Maharashtra Board Class 12 History Chapter 9 World Decolonisation Exercise Solutions

1A. Choose The Correct Alternative And Rewrite The Statement.

Question 1. In the First World War ____________ and Turkey were defeated.
(a) America
(b) France
(c) England
(d) Germany
Answer: (d) Germany
In simple words: During World War I, Germany and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) fought together as allies but lost the war to countries like Britain and France.

📝 Teacher's Note: Help students understand the 'Central Powers' alliance by showing them a map of Europe during 1914-1918. This visual aid makes the concept of wartime alliances much clearer.

🎯 Exam Tip: When rewriting the statement, ensure you underline the answer you filled in to make it stand out for the examiner.

Question 2. In 1935 ____________ was separated from India.
(a) Myanmar
(b) Sri Lanka
(c) the Maldives
(d) Iran
Answer: (a) Myanmar
In simple words: Myanmar (which used to be called Burma) was ruled as a part of British India for a long time until the British decided to make it a separate colony in 1935.

📝 Teacher's Note: Explain that Myanmar was separated due to administrative reasons and the growing demand for local governance. It's a great example of how colonial boundaries shifted over time.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always remember that Myanmar was formerly known as Burma; some older textbooks might still use the old name.

Question 3. In 1947, first conference of ____________ countries was held.
(a) Unity
(b) Asian
(c) Atlantic
(d) Manchester
Answer: (b) Asian
In simple words: Just before India became independent, it invited many other Asian countries to a big meeting to talk about how they could all help each other and stay free.

📝 Teacher's Note: Mention that this conference was called the 'Asian Relations Conference' and was held in New Delhi. It was a precursor to the famous Bandung Conference.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to the specific year mentioned in the question (1947) as it distinguishes this event from the 1955 Bandung conference.

1B. Find The Incorrect Pair From Group ‘B’ And Write The Corrected One.

Question 1. Find the incorrect pair from the following table.

Answer: Incorrect pair: d. Manchester – Asian Unity Conference
Corrected pair: Manchester – The 5th Pan-African Congress in 1945
In simple words: The table lists cities and the conferences held there. Manchester is famous for the 5th Pan-African Congress, not for an Asian Unity conference.

📝 Teacher's Note: This question tests the student's ability to link historical events with their correct geographic locations. Use a timeline to show how Pan-Africanism moved across different European cities before reaching Africa.

🎯 Exam Tip: To score full marks, clearly state which pair is incorrect first, and then provide the full corrected pair on a new line.

2. Choose The Correct Reason From Those Given Below And Complete The Sentence.

Question 1. During the Second World War, the independence movements in Africa were more intensified ____________
(a) The colonies in Africa threw away the dominance of alien European powers
(b) African leaders were trained in the western education system
(c) During the Second World War the British and the French began to give some rights to the people in their colonies
(d) European countries were involved in the Second World war
Answer: (c) During the Second World War the British and the French began to give some rights to the people in their colonies
In simple words: During the war, European rulers needed help from their colonies, so they started giving more freedom and rights to African people, which made the movement for total independence much stronger.

📝 Teacher's Note: Explain that the war weakened the "myth of European invincibility." When soldiers from colonies fought alongside Europeans, they realized they were equals, which fueled the fire for freedom.

🎯 Exam Tip: Read all options carefully. While (d) is true as a background fact, (c) is the specific reason why movements became more "intensified" through legal and social changes.

3. Write Short Notes.

Question 1. Bandung Conference.
Answer:

• India called the first conference of Asian countries in 1947 which was attended by the representatives of 25 Asian countries.
• In this conference, the concept of Asian regionalism was shaped. The issues like common problems faced by Asian people, the social, economic, and cultural problems of the Asian countries, and the need for mutual co-operation among Asian countries were discussed in this conference.
• This conference was followed by the first conference of Asian and African countries held in 1955 at Bandung in Indonesia. This is known as the ‘Bandung Conference’.
• In this conference, the problems of Afro-Asian countries were discussed and it was decided to focus on world peace and mutual co-operation.

In simple words: The Bandung Conference was a historic meeting in 1955 where leaders from Asia and Africa came together. They discussed their shared problems and decided to work together for peace and freedom instead of joining the big powerful countries.

📝 Teacher's Note: Highlight the importance of 'Non-Alignment' as a key outcome of this conference. It was the first time these newly free nations stood together as a third force in world politics.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mentioning the specific year (1955) and the location (Indonesia) is essential for a complete answer.

Question 2. Concept of African Unity.
Answer:

• The concept of African unity was first put forward by H.S. Williams. He formed an organization while in London, called as ‘African Association’ (later called as Pan-African Association).
• He organised its first conference in 1900. W.E.B. Du Bois, an American sociologist of African origin was present at this conference.
• In 1919, the second conference of African leaders and thinkers was held in Paris, known as the ‘Pan-African Congress’.
• Thereafter, W.E.B. Du Bois and his associates called a series of Pan-African Congress at various places. This resulted in the idea of Pan-African unity taking deep roots in Africa.
• The 5th Pan-African Congress was held at Manchester in 1945 by people of African origin living in Manchester.

In simple words: African Unity (Pan-Africanism) is the idea that all African people should work together to be free. It started with meetings in Europe where leaders planned how to end colonial rule and unite the continent.

📝 Teacher's Note: Encourage students to research W.E.B. Du Bois. His role shows how people outside of Africa (the Diaspora) were instrumental in starting the movement for African independence.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the progression of conferences from 1900 to 1945. Listing these chronologically shows a clear development of the concept.

4. Explain The Following Statements With Reasons.

Question 1. There were three wars fought between the British and Myanmar.
Answer:

• Myanmar is a Southeast Asian country. In 1599 the Portuguese defeated the king of one of the kingdoms in Myanmar.
• However, in 1611 various dynasties ruling in Myanmar got together, defeated the Portuguese, and amalgamated their kingdoms.
• United Myanmar adopted an expansionist policy and conquered Manipur and Assam.
• It means that the British Indian territory was under threat of being invaded, a situation that caused three wars between the British and Myanmar is known as the Anglo-Burmese war.
• The first war in 1826 was won by the British and they took over Assam and Manipur and Arakan.
• British also defeated Myanmar in the second war. At about the same time the French had taken over the regions of ‘Upper Burma’.
• In the third war, the British won this region too, thereby ruling over the entire Myanmar.
• In this way during three Anglo-Burmese wars British annexed the entire Myanmar.

In simple words: The British fought Myanmar because Myanmar was trying to expand its borders into areas near British India (like Assam). Over three different wars, the British slowly took over all parts of Myanmar to protect their own interests and prevent the French from taking it.

📝 Teacher's Note: Clarify that these wars were driven by "imperialist competition." The British were worried not just about Myanmar, but also about the French moving in from the other side (Laos/Vietnam).

🎯 Exam Tip: Break down the answer into the causes (expansionist policy) and the outcome of each of the three wars to make it easier for the examiner to read.

Question 2. The end of the Second World War created an environment in which the process of decolonisation gained speed.
Answer:

• The Second World War dealt a serious blow to the colonial powers, depriving them of their former prestige.
• The process of decolonisation accelerated in a short time because of the conflicts among European coloniser countries and the anti-colonial movements in the colonies.
• The European countries could not have reasoned out colonisation and the exploitation of colonies from an intellectual platform.
• The Asian and African continents were filled with a heightened spirit of independence movements.
• The awareness about these movements spread rapidly. Many countries in both continents obtained their freedom.
• In ten years following the end of the Second World War, with successive waves of decolonisation in Asia and Africa, the Third World took its place as a new player in the international arena.

In simple words: After World War II, European countries like Britain and France became very weak and lost their power. At the same time, people in Asia and Africa became more determined to be free, making it impossible for the tired European nations to keep ruling over them.

📝 Teacher's Note: Use the term "power vacuum" to explain how the weakness of old empires allowed local movements to take over. You can also mention the founding of the UN as a factor that promoted self-determination.

🎯 Exam Tip: Keywords like "prestige," "heightened spirit," and "Third World" are important terms that carry extra weight in a history answer.

Get To Know: (Textbook Page No. 72)

Question. Collect more information regarding the ‘Atlantic Charter’ and organise a class discussion on the topic.
Answer:
Introduction: The Atlantic Charter was a pivotal policy statement issued on August 14, 1941, that defined goals for the post-war world. The Atlantic Charter was drafted by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President F.D. Roosevelt at the Atlantic Conference in Newfoundland. All the allies of World War II later confirmed it. The terms of the Atlantic Charter were as follows:

• No territorial expansion and territorial changes were against the wishes of the people.
• All people had a right to self-determination.
• No territorial gains were sought by the U.S. and the U.K.
• Trade and barriers were to be lowered.
• There was to be global economic co-operation and advancement of social welfare.
• The participants would work for a world free of want and fear.
• The participants would work for freedom of the seas.
• There was to be disarmament of aggressor nations and post-war common disarmament. This agreement proved to be one of the first steps towards the formation of the United Nation.

In simple words: The Atlantic Charter was a plan made by the leaders of the USA and UK during the war. They promised that once the war was over, every country should have the right to choose its own government and live in peace without fear.

📝 Teacher's Note: Point out the irony that while Britain signed this charter promising freedom for "all people," Churchill initially argued it didn't apply to British colonies like India.

🎯 Exam Tip: For discussion topics, remember the key term "self-determination" — it is the most important concept in the Atlantic Charter regarding decolonisation.

Discuss In The Class (Textbook Page No. 75)

Question. Make a list of the colonies of the British colonies in Asia and Africa with their geographical locations and discuss in the class their independence struggle and the dates of their independence.
Answer:
Introduction: The decolonisation of Asia was the gradual growth of independence movements in Asia, leading ultimately to the retreat of foreign powers and the creation of a number of nation-states in the region. A number of events were catalysts for this shift, most importantly the Second World War.
The freedom struggle of some of the countries like Sri Lanka, Maldives is mentioned in the textbook. The countries of Asia and Africa which got independence from British rule are as follows:
1. British colonies in Asia
Hong Kong:

• Hong Kong is a coastal city and major port in southern China.
• It was returned to the United Kingdom following its war. It was controlled directly by a British governor until the expiry of the 99-year lease of the New Territories which occurred in 1997. From that date, the territories were called as a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

2. Singapore:

• Singapore officially known as the Republic of Singapore is a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia.
• In 1819, Sir Thomas Raffles negotiated a treaty whereby King Johor allowed the British to locate a trading port on the island, leading to the establishment of the British crown colony of Singapore.
• After the end of World War II British granted self-government culminating in Singapore’s merger with Malaysia.
• On 9th August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state.

3. India:

• India is situated in South East Asia surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Indian Ocean on the south.
• India got independence from British rule on 15th August 1947. Indian National Movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi played an important role in the freedom of the country.

4. Pakistan:

• Pakistan is in Asia, the neighbouring country of India.
• As the United Kingdom agreed to the partitioning of India in 1947, the modern state of Pakistan was established on 14th August 1947.

5. Cyprus:

• Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea in Western Asia.
• In 1914 it was annexed by U.K Between 1945 and 1959 EOKA was created that fought a campaign for the end of British rule in Cyprus.
• An independent ‘The Republic of Cyprus’ was created in 1960.

6. British colonies in Africa:

• On 31st May 1910, Britain gave South Africa nominal independence.
• This union was a dominion that included the former colonies of the Cape and Natal.
• This union only became fully sovereign in 1931 when all powers Britain had over the country were abolished.

7. Egypt:

• Egypt has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea, the River Nile, and the Red Sea.
• The Egyptian Revolution of 1919 was a countrywide revolution against the British occupation of Egypt.
• The revolution led to Great Britain’s later recognition of Egyptian independence in 1922.

8. Nigeria:

• Lagos was invaded by British forces in 1851 and annexed in 1865.
• It became a British protectorate in 1901 while her colonization lasted until 1960 when an independence movement succeeded in gaining independence and Nigeria became an independent republic in 1979.

9. Ghana:
Got independence on 6 March 1957.
10. Kenya:
Became independent on 12 December 1963.
In simple words: This list shows that the British Empire was huge, stretching across Asia and Africa. Each country had its own unique struggle — some through peaceful protests (like India) and some through long political treaties (like Singapore).

📝 Teacher's Note: Use this list to have students compare different types of decolonisation. For example, compare the partitioning of India/Pakistan with the hand-over of Hong Kong in 1997.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorizing 3-4 key dates from this list (like India 1947, Ghana 1957, and Kenya 1963) will help you provide evidence in long-form answers about world history.

Project (Textbook Page No. 76)

Question. Collect information with the help of the internet regarding French colonies in Asia and Africa.
Answer:
In the 19th century starting with the conquest of Algiers in 1830 France began to establish a new empire in Africa and Southeast Asia. The following is a list of all countries that were part of the French colonial empires in the last 500 years.
1. French Indochinese Union (1887 – 1954)
2. Laos (protectorate) (1893 – 1953)
3. Cambodia (protectorate) (1863 – 1953)
4. Vietnam
5. India and Sri Lanka: French establishment of India composed of Puducherry (1765 – 1954), Karikal (1725 – 1954), Chandranagar (1673 – 1952), Yanam (1673 – 1952)
6. Taiwan (1884 – 1885)
7. Basilan (1845)
8. Lebanon (1920 – 1946)
9. Syria (1920 – 1946)
10. China: The territory of Kouang-Tcheou-Wan (1898 – 1945), The province of Yunan, Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Shamian island (1859 – 1949)
In simple words: France also had many colonies, especially in Southeast Asia (Indochina) and parts of the Middle East and India. Most of these places gained their freedom in the mid-1900s after long struggles.

📝 Teacher's Note: Point out that the "French establishments in India" like Puducherry were joined with independent India much later than British India, through a different diplomatic process.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note that "French Indochina" refers to the region containing modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia; knowing this grouping is very useful for Southeast Asian history questions.