EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY POLITICAL FORMATIONS POLITICAL

. 1. What were three common features among Bengal, Awadh andHyderabad? 

Ans: First, though many of the larger states were established by earlier  Mughal nobles and they had inherited, in particular the jagirdari system of the administration.

Second all three regimes contracted with revenue-farmers for the collection of revenue.

Third common feature in all these regional states was their emerging relationship with rich bankers and merchants.

2. What were the causes behind decline of Mughal empire?

Ans Aurangzeb had depleted the military and financial resources of his empire by fighting a long war in the Deccan.

It became increasingly difficult for the later Mughal emperors to keep a check on their powerful mansabdars.

Peasant and zamindari rebellions in many parts of northern and western India.

The attack by Iran ruler Nadir Shah in 1739 and Afghan ruler Ahmad shah abdali between 1748 and 1761 also weaken the empire.

3. How much wealth were plundered by Nadir shah in Delhi?

Ans; Nadir shah plundered sixty lakhs of rupees and some thousand gold coins, nearly one crore worth of gold-ware, nearly fifty crores worth of jewels, and the above included the Peacock throne.

4. Name the two Mughal emperor who were blinded by nobles?

Ans; Ahmad Shah (1748-1754) and Shah Alam II (1759-1816) were blinded by their nobles.

5. Why did the Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal try to do away with the jagirdari system?

Ans: (i) Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal try to do away with the jagirdari system to decrease the influence of Mughal in their provinces.
(ii) The jagirdars appointed at the time of Mughals were corrupt so he reduced the size of jagirs, and appointed his own loyal servants to vacant positions. 
(iii) They checked the accounts of jagirdars to prevent cheating and corruption.
(iv) The revenues of all districts were reassessed by officials appointed by the Nawab’s court.

6. How were the Sikhs organised in the eighteenth century?
Ans. (i) The Sikhs organized themselves into a number of bands called jathas, and later on misls under a number of able leaders.
(ii) The combined forces of Sikhs known as the grand army (dal khalsa) used to meet at Amritsar at the time of Baisakhi and Diwali to take collective decisions.
(iii) They offered protection to the cultivators on the payment of a tax of 20 per cent of the produce called rakhi.
(iv) Guru Gobind Singh had inspired the Khalsa with the belief that their destiny was to rule.
7. Why did the Marathas want to expand beyond the Deccan?
Ans. (i) Marathas want to expand beyond the Deccan as expansion brought enormous resources.
(ii) The domination made to pay tribute as a way of accepting Maratha sovereignty.
(iii) Military campaigns also made other rulers hostile towards the Marathas.
(iv) The Marathas developed an effective administrative system by endless military campaigns.
8. What were the policies adopted by Asaf Jah to strengthen his position?
Ans. Policies adopted by Asaf Jah to strengthen his position:
(i) He already had full control over the political and financial administration of Deccan.
(ii) He gathered power in his hands by taking advantage of the turmoil in the Deccan and the competition amongst the court nobility.
(iii) He ruled quite independently without seeking any direction fromDelhi or facing any interference.
(iv)  Gradually, he became the actual ruler of that region.
9. Do you think merchants and bankers today have the kind of influence they had in the eighteenth century?
Ans: In today's world, merchants and bankers don't have the kind of influence they had in the eighteenth century. The idea of democracy changed the whole scenario. Everything from revenue share to the price in the market comes under a rule which is governed by the higher authorities chosen itself by people unlike in 18th century.

10. What were the offices held by Sa‘adat Khan?
Ans: Sa‘adat Khan held the combined offices of subadari, diwani and faujdari.

A life in the desert

Question 1. Answer the following questions:
Q(i). What are the two types of deserts found in the world? 
Answer. (i) Hot desert and (ii) Cold desert.

Q(ii). In which continent is the Sahara desert located?
Answer. Africa.

Q(iii). What are the climatic conditions of the Ladakh desert?
Answer. The climatic conditions of the Ladakh desert are cold and dry.

Q(iv). What mainly attracts tourists to Ladakh?
Answer. (i) Gompas, (ii) meadows and glaciers and (iii) ceremonies and festivities to local people.

Q(v). What type of clothes the people of the Sahara desert wear?
Answer. People of the Sahara desert wear heavy robes as protection against dust storms and hot winds.

Q(v). Name the three that grow in Ladakh?
Answer. Willows, poplars, apples, apricots and walnuts. 


Question 2. Tick the correct answer:
Q(i) Sahara is located in which part of Africa:
(a Eastern. (b) Northern. (c) Western.
Answer:  (b) Northern.

Q(ii) Sahara is what type of desert:
(a) Cold. (b) Hot. (c) Mild.
Answer: (b) Hot.

Q(iii) The ladakh desert is mainly inhabited by:
(a) Christians and Muslims. (b) Buddhists and Muslims. (c) Christians and Buddhists.
Answer: (b) Buddhists and Muslims. 

Q(iv ) Desert are characterized by:
(a) Scanty vegetation. (b) Heavy precipitation. (c) Low evaporation.
Answer: (a) Scanty vegetation.

Q(v ) Hemis in the Ladakh is a famous:
(a) Temple. (b) Church. (c) Monastery.
Answer: (c) Monastery.

Q(v ) Egypt is famous for growing:
(a) Wheat. (b) Maize. (c) Cotton.
Answer: (c) Cotton.


Question 3. Match the following:

1	Oasis	(a)	Libya
2	Bedouins	(b)	Monastery
3	Oil	(c)	Glacier
4	Gangri	(d)	Depressions with water
5	Lamayuru	(e)	Sahara

Answer:

1	Oasis	(d)	Depressions with water
2	Bedouins	(e)	Sahara
3	Oil	(a)	Libya
4	Gangri	(c)	Glacier
5	Lamayuru	(b)	Monastery

Question 4. Give reasons:
Q(i). There is Scanty vegetation in the deserts?
Answer. Because of extreme harsh temperatures and little rain fall.

Q(ii). People of the Sahara deserts wear heavy robes.
Answer. To protect themselves from the dust storms and hot winds. 

Additional Question.

Q(i). Write the features of the desert areas of the world?
Answer. (i) Low rainfall, (ii) Scanty vegetation and (iii) Extreme temperatures.

Q(ii). Hoe deserts can be classified on the basis of temperature?
Answer: (i) Hot desert and (ii) Cold desert.

Q(iii). Name the largest desert of the world. Also mention its area?
Answer: Sahara the largest desert of the world. It has and area of around 8.54 million square kilometers.

Q(iv). Which type of vegetation is found in the Sahara desert?
Answer: Vegetation in the Sahara desert includes cactus, date palms and acacia.

Q(v). Give an example of a cold desert.
Answer: Ladakh

Q(vi). Define desert.

Answer: Desert: It is an arid region characterizes by extremely high or low temperatures and has scarce vegetation.

Additional information

Some famous monasteries are Hemis, Thiksey, Shey and Lamayuru.

The Chiru or the Tibetan antelope is an endangered species. It is hunted for its wool known as shahtoosh, which is light in weight and extremely warm.

Ladakh is made up of two words – La meaning mountain pass and Dak meaning country.

A shirt in the market

 A shirt in the market

                     A shirt in the market

1.What made Swapna sell the cotton to the trader instead of selling at the Kurnool cotton market?
Ans; Swapna is small farmer.she  sold the cotton to the trader instead of selling at the Kurnool cotton market because:
(i)  she  had borrowed Rs 2,500 from the trader at a very high interest rate to buy seeds, fertilizers, pesticides for cotton cultivation.
(ii) So, she promised to sell all her cotton to him.

2. Describe the conditions of employment as well as the wages of workers in the garment exporting factory. Do you think the workers get a fair deal?
Ans; Conditions of employment in the garment exporting factory:
(i) Workers are employed on a temporary basis means they can be asked to leave anytime when not needed.
(ii) They have pressure to produce quality products in limited time.
(iii) They have to do hardwork for long hours.
No, the workers don't get a fair deal as they are not even paid the minimal wages for their work. They are being exploited by their employer and their work is also temporary. They also don't have respect for the work the do.

3. Think of something common that we use. It could be sugar, tea, milk, pen, paper, pencil, etc. Discuss through what chain of markets this reaches you. Can you think of the people that help in the production or trade?
Ans; Chain of markets to produce Milk is first produced in
(i) Dairy cooperatives first purchase milk at different locations.
(ii) After that, milk is transported to the milk factories by the dairy cooperatives.
(iii) Milk is pasteurized in the factories and are packed.
(iv) Packets are milk are then given to the traders which transport them to cities where wholesaler purchase these.
(v) Retailers purchase from the wholesalers then sell these packets of milk to the consumers in the open market in booths.

4 What is putting out system? Write its advantages as well as disadvantages.

Ans ; The arrangement between the merchant and the weavers is an example of putting-out system, in which the merchant supplies the raw material and receives the finished product.

 Advantages;

a)       The weavers do not have to spend their money on purchase of yarn.

b)       the problem of selling the finished cloth is taken care of.

Disadvantages;

This dependence on the merchants both for raw materials and markets means that the merchants have a lot of power.  

They pay a very low price for making the        cloth.

5 How weaver’s cooperatives are reduces the dependencies of weavers over the merchants?

Ans; In a weaver’s cooperative, the weavers form a group and take up certain activities collectively.

They procure yarn from the yarn dealer and distribute it among the weavers.

The cooperative also does the marketing. So, the role of the merchant is reduced, and weavers get a fair price on the cloth.

6 How do the garment exporters meet the conditions set by the foreign buyers?

Ans; They provide the garments at the lowest prices to buyers.

In addition, they set high standards for quality of production and timely delivery. Any defects or delay in delivery is dealt with strictly.  

Devotional to path of divine

         Exercise question answers History chapter

                Devotional to path of divine

Q1. Describe the beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Ideas and Yogis.

Ans; (i) They believed in logical arguments.
(ii) They criticised the rituals and other aspects of conventional religion and the social order.
(iii) They believed that the path to salvation  through  meditation on the formless  god and the realisation of  god.
(iv) They advocated intense training of the mind and body through practices like yogasanas, breathing exercises and meditation.

 Q2. What were the major ideas expressed by Kabir? How did he express these?

Ans; (i) Kabir’s  teachings were based on a complete, indeed vehement, rejection of the major religious traditions.
(ii) He openly criticized   idol  worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam.
(iii) He believed in a formless Supreme God.
(iv) He  stressed on  bhakti or devotion to attain salvation.
He  used  hindi  language  in his poetry. There was also a vast collection of verses called sakhis and pads by him.

Q3.  What were the major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?

Ans; (i) They rejected outward religiosity and  stressed love and devotion to God.
(ii) They also emphasized compassion towards all fellow human beings.
(iii) They rejected idol worship and simplified rituals of worship into collective prayers.
(iv) They believed in monotheism or submission to one God.
(v) They rejected the elaborate rituals and codes of behaviour demanded by Muslim religious scholars.

Q4. Why do you think many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices?

Ans;  many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs  and practices  because such beliefs advocated social differences and practicing them was  difficult and cumbersome.

They argued strongly for the equality of all human beings and against Brahmanical ideas about caste and the treatment of women.

Q5. What were the major teachings of Baba Guru Nanak?

Ans; Baba Guru Nanak emphasized the importance of the worship of one God. According to him, caste, creed or gender was irrelevant for attaining liberation.   He gave the motto of nam, dan and isnan, which meant right worship, welfare of others and purity of conduct.

Q6. For either the Virashaivas or the sants of Maharashtra, discuss their attitude towards caste.

Ans; The Virashaivas strongly argued for equality of all human beings. They were against Brahmanical ideas about caste and women

They wished for a society where people of all backgrounds could live in harmony without any feelings of high  and low, rich and poor.

 Q7. Why do you think ordinary people preserved the memory of Mirabai?

Ans; Mira bai was a rajput princess married into royal family of mewar. But she had no interest in the worldly affair. She was an ardent devote e of lord Krishna.  Since Mira bai’s songs openly challenged the existing norms of the ‘upper castes’, ordinary people could relate to them. Hence they preserved her memory.

Extra questions answers

Q.1 Who were the Pulaiyar and the Panars?
Ans. They were considered untouchables belonged to Nayanars sect.

Q.2. How many Alvars were there?
Ans. There were 12 Alvars.

Q. 3. Name the two sets of compilations of Nayanar’s songs.
Ans. Tevaram and Tiruvacakam.

Q.4 Name the set of compilation of Alvars’ songs.
Ans. Divya Prabandham.

Q.5. What did Ramanuja propound?
Ans. He propounded the doctrine of Vishishtadvaita or qualified oneness in that the soul even when united with the Supreme God remained distinct.

Q.6. What is abhang?
Ans. It is a Marathi devotional hymn.

Q.7. Name any two saints of Maharashtra.
Ans. Namdev and Tukaram

Q.9. Name any two great Sufis of Central Asia . ..
Ans. Ghazzali and Rumi.                                                  ”

Q.10.What are namghars?                     
Ans. They are houses of recitation and prayer, a practice that continues even today.

Q.11. What was known as dharmsal?
Ans. Baba Guru Nanak created sacred place which was known as dharmsal. It is now known as Gurudwara.

Q.12. To whom did Baba Guru Nanak appoint as his successor?
Ans. Guru Nanak appointed Guru Angad, one of his followers, as his successor.

 SHORTANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1. Who were the Nayanars and Alvars? Write about them in brief.
Ans. The Nayanars and Alvars led religious movements in south India during seventh to ninth centuries. The Nayanars were devotees of Shiva while the Alvars were the devotees of Vishnu. They came from all castes including those considered ‘untouchable’ like the Pulaiyar and the Panars. They  love of Shiva or Vishnu as the path to salvation. They went from place to place composing beautiful poems in praise of the deities enshrined in the villages they visited and set them to music.

There were 63 Nayanars who belonged to different caste backgrounds. There were 12 Alvars who came from equally divergent backgrounds.

Q.2 Who was Ramanuja? What are the main points of his preachings?
Ans:Ramanuja was a Bhakti saint. He was bom in Tamil Nadu in the 11th century. He was deeply influenced by the Alvars. The main points of his preachings are :

(a) Ramanuja  said that  salvation can attained  through intense devotion to Vishnu. Vishnu in His grace helps the devotee to attain the bliss of union with Him.

(b) He propounded the doctrine of Vishishtadvaita or qualified oneness in that the soul even when united with the Supreme God remained distinct.

Q.3 What do you mean by Khanqahs? What purpose did it serve?                 
Ans:Khanqahs were houses of rest for travellers especially one kept by a religious order.They discussed spiritual matters, sought the blessings of the saints in solving their worldly problems or simply attended the music and dance sessions.

Q.4.  Why was the Mughal emperor Jahangir hostile to the Sikh community? How did the Sikh movement gain momentum ?
Ans:By the beginning of the 17th century the town of Ramdaspur, Amritsar had developed around the central Gurudwara known as Harmandar Sahib, the Golden Temple. It was virtually self-governing body and the modem historians refer to the early 17th century Sikh community as ‘a state within state’. This made the Mughal emperor Jahangir hostile to the Sikh community. He looked upon them as a potential threat and he ordered the execution of Guru Aijan in 1606.