Peasants and Farmers – History Class 9 (Social Science) PDF Download

                                                                                     NOTES: HISTORY
                                                                          CHAPTER: PEASANTS AND FARMERS
                                                                                            CLASS-IX
 
Dust bowl tragedy: it was a tragedy which occurred in the 1930s. The extensive use of prairies was responsible for the tragedy. Under this black blizzards (storms) became common in the prairies.
Great economic depression: it was a depression which occurred in USA in the 1930s. It occurred because of the surplus production in agriculture, ruined farmers everywhere.
Enclosure system: under the enclosure system, the common land which was the property of the whole village was being enclosed by rich landlords. The common land was enclosed by building hedges around the land to separate it from that of others. 

PART-I: THE COMING OF THE MODERN AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND

Q1. How did the industrialization encourage the enclosure system/movement in England? Give any five points.
Ans. Points are: 
1. Industries needed more raw materials and were paying high price to the farmers for their produce. This encouraged the farmers to grow more and to increase enclosures.
2. Men from rural areas migrated to towns in search of jobs. To survive, they had to buy food grains from the market. As the population grew demand for the food grains expanded. This demand encouraged the farmers for enclosures. 
3. Due to increase in the demand for food grains, rich farmers started using machinery. This machinery enhanced farmers to work quickly and with a minimal number of hands.
4. The rich people started using machines. These machines needed large farms. So the rich landlords started enclosing more open fields.
5. Innovations in agricultural technology encouraged people to bring lowlands under cultivation, open field were carved, pastureland was opened, common forests were cut up and large areas were converted into agricultural lands. 
 

Q2. Explain the major features of the ‘open field’ system which was prevailing in England in the eighteenth and in the early nineteenth century. 
OR How were the open fields and commons use by the farmers in England before enclosures? 
Ans. Major Features:
1. Before the 18th century in large parts of England, the countryside was open. Peasants cultivated on strips of land around the village they lived in.
2. At the beginning of each year, strips of varying quality were allocated to each villager.
3. Beyond these strips of cultivation lay the common land. All villagers had an access to the commons. Here they pastured their cows and grazed their sheep.
4. They collected fuel wood for fire and berries and fruit for food. They fished in the rivers and ponds, and hunted small animals in common forests.
5. For the poor, the common land was essential for survival. 
6. It supplemented merge income sustained their cattle and helped them tide over bad times when crops failed.
 

Q3. “For the poor, the common land was essential for survival.” Explain.
Ans. For the poor, the common land was essential for survival because
1. It supplemented merge income sustained their cattle and helped them tide over bad times when crops failed.
2. All villagers had the access to the commons.
3. Here they pastured their cows and grazed their sheep.
4. They collected fuel wood for fire and berries and fruit for food.
5. They fished in the rivers and ponds, and hunted small animals in common forests.
 

Q4. ‘Between 1750 and 1900 England’s population multiplied four times. Explain its impact on the enclosures.
Ans. Impacts were: 
1. More population means more demand for food grains. So this encouraged the landlords to enclose more land.
2. Due to increase in population, the market for food grains expanded and when demand increased rapidly, food grains prices rose. This encouraged the landlords to enclose more open fields.
3. Due to increase in the demand for food grains, rich farmers started using machinery. This also encouraged enclosures.
4. Anglo-French war disrupted import of food grains from Europe. Prices of food grains sky rocketed, encouraging landowners to enclose lands.
5. Profits flowed in and landowners pressurized the Parliament to pass the enclosure Acts. It passed 4,000 Acts legilising these enclosures. 
 

Q5. What was the impact of enclosures on the poor farmers?
OR How were the poor affected by the enclosure movement?
Ans. The coming of enclosures meant many changes in the lives of poor because
1. When fences came up, the enclosed land became the exclusive property of one landowner. The poor could no longer collect their firewood from the forests, or graze their cattle on the commons.
2. They could no longer collect apples and barriers, or hunt small animals for meat. 
3. They could not gather the stalks that lay on the fields after the crops were harvested.
4. In the places, where enclosures happened on an extensive scale, the poor were displaced from the land. 
5. They found their customary rights were gradually disappearing.
6. Deprived of their rights, and driven off the land, they tramped in search of work. But nowhere could the poor find secure jobs.
7. Lebourers were being paid low wages and employed only during harvest time.
8. Their work became insecure, employment uncertain and income unstable.
 

Q6. What was the impact of agriculture revolution or enclosures on England?
Ans. Impacts on England:
1. It led to the industrial revolution.
2. The industrial revolution further led to colonialism
3. It led to the use of science and technology in agriculture.
4. It led to the increase in production.
5. It reduced England’s dependence on Europe for food grains. 
 

Q7. Explain briefly what the open field system meant to rural people in the eighteenth-century England. Look at the system from the point of view of: 
(a) A rich farmer
(b) A labourer
(c) A peasant woman
Ans. (a) Open field system meant to a rich farmer:
1. The village common land was open to all. Here the rich pastured their cows and grazed their sheep, collected fuel wood for fire and barriers and fruits for food.
2. When the price of wool went up in the world market, to earn more profits, the rich wanted to improve their sheep breed. To improve their sheep breed, good pastures were required. So they started enclosing the common land by pushing the poor from the common land.
3. Due to increase in the population, the market for food grains expanded. Rich farmers were earning huge profits from the food grains. The high profit margin encouraged the rich landlords to enclose more lands.
4. The rich landlords pressurized the parliament to pass the Enclosure Acts.
5. The richer farmers enclosed open fields, expanded grain production, made profits and became powerful. 
 

(b) Open field system meant to a labourer:
1. An open field system held great attraction for the labourer. He could meet almost all his needs from such open fields. 
2. At the initial stage, the open field system was good for the labourers. They could get jobs in these fields.
3. When the demand for wool and food grains increased in Europe, they started, getting regular work.
4. But with the passage of time, they were replaced by machines. So they launched a movement known as Captain Swing to protest against modernization of agriculture.
5. During the open field system, the labourers used to live with land owners. But under the enclosure system, they lost their jobs.
6. They were only employed only for harvesting and sowing season.
 

(b) Open field system meant to a peasant woman: (what happened to the women and children?)
1. Under the open field system, the women were an important part of the family. They were also playing very important role in daily affairs. 
2. Cow keeping, collection of wood, gathering of barriers and fruits from the open fields was earlier mostly done by women and children. 
3. With the disappearance of the open fields system, they could no longer collect anything from the open fields.
4. It became difficult for women to graze cattle and fulfill the requirement of food for their family.
5. With the disappearance of the open field system, the male members had to move, out of villages in search of work. So the burden of family was on the women.
 

Q8. Explain briefly the factors which led to the enclosures in England.
OR What were the reasons for the enclosure in England? Explain.
Ans. Major Reasons were:
1. Rising demand for wool: in the 16th century the price of wool went up in the world market, to earn more profits, the rich wanted to improve their sheep breed. To improve their sheep breed, good pastures were required. So they started enclosing the common land to provide proper pastures to the sheep.
2. Various acts: the early enclosures were usually created by individual landlords. They were not supported by the state or the church. But after 1850, many Acts were passed to legalise the enclosures. 
3. Rapid growth in population: there was a rapid growth of population England between the 18th and the 19th centuries. The increased population means more demand for food grains and other products so the people had no other option except to enclose open fields.
4. Increase in demand for food-grains: there was shortage of food grains in England due to increases in population, and war with France. Price of food grains in England sky rocketed, encouraging landowners to enclose lands and enlarge the area under grain cultivation.
5. Use of machinery: As the demand for food grains was increasing at a very fast rate, the rich people started using machines. These machines needed large farms. So the rich landlords started enclosing more and open fields.
 

Q9. Why were the threshing machines opposed by the poor in England?
Ans. Threshing machines opposed by the poor in England because
1. For the poor the threshing machines had become a sign of bad times.
2. Due to the threshing machines, the rich landowners complained of the insolence of labourers and the difficulty of making them to work.
3. They thought, the machines would help them to reduce their dependence on labourers. 
4. Due to the threshing machines, rich farmers were enclosing more and more open fields. 
5. This was having an adverse impact on the poor class. Now the area under open fields was decreasing.
6. Earlier it was common for labourers to live with the landowners. They used to help their master throughout the year but with the introduction of machines, work became insecure, employment uncertain and income unstable.
 

Q10. Who was captain Swing? What did the name symbolize or represent?
Ans. Captain Swing was no person but a mythic name used by poor labourers, who were deprived of their common land, of their livelihood and even of their jobs. They could not openly face the influential landlords, so they adopted this new method of threatening them. At night they would attack the farmhouses of the landowners, destroy the threshing machines, burn their barn and haystacks and sometimes, their entire farmhouses. 
Because the landlords had taken their common land which was essential for their survival, so the poor labourers threatened them of dire consequences under the symbolic name of Captain Swing. This was their novice scheme to save themselves from the operation of the law. This name became so common in about 1830 that the riots started by the poor laboureres begun to be called the ‘Swing Riots’