Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3 Important Question Answers - Glimpses of the Past

Q1: How did British East India expand their power in India?
Ans: There was no synchronisation between Indians, and they were not united. In addition, the Indian princes were short-sighted. Therefore, they fought against each other. To defeat the other King, British East India was involved and ultimately defeated them.

Q2: How did the British subdue Indian princes?
Ans: There was no unity among Indian princes, and they fought amongst each other. During that time, they had many conflicts as they were short on funds for survival. One of the princes took help from the British and defeated the other princes. However, they did not realise the future consequences. In addition, the rivalries helped the East India Company subdue the Indian princes.

Q3: What is the reason for the Fight for Freedom (1857)?
Ans: In the first fight for Freedom in 1857, mutiny rebels such as Begum Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow joined the upsurge against the foreigner. Maulvi Ahmedulia was the one who started a revolt with his people in Kanpur, Allahabad, and Bareilly. In addition, Azimulla Khan elaborated to Tatya Tope to elect Peshwa Nana Saheb as their leader in the War of Independence. The kings and the princes fought wars all over North India with the British.

Q4: How did the British oppress the Indians?
Ans: The British took every possibility to oppress India. In addition, they passed Regulation III in 1818, which allowed the British to imprison Indians without any trial in a court.

Q5: What did English education produce?
Ans: English education was able to produce Indians as clerks. The British hired them for petty jobs. However, English education did produce a new generation of intellectuals who believed in educating others. With English education, people could also improve their status and earning potential in society. In addition, they knew that to bring the change, they must convey their concerns to the British Parliament.

Q6: Who preached untouchability at the time of British Rule?
Ans: The rule of untouchability and child marriage was preached by religious leaders at the time of British Rule.

Q7: What did the British do to the farmers?
Ans: The British wanted heavy and instant profit, so they imposed taxes on the farmers, forcing them to abandon their fields.

Q8: How were the princes short-sighted?
Ans: During that time, the Indians were not united, and the Indian princes fought with each other. Due to these internal constant fights, there was no peace, and they called on the British to defeat the other Kings. However, they were not aware of the future consequences. Therefore, Tipu Sultan, a far-seeing ruler, fought bravely against the British until the end. The British defeated the other Kings and later dethroned them. The princes could not synchronise with each other and fell to the politics of British East India.

Q9: What changes were seen during the years 1855-57?
Ans: Many changes happened in the province of India during the years 1855-57. In 1855, a revolution took place in Bengal. The main reason behind this was the loss of land by the Santhal, and this led to the massacre of several Europeans and their local supporters. The regiment of Sepoy Mangal Pandey was attacked and executed. The sepoys were stripped of their uniforms, humiliated, and imprisoned as they revolted. After this, everyone visited village after village and distributed chapattis asking common people for their service to their emperor. The masses were able to provide shelter and offer help to all patriots.

Q10: Who was Ram Mohan Roy?
Ans: Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833) was a prominent scholar from Bengal who recognised the issues facing India. He believed in the importance of practical and scientific knowledge.

• He emphasised that knowledge should be both practical and scientific.
• Roy travelled to England to understand the source of British power.
• He advised the British that if they wished to rule India, they must acknowledge their responsibility towards its people.
• He initiated newspapers, but the British authorities suppressed them.
• Roy advocated for social reform, urging Indians to take pride in their ancient culture.
• He believed that all religions share a common essence, despite differing opinions.

Q11: What advice did Macaulay give in 1835?
Ans: Macaulay was an Englishman who advised all Indians that they should be taught English and other subjects because education was taught in Persian and Sanskrit in India.

Q12: Who was the far-seeing ruler of the Company’s conquests?
Ans: The far-seeing ruler Tipu Sultan was the Tipu of Mysore. He fought the British till the end of his life.

Q13: What did the preachers tell about anyone crossing the sea?
Ans: The preachers once believed that anyone who crossed the sea would lose their religion. They also firmly believed that all the misery in this world was due to women.