SST Final Exam

Questions & Answers

History
Ch-7: When People Rebel
1. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by
the British?
Answer: To accept her adopted son to succeed the throne of the king, after
the death of her husband.

2. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to
Christianity?
Answer: Those who converted to Christianity would inherit the property of
his ancestors.

3. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were
asked to use?
Answer: Objections the sepoys had to the new cartridges were:

 The cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.
 The sepoys had to use mouth to remove the covering of the
cartridges.
 They termed the cartridges to be a violation of the religious
sentiments.
 Hence, they rebelled.

4. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
Answer:
The last Mughal emperor lived a very pathetic life during the last years of his
life. He was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He and his
wife were sent to prison in Rangoon. He died there after four years.

5. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about
their position in India before May 1857?
Answer: Reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position
in India before May 1857

1. The traditional rulers failed to develop independent leadership.

2. They also failed to have independent social, economic, and political
aims of their own.
3. They fought among themselves and could not present a united front
against the foreign rule.
4. A section of the people practiced inhuman social practices. They did
not rise in revolt against the Britishers.

6. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support for the rebellion have on
the people and the ruling families?

Answer: Aurangzeb was considered the last strong and powerful Mughal
ruler of India. After his death, the Mughal rulers had only a symbolic
presence. But Mughal rulers still had their influence over small chiefs and
rulers across the country. The revolt of 1857 started only when Bahadur
Shah Zafar, the last ruler of the Mughals, gave his permission. His support
for the revolt made leaders from various places become confident about
opposing the British. Zafar asked all the leaders to form a confederacy to
fight against the British. Many small and large kingdoms, rulers and
chieftains supported the revolt after Bahadur Shah Zafar extend his support
to the revolt. Hence, his support for the rebellion had a widespread effect
on the people and the ruling families.

7. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel
landowners of Awadh?
Answer: The British followed a two-pronged approach to suppress the rebel
landowners of Awadh. They are as follows:

a. The first approach was to hang the rebel landowners who had killed
British personnel in order to threaten the people of Awadh by showing them
the consequences of any revolts in future.

b. The second approach was to reward the loyal landowners of Awadh. The
British stated that if the landowners had not killed any British personnel and
if they agreed to submit before the British, they would be offered safety and
could retain their share of lands.

8. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the
rebellion of 1857?

Answer: After the revolt of 1857, the British Crown directly took over the
Indian administration. The powers of the East India Company were
transferred to the Crown. The following changes were made:

a. Doctrine of Lapse policy was abolished

b. The number of Indian sepoys was reduced in the army so that in future,
they would not be able to rebel against the British

c. Zamindars’ and landowners’ rights were further enhanced

d. The Crown promised that it would not interfere with the religion of the
people.

e. A Viceroy and a Secretary of the state were appointed for the
administration of Indian society.
 Ch-7: Civilizing the “Native”, Educating the Nation

1. Why did William Jones feel the need to study Indian history, philosophy
and law?

Answer: William Jones shared a deep respect for ancient cultures, both India
and the West. Indian civilization, he felt, had attained its glory in the ancient
past but had subsequently declined. In order to understand India, it was
necessary to discover the sacred and legal texts that were produced in the
ancient period. Only those texts could reveal the real ideas and laws of the
Hindus and Muslims. William Jones believed that only a new study of these
texts could form the basis of future development in India.

2. Why did James Mill and Thomas Macaulay think that European education
was essential in India?

Answer: James Mill and Thomas Macaulay felt that the knowledge of English
would allow Indians to read some of the finest literature that the world had
produced; it would make them aware of the developments in Western
science and philosophy. The teaching of English could thus be a way of
‘civilizing’ people, changing their tastes, values and culture. They also felt
that the aim of education should be to teach what was useful and practical.
So, Indians should be made familiar with the scientific and technical
advances that the West had made, rather than with the poetry and sacred
literature of the ‘Orient’.

3. Why did Mahatma Gandhi want to teach children handicrafts?

Answer: According to Mahatma Gandhi, education should be all-round,

drawing out of the best in child and man, encompassing body, mind and
spirit. His beliefs were that literacy is not the end of education and not even
the beginning. He thought that literacy was only one of the means by which
men and women could be educated. Therefore, he thought that the child’s
education should begin by teaching them useful handicrafts and enabling
them to create something from the moment they begin training. “I hold that
the highest development of the mind and the soul is possible under such a
system of education. Only every handicraft has to be taught not merely
mechanically as is done today but scientifically, i.e. the child should know
the why and the wherefore of every process,” quotes by Gandhi.

4. Why did Mahatma Gandhi think that English education had enslaved
Indians?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi argued that colonial education created a sense of

inferiority in the minds of Indians. It made them see Western civilisation as
superior and destroyed the pride they had in their own culture. Gandhi
thought that there was poison in English education, that it was sinful, it
enslaved Indians and cast an evil spell on them. Charmed by the West and
appreciating everything that came from the West, Indians educated in these
institutions began admiring British rule. Mahatma Gandhi wanted an
education that could help Indians recover their sense of dignity and self-
respect. During the national movement, he urged students to leave
educational institutions in order to show to the British that the Indians were
no longer willing to be enslaved.

Ch-9: The Making of the National Movement: 1870s-1947

1. Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s?

Answer: People were dissatisfied with British rule because of the following
reasons:

a. British were exercising control over the resources of India

b. British were attempting to control the lives of its people and until this
control ended, India could not be for Indians.

c. The Arms Act was passed in 1878, disallowing Indians from possessing
arms.
d. The Vernacular Press Act was also enacted in 1879, in an effort to silence
those who were critical of the government.

e. In 1883, there was a furor over the attempt by the government to

introduce the Ilbert Bill. The bill provided for the trial of British or European
persons by Indians, and sought equality between British and Indian judges in
the country.

2. Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?

Answer: The Indian National Congress wished to speak for the entire people
belonging to different communities of India.

3. What economic impact did the First World War have on India?
Answer:

1. World War I altered the economic and political situation in India.

2. Defence expenditure of the Government of India rose manifold. As a
consequence taxes on individual incomes and business profits
increased several times.
3. Increased military expenditure and demands for war supplies, resulted
in a sharp rise in prices, causing great difficulties for the common
people.
4. Demand for industrial goods (jute bags, cloth, rails) and a decline of
imports from other countries led to the expansion of Indian industry.
So, Indian business groups earned a huge profit.

4. What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?

Answer: The Muslim League resolution of 1940 asked for “Independent
States’ for Muslims in the north-western and eastern areas of the country.
The resolution did not mention partition or the name Pakistan.

5. Who were the Moderates? How did they propose to struggle against
British rule?

Answer: The Moderate leaders wanted to develop public awareness about

the unjust nature of British rule. They published newspapers, wrote articles
and showed how British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the
country. They criticized British rule in their speeches and sent
representatives to different parts of the country to mobilise public support.
They felt that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice
and so would accept the just demands of Indians. What was necessary,
therefore, was to express these demands and make the government aware
of the feelings of Indians.

6. How was the politics of the Radicals within the Congress different from
that of the Moderates?

Answer: In the fight for swaraj, the radicals advocated mass mobilization
and boycott of British institutions and goods. Some individuals also began to
suggest that “revolutionary violence” would be necessary to overthrow
British rule. Moderates, on the other hand, wanted to follow the rules, the
laws and the order posed by the British. They followed the ‘practice of
prayers’ which the radicals totally opposed.

7. Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in

different parts of India. How did people understand Gandhiji?

Answer: Different places in the country showed different reactions, given

below:

a. At Kheda in Gujarat, Patidar peasants organized nonviolent campaigns

against the high land revenue demand of the British.

b. In coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were picketed.

c. In the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, tribals and poor peasants staged
a number of “forest satyagraha”, sometimes sending their cattle into forests
without paying grazing fee.

d. In Sind (now in Pakistan), Muslim traders and peasants were very

enthusiastic about the Khilafat call.
e. In Bengal too, the Khilafat-Non-Cooperation alliance gave enormous
communal unity and strength to the national movement.

f. In Punjab, the Akali agitation of the Sikhs sought to remove corrupt
mahants – supported by the British – from their gurdwaras.

People thought of Gandhiji as a kind of messiah, as someone who could help

them overcome their misery and poverty. Gandhiji wished to build class
unity and not class conflict. Yet, peasants could imagine that he would help
them in their fight against zamindars, and agricultural laborers believed he
would provide them with the land. At times, ordinary people credited
Gandhiji with their own achievement.

8. Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?

Answer: The Salt March related the general desire of freedom to a specific
grievance shared by everybody and thus did not divide the rich and the
poor. Hence, in 1930, Gandhiji declared that he would lead a march to break
the salt law.

9. Discuss those developments of the 1937 – 47 period that led to the

creation of Pakistan.
Answer: Developments of 1937-1947 period Leading to the creation of
Pakistan:

 Muslim league was formed in 1906 but Congress’s failure to mobilise

the Muslim masses in the 1920s allowed the League to widen its social
support.
 In Election results of 1937, they got very less seats, even in areas
where a large number of Muslims lived, made them feel as a minority
community.
 In 1940 two nation theory was floated by them.
 Elections to the provinces were again held in 1946. Congress did well
in the “General” constituencies but the the league’s success in the
seats reserved for Muslims was spectacular. So the league persisted
with its demand for “Pakistan”.
 In March 1946 the British cabinet sent a three-member mission to
Delhi to examine this demand and to suggest a suitable political
framework for a free India.
 After the failure of the Cabinet Mission, the Muslim League decided on
mass agitation for winning its Pakistan demand and announced 16
August 1946 as “Direct Action Day”.
 On this day riots broke out in Calcutta, lasting several days and
resulting in the death of thousands of people, mostly Hindus.
 By March 1947 violence spread to different parts of northern India.
 With mass agitation, India was partitioned in 1947 and Pakistan was
born.
 Civics
Ch-9: Public Facilities

1. Why do you think there are so few cases of private water supply in the world?
Solution:
There are few cases of private water supply in the world, because:

1. Private company deals for profit in the market.

2. In the water facility, there is no profit or very less profit.
3. Private companies do not take interest in undertaking no profit or low-
profit work.

2. Do you think water in Chennai is available to and affordable by all? Discuss.

Answer: Water is not equally available to all citizens in Chennai. Water in Chennai
is supplied by the municipality, which fails to meet the demand 100%. Some areas
get a regular water supply, while many areas get an erratic supply of water.
People from the middle class and upper class buy packaged drinking water or
water from tankers. The burden of water supply shortage falls mostly on the
poor, as they cannot afford the expense of tankers or packaged water. Those who
live close to the storage points get more water, while colonies further away
receive less supply.

3. How is the sale of water by farmers to water dealers in Chennai affecting the
local people? Do you think local people can object to such exploitation of
groundwater? Can the government do anything in this regard?
Solution:
The sale of water by the farmer to the water dealers in Chennai affects the local
people as this water is for irrigation as well for drinking for them. So the
agricultural crops, as well as people, suffer. Moreover, groundwater levels have
dropped drastically.
  Local people can and should object to such exploitation of groundwater.
 The government on their part should restrict the use of groundwater by the
individual farmers according to their needs and make strict laws against
overuse.

4. Why are most of the private hospitals and private schools located in major
cities and not in towns or rural areas?
Solution:
Because of the following reasons:

 In major cities life is fast. People could not wait for hour’s together standing
in long queues as they have to do in government hospitals.
 They can afford it as they have money to spend.
 City people are more ambitious.
 They expect better facilities in private hospitals and private schools.
 In private schools, infrastructural facilities are more.

5. Do you think the distribution of public facilities in our country is adequate and
fair? Give an example of your own to explain.
Solution:
1. Distribution of public facilities such as the right to water, health, education, etc.
in our country is not adequate and fair.
2. Major role of government is to ensure adequate public facilities for everyone.
3. But progress in this regard is far from satisfactory.
4. There are inequality and irregularity in the distribution of water supply.

 Compared to the metropolitan and big cities, towns and villages are
provided low water supply.
 In comparison to wealthy localities, the poorer localities are under-
serviced.
 People living in slums suffer a lot. They are provided with a very low water
supply.
 Ch-10: Law and Social Justice

1. What are the advantages to foreign companies in setting up production in

India?
Solution:
India provides cheap labor compared to some other countries. Wages paid to
workers in foreign countries are much higher than in India. For lower pay, foreign
companies can get long hours of work. Additional expenses such as housing
facilities for workers are also fewer in India. Thus, foreign companies can save
costs and earn higher profits.

2. Do you think the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy got justice? Discuss.
Solution:
The victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy did not get justice. The disaster was caused
due to gross neglect of safety measures by the management of the factory. The
government of India represented the people to legally claim compensation for the
affected people. The government demanded $ 3 billion but had to accept a
meager $ 470 million from the Company. Today, 24 years after the disaster,
people of Bhopal are still fighting for justice.

3. What do we mean when we speak of law enforcement? Who is responsible for

enforcement? Why is enforcement so important?
Solution:

 When we speak of law enforcement, we mean that the provisions of the

law must be applied to all and sundry without discrimination.
 Government is responsible for law enforcement.
 Rights of workers and citizens to be protected.
o With more industries being set up by both Indians and foreign
businesses, there is a greater need for stronger laws.
o It is all the more important to safeguard our environment.
4. How can laws ensure that markets work in a manner that is fair? Give two
examples to support your answer.
Solution:
Law can ensure that markets work in a manner that is fair by ensuring the
enforcement of the law in letter and spirit.

 Law against hoarding and black marketing must be enforced in such a way
that stringent punishment is given to the violators of the law and the
hoarded goods must be forfeited.
 Anti-Child Labour Act must be enforced, not a single child must be allowed
to work in shops, tea stalls, and restaurants.