NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside

Check here the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 History Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside are provided here to help you in easy and active learning of the concepts. We have provided here the best and accurate answers to all the questions given in chapter 3 of the latest NCERT History Book of Class 8. All the answers are provided here in a readable and downloadable format.

NCERT Solutions

Class 8 History

Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside

Let’s recall

1. Match the following:

Answer:

2. Fill in the blanks:

(a) Growers of woad in Europe saw __________ as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.

(b) The demand for indigo increased in late eighteenth-century Britain because of __________.

(c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of __________.

(d) The Champaran movement was against __________.

Answer:

(a) Growers of woad in Europe saw Indigo as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.

(b) The demand for indigo increased in late-eighteenth-century Britain because of the expansion of cotton production that lead to an enormous demand for cloth dyes.

(c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of synthetic dyes.

(d) The Champaran movement was against indigo planters.

Let’s discuss

3. Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.

Answer:

The Permanent Settlement was a land revenue system introduced in 1793 by East India Company. By the terms of this settlement, the rajas and taluqdars were recognised as zamindars. They were asked to collect rent from the peasants and pay revenue to the Company. The main features of the Permanent Settlement system were:

• The amount of the revenue was fixed permanently, that is, it was not to be increased ever in future.
• Since the revenue demand of the state would not be increased, the zamindar would benefit from increased production from the land.
• The revenue that had been fixed was so high that the zamindars found it difficult to pay. Those who failed to pay the revenue lost their zamindari.
• Even when the income of the zamindars increased due to increased cultivation, there was no gain for the Company since it could not increase a revenue demand that had been fixed permanently
• Exorbitant prices of land which zamindars had to pay to the company (which they failed.)

4. How was the mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?

Answer:

Difference between Mahalwari System and Permanent Settlement was as follows:

5. Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.

Answer:

Two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue were:

• The revenue demand was fixed too high that could not be met by the peasants.
• Peasants being unable to pay the rent fled the countryside and the villages became deserted in many regions.

6. Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?

Answer:

The ryots were reluctant to grow indigo due to the following reasons:

• They were paid very low-prices for it.
• They found that they would never earn any profit from the indigo plantation.
• The farmers were insisted to grow indigo on the fertile parts of their land by the planters, but they preferred growing rice on the best soils. This is because once indigo was cultivated, the fertility of the soil decreased. So, after an indigo harvest, the land could not be used for sowing rice.

7. What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?

Answer:

The circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal are mentioned below:

• In March 1859 thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to grow indigo.
• They started protesting as they thought that they had the support of village headmen in their rebellion.
• The headmen who were forced to sign the contract fought battles with the agents of the indigo planters.
• The zamindars also supported the farmers as they were unhappy with the increasing powers of the planters.
• The indigo farmers also believed that the British government would support them in their rebellion against the planters because the government did not want another rebellion after the Revolt of 1857.
• Following the protests, the Indigo Commission was constituted by the government which held the planters guilty of using coercive methods to deal with the indigo peasants and asked the planters to stop the cultivation.
• This eventually led to the eventual collapse of indigo plantation in Bengal.

Question 8.
Find out more about the Champaran movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s role in it.
Answer:
Hints: Discuss the following points:

• The oppressive attitude of British Government.
• The rebellion of the Ryot peasants.
• Gandhiji’s role in it.

Question 9.
Look into the history of either tea or coffee plantations in India. See how the life of workers in these plantations was similar to or different from that of workers in indigo plantations.
Answer:
Hints: Life in Tea Plantations of Assam:

• Estate owners
• Workers
  (a) Wages (b) Habitation (c) Facilities
• Problems.
  Life in the Indigo Fields
• Cultivator or Zamindars were the owners.
• Generally, cultivators worked in fields themselves.

Objective Type Questions

1. Match the following:

Answer:
(i)   c
(ii)  d
(iii) e
(iv) a
(v)  b
(vi) f

2. State whether True or False:
(1) The demand for indigo increased in late seventeenth century. False 
(2) Revenues were fixed in the permanent settlement. True 
(3) The company purchased goods in India before 1865 through gold and silver imports. True 
(4) Mahalwari system came into existence in 1700. False 
(5) Very high rate of revenue was the major problem of ryotwari system. True 
(6) Weekly markets were very flourishing during economic crisis of Bengal. False 
(7) The company introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793. True

3. Fill in the blanks:
(1) Gomasthas were the agents of planters 
(2) The Mughal emperor appointed the East India Company as the Diwan of Bengal.
(3) The painter was commissioned by Clive to record memorable events of his life.
(4) Ryotwari system was also known as Munro System
(5) Ryoti is cultivation on Ryot’s lands.
(6) Bigha is the unit of land measurement by the British in Bengal.

 Multiple Choice Questions

Choose the correct answer:
1. The Champaran movement was against
(a) peasants
(b) East India Company
(c) the oppressive attitude of the planters
(d) none of the above

2. The Company was appointed as the Diwan of Bengal in
(a) 1762
(b) 1763
(c) 1764
(d) 1765

3. Gandhiji visited Champaran
(a) to see the plight of Indigo planters in Champaran
(b) to see the progress of’Indigo plantation
(c) to see the managing system of company
(d) none of the above

4. Who devised the new-system of revenue called Mahalwari?
(a) Queen Elizabeth
(b) Holt Mackenzie
(c) Queen Victoria
(d) Gandhiji

5. Growers of woad in Europe saw ……. crop as competition to their earnings.
(a) tea
(b) rubber
(c) indigo
(d) coffee

6. Indigo production came down in Bengal in
(a) 1850
(b) 1852
(c) 1855
(d) 1859

7. Who had developed the Munro system?
(a) Capiain Alexander
(b) Holt Mackenzie
(c) Thomas Munro
(d) None of these

8. How much proportion of Indigo was imported from India by Britain in 1810?
(a) 75%
(b) 95%
(c) 90%
(d) 85%

9. Colebrook describes the conditions of the under-tenant farmers in
(a) 1800
(b) 1805
(c) 1806
(d) 1810

10. After harvest, the indigo plant was taken to the …….. in the indigo factory.
(a) dye
(b) vat
(c) farm
(d) machine

11. The international demand of indigo was affected by the discovery of
(a) synthetic dyes
(b) woad
(c) blue colour
(d) none of these