Class 9 NCERT - Solved Question Answers Documents

 Page 1


NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED
Activities
 
Q1. Draw a timeline from 1650 to 1930 showing the significant agricultural changes 
which you have read about in this chapter.
 
Ans.
 
Timeline Agricultural Changes
• 1660
• 1750
• 1831
• 1870
• 1930s
• Farmers in many parts of England began growing turnip and 
cloves.
• More and more foodgrains were grown.
• Cyrus McCormick invented the first mechanical reaper which 
could cut in one day as much as five men could cut with and 
16 men with sickles.
• Great plains across the river Mississippi became a major 
wheat-producing area of America.
• Terrifying dust storms began to blow over the southern plains.
 
Q2.  Fill in the following table with the events outlined in this chapter. Remember, 
there could be more than one change in a country.
Ans.
Country Change which occurred Who lost Who won
England
United States 
of America
Open fields and commons were 
enclosed
Entire landscape was converted 
into agricultural belts
Poor people
Local tribes/ 
American Indians
Landlords
White 
Americans
Questions
 Q1. 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:
 • A rich farmer
 • A labourer
 • A peasant woman
 Ans.• A rich farmer: The open field system 
provided an opportunity to the rich 
farmers to enclose the best pastures 
for their own cattle. In the 16th 
century, the price of wool went up in 
the world market. Hence, rich farmers 
planned to expand wool production 
by improving their sheep breeds and 
ensuring good feed for them. Soon they 
started controlling large areas of land 
in compact blocks to allow improved 
breeding. They enclosed common 
land and built hedges around their 
holdings to separate their property 
from that of others. They drove out 
villagers from the commons. They 
also prevented them from entering 
the enclosed fields.
 • A labourer: For labourers, open fields 
were essential for their survival. Here 
they pastured their cows and grazed 
their sheep, collected fuelwood for fire 
and berries and fruits for food. They 
fished in the rivers and ponds, and 
hunted rabbits in common forests. It 
supplemented their meagre income, 
sustained their cattle, and helped 
them tide over bad times when crops 
failed.
Page 2


NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED
Activities
 
Q1. Draw a timeline from 1650 to 1930 showing the significant agricultural changes 
which you have read about in this chapter.
 
Ans.
 
Timeline Agricultural Changes
• 1660
• 1750
• 1831
• 1870
• 1930s
• Farmers in many parts of England began growing turnip and 
cloves.
• More and more foodgrains were grown.
• Cyrus McCormick invented the first mechanical reaper which 
could cut in one day as much as five men could cut with and 
16 men with sickles.
• Great plains across the river Mississippi became a major 
wheat-producing area of America.
• Terrifying dust storms began to blow over the southern plains.
 
Q2.  Fill in the following table with the events outlined in this chapter. Remember, 
there could be more than one change in a country.
Ans.
Country Change which occurred Who lost Who won
England
United States 
of America
Open fields and commons were 
enclosed
Entire landscape was converted 
into agricultural belts
Poor people
Local tribes/ 
American Indians
Landlords
White 
Americans
Questions
 Q1. 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:
 • A rich farmer
 • A labourer
 • A peasant woman
 Ans.• A rich farmer: The open field system 
provided an opportunity to the rich 
farmers to enclose the best pastures 
for their own cattle. In the 16th 
century, the price of wool went up in 
the world market. Hence, rich farmers 
planned to expand wool production 
by improving their sheep breeds and 
ensuring good feed for them. Soon they 
started controlling large areas of land 
in compact blocks to allow improved 
breeding. They enclosed common 
land and built hedges around their 
holdings to separate their property 
from that of others. They drove out 
villagers from the commons. They 
also prevented them from entering 
the enclosed fields.
 • A labourer: For labourers, open fields 
were essential for their survival. Here 
they pastured their cows and grazed 
their sheep, collected fuelwood for fire 
and berries and fruits for food. They 
fished in the rivers and ponds, and 
hunted rabbits in common forests. It 
supplemented their meagre income, 
sustained their cattle, and helped 
them tide over bad times when crops 
failed.
 • A peasant woman: Peasant women 
used the open fields for grazing their 
cattle, gathering fruits and fuelwood.
 Q2. Explain briefly the factors which led 
to the enclosures in England.
 Ans. The factors which led to the enclosures 
in England are given below:
 (i) In the 16th century, the price of wool 
went up in the world market. This 
encouraged the rich farmers to expand 
wool production to earn profits. For 
this, they began to enclose common 
land where they could easily improve 
their sheep breeds and ensure good 
feed for them.
 (ii) From the mid-eighteenth century, 
the population of England expanded 
rapidly. This meant an increased 
demand for foodgrains to feed the 
growing population. This encouraged 
landowners to enclose lands and 
enlarge the area under grain 
cultivation.
 (iii) By the end of the 18th century, 
Fr anc e w as at w ar w i t h Engl and. Thi s            
disrupted trade and the import of 
foodgrains from Europe. Prices of 
foodgrains  in England soared high, 
encouraging landowners to enclose 
lands for grain cultivation.
 (iv) The growing industrialisation and 
urbanisation of England too, became 
a factor for enclosing more and more 
open lands.
 (v) Enclosures were essential to make 
long-term investments on land and 
plan crop rotations to improve the 
soil.
 Q3. Why were threshing machines opposed 
by the poor in England?
 Ans. Threshing machines were opposed 
by the poor in England due to the 
following reasons:
 (i)  The introduction of threshing machines 
encouraged landowners to reduce 
their dependence on labourers. Now 
landowners tried to cut wages and the 
number of workmen they employed. 
This aggravated the miseries of the  
poor.
 (ii) Unemployment spread among the 
poor. They tramped from village to 
village, and those with uncertain jobs 
lived in fear of a loss of their livelihood.
 (iii) For the poor, the threshing machines 
had become a sign of bad times.
 Q4. Who was Captain Swing? What did 
the name symbolise or represent?
 Ans. Captain Swing was a mythic name 
used in threatening letters written 
to English landlords against the use 
of threshing machines and their 
reluctance to employ labourers.
  The name of Captain Swing spread 
panic among the landowners. Many 
of them destroyed their threshing 
machines fearing attacks by armed 
bands at night.
 Q5. What was the impact of the westward 
expansion of settlers in the USA?
 Ans.(i) The White settlers got settled on 
the Appalachian plateau by driving 
away the American Indians. Then 
they moved into the Mississippi 
valley between 1820 and 1850. 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 and 
harvested good crops.
 (ii) After 1860s, the White settlers swept 
into the great plains across the river 
Mississippi. In subsequent decades, 
this region became a major wheat-
producing area of America.
 (iii) From the late 19th century, there 
was a dramatic expansion of wheat-
production in the USA. The urban 
population in the USA was growing 
and the export market was becoming 
even bigger. As the demand increased, 
wheat prices rose, encouraging 
farmers to produce more and more 
wheat. During the First World War, 
Page 3


NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED
Activities
 
Q1. Draw a timeline from 1650 to 1930 showing the significant agricultural changes 
which you have read about in this chapter.
 
Ans.
 
Timeline Agricultural Changes
• 1660
• 1750
• 1831
• 1870
• 1930s
• Farmers in many parts of England began growing turnip and 
cloves.
• More and more foodgrains were grown.
• Cyrus McCormick invented the first mechanical reaper which 
could cut in one day as much as five men could cut with and 
16 men with sickles.
• Great plains across the river Mississippi became a major 
wheat-producing area of America.
• Terrifying dust storms began to blow over the southern plains.
 
Q2.  Fill in the following table with the events outlined in this chapter. Remember, 
there could be more than one change in a country.
Ans.
Country Change which occurred Who lost Who won
England
United States 
of America
Open fields and commons were 
enclosed
Entire landscape was converted 
into agricultural belts
Poor people
Local tribes/ 
American Indians
Landlords
White 
Americans
Questions
 Q1. 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:
 • A rich farmer
 • A labourer
 • A peasant woman
 Ans.• A rich farmer: The open field system 
provided an opportunity to the rich 
farmers to enclose the best pastures 
for their own cattle. In the 16th 
century, the price of wool went up in 
the world market. Hence, rich farmers 
planned to expand wool production 
by improving their sheep breeds and 
ensuring good feed for them. Soon they 
started controlling large areas of land 
in compact blocks to allow improved 
breeding. They enclosed common 
land and built hedges around their 
holdings to separate their property 
from that of others. They drove out 
villagers from the commons. They 
also prevented them from entering 
the enclosed fields.
 • A labourer: For labourers, open fields 
were essential for their survival. Here 
they pastured their cows and grazed 
their sheep, collected fuelwood for fire 
and berries and fruits for food. They 
fished in the rivers and ponds, and 
hunted rabbits in common forests. It 
supplemented their meagre income, 
sustained their cattle, and helped 
them tide over bad times when crops 
failed.
 • A peasant woman: Peasant women 
used the open fields for grazing their 
cattle, gathering fruits and fuelwood.
 Q2. Explain briefly the factors which led 
to the enclosures in England.
 Ans. The factors which led to the enclosures 
in England are given below:
 (i) In the 16th century, the price of wool 
went up in the world market. This 
encouraged the rich farmers to expand 
wool production to earn profits. For 
this, they began to enclose common 
land where they could easily improve 
their sheep breeds and ensure good 
feed for them.
 (ii) From the mid-eighteenth century, 
the population of England expanded 
rapidly. This meant an increased 
demand for foodgrains to feed the 
growing population. This encouraged 
landowners to enclose lands and 
enlarge the area under grain 
cultivation.
 (iii) By the end of the 18th century, 
Fr anc e w as at w ar w i t h Engl and. Thi s            
disrupted trade and the import of 
foodgrains from Europe. Prices of 
foodgrains  in England soared high, 
encouraging landowners to enclose 
lands for grain cultivation.
 (iv) The growing industrialisation and 
urbanisation of England too, became 
a factor for enclosing more and more 
open lands.
 (v) Enclosures were essential to make 
long-term investments on land and 
plan crop rotations to improve the 
soil.
 Q3. Why were threshing machines opposed 
by the poor in England?
 Ans. Threshing machines were opposed 
by the poor in England due to the 
following reasons:
 (i)  The introduction of threshing machines 
encouraged landowners to reduce 
their dependence on labourers. Now 
landowners tried to cut wages and the 
number of workmen they employed. 
This aggravated the miseries of the  
poor.
 (ii) Unemployment spread among the 
poor. They tramped from village to 
village, and those with uncertain jobs 
lived in fear of a loss of their livelihood.
 (iii) For the poor, the threshing machines 
had become a sign of bad times.
 Q4. Who was Captain Swing? What did 
the name symbolise or represent?
 Ans. Captain Swing was a mythic name 
used in threatening letters written 
to English landlords against the use 
of threshing machines and their 
reluctance to employ labourers.
  The name of Captain Swing spread 
panic among the landowners. Many 
of them destroyed their threshing 
machines fearing attacks by armed 
bands at night.
 Q5. What was the impact of the westward 
expansion of settlers in the USA?
 Ans.(i) The White settlers got settled on 
the Appalachian plateau by driving 
away the American Indians. Then 
they moved into the Mississippi 
valley between 1820 and 1850. 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 and 
harvested good crops.
 (ii) After 1860s, the White settlers swept 
into the great plains across the river 
Mississippi. In subsequent decades, 
this region became a major wheat-
producing area of America.
 (iii) From the late 19th century, there 
was a dramatic expansion of wheat-
production in the USA. The urban 
population in the USA was growing 
and the export market was becoming 
even bigger. As the demand increased, 
wheat prices rose, encouraging 
farmers to produce more and more 
wheat. During the First World War, 
the world market boomed. Russian 
suppliers of wheat were cut off and the 
USA had to feed Europe. US President 
Wilson called upon farmers to respond 
to the need of the hour.
 (iv) The westward expansion of the 
White settlers paved the way for the 
development of new technologies 
which made the process of cultivation 
very effective and time-saving.
 (v) By the early 20th century, farmers 
in the great plains were breaking 
the ground with the help of the new 
technologies like tractors and disc 
ploughs, clearing vast stretches for 
wheat-production.
 (vi) The USA began to dominate the world 
market in agricultural produce and 
came to be known as the ‘bread basket 
of the world’.
 Q6. What were the advantages and 
disadvantages of the use of mechanical 
harvesting machines in the USA?
 Ans. Advantages: Various mechanical 
harvesting machines were proved to 
be a boon for the  USA. It was the time 
when the prices of wheat were high 
and the demand seemed limitless. The 
new machines allowed big farmers to 
rapidly clear large tracts, break up the 
soil, remove the grass and prepare 
the ground for cultivation. With the 
help of these machines the work could 
be done quickly and with a minimal 
number of hands. With power-driven 
machinery, four men could plough, 
seed and harvest 2,000 to 4,000 acres 
of wheat in a season.
  Disadvantages: These machines were 
proved to be a curse for the poor 
farmers because they brought misery 
in their life. Many of them bought 
these machines, imagining that wheat 
prices would remain high and profits 
would flow in. If they had no money, 
the banks offered loans. Those, who 
borrowed, found it difficult to pay 
back their debts. Many of them 
deserted their farms and looked for 
jobs elsewhere.
  But jobs were difficult to find. 
Mechanisation had reduced the need 
for labour. And the boom of the late 
19th and early 20th centuries seemed 
to have come to an end by the mid-
1920s. After that most farmers faced 
trouble. Production had expanded so 
rapidly during the war and post-war 
years that there was a large surplus 
which were turned into animal feed. 
Wheat prices fell and export markets 
collapsed. This became the cause of 
the Great Agrarian Depression of the 
1930s.
 Q7. What lessons can we draw from the 
conversion of the countryside in the 
USA from a bread-basket to a dust 
bowl?
 Ans. The expansion of wheat agriculture 
in the great plains created grave 
problems. In the 1930s, terrifying 
dust-storms began to blow over the 
southern plains. Black blizzards rolled 
in, very often 7,000 to 8,000 feet high, 
rising like monstrous waves of muddy 
water. This happened because the 
entire landscape had been ploughed 
over, stripped of all grass that held it 
together. When wheat cultivation had 
expanded dramatically in the early 
20th century, zealous farmers had 
recklessly uprooted all vegetation, and 
tractors had turned the soil over, and 
broken the soil into dust. The whole 
region had become a dust bowl.
  We can draw the following lessons 
from this incident:
 (i) We must respect the ecological 
conditions of each region.
 (ii) We should control our desire to win 
over the nature. Such a desire can 
never be fulfilled. But, in course of 
our frantic effort to fulfil such a desire, 
we can play havoc with the nature by 
creating ecological imbalance.
 (iii) Whatever development we want to 
bring, must be eco-friendly.
Page 4


NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED
Activities
 
Q1. Draw a timeline from 1650 to 1930 showing the significant agricultural changes 
which you have read about in this chapter.
 
Ans.
 
Timeline Agricultural Changes
• 1660
• 1750
• 1831
• 1870
• 1930s
• Farmers in many parts of England began growing turnip and 
cloves.
• More and more foodgrains were grown.
• Cyrus McCormick invented the first mechanical reaper which 
could cut in one day as much as five men could cut with and 
16 men with sickles.
• Great plains across the river Mississippi became a major 
wheat-producing area of America.
• Terrifying dust storms began to blow over the southern plains.
 
Q2.  Fill in the following table with the events outlined in this chapter. Remember, 
there could be more than one change in a country.
Ans.
Country Change which occurred Who lost Who won
England
United States 
of America
Open fields and commons were 
enclosed
Entire landscape was converted 
into agricultural belts
Poor people
Local tribes/ 
American Indians
Landlords
White 
Americans
Questions
 Q1. 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:
 • A rich farmer
 • A labourer
 • A peasant woman
 Ans.• A rich farmer: The open field system 
provided an opportunity to the rich 
farmers to enclose the best pastures 
for their own cattle. In the 16th 
century, the price of wool went up in 
the world market. Hence, rich farmers 
planned to expand wool production 
by improving their sheep breeds and 
ensuring good feed for them. Soon they 
started controlling large areas of land 
in compact blocks to allow improved 
breeding. They enclosed common 
land and built hedges around their 
holdings to separate their property 
from that of others. They drove out 
villagers from the commons. They 
also prevented them from entering 
the enclosed fields.
 • A labourer: For labourers, open fields 
were essential for their survival. Here 
they pastured their cows and grazed 
their sheep, collected fuelwood for fire 
and berries and fruits for food. They 
fished in the rivers and ponds, and 
hunted rabbits in common forests. It 
supplemented their meagre income, 
sustained their cattle, and helped 
them tide over bad times when crops 
failed.
 • A peasant woman: Peasant women 
used the open fields for grazing their 
cattle, gathering fruits and fuelwood.
 Q2. Explain briefly the factors which led 
to the enclosures in England.
 Ans. The factors which led to the enclosures 
in England are given below:
 (i) In the 16th century, the price of wool 
went up in the world market. This 
encouraged the rich farmers to expand 
wool production to earn profits. For 
this, they began to enclose common 
land where they could easily improve 
their sheep breeds and ensure good 
feed for them.
 (ii) From the mid-eighteenth century, 
the population of England expanded 
rapidly. This meant an increased 
demand for foodgrains to feed the 
growing population. This encouraged 
landowners to enclose lands and 
enlarge the area under grain 
cultivation.
 (iii) By the end of the 18th century, 
Fr anc e w as at w ar w i t h Engl and. Thi s            
disrupted trade and the import of 
foodgrains from Europe. Prices of 
foodgrains  in England soared high, 
encouraging landowners to enclose 
lands for grain cultivation.
 (iv) The growing industrialisation and 
urbanisation of England too, became 
a factor for enclosing more and more 
open lands.
 (v) Enclosures were essential to make 
long-term investments on land and 
plan crop rotations to improve the 
soil.
 Q3. Why were threshing machines opposed 
by the poor in England?
 Ans. Threshing machines were opposed 
by the poor in England due to the 
following reasons:
 (i)  The introduction of threshing machines 
encouraged landowners to reduce 
their dependence on labourers. Now 
landowners tried to cut wages and the 
number of workmen they employed. 
This aggravated the miseries of the  
poor.
 (ii) Unemployment spread among the 
poor. They tramped from village to 
village, and those with uncertain jobs 
lived in fear of a loss of their livelihood.
 (iii) For the poor, the threshing machines 
had become a sign of bad times.
 Q4. Who was Captain Swing? What did 
the name symbolise or represent?
 Ans. Captain Swing was a mythic name 
used in threatening letters written 
to English landlords against the use 
of threshing machines and their 
reluctance to employ labourers.
  The name of Captain Swing spread 
panic among the landowners. Many 
of them destroyed their threshing 
machines fearing attacks by armed 
bands at night.
 Q5. What was the impact of the westward 
expansion of settlers in the USA?
 Ans.(i) The White settlers got settled on 
the Appalachian plateau by driving 
away the American Indians. Then 
they moved into the Mississippi 
valley between 1820 and 1850. 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 and 
harvested good crops.
 (ii) After 1860s, the White settlers swept 
into the great plains across the river 
Mississippi. In subsequent decades, 
this region became a major wheat-
producing area of America.
 (iii) From the late 19th century, there 
was a dramatic expansion of wheat-
production in the USA. The urban 
population in the USA was growing 
and the export market was becoming 
even bigger. As the demand increased, 
wheat prices rose, encouraging 
farmers to produce more and more 
wheat. During the First World War, 
the world market boomed. Russian 
suppliers of wheat were cut off and the 
USA had to feed Europe. US President 
Wilson called upon farmers to respond 
to the need of the hour.
 (iv) The westward expansion of the 
White settlers paved the way for the 
development of new technologies 
which made the process of cultivation 
very effective and time-saving.
 (v) By the early 20th century, farmers 
in the great plains were breaking 
the ground with the help of the new 
technologies like tractors and disc 
ploughs, clearing vast stretches for 
wheat-production.
 (vi) The USA began to dominate the world 
market in agricultural produce and 
came to be known as the ‘bread basket 
of the world’.
 Q6. What were the advantages and 
disadvantages of the use of mechanical 
harvesting machines in the USA?
 Ans. Advantages: Various mechanical 
harvesting machines were proved to 
be a boon for the  USA. It was the time 
when the prices of wheat were high 
and the demand seemed limitless. The 
new machines allowed big farmers to 
rapidly clear large tracts, break up the 
soil, remove the grass and prepare 
the ground for cultivation. With the 
help of these machines the work could 
be done quickly and with a minimal 
number of hands. With power-driven 
machinery, four men could plough, 
seed and harvest 2,000 to 4,000 acres 
of wheat in a season.
  Disadvantages: These machines were 
proved to be a curse for the poor 
farmers because they brought misery 
in their life. Many of them bought 
these machines, imagining that wheat 
prices would remain high and profits 
would flow in. If they had no money, 
the banks offered loans. Those, who 
borrowed, found it difficult to pay 
back their debts. Many of them 
deserted their farms and looked for 
jobs elsewhere.
  But jobs were difficult to find. 
Mechanisation had reduced the need 
for labour. And the boom of the late 
19th and early 20th centuries seemed 
to have come to an end by the mid-
1920s. After that most farmers faced 
trouble. Production had expanded so 
rapidly during the war and post-war 
years that there was a large surplus 
which were turned into animal feed. 
Wheat prices fell and export markets 
collapsed. This became the cause of 
the Great Agrarian Depression of the 
1930s.
 Q7. What lessons can we draw from the 
conversion of the countryside in the 
USA from a bread-basket to a dust 
bowl?
 Ans. The expansion of wheat agriculture 
in the great plains created grave 
problems. In the 1930s, terrifying 
dust-storms began to blow over the 
southern plains. Black blizzards rolled 
in, very often 7,000 to 8,000 feet high, 
rising like monstrous waves of muddy 
water. This happened because the 
entire landscape had been ploughed 
over, stripped of all grass that held it 
together. When wheat cultivation had 
expanded dramatically in the early 
20th century, zealous farmers had 
recklessly uprooted all vegetation, and 
tractors had turned the soil over, and 
broken the soil into dust. The whole 
region had become a dust bowl.
  We can draw the following lessons 
from this incident:
 (i) We must respect the ecological 
conditions of each region.
 (ii) We should control our desire to win 
over the nature. Such a desire can 
never be fulfilled. But, in course of 
our frantic effort to fulfil such a desire, 
we can play havoc with the nature by 
creating ecological imbalance.
 (iii) Whatever development we want to 
bring, must be eco-friendly.
 (iv) We must not forget that, by imbalancing 
ecological conditions, we endanger our 
own life.
 Q8. Write a paragraph on why the British 
insisted on farmers growing opium in 
India.
 Ans. The British insisted on farmers 
growing opium in India in order to 
balance their trade with China from 
where they bought tea and silk for 
sale in England. The British could 
buy tea only by paying in silver 
coins or bullion. This meant an 
outflow of treasure from England. 
This created widespead anxiety 
among the British who believed that 
a loss of treasure would impoverish 
the nation and deplete its wealth. 
Merchants therefore looked for ways 
to stop this loss of silver. Opium was 
the only commodity which the British 
could sell in China and persuade the 
Chinese to buy. Hence, it became 
essential to grow more and more 
opium in India. They persuaded 
Indian farmers to grow opium which 
they took from India to China and tea 
from China to England.
 Q9. Why were Indian farmers reluctant to 
grow opium?
 Ans. There were several reasons behind it:
  (i) The crop had to be grown on the best 
land, on fields that lay near villages 
and were well-manured. On this land 
peasants usually produced pulses. 
If they planted opium on this land, 
pulses could not be grown there, 
or they would have to be grown on 
inferior land, where harvests were 
poorer and uncertain.
 (ii) There were many cultivators who had 
no land of their own. To cultivate, they 
had to pay rent and lease land from 
landlords. And the rent-charged on 
good lands near villages was very high.
 (iii) The cultivation of opium was a difficult 
process. The plant was delicate, and 
cultivators had to spend long hours 
nurturing it. This meant that they 
did not have enough time to care for 
other crops.
 (iv) The price the government paid to 
the cultivators for the opium they 
produced was very low.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED
 I. Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. Which of the following is the appropriate 
reason that excited Swing rioters to 
destroy threshing machines during 
1930s in England?
 (a) They broke these machines in the 
name of Captain Swing.
 (b) These machines deprived workmen 
of their livelihood.
 (c) Captain Swing was a person who 
broke all these machines.
 (d) They were threatening landlords.
2. Why was common land essential for 
survival of the poor in England? 
 (a) Common land supplemented income 
of the poor and helped them during 
bad times.
 (b) Poor could move freely in common 
land.
 (c) Poor could set up industry in 
common land.
 (d) All of the above
3. Who was the American leader under 
whom maximum expansion of wheat 
cultivation took place?  
 (a) President Wilson  
 (b) President Lincoln
 (c) President Bush
 (d) President Clinton
4. When did the White Americans move 
into the Mississippi valley? 
 (a) Between 1750 and 1850
 (b) Between 1830 and 1832
 (c) Between 1820 and 1850 
 (d) Between 1771 and 1850