REVISION QUESTION BANK 2

Subject: Social Science Answer Scheme Grade: VIII

Portion:
 Traces of Modern Indian History
 Beginning of Colonial Rule in India
 Agrarian Policies of the British
 Tribal Societies and the Colonial Rule
 The Great Uprising of 1857
 Craft and Industries Under the British Rule
 Indian Constitution: A Revelation
 Fundamental Rights and Duties
 Directive Principles of State Policy
 Earth’s Store House
 Crustal Resource – Soil
 The Blue Resource
 Earth’s Farm House
 Minerals and Power Resources
 Earth Harvested

Q 1. Why did Holt Mackenzie want to preserve villages in India? [1] U

Holt Mackenzie understood that the village being an important
social institution in the social set up of India, needed to be
preserved.
Agrarian Policies of the British TB Pg no. 24
Q 2. Why did cotton mills in India make considerable progress during the [1] U
First World War?
The cotton mills in India made considerable progress during
the First World War because of the decline in textile imports
from Britain and the requirements of cloths for military
supplies increased.
Craft and Industries Under the British Rule TB Pg 64
Q 3. What does the term ‘republic’ mean? [1] An
 Thetem republicmeansthattheheadof the stateofIndiais
chosen fromamongst its citizens throughtheir elected
representatives.
 It also means that the position of the head of the state is not
hereditary as in the case of a monarchy.
(Accept any one relevant point)

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Indian Constitution: A Revelation TB Pg 137

Q 4. State in any one Fundamental Duty. [1] U
Safeguard public property and reject violence
(Accept any one relevant Fundamental Duty)
Fundamental Rights and Duties TB Pg 144
Q 5. Why is electricity advantageous for the farms? [1] U
Electricity is advantageous to the farms because it allows the use
of better irrigation facilities and highly mechanized equipment
on the farm.
Earth Harvested TB Pg 60
Q 6. What are primary activities? Give an example. [1] R
Primary activities involve the extraction and production of
resources provided by the nature.. Hunting, food gathering,
pastrolism, fishing, forestry, mining and agriculture fall in the
category of primary activity. ( Accept any One)
Earth Harvested 60
Q 7. If you are a farmer of dry region in Maharashtra, which crop you will [1]An
grow and why?
If I am a farmer in the dry region of Maharashtra , I will grow
Jowar as it is a millet and a drought resistant crop , it requires
very less water to grow .
Earth Harvested TB pg 61
Q 8. How does a natural endowment become a valuable resource? Give [1]R
an example.
The gifts of nature into are turned into more useful articles
thereby making it a valuable resource. For example, the flowers
are found naturally but when man started cultivating them for
economic reasons, they became a resource. ( Accept Relevant
Answer)
Earth’s Store House TB Pg 1
Q 9. What kind of ‘relief’ is more suitable for farming? [1]U
Flat land areas such as river basins, flood plains and deltas,
which have a thick layerof soil, are more suitable for farming.
Earth Harvested TB pg 61
Q 10. Why did the British conduct detailed surveys and prepare maps of [3] U
India?
 The British believed that for the purpose of better
administration of any country, it is important to know that

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country properly.
 Efforts were made to know necessary facts such as
topography, quality of soil, flora, fauna, cropping patterns,
etc.
 Thus, they carried out detailed surveys and prepared maps.
Traces of Modern Indian History TB Pg 4
Q 11. How did the Charter Act of 1813 support Christian missionaries? [3] U
The Charter Act of 1813 supported Christian missionaries in
following ways:
 The Charter Act of 1813 permitted Christian missionaries to
come to India under the license to carry out proselytizing
activities.
 They were granted permission to function freely and even
allowed to own land.
 Also police protection was given to the missionaries.
The Great Uprising of 1857 TB Pg 43
Q 12. What was the impact of British rule on Indian trade and industry? [3] An
 The Indian goods exported to Britain were charged heavy
import duties whereas the British goods imported into India
were subjected to a nominal duty.
 Increase of export of cotton goods to India from Britain
ruined Indian manufacturers.
 Similar effect was seen on other industries such as iron-
smelting industry which was destroyed due to the cheap
imported iron and steel.
 The ruin of industry and commerce decayed the
manufacturing towns and centers and their population was
driven to overcrowd villages.
(Accept answer as a whole)
The Great Uprising of 1857 TB Pg 42
Q 13. Write the events that led to the establishment of Portuguese [3] U
settlements in India.
 In 1498, the discovery of a new sea route to India by Vasco da
Gama paved the way for the Europeans to trade with India.
 The Portuguese were the first European traders to establish
their control in the western coast of India.
 Alfonso de Albuquerque was appointed the Governor of
Portuguese affairs in India.
 He captured the rich port of Goa in 1510 and established the

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Portuguese trading settlement. Consequently, trading

settlements were set up in a few places such as Diu, Daman,
etc.
(Accept the answer as a whole.)
Beginning of Colonial Rule in India TB Pg 9
Q 14. How does the State apply Gandhian philosophy to the Directive [3]U
Principles of State policy?
The State applies Gandhian philosophy to the Directive
principles of State policy in the following ways.
 The State shall take steps to organize village Panchayats and
give them enough power to manage their own affairs and
function as units of self-government.
 The State shall try and promote the growth of cottage
industries in rural areas.
 The State shall protect the educational and economic
interests of the weaker sections of society, especially, the
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
 The State shall take steps to prohibit the use of intoxicating
drinks and drugs that are detrimental to one’s health.
 The State shall attempt to organize agriculture and animal
husbandry on scientific lines; improve the breed and prohibit
the slaughter of cattle.
Directive Principles of State Policy TB Pg 151
Q 15. Explain the principles of the Indian Constitution promoting [3] U
international peace and security?
The makers of the Indian Constitution aimed to foster better
relations with foreign countries. The principles that influence
our foreign policy are as follows:
 The State shall promote international peace and security.
 The State shall attempt to maintain honourable relations
with other countries.
 The State shall respect international law and honour treaty
obligations with other countries.
 The State shall encourage settlement of international
peace.
Directive Principles of State Policy TB Pg 151
Q 16. What is meant by sustainability of resources? [3] U
Sustainable development means development of resources
without damaging the environment and the interest of the

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future generations. Non-renewable resources may finish in the

near future. Therefore, striking a balance between the growth of
population and the utilization of resources is absolutely
necessary. Any imbalance in it may disrupt our economic,
socialand cultural development. We can conserve resources in
many ways for them to sustain longer.
Earth’s Store House Tb pg 5
Q 17. How do multipurpose projects useful for us? [3]An
 When canals are constructed from dams for the purpose of
irrigation during dry season They help in agriculture.
 When a good infrastructure of waterways supports inland
navigation and reduces the load on roadways and railways
they help in transport.
 When afforestation in the catchment areas of the dams
results in
soil conservation and increase in the water table, they help
environment.
The Blue Resource Tb Pg 22 (Refer Pg 22 for detailed answer)
Q 18. How do political factors cause water scarcity? What is the impact of [3]R
water scarcity on people?
Political factors such as indecision of the governmenton various
multipurpose projects and unwillingness of the states to share
water resources with another territory are the reasons of
shortage of water. Due to the water scarcity people have to walk
long distances in order to fetch drinking water.
Growth and development of the area has been stalled because
of the non availability ofthe water.
Water though being free property is now being sold at a price
which is steadily increasingwith the demand.
People have to drink impure water that could lead to many
water borne diseases.
The Blue Resource Tb Pg 25
Q 19. How did Indian textiles suffer due to the industrial revolution? How [5] U
did industrialization impact the Indian artisans?
The technological innovations and the development of cotton
industry in Britain affected Indian textile industry greatly.
Several factors contributed to the decline of the Indian textiles
industry.
 The increasing British occupation of India caused destruction
of the Indian textile industry through the process of de-
industrialisation.

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 After the Industrial Revolution, Britain produced cheap and

better in quality machine made textiles than the Indian
textiles made with primitive techniques. Thus the Indian
textile had to face stiff competition from the British textiles
in the European and American markets.
 High import duties were imposed by the British on Indian
textiles imported into Britain proved disadvantageous to the
Indian textiles.
 By the beginning of the 19th century, Indian goods lost their
markets in Africa, USA and Europe and the market was
captured by the English made cotton textiles. Their
companies stopped buying Indian goods. Their agents no
longer gave out advances. This affected weavers greatly as
they were unable to secure supplies.
 The Charter Act of 1813 ended the monopoly of the British
East India Company and trade with India was thrown open to
all the Englishmen. By 1830, the British manufactured cotton
goods flooded Indian markets.
 Many of the weavers, spinners and craftsmen were rendered
jobless. Thousands of women spinners who survived on
spinning cotton thread lost their jobs. Some of them
migrated to cities in search of livelihood while some went out
of country to work in plantations in Africa and South
America. Some of these weavers became agricultural
labourers while others found employment in the new cotton
mills established at Bombay, Nagpur, and Solapur.
 The British used their political control and made India not
only the exporter of raw materials such as cotton and indigo
but also the importer of finished goods. The purpose was
largely to meet the growing demand of British industry.
 The British Government did not make any provision to
protect local industries. The government passed strict laws
banning the use of chintz in England in 1720. This Act was
known as the Calico Act.
(Accept relevant answers)
Craft and Industries Under the British Rule TB Pg 63
Q 20. Throw light on the Birsa movement. [5] Ev
The Birsa Movement can be explained as follows
 The Birsa movement was aimed to expel the missionaries,
moneylenders, Hindu landlords and the government.

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 These forces were identified as the cause of sufferings of

the Mundas.
 In 1899 Birsa proclaimed to establish a Munda Raj.
 He gathered a force of 6000 Mundas.
 They attacked police stations, missionaries, and government
offices. The white flag was raised as a symbol of Birsa Raj.
 However Birsa was arrested in 1900 and died in jail. With his
death the movement fizzled out.
(Accept the answer as a whole. Deduct ½ mark for every point
missed)
Tribal Societies and the Colonial Rule TB Pg 36
Q 21. ‘Fundamental Rights and Duties go hand in hand’. Justify [5] An
Fundamental duties and fundamental rights go hand in hand.
 The citizens of the country cannot enjoy their fundamental
rights unless others abide by their fundamental duties. For
example, an individual cannot exercise his right to freedom of
religion if others do not follow their duties and obstruct him
from praying.
 Fundamental duties cannot be enforced in a court of law.
 Though the Indian Constitution does not punish the citizens
for not performing their duties, citizens are expected to follow
them to infuse a feeling of patriotism and belongingness
amongst all the citizens of a country.
 Rights and duties enable good interactions between the
people and give them a sense of responsibility towards
themselves, other people and the nation.
 Every right has a corresponding fundamental duty. For
example, we have the right to move about freely in India but
it is our duty not to obstruct anyone else from doing the
same.
Fundamental Rights and Duties TB Pg 144
Q 22. Give five reasons of freshwater scarcity due to Human factor. [5] U
Water Scarcity due to Human Factors:
Depletion of usable freshwater means reducing the current
water reserve before it getsreplenished. It is caused because of
many factors.
Misuse: Old lakes, swamps, marshes have been reclaimed for
construction purposes.Rivers are being dammed and their
courses changed in order to provide drinking
water to the city.

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b) Wastage: In domestic use, inappropriate irrigation techniques

and industrial uses.
c) Over-exploitation: Overdrawing of underground water has
reduced the water table inmost of the areas.
d) Poor storage of water
e) Pollution: Pollution destroys the quality ofthe river water,
thereby making it uselessand creating a superficial shortage.
The Blue Resource TB pg 25
Q 23. As environment minister of a country, what reasons you would give [5] U
to highlight the importance of forest cover in your country?
As an environment minister I would say that the roots of the
trees in a forest enable percolation of water and recharge
underground water. Trees of the forests produce oxygen which
all living beings need for breathing that is why the Congo and
theAmazon basin are called ‘The lungs of the World’ as they
release maximum amount of
oxygen.Forests also help in checking pollution as they keep
down the level of green house gases by releasing theoxygen in
the air. Trees of the forests prevent soil erosion and landslodes
in the hilly region thus they help conserve soilwhich is essential
for growing crops. Forests help in checking floods. Forests act
as shelter belts.14. Forests moderate temperature through
transpiration and enabling precipitation. Forests are natural
home or habitat of animals. Each biome has its own particular
species.
Forests help in maintaining various ecological cycles such as
hydrological cycle, carboncycle, nitrogen cycle, etc. For all these
reasons forest covers are necessary for the ecological balance of
the environment of any country.
Earth’s Farm HouseTb Pg 33
Q 24. What were the factors responsible for the failure of the Great Indian [5] U
Uprising of 1857?
Refer to textbook
The Great Indian Uprising of 1857 - Tb Pg 48
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