Unit Test (Solutions): The Colonial Era in India | Social Science Class 8 - New NCERT PDF Download

Time: 1 Hour
M.M.: 30
Attempt all questions.
Question numbers 1 to 4 carry 1 mark each.
Question numbers 5 and 6 carry 2 marks each.
Question numbers 7 to 10 carry 3 marks each.
Question numbers 11 and 12 carry 5 marks each.

Q1. What is colonialism?
(a) Establishing trade relations based on mutual benefit
(b) Controlling another region politically, economically, and culturally
(c) Forming alliances for cultural exchange
(d) Temporary occupation for exploration

Ans: (b) controlling another region politically, economically, and culturally
Colonialism involves one country imposing its political, economic, and cultural systems on another region, often exploiting its resources and people.  

Impact of Colonialism

Q2. Which European power first implemented the cartaz system to control sea trade along the Indian coast?
(a) British East India Company
(b) Dutch East India Company
(c) Portuguese
(d) French

Ans: (c) Portuguese
The Portuguese were the first to implement the cartaz system in the early 16th century, requiring ships in the Arabian Sea to purchase permits to trade, enabling them to control the spice trade along the Indian coast for nearly a century.

Q3. Is it true or false that the Portuguese set up the Inquisition in Goa, lasting until the 19th century?

Ans: True
The Portuguese established the Inquisition in Goa in 1560, persecuting non-Christians and converts, which continued until 1812.  

Q4. Who was Rani Abbakka I?
(a)  Leading a diplomatic treaty with the Portuguese
(b) Queen resisting Portuguese colonial expansion in Ullal using guerrilla tactics
(c) Forming a major alliance with the British to fight Dutch traders
(d) Establishing French influence in southern India

Ans: (b) A queen who resisted Portuguese conquest in southern Karnataka
Rani Abbakka I ruled Ullal and successfully resisted multiple Portuguese attempts to control the region in the 16th century.  

Q5. Explain the significance of the Battle of Colachel in 1741.

Ans: The Battle of Colachel in 1741 was a rare victory of an Asian power, Travancore under King Marthanda Varma, over the Dutch. It weakened Dutch colonial influence in India, particularly in Kerala, and demonstrated Indian military capability against European forces.  

Q6. Describe the British strategy of “divide and rule” in India.

Ans: The British “divide and rule” strategy exploited rivalries between Indian rulers and religious communities. By offering military support to select rulers, like Mir Jafar at the Battle of Plassey (1757), and encouraging internal disputes, the British weakened Indian unity, enabling their control over vast territories.  

Q7. Outline the causes and effects of the Bengal Famine of 1770.

Ans: The Bengal Famine of 1770–1772 was a catastrophic event driven by British policies and natural factors, leading to immense loss of life and economic devastation.  
Bengal Famine

• Causes: Harsh British tax demands in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha forced farmers to pay cash despite crop failures, exacerbated by two years of poor harvests.  
• Effects: Approximately 10 million people, nearly one-third of Bengal’s population, died. Farmers sold cattle, tools, and even children to survive, resorting to eating leaves.  
• British Response: The East India Company raised taxes during the famine, worsening the crisis, with minimal relief efforts.

Q8. How did British policies lead to the decline of India’s traditional textile industry?

Ans: British policies systematically dismantled India’s thriving textile industry to favor their own economic interests, pushing artisans into poverty.  

• Heavy Taxation: High taxes on Indian textile exports to Britain contrasted with low or no taxes on British goods entering India.  
• Control of Trade: British dominance over sea trade and exchange rates made exporting difficult for Indian traders.  
• Market Flooding: British textile imports flooded India, undercutting local products and collapsing the industry.  
• Impact on Artisans: Skilled weavers, as noted by William Bentinck in 1834, faced destitution, forcing them to farm overtaxed land.

Q9. What were the main reasons for the Indian Rebellion of 1857?

Ans: The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was fueled by a combination of economic, cultural, and military grievances against British rule.  

• Economic Hardship: British land revenue policies impoverished farmers and sepoys, who came from rural backgrounds.  
• Cultural Insensitivity: Rumors of rifle cartridges greased with cow and pig fat offended Hindu and Muslim sepoys’ religious beliefs.  
• Political Annexations: The Doctrine of Lapse and subsidiary alliances angered rulers by annexing states like Jhansi and Awadh.  
• Sepoy Discontent: Earlier unrest, like the Vellore Mutiny (1806), highlighted sepoys’ frustration with British policies restricting religious practices.

Q10. Describe the roles of Rani Lakshmibai and Begum Hazrat Mahal in the 1857 rebellion.

Ans: Rani Lakshmibai and Begum Hazrat Mahal were pivotal leaders in the 1857 rebellion, showcasing courage and defiance against British forces.  

• Rani Lakshmibai: Led Jhansi’s defense against British annexation, escaped a siege with Tatia Tope’s help, and captured Gwalior’s fort. Died fighting on June 18, 1858, praised as the “best and bravest” rebel.  
• Begum Hazrat Mahal: Took charge in Awadh after its annexation, led Lucknow’s defense, and refused British surrender offers. Fled to Nepal, issuing a counter-proclamation against Queen Victoria’s promises.

Q11. Discuss the economic impact of British colonialism on India as described by historians like Dadabhai Naoroji and Utsa Patnaik.

Ans: British colonialism economically devastated India, draining its wealth to fuel Britain’s growth while impoverishing the local population, as highlighted by historians.  

• Wealth Drain: Dadabhai Naoroji and Romesh Chunder Dutt estimated that billions of pounds were extracted through taxes, railway costs, and war expenses, fueling Britain’s Industrial Revolution.  
• Modern Estimate: Utsa Patnaik calculated a $45 trillion drain (in today’s value) from 1765 to 1938, equivalent to 13 times Britain’s 2023 GDP.  
• Deindustrialization: Policies crippled industries like textiles, reducing India’s world GDP share to 5% by Independence, turning a prosperous nation into a poor one.  
• Famine Exacerbation: Harsh taxes and export policies worsened famines, like the Bengal Famine of 1770, killing millions and deepening rural poverty.  
• Lost Development: Had this wealth remained, India could have been significantly more developed at Independence.

Q12. Explain how British education policies changed Indian society and created a new class of English-educated Indians.

Ans: British education policies reshaped Indian society by prioritizing English education to serve colonial needs, creating a new elite class disconnected from traditional roots.  

• Macaulay’s Policy: Thomas B. Macaulay’s 1835 “Minute on Indian Education” dismissed Indian knowledge, promoting English education to create “Indian in blood, but English in taste” clerks.  
• Decline of Traditional Schools: Policies led to the collapse of pathashalas and madrasas, which taught practical skills, replacing them with English-centric schools.  
• Social Division: English became prestigious, creating a divide between the English-educated elite and the masses, disconnecting the former from cultural heritage.  
• Colonial Administration: The new class served as low-cost clerks and officials, supporting British governance while reinforcing colonial control.  
• Cultural Impact: Despite opposition from Orientalists, the policy marginalized Indian languages, reshaping societal values and aspirations.