Class 10 History Chapter 2 Question Answers - India and the Contemporary World - II

Q1: What were Corn Laws Why were these Laws abolished.
Ans: The Corn Laws were British trade laws to regulate the export or import of corn.
(i) These laws were abolished :
(ii) Because restriction of imports lead to high food prices.
(iii) These laws restricted the free trade. Landlords, industrialists and urban dwellers were against these laws.

Q2: Give three examples to show that the world changed with the discovery of new sea routes to America.
Ans: (i) Before the discovery of the sea routes, America had been cut off from regular contact with the rest of the world for millions of years. But from the sixteenth century, its vast lands and abundant crops and minerals began to transform trade and lives everywhere.
(ii) Precious metals, particularly silver, from mires located in present day Peru and Mexico also enhanced Europe’s wealth and financed its trade with Asia. Legends spread in seventeenth-century Europe about South America’s fabled wealth. Many expeditions set off in search of El Dorado, the fabled city of gold
(iii) With the discovery of sea routes three types of movements or flows became prominent. i.e., the flow of goods, labour and capital.

Q3: Name any two world institutions which were established under the Bretton Woods. Also mention one objective of each.
Answer: (i) International Monetary Fund.
(ii) World Bank.
Objective:
(a) IMF to deal with external surpluses and deficits o! its member nations.
(b) IBRD – To finance post-war reconstruction.

Q4: “Economists of the 19th century identify three types of movements or ‘flows’ within international economic exchanges.” Explain.
Answer: (i) The flow of trade : The flow of trade refers largely to trade in goods. For example, wheat travelled from Russia, America and Australia to Britain.
(ii) The flow of labour : This includes the migration of people in search of employment. For example, more than 50 million people migrated from Europe to America and Australia In search of jobs.
(iii) The movement of capital : This covers the movement of capital for short-term or long-term investments over long distances. For example, capital flowed from financial centres such as London to other parts of the world.

Q5: Why did the European employers find it difficult to recruit labour in Africa Give two methods they used to recruit and retain labour.
Or
Why was there a shortage of labour willing to work for wages in Africa in the 1890s How did Europeans try to recruit and retain labour Explain any two methods.
Or
What methods were used by the European employers to recruit and retain the African labourers?
Answer: The European employers found it difficult to recruit labour in Africa because historically. Africa had abundant land and a relatively small population. For centuries, land and livestock sustained African livelihood and people rarely worked for wages.
Methods to recruit and retain labour:
(i) Heavy taxes : Tile colonial government started imposing heavy taxes which could be paid only by working for wages on plantations and mines.
(ii) New inheritance laws : Inheritance laws were changed so that the peasants were displaced from land: only one member of a family was allowed to inherit land, others were pushed into the labour market
(iii) Restriction on movement: Miners were also enclosed in compounds, and were not allowed to move about freely.

Q6: What was the impact of industrialisation in Britain on Indian economy.
Ans: (i) With industrialisation, the British cotton manufacturers began to expand and industrialists pressurised the government to restrict the cotton imports, and protect the local industries. Tariffs were imposed on doth imports into Britain. Consequently, the inflow of fine Indian cotton began to decline.
(ii) From the early nineteenth century. British manufacturers also began to search the overseas markets for their cloth.
(iii) The British machine-made textile products started giving a tough competition to the Indian textile industry at home.
So there was a decline in the share of cotton textiles from some 30 per cent around 1800 to 15 per cent by 1815. By the 1870s, this proportion had dropped to below 3 percent.

Q7: Name the countries involved in the First World War.
Ans: The war was the outcome of the rivalry between the two strong armed camps or the European powers, i.e., Triple Alliance and Triple Entente or the Central Powers.
On the one side were the Allies – Britain. France and Russia (later joined by the US) and on the opposite side were the Centre Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Turkey.

Q8: ‘The First World War was modern industrial war’. Explain.
Or
Explain how the First World War was so horrible a war like none other before.
Or
How far is it correct to say that “The First World Wax was the First modem industrial war”? Explain.
Ans: (i) The First World War saw the use of machine guns, tanks, aircraft, chemical weapons, etc. on a massive scale.
(ii) These were all increasingly products of modern large-scale industry. To fight the war. millions of soldiers had to be recruited from around the world. and moved to the front lines on large ships and trains.
(iii) The scale of death and destruction – 9 million dead and 20 million injured – was unthinkable before the industrial age, without the use of industrial arms.

Q9: “The First World War was fought between two power blocs” Explain.
Ans: The First World War was fought from 1914 – 1918. On the one side were the Allies – Britain. France and Russia (later joined by the US): and on the opposite side were the Central Powers – Germany. Austria – Hungary and Ottoman Turkey.

Q10: Write any three factors responsible for indentured labour migration from India.
Ans: (i) Most Indian indentured workers came from the present day regions of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Bihar. Central India and the dry- districts of Tamil Nadu. In the mid-nineteenth century these regions experienced many changes – cottage industries declined, land rents rose, lands were cleared for mines and plantations. All this affected the lives of the poor, they failed to pay then rents, became deeply indebted.
(ii) On the other hand workers were required in other countries for plantations, mines, road and railway construction projects.
(iii) In hope for better future in other countries many workers from India started migrated in other countries.

Q11: Explain the impacts of scrapping of the Corn Law.
Or
What was the result of the abolishing of Corn Laws?
Ans: (i) The scrapping of Corn Laws lead to free trade of food grains.
(ii) After the abolition of Corn Laws, food could be imported into Britain more cheaply than it could be produced within the country.
(iii) British farmers were unable to compete with imports. Vast areas of land were now left uncultivated, and thousands of men and women were thrown out of work. They flocked to the cities or migrated overseas
(iv) Increase in demand due to fall in prices and increase in income leads to mismatch between demand and supply of food grains.
(v) Many countries of the world like Russia. America and Australia and some eastern European countries started exporting food grains to Britain which gave further set back to the local producers.

Q12: “The example of indentured labour migration from India and other parts of the world illustrates the two-sided nature of the 19th century” world.” Explain by giving examples.
Or
Why 19th century indentured has been described as a ‘new system of slavery’ Explain.
Ans: (i) It was a world of faster economic growth as well as greater misery, higher income for some, and poverty for others, technological advances in some areas, and new forms of exploitation in others. In India, indentured labourers were hired under contracts which promised the return travel to India, after they had worked for five years on their employer’s plantation.
(ii) Most of the indentured workers migrated in hope for a bright future, but they were exploited by the recruiting agent and by the employer.

• They had to pay a commission to the recruiting agent.
• The agents used to provides false information to the workers regarding their final destination, modes of travel, the nature of work and living and working conditions.
• Sometimes, agents even forcibly abducted less willing migrants.

Q13: Explain the impact of the First World War on Britain.
Or
How did the First World War change the economic life of the people in Britain Explain.
Or
Describe in brief the world economic conditions of the post First World War period.
Ans: (i) The post-war economic recovery proved difficult as the heavy expenditure on the World War I weakened the British economy.
(ii) While Britain was preoccupied with war, industries had development in Japan and India. So now Britain had to face competition from these countries, especially from Japan.
(iii) To finance war expenditures. Britain had borrowed liberally from the United States (US). This meant that at the end of the war. Britain was burdened with huge external debts.
(iv) The war had led to an economic boom, i.e., to a large increase in demand, production, prices and employment. When the war boom ended production contracted, employment and unemployment increased.
(v) The economic hardship of the war period forced the people of British colonies against them. For example. Non-Cooperation movement was launched in India.

Q14: Explain the consequences of the Second World War.
Or
Describe in brief the destruction caused during the Second World War.
Ans: (i) Death and Destruction: More than GO million people, or about 3 per cent of the world’s population, are believed to have been killed, directly or indirectly, as a result of the tear. Millions or more were injured too. Many big cities were reduced to ashes.
(ii) Damage to Agriculture. Trade and Industries: The World War II caused a great damage to agriculture, trade and commerce. The terrible battles fought in different countries, made large tracts of land infertile. Lakhs of industries were destroyed which caused a severe damage to the industrial production. Many industries were closed down in the absence of sufficient raw materials.
(iii) Increase in Soviet Russia’s Power and Prestige: The Second World War boosted up the power and prestige of the Soviet Union. Russian influence started increasing in the international held, and many countries got attracted towards communism. (iv) USA becomes a Super Power : The World War II made USA the supreme power of the world Undoubtedly, the USA played an important role in the victory of the Allies. After the war, no European country was either as powerful or as prosperous as the United States of America (USA).
(v) New Economic system: The main aim of the post-war international economic system was to preserve economic Stability and full employment in the industrial world. The Bretton Woods conference established the International Monetary fund IMP to deal with external surpluses and deficits its member nations. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( popularly known as the World Bank) was set up to finance post-war reconstruction.

Q15: What is meant by the Bretton Woods Agreement Explain.
Ans: The Bretton Woods Conference took place in the July of 1944 at Bretton Woods in New Hamsphire, USA. Under this system, the International Monetary Fund (IMP) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) were established.
The main terms of this agreement were:
(i) Formation of IMF and IBRD (also called the World Bank).
(ii) To establish monetary cooperation amongst the member countries.
(iii) Adjustable peg foreign exchange rates system was followed, i. the exchange rates were fixed, with the provision of changing them if necessary. Currencies were required to be convertible for trade related and other current account transactions. The governments, however, had the power to regulate capital flows.
(iv) All member countries were required to subscribe to the IMF’s capital.

Q16: ‘In the. 19th century, all over the world more than 150 million people migrated from one country to another.’ Explain the factors responsible for this migration.
Ans: (i) Abolition of Corn Laws and free trade: The scrapping of the Corn laws laid the foundation of free trade. Now, food could be imported Or exported into Britain freely.
(ii) New Economic activities: The free trace led to development of railways and new ports. People had to settle or, the lands to bring them under cultivation. This meant building homes and settlements. All the construction activities needed labour. The demand for labour in places where labour was in short supply led to migration.
(iii) Role of technology: The railways, steamships, lighter wagons helped the people to move from one country to another.
(iv) Imperialism: The wave of imperialism engulfed the whole world and due to this people migrated from one nation to another.
(v) Different flows: The flow of trade accompanied with capital paved way for the flow of labour.

Q17: Define the term ‘Trade Surplus’. How was the income received from trade surplus with India used by Britain?
Ans: When the value of exports is higher than value of imports, it is called as ‘Trade Surplus’. Britain used this surplus to balance its trade deficits with other countries — that is. with countries from which Britain was importing more than it was selling to. This is how n multi-lateral settlement system works—it allows one country’s deficit with another country to be settled by its surplus with a third country. By helping Britain balance its deficits. India played a crucial role in the late- nineteenth century world economy. Britain’s trade surplus in India also helped to pay the so-called ‘home charges’ that included private remittances home by British officials and traders, interest payments on India’s external debt, and pensions of British officials in India.

Q18: What do you know about the Great Depression Explain the major factors responsible for the Great Depression.
Ans: This was a period during which most parts of the world experienced catastrophic decline in production, employment, income and trade. The state of Economic Depression set in the United States of America in 1929 and engulfed the entire world. Tins state of Economic Depression set in the United States of America (USA) in 1929. and engulfed the entire world. Hence, it is known as the Greet Depression.
Causes of Economic Depression:
(i) Conditions created by the War: There was an immense industrial expansion in view of the increased demands of goods related to army during the period of the First World War. After the war, the industries went through the same proliferation. However, the sharp decrease in demands for military and war products gave birth to the economic depression.
(ii) Overproduction in agriculture: Agricultural overproduction was one another major factor responsible for the depression. This was made worse by falling agricultural prices. As prices slumped, and agricultural income declined, farmers tried to expand production, and bring a larger volume of produce to the market to maintain their overall income. This worsened the glut in the market, pushing down prices even further. The farm produce rotted for lack of buyers.
(iii) Shortage of loans: In the mid 1920s, many countries financed their investments through loans from the US. While it was often very easy to raise loans in the US during the boom period, but the US overseas lenders panicked at the first sign of trouble.
(iv) Multiple effect: The withdrawal of lenders from the market had a multiple effect. In Europe, it led to the failure of some major banks, and the collapse of currencies such as the British pound and the sterling.
In Latin America and elsewhere, it intensified the slump in agricultural and raw material prices. The US attempt to protect its economy in the depression by doubling import duties also dealt another severe blow to the world trade.

Q19: Explain the impact of the Great Depression on the Indian economy.
Or
Explain the impact of the Great Depression on Indian farmers in the early twentieth century.
Ans: (i) Impact on trade: The depression immediately affected Indian trade. India’s exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934. As international prices crashed, prices in India plunged. Between 1928 and 1934 wheat prices in India fell by about 50 per cent.
(ii) Impact on farmers: The fall in prices had a deep impact on the poor farmers. Though agricultural prices fell sharply, but the colonial government refused to give any relief to the farmers in taxes. Peasants producing tor the world market were the worst hit.

(iii) Impact on Urban India: The depression proved less grim for urban India. Because of falling prices those with fixed income- say town-dwelling landowners, who received rents and middle-class salaried employees now found themselves better off. Every thing low cost.
(iv) High Industrial investment: Industrial investment also grew as the government extended tariff protection to industries, under the pressure of nationalist opinion.
(v) Political Impact: The Great Depression paved way for Gandhiji to launch the Civil Disobedience movement.

Q20: Explain any four measures adopted by America for postwar (First World War) recovery.
Ans: (i) USA moved towards mass production which lowered the cost of production.
(ii) Due to lower cost of production producers started giving higher wages to the worker.
(iii) The demand for common household products boomed the housing sector
(iv) The housing and consumer boom of the 1920s created the basis of prosperity in the US. Large investments in housing and household goods seemed to create a cycle of higher employment and incomes, rising consumption demand, more investment, and yet more employment and incomes.
(v) In 1923. the US resumed exporting capital to the rest of the world and became the largest overseas lender.