CBSE Class 8 Social Science Advanced How, When and Where Long Answer Questions Set 01

Long Answer Questions

Question 1. How does the periodisation done by James Mill differ from other historians?
Answer:
James Mill, a Scottish historian, wrote 'The History of British India' and divided Indian history into three periods: Hindu, Muslim and British. He used the religion of the rulers as the basis of the division.
His reasons: before the British, Hindu and Muslim rulers governed India; Indian society suffered from religious intolerance, caste discrimination and superstitions; and he felt that only British rule could bring enlightenment and happiness to the Indians.
Many later historians do not accept this. They divide Indian history into ancient, medieval and modern periods, using common characteristics of each age rather than religion. They think that Mill's scheme ignores the diversity of India, as not all rulers of an age were of one religion, and that it presents British rule as a blessing.
The modern period is said to begin in the 18th century. Since it saw the colonisation of India, it is also called the colonial period.
In simple words: Mill divided history by the religion of the rulers; other historians divide it by the features of each age.

Teacher's Note:
1. Use a two-column table (Mill versus other historians) in the exam.
2. Mention the reasons Mill gave and why they are one-sided.

Question 2. Explain how we can study the modern period.
Answer:
The modern period is easy to study because its sources are plentiful and well preserved, and scientific methods help to keep records safe. The sources are of two types.
(A) Primary sources: (i) archaeological sources such as the Gateway of India, Parliament House and Rashtrapati Bhavan; (ii) original documents such as government orders and official letters, preserved in archives, which give first-hand knowledge; (iii) newspapers, magazines, letters and pamphlets in libraries and archives; (iv) printed books, biographies and autobiographies; (v) films, photographs and videotapes; (vi) maps drawn by the Survey of India, set up at Dehradun.
(B) Secondary sources: reports, reviews, articles and books based on primary sources, such as the writings of the Indologists James Mill, Max Mueller and Vincent Smith, nationalist writings such as Dadabhai Naoroji's 'Poverty and British Rule in India' and Jawaharlal Nehru's 'Discovery of India'.
In simple words: We study the modern period through primary sources (original records) and secondary sources (writings based on them).

Teacher's Note:
1. Use the two headings, primary and secondary, and give at least one example under each.
2. Add the sub-points under primary sources to score full marks.

Question 3. How did the various surveys conducted by the British become an important source of history?
Answer:
The British believed that a country had to be well known before it could be governed. So surveying became common under colonial rule.
In villages, revenue surveys recorded the topography, soil quality, flora and fauna, local histories and cropping patterns. From the end of the 19th century a census was held every ten years, recording the number of people in every province and information on caste, religion and occupation. There were also botanical, zoological, archaeological, anthropological and forest surveys, and the Survey of India at Dehradun drew detailed maps.
All these surveys produced large amounts of detailed, written and mapped records. Historians use them today to learn about the land, population, economy and society of that time.
In simple words: Surveys gave the British facts for ruling, and today they give historians facts about that period.

Teacher's Note:
1. Name at least three kinds of surveys.
2. Mention the census because it is also asked separately.

Question 4. How does the periodisation done by James Mill differ from other historians?
Answer:
Mill split Indian history by the religion of its rulers into Hindu, Muslim and British periods. He believed Hindu and Muslim rule meant intolerance, caste discrimination and superstition, and that British rule brought enlightenment.
Other historians divide the past into ancient, medieval and modern, depending on common features of each age such as the nature of rule, society and economy, and not on religion.
So the difference is the basis of division (religion of the rulers versus characteristics of the age) and the judgement that comes with it: Mill's scheme praised British rule, whereas the later division is more neutral.
In simple words: Mill's three periods are based on religion; the ancient-medieval-modern scheme is based on the character of the age.

Teacher's Note:
1. This is a shorter, comparison-style version of the same answer; a table of the two schemes also works well.
2. Always state the basis of each division.

Question 5. What do official records not tell us?
Answer:
Official records show what the officials thought, what interested them and what they wished to preserve for the future. They do not always tell us what other people in the country felt, or what lay behind their actions.
For this we turn to other sources: diaries of people, accounts of pilgrims and travellers, autobiographies of important personalities and popular booklets sold in the local bazaars.
As printing spread, newspapers began to be published and issues were debated in public. Leaders and reformers wrote to spread their ideas, and poets and novelists wrote to express their feelings.
In simple words: Official records give the officials' side; diaries, travel accounts and newspapers tell us about ordinary people.

Teacher's Note:
1. Write both halves: what records leave out and which sources fill the gap.
2. Examples such as diaries and autobiographies earn the marks.