PERIODIC ASSESSMENT - II

CLASS: 12TH DT: 15/12/2022

SUB: HISTORY MARKS: 40
TIME ALLOTED: 1.5 Hours
General Instructions
• Answer all the questions. Some questions have internal choice. Marks are indicated
against each question. This section consists of 4 sections.
• Section A: Question number 1 – 6 are objective type questions carrying 1 mark and
should be answered in one word or sentence.
• Section B: Question 7 – 8 are case based/ source-based questions. Each question has
two sub parts.
• Section C: Question 9 – 12 are subjective questions. Answer to these questions carry
3 marks, should not exceed 100 words each.
• Section D: Question 13 – 14 is a subjective question. Answer to this question carries 8
marks, should not exceed 350 words each.

SECTION A
1. Who among the following was the President of Constituent Assembly? (1)
a. Jawahar Lal Nehru
b. B.R. Ambedkar
c. Rajendra Prasad
d. Vallabh Bhai Patel

2. Who was Nawab of Awadh when it was captured in 1850 A.D.? (1)
a. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah
b. Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula
c. Nawab Ramzan ali
d. Nawab Asif Jah Mirza

3. When did the non-cooperation movement in India start under the leadership (1)
of Mahatma Gandhi?
a. January 1921
b. January 1920
c. April 1921
d. April 1920

4. Which of the following was “NOT” a recommendation of Cripps Mission? (1)

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 a. To frame the Constitution for India, a Constituent Assembly would be
established consisting of all elected members.

b. After the formation of the Constitution, there would be a treaty between

Britain and India to chalk- out a framework for the transfer of political
power.

c. Tribal association voices will be taken into consideration.

d. The British also ensured the protection of the minorities in the new system

5. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion(A) and the other (1)
labelled as Reason (R).

Assertion (A): The Santhals were given land and persuaded to settle in the
rocky upper part of Rajmahal Hills.

Reason (R): The British perceived Paharias and Santhals as ideal settlers.

a. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R)is the correct explanation of (A)
b. Both (A) and (R) are correct, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
c. (A) is correct, but (R) is not correct
d. (R) is correct, but (A) is not correct

6. When was the Indian Constitution enforced? (1)

a. June 1950
b. January 1946
c. January 1950
d. December 1946

SECTION B
7. Read the passage below and answer the following questions:

“Moistening the Rose Garden of Fortune”

In this extract Abu’l Fazl gives a vivid account of how and from whom he
collected his information:

…to Abu’l Fazl son of Mubarak…. this sublime mandate was given. “Write
with the pen of sincerity and account of the glorious events and of our
domination-conquering victories… Assuredly, I spent much labour and
research in collecting the records and narratives of His Majesty’s actions and
I was a long time interrogating the servants of the State and the old members
of the illustrious family. I examined both prudent, truth-speaking old men

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 and active-minded, right-actioned young ones and reduced their statements
to writing.

The Royal commands were issued to the provinces, that those who from old
service remembered, with certainty or with adminicle of doubt, the events of
the past, should copy out the notes and memoranda and transit them to the
court. (Then) a second command shone forth from the holy Presence-
chamber; to wit- that the materials which had been collected should
be….recited in the royal hearing, and whatever might have to be written
down afterwards, should be introduced into the noble volume as a
supplement, and that such details as on account of the minuteness of the
inquiries and the minutiae of affairs, (which) could not them be brought to an
end, should be inserted afterwards at my leisure.

Being relieved by this royal order-the interpreter of the Divine ordinance-

from the secret anxiety of my heart, I proceeded to reduce into writing the
rough draughts (drafts) which were void of the grace of arrangement and
style. I obtained the chronicle of events beginning at the Nineteenth Year of
the Divine Era, When the Record Office was established by the enlightened
intellect of His Majesty, and from its rich pages, I gathered the account of
many events.

Great pains too, were taken to procure the originals or copies of most of the
orders which had been issued to the provinces from the Accession up to the
present day…I also took much trouble to incorporate many of the reports
which ministers and high officials had submitted, about the affairs of the
empire and the events of foreign countries. And my labour loving soul was
satiated by the apparatus of inquiry and research. I also exerted myself
energetically to collect the rough notes and memoranda of sagacious and
well-informed men. By these means, I constructed a reservoir for irrigating
and moistening the rose garden of fortune (the Akbar Nama)”.

From whose memoirs have this extract been taken? What pointers suggest (1)
that the information taken was authentic?

Who had authorised him to write the history of the Mughal period? Explain (2)
how Royal commands were issued.

8. Read the passage below and answer the following questions:

“The Real Minorities are the Masses of this Country”

Welcoming the Objectives Resolution introduced by Jawaharlal Nehru, N.G.

Ranga said: Sir, there is a lot of talk about minorities. Who are the real
minorities? Not the Hindus in the so-called Pakistan provinces, not the Sikhs,
not even the Muslims. No, the real minorities are the masses of this country.
These people are so depressed and oppressed and suppressed till now that

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 they are not able to take advantage of the ordinary civil rights. What is the
position? You go to the tribal areas.

According to law, their own traditional law, their tribal law, their lands
cannot be alienated. Yet our merchants go there, and in the so-called free
market, they are able to snatch their lands. Thus, even though the law goes
against this snatching away of their lands, still the merchants are able to turn
the tribal people into veritable slaves by various kinds of bonds and make
them hereditary bond-slaves.

Let us go to the ordinary villagers. There goes the money-lender with his
money and he is able to get the villagers in his pocket. There is the landlord
himself, the zamindar, and the malar and there are the various other people
who are able to exploit these poor villagers. There is no elementary
education even among these people. These are the real minorities that need
protection and assurances of protection. In order to give them the necessary
protection, we will need much more than this Resolutions.

Do you agree with Ranga? If not, mention who are the real minorities (1)
according to you and why?
(2)
Describe the living conditions of the tribals.

SECTION C
9. Explain how the East India Company subdued the authority of the Zamindar (3)
in Bengal during the 18th century.

OR

“The power of the Jotedars was more effective than that of the zamindars.”
Justify the statement with suitable arguments.

10. Why did the Simon Commission visit India? Why was it opposed in India? (3)

11. Why did the Fifth Report become the basis of intense debate in England? (3)

12. What were the causes for the discontent among the soldiers before the (3)
Mutiny of 1857?

SECTION D
13. Describe why it was a tumultuous time for India after the constitution was (8)
framed.

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 OR

Which challenges were encountered by the Constituent assembly while

making the constitution?

14. Explain the importance of Non-Cooperation Movement. (8)

OR

Explain the significance of Civil Disobedience Movement.