Haritha

Chapter 1 Ideas Of History Short Questions And Answers

Question 1. Write a note on the History of the Environment.
Answer:

History of Environment: The influence of the environment molds the thoughts and dealings in the lives of people

1. Influence on Poetry: The influence of the Lake District of England on the poetry of Wordsworth is widely acknowledged. In a similar vein, the studies in the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore reveal the influence of the landscape of the Gangetic Bengal (Silaidaha in present Bangladesh)

2. Degradation of Environment: However, because of global warming people all over the world are facing environmental hazards. There is no shred of doubt that India’s mountains, rivers, forests, and seas have gone a long way in shaping the lives, thinking, and mode of living of the people of India. Thus, inquiry into the history of the environment has become imperative

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3. Silent Spring: Silent Spring written by Rachel Carson (1962) is a well-documented book emphasizing the detrimental effects on the environment as a result of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson, the author, accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claim

4. Work of Indian Environmentalists: Scholars such as Mahesh Rangarajan and Ramchandra Guha made environmental studies of considerable importance. Rangarajan’s books like ‘Hunting and Shooting’, ‘Facing the Forest’ and others have received the notice of the environmentalists. Ramchandra Guha, besides authoring his work on the history of sports, has his environment study, The Unique Wood. His other works in this line are This Fissured Land, Ecology and Equality, and others.

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Question 2. Describe Military History.
Answer:

Military History:

1. Subject Matter: The study of military equipment, military methods, military organization, development of weapons, change in military strategy, etc. is called Military history.

2. Now it has become a branch of history. The study of military history increased after the 1st World War and the importance of military history significantly increased after World War I.

In Defence of History:

1. Richard J. Evans of Cambridge University mentioned in his book, “In Defense of History” that military history was indeed a part of traditional history.
2. Through light on the history of defense, these writers dealt mainly with military history which includes the study of military methods. Various wars fought earlier and also novel history as a branch of history.
3. Military history tells us how the people of a country defend their nation from enemies and how a nation is affected by war.

New Military History: The study of New Military history started in the 1970s and since then greater stress has been laid on

1. Soldiers and generals
2. The effect of war on society & culture.

Indian Military History:

1. The Indian Military is the 3rd largest army in the world. We find the root of military history in India in the Vedic age where chariots, spears, swords, etc. were used in the battles.
2. In modern times the East India Company started recruiting Indians in British Indian army men. The Indian army was known as the “Sepoy”.
3. The British set up sepoys based on fulfilling their motive after the revolt of 1857. The British changed their policy.
4. Thus, the study of military history as a branch of history is very important because even now wars are being fought in various parts of the world which affect the economy, society, and political conditions of a nation.

Question 3. State the use and abuse of the internet while collecting historical information.
Answer:

1. Use and Abuse of the Internet for Collection of History: In 1989 Tim Berners-Lee invented the Internet or World Wide Web (www.). Man has greatly benefited from the use of the Internet in every field from the study of science to trade and commerce all over the world.

In the present age of electronic media, we get much information about history from the internet. Without the help of any book, library, teacher, or researcher we can access all the information that we want from the internet.

There are various merits of using the internet. These are:

1. No books are needed
2. Information can be collected as and when required and
3. The Internet helps us by providing the correct information about many complex problems.

The demerits of using the Internet are:

1. The information collected may not always be correct
2. Even today, everybody does not have access to the internet
3. At times the required information may not be available and
4. Nothing can be done if there is a link failure or if the server becomes inactive. Hence, it may be concluded that the internet, though a very useful tool, can never be a substitute for books.

Question 4. Discuss the importance of the thirty letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter Indira.
Answer:

Letters from a Father to His Daughter:

1. Introduction: Correspondences are an important source of information for the reconstruction of contemporary history. In this respect, reference may be made to the book entitled Letters from a Father to His Daughter.

This is a collection of 30 letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, to his daughter Priyadarshini, later Indira Gandhi. At that time Priyadarshini was only a 10-year-old girl,

2. Subject Matter: The letters communicated to Nehru’s daughter about things that a father should tell his daughter. The letters developed a standing bond between a father and his daughter.

The letters described how human beings slowly adjusted themselves to their surroundings. Nehru as a father also explained beautifully to his daughter, Priyadarshini, the major difference between man and other animals

3. Importance of the letters: The letters are, in fact, a storehouse of knowledge. Starting from the evolution of mankind Nehru communicated to his daughter about the essence behind the great Indian epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata

“West Bengal Board Class 10 History Ideas of History short answer questions”

In very simple language, he explained to Indira complex things like race and religion that developed in India. Egyptian mummies, the beginning of communication, and various other topics have been discussed in the letters. The letters do not simply explain various facts but leave room for further studies to the readers.

Question 5. Describe the tenets of local history.
Answer:

Local History :

1. Chief Feature: The main objective of Local History is to ‘start history at your door’. To know more about local history and to collect information, schools can organize tours and a ‘History Society’. The specialty of this branch of history is to study and construct local history from practical materials. As a result, the students can associate freely with the subject

2. Importance of Space in Local History: Social scientists have adopted space or territory as the basis for constructing history. Modern researcher Dr. David Luden wrote the book ‘Early Capitalism and Local History in South India as an important step in the study of local history. In recent times, space has been given greater importance while writing history. Space is closely linked to local history, microhistory, and the history of different families

3. Relation with other Fields: Local history is also associated with traditions, economics, and sociology. Local history is also linked with globalization, though it is to a very small degree.

4. Locality and Region: It should be noted that there is a difference between locality and region. A region includes a locality, but a locality does not include a region.
The relationship between the two can be shown like this (from bottom to top): local → sub-regional → national → international. This history is constructed based on local matters

5. Evolution of Local History: In ‘St. Paul’s Western Side’ a conference called ‘A Flood of History’ was organized for the first time. The local people, teachers, students, and historians collected a good deal of information for the study of History.

1. In the West Side Conference of America, local history has been called Community Empowerment through Neighbourhood History. Local Development and awareness are the key issues of this History.

2. The lifestyle of people, culture, psychology, the past and present of urban life all while constructing the local History. In the 1960’s decade, local history was defined like this: it is the history of a new village, the history of a new city, the history of a new locality, and also the story of the locality’s families, men, women, and children.

3. History should be re-written for every generation and the source material should be none other than the local history. The specialty of this branch of History is to collect information by traveling in a region and analyzing various events and incidents that had taken place in that area

6. Indian Examples: ‘Nadiya Kahini’ of Kumud Nath Mallick, ‘Murshidabad Kahini’ of Nikhilnath Ray, ‘History of Jessore and Khulna’ of Satishchandra Mitra, ‘History of Coochbehar’ of Amanatullah Ahmed, ‘A History of Jaipur’ of Dr. Jadunath Sarkar, etc. are some of the directions of the study of local History.

Question 6. Discuss the urban history.
Answer:

Urban History :

1. Factors in Urbanisation: If we analyze the history of cities, we come to know that the cities started developing and extending after the Industrial Revolution.

The three main factors in the growth of cities are the emergence of economies, the colonization of vast areas, and the growth of democratic ideas. In the process of urbanization, this method is equally applicable to all the countries of the world

2. Urbanisation in the Nineteenth Century: While discussing urbanization in the nineteenth century, the names of two cities are worth mentioning. The first one is London in England, which, in the nineteenth century, was the largest city in the world. The second one is Bombay in India

3. Industrial Revolution and Urbanisation: Before the Industrial Revolution in the 1850’s decade, most of the western countries had rural-based economies.

During the initial period of the Industrial Revolution, there were only two industrial towns in England, viz. Leeds and Manchester. In 1851, of the total population of Manchester, three fourth consisted of people who had migrated from rural areas

4. Growth of Urbanisation in India: In colonized India, cities in the three Presidencies of Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta developed to a great height. Historian Stephen Tharnstorm of Havard University made a special effort the study Urban History in 1970.

It encouraged Radharaman Mitra, Radha Prasad Gupta, Purnendu Patri, Nikhil Sarkar, etc. to study the history of Kolkata.

Bombay was declared the capital city of the Presidency of Bombay in 1819. It was called a ‘city of dreams’. In the nineteenth century, the main cities of the Indian sub-continent were ‘Business City’; Jaipur is called the ‘Pink City’, and Calcutta is called ‘the City of Culture’

5. Conclusion: Hence, the subject matter of Urban History is to study the origin and evolution of cities. The new branch of urban history has been expressed by Dr. S.N. Mukherjee, Rina Oldenberg, Pradip Singh, Dr. Narayani Gupta, and Dr. Aniruddha Ray.

They thought that the study of urban history was neglected. Therefore, Dr. Ashis Bose said ‘In India, urban history is non-existent!

Question 7. What did people wear in ancient India?
Answer:

Ancient Indian Clothing:

1. Cotton Clothing: People in India wore mostly cotton clothing. India was the first place where people grew cotton, even as early as 2500 BC in the Harappan period.

2. Women’s Clothing: By the Vedic period, women wore one very long piece of cloth called a sari that they wrapped around themselves in different ways.

The word “sari” comes from a Sanskrit word that just means cloth. Saris are first mentioned in the Vedas, about 600 BC. Rich women wore saris made of silk from China, but most women wore cotton saris.

3. Ways of Wearing Garments by Women: There were many different ways of wrapping saris to dress up women wore them like skirts with atop parts thrown over their shoulders or worn over their heads as a veil.

Working women often pulled their sari up between their legs to make a sort of pants. Women who were fighting with the army tucked in the top part of the sari in the back, to free up their arms for fighting.

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Most saris were five or six yards long, although some saris were nine yards long too. Younger women generally wore brightly colored saris, but widows and other women in mourning for someone who had died wore only white saris.

4. Men’s Clothing: Men also wore one long piece of cloth called the dhoti, which was generally white. They wrapped the dhoti (DOE-tee) around their legs to make sort of pants like the working women. Dhotis though were shorter so they didn’t have the part that covered the chest and shoulders. Men also often wore long cotton cloths wrapped around their heads as turbans.

5. Clothing after Muslim invasions: With the Islamic invasions around 1000 AD, Persian fashions in clothing entered India and became popular, especially in the north, though they never replaced the sari or the dhoti.

Both women and men began to sometimes wear trousers with long tunics over them down to their knees. The trousers are called churidar or salwar kameez. Women generally wore churidar with a long veil or scarf over it.

Question 8. Describe the Golden Age of Indian cinema.
Answer:

Golden Age of Indian Cinema :

1. Introduction: Following India’s independence,- the period from the late 1944s to the 1960s is regarded by film historians as the ‘Golden Age’ of Indian cinema. Some of the most critically acclaimed Indian films of all time were produced during this period.

2. Parallel Cinema Movement: This period saw the emergence of a new parallel cinema movement, mainly led by Bengali cinema. Early examples of films in this movement include Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar (1946), RitwikGhatak’s Nagarik (1952), and Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen (1953), laying the foundations for Indian neo-realism and the “Indian New Wave”.

Pather Panchali (1955), the first part of The Apu Trilogy (1955-1959) by Satyajit Ray, marked his entry into Indian cinema. The Apu Trilogy won major prizes at all the major international film festivals and led to the ‘Parallel Cinema’ movement being firmly established in Indian cinema.

Its influence on world cinema can also be felt in the “youthful coming-of-age dramas that have flooded art houses since the mid-fifties” which “owe a tremendous debt to the Apu trilogy”.

3. Contribution of Bengali Directors: The cinematographer Subrata Mitra, who made his debut with Satyajit Ray’s The Apu Trilogy, also had an important influence on cinematography across the world.

Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak went on to direct many more critically acclaimed ‘art films’, and they were followed by other acclaimed Indian independent filmmakers such as Mrinal Sen, Mani Kaul, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G. Aravindan, Girish Kasaravalli, and Buddhadeb Dasgupta.

4. Commercial Hindi Cinema: Commercial Hindi cinema also began thriving; examples of acclaimed films at the time include the Guru Dutt films Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) and the Raj Kapoor films Awaara (1951) and Shree 420 (1955).

These films expressed social themes mainly dealing with working-class urban life in India.

5. International Awards: Sivaji Ganesan became India’s first ever actor to receive an international award when he won the “Best Actor” award at the Afro-Asian film festival in I960 and was awarded the title of Chevalier in the Legion of Honour by the French Government in 1995.

Tamil cinema is also influenced by Dravidian politics, with prominent film personalities like C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi, and Jayalalithaa becoming Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu.

Several Indian films from this era are often included among the greatest films of all time in various critics’ and directors’ polls.

Question 9. Discuss the history of paintings in Bengal.
Answer:

History of Bengali Art :

1. Introduction: The Bengal School of Art, commonly referred to as Bengal School, was an influential art movement and a style of Indian painting that originated in Bengal, primarily Kolkata and Shantiniketan, and flourished throughout India during the British Raj in the early 20th century

2. Element of Nationalism: Also known as the ‘Indian style of painting’ in its early days, it was associated with Indian nationalism (swadeshi) and led by Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951) but was also promoted and supported by British arts administrators like E. B. Havell,.

The principal of the Government College of Art, Kolkata from 1896; eventually it led to the development of modern Indian painting.

3. Revolutionist Movement: The Bengal school arose as an avant-garde and nationalist movement reacting against the academic art styles previously promoted in India, both by Indian artists such as Raja Ravi Varma and in British art schools

4. Contribution of Havell: Following the influence of Indian spiritual ideas in the West, the British art teacher Ernest Binfield Havell attempted to reform the teaching methods at the Calcutta School of Art by encouraging students to imitate Mughal miniatures. Havell was supported by the artist Abanindranath Tagore, a nephew of the poet Rabindranath Tagore

5. Contribution of Abanindranath Tagore: Tagore painted several works influenced by Mughal art, a style that he and Havell believed to be expressive of India’s distinct spiritual qualities, as opposed to the “materialism” of the West.

Tagore’s best-known painting, Bharat Mata (Mother India), depicted a young woman, portrayed with four arms in the manner of Hindu deities, holding objects symbolic of India’s national aspirations. Tagore later attempted to develop links with Japanese artists as part of an aspiration to construct a pan-Asianist model of art.

6. Conclusion: The Bengal school’s influence in India declined with the spread of modernist ideas in the 1920s. As of 2012, there has been a surge in interest in the Bengal School of Art among scholars and connoisseurs.

Question 10. Discuss the history of sports in India before and after independence.
Answer:

Before independence :

1. Sports During the Vedic Period: The history of sports in India dates back to the Vedic era. Physical culture in ancient India was fuelled by religious rights. The mantra in the Atharvaveda, says, “Duty is in my right hand and the fruits of victory in my left.” In terms of an ideal, these words hold the same sentiments as the traditional Olympic Oath: “For the Honour of my Country and the Glory of Sport.”

2. Badminton: Badminton probably originated in India as a grown up’s version of a very old children’s game known in England as Battledore and Shuttlecock, the battledore being a paddle and the shuttlecock a small feathered cork, now usually called a “bird.”

3. Indoor Games: Games like chess (chaturanga), snakes and ladders, and playing cards, originated in India, and it was from here that these games were transmitted to foreign countries, where they were further modernized.

After independence:

1. Asian Games: India hosted the Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951 and 1982. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was initially set up as the Department of Sports in 1982 at the time of the organization of the IX Asian Games in New Delhi. Its name was changed to the Department of Youth Affairs & Sports during the celebration of the International Youth Year in 1985.
2. Other Sports Events Hosted by India: India has also hosted or co-hosted several international sporting events, including the 1951 and the 1982 Asian Games, the 1987 and 1996 Cricket World Cups, the 2003 Afro- Asian Games, the 2010 Hockey World Cup, and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Major international sporting events annually held in India include the Chennai Open, Mumbai Marathon, Delhi Half Marathon, and the Indian Masters. The country co-hosted the 1987,1996, and 2011 Cricket World Cups and the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.
3. Conclusion: The history of sports in India is very ancient and dates back to the Vedic era. It is more likely that many of today’s Olympic disciplines are advanced versions of games of strength and speed that flourished in ancient India. Chess, wrestling, polo, archery, and hockey (possibly a fallout from polo) are some of the games believed to have originated in India.

Question 11. Give an account of the history of different modes of transportation in India.
Answer:
Walking: In ancient times, even with a decent road system, there was no means of transportation, and people covered (PNG distances on foot or bullock carts. For instance, Adi Sankaracharya traveled all over India from Kalady near Kochi. Walking still constitutes an important mode of transport in urban areas. In the city of Mumbai, to further improve the transit conditions for pedestrians, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has commenced the construction of more than 50 skywalks as part of the Mumbai Skywalk project.

Palanquin: Palanquins, also known as palkis, were one of the luxurious methods used by the rich and noblemen for traveling. This was primarily used in the past to carry a deity or idol of a God, and many temples have sculptures of God being carried in a palki. Later on, it was primarily used by European noblemen and ladies from the upper classes of society before the advent of the railways in India. Modern use of the palanquin is limited to Indian weddings and pilgrimages.

Bullock cart and horse carriage: Bullock carts have been traditionally used for transport, especially in rural India. The arrival of the British saw improvements in the horse carriages which had been used for transport since the early days. Today they are used in smaller towns and are referred to as Tonga or buggies. Victorias of Mumbai are still used for tourist purposes, but horse carriages are now rarely found in the metro cities of India. In recent years large cities have banned the movement of bullock cans and other slow-moving vehicles on the main roads.

Bicycles: Bicycles or cycles have ownership rates ranging from around 30% to 70% at the state level. Along with walking, cycling accounts for 50% to 75% of the commuter trips for those in the informal sector in urban areas. However, recent developments suggest that bicycle riding is fast becoming popular in the metro cities of India. Today, government development authorities all over India encourage the setup and use of separate bicycle lanes alongside the roads to combat pollution and ease traffic congestion.

Hand-pulled rickshaw: Hand-pulled rickshaw is still available in the city of Kolkata wherein a person pulls the rickshaw by hand. The Government of West Bengal proposed a ban on these rickshaws in 2005 describing them as “inhuman”. Though a bill aiming to address this issue, termed as ‘Calcutta Hackney Carriage Bill’, was passed by the West Bengal Assembly in 2006, it has not been implemented yet. The Government of West Bengal is working on an amendment to this bill to avoid the loopholes that were exposed when the Hand-pulled Rickshaw Owner’s Association filed a petition against the bill.

Question 12. Write the importance of photographs in modern Indian history.
Answer:

Importance of Photographs in Modern Indian History :

1. During the Reign of the East India Company: In the early years of the English East India Company photographers came to India from Britain. They were mostly employees of the company. Some were amateur photographers and others were employed to take photographs
2. Use of Photography in Archaeology: The East India Company’s officials deliberately encouraged photography, particularly to record the archeological sites. Photography became indispensable in identifying important archeological evidence
3. Messers Bourne and Shepherd: In India, the earliest photographic institution was Messers Bourne and Shepherd of Calcutta. It opened its studio in 1864.
4. Importance of Photography: Photography helped the process of acculturation (adopting customs from another civilization) in Bengali society. This is illustrated in the two novels of Rabindranath Tagore, namely Chokher Bali and Yogayog. In the former, the hero Mahendra indulged in taking photographs of the inmates of the house as a matter of hobby.
5. Role of the Revolt of 1857: The Great Indian Mutiny of 1857 attracted photographers like Dr. John Murray, Felix Beato, and the husband-wife team of the Tytlers. Their photo collection was a photographic record of history which up to then had consisted of only text and sketches/paintings of war scenes. This was followed by the European photographers exploring the bewildering variety of peoples, cultures, and monuments of the Indian subcontinent in albums for commercial sale and presentation back home.
6. Conclusion: This is what helps in distinguishing a photograph from just being a method of capturing a moment to being a piece of artwork, a reflection of the subject’s mood, clothing, character, and image. The presence of subjectivity and viewer interest helps in making a photograph more meaningful than just a record as it takes the viewer beyond just what is seen and gives it a deeper meaning. The historical 19th-century pictures by European photographers presented a vision of India that matched the perception of the British as an exotic pageant of the East’s ancient monuments, tribal natives, rich princely rulers, and strange traditions.

Question 13. What kind of historical information do we get from Somprakash?
Answer:

Somprakash :

1. Contribution of Dwarakanath: Somprakash, a weekly newspaper, was started on 15 November 1858, (1 Agrahayan 1265 BS) by Dwarakanath Vidyabhusan. Dwarakanath (1819-1886) was a professor at Sanskrit College in Calcutta. The original plan was mooted by Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891), who continued to advise Dwarakanath in editorial matters. From April 1862, Somprakash was published from Dwarakanath’s house at Changripota village, near Sonarpur, south-east of Calcutta. Due to other preoccupations, Dwarakanath relieved himself of editorial duties on 2 January 1865. Mohanlal Vidyavagish took over and even Shibnath Shastri took charge for a few months. Dwarakanath resumed as an editor on 27 July 1874. After the Vernacular Press Act (March 1878), Somprakash roused resistance against the Government, and publication was suspended for a year. After providing written assurance of allegiance to the Government, it reappeared on 19 April 1880. After Dwarakanath’s death, the publication was handed over to a trust, which continued it for a few more years.
2. Role in Political Awakening: Somprakash was the first Bangla newspaper to indulge in political discussions. Social and political issues are regularly featured in it. Dwarakanath shunned ‘groupism’ and never threw invectives at anybody as was done by the other newspapers of the day. Omprakash did not support all policies of the Government; it raised its voice against the Vernacular Press Act and in support of the Ilbert Bill. It opposed child marriage and kulinism. Though not clearly in favor of women’s freedom, it supported women’s education and widow remarriage. Omprakash looked down upon Keshab Chandra Sen and the Brahma Samaj. It protested against indigo and tea planters. Its attitude to the landholders was somewhat moderate. Vidyabhusana Library at Changripota has some volumes of Omprakash.

Question 14. Discuss the importance of the study of the history of music and dance.
Answer:

The importance of the study of the history of music and dance

Discussion on the historiography of performing arts like music, dance, drama, and cinema relates to the culture or cultures performing these and the thought process they express.

Music :
1. Introduction: Rob Wegman in his article, On Historical Musicology, argued that historical inquiry is fundamentally creative and expressive of ‘who we are’. Thus writing of history creates community identity and makes it vitally important to adopt an appropriate method for writing history including music history
2. Ancient History: Music has been an integral part of India’s culture. Natyasastram of Bharata Muni, a sage of Tamil Nadu (400 BC), written in Sanskrit has classified musical instruments into five systems. However, the oldest preserved example of Indian music is to be found in the Samaveda of the Vedic corpus. The melodies of the Samaveda, commonly known as Sama-gan (Sama-songs), are still sung in certain Vedic sacrifices. They are the earliest accounts of Indian musical hymns. The Samaveda and other Hindu texts influenced Indian classical musical tradition
3. Recent History: Presently there are two distinct styles, Carnatic and Hindusthani. Traditional Bengali music, it may be said that the earliest music in Bengal was influenced by the Vaishnava poetry, Gitagovinda by Jayadeva during the thirteenth century. During the nineteenth century, Bengali ballad songs, collectively known as Panchali gan, created history.
Dance:

1. The Historiography of Dance: The historiography of dance exposes the important connections between identity politics and the creation of classical dance. This may be illustrated by the example of the Kuchipudi dance of the Andhra region. Through an in-depth study, it has been found that classicism (adherence to classical principles) in Kuchipudi dance creates and supports the hegemonic version of the Telegu history

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2. Ancient Texts on Dance: Natyasashtra and Abhinaya Darpana are the two most important ancient Sanskrit works on Indian classical dance. The modern interpretation of classical Ind in dance, Bharatnatyam, is based on the treatise Natyasastra. The monumental treatise on music, Sangitaratnakara includes a chapter on the traditions of dance. The practice also deals with the topic of how dance developed in different parts of the country. The author of the treatise, Sharangadeva, pointed out that the Natyasastra tradition was usually followed in different regions, but some deviations and changes were well accepted. The author also introduced some new concepts like style and movements in dance. Sharangadeva, while recognizing the classical form of dance, also at the same time spoke of a regional variant under the name desipaddatis.
3. Bengali Dance: Coming to Bengal, it may be said that the Bengali dance forms have drawn heavily from folk traditions. Particularly the tribal folk dances as also the broader Indian dance traditions have influenced the Bengali dance. Chhau Nritya, Gaudiya Nritya, etc. are special dance forms of Bengal. Besides, the dances set on the songs of Tagore and Nazrul Islam are also very popular.

Question 15. Explain the factors that determine the food habits of people.
Answer:

The factors that determine the food habits of people are

The most important feature related to human life is the food habits of people. So attention is now paid to people’s food habits in the study of new social history.
1. Climatic factors: The food habits of the people of different regions vary according to the difference in climate. For example, the Food habits of warm climates are different from the food habits of cool climates.
2. Geographical factors: Geographical factors of an area are also responsible for determining the food habits of the people.
3. Availability of food: The easy availability of food items in different regions is also responsible for determining food habits. For example, in Bengal, owing to the presence of rivers, fish is one of the important items of food.
4. Inventions: Different types of inventions like the invention of fire have also changed the food habits of the people of ancient times.
5. Religious Beliefs: Food patterns are influenced by religious beliefs. The food people eat is also dictated by their religious beliefs at times.

Question 16. What do you understand by the term ‘history’? What were the topics of historical discussion in the previous century?
Answer:

History

The term ‘history’ refers to the ‘tales of the past’. So history includes the study of the society, politics, economics, and religion of the prehistoric as well as the historic ages. Earlier the study of history was confined to the elite classes of society and the most significant social, political, and religious events. These included
1. Stories of royalty: In earlier times one of the most important topics of discussion was the rise and fall of various dynasties, wars, conquests, successes and failures of brave generals and heroes, and so on.
2. Story of the aristocracy: In the last century matters concerning the lifestyle of the nobles, aristocrats, local lords, landlords, and ruling classes constituted the main subject of discussion.
3. Religion: In the earlier century one of the main topics of discussion was the different religious activities of the people.
4. Political events: The various significant political events of the past found a place in the historiography of earlier times. Imperialism, colonialism, and the spread of Western ideas easily became the topics of discussion.
5. Disasters: The various disasters of the past including floods, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, and massive loss of lives also came up for historical discussions.

Question 17. Which aspects of the common people have found an important place in contemporary historical discussion?
Answer:

In the previous century, the chief topics of historical discussion included various events concerning the royal family, the elite, feudal lords, and landlords. However, in recent times, the various aspects concerning the common people have found a place in the discussions of history. Such as:
1. Man’s urge to live: The struggle of the common people to live in the background of wars and political events is now an important subject of discussion.
2. Life of the common folk: Along with the various events concerning the upper classes, the events concerning the lower classes are also being discussed. The role of the common people in the state, society, religion, politics, economy, etc. has become increasingly important.
3. Art and culture: Nowadays, the cultivation of art and culture by the common people is also being simultaneously discussed with the tales of wars fought by kings and princes. An increasing interest in society, sports, dress, food habits, visual arts, painting, etc. of the common classes is being noticed.
4. Struggle of common people: History also deals with the transformation of the state and society which is the result of the struggle of the common people.
5. Evolution: The various developments in science, technology, religion, etc., have been possible due to the efforts of the common people for ages. These topics have also found a significant place in history.

Question 18. Discuss the ramifications of historical discussions in recent times. Or, Mention the diverse aspects of historical discussions in modern times.
Answer:

The ramifications of historical discussions in recent times

Earlier the discussion of history included only the tales of royal families, the rise and fall of dynasties, the exploits of heroes and generals, the lifestyle of the upper classes, and so on. However, recently the study of history has become more interesting and diversified due to the inclusion of several new topics. These are as follows:
1. Activities of the monarchy: History continues to discuss wars, conquests, the establishment of peace, treaties, the rise and fall of dynasties, etc.
2. Discussion about the elite class: The discussion about the aristocrats, landlords, feudal lords, etc. still constitutes an important part of historical discussion.
3. Discussion about the common people: Though the lifestyle, food habits, dress, art and culture, sports, environment, etc. of the common people were neglected in earlier times, nowadays, these aspects of common life have found much importance.
4. Local and regional history: Nowadays much importance is being given to the study of local and regional history. So the people of all continents, countries, cities, and villages have now been included in the purview of history.
5. History of science: The study of history also includes the continuous development of science, technology, and medical science since ancient times.

Question 19. What do you mean by ‘new social history’? From which point of view is this subject discussed?
Answer:

New social history

Social history forms a significant part of historical discussion. Previously, social history was confined to the discussion about the royal families, the aristocrats, and the upper classes but now the scope of the discussion has expanded, and discussions about the people belonging to the middle, lower, and marginal classes have assumed much importance. Therefore, social history is now termed as ‘new social history’. New social history had its beginning in 1960-70. At this time, history began to be discussed from the point of view of the lower classes.
1. View from bottom to top: In new social history, an attempt is being made to view things from bottom to top instead of the other way around. This means that society is now viewed more widely based on the role of the lower classes rather than from the viewpoint of the upper classes.
2. Predominance of the larger community: New social history assigns more importance to the wider, common, or lower and marginal classes rather than to the handful of aristocrats. The contribution of the larger community to society and culture is more emphasized.

Question 20. Whose discussion finds a place of eminence in new social history? Who has popularised the new social history in modern times?
Answer:

The discussion of the larger community consisting of the lower, poor, marginal, and ordinary people has found a place of eminence in the discussion of new social history in the 20th century. New social history originated in 1960-1970. Since then, different historians have made their contributions to popularise this subject. They are as follows:
1. Importance of annual group: Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre published a journal named ‘Annals of Economic and Social History’ in 1921. This French Annal group played an important role in popularising the study of new social history. Fernand Braudel and Laduree have illuminated on statistics, family, psychology, society, culture, and economy of the common people.
2. Role of American historians: Eugene Genovese and Herbert Gutman discussed the lifestyle of the laborers, the system of slavery, and slave society. There is also proof of such discussion in the journal ‘Past and Present’.
3. Subaltern studies: This involves the study of lower classes. It has become popular in India and other South Asian countries since the 1980s. Historians like Ranajit Guha, Partha Chattopadhyay, Gyanendra Pandey, Shahid Amin, Sumit Sarkar, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Gautam Bhadra, and others have elaborately discussed the lower class society irrespective of caste and religion.

Question 21. Which topics have become significant in the recent study of the cultivation of art? What is the significance of music in the study of the cultivation of art?
Answer:

We can form an idea about the cultural progress of a community from the study of its cultivation of art. The different branches of art include music, dance, drama, and cinema. Man has been cultivating different types of art since time immemorial. Music forms an important branch of art and the study of the history of music is gradually being popularised.
1. Cultivation of music by aristocrats: In ancient times the cultivation of music in the royal courts was chiefly associated with the upper classes and the common people were almost detached from it. So, a clear idea can be formed about the caste distinction in a society from the study of the cultivation of music.
2. Influence of Outsiders: The history of music helps us to understand whether the music of a particular community was influenced by that of some other society or community, and if so, then what was the extent of such influence. The influence of music also indicates the cultural prosperity of a society or community.
3. Evolution of Indian music: In the earlier ages Indian society was dominated by devotional music but later on due to continuous evolution, massive changes came about in Indian music in the 20th century. In this course of evolution, Rabindrasangeet, Nazrulgeet, etc. became popular in Bengal.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 1 notes, SAQs, and explanations”

4. Diversity: Different types of music filled the treasure house of music of the different communities as a result of continuous evolution and transformation. Nowadays, along with devotional music, folk songs, Rabindrasangeet, Nazrulgeet as well as film songs, band music, etc. have harmoniously lent diversity to the storehouse of Bengali music.
5. Study of the history of music: Recently, researchers and experts have engaged in a detailed study of the history of the music of different countries. Umesh Joshi, Raj Jumar, KarunamoyGoswami, Sudhir Chakrabarty, Mridulkanti Chakrabarty, and others have greatly contributed to the field of the history of Indian music.

Question 22. How has the historical study of drama become important in the modern age as a part of visual arts?
Answer:

The cultivation of drama has its origin in the civilizations of ancient times. The ancient Greek dramas still impress the audience in different countries.
1. Expansion of drama in Europe: Though dramatic performances were prevalent in ancient Europe, cultivation of dramatic art in the modern sense began in the 16th-17th centuries and became popular in the 18th~19th centuries. The plays written by Shakespeare, Christopher Marlow, Ben Jonson, John Galsworthy, Bernard Shaw, etc. attained immense popularity.
2. Expansion of drama in Bengal: Modern dramatic art developed in Bengal in the 18th-19th century. This art which began in the 18th century developed profusely in the 19th century and is continuing. Names of some significant contributors are Michael Madhusudan Dutta, Dinabandhu Mitra, Girish Chandra Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore, Dwijendralal Roy, Sisir Bhaduri, Sambhu Mitra, Utpal Dutta, and others.
3. Reflection of society: The plays belonging to different countries and societies reflect contemporary events, oppression, tyranny, social discrimination, imperialism, nationalism, etc. This drama can become a mirror to society and also act as a social media.
4. History of drama: In recent times, researchers have seriously engaged in the study of the history of drama. Some important works are ‘Bangiya Natyashalar Itihas’ by Brajendranath Bandhopadhyay, ‘Drishya Kavya Parichay’ by Satyajiban Mukhopadhyay, ‘Bangle Natya Sahityer Itihas’ by Asutosh Bhattacharya, ‘Madhyajuger Bangla Natya’ by Selim Al Deen, ‘Bangladesher Lok Natak: Bishoy 0 Angik Boichitro’ by Simon Zakaria, ‘National Theatre for India’ by Baldoon Dhingra, etc.

Question 23. Discuss the study of the history of architecture in the modern age.
Answer:

History of architecture in the modern age:

The art of architecture originated at the time when ancient cavemen learned to build houses. The art of architecture forms a significant component in the study of history.
1. Architectural construction: In the past, it was the kings and wealthy people who showed interest in building structures. In the modern age, apart from the ruling class, common people are also associated with various architectural constructions.
2. Studying the history of architecture: The backdrop, style, and patronage of various forms of architecture have become important subjects for historical discussions. Recently, the architecture of Europe, India, and Bengal has found a prominent place in the study of history.
3. Origin of the historical study of architecture: The study of the history of architecture began in India in the 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the pioneers in this field were Alexander Cunningham, Percy Brown, J. Fergusson, Catherine Asher, etc.
4. Studying the history of architecture in Bengal: Different researchers have studied the development of the art of architecture in Bengal at different ages. Notable ones among them are George Michell, Amiya Kumar Bandhopadhyay, Shamsunnahar Lovely, Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed, etc.

WBBSE Chapter 1 Ideas Of History Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. The autobiography of Sarala Debi Chaudhurani is called ______
Answer: Jibaner Jharapata.

Question 2. The first women’s cricket club was established in England in _____
Answer: 1887.

Question 3. After Michael Faraday discovered____________ controlled flow of electricity with the help of signals became very convenient.
Answer: Electro Magnetic Induction.

Question 4. The term eco-feminism was first used by the French feminist____ in 1970.
Answer: Francois Doban.

Question 5. Rabindranath in his book_____has told many stories from his childhood.
Answer: Jiban Smriti.

Question 6. The word Historia is a ____ word.
Answer: Greek.

Question 7. Kumud Nath Mallik is a _____
Answer: Local Historian.

Question 8. Tuzuk-I-Babari is the autobiography of ______
Answer: Babur.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 1 important SAQs, for board exams”

Question 9. The leader of the Nazi regiment was _____
Answer: Adolf Hitler.

Question 10. Rabindranath Tagore published his popular novel ____ in Banga Darshan.
Answer: Chokher Bali.

Question 11. Radha Rani’s novel was published in Banga Darshan in ______
Answer: 1875 A.D.

Question 12. The editing office of Banga Darshan was ________
Answer: Majumdar Agency.

Question 13. Sannyasi Revolt is discussed in _____ novel.
Answer: Anandamath.

Question 14. The National Song Vande Mataram is mentioned in the _______novel.
Answer: Anandamath.

Question 15.’Letters from a Father to his Daughter’ was written in ___ A.D.
Answer: 1928.

Question 16. The writer of the book Jiban Smriti is ______
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.

WBBSE Chapter 1 Ideas Of History True Or False

Question 1. New Social History is a study of kings and their empires.
Answer: False

Question 2. The song ‘Vande Mataram’ was composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer: False

Question 3. The first Bengali periodical to be published was ‘Digdarshan’.
Answer: True

Question 4.’Bangadarshan’ was a journal edited by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.
Answer: True

Question 5. From the decade of 1970, the history of sports gained popularity at the endeavor of the British.
Answer: True

Question 6. The meaning of the term ‘history/ is to search.
Answer: True

“Best SAQs for WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 1 Ideas of History”

Question 7. The time limitation of Old Social History seems to be 1960 A.D.
Answer: True

Question 8. There was development in the art of history writing by the effect of the Renaissance.
Answer: True

Question 9. The history of sports is as old on this earth as the existence of men on this earth.
Answer: True

Question 10. New Social History discusses only the nation and the social structure and development of individuals.
Answer: True

Question 11. The Olympic Games were first organized in Egypt.
Answer: False

Question 12. Agriculture was discovered in the Mesolithic age.
Answer: False

Question 13. Colonialism affected the food habits of people in India.
Answer: True

Question 14. Vidya Bhushan was the founder of Bangadarshan.
Answer: False

WBBSE Chapter 2 Culture: Characteristics And Discussion Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Why is David Hare renowned in history?
Answer:

David Hare came to Calcutta in 1800 as a watch merchant. Soon he became a great patron of spreading western education in Bengal and one of the personalities of the Bengal renaissance.

As a patron of education: David Hare was one of the founders of the Hindu College. He established ‘Pataldanga Academy’. Now it is known as Hare School. When in 1823 the Hindu College faced a financial crisis, H. H. Wilson saved the college at the request of David Hare.

In 1818, when the School Book Society was established, David Hare became the secretary of this institution. His enthusiastic role helped in the establishment of some institutions.

Question 2. Write a note on the Hindu College.
Answer:

Hindu College

Establishment: The year 1817 is notable for the spread of Western education. In that year an important institution was founded in Calcutta by some leaders of the Hindu society. However, the initiation for the establishment of this college was taken by Sir Hyde East of the Supreme Court, Baidyanath Mukherjee, and David Hare. The role played by Raja Rammohan Roy is controversial.

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Role of the Hindu College: The Hindu College came into prominence in 1826 when Derozio was appointed as a teacher of this college. His high standard of morality, mild and liberal personality, and purity of character greatly influenced his young pupils. The Hindu society received a terrible shock due to the Young Bengal movement. The Hindu College played an important role in the emergence of a 19th-century renaissance in Bengal.

Question 3. Write a note on Debendranath Tagore.
Answer:

Debendranath Tagore

After Rammohan Roy’s death, the Brahmo movement lost its momentum to a great extent. Debendranath Tagore was the son of Dwarkanath Tagore, one of the greatest personalities of the 18th century.

Debendranath’s contribution: After 1833, the leadership of the Brahmo movement was taken by Debendranath. He provided the movement with a better organizational structure. He was deeply influenced by Atmiya Sabha and Brahmo Sabha founded by Rammohan Roy.

He laid stress on the observance of the rules of Brahmo Samaj. Debendranath transformed the Brahmo Samaj and published Tattwabodhini Patrika to establish the views of Brahmo Samaj. He protested against social evils like polygamy, child marriage, and the caste system that prevailed in Hindu Society.

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 History And Environment

Question 4. Write about the Young Bengal movement. Or, Assess the contribution of the Derozians to modernizing the society of Bengal. Or, Why is Derozio called “the pioneer of Modern Bengal”?
Answer:

Young Bengal movement

Introduction: Henry Lours Vivian Derozio was the founder of the Young Bengal movement. He spread his ideas and teaching and many people inspired by him became his pupils.
Academic Association: Derozio formed the Academic Association in 1827. It was the 1st debating society of Hindu College. His pupils took part in debates and expressed their opinions against the racial system, untouchability, image worship, and sati system.

“West Bengal Board Class 10 History Culture chapter, short answer questions”

Derozions: The followers of Derozio were called Derozians or Young Bengal. Among the followers of Derozio, Ramtanu Lahiri, Krishna Mohan Banerjee, Radhanath Sikdar, etc. were famous and contributed much to the Indian social system.

The Derozians were staunch advocates of and female education female rights. In a sonnet, Derozio writes about his pupils “Of new perceptions shed their influence and how you worship truth’s omnipotence”.

Journals: To express their opinions on social, economic, and political questions, Derozio and his pupils brought out several Journals which included ‘Athenaeum’ ‘Parthenon’, ‘Hindu Pioneer’, Kaleidoscope’, Enquirer’, etc.

Post Derozio period: Derozio died in 1831 but his pupils carried on the movement started by him. The pupils strongly demanded the introduction of a jury system, free trade, and freedom of the press. But they couldn’t achieve success and were criticized.

Criticism: The followers of Derozio openly ate beef, drank alcohol, and converted to Christianity as a protest against the Hindu Brahmins. So, there was moral degradation and criticism in the movement which didn’t last for a long time.

Evolution: After Derozio the movement was guided in the wrong path and the people were against it. Derozians failed to leave a lasting impression on the people. Their influence was limited to the educated people of Calcutta. The general opinion about the Young Bengal in the decade of 1830 was that a generation without fathers and children.

Question 5. State the role of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa in arousing religious consciousness.
Answer:

Introduction: Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the saint of Dakhineshwar, had a great role to play in the broad humanitarian propagation and reform movement. Historian Toynbee said, “In this case, Ramakrishna has raised his uniqueness”.

Contributions His contributions to the socio-religious reform movement were as follows:

1. He criticized casteism, untouchability, narrowness, and blind and thoughtless attachment to rites without understanding their reliance. He gave the message of ‘Jata Math, Tata Path’.
2. He urged everybody to offer his devotion to rise above ‘Maya’ and attachments to worldly lives and property and relatives.
3. He preached the message of synthesis between different religious beliefs by suggesting that there are different roads to reach the same place. This theory showed the way of unity and tolerance.
4. He inspired the Muslims to be true Muslims and Christians to be faithful to Christ.
5. He firmly believed that by obtaining self-knowledge or proper devotion to God men would no longer go by the levels of cast and creed.
6. Hence, Shri Ramakrishna lighted the way as Avtar. Keshab Chandra, Grish Ghosh, and Vivekananda were very much influenced by Ramakrishna.
7. Mahatma Gandhi aptly described him, “Ramakrishna presents an example of a bright and living faith which gives solace to thousands of men and women who would otherwise have remained without spiritual light”.

Question 6. Write a short note on Wood’s Despatch.
Answer:

Wood’s Despatch: Sir Charles Wood, the president of the Board of Control, recommended combining the stream of both the lowest and highest forms of education in 1854. This is known as Wood’s De or Education despatch.

Recommendations:

1. To separate the Department for Education
2. To establish 3 in each at Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras
3. To take ad measures for teachers and teaching by opening teachers to college,
4. To establish new schools
5. To improve the primary schools
6. To improve the govt, schools, and cc
7. To expand female education, etc.

Thus, Wood’s Despatch is regarded as the ‘Magna Carta’ history of English education in India. Wood rejected the filt< policy, 3 universities were founded, and the private school: provided grants in aid. Gradually the number of universities increased. Dr. R. C. Majumdar said on this despatch, “The educational system in British India has since developed”.

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Question 7. Write about the reformation movement of Keshab Chandra Sen.

Answer:

1. Introduction: The second half of the 19th century was an important phase in the history of the reform movement of Bengal. In 1857 AD. Keshab Chandra Sen became the leader of Brahmo Samaj at the age of 19.

2. Contribution: Keshab Chandra Sen made a great contribution to society, religion, and education. Max Muller rightly coined the term ‘Great Son of India’ for Keshab Chandra Sen. He made the Brahno movement popular at the international level. R. C. Majumdar said that “Keshab Chandra was the father of all India Brahmo movement”. Debendranath gave him the title ‘Brahmanada’.

3. Editorial Work: Keshab Chandra edited the papers like ‘Indian Mirror’, ‘Bengalee’, ‘Hindu’, etc. In the August 1861 edition of Tatwabodhini Patrika, he wrote an article about the development of women in India. In 1864 Keshab Chandra travelled throughout India to spread the Brahmo religion.

4. Religious and Social Reforms: In 1869 A.D. Keshab Chandra created a ‘Bharat Barshiya Brahmo Mandir’ assembling the religious ideas of Hinduism and Christianity. He made many attempts to spread the ideas of establishing night schools, ‘widow marriage’, etc. He opposed child marriage. In 1880 he established ‘Nababidhan Samaj’. He died in 1884 and his death was a major loss for Brahmo Samaj.

5. Conclusion: We can conclude in the words of Dr. R.C. Majumdar, “Kesab brought to the Brahmo Samaj a dynamic force which it never processed before”.

Question 8. Write a short note on Hunter Commission.
Answer:

Introduction: The Hunter Commission was formed in 1882 under the leadership of Sir William Hunter during the period of Lord Rippon. The Commission reported that Wood’s Despatch was not fully implemented.

Recommendations:

1. Schools and colleges would be subsidized by the government
2. All government restrictions would be lifted from schools and colleges
3. District boards and municipalities would be entrusted with the foundation and maintenance of primary schools
4. Emphasis would be given to the spread of primary education
   Special attention would be given to the spread of higher education. Hence, the role of the
5. Hunter Commission in the field of expansion of education was vital. The government rejected the recommendations in the sphere of primary education but accepted other recommendations. As a result, secondary and higher secondary education had some advancement.

Question 9. What was the system of education as practiced in India during the pre-British days?
Answer:

Education in the Pre-British Period :

Chief Feature: The system of education prevalent in the pre-British days, however defective, served the needs of the time.

Centres of Lower and Higher Learning: Tools and Madrassas were higher centers of learning and Pathsalas and Maktabs were primary schools to impart elementary education.

Pathsalas: Pathsalas were held in temple premises or religious institutions. The pupils here received some knowledge of elementary arithmetic

“Culture: Characteristics and Discussions WBBSE Class 10 SAQs with answers”

Maktabs: In the Maktabs, attached to masjids, learning was confined to the Muslim scriptures

Tools: Tools were essentially centers of higher education for the Hindu scholars. Sanskrit was the medium of instruction in the tools. The subjects, other than the Hindu religious scriptures taught in the tools included philosophy, grammar, etc.

Higher Education: Nabadwip, Benaras, Mithila, Bikampur, etc. were important centers of higher education. The Madrassas of Patna, Murshidabad, Delhi, Lahore, etc. emerged as important centers of higher learning in Arabic and Persian. Persian being the state language under the Mughals, a large number of pupils attended the Madarssas spread over different parts of the country.

Question 10. What were the merits and demerits of the system of education prevalent in the pre-British days?
Answer:

Merits and Demerits of Pre-British Education :

1. Failed to Widen the Mental Horizon: The traditional system of education available in India during the pre-British days, indeed, failed to widen the mental horizon of the learners
2. Lack of Rational Outlook: The education imparted in the tools-pathsalas and mastabas-madrassas could neither inculcate individuality nor a rational outlook among the young learners
3. Religious Orthodoxy: In fact, education in the pre-British days made the Hindu and the Muslim pupils, uncritical subscribers to their respective religion
4. Mass Literacy: Despite these limitations, it has been admitted on all hands that there had been a general inclination for education in those days. Besides, a very large section of the population used to receive vernacular education in a good number of elementary schools spread all over the country. J Under the Company’s rule this indigenous elementary education suffered a decline.

Question 11. What were the limitations of English education as introduced by the British in India?
Answer:

Limitations of English Education: The new education policy introduced by the British, however, had limited success

1. Limited Mass Appeal: In the first place, a handful of persons living in towns could take advantage of the schools that were established in cities or sub-divisional towns. The bulk of the population that lived in villages had been deprived of the benefit of English education
2. Confined to the Middle Class: Secondly, English education was by and large confined to the middle class. The idea prevalent in the official circle that the new education would percolate downward to the masses through the upper classes was never realized
3. Neglecting Primary Education: Thirdly, the greatest defect of the new education policy was that it neglected the education of the people at the elementary stage
4. Setback of Vernacular Education: Fourthly, another important cause of decline of the vernacular education at the elementary level was that the elementary schools spread all over the country suffered ruination due to a lack of financial support from the government.
5. However, the Company’s government could not neglect the vernacular education for long. It was in 1854 that a new education policy recommended by Charles Wood emphasized the need for introducing vernacular education at the elementary level.

Question 12. Discuss the influence of the spread of Western education in the nineteenth century.
Answer:

Impact of Western Education: The Spread of Western education in the 19th century roused the Indians from medieval slumber and gave birth to a new awakening in India

Spread of Western Philosophy: Western education proved a great blessing in disguise as the Indians began to come under the influence of Western philosophies and Western political concepts like nationalism, democracy, freedom, equality, secularism, etc.

It set up a high standard of rational thinking; reason and judgment took the place of faith and belief; superstition yielded to science

Reform Movement: As a result, many reform movements like the Brahmo Samaj, the Arya Samaj, the Prarthana Samaj, etc. started in the 19th century
3. Thirst for Knowledge of Culture: A great urge to know the history of India and its heritage developed among the Indians and research on India’s past and heritage received a great impetus
4. Political Consciousness: The spread of Western education gave rise to the middle class and it was the awakening of political consciousness of this class that fostered national unity
5. Favouring Western Culture and Language: The unfortunate consequence of the spread of Western education was that the Western-educated youths began to look down upon their own culture and a big gap now separated educated Indians and the illiterate masses. Indian languages were neglected and as the vernacular education was of little help in securing jobs, many Pathasalas and Maktabs had to be closed down.

Question 13. Analyze the contribution of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in the field of social reform and education in Bengal.
Answer:

Social reforms :
1. Solving Social Problems: Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was a great social reformer. He gave a new dimension to the social progress of Bengal. He fought for great social issues such as widow remarriage, prohibition of polygamy, etc.

He was a crusader against superstitions and bigotry. He opened the gates of Sanskrit College to non-Brahmin students as he was opposed to the monopoly enjoyed by the priestly classes in the study of Sanskrit.

2. Emancipation of Women: He is remembered for his contribution to the upliftment of women. He waged a long struggle for widow remarriage and tried to improve the condition of the suffering Hindu widows.

On December 7, 1856, under the supervision of Vidyasagar, the first lawful Hindu remarriage was held. In the years between 1855 and 1860, twenty-five widow remarriages were performed by his inspiration.

Educational reforms :

Establishment of Schools: Vidyasagar is best remembered for his role as an educationist. He, with the support of Lord Hardinge, established schools in the rural localities of Bengal. He established 20 model schools in different districts of Bengal.

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He was one of the founders of the Metropolitan Institution. He also realized the need to establish schools for the education of women. He established 35 girls’ schools in the rural localities of Bengal.

Writing of Textbooks: He wrote Varnaparichay, Kathamala, and Bodhodaya to train children in Bengali language and grammar. He supported the study of Sanskrit grammar through the medium of Bengali for which he composed Sanskrit Byakarner Upakramanika and Byakaran Kaumudi.

Question 14. Why was the Vernacular Press Act introduced?
Answer:

Vernacular Press Act:

1. Lack of Government Support for the Famine-Stricken People: Lord Lytton’s administration began under the shadow of a severe famine. In this crisis, the Government’s apathy towards the sufferings of the people drove discontent among the masses

2. Criticism of Govt, by the Press: Quite naturally the simmering discontent came to the surface and the Government policy began to be openly criticized. Vernacular press not only criticized the Policy but also suggested alternative policies and molded public opinion against the Government

3. Restraints on Vernacular Press: Therefore, to suppress adverse criticisms of governmental measures by the Indians in their press, Lytton took a retrograde measure. On March 1878 the Vernacular Press Act was put on the statute book. The Act empowered a magistrate to enter into a bond,

4. Counter Measures: Somprakash, a Bengalee weekly, ceased publication refusing to accept the humiliating conditions under the said Act. To save Amrit Bazar Patrika from the oppression of the Act, Sisir Kumar and Motilal transformed their bilingual paper into a full-fledged English paper overnight

5. Agitation Against the Act: A powerful agitation developed in Bengal. Surendranath Banerjee described the Act as a bolt from the blue. The agitation grew in strength and the Government was forced to repeal the Vernacular Press Act in 1881.

Question 15. What was the role of Raja Ram Mohan Roy in the welfare of women?
Answer:

Raja Ram Mohan Roy: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, regarded as the ‘1st modern man of India’, was the champion of women’s rights. He condemned all the evil practices that degraded the position of women in society. He upheld the cause of the women and denounced the prevailing idea that women were inferior to men.

1. Raja Ram Mohan built up a strong movement against the inhuman practice of Sati. He wrote his arguments against it in journals like Samachar Darpan, Calcutta Journal, Friend of India, and Indian Gazettee, etc. against the sati system. Ultimately Lord Bentinck abolished the sati system by enacting Regulation XVII in 1829 A.D.
2. He protested against the Hindu law for women’s rights on the property of the dead husband. Rammohan called it, a “Modern encroachment on the ancient rights of Hindu females according to the Hindu law of inheritance”.
3. Rammohan also raised his voice against social and religious evils like child marriage, polygamy, intercaste marriage, the dowry system, etc.
4. Rammohan also built up a strong movement in favor of the remarriage of Hindu widows.
5. Ram Mohan Roy contributed to the field of female education
   Hence, all these give proof of how Ram Mohan acted for the upliftment of women.

Question 16. What was the role of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar in the welfare of women?
Answer:

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar: The message that Ishwar Chandra brought for the welfare of the women was the greatest event after Ram Mohan. He completed the unfinished effort of reform by Ram Mohan Roy
.
Spread of women’s education:

1. He formed the ‘Female Juvenile Society’ with the help of Drinkwater Bethune. Bethune School and College were established with their help.
2. He founded ‘Stri Sikhsa Sammiiani’ in Midnapore, Hoogly, Burdwan, etc. for the expansion of female education.
3. The most important event was that he founded 35 girls’ schools without any government grant. The number of girls students in these schools was 1300.
4. He founded ‘Metropolitan
5. Institution’ in 1870 A.D. by challenging George Campbell.

Protest against the social abuses:

1. He said the strong emphasis on widow re-marriage. He also found proof of widow re-marriage in Boudhayan and Narad Samiti, Agnipurana, etc. Due to Vidyasagar’s untiring effort the Widow Marriage Act of 1856 A.D. was passed.
2. Vidyasagar also protested against child marriage, polygamy, the killing of lepers, the dowry system, etc. He thought that these social abuses were the greatest enemy of the people.
3. Vidyasagar also emphasized the freedom of women in every field and her rights in her ancestor’s property.
4. Thus, Amlesh Tripathi aptly called him a ‘Traditional Modernizer’. Madhusudan Dutta rightly said, “Vidyasagar had the genius and wisdom of an ancient sage, the energy of an Englishman, and the heart of a Bengali mother”.

Question 17. Describe the disabilities from which women suffered in Indian society. Discuss the steps taken by the social and religious reform movements for the emancipation of women.
Answer:

1. Widow Remarriage: The Hindu Widow Remarriage Act was formulated in 1866 A.D. as a consequence of the movement run by Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar about the fight of widow remarriage

2. Stress on Female Education: To remove the cause behind the backwardness of women folk, he stressed the need for female education. Hence, many girls’ schools were opened consequent upon the same, which was a fruitful result of their endeavors. The people otherwise understood that female education was futile.

3. Ban on Child Marriage: As a result of child marriage, the girls often became widows in childhood and ever through life lived under the heavy load of widowhood. Hence Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar gave a staunch opposition to this evil custom.

4. Obstruction of Polygamy: Generally any man could marry any number of girls. This promoted domestic disharmony and exploited the women folk. Hence, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar gave a staunch opposition to this evil custom.

Question 18. What is the University Act?
Answer:

University Act:

University Act: In 1902 AD Lord Curzon formed the Raleigh Commission under the leadership of Sir Thomas Raleigh. This was also known as the ‘Indian University Act Commission’. Sir Gurudas Banerjee and Syed Hussain Bilgrami, the two Indians, were the members of this Commission. The University Act was passed in 1904 A.D. with the recommendations of the Raleigh Commission.

According to this Act, strict Government restrictions were imposed on educational institutions to upgrade the ‘Educational Standard’.

Primary education was ignored in this Act. So this policy of Curzon was said to be a top-heavy policy. Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University, opposed this Act. At the same time, he developed the infrastructure of the post-graduate education system and made the Bengali language honorable.

Question 19. Why was the Brahma Samaj formed?
Answer: Brahma Samaj :

1. Protest Against Traditional Orthodoxy: Rammohan Roy established the Brahma Samaj in 1828 AD. This society was formed in protest of traditional Hindu superstition and complex religious rituals.

2. Rejection of Idolatry: Evening prayer was the main ritualistic form of Brahma Samaj. They did not believe in ideology.

3. Contribution of Rammohan: Rammohan established the ‘British Indian Unitarian Association’. In the next year, he established Brahma Samaj. Many scholars believed that Rammohan was influenced by Adam, Tarachand Chakraborty, and Chandrasekhar Deb. Later Ramchandra Vidyavagis, Prasanna Kumar Thakur, and Dwarakanath Thakur became supporters of this society

4. Activities of the Samaj: The meetings of the Samaj were held on Wednesdays. Here Bramhasangit was played and also readings from the Vedas were held. Ramananda Chattopadhyay said “Rammohan wanted to assemble all the people from different communities in a single belief”

5. After Rammohan’s Death: Rammohan went to England in 1830 A.D. and died there in 1833 A.D. After his death the importance of this Samaj decreased. In the later period, it gained its importance in the days of Keshab Chandra Sen, Debendranath Thakur, etc.

Question 20. Write a short note on the Charter Act of 1813 AD.
Answer:

Charter Act:

1. Objective: The Charter Act was passed to understand the exact position of the Company in India in 1813.

2. Ending of Monopoly: This Act ended the monopoly of the East India Company in India. As a result, the Indian markets were opened to all other merchants in Europe
3. Features of the Act: It is also said that the Company should separate its income from trade and that from land revenue.

The income would be spent on military and non-military purposes, it was said that the Government would give an amount of 1 lakh rupees annually for the development of literature and science in India. The Christian missionaries were allowed to preach their religion in India

4. Supremacy of the British Govt.: This Act also stated that the approval of the British Government was compulsory regarding the appointment of Governor-General, Governor, and Commander-in-Chief.

5. Revision of the Act: This Act was to be renewed after every 20 years. Accordingly, the Charter Acts of 1833 AD and 1853 AD changed, improved, and developed the earlier ones. Of all these Acts, the Charter Act of 1833 AD was known as the ‘Charter of Laisser Faire’ due to its constitutional and economic significance.

Question 21. Describe the role and activities of Brahmo Samaj after Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Answer:

Brahmo Samaj after Ram Mohan Roy: Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828 which played a significant role in meeting the requirements of the time.

The principles of Brahmo Samaj were as follows:

1. There is only one omnipotent God.
2. People of all religions and sects have an equal right to worship God.
3. If we remain away from both virtuous and vicious actions, we shall automatically attain salvation.
4. The soul is immortal.
5. Worship God with a true heart. Raja Ram Mohan Roy made a strenuous endeavor for the removal of widespread evil customs of contemporary society. He got the sati custom legally banned.

He supported the cause of widow remarriage. He stressed the need for female education so that they may come out of their concealment (veil) and become a useful organ of society. The Brahmo Samaj raised their voice against polygamy and child marriage.

Debendra Nath Tagore and Keshav Chandra Sen came forward to stretch ahead the programs of reform run by Raja Ram Mohan Roy after his death. They too strove their utmost to bring about a social awakening.

Question 22. Write the contributions of Bamabodhini Patrika. 
Answer:

Bamabodhini Patrika :

Establishment: Bamabodhini Patrika was a monthly journal edited by Umesh Chandra Dutta (1840-1907) from 1863. He, together with some other young Brahmo leaders, established Bamabodhini Sabha in 1863, aiming to educate Bengali housewives and to publish books and journals for their mental upliftment.

Establishment of Schools: Bethune School was founded in 1849 and the total number of Girls’ Schools in Bengal in 1863 was 35 with students numbering only 1183.

Objective: Umesh Chandra and others tried to penetrate Bengali families through the medium of a journal to spread women’s education. Bamabodhini Patrika was the result of this pioneering effort.

Activities: Bamabodhini Sabha started this journal in August 1863 (Bhadra 1270 BS). Bamabodhini Patrika was a success from the beginning and continued for a long sixty years up to 1922 encountering many vicissitudes. Umesh Chandra edited the monthly journal for forty-four years, helped by Kshetramohan and Basantakumar Dutta in the beginning. After him, Sukumar Dutta, Tarakumar Kab; Ratna, and others continued to edit the journal.

Subject Matter of Publication: Bamabodhini brought both conservative and liberal writers into its fold. Religion, ethics, science, history, household medicine, child care, women’s education many such topics were deliberated on in the journal. All articles centered on women and were aimed at their development.

It asserted from the very beginning that everything considered necessary for women would be discussed in its pages, with special emphasis on delivering proper and essential knowledge by removing all doubts and superstitions from their minds. Bamabodhini witnessed a turning point in our history and recorded in its pages the women’s role in a changing society and family. It protested against all forces bent on oppressing women.

Question 23. Write a note on Bijoy Krishna Goswami. 4
Answer:

Bijoy Krishna Goswami:

Introduction: Bijoy Krishna Goswami was a prominent social reformer and religious figure and the incarnation of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya in India during the British period. He was a spokesman for the new Vaisnavite doctrine.

Early Life: Bijay Krishna was born on 2 August 1841 in Santipur, Nadia. His father, Ananda Kishore Goswami, was a great devotee. While in college, he read about Vedanta and developed an interest in it. He met Debendranath Tagore in Kolkata and being influenced by him he joined Brahma Samaj.

Religious Activities: Bijoy Krishna visited different parts of India to preach Brahmanism. He came to East Bengal in 1863 and worked for some time in Dhaka with Keshab Chandra Sen. He established Brahma temples in Shantipur, Mymensingh. He was especially interested in the development and education of women and taught for some time at the school established by Keshab Chandra. He wrote a book named Prashnottar to teach yoga. He was always in search of absolute truth. He later left Brahmo Samaj and followed many different religious paths to attain absolute truth

And even after doing so when he was unable to find the absolute truth he understood the importance of a Guru. While residing in Gaya once he was beset with severe longing for the divine when “Brahmananda Paramhansa” who lived near Mansarovar Lake appeared before him in his yogic body and initiated him in the path.

This event took place at Akash Ganga Pahar in Gaya. He remained in samadhi for 11 days after getting the initiation, during which his body was taken care of by a sage living nearby

His Teaching: He attained God’s realization and he started initiating other people on this path after getting orders from his Guru. The rules of conduct regarding food and cleanliness laid down in the path preached by him are very strict. His teaching can be read in the book named “Sri Sadgurusanga” which is a diary written by his disciple Sri Kuldanand Brahmachari.

Death: He left his mortal body in Jagannath Puri Dham, after being poisoned. His samadhi is still famous as “Jatiya Baba Ashram”. Bijay Krishna Goswami was also popularly known as “Gosaiji”,

Question 24. State the importance of Grambarta Patrika. 4
Answer:

Grambarta Patrika :
1. Introduction: Grambarta Prakashika was an influential nineteenth-century journal, first published in April 1863 under the editorship of Kangal Harinath Majumdar. In June-July, 1864 it became a fortnightly and weekly in April-May, 1871. Initially, it was printed at Girish Vidyaratna Press, Kolkata. In 1864 Grambarta was shifted to Mathuranath Press at Kumarkhali. In 1873 the Kumarkhali Press was donated to Harinath by its owner, Mathuranath Maitreya.
2. Rural Inclination: Only 19 episodes of his periodical, the ‘Grambarta7 were published. As this periodical highlighted the life and condition of the villagers and villages of Santipur, Meherpurere Chakdaha, etc., its name had been “Grambarta Prakashika77. It was aimed at informing the whereabouts of the villagers to the British Government for immediate action. So the name ‘Grambarta7, was meaningful. In 1864 (June-July months) this became a fortnightly magazine and in 1871 (April-May months) it was converted to a weekly magazine.
3. Publication: Grambarta Prakashika published articles on literature, philosophy, science, etc. Reputed Bengali scholars used to write in the journal. Rabindranath Tagore’s essays on literature, philosophy, and science as well as poems were also published in it. The well-known Muslim writer Mir Mosharraf Hossain began his literary activities through this paper for which he first worked as a mofussil correspondent. Jalandhar Sen, well-known as a writer of Himalayan travels and journalist, also began his literary career through this journal.
4. Editorial Work: Harinath edited Grambarta Prakasika for a period of full 18 years. During this period he led a relentless struggle to promote education in Bengal and create public opinion against exploitation. He published articles exposing social and political wrongs, and he wrote harshly against the oppression of British indigo farmers and moneylenders.
5. Conclusion: Harinath’s ‘Grambarta Prakashika7 highlighted the sorrows and sufferings of the village people. He strictly criticized the oppressive Zamindars, moneylenders, indigo-planters, and Zamindars of the Tagore family of Jorasanko. ‘Grambarta7 was the only literary magazine that supported the rebel peasants in the Pabna Revolt (1870).

Question 25. Write a note on Hindoo Patriot.
Answer:

Hindoo Patriot

Introduction: The Hindoo Patriot was an English weekly published from Kolkata in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The Hindoo Patriot was a nationalist publication known for its active role in exposing the oppression of indigo planters in Bengal.

Objective: Although the principal objective of the Hindoo Patriot was to focus on anomalies in the British Government in India, it pinned very high Jiopes on the liberalism of the British public and parliament. Thus, it always advised Indians to look for the amelioration of their grievances to the British public and Parliament whenever the British Indian administration failed to redress their complaints. Again, the focus on multiple anomalies relative to British rule was never intended to tarnish the image of the British Indian government. Rather, criticism of anomalies was intended to make the administration aware of public grievances and their causes to enable the government to effect their speedy rectification. To the Hindoo Patriot, British rule in India was not blind imperialism but something highly noble to be supported for public welfare. Indians had still much to learn from the English and English rule was accordingly to be endured. This feature comes out vividly in a lengthy editorial of the 11 October 1855 issue of the newspaper.

1857 revolt: During the revolt of 1857, the Hindoo Patriot used to publish stories of the revolt as the lead articles. He believed that the rebels had harmed their cause by placing their trust in the leadership of the Mughals, whom he described as the rotten house of Tamerlane, in 1859 when Tatia Tope was hanged, the Hindoo Patriot saluted his martyrdom and recognized the efforts of Lakshmi Bai and Kunwar Singh.

Indigo revolt: The Hindoo Patriot, under the able editorship of Harish Chandra Mukherjee, became the mouthpiece of protest against imperial injustices.
1. In the late fifties, the Hindoo Patriot began to expose the oppression and atrocities on Indian peasants by the indigo planters. The latter used to force the peasants into cultivating indigo.
2. In late 1875, when one Jagadananda Mukherjee invited the Prince of Wales to his residence and zenana, The Hindoo Patriot commented that the national feeling had been outraged.
3. After the initial editorship of Girish Chandra Ghosh and Harish Chandra Mukherjee, Krishnadas Pal was the editor of the paper for 23 years. During this period he opposed imperial laws like the Immigration Bill, the Vernacular Press Act, and the Albert Bill through the columns of the Hindoo Patriot. He protested against the oppression of tea workers and termed the Immigration Bill as ‘The Slave Law of India’,

Conclusion: The Hindoo Patriot under Harish Chandra played a vital role against the tyranny of the indigo planters, particularly during the post-Serboy revolt period. Regular editorials against such tyranny on the poor helpless indigo farmers attracted public attention and evoked universal condemnation from a large cross-section of educated Indians.

Question 26. Write a note on Hutom Pyanchar Naksha.
Answer:

Hutom Pyanchar Naksha :

1. Introduction: Custom Pyanchar Naksha or ‘Naksha of the OwT is a compilation of satirical prose by Kaliprasanna Sinha. It is a truly remarkable collection of around 140 pages in length, consisting of descriptions of religious festivals, false saints, Babus, Sahibs, etc. Chalit Bhasha, or colloquial language, is employed throughout Hutom Pyanchar Naksha.
2. Pioneering of Satire: Hutom Pyanchar Naksha, as one of the outstanding literary works of nineteenth-century Bengal, found numerous imitators and established Naksha once and for all as a genre. The term Naksha, too, appears here to denote a satirical sketch written in prose and becomes customary from then on. In this sense, it marks the end of prose experiments and the beginning of a rather tightly-knit tradition, that is, in one phrase, the end of the beginnings.
3. Subject Matter: Kaliprasanna has firmly molded the anarchy and variety of life that is synonymous with the rise, from the early 19th century, of Calcutta as a colonial and global metropolis, a city as yet without a notion of a great modern author (although two great moderns, Kaliprasanna himself and Michael Madhusudan Dutt, and their principal literary offerings, have, by now, in 1861, just come into existence); without a fixed and recognizable notion of Bengali literature (Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, who was quick to notice Kaliprasanna’s idiosyncratic genius, would write “A Popular Literature for Bengal” nine years later, lamenting its absence); or even a safe, working idea of Bengali culture, such as we take for granted today. Tagore, at this moment, is a newborn. Everything is transient, confusing, uncertain, and alive. It is not a culture comprising canons, or great authors and maneuvers, but pictures, posters, bulletins, scandals, and fads.

Importance: The book is historically important as it depicts the contemporary life of Kolkata in the middle of the nineteenth century in a realistic manner. It is also significant for its use of the spoken language of Kolkata and its surrounding areas. The writer’s use of the pseudonym ‘HutonV led to the language of the book being known as ‘Hutomi Bangla’. This language is more refined than the Alali language of Peary Chand Mitra (1814-1883) and there is no confusion of spoken and written forms.

Question 27. What do you know about Lalon Fakir?
Answer:

Lalon Fakir :

1. Introduction: Lalon, also known as Lalon Saint, Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, or Mahatma Lalon was a Bengali Baul saint, mystic, songwriter, social reformer, and thinker.
2. Contribution: In Bengali culture, he is considered as an icon of religious tolerance. His songs influenced considerably many poets, and social and religious thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Allen Ginsberg, though he “rejected all distinctions of caste and creed”. He was both praised and criticized in his lifetime and after his death. Throughout life, Lalon sang of a society where all religions and beliefs are in harmony. His disciples mostly come from Bangladesh and West Bengal. He founded the institute known as Lalon Akhrah in Cheuriya, about 2 kilometers from Kushtia railway station. He is also regarded as the founder of the Baul music and known as the Baul Samrat (The king of Bauls).
3. Writing of Songs: Lalon composed numerous songs and poems that describe his philosophy. It is estimated that Lalon composed about 2,000 -10,000 songs, of which only about 800 songs are generally considered authentic. Lalon left no written copies of his songs, which were transmitted orally and only later put to writing by his followers. Also, most of his followers could not read or write either, so few of his songs are found in written form. Rabindranath Tagore published some of Lalon’s songs in the monthly Prabasi magazine of Kolkata.
4. Hits Philosophy: The songs of Lalon aim at an indescribable reality beyond realism. He was observant of social conditions and his songs spoke of day-to-day problems in simple yet moving language. His philosophy was expressed orally, as well as through songs and musical compositions using folk instruments that could be made from materials available at home, for example, the ektara (one-string musical instrument) and the doggie (drum).
5. Conclusion: Some of the famous singers who have used his compositions are Farida Parveen and Anusay Andil. Zamindar Jatirindranath Tagore of Shilaidaha sketched the image of Lalan Fakir. His life and thoughts were made into a movie ‘Moner Manush’ in 2010.

Question 28. What do you know about Madhusudan Gupta?
Answer:

Madhusudan Gupta

Pandit Madhusudan Gupta (1800 – 15 November 1856) was an Indian doctor and the first Indian trained in Western medicine to dissect a human corpse. When the Medical College was set up in Kolkata, Gupta broke prevalent social taboos and came forward to dissect a human corpse.

Foundation of the Medical College: In 1835, the Medical College was set up. The Baidyak discipline was discontinued at the Sanskrit College and Gupta joined Medical College as an assistant teacher. He studied Western medicine along with the students and passed in 1840. In 1845, he became the Superintendent of the Hindusthani medium. In 1848, he was promoted to a first-class sub-assistant surgeon. In 1852, the Bengali medium was opened at the Medical College for the first time. Gupta took charge as the Superintendent of the Bengali medium. ,

“WBBSE Class 10 History Culture chapter, solved short answer questions”

Contributions: Gupta made a significant contribution to the history of Calcutta Medical College (CMC) and the hospital. During the prime stage of the medical college, Indian students were not coming to join the course partly because they were from aristocratic Indian families who had disdain for surgery (reluctant to touch the dead body) and partly because the Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine were popular at that time.

He was a Sanskrit scholar and Ayurvedic doctor and he proclaimed that he would dissect the dead body and that created waves among the people after that many students came to join the medical education at CMC. He was one of the first batch of students that passed from the CMC. He did not pass the first batch of CMC graduates. He was assisted by Raj Krishna Dey, Umacharan Sett, Dwarkanath Gooptu, and Nabin Chandra Mitra, students of the Medical College.

In 1830, he was appointed a professor at the Sanskrit College, replacing Khudiram Visharad, which created a ripple among the student community. Madhusudan’s role may be viewed as one of the first internalizes of modern anatomical education who acted as the agent for the Company’s education.

Books: He wrote Anatomy Arthat Sharir Vidya in Bengali, translated London Pharmacopoeia in Bengali, and translated Anatomist Vade Mecum in Sanskrit.
Conclusion: The British East India Company administration honored him by firing guns from Fort William. It should be noted that ancient Indian sages such as the legendary surgeon Sushruta had almost certainly performed human autopsies to gain knowledge of the human body. However, Dr. Madhusudan Gupta was the first Indian to do it as a practitioner of modern Western medicine.

Question 29. Write a note on the Brahmo Movement.
Answer:

Brahmo Movement:

1. Introduction: The mantle of leading the Brahmo Samaj fell on the shoulders of Debendranath Tagore (1877-1905) who led Tattwabodhini Sabha (founded in 1839), which was engaged in search of spiritual truth. The informal association of two sabhas gave new strength to the membership and purpose of the Brahmo Samaj.

2. Contribution of Tagore: Tagore worked on two fronts. Within Hinduism, the Brahmo Samaj was a reformist movement, and outside he resolutely opposed the Christian missionaries for their criticism of Hinduism and their attempts at conversion. Tagore also condemned idol worship and discouraged pilgrimages, ceremonials, and penance among the Brahmos. Under his leadership, it established its branches in different parts of the country
3. Contribution of Sen: Keshab Chandra Sen joined the Brahmo Samaj in 1858 and became Acharya. With his dynamic leadership, the branches were opened outside Bengal, in the U.P., Punjab, Bombay, Madras, and other towns. But Keshab’s liberal and cosmopolitan outlook brought about a split in the Samaj. It began to cut itself from Hindu moorings; henceforth religious scriptures of every sect including the Christians, Muslims, and Parsis began to be read in the Brahmo Samaj meetings
4. Difference between Tagore and Sen: On the social front, Keshab spoke against the caste system and even advocated intercaste marriages. On this premise, there arose differences between Tagore and Keshab, leading to the split of the organization. Keshab and his followers left the Samaj in 1866 and formed the Brahmo Samaj of India. Debendranath’s Samaj henceforth came to be known as the Adi Brahmo Samaj. But over time, Keshab’s actions became controversial, and again his followers got separated in the name of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.

Question 30. State the contributions of the Brahmo movement.
Answer:

Contributions of Brahmo Movement: Despite the schisms and ideological disputes, over a period of time, its contribution towards the Indian Renaissance was manifold. In the field of social reform, it discarded many of the established principles and practices:
1. It discarded faith in divine Avatars.
2. It denied that any scripture could enjoy the status of ultimate authority transcending human reason and conscience.
3. It denounced polytheism and idol worship.
4. It also criticized the caste system.
5. It took no definite stand on the doctrine of karma and transmigration of the soul and left it to individual Brahmos to believe either way.
6. It condemned the prevailing Hindu prejudice against going abroad.
7. It worked for a respectable status for women in society by condemning sati, and the purdah system, discouraging child marriages, and polygamy, and crusading for widow remarriage, women’s education, etc.
8. It also attacked untouchability and casteism but with limited success.

Question 31. State the characteristics of socio-religious reform movements of the 19th century.
Answer:

Characteristics of Socio-Religious Reform Movements in the 19th Century :
1. Introduction of Western Philosophy: The impact of the West began to operate through perceptible and imperceptible ways. It had its positive and negative aspects. Through actions and reactions, antagonism, and assimilation, western ideas began to penetrate thoughts and habits. The orthodox revolted outwardly but searched inwardly for a change. For the intellectuals, there was the need to rationalize the traditional society. To the learned, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity had common grounds on which to meet; the essence of all religions being the same
2. Awakening of Reform Movements: A wave of unrest swept during the early years of the 19th century. Of that unrest, the Indian Renaissance began to take shape. In the wake of that awakening, there also emerged the socio-religious reform movements
3. Clasification: These reform movements fall into two broad categories: reformist movements like the Arya Samaj, the Ramakrishna Mission, the Deoband movement, and Theosophical society. Both the reformist and the revivalist movements depended on a varying degree of an appeal to the lost purity of the religion
4. Difference Between Reform Movements: The only difference between one reform movement and the other was in the degree to which it relied on tradition or reason and conscience
5. Emphasis on Both Social and Religious Reforms: Another significant aspect of these reform movements was their emphasis on both religious and social reforms. This link was primarily due to two main reasons. Almost every social custom and institution in India derived sustenance from religious injunctions and sanctions. This means that no social reform could be undertaken unless the existing religious notions, which sustained the social customs, were also reformed. Secondly, the Indian reformers understood the close interrelation between the different aspects of human activities. Rammohan Roy believes that religious reform must precede demand for social reform or political rights.

Question 32. Write an essay on Ramakrishna Paramhansadeva.
Answer:

Ramakrishna Paramhansa :
1. Introduction: Sri Thakur Ramakrishna Paramhansadeva (1836-1886 A.D.) had a great role to play in the broad humanitarian religious propagation and reform movement. His impact on social conservatism and religious rigidity was a great gain for the nation. The simple, easy, broad view of life was a new light towards the darkened society. Sri Ramakrishna lighted the way as Avatar. Historian Toynbee said, ‘In this case, Ramakrishna has raised his uniqueness7
2. Early Life: Ramakrishna was born in a poor Brahmin family of Kamarpukur in Hooghly. Later he was appointed as a priest in the Bhabatarini temple of Dakshineswar under the instructions of Rani Rashmoni. From this time, his depth ness towards religion started increasing and he became famous. Despite being a real Hindu, Ramakrishna said that God is one and only one and the goal is the same even if some call him Christ, Krishna, or Allah. So Mahatma Gandhi wrote about him “The story of Ramakrishna Paramhansa’s life is a story of religion in practice. His life enables us to see God face-to-face—in this age of skepticism. Ramakrishna presents an example of a bright and living faith that gives solace to thousands of men and women who would otherwise have remained without spiritual light.”
3. Disciples: Swami Vivekananda was the main disciple of Ramakrishna but people like Keshab Sen, Girish Ghosh, Vidyasagar, Nati Binodini, etc. came in close contact with him. Max Muller praised them very highly about him. This great man had a tremendous hypnotizing power. Bal Gangadhar Tilak said at one time, “If Sri Ramakrishna is a living Vedanta, then the commentator of that Vedanta will be Swami Vivekananda.”
4. Teaching: His main motto was an unprejudiced mind. So he emphasized spiritual thoughts, devotion, and self-realization. In his opinion, one can reach God through any of the methods like Bhaktiyoga, Gyanyoga, Rajyoga, and Karmayoga. In his opinion, it is not necessary to detach yourself from your house to realize God. He became a prodigy of humanity and mankind to all castes, races, and creeds. So, the famous French scholar Sylvian Levi remarked, “As Ramakrishna’s heart and mind were for all countries, his name too is a common property of mankind.”
5. Impact on People: Keshab Sen’s mind was changed when he came to see Ramakrishna in 1875 A.D. He became a non-believer in idolatry. Besides this, Keshab Sen was absorbed in realizing God for some time by forming Sadhanashram. People like Vijay Krishna Goswami, Balaram Basu, Girish Ghosh, Mahendranath Gupta, etc. were very much influenced by Ramakrishna. The highly confused and afraid public in the nineteenth century found within Ramakrishna the right path of truth and justice, the hope and inspiration of Hinduism, and the real picture and existence of religion. According to Amiya Kumar Majumdar, “He (Ramakrishna) stripped religion of its theological and sacerdotal garments and made it coeval with life.”
6. Conclusion: The contribution of Ramakrishna is well accepted by everybody in the upsurge of the cultural movement of Bengal in the 19th century. The philosophy of Ramakrishna was combined with Brahmo philosophy and the cultural movement got a definite shape. A spiritual personality like his is seldom found and has very rarely appeared in this world.

Question 33. What social legislations were passed by the British Government regarding Sati and widow remarriage?
Answer:
Sati:
1. Early Measures: The East India Company proceeded very cautiously against the abolition of Sati til! Raja Rammohan Roy represented the view of the rational Indian against evil. After hectic parleys at various levels, some attempts were made to ban evil. Lord Minto’s Government declared in 1812 that the practice of sati must be allowed in those states where it has religious approval. Certain circular orders were introduced in 1812, 1815, and 1817 which aimed at stopping the use of force in making a woman commit sati, preventing pregnant women or girls under puberty or mothers with infants, etc. But these circulars had no legal sanctity
2. Contribution of Bentincr: With the entry of Lord William Bentinck, there began a true era of reforms. By consulting many army officers, judges, and the executive, he felt satisfied that the abolition of sati could be possible. With the consent of the Council on 4th December 1829 by Regulation XVII of government, the custom of Sati was declared illegal and punishable by the criminal courts. He had successfully faced opposition from orthodox sections with the support of band reformers.

Widow Remarriage:
Contribution Of Vidya Sagar: The Abolition of Ati indirectly brought into prominence the face and future of the 19th century, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar began a campaign for widow remarriage. The Hindu shastras in his opinion did not prohibit widow marriage, rather they permitted it. His ideas were also brought out in the form of an English book entitled ‘Marriage of Hindu Widows’,

Act XV: Notable landlords like Maharaja Mahatab Chand of Burdwan and Maharaja Shrishchandra of Nadia also supported his efforts to bring legislation for it. Accordingly, on 26 July 1856, Act XV was passed legalizing widow marriage and giving the status of legitimacy to the children of the married widows. The act provoked the orthodox Hindus to submit a petition against it, but of no use.

Question 34. Write a note on Orientalist Anglicist controversy.
Answer:

Orientalist: Anglicist Controversy :
1. Division Among Committee Members: The General Committee of Public Instruction consisted of 10 members, divided into two groups over the issue of the medium of instruction. H. T. Princep led the Orientalists who advocated the policy of encouraging oriental literature and imparting education in vernaculars. On the other hand, the Anglicists favored the adoption of English as the medium of instruction giving importance to Western literature. The division among the members of the committee made it extremely difficult for it to function effectively
2. Macaulay’s Minute: Ultimately, both the parties in the committee submitted their dispute to the Governor-General-in-Council for orders. As a member of the Executive Council, Macaulay wrote his famous Minute on Education Policy dated 2 February 1835 and placed it before the council
3. Favouring the Anglicist Group: Macaulay supported the viewpoint of the Anglicist group. He showed great contempt for the Indian literature when he said, a single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia/ Regarding the utility, importance, and claims of the English language, he wrote: ‘Whoever knows that language has ready access to all the vast intellectual wealth which all the wisest nations of the earth have created and handed in the course of generations. In India, English is the language spoken by the ruling class. It is spoken by the higher class of natives at the seats of the East’
4. Real Motive: Possibly, Macaulay aimed to create a class of persons who should be Indian in blood and color, but English in tastes, opinions, morals, and intellect/ In other words, he sought the production of ‘brown Englishmen’ to fit! the lower cadres in the company’s administration
5. Government Decision: The government of Lord William Bentinck in the resolution of 7 March 1835, accepted the viewpoint of Macaulay that, in the future, the object of the Company’s government should be the promotion of European literature and sciences, through the medium of English language and in future all funds were to be spent for that purpose.

Question 35. State the contributions of Raja Rammohan Roy in the field of spreading education.
Answer:

Ram Mohan Roy in the Field of Education :
1. Economic Reason for Supporting Education: The main factor that tipped the scale in favor of the English language and Western literature was the economic factor Indians wanted a system of education that could help them to earn their livelihood. Progressive Indian elements also favored the spread of English education and Western learning,
2. Futility of Oriental Education: Raja Ram Mohan Roy protested against the Government’s proposal to strengthen the Benaras Sanskrit College and establishment of more oriental colleges in Bengal. He wrote to Lord Amherst in 1823 that Sanskrit education could “only be expected to load the minds of youth with grammatical niceties which are of little or no practical use to their possessors or society. The pupils will there acquire what was known two thousand years ago, with the addition of vain and empty subtleties since then produced by speculative men.” He added. “Youths will not befit to be better members of society by the Vedantic doctrines which teach them to believe that all visible things have no real existence, that as a father, brother, etc… have no real entity, they consequently deserve no real affection and therefore the sooner they escape from them and leave the world, the better.”
3. Importance of Scientific Learning: Advocating the importance of modern scientific learning, he wrote, “The Sanskrit system of education would be the best calculated to keep the country in darkness if such had been the policy of the British Government. But as the improvement of the native population is the object of the Government, it will consequently promote a more liberal and enlightened system of instruction, embracing Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Anatomy with other useful sciences.”
4. Measures Advancement of Education: The protests of Raja Ram Mohan Roy did not go unheeded. The Government agreed to encourage the study of English as well as Oriental languages. A grant was sanctioned for the Calcutta Hindu College to be set up in 1817 by enlightened Bengalis, which imparted instruction mainly in the English language and emphasized the study of Western humanities and sciences. The Government also set up three Sanskrit Colleges, each at Calcutta, Delhi, and Agra. In addition, funds were set apart for the translation of European scientific works into Oriental languages.

Question 36. Describe the contribution of Brahmo Samaj in socio-religious reforms.
Answer:

Brahmo Samaj: The Brahmo Samaj played a notable role in the Indian Renaissance. H.C.E. Zacharias writes: “Rammohan Roy and his Brahmo Samaj form the starting point for all the various Reform Movements whether in Hindu religion, society or politics: which have agitated modern India”. The intellectual mind which had been cut off its moorings by the Christian propaganda found a way out in the Brahmo Samaj. In the field of religious reform, the main significance of Brahmo Samaj lay not in what it retained of traditional Hinduism but in what it discarded of the old beliefs of Hinduism.
Its overall contribution may be summed up thus :
1. It discarded faith in divine Avatars
2. It denied that any scripture could enjoy the status of ultimate authority transcending human reason and conscience
3. It denounced polytheism and idol-worship
4. It criticized the caste system
5. It took no definite stand on the doctrine of Karma and transmigration of the soul and left it to individual Brahmos to believe either way. In matters of social reform, Brahmo Samaj has influenced Hindu society. It attacked many dogmas and superstitions. It condemned the prevailing Hindu prejudice against going abroad. It worked for a respectable status for women in society—condemned sati, worked for the abolition of the purdah system, discouraged child marriage, and polygamy, crusaded for widow remarriage, provision of educational facilities, etc. It also attacked casteism and untouchability though in these matters it attained limited success.

Question 37. State the contributions of Raja Radhakanta Deb in the field of spreading Western education in India.
Answer:

Raja Radhakanta Dev :

1. Early Life: Radhakanta belonged to the aristocratic family of Shobhabazar. The aristocracy was established by his grandfather Munshi Nabakrishna. Radhakanta had his primary education at Calcutta Academy. He had learned both Sanskrit and French languages
2. Involvement with Hindu Collage: After his father Gour Mohan’s demise he was associated with the managing council of the Hindu College in 1818. He continued his involvement in this for the next 32 years of his life and in this period he contributed extensively towards the shaping of the college’s rules and regulations. He would help college students to pursue higher University education and also, if necessary, provide financial help for this purpose.
3. Contribution Towards Education: Radhakanta was the first person to emphasize the need for an engineering and agricultural college with the medium of instruction being Bengali. He was very zealous for the spread of women’s education. Through his magazine Tatwabodhini, and his Hindu Charitable Institution he tried to break the influence of Christian missionary activities. When he was at loggerheads with the government regarding the running of the Hindu College, he resigned from its management council in 1850. But Radhakanta’s interest in the spread of Western education was not a little bit diminished due to this incident.
4. Establishment of Metropolitan College: In 1853 along with help from Debendranath Tagore, Motilal Shil, and Rajendra Lai Dutta, he established the Metropolitan College. This was the first national college fully owned by an Indian. However, due to a paucity of funds, this college was later converted into a school.
5. Achievement: His work Shabdakalpadrum which ran into 8 volumes is highly appreciable. The British government awarded him the title of Raj Bahadur for this monumental piece of work. He was a member of the Zamindar Sabha and the Bengal British Society. The general idea prevalent in Britain is that Radhakanta was the first Hindu who had changed with time and was a great supporter of women’s education.

Question 38. Describe the history of Calcutta Medical College and also its medical education.
Answer:

Calcutta Medical College :
1. Establishment: With the initiative of Lord William Bentinck, on 28th January 1835 the Calcutta Medical College came into being in Calcutta. In Asia this is supposed to be the second medical college established by the EuropeAnswer: The first one was Ecole De Medicine at Pondicherry. On 2nd February 1835, the Madras Medical College was established on the same lines as Calcutta Medical College
2. Academics: After studying for nearly five and half years the students were awarded the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and the Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). The first principal of the college was M. J. Ramley (1835-1837). He was followed by David Hare (1837-1841), F. J. Mouat (1841-1851), and H. Goodway (1851-1856).
3. Admission: The first batch of 100 students was drawn from young boys in the age group of 14 to 20 years of age after a preliminary test. The first batch started its classes on 20th February 1835 in different venues like Hindu College, Hare School, or the Scottish Church College. Every student was given a stipend of one rupee
4. Graduation: After completion of studies in four to six years they were called Native Doctors. These doctors were then sent for general public service at a pay of Rs. 30 per month. Later on, this salary was increased to Rs. 40 after seven years and to Rs. 50 after 14 years
5. Notable Students: The first batch of students included Umacharan Seth, Rajkrishna Dey, Dwarkanath Gupta, and Nabin Chandra Mitra. On 29th June 1883, the first woman Kadambini Ganguly was admitted to the college. Next year Bidhumukhi Bose was admitted to the college. They were given a stipend of Rs. 20 every month. After the foundation of the Medical College, its two famous Indian physicians were Madhusudan Gupta (1800-1856) and Dr. Surya Kumar Chakraborty (1824-1874). In his later life, Surya Kumar got an MD degree from a foreign country and also passed the I.M.F. in the first position. Then he joins the Medical College as a professor.

Question 39. Write a note on the Indian Universities Act, of 1904.
Answer:

The Indian Universities Act, 1904: In September 1901, Curzon summoned the highest educational officers of the government throughout India and the representatives of various universities at a round table conference at Simla. The conference adopted 150 resolutions, which touched almost every conceivable branch of education. This was followed by the appointment of a commission under the presidency of Sir Thomas Raleigh on 27 January 1902, to enquire into the conditions and prospects of universities in India and to recommend proposals for improving their constitution and working. The commission was precluded from reporting on primary or secondary education. Based on the recommendations of the commission, the Indian Universities Act was passed in 1904.

“Class 10 WBBSE History Chapter 2 SAQs, important notes and answers”

The main changes proposed were as follows :

1. The universities desired to make provision for the promotion of study and research by appointing professors and developing laboratories and libraries.
2. The Act laid down that the number of fellows of a university should neither be less than 50 nor greater than 100, and a fellow should normally hold office for 6 years instead of life.
3. The fellows of the university were to be nominated by the government. The elective members at the Universities of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay were to be 20 each and in the case of other universities, 15 only.
4. The government control over the universities was further increased by vesting the government powers to veto the regulations passed by the Senate of a university. The government could also make additions or alterations in the regulations framed by the Senate and even frame regulations itself over and above the head of the Senate.
5. The act increased university control over private colleges by laying down stricter conditions of affiliation and periodical inspection.
6. The Governor-General-in-Council was empowered to define the territorial limits of a university or decide the affiliation of colleges to universities.

Chapter 2 Culture: Characteristics And Discussion Very Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Name two important works of Kaliprasanna Singha.
Answer: Hutum Pyanchar Naksha and the translation of Mahabharata.

Question 2. What was Hindu Patriot?
Answer: Hindu Patriot was a weekly newspaper.

Question 3. When did the Sanskrit College start functioning?
Answer: 1st January 1884.

Question 4. Name the school established by Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Answer: Anglo Sanskrit Free School in Virsingha Village.

Question 5. Name the first national college fully owned by Indians.
Answer: The Metropolitan College.

Question 6. Which Medical College came into being at the initiative of Lord Bentinck?
Answer: The Calcutta Medical College.

Question 7. Who were the first two women graduates from Calcutta University?
Answer: Kaumudini Ganguli and Chandramukhi Basu.

Question 8. Who was primarily responsible for the abolition of the Sati system?
Answer: Raja Rammohan Roy.

Question 9. Name one organization which was set up as a part of religious reform in the 19th-century Bengal.
Answer: Brahmo Samaj.

Question 10. Who was the first Bengalee to dissect a dead body?
Answer: Madhusudan Gupta.

Question 11. What was the original name of Swami Vivekananda?
Answer: Narendra Nath Dutta.

Question 12. Name the first Indian student of anatomy at Calcutta Medical College.
Answer: Madhusudan Gupta.

Question 14. Who gave the concept of Navavedanta? 
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.

Question 15. Who founded Gendaria Ashrama in Dhaka?
Answer: Bijoy Krishna Goswami.

Question 16. Where is Ramakrishna Math located?
Answer: In Belur.

Question 17. Name the Governor General who abolished the Sati system.
Answer: William Bentinck.

Question 18. Who was the author of the book ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’?
Answer: Dadabhai Naoroji.

“Culture Characteristics and Discussions WBBSE Class 10, SAQs guide”

Question 19. Write the name of the founder of the Asiatic Society.
Answer: Sir William Jones.

Question 20. Name a European philosopher who influenced Rammohan Roy.
Answer: Rousseau.

Question 21. Name a European philosopher who helped in the growth of Indian nationalism.
Answer: Montesquieu.

Question 22. Name the first English newspaper published in Bengal.
Answer: Bengal Gazette.

Question 23. Name the first newspaper published in Bengal.
Answer: Bengal Gazette.

Question 24. When was the ‘Bengal Gazette’ published?
Answer: In 1780.

Question 25. Name the first newspaper published in Madras.
Answer: Madras Courier (1780).

Question 26. When was the ‘Hindu Patriot’ published?
Answer: 1853.

Question 27. Who founded the Benaras Sanskrit College?
Answer: Jonathan Duncan.

Question 28. Name one of the founders of Hindu College.
Answer: Radhakanta Deb.

Question 29. Who directed the Company to spend yearly Rs. 1 lakh towards education?
Answer: British Parliament through Charter Act, 1813.

Question 30. When was the Company directed by the British Parliament to spend Rs. 1 lakh towards education in India?
Answer: In 1813.

Question 31. When was the Baptist Mission founded?
Answer: In 1818.

Question 32. Name an Orientalist supporter.
Answer: Sutherland.

Question 33. Name an Anglicist supporter.
Answer: Saunders.

Question 34. Who was the first Chancellor of Calcutta University?
Answer: Lord Canning.

Question 35. When was the Hindu College founded?
Answer: In 1817.

Question 36. When was the Committee of Public Instruction first appointed in Bengal?
Answer: In 1823.

Question 37. Who was appointed as the President of the Committee of Public Instruction in 1834?
Answer: Macaulay.

Question 38. When was English education officially introduced in India?
Answer: In 1835.

Question 39. When was the University of Calcutta established?
Answer: 24 January 1857.

Question 40. When did Lord Curzon pass the Indian Universities Act?
Answer: In 1904.

Question 41. When was the Atmiya Sabha founded by Rammohan Roy?
Answer: In 1815.

Question 42. When did the Atmiya Sabha come to be known as the Brahmo Samaj or Brahmo Sabha?
Answer: In 1828.

Question 43. When was the practice of Sati declared illegal?
Answer: In 1829.

Question 44. When was the Tatwabodhini Patrika published?
Answer: ln 1843.

Question 45. By what name were the followers of Derozio known?
Answer: Young Bengal.

Question 46. When was Ramakrishnadeva born?
Answer: In 1836.

Question 47. When was the first girls’ school established at Poona?
Answer: In 1851.

Question 48. When was the Widow Remarriage Association founded in Maharashtra?
Answer: In 1850.

Question 49. Who founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College?
Answer: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.

Question 50. When was the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College founded at Aligarh?
Answer: In 1875.

Question 51. Who addressed an open letter to the graduates of Calcutta University in 1883?
Answer: A. O. Hume.

Question 52. Name the social reformer whose movement resulted in the abolition of ‘Sati’.
Answer: Raja Rammohan Roy.

Question 53. Who founded the Nababidhan Brahmo Samaj?
Answer: Keshab Chandra Sen.

Question 54. Who was the founder of Adi Brahma Samaj?
Answer: Maharshi Debendra Nath Thakur.

Question 55. Who was called the ‘first modern man of India’?
Answer: Raja Rammohan Roy.

Question 56. In which year was the Sanskrit College of Calcutta founded?
Answer: In 1824 AD.

Question 57. Who abolished the Vernacular Press Act?
Answer: Lord Ripon.

Question 58. Who were the founders of the Baptist Mission at Serampore?
Answer: William Carey, Marshman, and Ward.

Question 59. In which year was the School Book Society founded?
Answer: In 1817.

Question 60. Who founded the School Book Society?
Answer: David Hare.

Question 61. Which were the two parties involved in the controversy regarding the introduction of Western education in India?
Answer: Anglicist and Orientalist.

Question 62. During whose, Governor Generalship was the Calcutta Medical College established?
Answer: Lord William Bentinck.

Question 63. Who is called ‘Bharat Pathik’?
Answer: Rammohan Roy.

Question 64. Name a journal published by the Brahmo Samaj.
Answer: Sulabh Samachar.

Question 65. Name two newspapers published by Rammohan Roy.
Answer: Sambad Kaumudi, Mirat-ul-Akbar.

Question 66. Who started the anti-Sati movement?
Answer: Rammohan Roy.

Question 67. Who started the movement in favor of widow remarriage?
Answer: Iswarchandra Vidyasagar.

Question 68. Who was the editor of Tattwabodhini Patrika?
Answer: Debendranath Tagore.

Question 69. Name two textbooks written by Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Answer: Varnaparichay and Kathamala.

Question 70. Name the college established by Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar.
Answer: Metropolitan College.

Question 71. Who founded the Hindu Female School (Bethune Girls’ School)?
Answer: John Drinkwater Bethune.

Question 72. ‘Go back to the Vedas’ Who said this?
Answer: Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

Question 73. Who wrote the book ‘Satyaratha Prakash’?
Answer: Swami Dayananda Saraswati.

Question 74. When was the Vernacular Press Act passed?
Answer: In 1878.

Question 75. Who founded a girls’ school at Poona in 1851?
Answer: Jyotiba Phule.

Question 76. Name two social reformers who worked for the welfare of women.
Answer: Rammohan Roy and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

Question 77. Where was the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College established?
Answer: Aligarh.

Question 78. Who founded the Ramakrishna Mission?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.

Question 79. Who was the editor of Bengal Gazette?
Answer: Augustus Hickey.

Question 80. Who was the editor of Hindu Patriot?
Answer: Harish Chandra Mukherjee.

Question 81. Who was the editor of Amrita Bazar Patrika?
Answer: Sisir Kumar Ghosh.

Question 82. Name two newspapers edited by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Answer: Kesari and Maratha.

Question 83. Who composed Anandamath?
Answer: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Question 84. Who introduced Western education in India?
Answer: Lord William Bentinck.

Question 85. When did Lord Bentinck establish Medical College in Calcutta?
Answer: In 1835.

Question 86. Mention the year of Wood’s Despatch.
Answer: 1854.

Question 87. Who was the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta?
Answer: William Coleville.

Question 88. Who was the first graduate of Calcutta University?
Answer: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Question 89. When was the Indian Education Commission (Hunter Commission) appointed?
Answer: In 1882.

Question 90. When was the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act passed?
Answer: In 1856.

Question 91. Who wrote ‘Bartaman Bharat’?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.

Question 92. In which year was the Hunter Commission appointed?
Answer: In 1882 A.D.

Question 93. Who built Gurukul Ashram Vidyalaya in Haridwar ?
Answer: Swami Sradhananda.

Question 94. Who was the founder of Sadharan Brahma Samaj?
Answer: Shivnath Shastri (1878).

Question 95. Who was the leading personality of Adi Brahma Samaj?
Answer: Debendranath Tagore.

Question 96. Who was the founder of Indian Brahma Samaj?
Answer: Keshab Chandra Sen.

Question 97. Who was the founder of Nababidhan Samaj?
Answer: Keshab Chandra Sen.

Question 98. What was the main advice of Sri Ramakrishna?
Answer: The main advice of Sri Ramakrishna was “Jato mat, tato path”.

Question 99. Which was the first Bengali daily?
Answer: Sambad Prabhakar of Iswar Chandra Gupta (1830 AD) was the first Bengali daily.

Question 100. Who gave the title ‘Raja’ to Ram Mohan Roy?
Answer: Akbar Shah II.

Question 101. What was the role of Raja Rammohan Roy in the emancipation of women?
Answer: He tried to remove the primitive dogmas prevalent in society and spread education among women. He was also instrumental in stopping the practice of Sati or the burning of widows on the funeral pyre of the dead husband. He worked for the improvement of women’s class.

Question 102. What was ‘Young Bengal Association’?
Answer: The Young Bengal Association was started by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio as a movement against social evils existing in India. His followers were mostly students of Hindu College.

Question 103. What was Swami Vivekananda’s idea of religious reformation?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda, one of the most popular sages of modern India, used scientific analysis of Hinduism to oppose orthodox values of the religion. He changed the entire religious discourse to the ideals of Naba Vedanta.

Question 104. What was the outlook of the newspaper Hindoo Patriot?
Answer: The Hindoo Patriot addressed contemporary social problems. For example, in the opinion of the Hindoo Patriot, the Hindu marriage law imposed disability on the part of the girls in exercising their right to marry on their initiative. It remarked that the abolition of early marriage would destroy the system, it was also a newspaper with a national outlook.

Question 105. How did Lord Hardinge boost English education?
Answer: In 1844 Lord Hardinge gave further stimulus to English education by linking up knowledge of English with government employment. He declared that English-knowing Indians would be given preference in government employment. This made English education more popular.

Question 106. What important provision was made by the Charter Act of 1813 for the promotion of education in India?
Answer: The Charter Act of 1813 directed the Company to take the initiative to promote ‘knowledge of the sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories in India’. According to the Act, the government-sanctioned one lakh rupees for the promotion of education.

Question 107. What was the importance of Lord Macaulay’s minute regarding the Company’s education policy?
Answer: The Charter Act of 1813 directed the Company to set apart every year one lakh rupees for the promotion of knowledge among the IndiAnswer: But a debate among the members of the General Committee of Public Instruction prevented the money from being spent. Lord Macaulay, the President of GCPI, submitted his famous Minute to the Governor General supporting the cause of Western education in India. His Minute helped the government to adopt a definite education policy.

Question 108. What led to the social-religious reform movement in India in the 19th century?
Answer: The introduction of England education made a section of the Indians well acquainted
with liberal and progressive thoughts and ideas of the West. Their faith and beliefs were replaced by reason and judgment. This change in thoughts led to the socio-religious reform movement.

Question 109. Why did the British Government cut off the expense of higher education?
Answer: Anglo-Indian journals and papers had always expressed the view that English education among the middle class led to the growth of disloyalty towards the British Government. Being influenced by this view the government cut off the expense of higher education.

Question 110. What was the contribution of Keshab Chandra Sen to the movement of Brahmo Samaj?
Answer: Keshab Chandra brought to the Brahmo Samaj a dynamic force that it had never possessed before. His magnetic personality and his powerful oratory skills drew hundreds of young men. The Brahmo movement acquired wide popularity under the leadership of Keshab Chandra Sen.

Question 111. Why was the original Brahmo Samaj split up?
Answer: Keshab Chandra Sen was supposed to be more progressive in his religious outlook than Debendranath Tagore. So, there arose a difference between Debendranath and Keshab Chandra on the question of using sacred thread and performing rituals. Keshab Chandra came out of the old Brahmo Samaj and set up a new organization called the Bharatvarshiya Brahmo Samaj.

Question 112. Who introduced widow marriage by passing the Act?
Answer: Lord Dalhousie passed the Act of Widow Marriage at the request of Vidyasagar but Lord Canning gave it official recognition on 26th July 1856 A.D.

Question 113. What are the names of the first Bengali weekly and monthly magazines and newspapers?
Answer: The first Bengali weekly was Samachar Darpan and the monthly was Digdarshan. Marshman was the editor of both of them.

Question 114. Why is Derozio remembered?
Answer: Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-31), a young Eurasian teacher at the Hindu College, left a remarkable impression on his pupils as a thinker and a lover of truth. His students came to be known as the ”Young Bengal” or “Derozians”. He was the man who wrote the poem “To India my native land”. Derozio challenged the various evil activities of society.

Question 115. Name two Indian personalities who were influenced by the Western ideas of democracy and nationalism. How were the Young Bengal influenced by such ideas?
Answer: Raja Rammohan Roy and Professor Derozio were much influenced by the Western ideas of democracy and nationalism. The Young Bengal people were influenced by the Western ideas of democracy and nationalism. It is borne out by the fact that they translated into Bengali and circulated the Age of Reason of Thomas Paine.

Question 116. What was the role of the press in the growth of nationalist sentiments among the people of India? 
Answer: Vernacular and other Indian newspapers like Amrit Bazar Patrika, Somprakash, Sanjivani, etc. not only criticized the Government policy but also suggested alternative policies suitable to Indian interest and molded the public opinion against the Government.

Question 117. Who were the Evangelists? Who was the chief exponent of Evangelists?
Answer: Evangelists were a group of people in England who put pressure upon the British government for the spread of education in India. The chief exponent of Evangelism was Charles Grant.

Question 118. Who was Macaulay? When did he present his Minute?
Answer: Macaulay was the Law Member of the Governor-General’s Council. As the President of the Committee of Public Instruction, Macaulay presented his famous Minute in 1835.

Question 119. When was Calcutta University established? Who was its first Vice-Chancellor?
Answer: Calcutta University was founded on 24 January 1857. The first Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University was Sir James William Colvile.

Question 120. Who founded Atmiya Sabha and when? When did it become Brahmo Samaj?
Answer: Atmiya Sabha was founded by Rammohan Roy in 1815. Atmiya Sabha was transformed into Brahmo Samaj in 1828.

Question 121. Who founded Brahmo Samaj? What was the objective of its social reforms?
Answer: Rammohan Roy founded Brahmo Samaj in 1828. In social reform, the agenda of Brahmo Samaj was: the welfare of the womenfolk and abolition of the system of caste distinction. Besides, the Samaj also launched a movement against the practice of Sati.

Question 122. Why was the joining of Keshab Chandra Sen in Brahmo Samaj important?
Answer: The joining of Keshab Chandra in Brahmo Samaj was important on many grounds. By his oratory, the Brahmo movement earned popularity in various parts of the country. Further, Keshab Chandra added social service and reform alongside popularizing the Brahmo religion. According to Dr. R. C. Majumdar, Keshab Chandra Sen turned the Brahmo movement into an all-India movement.

Question 123. Who was Derozio? By what name were his followers known?
Answer: Derozio, a Portuguese-Indian by birth, was a teacher at the Hindu College. He looked upon India as his motherland and inculcated a deep love for the motherland among his students through his teachings. The students of Derozio were collectively known as the ‘Young Bengal’ or ‘Derozians’.

Question 124. What was the main point of Vivekananda’s speech at the Parliament of Religions?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda participated in a world religious conference held in Chicago in 1893. There he expounded the spirit of synthesis and universal JSM and humanism of Vedanta and created a deep and lasting impact on his western audience.

Question 125. What did Ramakrishnadeva have to say on social reform?
Answer: Ramakrishnadeva, a spiritual wonder, had no formal education. But he realized that the disparities of caste and creed were an ill in the Indian society. He believed that by obtaining self-knowledge and proper devotion to God men would no longer go by the levels of caste and creed.

Question 126. Name a book written by Vivekananda. What did Vivekananda aim at?
Answer: One of the many books written by Vivekananda is ‘Bartaman Bharat’. Vivekananda’s program of reform aimed at establishing a new social order based on freedom and equality. His ideal of a classless society helped the process of unity among the Indian people.

Question 127. Why was the Vernacular Press Act introduced by the British?
Answer: Viceroy Lord Lytton introduced the Vernacular Press Act in 1876. The sole purpose of the Act was to restrict the publication of newspapers in Indian languages. The printer or publisher of any paper was to execute a bond with the government.

Question 128. What was Wood’s Despatch?
Answer: Sir Charles Wood, President of the Board of Control, announced the famous Education Despatch (Wood’s Despatch) in 1854. The Despatch among other things asked the British Government of India to assume responsibility for the education of the masses. According to the direction of the Despatch, universities were set up in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras in 1857.

Question 129. Mention two recommendations of Charles Wood for the expansion of the modern educational system in India.
Answer: The famous educational despatch of Sir Charles Wood (1854) recommended certain measures to be taken for the expansion of the modern educational system in India and two of its recommendations were:
(1)Three Universities were to be opened in the three presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras.
(2)A Director of Public Instruction was to be appointed in each of the five provinces – Bengal, Bombay, Madras, the North West Frontier province, and the Punjab for systematic supervision of the education system. The Directors were to be assisted by several inspectors.

Question 130. Who was known as Young Bengal? What were the objectives of Young Bengal?
Answer: The students of Hindu college started a strong nationalist reform movement under the inspiration of their teacher, Derozio. This movement is known as Young Bengal. Thus, the followers of Derozio were known as Young Bengal.
Objectives of Young Bengal :
1. To judge everything by reason and not by tradition alone.
2. To oppose social evils and meaningless customs.

Question 131. Who introduced the Vernacular Press Act? Which right of the Indian people was infringed by this Act?
Answer: Lord Lytton passed the Vernacular Press Act. The rights of the Indians to freedom of speech and expression and the right to honest criticism of the British Government were infringed by this Act.

Question 132. Who was Macaulay? What was his suggestion for English Education in India?
Answer: Macaulay was the president of the Education Council. He said that by giving English education the British had to prepare a group in India who have their Indian blood and color but whose interests, conduct, intelligence, and thoughts were of English type.

Question 133. Name the prominent social reformers of the 19th century in India.
Answer: Raja Rammohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Ananda were the prominent social reformers of 19th-century India.

Question 134. Name two offshoots of Brahma Samaj in Bengal. Who were the founders of them?
Answer: Adi Brahma Samaj whose founder was Maharshi Devendranath Thakur and Indian Brahma Samaj whose founder was Keshav Chandra Sen.

Question 135. Who founded Nav Bengal? What was the importance of Nav Bengal?
Answer: The founder of Nav Bengal was Derozio. Nav Bengal encouraged the propaganda of English education and protested against child marriage, untouchability, and parda pratha.

Question 136. State the two most important social contributions of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar.
Answer:
1. Provided the right of education to women by opening many schools for women’s education.
2. Firmly supported widow remarriage.

Question 137. Name one social reform of the 19th century and its founder.
Answer: One main social reform of the 19th century was restriction over the Sati system and its founder was Raja Rammohan Roy.

Question 138. What was the real name of Vivekananda? Who was his spiritual Guru?
Answer: The real name of Vivekananda was Narendranath Dutta. His spiritual Guru was Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 2 important SAQs, for board exam preparation”

Question 139. Under whose initiative was the Hindu College established?
Answer: Hindu College was established under the initiative of David Hare, Radhakant Dev, and other people in 1817. Later on, it was transformed to a Presidency College.

Question 140. What was declared by Bentinck in the matter of education in the 19th century?
Answer: In 1835, Lord William Bentick declared that the Government would devote the stipulated amount to promote European literature and science among the natives of India through the English medium alone.

Question 141. What were the two objectives behind the introduction of Western education by Macaulay?
Answer:

1. The main objective of Western education was to produce clerks for the British administration.
2. The stress on English also tended to create a gulf between the English-speaking educated Indians and the rest of the Indian population.

Question 142. State any two basic principles of Brahmo Samaj.
Answer: The basic principles of Brahmo Samaj were

1. Brahmo Samaj preached monotheism and universal brotherhood.
2. Worship should be acceptable for all faiths. It stood against casteism, Polygamy, and Sati and supported the cause of widow remarriage.

Question 143. Give in brief any two social reforms advocated by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Answer: He prepared the general public mentally to ban the social evil of the Sati system and inspired Governor-General Lord Bentinck to formulate a law. He stressed the need for female education. He stressed the need for widow re-marriage.

Question 144. In which two significant ways did the Young Bengal Movement help in modernizing the youth of Bengal?
Answer:
(1) National educational institutions where literary, technical, or physical education was imparted were opened by nationalists.
(2) The students of Bengal practiced and propagated Swadeshi and took the lead in the picketing of shops selling foreign goods.

Question 145. When and under whose editorship was the publication of Bamabodhini Patrika started?
Answer: Bamabodhini Patrika was published by Umesh Chandra Dutta in the year 1863.

Question 146. What were the chief aims of Bamabodhini Sabha?
Answer: The chief aims of Bamabodhini Sabha were to educate Bengali women, particularly housewives, and to publish books for their moral development.

Question 147. When and under whose editorship was the publication of Masik Patrika started?
Answer: Masik Patrika was first published by Pyaricbandra Mitra and Radhanath Sikdar in the year 1854.

Question 148. When and under whose leadership was Hindu Patriot published?
Answer: Hindu Patriot was first published by Madhusudan Roy under the editorship of Girish Chandra Ghosh in 1853.

Question 149. Who was Harishchandra Mukherjee?
Answer: Harish Chandra Mukherjee was the publisher of Bengal Recorder & Hindu Patriot magazines.

Question 150. Name two main editors of Bengal Recorder.
Answer: Shreenath Ghosh & Harish Chandra Mukherjee were the two main editors of Bengal Recorder.

Question 151. Who and when founded the magazine Indian Field?
Answer: Indian Field magazine was published by Kishori Chandra Mitra in 1859.

Question 152. Which bills were debated in Hindu Patriot under the editorship of Krishna Das Pal?
Answer: Under the editorship of Krishna Das Pal, the Immigration Bill, Vernacular Press Act, Albert Bill, etc. were debated in Hindu Patriot.

Question 153. What is Hutum Pyanchar Naksha?
Answer: Hutum Pyanchar Naksha (Naksha of the Owl) is an ironic prose literature written by Kaliprasanna Singha.

Question 154. Who and when wrote the drama Nil Darpan?
Answer: Dinbandhu Mitra wrote Nil Darpan in 1858-1859.

Question 155. Who and when founded the National Theatre?
Answer: The National Theatre was founded by Girish Chandra Ghosh in the year 1872.

Question 156. Where and when was Nil Darpan performed first?
Answer: Nil Darpan was first performed in the National Theatre of Calcutta in 1872.

Question 157. Who and by whose efforts translated Nil Darpan into English?
Answer: Michael Madhusudan Dutta with the support of Kali Prasanna Singha, Girish Chandra Ghosh, and James Long translated Nil Darpan into English.

Question 158. What is called the Magna Carta of Indian education?
Answer: The Magna Carta of Indian education is the Wood’s Despatch because of its impressive change in the education system.

Question 159. Which educational institutions were set up by David Hare in India?
Answer: Hindu School, Hare School, School Book Society, and Calcutta School Society were set up by David Hare.

Question 160. When was Medical College established in Calcutta and Bombay?
Answer: Medical College was established in Calcutta in 1835 and in Bombay, it was established in 1861.

Question 161. When and by whose efforts was Bethune School founded?
Answer: Bethune School was established by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune in 1862.

Question 162. Who and when founded the School Book Society?
Answer: The School Book Society was founded by David Hare on 6th May 1817.

Question 163. Who and when founded Secular Native Female School?
Answer: Secular Native Female School was established by Bethune with the efforts of Ram Gopal Ghosh and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in 1849.

Question 164. When and by whom was Science College established in Calcutta?
Answer: Ashutosh Mukherjee established Science College in Calcutta in 1904.

Question 165. When and by whose effort was Calcutta University was set up?
Answer: Calcutta University was established in 1857 by Charles Wood.’

Question 166. When were Mysore University and Benaras Hindu University established?
Answer: Mysore University and Benaras Hindu University were established in 1916.

Question 167. State the objectives of social reform movements of the nineteenth century.
Answer: The objectives of the social reform movements of the nineteenth century were :
1. Emancipation of women
2. To allow womenfolk equal rights with men
3. Abolition of casteism
4. Abolition of untouchability.

Question 168. Who wrote Hutum Pyachar Naksha and when was it published?
Answer: Kaliprasanna Singha wrote Hutum Pyachar Naksha which was published in 1862.

Question 169. What was the purpose of Gram Barta?
Answer: Kangal Harinath Mazumdar was the editor of Gram Barta Prakshika. Its objective was to inform the whereabouts of the villagers and villages of Santipur, Meherpur, Chakdaha, etc. to the British Government for immediate action.

Question 170. Why is Madhusudhan Gupta remembered?
Answer: Madhusudan dissected the dead body of a man and brought a revolution in orthodox Hindu society.

Question 171. Name the movie that was based on the life & thoughts of Lalan Fakir and state its year of release.
Answer: The life & thoughts of Lalan Fakir were made into a movie named ‘Moner Manush’ in the year 2010.

Question 172. Name two followers of Bijoy Krishna Goswami.
Answer: The two followers of Bijoy Krishna Goswami were Bipin Chandra Pal and Ashwini Kumar Datta.

Question 173. What were the impacts of missionaries in India?
Answer: The most important fields where remarkable developments were seen as a result of the missionary impact on India were education, vernacular literature, printing, and publication. These became very convenient evangelistic agencies in the hands of the missionaries. It is true that the educational endeavors of the missionaries, even though religiously motivated, did spread enlightenment among certain sections of society by dispelling their superstitions and making them feel equal and self-respectful in society.

Question 174. What was the role of the Charter Act of 1813 in spreading education?
Answer: The Court of Directors made a humble beginning towards the development of education in India in 1813 when the Charter Act (1813) provided for an annual expenditure of one lakh rupees ‘for the revival and promotion of literature and the encouragement of the learned natives of India and for the introduction and promotion of knowledge of sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories’.

The administrative needs of the company required Indians well-versed in the classical and vernacular languages.

WBBSE Chapter 2 Culture: Characteristics And Discussion Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. ______ Was the most popular Bengali magazine of the 19th century which focussed on women’s issues.
Answer: Bamabodhini.

Question 2. _______ belonged to the aristocratic family of Sobhabazar.
Answer: Radhakanta Deb.

Question 3. The original name of the Bethune School was ______
Answer: The Native Female School.

Question 4. ______ was the first multi-discipline, western-style university in Asia.
Answer: Calcutta.

Question 5. The Young Bengal Association was formed by ________
Answer: Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.

Question 6. Widow Remarriage Act was passed in ______
Answer: 1856.

Question 7. Radhanath Shikdar was a member of _______
Answer: Landholders’ Society.

Question 8. Imambada was built by _______
Answer: Nazi Mohammad.

Question 9. Hazi Mohammed constituted a Trustee in _____ to spend his wealth for the benefit of the general public.
Answer: 1806.

Question 10. Three Acts were passed in ______ AD.
Answer: 1872.

Question 11. ________  was seemed to be the father of modern education in India.
Answer: Charles Grant.

Question 12. Bamabodhini was a ________ magazine.
Answer: Monthly.

Question 13. Kishori Chandra Mitra established _________
Answer: Indian Field.

Question 14. National Theatre was founded by ________
Answer: Girish Chandra Ghosh

Question 15. In _________ A.D. Indigo Commission was established.
Answer: 1860 A.D.

Question 16. Harinath Majumdar was the founder of __________
Answer: Gramvarta Prakashika.

Question 17. Macaulay Minute was introduced in ______
Answer: 1835 A.D.

Question 18. Wood’s Despatch was passed in ___________
Answer: 1854 A.D.

Question 19. Calcutta Medical College was founded by _________
Answer: Lord William Bentinck.

Question 20. Asiatic Society was founded by _________
Answer: Sir William Bentinck.

Question 21. Calcutta School Society was founded in ________
Answer: 1818 A.D.

Question 22. Hindu College was later changed into ________
Answer: Presidency College.

Question 23. Sati Prohibition Act is also known as _________
Answer: Regulation XVII.

Question 24. Young Bengal was founded by _________
Answer: Derozio.

Question 25. Brahma Marriage Act was passed in _______
Answer: 1875 A.D.

Question 26. Anglo-Indian Hindu Association was established by _______
Answer: Derozio.

Question 27. Widow Remarriage Association was established by _________
Answer: Vishnu Shastri Pandit.

Question 28. The ideal of religious harmony was of _______
Answer: Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

Question 29. The propagator of New Vedanta was ________
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.

Chapter 2 Culture: Characteristics And Discussion True Or False

Question 1. The Asiatic Society was set up by Radhakanta Deb.
Answer: False

Question 2. After the passing of the Charter Act (1813), the Company agreed to spend one lakh rupees yearly on Indian education.
Answer: True

Question 3. Ecole de Medicine, Pondicherry was the first medical college of India.
Answer: True

Question 4. Swamiji said every religion has its path to reach God.
Answer: False

Question 5. Sri Ramakrishna said, ‘Let the New India awake through the plow’.
Answer: False

Question 6. Lalan Fakir is called the Baul Samrat.
Answer: True

Question 7. Bijoy Krishna Goswami was both a sage and a doctor.
Answer: True

Question 8.’Gram Barta’ is a Sanskrit magazine.
Answer: False

Question 9. It was not before 1813 that English education was introduced in India under the government initiative.
Answer: True

Question 10. The Evangelists were those who did not favor the introduction of English education in India.
Answer: False

Question 11. Bethune College emerged as an important institution for the higher education of women in Bengal.
Answer: False

WBBSE Chapter 8 2nd Part Of 20th Century: Post-Colonial India (1947-64) Very Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Which Department was formed to regroup the Native States?
Answer: The State Department.

Question 2. Who was called ‘The Iron Man of India’?
Answer: Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 History And Environment

Question 3. Who was the Viceroy of India when India gained independence?
Answer: Lord Mountbatten.

Question 4. Name a few books which tell us about the plight of refugees who came to India after partition.
Answer: ‘Gandhiji in Noakhali’ by Manoranjan Chowdhury, ‘Jukto Bonger Smriti’ by Annadashankar Roy, ‘Deshbhag Deshtyag’ by Sandip Bandyopadhyay, etc.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 8 SAQs, important questions and answers”

Question 5. Who were the members of the J.V.P. Committee?
Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabh Bhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramaiah.

Question 6. Why was the State Reorganisation Commission formed?
Answer: It was formed to identify the state boundaries in the post-independence period.

Question 7. Which areas were joined together to form the state of Kerala?
Answer: Malabar, Travancore and Cochin.

Question 8. Which states formed the PEPSU?
Answer: Patiala and East Punjab States.

Question 9. How many recognised languages were there in the constitution till 1964?
Answer: 14 recognised languages.

Question 11. Which article of the Indian Constitution gives special status to Kashmir?
Answer: Article 370.

Question 12. Which date is known as International Mother Tongue Day?
Answer: 21st February.

Question 13. Name the Operation taken up by the Government to free Goa.
Answer: Operation Vijay.

Question 14. Who was the Commander of ‘Operation Vijay’?
Answer: Major J.N. Choudhury.

Question 15. When was the Indian Independence Act passed?
Answer: 14th July 1947.

Question 16. When was Junagadh included in India?
Answer: February 1948.

“West Bengal Board Class 10 History Chapter 8, short answer questions, exam guide”

Question 17. When was Hyderabad included in India?
Answer: 26th January 1950.

Question 18. When was the State Department formed under Patel?
Answer: 1947.

Question 19. When did India become independent?
Answer: 15th August, 1947.

Question 20. When did Pakistan become independent?
Answer: 14th August, 1947.

Question 21. When did Andra Pradesh emerge as a State of India?
Answer: 1953.

Question 22. When was the State Reorganisation Commission formed?
Answer: 1954.

Question 23. When was Andaman and Nicobar Islands declared as a Union Territory?
Answer: 1955.

Question 24. When was Goa included in India?
Answer: 1961.

Question 25. When was All Bengal League Council formed?
Answer: In 1948.

Question 26. Name the first state to be established as a linguistic state.
Answer: Andhra Pradesh.

Question 27. On what basis the states were proposed to be recognised?
Answer: Language basis.

Question 28. What were the observations of the States Reorganisation Commission?
Answer: The SRC had made four observations. The three-tier system of states (parts A, B and C) would be removed, the institution of ‘Rajpramukh’ and special agreement with the former princely states should be abolished; the general control vested in the Government of India by Article 371 will have to be removed and only Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi and Manipur will remain Union Territories and other parts C and D territories will have to be merged with the adjoining states.

Question 29. What were the immediate problems of the influx of refugees from East Pakistan?
Answer: There was a huge pressure on the population of West Bengal, it was difficult to open so many relief camps and rehabilitate so many people, it was a daunting task to find proper livelihood and provide safety for so many refugees; there was massive food shortage which resulted in ‘Food Movement’ and there was also the problem of squatting and illegal occupation of land.

Question 30. Why did Shyamaprasad Mukhopadhyay form the party called ‘Janasangha’?
Answer: Shyamaprasad, who was a central minister, wanted to implement the policy of ‘exchange of people and property’ to solve the refugee problem, while Nehru vehemently opposed him. There was a great debate in the Lok Sabha. Shyamaprasad resigned from the post of minister after seeing Nehru’s attitude and formed a new party named ‘Janasangha’.

Question 31. What do you understand by the ‘Nehru era’ and ‘Postcolonial Era’?
Answer: The post-colonial era, or the Nehru Era, began on 15th August 1947, the day India became independent. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964. independence came through riots, the partition of the country and the formation of Pakistan. Many a fault and defect of colonial days kept haunting the country even after independence. Pandit Nehru was at the centre of Indian politics and its Constitution till he died on 27th May 1964.

Question 32. How many Native States were there? What percentage of the total area of the country was it?
Answer: Before independence, there were 562 Native States in India. They constituted 48% of the total territory of the country.

Question 33. What announcement did Attlee make regarding the Native States?
Answer: British Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced on 20th February 1947 that the Native States could maintain their sovereign status if they so wanted.

“Class 10 WBBSE History Chapter 8 SAQs, solved answers, for board exam preparation”

Question 34. Who is called the Iron Man of India and why?
Answer: Historians felt that Vallabh Bhai Patel was a successful statesman of the highest degree, even greater than Otto Von Bismark of Germany, and named him ‘The Iron Man of India’.

Question 35. What is Azad Kashmir?
Answer: Before independence, Kashmir was in India but the Pakistani raiders occupied l/3rd of the portion of Kashmir and called it ‘Azad Kashmir’.

Question 36. Who are refugees?
Answer: After the independence and partition of India in 1947, a huge humanity of homeless and destitute people had to leave East and West Pakistan in search of livelihood, food clothing-shelter and safety. Those people, who were compelled to leave their homeland and came to India like an avalanche, were called ‘Refugees’.

Question 37. What statement of Muhammad Ali Jinnah encouraged some of the rulers of the princely states to remain independent?
Answer: The princes of the native states also got encouragement from the open statement made by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. On 18 June 1947 he declared that ‘the States would be independent sovereign States on the termination of paramountcy’. The sly hint was that should they so desire, the princely states could retain their independence.

Question 38. Why did the ruler of Kashmir appeal to India for military assistance?
Answer: Sometime in October 1947, Pathan tribesmen led unofficially by the Pakistan army invaded Kashmir and proceeded towards Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. The Maharaja forthwith appealed to India for military assistance.

Question 39. What was the attitude of the Government of India regarding the rehabilitation of the refugees in West Bengal?
Answer: In the case of rehabilitating the refugees in West Bengal, a step-motherly attitude of the Government of India was noticeable. The refugees were shifted from the platforms of Sealdah station to hastily improvised government camps.

Question 40. When did the British Parliament give assent to the Indian Independence Act?
Answer: The British Parliament gave assent to the Indian Independence Act on 18th July 1947.

Question 41. When and under whose leadership was the State Ministry formed?
Answer: On 5th July 1947, under the leadership of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the State Ministry was formed.

Question 42. Name the Princely States assembled in Pakistan.
Answer: Khairpur and Bahawalpur were assembled in Pakistan.

Question 43. Which treaties were concluded for assembling princely states into India?
Answer: The treaties concluded for assembling princely states into India were

1. Instrument of accession,
2. Stand still agreement.

Question 44. How many princely States were there in India before independence?
Answer: Before independence, there were 562 princely states in India.

Question 45. Who was the first Indian Governor-General of Independent India?
Answer: Chakravarti Rajagopalchari.

Question 46. Who helped Sardar Patel in assembling the Princely States into India?
Answer: Sardar Patel was helped by Lord Mountbatten, Secretary of State Ministry V.P. Menon and Maharaja Patiyala in assembling the Princely States into India.

Question 47. Which Princely States denied assembling into India?
Answer: Janugadh, Hyderabad and Jammu & Kashmir were the States which denied assembly into India.

Question 48. When did Pakistan attack Kashmir?
Answer: Pakistan attacked Kashmir on 22nd October 1947.

Question 49. When did Maharaja Hari Singh ask for military help from India?
Answer: On 24th October 1947.

Question 50. When did the Nawab of Hyderabad sign the Standstill Agreement?
Answer: November 1947.

Question 51. When did Hyderabad accede to the Indian Union?
Answer: Indian military forces under the command of General J.N. Chaudhuri entered Hyderabad on 13 September (1949) and by the 16th the Nizam surrendered. In November, the Nizam formally joined the Indian Union. This was how Hyderabad was annexed to India.

Question 52. Who resigned against the Nehru-Liyaqat Treaty?
Answer: Bengali Cabinet Minister Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and K.C. Niyogi resigned from their posts against the Nehru-Liyaqat Treaty.

Question 53. Name two books written by the Bengali writer Taslima Nasrin.
Answer: Two books written by the Bengali writer Taslima Nasrin are
1. Lajja
2. Dwikhandita.

Question 54. When was the State Reorganisation Commission appointed?
Answer: The State Reorganisation Committee was appointed in December 1953.

Question 55. When was the State Reorganisation Bill passed?
Answer: The State Reorganisation Bill was passed in November 1956.

Question 56. How many States and Territories emerged after the proposal of the State Reorganisation Commission?
Answer: 16 States & 3 Union Territories emerged after the proposal of the State Reorganisation Commission.

Question 57. How many States and Union Territories emerged by the proposal of the State Reorganisation Bill?
Answer: 14 States & 6 Union Territories emerged after the proposal of the State Reorganisation Commission.

Question 58. Why was the State Reorganisation Commission formed?
Answer: The States Reorganisation Commission (1953) was formed to identify the state boundaries in the post-independence (1947) period. All the Indian states were divided into four categories. There were 9 States in part A, 9 in part B, and 10 in part C and Andaman and Nicobar Islands were kept in part D. States Reorganisation Commission was needed to determine the boundaries of these states.

Question 59. How was Goa included in the territory of India?
Answer: The government of India started ‘Operation Vijay’ on 17-18 December 1961 to free Goa, under the command of Major J. N. Chowdhury, which ended on 19th December. The Indian Army freed Goa, Daman and Diu. In 1961 Goa was included within the territory of India and on 12th August 1987, it became the 25th state of India.

Question 60. Name some books in which the partition of India has been depicted.
Answer: The vivid picture of the partition of India has been described in the books like ‘Tamas’ of Bhishma Sahni, ‘Train to Pakistan of Khshwant Singh, ‘Godan’ by Munshi Premchand, ‘Midnight Children’ by Salman Rushdie, ‘Andhra Manik’ of Mahasweta Devi, etc.

Question 61. What was the ‘Dhar Committee’?
Answer: The Constituent Assembly formed ‘The Linguistic Provincial Committee’ in 1948 under the leadership of Justice S. K. Dhar. It was known as the ‘Dhar Committee’.

Question 62. What was mentioned in the ‘Nehru-Liakat Agreement’?
Answer: As per this agreement, the Muslims who had left West Bengal and Assam came back in droves. Along with them, Muslims from East Bengal also came to India.

Question 63. What was Sardar Patel’s dual policy of carrot & stick?
Answer: Sardar Patel followed the dual policy of carrot and stick,
1. First, he tried to convince the princes about the advantages they would derive from being acceded to India.
2. In the cases where the appeal was not responded to, he did not hesitate to get those acceded through the application of force.

Question 64. State two proposals of the State Reorganisation Commission.
Answer: Of the proposals, two were found to be important. The first was to reorganize the states based on the languages of India. Thus, it was hoped, would make administration easier, and would replace the caste and religion-based identities. Second, it was also realized that states formed solely based on linguistic considerations were not to the larger interests of the Indian nation.

Question 65. What is the present figure of States and Union Territories in India?
Answer: Presently the Indian Union consists of 29 States and 7 Union Territories.

Question 66. Name the languages presently mentioned in the eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Answer: Presently, there are twenty-two languages referred to in the Eighth Schedule. The languages are:

1. Assamese,
2. Bengali,
3. Gujarati,
4. Hindi,
5. Kannad,
6. Kashmiri,
7. Malayalam,
8. Marathi,
9. Odia,
10. Punjabi,
11. Sanskrit,
12. Tamil,
13. Telegu,
14. Urdu,
15. Sindhi,
16. Konkani,
17. Manipuri,
18. Nepali,
19. Bodo,
20. Dogri,
21. Maithili and
22. Santhali.

WBBSE Chapter 8 2nd Part Of 20th Century: Post-Colonial India (1947-64) Short Answer Questions

Question 1. How did Andhra become the first linguistically reorganized state?
Answer:

Organisation of Andhra State: After the accession of the Princely States to India there was the question of their integration which proved to be a difficult task. The integration of the States, however, was effected swiftly by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. After the integration of the States, it was now imperative that the States be reorganized.

After the integration, there was no uniformity among the States territory-wise, population-wise or based on economic viability. On top of these, every unit became multi-lingual.

1. A proposal for the reorganization of States based on uniformity was generally accepted. Yet the opinion is in favour of the linguistic state.
2. A strong movement was launched in Andhra in favour of the separation of Andhra from the Madras Presidency. The movement was led by Patti Sriramalu, who was a great freedom fighter. He undertook fast into death over the demand for a separate Andhra State (province).
3. After he expired while on fast for fifty-eight days the movement took a serious turn. Under the situation, the Telegu linguist area was separated from the Tamil-speaking area. Thus was born Andhra Pradesh (1957). At the same time, there emerged Tamil Nadu is a state of Tamil-speaking people.

Question 2. What were the languages in the Constitution until 1964?
Answer:

Languages in the Constitution until 1964: Until 1964 there were 14 recognised languages in the Constitution mentioned in Articles 344 (1) and 351 of the 8th Scheduled of the Indian Constitution. The Home Minister Lai Bahadur Shastri planned to do it. Those are:

Assamese (Assam),

Bengali (West Bengal, Tripura, Andaman and Nicobar),

Gujarati (Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu),

Hindi (Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand),

Kannada (Karnataka),

Kashmiri, (Jammu and Kashmir),

Malayalam (Kerala, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry),Marathi (Maharashtra, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu),

Oriya (Orissa),

Punjabi (Chandigarh, Haryana, Delhi and Punjab),

Sanskrit (Uttarakhand),

Tamil (Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Pondicherry),

Telegu (Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Pondicherry),

Urdu (Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar). At present, in the Constitution of Independent India, there are 22 recognised languages.

These languages have been recognised in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India. In 1950, while adopting the Constitution of India, these 14 languages were officially recognised.

Hindi and English are recognised as official languages, but nowhere in the Constitution, the term ‘National Language7 has been used. In 1964 there was a demand to have only Hindi as the official language instead of English, but it was not accepted.

Question 3. Explain the Kashmir problem.
Answer:

Kashmir Issue:

1. Introduction: Kashmir, a state with an overwhelming majority of the Muslim population under the rule of a Hindu prince, was geographically beneficial to both India and Pakistan.

The ruler of Kashmir, Hari Singh did not accede either to India or Pakistan. He was apprehensive of both democracy in India and communalism in Pakistan. He hoped to remain aloof from both and continue to exist as an independent ruler.

The popular political forces led by the National Conference and its leader Sheikh Abdullah, however, wanted to join India. The Indian political leaders took no steps to obtain Kashmir’s accession.

In line with their general approach, they wanted the people of Kashmir to decide, whether to link their fate with India or Pakistan. In this, they were supported by Gandhi, who declared in August 1947 that Kashmir was free to join either India or Pakistan by the will of the people.

2. Attack by Kashmir: But Pakistan not only refused to accept the principle of a plebiscite for deciding the issue of accession in the case of Junagadh or Hyderabad, in the case of Kashmir it tried to short-circuit the popular decision through a short-sighted action, forcing India to partially change its attitude with Kashmir.

On 22 October 1947, with the onset of winter, several Pathan tribesmen, led unofficially by Pakistani army officers, invaded Kashmir. They rapidly pushed towards Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir.

The ill-trained army of the Maharaja failed miserably to counter the invading forces who overran Uri and Baramula and reached the vicinity of the capital.

3. Appeal to India for Help: In a panic, on 24 October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh appealed to India for military assistance. Nehru, even at this stage did not favour accession without ascertaining the will of the people. But Mountbatten, the Governor General opined that under international law India could send its armed forces to Kashmir only after the State’s formal accession to India. Sheikh Abdullah and Sardar Patel too insisted on accession.

4. Accession to India: On 26th October 1947, Maharaja acceded to India and also agreed to instal Abdullah as the head of the state’s administration. Even though both the National Conference and the Maharaja wanted firm and permanent accession, India, in conformity with its democratic commitment and Mountbatten’s advice, announced that it would hold a referendum on the accession decision once peace and law and order had been restored in the valley.

Question 4. Give an account of the inclusion of Hyderabad and Junagadh within India.
Answer:

Inclusion of Hyderabad and Junagarh:

1. Junagadh: Junagadh was an important State in the group of the Kathiawar States. It was bounded by other Indian States except for the South and South-West where the Arabian Sea lies. The State had no geographical continuity with Pakistan.

The Muslim Nawab of Junagadh wanted to accede to Pakistan, but his Hindu subjects compelled him to hand over the State to the Government of India. Its merger with the Indian Union was ratified by a plebiscite. In 1948, the Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan and thus Junagadh was incorporated into India.

2. Hyderabad: Geographically, Hyderabad occupied a pivotal position in the heart of India. The State was surrounded by the Central Provinces in the North, Bombay in the West and Madras in the East and the South. Its population was nearly 60 million and the annual revenue was Rs. 26 crores.

Its area was more than 82000 square miles. It had its coinage, paper currency and stamps. Although the Hindus formed more than 85 per cent of the total population of Hyderabad, their representation in the Civil Services and the army was practically nil and the Government machinery was a monopoly of the Muslims.

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In the State of Hyderabad, the ruler Nizam wanted to maintain his independent identity. The Hindus of Hyderabad revolted against the Nizam. Internal anarchy in the State of Hyderabad made it necessary for the Government of India to take military occupation of it in September 1948.

The Nizam formally acceded to India in November 1949. The State was formally incorporated into the Indian Union on 25 January 1950. The administrative re-organisation of 1956 saw the trifurcation of the State and incorporation into the three neighbouring states of Andhra, Mysore and Bombay.

Question 5. What controversies arose regarding the solution to the refugee problem?
Answer:

Refugee Problem: Nehru had told Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy that it was wrong on the part of the Hindus to leave East Bengal. According to him, rehabilitation would not solve the problem. Many people, for the sake of argument, said that Nehru did not have the guts to solve the refugee problem properly. He could have said that unless the minority community was allowed to live in East Bengal, there would be war.

Moreover, he did not address the problem of East Pakistan in the same way as he did for West Pakistan. Dr. Roy, in a letter to Nehru, expressed his resentment at Nehru’s indifference to the refugee problem of East Bengal and the meagre help that was meted out. The reply which came from Nehru clearly showed his apathy towards the refugees in West Bengal.

Before partition, Congress leaders like Nehru and Gandhi had promised asylum to the refugees if they could not be ensured safety in their own country. However, later on, they completely denied having promised that. Nehru himself said, “Do not come to this country.

There will be a disaster if you come and I will not be able to do anything”. If people imposed themselves, they would be identified as ‘foreign guests’ or ‘illegal infiltrators’. So, it would be better to stay back in East Bengal with other Hindu people living there.

Sir Jadunath Sarkar, President of a conference of East Bengal refugees at University Institute Hall, said in his speech — “Add this new and dynamic branch to the old and dying tree of the refugees.

You will be able to stand up with renewed vigour and prosperity….this will be good for you….merge the populace. Otherwise, you will be doomed and the future of your children will also be bleak.” Sir Jadunath had foreseen something which Nehru did not see or perhaps did not want to see.

Question 6. How was partition depicted in autobiographies and memories?
Answer:

Partition Depicted in Autobiographies and Memoirs: We know the pathetic story of the partition of India from several autobiographical books like ‘Swaralipi’ of Sabitri Roy, ‘Epar Ganga Opar Ganga’ of Jyotirmoyi Devi, ‘Marginal Man’ of Prafulla Chakraborty, ‘Pitamahi’ of Santa Sen, ‘Chere Asha Gram’ of Dakshina Ranjan Basu, etc.

Ritu Menon’s ‘Borders and Boundaries: How Women Experienced the Partition of India’, Choudhury Khalikuzzaman’s ‘Pathway to Pakistan, Manik Bandyopadhyay’s ‘SwadhinatarSwad’, Selina Hossam’s ‘Japita Jiban’, Abu Issac’s ‘Suryadighal Ban’, Kaliprasad Mukherjee’s ‘Sikander Sandhane’, and the novels ‘Nilkantha Pakhir Khonje’ of Atin Bandyopadhyay, ‘Bipasha’ of Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay, ‘Ardhek Jiban’ of Sunil Gangopadhyay,

‘Agun Pakhi’ by Azizul Haque and ‘Forgotten Atrocities’ by B. K. Gupta. From some autobiographical books and memoirs like ‘Supunboner Sari’ by Sankha Ghosh, ‘Keyapatar Nouka’ by Prafulla Roy, and essays by Santa Sen, we know the picture of the post-partition of India.

Annadashankar Roy, in his book ‘Jukto Banger Smriti’ or Memories of Undivided Bengal, said, ‘Provincial Government was like the beginning of another Muslim rule’.

Sandip Bandyopadhyay wrote in his book ‘Deshbhag Deshtyag’ or Partition and Leaving the Country that after partition 90 Sikh women, led by a single Sikh lady, committed suicide by jumping into a well, to save themselves from being murdered or raped.

Raja Singh killed 25 young girls, along with his daughter, to save their honour. Punjab and Rawalpindi resembled living hell after partition. We come to know about post-partition riots, murders, torture of women and sorry tales of the refugees from the memories of Kalidas Nag.

Books such as ‘Dhakar Chithi’ or Letters from Dhaka by Saralananda Sen, ‘Udbastu’ or Refugees by Hiranmoy Bandyopadhyay, ‘And the Uprooted’ the book written by Kanti Pakrashi, etc.

Bring out the emotional history of that time in front of the present generation. The vivid picture of the partition of India has been described in books like ‘Tamas’ by Bhishma Sahni, ‘Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh, ‘Godan’ by Munshi Premchand, ‘Midnight Children’ by Salman Rushdie, ‘Andhra Mani’ by Mahasweta Devi, etc.

Question 7. Write a note on the accession of Junagadh into India.
Answer:

Junagadh:

Introduction: Junagadh, a state on the southwestern end of Gujarat, consisted of the principalities of Manavadar, Mangrol and Babriawad. The Arabian Sea stood between it and Pakistan, and over 80% of its population professed Hinduism.

Possibly on the advice of his Dewan, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, prominent in the Muslim League, the Nawab of Junagadh Mahabhat Khan acceded to Pakistan.

Announcement of Accession: They announced the accession on August 15, 1947, when Pakistan had come into being. When Pakistan confirmed the acceptance of the accession in September the Government of India expressed outrage that Muhammad Ali Jinnah would accept the accession of Junagadh despite his argument that Hindus and Muslims could not live as one nation. Patel believed that if Junagadh joined Pakistan, the communal tension already simmering in Gujarat would exacerbate.

Plebiscite: Patel gave Pakistan time to void the accession and hold a plebiscite in Junagadh. Samaldas Gandhi formed a democratic government in exile, the Aarzi Hukumat (in Urdu : Aarzi: Temporary, Hukumat: Government) of the people of Junagadh.

Eventually, Patel ordered the forcible annexation of Junagadh’s three principalities. Junagadh’s court, facing financial collapse and no possibility of resisting Indian forces, first invited the Aarzi Hukumat, and later the Government of India to accept the reins. A plebiscite was convened in December, with approximately 99 of the people choosing India over Pakistan.

Chapter 8 2nd Part Of 20th Century: Post-Colonial India (1947-64) Long Answer Questions

Question 1. What was the response of the princely states to the call of Sardar Patel to accede to the Indian Union? How did Junagadh accede to the Indian Union?
Answer: Introduction: It was Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel who, with great skill and diplomacy, completed the accession of the princely states with the Indian Union.

Sardar Patel followed the dual policy of carrot and stick.

1. First, he tried to convince the princes about the advantages they would derive from being acceded to India.
2. In the cases where the appeal was not responded to, he did not hesitate to get those acceded through the application of force.

Response of the Princely States: Of the princely States that made an active response to the call of Sardar Patel, mention may be made of Bhopal, Coochbehar, Tripura, Manipur, etc.

Also, some states merged with the neighbouring provinces. These were: the princely state of Myurbhanj merged with Orissa (present Odisa), Kolhapur joined with Bombay, and Benaras with Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, many other small states acceded to India. By 15 August 1947 excepting the states of Junagadh, Jammu-Kashmir princely states joined India.

Accession of Junagadh: Junagadh was an important State in the group of the Kathiawar- States. It was bounded by other Indian States except the South and South-West where the Arabian Sea lies. The State had no geographical continuity with Pakistan.

The Muslim Nawab of Junagadh wanted to accede to Pakistan, but his Hindu subjects compelled him to hand over the State to the Government of India. Through a plebiscite, it decided to merge with the Indian Union. In 1948, the Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan and thus Junagadh was incorporated into India.

Accession of Hyderabad: Geographically, Hyderabad occupied a pivotal position in the heart of India. The State was surrounded by the Central Provinces in the North, Bombay in the West and Madras in the East and South. Its population was nearly 60 million and the annual revenue was Rs. 26 crores.

Its area was more than 82000 square miles. It had its coinage, paper currency and stamps. Although the Hindus formed more than 85 per cent of the total population of Hyderabad, their representation in the Civil Services and the army was practically nil and the Government machinery was a monopoly of the Muslims. In the State of Hyderabad, the ruler Nizam wanted to maintain his independent identity.

The Hindus of Hyderabad revolted against the Nizam. Internal anarchy in the State of Hyderabad made it necessary for the Government of India to take military occupation of it in September 1948.

The Nizam formally acceded to India in November 1949. The State was formally incorporated into the Indian Union on 25 January 1950. The administrative reorganisation of 1956 saw the division into three parts of the State and incorporation into the three neighbouring states of Andhra, Mysore and Bombay.

Question 2. Write in short about the initiative undertaken for the rehabilitation of the refugees.
Answer: The initiative was undertaken for the rehabilitation of the refugees

1. Introduction: The partition of the country brought about many problems for India in its wake. One such tough problem was the rehabilitation of refugees who had come both from Eastern and Western Pakistan. India had hardly won her freedom when she was partitioned. One of her parts was cut off and a new country, known as Pakistan, was created out of it.

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2. Chaos and Anarchy: Soon there a reign of fear, fire, slaughter and murder in both parts. There was utter chaos and anarchy. Communal frenzy was at its highest pitch. There was unprecedented violence and bloodshed and massacre on a large scale. Within a short period about 5,00,000 people, both Hindus and Muslims were killed and millions were reduced homeless. Decency was thrown to the winds and most inhuman acts were committed.

3. Migration of Refugees: As a result of these riots, an unending flow of refugees began to pour into India from Pakistan. Soon this refugee problem became one of the major immediate problems facing free India. As many as 8.5 million people migrated to India.

4. Help to Refugees: Migration on such a vast scale was unprecedented in world history. Even the Second World War had not created a problem of such magnitude. But our national leaders did not lose heart and proved equal to the task.

Both the Government and the people rendered all possible help to these refugees. India’s problems were not only to give immediate relief to the displaced persons but also to resettle them in gainful occupations

5. Rehabilitation Programme: The Rehabilitation Ministry, which was specially created for this purpose, did great work in this respect. The economy of the task meant a great strain on the country’s economy which was already crippled by war and partition. But India tackled this problem quite successfully.

Relief camps were opened to give food and shelter to displaced persons. It was followed by a planned programme of rehabilitation. These refugees were accommodated in evacuee houses and newly constructed huts in urban areas. New townships and colonies were started for displaced persons.

6. Economic Assistance: Loans were given by the State Governments for starting businesses and industries. Vocational training centres were established to give vocational and technical training to the refugees. Lacs of displaced persons were provided with gainful employment in services and trades. Scholarships, fee concessions, etc.

Were given to the refugee students. Financial help was given to educational institutions imparting education to refugee students. The government also started industries in the new townships.

Agriculturists were given loans to help them resume their vocation. Those who had left the urban immovable property in Pakistan were given compensation. Various schemes were sanctioned for the selling up or expansion of medium and small-scale industries.

7. Conclusion: By these vigorous measures, the problem of rehabilitation which had threatened to ruin the economy of the country, was brought under control in about three years’ time.

Question 3. Give an account of the initiative and controversies regarding the inclusion of the native States within India.
Answer: Integration and reorganisation of States:

Introduction: The Cabinet Mission Plan recognised the right of the Princely States, on the lapse of the British Paramountcy, to “enter into a federal relationship with the succession of Government or Governments, or failing this, enter into particular political arrangements with it or them”.

The Mountbatten Plan and the Indian Independence Act did not change this arrangement. The Act declared that “the suzerainty of His Majesty over the Indian States lapses, and with it all treaties and agreements in force on that date .” On 15th August 1947 the States were, therefore, theoretically free either to join India or Pakistan or to “enter into particular political arrangements with either of them”.

Views of Congress and Mountbatten: This was the legal position. But the Congress did not recognise ‘the right of any State in India to declare its independence and to live in isolation from the rest of India’. The Congress invited the Princes to make their States ‘democratic units in the Indian Union, thereby serving the cause of their people as well as of India as a whole. In the National Provisional Government, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel headed the States Department. Patel and his chief aid V. P.

Menon appealed to the sense of patriotism of Indian Princes and urged them (i.e., used the tactics of Persuasion-cum-Pressure) to join the Indian Union based on the surrender of three subjects Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communication.

On his part, Lord Mountbatten played a very positive role when he threw the weight of his personality of an office behind the policy of Patel. An ‘Instrument of Accession’ was drawn up which was acceptable to the Princes. To the appeal of the Congress leaders Vallabh Bhai Patel and Menon, the Princes responded promptly and by 15 August 1947 all States (136) within the geographical limits of India—except Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad—acceded to the Indian Union.

Accession of Junagadh: Hyderabad and Kashmir did not agree to sign an ‘Instrument of Accession Act’ with India. Junagadh was an important State in the group of Kathiawar States. It was bounded by other Indian States except the South and South-West where the Arabian Sea lies.

The State had no geographical continuity with Pakistan. The Muslim Nawab of Junagadh wanted to accede to Pakistan, but his Hindu subjects compelled him to hand over the State to the Government of India. Its merger with the Indian Union was ratified by a plebiscite. In 1948, the Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan and thus Junagadh was incorporated into India.

Accession of Hyderabad: Geographically, Hyderabad occupied a pivotal position in the heart of India. The State was surrounded by the Central Provinces in the North, Bombay in the West and Madras in the East and South. In the State of Hyderabad, the ruler Nizam wanted to maintain his independent identity.

The Hindus of Hyderabad revolted against the Nizam. Internal anarchy in the State of Hyderabad made it necessary for the Government of India to take military occupation of it in September 1948. Tlie Nizam formally acceded to India in November 1949. The State was formally incorporated into the Indian Union on 25 January 1950.

Accession of Kashmir: The most important trouble spot was Kashmir. Kashmir, a state with an overwhelming majority of the Muslim population under the rule of a Hindu prince was geographically contiguous to both India and Pakistan.

But Pakistan not only refused to accept the principle of a plebiscite for deciding the issue of accession in the case of Junagadh or Hyderabad, but in the case of Kashmir, it tried to short-circuit the popular decision through a short-sighted action, forcing India to partially change its attitude regarding Kashmir.

Attacks by Pakistan: On 22 October 1947, with the onset of winter, several Pathan tribesmen, led unofficially by Pakistani army officers, invaded Kashmir. They rapidly pushed towards Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir.

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The ill-trained army of the Maharaja failed miserably to counter the invading forces who overran Uri and Baramula and reached the vicinity of the capital. In a panic, on 24 October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh appealed to India for military assistance. Nehru, even at this stage, did not favour accession without ascertaining the will of the people.

India’s Military Interference: But Mountbatten, the Governor General opined that under international law India could send her armed forces to Kashmir only after the State’s formal accession to India. Sheik Abdullah and Sardar Patel too insisted on accession. On 26th October 1947, Maharaja acceded to India and also agreed to instal Abdullah as head of the state’s administration.

Even though both the National Conference and the Maharaja wanted firm and permanent accession, India, in conformity with its democratic commitment and Mountbatten’s advice, announced that it would hold a referendum on the accession decision once peace and law and order had been restored in the valley.

The intervention of the U.N.O: Fearful of the dangers of a full-scale war between India and Pakistan, the Government of India agreed, on 30 December 1947, on Mountbatten’s suggestion, to refer the Kashmir problem to the Security Council of the U.N.O., asking for the vacation of aggression by Pakistan.

The Security Council declared a ‘Cease Fire’ and appointed observers along the ‘Cease Fire Line’ which was later transformed into the ‘P.L.C.’, i.e., the Permanent Line of Control (31 December 1948). Kashmir remains a state within the Indian Union, although Pakistan retains her de facto control over the area which Pakistani troops occupied in 1947.

The problem of Integration of States: The integration of the States into new India’s political and administrative structure was one of the most complex problems facing independent India. Many small States which were too small for a modem system of administration were merged with adjoining provinces, i.e., 39 States of Orissa and Chattisgarh became part of either Orissa or Central provinces.

For geographical and administrative reasons Baroda and Kolapur were made parts of Bombay province; Gujrat State was also merged with Bombay province. The second form of integration of 61 states was the formation of seven central administrative areas.

In this category came the states of Himachal Pradesh, Vindhya Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur, Bhopal, Billaspurand Kutch. The third form of integration of States was the Kathiawar, United States of Matsya, Union of Vindhya Pradesh and Madhya Bharat, Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), Rajasthan and United States of Cochin- Travancore.

French and Portuguese Territories: The Unification of India was still incomplete without * the French and Portuguese enclaves. The French authorities were more realistic when they ceded Pondichery and Chandennagore to India on 1 November 1945.

However, the Portuguese Government maintained its hold on the enclaves of Goa, Daman and Diu. Indian authorities, however, maintained that Goa was one of the remaining outposts of colonialism. When negotiations and persuasions did not move the Portuguese Government, units of the Indian Army had to be mobilized and Goa, Daman and Diu were liberated on 19 December 1961.

Question 4. Give an account of the initiative and controversies about the reorganisation of states on a linguistic basis.
Answer:

The Organisation of States on a Linguistic Basis:

Introduction: The linguistic policies of the Nehru Government (1947-64) raised a lot of controversies. After the transfer of power, there was a demand for demarcating the state boundaries based on the language spoken by the people of that area. Nehru was not agreeable to this demand.

Selection of Hindi as National Language: The Constituent Assembly decided to declare Hindi as the National language, winning the voting by one vote only. Nehru implemented the decision, but controversy kept haunting him. Big industrialists belonging to Hindu, Parsi and Jain communities felt that by declaring Hindi as the National language, the Government was aiming at developing a centralised power structure in India.

The Constituent Assembly formed ‘Linguistic Provincial Committee’ in 1948 under Justice
S. K. Dhar. It was known as the ‘Dhar Committee’. In 1948, the J. V. P Committee, comprising Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabh Bhai Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramaiah was set up. It was the duty of the committee to re-organise the Indian states on a linguistic basis and without any controversy.

On 1st April 1949, the committee submitted its report saying that ‘No state will be formed right now based on language’. In the report of the Linguistic Provinces Commission, it was informed that ‘The narrow demand for linguistic provinces should be subdued till India becomes a Nation’.

Agitation of South Indians: The speaking Gandhian leader Patti Sriramalu, without paying any heed to these recommendations, started fasting with a demand to form a separate state of Andhra Pradesh with the 11 Telugu-speaking districts of Madras. Nehru was not much perturbed, instead, he was quite displeased.

When Sriramalu died while fasting, on 15th December 1952, his followers started rioting in the Telugu-speaking districts. So, the Centre was compelled to form a separate state of Andhra Pradesh on 18th December 1952.

Formation of Gujrat and Maharashtra: The States Reorganisation Commission was formed to reorganise the states. The important members of this Commission were Justice Faza! Ali, Hridaynath Kunjur and K. M. Panikkar. In 1956 Indian Parliament ended all controversies and passed the States Reorganisation Act. As per this Act, 14 states and 6 centrally administered areas were formed on a linguistic basis.

Telangana area from Hyderabad was joined with Andhra Pradesh in 1956. Andhra Pradesh emerged as Independent India’s first state formed on a linguistic basis. Similarly, Gujarat was separated from Maharashtra in 1956 for the same reasons. Malabar, Travancore and Cochin were joined together to form the state of Kerala.

States Reorganisation Commission rejected the demand to separate the Gujarati and Marathi-speaking areas of the state of Bombay. This again resulted in great turmoil. Finally, Bombay was joined with the state of Maharashtra Maharastra was recognized for the Marathi-speaking people and Gujarat was formed for the Gujarati-speaking people.

Union of Smaller States: During the linguistic reorganisation of states, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel joined the smaller native states with their neighbouring states. PEPSU was formed with Patiala and East Punjab States. In the same way, the union of Saurashtra, Rajasthan and Central Province was done.

However, since Manipur, Tripura and Nepal were not joined with any state, they continued to be the responsibility of the Central Government. Though some problems were solved through the reorganisation of states, but all the issues with the multilingual character of the country could not be solved.

Operation Vijay: The government of India started ‘Operation Vijay’ on 17-18 December 1961, to free Goa, under the command of Major J. N. Chowdhury, which ended on 19th December. The Indian army freed Goa, Daman and Diu. In 1961 Goa was included within the territory of India and on 12th August 1987 it became the 25th State of India.

Question 5. How did the Government of India try to solve the language problem after independence?
Answer:

The language problem: The language problem was the most divisive issue in the first twenty years of independent India, and it created the apprehension among many that the political and cultural unity of the country was in danger. The Indian constitution recognizes twenty-two major languages, including English and Sanskrit.

In addition, there is a myriad of languages spoken by the tribals and others, with or without their scripts. The model that independent India has adopted is not that of assimilation into or suppression of the many languages by any one of them.

The problem posed to national consolidation by linguistic diversity has taken two major forms.

These are discussed here in two separate sections:

1. The dispute over the official language of the union and
2. The linguistic reorganization of the states.

The Official Language: The controversy on the language issue became most virulent when it took the form of opposition to Hindi and tended to create conflict between Hindi-speaking and non-Hindi-speaking regions of the country.

The dispute was not over the question of a national language, that is one language which all Indians would adopt after some time, since the whim that one national language was essential to an Indian national identity had already been rejected overwhelmingly by the secular majority 6f the national leadership.

Recognition by the Constitution: According to the constitution, Hindi in Devanagari script is the official language of the Union and the international form of Indian numerals is to be used for the official purposes of the union. The constitution also authorised the continued use of the English language up to 25 January 1965, after which parliament could further consider the issue.

Official Language Act: Drawing authority from the constitution, the Official Language Act, of 1963 further provided for the continued use of English, in addition to Hindi for the official purposes of the union and also for the transaction of business in parliament. It also provides that English shall be used for purposes of communication between the union and a state which has not adopted Hindi as its official language.

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Hindi Became an Alternative Medium: Lai Bahadur Shastri, Nehru’s successor as Prime Minister, was unfortunately not sensitive enough to the opinion of non-Hindi groups. Instead of taking effective steps to counter their fears of Hindi becoming the sole official language, he declared that he was considering making Hindi an alternative medium in public service examinations. This meant that while non-Hindi speakers could still compete in the all-India services in English, Hindi speakers would have the advantage of being able to use their mother tongue.

Agitation of South Indians: Many non-Hindi leaders in protest changed their line of approach to the problem of the official language. While previously they had wanted a slowing down of the replacement of English, now they started demanding that there should be no deadline fixed for the changeover.

Some of the leaders went much further. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and C. Rajagopalachari, for example, demanded that the constitution should be amended and English should be made the official language of India. As 26 January 1965 approached, a fear psychosis gripped the non-Hindi areas, especially Tamil Nadu, creating a strong Hindi movement. On 17 January, the DMK organized the Madras State Anti-Hindi Conference which gave a call for observing 26 January as a day of mourning.

Coming of Indira Gandhi in the Debate: With the death of Lai Bahadur Shastri on January 1^66, Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister. As she had already won the trust of the people of the South, they were convinced that a genuine effort would be made to resolve the long-festering dispute. Other favourable factors were Jan Sangh’s mutiny Post of their anti-English fervour and the SSP’s acceptance of the basic features of the agreement worked out in 1965.

Amendment of Act: Despite facing economic problems and the weakening of the Congress’s position in Parliament in the 1967 elections, Indira Gandhi moved the bill to amend the 1963 Official Language Act on 27 November. The Lok Sabha adopted the bill on 16 December 1967 by 205 to 41 votes.

The Act provided that the use of English as an associate language in addition to Hindi for official work at the Centre and communication between the Centre and non-Hindi states would continue as long as the non-Hindi states wanted it, giving them full veto powers on the question.

A virtually indefinite policy of bilingualism was adopted. The parliament also adopted a policy resolution laying down that the public service examinations were to be conducted in Hindi and English and in all the regional languages with the provision that the candidates should have additional knowledge of Hindi or English.

Educational Aspect: The Government of India took another important step in 1967. Based on the report of the Education Commission in 1966, it was declared that Indian languages would ultimately become the medium of education in all subjects at the university level, though the time frame for the changeover would be decided by each university to suit its convenience.

Conclusion: After many twists and turns, a great deal of debate and several agitations, small and big, and many compromises, India had arrived at a widely accepted solution to the very difficult problem of the official and link language for the country. Since 1967, this problem has gradually disappeared from the political scene, demonstrating the capacity of the Indian political system to deal with a contentious problem on a democratic basis, said in a manner that promoted national consolidation.

Question 6. How did the idea of the linguistic reorganization of States become popular? When was the state of Andhra created?
Answer:

Introduction: The reorganization of the States based on language, a major aspect of national consolidation and integration, came to the forefront almost immediately after independence and partition in 1947. The boundaries of provinces in pre-1947 India had been drawn haphazardly as the British conquest of India had proceeded for nearly a hundred years.

With the involvement of the masses in the national movement after 1919, the Indian National Congress undertook political mobilization in the mother tongue and 1921 amended its constitution and reorganized its regional branches on a linguistic basis.

Since then, the Indian National Congress repeatedly committed itself to the redrawing of the provincial boundaries on linguistic lines. It was, therefore, more or less universally assumed that free India would base her administrative boundaries on the linguistic principle.

New Policy: The national leadership had second thoughts on the subject immediately after independence.

The national leadership felt that the most important task for the present was to consolidate national unity; and any effort undertaken immediately to redraw the internal boundaries might dislocate administration and economic development, intensify regional and linguistic rivalries, unleash destructive forces, and damage the unity of the country.

Hence, while still committed to linguistic states, Nehru and other leaders accorded the task of redrawing India’s administrative map a low priority. The task, they felt, could wait for some years.

The decision of the Constituent Assembly: The question of the linguistic reorganization of India was, however, raised quite early in the Constituent Assembly. Consequently, the Constituent Assembly decided not to include the linguistic principle in the constitution.

However public opinion was not satisfied, especially in the South, and the problem remained politically alive. To appease the vocal votaries of the linguistic states, the Congress appointed a committee (JVP) in December 1948 consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and Pattabhi Sitaramayya, President of the Congress, to examine the question afresh.

This committee advised against the creation of linguistic states for the time being, emphasizing unity, national security and economic development as the needs of the hour.

The decision of the Congress: Yet, the Congress leadership refused to oppose any popular demand. In the JVP report, as well as afterwards, the Congress leadership laid down that where the demand for a linguistic state was insistent and overwhelming and where other language groups involved were agreeable to it, a new state could be created if possible.

The JVP report was followed immediately by popular movements for the reorganization of states all over the country, which persisted with varying degrees of intensity till 1960.

Case of Andhra and Tamil Nadu: During British rule, the Andhra territory was merged with the Tamil-speaking Madras Presidency. They accept that a strong case for the formation of Andhra out of the Madras Presidency existed, particularly as the leadership of Tamil Nadu was agreeable to it.

But it did not concede the demand immediately, because the two sides could not agree on which State should take Madras (Chennai) city. The Andhra leaders were unwilling to concede Madras even though on linguistic as well as geographic grounds it belonged to Tamil Nadu.

Patti Sriramalu: On 19 October 1952, a popular freedom fighter, Patti Sriramalu, undertook a fast unto death over the demand for a separate Andhra which expired after fifty- eight days.

His death was followed by three days of rioting, demonstrations, hartals and violence all over the Andhra region. The Government immediately gave in and conceded the demand for a separate state of Andhra, which finally came into existence in October 1953. Simultaneously, Tamil Nadu was created as a Tamil-speaking state.

Conclusion: The success of the Andhra struggle encouraged other linguistic groups to agitate for their state or the rectification of their boundaries on a linguistic basis. Nehru was not in favour at that time of continuing with the redrawing of India’s internal administrative boundaries, but he was too much of a Democrat to sternly and consistently oppose the demands.

What concerned him were the timing, the agitation and violence with which linguistic provinces were being demanded and the harsh antagonism between various sections of the Indian people which underlay these demands. The creation of the state of Andhra is the first example of the division of India on a linguistic basis, and it has undoubtedly promoted the movement for such a division of India.

Question 7. What do you know of the States Reorganization Commission?
Answer:

The States Reorganization Commission:

Introduction: The reorganisation of the states based on language, a major aspect of national consolidation and integration, came to the forefront almost immediately after independence. The boundaries of the provinces in pre-1947 had been drawn haphazardly during British rule.

No heed was paid to linguistic or cultural cohesion so most of the provinces were multilingual and multicultural. The dispersed princely states had added a further element of heterogeneity.

However the leaders of the Indian National Congress felt the importance of the linguistic states as administrative units and since 1919, the Congress repeatedly committed itself to the redrawing of the provincial boundaries on linguistic lines.

J.V.P. Committee: The question of the linguistic reorganization of India was, however, raised quite early in the Constituent Assembly. However, the Constituent Assembly decided consequently not to incorporate the linguistic principle in the constitution. However public opinion was not satisfied, and the problem remained politically alive.

To appease the public, the Congress appointed a committee (JVP) in December 1948 consisting of Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel and PattabhaiSitaramayya, President of the Congress to examine the question afresh.

The committee advised against the creation of linguistic states, for the time being, emphasizing unity, national security and economic development as the needs of the hour.

Yet, the Congress leadership would not oppose any popular demand and they tacitly supported the demand for a separate state for the Telegu people. The demand had been popular for nearly half a century and had the support of all political parties. Andhra as a separate state finally came into existence in October 1953. Simultaneously, Tamil Nadu was created as a Tamil-speaking state.

States Reorganization Committee formed: The success of Andhra’s struggle encouraged other linguistic groups to agitate for their state or rectification of their boundaries on a linguistic basis. To meet the demand halfway and to delay matters, Nehru appointed in August 1953 the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), with Justice Fazi Ali, K.M.

Panikkar and Hridaynath Kunzru as members, to examine ‘objectively and dispassionately’ the entire question of the reorganization of the states of the Union. Throughout the two years of intensive work, the Commission was faced with meetings, demonstrations, agitations and hunger strikes.

Report of the Committee: The SRC submitted its report in October 1955. While laying down that due consideration should be given to administrative and economic factors, it was recognized for the linguistic principle and recommended redrawing of state boundaries on that basis. Despite the strong reactions to the report in many parts of the country, the SRC’s recommendations were accepted, though with certain modifications, and were quickly implemented.

States Reorganisation Act: The States Reorganisation Act was passed by parliament in November 1956. It provided for fourteen states and six centrally administered territories.

The Telangana districts of Hyderabad state were transferred to Andhra. Kerala was created by merging the Malabar district of the old Madras Presidency with Travancore-Cochin.

Certain Kannada-speaking areas of the states of Bombay, Madras, Hyderabad and Coorg were added to the Mysore state. Bombay state was enlarged by merging the states of Kutch and Saurashtra and the Marathi-speaking areas of Hyderabad with it.

The reaction of the Opposition: The strongest reaction against the SRC’s report and the States Reorganisation Act came from Maharashtra. The Opposition parties, supported by a wide spectrum of public opinion—students, farmers workers, artists, and businessmen—organized a powerful protest movement.

Under pressure, the government decided in June 1956 to divide the Bombay state into two linguistic states Maharashtra and Gujarat with Bombay City forming a separate, centrally administered state. Nehru now reverted in July to the formation of a bilingual, Greater Bombay. This move was, however, opposed by the people of both Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Bombay Issue: Given the disagreement over Bombay City, the government took the decision and passed the States Reorganisation Act in November 1956. But the matter could not rest there. In the 1957 elections, the Bombay Congress scraped through with a slender majority.

As Congress president, Indira Gandhi reopened the question and was supported by the Presidents. Radhakrishnan. The Government finally agreed in May 1960 to bifurcate the state of Bombay into Maharashtra and Gujarat, with Bombay City being included in Maharashtra, and Ahmedabad being made the capital of Gujarat.

Punjab Issue: The other state where an exception was made to the linguistic principle was Punjab. In 1956 the states of PEPSU had been merged with Punjab which, however, remained a trilingual state having three language speakers—Punjabi, Hindi and Pahari— within its borders.

In the Punjabi-speaking part of the state, there was a strong demand for carving out a separate Punjabi Suba (Punjabi-speaking state). While the Hindu communalists opposed the demand for a Punjabi Suba by denying that Punjabi was their mother tongue, the Sikh communalists put forward the demand as a Sikh demand for a Sikh state, claiming Punjabi written in Gurmukhi as a Sikh language.

Even though the demand was supported by the Communist Party and a section of Congress, it had got mixed up with religion. But Nehru as also the majority of the Punjab Congressmen felt that the demand for Punjab state was a communal demand for a Sikh majority state ‘dressed up as a language plea’.

Nehru and the Congress leadership were clear that they would not accept any demand for the creation of a state on religious or communal grounds.

Conclusion: Thus, after many years of continuous strife and popular struggles the linguistic reorganization of India was largely completed, making room for greater political participation by the people.

Question 8. What were the problems that cropped up due to the exodus of refugees? What measures were taken by the government to solve those problems?
Answer:

Refugee Problem: At the time of partition, because of the exodus of refugees, some immediate problems cropped up. For example

1. There was huge pressure on the population of Bengal in particular and India in general.
2. It was difficult to open so many relief camps.
3. There were problems in rehabilitating the refugees
4. It was a daunting task to find a proper livelihood and provide safety to so many refugees.
5. Massive food shortage took place, which culminated in the ‘Food Movement’ (1959).

The Government addressed the refugee problem on a war footing. For example, houses were constructed, shops were set up, and employment arrangements were made for them. The initiative was taken by the Government to get back any property which they had to leave behind in East Bengal.

It should be mentioned that even after ‘The Nehru-Liakat Agreement’ (Delhi Agreement) of 1950, the influx of refugees to India continued. After this agreement, the Hindu refugees came in smaller numbers, but it did not stop altogether.

As per this agreement the Muslims, who had left West Bengal and Assam, came back in droves. Along with them, Muslims from East Bengal decided to return to India. Nehru himself took the initiative to return their movable and immovable properties in East Bengal. Nehru did not have much confidence in Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal.

The controversy started when Nehru did not take much interest in returning the properties of the Hindu refugees that they had abandoned in East Bengal.

Perhaps, Nehru was interested in keeping the Muslims in good humour because of the ongoing Kashmir issue. The government had established a huge refugee colony in Dandakaranya, Madhya Pradesh, just like the refugee colonies of Jadavpur, Baghajatin, Ganguly Bagan and Bijoygarh in Calcutta.

There used to be long queues for everything in the refugee colonies, starting from getting an eligibility certificate, to the distribution of aid and getting vaccinated against cholera and other diseases. The 946 colonies which were set up couldn’t at all accommodate all the refugees.

Some of the people were sent to Government camps, but those camps also suffered from a scarcity of space. When Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy became the Minister in Charge of Relief and Refugee Rehabilitation, he solicited the help of Hironmoy Banerjee to address the problem immediately. These were, in short, the measures taken by the Government to solve the refugee problem.

Question 9. State the partition plan stated by Lord Mountbatten.
Answer: The partition plan stated by Lord Mountbatten

Mountbatten’s Plan: The indirect inclination to grant Pakistan was witnessed in the Cabinet Mission Plan, which motivated the Muslim League.

The Congress, on the other hand, was apprehended as a kind of Civil War between Hindus and Muslims in the event of failure to accept the demand of a separate Pakistan. There was hectic lobbying from both sides to influence the British minds about their respective demands.

When the country was in the grip of communal flux, the British government decided to quit India on a fixed date. The British Prime Minister Atlee declared, “His Majesty’s Government wishes to make it dear that it is their definite intention to take necessary steps to effect the transference of power to responsible Indian hands by a date not later than June 1948”.

This statement of Atlee posed a challenge to Indian statesmanship to prepare to receive the power, which the British were anxious to hand over and quit.

Lord Wavell was recalled and Lord Mountbatten was appointed the new Viceroy whose main task was to restore peace among the two warring sections, namely the Congress and the League. Descended from the royal family of England, and endowed with a genial personality, Mountbatten had an abundance of tact and goodwill.

By the end of March 1947, Lord Mountbatten arrived in India as the Viceroy who started consultations with all important political leaders including Gandhi and found that a compromise between the Congress and Muslim League was impossible based on United India, which led him to the alternative of achieving based on a partition of the country.

After a rapid series of 133 interviews with political leaders, he concluded that the Cabinet Mission framework could not be implemented.

Mountbatten realized that the partition of India was inevitable. V. K. Menon, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel suggested that the power be transferred to two Central governments of India and Pakistan based on the grant of Dominion Status. Gandhi urged Nehru not to accept partition. Finally, Mountbatten put his plan for the partition of India on 2 June. Congress accepted it.

The following are the features of the Plan:

The Country would be divided into two dominions namely, India and Pakistan.

The Constitution passed by the Constituent Assembly will not be applied to the regions which were not prepared to accept it.

The Plan envisaged the principle of self-determination for those parts of India which did not desire to remain within the Indian Union, provided that right was also granted to those parts of the provinces which desired to remain in the Indian Union.

According to this principle, the Punjab, Bengal, Sindh, Baluchistan, NWFP and the Muslim-majority district of Sylhet in Assam were given the right to decide whether or not to remain in the Indian Union.

In Sindh, the Assembly was to vote as a whole for the decision. In Baluchistan, a joint meeting of the representative institutions was to be held for the purpose.

There would be a referendum in the Frontier Provinces and in the district of Sylhet.

The Hindu majority districts of Bengal and Punjab were also given rights. In Punjab and Bengal, the representatives of the Muslim and Non-Muslim majority districts of their respective Legislative Assembly were given the right to decide separately whether they wanted to join India or Pakistan.

In the event of a decision for the partition of the provinces of the Punjab, Bengal and Assam, Independent Boundary commissions were to be appointed to fix the dividing lines between two dominions, namely the Indian Union and Pakistan.

Both the States were to be accorded the Status of a Dominion at the beginning with full right to leave the British Commonwealth at a later date if they chose.

The princely states would have the option to join either of the two dominions or to remain independent.

The British Parliament would pass an Act for the transfer of power before 15 August 1947. As the Plan was accepted by Congress and the Muslim League, Lord Mountbatten proceeded to implement the same.

The Hindu majority districts of the Punjab and Bengal decided to remain with the Indian Union. The N. W. F. P., Sindh, Baluchistan and the Muslim majority districts of the Punjab, Bengal and Sylhet decided to join Pakistan.

WBBSE Chapter 8 2nd Part Of 20th Century: Post-Colonial India (1947-64) Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. The army of the Nizam was called ______.
Answer: Rajakar.

Question 2. King _______ of Kashmir wanted to join the Union of India.
Answer: Hari Singh.

Question 3. After the partition of India, the huge number of people who had to leave East and West Pakistan were called ______.
Answer: Refugees.

Question 4. ______ was the Chief Minister of Bengal after Independence.
Answer: Bidhan Chandra Roy.

Question 5.’Dhakar Chithi’ was written by ______.
Answer: Saralananda Sen.

Question 6. India became independent in ______.
Answer: 1847.

Question 7. ______ is called the iron man of India.
Answer: Sardar Patel.

“WBBSE History and Environment Class 10 Chapter 8 SAQs, for exam preparation”

Question 8. Maharaja ______ formally acceded Kashmir to India on 20 October 1947.
Answer: Hari Singh.

Question 9. The ______ carried on depredations on the borders of Indian provinces bordering Hyderabad.
Answer: Razakars.

Question 10. Akali leader Master ______ demanded a separate homeland for the Sikhs.
Answer: Tara Singh.

Question 11. In ______ A.D. the Government decided to appoint State Reorganization Commission.
Answer: 1958 A.D.

Question 12. In _____ A.D. by separating some Telegu dialectical territory Andhra Pradesh state was formed.
Answer: 1953 A.D.

Question 13.______died on the 58th day of his fast into death.
Answer: Potti Sri Ramlu.

Question 14. _______ book was written by Taslima Nasrin.
Answer: Lajja.

Question 15. ______ assembled to Pakistan.
Answer: Kherpur.

Question 16. Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel was the first ______ of India.
Answer: Home Minister.

Question 17. Maharaja Patiala was the ______ of the Chamber of Princes.
Answer: Chancellor.

Question 18. The number of Union territorial states in independent India was _____.
Answer: Three.

Question 19. Ajmer became a part of the state.
Answer: Rajasthan.

Question 20. The capital of India is ______.
Answer: New Delhi.

WBBSE Chapter 8 2nd Part Of 20th Century: Post-Colonial India (1947-64) True Or False

Question 1. UNO has declared 21st February as International Mother Tongue Day.
Answer: True

Question 2. The States Reorganisation Commission was formed with Faizal Ali, K.M.Panikkar and Vallabh Bhai Patel.
Answer: False

Question 3. Travancore was the largest of the Native States.
Answer: False

Question 4. Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy was a Central Minister.
Answer: False

Question 5. Hindi is not the national language of India.
Answer: False

Question 6. West Bengal was the first state formed on a linguistic basis.
Answer: False

Question 7. K. M. Panikkar was a member of State Reorganisation Commission.
Answer: True

Question 8. PEPSU was formed with Punjab and Patiala.
Answer: True

Question 9. It was clearly stated by the national leaders that with the end of British rule, the only option left with the princely states was to accede to India or Pakistan.
Answer: True

Question 10. The Nawab of Hyderabad voluntarily acceded to the Indian Union.
Answer: False

Question 11. The renowned journalist, Kuldip Nayar, in an article, narrated the plight of the refugees from West Pakistan to Punjab.
Answer: True

Question 12. India became independent on 15th August 1947 A.D.
Answer: False

Question 13. The Unfinished Memoirs book was written by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Answer: True

Question 14. The first President of India was Jawahar Lai Nehru.
Answer: False

Question 15. The first state formed based on language was Hyderabad.
Answer: False

Question 16. The first Home Minister of India was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Answer: True

Question 17. India’s first Vice-President was Dr Sarwapalli Radha Krishnan.
Answer: True

Question 18. The king of Kashmir was Maharaja Patiala.
Answer: False

Question 19. Hyderabad is an independent country.
Answer: False

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 8 important SAQs, solved Q&A, and notes”

Question 20. The first state formed based on language was Andhra Pradesh.
Answer: True

Question 21. Junagarh assembled in Pakistan after independence.
Answer: False

Question 22. King Hari Singh was the Nawab of Hyderabad.
Answer: False

Question 23. Sheikh Abdulla was the leader of the National Conference.
Answer: True

Question 24. India complained to the United Nations Organisation about Pakistan.
Answer: True

Question 25. Major General Choudhuri became the President of Hyderabad.
Answer: False

Question 26. The writer of the book Witness To Partition – A Memoir was Balram Nanda.
Answer: True

WBBSE Solutions for Class 10 History and Environment

WBBSE Chapter 4 Early Stages Of Collective Action Short Answer Questions

Question 1. What were the results of the Great Revolt of 1857?
Answer:

Results of the Great Revolt of 1857

Though the Revolt of 1857 proved unsuccessful, it produced many far-reaching consequences. Some of the important results are mentioned as follows:

1. End of the Company’s rule: The British parliament in 1858 passed ‘An Act for Better Government’ by which the responsibility of the administration of India passed into the hands of the British parliament and the rule of the Company came to an end. The Board of Council was abolished. A secretary of state for India was appointed. The designation (post) of Governor General was changed to Viceroy.

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“West Bengal Board Class 10 History Early Stages of Collective Action, short answer questions”
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“Early Stages of Collective Action WBBSE Class 10 SAQs, with detailed solutions”
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“WBBSE Class 10 History Early Stages of Collective Action, short answer questions”
“Class 10 WBBSE History Chapter 4 SAQs, important questions, and answers”
“Early Stages of Collective Action WBBSE Class 10, SAQs guide, exam-focused”

2. End of Peshwaship and Mughal rule: As Nana Saheb could not be traced after he escaped to Nepal, the office of Peshwa was abolished. The title of the Mughal emperor was also abolished after the death of Bahadur Shah II.

3. Change In British policy towards Indian states: To appease the native princes, the English declared that they would honor all the treaties and agreements signed between the Company and native rulers. The doctrine of lapse was canceled. The Indian princes were assured that their territories would never be annexed.

4. Reorganisation of the Army: The percentage of English soldiers was increased to create a favorable ratio against Indian soldiers. Indians were removed from important posts like artillery and other higher posts.

5. Queen’s Proclamation: The transfer of power from the Company to the crown was declared by Queen’s proclamation which was read by Viceroy Canning on 1st Nov. 1858 at Allahabad. The Indians were assured of religious toleration. The government promised not to make discrimination based on caste, creed, and religion. The government also promised to work for the material and moral progress of India.

Thus, the sacrifices of great Indian leaders like Lakshmi Bai, Kunwar Singh, Tatia Tope, Naha Saheb, etc. developed feelings of nationalism among IndiAnswer: According to Tara Chand, “The memory of 1857 substantiated the later movement, infused courage into the hearts of the fighters”.

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 History And Environment

Question 2. Mention the causes of the failure of the Great Revolt of 1857.
Answer:

Causes of the failure of this revolt

(1)Local limitations: Though the sepoys revolted over a large area from Eastern Punjab to Western Bihar, it did not affect the entire sub-continent. It was not felt elsewhere except in some portions of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bundelkhand, Oudh, Bengal, and Bihar. There was no revolt in Sind, Rajasthan, Nepal, or South India. So this localized nature of the revolt made it less powerful.

(2)Lack of public support: Though there was public support for the revolt in many places like Jhansi, Oudh, and Delhi, people of the other areas were reluctant to sympathize with the sepoys. The king of Gwalior, Scindhia, and his minister Dinkar Rao, Jang Bahadur of Nepal, the Nawab of Hyderabad, the Begum of Bhopal, the king of Jodhpur had helped the British to subdue the rebels. Besides, the kings and the common people of Patiyala and Sind supported the British.

(3)Lack of definite aim: The leaders could not place a definite aim before the sepoys. As there was no national interest or proper planning, the revolt could not start together at all places. It occurred at different times in different places. So though the revolt was strong enough, it ultimately broke down.

(4)Aloofness of Martial Races: The martial races of India like Sikhs, Gurkhas, Rajputs, etc. either supported the English or kept themselves aloof which led to the failure of the revolt.

Question 3. Analyze the political causes of the Great Revolt of 1857.
Answer:

Political causes of the Great Revolt :

1. Colonial Domination: The company had spread its domination over the whole of India over 100 years step by step.

2. Lord Wellesley: Lord Wellesley followed the policy of the subsidiary alliance to bring the native powers under the Company’s grip. Tipu Sultan preferred to resist the English than to sign a subsidiary alliance and he was defeated and killed. Sindhia, Ghosle, etc. were forced to sign the subsidiary treaty.

3. Lord Dalhousie: Dalhousie annexed the kingdoms of Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, Jaipur, etc. by doctrine ine of lapse.

4. Conspiracy of Indian Muslims: According to Rav Duff, the revolt of 1857 was a result of the conspiracy of Indian Muslims. The Indian Muslims were full of discontent because Compathe  replaced Bahadur Shah II by itself besides the Company snatched the titles of Mirza and Mir and also deprived them of their jobs and pensipensions

Corrupt Police: The police officers were involved in deep corruption. According to William Edward, “People hated the police as leopards”.

6. Annexation of Oudh: Dalhousie committed plunder by annexing Oudh on the pretext of bad government. Thousands of officials, soldiers, etc. who served under the Nawab became citizens. Such jobless people and their family members joined the revolt to bring down the company’s rule.

Question 4. Discuss the military causes of the Great Revolt of 1857.
Answer:

The military causes of the Great Revolt of 1857 were:

(1) Low Salary: The Indian sepoys were not appointed to high posts in the army and were not given handsome salaries.

(2) Discrimination: Indian soldiers were considered inferior to the English soldiers and their salaries were less than that of an average English soldier. Their food was bad and they were treated with contempt by the British officers.

(3)Travel across the sea: The General Service Enlistment Act, 1856 of Lord Canning decreed that the members of the Bengal Army should give an undertaking to the effect that they would serve anywhere in the world. This hurt the sentiments of the Hindu sepoys because according to the religious beliefs of the Hindus, travel across the sea was forbidden.

(4) Annexation of Oudh: The Bengal Army consisted mostly of soldiers from Oudh. The annexation of Oudh sent a wave of resentment among them and inflamed their feelings.

(5) Greater Number: The number of Indian soldiers was five times that of the British troops. It encouraged Indian soldiers to take arms against the English.

(6) Enfield Rifle: The introduction of a new type of rifle, called Enfield Rifle, among the sepoys, drove them to the path of rebellion

(7) Failure of the British: The failure of the British army in the First Afghan War (1839) and the Crimean War (1854-56) emboldened the Indian sepoys and the desire to defeat them rose in their minds.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 4 SAQs, Early Stages of Collective Action, important questions”

Question 5. Why were the Indian sepoys aggrieved at the introduction of the Enfield Rifle?
Answer:

Enfield Rifle: The Indian sepoys in the army of the East India Company had some specific grievances against the British Government. The most important factor that intensified the hatred of the Indian sepoys against the British was the introduction of the Enfield Rifle.

The Enfield Rifle needed a paper cartridge smeared with grease to keep the bullets effective. Before the cartridge could be loaded in the rifle, its outer cover had to be bitten off. This the sepoys were reluctant to do as they had reason to believe that the grease was made from the fat of pigs and cows.

The cow was held sacred by the Hindus and the pig was considered unclean by the Muslims. There developed a firm conviction among the sepoys that it was a trick to convert them to Christianity. Thus the Indian sepoys were aggrieved at the introduction of the Enfield Rifle.

Question 6. Analyze the economic causes of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer:

Economic Causes: One of the important causes responsible for the Sepoy Mutiny was the long hundred years of economic exploitation by the English East India Company. After the victory of Plassey, the English began to plunder the wealth of India and started to send it to their homeland.

The Grant of Dewani to the Company in 1765 and in the later years the new land revenue policies such as the Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari Settlement, and Mahalwari Settlement introduced by the Company brought permanent ruin to agriculture and peasants of the country.

Question 7. Write a short note on Queen’s Proclamation, 1858 A.D.
Answer:

Queen’s Proclamation, 1858 A.D

Introduction: Queen Victoria was reigning in England when the sepoy revolt took place in India in 1857. The mismanagement of East India Company and the constant news of suffering with pain at the hands of the Company made the Queen think and then make a complete decision to bring an end to the Company’s rule and also to transfer the power of administration in India into the hands of the Government of England.

This was made public in India by Queen Victoria’s Proclamation. This proclamation was read by Lord Canning in a Grand Durbar at Allahabad on November 1, 1858. It declared the principles on which the Government of India was to be conducted in the future. It showed the feelings of generosity, benevolence, and religious tolerance to India.

The Indian princes were assured that their rights and honor would be respected. They were also told that the treaties that they had entered into with the Company would be honored and their right of adoption would be recognized. The government assured that it would not interfere in the social and religious matters of Indians.

Promises to the people of India: The proclamation also laid down that the people of India would be considered eligible for all public offices provided they were fit for them. The Government would make no distinction of caste, color, or creed in this matter. The people would be given the freedom to follow their social customs and the freedom to practice their religion. It is easy easier to implement. “The period of administration by the crown was thus a period of broken pledges”.

“West Bengal Board Class 10 History Early Stages of Collective Action, short answer questions”

Question 8. Discuss the Hindu-Musiim unity during the Great Rebellion of 1857.
Answer:

Hindu-Musiim Unity During the Revolt of 1857: The Great Rebellion of 1857 showed unprecedented unity and coordination of the Indian people. The Hindus and the Muslims fought shoulder-to-shoulder against the British. In Delhi, a proclamation was issued that expressed the urgent need for Hindu-Musiim unity.

The sepoys proclaimed Bahadur Shah 2 as the Emperor of Hindustan and he appealed to all Hindus and Muslims to join hands in driving out the British from India. Karl Marx remarked, “Mussalmans and Hindus, renouncing mutual antipathies, have combined against the common masters that disturbances beginning with the Hindus have acted in placing on the throne of Delhi a Muhammedan Emperor”.

The British tried their best to create communal tension among the two communities. Aitchison, a senior British official commented: “In this instance, we could not play off the Muhammedans against the Hindus.” Thus, it may be said that the Hindus and Muslims displayed unity and amity between them, and herein lies the strength of the Great Rebellion of 1857.

The Hindu and Muslim sepoys unitedly stood against the introduction of greased catricartridgeadur Shah Jafar prohibited ‘Kurbani’ to maintain Hindu- Muslim unity in the year of sepoy mutiny. The Hindu leaders were Lakshmi Bai, Tantia Pope, Nana Saba, etc. The Muslim leaders were Bahadur Shah 2, Barakat Khan, etc.

Question 9. Discuss the religious and social causes of the Revolt of 1857.
Answer:

Religious causes:

1. Indians had a lurking suspicion that they would be converted to Christianity

2. The English had begun to interfere in religious affairs by abolishing both the sati system and child marriage and encouraging widow remarriage.

3. The religious sentiments of the people were further hurt when a tax was levied on property held by temples and mosques.

Social causes: It is known from the text ‘Siyar-ul-Mutakherin’ that social discrimination took a bad shape on the eve of the revolt.

1. The British people used to hate the Indians as Black Skinned

2. The British looked down upon Indian customs and rituals and considered Indians no better than barbarians

3. The introduction of Railways, Telegram, and Western education created suspicions in the minds of the Indians

4. Lord Cornwallis once said, “Each person in Hindustan is a downtrodden and heathen one”

5. Entry of Indian people was prohibited in restaurants, and clubs specially reserved for Britishers. It was written at the entrance of many European nightclubs- “No entry for dogs and Indians”

Question 10. What was the immediate cause of the Great Revolt of 1857? Write the causes of the failure of the Revolt. Or, What was the immediate cause of the Great Revolt of 1857? State three reasons for the failure of this revolt.
Answer:

Immediate Cause: The episode of the greased cartridges constituted the immediate cause of the revolt of 1857. The new Enfield Rifle introduced by the British had a greased paper cover in its cartridge that had to be bitten off before it was loaded. The rumor that the paper was made of beef and pig fat enraged both the Hindu and Muslim sepoys who burst out in rebellion.

Causes of failure of this revolt:

(1)Local limitations: Though the sepoys revolted over a large area from Eastern Punjab to Western Bihar, it did not affect the entire sub-continent. It was not felt elsewhere except in some portions of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bundelkhand, Oudh, Bengal, and Bihar. There was no revolt in Sind, Rajasthan, Nepal, or South India. So this localized nature of the revolt made it less powerful.

(2)Lack of public support: Though there was public support for the revolt in many places like Jhansi, Oudh, and Delhi, people of other areas were reluctant to sympathize with the sepoys. The king of Gwalior, Scindhia, and his minister Dinkar Rao, Jang Bahadur of Nepal, the Nawab of Hyderabad, the Begum of Bhopal, the king of Jodhpur had helped the British to subdue the rebels. Besides, the kings and the common people of Patiala and Sind were supporting the British.

(3)Lack of definite aim: The leaders could not place a definite aim before the sepoys. As there was no national interest or proper planning, the revolt could not start together at all places. It occurred at different times in different places. So though the revolt was strong enough, it ultimately broke down.

Question 11. State the limitations of early political associations.
Answer:

Limitations of Early Political Associations: The early political associations did not raise any demand more than mild administrative reforms. Secondly, these early associations were mostly dominated by zamindars or upper-class men who had no wide social base. Hence they lacked mass character and were mostly local.

Thirdly, the landlord and the aristocratic class who controlled these associations had no intention of transforming them by opening the doors of these organizations to the middle class and others and giving them a democratic character. The limitations of these early associations were patent. The British- Indian Association of Bengal had 68% zamindar members and altogether 85% rich, aristocratic members.

The membership fee was Rs. 50.00 which was too high for the middle-class Bengalees. The Bombay Association and Madras Native Association had no deep patriotic character and lost their appeal. Hence, the middle-class Indians felt the need for a political association that would be truly representative, democratic, and nationalist in outlook. Out of the sentiment, three important presidential associations were formed by English-educated, middle-class IndiAnswer: These associations spread political consciousness among the people and gave a new tone to political demands.

Question 12. Give an account of the attitude of educated Bengali society towards the Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer:

Attitude of the Educated Bengali Society Towards the Revolt of 1857 :
The Bengali intelligentsia was apathetic to the Revolt of 1857. This is such a ticklish problem that no one has been able to offer any satisfactory explanation.

Promotion of Self-Interest: One thing that may be relevant to note is that the Bengali intellectuals, in the mid-eighteenth century, were very much conscious of their interest. As such it will not be fair to say that they merely echoed the sentiments of the British rulers in taking a negative attitude towards the rebels of 1857. in any case, their hostile attitude towards the Revolt of 1857 cannot be overlooked.

Issue of Enfield Rifle: In Bengal, Barrackpore, near Calcutta was the center of the initial spark of the Revolt of 1857. The revolt broke out over the religious question that there was a conspiracy to destroy the religions of the sepoys (over the Enfield Rifle issue). This was in tune with the cry of the orthodox Hindus of the city of Calcutta who had long suspected that the British wanted to destroy their religion and caste and convert them to Christianity. The intellectuals of Bengal, who were against orthodoxy and fanaticism, considered the rebel sepoys as the allies of social reaction. Under the circumstances, the Bengali intelligentsia had no option but to oppose the rebellion.

Socio-Economic Reasons: There were also socio-economic reasons for which the Bengali intelligentsia opposed the Revolt of 1857. The intellectuals belonged to middle-class well-to-do families that had been the product of the colonial structure. Their economic status was raised because of trade and commerce, and their intellectual status was due to their English education. In the success of the Revolt of 1857, the return of the old social order with all the reactionary principles and ideals was recognized by the Bengali intelligentsia. Hence, the Bengali intelligentsia did not sympathize with the rebels of 1857.

Conclusion: It has been pointed out by Sri Benoy Ghose that the growing political consciousness of the English-educated Bengali middle class also shaped their hostility towards the Revolt of 1857. The educated Bengali middle class saw no hope in the Revolt of 1857. Thus they condemned the rebels of 1857.

Question 13. Why was the 19th century called the Age of Associations?
Answer:

Age of Associations:

1. Introduction: Political consciousness was a direct outcome of nationalism that developed in the nineteenth century. The main purpose of organizing meetings was to develop political consciousness as it spread its activities and also to discuss various socio-political issues

“Class 10 WBBSE History Chapter 4 SAQs, exam preparation, solved answers”

2. Organisation During the Early Decades: Several organizations were formed during the period from 1828 to 1830. The Academic Association formed by Derozio was open to all independent discussions. In Calcutta, the Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge was formed by Pyarichand Mitra, Debendranath Tagore, and their two hundred associates. The whole of the nineteenth century has seen the formation and development of many such associations. So, Cambridge historian Dr Anil Sil, in his book ‘The Emergence of Indian Nationalism; Competition and Collaboration in the Late Nineteenth Century, has called this period “an age of associations”

3. Organisation During the Second Half: In the second half of the nineteenth century several political organizations emerged. They were instrumental in the development of political consciousness. Some of the well-known political organizations were: ‘Puna SarbojonikSabha’ of Gopal Hari Deshmukh (1867), ‘Madras Mahajan Sabha’ (1884), ‘Madras Native Association (1852) and ‘East India Association, London’ of Dadabhai Naoroji and K. R. Kama (1866).

In 1871 a branch of the East India Association was formed in Bombay. Rangaiyya Naidu, the President of Mahajana Sabha (1884), spread the popularity of his association among small towns and villages. In 1885, Firoz Shah Mehta, Badruddin Tayebji, and KashinathTrimbak Telang formed ‘The Bombay Presidency Association’. In 1886 Rajnarayan Basu formed a ‘Secret Samity’ in Midnapore and Jyotirindra Nath Tagore established ‘Sanjeebani Sabha’. ‘India Reform Society’ and ‘London Indian Society’ (1865) were formed through foreign initiative.

Question 14. Write about Swamiji’s ‘Bartaman Bharat’.
Answer: Bartaman Bharat (of Swami Vivekananda):

1. Harmony Among All Classes: The Bartaman Bharat amplifies and elaborates our ideas on society. It is stated that human society is governed by the four castes — the priests, soldiers, traders, and laborers. The priestly rule is exclusive on hereditary grounds; the military rule is tyrannical and cruel.

The commercial rule is crushing and blood-sucking. But the traders go everywhere and they are good disseminators of ideas. The rule of the laborers has the advantage of distributing physical comforts.

But it has the disadvantage of lowering culture. In the Bartaman Bharat, Vivekananda predicts forming a state (Title page, 1905 edition) in which the knowledge of the priest period, the culture of the military, the distributive spirit of the commercial, and the ideal of equality of the last (laborers) are brought into harmony.

2. Establishment of an Ideal State: Vivekananda considered it an ideal state. Bartaman Bharat ends with a calling to give up imitating the Western lifestyle in dress and manners. People should cherish the feeling of self-respect and a sense of pride in being Indian. The closing paragraph of the Bartaman Bharat is titled by Vivekananda as Swadesh Mantra, an incantation (magical chant) for the homeland. It is addressed to every Indian.

It is a call to arise and awake to the national ideal of identity with the Indian heritage. The Indian people, even if they are the poorest and the lowest, should take pride in having been born Indian. Patriotism and nationalism for Vivekananda was never a matter of political strategy, rather it had to do with spiritual belonging to one’s culture and history. Religion and nationalism became interchangeable for Vivekananda.

Question 15. What was the importance of the novel ‘Anandamath’ from the Nationalist perspective?
Answer:

Anandamath (of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee): Anandamath of Bankim Chandra bears historic worth in the narrative of nationalism in modern India

1. Subject Matter: Written in the shadow of the memory of the Sannyasi Rebellion, the novel centers around the organization of the satans (or children of Mother India). Now that the Mother is in the chains of foreigners, her children vow to tear asunder the bondage. The novel narrates how the children of the Mother take up arms against the rule and domination of the aliens

2. Bande Mataram: It is in Anandamath that the Indian people get the famous song Bande Mataram. The opening stanza of the song is full of appreciation for the Mother’s natural endowments. In the song, the sacredness of the land has been raised to a religious level. The song combines patriotism with religious fervor

3. Inspiring the Revolutionaries: Anandamath was a Bible for secret revolutionaries. They modeled their societies on the organization founded by Satyananda, the hero of the novel. Some people accused Bankim Chandra as the propounder of the principle of aggressive Hinduism. But the fact remains that he was the seer of modern Indian nationalism and even politics. The mantra was Bande Mataram and politics was a commitment to leading a life of religion,

4.  Conclusion: The concept of Bharatmata emerges from Anandamath. As for women’s participation in the national struggle, one finds a young lady, Shanti, who could jump and ride on a horse as any horseman. Thus, in many ways, Anandamath played a crucial role in developing national awareness.

Question 16. What was the role of Rabindranath’s ‘Gora’ in awakening nationalist feeling?
Answer:

Influence of Gora: The novel ‘Gora’ by Rabindranath Tagore is more than a hundred years old. ‘Gora’ was written before ‘Gitanjali’. ‘Gora’ is the only novel by Rabindranath Tagore where the character Gora is the main protagonist. This feature is absent in any of his other novels.

Through the character of Gora, the writer has expressed his opinion that rebellion does not exist in the outside world, but lies within one’s self. However, the novel is not about a fine analysis of the Bengali language and Bengali people, but there is more to it. India is a diverse land that abounds in multiple races, languages, and ideals, and iora, we find a unification of all these diverse forces.

Gora was written when the writer’s age was 47 to 49 years. The wonderful reminiscences of Jibansmriti have not been written then. The easygoing style of writing brought out the spirit of Gora in a wonderful way. In the novel ‘Gora’, the helplessness and traditional beliefs of the Hindu religion have come to the forefront time and again. At a later stage, it was revealed that Gora was born a westerner. His father had to give up ritualistic practices because of Gora’s staunch beliefs.

Again, we find, that the same Gora preferred to take a holy dip at the confluence of the three rivers instead of the holy Ganges. It is written in the novel, “I am yours and you are mine”.

Gora thinks, ‘Undifferentiated Brahman can also be found in particular. He is infinite, at the same time undifferentiated; he who is infinite is also formless. No faithful Indian will ever deny that God has surpassed even the Infinite.’

Gora, being a traveler, is bound to move forward toward the future having expressed himself in this way. Many thinkers feel that Gora is none other than Rabindranath himself.

“Early Stages of Collective Action WBBSE Class 10 SAQs, with detailed solutions”

Question 17. State the importance of the cartoons of Gaganendranath Tagore.
Answer: Gaganendranath Tagore:

1. Introduction: Gaganendranath Tagore (1867-1938) was the elder brother of Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951). He learned painting from a Japanese artist and a Bengali artist. However, unlike Abanindranath, he did not follow Indigenous tradition; instead, we find the influence of French Cubism in his drawings

2. Criticism of Colonialism: Through his cartoons, he criticized colonialism in contemporary society. He criticized certain sections of the British Indian colonialist society and the ‘babu culture’ of Western-educated people through his cartoons and he inspired affection for traditional Indian culture among the Bengali gentry

3. Inspiring Nationalism: His cartoons should not be taken at face value, because they inspired nationalism among all sections of society. Gaganendranath emerged as a cartoonist in the second half of the nineteenth century. His cartoons mocked, satirized, and caricatured the then-British rule and helped to inspire nationalism: Montague-Chemsford reforms were criticized by a cartoon as a weak rule.

This is why Lord Chelmsford became angry to see the Cartoon of Gaganendranath Tagore. He compared the Western education system in India with the factory. His book ‘Reform Screams’ was published in 1922. His cartoons were published in ‘Prabasi’ and ‘Modern Review’. The single-coloured or bi-coloured cartoons mirrored the Bengali society of that time.

4. Conclusion: It was not just in Bengal, but also in the whole country that the importance of cartoons increased manifold under Gaganendranath. Hence, he is often called the father of modern nationalist Bengali cartoons. Bengali cartoons became very popular in illustrated magazines like ‘Panchananda’, ‘Bibhor’, ‘Bangabashi’, ‘Sachitra Bharat’, etc. Rabindranath Tagore was the inspiration for Bengali cartoonists like Jatindranath Sen, Rebati Bhushan, Chandi Lahiri, Debashish Deb and Amal Chakraborty.

Question 18. Describe the characteristics of Anandamath.
Answer:

Characteristics of Anandamath: The great writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1898) helped in the development of militant nationalism in India through his essays and novels. His essay ‘Krishnacharitra’ stressed the need to establish the kingdom of Krishna in India. This emotion was refined and exquisitely expressed in his novel ‘Anandamath’. Written in 1882, this was the first historical novel by Bankim Chandra. ‘Debi Chowdhurani’ written in 1884 was second in the line of such novels.

Militant Nationalism: In ‘Anandamath’ he promoted militant nationalism. In ‘Anandamath’ he has portrayed the self-sacrifice of a group of patriots. This book influenced the youth to develop patriotism and groomed them into militant nationalism. Barrister Promothonath Mitra used the term ‘Anushilan Samiti’ (1902) in this book. For the revolutionaries of the ‘Anushilan Samiti’, ‘Anandamath’ was like a nationalist Bible.

In this novel, the two characters of ‘Shanti’ and ‘Bhabananda’ are extremely strong of mind. At the request of Surendranath Banerjee, Bankim Chandra composed the song ‘Bande Mataram’ in 1875, which was later included in ‘Anandamath’ as a guiding force. Through the song ‘Bande Mataram’ in this novel, Bankim Chandra portrays a real-life picture of India, our motherland. So, ‘Anandamath’ is considered to be an immortal creation of Bankim Chandra.

Question 19. Write a note ort Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha.
Answer:

Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha :
1. Introduction: As English education was more widely diffused in Calcutta, it is not surprising that the first political association sprang up here. Gradually the politically conscious people of Bengal felt that for political movement it was necessary to set up a permanent association. In 1836 a humble attempt was made in Bengal to organize political deliberations by the foundations of the Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha. The Sabha of Bengal is regarded as the first political association in India

2. Activities: Details about the activities of the association are not available. But whatever little is known from its reference in different contemporary newspapers is very interesting. Its meeting used to be held every Thursday. In the beginning, discussions were held on various subjects like religion, philosophy, etc. In a letter published in the 17th December edition of the Jnananneshan, a newspaper published in Calcutta and edited by Dakshina Ranjan Mukherjee, it was said that the members agreed to deliberate over matters that would hamper the country’s welfare

3. Discussion on British Administrative Policies: The members of the Sabha also discussed the imposition of tax on rent-free lands by the British administrators in India. Reporting the discussion held in a meeting of the weekly paper Sambad Prabhakar (editor: Iswar Chandra Gupta) wrote that Ramlochan Ghosh, a government employee, had sent a letter to the Secretary of the Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha in which he supported the government’s decision tax.

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The letter was placed in the meeting for discussion. The members agreed that as a government employee, Ramlochan was quite justified in supporting the government’s action in the matter. But a different resolution was adopted. It was resolved that a meeting should be convened to decide the propriety of sending a memorandum signed by four to five thousand people irrespective of religious faith as a protest against the governmental measure.

It is not known if any such meeting was held at all. Dr. R. C. Majumdar expressed the opinion that nothing followed the resolution adopted in the meeting. Despite the failure of the Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha, it must be admitted that the Sabha helped in organizing later on the formation of political associations.

Inspired by the example of the Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha, many such associations came to be established. Sambad Prabhakar in its 2 March 1852 edition, reported about the failure of all the associations that followed the Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha. The associations could not survive because of the ‘lack of unity’ (Bangla Desher Itihas Vol. IV : p 508: Ramesh Chandra Majumdar).

Question 20. Explain the inner meaning of the cartoon under the title University Machine.
Answer:

University Machine: The outlook of the cartoon is that of liberalism of the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first twenty years of the twentieth century. In the above context, a better-known cartoon of Gaganendranath may be taken up for discussion. One of the famous cartoons was the ‘University Machine’.

The cartoon University Machine shows a clock striking at 10.30 am. The smoke comes out of the chimney, while the students strike at the gate. The university building is in the shape of a very large heavy book. Pressed between them, after the courses are done, the students come out flattened and crippled.

One would also notice the two figures in silhouette standing on two pillars. One of them appears to be in European costume, while the other is in an Indian turban. They have probably helped in founding the university. They are no longer moving forces but are now shadowed out. The crowd at the gate is in Bengali dress. The cartoon has an undercutting of sadness despite the satire.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 4 SAQs, for board exam, important notes”

Question 21. Discuss the role of peasants in the Great Revolt of 1857.
Answer:

Peasant Participation in the Revolt of 1857: No uniform pattern of peasant participation in the disturbed areas can be discerned. However, in most of Oudh and Western U.P., the peasants forgot the oppressive hands of the local zamindars and joined the local feudal leadership in a bid to uproot foreign imperialism.

Canning’s announcement of confiscation of proprietary rights in the soil was meant to punish those who had taken an active part against the Government. The post-1857 settlement was made with the taluqdars of Oudh, restoring most of the land to them; rather the position of the taluqdars was strengthened by conferring on them some magisterial and revenue powers.

The interests of the occupancy peasants were ignored and the Chief Commissioner even refused to extend the provisions of the Bengal Rent Act of 1859 to Oudh. Rather, the peasants of some areas like the Meerut division were made to pay some additional taxes as a punitive impost for participation in the revolt.

Question 22. Write short notes on 1. Bahadur Shah, 2. Nana Sahib, 3. Tantia Tope, 4. Rani of Jhansi and 5. Kunwar Singh.
Answer:

1. Bahadur Shah: Bahadur Shah Jafar was the last emperor of the Mughal Empire. After the death of his father, Akbar II came to the throne. He too had taken part in the revolt of 1857 AD. But he was defeated, had been imprisoned, and sent to Rangoon. Two of his sons were butchered. He expressed his heartfelt feelings which escaped his lips on his death through an Urdu couplet. “So unfortunate did Jafar throve at his burials and Got deprived of two yards of land in native land”.

Exiled to Rangoon: The last days of his life were spent at Rangoon and he was sorry since he had no claim even on his right for burial in his native land. These lines reflect his patriotism. The rebellious people of the revolt of 1857 had acknowledged him as their emperor. However, due to his weak personality and senility right from the very inception, he began slipping down the ladder of success.

2. Nana Sahib: Nana Sahib was the foster son of Peshwa Baji Rao II. When the Peshwa died in 1851, the English stopped Nana Sahib’s pension. Hence Nana Sahib got furious over the Britons and he imprisoned the British soldiers at Kanpur. The British commander Wheeler staying for three weeks in the prison supplicated Nana Sahib not to put him to death. Wheeler along with the other soldiers was released.

“West Bengal Board Class 10 History Early Stages of Collective Action, short answer questions”

But as soon as they were about to cross the Ganges by boat, a volley of bullets fell upon them which calmed down the anger of the Indian soldiers, and caused the death of 400 British soldiers. The commanders Neel and Havelock invaded Kanpur and captured it.

But soon after as a result of the endeavours on the part of Nana Sabib and Tantiya Tope, Kanpur was recaptured. But once again in December 1857, the British army under the leadership of Sir Collin Campbell captured Kanpur. At last, being disappointed Nana Sahib marched towards Nepal. There he met his death.

3. Tantiya Tope: Tantiya Tope was the commander of Nana Sahib who was famous for his discretion, variance, and qualities like courage, etc. He put his heart and soul into Nana Sahib to defend Kanpur. Guerilla warfare was his device of fighting with which the British soldiers were unfamiliar. Hence, he was peerless in his fighting skills.

Many notorious British commanders shuddered at his sight. Support to the Rani of Jhansi: He lent whole-hearted support to the Rani of Jhansi. The army fighting under the leadership of Sir Collin Campbell defeated and captured him. The brave commander was hanged to death in 1858.

4. Rani of Jhansi: The Rani of Jhansi too was the victim of the crooked policy of the British Government. The Britons had challenged her right to adoption and merged her territories with the British empire. Hence, Laxmi Bai played an active role in the revolt of 1857 AD. On seeking help from Tantiya Tope, the commander of Nana Sahib, and from other Afghan chiefs, the Rani took possession of Gwalior. She fought hard with the Britons in the dreadful fight of Kalpi.

She kept butchering the enemy till her last breath. In her praise, even the British commanders spoke lavishly that the Rani of Jhansi was the bravest opponent fighter. There is no denying the fact that though she was a woman she fought as men in bravery. Therefore, some poets expressed her feelings, “The manly queen who fought so valiantly was the queen of Jhansi.”

5. Kunwar Singh: Kunwar Singh, a ruined and discontented zamindar of Jagdishpur near Arrah was the chief organizer of the Revolt in Bihar. This young man of years unnerved the Britons. Kunwar Singh not only harassed the Britons in Bihar but also joined Nana Sahib and kept in constant conflict with the Britons in Central India while they were returning, the Britons besieged them near Arrah.

They defeated the Britons but received many deep wounds during the battle, consequent upon which he died later on 27th April 1858. His brother rushed forward to enflame the fire ignited by him. But he also could not face the Britons for a long time.

Question 23. Given an account of the growth of political associations in Bengal.
Answer:

Growth of Political Associations in Bengal:

Introduction: Raja Rammohan Roy was the pioneer of political movements in India. He was greatly influenced by Western ideas. He was a widely read man. His extensive studies had freed his mind from the bigotry that characterized an average Bengali. His sympathies in the domain of politics were cosmopolitan and his heart went in sympathy for popular movements all over the world. In 1821 the Raja celebrated in Calcutta the establishment of a constitutional government in Spain.

Raja Rammohan Roy’s contribution: Rammohan Roy was the first Indian to persuade the English to focus their attention on the grievances of India and to ask for remedial measures. He demanded liberty of the press, the appointment of Indians in civil courts and other higher posts, the codification of law, etc. It was generally believed that some of the beneficent provisions in the Charter Act of 1833 were due to his lobbying in England.

Bangabhasa PrakasikaSabha: The task of organizing political associations was, however, done by the associates of Rammohan Roy. The first such association called “Bangabhasha Prakasika Sabha” was formed in 1836. This Sabha deliberated on topics connected with the policy and administration of the Government and sought redress by sending petitions and memorials to the Government.

Zamindary Association: In July 1838 the “Zamindary Association”, more popularly known as the “Landholders’ Society” was founded to safeguard the interests of the landlords. Although limited in its objectives, the Landholders’ Society pioneered the start of organized political activity and the use of methods of constitutional agitation for the redressal of grievances. The Landholders’ Society of Calcutta cooperated with the British India Society founded by Mr Adams in London in July 1839.

Bengal British India Society: In April 1843 another political association under the name of the Bengal British India Society was founded with the object of “the collection and dissemination of information relating to the actual condition of the people of British India…and to employ such other means of peaceful and lawful character as may appear calculated to secure the welfare, extend the just right, and advance the interests of all classes of our fellow subjects”

However, the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India Society did not flourish well and on 29 October 1851 the two associations were merged into a new one named the British Indian Association. This Association was dominated by members of the landed aristocracy and its chief aim was safeguarding their class interests.

However, the Association became a hub of liberalists and when the time came for the renewal of the Charter of the East India Company, it sent a petition to the Parliament praying for the establishment of a separate legislature of a popular character, separation of judicial from executive functions, reduction in the salaries of higher officers, abolition of the salt duty, abkari and stamp duties, etc.

“Class 10 WBBSE History Chapter 4 SAQs, exam preparation, solved answers”

The prayers of the Association were partially met and the Charter Act of 1853 provided for the addition of six members to the Governor-General’s Council for legislative purposes. The British Indian Association continued its existence as a political body down to the 20th century, even though it was subservient to the more popular Indian National Congress.

Indian League and Indian Association: By the 1870s there were signs of change inside Indian society. In the Presidency towns, higher education was well established and the members of the new professions were acquiring a status and developing new ambitions. A new elite had grown in all the Presidencies whose aspirations and status were incomparable. These were good developments for the formation of more popular and broad-based associations.

In September 1875 Babu Sisir Kumar Ghose founded the Indian League with the object of “stimulating the sense of nationalism amongst the people” and encouraging political education. Within a year of its foundation, the Indian League was superseded by the Indian Association founded on 26 July 1876 by Ananda Mohan Bose and Surendranath Banerjee.

The Indian Association hoped to attract not only “the middle classes” but also the masses and therefore kept its annual subscription at Rs. 5 as opposed to the subscription of Rs. 50 p.a. fixed by the British Indian Association. Soon the Indian Association became ‘the center of the leading representatives of the educated community of Bengal’.

“Best SAQs for WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 4, Early Stages of Collective Action”

Chapter 4 Early Stages Of Collective Action Very Short Answer

Question 1. Name a few English people who called the Sepoy Mutiny a National Revolt.
Answer: Tory leader Disreily and English thinkers like J.B. Norton, Alexander Duff, Maleson, Bol, James, Outram, and Holmes.

Question 2. Who formed the Society for the Acquisition of General Knowledge?
Answer: Pyarichand Mitra, Debendranath Tagore, and two hundred other like-minded people.

Question 3. What was the name of the society formed by Kalinath Chowdhury, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, and Dwarkananth Tagore?
Answer: Bangabhasha Prakashika Sabha.

Question 4. Which was the largest political institution in the pre-Congress era?
Answer: Bharat Sabha or Indian Association.

Question 5. Name a few old kinds of literature that helped in the growth of nationalist feelings by influencing Indian Literature.
Answer: ‘Pamela’ by Samuel Richardson, ‘Hard Times’ and ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens, ‘Germinal’ by Emil Zola, ‘Mayor of Casterbridge’ by Thomas Hardy, and ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe.

Question 6. Name the famous painting by Abanindranath Tagore which greatly inspired nationalist feelings among Indian people.
Answer: Bharat Mata.

Question 7. Who wrote ‘Anandamath’?
Answer: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Question 8. Who said these words: ‘The soil of India is my heaven, India’s well-being is my well-being’?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.

Question 9. Who is called the father of modern nationalist Bengali cartoons?
Answer: Gaganendranath Tagore.

Question 10. Who was given the title of the ‘Empress of India’ in 1877?
Answer: Queen Victoria.

Question 11. Who organized a special court in Allahabad as a representative of Queen Victoria?
Answer: Lord Canning.

“Early Stages of Collective Action WBBSE Class 10 SAQs, with detailed solutions”

Question 12. Who was the editor of the journal ‘Sangbad Prabhakar’?
Answer: Ishwar Chandra Gupta.

Question 13. Who established ‘Bharat Sabha’?
Answer: Surendranath Banerjee.

Question 14. Which was the first historical novel of Bankim Chandra?
Answer: Anandamath.

Question 15. Who was the editor of the journal ‘The Bengalee’?
Answer: Surendranath Banerjee.

Question 16. Who said these words ‘The soil of India is Heaven to me’?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.

Question 17. Who introduced the Enfield Rifle?
Answer: The British.

Question 18. Name a Rani who valiantly fought against the British.
Answer: Lakshmi Bai.

Question 19. When was the Azamgarh Proclamation issued?
Answer: 1857.

Question 20. The Queen’s Proclamation was issued in the name of which Queen of England?
Answer: Victoria.

Question 21. Who was the Mughal Emperor at the time of the Great Mutiny (1857)?
Answer: Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah.

Question 22. Who was the Governor-General of India at the time of the Great Revolt of 1857?
Answer: Lord Canning.

Question 23. Write the name of a leader of the Great Revolt of 1857.
Answer: Nana Saheb.

Question 24. In which year did the Sepoy Mutiny break out?
Answer: In 1857 AD.

Question 25. What was the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857?
Answer: Introduction of Enfield Rifle.

Question 26. What was the new type of rifle introduced by the British for the use of the Indian sepoys?
Answer: Enfield Rifle.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 4 SAQs, for board exam, important notes”

Question 27. Who was the first martyr of the Revolt of 1857?
Answer: Mangal Pandey.

Question 28. Name two women leaders of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer: Rani Laxmi Bai and Begum Hazrat Mahal.

Question 29. Who led the Revolt of 1857 in Lucknow?
Answer: Begum Hazrat Mahal.

Question 30. Who was the leader of the Revolt of 1857 at Jhansi?
Answer: Rani Laxmi Bai.

Question 31. Who was the leader of the Revolt of 1857 at Kanpur?
Answer: Nana Saheb.

Question 32. Name two centers of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer: Meerut and Barrackpur.

Question 33. Who was the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao 2?
Answer: Nana Saheb.

Question 34. Whom did the mutineers proclaim the emperor of Hindustan?
Answer: Bahadur Shah 2

“Early Stages of Collective Action WBBSE Class 10, SAQs guide, exam-focused”

Question 35. In which year was the Queen’s Proclamation issued?
Answer: In 1858.

Question 36. Who was the Queen of England at the time of the transfer of power?
Answer: Victoria.

Question 37. Where did the revolt of 1857 break out?
Answer: At Meerut in UP.

Question 38. When was the Act for Better Government of India passed?
Answer: In 1858 AD.

Question 39. Who was the first Viceroy of India?
Answer: Lord Canning.

Question 40. Name a leader of Bihar in the Revolt of 1857.
Answer: Kunwar Singh.

Question 41. What was the nature of the Revolt of 1857?
Answer: Popular revolt.

Question 42. Who passed the Act for the Better Government of India?
Answer: British Parliament.

Question 43. By what name is the Act of 1858 known?
Answer: Queen’s Proclamation of India Act or Better Government of India.

Question 44. When did the East India Company’s rule in India come to an end?
Answer: In 1858 AD.

Question 45. In which year did Queen Victoria get the title ‘Empress of India’?
Answer: Queen Victoria got the title ‘Empress of India’ on 1st January 1877 AD.

Question 46. Under which Act, did the Company’s rule end?
Answer: The rule of the company was ended by an Act for the Better Government of India, which was passed on 2nd August 1858 AD.

Question 47. In which year the Board of Control and Court of Directors were abolished?
Answer: These were abolished in 1858 AD.

Question 48. Who started the Sepoy Mutiny and when and where?
Answer: The Sepoy Mutiny was started by Mangal Pandey on 29th March 1857 AD in the military base at Barrackpore.

Question 49. Which revolt was initiated at Bhagmidi field?
Answer: Santhal revolt.

Question 50. Name the last Governor General of East India Company.
Answer: Lord Dalhousie.

Question 51. When was the proclamation of Queen Victoria published?
Answer: The proclamation of Queen Victoria was published on 1st November 1858 A.D.

Question 52. What is the meaning of the word Viceroy?
Answer: The meaning of the word Viceroy is Royal representative.

Question 53. In which year did the ruling of the Viceroy start in India?
Answer: The Ruling of Viceroy started in India in 1858 A.D

Question 54. Name the Patrika in which the first modern Indian cartoon was published.
Answer: Amrit Bazar Patrika.

Question 55. Name the first Indian Cartoon Magazine.
Answer: Dechi Sketch Book.

Question 56. In which year was Dechi Sketch Book published?
Answer: 1850.

Question 57. What kind of magazine was Dechi Sketch Book?
Answer: Monthly Magazine.

Question 58. In which year was Zamindar Sabha formed?
Answer: In 1837.

“Best SAQs for WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 4, Early Stages of Collective Action”

Question 59. Which organization is regarded as the first political association of Bengal?
Answer: Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha.

Question 60. Who was the first chairman of Bangabhasha Prakashika Sabha?
Answer: Gaurishankar Tarkabagish.

Question 61. Who called the Queen’s proclamation a political bluff?
Answer: Bipin Chandra.

Question 62. Who called the period of Queen Victoria the ‘era of broken pledges’?
Answer: R.C. Majumdar.

Question 63. Who formed Puna Sarbojonik Sabha?
Answer: Gopal Hari Deshmukh.

Question 64. Who formed ‘The East India Association, London’?
Answer: Dadabhai Naoroji and K. R. Kama.

Question 65. Who formed ‘The Bombay Presidency Association’?
Answer: Firoz Shah Mehta, Badruddin Tayebji, and Kashinath Trimbak Telang.

Question 66. Who formed ‘Sanjeebani Sabha’?
Answer: Jyotirindra Nath Tagore.

Question 67. Who declared the revolt of 1857 as ‘The National Revolt’?
Answer: Disraeli, the leader of the Tory party.

Question 68. Which historian thinks that the revolt of 1857 was feudal?
Answer: R. C. Majumdar.

Question 69. Name the largest political institution in the pre-congress era.
Answer: Indian Association or Bharat Sabha.

Question 70. Who wrote the book Eighteen Fifty-Seven (1857)?
Answer: Surendra Nath Sen wrote the book ‘Eighteen Fifty-Seven’, (1857).

Question 71. What do you understand by collective action?
Answer: “United we stand”: Thus goes the proverbial saying. This power develops through collective action. Numerous institutions and organizations have been formed for the development of united and collective power. Initially, it was the rich and socially higher classes of people, influenced by Western education, who took the initiative for some united movement. Later on, the movement became universal among people irrespective of their race, caste, or creed.

“Class 10 WBBSE History Chapter 4 SAQs, important questions, and answers”

Question 72. Who announced the Queen’s Proclamation and when?
Answer: Lord Canning after being appointed as the first Viceroy of India, representing Victoria, the Queen of England (1837-1901), organized a formal court in Allahabad. In this court, on 1st November 1858, he read out a proclamation on behalf of the Queen. This came to be known as “The Proclamation of the Queen”

Question 73. What was the ‘Queen’s Proclamation’?
Answer: Queen Victoria of England announced a proclamation after the Sepoy mutiny promising to provide some facilities and benefits to India This was made just to pacify them. Her representative Lord Canning announced this as the Queen’s proclamation in the Allahabad Conference.

Question 74. What was the purpose of the Hindu Mela?
Answer: The main purpose of the Hindu Mela was to re-establish the dignity of the ancient Hindu religion and inspire people in the ideal of patriotism and freedom movement.

Question 75. Name the authors of the two novels ‘Gora’ and ‘Anandamath’.
Answer: Gora was written by Rabindranath Tagore and Anandamath was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Question 76. Describe the painting ‘Bharat Mata’ by Abanindra Nath Tagore.
Answer: Abanindranath’s Bharatmata has four hands. A special characteristic of this painting is that the nationalist spirit flows through it. She wears saffron clothes and appears as a woman saint. On her two left hands, she holds a book and a bunch of paddies. On the two right hands, we find a pair of white clothing and a sting of Rudraksha (sacred beads).

Question 77. Why is the 19th century called the Age of Associations?
Answer: The whole of the nineteenth century has seen the formation and development of many associations. So, Cambridge historian Dr. Anil Sil, in his book ‘The Emergence of Indian Nationalism: Competition and Collaboration in the Late Nineteenth Century’, has called this period “an age of associations”.

Question 78. Who was the main founder of Bharat Sabha and what was the name of its main journal?
Answer: Surendranath Banerjee was the main founder of Bharat Sabha. Its main journal was ‘The Bengalee’.

Question 79. Why was Gaganendra Nath called the father of Bengali cartoon pictures?
Answer: The single-coloured or bi-coloured cartoons mirrored the Bengali society of that time. It was not just in Bengal, but the importance of Indian cartoons increased manifold under Gaganendranath. Hence, he is often called the father of modern nationalist Bengali cartoons.

Question 80. Mention two causes of failure of the Great Revolt of 1857.
Answer: The causes of the failure of the revolt of 1857 are as follows:

(1)Local limitations: Though the sepoys revolted over a large area from Eastern Punjab to Western Bihar, it did not affect the entire sub-continent. It was not felt elsewhere except in some portions of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bundelkhand, Oudh, Bengal, and Bihar.

(2)Lack of public support: Though there was public support for the revolt in many places like Jhansi, Oudh, and Delhi, people of other areas were reluctant to sympathize with the sepoys. The king of Gwalior, Sindhia, and his minister Dinkar Rao, Jang Bahadur of Nepal, the Nawab of Hyderabad, the Begum of Bhopal, and the king of Jodhpur had helped the British to subdue the rebels.

Question 81. In 1857 who was declared to be the ‘Emperor of Hindustan’ by the rebel sepoys? Where was he banished later on?
Answer: Bahadur Shah 2, the then Mughal Emperor, was declared the ‘Emperor of Hindustan’ by the rebels of 1857. The British suppressed the Revolt of 1857 within a very short time. Immediately after that, the British had done away with the very existence of the Mughal emperor in India. Bahadur Shah 2 was banished from India to Rangoon, present Yangon.

Question 82. What international events encouraged the Revolt of 1857?
Answer: When the resentment against the British was growing among the Indian sepoys, news of some international events helped to generate a sense of self-confidence in them. The setback of the British soldiers in the first Afghan War (1839) and the Crimean War (1854) indirectly helped the sepoys to be so determined as to rise in revolt against the British.

Question 83. Name two centres other than Meerut which became important for rebel activities. How did the Rani of Jhansi fight the British?
Answer: Lucknow and Kanpur were the two important centers of the Revolt of 1857. Rani of Jhansi, to recover her kingdom Jhansi from the British herself, took command of her army. She wrested Gwalior from the British with the help of Tanya Tope.

Question 84. Who was known as the ‘Tiger of the Revolt of 1857’? Where did he hoist his flag?
Answer: Kunwar Singh was known as the ‘Tiger of the Revolt of 1857’. He was a big zamindar of Jagadishpur in Bihar. He hoisted his flag at the top of his royal palace at Jagadishpur.

Question 85. What was the immediate cause of the Revolt of 1857?
Answer: The episode of the greased cartridges constituted the immediate cause of the revolt of 1857. The new Enfield Rifle introduced by the British had a greased paper cover in its cartridge that had to be bitten off before it was loaded. There was a rumor that the paper was made of beef and pig fat. This enraged both the Hindu and Muslim sepoys who burst out in rebellion.

Question 86. Name two historians who called the revolt of 1857 A.D. a Sepoy Revolt.
Answer: Sir John Silly & Charles Robert said that the revolt of 1857 was just a sepoy mutiny.

Question 87. Who said the revolt of 1857 A.D. was the First War of Indian Independence?
Answer: S.C.Bose & V.D. Savarkar said that the revolt of 1857 was the first war of Independence.

Question 88. What information do we get from the caricature of Gaganedra Nath Tagore?
Answer: Through his cartoons, he criticized colonialism in contemporary society. He criticized certain sections of the British Indian colonialist society and the ‘babu culture’ of Western-educated people through his cartoons and was able to enhance the fondness for traditional Indian culture among the Bengali gentry.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Early Stages of Collective Action, short answer questions”

Question 89. When was Nana Sahab declared the Peshwa of Kanpur?
Answer: Nana Saheb was declared Peshwa of Kanpur on 6th June 1857.

Question 90. When and who founded the Landholders’ Society?
Answer: The Landholder’s Society was founded in 1838 by Dwarkanath Tagore.

Question 91. Who were the members of the Landholders” Association?
Answer: Radhakanta Dev, Rammohan Roy, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, and Dwarkanath Tagore were the members of the Landholders” Association.

Question 92. Where were the branches of the Indian Association?
Answer: The Indian Association had branches in Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Meerut.

Question 93. Who and when founded the Hindu Mela?
Answer: Hindu Mela was founded by Navgopala Mitra in 1867.

Question 94. Who and when founded the National Gymnasium?
Answer: The National Gymnasium was founded by Nabagopala Mitra in the year 1868.

Question 95. Who were the main students of the National Gymnasium?
Answer: The main students of the National Gymnasium were Bipin Chanda Pal, Sundari Mohan Das, Rajchandra Chaudhury, and Swami Vivekananda.

Question 96. Who and when founded the Bengal British Association?
Answer: George Thomson founded the Bengal British India Society in 1843.

Question 97. Who and when founded the British Indian Association?
Answer: Raja Radhakanta Deb founded the British Indian Association on 2nd October 1851.

Question 98. Which journal reported the failure of Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha? Why did it fail?
Answer: Sambad Prabhakarin its 2 March 1852 edition reported about the failure of all the associations that followed the Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha. The associations could not survive because of their ‘lack of unity”.

Question 99. Who and where founded the East India Association?
Answer: Dadabhai Naoroji founded the East Indian Association in London.

Question 100. Who and when founded Poona Sarvajanik Sabha?
Answer: Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was founded in 1867 by Gopal Hari Deshmukh.

Question 111. Who and where founded the Indian League?
Answer: The Indian League was founded by Sisir Kumar Ghosh in 1875.

Question 112. Who and when founded the Bombay Association?
Answer: Jagannath Shankar in 1852 founded Bombay Association.

Question 113. Who and when founded the Calcutta Students” Association?
Answer: The Calcutta Students” Association was founded by Anand Mohan Bose in 1875.

“WBBSE Class 10 History Early Stages of Collective Action, short answer questions”

Question 114. Who and when founded the National India Association?
Answer: The National India Association was founded by Mary Carpenter in 1857.

Question 115. Who and where founded the Indian Society?
Answer: Ananda Mohan Bose founded the Indian Society in London.

Question 116. Who and when founded Madras Mahajan Sabha?
Answer: Madras Mahajan Sabha was founded by Raghavachari and S. Ayyer in 1884.

Question 117. Who and when founded the Bombay Presidency Association?
Answer: The Bombay Presidency Association was founded by Firozshah Tayabbji in 1885.

Question 118. Who and when wrote the novel Anandamath?
Answer: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee wrote the novel Anandamath in 1882.

Question 119. Who and when wrote Bartaman Bharat?
Answer: Swami Vivekananda wrote Bartaman Bharat in 1905.

Question 120. What is the subject matter of Bartaman Bharat?
Answer: In “Bartaman Bharat”, not only did Swami Vivekananda talk about the awakening of lower caste people, he thought deeply about the awakening of lower caste people, the poor, and the downtrodden people. He implored people to remove the caste barrier and consider every Indian as a brother.

Question 121. What is ‘Gora’?
Answer: Gora was a novel written by Rabindranath Tagore in the year 1910.

Question 122. When and in which magazine Gora was published serially?
Answer: From 1907 to 1909 Gora was published serially in the magazine named ‘Pravasi’.

Question 123. What is the subject matter of the novel Gora?
Answer: Gora, written at the beginning of the twentieth century, dealt with doubts and conflicts in the minds of the Bengalees about social, moral, and national issues.

Question 124. Who and when painted the picture of Bharat Mata?
Answer: Abanindranath Tagore in 1905 painted the picture of Bharat Mata.

Question 125. In which magazines were the cartoons of Ganendranath Tagore published?
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore’s cartoons were published in ‘Prabasi’ and ‘Modern Review magazines.

Chapter 4 Early Stages Of Collective Action Fill In The Blanks 

Question 1. In Bengal _______, near Calcutta, was the center of the initial spark of the Revolt of 1857.
Answer: Barrackpore.

Question 2. One of the aims of the Indian Association was to rally the masses in the great ________ movements of the day.
Answer: Political.

Question 3. The Indian League of ______ was merged with Bharat Sabha.
Answer: Sisir Kumar Ghosh.

Question 4. Jatiyo Mela set up by Rajnarayan Basu and Nabagopal Mitra was later renamed as _________.
Answer: Hindu Mela.

Question 5. The song Vande Mataram was composed by ________.
Answer: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Question 6.’Gora’ was written by ________.
Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.

Question 7. The first modern cartoon was published in _______.
Answer: Amrita Bazar Patrika.

Question 8. Sepoy Mutiny took place in ______.
Answer: 1857.

“Class 10 WBBSE History Chapter 4 SAQs, important questions, and answers”

Question 9. Zamindar Sabha was established in _______.
Answer: 1837.

Question 10. ________ organized Hindu Mela.
Answer: Naba Gopal Mitra.

Question 11. ________ wrote Bartaman Bharat.
Answer: Swami Vivekananda.

Question 12. Anandmath’s novel was written by ______.
Answer: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Question 13. _________ painted the figure of Bharat Mata.
Answer: Abanindra Nath Tagore.

Question 14. S. N. Sen wrote the book ________.
Answer: 1857 (Eighteen Fifty-Seven).

Question 15. The book “The Great Revolt’ was written by ________.
Answer: Ashok Mehta.

Question 16. Victoria’s Proclamation was read out on ________.
Answer: 1 November 1858 A.D.

Question 17. The doctrine of Lapse was introduced by _______.
Answer: Lord Dalhousie.

Question 18. The Sepoy Mutiny in Meerut was started on _________.
Answer: 10 May 1857 A.D.

Question 19. Queen of Jhansi fought with _________.
Answer: Sir Hirose.

Question 20. National Gymnasium was established in ________.
Answer: 1868 A.D.

Question 21. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was founded by ________.
Answer: Justice Ranade.

Question 22. National India Association was founded at ________.
Answer: London.

Question 23. Bombay Association was formed by __________.
Answer: Jagannath Shankar.

Question 24. The book Naba Hullode was written by _______.
Answer: Gaganendra Nath Tagore.

Question 25. Emon Korbo Ar Korbo Na was written by ______ .
Answer: Jyotindra Nath Tagore.

Chapter 4 Early Stages Of Collective Action True Or False

Question 1. Considering the nature of the rising the old school of historians found it difficult to call the Revolt of 1857 the ‘War of Independence’.
Answer: True

Question 2. Despite failure, the Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha paved the way for the foundation of the Indian National Congress.
Answer: True

Question 3. Abanindranath’s paintings were designed as an organized protest against foreign influences.
Answer: True

Question 4. The Sepoy Mutiny was an uprising of the soldiers.
Answer: True

Question 5. On 1st December 1877, Queen Victoria was proclaimed the Empress of India.
Answer: False

Question 6. The British rulers and Indian Zamindars could come together under the banner of Bharat Sabha.
Answer: False

Question 7. Bharat Sabha was established in 1836.
Answer: False

Question 8. Bharat Mata’ was a famous painting drawn in the backdrop of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer: False

Question 9. The 18th century is called the Age of Associations.
Answer: False

Question 10. Bangabhasha Prakashika Sabha was a religious institution.
Answer: False

Question 11. The other name of the Landholders’ Society was Zamindar Sabha.
Answer: Ture

“Early Stages of Collective Action WBBSE Class 10, SAQs guide, exam-focused”

Question 12. Hindu Mela was organized in 1876 A.D.
Answer: True

Question 13. Hindu Mela was a national fair.
Answer: True

Question 14. According to V.A. Smith, the revolt of 1857 was a Sepoy Mutiny.
Answer: True

Question 15. Dr. R. C. Majumdar called the revolt of 1857 a National Revolt.
Answer: False

Question 16. Ashok Mehta wrote the book ‘The Great Revolt’.
Answer: True

Question 17. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation was announced in 1857 A.D.
Answer: False

Question 18. The first Viceroy of India was Lord Canning.
Answer: True

Question 19. Bangabhasha Prakashika Sabha was founded in 1834 A.D.
Answer: False

Question 20. Zamindar Sabha was founded by Dwarkanath Tagore.
Answer: True

Question 21. Indian Association was founded on 26 July 1876 A.D.
Answer: True

Question 22. The founder of the Indian Association was Surendranath Banerjee.
Answer: True

Question 23. All India National Conference was called forth in 1885 A.D.
Answer: False

Question 24. Indian National Congress was founded in 1855 A.D.
Answer: True

Question 25. The last Mughal emperor was Bahadur Shah 2.
Answer: True

Question 25. The founder of the Indian League was Firoj Shah Mehta.
Answer: False

Question 26. The founder of the Indian National Congress was A. O. Hume.
Answer: True

Question 27. National Gymnasium was founded by Naba Gopal Mitra.
Answer: False

Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas And Initiatives Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. ________ declared freedom of the press in the year 1835.
Answer: Charles Metcalfe.

Question 2. __________ was the first English newspaper in Bengal.
Answer: Bengal Gazette.

Question 3. The readers could have easy access to knowledge because of _______.
Answer: The printing press.

Question 4. The university set up by Rabindranath Tagore was called _______.
Answer: Visva Bharati.

Question 5. ________ established the Indian Statistical Institute at Baranagar.
Answer: Prashanta Kumar Mahalanobis.

Question 6. ________ was the founder of IACS.
Answer: Mahendra Lai Sarkar.

Question 7. The National Council of Education was set up in ______.
Answer: 1906.

Question 8. Against the publication of ______ Lord Lytton passed the Vernacular Press Act.
Answer: Somprakash.

Question 9. _______ published the Bengal Gazette.
Answer: James Augustus Hickki.

10. ______ bought the Hindu Patriot.
Answer: British Indian Association.

Question 11. Digdarshan was published under the leadership of ______.
Answer: Marshman.

Question 12. Bangadutta newspaper was published in ______.
Answer: 1830 A.D.

Question 13. The editor of Indian Mirror was _______.
Answer: Keshab Chandra Sen.

Question 14. Amrit Bazar Patrika turned into a daily newspaper in ______.
Answer: 1851 A.D.

Question 15. Bangabasi magazine was published by _______.
Answer: Jogendranath Bose.

Question 16. _______ published the English magazine named Bengalee.
Answer: Surendra Nath Banerjee.

Question 17. Al Hilal magazine was published under the leadership of ______.
Answer: Abul Kalam Azad.

Question 18. Bombay Gazette was published in _______.
Answer: 1816 A.D.

Question 19. The founder of ‘U.N. Roy and Sons was ______.
Answer: Upendra Kishor Roy Choudhury.

Question 20. South Asia’s first printing press was established in ______.
Answer: 1913 A.D.

Question 21. Calcutta Medical College was founded in ______.
Answer: 1835 A.D.

Question 22. The founder of Bose Institute was ______.
Answer: Jagdish Chandra Bose.

Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas And Initiatives True Or False

Question 1. ‘Bengal Chemicals’ was set up by Jagdish Chandra Bose.
Answer: False

Question 2. Prof. C. V. Raman was associated with Calcutta Science College.
Answer: False

Question 3. Rabindranath Tagore was opposed to the colonial system of education.
Answer: True

Question 4. Shantiniketan Ashram was set up by Rabindranath Tagore.
Answer: True

Question 5. Sambad Kaumudi was published in the Bengali language.
Answer: True

Question 6. Raja Rammohan Roy edited the magazine, Chandrika.
Answer: False

Question 7. Somprakash was a daily newspaper.
Answer: False

Question 8. Bengal Gazette was published in 1816 A.D.
Answer: True

Question 9. The publication of Bangadutta was started in 1857 A.D.
Answer: False

Question 10. Somprakash was banned by the Vernacular Press Act.
Answer: True

Question 11. The publication of Indian Mirror was started in 1861 A.D.
Answer: True

Question 12. The language of the magazine Amrit Bazar Patrika was Bengali.
Answer: True

Question 13. The founder of ‘The Bengal Gazette’ was William Bolts.
Answer: False

Question 14. The editor of Calcutta General was James Augustus Hikki.
Answer: False

Question 15. The book Chheleder Ramayan was printed in Wood Block printing.
Answer: True

Question 16. The first printing press in South Asia was U.N. Roy and Sons.
Answer: True