Class 8 History

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Background

The Supremacy of the British in India was known as the ‘British Raj’. “The settlement of 1818 marks the beginning of the paramountcy of the East India Company” (Dodwell).

After establishing colonial rule in India, the company’s political, economic, and administrative power highly developed. In a time of the rule of the English East India Company (1757-1857) the Nawab of Bengal and as well as native princes became the puppet rulers to the hands of the British.

Most of the Governor Generals founded the British Raj on a strong basis. According to R. C. Majumder sovereignty or paramount power of the British in India is called the “British Raj”.

The concepts of ‘oligarchy’ and ‘autocracy’ were taken in, the new administrative policy of the British Raj. The growing colonial imperialism had been seen after the Sepoy mutiny (1857).

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So the aftermath of the Revolt, Queen Victoria (1837-1901) adopted the policy of reorganization of the British Raj.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy British Colonial Impact On The Indian Economy

British Colonial Impact On The Indian Economy

The colonial rule of the British had a deep impact on the Indian Economy. After the Battle of Buxar, the Company’s colonial expansion and colonial exploitation reached the highest grade.

The period of dyarchy gave political support to the colonial rulers in India. The prosperous trade and industries in India gradually declined.

The important ship-building factories were built in Sweat, Bassein, Goa, Chittagong, Dacca, and Mussolipattam, which once came under the control of the colonists.

The silk, wool, and cotton textile industries developed in Ahmedabad, Surat, Broach, Bangalore, Madurai, Delhi, Agra, Vishakapattanam, Benaras, Lahore, Multan, etc. The ‘Moslin’ and ‘Calico’ cotton goods of Dacca were world famous.

Apart from these ceramic earthen pottery and leather industries and its various artisans appeared in this period. In a word, the indigenous economy was self-sufficient and prosperous.

But the establishment of the Company’s colonial rule and its exploitation gradually ruined the whole economic network. The period of “economic plunder” really started from the post-Plassey and Buxar eras.

Very soon India’s politics, society, and economy were severely affected. British colonial rule highly affected the Indian village economy.

As a result

1. Prosperous self-sufficient villages declined.
2. Village agrarian society penetrated into poverty.
3. Administrative reforms of the British delta mode blow on the agriculture and peasantry.
4. Every governor of India gave attention on Indian revenue because it was their high source of national income.
5. The ‘Dadan System’ of the company became the cause of increasing tension of the village community.
6. Not only the raw materials, to sell their industrial products company captured the whole, market of India.
7. The government also started the policy of payment of revenue through cash not by kind.
8. Company’s ‘agents’ and ‘gomastas’ collected the agrarian goods and raw materials in a very chief price.
9. Due to the high taxation of Indian cotton goods, the helpless cotton weavers and artisans were compelled to give up their traditional occupations. Mr. D. H. Buchanon said that the introduction of railways ruined the self-dependent village economy.
10. The company’s policy of de-industrialization also had far-reaching effects.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Land Revenue Policy And Decline In Agricultural Economy

At the very outset of the company regime, the whole of India including Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, was an agriculture-based country. So, due to the eagerness of the British and the active part of the Company, different land revenue policies were taken up.

After Bengal, Bihar and, Orissa got the Diwani (1765 A.D.), the income of the company increased to a great extent. In 1765-66 A.D. the land revenue collected was Rs. 1 crore 20 lacs. Later it increased to Rs. 2 crores 40 lacs.

Dewan Reza Khan and Sitab Rai used to collect huge revenues from Bengal and Orissa respectively by coercion and exploitation. At this time, the condition of the Bengali farmers became worse as Clive introduced dual ruling.

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After Clive, Verelest (1767-69 A.D.) and Cartier (1770 A.D.) did not even try to improve the coerced way of collecting land revenue.

Land Revenue Policy of Warren Hastings:

The company formed ‘Comptrolling Councils of Revenue’ in Patna and Murshidabad in July 1770 A.D. with the purpose of retrenching the corrupted employees. Similarly, he formed the Comptrolling Committee of Revenue in Calcutta in April 1771 A.D.

The ‘Court of directors of the company ordered the principal officers in Calcutta to recover the condition of famine-stricken Bengal. Under these circumstances, Lord Warren Hastings was sent to Bengal as governor (1772-85 A.D.).

After being governor he immediately sacked Reza Khan and Sitab Ray and appointed a special class of employees known as ‘Collector’. A ‘Board of Revenue’ was formed to determine how much revenue they would collect.

Under this Board, there was a ‘Committee of Circuit’. Warren Hastings introduced the ‘Five-year settlement from 1772-77 A.D. It visited each district and the ‘Committee of Circuit’ was given the responsibility to allot land through an auction for a tenure of five years.

In 1773 A.D. a change was made in the revenue system by the ‘Regulating Act’. ‘Hastings-Barwell’ Project was made in 1775 A.D. Middleton Decars supported it.

Ultimately the five-point system was nullified due to some disadvantages and a One-year settlement was introduced in 1775 A.D. even before the end of the five-year settlement system.

Neither a Five-year settlement nor a One-year settlement was introduced in 1775 A.D. even before the expiry of the Five-year settlement. Warren Hastings appointed Amini Commission in 1776 A.D.

Both Five year and One-year settlements could improve the condition of the peasants.

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Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Land Revenue Policy Of Lord Cornwallis

Cornwallis changed the system of land revenue. Sir Henry Dandus, the President of Pitt’s India Act (1784 A.D.) The Court of Directors and Board of Control advised him to reform the land revenue and to introduce a permanent settlement.

He enquired about the land revenue in 1786-89 A.D. At last, he introduced the ‘Ten-year settlement’ in Bengal and Bihar in 1789 A.D. and in Orissa in 1790 A.D.

Lord Cornwallis

To make this system permanent, he discussed the matter with Charles Grant, John Shore, Phillip Francis, Thornton, etc. This permanent settlement became legalized when the Court of Directors sanctioned it.

Permanent Settlement:

Cornwallis introduced the permanent settlement on 22nd March 1793 A.D. This system was introduced in Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Benaras. Basically, this system was introduced between the zamindars and the Company.

So it was also known as the zamindari system. Cornwallis thought that this system would bring about the loyalty of the zamindars as well as the stability of revenue earning would be restored.

According to the historian Ramesh Chandra Datta (Economic History of India, Vol-1), the collected revenues from the permanent settlement was very much necessary for the Company for the expansion of the kingdom, warfare, and expansion of trade and commerce.

Because 9/10th of such revenue had to be paid to the Company and the rest 1/10th remained with the zamindars. The excess amount was negated by the zamindars even if it was illegal.

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Impact or results:

The bad effects were as-

1. Firstly: Due to such permanent settlement, the middleman between the zamindars and the collectors became the real owners of the land.
2. Secondly: The Company did not determine the amount of revenue to be paid by the peasants.
3. Thirdly: Many middlemen like ljaradar, Pattanidar, Paik, etc. threw the farmers of Bengal into absolute poverty due to the introduction of this system.
4. Fourthly: The cottage industry collapsed as a result, and many artisans, artists, and social workers were thrown out of employment and became landless farmers. Karl Marx said in his book ‘British Rule in India’, “It was the change in the property relations which caused the social revolution”.
5. Fifthly: Many Banian people of the city invested money in the land because they found that the zamindari system was profit-making. Over and above many noble and old zamindars became paupers due to “Sunset Law”:
6. Sixthly: Historian T. R. E. Homes in his book History of Indian Mutiny said, “The permanent settlement was a sad blunder”.

So the government somehow managed this situation by introducing the ‘Bengal Land Tenancy Act’ (1859). The positive effects of the permanent settlement are as-

1. The company assured about their source of income from land after the permanent settlement.
2. The zamindars concentrated on improving land after getting the permanent right over the land.

Simultaneously, many people were interested in investing money in agriculture rather than investing in business or industry because the earning from the land was

much more. J. C. Marshman, the editor of Digdarshan said in his book History of India (VII-1871, Page 35) “It (Permanent settlement) was a bold, brave and wise measure.”

Ryotwari settlement:

In 1820 A. D. Thomas Munro and Captain Alexander Reed developed the Ryotwari system with the land tenants of the Bombay Presidency. The term of this system was for thirty years and it was developed with the understanding between the governments and the ryots.

Thomas Munro

In this case, this government itself played the role of zamindar. Under this system, the ryots had to take help from the hawkers to meet up tax liability and became the prey of exploitation.

Thomas Munro introduced Permanent settlements in the places like Salem, Chingelpet, Chittur, Uttar Sarkar, Dindigul, Ramananda, etc. due to exploitations of the zamindars.

Mahalwari system :

In 1822 A.D. Mackenzie, the revenue secretary introduced the Mahalwari System in the Gangetic Valley. The land was distributed per mahal or house instead of per peasant. This was introduced in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab.

Under this system, the land was distributed for a period of thirty years. Here the land revenue was fixed purely on estimation.

Due to the efforts of Elphinstone and Mackenzie, a combined Grammari and Bhaiachari system was introduced comprising of some Mahals or villages in Punjab (1824 A. D.). As the population was, this system was quite, effective.

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Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Impact Of British Land Revenue Policy On Indian Society

Impact:

The three mainland revenue policies like the permanent settlement with the zamindars, ryotwari settlement with the ryots or farmers and malware settlement with the family heads, and another system named Bhaiyacharya settlement with the village heads were together almost harmful for Indian society.

1. Firstly, the heavy tax burden caused their increasing poverty and hunger.
2. Secondly, many so-called zamindars were de-rooted or destroyed due to the rigidity of “sunset law” during the days of permanent settlement.
3. Thirdly, all the revenue policies benefited only the British, not the peasants or the zamindars.
4. Fourthly, neither government or their collectors did not have the interest to improve the painful life and miserable condition of peasants.
5. Fifthly, traditional Indian society including agrarian society was totally destroyed.
6. Sixthly, a new class of zamindars like ‘absentee landlords, money lenders, and intermediate classes’ emerged in Indian society.
7. Seventhly, due to the bad
8. Effects of land revenue policy rural agrarian society was ruined and new businessmen, money lenders, Damascus, barkandaj, paiks established their overlordship in villages.
9. Eighthly, according to Dr. R. C. Datta due to poverty, famine, and measures money lenders, British agents, and, brokers of the new urban zamindars dominated over the villages.

These new classes had no interest in the welfare of peasants.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Commercialisation Of Agriculture

One of the most important features of colonialism. The Indian economy was the commercialization of agriculture. The agro-based Indian economy is the main source of income of the British colonial rulers.

Commercial crops

Therefore, the colonial rulers gave importance on the cultivation of commercial crops like jute, indigo, tea, coffee, rubber etc. These are also called “commercial crops”.

For the introduction of highly developed transportation like the expansion of railways commercial crops were imported easily which increased the high process of commercialization of agriculture. It also helped to develop the concept of “modernization of economy” or “mixed economy”.

It is the symbol of a dynamic economy. After obtaining Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa Englishman introduced various land revenue policies to get maximum revenue from the Indian zamindars and peasants.

In order to meet the high demand of revenue, the peasants perpetually remained indebted to the local moneylenders. Many of the peasants lost their lands to those greedy money lenders for the inability to pay back the borrowed amount.

British government’s policy of commercialization of agriculture encouraged market-oriented production of cash crops like tea, coffee, opium, indigo, jute, sugar, etc. The peasants of India were forced to produce these cash crops that spoiled the fertility of the soil and other crops could be grown on it.

The growth of minimum subsistence crops led to the deterioration and impoverishment of the agriculture and cultivation of India. The peasants were suppressed under the triple burden of the government money lenders and landlords.

On the other hand, the lack of attention in the development of agriculture and the use of new methods and equipment of the British also ruined Indian agriculture.

The commercialization of agriculture means the agricultural crops and goods are produced by peasants for sale in markets and not for their own consumption. Commercialization of agriculture in India began during British rule.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

The commercialization of Indian Agriculture took place not to feed the industries of India, because India was far behind in industrial development as compared to England, France, Belgium, and other European countries of the eighteenth century.

It was done primarily to feed British Industries that it was taken up and occupied in case of those agricultural products which were needed by British industries or could fetch cash commercial profit to the British in the markets of Europe or America.

For example, efforts were made to increase the production of cotton in India to provide raw and good quality cotton to the cotton textile industries of England, which were growing fast after the industrial revolution in Britain.

Hence the production of Cotton increased manifold with the gradual lapse of time in India. Similarly, tea, indigo, coffee, and other plantation were encouraged in India because these could get commercial markets abroad.

It is very important to note that most of the plantations for commercial crops were controlled by the British. Crops like cotton, jute, tea, coffee, rubber, indigo, sugarcane, tobacco, ground nuts, etc.

Which had a high demand in the markets were increasingly cultivated by the British. The commercialization of Indian agriculture started post-1813 when the industrial revolution in England gained pace.

Its results were

1. It was beneficial to the British planters.
2. Traders and manufacturers were benefited by it.
3.  It also profited few Indian traders and moneylenders who made a huge fortune by working as middlemen for the British and it adversely affected the poor people of India and became difficult for them to get even a sufficient supply of food.

Evaluation:

The tax burden on the farmers increased as there had been new systems introduced gradually. Dr. Rajani Palme Dutta, said, “The agriculture of Bengal are more resourceful today, and more secure against the world effects of famine than the agriculture of any other province in India.”-Economic History of India.

De-industrialisation :

Before the advent of the Europeans in India, India was not an industrial country, but the “industrial workshop” of the world. India’s traditional village economy was characterized by the “blending of agriculture and handicrafts”.

But this traditional economic system rapidly declines from the beginning of the 19th century. This process came to be called as “de-industry- realisation”-an opposite term to industrialization.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

The use of the word ‘de-industrialization’ could be traced to 1940. Its dictionary meaning is the “deduction or destruction of a nation’s industrial capacity”.

The term came into prominence in India to describe the “process of destruction of Indian handicraft industries by competition from the products of British manufacture during the 19th century”.

Daniel Thorner defined de-industrialization as a decline in the proportion of the working population engaged in the secondary industry to the total working population or a decline in the proportion of the population dependent on the secondary industry to the total population.

But nationalist economists Dr. Ramesh Chandra Datta and Mahadev Gobinda Ranade said it as the process of “de-industrialization” since the bulk of the population is agriculture rather than industry as a means of livelihood.

According to Dr. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, de-industrialization means the deterioration or decline of industries in India. But this opinion of nationalist historians like Dr. Bipan Chandra, and Dr. Amiya Kr. Bagchi, Dr. Tapan Roychowdhury, etc. is criticized by foreign historians, such as Morris David Morris, Daniel Thorner, etc.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Decline Of Indigenous Industry In The British Period

The British people wanted to expand economic power after capturing political power. There are many impacts of the British industrial revolution in India. They used India for the supply of raw materials and also for selling their finished products.

Indian cotton textile industry suffered to a great extent due to this colonial policy. Economist Dr. R. Gadgil said that Indian handicraft and textile industry was destroyed due to this colonization causes are as-

1.  The Charter Act of 1813 A. D. demolished the trade monopoly of the East India Company. So Indian market became open to all of European merchants. The Indians had to pay tax which Europeans did not. Statistically, it is seen that England imported commodity of 3,86,000 pounds in 1780 A.D. which increased to 80,00000 pounds in 1850 A.D. England imported silk of 30,00000 yards in 1818 A.D. and in 1837 A.D. it increased to 6,40,000,00 yards. It proves that the Indian textile industry was already weak and it was destroyed due to the indiscriminate policy taken by the British government.
2. Due to the decline of the independent Indian rulers, who were the chief patron of this industry, a decline of this industry became inevitable.
3. The Company passed Acts in favour of their trade. Historian William Bolts said that they even tried to humiliate the carpenter of India. They even cut their thumbs. The carpenters had to sell their products to European merchants at a very low cost. So many of them joined agriculture and left their traditional job. In 1825 A.D. there were 1,50,000 weavers in Dhaka and in 1836 A.D. the number reduced to 30,000.
4.  Dr. Ramesh Ch. Datta, Lord Hamilton, and Dr. Rushbrook William said that the industrial revolution of England and government policies were togetherly responsible for the decline of Indian cotton industries.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

The textiles of Lancashire, Manchester, and Yorkshire of Britain were sold in the Indian market without any tax. The British Parliament passed two acts in 1700 and 1720 to curb Indian imports.

The high rate of trade duties on Indian goods in England were imposed in 1747, 1759, and 1760. On the opposite, the Indian ‘Calico’ textile had a 672% extra tax, and silk of Dhaka (Maslin) had an additional 372% tax in Britain.

H. H. Wilson said that if Indian merchants could sell at a 50-60% reduced price, it would be profitable to them. The British government introduced the tax to protect British industry and to destroy Indian industry.

Morphing of India from an Exporter to an Importer-Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire.

It was quite natural for the European countries to exploit the natural resources of their colonies, for enriching their own interests. And India was no exception to this rule.

The British were looting the natural resources of the country and taking the minerals and other materials to Britain. They then processed the raw materials to finished goods and India was importing the finished goods for its own consumption.

For the very reason that India was the provider as well as the importer of goods from England, it was nicknamed as the Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire.

Historian Dr. Tarachand had commented that Colonial India was converted into an economic slave of Great Britain. According to Dr. Rajani Palme Dutta, in his book India Today had said that Modern England’s shine was due to looted wealth by the British from India.

For this reason, contemporary British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli called “India as the jewel in the crown of the British Empire”. According to historians India changed from a net exporter to an importer sometime in 1842-43 AD.

By extracting and exploiting the resources of the country, and through the tribune system, England was earning millions worth of income every year.

In 1851 through the tribune system 2.5 million pounds, in 1901, 17.3 million pounds, and in 1933, 27.5 million pound sterling was earned by Great Britain from India.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

In 1878, the expenses made by the British Government on its military based in India was 25 million sterling pounds, which was equivalent to the 41 percent revenue budget of the country.

Hence the common man was paying a total of 41% of his taxes for the preservation of the British army in India. The major items being exported to Britain were tea, coffee, cotton, etc the net value of which in 1851 was 3.3 million pound sterling.

From 1913 to 1914, the British had taken 14-2 million pounds and in 1933-34 this figure had touched 68.7 million pounds. Besides this about 42-9 million pound worth of gold and silver was taken to England to secure the English currency against devaluation.

The British employees were also paid lavish salaries from the tax collected from the poor Indians. This is the reason why India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Railway Establishment In India

The construction of railways in agriculture-based India brought a revolutionary change in transport, economy, lifestyles, and in other aspects. Railways played a pivotal role in the developing economy of modern India.

The proposal of setting up railways was taken up in 1832 A.D. first keeping in mind the overall development of agriculture-based poor India.

Later on due to endeavoring of Lord Dalhousie, “the father of Indian railways”, a railway line was laid from Bombay to Thane in 16th April 1853 A.D, which was 21 miles long.

In the next year, another line was laid by ‘East India Railways Co.’ from Howrah to Pandua in July 1854 A.D. From this time onwards a unique change was noticed in the economic, social, political, administrative, and cultural fields of India.

After that, the railway connection was made between Howrah and Raniganj in 1855 A.D. In 1856 A.D. Madras, Arcott, Calcutta, and Bombay were, included in the railway network.

About 200 miles of railway lines were made during the period of Dalhousie (1848-56 A.D.)

The expansion of railways was like the following chart :

1857       A.D       –  439     Km
1860       A.D       –  1349   Km
1870       A.D       –  7678   Km
1890       A.D       –  25,495 Km
1920-21 A.D       –  56,980 Km
1946-47 A.D       –  65,217 Km

In 1867 A.D. 19 out of 20 main cities of India were connected by railways. Anyway, the total expenditure for laying railway lines in British India was approx. 550 crores of Rupees. But it was not sufficient in comparison with the necessity.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Objectives Or Reasons Of Introduction Of The Railways

1. Object of Dalhousie :

The main object of Dalhousie was to fulfill the imperialist interest by the introduction of railways in India. There were some reasons of Dalhousie behind setting up railways in India-

1. To move the army to distant places quickly,
2. To increase British investment in India.
3. To build up communication with the ports. Dalhousie felt it very urgent and important to build up railways for the sake of economic, military, and political interests.

2. Administrative reason:

The Government gave importance on the railways for a better communication system. Besides this, the soldiers can be sent quickly to encounter any internal conflicts within the country.

3. Economic reason:

Railways were necessary for importing industrial products from England and exporting raw materials to England after the industrial revolution.

Many iron merchants and industrialists of England felt the importance of the construction of railways in India. Richard Temple, the Governor of Bombay said in 1880 A.D. that India should be included within the British empire because such an empire will last long due to huge British investments made in India.

Dr. N. B. Mehta has commented similarly in his book ‘Indian Railways’. So for the expansion of railways in India, at least 8 private British companies were invited to India with a minimum guarantee of 5% of the profit during 1849-1869 A.D.

The Clauses of this guaranteed system were-

1. The government will allot land to the companies free of cost.
2. They will receive a minimum 5% interest on the total invested capital.
3. The government may buy out the railways after 25 to 50 years.

But these companies purposely used to show huge losses as there was guaranteed profit.

To compensate for these losses, there was great pressure on the land revenues of India. With this issue, the Government was immensely criticized and as a result, it canceled the guarantee system and started constructing railways of its own in 1869- 1880 A.D.

Wbbse History Chapter 4 Class 8 Notes

But due to the Second Anglo-Afghan war in 1878 A.D. and the famine, the Government was bound to re-establish the guarantee system in 1880 A.D. for the reason of extreme financial crisis. In that case, the rate of interest was reduced to 3.5%.

An important event was the establishment of “The Railway Board” in 1905 A.D. and the constitution of the Ackworth Committee under the leadership of Sir William Ackworth in 1919 A.D. The idea was to spend Rs. 150 crores per year for the development of railways. The railways was nationalized from this time.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Good Effects Of Railways

1. The communication system between the distant villages, ports, and markets was improved. Railways has an important role in communicating between town and the village. The village people got the opportunity to buy industrial products at a cheaper. rate only due to railways.
2.  Railways brought a revolutionary change in the transport system: Speedy movements of articles from one place to another was possible due to railways. On the other hand, the cost of transportation was decreased. The contribution of railways is enormous in sending relief and food to the regions affected by famine, earthquake, and flood.
3. Railways opened a new horizon to employment opportunities. Railways played an important role in eradicating the unemployment problem. There were 34,000 railway workers within 12 years from the inception (1865 A.D.) and it increased to 2,73,000 in 1895 A.D. and 10,47,000 in the pre-independence era. So, there is no doubt that the railways brought a revolution in Indian life.
4. Passenger carriage was 630 million in 1930 A.D. as opposed to 19 million in 1871 A.D. Besides this, the railways became very important in building up public opinion and exchange of views among the people of different parts of the country.
5.  Satisfactory advancement was made in industry and trade with the expansion of railways. Initially, only 700 railway engines were made in India. But it was insufficient to the needs. Hence 12,000 engines were imported from England. During 1862-1929 A.D. export increased to 230% and imports increased to 350%. Hence the railways can claim for high praise due to this overall improvement. Historian Bipan Chandra in his book “The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism in India” said that “The construction of railways had a revolutionary impact on the life, culture, and economy of Indian people.”
6.  Railways had helped in developing a sense of nationalism. The railways had a positive role in the exchange of views between different races, religions, and creeds. A sense of unity grew among the railway passengers.
7. The agro-based economy of India was transformed into an industry and capital-based economy due to railways, though the British constructed railways for their own sake and interest. Karl Marx said that The railway system will become in India truly the forerunner of modern India.

Bad effects of Railways:

1. As the ports and distant villages were communicated by railways, foreign articles became easily available to people. At the same time, Indian traders and commerce were affected due to unequal competition with foreigners. Thus, at one time, Indian industry and trade were almost ruined.
2. The water transport system was neglected because too much emphasis was put upon railways. Due to such negligence, the navigability of the rivers as well as the irrigation system deteriorated to a great extent. To solve this problem a sum of Rs. 43 crores was spent for improving this in 1902 A.D.

It may be concluded that due to the advent of railways, the foundation of exploitation and colonial ruling became very strong. American historian D. H. Buchanan said that the self-sufficiency of the village people was shattered by the railway lines and started sucking the blood of the villagers.

The introduction of railways in India created a mixed reaction to the Indian people.

Features of modern industrial advancements in India :

The majority of the industries in the pre-British era were cottage industries in India. A revolution in Indian industries was noticed with the enterprising effort of the British.

Wbbse History Chapter 4 Class 8 Notes

As a result, the agro-based economy of India became an industry-based economy during the pre and post First world war periods. A new chapter was opened in the advancement of industry in India.

Both Indian and European enterprises were seen behind the establishment of modern industries in India.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Problems Of Indian Enterprises In Industries

The Indian industries faced manifold problems in respect of Governmental help and lack of capital up to 1914 A.D. Only ‘The Punjab National Bank’ and ‘Bank of India’ were under the control of Indians.

They could get industrial loans from there but the rate of interest was so high that it was very difficult to earn a profit.

The Indians faced some special problems-

1. The industrial policy of the Government was a hindrance for the Indian industrialists.
2. The problem of capital investment was still there though the Indians set up banks and insurance companies.
3. The Indian industrialists and merchants were continuously being pressurized from different angles.
4. Europeans were getting privileges by getting agencies and guarantees in contrary to the Indians who were prevented from growing industries. Historian A. R. Desai thought that the British wanted to abolish the pre-capitalistic structure of production and became inclined to the modern capitalistic structure of production.
5. Indians could not improve science and technology for the upliftment of modernizing industries.
6. Apart from this, the Indian industrialists were in trouble because British Government did not give them an industrial loan, license, and fixed high rate of duties on imported cotton goods. They also reduced the supremacy of the Indians in the raw material market.

The main specialty of the advancement of modern industries was the enthusiasm and encouragement of the Indian industrialists.

Government sector industries and division of commercial departments (1905 A.D.):

The pace of the step which the British took in modern industrialization in India was very slow at the initial stage but later on this nature changed a lot.

Wbbse History Chapter 4 Class 8 Notes

Historian Rajani Palme Dutta said by quoting George Pein that the British Government in 1911 A.D. had invested about 3650 lac lbs. in India and Srilanka for the expansion of Industries. In the later stage, this was increased a lot.

Utilizing the administrative machinery, the British Government was increasing their profits in the name of industrialization in India.

An ‘Industrial Commission’ was set up in 1905 A.D. to start a new phase in different industries like indigo, paper, coal, coffee, jute and leather etc.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy European Enterprises In India

With the efforts of the Europeans, a new stream of industrialization started in India. This was the main specialty in the modern advancement of Indian industrialization.

The trend of such European efforts was like this : 

1. Jute industry:

George Auckland founded the first jute mill in Rishra in Hooghly in 1855 A.D. From this, the interests of the jute cultivators were increased. As a result, jutes were cultivated in 8,50,000 acres of land in 1870 A.D.

It increased to 31,50,400 acres in 1903 A.D. Side by side, the number of jute mills and jute laborers also increased. The total number of laborers in 36 jute mills was 1,10,000 in 1901 A.D. as opposed to only 20,000 in 20 mills in 1882 A.D.

In 1913-14 A.D., the jute products exported from India were worth Rs. 2,05,00,000. The “Indian Jute Manufacturers Association” was formed in 1884 A.D. This was named as.

“Indian Jute Mills Association” in 1902 A.D. As a result, the expansion of the jute industry became organized.

class 8 history chapter 4 wbbse

2. Garden industry:

The cultivation of indigo, tea, and coffee were the main garden industry. Andrew Charlton in 1832 A.D. planted tea trees at first in this country. Carl Bloom planted an indigo tree in 1780 A.D. Coffee was cultivated in the Nilgiri region (1823 A.D.)

The Europeans showed their keen interest in respect of these three industries. Several thousand of Nilkuthis were developed around this indigo industry.

Problems of the Indian industries:

The British Government took all measures to retard the industrial growth in India. They were completely against the growth of any industry under any Indian ownership.

Because, if the Indian industries grow, the British will lose the large Indian market and cheap labor and raw materials will not be available to them.

Wbbse History Chapter 4 Class 8 Notes

So the British Government put some restrictions on Indian industries, namely,

1. Not to issue any license for Indian industries.
2. Not to sanction ‘any loan for any modern industry.
3. To fix the high rate of taxation on the transportation of Indian goods.
4. To fix the high rate of taxation on Indian cotton industries.
5. To flood the market of foreign goods by lowering the import duty for which Indian industrial products may not find a market within the country.

By this, the British Government showed a step-motherly attitude towards the Indian industries. But in spite of all odds and Governmental restrictions many modern industries under Indian ownership developed.

Some of these were garments, jute, tea, sugar, coal, glass, leather, paper, chemicals, engineering, iron, and steel, etc.

Chapter 4 Nature Of Colonial Economy Indian Industries in Pre First World War Period

A new chapter began when many modern industries were developed under the ownership of some Indians in the pre-first world war period.

Cloth industry:

The first factory of cloth manufacturing was set up in Ghusuri in Howrah in 1818 A.D. under the ownership of some Indians. But due to want of raw materials and capital, that factory was closed within a short period.

class 8 history chapter 4 wbbse

The first large factory was “Bombay Spinning and Weaving Co” founded by Kowasji Nanabhai Davar (1814-1873 A.D.) in 1853-54 A.D. Within 1861 A.D. thirteen more cloth mills were established in Bombay and Ahmedabad.

This number was increased to 137 in 1876 A.D. According to the economist Dr. Sunil Sen (the name of his book is Economic History of Modern India) statistically there were 167 cloth mills under the ownership of Indians in 1898-99 A.D.

Kowasji Nanabhai Davar

This was increased to 335 in 1922 A.D. Out of this only 9 were under European ownership. The rest was under Indian management.

Dr. Rabindra Kumar thinks the main reason of cloth mills in Bombay being flourished was due to the fact that the riches of Bombay preferred investing money in cotton industries rather than inland property.

Wbbse History Chapter 4 Class 8 Notes

Besides this, in the early twentieth century, the taxes on cloth industries were very much relaxed and hence, the demand of Indian cloth increased in China as before. “Alexander Mill” of Bombay, “Empress Mill” and “Advance Mill” of Ahmedabad were the large cloth mills in the pre-first world war period.

Jute industry:

The first jute mill was established in Rishra of Serampore in Hooghly under Indian ownership in 1855 A.D. As there was no dearth of raw materials in this industry the total number of jute mills was 20 within 1882 A.D.

And total on both sides of the Hoogly river number of laborers engaged in these industries were 20,000. In 1895 A.D. the Government observing the satisfactory growth of this industry invested several crores of rupees and for this reason, the mills on either side of the Hooghly river were unified.

class 8 history chapter 4 wbbse

In 1901 A.D. there were 36 jute mills in India and 1,15,000 labourers in jute mills.

Tea industry:

Assam Tea Co’ was founded in 1845 A. D. under the complete ownership of the Indians. For the development of this industry many capitalists like Motilal Sil, Mirza Ispahani, Prince Dwarakanath Tagore, etc.

Motilal Sil

 

Invested Tea Co’s of Assam and Jalpaiguri large amount of money in this industry. In 1878 A. D. industrialist Jaichand Sanyal founded “Jalpaiguri Tea Company”, thus it became a glaring example in the tea industries.

Dwarakanath Tagore

Telegraph:

The word telegraph comes from the Greek word, ‘Tele’ or at a distance, and ‘graphein’ means to write. With the help of the telegraph, some small messages can be sent to far places at very less time.

Wbbse History Chapter 4 Class 8 Notes

This wonder invention was made by the French inventor Claude Chapel. Radio and wireless telegraphy came into being in the early part of the 20th century. England and India were connected through the telegraph in 1862.

Presently of course the communication systems globally have evolved into e-mails and short message systems through mobile phones.

The drain of wealth:

The theory of the ‘drain of wealth’ was used first by Dadabhai Naoroji in his famous book ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’. According to him drain of wealth was the portion of wealth and economy of India that was not available to Indians.

In 1867 he said that Britain completely drained India. Indian leaders and economists stated that the constant flow of wealth from India to England for which India did not get an adequate commercial, economic or material return was the ‘drain of wealth’.

The colonial British government utilized Indian agriculture, revenue, resources, and industry not for developing India, but for the prosperity of England.

If the resources have been utilized within India then they could have been invested and the income of the people would have increased. The drain of wealth was interpreted as an indirect tribute extracted by imperial Britain from India year after year.

After the battle of Plassey, the situation was reversed and the drain of wealth took an outward as England gradually acquired monopolistic control over the economy of India.

The drain of wealth from India to England started in 1757 through dastak, dastur, Nazarene and private trade. After. territorial aggression and administer East India Company acquired control over the surplus revenue of India.

class 8 history chapter 4 wbbse

The causes of companies surplus were-

1. Profit from oppressive land revenue policy.
2. Profit from monopoly trade and control over Indian markets.
3. Extractions made by the officials of the company.

Actually, the Drain of Wealth was nothing but a unilateral transfer of funds. The drain of wealth theory was systemically initiated by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1867 and further analyzed and developed by Dr. Ramesh Chandra Datta, M. G. Ranade, etc.

Poverty in India:

During the British colonial rule in India, poverty reached its highest grade. The drain of wealth, high rate of revenue, and other economic exploitations caused increasing poverty in India.

The causes of poverty in India are-

1. Climatic conditions like frequent floods, famines, earthquakes, and cyclones cause heavy damage to agriculture,
2. The rapid growth of the population aggravates the poverty of the people. The growth of the population exceeds the rate of growth in national income,
3.  The size of a family has a significant bearing on rural poverty,
4. Lack of motivation is an important cause of rural poverty. Most of the rural people are lazy, dull, and reluctant to work. Hence they rot in poverty,
5.  Low agricultural productivity is an important cause of poverty,
6. The decline of village industries and mobilization of labor also account for rural poverty,
7.  Lack of employment, education, etc. are responsible for poverty in India. Poverty in India is a major issue even in this day and age.

According to the common definition of poverty, when a man can no longer meet the required levels to maintain a specified standard of living, they considered poor.

It means that in India alone there are almost 220-1 million people living below the poverty line almost 25% of the total population.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Background

The growth of English education in India:

The establishment of British rule and business firms in Bengal. Many Indians joined the business houses of the British, who were known as Benyan, Dewan, Mutsuddi, etc. the Indian officers and ICS of British administration in India.

These were the main causes for the rise of the Middle class in India.

English education in India Features:

From the establishment of English education the idea of the ‘middle class’ came into existence.

Class 8 History Wbbse

English education in India Features of this class are as-

1. The educated middle-class people were the pioneer of the Indian national movement.
2. As they were the child of the Indian Renaissance, they were free from all corruption and orthodoxy.
3. The English-educated middle-class people of India taught English language and literature. So they were greatly inspired with the creations of J. S. Mill, Bentham, Miller, Milton, Dante, Goethe, Thomas Paine, etc.
4.  The idea of nationalism and internationalism was first explained by them. The history of the French Revolution, the American war of Independence, unification movement of Italy and Germany encouraged the new-born middle-class people.
5. The growth of English education has increased the number of educated middle classes like doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc. Derozio, Rammohan Ray, Vidyasagar, and Radha Kanta Dev were some important personalities who belonged to the English-educated middle-class community.
6. The middle-class community rose in open protest against govt. misrule, economic exploitation. The emergence of English-educated middle-class people added a new dimension in, the national movement in India.
7. They were the city-dwellers and free thinkers.

English education in India Impact:

1. The Western-educated Indian middle class opposed evil practices in society.
2. They started a socio-religious reform movement.
3. They tried to spread Western education and culture in literature and science.
4. The renaissance and national movement really brought by the Indian middle class.
5. The ideals, of the American War of independence, the French revolution, etc. were spread and popularised by this class.

Abolition of the burning of Sati system:

Till the 18th Century, Sati or burning of widows was a great course of Hindu society. According to it, the wife of a dead husband was burnt alive on the funeral pyre of the husband.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Many people wished to protest against this old superstition but dared not do so. Like the Antarjali Jatra, Satidaha was also a custom that affected the condition of unfortunate women.

In the medieval period, rules like Muhammad Bin Tughluq and Akbar and persons like Rammohan, Derozio, Vidyasagar, etc. created a strong protest movement against this practice. Akbar abolished Sati by law and inflicted severe punishment for the law-breakers.

Rammohan quoted the texts from Vishnu, Vyas, and Brihaspati and states that the widows should remain honest and restrained according to the shastras. They were not to be destroyed.

The first papers like ‘Samachar Darpan’ of the Serampore Missionaries, and ‘Sambad Kaumudi’ of Rammohan wrote articles against sati. Also; Friend of India, Calcutta Journal, etc. papers criticized the role of the conservative Hindu paper like Samachar Chandrika.

Between 1815-1818 A.D. Rammohan made a survey of the burning ghats and informed that 2365 women had been Satis by that time. Of 1528 belonged to Calcutta and its surroundings.

A Conservative judge like Mrityunjoy Vidyalankar joined the movement of Rammohan against Sati. In 1828 A.D. James Peggs, a missionary from Cuttack encouraged the British to enact the  Bill.

When Lord. William Bentinck became the governor (1828-35 A.D.) there were some doubts regarding the protest, but ultimately in 1829 A.D. Sati was banned by “Regulation XVII”. Rammohan had congratulated Bentinck for that.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Professor Dilip Kumar Biswas has said in his book ‘Rammohan Sameeksha’ (p.343) that one the main and noblest achievements of Rammohan was his movement against Sati.

But Dr. Ajit Kumar Ghosh (Introduction: Rammohan Rachanabali, p 20) has said that the main role of Rammohan in this sphere was that of a rational writer but he had not taken the role of a real protestant.

Notwithstanding this criticism, we can say that the anti-Sati Act brought an end to a cruel rite of Bengal.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot Introduction Of Widow Remarriage

Widow Remarriage

Vidyasagar first declared his intention of starting a movement favoring widow remarriage was when he was just 21 years of age. He also wrote a book outlining the necessity for widow remarriage.

After analyzing the ancient Hindu scriptures he came to the conclusion that

1.  There was no religious binding amongst the Hindus to stop a widow from getting remarried and
2. The widow had absolute rights over her dead husband’s property.

After consulting experts and collecting the witness signatures of 987 Pandits, he submitted an application to Lord Canning to legalize widow remarriage.

Lord Canning agreed to the proposal and on 26th July 1856, Act XV was passed which legalize the remarrying of widows. With this act, the hereditary laws regarding the transfer of properties to the widow as per the Hindu Act was also put into place.

To set an example, Vidyasagar had his son Ishan Chandra to marry a widow named Bhabasundari and this was the first ever widow remarriage to happen in the province of Bengal.

The next remarriage took place on 7th December 1856 when Vidyasagar helped another widow eleven years old Kalimoti to marry the Sanskrit College teacher, Srish Chandra Bandhopadhya.

Vidyasagar donated nearly eighty thousand rupees to help nearly 62 widows to get remarried and start a new life. The first campaign favouring widow remarriage was Nilkanta Bandhopadhya.

Some of the people who had supported Vidyasagar in this movement included the Maharaja of Burdwan and Keshab Chandra Sen. In the days of Vidyasagar, out of the age of 0-4 years married girls nearly 30 to 40 out of every 1000 girls became widows.

In the age group of 10 about 40 to 60 people were widowed. In the age group of 10 to 14 about 20-40 became widows and in the age group of 50-55 years, the number went up to 550.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Rammohan Ray (1772-1833):

Raja Rammohan, as a sympathetic practical reformer protested against the caste system, untouchability, priestly dominance, sati, etc. He dreamt about abolishing the social disparity to form a socialistic pattern of society.

With the earnest efforts of Rammohan, Bentinck prohibited Sati by “Regulation- XVII” in 1829 A.D. At this time the papers like ‘Samachar Darpan’ ‘Sambad Kaumudi’, ‘Bengal Harkara’, ‘Indian Gazettee’, ‘Calcutta Journal’, ‘Friend of India’, etc.

protested against Sati. To establish the right of women in their paternal property, Rammohan quoted the Yajnagyabalka Smriti and said that women have rights in their paternal properties.

Raja Rammohan Ray, the ‘Prometheus of India’ and a messenger of the renaissance, being enlightened with the western rationalism, found that the religious life of Bengal was too conservative and complicated.

So to Raja Rammohan Ray realize the real essence of religion, he read Koran in the Arabic language, the Upanishad and Veda in Sanskrit, New Testament in Greek and Talmud, and Old Testament in Hebrew.

He gained sufficient proficiency in 12 languages like Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, German, English, etc. He got some clear ideas about the religions by learning of Tantras from Hariharananda Tirthswami.

He wrote a book, ‘The Percepts of Jesus’ in English. Rammohan formed Atmiyasabha in 1815 A.D. along with some of his young followers to make the anti-religious and superstition movement popular.

He formed the ‘Calcutta Unitarian Committee’ with the help of his friend William Adam in 1821 A.D. to make the secular ideology popular. He founded ‘Vedanta College’ in 1825 A.D. to propagate Hindu monotheism.

He founded ‘The British Indian Unitarian Association’ in 1827 A.D. and ‘Brahma Samaj’ in 1828 A.D. This is known as ‘Brahma Sabha’.

He said in a lecture in the Town Hall at Calcutta on 15th December 1829 A.D. that Indians need close proximity with the Europeans for developing their mental make-up.

Macaulay the education secretary of Bentinck recommended in a Despatch for the expansion of western education in India. He helped Alexander Duff in 1830 A.D. for establishing ‘General Assemblies Institution (Scottish Church College).

Salauddin Ahmed said,’ Rammohan did not take the step which Martin Luther took, to bring about the religious revolution. Rabindranath called him “Bharat Pathik”.

Bipin Chandra Pal called him the ‘Constructor of a new era’, Dr. Dilip Kr. Biswas called him ‘Viswamanab’ and Brajendranath Seal called him ‘Universal man’ and Mughal Emperor Akbar Shah II give him the title “Raja”.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot Vidyasagar 1820 To 1891

Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar became famous through social and educational reforms. Lord Dalhousie first introduced the “Widow Remarriage Act” in 1856 A.D. As a result of this, Vidyasagar gave the marriage of Srish Chandra Vidyaratna to a widow in that particular year.

After that, he gave marriage of Narayan, his own son to Bhabasundari, a widow of 18 years. Another Act was passed with his effort in which the minimum age of marriage of girls was fixed at 10 years.

Besides this, he criticized the Polygamy of men, the execution of female children, killing of leprosy patients. He had to suffer no less when he protested against “Kulinism”.

Vidyasagar founded as many as 35 girls’ schools for female education. He established Bethune school and college with the help of Drinkwater Bethune for rendering western education to women.

He wrote the books like ‘Barna Parichaya’, ‘Bodhodaya’, ‘Kathamala’, ‘Sitar Banabas’, ‘Bhrantivilas’, ‘Betal Panchabingshati’, etc. Vidyasagar built up the ‘Metropolitan Institution’ (Presently Vidyasagar College) in his own cost.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Amalesh Tripathi called him a “Traditional Modernizer” because, within him, there was a unique combination of the past tradition and modern western philosophy.

Ramendra Sunder Trivedi said that his appearance in Bengal will be a surprising historic event and there is no doubt about it.

Young Bengal movement of Derozio:

The movement organized by Derozio in the company regime (1757-1857 A.D.) was known as the Young Bengal movement. This movement was social as well as cultural.

Though Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1807-1831 A.D.) was an Anglo-Indian in origin, he used to love India like his own motherland. So he had written the poem, ‘To India, my native land’. He wrote it by worshipping mother India.

The ideologies of Mill, Bentham, Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Thomas Paine, Dante, Geoffrey, Chaucer, etc. influenced him and his followers a lot. His students considered the book ‘Age of Reason’ by Thomas Paine as the Bible.

Henry Louis

Derozio formed Academic Association in his residence at Entally (1827 A.D.). From this time he started editing the newspapers like ‘Parthenon’, ‘Hespeas’, ‘Calcutta Literary Gazette’, ‘Calcutta Magazine’, ‘Indian Magazine’, ‘Bengal Annual’, ‘Caleidoscope’, ‘Enquirer’, ‘Gynanneshan’ etc. His main target was to build up a movement against the conservative and orthodox Hindu Society.

*David Kopf in his book ‘British Orientalism and Bengal Renaissance (P-283) said, ‘The Bengal Renaissance was the child of eighteenth-century cosmopolitanism and pragmatic British policy built around the need for an accelerated civil service class.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot Maharashtra In Social Reform Movement

Bombay city of Maharashtra was the main center of the religious and social reform movement. An organization named ‘Paramhamsamandali’ first started a reform movement in this city in 1840 A.D.

This organization protested against the worship of deities and the caste system. Gopalhari Deshmukh (1823-1892 A.D.) known as ‘Lokhitabadi’ was the father of the reform movement in Western India.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

After that, Keshab Sen inspired religious reform in Maharashtra. He propagated the Brahma religion in 1864 A.D. in Bombay. ‘Prarthana Samaj’ was founded in Bombay in 1867 A.D. The founder of this samaj was Dr. Atmaram Pandurang (1823-1894 A.D.).

Keshab Chandra again visited Bombay in 1868 A.D. and strengthened the Prarthana Samaj. After that, in 1870 A.D. the famous historian Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar and justice Mahadev Gobinda Ranade (1842-1901 A.D.) joined Prarthana Samaj and converted this samaj very strongly.

Mahadev Gobinda Ranade (1842-1901)

Was the main spring of Prarthana Samaj. His assistant was R. G. Bhandarkar. Ranade formed ‘Widow Marriage Association in 1861 A.D. He founded ‘Puna Sarbajanin Sabha’ in 1870 A.D.

‘Deccan Education Society’ was formed in 1884 A.D. for the advancement of education. He had contributions in forming National Congress. Ranade conducted the ‘National Social Conference’ in 1887 A.D.

Education is the main weapon to build up movement against superstitions and increase of social consciousness. So ‘The Deccan Education Society’ was devoted to developing a new educated generation.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the future congress leader, was a volunteer of the Deccan Education Society. Many writers had a specific role on Maratha social and religious reform movement.

The main writers were G. N. Madgankar, Baba Padmaji, Krishna Shastri Vishnubua Brahmachari, Jyoti Rao Gobinda Rao Phule, etc. The Parsis of Maharashtra also participated in this reform movement.

The English-educated Parsi youths formed ‘Ranumai Majdaisanan Sabha’ (Reform Association) in 1851 A.D. The main object of this association was to maintain the purity of the religion that was propagated by the prophet Zoroaster. K. R. Cama explained the advice of Zarathrustra perfectly in 1859 A.D.

The Parsi reformers expressed their different views about women’s education, the Puraa system, and the age for marrying. Behramji Merwanji Malabari protested against child marriage.

Mainly due to his effort the ‘Age of Consent Act’ was passed in 1891 A.D. It was mentioned in the act that a marriage will not be legal if the wife does not attain the age of 12 at the time of marriage. The conservative Hindu society protested this act.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Punjab In Reform Movement

Dayananda Saraswati of Punjab (1824-1883 A.D.) formed Arya Samaj in 1875 A.D. He formed this ‘Samaj’ for the resurgence of Hindu society. He was born in a Brahmin family of Gujarat. He was a Sanskrit pundit.

Dayananda Saraswati

He did not know English. He came in contact with Keshab Sen after being Saint. After that, he appointed himself during his last 8 years of life in the reform the work of religion and society.

1.  “Go back to the Vedas.” We have nothing to learn from the West. Because our Veda is self-sufficient in respect of all knowledge and teachings.
2. The Tantrik and mythical Hindu religion should be reformed because there are many shortfalls in this religion.
3. He was against deity worship, child marriage, and the caste system and was a great supporter of woman’s education, widow marriage, and sea voyages.
4. He fulfilled his movement by writing two books namely ‘Satyartha Prakash’ and ‘Vedabhasya’.
5. He propagated religious ideologies among the common people. The main difference with Brahmo Samaj was that he was not educated in western education.
6. He started the ‘Suddhi movement’ for reconverting the Hindus who were detached from it. As a result, his relationship with the Muslims became strained.

The Arya Samaj movement gradually spread over the entire India. It spread in Punjab, Rajputana, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. Historian K. M. Panikkar thinks that Arya Samaj had an important role in strengthening the Hindu religion in Northern India.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Other reformers:

Swami Dayananda died in 1883 A.D. His followers tried to continue to propagate his ideologies. The important representatives of Arya Samaj were Lala Hamsaraj, Pandit Gurudatta, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Swami Sraddhyananda.

Lala Hamsaraj founded ‘Anglo Vedic College’ in Lahore. Sraddhyananda founded ‘Gurudal Arya Vidyalaya’ in Haridwar in 1902 A.D. Their main object was to propagate the ideology of Veda. But from this time; the members of this Samaj realized the necessity of western education.

‘Dev Samaj’ was founded by Swami Satyananda Agnihotri in 1887 A.D.

1. Veersalingam Pantulu (1848-1919) was a Telugu social reformer. He disliked castism, untouchability, polygamy, etc. He founded ‘Rajmundri Social Reform Association (1878) and ‘Deyaleswar Giri School (1874). So he is called “The father of Telugu social reform”.
2. Jatiba Phoole (1827-1890)and his wife Savitri Bai founded Female School at Poona in 1851. Phoole also opposed castism and untouchability. He founded the “Satya Shodhak Samaj” in 1873 A.D.
3. Narayan Guru (1856-1928) Narayan Guru was a Keralian reformer who started a movement against castism and the oppression on the downtrodden. He founded ‘The all India Depressed classes Federation’ (1927) for the ‘Ezhava community. He started the ‘Bhaikom Satyagraha Movement’.
4.  ‘Theosophical Society of Madam Blavataski and H. T. Olcott had a vital role in the reform movement. Mrs. Anne Besant popularised the movement in India.

 

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Brahmo Movement And Revival Of Hinduism

Debendranath Tagore (1817-1905 A.D.):

Debendranath Tagore, a, keen follower of Rammohan, founded Adi Brahma Samaj. In 1843 A.D. Dedendranath first founded ‘Sarbatatyadipika Sabha’ for religious discussions. Later it was known as ‘Tatwabodhini Sabha’.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

He introduced the ‘Tatwabodhini Pàtrika’ and its editor was Akshay Kr. Dutta. On 21st December 1843 A.D. Debendranath, along with his 20 friends became Brahma by Ramchandra Vidyabagish.

Debendranath with the help of Radhakanta Dev founded ‘Hindu Hitarthi’ on 1st March 1846. Then he founded ‘Hindu Metropolitan College’ and ‘Brahma Vidyalaya’ (1859 A.D.).

The death of this great man on 19th January 1905 A.D. was a serious blow to cultural movement and reform.

Keshab Chandra Sen (1838-1884):

Debendranath Tagore used to call him as ‘Brahmananda’.Keshab Sen founded the ‘Indian Brahmo Mandir’ in 1869 A.D. just to bring about harmony between temples, mosques, and churches.

In 1878 A.D. there had been some conflicts between keshab Sen and some of his young followers. As a consequence, Shibnath Shastri, Anandamohan Bose, etc. came out of Indian Brahmo Samaj and founded Sadharan Brahmo Samaj separately.

At the same time. Nababidhan Samaj (1880) was founded. Besides this, they had some contributions towards the expansion of women’s education and equal rights by establishing the Civil Marriage Act and Victoria Institution.

Not only as a reformer but also as a scholar Keshab Sen wrote biographical texts of Sri Krishna, Jesus, Mohammad, etc.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot Bijoy Krishna Goswami 1841 To 1899

Bijoy Krishna was a famous reformer in Bengal in the 2nd half of the 19th century. He belonged to an Advaita Vaishnava family but had become a devotee of the Brahmo religion in 1860-61. He met Sri ramakrishnadev in 1875.

Though he was Brahmo, he was criticized by other Brahmo leaders for his worshipping of Radha-Krishna’s images. Bengal’s religion and society was also influenced by Bijoy Krishna Goswami. In his early life, he was influenced by the Brahmo Samaj.

Bijoy Krishna

Later on, he came under the influence of a religious sage and under his guidance started roaming the forests and mountains to become a hermit. He did a very difficult meditation and finally emerged as a Saint.

He came to be known as Prabhupada Bijoy Krishna Goswami. He was born in the Dahakul village of Shantipur and later on he shifted to Calcutta and got admitted to Sanskrit College (1859). His father was Ananda Chandra Goswami and his mother was Swarnamoyi Devi.

He died at Nilachal, Puri on 5th June 1899. At the age of 18, Bijoy Krishna Goswami got married to one Jogmaya Debi. But he was not able to continue long in his family life and soon he got admitted to the Brahmo Samaj under the influence of Debendra Nath Tagore.

He was also admitted to the Medical College but at the fag and of the course he had left his medical studies. Along with Keshab Sen, he and Agharnath Gupta had created the ordinary Brahmo Samaj in 1878.

Unfortunately, in his later life, Bijoy Krishna became a critic of Keshab Sen on the concept of divine incarnation. He then return to the Vaishnava religion of Chaitanyadev and started the ‘Neo Vaishnava Movement’ in 1886.

He founded the ‘Gendaria Ashrama’ at Dhaka in 1888 with the help of his followers like Bipin Chandra Pal, Aswini Kumar Datta, Satish Chandra Mukherjee of Dawn Society, etc.

Wbbse History Ch 5 Class 8 Notes

Baba Loknath Brahmachari had greatly influenced the young Bijoy Krishna Goswami. He had established his own Ashram after exiting from Brahmo Samaj. His three main ideals are to love god, country, and countrymen.

Like Swami Vivekananda, he gave effort to the ideal of man-making religion and selfless service for the India. According to historian David Kopt, he combined the Brahmo and Hindu Bhakti religions.

Ramakrishna Paramhansadeva (1836-1886 A.D.):

Sri Sri Thakur Ramakrishna Paramhansadeva 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 views of life was a new light towards the darkened society. Sri Ramakrishna really lighted the way as Avtar. Historian Toynbee said, ‘In this case, Ramakrishna has raised his uniqueness’.

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 toward religion started increasing and he became famous. Keshab Sen’s mind 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 Bijay Krishna Goswami, Balaram Basu, Girish Ghosh, Mahendranath Gupta, etc. were very much influenced by Ramakrishna.

Vivekananda and Ramkrishna Mission (1897 A.D.):

The theory of Sri Ramakrishna Jata Mat, Tata Path’ showed the way of unity and tolerance. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902 A.D.). the main disciple of Sri Sri Thakur, founded ‘Ramakrishna Mission’ on 1st May 1897 A.D.

The main object of this mission in “Bahu-Janahitaya, Bahujana Sukhaya”. Vivekananda founded ‘Sri Ramakrishna Math’ in Belur on 9th December 1898 A.D. The main ideals of the saints of this Math were “Atmono Mokharthang Jagadhitayacha”.

This means sacrificing yourself. The ideals of serving and sacrifice of this mission still ‘stand high in, our society. Irrespective of any caste, religion or creed, Ramakrishna Mission is still an exception in social and educational reform.

The ideals of Swamiji-‘Man Making religion’ and ‘Practical Vedanta’ helped to make the human mind fertile. His ideals are accepted all over the world.

The foreigners like Sister Nivedita and Okakura being inspired by his ideology came to India. ‘Sarada Mission and Math’ was founded by him is famous now.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Nature And Limitations Of Reform Movements

If we analyze the nature of the reform movement we must find out some characteristic features of its such as

1. Removal of evil practices from society and religion.
2. Introduction of rationalism and humanism.
3. Led the foundation of renaissance and regeneration.
4. The idea of equalism and pragmatic and
5. Role of the middle class in the movement etc.

Besides the limitation of the reform movement are-

1. It brought awakening only among educated people,
2. Rural illiterate people where not influenced by the movement,
3. It brought renaissance only among a few people in society.

It failed to enlighten the whole, society religion, politics, and culture. Dr. K. M. Panikkar said in his book. ‘A Survey of India History’, ‘As a phase of nationalism and as an expression of resistance to Christian and Islamic doctrines, Arya Samaj is very important.

Arya Samaj is still an important factor in the Hindu resurgence of the North.

Reforms in Muslim Society: Aligarh Movement:

Syed Ahmed influenced contemporary politics though he was known as a social reformer in the 2nd half of the nineteenth century. With the advice of the British, he wanted to raise a barrier between Hindus and Muslims and he used to comment against Hindus in “The Aligarh Institute Gazette”.

He first mentioned the “Two Nation Theory” and mentioned Hindus and Muslims as ‘two separate races’. He expressed his anti-Congress speech of the National Congress was being held in Madras in 1887 A.D.

At that time, he called Congress as a Hindu organization and he called its movement as “an unarmed civil war”. So he founded ‘The United Indian Patriotic Association’, ‘The Mohammedan Anglo-Oriented Defence Association’ of upper India, and ‘The Educational Congress as the alternative to the Congress for the general improvement of the Muslims.

These associations were supported by the British for the sake of safeguarding the interest of the Muslims and strengthening the Aligarh movement. But nevertheless, this sowed the seed of communalism in India.

Syed Ahmed

The base of this movement was social reformation. He tried to develop mass consciousness against all prejudice and superstitions of the Muslim community. He took a bold step in protesting ‘talaq’ paratha, child marriage, and polygamy of man.

He emphasized on humanity and tried to modify the Mullatantra and the verdicts of the Koran. He said that anything which is irrational and unscientific in the Koran should be rejected. But in his opinion, the Koran is the only holy text.

His effort was unique in making an equilibrium between society and religion. According to R.C. Majumdar-“He did for his community something like what Raja Rammohan Roy had done for the Hindus”-History of Freedom Movement in India (Vol. 1).

1. The movement was activated by British support. In this context, Moulana Jamaluddin-al-Afghani said that Syed was against the “Pan-Islamic” ideology.
2. Really backward poor class did not have any role in this movement except a few educated servicemen and zamindars of Uttar Pradesh.
3. The religious fanatism of the Muslims increased to a great extent and the British also supported this movement.
4. The Aligarh movement was opposed by the Hindu-Bengalee and the National Congress at the same time.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Revolt Of Peasants And Tribals

British Raj was established in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa first. Naturally, the people of these regions were severely affected. So the aggressive people of Bengal and other provinces organized 40 revolts and man small upheavals from 1763 to 1865 A.D.

The tribals and peasants organized movements like the ‘Sannyasi revolt’ (1772-1812) of Bengal and Bihar; the Chuar revolt (1766-1799) of Bankura, Ghatshila, Midnapur, Dhalbhum, Poligarh revolt (1783-1805) of Tamilnadu, Peasant revolt of Kurnul (1846-47) and other revolts by the Koya, Konda, etc near the bank of the river of the Godavari.

The Paik Revolt (1817) under the leadership of Vidyadhar Mahapatra started in Orissa. Historian Dr. Ranjit Guha in his book ‘Elementary Aspects of Peasant.

Insurgency’ stated that the peasant upsurge against Devi Singh, the oppressive ljaradar of Rangpur ultimately transformed into an anti-imperialist struggle.

Wbbse History Ch 5 Class 8 Notes

The ‘Pagalpanthi Revolt’ of Mymensing district (1824- 33) was really conducted by a special religious group. Sheikh Karim Shah was its leader.

Causes of Peasant and Tribal Movements :

The hundred years (1757 to 1857) of British Rule in India and the establishment of its paramount power made unrest among the peasants and tribal of India. Mainly the colonial and commercial interests of the company played a vital role in the uprisings.

Now the causes of the revolts are as follows

1. Firstly, the high rate of revenue of the Mughals and some other revenue demands of the state extremely deprived the peasants. They had no sufficient subsistence after fulfillment of the state demand of land revenue. The state was under the control of the Company’s rule, where the state really had no surplus. According to Dr. Narahari Kaviraj, the new classes of zamindars, moneylenders, and Company officials together exploited the peasants.
2. Secondly, the introduction of the ‘private property act’ in land by the British brought revolutionary changes in an agrarian society. As a result, land became a purchasable commodity and the Zaminder had enjoyed the right to evict the peasants from the land at any time.
3. Thirdly, like the ‘encloser system’ in Europe, land fragmentation in India became the other cause of the peasant’s unrest. Joint land system and joint family fragmented generation after generation. Increasing land fragmentation created increasing tension in rural areas.
4. Fourthly, the rise of moneylenders in society were actually the broker of the British. It was. another cause of peasant rebellion. The system of paying revenue in cash forced the peasants to depend on the moneylenders. They gave loans at a high rates of interest. The dishonest moneylenders squeezed out the poor peasants by applying inhuman fraudulent methods.
5. Fifthly, after the introduction of the permanent settlement Kol, Santhal, etc. tribals were depressed by various men. The Company’s officials, moneylenders, agents, zamindars, etc. started exploitation on them.
6. Sixthly, The British policy of deforestation was an important cause of the discontentment of tribals. The transformation of forest lands into cultivable lands and the conversion policy of the Christian Missionaries caused the tribal revolt.
7. Seventhly, the British government forced the peasants to cultivate some cash crops like jute, cotton, indigo etc. in place of rice, wheat, etc.

The indigo revolt (1860) was such an uprising in which peasants were forced to cultivate indigo. In the ryotwari system company acted like zamindars. So the peasants organized the Deccan riot. The unrest situation among the peasants
arose.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Santhal Hool 1855 To 1856

The Santhal Rebellion broke out in 1855-56 A.D. The main reason behind the Santhal rebellion was the exploitation of the zamindars and money lenders. Sidhu himself complained that the Mahajans exploited them and enacted an interest of 50%- 500%.

So he boldly declared that their movement was against the zamindar and not against the Government. But Sherwell and Ward think that religious animosity was the main cause of the revolt. But they had also accepted the exploitations of the Mahajan.

Paresh Bhattacharya and zamindar Gopal Sinha thought that the Santhals were led to revolt due to the rape and exploitation of their women by the British officers. The main important event was that the zamindars’ men began to encroach up to the Jungle- Mahals of the Santhals.

They cut their noble Shal trees frequently and expanded lands for cultivation. The zamindars and his people plundered the locality of the Santhals. The latter called their own territories as ‘Damin-i-Koh’. Unlike the former peaceful situation, the new zamindars increased their torture.

Then 20,000 Santhals under the leadership of Sidhu, Kanu, Chand, and Bhairab united themselves in the field of ‘Bhagna-dihi’ and took the promise of Hul or revolt (30th June 1855 A.D.) The Santhal revolt, led by Sidhu and Kanu began on 7th July 1855 A.D.

It was spread in Ranchi, Hazaribag, Birbhum, Chhotanagpur, Midnapur, Purulia and Bhagalpur, etc. At first, Mahesh Daroga and his follower was killed. Then the Santhals started killing the Mahajans desperately.

Ultimately the British army under Lord Dalhousie ruthlessly suppressed the rebellion. Jervis the British commander himself accepted that they had not launched any war but mass killing.

Barun De, Amalesh Tripathi, and R. C. Majumder stated in their book Freedom struggle that this rebellion became a war of independence before the Sepoy Mutiny.

Wbbse History Ch 5 Class 8 Notes

Though it was suppressed by the government according to Dr. K. K. Quanungo (The Santhal Rebellion) had to submit to the force of the rebellion. Ultimately a separate area called “Santhal-Dihi-Pargana” was created for the Santhal minorities.

Thus the government had to fulfill partly the aims of Sidhu and Kanu.

Moplah Revolt:

The Moplah peasants of Malabar Coast (North Kerala) organized 22 movements against the oppression of the landlords (Genmis) from 1836 to 1854. The Moplahs’ discontent found nearly renewed expression in 15 major outbreaks from 1873 to 1880.

The Moplah peasants belonged to Muslim community and were religious-minded. Yaqub Khan was the leader of the Moplah Revolt. The Hindus were nearly 4,00,000.

They were economically very poor just for the severe exploitation of the Hindu gennis (specially Nambodri and Nayar zamindar). The Moplah formed a majority of the total population in the talukas like Earnad and Walluvanad.

The Congress and khilafat parties organized them for tenancy reform movements against the big landlords. The police broke a mosque, which was another cause of their open protest. The agitators sacked the police station, and looted govt.

Treasuries and destroyed the records of mortgages and debts. The Moplah region was free from British rule for and a Moplah leader started to govern the territory.

During the khilafat movement, Moplahs resorted to violence and Gandhiji withdrew his support from it. The rebels killed 500 Hindus, sacked 100 temples, and forcibly converted 2500 Hindus into Muslims.

On the other hand, 10,000 rebels died in this prolonged guerrilla warfare and many among them were shot, hanged, died of suffocation (61 prisoners), and deported to the Andamans.

Wbbse History Ch 5 Class 8 Notes

According to Dr. D. N. Dhanagare the rebels were the poor peasants, not the rich kanamder Moplahs. So he remarked “The communal sentiment or fanaticism of the Moplahs was only the symptom and not the disease”.-Peasant Movements in India 1920-1950.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Faraizi Movement

Haji Sariatullah (1781-1837 A.D.) was the founder of the Faraizi movement. The movement continued from 1818 A.D. to 1906 A.D. From this time, he started the Faraizi movement as a part of the religious reform movement.

‘Faraizi’ has been derived from the Arabic word ‘Faraiz’ and from this came the word ‘Farazi’. This means the mandatory duties determined by Islam surrendered to Allah.

According to Sariatullah, the British ruled India is an enemy country ‘Dar-ul-Harb’ so he told everybody to be united according to the dictum of the Koran. Sariatullah told about forming a socialistic state free from superstitions.

The Faraizi movement was really a bold step against the Indigo owners and the Hindu-Muslim zamindars. The poor Hindu and Muslim peasants, weavers, artisans, laborers from Faridpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Barishal, etc. participated in this movement.

After Haji Sariatullah the death of Sariatuallah in 1837 A.D. his son Dudhu Mian (1819-62 A.D.) converted the Faraizi movement into a political, economic, and social movement.

Wbbse History Ch 5 Class 8 Notes

His slogan against the zamindars and government was the “lands belong to them who cultivate the land”. Or “the owner of the land is god”. Hence no tax would be paid. He stopped the exploitation of Sikdar, the zamindar of Faridpur (1841 AD.).

In 1846 A.D. total member of his followers were nearly 80,000. So he had been able to kill Kashi Prasad, the go most of Dunlop, the tutorial of Panch Char of Faridpur. For this offense, he was imprisoned in Alipore jail up to 1859 A.D.

Due to his influence, the ideology of the Faraizi movement spread over Dhaka, Pabna, Bakhargunge, Mymensingh, Noakhali, Khulna, Tripura and West Bengal. After the death of Dudhu Mian in 1862 A.D.

Noa Mian his son converted this Faraizi movement into a religious movement. According to the historian Narahari Kabiraj, “The Farazi movement was essentially an agrarian movement though the demands were carefully dressed up in religious catchwords….”.

Wahabi Movement:

The Wahabi belonged to a religious group of Muslims. The Wahabi group was founded by Abdul Wahabi. The word ‘Wahabi’ means ‘regeneration’ or rebirth.

His follower was Syed Ahmed of Raiberili, U. P. His aim was ‘Islamic revivalism’ but he had apathy on British Rule in India. To him, India was ‘Har-ul-Harb’ or ‘enemy’ state. He wanted to transform it into a ‘Dar-ul-Islam’ or ‘theocratic state’.

One of his followers was Titumirh who started the Wahabi movement from Barasat. Dr. Ranjit Guha remarked that the Wahabi agitators tried to establish their ‘Subaltern identity’. Suprakash Ray said it a primary stage of the anti-imperialist struggle.

W. C. Smith in his book ‘Modern Islam in India: A Social Analysis rightly remarked its nature as “the movement through religious was not simply communalist”.

Wbbse History Ch 5 Class 8 Notes

The Movement did not set the lower class Muslims against lower class Hindus in open conflict, nor did it divert the lowest class Muslims from economic issues to false solidarity with their communal friends but class enemies.

Titumer’s biographer Biharilal Sarkar wrote that many Hindus accepted Titu and joined him.

Barasat revolt of Titumir (1831):

Titumir’s Barasat revolt of 1831 A.D. was one of the main peasant movements fought for economic and religious reasons. Titumir (Mir Nisar Ali 1782 A.D.-1831 A.D.) tried to expand the Wahabi movement in Bengal.

This gymnast was born in the village of Baduria in Haiderpur in North 24 Parganas. While going to Mecca for Haj at the age of 39, Titumir came in contact with Syed Ahmed.

After that, he led the Barasat revolt in the style of the Wahabis. The word Wahabi meant a ‘Renaissance’ (Regeneration). Titumir tried to remove the superstitions of Muslim society for the first time.

Then he united the poor Muslim weavers and peasants against the cruel zamindar. Indigo planters and the British government had started a mass movements in Khulna, Jessore; Rajshahi.

Dacca, Nadia, Malda and 24 Parganas, Krishnadev Ray, the zamindar of Punra of North 24 Parganas. Titu became very angry and attacked the house of Krishnadev with 300 followers.

Biharilal Sarker in his ‘Titumir’ (P-60) and Kumud Nath Mallick in his ‘Nadia Kahini’ (P-76) mentioned that the followers of Titumer had attacked the temples and the priests, similarly they had also looted the wealth of rich Muslims.

Titu established his supremacy over a large area from Barasat to Basirhat and declared himself as ‘Badshah’. His close associates were his nephew and commander Golam Masum and his follower Mainuddin.

V. A. Smith has stated that many Hindus of lower castes had joined the army fo Titumir. When he became powerful, he established a bamboo fort in the village of Narkelberia and ignoring the British started enacting taxes.

Then Lord Bentinck started a battle against him. 600 followers of Titu attacked the British with green bel fruit, bricks, bows, arrows, and spears and ultimately the bamboo fort was destroyed by the cannons of Bentinck on 19th November 1831 A.D.

Wb Class 8 History Chapter 5

Many of the soldiers died with the bamboo fort. Those who were alive had to face long imprisonment. This event was known as the Barasat revolt. Historian Quamuddin Ahmed thinks that.

Titumir’s revolt was a non-communal national revolt as the lower caste Hindus and Muslims alike supported it.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot Munda Ulgulan

The Munda community used to live in Chotonagpur and its adjoining areas. The word ‘Munda’ means the village headman. They believed that the farmland and residential buildings which their ancestors or khuntoktidar had made by clearing deep forest was forcibly taken away by the dike.

The British even ousted the main priest or the pahan community. The land acquired by traditional khuntoktidar was called khuntakati.

The system of collective ownership of the Munda people over this property is called khuntakati. The Munda Revolt was called Ulgulan which means “great danger”.

Main causes of the Munda revolt were-

1.  ‘Bet-began or forced labour of the Mundas,
2. No help from Missionaries,
3. No proper justice from the government,
4. Torture and exploitation from the Dikus and
5. According to historian K. S. Singh, the religious and cultural devastation of the Munda tribe turned them towards revolt.

Under these circumstances, the famous Munda leader Birsa Munda (1878- 1900) took up the reins of the revolt in his own hands. He was the son of Sugan Munda. A few hundred Munda leaders also perished.. Many of them were either sentenced for life or deported.

A total of 450 followers were imprisoned. 87 were presented at the session’s court and only two were hanged. This incident came to be known as Ulgulan or dangerous muddle. In the midst of this situation, Birsa was jailed in Ranchi on 3rd February 1900.

Wb Class 8 History Chapter 5

On 2nd June, at the age of 26 years, he succumbed to cholera while still in custody. Hence, intensity and comprehensiveness were two important characteristic features of this rebellion.

The rebellion had far-reaching effects-In spite of the fact that the rebellion had failed, the Government recognized their system of Khuntakati and passed a bill called Chotonagpur Law of Tenants Rights (1908).

But the Dikus had already grabbed 90% of the Khuntakati land from the Munda people.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Indigo Revolt  1859To 60

After the ‘great revolt’ (1857 A.D.) British Government tried to pacify the people through many administrative changes but they could not succeed Just after two years in 1859-1860 A.D. from the mutiny, nearly 60 lacs of Indigo peasants started the ‘Indigo revolt’ against the British rulers due to exploitations and oppressions.

After that, the Deccan Peasant Movement started. In the long past, indigo was cultivated in this country. It is a bush-like a tree. Its height is 4-5 ft. The scientific name of indigo is Indigofera Tinctoria.

Cultivation for indigo was mentioned in ‘Ain-i-Akbari’ written by Abul Fazal. Louis Bonard, a French merchant first cultivated indigo in. this country in 1777 A.D. After Karl Blam first established the indigo industry in India.

India was ranked first in the world in indigo production within the period from 1780-1802 A.D. In 1815-16 A.D. indigo production in Bengal was able to meet up the entire demand of the world.

Wb Class 8 History Chapter 5

By the ‘Charter Act’ in 1833, indigo cultivation was freed from the hands of the British. As a result, many employees of the company and of the private sector, British employees left their job and became engaged in indigo cultivation because it fetched 100% profit.

Though the British owners/officials increased the profit margin, yet the lacs of peasants were pennyless and extremely poor. So at one time, they exploded in the Indigo revolt.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Causes Of Indigo Revolt

Firstly, the Indigo planters used two kinds of land. These were

1. ‘Niza Abad’ and
2. ‘Ryoti chas’. The land directly owned by the European Indigo planters was known as ‘Niza Abad’. ‘Ryoti chas’ belonged to the farmers.

In territorial land, the farmers were engaged on daily basis. In non-territorial land, the farmers were paid Rs. 2/- per bigha. Due to extreme poverty, the farmers were trapped in ‘data’ system.

But in both cases, the farmers were extremely exploited. The condition became intolerable when the indigo cultivation and Nilkuthis were expanded in Nadia, Jessore, Khulna, Dacca, Pabna, Faridpur, etc.

It was found that there was about 1000 Nikuthis in Bengal in 1830 A.D. As a result, the total land area was increased due to indigo cultivation. Side by side the degree of exploitation was also increased.

Secondly, indigo cultivation was a total loss to the farmers. Food crops cannot be cultivated in a particular land when it is used for indigo cultivation. Over and above the farmers were trapped in ‘Dadan’ loan which was unbearable to them.

The farmers of Bengal were modified into land laborers. The Nilkar owners became furious when the farmers refused to cultivate indigo. This was another reason of unrest among the farmers.

Thirdly, The unwilling farmers were whipped with a leather-covered whip known as ‘Shyamchand’. Not only that, cows and agricultural equipment of the unwilling farmers were looted.

Even the huts of the farmers were set to fire after looting everything. The women were molested. Even the local zamindars and affluent people of the locality were treated in the same manner. So, unrest was inevitable in every corner and every person.

Fourthly, Lord, William Bentinck passed Regulation-V in 1830 A.D. As a result, any breach of contract between the Nilkar owners and the farmers were treated as a criminal offense.

Fifthly, the newspapers and magazines of that period also inspired the farmers. Harish Chandra Mukherjee wrote about the tortures and Government negligence in ‘Hindu Patriot’ – which also inspired the farmers.

Wb Class 8 History Chapter 5

Sisir Kumar Ghosh, editor of ‘Amrita Bazar Patrika’ wrote many letters in ‘Hindu Patriot’ by the nickname ‘M.L.L.’ for inspiring indigo farmers.

‘Sambad Prabhakar’ of Iswar Gupta and ‘Tatwabodhini Patrika’ of Akshay Kumar Datta played a great role in making the background of Indigo Revolt. It was mentioned in the book ‘Indigo Rebellion ‘O’ Bangali Samaj’ by Dr. Pramod Ranjan Sengupta that the role of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was great in inspiring the indigo farmers.

Besides this, Madhusudan Dutta translated ‘Nil Darpan’, a drama written by Dinabandhu Mitra in English and published in the name of father James Long. This created a sensation among the people at that time.

Sixthly, according to Rev. James Long the main causes of the Indigo Rebellion were-

1. Rise in price of commodities
2. Rise in labour wages
3. Impact of exciting political incidents like the Wahabi and Sepoy Mutiny and
4. Support by the educated middle-class towards the indigo farmers.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot Leaders Of Indigo Rebellion

Bishnu Charan Biswas and Digambar known as “Biswas brothers” of Chougachha Village of Krishnanagar first initiated the Indigo movement in 1859 A.D. After that this Movement spread in Nadia, Jessore, Khulna, Pabna, Faridpur, Rajshahi, Malda, Murshidabad, Dinajpur, Barasat etc.

Baidyanath Sardar and Biswanath Sardar (known as Bishe Dakat) of Bansberia, Rafique Mandal of Malda, Rahimullah of Sundarban, Meghai Sardar of Asan Nagar, Panchu Seikh of Mallikpur, Srihari Ray of Chandipur, Zamindar Srigopal Palchowdhury of Ranaghat, Manmathanath Acharya of Sadhuhati, Zamindar Ramratan Mullik of Narail (known as Narasaheb of Bengal), Mahesh Banerjee of Pabna, Lalchand Saha and Morad Biswas of Aurangabad, etc.

Wbbse History Class 8 Chapter 5 Notes

Took an active part in this mass movement. The Indigo Planters tried to subdue this movement with paid goondas and lathes. But according to Regulation-X 1859 A.D., the eviction of indigo farmers Iwas banned and the owners were in difficulty.

Ultimately the Indigo Rebellion was a success.

Importance:

There is no doubt the Indigo Rebellion was successful as the first peasant movement. Because, by judging the intensity of the movement’ J. P. Grant, the Deputy Governor of Bengal formed ‘Indigo Commission’ on 31st December 1860 A.D.

It was a five-member Commission. It was said in the report of this Commission that indigo cultivation is polluted, injurious and wrong. The price of indigo increased as per the recommendation of the Commission. ‘Tinkathia system’ was introduced.

That is three kathas of land per bigha can only be used as indigo cultivation. That too if the farmer is willing. It cannot be done forcefully.

It was fortunate that Germany started manufacturing indigo in an artificial method in 1891 A.D. and as a result, the cultivation of indigo lost its importance and the agricultural business of indigo stopped.

The Indigo Rebellion started after two years of Sepoy Mutiny and continued for two years. Indigo Rebellion was very significant in respect of importance and the result.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot The Revolt Of 1857

Nature of the Sepoy Mutiny: Popular revolt:

Historians differ regarding the nature of the Sepoy Mutiny. According to some, this was a struggle between the whites and the blacks, some found feudal reactions and dying voices of feudalism in it, while others regard it as a revolt of the sepoys.

Some find in it a national revolt, while some regard it as the first war of Indian Independence. The most important among those who regard it as a Sepoy Mutiny were Charles Reikes, Charles Roberts, John Silly, John Lawrence, John Key, etc.

Wbbse History Class 8 Chapter 5 Notes

Among the Indians who named it as a Sepoy Mutiny, mention should be made of Iswar Chandra Gupta, Sambhu Chandra Mukherjee, Harish Chandra Mukherjee, Akhsoy Kumar Datta, Durgadas Banerjee, Syed Ahmed Khan, Raj Narain Bose, Dadabhai Nauroji, etc.

The Sepoys started but finally, common people joined it, so it was a popular revolt no doubt. From Eastern Punjab to Western Bihar it was a revolt of commoners. In Oudh, more than one lac people joined the revolt of 1857.

In the July of 1857 A.D. Disraeli, the leader of the Tory Party declared the rebellion as a ‘National Revolt’ in the British Parliament. Many British historians like J. B. Norton, Alexander Duff, Malleson, Charles Ball, James Outram, and Holmes also regarded it as a national revolt.

Karl Marx had also accepted the national character of the rebellion. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his book ‘Indian war of Independence’ has declared that the revolt of 1857 A.D. was the First Indian war of Independence.

He was supported by the only historian Ashoke Mehra. Dr. Ramesh Chandra Majumdar in his ‘History of Freedom Movement in India’ has written that the “First National war of independence in 1857 A.D. is neither First or National nor a war of Independence.”

Dr. Surendranath Sen said in his book ‘Eighteen Fifty-Seven’ that the revolt of 1857 A.D. is neither First or National nor a war of Independence”.

Wbbse History Class 8 Chapter 5 Notes

The Marxist historian Rajani Palme Datta referred to the movement as a military unrest against all feudal and conservative forces. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru has stated in his ‘Discovery of India’ that the revolt was reactionary in character.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Causes

Political Cause:

1. The people of all classes became angry with the British due to the latter’s despotic policy of aggression adopted from the battle of Plassey to the revolt of 1857 A.D.
2.  Clive introduced a double rule in the name of good government and brought famine in India.
3. Wellesley’s Subsidiary alliance by which he grabbed different provinces increased political resentment.
4. Lord Dalhousie deprived the Indians from adopting a son by implementing his Doctrine of Lapse. By this policy, he occupied the princely states of Satara, Sambalpur, Nagpur, and Jhansi and aroused public sentiment against him.
5. Apart from the princely states, the Santhals, Bhils, Khasis, Jaths and Faraizis revolted against the British.
6. The Indian sepoys of Bhopal were very angry with the British since 1806 A.D. Because they were deprived of the right to wear tikas on the forehead or turbans on the head.
7. When the East India Company became sovereign and while Bahadur Shah II disowned his title as the ‘Mughal Emperor’, the Muslims became united against the British.

The first Sepoy Mutiny took place in Vellore (1806), then it spread out in Bengal (1824), Sind, and Rawalpindi (1844).

Wbbse History Class 8 Chapter 5 Notes

Economic Cause:

1. P. J. Marshall has commented in his ‘East India Fortune’s that after the battle of Plassey poverty in this country increased as the Government drained the
2. The wealth of India by taking away diamonds, gold, silver, and other precious articles by indirect reforms in Danish trade and by Bill of Exchange.
3. After the attainment of Dewani, the cost of land revenue was also increased to a great extent.
4. The Charter Act of 1833 A.D. gave the facilities to many other Europeans. companies like trading in India. In this way, pressures on the Indian economy went on
5. increasing.
6. The British used to take raw materials at a cheaper rate from India and sold the costly readymade goods here.
7. Indian markets were full of Manchester clothes which ultimately destroyed India’s handicraft industry.
8. Besides the high rate of tariff and the ‘Drainage of wealth’ led to famines and epidemics in India.
9. At the same time, the salaries of the Indians were much lower than that of the Europeans. One statistic recorded that when 98 lakh pounds were spent for 3,15,650 Indians annually, a sum of 2356 lakhs 60 thousand pounds were spent for 51316 white officers.

This economic discrimination was one of the main reasons of the great revolt.

Social Cause:

It is known from the text ‘Siyar-ul-Mutakherin’ that social discrimination took a bad shape on the eve of the revolt. The British people used to hate the Indians as Black skinned.

Dr. Nikhil Sur has written that Bentinck himself had similar attitudes towards the Indians. While introducing western education, Mackulay had made a neglecting comment on India’s culture that the entire collection of India’s books cannot be compared with the superior quality of a single European library.

It is known from the works of Lieutenant Darn that the British, officials had never mixed freely with the Indians. Indian entry was prohibited in restaurants, parks, and clubs reserved for the British.

It was written at the entrance of many European nightclubs-“No entry for dogs and Indians.” A British magistrate at Agra said in a law that Each Indian must Salute each British on the street.

Indian officers and general people had to suffer from racial and social discrimination in their courts and offices.

Military Cause:

Another cause of the revolt of 1857 A.D. was the growing resentment of the Indian army.

There were many reasons behind such resentment-

1. Low salary as compared with the British soldiers
2.  Poor quality of food
3.  III manners of the British battalion
4. Lack of promotion
5. Sending of soldiers in faraway places across the ocean etc. R. C. Majumdar has said in his book “British Paramountcy and Indian renaissance” that the salary of the Indian soldiers was 9 Rupees per month.

The Hindu soldiers were also angry for crossing the seas or Kalapani. Their religious feelings were hurt by it. According to Thomas Munroe, the Indian soldiers had lost their respect due to the ill manner of the British.

Bipan Chandra commented that while the Indian soldiers consisted of 2,75,000 men, the Europeans were only 45,000 in number, so numerically speaking the resentment of the sepoys led to an imminent revolt. On 29 March 1857 A.D.

Wbbse History Class 8 Chapter 5 Notes

Mangal Pandey first revolted out of this anger and became a martyr (hanged on 8th April 1857).

Direct Cause:

The sepoys were given a new rifle called “The Enfield rifle”. The grease paper cover of its cartridge was made of the fat of beef and pig. A rumor spread that efforts were made to destroy the religion of the Hindus and the Muslims.

In Dum Dum, Calcutta (23, January). and in Bahrampur the mutiny of sepoys started in February. Mangal, Pandey revolted against it for the first time in Barrackpore on 29th March 1857.

Then the revolt spread in Barrackpore, Meerut (10 May) Delhi (12 May), Lucknow, etc. Thus the revolt became a great revolt from East Punjab to West Bihar. So the Revolt of 1857 A.D. was a man-made event and not an incidental happening.

Laxmibai and Tatiatopi of Jhansi, Nana Saheb of Kanpur, Begum Hazrat Mahal of Oudh, Moulavi-Ahmedullah of Rohilkhand, Kunwar Singh (Tiger of the Revolt) of Bihar, Moniram Diwan of Assam joined the revolt of 1857 A.D.

Laxmibai

Reasons for the Failure of the Revolt of 1857 A.D.

There were several causes behind their failure.

1. Though the sepoys revolted over a large area from Eastern Punjab to Western Bihar, it had no effect on the entire sub-continent. It was not felt elsewhere except in some portions of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rohil Khand, 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. 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, Sindhia, and his minister Dinkar Rao, Jang Bahadur of Nepal, the Nawab of Hyderabad, the Begam of Bhopal, the king of Jodhpur had helped the British to subdue the rebels. Besides, the kings and the common people of Patiwala and Jhind were supporting the British.
3. There was no unity or harmony among the leaders of the rebellion. For instance, Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi revolted for the selfish interests of her own state. Similarly, Kunwar Singh of Bihar, fought for himself, Nana Saheb tried to re-establish the Maratha power, the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II fought for his own sovereignty.
4. 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.
5. The Indian Sepoys did not have efficient leaders like Lawrence, Outram, Havelock, Nicholson, or Nill. Among the Indian leaders, Nana Saheb, Tantiya Topi, and Lakshmibai had led the revolt quite confidently, but they were not led for national purposes.

Chapter 5 Reaction Of Colonial Rule Assistant And Revot  Result

The results of the great rebellion of 1857 A.D. had been far-reaching. Though the revolt had failed, historians like Sir Lepal Griffin Stated that “The revolt of 1857 A.D. swept the Indian sky clear of many clouds”.

Wb Class 8 History Chapter 5

This revolt brought far-reaching changes in political, social, and other aspects.

Firstly:

On 2nd August 1857 A.D. “An Act for the Better Government in India” has been passed. By this act, the East India Company’s rule ended with the direct rule of Queen Victoria. The Viceroy post was created instead of the earlier Governor General.

Instead of the Board of Control and the Court of Directors, the post of the Secretary of States for India was initiated. For proper governance, the Imperial Legislative Council was formed with 15 members.

Secondly:

On 1st November 1858 A.D. Queen Victoria had promised in a declaration.

1. The Doctrine of Lapse will be ended.
2. The Indians will be appointed according to their qualifications.
3. The policy of imperial expansion will be abandoned.
4. Nobody’s personal customs and beliefs will be interfered notwithstanding anyone’s race, religion or caste.
5. All Indian prisoners except those committing serious offenses will be released.

Thirdly:

The Indian army will be reorganized so that the sepoys will not revolt again and the sepoys will also not be placed in higher military services.

Fourthly:

The Hindus and Muslims will be consciously separated so that the Indians would not revolt in the future.

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism Background

Nationalist Associations before Indian National Congress :

According to Dr. Anil Sil, the nineteenth century was an “Age of Association”. The organizations which came up during this period were ‘Bangabhasa Prakashika Sabha’ (1836 A.D.), the Landholder Society (1838 A.D.). ‘British India Society’ (1839 A.D.), ‘Bengal-British India Society’ (1843 A, D.),

‘British Indian Association’ (1851 A. D.). ‘Indian League’ (1875 A. D.), Indian Association’ (1876 A. D.), ‘Indian National Congress (1885 A. D.), etc. These associations helped develop national feelings.

The Government’s policy of suppression worked as another factor for the Indian discontent. Lord Mayo, Lord North Brooke, Lytton, Lord Dufferin, Curzon, and others adopted suppressive policies.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Indian Association:

Many assume the ‘The Indian League’ of Sishir Kumar Ghosh merged up into the ‘The Indian Association’. On 26th July 1876 A.D. Sir Surendranath Banerjee founded the Indian Association.

At a mass rally at the Albert Hall, he referred the foundation of this Association as a symbolic platform to upraise Indian hopes and demands. Sibnath Shastri, Anandamohan Basu, Dwarakanath Gangapadhyay, and others stood beside him on the same cause.

Surendranath Banerjee

The Indian Association had four political objectives-

1. Organizing a strong public opinion in the country.
2. Uniting the various people of India on the basis of a common political ideal.
3. The promotion of friendly ideas between Hindus and Muslims.
4. To rally the masses in the political movement.

The Association played a vital role in the agitations against the Ilbert Bill controversy and in decreasing the age limit of Indian Civil Service examinees from 21 to 19. ‘The Bengalee’ published by Surendranath was one of the important outlets for spreading patriotism.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism National Conference

On the other hand, according to Dr. Bipan Chandra, Surendranath Banerjee took many initiatives for the foundation of the Congress. His ‘Indian Association’ (1876 A.D.) initiated and acted as favoring factor in preparing the mental setup for the Congress.

The ‘All India National Conference’ called by Surendranath in Town Hall, Calcutta in 1883 A.D. paved the way for the origin of the Congress in 1885 A.D.

According to the biographer historian of Hume, William Wedderburn, a retired member of the Civil Service, from secret documents of police reports, came to know about the probability of the growing forces of popular discontent.

Class 8 History Wbbse

For that reason, on 1st March 1883 A.D., he addressed in an “Open letter” to the graduates of the Calcutta University which meant for founding the Congress for the social, moral, and political upgradation of the Indian population. According to this plan Congress was founded.

Foundation of the National Congress :

The origin of the Indian National Congress was not an accidental event. Though it is commonly believed that Mr. A. O. Hume was the “Father of the Indian National Congress”, there are many other opinions regards the genesis of the Congress and its first president was Womesh Chandra Bandyopadhyay.

The efforts of Hure behind the formation of the National Congress cannot be denied. His main aim was to provide a ‘Safety valve’ for the British Empire against the growing forces of public uprisings.

Class 8 History Wbbse

He thought that for formal fulfillment of the demands, there was a need of Congress: He made a secret discussion with the Governor General in this affair. Mainly for the sake of the safety of the British rule Duffrin nodded positively to Hume’s plan.

According to leftist historian R. P. Dutta ‘Congress is the result of a conspiracy between Hume and Dufferin’. In the conclusion, it can be said that Congress took birth in a special situation in the post-revolt period of 1857 A.D.

Historian R. C. Majumdar gave less significance to the words of Pattavi Sitaramaiyya. According to him, its origin should be searched differently.

According to Cambridge Historian Anil Sil, the role of Lord Dufferin in the foundation of Congress is actually a myth. So the actual origin of the Congress still today remains in darkness.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Historian Percival Spear considers that even if Congress was developed as a safety valve by Dufferin and Hume, there are doubts to how much this theory could be enacted.

According to R. P. Dutta Congress originated from the conspiracy between Hume and Dufferin, though no conclusions about this can be drawn.

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism Lord Lytton And Repressive Acts

Vernacular Press Act:

Lord Lytton imposed some conditions by passing the ‘Vernacular Press Act of 1878 A.D.’

The conditions were

1. No government employee can edit any newspaper without prior permission of the government.
2. The editor as well as the publishers and the other associated persons will be arrested if any newspaper published in a native language, reports anything against the British.

The equipment and machinery will also be seized. Many people called it the ‘Gagging Act’ as it tried to strangulate the voices of the press. Large-scale protests started against this Act.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

After passing the Press Act of Lord Lytton ‘Somprakash’ and ‘Sahachar’ were first banned. ‘Amrita Bazar Patrika’ of Sisir Kumar Ghosh was published both in English and Bengali.

With the enactment of this Act, it was published in English only. The Press Act literally made the Indians anti-British.

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Wbbse

Arms Act:

For imperialist cause and the safety of the Europeans in India, this Act had to be enacted. It meant to curb the weapon power of the Indian uprisings ‘developed out of the growing dissatisfaction.

In 1878 A.D. Lord Lytton for the cause of imperialist expansion came up with the Act more strongly. In 1880 A.D. the ‘Arms Act’ was passed announcing no Indian was to keep arms without the Government’s permission. Illegal maintenance of arms shall lead to penal servitude.

Ilbert Bill Agitation:

The British rulers in any way could not stop the motion of the Indians. This agitation of the Indians ended when Lord Ripon lifted this Act when he came to India as Governor-General in 1882 A.D.

 

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

The European Magistrates had the power of trialing the Indians, but the Indian District Magistrates or Judges did not possess the right to trial the European offenders merely for the cause of racial discrimination.

Lord Ripon, the then Viceroy (1880-1884 A.D.) thought this to be inhuman and unjust, and to remove this illogical social discrimination a bill was passed. This is popularly known as the “Ilbert Bill”.

A committee was made under the leadership of the then Law Member of the Viceroy’s Council Sir C. P. Ilbert in Feb 1883 A.D. After requisite investigation, a bill was drafted. In this Bill, the Indian Magistrates and Sessions Judges were given equal status with their European counterparts.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

When the Bill was passed the Europeans took offense in it and they launched serious agitation against it. J. H. A. Branson, the then Judge of the Calcutta High Court, on the cause of European safety, started a movement against the Bill and formed the Defence Association.

Kelvin J. J. Kessuik and others joined hands with him. Lord Ripon faced deep criticism in the British newspapers.

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism First Two Decades Of The National Congress

In the nineteenth century, Congress took birth as a national outlet for realizing the Indian demands. In 1885 A.D. Allan Octavian Hume founded the Indian National Congress.

On 1st March 1883 A.D. he is an ‘Open letter’ had addressed the graduates of Calcutta University, and from this took the birth of the National Congress.

The first session of Congress was organized at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College of Bombay on 25th December 1885 A.D. in this session from the 72 delegates, Barrister Womesh Chandra Bandyopadhyay was the first elected President.

In his Presidential address, he spoke about the primary four objectives of the Congress

1. Promotion of intimacy and friendship among the earnest workers in different parts of the country who had been working for the country’s cause.
2. Eradication of all possible race, creed or provincial prejudices in order to develop sentiments of national unity.
3. To discuss the mature opinions of the educated classes in India on important and pressing social problems.
4. To determine the methods of action to be pursued by the Indian politicians for public interests during the next one year.

At first, for the first twenty years the Congress was committed mostly to the educated aristocrats and it ‘was not a people’s body.

During this period, the most prominent moderate leaders were Surendranath Banerjee, Firoz Shah Mehta, Dadabhai Naoraji, Ananda Mohan Basu, Dinsha Wacha, Badruddin Tayebji, Ramesh Chandra Datta, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and others.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Activities of the Moderates:

The British after occupying the administrative power used it for the sake of their imperialist interest. In the Central and Regional administrative bodies, there was no scope for the Indians.

Even if, one or two were selected they remained biased to the British Government. Moreover, the governmental setup did not nest on decentralization policy.  For that reason, Congress demanded- the ‘Indianisation’ of the British Administration and ‘Decentralisation’ of the administrative setup.

The Congress leaders demanded for the provision of inclusion of Indian representatives in the central and provincial councils. Due to the pressure of their movement, the British government was forced to pass the ‘Indian Council Act of 1892 A. D.’

By this Act, some members in the central and provincial councils were to be selected from the non-governmental sectors. Furthermore, the government assured to accept the demand of electing few members in the legislative councils, which meant a victory for the Congress.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

But later these victories were dubbed as ‘hoaxes’. The British imperialist cause was responsible for the destruction of Indian industry, trade, and agriculture. In the unequal competition with the European traders, the Indian traders suffered losses.

Cottage industries were destroyed. The agricultural system was at the British hands. The government paid no heed to the proper payment of the workers and peasants and tried the least to stand by the affected mass during the famines.

So blaming the British rule for the economic distress of India, Dadabhai Naoraji wrote ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’ and ‘England’s duties towards India.

‘ Other than these R. C. Dutta’s ‘The Economic History of India’, M. G. Ranade’s ‘Indian Economy’, and William Digby’s ‘Prosperous British India’ are some of the notable writings.

In 1887 Governor General Lord Dufferin humiliated Congress by considering it as ‘a microscopic minority of the people. Lord Curzon also wrote to Home Secretary Hamilton that all works have been done for “the peaceful demise of the Congress”.

The British employees called Congress members as “disloyal babus”, “seditious brahmin”, and “Violent villains”. They described the Congress as “a factory of sedition” and “a big jump into the unknown”.

Importance of the moderates:

The method of agitation adopted by the Congress was ‘Prayer, Petition and Protest’ or ‘3P’s. They avoided the direct political struggle. Some considered this policy as “Political mendicancy”.

Among these moderate leaders, the notable are W. C. Banerjee, Surendranath Banerjee, Firoz Shah Mehta, Dadabhai Naoroji (he was called “father of Indian Politics”), Badruddin Tayebji, and others. Dr. Sumit Sarkar criticized them as ‘Part-time politicians’.

Revolutionary Aswini Kr. Dutta humorously criticized the sessions as ‘Teen Din Ka Tamasha’. As communication with the commoners was lacking, some considered Congress as an organization of the elite class society.

The moderates succeeded in rising the national consciousness of the people against British rule. Dr. Amalesh Tripathy in his book the Extremist challenges said that the Dadabhai Naoroji failure of the moderates gave rise to extremism.

S. R. Mehrotra in his book ‘Towards India’s freedom’ has said that the Congress leaders have proved their foresight by adopting this method of agitation in that situation.

Because when the political consciousness of the people had matured they acted in the right way. Because if the Congress would have gone in the way of revolutionary terrorism from the beginning the political unification of the masses would have grown doubtful.

So Congress had played a positive role. According to Bipan Chandra, “the early nationalists laid. strong foundations for the national movement, to grow up on and that they deserve a high place among the makers of modern India”.

Economic Nationalism:

Economic nationalism is an umbrella term that includes economics, politics, and theories designed to improve the domestic economy relative to foreign economics.

It, therefore, subsumes various theories like economic patriotism, protectionism, and mercantilism, all of which are different forms of ‘economic nationalism’.

If we think about a definition of economic nationalism it must be expressed that taking issue with the generalized remit of economic nationalism in recent writings, it suggests that it consists of practices to create, bolster and protect national economics in the context of world markets.

Moderate congress leaders like Ramesh Chandra Datta, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Mahadev Gobinda Ranade openly criticized the role of the British in the economic crisis of India. It is called ‘economic nationalism’.

Among the moderates, notables were Surendranath Banerjee, Dadabhai Naoroji, G. K. Gokhale, Firozshah Mehta, and others. The British Government took advantage of the conservative thoughts.

The Home Secretary Morley wrote to Minto “The Congress collapse was a great triumph for us”. Sumit Sarkar considered the split as ideological which strengthened the national movement.

Rise of Extremist Politics:

The main achievement of the Surat session was that it accelerated the national movement with such force and confidence that was never seen in other times.

Aurobindo said that fortunately, the split did not develop frustrations rather communication developed soon between the two ways. This force soon started loosening British rule. The British paid no heed to the 3P policy of the Congress.

 

So some of the leaders chose a way of revolutionary terrorism. Notable among these leaders are Aurobindo Ghosh, Balgangadhar Tilak, Aswini Kumar Dutta, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Ray, etc.

Apart from this Lord Curzon’s Partition of Bengal changed the views of the Congress leaders. In 1907 A.D. there was a rise of extremism against moderate policies. A change in the political history of Bengal was inevitable.

 

 

The government’s attitude helped in the rise of extremism. The early. Congress leaders achieved little and failed miserably. But they succeeded in raising the consciousness of the people against British Rule.

The early twenty years of the Indian national movement from 1885-1905 A. D. was moderate and it frustrated the Indians. So militant nationalism developed in India. Traditional Hindu Philosophy helped the development of this nationalism.

Balgangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra, Lala Lajpat Ray of Punjab, Arobindo Ghosh and Bipin Chandra Pal in Bengal gave the leadership. They supported the armed freedom struggle. There were many reasons for this development.

 

 

The political beggary of the Indian National Congress from (1885-1905 A.D.) frustrated Indians. In 1892 A.D. “Indian Council Act” was passed which made Indians more frustrated. Extremism developed within National Congress in this time.

The British exploited India to a great extent in this era. There was a huge drain of wealth and according to Bipan Chandra, it impoverished the Indians. Indigenous cotton textile age of 1896 A.D. was anti-Indian and Indian traders faced a great loss due to this act.

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Wbbse

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism Surat Session Of National Congress

 

The extremist movement within Congress had its birth during the phase of the anti-partition struggle. The debate in which the Congress leaders were engaged during 1905-07 A.D.

The process of agitation had its inevitable outcome in the division of Congress in the Surat Session. The extremists demanded Lala Lajpat Ray to be the President. But Surendranath and Gokhale opposed and Rashbehari Ghosh presided over the session.

The discontented Aurobindo, Tilak, Bipin Chandra, Lala Lajpat Roy, and others built another party within the Congress itself. Thus the Congress was divided. This was known as the “Surat split”.

 

 

Among the moderates, notables were Surendranath Banerjee, Dadabhai Naoroji, G. K. Gokhale, Firozshah Mehta, and others.

The British Government took advantage of the conservative thoughts, The Home Secretary Morley wrote to Minto “The Congress collapse was a great triumph for us.”

Sumit Sarkar considered the split as ideological which strengthened the national movement.

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Wbbse

Sarala Debi And Pratapaditya Utsav 

Sarala Debi Chowdhurani (1872-1945) was the second daughter of Swarnakumari Debi and Janakinath Ghoshal. She was a graduate in English, having been awarded the ‘Padmavati gold medal’.

She wrote books like ‘Nababarsher Swapna’ (Dreams in the New Year), Jibaner Jharapata’ (The Fallen Leaves of life), ‘Shibratrir Puja’ (Worship on Shibratri), etc. Jeebaner Jharapata is a unique material in the study of Indian History.

This book was published in as a series in the weekly magazine ‘Desh’ from 24th Kartik, 1351 to 26th Jaishtha, 1352. It was first published as a book on International Women’s Year, in 1975.

Sarala Debi Chowdhurani

 

 

The autobiography Jibaner Jharapata’ tells us not only about the story of the young Sarala’s growing up into a lady, but also gives us glimpses of our country during that time. Normally a woman’s autobiography contains mundane incidents about daily life.

But Sarala Debi boldly defied the diktats of society and wrote about her activities outside the confinements of her home. Many of these events have made their place in history.

Jibaner Jharapata’ is of immense importance to understanding Bengali society today. In those days she helped in women’s organizations, encouraged boys to undertake physical training and form clubs, and even sang herself in functions and conferences.

As the first political leader of modern India, Sarala Devi had involvement with ‘Suhrid Samiti’ (1905) and pioneered the ‘Bharat Stri Mahamandal’ (1911).

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Wbbse

She introduced ‘Birashtami Utsav’ (1902) and ‘Pratapaditya Utsav’ (1903) to encourage the youths with the ideals of Lathi and sword fighting. Sarala Debi got married barrister of Punjab Pandit Rambhanja Dutta Choudhury in 1905.

The music for the first two lines of the song ‘Vande Mataram’ by Bankim Chandra was composed by her uncle Rabindranath. But Jadu Bhatta set the music on ‘Vandemataram’ first.

Sarala Debi composed music for the remaining lines sang the song ‘Vande Mataram’ in Calcutta Congress Conference (1905), and proposed to name it the National song of India.

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism Anti Partition Movement Of Bengal

Lord Curzon with the advice of Sir Andrew Frazer accepted Risley’s proposal of the partition and finalized it on 03.12.1903.

Though Lord Curzon put forward the administrative advantages behind the partition of Bengal his main aim in announcing the Partition on 20th July 1905 A.D. was to curb the nationalist unity and fulfill the “divide and rule policy”.

Lord Curzon

 

 

It was clearly said that a new province called ‘East Bengal and Assam’ shall be formed including Malda District, Dacca, Chittagong, Rajshahi, and Tripura.

Its capital shall be Dacca, while West Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa shall comprise the Bengal Province. Its capital shall be Calcutta. 16th October 1905’A. D. this partition was to be realized.

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Wbbse

Surendranath Banerjee described the event in his ‘The Bengalee’ as a ‘national disaster’. Hitabadi said that such a catastrophic event had not occurred in the last 150 years in the history of Bengal. A countrywide agitation started from this event.

16th October 1905 A. D. Rabindranath Tagore proposed to observe the ‘Raksha Bandhan Festival’. To develop the unity and fraternity of the Hindus and Muslims the Rakhi Bandhan was of immense significance.

Rabindranath Tagore

 

 

In the program of movement, the greatest emphasis was laid upon the boycott. A wide view can be had from Valentine Chirol’s book “Unrest India”. In his journal “Sanjibani” Krishna Kumar Mitra proposed the boycott of British goods like Ireland and China.

In 1905, on the 13th of July, he first gave the call of an economical blockade against the government by eschewing all foreign articles or boycotts.

On 17th July, at Bagerhat, Khulna, 21st July at Dinajpur, and 7th August at the connection of about 5000 students organized by the teachers at College Square and later at a mass rally at the Calcutta Town Hall under the leadership of Maharaja Manindra Chandra Nandi the proposal of the boycott was accepted. The Muslims accepted this proposal on the 23rd and 28th of September at two mass rallies near the Kali Temple of Kalighat.

Significance:

The Swadeshi Movement had a deep-rooted effect on national life.

The effects of the Swadeshi Movement were-

1. Firstly, it brought a new dimension to the Indian freedom movement.
2. Secondly, the terrorist secret societies like ‘Anushilon Samity’ and ‘Jugantar Dal’ got their chances of rising. According to Will Durant, “It was in 1905 that the Indian revolution began.”
3. Thirdly, from the Swadeshi Movement onwards grew bitter feelings between the Hindus and Muslims. In 1906 A.D. Nawab Salimullah of Dacca formed the ‘Muslim League’. Sir Nirod C. Chowdhury in his “The Autobiography of an unknown Indian” wrote that this gave rise to communal bitterness.
4. Fourthly, the anti-partition movement gave rise to extremism. In 1906 A.D. Dadabhai Naoroji put up ‘Swaraj’ as the aim of the Congress.
5. Fifthly, the Swadeshi Movement had a deep impact on Bengal’s social and cultural lives and the thoughts of the Bengalees.

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Wbbse

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism Swadeshi Era And Abanindranath Tagore

Abanindranath Tagore (1871-1951) nephew of Rabindranath was both an artist and a writer. What he created with his brush is painting and what he created with his words is literature Abanindranath is called the “father of modern Bengali art”.

His student Nandalal Basu kept this art trend alive. In 1905 he created Bharatmata, which is considered to be an immortal creation of Abanindranath. This creation in water colour is a world renowned painting.

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Wbbse

 

 

It was painted at a time when the country was in turmoil fighting the partition of Bengal. The specialty of Bharatmata is that it is actually Bangamata (Bengal as a mother).

Through the brushes of the painter, mother India was portrayed as a Goddess of prosperity. She looks like a hermit; she is in fact Mother India herself. She is Indian tradition personified as Mother India.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 6 Notes

Abanindranath’s Bharatmata has four hands. A special characteristic of this painting is that a 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 string of Rudraksha (sacred beads).

 

The most important characteristic of Bharatmata is that she is a combination of all the gods and goddesses worshipped in India. Above all, she is Devi Durga.

She is often seen as a lady on the back of a lion, in saffron clothing, and sporting the Indian national flag. In the second half of the Nineteenth Century, Kiran Chandra Banerjee wrote a play called ‘Bharatmata’ in 1873.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 6 Notes

Abanindranath got the concept of his painting ‘Bharatmata’ from the painting ‘Swadhinatar Devi’ drawn by Eugine Dalacroa.

Importance:

The famous painting Bharatmata by Abanindranath is of great historical importance because it is not just an artwork. It expresses the concept of the eternal mother.

Motherland has been personified as a lady in this picture. Jayanta Sengupta, secretary, and curator of the Victoria Memorial Hall says ‘In this way the mother is seeking liberation through her sons’.

Among all the paintings of Abanindranath, this one is regarded as an icon and the most important among them all. The painting ‘Bharatmata’ is on display at Victoria Memorial Hall for viewing by the general public.

Rabindra Bharati Society is also quite active in this matter. Sister Nivedita (Margaret Elizabeth Nobel) was a great patron of ‘Bharatmata’. She wanted the painting to be carried all over India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, thereby promoting the spirit of nationalism.

Swadeshi Industries :

According to Dr. Majumdar, this movement not only helped in the spread of national goods but also in the aspects of the national language, literature, education, and political ideology. The inevitable outcome of the boycott was the necessity of Swadeshi.

The negative approach of the Boycott and the positive aspect of Swadeshi unified to give birth to a stronger Swadeshi Movement. Swadeshi shops grew up in various localities. Such a shop is ‘Messers B. K. Sen and Co’, at Calcutta.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 6 Notes

Acharya P. C. Roy’s ‘Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works’ gained much popularity. The others were Dr. Nilratan Sarkar’s ‘National Soap Factory’, Sir J. N. Tata’s ‘Iron and Steel Co.’ Chidambaram Pillay’s ‘National Ship Co’ etc.

Other factories of matches, leather goods, sugar, salt, and cotton products developed during this period. Many Swadeshi Banks, Insurance and Agencies were founded at this time.

Swadeshi Education:

As a part of the Swadeshi Movement the ‘National Council of Education’ was founded on 11th March 1906 A.D. with 92 members. Under this council without any Government aids some colleges, 500 secondary schools, and more than 300 primary schools could be founded.

Chapter 6 Early Growth Of Nationalism Division In Hindu Muslim

Analysis of Rabindranath:

The most rational explanation, even if a little charitable, for Rabindranath Tagore’s political stance against the Muslims of East Bengal could be that he, at that point of Bengal.

Sincerely believed in a broad-based ‘Bengali-nationalism’, comprising Bangla-speaking Hindus and Muslims of both East and West Bengal. Therefore, politically preached the political project of a united Bengal.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 6 Notes

Sometimes we say that the British provoked the Muslims against the Hindus. But they are not benefiting by it at present. Rabindranath, however eventually revised his thesis of the eternal Hindu-Muslim brotherhood of Bengal.

In an article named ‘Byadhi O Pratikar’ in 1907 Tagore wrote “There is no point in telling lies anymore. We must now admit that there is a contradiction between the Hindus and the Muslims of Bengal.

We are not only different from each other; we are also opposed to each other”. For the promotion of unity among the Hindus and the Muslims Tagore celebrated “Rakhi Bandhan utsab” in 1905 during the ‘Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ movement.

So our proper development would never be possible without real love and respect with trust and honor to each other.

Revolutionary Terrorism:

Satish Chandra Bose formed Anushilan Samiti at 12 Madan Mitra Lane of Calcutta on 24th March 1902 A.D. The name Anushilan Samiti was adopted from the Novel ‘Anandamath’ written by Bankim Chandra.

Barrister Pramathanath Mitra was appointed as the first President of this Samiti. In this time, the Vice President was Chittaranjan Das and Aurobindo Ghosh was the treasurer. There were two streams of the system of revolution in Anushilan Samiti.

That is

1. ‘Passive resistance’ and
2.  Armed revolution. Revolutionist Barindra Kumar Ghosh was in support of the armed revolution and secret murders.

After 1905 A.D. Anushilan Samiti had opened its branches in different areas of Calcutta and its neighborhood like Khidderpur, Darjipara, Pataldanga, Shibpur, Salkia, Serampore, Bali, Tarakeswar, Uttarpara etc.

Apart from this, the branches of Anushilan Samiti and many other secret societies were formed in Midnapore, Jessore, Nadia, Burdwan, Dinajpur, and Jalpaiguri.

Wbbse Chapter 6 History Class 8 Notes

The most important event was the attempt of murdering the Governor of East Bengal and Assam Bamfield Fuller, but it was failed and unsuccessful in Naihati station in December 1907 A.D.

Again, in 1909 A.D. the attempt to murder Andrew Frazer, the Governor of Bengal was unsuccessful in Midnapore. At this time the unsuccessful heroes were Hemchandra, Barin Ghosh, and Prafulla Chaki.

In 1907 A. D, the revolutionist Barindra Kumar Ghosh set up a factory in a garden house at 32, Muraripukur Road near the Manicktala area for making bombs.

 

Hemchandra Kanungo and Ullaskar Dutta of Presidency College took charge of making bombs in that garden house. The main object was to murder the torturous Kingsford, the Magistrate of the Calcutta Presidency.

On 30th April 1908, they charged a powerful bomb on the car of Mr. Kenedy, mistaking it as the car of Kingsford thus killing innocent Mrs. and Miss Kennedy, the wife and the daughter of Mr. Kenedy.

Wbbse Chapter 6 History Class 8 Notes

After this incident, Prafulla Chaki, with the fear of being arrested, committed suicide. Khudiram was arrested in Wayini station, 25 miles away from the spot of this murder.

After a trial for a few months, Khudiram was hanged to death on 11th August. 1908 A.D. in Muzaffarpur Jail under section 304 of the Indian Penal code.

In connection with the Muzaffarpur murder, police started investigating in every corner and eventually found plenty of explosives in the garden house of Muraripukur. 37 revolutionists were arrested in this connection.

Barin Ghosh and Aurobindo were the main accused. Everyone was put up in Alipore jail and the ‘Alipore Bomb Case’ was started against them.

Kanailal Dutta and Satyen Bose, the two main accused of this case murdered Naren Goswami, the government witness, inside the jail on 1st September 1908.

In 1910-1912 A.D. many revolutionists were imprisoned in the ‘Barisal Conspiracy Case’ in connection with the political dacoities. Between 1907 A.D. and 1917 A.D. at least 64 political murders took place.

Just before the World War, the revolutionists looted 50 Mauser revolvers and 46,000 cartridges from ‘Radda and Co’ in 1914 A.D. in Dharmatala under the leadership of Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin) and with the inspiration from Bipin Behari Ganguly the founder of ‘Atmonnati Sadhan Samity’.

Jatindranath Mukherjee

 

At last, the German Consul, in Shanghai, sent three ships ‘Maverick’, ‘Annie Larsen’, and ‘Henry-S.’-loaded with arms and weapons in Raimangal and Bageswar area of Sundarban. But these three ships were seized by American, British, and Dutch officials.

Wbbse Chapter 6 History Class 8 Notes

On 5th September 1915 A.D., police raided the ‘Universal Emporium’ on the basis of a secret clue. After that, Charles Tagert, the Police Commissioner, encircled the group of Bagha Jatin on the bank of the Buri Balam river.

A battle started between the two groups on the bank of Buri Balam on the 9th of September 1915 A. D. In this battle, four companions of Bagha Jatin, namely, Jyotish Pal, Chittapriya Raychowdhury, Manoranjan Sengupta, and Niren Sengupta fought gallantly.

But in the gunfight for 20 minutes, Bagha Jatin became seriously injured and died in Balasore hospital on 10th September. In a trial, Jyotish Pal was sentenced to imprisonment for a lifetime (14 years) and the injured Manoranjan and Niren were hanged.

Chapter 8 From Communalism To Partition Of India Background

Growth of Communalism in Colonial India :

The philosophy and the policy of Sufism started changing from the beginning of British rule in the Modern age. The character of Muslim politics also changed according to Aligarh Movement and the ‘Deoband Movement’.

Sir Syed Ahmed, the leader of the Aligarh Movement introduced the ‘Two Nation Theory’ by identifying Hindus and Muslims as two separate communities.

From this in fact, Aga Khan, the Nawab of Dacca and Salimullaha got the inspiration of forming ‘Muslim League’ in 1906 A.D. Historian Peter Hardy said that the British inflicted communalism for the use of Muslims as weapons against the Hindus.

So, in 1909 A.D., the ‘Morle-Minto Reform Act’ was passed for making arrangements for separate election methods for minority Muslims. As a result, the relationship between Hindus and Muslims became strained in Indian politics.

Class 8 History Chapter 4 Wbbse

But due to Lucknow Pact in 1916 A.D., a new situation was created as Muslims and the Congress got united. Under this treaty, the separate election policy was not fully abolished and as a result, the harmony of the future became critical.

But, after the 1st World War, the Hindus and the Muslims were united on the basis of the Khilafat Movement (1919 A.D.).

Towards Communal Divide

Lord Linlithgow proudly remarked ‘I want to appear in India like the character of Mussolini of Italy. He initiated. the “Police Raj” in India.

With the help of his 10 ordinance Police continued lathi, fire, physical torture, fine, rape, the capture of properties, arrest without cause etc. Due to the inhuman oppressive policy of the government, all welfare activities were stopped.

All nationalist papers and properties of the Congressmen were banned. But the agitators boldly boycott foreign goods and continued their Civil Disobedience Movement. The Satyagraha attacked the first railway and post and telegraph centres.

Bombay and Bengal were their headquarters. The wave of movement spread throughout the remote cities and villages. Gandhiji’s fasting was not liked to the common people.

The British Prime Minister Sir ‘Ramshey Mcdonald’ declared his ‘Communal Award’ (16th August 1932). Ultimately the ‘treaty of Poone’ (1932) was signed between Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Dr Rajendra Prasad, to weaken government communal violence. Gandhiji built ‘The all India anti- untouchable League’ (September 1932).

Chapter 8 From Communalism To Partition Of India Towards The Decision Of Partition of India

The British government adopted a “divide and rule policy” to break Hindu-Muslim unity in India after 1857.

1. After the formation of Congress (1885) Sir Syed Ahmed raised the ‘Two Nation Theory’ first in India.
2. Lord Cross’s Act in 1892 initiated the policy of communal representatives in Indian politics.
3. H. Rishlay expressed the same attitude in 1901. Vikarul Mulk said that we need “a political organisation of our own”. He also said (1903) “We, the Indian Musalmans, being in the minority, have our own special needs and require some means through which we can place them before the Government”.
4. During Swadeshi Movement (1904-05) Hindu- Muslim relations collapsed. Lord Curzon electrified the upper-class Muslims,
5. In the ‘Simla Deputation’ (1st Oct. 1906) Muslims demanded to Lord Minto
6.  Religion-oriented election for the Muslims,
7. The election should not be based on population ratio and
8. Separate electorates for the Muslim representative. Francis Robinson remarked, “The Simla deputation failed in one of its major objects, the curbing of the young gentlemen.”
9. Like the Aligarh Movement of Syed Ahmed, Deoband Movement was organised by Mohammad and Qasim Navautavi (1832-1880). He was supported by Rashid Ahmed Gangohi (1828-1916) and Haji Imadudullah Thanabhavni. Manlana Qasim Nanantavi founded ‘Dar-ul-Ullema’ madrasah at Deoband (30 May, 1866).But its early name was ‘Madrasah Islamia Arabia’, yet this name was changed soon. Tayyab Sahib in his book, ‘Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband ki Sadsala Zindagi’, Wrote “the objectives of our education are to prepare such young people who would be Indian from the point of view of race and colour and Islamic in their hearts and minds and who would have within them Islamic qualities and attributes from the point of religion and politics”.
10. The principals of the Aligarh College such as Syedans (1877-1883), Theodore Beck (1883-1899), Theodore Morrison (1899-1904) and Archibold influenced the students of the college to be anti-Hindu and Anti-Congress.
11. Aga Khan and the Nawab of Dacca Salimullah with the help of Lord Minto formed the Muslim League in 1906 for the protection of 6 crores of 20 Lac Indian Muslims.
12. In 1909 Morley-Minto Reforms Act played a very diplomatic game to create distance between Hindus and Muslims, but by the ‘Lucknow Pact’ (1916) the Muslim League and the Congress came closer.
13. Unfortunately, the Muslims of India who joined the Khilafat movement, withdrew their support from the Non-Cooperation Movement, as Gandhiji kept unsolve the Khilafat problem and suspended the movement in 1922. Dr Sumit Sarkar said, “The quite unprecedented growth of both Hindu and Muslim Communalism was in fact by far the most serious and permanent negative development of these years.” It needs to be emphasised, however, that much of this was a reaction against the very rapid spread of Hindu Communalism in these years.
14. Hindu Communalism emerged in this situation. B. G. Tilak opposed the ‘Age of consent Act (1891)’ for Anti-Hindu expression in it by the British.

After that, the Hindu Sabha (1907) was formed in Punjab and the ‘Provincial Hindu conference’ (1909) was held. In 1911 ‘Arya Samaj’ started to call them ‘Hindu’ in place of ‘Arya’.

The Hindu Mahasabha was established in 1915 on the occasion of the Kumbha Mela at Haridwar by Madan Mohan Malaviya. Dr V. D. Savarkar, Dr V. S. Munje and Lala Lajpat Rai joined it.

Its objective was the revival of social and cultural consciousness among the Hindus. But after 1930s Hindu Mahasabha gave the slogan of “Undivided India”. Savarkar in his book ‘Essentials of Hindutva’ (1922) emphasised on the concept of eternal Hindu unity.

But Thomas Blom Hansen in his book ‘The Saffron Wave’ remarked, “Savarkar’s cultural nationalism was communal, masculine and aggressively anti-Muslim”. The ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha’ (R.S.S.) was formed in 1925 at Nagpur by K. B. Hedgewar. Sumit Sarkar called them aggressive Hindus.

Fourteen Points Of Mohammad Ali Jinnah

Mohammad Ali Jinnah raised fourteen points in the Delhi Conference held on 28th March 1929 A.D. in support of the Muslim interest. The ‘fourteen points that were raised by Jinnah, which were almost a challenge to Nehru Report were-

Mohammad Ali Jinnah

1.  Introduction of statewide administrations unitedly,
2. To form self-government in each state.
3. To appoint sufficient Muslim members in each Legislative Assembly.
4. To introduce a separate election system for Muslims.
5. To reserve 3rd of the total strength for the Muslims in the Assemblies in the centre and the states.
6. To keep the Muslim majority intact in reconstructing the states like Bengal, Punjab, and North-Western border states.
7. Right to reject any bill by the 2nd of any community.
8. To give recognition to the religious independence of all communities.
9. 1/3rd of the members of the ministers both central and state are to be appointed Muslims.
10. Permission has to be sorted from the local State Governments for amending the constitution.
11. To form a new Sindhu State by detaching Bombay.
12. To arrange for constitutional reforms in Baluchistan and other North-Western border states.
13. To reserve the post for Muslims in State and other local organisations.
14. To concentrate on the education, culture, literature etc. of the Muslim community.

On the other hand, the famous Urdu poet Mohammad Iqbal (1873- 1938 A.D.) said, while propagating his Pan-Islamic Theory “the formation of a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim state appears to me to be the final destiny of Muslims at least of North-West India.”

Class 8 History Chapter 4 Wbbse

Chapter 8 From Communalism To Partition Of India Lahore Proposal Or Pakistan Proposal

From this time, Jinnah became extremely communal. He propagated his ‘Two-Nation Theory’ and said in his famous Lucknow lecture (1937 A. D.) “I want the Muslim to ponder ever the situation and decide their own fate by having one, single, definite, uniform policy which should be loyally followed throughout India”.

So, all the Muslim brothers should dissociate themselves from the Congress and try to form a separate Pakistan State. During this time, Fazlul Haque of Bengal and Sikandar Hayat Khan of Punjab appeared as the regional leaders but none of them were nowhere near Jinnah in respect of power and influence.

Wbbse Chapter 8 History Class 8 Notes

So, Jinnah told about the movement for a separate Pakistan state in the Muslim League conference held in Lahore in March 1940 A.D., on the basis of the Two-Nation Theory.

Prior to the Lahore conference of the Muslim League, Muslim League faced a total defeat in the 1937 A.D. election. In 1939 A.D. the Congress ministers resigned from the working committee and jubilant Jinnah called the Muslims to celebrate the ‘Day of Deliverance.

Because according to ‘Pirpur Report’ Congress people tortured the Muslims. But as per the observation of Sir Maurice Guyea, the Dean of Oxford University, there was no such allegation against Congress.

Later in March 1940 A.D. Jinnah said in the Lahore Congress of the Muslim League. This ‘Lahore Proposal’ was drafted by Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan of Punjab and seconded by Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque.

Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque

Chowdhury Khalikuzzman was the second supporter of this proposal. This was known as the ‘Pakistan Proposal’ because there was a mention of making a separate Pakistan in that proposal.

It is needless to say that Muslim League had been able to unite the lacs of Muslims by raising the slogan as “Islam is in Danger”. After this, the ‘Pakistan Movement’ was started.

Class 8 History Chapter 4 Wbbse

This process was on well before the Lahore conference. So it is said, “Ahmed was the philosopher, Iqbal the prophet and Jinnah the statesman creator.”

Partition Of India And Independence

In September 1944 A.D. Jinnah and Gandhi had a discussion on the solution of this political crisis. But the aim of the discussion failed as Jinnah was rigid in his demand for Pakistan. Then Bengal was faced with the terrible famine of 1943-44 A.D.

Moreover, the complexities regarding communalism were also increasing. So at the end of 1944 A.D., Chakrabarti Rajagopalachari made a solution of compromise. This was known as the “C. R. Formula”.

There Rajaji said

1. The Muslim League and the Congress would demand for independence unitedly and would try to form an interim government jointly.
2. Before going into the idea of a separate state, one should think of security and other things.
3. The Muslims of the Muslim-dominated North-East and North-West India should take a promise not to segregate from India etc.

But this plan also failed due to the rigidity of Jinnah and the effort to unite the Hindus and Muslims also failed. Thus communal movements emerged within the national movement.

class 8 history chapter 8 wbbse

Lord Wavell keeping in mind the military importance of India, submitted some proposals to Congress and Muslim League on 14th June 1945 A. D. This is known as the famous ‘Wavell Plan’.

Wavell mentioned in his plans

1. To transfer of power by the British to the Indians and started working on preparing a constitution for the Indians.
2. To form an Interim Government by the Indian representatives until the preparation of the constitution is complete.
3. The ratio of caste Hindus and Muslims would be equal in the working committee of the Governor General.
4. Except for the Governor General himself and the Chief of Army Staff, the rest members of this working committee will be Indians. An all-party conference was convened in Simla on 25th June 1945 A. D. to discuss these recommendations made by Wavell.

Jinnah was adamant for forming a separate Pakistan state and hence, it became almost impossible to find out any positive solutions in this conference. Thus due to the extreme eccentricity of Jinnah the ‘Simla Conference’ virtually flopped.

The political situation of India became very much critical, particularly after the end of 2nd World War. During the Naval Mutiny (18th February 1946 A.D.) anti-British mentality of the Indian soldiers and the common people made the situation graver.

Clement Atlee the British Prime Minister sent three members of the British Cabinet to India. This is known as the “Cabinet Mission”.

Clement Atlee

The Plans of the Mission were-

1. A Union territory will be formed with British-ruled India and native states.
2. The Policy of Power distribution between the Central Government and the State Governments will be effective.
3. The States will be selfly Governed but the defence, foreign policy and communication will be in the hands of the Centre.
4. The states will be categorised as
5. Hindu-inflicted states.
6. Muslim-inflicted states and
7. Bengal and Assam.

Initially, Congress opposed this proposal. But the mission assured that the ‘Interim Government’ could work independently and then Congress accepted the proposal.

class 8 history chapter 8 wbbse

On the other hand, Jinnah opposed and rejected the proposals of the mission and decided to take the policy of ‘direct action’. Lord Mountbatten came to riot-stricken India on 24th March 1947 as Governor-General.

Just after his arrival, he prepared the draft partition deed with the help of his Chief V. P. Menon. In the very next day, he made a press release saying that India and Pakistan would be two separate independent dominions.

He also announced that the power would be transferred within 15th August 1947. Such announcement of Mountbatten is called the “Mountbatten Plan”.

It was mentioned in the Mountbatten plan that

1. Entire India will be divided into two independent dominions i.e. India and Pakistan.
2. Pakistan will comprise of the Muslim-inflicted states, Indus, British Baluchistan, and North-Western territorial states. West Punjab and East Bengal.
3. Border Commission formed under the leadership of Cyril Radcliffe will decide the regions of Bengal and Punjab which will be included in the dominions.
4. The regions of Sylhet and the North-Western territory will be decided by the people’s election.
5. Each dominion can prepare its constitution only.
6. The native states can enjoy its own sovereignty and may join with any dominion as per their will.

This proposal of Mountbatten was sent to British Parliament on 4th July 1947 (House of Commons). On the basis of this proposal, the Indian Independent Act (1947 A.D.) was passed in British Parliament on 18th July 1947.

With this Act, Pakistan was born on 14th August 1947 comprising of North-Western territorial state, Baluchistan, Indus, West Punjab and Sylhet of Assam. India was born at midnight of the same day.

Wbbse Chapter 8 History Class 8 Notes

The British Government transferred all its powers to the Indians and thus ended the long 200 years of British Rule. So, at midnight of 14th August 1947 A.D. India became independent.

Chapter 8 From Communalism To Partition Of India Radcliffe Line

According to Mountbatten’s plan (June 1947), two separate Frontier commissions were set up for the partition of Bengal and Punjab under the presidentship of British lawyer Sir Ceril Rad- cliffe on 27th June 1947.

For each commission, two numbers were taken from both the Congress and the League. Sir Radcliffe took the charge on 12th July. In a very short period of time, he mode the map of partition, which was called as “Radcliffe Line”.

The line made out a map of many regions and destroyed the lives of numerous people of India. Without experience and spot verification the Radcliffe Line was made for which he was responsible because no opinion was taken from the people of Bengal and Punjab.

Within six weeks Sir Radcliffe submitted his “Border Commissions Report” on 16th August 1947 A. D. As per his report Bengal was divided into ‘East Bengal’ and ‘West Bengal’. A total of 36% area including Calcutta and 35% population came under West Bengal.

Wbbse Chapter 8 History Class 8 Notes

And also 16% of the Muslims were in West Bengal and 42% of the Hindus in East Bengal. On the other hand, Punjab was divided in ‘East Punjab’ and ‘West Punjab’. A total of 38% of areas and 40% population of Punjab came to East Punjab.

This report of Radcliffe helped to divide India and arise the refugee problem. People of these territories were not agreed, but Congress and the League were in favour of partition.

For this reason transfer of power and their communal riot and refugee problem darkened the independence of India.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Background

The First World War (1914-1918) and the emergence of Gandhiji in Indian politics brought revolutionary changes. Besides worker’s peasant movement and the impacts of leftism in it strengthened the anti-British struggle in India.

Mahatma Gandhi And Ahimsha Satyagraha And Swaraj

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd October 1869 A.D. in Porebandar of Gujrat (1869-1948 A.D.). Just after passing Barristers from London in 1883 A.D.

He had to rush to South Africa to plead a case on behalf of ‘Dada Abdullah and Co’ in 1897 A.D. At this time, he observed the exploitation and oppression of the Negros by the Whites and formed the ‘Natal Indian National Congress to protest it.

Here he became successful by doing a non-violent Satyagraha movement with the local Negros. Dr. S. R. Mehrotra said, “Gandhiji was the best presentation of Indian Struggle in South Africa in the event of Indian national movement”.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

He adopted the non-violence ideology from the book ‘Kingdom of God’ written by Leo Tolstoy and ‘Unto the Last, by John Ruskin. His first lesson in politics started in South Africa.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

After that, he had to come back to India due to First World War (1914-18 A.D.) as per international law. The period from 1915 A.D. to 1948 A.D. in Indian politics is called the “Gandhi Era”.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Regional Movements

Gandhiji had a great impact on Indian politics while the Home Rule Movement was continuing on the other side. He developed the regional movements in Kheda in Gujrat and Champaran in Bihar.

He formed ‘Mazdur Mahajan Sabha’ for making movements against the mill owners of Ahmedabad for fixing the working time of the workers to 8 hours a day.

Besides this, the wages were also increased by 35%, revenue taxes were also decreased in the case of the farmers of Kheda for the British rule “Satanism”.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

So, historian Tarachand said, the transformation of a strong believer in non-violence like Gandhiji initiated the moral decline of the British empire.

Jallianwalabag killings

In protest of the Rowlatt Act, nearly 10,000 people gathered in a meeting in a bounded garden near Amritsar on 13th April 1919 around 4-30 p.m. At this time, Brigadier Michael-O- Dyer was the ruler of Punjab.

He surrounded this meeting place with the soldiers without warning them or requesting them to stop the meeting. As per the instruction of Dyer, four entrances were closed, After that, the British soldiers started firing to the helpless throng of people with 50 rifles from a distance of hardly 100 yards.

They fired 1600 rounds of bullets within 10 minutes at a stretch. Many persons including children and women were killed and injured. According to the official statement, 379 persons were killed and 1200 were injured.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

But it was known from the unofficial record that more than 1200 people were killed at the spot. In that evening ‘Marshal law’ and ‘curfew’ were introduced and as a result of this, the relatives could not bring back the dead bodies.

Even they could not give a drop of water to the injured ones. In protest of this, the entire country was raised to fire. In protest of the barbarous act of the British Government, Rabindranath Tagore heatedly refused to accept the ‘Knight’ title from the British.

In protest of it, Gandhiji wrote in ‘Young India’ “This satanic Government cannot be mended, it must be ended”.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement The Rowlatt  Act 1919

During the 1st World War, Indians started a revolution and movements for forming self- Government. To subdue these movements, the British Government appreciated Justice Sidney Rowlatt.

The notorious lawyer Sir S. A. T. Rowlatt formed a five member ‘Sedition Commission’ to tackle these movements and revolts.

It was said in the report of this commission that

1. Nationalist newspapers should be banned.
2. Just on suspicion, any Indian may be arrested and imprisoned for an indefinite period and without any trial.

Strong opposition was built up against this Anti-National Act. All the Indian members of the Centrál Law Committee raised their voices against this Act. Madanmohan Malavya, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Mazhar-ul-Haque, etc. resigned from the committee.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Jinnah said, “The fundamental principle of justice has been imported and the constitutional rights of the people have been unrooted at a time when there is no real danger to the state”.

Surendranath Banerjee and Gandhiji called for an all-out movement against this Act. Amrita Bazar Patrika called this Black Act as a “gigantic blunder”. So nationwide strike was called by Gandhiji on 30th March and 6th April 1919 A.D.

Gandhiji sarcastically said “appeal nehi, ukil nehi, dalil nehi”, (there was no advocate, no appeal, and no record). Gandhiji called the Act as “Kala Kanun” or “Black Act”.

Class Viii History Chapter 4 Wbbse

Act Of Montague-Chelmsford

Prior to the First World War ‘Morle-Minto Reform Act (1909 A.D.) related to administrative reforms was passed in 1909 A.D. Gopal Krishna Gokhle expressed his satisfaction as he thought this Act as ‘Progressive and reasonable’.

But after 10 years of this Act, ‘Montegu-Chelmsford Reform Act’ was passed in 1919 A.D., and the leaders like Tejbahadur Sapru, Surendranath Banerjee, Dinsha Wachha, Srinivas Shastri, etc.

Montague-Chelmsford

Called this Act as a bold step for forming a responsible Government in India. But the extremist leaders of the Indian National Congress called this Act as ‘inadequate, unsatisfactory and disappointing.

The main clauses of this Act were-

1. A working Committee with the Governor General was formed for the smooth running of the Central Government.
2. The working committee will be comprised with three Indians and 5 European members.
3. The power and the income will be proportionate between the Central and the State Governments. Central Government got the power of railways, defense, foreign policy, tax, currency, and post and telegraph. State Governments got the responsibility of police, law, education, health, communication, irrigation, agriculture, etc.
4. The Legislative Assemblies of the Centre consisted of two houses. The higher house was called the National Council and the lower house was called the Central Legislative Assembly etc.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement The Khilafat Movement

The Khilafat movement was started in a positive political atmosphere after the First World War (1914-1918 A.D.). The Caliph of Turkey took the side of Germany, the enemy of the Allies during the First World War.

Class Viii History Chapter 4 Wbbse

But he was defeated along with Germany by England. Then five treaties were signed with the defeated countries at the treaty of Versailles in 1919 A.D. Of those the ‘Treaty of Sevres’ was signed by Britain and Turkey (1920, 14 May).

By this treaty, the Ottoman Turkey Empire was divided into various parts. So the religious leader Caliph lost his earlier power and was insulted.

Besides, Gandhiji united the Muslim farmers of the Malabar coast of Kerala (who started the ‘Moplah Revolt’ against zamindari oppression) with this movement and started a powerful all-India Khilafat movement.

Class Viii History Chapter 4 Wbbse

The “Ali brothers”, i.e. Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali led the beginning of the movement through the ‘Khilafat Day’ on 17 October 1919 A. D. The leaders of the Khilafat committee had three demands-

1. To retain the worldly empire of the Caliph.
2. To the domination of the Caliph over Mesopotamia, Palestine, Arab, and Syria and
3. To check foreign interference on the pious religious centers of Mecca and Medina.

The Economic Impact Of The First World War On India

The first World War had a great impact on the Indian economy-

1. Export-import trade of India was destroyed.
2. Severe unemployment problems and worker strikes increased.
3. The great economic depression (1929-30) caused severe economic crises.
4. More than one lac Indian soldiers who returned home were unemployed.
5. High prices of goods increased by up to 80%, and
6. A huge amount of money was spent as war-cost from the revenue of India and Indians had to bear a heavy tax burden which affected the peasants and workers.

Non-Co-Operation Movement

Mahatma Gandhi had taken the program of the non-co-operation movement up to 1920- 1922 A.D. It was the first biggest mass movement in the history of the freedom struggle in India.

After the First World War, Gandhi and other leaders were frustrated by the attitude of the government. It was believed that according to earlier promises, the Indians would receive the right of self-rule from the government after the war.

Class Viii History Chapter 4 Wbbse

In 1919 A.D. the ‘Montague-Chelmsford Reforms Act’ was implemented. But the Indians felt angry, as their hopes were not fulfilled.

Besides the anti-British mentality depends due to the passing of the dangerous ‘Rowlatt Act’ (1918 A.D.), the cruel massacre of Jalianwallabag (1919 A.D.), and the insulting attitude of the British towards Abdul Hamid Shah II, the Caliph of Turkey (1920 A.D.).

Gandhiji started his non-violent non-co-operation with a few aims.

Those aims were-

1. Refusal of the exploiting Rowlatt Act.
2. To arrange for the punishment of each British official connected with the Jalianwallabag massacre.
3. To bring an easy solution to Punjab and the Khilafat problem.
4. To eradicate mutual jealousy and untouchability.
5. To bring a permanent solution of the undue exploitation of Indians by the British.
6. On the basis of the permission of the Khilafat committee in the Congress Working Committee, the ideal of self-rule was also taken as one of the chief aims of the movement. These aims were active behind the non-co-operation movement.

Dr. R. C. Majumdar thinks that the noncooperation had both positive and negative programs.

The main negative programs were-

1. To leave all government offices and law courts,
2. To boycott government schools and colleges,
3. To boycott the Legislative Assembly and its election,
4. To boycott all government titles, medals, and functions,
5. To boycott all government-elected memberships and
6. To boycott British goods.

The positive programs were

1. Building indigenous educational institutions,
2. To use swadeshi goods,
3. To build up swadeshi institutions,
4. To form a Judicial Board and to raise a fund of Rs. 1,20,000 for the Swaraj fund of Tilak and
5. To import more swadeshi goods in merchandise etc.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Murder Of Chaurichaura

On 5th February 1922 A.D. when the police fired at the peace rally of the Satyagrahi at Chaurichaura of Gorakhpur in U. P., 3,000 angry people attacked the police station at Chaurichaura and set fire to it.

class 8 history chapter 7 wbbse

22 policemen were burnt alive at this incident. Gandhiji was shocked at this incident and declared the withdrawal of the Non co-operation movement.

Subhas Chandra Bose had criticized Gandhiji’s order as a great mistake, as it destroyed national enthusiasm. He declared Gandhiji’s order as the “Himalayan miscalculation”.

Motilal Nehru and Lala Lajpat Ray have said that due to the crime of a group of people, Gandhiji had penalized the whole country. The entire country was agitated with Gandhi. So when Gandhi was imprisoned, none protested against it.

Rise Of The Swarajya Party After Non-Co-Operation

When Gandhiji had withdrawn the Non’ cooperation movement in 1922 A. D., it had a negative reaction throughout India. On 1st January 1923 A.D.

Chittaranjan Das set up the All India Congress Khilafat Swarajya Party or the Swarajya Party within the Congress. He was appointed as the president of this newly formed Swarajya Party and Motilal Nehru became the secretary.

Chittaranjan Das

Thus, on the basis of the birth of the Swarajya Party, the Congress supporters were divided into two groups:

1. ‘Pro-changers’ and
2. ‘No-changers’.

The most prominent among the pro-changers were Madanmohan Malavya, Srinivas Ayengar, Bithalbhai Patel, Hakim Ajmal Khan, N. C. Kelkar, Satya Murti, Jayakar, etc.

class 8 history chapter 7 wbbse

On the other hand, the supporters of no-changers were Ballavbhai Patel, Chakrabarti Raja Gopalachari, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Ansari, K. R. Ayengar, etc.

The pro-changers or supporters of C. R. Das all followed the policy and program of the Swarajya Party. After the death of Mr. Das in 1925 the Party weakened.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Anti-Simon Commission Movement

The Government of India Act of 1919 A.D. failed to satisfy Indians. So Irwin wanted more reforms. Lord Birkenhead proposed the formation of this Commission.

Formation Of Simon Commission

Sir John Simon formed this commission with seven members. It is named after him. There were two members from Labour Party, one from Liberal Party, and four from Conservative Party. Unfortunately, there was no Indian member.

Sir John Simon

Members were Lord Strathcona, Lord Burnham, Colonel Stephen Walis, Lenfox, Major Atlee, and Edward Carogan. British Government believed that it was a balanced commission as there was representatives from all parties, although there was no Indian.

Aims Of Commission

The commission aimed to establish parliamentary rule in India to satisfy all, Indians. In another way, the commission indirectly tried to reduce Indian agitation against the British.

The aims were-

1. To examine whether Indians can be capable in holding the highest administrative posts.
2. Discussing future reforms.
3. To check whether Montague- Chelmsford reform was working properly.

In this time there was two Indian members in the British Parliament. They were Satyenprasanna Sinha of the House of Lords and Shahpurji Saklatwala of the House of Commons. They had a close relationship with administrative reform.

class 8 history chapter 7 wbbse

But the British Government consciously avoided them in the time of forming the commission. Dr. A. B. Keith properly said-“Only a body external to India could properly decide whether the country was fit for a further step towards the goal of self Government or not.

As India was not independent, she could not investigate her own case”.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Agitation Of The Indians

The Indians became agitated as there was no Indian member in the commission. So in 3rd February 1927 A.D. when Simon reached Bombay port a large member of Indians showed agitation. A national strike was called.

The black flag was shown and there was one single voice ‘Go back, Simon’. It was a ‘national insult’ to the Indians. General Moon said that this commission was ‘a first class blunder Indians realized that they were betrayed. They said that the commission was of ‘all white’.

The ‘Civil Disobedience Movement

1. When the Simon Commission under the leadership of Sir John Simon came to India to supervise the implementation of the Act of 1919 A.D., the people expressed protest against it. Because there was no Indian member in that commission.
2. After that, Motilal Nehru created a constitutional plan, at the initiative of the Congress. This is known as the ‘Nehru report’ (1928 A.D.). The Government was given one year time to establish ‘Dominion Status’ or colonial self-rule in this report.
3. When that proposal was not taken by the Government within the settled time (1929 A.D. of December), Congress informed the Government that it would now organize a Civil Disobedience Movement with a demand for ‘Purna Swaraj’. The Civil Disobedience Movement, led by Gandhi is an important event in the history of the Freedom Movement in India.

On 14-16th February 1930 A.D., the All India Congress organized a meeting of the working committee in the Sabarmati Ashram of Gujarat. Then the decision for the non-violent Civil Disobedience Movement was adopted. Then on 2nd March 1930 A.D.

Gandhiji informed the Viceroy Lord Irwin that he was violating the salt law. Before that Gandhiji raised his ‘eleven demands’ to the Government in the ‘Young India’ on 30 January 1930 A.D.

Within these, the boycott of alcoholic drugs, the release of prisoners, the abolition of the salt tax, the decrease in revenue were important. The Government then cautioned Gandhiji, but could not show him an alternative way.

Gandhiji said at that time, “We bent on knees, I asked for bread and have received a stone instead”. After that, the program for the movement was launched. On 12th March 1930 A. D.,

Gandhiji took 79 of his Satyagrahis and traveled 241 miles on foot in 24 days and reached on the Arab Sea (5th April) from Gujarat.  This long historical procession was known as Dandi March. There Gandhiji organized Civil Disobedience for the first time by making salt from the Arabian Sea.

The Salt Satyagraha movement was ceremoniously observed as “the National Week” (6-13th April 1930 A.D.). This movement spread from Gujarat to gradual places like Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, North-West Frontier Province, Delhi, Madras, Bombay, Andhra Pradesh, Malabar, etc.

Wbbse Chapter 7 History Class 8 Notes

Salt was hugely produced in Kanthi, Tamluk in Midnapore and Mahishbathan, Diamond Harbour, Kalikapur in 24 Parganas. This policy was introduced by neglecting the high taxation on salt by the Government.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Civil Disobedience In North-West And Eastern India

Abdul Gaffar Khan, famous as ‘Frontier Gandhi’ and 600 ‘Red shirts’ or workers named Khuda-i-Khidmatgars were directly associated with the movement.

Here though the movement was caused by religious backgrounds, it had far-reaching political consequences. The Government started a policy of repression when the Civil Disobedience Movement took the shape of a mass militant struggle.

Abdul Gaffar Khan

According to Government records, a number of 76,000 Satyagrahis were imprisoned. This policy took the shape of cruelty in some places.. At the incidents of 24 firings, 111 persons were killed and 400 injured.

In Manipur and Nagaland Queen Gidals and in Syhlet and Mymansingh Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Varani took part in the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930.

Gandhi-Irwin Pact

The main success of the Civil Disobedience was the Gandhi-Irwin Pact of 5th March 1931 A.D. This was also known as the Delhi Pact. It was decided by this pact that

1. The Government would stop all repressive acts and ordinances.
2. All the political prisoners except those attached with violence would be released.
3. Those who had lost their property for Civil Disobedience would get an indemnity.
4. In a comfortable atmosphere for making salt people could produce salt for their own use.

But Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose and other leaders had criticized Gandhi as the latter had not discussed about the capital punishment of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, and Batukeshwar Dutta.

Wbbse Chapter 7 History Class 8 Notes

Surya Sen And Battle Of Jallalabad

After the death of Baghajatin in 1915 A.D., the revolutionary movement of Bengal stopped for nearly a decade. After that, with the appearance of Surya Sen (1893-1934 A.D.), a new wake in the revolutionary movement was noticed.

During the Civil Disobedience Movement organized by Gandhiji, Chittagong in East Bengal became a hot place of a revolutionary movement with the effort of Surya Sen.

Surya Sen

The main achievement during his lifetime was the ‘Chittagong Armoury Raid’ (18th April 1930). But as he was connected handing over his dead body to his relatives, it was thrown in the sea. 14 revolutionists in the Chittagong Armour case were imprisoned.

He made the ‘Indian Republican Army’ (1930) consisting. 64 revolutionaries of which Lokenath Bal, Ganesh Ghosh, Ambika Chakraborty, Jiban Ghoshal, Tegra Bal, etc.

Wbbse Chapter 7 History Class 8 Notes

Historian Sumit Sarkar said, “The most formidable group, led by Surya sen of Chittagong, went on with effective preparation for a really dramatic action”.

On 20th April 1930 the revolutionaries took shelter in Jalalabad Hill and after 3 days of war 11 revolutionaries died, Surya Sen was hanged on 12th January 1934.

Writers’ Buildings Campaign (1930) Under Binay-Badal-Dinesh

Binay, Badal, and Dinesh are also known as B. B. D. in history. During the era of the Civil Disobedience Movement organized by Gandhiji, these three revolutionists continued their revolutionary activities.

At first, Binoykrishna Bose shot Lowman and Hudson, the two notorious on 29th August 1930 A.D. inside the patient ward of Midford Hospital in Dhaka.

After that, he came to Calcutta and joined the ‘Bengal Volunteers Party’ (B. V.) formed by Hemchandra Ghosh. At this time, he met with Badal Gupta and Dinesh Gupta the two great revolutionists.

Later these three revolutionists planned to attack Writer’s Buildings. According to that plan, they entered Writers Buildings in disguised dress, in the afternoon of 8th December 1930 A.D.

Wbbse Chapter 7 History Class 8 Notes

After that, they went upstairs and Binay himself fired six rounds of bullets from his .38 caliber revolver to Col. Simpson, the Inspector General of Prisons. All six bullets penetrated the lungs of Simpson.

In the meantime, Charles Tagert rushed to the spot from Lalbazar with a large battalion of police and surrounded the Writers Buildings. After that Inspector Craig, Asstt. Inspector General Jones and Police Super Ford entered into “Writers’ Buildings”.

They had a severe gunfight with the three revolutionists. But, ultimately the revolutionists ran short of bullets and Badal committed suicide by taking potassium cyanide. The Statesman called it a ‘Corridor warfare’.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Bhagat Singh 1907 To 1931

Bhagat Singh got in touch with Chandra Sekhar Azad (title=”Quick Silver”). In 1923 A.D. Bhagat Singh took membership of ‘The Hindustan Republican Army’ formed by Chandra Sekhar. Bhagat Singh himself also formed a militant youth organization named.

‘Naojawan Bharat Sabha’ in 1925 A.D. His main followers were Ramprasad Bismil, Raoshonlal, Ashfakulla, Dinanath, Abodhbehari, etc. ‘Kakori Conspiracy Case’ was started on the basis of rail dacoity on 8th August 1925 A.D.

Wbbse Chapter 7 History Class 8 Notes

After that, he assassinated Mr. Saunders, the Police Superintendent of Lahore on 17th November 1928 A. D. because he charged lathi on Lala Lajpat Ray for the anti-Simon commission Movement. This was in retaliation of the death of Lajpat Ray.

Bhagat Singh

After that, Bhagat Singh and Batukeswar Dutta threw powerful bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly Hall of Delhi from the public gallery on 8th April 1929 A. D. when the discussion was going on for passing the “Trade Dispute Bill” and “Public Safety Act”.

Both these bills were against the public interest. After that, both of them surrendered of their own. Later other revolutionists like Rajguru and Sukhdev along with others were arrested. The historic ‘Lahore Conspiracy Case’ started (in 1929 A.D.).

In a trial, Bhagat Singh, Batukeswar Dutta, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were sentenced to be hanged on 23rd March 1931 A.D. Before stepping in to the hanging platform. Bhagat Singh shouted “Inqilab Jindabad” i.e. “Long live revolution”.

Pattabhi Sitaramayya has rightly commented “Bhagat Singh’s name was widely known all over India and was as popular as Gandhiji’s” -29th March 1931 A. D.

Gandhian Movement Of 1942

On 26th April 1942, Gandhiji wrote an essay on ‘Quit India’ in the ‘Harijan Patrika’. On 14th July 1942 A.D, the ‘Congress Working Committee’ in the ‘Wardha Session’ accepted Gandhiji’s proposals.

Finally, they adopted it formally on 8th August 1942 A. D. and planned to start up the movement from the morning of 9th August. In front of the A. I. C. C. Gandhiji referred to this movement as “This is an open rebellion.

In this struggle secrecy is a sin”. He gave the cry of “Do or Die”, for the Nation. To the agitators, the holy words were “Do or Die”. So they daringly went for strikes, burning down offices, and courts, destroying railway lines, telegraph, and telephones, and seizing police stations, post offices, registry offices, rail stations, etc.

This movement developed in this way of non-violence. The main centers of the Quit India Movement were Satara of Maharashtra, Tamluk, Kanthi of Midnapore, Balurghat of West Dinajpur, Balia, Azamgarh of U. P., Naogaon of Assam.

Among the notable leaders were Srinath Lal, and Nana Patil.of Satara, Chaitu Pandey of Balia, Matangini Hazra, Sushil Dhara of Tamluk, Punjab’s Fukonani, Assam’s Kanaklata Badua. At Midnapore, Bengal, the Quit India Movement took the form of a mass uprising.

The peasant movement organized by Birendranath Shasmal (“Desh Pran”) enabled the rapid spread of the Quit India Movement. It had deep impacts at Dinajpur, Balurghat, Midnapore, Kanthi, Tamluk, Patashpur, Bhagwanpore, Sutahata, Nandigram, Mahishadal, etc.

Class Viii History Chapter 7 Wbbse

And Birbhum, 24 Parganas etc. ‘Tamralipta Jatiya Sarkar’ was founded by Satish Samanta. On 8th Sept. 1942 movement started against village food grain suppliers.

On 29th September 1942, under the leadership of 72-year-old Matangini Hazra and Ramchandra Bera a mass of 20,000 seized the court and police station. When police opened fire on this procession many along with Matangini Hazra died.

After Matangini the leadership was taken by Ajay Mukherjee, Sushil Dhara, and Satish Samanta and they captured Lalbari. On 17th December 1942 A.D. Ajoy Mukherjee formed the “Tamluk Provisional National Government”.

They formed an armed force called ‘Bidyut Bahini’ and the women’s organization Bhagini Sena’.

The movement made the death toll of the British Government-

1. It proved the power of the masses.
2. According to Sumit Sarkar, in spite of all oppressions, the peasants came forth with great force. Jawaharlal Nehru, said, “It was essentially spontaneous mass upheaval”.
3. This movement finalized the Independence of India and the transfer of power. Baliavbhai Patel and Linlithgow said, “an-anti British movement was behind these feelings”.
4. According to Dr. Arun Bhuiya, this movement laid the foundation for freedom by raising mass consciousness and unity.

Impacts of World War II on Indian Politics and Economy:

During the Second World War between England-France-Soviet Russia and the Axis power group Germany-Italy-Japan, Viceroy General Lord Linlithgow declared India “a war country”. In 1942 the USA and the USSR became helpful to India.

Class Viii History Chapter 7 Wbbse

At that time food crisis, money inflation, and the terrible famine of 1943 made a negative impact in the Indian economy. The Second World War made a very devastating situation in the social, economic, and political life of India.

In the post-World War period food crisis, high prices, unemployment, and severe conditions in agriculture, trade, and industries created a very deadlock circumstances. 1 lac 80 thousand people were killed in the communal riot of 1946-47.

Archibold Wavell described it as the “dance at the edge of a volcano”. The student movements, naval revolts, and peasant and labour movements during the days of the post-war period, were started from various corners of India.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Subhas Chandra Bose And The I. N. A

The appearance of Subhas Chandra Bose in Indian politics was like the flaming sword of the Indian struggle for independence. He was born on 23rd January 1897 A.D. at Cuttack.

A freedom fighter of his caliber and capability is rare in the history of the Indian Freedom Struggle. His experience attained maturity with the Swarajya Party of C. R. Das. Gandhiji, later on, stopped developing the quality of the mass movements like civil disobedience and for the sake of bourgeoisie started rating.

Subhas Chandra Bose

The theory of economical freedom of Subhas and Gandhi’s political freedom theories met in a clash, in spite of which Subhas was eager to develop a nationwide movement to achieve the goal of total freedom.

Being inspired Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru took his side. After becoming the Congress President at Haripura in a meeting at Sraddhananda Park in 1938 A. D. he gave the call for desperate self-sacrifices to his countrymen.

Netaji’s Student Life

The appearance of Subhas Chandra Bose in Indian politics was like the flaming sword of the Indian struggle for independence. He was born on 23rd January 1897 A.D. at Cuttack.

A freedom fighter of his caliber and capability is rare in the history of the Indian Freedom struggle. He was described in the bureaucratic report of the British Govt. as a bitter unchangeable anti-British personality.

Class Viii History Chapter 7 Wbbse

He dropped out the attractive job of I.C.S. and inspired by the words of Swami Vivekananda joined the freedom movement responding to the calls of Gandhiji. But he could not find hope even in the words of Gandhi.

Because he could not get a clear picture of the movements from Gandhiji and also to him the idea of freedom to be reached within a year seemed fake. So both the leaders in spite of their popularity grew distant in their thoughts.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Womens Brigade In Azad Hind Fauj

The women’s brigade of Azad Hind Fauj was called the ‘Jhansi Brigade’. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose vested the leadership of this women’s brigade in Smt. Lakshmi Swaminathan (24.10.19-23.07.2012). Later she became Lakshmi Saigal.

She was a true revolutionary in the Indian Freedom Movement, who was the Minister of Women’s Affairs in the Azad Hind Government. Towards the end of World War II, she was imprisoned in a jail in Burma under the name of ‘Captain Lakshmi’.

Lakshmi who hailed from the Malabar region had passed MBBS Examination from ‘Madras Medical College’ before she took charge of the women’s brigade of Azad Hind Fauj at Netaji’s call.

In 1947, she married Prem Kumar Saigal and started living permanently in Kanpur. Anyway, Dr. Lakshmi Swaminathan took charge of the ‘Jhansi Brigade’, comprising of 856 women, on 16th July 1943. Her crusade against the British started on 23rd October.

These women had a role in the establishment of a Red Cross Unit also. Lakshmi Swaminathan made the Jhansi Brigade even stronger by recruiting voluntary women from Burma and Malay. A woman soldier of the Jhansi Brigade once commented, ‘We are all ready to die.

There is no woman in this brigade who is scared of death. In March 1946 Lakshmi Swaminathan was arrested and kept in the Red Fort, Delhi.

Birth of Forward Bloc

Due to Subhas’s sudden resignation, Dr. Rajendraprasad was elected President. On 3rd May 1939 A.D. Subhas formed the Forward Bloc, within the Congress. Subhas was its President while Sardar Shardul Singh was Vice-President.

To unify the Leftists and strengthen the Congress movement Subhas formed the ‘Left United Committee’.

The Great Escape Of Subhas

During the Second World War, the British Government distressed by Subhas’s popularity put him in confinement. First, he was kept in Alipore Central Jail (1940 A.D.) and then due to ill health he was kept in his own house under police confinement under the ‘Indian Preventive Act’.

He escaped on 17th January 1941 A.D. First, he went to Mathura from there he went to Moscow seeking Stallin’s help but was refused. From there he met foreign minister Ribbentrop of Hitler on 28th March 1941 A.D. He also met Mussolini.

Class Viii History Chapter 7 Wbbse

He then formed a radio station named ‘Azad Hindustan’ to propagate the anti-British views and formed the ‘Azad Hind Fauz’ (December 1942 A. D.) with about 400 Indians in German confinement.

These soldiers used to call him ‘Netaji’. But when Hitler attacked Russia he left for South-East Asia.

Subhas In Japan And Singapore

Meanwhile, Subhas reached Tokyo, the capital of Japan with Abid Hassan. He took forward a brave expedition in a submarine at the invitation of Marshall Tojo, the Prime Minister of Japan.

Many Indian soldiers of the allied forces (England) were imprisoned by Japan at that time. After the session at Bangkok (June 1942 A.D.). Rashbehari Bose named this group as “Indian Independence League”.

On 1st September 1942, Rashbehari formed the Azad Hind Fauz with 40,000 Indian soldiers of the league at Singapore, Rashbehari put forward three main ideals of the Fauz-sense of unity, self-confidence, and self-sacrifice.

To develop a strong feeling against the allied forces, Subhas divided the Azad Hind Fauz into a few brigades-for example ‘Azad Brigade’, ‘Gandhi Brigade’, ‘Nehru Brigade’, ‘Subhas Brigade’ (chosen soldiers), and Jhansi Brigade’.

(army of women and ‘Balsenadal’ with boys and girls). Lakshmi Swaminathan was in charge of the Jhansi Brigade. The other leaders of the other Brigades were Gurubaksh Singh Dhillon, Prem Kumar Saigal, and Shahnawaz Khan.

Chapter 7 Ideal And Evolution Of Indian National Movement Delhi Chalo

On 6th November 1943, Marshall Tojo delivered Andaman and Nicobar islands to Subhas who renamed those as ‘Sahid’ and ‘Swaraj’ islands respectively on 31st stronger, Netaji established his ‘Main military camp’ in Rangoon, the capital of Burma on 4th January 1944.

On 19th March of the same year, Netaji’s INA went to Kohima, the capital of Nagaland through Imphal, the capital of Manipur, and raised the ” ‘tricolored flag of India there quite happily.

Thus the Azad Hind Fauz occupied an area of 150 miles in Eastern India. It was decided that Bengal would be attacked through Assam during the rains and the I.N.A. would march straight towards the Red Fort in Delhi.

Impacts:

Netaji and his I.N.A. failed at the climax of the Indian Freedom Struggle. Information from ‘Netaji Research Bureau’ and other sources, have praised Netaji for his work.

Moulana Abul Kalam Azad had written about the praise of Subhas by Gandhi and stated in his autobiography that though Subhas had failed to reach his aim with foreign support, his brave ideal of sacrifice and love for the motherland had hastened the independence of India.

Clement Atlee, the Prime Minister of England himself had acknowledged, that the 20,000 naval soldiers had become anti-British mainly at the encouragement of Subhas.

For this reason, Abul Kalam Azad had accepted in his book ‘India Wins Freedom’ that by Subhas’s influence, the army and the police under the British became anxious for the independence of India.

Class Viii History Chapter 7 Wbbse

Besides, the leaders of all sections and the general public opinion had strengthened the confidence of the I.N.A. of Subhas. During the trial of the I.N.A. in the Red Fort, famous lawyers like Jawaharlal Nehru, Tejbahadur Sapru, and Bhulabhai Desai, etc.

took the sides of the imprisoned soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauz and as a result, there was a new wave in the antiiBritish mass movement.

Atlee said that “This country could no more be ruled by the Indian army or the police”. Tarachand also praised Netaji and I.N.A. Naval Mutiny The Naval Mutiny was one of the main movements which started at the very outset of the freedom movement in India.

On 18th February 1946 A. D. nearly 20,000 sailors of the ‘Talwar Ship’ first revolted under the leadership of M. S. Khan, the Chief of ‘The Royal Indian Navy’. This revolt spread up to the Ship ‘Hindustan’ in Karachi.

The sailors from different ports like Cochin, Madras, Calcutta, etc. also participated in this revolt. The Indian naval soldiers formed the ‘Royal Indian Navy’ or ‘R. I. N.’ in British India. Around 75% of the naval staff were Indians. They became dissatisfied and unrestful due to many reasons.

1. Firstly, the Indian sailors got salaries far lower than that of their European counterparts. This discriminating salary scale was absolutely illegal,
2. Secondly, the Indian soldiers got food of worse quality in comparison with any European soldiers.
3. Thirdly, due to racial reasons, the Indian officers were heckled by the European ones. The white sailors also used to hate the Indian soldiers due to racism.
4. Fourthly, only the Indian soldiers were sent to those places which were dangerous and risky for life.
5. Fifthly, the sailors of R. I. N. agitated and demanded the return of those soldiers who were sent to Indonesia.
6. Sixthly, the Indian soldiers started revolting for the release of all Azad Hind Fauz soldiers under trial.

The Indian Naval staff of ‘Talwar’ and ‘Hindustan’ ships formed the ‘National Naval Central Strike Committee on 18th February 1946 A.D. under the leadership of M. S. Khan the Chief of R. I. N. on 19th February.

This committee hoisted the Indian tricolored flag in place of ‘The Union Jack on the masts of the ships in 19 ports including the ‘Castle Barrack’.

The supporters of the National Congress, Muslim League, and Communist Party in India also hoisted their own party flags respectively. On hearing the incident of firing on the sailors the Government employees, workers, farmers, students, etc.

Showed their agitations by making protest processions, meetings, strikes, etc. Police stations, railway stations, Post offices, shops, and offices were set to fire. This Naval Mutiny took complete shape in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Cochin, Delhi, Jamnagar, Vishakhapatnam, etc.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Background

Constituent Assembly is a body to frame a constitution with a number of members from different provinces. Indians had a long demand for this assembly. Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first President of the Constituent Assembly.

The first session of the Constituent Assembly was held from 9th December to 23rd December 1946. At that time the Draft Committee was formed with Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in the chair.

After that, the second session of the Assembly was held from 20th January to 25th January. The third session was held from 22nd April to 2nd May and the fourth session 14th-22nd July 1947.

Dr. Rajendra Prasad

The Constituent Assembly aimed to make India an “Independent Sovereign Democratic Republic”. The constitution framed by Ambedkar was accepted by Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 A. D. and Dr. Rajendra Prasad signed it.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

On 26th January 1950 A. D.’s new constitution came into force. The Constituent Assembly of India constructed the constitution of free India for a period of 2 years 11 months and 18 days. It had held 11 sessions.

After Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s prolonged discussion on the draft of the constitution, 2473 amended proposals were taken out of 7635. An amount of 64 lakhs of rupees was spent for the writing of this constitution.

The most important personalities involved in it were as B. R. Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad, Sarbapalli Radhakrishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallavbhai Patel, Gobindballav Panth, Abul Kalam Azad, Acharya J. B. Kripalini, K. M. Munshi, T. T. Krishnamacharya, Gopal Swami Eyre, Alladi Krishnaswami Eyre, Purushottam Das Tandon, etc.

B. R. Ambedkar

Ambedkar was called “the father of the Indian Constitution”.

Preamble To The Indian Constitution

The preamble was made to form the constitution and this preamble is called ‘The Mirror’ of the Indian Constitution. It is a ‘miniature’ and ‘autobiography’ of the entire constitution.

Thakurdas Bhargay said-‘It is the soul of the constitution. It is a key of the constitution”. The main theme of the preamble are ‘We, the people of India’, having solemnly resolved to constitute, India into a Sovereign [socialist secular] ‘Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens;

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

‘Justice’, social, economic, and political; ‘Liberty’ of thought, expression, faith, belief and ‘Equality’ of status and of worship; opportunity and to promote among them all, ‘Fraternity’ assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the nation;

In our Constituent Assembly this twenty-sixth day of November 1949, Do Hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this constitution. ‘Sovereignty’ means the right to vote of all adult persons in trophic. ‘Socialism’ means state control over capital.

‘Secular’ means liberty for all religions. ‘Republic’ means ‘Power of people not of any king’. P. B. Gajendragadkar said- “The basic philosophy of the constitution of India is to be found in essence in the preamble itself.”

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Organised Structure Of Democratic Republic

We can easily understand the structure of the democratic republic by analyzing the administration of India. The President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Parliament-etc, mentioned in the constitution of India have a correlation.

The President

Indian President is the constitutional held. An Indian citizen should be elected in the Lok Sabha (upper house of the Parliament) to be the President of India. So he is an elected person. He can be re-elected after the expiry of his tenure.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

He should be bankrupt. The minimum age for this post is 35 years. He is elected for 5 years.

The power of the President are five types,  such as

1. Imperial
2. Executive
3. Legislative
4. Financial and
5. Emergency.

But the Indian President is not so powerful like the President of U. S. A. Article no. 74 (1) refers to “there shall be a council of ministers with the prime minister at the head to aid and advise, the president exercise his functions.”

At the same time, we have to remember that the President of India is a “titular executive, not real”. The Vice-President of India maintained all duties and responsibilities of the President in time of his absence.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

The first, second, and third Presidents of India were as Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1950-1962), Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1962-1967) and Dr. Zakir Hussain (1967-1969) respectively.

Cabinet Ministers

Under the leadership of the Prime Minister the Cabinet Ministers are formed. The President exercises his functions with the advice of these ministers.

There are three types of ministers in the central council of ministers, like Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, and Deputy Ministers. They are togetherly responsible to Lok Sabha.

Fundamental Rights For Class 8

Lawell said it as “the keystone of the political witch”. Similarly, Sir Ramsey Moore remarked, “It is a steering wheel of the state”.

Indian Parliament

Parliament has two chambers like an upper chamber of ‘the Rajya Sabha’ and a lower chamber or ‘the Lok Sabha’. Raja Sabha consists with 250 elected members and the Vice-President presides over this sabha.

The Lok Sabha consists with 545 elected members and the Speaker presides over it. India is a country of a Parliamentary form of govt.

A member of the Lok Sabha must be a citizen of India, acquired age of 25 years, not to be a proclaimed insolvent or offender, and should not be holding a profitable office under the govt.

Fundamental Rights For Class 8

The Lok Sabha is generally elected for 5 years. The Deputy Speaker acts as the Speaker in time of his absence. The members of a Rajya Sabha must possess qualities like he should be Indian citizens, being 30 years of age, not to be an offender or involve in any profitable office under the govt, etc.

The Vice-President is really the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in India. In absence of the Vice-President, the Deputy Chairman acts of the House as the.

Prime Minister

Indian Prime Minister is as important as the Prime Minister of Britain in the Parliamentary form of government. Generally, the Prime Minister is elected by the President if his party could get an absolute majority in the general election of the Lok Sabha.

Jawaharlal Nehru

The Prime Minister comes to power for five years. As a leader of the Lok Sabha, he can form Cabinet Ministers and can advise the President, Attorney General, Election Commissioner, Public Servants, etc.

Lal Bahadur Shastri

He is the real executive in the democratic republic of India. The first, second, and third Prime Ministers of India were as Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964), Lal Bahadur Shastri (1964-66), Guljarilal Nanda, and Smt. Indira Gandhi (1966-1977, 1980-1984).

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People The State Legislature

The Legislature of a state has two parts-Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assembly (Upper House) and Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council (Lower House). Some states have only one House known as Vidhan Sabha only.

The Vidhan Sabha can have a maximum of 500 members and a minimum of 60 members. The Vidhan Sabha of West Bengal consists with 294 members. But in Nagaland, Goa, Sikkim, and Mizoram the members of the Legislative Assembly are less than 60 each.

The members of the State. Legislature are to be elected. 1/12 of the whole members of the Parishad is elected by the teachers of 3 years standing of the H. S. Schools or Colleges of the state.

The State Legislature makes laws on 66 subjects that have been mentioned in the State List and can enforce laws on 47 subjects included in the Concurrent List too.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha

Whereas Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house. Lok Sabha is generally formed for 5 years with elected members of 545. The Speaker presides over the Lok Sabha, the Vice-president presides over the Rajya Sabha.

Fundamental Rights For Class 8

The members of the Rajya Sabha is elected for 6 years, but 1/3 of the total members retire after every 2 years. The parliament of India has to confirm a galaxy of functions, such as making of laws, executing govt, control over national finance, electoral functions, and judicial activities, etc.

The Governor

The chief constitutional executive authority of a state is the Governor. He is appointed or transferred by the President. A Governor of India must be possessed with the qualifications like a citizen of India physically and mentally fit, not to be a proclaimed offender, and age of 35 years.

Generally, he is appointed for 5 years, but he can be removed by the President from his office before the expiry of his term of service. The Governor is the constitutional head of a state.

His main powers are as executive powers, legislative powers, judicial and discretionary powers.

Chief Minister

According to Article no. 164(1), the Governor appoints the Chief Minister of a state but he must be a leader of the majority party in the Vidhan Sabha.

The Chief Minister with the formal advice of the Governor appoints the members of the State Council of Ministers. But a member who is not elected can also be selected as a Minister. He is the real authority of a state.

Fundamental Rights For Class 8

If the Chief Minister resigns on any ground, it is totally regarded as the resignation of all the Ministers of a state. The functions of the council of ministers of a state are a carbon copy of the functions of the Council of Ministers of the central govt.

All the Ministers are togetherly responsible to the State Legislature for their acts of commission and omission. The Chief Minister of a state and the Prime Minister at the central are the same in duties, but the jurisdiction is different.

On the advice fo the Chief Minister the Governor of a State exercises his functions. The Chief Minister occupies an important role to form his cabinet and presides over its meetings of it to distribute ‘Portfolios’ to the ministers as he desires.

He can ask any Minister to resign. He is the sole spokesman of the state govt. The Governor can override his advice, only in times of emergency. The Chief Minister is called the “real ruler and supreme head of the state” and “Primas meter pares-first among equals.”

Local Self Government

Recognition of Local government is our historical tradition. The tradition is accepted in Article No 40 of our Constitution. Village Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis, Zila Parishads, Municipalities, and Corporations are togetherly consisted the local self-rule in India.

The people of each and every village, town or city elect representatives to govern their community in their respective areas. Thus people directly participate in the administration through their representatives.

It is the feature of democracy and this system is called ‘local self-government’. The self-government body for rural areas is called the ‘panchayat’ and for urban areas is called the ‘municipality’.

The three-tire panchayat system based on Grampanchayat Panchayat Samiti and Zila parishad is the pilar of the Local Self Government.

Gram Panchayat

The word ‘panchayat’ has come from the word ‘panch’ which was generally used for five village elders who settle disputes and took absolute decisions.

Now all local self-government bodies for village areas are called ‘panchayats, which are formed as per definite rules and regulations. The local self-government for a village is called “Gram Panchayat”.

The village panchayat consists of the

1. Gram Sabha,
2. Gram Panchayat and
3. Naya Panchayat.

Every villager above 18 years old, whose name is on the voter list can be a member of ‘The Gram Sabha’ and elects the head of ‘The Gram Panchayat’.

The Gram Sabha can review the works and accounts of the Gram Panchayat and can also remove the inefficient and corrupt members of the Gram Panchayat. It is formed for five years normally.

The elected members elect one of them as ‘Gram Pradhan’ and ‘Upagram Pradhan’. As per the density of the population rd of these posts are reserved for women, SC, and ST. Gram Sabha elects the ‘Naya Panchayat’ or village court to judge the offenders or criminals.

The Gram Panchayat looks after the roads, irrigation ‘small industries’ agriculture, supply of drinking water, Public health, education, records of births and deaths, etc.

Panchayat Samiti

The second level of the Gram Panchayat system in West Bengal is ‘Panchayat Samiti’ States with a population of more than 20,00,000 have Block Samities or Panchayat Samiti.

People of a Block elect the members of a Block Samiti which have some ex-officio members. The members of Panchayat Samiti elect a ‘Chairperson’ (Pramukh) and a ‘Vice-chairperson’ (Upa-pramukh). rd seats of the total posts are reserved for women, SC, and ST for 5 years like Gram Panchayat.

The Panchayat Samiti supervises the work of Gram Panchayats within a Block. It generally looks after the developmental works in the block.

It arranges for various welfare activities like primary and adult education, public health care, drinking water, sewerage, seeds for farmers, self-employment etc.

Zila Parishad

The people of a district generally elect the members of ‘Zila Parishad’, which has also some ex-officio members. Out of 23 districts of West Bengal, 17 districts have Zila Parishad and only in Kolkata and Darjeeling there is a Zila Parishad.

It has a President and Vice-president who are elected by the members among themselves for 5 years. According to West Bengal Panchayat Act, the convention of a meeting of Zila Parishad after every three months is compulsory.

And the President and Vice-president would not be attached with any profitable business or organization during holding their posts. This Zila Parishad supervises the activities of Panchayat Samities and Gram Panchayats.

It examines the budgets of Panchayat Samities and distributes the funds of Govt. among them. It also prepares the plans for the progress of the district and sometimes advises the Government on development.

Municipality

Lord Ripon adopted the municipal rule first in 1882 but Bengal Municipal Act was passed in 1932. The municipality is an important part of local self-rule in West Bengal. An urban self-ruling body is called a ‘municipality’.

There are three types of municipalities in India, like ‘Nagar Panchayats’ for semi-urban areas, ‘Municipal Councils’ for city areas, with populations of less than 10 lakhs, and ‘Municipal Corporations’ for larger populated city areas.

State Government can divide each municipal area into some ‘Words’. A representative from each word is elected as ‘Councillor’. All the councilors together form a council known as a ‘Municipality’. It is formed for 5 years.

All the members who are 21 years of age or above may stand for a municipal election. There are also seat reservations for SC, ST, OBC, and women. The members of the municipal council elect a chairman and a Vice-Chairman among themselves.

Role Of The Constitution In Social Development

Indian constitution is the safeguard of the citizens. It has given the right to equality in society. Now men and women are equal in society. The constitution takes steps against the exploitation on women.

For a healthy society and social integrity, our constitution provides lot of opportunities for the development of backward and depressed class people. The constitution of India does not tolerate racial discrimination or religious orthodoxy in society and the state.

In the preamble to the Indian constitution therefore it has clearly been mentioned that “India is a secular country”. Its main objective is to make India a welfare country.

Equal rights to land and property for both males and females have been legalized by the amendment of the Indian Constitution in 2005.

Prevention Of Family Cruelty Act of 2005

In 2005 the ‘Prevention of Family Cruelty Act’ was passed by the Supreme Court. To protect women from unjust and exploitation this act is very helpful.

If any woman is exploited or insulted by anyone in any place, then and she can appeal to the department of Chief, Judicial Majitrate. Apart from this, she can also appeal to District Protection Officer for her safety.

Role of the Constitution to the protection of the Rights of Backward citizens: ‘Dalit’ is a Hindi word. It is being used in India for a very long time.

The extremely poor people, who are deprived of human rights, because of forceful oppression, are called ‘Dalit’, In a journal edited by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the Depressed Classes of British rule has been called ‘Dalit’.

The Dalit people of India have been prey to economic, social, political, and cultural deprivation as a result of century-old apartheid issues. The first person to start a movement in Maharashtra was Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in 1872.

For this purpose, he formed ‘Satya Shodhak Samaj’ in 1873. Dalit politics and movement started taking shape and extending with the initiative of his follower, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.

During 1924 to 1930, he transformed Dalit Movement into a radical movement. The main purpose of his movement was to end the social problems and deprivation faced by the Dalit people. It was a legal fight along the lines of direct satyagraha.

Ambedkar led and organized movements like the Choudar Lake Movement and Kalaran Satyagraha. The untouchable Mahar community were forbidden to use water from Choudar Community Lake.

Because of Ambedkar’s movement, not only were the rights of the Dalit people to drink water from the lake restored but they were also given right to serve water to all communities.

This humane aspect of the movement was depicted in Tagore’s dance drama ‘Chandalika’. V. R. Shilde founded ‘The Dalit Mission Society’ in 1906. Its president N. G. Chandravarkar demanded to the British a separate electorate for the backward Dalits.

Respected justice Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar convened a Dalit conference on 11 November 1917 where he demanded

1. Compulsory free education for Dalits.
2. Progress the social dignity and status of the Dalits and
3.  Right to elect the Dalit representatives in the legislative council.

In the Montague Chelmsford Reforms Act (1919) Dalits were recognized in Indian Politics. As a result, Justic Party of the Dalit’ in Madras was formed and in the election, this party occupied 63 seats out of 98 seats in 1920 and Justice Party’s Government was formed in Madras.

In 1918 all India Dalit conferences was held. But Dr. Ambedkar officially convened the first ‘All India Dalit Conference’ on 30th May 1920. The untouchable Dalits were not allowed inside Kalaram Temple in Nasik.

As a result, the Dalit Movement was given a religious character. A memorandum was signed in the presence of Sankaracharya of Kanchi and it was decided that the Dalits would be allowed to enter the temple and also hold the holy ropes during Rath Yatra Festival.

But, finally, the upper-caste Hindus did not allow that to happen. Ambedkar, along with lakhs of followers embraced Buddhism on 14th August 1956. He felt that Buddhism was the true alternative of Brahmanical practices.

In 1930, Gandhiji organized the Dalit class’s struggle and brought it to the notice of the Government. He felt that the problem of the Dalit people was, in fact, a social problem.

But Dr. Ambedkar, the first Law Minister of India, viewed it as a political problem created by upper caste people. He took initiative to solve the problems related to their land, house, and untouchability.

The plight of the Dalit people of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu was even greater. Hence, in these states, separate houses, toilets, drinking water, tube wells, and even crematorium, had to be kept.

During 1960s, the movement to safeguard the rights of the Dalits had started. It was mainly to safeguard social and economic rights. This movement was influenced by the ‘Black Panther Rebellion’ of America.

In India, the Dalit ‘Panther’ had a militant political agenda. The protesters demanded equal distribution of land, an increase in the rates of daily wages, a chance for free schooling of children, and stopping economic oppression.

Later on, the ‘Bahujan Samaj Party’ (BSP) adopted the programs like ‘Dalit-culture Preservation Bill’ and ‘Ambedkar Village Programme’.

On 9th July 1972, Namdeb Dhamal, Daya Pawar, Ramdas Sorte, J. V. Pawar, and Arjan Dangle started a movement called ‘Dalit Panther’.

Dalit literature movement spread across India through ‘D. S-4 Movement’ and through ‘The Republican Party of India’ (RPI) formed by Ambedkar. D.S.- 4 stands for ‘Dalit-Shoshit-Samaj-Sangharsh-Samity’. T

his movement had been very popular in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. Dalit thoughts received national stature through the fortnightly journal, ‘Dalit Voice’, edited by the national journalist V. T. Rajshekhar and published from Bangalore.

Gayle Omvet, in his book ‘Dalit Vision’, has vividly analyzed the social and political reality faced by the Dalit community. The Dalit Movement of Prof. Yashwant Manohar and its effect on Dalit literature had spread across the country, including Bengal.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Fundamental Rights Of The Indian Constitution

There are some fundamental rights in Indian Constitution, such as-

1. Right to equality.
2. Right to liberty.
3.  Right against exploitation.
4. Right to education and culture.
5. Right to religion.
6. Right to property.
7. Right to constitutional prevention (1978).

Flow Chart Of Indian Constitution Class 8

‘Right to property’ was omitted by the revision of the 46th constitution. So now Indians enjoy six fundamental rights. Directive

Principles

There are a few directive principles that tried to make India a welfare state. Free medical services, payment to unemployed persons, etc. are included in this principle. The right to children and women was given greater importance.

Flow Chart Of Indian Constitution Class 8

In the 42nd amendment of 1976, the word “secularism” was included. India is not a theocratic state like Bangladesh or Pakistan.

There are also some other important features like voting rights of all adults, rights to backward classes, right to the Supreme Court, etc. These features expose the real character of the Indian Constitution.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Fundamental Duties

There are 10 fundamental duties like honesty to the national flag, obliging the constitution, maintaining the sovereignty of the nation, maintaining Indian culture, etc.

The Article 51A of part IVA containing Fundamental duties was inserted by the Constitution Act of 1976 which was effective from 3rd January 1977.

In the constitution, there were ten fundamental duties and now it has become eleven (11) after the 86th Amendment of the Constitution in 2002 (with effect from 1 April 2010). Now the fundamental duties of every citizen of India are as

1. To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag, and the National Anthem.
2. To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom.
3. To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
4. To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.
5. To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic, and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
6. To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.
7. To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
8. To develop the scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
9. To safeguard public property and to abjure violence.
10. To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavor and achievement.
11.  Who is a parent or guardian, to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Land Water Jungle

Right to Life-occupations and mass movements

Land, water, and Jungle are the three most important resources for the overall development of India. During British rule in India, some steps were taken for the development of resources, such as-

1. Introduction of land tenure.
2. Opening of road and rail communication.
3. Promotion of export trade in certain agricultural commodities and
4. Foundation of Dept. of Agriculture.

Thereafter ‘The Forest Research Institute’ was set up in 1890. As per the recommendation of the ‘First Irrigation Commission’ development of irrigation schemes were adopted.

In the initial period of developing water resources, the rapid harnessing of the resource was its main objective. The purposes of the water resource projects were irrigation, flood control, hydropower generation, industries, supply of drinking water, etc.

Flow Chart Of Indian Constitution Class 8

For this reason, the Government of India passed the ‘Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act (1974)’. Agriculture provides the livelihood for the largest number of people.

The robust growth in this field guarantees the achievement of broad-based growth of income levels and employment in rural areas.

The main strategy of the development of agriculture is centered around achieving of the objectives of sustainability of employment generation, food and nutrition security, equity, and poverty alleviation.

For tribal livelihood preservation and reservation of land, water, and forest are equally important. The movement for the right to life and occupation of the people forced them to organize mass movements.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Tebhaga Telengana

Mass movement in Peasants Rights protection :

1. Tebhaga:

The Tebhaga movement was a new challenge to the British when the ‘Flood Commission’s Report’ expressed that 3rd of the total produces should be in the hand of the Bargadarh cultivators.

The Communist Party of India supported the Bargadarhs and at the same time ‘Provincial Krishak Sabha’ demanded 2/3rd of the produced crops for the Bargadarhs.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

Due to the tremendous pressure of the C. P. I. and Provincial Krishak Sabha the Tebhaga Peasants started a movement in November 1946 A.D. The movement spread in 23 Midnapur, Jassore, Dacca, Nadia, – Myemansingh etc.

Dr. Sumit Sarkar said that in the area where 60% of the villagers were Bargadarhs, the Tebhaga movement became a spontaneous mass upheaval.

The Rajbamshi widow named Burima in the Thakurgaon village of Ramchandrapur subdivision Dinajpur of North Bengal and the Communist leader like Bhabani Sen took the leadership of the movement in Rangpur, Dinajpur, and Jalpaiguri, etc.

Apart from this Bimala Pande, Samar Mukherjee, Charu Majumder etc. took the leadership of the movement. Under the leadership of Kangsaru Halder 7000 Hindu, Muslim, and Santhal Peasants of Kakdwip of South 24 Parganas started the violent Tebhaga Movement.

A. Cooper remarked that the Tebhaga Movement spread to various places of Bengal at the end of 1946. Peasant leader Abdullah Rasul in his book. “Krishak Sabhar Itihas” admired it as a significant event.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

Dr. Sunil Sen the author of ‘Peasant Movements in India’ said that 49 of the total agitators were killed. Dr. Sen said, “The main strength of the Tebhaga Struggle lay in poor peasants-the share Croppers”.

Dr. D. N. Dhanagare accepted it. But Hamza Alavi in his book ‘Peasants and Revolution’ remarked that the middle-class peasants did not have active participation in this movement.

2. Telangana:

The Peasants of Telangana of Hyderabad organized a movement which took the shape of guerilla tactics of warfare. The Communist leader P. Sundarayyia and Komaya Doddy were the main organisers of the Telengana Movement.

His famous book ‘Telangana Peoples’ Armed Struggle 1946-1951, help us to know that 30,00,000 peoples of 3000 villages spread the movement in 16,000sq. miles area. The main centers were Khammam, Nalgonda, and Warangal districts.

Sundarayyia

 

 

Sundarayyia said, “In these villages, the hated landlords-the pillars of Nizam’s autocracy in the rural areas-were driven away from their fortress-like houses, and their lands were seized by the peasantry.”

The peasants formed village raj against feudalism. The village raj distributed 10 lac acres of land among the peasants. The Communist party suspended the movement in October 1951.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

In the movement 4,000 Communist and peasants were killed and 10,000 Communist workers and supporters were arrested.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Right To Water Jungle

 

Eco-centris mass movement:

The chapter newly included in the history textbook for Schools is “Jami Jal Jangal: Jiban Jibikar Adhikar O Ganaandolan” (Land, Water, Forests: The right to life, lifelihood and Peoples movements).

Mrs Mamata Banerjee had a vital role in the movement, which finally had become an eco-centric mass movement either in Singur or in Nandigram or in other places of West Bengal for the right to water and Jungle of people.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

She started a movement in Singur by sowing paddy seeds.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Eco Movements In 20th Century India

1. Chipko Movement (1973) in North India:

The chipko movement is the hug the movement of the trees. After passing the Forest Act of 1927 tribals in Tehri Garhwal in UP rose in open protest. A disciple of Gandhiji Saralaben founded ‘Uttarakhand Sarvadaya Mondal’ (1961).

A large number of people under Saralaben were united against deforestation. At the time local tribal women who loved tree like their son, opposed cutting trees.

Their movement started first in the hilly region of Gopeswar in the Chameli district of U.P. in 1973, which was called ‘the Chipko Movement’.

Eminent leaders of the movement were Saralaben, Miraben, Gouridevi, Chandrika prasad Bhat, Sundarlal Bahuguna, etc. Under the leadership of Gouridevi 27 tribal women continued night patrolling or acted as night guards for the protection of trees.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

Finally, Government control over cutting trees was adopted. The word ‘Chipko’ means ‘hug’, therefore by hugging trees like child women saved trees from deforestation.

2. Narmoda Banchao Movement (1985) in Western India :

To protest against the Narmada River Valley Dam project ‘Narmada Bachao Movement’ (NBA) was started first by Baba Amtee. The icon of the movement was Medha Patekar. Thousands of people of Gujarat, Maharastra, and Madhya Pradesh join this movement.

Medha Patekar

Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh governments jointly took Sardar Sarovar Dam Project on the river Narmada-a river of 1450 km long. The government decided to build 30 big dams, 135 medium dams, and 3000 small dams on the Narmada River for the purposes of

1. Production of hydro-electricity,
2. Irrigation system for 3 states and
3. To control of floods. The 25 years of the Narmada dam project was cost of Rs. 40,000 crores.

As this project caused the eviction of 10,00,000 people, Medha Patekar continued the Narmada Bachao Movement and was successful.

3. Appiko Movement (1983) in South India:

The Appiko movement was one of the revolutionary movements based on environmental conservation in India. Its leader was Pandurang Hegde born in 1956 AD.

The Chipko movement (Hug the Trees Movement) in Uttarakhand of the Himalayan region encouraged the villagers of the North Kannada district of Karnataka in South India to carry a similar movement on the protection of their forests.

 

‘Appiko’ means “hug the trees”, which rapidly had become a potent expression to counter violence against, reflecting empathy toward forests.

On 8 September 1983-AD, the villagers of Salkani of Sirsi in Uttar Kannada the Appiko movement started first which was locally called “Appiko Chalkvate”. An all-time record of 1.2 million saplings were grown by people in the Sirsi area in 1984-1985 A. D.

It tried to save the Western Ghats by spreading its roots all over South India.

Its three major objectives were

1. Struggle to save the remaining tropical forests in the Western Ghats,
2. Attempt to restore greenery in denuded areas, and
3. Striving to propagate the idea of rational utilization in order to reduce the pressure on forest resources. Its main slogan is “Ulisu (save), Beleru (grow) and Balasu (rational use)”.

4. Silent Valley Movement (1973) Kerala :

The Silent Valley is a golden chapter in the history of the conservation and recognition movement in the Silent valley forests in Kerala state of South India. It is a global heritage site and a national park (1984).

The movement slogan was “Save Silent Valley”. The Pathrakkadanu Hydroelectric Project (PHEP) on the Kunthi river near Silent Valley was the main cause of this movement.

Shielded from extreme climatic variations and as well as human incursions by tall ridges, some as high as 2000 meters the 8,952-hectare Silent valley National Park on the Nilgiri plateau region remains an “ecological island”.

This valley is perhaps the only forest land in the region with a relatively peaceful evolutionary history of at least 50 million years. The Silent valley Movement was started in 1973 to save Silent Valley Reserve Forest in from being flooded by a hydroelectric Project.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 9 Notes

It was a social movement aimed at the protection of this Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala. The founder of the ‘Madras Snake Park’ and the ‘Madras Crocodile Bank’ Mr. Romulus Whitaker was the leader of the movement.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Right To Agricultural Land

Singur Mass movement:

The iconic Singur Mass Movement in West Bengal was organized for the protection of the Right to Agricultural land against small car factories. According to the education minister of West Bengal Sri Partha Chatterjee Singur, the movement was a “historic win of the farmers”.

Along with the Singur movement, the Tebhaga movement and Krishak Andolan with also feature in the syllabus, and students must know that this movement is one of the milestones in the country’s history.”

After announcing a small car factory in Singur on 18 May 2006, Smt. Mamata Banerjee on behalf of farmers protested against the issue on 18 July 2006.

The ground of her protest was the forceful land acquisition by an elected state government, Mamata Banerjee’s Singur rally as a sign of protest started the historic movement.

The contemporary Left Government acquired 997-11 acres of multi-crop farmland to allocate for the construction of a small car factory, which was propagated as a project of public improvement. Thereafter started to build up a plant in Singur on 1st January 2007.

To protest against it many of the internationally famed social activists and Bengali Luminaries like Medha Patkar, Anuradha Talwar, Arundhuti Ray, Mahasweta Devi, and others had stood beside the movement led by Smt. Mamata Banerjee.

They thought that the factory site is the most Smt. Mamata Banerjee fertile one in the whole of Singur Block. More than 20,000 farmers are making their livelihoods from this multi-crop fertile land.

So on behalf of peasants Smt. Mamata, Banerjee started her indefinite dharna at Singur in August 2008 and on 2 September 2008, the management of the car company suspended development work on small cars.

On 3 September 2008, the then Governor of West Bengal Sir Gopal Krishna Gandhi agreed to play a mediator to resolve the issue between the government and the Trinamool Congress, but every effort had gone in vain.

But on 3rd October 2008, the small car company decided to move out from Singur, Hooghly district of West Bengal, India. Local farmers by founding the ‘Krishi Jami Raksha Committee (KJRC)’ started the Singur movement as a spontaneous resistance.

This was a mass historic movement because in essence, it was a spontaneous movement of the people. It was not a particular political party that began the movement.

 

In the history of the peasant movement in West Bengal, Singur Mass Movement is relevant in the current century. Many factors were responsible for it.

Such as-

1. Eviction of nearly 15,000 people of five moujas like Beriberi, Bajemelia, Khasher Bheri, Singher Bheri, and Gopalnagar from their cultivable land forcefully.
2. Without discussion and legal initiative, the former Left Government seized fertile lands from unwilling farmers on the name of a small car factory.
3.  During land acquisition by contemporary government carried out oppressive measures on poor and helpless farmers and their families,
4. By adopting the old Land Acquisition Act of 1894 near about 3000 bigha’s of land was acquired from thousands of land owners, pattadars, bargadars, landless farmers, etc. who were severely devastated after losing their lands,
5. Acquisition of highly fertile cultivable land in place of less fertile or unfertile land was another cause of this movement,
6. Arrest and oppression of women and their imprisonment for many days and the torture and death of a young girl Tapasi Malik, daughter of a farmer leader made angry to the people of Singur,
7. Being lost land poor landless peasants were not given sufficient compensation and on the other hand, proposal for self-dependent economic growth and security of Women of the poor farmers, and families pursued by ‘The West Bengal Women Commission’ was not enacted,
8. Role of intellectuals like Mahasweta Devi, Medha Patekar, Amlan Dutta, Kabir-Suman, Saoli Mitra, Jay Goswami, Jogen Choudhuri, Arundhuti Ray, Aparna Sen, and many others encouraged the farmers for a mass movement,
9. Efficient leadership of Smt. Mamata Banerjee, Partha Chatterjee, Sovandev Chattopadhya, Sovan Chatterjee, Subrata Bakshi, Sujat Bhadra, Pratul Mukherjee, Purnendu Basu, Bratya Basu, Ashima Patra, Dola Sen, Raindranath Chattopadhaya, Becharam Manna etc. led the foundation of Singur movement on a strong basis.

For all these reasons Singur Mass Movement earned fame in India and abroad. The first martyr of the movement was Rajkumar Bhul. After losing land Haradhan Bag and Prasanta Das committed suicide and due to starvation Sankar Patra, Sankar Das, Srikanta Shee, etc. died and 10 people were killed.

But yet the movement was ultimately successful with the victory of farmers. Historians Sumit Sarkar and Romila Thapar supported the Singur mass movement.

The Singur mass movement gained international media attention since the Car Company started constructing a factory to manufacture their $2.500 car, the Tata Nano at Singur.

The state government of West Bengal facilitated the controversy by using Colonial Land Acquisition Act’s 1894 rule to conduct an eminent domain takeover of 997 acres of farmland to have Tata build its factory.

For this reason, the project was opposed by activists and opposition parties in West Bengal. The Car company claimed that Singur would become a mini auto city and approximately 70 vendors would set up shop along with the factory an investment plan of Rs. 1000 crore.

Ten projects had however generated controversy just from the start, particularly on the question of state acquisition of fertile agricultural land for private enterprise.

This Land Acquisition Act (1894) has provisions for states to take over privately held land for public purposes but not for developing any individual or private business.

So the illegal acquisition of land had been substantially conceded by the High Court of Kolkata. As the car factory’s areas of Singur was highly fertile farmland, peasants rose in open protest against it.

Chief protesters were the opposition parties spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress under Smt. Mamata Banerjee and ‘Socialist Unity Centre of India’.

The movement got widespread support from the ‘Civil Rights’ and ‘Human Rights groups, legal bodies, social activists Medha Patekar, “Booker-prize” winner Arundhuti Ray and “Magsaysay ” and “Jnanpith Award” winner Mahasweta Devi, poet Ruchit Shah, artist Suvaprasanna, theatre and film personalities Saoli Mitra, Aparna Sen, etc.

and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. They supported the idea of factories or industry but opposed the forcible acquisition of farmland of farmers. The protesters however have been criticized by the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Ultimately, the Singur Mass Movement was successful with the victory of landless farmers. As per the order of the Supreme Court farmers of Singur have got back their farmland.

Chapter 9 Structure Of Democracy And Rights Of People Singur Land Protection Movement

A decade 

The land protection movement in Singur was continued for a decade (2006-2016). Ten years ago, the land protests in Singur against the proposed factory of Tata Nano made headlines across the globe and catapulted the then-opposition leader Mrs. Mamata Banerjee who came to the limelight.

By 2007, Singur had become a symbol of a popular mass movement against forcible land acquisition which paved the way for a farmer-friendly law in 2013.

Despite the loss of land and prolonged court struggle wreaking havoc on their family’s finances, many farmers refused compensation. The farmers promised for a movement.

They opposed their forcible eviction from their own farmland by the then Left Front Government but not industrialization. At that time many farmers said, “we never opposed industrialization, we protested against only the government’s way of land acquisition”.

After a decade of the movement, the Supreme Court on 31 August 2016 clearly asked for the entire 997 acres of land to be returned to their original owners-something that is not possible without removing the structures.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal Smt. Mamata Banerjee announced that the government will not only return land in a cultivable state but also offer various incentives to resume farming.

Farmers of Beriberi, Khaser Bheri, Bajemelia, etc. were happy with this victory.

The steps of Singur agitation were

1. The Singur agitation began on 25 May 2006 with farmers rallying against Left Front governments allegedly forcibly capturing land.
2. The protests saw 26 days of fasting in December 2006, with even the central government and other agencies, intervening in the matter.
3. From barging into the Assembly of West Bengal and ransacking it to organizing demonstrations across the state, Mrs. Mamata Banerjee used all forms of protests in the anti-land acquisition movement.
4.  In 2010 small car company moved their Nano project out of West Bengal and thus the legal case in the matter began.
5.  After 6 years during which this case went from the Kolkata High Court to the Supreme Court of Delhi and the farmers finally got back their land through our honorable Chief Minister Smt. Mamata Banerjee.

 

• Chapter 1 Ideas Of History
• Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers
• Chapter 3 Establishment Of Colonial Authority
• Chapter 4 Nature of Colonial Economy
• Chapter 5 Reaction of Colonial Rule: Assistant and Revolt
• Chapter 6 Early Growth of Nationalism
• Chapter 7 Ideal and Evolution of Indian National Movement
• Chapter 8 From Communalism to Partition of India
• Chapter 9 Structure of Democracy and Rights of People

Chapter 1 Ideas Of History Background

In the universe, change is inevitable, without any exception. While going through this changing process, our ideas and contemplations have also undergone a transformation. New ideas have been born in different fields.

We have broken the barriers of tradition and brought many subjects within the purview of Historical Studies which were hitherto not discussed or highlighted.

This trend will, no doubt, enrich and enhance the knowledge bank of the studies of history, because ‘history is the mother of all sciences’ and ‘tower of experience’. The word ‘history’ has come from the Greek word ‘historia’.

It has come from the Latin word ‘history’ or knowledge. According to Sir William jones History is the scientific study of our complete past. The Greek scholar Herodotus is called “the father of history”.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

As per modern historiography royal history now has become the ‘history for you, ‘history for me’ and ‘history for all’. These new ideas and trends are indeed quite relevant to the progressive society and modern generation.

From the 19th century A.D., the study of history has been recognized as separate stuff, which is really ‘history of history’. Today history is the complete story of man’s life and struggle. It expanded the scope and variety of modern history.

The modern trends in the studies of history help us to know the numerous aspects of history; for example, the history of a new society, sports, food habits, art, clothes, transport, and communication, etc.

The study of modern history has freed itself from all mundane bondage and expanded to a new horizon. Very often, old government records, letters, and reports of Government officials and the Police help in the study of history.

In the words of historian G. M. Trevalion, ‘Study of history is the mother of the study of other social studies’. French philosopher Voltaire said about ‘eternal and universal history’, which is the main aim of most historians.

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

Thought that the history of India which we study for examinations is just a history of the dark times of India. Our history is the struggle for the throne or coming up and departure of various groups like Saka, Hun, Pathan, Mughal, Portuguese; French, British, etc.

This history could never answer about the standing portion of the Indians or the whereabouts of their killers or enemies. According to Rabindranath Tagore “we got the dust storms from foreigners written history, but no word of Home…..”

Tagore thought that “Those countries are lucky who find their eternal home in the history of their nation”. Unfortunately by, our history prevented us from our patriotic feeling about India.

From the invitation of Sultan Mahmud to the imperial expansion of Lord Curzon our history took a new chapter, where there was no good impressive look at our homeland. Rabindranath said “It focuses artificial light.

On such a spot of history, that the history of our own nation is swallowed in the darkness…..” Tagore maintained the British colonialism found its justification in the ideology of nationalism, as the colonizers came to India and other rich pastures of the world to plunder and so further the prosperity of their own nation.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

They were never sincere in developing colonized countries or nations, as to convert their “hunting ground” into “cultivated fields” would have been contrary to their national interest.

His critique of nationalism on that of a wholesome and holistic thinker arguing against discusses couched in essentialism and one-sidedness that-champion power and wealth but not soul and conscience, greed but not goodness, possessing but not giving self-aggrandizement but not self-sacrifice becoming but not being.

Bankim Chandra (1838-1898)

Before Rabindranath wanted a true history of the Bengalis. He wanted to glorify the past history of his race.

The study of the past history of Bengal and Bengalis will help to compare the history of Bengalis in the present times. The present is determined by past history. In this sense, the study of the knowledge of history is very important.

So proper history is not the history of fights and battles of kings or fall of empires. Bankim Chandra wanted such a history where the glorious past of the Bengalis must be highlighted which will make influence to the present activities.

History is a logical and scientific method of the study of our past. On this perspective, we must analyze the “Whiteman burden Theory” of Rudyard Kipling’s burden theory from a negative point of view.

Really the civilized British came to India not to civilize the uncivilized Indians, .they came to exploit us and our country. This is the real motive of the establishment of the British empire in India.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Before the British rule in India, from Emperor Ashoka to Akbar or Aryabhatta to Sri Chaitanya dev, India established its own history, which was no less glorious than the history of the British. This is the history of true history of India.

Rudyard Kipling

So history is not only a collection of dates, facts, and names of kings and rulers, it is the identity of a race. Therefore, reading history is very urgent to find out the truth.

So on the words of Rabindranath and Bankim Chandra, inquiry and arguments are very important to know the past events and the consequences of the history of Indians and as well as the history of Bengalis.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

In the new view of history, it has clearly been stated that thousands of nameless people are generally neglected in the documents or records of history, because in the time of the writing of the history of the Santhal revolt.

we only write about Sidhu and Kanu neglecting a lot of common rebels or in the time of the writing the freedom history we give emphasis on the role of Gandhiji or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose only forgetting thousands of other participants in the struggle for freedom of India.

Chapter 1 Ideas Of History The Problems Of Dividing Areas In Indian History

Division or periodization of history is arbitrary. It is very difficult to divide areas in Indian History because history is like a flow of rivers.

The facts and events of ancient history have a link and relation with medieval history which also have a correlation with modern history. So dividing areas in Indian history is problematic.

But on some features Indian history has been divided by historian Romila Thapar into three eras, such as ancient eras based on the classical culture of the Hindus, the medieval era based on integrated culture of Muslims in India, and the modern era based on imperialist capitalism of the British in India.

Though the word ‘modern’ is relative, but yet it refers to whatever is current or recent. From this point of view, the battle of Plassey (1757) in the history of India is the beginning of a modern era.

James Stuart Mill

Mrityunjay Bidyalankar a professor of Fort William College wrote a history book called “Rajabali” in 1808, where he stated the history from the era of king Yudhisthira of the Mahabharata to the end of Kaliyuga.

The kali yuga might be the modern age, but modern historians did not accept the term “history of Kaliyuga”. They divided history from socio-economic and political points of view.

That’s why the historiography of ‘Rajabali’ of Mrityunjay Bidyalankar is not supported by scholars. British philosopher James Stuart Mill wrote “History of British India” in 1817, where he divided Indian history into the ‘Hindu Era’, (Ancient) ‘Muslim Era’ (Medieval), and the ‘British Era’ (Modern).

The first and second eras were named an the basis of religion, third one was on the basis of race-the identity of modernity. Mill did not have any respect to the Hindus of the ancient period and had apathy to the Muslims of the medieval period as it was to him the “dark age” of Indian history.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Mill interpreted only the history of British India. He said that the battle of Plassey which happened fifty years after the death of Aurangzeb (1707) is the real beginning of the modern age in India.

 

 

The nawabs of Bengal and even the East India company had obtained the framework of the Mughal administration. So on the basis of logic Aurangzeb should be kept in the character of the medieval age and Siraj-ud-daullah or Company’s Lord Clive would be treated as a man of the modern age.

So it is obviously a problem in dividing the history of India.

But its important aspects are-

1. To simplify the pact with facts of history,
2. To find out the unique characteristic features of every era,
3. To decrease the term and pressure of a large passage of distance time of eras,
4. To study and understand history easily, the divisions of Indian history are generally more.

 

Chapter 1 Ideas Of History The Sources Of Modern Indian History

The sources of modern history are available almost in all countries in the world. In the case of the history of modern India, it is not an exception.

Various books, diaries, administrative documents, letters, paintings, posters, portraits, pictures, land deeds, advertisements, newspapers, journals, etc are helpful sources of Indian history.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Apart from these biographies, autobiographies, and photographs are the best-known sources of history. But in time of using these sources, we need

1. Scientific analysis,
2. precautions and carefulness,
3. Neutral thoughts and outlooks etc.

An autobiography can not be used as a direct source of history. Therefore without judging the sources written in autobiography, proper history would not be written.

For example, William Wedderburn wrote the biography of Allan Octavian Hume where he claimed that Hume was the founder of Indian National Congress. But it is not the correct information, because he was one of the factors behind the birth of Congress.

Like biography, photography is an important source to have information of social, economic, political, cultural, and other histories.

But it is not always absolute truthful evidence, because the photographs taken by two photographers of the same subject may be expressed different meanings. So, like a biography or auto-biography precautions are needed here.

The picture of Subhas Chandra Bose during his presidentship of the Haripura Congress (1938) and the picture of him during his resignation from the presidentship of the Tripuri Congress (1939) could never help to know about ‘Gandhi-Subhas conflict’.

Class 8 History Wbbse

So photographs are not always a reliable authentic source of history. In the case of the Capers, Journals, and books of the British, the freedom movements of Titumir, Birsha Munda, and Sidhu-Kanhu were written as anti-colonial movements and these rebels were called “trouble-makers”; not “freedom-fighters”.

Colonialism and imperialism are correlated. Imperialism is a method through which a powerful country dominates over a weak country and captures and controls the wealth of the people of the subjugated country.

So imperialism is a kind of imperial expansion. In this perspective imperial country and its people must think that they are only civilized and therefore they must have their own history.

British claimed that ‘India had no history’. Now it is relevant to mention the words of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, “you and I and everyone together will write our own history”.

After writing about nationalist views of Indian history, the conflict between nationalism and imperialism reached its climax.

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers Background

With the death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 the empire lost its strength and as a result, regional powers became powerful. Provincial rulers or ‘Subedars tried to rule independently in their respective areas.

On the ruins of the Vast Mughal Empire, many regional kingdoms appeared. Such as Hyderabad, Oudh, Mysore, Maharastra, Carnatic, Bengal etc. All these new kingdoms and its kings emerged in the 1st half of the 18th century.

Some of the regional kings declared independence’ against the Mughals. The rulers of the new kingdoms made the expansion of trade and commerce relations with the native states necessary.

Bengal:

During the rule of Aurangzeb (1658-1707), Ibrahim Khan the Subedar of Bengal brought companies given permission to continue duty-free trade in Bengal on an amount of Rs. 1200 per year.

Murshid Quli Khan (1713-1727), the first Nawab of Bengal disapproved of the firman or data. Rich merchant Jagat Seth joined hands with him and at the same time he opposed the use of Murshidabad mint by the Company.

The dastak was a royal permit for duty-free trade in Bengal, which was first given by Farrukshiyer in 1717. Sujauddin (1727-1739) and Alivardi Khan (1740-1756) controlled the misuse of dastak.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 2 Notes

Murshid Quli Khan

 

Job Charnak bought the Zamindari right (1698) of Sutanuti, Gobindapur and Kolkata villages from Sabarna Choudhuri. Murshid Quli Khan asked the Zamindars to sell their land to the company. The British also built Fort St. George of Madras (Chennai).

In 1700 Bengal, Bombay and Madras became the presidencies. In 1696 permission was got and in 1700 on the name of William-III Fort William of Calcutta was built under the presidency of Sir Charles Eyer.

The French Company was losing its trade centres from 1700-1720 A. D. But after 1720 A. D. the company revived and reorganised again. The French merchants captured Maricions (1721) Mahe (1725) and Karikol (1739).

Class 8 History Wbbse

The French officials did not have any political ambition except the expansion of trade. But Joshep Dupleix took initiative to extend the empire in India from the year 1742 A. D. As a result Anglo-French rivalry started.

The Danes merchants established trade centres in Tranquebar (1620) and Serampore in 1755 A. D. Other Europeans like ‘The Ostend Company’, ‘The Swedish Company’, ‘Austrian East India Company etc. were built but were in vain to establish its supremacy in India.

Jagat Seth: The three main merchants of Murshidabad were Umichand, Khoawaja Wazid and Jagat Seth. Among these Jagat Seth with the help of Mirzafar made a conspiracy against Siraj-ud-daullah.

Jagat Seth was really the nephew of Manik Chand, the diwan of Dhaka and the elder son of Heeranand Sahu whose original homeland was in Nagore of Marwar but with the blessings of a Jain Saint, he migrated to Patna, Bihar.

“Jagat-Seth” was the title of Fateh Chand given by a Mughal Emperor. As a banker and rich merchant Fateh Chand got this honourable title. He belongs to a Jain Marwari business family.

Jagat Seth

His spiritual guru was Jain Acharya Sri Bhratruchandra to Suri. According to the official historian of East India company Robert Orme “Jagat Seth as the greatest shroff (money changer) and banker in the known world”.

Nick Robins called him the “banker of the world”.

Hyderabad:

The independent Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-Ul-Mulk in 1724 A. D. But in 1720-22 A. D. he defeated Mughal enemies in Deccan. He was also a Wazir in the Mughal court. Ultimately he left the royal court and built a separate Hyderabad state.

Nizam-Ul-Mulk

 

Nizam died in 1748 A. D. Ruler of the Carnatik isolated himself from the control of Nizam. When the Civil war started in 1740 A. D. on the question of capturing the throne of it, Europeans entered into the court politics of Carnatic.

Oudh :

Sadat Khan Burhn Mulk founded the independent Oudh in 1722 A. D. He was a brave, bold and wise man. For the maintenance of peace and law and order he built a fort and reorganised the army. He drove away the evil zamindars from Oudh.

Sadat Khan

 

He kept a peaceful climate in Oudh. His successor Sadat Khan and nephew SafdarZang independently ruled over Oudh. But in the time of nawab Suja-ud-daullah he was involved in the battle of Buxer (1764 A. D.) and had to pay huge war compensation to the British.

Maratha Power and the Portuguese:

The Portuguese mariners were more powerful in India from the 15th century, from the coming of Vasco-da-Gama (1498 A. D.). Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had driven them out from their trade centre of Hooghly in 1632 A. D.

Class 8 History Wbbse

In 1709 A. D. Salsett and Bassien the important seaports of the Portuguese came under the control of the Marathas. The Portuguese got right only on Goa, Daman and Diu.

Their domination over these regions ended in 1961 A. D. and the 400 years of their rule in India was thus terminated. The British and Dutch merchants jointly had driven out the Portuguese.

Historians say that though the earliest intruder in the east, Portugal could not establish any permanent domination in India.

Attack of Bargits in Bengal:

Shivaji founded the permanent army named the ‘Bargirs’. The Badgers attacked Bengal under the leadership of Bhaskar Pandit during the rule of Nawab Alivardi Khan. The Badgers attacked and plundered Bengal and Orissa in between 1742 to 1751.

Bhaskar Pandit

 

To save the family, the merchants of Calcutta dug the “Maratha ditch” on 3rd Feb. 1744.

The Dutch and the local Kings:

The ruler of the Netherlands self Gen Peterson Coan came to India for their expansion of trade and commerce. After capturing Jakarta and Batavia he blocked Goa (1639) and occupied Ceylone (1658) from the Portuguese.

Class 8 History Wbbse

The Dutch merchants made trade centres in Gujarat Coromandel Coast, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Some other important centres were Surat (1616), Chunchura (1653), Patna, Kashimbazar and Nagapattam (1659) and Cochin (1663).

Ultimately Dutch and the British conflicted among themselves. During the ‘battle of Bidera’ (1759) between Mirzafar, the Nawab of Bengal and English official Robert Clive, the Dutch merchants supported the Nawab of Bengal.

Class 8 History Wbbse

From the Cambridge History of India (Vol-V Page 57), we know that due to the economic crisis, the Dutch Company became weakened and once, they were compelled to give up India. The British Company captured their centre.

Farruksiyar’s Firman (1717):

The event that crowned the trading history of England in India was the grant to them of a firman or “dastak” in 1717 by the reigning Mughal emperor, Farruksiyar. This firman granted them the right of trade everywhere in India.

Later most British activities in India centred on Bombay, Madras and Calcutta. Historian William Orme called this firman or trade license or dastak as a “magna-carta” in the history of British trade and commerce.

Farruksiyar

Sir John Surman sent William Hamilton to the court of Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar. With the help of Hamilton, the emperor was cured of a disease. Farrukhsiyar was satisfied and John Surman was able to get 3 firmans from the emperor in July 1717.

According to firman (1717)

1. The company got the right to duty-free trade in place of an annual payment of Rs. 3000 was fixed,
2. The company was also allowed to settle wherever they liked, and to rent additional territories around Calcutta,
3. The English company was also given the power to duty-free trade, but the rent was paid for Madras and in Gujarat provinces Rs. 10,000 was taken early in the satisfaction customs due at Surat,
4. The rupees coined by the company at. Bombay were made currency all over the Mughal Empire,
5. The company could buy 38 villages adjoining areas of Sutanuti, Govindapur and Calcutta,
6. The company also should have the right to make coins and issue money from the mint of Murshidabad.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Thus Farukhsiyar’s firman caused the prosperity of the English East India Company. Historian C. R. Wilson remarked it “a diplomatic success of the East India Company”.

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers Causes And Effects Of The Conflict Between Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah And The East India Company

The 16 years reign of Nawab Alivardi Khan, grandfather of Siraj-ud- daulah gave prosperity to the History of Bengal, but also created many problems for the future successors.

After the death of Alivardi in the month of April in 1756 A.D. his favourite grandson Siraj sat on the throne of Bengal at the age of only twenty-one and reigned for 15 months.

Siraj-ud- daulah

1.  When the British and the French utilised:

The political weaknesses of the Deccan and started constructing forts for their own security, but nobody intervened. So, when they did so in Bengal without the permission of the Nawab, Siraj ordered them to stop the construction immediately.

The French stopped their work by this order, while the British continued. Ultimately Siraj had to employ force against this British arrogance and the mutual relationship worsened.

2.  Misuse of Dastak:

In 1717 A.D. the Mughal emperor Farrukshiyar gave a free trade licence or Firman or Dastak to the East India Company in exchange of an annual sum of Rs. 3000.

Later the officers of the company misused this dastak and began to earn private profit by trading freely. Historian P. J. Marshall has described it wonderfully in his ‘East India Fortunes’.

The earlier nawabs had never considered the economic losses of their treasury in terms of this misuse of dastaks. Siraj ordered to stop it and made him an enemy of the British.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 2 Notes

3.  Shelter to the Hindu Subjects:

Many Hindus were dissatisfied with the rule of the Muslims. The British used to incite the Hindus against the new Nawab Siraj and also gave shelter. to the conspiratorial Hindus.

For instance, when the British gave shelter to Krishnadas, son of Rai Durlav in their Kuthi at Falta, Siraj asked them to hand over the treacherous person to him. When Siraj’s proposal was refused, he became very angry with the British.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

4. Attack on Calcutta and the Black Hole Tragedy:

Being disturbed by the British, Siraj attacked the Fort of Calcutta on 20th June 1756 A. D. Then, he kept 146 English people imprisoned within a small room 12″ x 14″. Out of them, 123 persons died from a loss of breath.

According to the British historian Holwell, Siraj killed those persons in a planned way. This incident is known as the “Black Hole Tragedy”.

But Annie Besant said that the measurement of the room as noted by Holwell was not true according to the rules of arithmetic and geometry. Because 146 persons could not be kept within such a small room.

Dr Jadunath Sarkar said that Calcutta at that time was not inhabited by 146 English people. There was a number of 60/65 persons. Historian Dodwell had made Siraj responsible for that.

However, on hearing about the attack of Calcutta by Siraj, Robert Clive and Admiral Watson came from Madras to Calcutta and reoccupied the city on 2nd January 1757 A. D.

Ultimately Siraj had to accept the insulting Treaty of Alinagar on 9th February 1757 A. D. By this treaty, Siraj had to accept the misuse of dastaks and allow the construction of forts.

5. The British attack on Chandannagar:

Clive feared that Siraj would make friends with the French, and occupied Chandannagar, the only commercial centre of the French in Bengal in March 1757 A. D. This attitude also disturbed Siraj.

6. Conspiracy against Siraj :

Clive made a plan of conspiracy to overthrow Siraj. He tried to conspire against Siraj in the capital of Hazarduari and tried to bring the intimates of Siraj to his side, with many possible gains.

Mirzafar, the ‘sister-in-law of Siraj was given the chance of getting the Masnad of Bengal. Rai Durlav was about to get a bribe of 30 lakhs of rupees. The most wealthy merchant Jagat Seth was also offered to get many commercial opportunities.

The faithful servant Umi Chand was also purchased by the British. Dr Rajat Ray in his book ‘Palashir Sharajantra’ has shown that Jagat Seth was the main conspirator. However, the entire situation created an atmosphere, suitable for war.

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers Battle Of Plassey 1757 A. D

Battle Of Plassey

On 23rd June, Thursday, 1757 A.D. Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah, who was already very angry with the British proceeded with 50,000 soldiers against the British. Mirmadan and Mohanlal fought valiantly.

Clive occupied Hazarduari very easily and imprisoned Siraj-ud-Daulah and his wife-Lutfa-un-nisa. Miran the son of Mirzafar, beheaded and killed Siraj in front of his wife. The battle of Plassey was really Plassey plunder.

Dr. Percival Spear said. that the “economic bleeding of India” through the drainage of wealth started from this battle. According to one statistic, an amount of Rs. 1,73,96,761 went from Bengal to England just after the battle of Plassey.

The New nawab became bankrupt. Besides money, the British won the land of 24 Parganas. In the words of Rabindranath Tagore, “Baniker mandanda pohale surbari dekha dilo rajdanda rupe”. Many scholars called it ‘Plassey Plunder’.

Jadunath Sarkar said that Plassey helped the first renaissance of Bengal because Western education came through this battle. So it is one type of blessing to the Indians.

Importance of the Battle of Plassey:

According to the British historian S. C. Hill, Siraj involved himself in to the battle out on his own arrogance and lust for money. P. E. Roberts also thinks that Siraj was responsible for the battle of Plassey.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

But Dr Brijen Gupta did not accept it. Whatever might have been the initial arrangements that this battle was a farce and a game with cannons is a settled fact.

According to Malleson “Plassey, though decisive can never be considered as a great battle.”

1. Ultimately, the East India Company established its supremacy upon India for the next hundred years.
2. According to the earlier secret treaty, Mirzafar took the place of Siraj on the Masnad of Bengal. But though he became the Nawab, the entire power was enjoyed by the Company. Percival Spear had referred to this ‘Power behind the throne’ and stated that the real relationship that existed between the Nawab and the Company was that between shadow and substance.
3. As a reward of victory, the officers of the company received huge money.. Clive alone received 3 lakhs of Rupees as a reward and this money was given from the treasury of Bengal.

Nawab Mirzafar (1757-1760):

By the victory of Plassey (1757 A.D.) English East India Company established its political and economical control over Bengal. After the fall of Siraj, Mirzafar sat on the throne of Bengal but he had no sovereignty of his own.

He became a puppet in the hands of the British. His only duty was to satisfy the endless demand of the British. In course of time when the economic pressure on Mirzafar was increased, he became irritated and made a secret alliance with the Dutch merchants.

Knowing it, the British general Robert Clive defeated Mirzafar in the battle of Bederah (25/ 10/ 1759) and dethroned him. Instead of treacherous Mirzafar, his son-in-law Mir Kasim was put upon the maenad of Bengal.

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers Nawab Mir Kasim 1760 To 1763

In 1760 A.D. Mir Kasim became the Nawab of Bengal. Initially, he was satisfying the economic demands of the British at the utmost level. As a result, he had a better relationship with the British in the beginning.

Vansitart, who became the next general after Clive was sympathetic to him. But always eager to build an independent administrative structure, as he was always afraid of the growing strength of the British, he never tried to be a puppet like Mirzafar.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

So, as a defence against the officers of the company, he adopted a few independent measures. Mir Kasim tried to end the political misrule and adopted a new system to expose himself as an independent and brave ruler before all.

Verelest regarded those measures as programmes for warfare against the British. Depending upon his words, Dodwell said that Mir Kasim was responsible for his struggle with the British.

But historian P. J. Marshall thinks that the Nawab was not preparing himself to fight against the British, but he never looked well at the increasing power of the English East India Company. Perhaps, his mentality made Nawab’s struggle with the company an inevitable fact.

The Independent measure of Mir Kasim :

1. To stop the corruption of the revenue officers, Mir Kasim sacked some government officials like Chunilal, Manilal etc and seized their properties. Thus the empty treasury was filled up to some extent. He also donated a huge amount of money to the company by taking a loan from the business tycoon Jagat Seth. Besides this, Nawab retrenched Ramnarayan of Pabna for not paying back the due money.
2. Mir Kasim released the right over Burdwan, Midnapur and Chittagong for Rs. 53 lacs per year by a secret agreement with the company. This was done for the settlement regarding revenues with the company. Thus the Nawab increased his imperial ideology.
3. To strengthen its military power, Mir Kasim purchased many cannons and guns. He made intimacy with France to train his army in the French way. He appointed Markar and Samru the famous two French Generals, in his army. Verelesrt described his military reform as Mir Kasim’s thought of freedom. But Vancitart said that Mir Kasim trained his army in a western way just to conquer Nepal.
4.  Mir Kasim shifted the capital of Bengal from Murshidabad to Munghyr of Bihar for formulating ruling policies independently. The reason of such shifting was that the British may interfere off and on because Murshidabad was situated very near to Calcutta. He also built a fort in Munghyr for safety.
5.  Mir Kasim took the policy of curtailing costs. He introduced some new taxes for the smooth flow of revenue earning. He retrenched many government officials and zamindars who were prone to revolt.
6. Mir Kasim took the initiative to stop corruption in the field of trade duties. He calculated that the personal business of some government employees by using Dustak or official seal were tax-free and thus taxes were evaded indirectly.

As a result, Nawab was incurring a loss of Rs. 25 lacs per year. To stop this illegal business by using ‘seal’ he entered into an agreement with Vansitart.

It was decided that native traders will pay 25% tax, employees of a company will pay 9% tax and in the salt business tax will be 22% and all of them are explainable to Nawab for respective activities. This is known as the ‘Treaty of Munghyr’.

The English employees and the clerks admitted all the clauses except the salt tax. By this Mir, Kasim became very angry and he lifted all the taxes from native merchants and put them in the same category with the European merchants.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

With this attitude of the Nawab, the company close the way of battle with him. But according to Dodwell, the tax policy was an excuse only. The main reason was the interesting clash of the Company and the Nawab.

Dr Nandalal Chatterjee in his book ‘Mirkasim’ said that Nawab wanted to get rid of the Company in every respect and for this battle became inevitable.

Battle of Katwa-Giria-Udaynala (1766 A.D.):

Nawab was repeatedly defeated by Kuthiyal Ellis in the battles of Katwa, Gira, Udaynala Munghyr, Murshidabad and Suti and ultimately took shelter in Patna.

After that he came to Oudh taking this scope, old Mirzafar was made the king of Bengal in July 1763 A.D. He became engrossed in the post of Nawab by paying Rs. 30 lacs to the Company and accepted all the terms and conditions of the Company.

The throne of Bengal was much desired to him rather than get lost from the scenario.

Wbbse Class 8 History Chapter 2 Notes

Battle of Buxar (1764 A.D.):

Defeated Mir Kasim now joined with Wazir Suja-ud-daulla, Nawab of Oudh, Ayodhya and Mughal emperor Shah Alam II and organised a huge contingent of army. Then he faced Hector Munroe, the efficient General of Clive in the field of Buxar.

The Buxar battle was fought with Marker and Samru, the French generals of Mir Kasim on 22nd October 1764 A.D. Mir Kasim was again defeated and took shelter in the forest. After that, he was assassinated near Delhi in 1777 A.D.

His two companions Shah Alam and Suja-ud-daulla surrendered to the British. Due to the defeat of Mir Kasim in the Buxar war, the last independent Nawab of Bengal was abolished.

This battle brought a unique change in history for expanding the empire by the British. In 1765 A.D. two Allahabad treaties in were signed with Clive. According to the first treaty, Oudh was returned to Suja-ud-daulla.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

But the British got Rs. 50 lacs as compensation apart from getting Kara and Allahabad districts. According to the second treaty, Shah Alam gave Clive the right of collecting revenues from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in exchange of Rs. 26 lacs per year.

Due to the Buxar battle, the economic, political and administrative powers of the Company were increased a lot. Historian Vincent Arthur Smith said, “Plassey was a cannonade but Buxar was a decisive battle.

” Sir James Stephenson has rightly said, “the battle of Buxar serves far more credit than the battle of Plassey as the origin of the British power in India.”

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers Significance Of The Diwani Right

Lord Clive, received the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa from the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II in 1765 A.D.

1. This event happened after the battle of Buxar (1764 A.D.) and during the restoration of Nawab Mirzafar (1763-65 A.D.) But in 1765 A.D. After the death of Mirzafar, his minor son Nizam-ud-Daulah sat on the throne.
2. It was decided by a treaty between this Nawab and the Company that the Company will give an annual amount of 53 lakhs of Rupees for the expenses of his administration. An amount of 26 lakhs of Rupees will also be given from the revenue of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II.
3. The rest would be regarded as the income of the Company. After the acquisition of Diwani, the company understood that the British could get its highest profit from land revenue.
4. So the main aim of the company’s rule was to establish its total control over large areas of India.

Significance of the Double Government :

Robert Clive introduced a Diarchy in Bengal in 1765 A.D.

1.  By a treaty, the Nawab of Bengal surrendered the administrative and military power to the company, on 20th February 1765 A.D.
2.  According to Dr Nandalal Chatterjee the Nawab thus became a puppet to the hands of the Company, which became actually powerful.
3. There were two features of this diarchy- The Company was all-powerful but the Nawab was only a formal ruler. The Company had control over finance and the army, while Nawab had to supervise administration. As two systems were maintained in a single structure it was known as a double government.
4.  After by its introduction, the Company received the Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in 1765 A.D. In 1764-65 A.D. 1 crore 13 lakhs of rupees were earned as land revenue. The amount increased to 2 crores 20 lakhs of rupees by 1765-66 A.D.
5. Besides, the monopoly of the Company brought disaster to indigenous trade merchants and handicrafts. P. J. Marshall has said in “East India Fortunes” that the drain of wealth from Bengal and India was increased from the diarchy.
6.  Percival Spear mentioned about the Power-behind the throne. The politics between the Nawab and the Company was led by responsibility without power and power without responsibility. Thus the Nawab became a shadow of the body of the Company.
7. The Company did not play any responsible role at this time. As a result, nearly 3rd of the people of Bengal died during the famine of 1176 B.S. (1770 A.D.) Lord Cartier, the then governor of Bengal had done nothing for the famine-stricken people.
8. Clive himself acknowledged the corruption and misrule and exploitation of the diarchy in Bengal. John Key said, “The dual administration made confusion more confounded and corruption more corrupt.” In 1772 A.D. Warren Hastings came as the Government and brought an end to the dual rule.

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers A Policy Of Lord Wellesley To Expand The Empire In India

Wellesley extended the British territory only within his 7 years of rule in India (1798-1805 A.D.). He realised that the situation was grave but not that fearsome.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

So he devoted himself in expanding the empire in spite of the political uncertainty and disorder. Historian Percival Spear commented that the change he had brought within the span of 7 years was unique in the history of the expansion of the empire.

The objective of expanding the empire :

1. The ‘french phobia’ was still there even though the Wandiwash of Carnatic (1760 A.D.) diminished the possibility of establishing French dominance in India.
2. There still existed a huge army contingent under the French Commander Reymond in Hyderabad. Similarly. another commander, Peron of Sindhia became active.
3. Tipu Sultan brought some cannons from France. Over and above, some French commanders joined his army.
4. Wellesley felt the urge of expanding the British empire in India due to French phobia.
5.  It became the prime motive of Wellesley to disintegrate the Maratha and Nizam as well as the power of Tipu under the shelter of the French, for the purpose of expanding the British Empire.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

The main three policies of Wellesley were:

1. To conquer by the encounter.
2. To conquer diplomatically and
3. To conquer by the subsidiary alliance.

To Conquer by War:

Tipu disobeyed this policy of Wellesley first. As a result, Wellesley defeated and killed Tipu in the 4th Anglo-Mysore War in 1799 A.D. Wellesley alleged Tipu for his alliance with the French and declared war against him.

 

Bhonsle and Scindhia were also defeated by Wellesley in the 2nd Anglo-Mysore war in 1803-1805 A.D. Afterwards they signed the Treaties of Deogaon and Surjiarjungaon to accept a subsidiary alliance.

As a result, the British empire was established in those states.

To Conquer Diplomatically:

Wellesley was also successful in expanding the empire diplomatically. With this process, he conquered Tanjore, Surat, and Carnatic, In 1801 A.D. taking advantage of the internal conflict for the inheritance he established dominance upon Surat keeping in mind, the military importance of the ‘Surat Fort between Deccan and Gujarat.

He captured Carnatic after the death of Nawab Umdad-Ul-Umarah ignoring the legitimate claim of the eldest son of the Nawab.

To conquer by Subsidiary Alliance:

Much before Lord Wellesley, Clive had first thought about this Subsidiary Alliance as early as 1765 A.D. In India, during the rule of Wellesley (1798- 1805 A.D.) one of the essential features of his domination was the Principle of Subsidiary Alliance.

This was an important event in the history of British imperialism in India. The changes which were introduced during his seven years’ time had facilitated colonisation in India.

“The changes brought about during the seven years of Wellesley’s leadership were so great that they are rightly considered to mark an epoch in the development of British power in India.- Percival Spear.

The main principle of Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance is that if any princely state had established a friendship with the British then the latter will bear the entire responsibility of that state’s security.

So the princely states had to submit their sovereignty and accept the friendship of the British in the name of a Subsidiary Alliance.

The main features of the Subsidiary Alliance were

1.  If any state accept it, it had to give either money or territory to the British for the maintenance of the army.
2. Once a friend of the British the state had to seek for British permission to establish a treaty of friendship with any other state.
3. The said state had to appoint only British and not a single European in its service.
4.  The state had to keep an English resident within its territory.
5.  If the state had a conflict with any other state, it had to act according to British decisions.
6. The state had to declare that the English East India Company was a powerful Company.
7.  If all these conditions were fulfilled, the Company’s army would give security to the state’s internal communication and against all foreign invasions. In 1798 A.D. 1st September, the Nizam of Hyderabad first accepted this alliance.

The British spent the entire amount for the 7 battalion army of the British. In 1801 A.D. The Nawab of Oudh accepted it that gave Rohilkhand, Gorakhpur and the Ganga-Jamuna Doab to the British.

In 1802 A.D. the Peshwa Baji Rao II accepted the alliance by the Treaty of Bassein. When Tipu Sultan of Mysore refused to accept it, Wellesley fought against him in the fourth Anglo-Mysore war in 1799 A.D.

Philosopher Mill has commented about the worst limitation of this Subsidiary Alliance that all the princely states which had accepted it had to dissolve their army. Most of the soldiers were unemployed and joined the groups of Pindari robbers.

So the entire situation became far more complicated. Historian P. E. Roberts. said that the people of India did not respect Wellesley like Dalhousie.

Evaluation :

The British authority was grateful to Wellesley for his policies in respect of expanding the British kingdom, but the Indians could not respect him. He did not do anything constructive other than establishing the Fort William College in 1800 A.D.

Historian P. E. Roberts said that in comparison with Lord Clive, Wellesley did not get that respect. Because he only concentrated on the interest of expanding the British Empire.

Sidney Owen said, “British imperialism in India became the British Imperialism of India.” This was his greatest achievement.

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers Policy Of Lord Dalhousie To Expand The Empire In India

Lord Dalhousie was a keen Imperialist. During his reign (1848-56 A.D.) the British Empire reached its absolute form. Dalhousie was the ideal descendant of Robert Clive, Hastings and Wellesley who tried to expand the British empire in India wholeheartedly.

As a conservative imperialist, he used to say “The extinction of all native states of India is just a question of time.” The administrative structure of India was very undergraded.

So he called the Indians as “White man’s burden.” For this reason historian Percival Spear called him a “convinced Westerniser”.

A Policy of Dalhousie For The Expansion of the Empire:

Dalhousie adopted three policies for the expansion of the British empire in India-

1. To Conquer by war.
2. To conquer with a plea of misrule and
3. To conquer by the doctrine of Lapse.

1.  To conquer by war:

The states, which he conquered by war were Punjab, Sikkim, Burma etc. The background of the Second Anglo-Sikh War was laid when Dewan Mulraj, the ruler of Multan resigned (1848 A.D.) due to strained relations with Lahore.

At this time two English commanders Vance Agnew and Anderson were Lord Dalhousie killed in Lahore. Because of the Sikhs. did not like Lawrence, the British resident. Dalhousie, to subdue such arrogance of the Sikhs, declared war on 10th October 1848 A.D.

Anyway, Dalhousie defeated Jhindan the wife of Ranjit Singh and his minor son Dalip Singh in the battle of Chllianwala in 1849 A.D. and by sending them down to England, he captured Punjab.

In 1849 A.D. the king of Sikkim besieged Dr Campbell and Hooker. Then Dalhousie had to attack Sikkim and included 1670 sq. miles of Sikkim within the British territory.

The First Anglo-Burmese war was fought between Lord Amherst and Burma in 1824 A.D. before the Burmese policy of Dalhousie. At this time, the Burmese were defeated and signed the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 A.D.

The conditions of this treaty were violated by the Burmese and Tharwadi, the king of Burma started oppressing the English Merchants. With this, the British became very much dissatisfied.

Dalhousie demanded compensation from the king Mindon which Mindon refused to pay. As a result, the Second Anglo-Burmese war was fought (1853 A.D.).

The British dominance was established on Aracan, Tenaserim, Pegu, Pome, Rangoon, Martaban etc. when the king Badaupaya of Burma was defeated.

2. Plea of misrule:

By sacrificing all the moralities and legalities, Dalhousie captured Oudh in (1856 A.D.) with the excuse of bad administration. He arranged Rs. 12 lacs per year as a subsidy to Nawab Wazir Ali of Oudh.

After his death, Dalhousie ignored the right of the eldest son of Wazir Ali. Sleemann said that at that time there was bad administration, frustration and exploitation of the Taluqdars in Oudh.

According to H. H. Wilson The Oudh policy of Dalhousie was shameful.

3.  Doctrine of Lapse:

The doctrine of Lapse was the notorious weapon of Dalhousie in expanding the British empire. The basic theory of this doctrine was that the state will be included in the British domain if the king of that state died childlessly.

And that king was prohibited in adopting any child. In the adoption system, Dalhousie divided the native states into three classes-

1.  Independent native state.
2.  The state originated by the Company and
3. Tributary states under the Company.

Dalhousie prohibited adopting a son in the case of Company originated states and the tributary states. But he permitted the independent native states to adopt sons.

Under this Doctrine of Lapses Dalhousie captured the following states. Those were Satara (1848 A.D.), Sambalpur and Jaitpur (1849 A.D.), Bagat (1850 A.D.), Udaipur (1852 A.D.), Jhansi (1853 A.D.), Nagpur (1854 A.D.), Carnatic (1855 A.D.) etc.

Satara was the first to be included in the British empire. When the king of Jhansi was expired without having a son the state was included in the British empire.

When Baji Rao II died in 1851 A.D., Nana Saheb (real name Dhundu Pant) his stepson, donated the entire property to Dalhousie and instead appealed for a subsidy of Rs. 8 lacs a year.

This appeal was turned down by Dalhousie. He cancelled many titles, subsidies, pensions etc. of many native kings.

There are some defects in Dalhousie Policy

1. It was used only on Hindus.
2. The Muslim community was not in the scope of this policy.
3. Dalhousie used the policy without any sanction from ‘The Board of Control.
4. This policy is just a misuse of the law. This policy ultimately became responsible for the sepoy mutiny. Sir. Henry Russel properly said, “I consider the extinction of a native state as a nail driven into our coffin.”

Consequence:

The policies of Dalhousie made the Indians dissatisfied to a great extent and as a result, the anti-British movement was further intensified.

Historians like John Malcolm, Henry Russel, and Elphistone think that the withdrawal of the system of adopting sons, which was continuing for a long time made the native rulers and employees very much dissatisfied and annoyed.

He was to a great extent responsible for the sepoy mutiny though he was termed as the ‘father of maker of modern India’. He formed P.W.D., Extension of the G.T. Road, Construction of Railways, set up of Roorki Engineering College and recommended for establishing universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.

In spite of this, he was severely criticised for his naked and shameless imperialism. But due to the policies of Dalhousie, the revenues of the British Government in India increased to 4 Million sterlings. But Henry Russel said, “I consider the extinction of a native state as a nail driven into our coffin.” Sir Richard Temple praised him immensely for his glorious reign.

Chapter 2 Rise Of Regional Powers Anglo-French Conflict

During the days of the decadence of the Mughal Empire anarchy and lawlessness prevailed in India. At that time English and French tried to increase power in South India. They conflicted for 20 years in India.

Initially both the English and the French were involved in the Civil War of Carnatic. From the very beginning of the-war French supported Chand Sahib (Carnatic) and Muzaffaruddin (Hyderabad) and the British supported its enemy group Anawaruddin (Carnatic) and Mohammad Ali (Hyderabad).

 

The main causes of conflict were as

1. Impact of the war of succession in Austria,
2. Unparallel commercial competition,
3. Lack of French trade centres and sea-port in India,
4. The desire of the establishment of political domination in India etc.

Anglo-French context continued from 1744 A.D. to 1763 A.D. In the First Anglo-French war (1744-1748 A.D.) French general Dupleix defeated the British troop.

By a peace treaty of ‘Aix-lus-sapple’ (1748), the conflict initially ended and the British got back Madras, which helped them to establish colonial rule in future India. The Second Anglo-French war (1749-1755 A.D.) was in favour of the British.

During the Third Anglo-French war (1756-1763) French general Count-de-Lally was defeated to British general Sir Eyre Coote in the battlefield of Wandiwash (1760). After that

1. A peace treaty was concluded by which the French company lost their political domination except for trade and commerce in a limited area.
2. On the other hand, the English company became more powerful.
3. The English established monopoly colonial rule in India.
4. The war of Carnatic made the fate of the colonial rule as well as the expansion of the British Empire in near future.

Failure of the French in the Anglo-French rivalry in India :

The conflict between the English and the French became inevitable when both the powers, the French and the English were predominant in India.

There were many reasons behind the failure of the French in the Anglo-French struggle for, rivalry in India.

1. The main reason behind the failure of the French was an economic crisis. During the third Carnatic war, the British could meet their expenses from the wealth of Bengal. On the other hand, the French had to face a severe crisis due to a lack of mercantile prosperity.
2. When Lully came to India the French could not receive more than Two thousand million Franks for warfare in India. It is known from the ‘Military Consultations of the East India company’ that Lully was late in occupying Trichinapally due to an economic crisis. He had to occupy the fort of Tanjore first for economic reasons.
3. The British made their empire in India on the basis of strong naval power. The French lacked a strong naval force and was defeated by the British.
4. The French soldiers had many defects in their characters. Lally was quite intelligent but very rude. On the other hand, British soldiers like Saunders, Eyre Coote, Ford, and Clive were much more efficient.

Chapter 3 Establishment Of Colonial Authority Background

English East India Company was founded in 1600 A.D. This company made its trade centres in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Gradually the ‘Presidency system’ was made with the help of these trade centres.

The company also set up trade centres in Musolipattanam (1611), Surat (1612), Madras (1639) etc. within 1639 company set up ‘St. George Fort’ in Madras and got the Diwani right of Bengal-Bihar-Orissa in 1765. Bombay had become the administrative centre of the company in 1687.

Chapter 3 Establishment Of Colonial Authority Establishment Of Colonial Rule

The battle of Plassey was a great landmark in the establishment of British Colonial rule in Bengal. Sir Jadunath Sarkar wrote, “The battle of Plassey ended Muslim rule in Bengal and foreign master of the sword had become its king-maker”.

Factors Consolidated To The Colonial Rule Were

1. After the battle of Buxer and granting of Diwani’s Rights (1765), Company became the absolute authority in both of politics and the economy in India.
2. The weakness of the Mughal Empire greatly helped the British company to restore power. Mughal Emperor created the posts of ‘Subedar’ or ‘Nizam’ and ‘Diwan’. Though they had separate duties sometimes it gets help and advice from each other.
3. After the Diwani Right Company appointed Reza Khan as the ‘Naib-i-Diwan’ or tax collector of Bengal and Sitab Roy of Bihar.
4. Maintaining of law and order i.e., ‘Nizamat-right also came to the control under from the hand of Mirzafar’s second son Nizam-ud-daullah.
5. Clive became the supreme authority of the administration, military, economy and politics of Bengal. Historians called this diplomatic victory as “Legal fiction”.
6. The establishment of diarchy (dual govt) in 20th Feb. 1765 A. D. was the initial stage of the foundation of Colonial rule in Bengal when Nawab Nizam-ud-daullah transferred administrative and military power to the hands of the Company.
7.  Mughal emperor Shah Alam II was the nominal head and the nawab of Bengal became a puppet ruler to the hands of the British. Thus “Puppet system” was introduced in Bengal. Dr Nandalal Chatterjee said that it made the company the real head and the nawab of Bengal, the nominal head. Sir Ramsey Moore remarked that the dual govt empowered colonial rule.
8. According to the Regulating Act (1773) governor of Bengal was awarded with the title ‘governor general’. The Supreme Court of Calcutta also was established in 1774 after passing the regulating act. It’s first Chief justice was Sir Eliza Impee.
9.  ‘Pitt’s India Act’ (1784) was considered building ‘Board of Control’ and ‘Board of Directors, the two important organisations of the company. The ‘Court of Proprietors’ lost its power and prestige. ‘Tribunal court’ was formed under the control of ‘Commander-in-Chief’.

Clive was the first founder of Colonial rule in Bengal. After granting the Diwani Rights company got only the matter of the Diwani case. Fauzdari’s case was not under their control. The Regulating Act was passed in 1773 A.D.

Class 8 History Wbbse

It was the first step of the transfer of power from the Company to the British government.

This Act settled three things

1.  It settled the relationship of the Company’s partners with the directors.
2.  It extended the influence of the British Parliament over the Company.
3.  It settled the relationship of Bengal with the forts of Bombay and Madras. Pitt’s India Act of 1784: By this India Act of the Chief Minister of England Pitt, the government’s control was reimposed upon the Company.

By this Act, A ‘Board of Control’ was set up with 6 Commissioners. It was to supervise the work of the Court of Directors. But the Pitt’s India Act had not separated the power between the Board of Control and the Court of Directors.

Consequently, many problems were created. So the Act was not completely successful. Following the Act, the first Charter Act was passed in 1793 A. D.

Regulating Act:

The Regulating Act was passed by Lord North in 1773 A.D. It was the first step of the transfer of power from the Company to the British government. The government made the Company responsible for the famine of 1770 A.D.

And passed this act by dismissing many of the despotic Company officials.

Class 8 History Wbbse

This Act settled three things

1. It settled the relationship of the Company’s partners with the directors.
2. It extended the influence of the British Parliament over the Company.
3. It settled the relationship of Bengal with the forts of Bombay and Madras.

By this Act, the shareholder of 1000 pounds. (instead of the earlier 500 pounds) were given the power to vote. The 3, 6 and 10,000 pounded shareholders got the right over 2, 3 and 4 votes. The director was elected for 4 years.

Every year 6 out of 24 directors would resign and new directors would take the place of the old. The governor of Bengal was titled as the ‘Governor-General’. The council working under him had a tenure of 5 years.

The first Supreme Court was established in Calcutta by the Regulating Act. Sir Eliza Impee was its chief judge. But practically the Regulating Act was not very successful.

Pitt’s India Act:

As the Regulating Act was not successful and problems were increased, Lord North made some recommendations to change the Company’s rule, and the Pitt’s India Act was passed on its basis.

By this Government of India Act of the Chief Minister of England William Pitt,

1. The government’s control was reimposed upon the Company.
2. ‘Board of Control’ was set up with 6 Commissioners. It was to supervise the work of the Court of Directors.
3.  It received the power to inspect on all the papers of the company.
4.  It did not have any influence on trade.
5. The Board could inform the about its order to the company through “Secret Committee”. As a result the power of the ‘Court of Proprietors’ was curbed.
6. The members of the Governor General’s Council were reduced in number from 4 to 3.
7.  It was also said that a tribunal will be formed to investigate on the amount of money taken from India by the Company officials and also to judge the
8. guilty officers.
9.  The Governor General was entrusted with the duty of the commander-in-chief.

But the Pitt’s India Act had not separated the power between the Board of Control and the Court of Directors. Consequently, many problems were created. So the Act was not completely successful. Following the Act, the first Charter Act was passed in 1793 A.D.

Class 8 History Wbbse

Chapter 3 Establishment Of Colonial Authority Charter Act Of 1813 A.D

The Charter Act was passed first in 1793 A.D., but the 2nd charter act was passed to understand the exact position of the Company in India in 1813 A.D.

1. This Act ended the monopoly of the East India Company in India. As a result, the Indian markets were opened to all other merchants of Europe.
2.  It is also said that the Company should separate its income from trade and from land revenue.
3. The income would be spent for military and non-military purposes.
4.  It was said that the Government would give an amount of 1 lakh of rupees annually for the development of literature and science in India.
5. The Christian missionaries were allowed to preach their religion in India.
6. This Act also stated that the approval of the British Government was compulsory regarding the appointment of Governor-General, Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

This Act was to be renewed after every 20 years. Accordingly, the Charter Act of 1833 A.D. and 1853 A.D. changed, improved and developed the earlier ones.

Of all these Acts, the Charter Act of 1833 A.D. was known as a ‘Charter of laissez fair, due to its constitutional and economic significance.

Civil Service:

At the beginning of the establishment of Colonial rule in India, there was no civil service in the structure of the company’s administration. The company’s officials were the helping hand of the company’s rule in India.

Lord Cornwallis was called “the father of Indian Civil Service”. Historian K. K. R. Shastry said that Directors nominated I. C. S. from their own relatives.

 

Dr Kali Kinkar Datta remarked that Fort William College as “the sacred college of sons and nephews.” Civil Services could be regarded as a historical product, which had a vital role in the expansion of the British Empire in India.

Lord Macaulay remarked, “the character of the Governor-General was less important than the character and spirit of the Servants (civil) by whom the administration of India was carried on.”

The British Civil Servants totally crushed the self-respect and national feeling of the Indians. At the time the British Civilians or Bureaucrats were both mechanical and insensitive and had no higher academic qualifications.

This type of employee were in four categories, such as

1. Senior merchants.
2. Junior merchants.
3. Factors, and
4. Writers.

According to H. H. Dodwell a junior merchant used to be promoted as a factor or writer. Initially, the Directors used to select the company’s officials.

But by the Regulation of 1731, it was stated that the willing candidates must have to present before the Directors. Lord Clive paid attention to the Civil Service in India first but Cornwallis was the real founder of the Indian Civil Service.

Class 8 History Wbbse

His policy of Europeanisation in the Civil Services was totally a bane for the people of India as they could not be appointed in highly respectable posts. Wellesley founded Fort William College in Calcutta on 24 November 1800 A. D.

For the training of the Civil Servants. Similarly, Haileybury College in London was founded in 1806 A. D. for the same purpose. By the charter acts of 1813 and 1833, it was stated that educational qualification must be treated as the sole basis for recruitment in Civil Services.

Sir Charles Wood allowed Indians entry into the Civil Services by passing the Charter Act of 1853, through an open competitive examination. The age was fixed in to 18 to 23 for the examination.

There was not a single one Indian in the Civil Service of the Company up to 1857 A. D. The Civil Service was a “steel frame” of British rule.

Army:

Another important organ of the colonial rule of the company was an army. It was necessary for the growth of the company’s empire and trade. The army played a decisive role in conquering the native states of India and as well as suppressing internal revolts.

Dodwell said that the army officers were 87 in 1750, which increased to 412 in 1775 and 652 in 1800 A. D. In 1800 A. D. ‘Special Cadets Company’ was built. Later military officers were divided into Colonel, Lt Colonel and Major.

The condition of soldiers in India was very bad and painful. Indian soldiers were not so good. They were exploited by various means, though the Indian soldiers were more than the European soldiers.

In 1857, 2,65,900 were Indian soldiers, out of 3,11,400 soldiers in the army of the company. The British soldiers were less in number and were paid high salaries. The number of Gorkha Regiments was increased before the revolt of 1857 A. D.

Judicial Organisation:

In the time of his governor generalship (1772-85),, Warren Hastings reformed both Diwani and Fauzdari Courts.

Reforms are as

1. A civil and Diwani or a Fauzdari Court was built in each district. The District Collector was given the responsibility of the Diwani Court and a local chief was given Fauzdari activities.
2. “Sadar Diwani Adalat” and “Sadar Nizamat Adalat” were built in Calcutta to judge both civil and criminal offenders.
3. The Judges were given good salaries so that they can never be corrupted.
4. To compile Hindu-Muslim laws and customs ten Hindu Scholars Muslim Kaji and Mufti were appointed for the codification of laws.
5. Village Diwani and Fauzdari Courts were built under the supervision of the “Committee of Circuit”.

British observers were appointed for each and every court. The Supreme Court of Calcutta was founded in 1774 A.D. Its first Chief Judge was Sir Eliza Impee. Magistrates were given judicial responsibilities.

The District Judges supervised the Civil Court. There were the appeal courts where common people used to appeal against the district judges and its superintendent.

The last appeal adalat against civil and criminal cases was the ‘Sadar Diwani’ and ‘Sadar Nizamat’ courts. Corpwallis codified a law book known as the ‘Cornwallis Code’ (1793) consisting of new legislative laws.

Some ‘Petty Courts’ were formed in the big towers and cities. Bentinck abolished the system of mobile courts and regional appellate courts for the speedy disposal of cases. The Persian Language was the court language so far.

He first introduced the ‘Indian Penal Code’ written by Macaulay. He also set up Sadar Court for the interest of the common people.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Police:

The most important aspect of the colonial administrative structure was the Cornwallis Police organisation who first set up it. He brought drastic changes in this department.

Such as

1. A separate Police department was formed.
2. Each district was divided into some Police stations.
3. A Police Superintendent was appointed to each police station, under whom many constables were kept.
4. The Police Superintendents of each district must have to be responsible to their ‘District Magistrate’.
5. 10% of the recaptured properties must be given to Police Superintendent to encourage and be responsible for him.

Historian Percival Spear remarked “The Constructive work of Cornwallis was one of which any man might have been proud”.-(Oxford History of India, Page-94.).

As a colonial ruler, Dalhousie adopted his administrative reforms which were more important than others. To rule properly he implemented a lot of executive reforms.

Such as

1. The governor-general of India too occupied the power and responsibilities of the governor of Bengal. But he could follow the Act of 1853 and appoint Lt
2. Governor as the administrative head of Bengal.
3. He founded two headquarters for the Colonial Govt in Şimla and Calcutta respectively.
4. A province was divided into some districts under the control of “Deputy Commissioner”.
5. He rejected the policy of Election and started Competitive Examination to recruit government officials.
6. For the making of laws Dalhousie formed ‘The Central Legislative Council’.

“The Rule of Law” or equality on the eyes of the law was introduced in colonial rule. It means everyone must have to abide the law and no one is above it. The concept of “Equality before the law” is the main basis of the rule of law.

It was first introduced in England after the ‘Glorious revolution’ (1688). The rule of law gave pure and fair judgement to the Indians.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Chapter 3 Establishment Of Colonial Authority Reforms Of Bentinck

During the regime of Lord William Bentinck (1828-35 A.D.), it is a glorious chapter in Indian History. He was inspired by the ‘Utilitarian theory’ by Mill and Bentham and developed himself in the reform works.

He thought himself responsible to make the Indians modern through reforms. He took up many programmes for humanitarian reforms in the fields of conservatism, society education, administration etc. of India.

Sir Alfred Lyall said, “……It was an era of liberal and civilising administration, of quiet material progress and some important moral and educational reforms.”

Bentinck took up many reform programmes in the fields of economy, administration, judiciary, society and education.

Lord William Bentinck

1. Economic reforms:

Bentick adopted the policy of cost curtailment and an increase in land revenue. Because, before him, during the regime of Lord Hastings and Lord Amherst, the treasury of the Company was almost empty due to continuous wars and battles.

So for the improvement of economic condition, he took up the following measures:

1. Reduced the salaries of the civil servants.
2. Reduced the allowances and other benefits of the military personnel of Bengal.
3. Appointed the Indians on higher posts on minimum salary, thus saving a lot of money.
4. Issued licences to the opium traders of Malwa, Bihar and Banaras and collected revenues by imposing taxes on them.
5. Many Mughal rulers donated tax-free lands to some zamindars. Bentinck, by inquiry, imposed taxes on those who could not produce any record or
6. document. Thus he earned about Rs. 30 lacs as revenue.
7. During his time, Robert Bird introduced a new form of taxation in Uttar Pradesh and in the North-West border for collecting more money as revenue. By such economic reform, Bentinck was able to wipe off the deficit of Rs. 1 crore and made a surplus of Rs. 1-5 crore in the treasury.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

2. Administrative reform:

Bentinck reformed many loopholes in the judiciary and administration of the company.

1.  Cornwallis used to appoint only Europeans in high Posts of administration. Bentinck changed this system and started giving appointments to the Indians in those posts.
2. Set up a ‘Board of Revenue’ for smooth collection of revenues in the North-West border.
3.  Bentinck kept under his control the post of commander-in-chief besides his own post as Governor General.
4.  Bentinck combined the posts of District Collector and District Magistrate into one single post.
5. The number of advocate members was increased in the working council of the Governor General. Lord Macaulay was the first to be appointed as a law member.

3. Reform of the Judicial System:

1. He abolished the system of mobile court and regional appellate court for speedy disposal of cases.
2. The Persian Language was the court language so far. He introduced a simple mother tongue instead of Persie.
3. For gaining the support of the Indians, he handed over the judiciary powers to the Indians and also raised their remunerations. (d) He entrusted upon one man to discharge the duties of the District Collector as well as the District Magistrate.
4. He first introduced the ‘Indian Penal Code’ written by Macaulay. He also set up Sadar Court for the interest of the common people. Dr V. A. Smith said, “It was Bentinck who first built up an efficient framework of administration.”

4. Social reform.:

Bentick is still remembered from some social reforms made by him. Some of such main reforms were:

1. Bentinck took a positive legal step against the system where the widow was burnt alive along with her dead husband’s cremation. This he did with the request from Rammohan. At first Regulation XVII was passed against this obnoxious system of ‘burning of sati’ based on this, Bentinck amended this act in 1829 A.D.
2. The forest of Delhi and Central India was inflicted by Thagi dacoits. They used to loot and kill people indiscriminately. Bentinck engaged Col. Slimann and subdued all these dacoits within 1830 A.D. He also subdued the Pindari Dacoits.
3. There was a system in the Rajput race in Kathiabar and Rajputana that a female child had to be executed. Bentinck abolished this system and ordered to give death sentence to anybody who would kill his female child.
4.  A wild tribal race of Orissa used to do human execution in front of their gods to satisfy them. He also banned this system.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

5. Educational reform:

During the reign of Bentinck, the influence of western education flourished. The Company was supposed to spend Rs. 1 lac per year towards the improvement of education in India as per the ‘Charter Act’ of 1813 A.D.

But it was not possible due to internal conflict between the East and the West. Bentinck decided to spend this sum with the advice of the Indians. The education secretary Lord Macaulay published the ‘Macaulay Minute’ in 1835 A.D.

For the expansion of knowledge and western language in India, as per the recommendation, of the General Committee of Public Instructions and according to charter Act, 1833 A.D.

As per the recommendation, The Calcutta Medical and Bombay Elphinstone Institution were formed in 1835 A.D. In this way, Bentinck became very popular and famous for his different public welfare activities in the post-Cornwallis period.

Chapter 3 Establishment Of Colonial Authority Different Land Revenue Systems Of The Company In India

At the very outset of the company regime, whole of India including Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, was an agriculture-based country. Dr Rajani Palme Dutta thinks that modern England has been flourished from the land revenues of this country.

So, due to the eagerness of the British and the active part of the Company, different land revenue policies were taken up. After Bengal, Bihar and Orissa got the Diwani (1765 A.D.), the income of the company increased to a great extent.

In 1765-66 A.D. the land revenue collected was Rs. 1 crore 20 lacs. Later it increased to Rs. 2 crores 40 lacs. Dewan Reza Khan and Sitab Rai used to collect huge revenues from Bengal and Orissa respectively by coercion and exploitation.

At this time, the condition of the Bengali farmers became worse as Clive introduced duel ruling. After Clive, Verelest (1767-69 A.D.) and Cartier (1770 A.D.) did not even try to improve the coerced way of collecting land revenue.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Land revenue policy of Warren Hastings:

The company formed ‘Comptrolling Councils of Revenue’ in Patna and Murshidabad in July 1770 A.D. with the purpose of retrenching the corrupted employees. Similarly, he formed the Comptrolling Committee of Revenue in Calcutta in April 1771 A.d.

The ‘Court of Directors’ of the company ordered the principal officers in Calcutta to recover the condition of famine-stricken Bengal. Under this circumstances, Lord Warren Hastings was sent to Bengal as governor (1772-85 A.D.).

Lord Warren Hastings

 

After being governor he immediately sacked Reza Khan and Slitab Ray and appointed a special class of employees known as ‘Collector’. A ‘Board of Revenue’ was formed to determine how much revenue they would collect.

Under this Board, there was a ‘Committee of Circuit’. Warren Hastings introduced the ‘Five-year settlement from 1772-77 A.D. It visited each district and the ‘Committee of Circuit’ was given the responsibility to allot land through an auction for a tenure of five years. In 1773 A.D. a change was made in the revenue system by the ‘Regulating Act’.

‘Hastings-Barwel’ Project was made in 1775 A.D. Middleton Decars supported it. Ultimately the five-point system was nullified due to some disadvantages and a One-year settlement was introduced in 1775 A.D.

Even before the end of the five-year settlement system. Warren Hastings appointed the ‘Amini Commission’ in 1776 A.D. Neither a Five-year settlement nor One-year settlement was introduced in 1775 A.D. even before the expiry of the Five-year settlement.

Wbbse Class 8th History Notes

Both Five year and One-year settlements could improve the condition of the peasants. Because, under this system, nobody thought of the improvement of land. Rather they were much more involved in accounts of the revenue.

Under this system, the peasants and the farmers were the most sufferers. This was due to the fact that new coming zamindars used to take huge rents from the peasants and fled away without paying revenues to the Company.

Land revenue policy of Lord Cornwallis:

Cornwallis changed the system of land revenue. Sir Henry Dandus, the President of Pitt’s India Act (1784 A.D.) The Court of Directors and Board of Control advised him to reform the land revenue and to introduce a permanent settlement.

Lord Cornwallis

He enquired about the land revenue in 1786- 89 A.D. At last, he introduced the ‘Ten-year settlement’ in Bengal and Bihar in 1789 A.D. and in Orissa in 1790 A.D.

To make this system permanent, he discussed the matter with Charles Grant, John Shore, Phillip Francis, Thornton etc. This permanent settlement became legalised when the Court of Directors sanctioned it.

Chapter 3 Establishment Of Colonial Authority Expansion Of Western Education In India Picture Of Western And Native Education

Western education did not expand in India before the Nineteenth Century. At that time, there were Pathsalas and Chatuspathi for lower education for the Hindus and tools were for higher education.

In 1800 A.D. a survey was conducted by Adams, the friend of Rammohan and observed that there were on average 100 tols in every district. Ward informed in 1803 A.D. that there was a pathshala in every village of Bengal.

The subjects like literature, grammar, Purana, tantra and logic, medicine, astrology, Sanskrit etc.. were taught in those institutions. On the other side, there were Maqtabs and Madrasas for giving primary education to Muslims.

Here Arabian and Persian and the Koran were taught. The subjects like Mathematics, Practical science, History, Economics, Politics etc. were not taught in those institutions of the Hindus and the Muslims.

Class 8 History Chapter 3 Notes

These educational institutions were suffering from serious financial crises due to the non-receipt of army grants of aid. The Government was totally ignorant about the improvement of education.

The interest of western education by Scholars :

At first, the East India Company did not show any interest towards the expansion of western education in India. They were anxious for the adverse reaction if western education would have been introduced.

So Warren Hastings had a very high impression about oriental education. He took the initiative for the culture of the native language as well as the oriental education.

 

Warren Hastings formed ‘Calcutta Madrasah’ with the requests of the Muslims in 1781. A.D. Sir William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in 1784 A.D. Orientalists like Farsi Scholar William Wilkins, Hores Heyman Wilson, Nathaniel Halhed etc. were with him.

Charles Wilkins invented the Bengali type in 1778 A.D. With this, the first Bengali grammar was published by Halthed. Jonathan Duncan founded ‘Benaras Sanskrit College’ in 1792 A.D.

Able to know many things from the books like ‘Pratapaditya Charitra’ and ‘Lipimala’ written by Ram Ram Basu, ‘Rajabali’ and ‘Prabodhchandrika’ written by Mrityunjoy Tarkalankar, Tota Kahini by Chandi Charan Munshi, ‘Raja Krishnachandra Rayasya Charitram’ by Lochan Mukherjee etc.

These persons were famous scholars and teachers of Fort William College. Lord Wellesley founded Fort William College in 1800 A.D. for making the Company employees aware of the Indian language etc.

For the sake of administration. Incidentally, it may be mentioned that for the same cause, ‘The Hailebury College’ was founded in England.

 

The Company employees were able to Know many things from the books like ‘Pratapaditya Charitra’ and ‘Lipimala’ written by Ram Ram Basu, ‘Rajabali’ and ‘Prabodhuchandrika’ written by Mrityunjoy Tarkalankar, Tota Kahini by Chandi Charan Munshi, ‘Raja Krishnachandra Rayasya Charitram’ by Lochan Mukherjee etc.

These Persons were famous scholars and teachers of Fort William College.

Private enterprise in western education:

Evangelical Movement-There was a tug of war between the followers of the East and the West on the issue of introducing western education in India. It was known as the ‘Evangelical movement.’

But Evangelical movement a portion of the enlightened middle class ignored all the obstacles and realised the necessity of western education even without any grant from the government.

Class 8 History Chapter 3 Notes

Many of them realised that there would be no improvement in human life without the expansion of western language and science. So Rammohan Ray said in his letter to Lord Amherst, “The Sanskrit system of education would be the best calculated to keep the country in darkness.”

A column was Published in the ‘Sudhakar’ on 7th September 1833 A.D. that the improvement of the Sanskrit system of education will help the Brahmins only and none else.

It was advised in that newspaper to build up one school in each village for the learning of English and for this, the villagers were requested to contribute for this cause.

The Bengalees were the first to take interest in English education. Dwarakanath first got acquainted with the English language when Sherbone, a Eurasian gentleman, founded one English school in Jorasanko.

Another Eurasian was appointed as a private tutor in the family of Motilal Seal of Amratala. Gradually with the efforts of Rammohan Ray, Radhakanta Dev etc. Hindu college was founded in 1817 A.D. Later it was known as Presidency College in 1855 A.D.

But Dr R. C. Majumdar said that Rammohan did not build the Hindu College. This college was recognised with the help of Hyde East, the Supreme Court Judge and Dr Baidyanath Mukherjee.

Persons like Bhudev Mukherjee, Madhusudan Dutta, Pearychand Mitra, Rajnarain Basu etc. were students of this college. Apart from this David Hare founded a Higher English School in Calcutta. Presently it is known as ‘Hare school’.

Class 8 History Chapter 3 Notes

Two English schools were founded one in Bhabanipur in 1800 A.D. and another in Chinsura in 1824 A.D. The Calcutta School Book Society was formed in 1817 A.D. and The Calcutta School Society in 1818 A.D.

With the formation of these organisations, the distribution of textbooks and the development of schools were much improved. With the efforts of the students of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio, a young teacher of Hindu College, six-morning schools were established in Calcutta in 1831 A.D.

Rammohan himself founded one English school in a bar. Gourmohan Addhya founded the school ‘Oriental Seminary’ in 1828 A.D. Syed Ahmed founded one English School (1818 A.D.) in Gazipur of Uttar Pradesh.

Besides Bengal and Calcutta, many other English schools were established in Delhi, Agra etc. Up to 1823 A.D. maximum expansion of English education was done through private enterprises.

Some missionary organisations came forward towards the expansion of western education in India. The main organisations were the Clapham Group, the Church missionary society, the Calcutta aviation society, the London missionary society, the Church of Scotland etc.

In 1793 A.D. the Baptist Missionary William Carey and his wife Anna Carey founded a mission in Serampore. In this time, Marshman, the editor of ‘Samachar Darpan’ and ‘Digdarshan’ founded one English school in Serampore along with his friend Willam Ward under the instruction of Carey with their combined effort, Serampore College was founded in 1818 A.D.

Class 8 History Chapter 3 Notes

But many persons objected to the activities of the missionaries. Charles Grant said in his book “Observations on the state of society among the Asiatic subjects of Great Britain” that Christianity should be propagated in India if India and the Indians are to be free from the degradation of Hinduism and society.

Alexander Duff founded ‘The General Assemblies Institution in 1830 A.D. which was later known as ‘Scottish Church College’. At this time an English school was founded in Simulia.

Government enterprise in the expansion of western education:

The East India Company agreed to spend Rs. I lack towards the improvement of education in India by virtue of the ‘Charter Act’ passed in 1813 A.D.

But due to controversies between the followers of east and west nothing was spent out of that Rs. 1 lac up to 1823 A.D. ‘General Committee of Public Instructions’ (G.C.P.I.) was formed in 1824 A.D.

This Committee instructed to spend that amount towards western education. From that time onwards a new horizon was opened for the expansion of western education in the presidency.

In the meantime ‘Sanskrit College’ was founded by Lord Amherst in 1824 A.D. for oriental education in Calcutta. Rammohan resisted this system. Initially, the Government tried to restrict western education to a handful of Indians.

They had an idea that this should not reach the masses otherwise they would be conscious. As a result, they would be unrestful against the British. But Lord William Bentinck was a believer of the ‘Filtration Theory’ of education.

He used to believe that education would be filtered from the upper class to the lower class and as a consequence, the education cost would be minimised and at the same time, western education would be spread.

Bentinck introduced the policy of expansion of western education in India in English with the recommendations of ‘Macaulay minutes’ executed on 2nd February 1835 A.D.

Class 8 History Chapter 3 Notes

After that Bentinck founded The Calcutta Medical College (1835 A.D.) and The Elphinstone Institution of Bombay (1835 A.D.). Bentinck said, “The great objective of the British Government ought to be the promotion of European literature and science among the natives of India.”

During the time of Bentinck, 14 government schools were established. This number increased to 48 within two years. English School was established in Chandannagar. ‘Hooghly College’ was founded in 1836 A.D. ‘Board of Education’ was formed in 1840 A.D.

in Bombay with Erskin Carey its president. The Church of Scotland founded an English School in Madras in 1807 A.D. ‘Council of Education’ was founded in 1842 A.D.

Lord Hardinge spoke about the applicants of the government service, and the efficiency in the English language in ‘Educational Despatch’ in 1854 A.D. After this Despatch, Indians became much more interested in learning the English language.

Charles Wood, the president of ‘The Board of Control’ of England recommended combining the streams of both the lowest and the highest form of education in 1854 A.D. This is known as ‘Wood’s Despatch’.

 

 

This despatch is known as the ‘Magna Carta’ in the history of English education in India.

The recommendations were

1. To form a separate department for education.
2. To establish three universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
3. To take adequate measures for the teachers and the teachings.
4. To reform the government schools and colleges.
5. To establish new middle schools.
6. To start grants-in-aid in private schools.
7. To improve the native primary schools.
8. To expand woman’s education.
9. To increase the number of government schools etc. Wood rejected the filtration policy.

According to Wood’s Despatch three Universities were founded in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. Director of Public Instructions (D.P.I) was formed in 1855 A.D. There were 79 English schools and 140 aided government native schools under this organisation.

Not only English education but also women’s education was initiated under government patronisation. There were many enterprising persons like Rammohan, Radhakanta Dev (1767- 1884 A.D.), David Hare, Vidyasagar etc.

In the expansion of women’s education. Female Juvenile society was formed in 1819 A.D. This society published the book ‘Sri Siksha Bidhayak’ written by Gourmohan Adhya for the development of female education.