NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

Let's recall

1. Match the following: 

Diwani- Tipu  Sultan

"Tiger of Mysore"- right to collect land  revenue

faujdari ada/at-  Sepoy

Rani Channamma- criminal court

sipahi- led an anti-British movement in Kitoor

Answer:

Diwani- right to collect land  revenue

"Tiger of Mysore"- Tipu  Sultan

faujdari ada/at-  criminal court

Rani Channamma- led an anti-British movement in Kitoor

sipahi-  Sepoy

2. Fill in the  blanks:

(a) The British  conquest  of Bengal began with  the Battle of Plassey.

(b) Haidar  Ali and Tipu Sultan  were the rulers  of Mysore.

(c) Dalhousie  implemented the Doctrine of Lapse.

(d) Maratha  kingdoms were located  mainly in the south­ western  part  of India.

3. State whether true or false:

(a) The Mughal  Empire  became  stronger in the eighteenth century.

(b) The English East India  Company  was the  only European  company  that  traded  with India.

(c) Maharaja  Ranjit  Singh  was the ruler  of Punjab.

(d) The British did not introduce administrative changes in the territories they conquered.

(a) False

(b)  False

(c) True

(d)  False

Let's  discuss

4. What attracted European trading companies to India?

Answer:

(i)European trading companies were attracted to India  by various  factors.

(ii)Trading with  India  was highly profitable to the businessmen in Europe.

(iii)The European  trading companies purchased  raw materials and goods at cheaper  and sold them  in European  markets at the  higher  prices.

(iv)The fine qualities of cotton  and silk produced  in India had a big market in Europe.

(v)Indian spices like- pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon were in great  demand  in Europe.

5. What were the  areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the  East India Company?

(i) After the death  of Aurangzeb, the  Bengal nawabs asserted  their  power  and independence.

(ii) The  Nawabs Murshid  Quli Khan, Alivardi  Khan and then  Sirajuddaulah were the  strong  rulers  of Bengal.

(iii) They refused  to grant  the Company concessions  and demanded  large tributes for the Company's right  to trade; they  also denied  it any right  to mint  coins and stopped  it from  extending its fortifications.

(iv)They accused the Company  of dishonesty; they claimed  that  the Company  was depriving the Bengal government of huge amounts of revenue  and ndermining the  authority of the  nawab.

(v)The  Company  refused  to pay taxes, wrote disrespectful letters, and tried  to humiliate the nawab and his officials.

(vi)It declared  that  the unjust demands  of the local officials  were ruining the trade  of the Company, and trade  could flourish only if the  duties  were removed.

(vii)The conflicts  led to confrontations and finally culminated in the famous  Battle  of Plassey.

6. How  did the  assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

(i) In 1765  the Mughal emperor appointed the Company as the Diwan  of the provinces of Bengal.

(ii)  The Diwani  allowed  the Company to use the vast revenue  resources  of Bengal.

(iii)  This solved  major  revenue  of the Company. From the early  eighteenth century  its trade  with India  had expanded.

(iv)  Before obtaining the Diwani  right, the Company bought  most  of the  goods in India  with  gold and silver imported from  Britain.

(v)Gradually, the outflow of gold from  Britain slowed after  the Battle  of Plassey.

(vi)  Now revenues  from  India  could finance Company expenses.

(vii)These revenues  could be used to purchase  cotton  and silk textiles in India, maintain Company  troops, and meet the cost of building the Company fort  and offices at Calcutta.

7. Explain the  system of "subsidiary alliance".

Answer:

(ii)They were to be protected by the Company, but  had to pay for the "subsidiary forces" that  the Company  was supposed to maintain for the  purpose  of this  protection.

(iii)If the Indian rulers  failed  to make  the payment, then part  of their  territory was taken  away  as penalty.

8. In what way  was  the  administration of the Company different from that of Indian rulers?

Answer:

(i)British territories were broadly  divided  into administrative units  called Presidencies- Bengal, Madras and Bombay, whereas  the Indian rulers' administration lacked an effective and systematic division of territories.

(ii)Each  British  Indian Presidency  was ruled  by a Governor. The supreme head of the administration  was the Governor-General, whereas  under  the Indian rulers' administrative system, the  supreme head was King or the Nawab.

(iii)The sphere of justice  (modern judiciary) was introduced by the  British  rule.  Each district had two courts-  a criminal court  (faujdari ada/at) and a civil court (diwani ada/at).

(v)Under the  Regulating  Act of 1773, a new Supreme Court  was established, while  a court  of appeal  - the Sadar  Nizamat  Ada/at- was also set up at Calcutta.

(vi)The principal figure  in an Indian district under  the British  rule was the Collector. Collecting  revenue  and taxes and maintaining law and order  in district were his main  tasks.

(vii)  The Collector  was assisted  by judges, police officers and darogas. The Collectorate replaced  previous holders of authority.

9. Describe the  changes that occurred in the composition of the  Company's army.

Answer:

(i)The  East India  Company  recruited the peasants  for its own army, which came to be known  as the sepoy army.

(ii)  From the 1820s, the cavalry  requirements of the Company's army  declined  due to changes  in the warfare technology.

(iii)The soldiers  of the British  empire who were fighting in Burma, Afghanistan and Egypt  were armed  with  muskets and matchlocks.