Pragati Vidya Peeth

Social science
Class- VIII
Chapter -1 (History)
Modern Period in India History-when ,Where and How

Definition:-
1. Chronological order :- It refers to ordering events in accordance with the time sequence in which they occurred .
2. Dominion :- The power or right of governing and controlling ; Sovereign authority .
3. Consolidate :- To make your position of power stronger so that is likely to continue.
4. Manuscript :- A very old book or document that was written by hand.

Book Exercise :-

A. M.C.Q.
1. The industrial Revolution occurred in England in the _______________ century .
Ans. Eighteenth
2. The British concept of centralised rule brought political unity and the spirit of nationalism in the
_______________Century in India.
Ans. Twentieth
3. In India, the modern period began with the establishment of ____________________ rule under the east India
company.
Ans. British
4. The national Archives of India is located in_____________________.
Ans. New Delhi
5. English and French companies both had interests in __________________________.
Ans. India

B. Match the columns:-

Column A Column B

1. Industrial revolution __ 18 th century

2. A history of British India __ 1817
3. Battle of Plassey __ 1757
4. Battle of Buxar __ 1764

C. State whether true or false. If false, corret the statement.

1. The battle of Plassey and the battle of Buxar gave the british complete control over the Bengal province. (True)

2. The concept of India as one nation began to take shape under the French. (False)

CORRECT STATEMENT :- It begin under the British rule in the late 19th century.

3. The archival records are scarce for the study of British history in India. (False)

CORRECT STATEMENT :- Many literatures and archival document are available for the study of the modern period.

4. The industrial revolution led to introduction of human-made goods. (False)

CORRECT STATEMENT :- The industrial revolution led to the introduction of machine made goods.

5. The Anglo-French rivalry ended with the establishment of British dominion. (True)

D. Fill in the blanks :-

1. The British began their scheme of territorial expansion in India by establishing dominion over the province of
Bengal.

2. After the Industrial revolution ,goods were manufactured in factories .

3. Historian should interpret written sources of history with caution as they can be quite biased.

4. India became colony of the British east India company.

5. The Bengal Gazette was India`s first newspaper published in 1780 from Kolkata.

E. Answer the following question:-

1. What led to the Anglo – French rivalry in India?

Ans. The disintegration of the Mughal empire gave the English and the French an opportunity to secure political and
territorial future in India , which led to the Anglo-French rivalry.

2. What is the industrial revolution?

Ans. The production of goods in large numbers with the help of machines in factories is known as industrial
revolution.

3. What is nationalism?

Ans. Nationalism is the feeling of love and loyalty towards one’s own country.

F. Answer in short :-
1. Why did Britain colonise India ?

Ans. The end of the mughal period witnessed the entry of European traders in India. Both the English and the
French saw an opportunity to secure political and territorial future in India. At the same time the Industrial
Revolution in Great Britain led to people looking for export markets for their finished products. Such markets could
be found in countries like India and as a result Britain colonised India.

2. Name the sources of the modern period in India?

Ans. The literary and documented Sources of the modern period includes:-
1. Books
2. Newspaper
3. Magazines
4. Government records in the National Archives
5. Diaries and account of travellers
6. Historical structures .

3. Why is it easier to reconstruct the history of the modern period than earlier times?

Ans. The literary and documented sources of the modern period distinguish it from the earlier periods which
depended on sources like archaeological excavation,fossil remains,cave paintings ,pottery,coinage,biographies of
the rulers etc.This makes it easier to reconstruct the history of the modern period than the earlier periods.

G. Long question :-
1 :- What were the developments that were taking place in the world during the eighteenth century?

Ans. The development that were taking place in the world during the eighteenth century are :-

1. In Great Britain the Industrial revolution took place. Goods were being produced in factories with the help of
machines.

2. Export markets were being explored for the finished product and this resulted in colonisation.

3. In India where the European traders had already established their trading post the English and the French saw an
opportunity for securing political and territorial future.This led to the establishment of British dominion in India.

2 :- Write about the written sources used to reconstruct the history of modern India.

Ans. Written source used to reconstruct the history of modern India are :-

1. Printing press - Historical facts ,ideas and thoughts were documented in the news papers and magazines.

2. Archival documents and manuscripts dealing with British India help to reconstruct events that took place during
that time.

3. Many travellers, traders, missionaries and civil servant who came to India , left account of their experiences and
impression of the country.

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