Chapter 5. Impact of British Rule on India: Economic, Social and Cultural (1757-1857) Textbook Solutions

NIOS Social Science Class 10 Chapter 5 Solutions

INTEXT QUESTIONS 5.1

1. Tick the correct answer:

(a) The British came to India as

(i) conquerors 

(ii) travellers 

(iii) invaders 

(iv) traders

Ans: (iv) traders

(b) Mir Jafar was the nawab of

(i) Mysore 

(ii) Punjab 

(iii) Bengal 

(iv) Berar

Ans: (iii) Bengal

2. Why did the British come to India? Give at least two reasons.

Ans: To find raw materials for their industries in Britain and markets for their finished goods.

3. What were the two main methods that the British used to annex the native states?

Ans: Doctrine of Lapse and Subsidiary Alliance.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 5.2

1. State true or false and justify your statement:

(a) Duty-free entry of foreign goods was good for the Indian economy.

Ans: No, because the cheap foreign goods were a threat to the Indian handloom. Also, Indian weavers suffered much loss.

(b) All land settlements benefit the British.

Ans: No, because the high revenue rates led many peasants to revolt against British rule. Though the British Empire benefited economically, it had to suffer politically in the long run.

(c) Indigo, rice, wheat, tea and opium were the five major commercial crops introduced by the British.

Ans: No, because rice and wheat are food crops.

(d) Some of the money-lending class became the new landowners.

Ans: Yes, because when the peasants failed to pay back their loan, their lands passed into the hands of the money-lending class.

2. Provide any two reasons why the British built an extensive network of railways in India?

Ans: The main purpose was to connect trading ports and industrial towns to villages from where they got their raw materials, that is, cash crops. It ensured its easy and fast transport. Also, finished goods from the trading ports could be taken to various markets.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 5.3

1. Match the following:

(a) Widow Remarriage Act	(i) 1857
(b) Charter Act	(ii) 1794
(c) Department of Education	(iii) 1813
(d) Sanskrit College of Banaras	(iv) 1856
	(v) 1855

Ans: (a) (iv)

(b) (iii)

(c) (i)

(d) (ii)

2. Name at least two centers of Indian culture and languages founded by the British.

Ans: The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded by William Jones in 1784. Fort William College was founded by Lord Wellesley in 1800.

3. Briefly explain at least two legal measures which helped improve the status of women in British India.

Ans: The practice of sati, wherein the wife had to jump at her husband’s funeral fire, was banned in 1829. The Sharda Act, which raised the marriageable age of girls to 14 and boys to 18, thereby preventing child marriage, was passed in 1929.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 5.4

1. Identify two reasons for protest movements by peasants and tribal groups in India.

Ans: 

• (a) The exploitative nature of the British with their heavy taxation and high revenue rates on the peasants.
• (b) Various extortion policies and extension of British authority to tribal lands.

2. How did the British policy of Divide and Rule affect the national interest of the country? Explain in 30 words.

Ans: The British policy of Divide and Rule led to the division of the country based on religion. The relationship between the Hindus and the Muslims suffered with the British pitching native against native to continue their rule.

TERMINAL EXERCISES

1. How did the land revenue policies of the British affect the life of the peasants?

Ans: The British carried out several land revenue experiments, which caused hardship to cultivators. 

• They extracted taxes from the farmers to finance their policies and war efforts. 
• Direct and indirect means were carried out to bring about this collection of revenue for the British. 
• This affected the lives of the people who could not meet their daily needs because they had to provide the landowners and the collectors their share in the produce.

2. Distinguish between Permanent Settlement and Mahalwari System.

Ans: 

Permanent Settlement in Bengal and Bihar in 1793 made the landlord or zamindar deposit a fixed amount of money in the state treasury. In return, they were recognised as hereditary owners of land. If the zamindar failed to pay the fixed revenue on time, his land was sold off to another zamindar. The British stood to benefit from this settlement as the new class of zamindars that emerged became their political allies.

Mahalwari Settlement in the North Western Provinces, Punjab, the Ganga Valley and parts of Central India were based on the assessment of the product of a mahal or estate, which may be a village or a group of villages. Here, all the proprietors of the mahal were jointly responsible for paying the sum of revenue assessed by the government.

3. How did English education contribute to the rise of nationalism in India?

Ans: Though education did not reach the masses, some ideas of anti-imperialism, nationalism, social and economic equality took root through political parties, discussions and debates on public platforms and the press. 

• The English language united the educated people and gradually made them politically conscious of their rights. It also gave the Indians the opportunity to study in England and learn about the workings of democratic institutions there.
• The writings of John Locke, Ruskin, Mill, Rousseau and many others instilled in them the ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity, human rights and self-government. The French and American revolutions and the unification of Italy and Germany also strengthened these ideas. 
• The newspapers and journals gave opportunities to share ideas and problems.
• Along with newspapers and journals, they promoted the feelings of self-confidence, self-respect, awareness and patriotism, thereby developing a feeling of national consciousness.

4. Examine the reasons for the success of the English language in the country.

Ans: The spread of English language and Western education helped Indians to adopt a modern, rational, democratic, liberal and patriotic outlook. New fields of knowledge in science, humanities and literature open to them. English became the lingua franca of the educated people in India. It also gave the Indians the opportunity to study in England and learn about the workings of democratic institutions there. The newspapers and journals gave opportunities to share ideas and problems. Similarly, novel, drama,

short story, poetry, song, dance, theatre, art and cinema were used to spread views and express resistance to colonial rule. They spoke the language of the people, showcasing their everyday lives, joys and sorrows.

5. Do you agree with the fact that the British impact could be seen even today? If yes, how?

Ans: Yes, I agree. Some of the cultural and legal changes that took place as a result of British rule continue to affect our lives even today. 

• The rails, the club life, the imperial buildings like the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament are reminiscent of the British rule in India. 
• Many food items like bread, tea and cake that we consume today are a direct result of our interaction with Europeans during British rule. 
• The Indian armed forces still retain many aspects of European training and culture. 
• The medium of our instruction or learning itself is predominantly English. 
• The Supreme Court and the High Court pass their judgments in English. 

This language itself is a legacy of British rule and continues to be the lingua franca of Indians seeking employment in their own country.

Additional Study Materials

• Introduction to Social Science Textbook Solutions
• Chapter 1. Ancient World  Textbook Solutions
• Chapter 2. Medieval World Textbook Solutions
• Chapter 3. Modern World – I Textbook Solutions
• Chapter 4. Modern World – II Textbook Solutions