10th POWER SHARING

                                                      POWER SHARING

Q1.Describe the ethnic composition of Belgium. 

Ans: The ethnic  composition of Belgium is very complex.It is stated in the following points:

1. It has two main languages i.e.Dutch and French. Of the country’s total population,59% lives in Flemish region and speak Dutch language.

2. 40% people of Belgium lives in the Wallonia region and speaks French .Remaining 1% speaks German.

3. In the capital city Brussels ,80% people speak French while 20% are Dutch speaking.

4. The minority French speaking people are more rich and powerful than the Dutch speaking people.

Q2. What is the ethnic composition  of Sri Lanka?

Ans: The ethnic composition of Sri Lanka can be described in the following ways:

1. The major groups in Sri Lanka are the Sinhala speakers (74%) and Tamil speakers (18%).

2. Among Tamil there are two sub groups ,Sri Lankan Tamils (13%) who are the Tamil natives of Sri Lanka and Indian Tamils (5%) whose forefather came from India as plantation workers during colonial period.

3. Most of the Sinhala speakers are Buddhists.Most of the Tamils are either Hindus or Muslims.

4. Christians are about 7% who are both Tamils and Sinhalas.

Q3. What were the majoritian measures taken in Sri Lanka to establish Sinhala supremacy?

Ans: Majoritian measures taken in Sri Lanka to establish Sinhala supremacy were:

1. In 1956 ,an Act was passed which recognised Sinhala as the only official language, thus disregarding Tamil language.

2. Preferences were given to Sinhala applicants for university positions and government jobs.

3.The State shall promote Buddhism according to the new constitution.

Q4. Highlight the measures adopted by the Belgium government to accommodate regional and cultural diversities.

Ans: The measures adopted by the Belgium government to accommodate regional and cultural diversities are as follows:

1. The Constitution prescribes that the number of Dutch and French speaking ministers shall be equal in the central government.

2. Many powers of the central government have been given to state government of the two regions of the country. 

3. Brussels has a separate government in which both communities have equal representation.

4. Apart from the central and the state government ,there is a third kind of government.This 'community government' is elected by people belonging to one language community that is Dutch ,French and German speaking no matter where they live. This government has the power regarding cultural ,educational and language related issues.

Q5. How did Tamil make efforts to gain power in Sri Lanka? 

Ans:i) Sri Lankan Tamil launched parties and struggles for the recognition of Tamil as the official language.

ii) They also made efforts for regional autonomy and equality of opportunity in securing education and jobs. 

iii) Several political organisations were formed demanding an independent Tamil Eelam (State) in northern and eastern part of Sri Lanka.

Q6. What are the different forms of power sharing in modern democracy ?Give an example of each of these.

Ans: Power shared among different organs of the government:

• In it the power is shared among legislature, executive and judiciary. 

• It is also called horizontal distribution of power because all these organs are placed at the same level. 

• Such a separation ensures that none of the organs can exercise unlimited power.

• Each organ checks the others which results in the balance of power among various institutions.

• This system is also known as the system of check and balances.

Power shared among different levels of the government:

• There is a government for the entire country, such a government is called federal government. 

• Under this constitution clearly lays down the power of each level of government.

• It is also called vertical division of power as power is divided among higher and lower levels of government. 

• In India ,we refer  to it as the Central or Union government.The Government at the provincial or regional level is called state government in India.

• In India, government is divided at the Central level, state level and local level.

Power shared among different social groups: 

• This type of arrangement is made to give space in the government and administration to diverse social groups who otherwise would feel alienated from the government. 

• This method is used to give minority community a fair share in power.

• In India, we have the system of reserved constituencies in the Assemblies and the Parliament of the country. 

• Community government in Belgium is a good example. 

Power share among political parties, pressure groups and movements.

• In a democracy, power is also shared among different political parties, pressure groups and movements.

• Democracy provides the citizens a choice to choose their rulers. This choice is provided by the various political parties, who contest elections to win them. Such competition ensures that power does not remain in one hand.

• In the long run, power is shared among different political parties that represent different ideologies and social groups. Sometimes, this kind of sharing can be direct, when two or more parties form an alliance to contest elections. If their alliance is elected, they form a coalition government and thus, share power.

• In a democracy, various pressure groups and movements also have a share in governmental power, either through participation in governmental committees or having influence on the decision making process either through participation or influencing decision making process.

Q7. What is so special about the 'community government' in Belgium?

Ans:

• Community government is elected by the people belonging to one language community-Dutch, French and German ,no matter where they live. 

• This government has the power relating to culture ,language and educational issues.

• This kind of government helped to avoid civic strife between the two major communities

Q8. Explain why power sharing is important in a democracy. 

Ans: The two main reasons are:

1.Prudential Reasons:

• These emphasis on better outcomes of power sharing. 

• Power sharing helps to reduce the possibility of conflict among the social groups. This, it ensures the stability of the political order.

• Imposing the will of  majority community over others undermines the unity of the nation. 

• Tyranny of the majority is not just oppressive for the minority, it often brings ruins to the majority as well.

• For example, the reservation of constituencies for SC/ST/ minorities in India. In this way ,power sharing tries to reduce the possibility of conflict.

Moral Reasons:

• They stress on power sharing as a valuable act. 

• Power sharing  is the very spirit of democracy. 

• Democratic rule involves sharing power with those affected by its exercise and who have to live with its effects. 

• The democratic government is the one where the  citizens acquire a role in the system through participation. 

• For example,decentralization of powers in India through formation of local ,state and Central Government operating a different levels.

•

Q9.Both Belgium and Sri Lanka are democracies but they follow different systems of power sharing. ” Support the statement by giving three points of difference.

Ans: (i) Type of Government: Sri Lanka continues to be, for all practical purpose, a unitary system where the national government has all the powers. Tamil leaders want Sri Lanka to become a federal system under which the regional governments were given constitutional powers that were no longer dependent on the central ‘government. Belgium shifted from a unitary to a federal form of government.

(ii) Religion and Government : To accommodate people belonging to different ethnic groups, Belgium formed a ‘community government’ whereas Sri Lankan government passed a law to protect and promote Buddhism.

(iii) Language and government : In 1956 Sri Lankan government passed an Act to recognize Sinhala as the only official language whereas Belgium government “tried to protect and foster all the languages spoken by the people.

Q10. What is a Civil War? Explain with context to Sri Lanka.

Ans: (i) It is a violent conflict between the opposing groups within a country, for example the Sinhalese and the Tamils.

(ii) Due to the violent conflict between both these ethnic groups, thousands of people of both the communities have been killed. Many families were forced to leave the country as refugees and many more lost their livelihoods.

(iii) The civil war has caused a terrible setback to the social, cultural and economic life of the country.

8th CIVICS CH 3 Parliament and the Making of Laws

Ch 3 Parliament and the making of laws  

Exercises

1. Why do you think our national movement supported the idea that all adults have a right to vote?

Answe-The national movement supported the idea that all adults have a right to vote because of the following reasons:

● Every responsible citizen should participate in the government.

● Law-making and decision-making should also be shared by the adults of the country.

 

Extra Questions:

Q1.What is an EVM?

Answer:An EVM is an Electronic Voting Machine used for elections in India. 

Q2:What is a constituency?

Answer:The country is divided into many areas for election purposes. Each area is called a constituency. A representative is elected from each constituency to serve in the legislative body.

Q3.Mention the 2 houses of the Indian Parliament.

Answer:The 2 Houses of the Indian Parliament are :

1)The Rajya Sabha

2)The Lok Sabha

Q4.What are the three major duties of the Parliament?

Answer:The three major duties of the Parliament are…

1)To Select the National Government

2)To Control, Guide and Inform the Government

3)Law-Making

Q5.How is a National government selected?

Answer:After the Lok Sabha elections, a list is prepared showing how many MPs belonging to each political party have won the elections. The Political party which has the majority of MPs will form the National government.

A majority Party should have at least 272 MPs, that is, more than half of the total number of MPs in the Lok Sabha.

Q6.What is ‘Question hour’ in Parliament?

Answe :The first hour of every sitting during a Parliament Session is called the Question Hour. During ‘Question hour’ Questions are posed by members to specific government ministries. The concerned Ministries have to answer these Questions on a fixed date.

Class 8 History Ch.6 Colonialism and the City

 

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Colonialism and the City

 

Q1.State weather true or false

(a) In the Western world, modern cities grew with industrialisation. True

(b) Surat and Machlipatnam developed in the nineteenth century. False

(c) In the twentieth century, the majority of Indians lived in cities. False

(d) After 1857 no worship was allowed in the Jama Masjid for five years. True

(e)More money was spent on cleaning Old Delhi than New Delhi. False

 

Q2. Fil in the blanks

(a)The first structure to successfully use the dome was called the Jama Masjid.

(b) The two architects who designed New Delhi and Shahjahanabad were Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker. (Please note that Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker designed New Delhi and its buildings.

(c) The British saw overcrowded spaces as unhygienic and unhealthy.

(d) In 1888 an extension scheme called the Lahore Gate Improvement Scheme was devised.

Q3.Identify three differences in the city design of New Delhi and Shahjahanabad.
Answer:
Three differences were:

1.      Shahjahanabad was crowded with mohallas, and several dozen bazaars. But New Delhi was not crowded nor were there mazes of narrow by-lanes.

2.      Shahjahanabad was not established in a planned manner while New Delhi was beautifully planned.

3.      There was chaos everywhere in Shahjahanabad. But New Delhi represented a sense of law and order. 

Q 4.Who lived in the ‘white’ areas in cities such as Madras?
Answer:The British lived in the ‘white’ areas in cities such as Madras.

 

Q5.What is meant by de-urbanisation?

Anse-De-urbanisation is a process by which more and more people began to live in villages or rural areas.
In the late 18th century, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras emerged as Presidency cities. They became the centres of British power in different regions of India. At the same time, several smaller cities declined. Old trading centres and ports could not survive when the flow of trade shifted to new centres. Similarly, earlier centres of regional power collapsed with the defeat of local rurals by the British and new centres of administration grew. This process is described as de-urbanisation

Q6.Why did the British choose to hold a grand Durbar in Delhi although it was not a capital?
Answer: The British were aware of the symbolic importance of the city of Delhi. It had been the seat of the Mughal Empire since last four hundred years. The Mughal emperor though had lost all his powers and autonomy, he was still important to the people.  Therefore, the British choose to hold a grand durbar in Delhi with much pump and show to display the power and authority of the British empire.

Q 7.How did the Old City of Delhi change under British rule?
Answer: They wanted Delhi to forget its Mughal past. Hence, the area around the Fort was completely cleared They either destroyed, the mosques or put them to other uses. For example, the Zinat-al-Masjid was converted into a bakery. No worship was allowed in the Jama Masjid for five years.
One-third of the city was demolished and its canals were filled up.
 walls of Shahjahanabad were broken to establish the railway . They developed Civil Lines areas.

Q8.How did the partition affect life in Delhi?

Ans :During partition of British India , millions of people were displaced from their homes. Partition changed the social and economic structure of the city.

 1) As a result, the population of Delhi increased all of a sudden.

2)The job of the people changed and the culture of the city became different.

3)Most of these migrants were from Punjab. They stayed in camps, schools, etc. While some got the opportunity to occupy residences that had been vacated by the Muslims. Yet others were housed in refugee colonies.

4) New colonies like Lajpat Nagar and Tilak Nagar grew at this time.

5) Shops and stalls were set up to cater the needs of the migrants, schools and colleges were opened.

6.Partition changed their lives and occupations. They had to take up new jobs like hawkers, vendors, carpenters, and ironsmiths.

 

Extra question

Q1.In which year did Delhi became the capital of British India?

1.      1931

2.      1947

3.      1941

4.      1911

Ans- 4.

Q2. What term from the list given bolow can be given to the rebirth of art and living. It is often described as a period of high creativity.

1.      Renaissance

2.      De-urbanisation

3.      Globalisation

4.      Urbanisation

Ans.1

Q3.Match the following:

(i) Kingsway	(a) 1947
(ii) Edward Lutyens	(b) Rajpath
(iii) The Partition	(c) Delhi
(iv) Nizamuddin Auliya	(d) Architect

Ans : i -(a) ,  ii -(d) , iii -(a) , iv -c

Q4.How was colonial India divided for administrative purposes?

Ans : Colonial India was divided into 3 “Presidencies” for administrative purposes. Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were the 3 Presidencies which rose in importance under East India Company.

Q5.How was colonial India divided for administrative purposes?

Ans ;Colonial India was divided into 3 “Presidencies” for administrative purposes. Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were the 3 Presidencies which rose in importance under East India Company.

Q6.What were called havelis?

Ans. The Mughal aristocracy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries lived in grand mansions called havelis.

Q7. Mention the cities that were deurbanized during the nineteenth century

Ans : Machlipatnam, Surat and Seringapatam 

Q:What is Khanqah?

Ans. Khanqah – A sufi lodge, often used as a rest house for travellers and a place where people come to discuss spiritual matters, get the blessings of saints, and hear sufi music.

Q8. Why was a Durbar held in Delhi in 1911?

Ans. In 1911, when King George V was crowned in England, a Durbar was held in Delhi to celebrate the occasion. The decision to shift the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi was announced at this Durbar.

Q9. Who lived in the “white” areas in cities such as Madras?

Ans. In colonial cities such as Madras, Bombay or Calcutta, the living spaces of Indians and the British were sharply separated. Indians lived in the “black” areas, while the British lived in well-laid out “white” areas.

Class 8 History Chapter 5 When People Rebel 1857 and After

 

                                Class 8 History Chapter 5 When People Rebel

                                1857 and After

 

 

     Textbook questions                                

Q1. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the British?

Answer:Rani Lakshmibai wanted her adopted son to be the ruler of Jhansi after the death of her husband. But the British refused her plea.

 

Q2. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to Christianity?

Answer:In 1850, the British passed a new law to make conversion to Christianity easier. This law allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his ancestors

 

Q3. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were asked to use?

Answer:The new cartridges that the sepoys were asked to use were reported to be greased with the fat of cows and pigs. They had to bite the cartridges to load them into the rifles. The Hindu and the Muslim soldiers felt that it was a made by the British to defame their religion. Thats why they denied using the new cartridges.

Q 4.How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
Answer: The last Mughal emperor lived a very pathetic life during the last years of his life. After the failure of the revolt, he was tried in the court and was sentenced to life imprisonment. His sons and grandson were shot dead by the British. He and his wife were sent to prison in Rangoon where he died in 1862.

Q5.What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their position in India before May 1857?
Answer:The reasons are given below:

1)Most of the Indian kings and the nawabs were under the British rule. The presence of British Residents in the courts eroded their authority and reduced their freedom to administer their kingdoms.

2) Various kingdoms were forced to disband their armies and enter into the Subsidiary Alliance system with the British.They impose doctrine of lapse. This type of control helped British annex territories one after another.

3)Indian ruler fought among themselves and could not present a united front against the foreign rule.

Q6. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the people and the ruling families?

Answer: Bahadur Shah’s support to the rebellion changed the scene:

1)Large part of country was ruled by chiefs under Mughal rule and threatened by British. They thought if Mughal could be powerful again, they too could rule again, under Mughal authority.

 2)Emperor’s blessing to the rebels gave an alternative and filled people with courage and enthusiasm to fight.

Q 7. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh?

Answer: British succeeded in securing the submissions of the rebel landowners of Awadh:

(1)They provided inheritance rights to the landowners (who would enjoy traditional rights over their land).

(2) They were exempted from taxes.

(3)They were rewarded.

(4)They would be safe and their rights and claims would not be denied to them.

Q8. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of 1857?

Answer: Some important changes brought by the British after the revolt were:

1. According to Act of 1858 powers of East India Company were transferred to British Crown in India.

2.Secretary of State was appointed for governance and Governor General was given the title of Viceroy.

3. Secretary of State was to be assisted by a council of 15 members. It was only a advisory body. Governor General was answerable to the Secretary of State.

4. Muslims were seen held responsible for rebellion and their land was conscated.

5. Social and religious practices were given respect.

6.Zamindars and landlords were given protection and rights over their lands.

 

Extra questions

1.Match the items given in Column A correctly with those given in Column B.

Column A	Column B
i)Birjis Qadar	(a)Bihar
ii)Rani Lakshmibai	(b)Faizabad
iii)kunwar singh	(c) Jhansi
iv) Bakht Khan	(d)Lucknow
v) Ahmadullah Shah	e)Bareilly
vi)Bahadur Shah Zafar	f)Delhi
vii)Nana Saheb	g)Kanpur

Answer:
(i) (d), (ii) (c), (iii) (a), (iv) (e), (v) (b) ,(vi) (f),(vii) (g)

2.Who was Tantia Tope?
Answer:He was the General of Nana Saheb.

3.When did the British recapture Delhi?
Answer:
The British recaptured Delhi in September 1857.

4.Who was Bakht Khan?
Answer:Bakht Khan was a soldier from Bareilly. He took charge of a large force of fighters who came to Delhi.

5. The rebels rushed to Delhi from Meerut and proclaimed ……………. as their leader.

Ans : Bahadur Shah II

6.………... fought a guerrilla war against the British with the support of several tribal and peasant leaders.

Ans: Tantia Tope

7. The Revolt of 1857 began from:
(a) Lucknow
(b) Kanpur
(c) Awadh
(d) Meerut

Ans (d)

8. Who was the governor-general during the Revolt of 1857?

A. Lord Canning

B. Lord Irwin

C. Lord Lytton

D. Lord Willington

Ans A

 

9.Explain the following :

Mutiny:When soldiers as a group disobey their officer in the army

Firangis: Foreigners, the term reflects an attitude of contempt.

Map Skills
On an outline political map of India, mark the important centres of Revolt in North India.
Answer

 

NCERT Class -8 Social Science ( History ) Chapter 4 : Tribals , Dikus and the Vision of Golden Age

    Chapter  4 : Tribals , Dikus and the Vision of Golden Age

 

Exercise

Question 1.
Fill in the blanks:

1.    The British described the tribal people as …………

2.    The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as …………….

3.    The tribal chiefs got …………. titles in central India under the British land settlements.

4.    Tribals went to work in the………….. of Assam and the ……………… in Bihar.

Answer:

1.    Wild and savage

2.    broadcast

3.    land

4.    tea plantations, coal mines

Question 2.
State whether true or false:

1.    Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds.

2.    Cocoons were bought from the Santhals and sold by the traders at five times the purchase price.

3.    Birsa urged his followers to purify themselves, give up drinking liquor, and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.

4.    The British wanted to preserve the tribal way of life.

Answer:

1.    False

2.    True

3.    True

4.    False

 

Q3. What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?

Answer:

1)The British extended their control over all forests

2) They declared that forests were state property. Some forests were classified as Reserved Forests for they produced timber which the British wanted.

3)In these forests people were not allowed to move freely and practise jhum cultivation. As a result, many jhum cultivators had to move to other areas in search of work eg. mining ,plantation, and labor

Question 4. How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?

Answer: Under the British rule, the functions and powers of these tribal chiefs changed to a great extent:

1.They were allowed to keep their land titles over a cluster of villages and rent out lands, but they lost much of their administrative power and were forced to follow laws made by British officials in India.

3.They had to pay tribute to the British and discipline the tribal groups on behalf of the British.

4.They lost the authority they had earlier enjoyed amongst their people, and were unable to fulfil their traditional functions.

Question 5. What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?

Answer: The tribals wanted to drive out the dikus, missionaries, moneylenders, Hindu landlords, and the government because they saw them as the cause of their misery. The following facts account for their anger against the dikus:

1.The land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system.

2.Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land.

3.Missionaries were criticising their traditional culture.

Question 6.What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?

Answer:Birsa’s vision of golden age was to have their land free of dikus. He considered that age to be the ‘age of truth’. According to Birsa, in the golden age, the tribal sirdars will be able to rule among themselves and no one will be there to dictate terms to them. His golden age vision was to have an age with no vices like liquor, witchcraft, sorcery and uncleanliness. He did not want any role of outsider participants like missionaries, Hindu landlords, moneylenders, traders and Europeans.

Extra question

Q1.What were the activities of the Tribals?

Ans : Tribal people in different parts of India were involved in a variety of activities like -

·         Shifting Cultivation

·         Hunting & Gathering forest produce

·         Herding animals settled cultivation

Q2. Who were Mundas?

Ans. Mundas was a tribal group that lived in Chottanagpur.

Q3. What is the other name of jhum cultivation?

Ans. The other name of Jhum cultivation is shifting cultivation

 

Ans. Fallow field is a field left uncultivated for a while so that the soil recovers fertility.

Q5. Why did the British introduce land settlement?

Ans. The British introduced land settlement because they wanted a regular revenue source for the state.

Q6. Why did the British introduce land settlement?

Ans. The British introduced land settlement because they wanted a regular revenue source for the state.

Q 7. For what purpose Kusum and plash flowers are used.

(a)  

(b) Extracting oil from the seeds

(c) Cooking and making food

(d) All of these

Ans: (a )

Q8.What were the Santhal of Hazaribagh?

Options :

A) cultivated small patches of land

(b) reared silkworm

(c)  Pastoralist

(d) None of these

Ans:-b

Q9. Which region did the Gujjar and bakarwal belog to?

Options:

(a) Punjab

(b) Jammu and Kashmir

 (c) Tamil Nadu

(d) Tripura

Ans:-b

Q10.Birsa belong to which tribal group?

 (a)Baiga

(b) Santhal

(c)Munda

(d) Khond

Ans: c

 

 

 

 

 

Map skill : Mark the following tribes in political map of india.

1) Baiga

2)Bhil

3)Gonds

4)Mundas

5)Banjara

6)Santhal

7)Gadis

8)Van Gujjar

9)Oraon

10)Baigas