CBSE Class 10 Social Science The Age of Industrialization Important Questions Set 04

Important Questions

Question 1. Who set up the first jute mill in Kolkata: (a) J.N. Tata (b) Seth Hukumchand (c) Dwarkanath Tagore (d) Dinshaw Petit?
Answer:
(b) Seth Hukumchand — a Marwari businessman, who set up the first Indian jute mill in Kolkata in 1917.

Teacher's Note:
a) Seth Hukumchand set up the first Indian-owned jute mill, in 1917.
b) This marked a key step in Indian entrepreneurs entering large-scale industry.

Question 2. What was the role of the gomastha under the East India Company?
Answer:
The gomastha's role was to supervise the weavers, collect supplies and examine the quality of cloth.

Teacher's Note:
a) Gomasthas supervised weavers on the Company's behalf.
b) They collected cloth supplies and checked quality before dispatch.

Question 3. How did the East India Company procure regular supplies of cotton and silk textiles from Indian weavers?
Answer:
The East India Company tried to eliminate the existing traders and appointed 'gomasthas' as supervisors to control production directly.
The system of advances was introduced to gain direct control over the weavers.
Impact: weavers had to devote their entire time to weaving, were forced to accept the prices fixed by the Company, and there were frequent reports of clashes between weavers and gomasthas.

Teacher's Note:
a) The Company replaced independent traders with its own gomasthas and an advance-payment system.
b) This gave it direct control over weavers, but led to exploitation and frequent conflict.

Question 4. How did a series of inventions in the 18th century increase the efficiency of each step of the production process in the cotton textile industry?
Answer:
Inventions like the Spinning Jenny and Flying Shuttle increased efficiency at each step of textile production.
Processes like carding, twisting, spinning and rolling were improved, enhancing output per worker and enabling stronger yarn to be produced.
Richard Arkwright created the cotton mill, which allowed new machines to be set up with all processes brought together under one roof.
Workers were trained as stapler or fuller — a stapler sorted wool by fibre, and a fuller gathered cloth by pleating it with newly invented machines.

Teacher's Note:
a) Inventions like the Spinning Jenny boosted efficiency at each textile production step.
b) Arkwright's cotton mill brought all these improved processes together under one roof.

Question 5. “A series of changes affected the pattern of industrialization in India by the early twentieth century.” Analyse the statement.
Answer:
As the Swadeshi Movement gathered momentum in India, nationalists mobilised people to boycott foreign cloth and goods; industrial groups organised themselves to protect their collective interests, pressuring the government for tariff protection and other concessions.
From 1906, the export of Indian yarn to China declined, so Indian industrialists shifted their interest from yarn to cloth production, leading to considerable growth in cotton piece-goods production.
The beginning of the First World War created a new situation: since British mills were busy producing war materials for their own needs, exports of goods to India declined, giving Indian industries a vast home market to supply.
As the war continued, Indian factories were called on to supply war needs such as jute bags, cloth for army uniforms, tents, leather boots, and horse and mule saddles; new factories were set up and old factories ran double shifts.

Teacher's Note:
a) The Swadeshi Movement, declining yarn exports to China, and the First World War together reshaped Indian industry.
b) Wartime demand in particular gave Indian industrialists a home market previously dominated by British imports.

Question 6. The Spinning Jenny was devised by: (a) T.E. Nicholson (b) James Hargreaves (c) William Bell Scott (d) Will Thorne?
Answer:
(b) James Hargreaves — who devised the Spinning Jenny.

Teacher's Note:
a) James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny.
b) It greatly sped up the spinning of yarn, though it alarmed hand-spinners who feared job losses.

Question 7. Which of the following is associated with 'Gomasthas': (a) Traders (b) Landlords (c) Unpaid servants (d) Paid supervisors?
Answer:
(d) Paid supervisors — gomasthas were paid servants of the East India Company, supervising weavers and collecting cloth.

Teacher's Note:
a) Gomasthas were paid Company supervisors, not traders or landlords.
b) They controlled weavers directly on the Company's behalf.

Question 8. Who improved the steam engine produced by Newcomen: (a) Matthew Boulton (b) James Watt (c) Henry Ford (d) Graham Bell?
Answer:
(b) James Watt — who improved the Newcomen steam engine, with Matthew Boulton manufacturing the new model.

Teacher's Note:
a) James Watt improved on Newcomen's earlier steam engine design.
b) Matthew Boulton then manufactured Watt's improved engine commercially.