HISTORY (XII)-THEME – 10 COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE (QUE ANSWERS)

 

 

HISTORY (XII)-THEME – 10

COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE

(QUE ANSWERS)

________________________________________________________

OTQ (1 MARKS)

Q1. Name the place where British rule was established firstly in India?

Ans- Bengal

Q2 Permanent settlement came in operation in which year?

Ans-1793

Q3. The economy of Bengal was in crisis due to which reasons?

Ans- Recurrent famines and declining agriculture production

 Q4. What is Sunset Law?

Ans- If the payment did not come by sunset on the specific date, zamindari was liable to auctioned.

Q5. Write down the term/names for the following: -

(i)             Courts of Zamindars (ii) Officer of Zamindar

(iii)          Sharecroppers          (iv) Big landlords and traders/money lenders

Ans-(i) Cutcheries (ii) Amlah              (iii) Adhiyars or Bargadar          (iv) Jotedars

Q6. Why zamindars defaulted on payments? Give any one reason

Ans- (i) Initial demands were very high (ii) Prices of agriculture produce were depressed

Q.7. Write down the years of followings: -

(i)             Permanent Settlement (ii) The Fifth Report (iii) Santhal Rebellion      (iv) regulating act

Ans-(i)-1793, (ii) 1813    (iii) 1855-56 (iv) 1773

Q8. Write down two strategies to avert auctions.

Ans- (i) Zamindari on the name of women (ii) Sent Lathyal to beat buyers

Q9. The term used for hill folk __________who used___________for cultivation.

Ans- Paharias, Hoe

Q10.  Who were the new settlers who used ploughs?

Ans- Santhals

Q11. Name the officer who served in the Bengal Medical Service and was surgeon to Governor General Lord Wellesley .

Ans- Francis Buchanan

Q12. To end the brutal hunting down of Paharias by the British, Augustus Cleaveland, the Collector of Bhagalpur proposed which policy?

Ans- Policy of pecification

 

Q13. Fine quality which two crops Buchanan found in Ganjuria Pahar?

Ans-Fine Tobacco and Mustard.

Q14. British officer invited Santhal to settle in which area.

Ans- Rajmahal Hills

 Q15. The land which was demarcated to settle santhals were known by which name?

Ans- Damin-i-koh

Q.16. Name the leader of Santhal rebellion.

Ans- Sidhu Manjhi

Q.17. The land of Jotdars were cultivated by whom?

Ans- By share croppers or Adhiyars

Q.18. Who were Paharias?

Ans. Paharias were hill folk.

Q.19. Who were recognised as zamindars under the Permanent settlement.

Ans-The rajas and taluqdars

Q.20. Who were Jotedars?

Ans. Jotedar were located in village and exercise direct control over a considerable section of poor villagers.

Q.21. What was the British policy towards Pahariyas?

Ans. In 1770 the British embarked upon a brutal policy of extermination hunting Pahariyas down and killing them.

Q.22. What were Paharias livelihood?

Ans. Subsisting on forest produce and practicing shifting cultivation.

Q.23. What steps were taken by East India Company to control the Zamindars?

Ans. (1) The troops of Zamindars were disbanded;

(2) The courts were brought under the control of British collectors.

Q.24. How did Jotdars resist Zamindars?

Ans. (1) They prevented Zamindars from performing their duties;

(2) They mobilized riots against Zamindars.

Q.25. When and who introduced permanent settlement?

Ans. In 1793, Lord Cornwallis introduced permanent settlement.

Q.26. What was fifth report?

Ans.The fifth report was submitted to the British Parliament in 1813 about administrative activities of the East India Company.

Q.27. Who collect the revenue from the peasant in the permanent settlement?

Ans- Amlah, an officer of Zamindars

Q28. Village headmen was called by which name in Bengal?

Ans- Mandal

Q29. Write down the different names of jotedars?

Ans- Haoladars, qantidars or mandals.

Q.30. In which year English East India Company acquires Diwani of Bengal?

Ans-1765

Q.31. British Parliament passed which act to regulate the activities of the East India Company?

Ans-1773, Regulating Act

Q32. Which was the revenue system before the permanent settlement.

Ans-Auction system

Q.33. How the britishers saw to the paharis people?

Ans- They saw them as savage, unruly, primitive, and difficult to govern.

Q34. By which year Britishers persuaded santhals to settle in Rajmahal hills.

Ans-1832

Q35. Who proposed the policy of pacification?

Ans- Augustus Cleveland, the collector of Bhagalpur

Q36. Which term was often used to designate the powerful zamindars?

Ans- Raja or king

Q37. In which year there was an auction taken place in Burdwan (present day Bardhaman)

Ans-1797

Q38. In which year a terrible famine occured in Bengal?

Ans-1770

Q39. In the permanent settlement all the villages under a zamindar was called?

Ans-One zamindari or one revenue estate

Q40. What do you mean by Ryots?

Ans- The term raiyat, or Ryots used to designate peasants.

Q41. Which term was used for the revenue which was collected by the officer of Zamindar?

Ans-Jama

Q42. A judicial officer at the lower court was known by which name?

Ans- Munsiff

Q43. When the Permanent Settlement was imposed, who was the Raja of Burdwan?

Ans- Tejchand

Q44. What do you about the term Benami?

Ans-Benami, literally anonymous, is a term used in Hindi and several other Indian languages for transactions made in the name of a fictitious or relatively

 insignificant person, whereas the real beneficiary remains unnamed.

Q45. What was the Royal Charter of 1600?

Ans- Royal Charter of 1600 provide the monopoly to East India Company to trade with

India and China.

Q46. Which famous film was shot Andul Raj Palace on the decline of the aristocratic zamindari style of living?

Ans- Satyajit Ray’s famous film Jalshaghar,

Q47. Francis Buchanan was surgeon of which Governor-General of India?

Ans- Lord Wellesley

Q48. Who was William Hodges?

Ans- He was a British artist who became a friend of Augustus Cleveland, the Collector of Bhagalpur and went into Rajmahal hills in search of new picturesque for painting. He painted a set of aquatints.

Q49. What do you mean by Aquatint?

Ans-Aquatint is a picture produced by cutting into a copper sheet with acid and then printing it.

Q50. Santhal Pargana was created, carving out 5,500 square miles from which districts?

Ans- Bhagalpur and Birbhum

Q51. Which title was assumed by Francis Buchanan from his mother?

Ans- Hamilton.

Q52. Which Raja helped the Britisher during Santhal rebellion and revolt 1857?

Ans- Maharaja Mehtab Chand, raja of Burdwan.

 

 

3 MARKS QUESTIONS

Q.1. Examine the policies adopted by the British towards Paharias during 18th century.

Ans. (1) Firstly British adopted policy of extermination.

(2) Augustus Cleveland, the collector of Bhagalpur proposed policy of pacification.

(3) Under policy of pacification Paharia chiefs was to ensure proper conduct of their men.

(4) Paharia went into mountains and deep forests and continued their war against outsiders.

Q.2. What was Damin-i-Koh? Why did Santhals resist against Britishers during 18th century.

Ans. Damin-i-Koh was a large area given by British to Santhals. The colonial government had imposed heavy taxes on their land. The money lenders were charging high rates of interest and snatching their lands. The Zamindars asserted control over their land.

Q.3.How did the Zamindars manage to retain control over their Zamindaris?

Ans.   (1) Benami sales enabled the estate to be sold at a low price back to the Zamindar.

(2) New Zamindars were attacked by former Zamindars.

(3) The ryots resisted the entry of outsiders.

(4) Some Zamindaris were declared property of ladies.

Q.4. Why Jotedar were more powerful than Zamindar?

Ans.   (1) The Jotedar had vast area of land.

(2) He was a local moneylender.

(3) He was local trader.

(4) The Jotedar lived in the village.

(5) He would not allow Zamindar to perform his duties.

Q.5.What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?

Ans.   (1) The official sources reflect official concerns and interpretation of events.

(2) The government was not ready to admit that discontent was because of government action.

(3) Official reports must be verified with evidence gathered from newspapers, unofficial records, legal records and oral sources.

Q.6. What were the reason of the rise of Jotedar? Describe it.

Ans.   I. By the early 19th century Jotedar had aquaired vast area of land some time as much as several thousand acres.

II. They controlled local trade as well as money lending exercising immense power over poorer cuiltivators of the region.

III. Jotedar were located in village and exercise direct control over a considerable section of poor villagers.

IV. When the Estate of Zamindars were auctioned for failure to make revenue payment Jotedar were often amongst the purchasers.

Q7. Why did Zamidar default at payment? Discuss it.

Ans.   (i) The initial demand was very high this was because it was failed if the demand was fixed for all time to come the Company would never be able to claim a share of increased income from land when prices grows and cultivation expanded to minimize this anticipated loss , the company paid the revenue demand high.

(ii) This high demand was imposed in 1790s a time when the prices of agriculture produce were depressed making it difficult for Ryot to pay their dues to the zamindar.

(iii) The revenue was invariable regardless of harvest and had to be paid punctually.

(iv)         Permanent settlement initially limited the power of Zamindar to collect the rent from the Ryot and managed its zamindari.

Q.8. Who were Paharias? What were their livelihood?

Ans.   Paharias were hill folk. they lived around the Rajmahal Hills, subsisting on forest produce and practicing shifting cultivation. They cleared patches of forest by cutting bushes and burning the undergrowth. On the patches, enriched by the potash from the ash, the Pahariyas grew a variety of pulses and millets for consumption.

Q.9. What was the British policy towards Pahariyas? Write any two points.

(i) In 1770 the British embarked upon a brutal policy of extermination hunting Pahariyas down and killing them.

(ii) By the 1780s Augustus Cleveland the collector of Bhagalpur proposed a policy of pacification. Pahariya Chiefs were given an annual allowance and made responsible for proper conduct of their men. They were expected to maintain order in their locality.

Q10. Write down the features of permanent settlement?

Ans- Permanent Settlement was introduced by Governor General Charles Cornwallis in 1793. He was also a commander of British forces during American war of Independence.

(i)            Under the Permanent settlement, the rajas and taluqdars were recognized as zamindars.

(ii)         They were not a landowner in the village, but a revenue collector of the state.

(iii)       They had about 400 villages under their control called as Zamindari. One zamindari formed one revenue estate.

(iv)       The zamindar collected rent from peasants in his zamindari and paid the fixed amount to Company on a regular base.

(v)          If he failed to pay the amount before sunset on a particular day (Sunset Law.) his estates were to be auctioned.

Q11. Write down those reason on which you can say that fifth report is not completely true?

Ans- we can’t blindly believe on this report because of these reasons-

(i)             Firstly, we must see that who wrote the report and why they were written.

(ii)         Recent researchers showed that the argument and evidences offered by fifth report can’t be accepted uncritically.

(iii)       Researchers also carefully examined The Fifth Report from various archives of Bengal and local records to write the history of colonial rule in Bengal.

(iv)       They suggested that the Fifth Report exaggerated the collapse of the traditional zamindari power in Bengal. It also has overestimated the scale on which zamindars were losing their land.

(v)          Even we also have seen that zamindars were not easily displaced from their position .  So, we can say that the fifth report is not exactly true.

 

Q12. What was the relationship of paharia people with settled agriculturist.

       (i)  Paharias chiefs maintained the unity of the group, settled disputes, and led the tribe in battles with other tribes and plains people.

      (ii)   They frequently raided nearby areas at the time of scarcity or to asserting power on         them.

       (iii)   So, the zamindars pay a regular tribute to the chief of the Paharias for their                        protection and peace.

       (iv) Traders also gave a small amount to the Paharias to ensured that their goods were            not looted by anyone in their areas.

         (v)   But this relation going to decline in the last decades of the 18th century when the             British, jotedars and zamindars started occupying the lands of the Paharias

 

L. A. (8 Marks)

Q.1. In what ways was the livelihood of the Paharias different from that of Santhals?

Ans . (1) The Paharias practiced shifting cultivation and lived on forest production. The Santhals practised settled-cultivation.

(2) The agriculture of the paharias depended on hoe. Santhals practised with plough.

(3) Besides agriculture the forest products too were means of livelihood of the Paharias. The Santhals gave up life of mobility and had started settled cultivation.

(4) The Paharias were intimately related to the forest because of their occupations. The Santhals were settled in a specific region.

(5) The Paharias regularly raided plains for food, power and tax. The Santhals had friendly relations with British, moneylender and traders.

(6) The Paharias liked to gather forest produce for selling in the market but Santhals did not like it.

 

Q.2. How did zamindar of Bengal succeed to save their zamindaries during auction? Explain it.

Ans    (i) Numerous purchasers came to the auction and estate were sold to highest bidder. Many of purchasers turned out to be servants and agent of Rajas who had bought the land on behalf of their masters

(ii) Over 95% of sale at the auction was fictitious the Rajas state had been publically sold but he remained in control of his Zamindari.

(iii) When a part of state was auctioned zamindars’ men bought property, out bidding other purchasers. Subsequently they refused to pay of money, so that state had to be re sold. Once again it was bought by Zamindar’s agent, once again the purchase money was not paid, once again there was an auction. At last the state was sold at low price back to zamindar’s men.

(iv) When people from outside, the Zamindari bought an Estate at an auction, they could not always take possession. Sometimes even the Ryot resisted entry of outsiders.

(v) Many Rajas transferred some of his zamindaries to his mother. Since company had decreed that property of women could not be taken over.

(vi) By the above methods rajas succeed to save their zamindaries during auction at British time.

Q3. Give the account of Buchanan in detail. Why did East India Company appoint him as surveyor? Explain it.

Ans    (i) Buchanan was the employee of East India Company and he marched every

where with draftmen, surveyors.

(ii) Buchanan had specific instructions about what he had to look for and what had to record according to company need because company wanted to exploit Indian resources.

(iii) Buchanan was extra ordinary observer. He observed the stones and rocks, different strata and layers of soil he searched for minerals, iron, mica granite and saltpeter.

(iv) Buchanan wrote how the land could be transformed and made more productive.

(v) What craft could be cultivated, which trees cut down and which ones grown.

(vi) Buchanan vision and Priorities different from those of the local inhabitants, his assessment of what was necessary was set by the commercial concerned of the company.

(vii) He was inevitably critical of life style of forest dwellers and felt that forest land to be turned into agricultural lands. He gave the details of santhal life style.

(viii) Company wanted to consolidated its power and expanded its commerce by natural resources it could control.

Hence company appointed Buchanan survey the natural resources of India

in Rajmahal hills.

Q4. Who were Santhal ? why did they revolt against british.

Ans.   I. Santhal were the tribals residing foothill of rajmahal. By 1832 a large areas    of land was demarcated as damin-I koh.

II. The Land to santhal stipulated that at least one – tenth of the area was to cleared and cultivated within ten years .

III. Cultivation expanded, an increased volume of revenue flowed into company,s coffers.

IV. The santhals soon founded that the land they had bought under cultivation was slipping away from their hands. The state was leving heavy taxes on the land that the santhal cleared.

V. Moneylender (dikus) were charging them high rate of interest and taking over the land when land debt remained unpaid.

VI. Zamindar were asserting control over Damin area.

VII. By the 1850s Santhal thought that time had come to rebel against zamindars, moneylender, and colonial state. Siddhu Manjhi and Kanhu were revolt leaders of Santhal community.

VIII. Revolt begin in 1855 and Santhal attacked on British, Dikus, moneylender and killed so many Britishers.

IX. But British crushed the revolt brutally by killing, hanging Santhal leaders and Santhal people. In 1856 Santhal pargana was created, carving out 5500 sq miles from the districts of Bhagalpur and Birbhum.