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Class 12 History Chapter 11 Colonialism and the Countryside, Official Archives
Selected Questions & Answers
A. Very Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each – 1)
1. With the permission of which ruler of England did the East India Company come to India for trade?
Ans: From Queen Elizabeth I of England.
2. In which province of India did the English East India Company first establish its colony?
Ans: In Bengal.
3. Write the name of the Governor-General who introduced the Permanent Settlement.
Ans: Lord Cornwallis.
4. Who were the Jotedars? H. S. ’18
Ans: The wealthy peasants were called ‘Jotedars.’
5. What was called the ‘Fifth Report’?
Ans: In 1813, a report on the administration and activities of the East India Company in India was submitted to the British Parliament. This report was called the ‘Fifth Report.’
6. By what name were the permanent tribes of the Rajmahal hills known?
Ans: They were known as Paharias.
7. Who was Francis Buchanan?
Ans: Francis Buchanan was an English physician.
8. In which revenue system was the dominance of intermediaries avoided?
Ans: In the Ryotwari system.
9. In 1862, what percentage of cotton did Britain import from India?
Ans: 90 percent.
10. In which year was the report of the Deccan Ryot Commission submitted?
Ans: In 1878.
11. According to the ‘Limitation Law,’ what should be the duration of a loan agreement?
Ans: 3 years.
12. What is the name of David Ricardo’s famous book?
Ans: Principles of Economy.
Note: The full title is “On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation” (1817).
13. Why was land revenue reduced in Bombay in the 1840s?
Ans: Because the condition of the peasants had become extremely miserable under the heavy burden of taxes imposed on them, land revenue was reduced in Bombay in the 1840s.
14. Why was the Cotton Supply Association formed in 1857?
Ans: The Cotton Supply Association was formed to encourage cotton production in all suitable parts of the world.
15. In which year did the Battle of Plassey take place?
Ans: In 1757.
16. In which year did Company rule end in India?
Ans: In 1858.
17. In which year was the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa?
Ans: In 1793.
18. Who was the author of the book “An Account of Assam”?
Ans: Francis B
19. In which year did the peasant rebellion take place in the Deccan?
Ans: In 1875.
20. When did famine occur in Bombay?
Ans: In 1832–34.
21. When was the first census conducted in India? H. S. ’17
Ans: In 1872.
B. Short Answer Questions: (Marks for each – 2)
1. How did the Jotedars of Bengal become powerful? H. S. ’15
Ans: According to the Permanent Settlement, the zamindars had to pay a fixed amount of revenue to the government. If they failed to pay the fixed amount of revenue within the stipulated time, their zamindari was sold in auction. Taking that opportunity, the Jotedars (wealthy peasants) purchased the estates of those zamindars who failed to pay revenue. Moreover, they accumulated large amounts of wealth by lending money and through local trade and commerce. In this way, the Jotedars became powerful and defied the authority of the zamindars.
2. How did the Jotedars defy the authority of the zamindars?
Ans: See the answer to Question No. 1 above.
3. How did the Paharias treat outsiders?
Ans: The Paharias maintained their livelihood by practising shifting cultivation (jhum cultivation). They looked upon outsiders with suspicion. Even by fighting, they tried to protect the land which they considered their own. Moreover, they regularly collected crops by force from the peasants who had permanently settled in the plains. They also looted traders who passed through the hill routes.
4. Why did the Santhals revolt against the British rulers? H. S. ’15
Ans: The Santhals were a tribal community of Bengal. They earned their livelihood by cultivating land in the hilly and forested regions. Gradually, the authority of the zamindars was established over their agricultural lands. The government also imposed revenue on them. Being dissatisfied with the government, the Santhals revolted against the British in the 1850s.
5. Why did the people of the Deccan revolt against the moneylenders?
Ans: The moneylenders of the Deccan lent money to poor peasants at high rates of interest. They deceived illiterate peasants by saying one thing orally and writing another in the loan documents. Many moneylenders cheated peasants by not giving receipts even after repayment of loans. As a result, the poor peasants became enraged and revolted against the usurious moneylenders. This revolt first began at Poona in the Deccan in 1875. The rebels burnt the houses of the moneylenders were looted, their property was destroyed, and debt bonds and documents.
6. Mention the names of two members of the Cabinet Mission. H.S. ’20
Ans: The two members of the Cabinet Mission were Stafford Cripps and A. V. Alexander.
Note: The Cabinet Mission (1946) had three members — Lord Pethick Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, and A. V. Alexander.
7. Mention two features of the Indian Constitution. H. S. ’20
Ans: Two features of the Indian Constitution are—
(a) It is the largest written Constitution in the world.
(b) It is a written Constitution.
8. What is meant by White Town and Black Town?
Ans: The residential areas established by the British in India for themselves were called White Towns. On the other hand, the areas where the Indians lived were called Black Towns.
C. Answer in Detail: (Marks for each – 4 or 6)
1. Describe the positive and negative aspects of the Permanent Settlement.
Ans: In India, the Governor-General of the East India Company, Lord Cornwallis, introduced the Permanent Settlement in Bengal in order to increase land revenue. The positive and negative aspects of this settlement are mentioned below. Positive aspects:
(a) As a result of the Permanent Settlement, the Company could collect a fixed amount of revenue.
(b) Under this system, the zamindars became the owners of land.
(c) With the increase in Company revenue, the administrative system of the country improved.
(d) The zamindar class became dependent on the Company. Negative aspects:
(a) Many zamindars lost their estates because they failed to pay the fixed revenue within the stipulated time.
(b) In many cases, the Jotedars purchased the estates of defaulting zamindars and became powerful.
(c) Although the zamindars focused on revenue collection, they did not take measures to improve agriculture, so agricultural production did not increase.
(d) In the future, the Company could not increase revenue, as it was permanently fixed.
(e) Oppression of peasants began in the matter of revenue collection.
2. What impact did the Permanent Settlement have on rural areas?
Ans: See the second part of the answer to Question No. 1 above.
3. Discuss the use of the axe and the plough.
Ans: The Santhals and the Paharias lived in hilly regions. They cleared forests with the help of axes and practised jhum cultivation. With the increasing use of the axe and the plough, the area of forests gradually decreased, and the area of cultivated land increased. As a result, the Paharias moved into the interior region known as Rajmahal. Consequently, conflicts arose between the hill people and the inhabitants of the plains, especially the Santhals. The hill tribes increased their raids on the plains and began to loot crops and cattle.
However, in the 1780s, Cleveland, the Collector of Bhagalpur, adopted a peaceful policy and introduced annual allowances to the Paharia chiefs in order to pacify them.
4. What is meant by the Ryotwari System? Discuss its features.
Ans: According to nineteenth-century ideas, it was decided at the higher levels of government that, instead of intermediaries, the government should enter into direct settlement with the ryots (peasants).
According to the agreement, the peasants would pay a fixed portion of their income to the government as revenue, and the revenue rate would be revised periodically. Government officials would be responsible for revenue collection, and pattas (title deeds) would be given to the peasants. This system was called the Ryotwari System.
From the early nineteenth century, this system was introduced experimentally in different parts of the Madras Presidency. Later, it was extended toBombay, Assam, Sind, and other provinces. Under the Ryotwari System, adirect relationship was established between the government and the peasants regarding revenue payment.
All lands were surveyed, and revenue was fixed according to production. The peasants were given pattas and plot numbers, thereby gaining certain rights over land. As a result, the dominance of intermediaries was removed. Although the government expected to obtain more revenue, it failed to remove the problems of the peasants completely. As the government increased land revenue in expectation of higher profit, the condition of the peasants deteriorated, which ultimately led to peasant revolts.
5. How did the Paharias use forests for their livelihood? H. S. ’19
Ans: The people of the hilly regions mainly depended on jhum cultivation and animal rearing for their livelihood. Jhum cultivation refers to the method of clearing forest land on hill slopes and cultivating it with simple tools like the axe. After cultivating a particular plot for three or four years, they abandoned it and cleared another area for cultivation. They cultivated rice, pulses, potatoes, and various kinds of vegetables. Some of them also collected firewood from the hills and sold it in the plains for livelihood. Because they depended on traditional methods of cultivation, there was little improvement in their standard of living. They remained away from the people of the plains and preserved their own culture. Over time, people from the plains began to move into the hilly areas, and changes started in the life of the hill tribes. At present, the jhum cultivation system has almost disappeared, and many have adopted modern methods of cultivation.
