third tier of government.
The vast number of communities in India meant that a system of government needed to be devised that did not involve only persons sitting in the capital city of New Delhi and making decisions for everyone.
It was important to have another level of government in the states so that decisions could be made for that particular area.
While each state in India enjoys autonomy in exercising powers on certain issues, subjects of national concern require that all of these states follow the laws of the central government.
Under federalism, the states are not merely agents of the federal government but draw their authority from the Constitution as well. All persons in India are governed by laws and policies made by each of these levels of government.

→ Parliamentary Form of Government:

The different tiers of government consist of representatives who are elected by the people.
The Constitution of India guarantees universal adult suffrage for all citizens.
The people of India have a direct role in electing their representatives.
Every citizen of the country, irrespective of his/her social background, can also contest 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.
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.
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.

→ 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.
As Dr Ambedkar has said about these Fundamental Rights, their object is two-fold.
The first objective is that every citizen must be in a position to claim those rights.
Secondly, these rights must be binding upon every authority that has got the power to make laws.
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.