History: India and the Contemporary World - I

NCERT Solution
INDEX
Chapter Number Chapter Name Page No.
Chapter 1 The French Revolution 1-2
Chapter 2 Socialism in Europe and the Russian 3-6
Revolution
Chapter 3 Nazism and the Rise of Hitler 7-8

Chapter 4 Forest Society and Colonialism 9-11

Chapter 5 Pastoralists in the Modern World 12-13
Chapter 6 Peasants and Farmers 14-16
Chapter 7 History and Sport: The Story of Cricket 17-18
Chapter 8 Clothing: A Social History 19-20

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 1 Social Science

The French Revolution

Question 1: Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in

France.
Answer: Following are some of the causes which had a cumulative effect to result in
revolution in France:

 The war with Britain for an independent America: This war led to mounting debt on
the French monarchy. This necessitated imposition of new taxes on the public.
 Privilege based on birth: People got privileges and position based on their lineage
and not on their merit. This led to resentment among common people.
 Concentration of power among the privileged: People belonging to the first and
second estate had all the power and money. Masses were at the mercy of this
privileged class.
 Subsistence Crisis: Rising population and less grain production resulted in demand
supply gap of bread, which was the staple diet. Wages did not keep pace with rising
prices. It was becoming difficult for people.

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Growing Middle Class: Because of increased overseas trade a new class emerged.
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This class was wealthy not because of birth but because of its ability to utilize
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opportunities. People of the middle class started raising their voice for an end to
privileges based on lineage.
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All of this led to a general sense of resentment among people. Certain thinkers of the period
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spread awareness through various media. Some from the privileged classes also advocated a
switch to democracy. So, finally there was revolution in France.
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Question 2: Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which groups
were forced to relinquish power? Which sections of society would have been disappointed
with the outcome of the revolution?
Answer: Peasants and artisans of French society benefited from the revolution. Clergy,
nobles and church had to relinquish power. It is obvious that those who had to forego
power and privileges would have been disappointed. People from the first and the second
estate must have been a disappointed lot.

Question 3: Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world
during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Answer: The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of the
French Revolution. These spread from France to the rest of Europe during the nineteenth
century, where feudal systems were abolished. Further these ideas spread to different
colonies of the European nations. Colonised people interpreted and moulded these ideas
according to respective needs. This was probably like seed for an end of colonization in
many countries. By the mid of 20th century major part of the world adopted democracy as

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 1 Social Science

the preferred mode of rule and the French Revolution can be termed as the initiation point
for this development.

Question 4: Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be
traced to the French Revolution.
Answer: The following fundamental rights, given in the Indian constitution can be traced to
the French Revolution:

 The right to equality

 The right to freedom of speech and expression
 The right to freedom from exploitation
 The right to constitutional remedies

Question 5: Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset
with contradictions? Explain.
Answer: The major contradiction in the message of universal rights as per the French
Constitution of 1791 was the total ignorance of women. All rights were given to men. Apart

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from that the presence of huge number of people as passive citizens, without voting rights,
was like not putting into practice what you preach. In other words it can be said that
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although the declaration of universal rights was a good starting point but it left much to be
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desired.
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Question 6: How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?

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Answer: After France became a republic in 1792, the then ruler, Robespeirre, gave more
privileges to the wealthier section of society. Further, he was a sort of autocrat himself. This
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led to reign of terror for the following many years. After Robespeirre’s rule came to an end a
directory was formed to avoid concentration of power in one individual. Members of the
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directory often fought among themselves leading to total chaos and political instability. This
created a political vacuum in France. This was a conducive situation and Napoleon
Bonaparte took the reign of power as a military dictator.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 2 Social Science

Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

Question 1: What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905?

Answer: The social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905 were variously
beneficial and bad for the masses. 85% of Russia’s population was agriculturist, far more than France
or Germany with 40-50%. Industry was existent, but sporadically. Most of this was privately owned.
Workers either came from villages, or migrated to cities for employment in factories. The industrial
sector had its fair share of trouble with strikes in the textiles industry in 1896-97 and the metals
industry in 1902.

At this time, the peasant community was deeply religious, but did not care much about the nobility.
They believed that land must be divided amongst themselves. Since this was not possible due to
feudal rights, the peasants had their own unique commune wherein wealth was shared out
according to each family’s needs.

Political parties were illegal before 1914. The Social Democratic Workers’ Party (1898) was hence,
illegal. Interestingly, the socialists believed that the peasants were “natural socialists” in their policy
of equitable distribution of wealth. However, the Bolsheviks under Lenin wanted a disciplined group,
and not farmers, in the party. While the Bolsheviks believed in controlling the number and quality of
its members, the Mensheviks believed that the party should be open to all.

In the field of economic conditions, 1904 was a bad year for the workers. Due to rise in prices of
essential goods, real wages decreased by 20%, leading to the famous St.Petersburg strike where
110,000 workers protested, demanding reduction in work hours and increase in wages. This strike
started a series of events that are together known as the 1905 Revolution. During this revolution,
there were strikes all over the country, universities closed down, and various professionals and
workers established the Union of Unions, demanding the establishment of a constituent assembly.

These were the socio-economic and political conditions in pre-1905 Russia.

Question 2: In what ways was the working population in Russia different from other countries in
Europe, before 1917?

Answer: The working population in Russia was different from other countries in Europe before 1917
because not all Russian workers migrated from the villages to work in the industrial sector. Some of
them continued to live in villages and went to work daily, to the towns. They were a divided group,
socially and professionally, and this showed in their dress and manners too. Metal workers were the
“aristocrats” of the working class because their occupation demanded more training and skill.
Nevertheless, the working population was united on one front — strikes against work conditions and
employer tyranny.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 2 Social Science

Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

Question 3: Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?

Answer: The Tsarist autocracy collapsed in 1917 because of public mistrust and a growing
dissatisfaction with the Tsar’s policies. The Tsar, Nicholas II imposed restrictions on political activity,
changed voting laws and dismissed any questioning of or restrictions on his authority. At the
beginning of the First World War, he did not consult the main parties in the Duma. Anti-German
sentiments were gaining ground, and Tsarina Alexandra’s German origin, Rasputin and the German
name of the city St.Petersburg did nothing to remedy the situation. The Russian army lost battles,
but would destroy crops and dwellings on retreat. This led to the presence of 3 million refugees in
Russia, which in turn worsened the conditions.

Industry was badly affected by the First World War. Imports were cut off due to German control of
the Baltic sea. Industrial equipment started disintegrating and the railway lines were broken by
1916. Due to conscription, able-bodied men went to the army and this resulted in labour shortage.
Riots in bread shops became a common sight. On 26 February, 1917, the government suspended the
Duma. This was the last straw and put the Tsar’s regime in complete jeopardy. The Tsar was forced
to abdicate on 2 March, 1917, thereby marking the end of his autocracy.

Question 4: Make two lists: one with the main events and the effects of the February Revolution
and the other with the main events and effects of the October Revolution. Write a paragraph on
who was involved in each, who were the leaders and what was the impact of each on Soviet
history.

Answer: Main events and effects of the February Revolution, October Revolution (who was involved,
leaders, impact on Soviet history)

(a) The February Revolution

In February 1917, acute food shortages were felt in the workers’ quarters; parliamentarians were
opposed to the Tsar’s wish to dissolve the Duma. On 22nd February, a factory lockout occurred and
many women led the way to the strikes. The strikes continued, with the workers surrounding
fashionable quarters and official buildings at the centre of Petrograd — the Nevskii Prospekt. On
25th February, the Duma was dissolved. This resulted in a ransacking of the Police Headquarters on
the 27th. The cavalry refused to fire at the protesting crowd, and by evening, the revolting soldiers
and the striking workers were united as a “soviet” or “council” called the Petrograd Soviet.

The Tsar abdicated his power on 2nd March, and the Soviet and Duma leaders formed a Provisional
Government for Russia. The February Revolution had no political party at its forefront. It was led by
the people themselves. Petrograd had brought down the monarchy, and thus, gained a significant
place in Soviet history.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 2 Social Science

Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

(b) The October Revolution

This arose out of the conflict between the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks. In
September, Vladimir Lenin began to bring together Bolshevik supporters for an uprising. On 16
October 1917, he convinced the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party for a socialist seizure of
power. A Military Revolutionary Committee was appointed under Leon Trotskii to organise this
capture of power. When the uprising began on 24 October, Prime Minister Kerenskii left the city to
bring in the troops to prevent the situation from going out of control. In a swift response, the
Military Revolutionary Committee attacked government offices; the ship Aurora shelled the Winter
Palace, and by nightfall on the 24th, the city was under Bolshevik control. After some serious
fighting, the Bolsheviks gained full control of the Moscow-Petrograd area. The actions of the
Bolsheviks were unanimously accepted at a meeting of the All Russian Congress of Soviets, in
Petrograd.

The October Revolution was primarily led by Lenin and his sub-ordinate Trotskii, and involved the
masses who supported these leaders. It marked the beginning of Lenin’s rule over the Soviet, with
the Bolsheviks under his guidance.

Question 5: What were the main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the
October Revolution?

Answer: Main changes brought about by the Bolsheviks immediately after the October Revolution:

In November 1917, industry and banks were nationalised; land was declared social property, thereby
allowing peasants to seize it from the nobility. In urban areas, houses were partitioned according to
family requirements; old aristocratic titles were banned, and new uniforms were designed for the
army and the officials. In November, the Bolsheviks lost in the elections to the Constituent Assembly,
and when in January 1918, the Assembly rejected their measures, Lenin dismissed the Assembly. In
March 1918, despite political opposition, Russia signed a peace treaty with Germany at Brest Litovsk.
Gradually, Russia became a one-party state where trade-unions were controlled, Bolsheviks’ critics
were punished by the secret police, and any form of opposition to the Bolshevik Party was censored.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 2 Social Science

Socialism in Europe and the Russian Revolution

Question 6: Write a few lines to show what you know about:

 Kulaks
 The duma
 Women workers between 1900 and 1930
 The liberals
 Stalin’s collectivisation programme

Answer:

(a) Kulaks: It is the Russian term for wealthy peasants who Stalin believed were hoarding grains to
gain more profit. They were raided in 1928 and their supplies were confiscated. According to
Marxism-Leninism, kulaks were a 'class enemy' of the poorer peasants. Their desire for profit led to
food shortages and ultimately, Stalin had to put the collectivisation programme in place to eliminate
the kulaks, and establish large, state-controlled farms.

(b) The Duma: Formed on 6 August 1905, under the pressure of the Russian Revolution of 1905, it
was initially thought to be an advisory organ. In the October Manifesto, Tsar Nicholas II endowed it
with legislative and oversight powers. However, he had the power to dismiss the Duma and
announce new elections whenever he wished to do so. The Tsar dissolved the Duma on 25 February
1917, and for doing so, he had to ultimately abdicate his own post on the 2nd of March that same
year.

(c) Women workers between 1900 and 1930: They made up 31% of the factory labour force by
1914, but were paid almost half and three-quarters of the wages given to men. However,
interestingly, it were the women workers who led the way to strikes during the February Revolution.

(d) The Liberals: They espoused a nation that was tolerant towards all religions; one that would
protect individual rights against the government. Although the liberals wanted an elected
parliamentary form of governance, they believed that the right to vote must only belong to men,
and that too the ones who were property holders.

(e) Stalin’s collectivisation programme: This was implemented in 1929 in order to increase grain
produce and avoid hoarding by kulaks. The programme entailed collective farms (kolkhoz) where
peasants were made to work together. All land and implements were to be owned by the state.
Kolkhoz profit was meant to be shared by all the people working on these farms. However, this
collectivization policy was unpopular and cultivators destroyed their livestock in protest. In spite of
collectivization, production did not increase immediately. The bad harvests of 1930-33 led to
horrible famines in which over 4 million people died.

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 3 Social Science

Nazism and The Rise of Hitler

Question 1: Describe the problems faced by the Weimar Republic.

Answer: The problems faced by the Weimar Republic were:

 Versailles treaty: The Versailles Peace Treaty at the end of the First World War
dispossessed Germany of its territories, its resources and its pride as a nation. He
also had to pay 6 billion pounds as war compensation. In spite of the harsh terms,
the Weimar Republic accepted the humiliating treaty, thereby making it unpopular
amongst the German masses.
 Economic Crisis: The German state was financially crippled due to overwhelming war
debts which had to be paid in gold. Subsequently god reserves depleted and value of
German mark fell. Prices of essential goods rose dramatically.
 Political defects: The Weimar Republic was weak due to inherent constitutional
irregularities such as proportional representation and Article 48 (which gave the
President the power to impose emergency and rule by decree). The democratic
parliamentary system seemed to give the people no solutions or benefits in the
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times of the severe economic crisis.

Question 2: Discuss why Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930.

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Answer: Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930 due to lot of reasons:
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 The most apparent being the Great Depression. The Weimar Republic did little to
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remedy the country’s economic downfall, and Hitler was presented as a saviour to
the humiliated German people living in economic and political crises.
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 The powerful speeches of Hitler in which he sought to build great nation, undo the
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injustice of the Versailles Treaty, restore the dignity of German people and provide
employment for all stirred hopes in people.
 Nazi propaganda was unique. Red banners with the Swastika, Nazi salute and the
rounds of applause attracted the people making Nazism very popular.

Question 3: What are the peculiar features of Nazi thinking?

Answer: The peculiar features of Nazi thinking were

 A belief in racial hierarchy and Lebensraum or living space.

 Nordic German Aryans were at the top, while the Jews formed the lowest rung of the
racial ladder.
 They believed that only the strongest race would survive and rule.
 New territories must be gained for enhancing the natural resources and power of
Germany.

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 3 Social Science

Question 4: Explain why Nazi propaganda was effective in creating a hatred for Jews.
Answer: Nazi propaganda was effective in creating hatred for the Jews:

 The Nazis used the language and media effectively with great care. The racial theory
put forward by the Nazis that the Jews belonged to a lower race and as such were
undesirable.
 The traditional Christian hatred for the Jews, because they were accused to have
killed Christ, was fully exploited by the Nazis in order to make the Germans pre-
judicial against Jews.
 The Nazis injected hatred against the Jews even in the minds of the children from the
very beginning during the days of their schooling. The teachers who were Jews were
dismissed and Jews children were thrown out of the schools. Such methods and new
ideological training to the new generation of children went a long way in making the
Nazi’s propaganda quite effective in creating hatred for the Jews.
 Propaganda films were made to create hatred for the Jews. Orthodox Jews were
stereotyped and marked. For example, one such film was ‘The Eternal Jew’.

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Question 5: Explain what role women had in Nazi society. Return to Chapter 1 on the French
Revolution. Write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the role of women in the two
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periods.
Answer: Role of women in Nazi society followed the rules of a largely patriarchal or male-
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dominated society. Hitler hailed women as “the most important citizen” in his Germany, but
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this was true for only Aryan women who bred pure-blood, “desirable” Aryans. Motherhood
was the only goal they were taught to reach for, apart from performing the stereotypical
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functions of managing the household and being good wives. This was in stark contrast to the
role of women in the French Revolution where women led movements and fought for rights
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to education and equal wages. They were allowed to form political clubs, and schooling was
made compulsory for them after the French Revolution.

Question 6: In what ways did the Nazi state seek to establish total control over its people ?
Answer: The Nazis established control over its people by various means:

 They used different propaganda through posters or films to glorify their behaviour.
 Media was carefully used to win support for the regime and popularise it.
 Nazism worked on the minds of the people, tapped their emotions and turned their
hatred and anger against those marked as ‘undesirable’.
 Special surveillance and security forces to control and order society in ways that the
Nazis wanted, was created.
 The police forces had powers to rule with impunity. Genocide also created an
atmosphere of fear and repression which helped them to establish total control over
its people.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 4 Social Science

Forest Society and Colonialism

Question 1: Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the
following groups of people:

 Shifting cultivators
 Nomadic and pastoralist communities
 Firms trading in timber/forest produce
 Plantation owners
 Kings/British officials engaged in shikar

Answer: The effect of changes in forest management in the colonial period on —

(a) Shifting cultivators: Also known as swidden agriculture, shifting cultivation is a practice wherein
part of a forest is burnt for farming; this is done in rotation. With the emergence of forest
management, shifting cultivators were dispossessed of their occupation and displaced from their
homes. The government found it difficult to calculate their taxes. The forest officials considered
burning the forest dangerous because it could spread further; they also considered it a waste of
fertile land, which could instead be used for growing railway timber. Shifting cultivators were forced
to change professions, while some participated in large and small rebellions opposing the changes.

(b) Nomadic and pastoralist communities: Their daily lifestyles were badly affected by the new
forest laws. Due to the changes brought in by forest management, nomadic and pastoralist
communities could not cut wood, graze cattle, collect fruits and roots, and hunt or fish. All this was
made illegal. As a result, they were forced to steal wood, and if caught, they would have to offer
bribes to the forest guards. Some of these tribes were even labelled “criminal”.

(c) Firms trading in timber/forest produce: Trade was conducted under complete government
regulation. The British administration gave European firms the sole rights to trade in forest products
of certain areas. This was a huge profit-making step for firms trading in timber/forest produce.

(d) Plantation owners: They were also a happy lot like the timer-trading firms. The displaced
nomadic and pastoralist tribes were often recruited by plantation owners to work on their farms.
Plantation owners made big profits, making the workers work for long hours and at low wages. Due
to the new forest laws, the workers could not even protest as this was their sole means of earning a
livelihood.

(e) Kings/British officials engaged in shikar: This group was a happy lot because the British
government viewed large animals as symbols of a wild, savage and primitive society. Consequently,
hunting tigers, wolves and the like was encouraged. Around 80,000 tigers, 150,000 leopards and
200,000 wolves were hunted down for reward during 1875-1925.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 4 Social Science

Forest Society and Colonialism

Question 2: What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in
Java?

Answer: The similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java are
many. The Dutch started colonial forest management in Java just as the British had done in India, for
timber. The villagers in Bastar were allowed to stay on in reserved forests if they provided free
labour for timber firms; likewise, the blandongdiensten system in Java demanded free labour from
forest villagers for cutting and transporting wood. Just as the Kalangs uprising in Java was quelled in
1770, the Bastar residents revolt was also suppressed by the British, in 1910.

Question 3: Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the Indian subcontinent declined by 9.7
million hectares, from 108.6 million hectares to 98.9 million hectares. Discuss the role of the
following factors in this decline:

 Railways
 Shipbuilding
 Agricultural expansion
 Commercial farming
 Tea/Coffee plantations
 Adivasis and other peasant users

Answer:

(a) Railways: These were a necessary mode of transport for colonial trade and movement of troops.
To run the locomotives, wood was needed as fuel and also for railway sleepers. As railways spread
throughout India, a huge number of trees were felled. In the Madras Presidency itself, 35,000 trees
were cut annually for sleepers, in the 1850s.

(b) Shipbuilding: This was also important from the perspective of colonial trade. When England’s
own forests began to deplete, teams were sent to India to explore timber resources here. New ships
were needed for the continuance of the English imperial power. Being an island nation, England had
an essential need for timber for shipbuilding, and huge quantities of this timber was being exported
from India.

(c) Agricultural expansion: In order to expand production of cash crops, whole forests were felled to
make way for cultivation of crops that brought in revenue. Commercial agriculture fast replaced
shifting agriculture.

(d) Commercial farming: This was a direct corollary of agricultural expansion. In commercial forestry,
a particular type of tree was grown for trade pruposes. Older forests which had a wide variety of
trees were no longer considered of use. These were cut down and replaced with “managed” forests.

(e) Tea/Coffee plantations: They hired displaced village community members on low wages. The
forest tribes no longer lived where they had been located for generations. Shifting cultivators would
sow seeds in burnt out forest land and re-grow trees. When they were gone, there was no one left
to tend to the forests, something they had done naturally in their home villages.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 4 Social Science

Forest Society and Colonialism

(f) Adivasis and other peasant users: As mentioned in the previous note, when they were forced to
leave their forest homes, the forests became victim to trade avarice. Industry did not worship the
earth or its resources like the adivasis had done.

Question 4: Why are forests affected by wars?

Answer: Forests are affected by wars on account of a variety of reasons. During the World Wars,
Britain was ruthless in cutting down forests in India for war needs. To avoid Japan the profits from
the forest industry, the Dutch destroyed saw mills and teak logs in Java. This blind destruction and
cutting down of forests to fulfill national war requirements affects forests as they get depleted
rapidly and are slow to grow back.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 5 Social Science

Pastoralists in the Modern World

Question 1: Explain why nomadic tribes need to move from one place to another. What are the
advantages to the environment of this continuous movement?

Answer: Nomadic tribes need to move from one place to another because of seasonal changes. They
seek to make effective use of pastures available in different areas. Many factors are taken into
consideration to initiate movement to or from an area. These factors are availability of water and
pasture, smooth movement through different territories, and cordial relationship with farmers while
travelling so that their cattle can be allowed to graze (and in turn manure the soil). This also allows
nomadic tribes to practice many occupations such as cultivation, trade and herding.

This continuous movement is advantageous to the environment because the nomadic tribes allow
pastures to recover and regain fertility. Also, pastures are not rendered completely barren by
exploitative and long use.

Question 2: Discuss why the colonial government in India brought in the following laws. In each
case, explain how the law changed the lives of pastoralists:

 Waste Land rules

 Forest Acts
 Criminal Tribes Act
 Grazing Tax

Answer: (a) Waste Land rules: The colonial government considered any uncultivated land as
unproductive. If this land could be transformed into cultivated farmland, it would result in an
increase in land revenue and production of crops such as jute, cotton and wheat. This is why the
Waste Land rules were formulated. However, they sounded the death knell for pastoralists because
increase in cultivated land meant an obvious decline in pastures, and a consequent loss of a means
of livelihood for them.

(b) Forest Acts: These placed forests in two dominant categories — reserved and protected.
Reserved forests were for commercial use only, and were inaccessible to the pastoralists. In
protected forests, the movements of pastoralists were severely restricted. Even for this severely
limited and regulated access, pastoralists had to rely on government permits. The government
enacted these laws because the trampling herds would destroy any young shoots and saplings that
were planted for long-term commercial purposes.

(c) Criminal Tribes Act: The British government eyed nomadic people with suspicion and disregard
on account of their continuous movement. They could not be tracked down or placed in one
particular place, unlike rural people in villages who were easy to identify and control. Hence, the
colonial power viewed nomadic tribes as criminal. The Criminal Tribes Act was passed in 1871 and it
further ruined the lives of the pastoralists who were now forced to live in notified settlements, and
were disallowed from moving out without a government permit.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 5 Social Science

Pastoralists in the Modern World

(d) Grazing Tax: This was introduced in the 1850s to increase the government’s revenue income. The
pastoralists were also badly hit by the higher tax that contractors exacted from them in order to
make some private profit. Pastoralists could not afford to pay tax on cattle per head, and the only
means to enter a grazing tract was by payment. All this led to tremendous losses for them.

Question 3: Give reasons to explain why the Maasai community lost their grazing lands.

Answer: The Maasai community lost its grazing lands because of the advent of colonial rule in Africa.
In 1885 itself, Maasai land was cut in half by an international boundary drawn between the two
colonies—British Kenya and German Tanganyika. The best pastures were reserved for white
settlements, and the Maasai tribes were given arid, small areas in south Kenya and north Tanzania.
This lack of good grazing lands and a two-year drought led to loss of almost 60% cattle belonging to
the Maasai tribes. Increase in cultivation and promotion of game reserves added to their woes. Thus,
with the increasing power of the colonists and their adverse impact on the Maasai’s social life, this
community gradually lost all its grazing lands.

Question 4: There are many similarities in the way in which the modern world forced changes in
the lives of pastoral communities in India and East Africa. Write about any two examples of
changes which were similar for Indian pastoralists and the Massai herders.

Answer: There are many similarities in the way in which the modern world forced changes in the
lives of pastoral communities in India and East Africa. Write about any two examples of changes
which were similar for Indian pastoralists and the Massai herders.

Answer: There are many similarities in the way in which the modern world forced changes in the
lives of pastoral communities in India and East Africa. Two changes that were similar for Indian
pastoralists and the Maasai herders are as follows:

(i) Both communities lost their grazing lands due to the preference given to cultivation.

(ii) Both communities were nomadic, and hence, were regarded with extreme suspicion by the
colonial powers governing them. This led to their further decline.

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 6 Social Science

Peasants and Farmers

Question 1: Explain briefly what the open field system meant to rural people in eighteenth-
century England.

Look at the system from the point of view of:

(i) A rich farmer

Answer (i): As the prices of wool increased, rich farmers wanted to increase its production.
Therefore, they began to privatise the best parts of the common land and open fields for
themselves. This was done to ensure that their sheep would get good fodder. They also
began to drive out poorer farmers, disallowing them from using common land for grazing.

(ii) A labourer

Answer: (ii) For the poor labourers, the common lands were essential for survival. They used
to live with landowners, doing a number of odd jobs for them in return for board and
lodging and a small pay. However, when the open field system began to disappear,

of rich landowners and farmers.

o m
labourers were paid wages and employed only at harvest time. This left them at the mercy
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(iii) A peasant woman
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Answer: (iii) For peasant women, the open field system was a good way of community living
ev

wherein everything was shared between the rich and the poor. They would use the common
lands for grazing their cattle, gathering fruits and collecting firewood. However, all these
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activities were negatively affected because of the disappearance of open fields.

Ed

Question 2: Explain briefly the factors which led to the enclosures in England.
Answer: The factors which led to the enclosures in England were:

 Increasing population and due to it increasing demand of food grains and other
things led to the enclosure in England.
 The rising prices of agricultural products such as wool, wheat, milk, fruits etc. also
played role as a factor in promoting enclosures in England.
 Industrialisation and war needs made food grain prices soar, making it necessary to
take steps to increase its production.
 In the nineteenth century enclosure were seen necessary to make long term
investment on land and plan crop rotations to improve the soil.
 Enclosures also allowed the richer landowners to expand the land under their
control and produce for the market

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 6 Social Science

Question 3: Why were threshing machines opposed by the poor in England?

Answer: Threshing machines were opposed by the poor in England because they thought
that these machines would deprive workmen of their livelihood. They believed that with the
help of machines the richer farmers and big landlords would encourage enclosure
movement. The commons would be distributed among rich farmers, and poor farmers,
labourers, peasants women would have to- struggle for their jobs and they would be
jobless.

Question 4: Who was Captain Swing? What did the name symbolise or represent?
Answer: Captain Swing was a mythic name used in threatening letters, written by the
workmen against the use of threshing machines by rich farmers.
The name symbolised anger or unhappiness of the labourers against the use of threshing
machines by rich farmers or big land owners.

Question 5: What was the impact of the westward expansion of settlers in the USA?

Answer: The westward expansion of settlers in the USA led to a complete annihilation of

m
American Indians who were pushed westwards, down the Mississippi river, and then further
west beyond that. They fought back, but were defeated; their villages were burnt and cattle
o
destroyed. Also, with the cultivation of land for agricultural purposes, all grass and trees
.c
were razed. This led to terrible dust storms and blizzards in the 1930s, causing much death
er

and destruction.
ev

Question 6: What were the advantages and disadvantages of the use of mechanical
harvesting machines in the USA?
uf

Answer: The advantages of the use of mechanical harvesting machines in the USA were:
Ed

 The price of wheat was high and demand limitless. These new machines allowed
farmers to quickly clear tracts, break up the soil, remove the grass and prepare the
ground for cultivation.
 The work could be done within a shorter time period and with a lesser number of
labourers.
 With power-driven machinery, four men could plough, seed and harvest 2,000 to
4,000 acres of wheat in a season.

However there were some disadvantages for the poorer farmers too:

 They were thrown out of their jobs and they lost their means of livelihood.
 Many of them bought this machine too but it adversely affect them as the machines
were expensive and once the demand crossed its limit there was enough surplus
grain in the market. Thus, farmers needed to pay back the loan they had taken from
banks to buy these machines, and the farmers had no money.

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 6 Social Science

Question 7: What lessons can we draw from the conversion of the countryside in the USA
from a bread basket to a dust bowl?
Answer: The expansion of wheat agriculture in the Great Plains created the Dust Bowl. The
American dream of a land of plenty had turned into a nightmare.
We need to learn a lesson from this. Use of land is good but overuse of land is bad. We need
to realise that land is a precious natural resource which needs to be preserved and
conserved. It serves as warning sign against the exploitative use of land for commercial
purposes only leads to degradation and depletion. This gives rise to serious consequences.
We must realise that we need to respect the ecological conditions of each region and work
towards sustainable development and look after our earth.

Question 8: Write a paragraph on why the British insisted on farmers growing opium in
India.
Answer: The British insisted on farmers growing opium in India to balance their trade with
China. Tea became extremely popular in England, and by 1830, over 30 million pounds of
tea was being imported from China. The British could buy tea from China only by paying in
bullion. Hence, there was nothing that England could offer to the Chinese in exchange for
o m
tea, except money. Opium was used in Chinese medicine, but was banned for use due to its
addictive qualities. The British started an illegal opium trade, and by 1839, there were an
.c
estimated 12 million opium smokers in China. All the supplied opium came from India and it
er

formed an easy, cheap way to pay for the tea imported from China.
ev

Question 9: Why were Indian farmers reluctant to grow opium?

Answer: The Indian farmers were reluctant to grow opium due to:
uf

 The crop had to be grown on the best land, on fields that lay near the villages and
Ed

were well manure.

 This land was usually used for growing pulses. If opium was grown on fertile and well
manured land then pulses would have to be grown on less fertile land and yield
would not be good in quality as well as quantity.
 The cultivation of opium was difficult and time-consuming as the plants required
looking after. As a consequence, the cultivators would not have time to look after
their other produce.
 The farmers had to pay the rent for their land to the landlords. This rent was very
high. The cultivators owned no land.
 Finally, the price the government paid for the opium produce was very low and
would provide the farmers with no profits.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 7 Social Science

History and Sport: The Story of Cricket

Question 1: Test cricket is unique game in many ways. Discuss some of the ways in which it is
different from other team games. How are the peculiarities of Test cricket shaped by its historical
beginnings as a village game?

Answer: Test cricket is a unique game in many ways. It was the first modern team game to give itself
rules and regulations. Unlike other team games, it can go on for five days and still end in a draw. No
other modern team sport takes even half as much time to complete. While most team games (such
as hockey and football) specify the dimensions of the playing area, the laws of cricket do not state
the specific dimensions of the playing field.

The reasons for such peculiarities of Test cricket are related to its historical beginnings as a village
game. Originally, cricket matches had no time limit. In rural England, a match would go on till a side
was bowled out twice. This corresponded to the life in the countryside. Village life was unlike the
strictly time-oriented routines of industrial city life. The absence of any specifications about the
dimensions of the playing field can also be related to the rural origins of cricket. It was originally
played on country commons or public grounds, and the sizes of such grounds varied from one village
to another. The rural and pre-industrial past of cricket is also indicated by the game's equipment.
The bat, even today, is made of wood, as are the stumps and the bails. Likewise, the ball is made
with leather, twine and cork.

Question 2: Describe one way in which in the nineteenth century, technology brought about a
change in equipment and give one example where no change in equipment took place.

Answer: One way in which in the nineteenth century, technology brought about a change in
cricketing equipment was by the introduction of pads and protective gloves. These protective
equipments came forth as a result of the invention of vulcanised rubber.

However, cricketing equipment has more or less remained the same. The bats, even today, are made
of wood. Also, they are not factory manufactured, but made by hand.

Question 3: Explain why cricket became popular in India and the West Indies. Can you give reasons
why it did not become popular in countries in South America?

Answer: Cricket became popular in India and the West Indies because of its colonial background.
British imperial officials used it as a symbol of racial and social superiority. They did not popularise
the game for the masses. For the colonised, playing cricket implied being the racial equals of the
British. Success at cricket came to imply a measure of racial equality and political progress. On the
other hand, the game was not so popular in countries like those of South America since they were
not dominated by imperial England.

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 Class 9 India and the Contemporary World-Chapter 7 Social Science

History and Sport: The Story of Cricket

Question 4: Give brief explanations for the following:

 The Parsis were the first Indian community to set up a cricket club in India.
 Mahatma Gandhi condemned the Pentangular tournament.
 The name of the ICC was changed from the Imperial Cricket Conference to the
International Cricket Conference.
 The shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai.

Answer: (a) The Parsis were a small trading community in close contact with the British, and hence,
they were the first ones to westernise. During this process of westernisation, they founded the first
Indian cricket club, in Bombay, in 1848, called the Oriental Cricket Club.

(b) Mahatma Gandhi condemned the Pentangular tournament because he viewed it as a

tournament organised to propagate communal disharmony. This was disadvantageous at a time
when Indian nationalists were trying to unite the diverse communities and regions of India into one
secular whole.

(c) The name of the ICC was changed from the Imperial Cricket Conference to the International
Cricket Conference due to the colonial implications of the former. This change in name happened as
late as 1965. Till then, England and Australia exercised monopoly over the regulatory body.
However, reflecting the changes in world affairs, the ICC too underwent changes. The privileged
positions of England and Australia were scrapped in favour of equal membership for all test-playing
nations. The new name, thus, served to emphasise this equality.

(d) The shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai happened on account of India’s location
in South Asia. Since India has the largest viewership and market for cricket, the balance of power in
cricket has shifted from the colonial domain to the decolonised domain. The shifting of headquarters
symbolised and formally marked the end of English or imperialist domination over the game.

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 8 Social Science

Clothing: A Social History

Question 1: Explain the reasons for the changes in clothing patterns and materials in the
eighteenth century.
Answer: After the 18th century, the colonisation of most of the world by Europe, the spread
of democratic ideals and the growth of an industrial society completely changed the ways in
which people thought about dress. People could use styles and materials that were drawn
from other cultures and locations. Western dress styles for men were adopted worldwide.

Question 2: What were the sumptuary laws in France?

Answer: From 1294 to the time of the French Revolution in 1789, the people of France were
expected to strictly follow the sumptuary laws. These rules tried to regulate the lifestyles of
the lower classes by regulating the amount and type of clothes they bought. The laws tried
to control:

 the behaviour of those considered socially inferior

 preventing them from wearing certain clothes

m
 consuming certain foods and beverages
 hunting game in certain areas.
o
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Question 3: Give any two examples of the ways in which European dress codes were
er

different from Indian dress codes.

Answer: Two examples of the ways in which European dress codes were different from
ev

Indian dress codes:


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In Europe, dress codes were enacted on a socio-economic bias, while in India, these
norms were along the lines of caste.
Ed

 While the lower classes in Europe were barred from wearing specific materials, the
lower castes in India were barred from wearing particular clothes; for example, the
Shanar women, who were disallowed from covering their upper bodies, like the
higher caste women.

Question 4: In 1805, a British official, Benjamin Heyne, listed the manufactures of Bangalore
which included the following:

 Women’s cloth of different musters and names

 Coarse chintz
 Muslins
 Silk cloths

Of this list, which kind of cloth would have definitely fallen out of use in the early 1900s and
why?

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Class 9 India and the Contemporary World – Chapter 8 Social Science

Answer: Muslin would have fallen out of use as machine cloth had flooded the Indian
markets and was cheaper. Muslin was expensive and hence was not used. In fact, the
Industrial Revolution brought about a complete change in which muslin cloth had no place.

Question 5: Suggest reasons why women in nineteenth century India were obliged to
continue wearing traditional Indian dress even when men switched over to the more
convenient Western clothing. What does this show about the position of women in society?
Answer: Women in the 19th century India were obliged to continue wearing traditional
Indian dress even when men switched over to more convenient western clothes. This clearly
shows that women during that time were accorded a lower status than men in society. They
were not allowed to be aware of what was going on outside the house and were confined
within the four walls of their homes. Modernity and change were not for them.

Question 6: Winston Churchill described Mahatma Gandhi as a ‘seditious Middle Temple

Lawyer’ now ‘posing as a half naked fakir’.
What provoked such a comment and what does it tell you about the symbolic strength of
Mahatma Gandhi’s dress?
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Answer: Mahatma Gandhi went to the Viceroy’s house clad in a dhoti. This provoked such a
comment. This signified the symbolic strength of his dress. It showed the pride he had for
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his nation and its people, especially the peasants. It also signified how he identified with his
people and the strength he derived from them.
er

Question 7: Why did Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of clothing the nation in khadi appeal only
ev

to some sections of Indians?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of clothing the nation in khadi appealed only to some
uf

sections of Indians because of different reasons. For the socially deprived, emancipation
Ed

opened new doors – they wanted to experiment with Western dress styles now that dress
restrictions did not hamper with their wishes anymore. This adoption of Western clothing
was symbolic of new-found self and public respect for them. Others found khadi expensive
to buy, and women in south India complained that they could not afford nine yards of khadi
(standard length of the sari in the south).

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