So, are you ready to embark on a journey through the lives of peasants and farmers? Explore these Peasants and Farmers Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers, and gain a profound understanding of the challenges, adaptations, and significance of agriculture in our society. Read this also Extra Questions for Class 9 Social Science with Answers.
Peasants and Farmers Class 9 Extra Questions with Answers
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
What was the British agricultural revolution?
Answer:
The British agricultural revolution was a process of agricultural developments in Britain between 16th century and mid-18th century which saw a massive increase in agricultural production and net output.
Question 2.
How did the introduction of threshing machines improve agriculture?
Answer:
The introduction of threshing machines improved agriculture by improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Question 3.
Why peasants protested against the threshing machines?
Answer:
The peasants were against the threshing machines because these machines deprived the workmen of their livelihood.
Question 4.
How were the suspects of rioting and threatening the farmers dealt with by the government?
Answer:
The suspects of rioting were tried, prisoned, hanged and even deported to Australia.
Question 5.
Why was common land essential for the survival of the poor in England? [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
The common land supplemented the meagre income of the poor, sustained their cattle and helped in times when their crops failed.
Question 6.
What did the enclosure imply?
Answer:
The enclosure implied a piece of land enclosed from all sides.
Question 7.
Why was the land enclosed in the 16th century in England?
Answer:
The land was enclosed in the 16th century in England for sheep farming.
Question 8.
What was the attitude of the British Parliament towards the enclosure movement?
Answer:
The early enclosures were not supported by the state but by mid-18th century, a number of enclosure acts, were passed legalising enclosures.
Question 9.
What encouraged the landowners of England to enclose large lands?
Answer:
England was at war with France which restricted the import of food grains from Europe. This resulted in rapid increase in the prices of food grains which encouraged the large landowners in England to enclose large lands.
Question 10.
What makes the period after 1780s different from any earlier period in English history?
Answer:
Earlier, increased population faced food shortages. After 1780s, production of food grains matched the growing population.
Question 11.
Why did the price of food grains rise in the 18th century in England? [CBSE 2016,2015]
Answer:
As the urban population in England grew, the market for food grains expanded, and when demand increased rapidly, food grains prices rose sharply .
Question 12.
What led to the increase in food grain production in England in the later 18th century?
Answer:
Increase in food grain production in England was not due to bringing large areas under cultivation.
Question 13.
Why did farmers undertake cultivation of turnip and clover in 1660s?
Answer:
Farmers undertook cultivation of turnip and clover because these crops helped enhance the fertility of the soil by increasing the nitrogen content of the soil. Turnip was also a good fodder relished by cattle.
Question 14.
Which practice disappeared by 1800, drastically changing the lives of the labourers?
Answer:
The practice that disappeared by 1800, drastically changing the lives of the labourers was that the labourers lived with landowners, ate with their masters and helped them throughout the year doing various jobs.
Question 15.
What were the occupations of Native Americans?
Answer:
The Native Americans lived by hunting, gathering and fishing. Others cultivated corn, beans, tobacco and pumpkin.
Question 16.
Who was the President of USA in 1800?
Answer:
Thomas Jefferson was the President of USA in 1800.
Question 17.
Why did the White settlers want to push away the Indian Americans from their lands?
Answer:
The White settlers wanted to push away the Indian Americans from their lands because of the following reasons:
(a) The land possessed by the Indians could be turned into cultivated fields.
(b) Forest timber could be exported, animals hunted for skins, mountains mined for gold and minerals.
Question 18.
How were the Indian Americans pushed westward by the settlers?
Answer:
The methods used by the settlers to oust the Indian Americans were:
(a) Numerous wars in which Indians were massacred and many villages burnt.
(b) After defeat, the Indian Americans were forced to sign treaties to give up their lands’and move westwards.
Question 19.
Between 1820-1850 in which area did the Indian Americans settle down?
Answer:
Between 1820-1850, the Indian Americans settled down in the Mississippi Valley.
Question 20.
Name the US President who said “Plant more wheat, wheat will win the war”.
Answer:
It was President Wilson who said “Plant more wheat, wheat will win the war”.
Question 21.
Who invented the mechanical reaper in 1831?
Answer:
Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical reaper in 1831.
Question 22.
In 1831, Cyrus McCormick invented the first mechanical reaper. What was its most important advantage?
Answer:
The most important advantage of the first mechanical reaper, invented by Cyrus McCormick, was that it could harvest 500 acres of wheat in just two weeks.
Question 23.
Why were the new machines welcomed by the big farmers of the Great Plains?
Answer:
The big farmers of the Great Plains welcomed the new machines because these machines allowed clearing large tracts of land, breaking soil, removing grass and prepare land for cultivation quickly with ease.
Question 24.
Why did the Great Agrarian Depression in USA take place? [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
The Great Agrarian Depression took place in USA because of the overproduction of wheat.
Question 25.
Why did the ordinary duststorm take the form of Black Blizzard in US Plains in the 1930s?
Answer:
The ordinary duststorm took the form of Black Blizzard because the entire ploughed landscape was stripped of all grass.
Question 26.
What did the settlers of the Great Plains realise after the 1930s?
Answer:
The settlers of the Great Plains realised after the 1930s that they had to respect the ecological conditions of each region.
Question 27.
In the 19th century which were the two major commercial crops India produced for the world market?
Answer:
In the 19th century indigo and opium were the two major commercial crops that India produced for world market.
Question 28.
What items were imported by the English East India Company from China?
Answer:
The items of import by the English East India Company from China were silk and tea.
Question 29.
Why were the Confucian rulers of China, the Manchus, suspicious of all foreign merchants?
Answer:
The Manchus were suspicious of all foreign merchants because they feared that they would interfere in local politics and disrupt their authority.
Question 30.
Why the war between Britain and China (1837-1842) was called the Opium War?
Answer:
The war was called the Opium War because the primary cause of war was the British illegal trade in Opium.
Question 31.
Who introduced opium into China in the 16th century?
Answer:
The Portuguese introduced opium into China in the 16th century.
Question 32.
What was Chinese Emperor’s order about the use of opium in China?
Answer:
As per the orders of the Chinese Emperor, the production and sale of opium, except for medicinal purposes, was forbidden.
Question 33.
In 1839, who was sent by the Emperor to Canton as a Special Commissioner to stop the opium trade?
Answer:
In 1839, the Chinese Emperor sent Lin Ze-xu as a Special Commissioner to Canton to stop the opium trade to China.
Question 34.
Why did the British have a negative balance of payment with China?
Answer:
The British traders had a negative balance of payment with China because while tea became-popular in Britain, England in the late 18th century produced nothing which they could export to China i.e., persuade the Chinese to buy.
Question 35.
What financed the tea purchased from China by the British?
Answer:
The returns from opium sale to China financed the tea purchased from China by the British.
Question 36.
To which country was opium from India exported?
Answer:
The opium from India was exported to China.
Question 37.
What is a maund? How many seers are there in 1 maund?
Answer:
Maund is a measure of weight. In 1 maund there are 40 seers. 1 seer is a little under a kg.
Question 38.
How were the unwilling Indian cultivators convinced to produce opium?
Answer:
The system of advances was adopted by the British to convince the unwilling Indian cultivators to produce opium.
Question 39.
Why were Indian farmers pressurised to grow commercial crops?
Answer:
Indian farmers were pressurised to grow commercial crops to feed the growing urban population of Europe and to meet the growing raw material needs of the mills of Lanchashire and Manchester in England.
Question 40.
Why were the peasants tempted to take advances to produce opium?
Answer:
The peasants were tempted to take advances to produce opium because it supplemented their immediate needs and pay back the loans.
Question 41.
What conditions were imposed on the peasants who took advance?
Answer:
Those who took advance were supposed to grow opium on a specified area and hand over the produce to the British agents at the decided cost which was often very low.
Question 42.
Why was the government offer low price of the opium to the peasants?
Answer:
The government offered low price of the opium to the peasants to keep the cost of production low and sell it at a high price to earn more and more profit.
Question 43.
What were the travelling traders called?
Answer:
The travelling traders were called pykars.
Question 44.
Why was the opium production increasing outside the British territories?
Answer:
The opium production was increasing outside the British territories because the local traders were offering higher prices to the peasants.
Question 45.
How was the government monopoly of production and sale of opium maintained?
Answer:
The government monopoly of production and sale of opium was maintained by confiscating and destroying the opium produced outside the British territories by the British agents.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 46.
Why were the poor farmers of England against the threshing machines? What was the Captain Swing Movement?
Answer:
The poor farmers of England were against the threshing machines because they felt the threshing machines would replace people and deprive them of their livelihood and render them jobless. Captain Swing Movement was a movement by rioters against the use of the threshing machines. Captain Swing was a mythical name used in threatening letters warning the landlords to stop the use of threshing machines.
Question 47.
‘Over the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the English countryside changed dramatically.’ Explain.
Answer:
Earlier large parts of English countryside were open with no private ownership of land. Every year at a public meeting the strips of land were distributed among the villagers so that each villager got
‘ a mix of good and bad land. Apart from this, all villagers had access to common lands where they ‘ could pasture their cattle, collect fuel wood and fruits.
It was only after the mid-eighteenth century’ that the Enclosure Movement began at a rapid pace. It changed the English landscape forever. It was the time when population in England was rising.
Indistrialisation had also begun in Britain which attracted people to the urban areas. This increase in the urban population led to an increase in the demand and price for the foodgrains. The imports of foodgrains from Europe were disrupted as France was at war with England. This further increased the price of the foodgrains which encouraged English landowners to enclose land and raise the production. Seeing the profits accumulated, landowners pressurized the parliament to pass enclosure acts. This gave an impetus to enclosing countryside in England.
Question 48.
What were the open field system and the village commons?
Answer:
Before the eighteenth century, England countryside was open. Peasants cultivated the strips of land. There was no individual claim on the land. Every year at a public meeting, the strips were allocated to the villagers for cultivation. It was done so that every villager had the mixture of good and bad land. This was the open field system.
Away from this land was the common land that could be accessed by every villager. Here they could pasture their cattle, collect fuelwood, fruits and hunt animals. It was termed as village common. It supplemented the income of the poor in bad times.
Question 49.
How was the common land beneficial to the villages?
Answer:
The common land was beneficial to the villagers in a variety of ways:
All villagers had access to the commons. Here, they pastured their cows and grazed their sheep, collected fuel wood for fire and berries and fruits for food etc.
They did fishing in the rivers and ponds and hunted rabbits in common forests.
For the poor, the common land was essential for survival. It supplemented their meager income, sustained their cattle, and helped them tide over bad times when crops failed.
Question 50.
“In some parts of England, the economy of open fields and common lands started changing from about the sixteenth century”. Why?
Answer:
It was during the sixteenth century that the price of wool in the world market increased. To earn more profits, rich farmers sought to expand wool production by improving sheep breeds and providing good feed. For this, a large block of land was required. This made them divide and enclose common land. Villagers having cottages were displaced and prevented from entering the enclosed fields. Later in the mid-eighteenth century, increased demand for the food grains encouraged the farmers to expand cultivation. It led to large scale enclosing of the common lands.
Question 51.
What changes took place in England in the mid-eighteenth century?
Answer:
The following changes took place in England in the mid-eighteenth century.
(a) The English population increased rapidly. This meant an increased demand for food grains to feed the population.
(b) Britain at this time was industrialising. More and more people began to live and work in urban areas. Men from rural areas migrated to towns in search of jobs.
(c) As urban populations grew, the market for food grains expanded and when demand increased rapidly, food grain prices rose.
Question 52.
Discuss why the British Parliament passed the Enclosure Acts.
Answer:
The British Parliament passed the Enclosure Acts because of the following reasons.
(a) The Enclosure Movement progressed slowly till the middle of the eighteenth century. The early enclosures were usually created by individual landlords.
(b) They were not supported by the state or the Church.
(c) It was after the mid-eighteenth century that the Enclosure Movement swept through the countryside, changing the English landscape forever. Within the next hundreds years, 6 million acres of land was enclosed.
(d) The British Parliament no longer distanced itself from this progress and passed 4,000 Acts legalising these enclosures. (any three)
Question 53.
Why was there a frantic effort to enclose lands in Britain?
Answer:
There was a frantic effort to enclose lands in Britain because of the following reasons.
(a) From the mid-eighteenth century, the English population multiplied four times from 7 million in 1750 to 30 million in 1900.
(b) Britain was industrialising, more people began to live in urban areas, men from rural areas migrated to towns in search of jobs.
(c) As population grew, more food grains were needed, so land was enclosed.
Question 54.
Explain three factors which led to the Enclosure Movement in England after the mid-eighteenth century.
Or
Explain any three causes which led to the Enclosure Movement in England. [HOTS]
Answer:
The factors which led to the Enclosure Movement in England were:
(a) Rapid expansion of population in England.
(b) Increased demand for food grains to feed the growing population.
(c) War with France disrupted trade and import of food grains from Europe.
(d) Prices in England increased rapidly that encouraged landowners to enclose lands and enlarge the area under grain cultivation. (any three)
Question 55.
How was the period after 1780s different from any earlier period in English history?
Answer:
The period after 1780s was different from any earlier period in English history in the following ways. {a) Earlier population growth was followed by food shortages.
(b) Production could not match the demand.
(c) After 1780s grain production matched the growing population.
(d) Large areas were brought under cultivation to meet the growing demand. (any three)
Question 56.
Give any three positive results of enclosures on English agriculture.
Answer:
The following were the positive results of the enclosures on English agriculture:
(a) Enclosures helped bring new land under cultivation.
(b) Helped increase food production.
(c) Barren land was made cultivable by clearance of forests and marshes.
Question 57.
Give any three reasons for the increase in food production in the 19th century.
Answer:
Food production increased in 19th century because:
(a) More lands were brought under cultivation.
(b) Landlords sliced pasturelands and carved up open fields.
(c) Forest commons were cut up and marsh land was made suitable for cultivation.
Question 58.
Which innovations helped farmers to increase agricultural production in England?
Answer:
First new lands were brought under cultivation. Landlords sliced up pasture lands, carved up open fields, cut up forests, took over marshes. The farmers started growing turnips and clover as they discovered that these crops improved the soil and made it more fertile. Turnip was also a good fodder for the cattle. So they became part of the cropping system.
They also realised that nitrogen was important for crop growth. Turnip and clover restored the nitrogen and made the soil fertile again.
Question 59.
How did turnip and clover make the land fertile?
Answer:
Turnip and clover made the land fertile in the following ways.
(a) These crops had the capacity to increase the nitrogen content of the soil. Nitrogen was important for the growth of crop.
(b) Cultivation of the same soil over a few years depleted the nitrogen in the soil and reduced its fertility.
(c) By restoring nitrogen, turnip and clover made the soil fertile once again. Therefore, farmers in the early 19th century used the same method to improve agriculture on a more regular basis.
Question 60.
What were the benefits of enclosures to the rich landowners?
Answer:
The following were the benefits of the enclosures to the rich landowners.
(a) It was a long term investment on land.
(b) It allowed planning crop rotation to improve soil.
(c) It allowed expansion of land and increase production.
Question 61.
What was the effect of Enclosure Movement on landlords of England?
Answer:
The following were the effects of the Enclosure Movement on the landlords of England.
(a) The Enclosure Movement was instrumental in making the rich landlords richer by filling their pockets with profits.
(b) Landlords brought various changes in agricultural methods and technology.
(c) The richer farmers expanded grain production, sold this grain in the world market, made profits and became powerful.
Question 62.
Despite availability of labour, why did farmers invest in threshing machines?
Answer:
Rich farmers invested in threshing machines because of the following reasons.
(a) They feared shortage of labour due to Napoleonic Wars.
(b) Moreover they felt that the available labour was rude and prone to drinking.
(c) To reduce dependence on labour and increase efficiency.
Question 63.
“Coming of modern agriculture in England meant many different changes.” Explain. [HOTS]
Answer:
Coming of modern agriculture in England meant many changes.
(a) Open fields disappeared and customary rights of the peasants were undermined.
(b) Rich farmers expanded grain production, exported grains, made high profits and became economically and politically powerful.
(c) The poor were dislocated. They tramped in large numbers for jobs in the countryside and the cities.
(d) Their jobs became insecure and incomes unstable. (any three)
Question 64.
Explain three reasons for Captain Swing riots in English countryside.
Answer:
The following were the reasons for Captain Swing riots in English countryside.
(a) Enclosures deprived the poor of the use of the commons which was essential for their survival. The Enclosures barred them from pasteurising their cows, collecting fruits and berries, fuel wood, hunting small animals for food etc.,
(b) Landlords began cutting wages and retrenching workmen.
(c) Use of modern technique of agriculture like threshing machines, deprived workmen of their livelihood.
Question 65.
Discuss the factors that precipitated the Agricultural Depression. What were the consequences of this Depression? How was the Captain Swing Movement related to .this Depression?
Answer:
After the end of Napoleonic wars, thousands of soldiers returned to the villages. They needed alternative jobs to survive. But this was a time when grain from Europe began flowing into England, prices declined and an Agricultural Depression set in. Anxious landowners began reducing the area they cultivated and demanded that the exports of crops be stopped. They tried to cut wages and reduced the number of workmen they employed. The unemployed poor tramped from village to village, and those with uncertain jobs lived in fear of a loss of their livelihood. The Captain Swing riots spread in the countryside at this time. For the poor, the threshing machines had become sign of bad times.
Question 66.
How did the machines bring misery to the poor?
Answer:
The machines brought misery to the poor in the following ways.
(a) Many had bought the machines thinking that the profits would remain high.
(b) Those who had taken loans found it difficult to pay back their debts.
(c) Many of them deserted their farms and looked for jobs elsewhere.
Question 67.
Enclosures filled the pockets of landlords. What happened to the poor persons who depended on the commons for their survival?
Answer:
Enclosures filled the pockets of the rich landlords. When fences came up, the enclosed land became the property of one landowner. The poor could no longer collect apples and berries or hunt small animals for meat, nor could they gather the stalks that lay on the fields after the crop was cut. Everything belonged to the landlord, everything had a price which the poor could not afford to pay. The poor were displaced from the land. They tramped in search of work. From Midlands they moved to the southern countries of England.
Question 68.
Discuss the effect of Agricultural Revolution on different sections of people in English countryside. [HOTS]
Answer:
The coming of modern agriculture in England led to the following changes.
(a) The open fields disappeared, and the customary rights of peasants were undermined.
(b) The richer farmers expanded grain production, sold this grain in the world market, made profits, and became powerful.
(c) The poor left their villages in large numbers. Some went from Midlands to the southern countries where jobs were available, others to the cities.
(id) The income of labourers became unstable, their jobs insecure, their livelihoods precarious. (any three)
Question 69.
Why and how were the Native Americans driven westwards?
Answer:
The White settlers moved westwards as this area held a lot of promise. Forests could be cut to provide land for cultivation, animals hunted for their skin, and mountains mined for minerals.
To evacuate Indian Americans numerous wars were fought, in which Indians were massacred and their villages burnt. Ultimately they were forced to sign treaties and give up their land.
Question 70.
Which reasons led to a radical transformation of the landscape by the early 20th century?
Answer:
The main reasons for the radical transformation of the landscape by the early 20th century were as follows:
(a) White Americans had moved westward.
(b) Local tribes were displaced.
(c) Entire landscape was carved into different agricultural belts in the USA.
Question 71.
Seen from the east coast, America seemed to be the land of promise.’ Explain.
Answer:
After the formation of the United States of America, the White Americans began to move westward. By 1800, over seven lakh White settlers had moved on to the Appalachian plateau through the passes. America seemed to be a land of promise because of the following reasons.
(a) Its vast untouched landscape could be utilized for cultivation.
(b) Forest resources like timber could be cut for export, animals hunted for skin, etc.
(c) Gold and other precious minerals could be mined from mines.
Question 72.
What did the American settlers do on reaching Mississippi Valley? [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
The following were the impacts of westward expansion of the settlers in USA.
(a) It led to displacement of local tribes. They were driven beyond river Mississippi and further west.
(b) The settlers began agriculture on an extensive scale. They slashed and burnt forests, pulled out the stumps, cleared the land for cultivation and built log cabins in the forest clearings. Then they cleared larger areas and erected fences around the fields. They ploughed the land and sowed corn and wheat. Thus, agriculture was undertaken at the expense of grasslands and forests.
(c) The settlers continued moving further west to explore new land and raise a new crop. After the 1860s, the settlers reached the Great Plains across the river Mississippi. They started growing wheat here and soon turned this region into a major wheat producing area of America.
Question 73.
Under what circumstances did the US farmers get encouraged to produce more and more wheat?
Answer:
The following circumstances encouraged farmers to produce more and more wheat.
(a) From the late 19th century, wheat production in the USA underwent a dramatic expansion. The urban population in the USA was growing and the export market was becoming even bigger. As a result demand for wheat rose sharply. The rising demand resulted into high price of wheat. This encouraged farmers to produce more and more wheat.
(b) The spread of the railways made it possible to transport grains from surplus growing regions to the eastern coast for export.
(c) Later in the early 20th century during the First World War, the market for the grains rose further rose. It was because wheat supplies from Russia were cut-off due to war. It gave USA an opportunity to feed the entire Europe. The farmers responded to the need of the time and began producing more and more wheat.
Question 74.
Explain how technological innovations transformed the USA into the breadbasket of the world.
Answer:
The following technological innovations transformed the USA into the breadbasket of the world in
the following ways.
(a) The innovation of using tractors and disk ploughs to clear vast stretches in no time for wheat cultivation.
(b) Invention of mechanical reaper by Cyrus McCormick could cut in one day as much as five men could cut with cradles and 16 men with sickles.
(c) Farmers began the use of combined harvesters to cut grain. Large tracts of cultivation could be harvested in two weeks by these machines.
Question 75.
What were the main reasons of the duststorms?
Answer:
The main reasons for the duststorms were are follows.
(a) Years of persistent droughts during the early twentieth century. Rains failed and temperature increased. The wind blew at a great speed.
(b) The entire landscape had been ploughed over, stripped of all the grass that held it together.
(c) The tractors turned the soil and broke it into dust. Normal winds could also blow it away.
Question 76.
Describe how the Chinese became addicted to opium in the 19th century.
Answer:
Opium was introduced into China by the Portuguese in the early 16th century. It was known for its medical properties and therefore small quantities were used for certain type of medicines. The Chinese were aware of the dangers of opium addiction and thus the emperor had forbidden its production and sale. But the British began an illegal trade in opium in the mid-18th century. With the help of the local agents they were able to unload it in a number of seaports of southeastern China. From then, opium found an easy way into China, making the people addicted to it.
Question 77.
‘The conflict between the British government, peasants and local traders continued as long as opium production lasted.’ Elaborate. [HOTS]
Answer:
By 1773, the British Government in Bengal had established a monopoly to trade in opium. No one else was legally permitted to trade in the product. By the 1820s, the British taxed opium production in their territories to make it declining, but it was increasing outside British territories, especially in central India and Rajasthan within princely states, which were not under direct British control. The British tried to stop it. It instructed its agents in princely states to confiscate all opium and destroy the crop.
This conflict between the British Government, peasants and local traders continued as long as opium production lasted.
Question 78.
Which system was introduced by the British to make the unwilling cultivators produce opium? How did this system work?
Answer:
The system of advances was introduced by the British to persuade the unwilling cultivators to produce opium.
In the rural areas of Bengal and Bihar, large number of poor peasants never had enough to survive. They faced difficulties in paying rent to the landlord or managing their daily requirements of food and clothing. Through the village headmen, the government’s opium agents advanced money to them. They felt tempted to accept it, hoping to meet their immediate needs and pay back the loan at a later date.
Question 79.
Why were the Indian farmers unwilling to cultivate opium? Give any three reasons. [CBSE 2016]
Answer:
The Indian farmers were unwilling to grow opium in their farms because of the following reasons:
(a) The Indian farmers were reluctant to grow opium in their farms because it had to be grown on the best land, near the villages and it had to be well manured.
(b) This land was usually used for growing pulses. If opium was grown on less fertile land then yield would not be good in quality and quantity.
(c) Cultivation of opium was difficult and time-consuming. As a result, the cultivators would not have time to look after their other produce.
(d) The farmers had to pay rent for the land. This rent was quite high.
(e) Finally the prices paid by the government were very low and brought no profit to the farmer. (any three)
Question 80.
‘The conflict between the British government, peasants and local traders continued as long as opium production lasted.’ Elaborate. [HOTS]
Answer:
The British Government in Bengal established its monopoly to produce and trade in opium. There was no legal permission for opium trade to anyone. Still the opium production in their territories declined as against increasing outside their territories, especially in central India and Rajasthan within princely states, which are not under direct British control. The reasons were that local traders in the princely states were offering higher prices to the cultivators and exporting it to China. Efforts were made to stop this. Instructions were issued to opium agents to confiscate all opium and destroy the crop.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 81.
State any four major features of the ‘Open Field’ system which prevailed in England in the 18th and early 19th century.
Answer:
The following were the major features of the Open Field System of England during the 18th and 19th century:
(a) Before this period, in large parts of England, the countryside was open. It was not partitioned into enclosed lands privately owned by landlords.
(b) Peasants cultivated on strips of land around the village they lived in. Every peasant had a mix of good and bad land.
(c) Beyond the strips of cultivation lay the common land. All villagers had access to the common.
(d) The common land could be accessed for grazing cattle, fruit, fuelwood collection, etc. the rivers and ponds could be used for fishing.
(e) For the poor, the common land was very necessary for survival. It supplemented their meagre income, sustained their cattle and helped them tide over bad times when the crops failed. Poor peasants led a comfortable and secure life.
Question 82.
What were the effects of the open field system on the peasant women in England?
Answer:
(a) They pastured their cows and grazed their sheep.
(b) They collected fuelwood for fire and berries and fruit for food.
(c) They fished in the rivers and ponds.
(d) The open field system supplemented their income.
(e) It also helped them in bad times when crops failed.
Question 83.
Explain any three advantages and two disadvantages of the Enclosure Movement in England.
Answer:
Advantages:
(a) The Enclosure movement made England self-sufficient in foodgrains. Grain production grew as quickly as population. In 1868 England produced about 80 per cent of the food it consumed.
(b) Enclosures prompted the landlords to make long-term investments on land and plan crop rotations to improve the soil.
(c) Enclosures allowed landlords to expand the land under their control and produce more for the market. Enclosures made the landlords rich.
Disadvantages:
(a) The poor were hard hit. They could no longer collect their firewood from the forests, or graze their cattle on the commons. They could no longer gather apples, berries, or hunt animals for meat. Everything belonged to the landlords and poor were left helpless and miserable.
(b) In areas of extensive enclosures, the poor were displaced from the land. Deprived of their customary rights, the poor people tramped in search of work. But nowhere could the poor find secure jobs. Work became insecure, employment uncertain, income unstable. For a large part of the year the poor had no work.
Question 84.
What was the situation in England after the end of the Napoleonic Wars?
Answer:
After the Napoleonic Wars ended, the situation of England was critical.
(a) Soldiers returned to their homes and needed alternate jobs to survive.
(b) Grains flowing from Europe had reduced the prices. It led to Agricultural Depression.
(c) Landowners began reducing the cultivated area. Wages were reduced and labourers retrenched.
(d) Large scale unemployment with people searching jobs. Those unemployed feared loss of livelihood.
(e) Spread of Captain Swing riots in the rural England.
Question 85.
Discuss the factors that precipitated the Agricultural Depression. What were the consequences of this Depression?
Answer:
The following were the factors that precipitated the Agricultural depression.
(a) With the end of Napoleonic wars thousands of soldiers returned to the villages. They needed alternative jobs to survive.
(b) This was the time when markets in England were flooded with European grains, thus the prices declined. Wheat prices fell and export markets collapsed.
(c) Landowners anxiously reduced the land under cultivation along with the demand to cut the imports.
(d) Apart from this, they began cutting wages and retrenching workmen. This gave rise to unemployment and the poor marched from village to village in search of job. Those with uncertain jobs lived in fear of a losing livelihood.
(e) Believing machines responsible for their bad times, the poor began Captain Swing riots throughout the countryside.
Question 86.
Explain three advantages and two disadvantages of mechanical harvesting machines in USA.
Answer:
Advantages:
(а) In 1831, Cyrus McCormick invented the first mechanical reaper which could cut in one day as much as five men could cut with cradles and 16 men with sickles. With one of the combined harvesters, 500 acres of wheat could be harvested in two weeks.
(b) The prices of wheat were high and the demand limitless. With power-driven machinery, only four men could plough, seed and harvest 2,000 to 4,000 acres of wheat in a season.
This helped landlords to earn more and more profit.
(c) The plough could break the soil quickly and cut even strong grassroots effectively.
Disadvantages:
(a) For the poorer farmers, machines brought misery. Many of them bought these machines with the loans offered to them. Those who borrowed, found it difficult to pay back their debts. Many of them deserted their farms and looked for jobs elsewhere.
(b) Production had expanded rapidly and there was a huge surplus. Wheat prices fell and export markets collapsed. This led to Great Agrarian Depression of 1930s.
Question 87.
What were the problems associated with wheat expansion in USA? Discuss with special reference to mechanisation and ‘dust bowl’.
Answer:
In the late 19th century, there was a great expansion of wheat cultivation in the USA. With an increase in population, demand for wheat was rising. The expansion was made possible by new technology. Implements and tools were modified to suit their needs. Now farmers were using tractors and disk ploughs to clear land for cultivation. Mechanical reapers were used to reap and cut harvest. By the early 20th century, combined harvesters were being used to cut grain.
Now with power-driven machinery large tracts of land could be ploughed, seeded, harvested within a short time.
But there were problems. Poor farmers were hard hit. They could not buy these machines. The bank offered loans but most of the farmers could not repay these loans. Many of them left their farms in search of a job. In addition, terrifying dust storms began to blow, blinding the people, choking the cattle, covering fields, rivers, and machines with dust. This was because the entire area had been ploughed and stripped of grass whose roots could have bounded the soil.
Question 88.
Discuss the problems associated with wheat expansion in USA with special reference to new technology and black blizzards.
Answer:
The problems associated with the wheat expansion in USA was dealt with in the following ways.
(a) The demand for foodgrains increased with the increase in population in England. This required new technology.
(b) Implements and tools were modified to suit their needs. Now farmers were using tractors and disk ploughs to clear land for cultivation.
(c) Mechanical reapers were used to reap and cut harvest. By the early 20th century, combined harvesters were being used to cut grain.
(d) The power-driven machinery ploughed, seeded and harvested large tracts of land within a short time.
(e) Poor farmers found hard to pay the taxes, they could not buy these machines. .
(f) The bank offered loans but most declined as they could not repay these loans.
(g) Many of them left their farms in search of a job.
(h) In addition, terrifying dust storms began to blow, blinding the people, choking the cattle, covering fields, rivers, and machines with dust. These duststorms became black blizzards only because the entire area had been ploughed and stripped of grass whose roots could have bounded the soil. (any five)
Question 89.
‘The American dream of a land of plenty had turned into a nightmare’. Explain.
Answer:
From the late 19th century, there was a dramatic increase in wheat production in the USA. Millions of acre of land was brought under wheat cultivation which saw an unprecedented increase in the following years. Much of the Great Plains was used for wheat production.
But the expansion of wheat cultivation in this area created grave problems. Entire landscape was ploughed many times and grass uprooted for cultivation. By the 1930s, endless droughts turned the . land barren. Rains failed and temperature was on increase. Terrifying dust storms began to blow over the southern plains. Black blizzards became common, darkening the skies, swept the dust and people were blinded and choked. Cattle were suffocated to death as their lungs got filled with dust and mud. Sand buried everything that came in its way. Even the river surface was choked with dust and the fish died. Dead bodies of birds and animals were scattered all over the landscape. Tractors and machines were clogged with dust, damaged beyond repair.
Question 90.
‘After the 1930s, the Americans realised that they had to respect the ecological conditions of each region.’ How did they learn this lesson?
Answer:
Droughts lasted long in the US during the early 1930s. This led to failed rains and increase in temperature year after year. Winds blew with ferocious speed. Even the ordinary storms became black blizzards. As the entire landscape had been ploughed over continuously, soil turned over by the tractors and vegetation uprooted, the grass cover that held the soil disappeared. The broken soil turned into dust that could be blown even by the mild wind making the whole region a dust bowl. As a result people were blinded and choked, cattle were suffocated to death, fences were buried under the sand and the surfaces of rivers were coated till the fish died. Dead bodies of birds and animals were scattered all over the landscape. Tractors and machines were clogged with dust. These were the damages that were beyond repair. This made the Americans realise that they had to respect the ecological conditions of each region.
Question 91.
The history of opium production in India was linked up with the story of British trade with China. Elaborate. [HOTS]
Or
Why did the British smuggle opium into China? Explain briefly.
Answer:
During the late eighteenth century, English East India Company traded with China in tea and silk and sold it in England. Tea became popular in England and its demand increased. This meant loss of treasure, impoverishing the nation and depleting its wealth. England had nothing to be exported to China to finance the tea trade. At the same time the rulers of China, the Manchus, were apprehensive that the European merchants would interfere in their local politics and pose a threat to their authority. So, foreign trade was not allowed in China.
Huge outflow of reserves for financing tea trade posed problems to the British. Different ways were sought to overcome the issue. They thought of a commodity that the Chinese could be persuaded to buy. Opium was thus sought to be the commodity and India was thought to be the place for its production. Even though the Chinese were aware of its addiction dangers, its productioa and sale was permitted only for medicinal purposes. British through illegal trade of opium entered China through local agents.
Question 92.
Why were the farmers of Bengal unwilling to grow opium in their farms?
Answer:
The farmers of Bengal were unwilling to grow opium in their farms because of the following reasons.
(a) The Indian farmers were reluctant to grow opium in their farms because it had to be grown on the best land, near the villages and it had to be well manured.
(b) This land was usually used for growing pulses. If opium was grown on less fertile land then yield would not be good in quality and quantity.
(c) Cultivation of opium was difficult and time-consuming. As a result, the cultivators would not have time to look after their other produce.
(d) The farmers had to pay rent for the land. This rent was quite high.
(e) Finally, the prices paid by the government were very low and brought no profit to the farmer.
Map Skills
Question 93.
Mark Swing Movement Areas, 1830-1832.
Answer:
Question 94.
Mark the routes and conditions of triangular trade between India, England and China in the 19th Century.
Answer:
Question 95.
Mark the expansion of Agriculture in various Westward Areas.
Answer:
Question 96.
Mark the Agricultural Belts in the USA in 1920.
Answer:
Question 97.
Mark the American Communities in the Early Nineteenth Century.
Answer: