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