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

Q1: Explain how the global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped in the colonisation of the Americas.
Ans: The global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped in the colonisation of the Americas because the native American Indians were not immune to the diseases that the settlers and colonisers brought with them. The Europeans were more or less immune to small pox, but the native Americans, having been cut off from the rest of the world for millions of years, had no defence against it. These germs killed and wiped out whole communities, paving the way for foreign domination. Weapons and soldiers could be destroyed or captured, but diseases could not be fought against.

Q2: Write a note to explain the effects of the following:
The coming of rinderpest to Africa.
Ans: The coming of rinderpest to Africa caused a loss of livelihood for countless Africans. Using this situation to their advantage, colonising nations conquered and subdued Africa by monopolising scarce cattle resources to force Africans into the labour market.

Q3: Name the regions which were involved in 'Triangular Trade'?
Ans: A triangular slave trade took place between Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Q4: Briefly summarise the two lessons learnt by economists and politicians from the inter-war economic experience.
Ans: The economists and politicians learnt two key lessons from the inter-war economic experience.

• First, an industrial society based on mass production cannot be sustained without mass consumption. There is a need for high and stable income which depends on full employment of the people.
• Since market alone could not guarantee full employment; government should intervene and take steps to minimise fluctuation of market forces.
• The second lesson is that the global economy is inter-related.
• The goal of full employment could only be achieved if governments had power to control flow of goods, capital and labour.

Q5: Write a note to explain the effects of the following:
The death of men of working-age in Europe because of the World War.
Ans: Most of the victims of world war belonged to young generations of working men. As a result, it reduced the workforce in Europe, thereby reducing household income. The role of women increased and led to demand for more equality of status. It made the feminist movement stronger. Women started working alongside men in every field. Women and youngsters became more independent and free with long-term effects.

Q6: Write a note to explain the effects of the following:
The Great Depression on the Indian economy
Ans: The impact of the Great Depression in India was felt especially in the agricultural sector. It was evident that Indian economy was closely becoming integrated to global economy. India was a British colony and exported agricultural goods and imported manufactured goods. The fall in agricultural price led to reduction of farmers’ income and agricultural export. The government did not decrease their tax and so, many farmers and landlords became more indebted to moneylenders and corrupt officials. It led to a great rural unrest in India.

Q7: Explain the causes of the Great Depression.
Ans: The Great Depression was a result of many factors:

• Prosperity in the USA during the 1920s created a cycle of higher employment and incomes. It led to rise in consumption and demands. More investment and more employment created tendencies of speculations which led to the Great Depression of 1929 upto the mid-1930s.
• Stock market crashed in 1929. It created panic among investors and depositors who stopped investing and depositing. As a result, it created a cycle of depreciation.
• Failure of the banks. Some of the banks closed down when people withdrew all their assets, leaving them unable to invest. Some banks called back loans taken from them at the same dollar rate inspite of the falling value of dollar. It was worsened by British change in policy to value pound at the pre-war value.

Q8: Why did kings wanted to control the Silk Route?
Ans: The kings wanted to control the Silk Route to protect the traders. This was done with the aim of ensuring a flourishing trade. The flourishing trade could ensure good tax collection and collection of tributes. Hence, the kings wanted to control the Silk Route.

Q9: Who introduced the assembly line method for producing automobiles on a large scale?
Ans: Henry Ford introduced the Assembly line method for producing automobiles on a large scale.

Q10: Explain the role of Bretton Woods institutions in post-Second World War settlement.
Ans: The main aim of the post-war international economic system was to preserve economic stability and full employment in the industrial world. Its framework was agreed upon at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held in July 1944 at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, USA. The Bretton Woods conference established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deal with external surpluses and deficits of its member nations. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (popularly known as the World Bank) was set up to finance post- war reconstruction.

Q11: Describe the impact of 'Rinderpest' on people's livelihoods and local economy in Africa in the 1890s.
Ans: Rinderpest refers to the cattle plague in Africa in 1890s. This disease show that how during this era of conquest even a disease affecting cattle reshaped the lives and fortunes of thousands of people. The infected cattle was imported from British Asia into Africa to feed Italian soldiers. The following were the impact of Rinderpest on people's livelihoods and the local economy in Africa:

• It destroyed nearly 90% of the livestock.
• It destroyed the livelihood of the Natives.
• Mine owners and colonial powers benefited by it as they monopolized what scarce cattle resources remained and Africa ceased to be a free continent.

Q12: Describe the condition of indentured labour that migrated from India during the nineteenth century. 
Ans: Indentured labour is a bonded labour who is hired on contract for a specific employer for a specific period of time. The main destinations of Indian indentured migrants were the Caribbean islands (Mainly Trinidad,), Mauritius and Fiji. Tamil migrants went to Ceylon and Malaya. Indentured workers were also recruited for tea plantation in Assam. Recruitments were done by the agents engaged by employers. Nineteenth century indenture has been described as a 'new system of slavery. Living and working conditions of indentured labourers were harsh and few legal rights were granted to them. Labourers assimilated themselves with the culture of the new place. In Trinidad, the annual Muharram procession was transformed into a riotous carnival called 'Hosay' in which workers of all races and religion joined. 'Chutney music: popular in Trinidad and Guyana, is another creative contemporary expression of the post indenture experience.  Indenture labour migration was abolished officially in 1921.

Q13: What was the main motive for the formation of World Bank and IMF after Second World War?
Ans: The IMF and the World Bank were designed to meet the financial needs of the industrial countries. Both institutions also aimed to support post-war reconstruction in Europe. These were the main motive of formation of the World bank and IMF.

Q14: What was main objective behind the formation G-77 countries ?
Ans: Most developing countries did not benefit from the fast growth the Western economies experienced in the 1950s and 1960s. Therefore they organized themselves as a group the Group of 77 (or G-77) to demand a new international economic order (NIEO). By the NIEO they meant a system that would give them real control over their natural resources, more development assistance, fairer prices for raw materials, and better access for their manufactured goods in developed countries' markets.

Q15: What was the reason for Bretton Woods institutions began to shift their attention more towards developing countries?
Ans: The IMF and the World Bank were designed to meet the financial needs of the industrial countries. They were not equipped to cope with the challenge of poverty and lack of development in the newly  independent countries . But as Europe and Japan rapidly rebuilt their economies, they grew less dependent on the IMF and the World Bank. Thus from the late 1950s the Bretton Woods institutions began to shift their attention more towards developing countries.

Q16: What major changes were occurred in the international financial system in mid-1970 ?
Ans: From the mid-1970s the international financial system changed in important ways. Earlier, developing countries could turn to international institutions for loans and development assistance. But now they were forced to borrow from Western commercial banks and private lending institutions.

Q17: What is the meaning of Exchange Rate?
Ans: Exchange rates is the international mechanism for trade in which national currencies are linked for purposes of international trade. There are broadly two kinds of exchange rates: fixed exchange rate and floating exchange rate.

Q18: Define MNC’s and write in brief about their history.
Ans: Multinational corporations (MNCs) are large companies that operate in several countries at the same time. The first MNCs were established in the 1920s. Many more came up in the 1950s and 1960s as US businesses expanded worldwide and Western Europe and Japan also recovered to become powerful industrial economies. The worldwide spread of MNCs was a notable feature of the 1950s and 1960s. This was partly because high import tariffs imposed by different governments forced MNCs to locate their manufacturing operations and become domestic producers in as many countries as possible.

Q19: How does food offer evidence of long-distance cultural contact?
Ans: Food offers many examples of long-distance cultural contact. Traders and travellers introduced new crops to the lands they travelled. As a result, foodstuffs in distant parts of the world share common origins. Traders took the noodles which originated in China to the West, where they became spaghetti. Arab traders took pasta to fifth-century Sicily. Similarly, some foods known in India and Japan might have common origin.

Q20: How did disease play a major role in the Portuguese and Spanish conquest of America?
Ans: The Portuguese and Spanish conquest of America was not just a result of superior firepower. The most powerful weapon of the Spanish conquerors were diseases like smallpox that they carried with them. Because of their long isolation, Americas original inhabitants had no immunity against these diseases that came from Europe. Smallpox proved to be a deadly killer of the native inhabitants. It spread deep into the continent and killed and decimated whole communities. Guns could be bought or captured and turned against the invaders. But not diseases such as smallpox to which the conquerors were mostly immune.