Class-IX
(History)
CHAPTER
3
PEASANTS
AND FARMERS
Very
short answer type questions[1 mark]
1. What is meant by the term
British Agricultural Revolution?
The term British Agricultural Revolution describes a period of
agricultural developments in Britain between 16th century and mid 18th century
which saw a massive increase in agricultural production and net output.
2. Despite availability of
labour, why did farmers invest in threshing machines?
Rich farmers invested in threshing machines because
(i) They feared shortage of labour due to Napoleonic.
(ii) Moreover they felt that the available labour was and prone
to drinking.
(iii) To reduce dependence on labour and increase efficiency.
3. Why and how were the Native
Americans driven westwards?
The white settlers moved westwards as this area held a lot of
promise. Forests could be cut to provide land for cultivation, animals hunted
for their skin; and mountains mined for their minerals. .
To evacuate Native Americans numerous wars were fought, in which
Indians were massacred and their villages burnt. Ultimately they were forced to
sign treaties and give up their land.
4. Give any two reasons for the
increase in food production in the 19th century.
Food production increased in 19th century because:
(i) More lands were brought under cultivation.
(ii) Landlords sliced pasturelands and carved up open fields.
(iii) Forest commons were cut up and marsh land was made
suitable for cultivation.
5. What were the occupations of
Native Americans?
(i) Native Americans lived by hunting, gathering and fishing.
(ii) Others cultivated corn, beans, tobacco and pumpkin.
6. Give any two positive
results of enclosures on English agriculture.
(i) Enclosures helped bring new land under cultivation.
(ii) Helped increase food production.
(iii) Barren land was made cultivable by clearance of forests
and marshes. (Any two)
7. How did the introduction of
threshing machines improve agriculture?
Introduction of threshing machines improved agriculture by
improving efficiency and reducing costs.
8. How did the British build
resources of the state?
The British built the resources of the state by imposing a
regular system of land revenue, increasing revenue rates and by expanding area
under cultivation at the expense of grazing lands and forests.
9. Name some crops which India
under British colonial rule produced for the world market.
The crops which India produced for the world market were-indigo,
opium, sugar cane, jute, wheat and several others.
10. Why were Indian farmers
pressurised to grow commercial crops?
Indian farmers were pressurised to grow commercial crops to feed
the growing urban population of Europe and to meet the growing raw material
needs of the mills of Lanchashire and Manchester in England.
11 What commodities was East
India Company buying in China, for sale in England?
Tea and silk were the two commodities which East India Company
was buying in China, to trade in England.
12. Why did British have a
negative balance of payment with China?
The British traders had a negative balance of payment with China
because while tea became popular in Britain, England in the late 18th century
produced nothing which they could trade to China i.e., persuade the Chinese to
buy.
13. What was the cause of
anxiety of the English merchants?
The cause of anxiety of the English merchants was the constant
outflow of treasure- silver bullion to finance the tea trade.
14. Trade in which commodity
helped the English reverse the unfavourable balance of payment with China?
Trade in opium which was produced in India, helped the English
reverse the unfavourable balance of payment with China.
15. Where was poppy/opium
cultivation done for export to China?
Poppy cultivation was done in Bengal for export to China.
16. Why was the trade in opium
illegal?
Trade in opium was illegal because the Chinese Emperor had
forbidden its production and sale except for medicinal purposes.
17. Who introduced opium into
China in the 16th century?
The Portuguese had introduced opium into China in the 16th
century.
18. Why had the Chinese banned
the production and sale of Opium?
Except for medicinal purposes the Chinese Emperor had banned the
production and sale of Opium because of its addictive properties.
19. Why was Opium trade so
important for the British?
Opium trade was important for the British because returns from
Opium sale financed the tea purchases in China and helped reverse the
unfavourable balance of trade.
20. Why the war between Britain
and China (1837-1842) was called the Opium War?
The war was called the Opium War because the primary cause of
war was the British illegal trade in Opium.
21. What was the major
consequence of the Opium War (1837-1842)?
China was defeated and forced to accept the humiliating terms of
the treaties. These unequal treaties forced China to open up for trade with
foreign merchants.
(i) Expansion of wheat agriculture led to terrifying dust storms
in the 1930s. People were blinded and choked, while cattle suffocated to death.
(ii) Fences as well as fields were buried by sand. Tractors and machines were
clogged with dust and damaged beyond repair.
To undertake extensive wheat cultivation to meet world demands,
entire landscape was stripped of grass cover. Thus when rains failed year after
year and winds blew ferociously the whole region became a dust bowl.
Fences coming up on common land were termed enclosure.
With 'Enclosures' the poor farmer lost his customary rights to
graze his cattle etc.
Farmers undertook cultivation of turnip and clover because these
crops helped enhance the fertility of the soil by increasing the nitrogen
content of the soil. Turnip was also a good fodder relished by cattle.
The early enclosures were not supported by the state but by mid
18th century a number of enclosure acts, which culminated in the General
Enclosure Act of 1801 was passed legalising enclosures.
The 16th century enclosures proceeded slowly and were created by
individual landlord with the intention to promote sheep farming.
In the 18th century, unlike the 16th century, there was a
frantic effort to enclose lands, signifying changing times. Land was enclosed
to promote grain production.
The occupation of the Native Americans was largely nomadic. Many
lived only by hunting, gathering and fishing. Others cultivated corn, beans,
tobacco and pumpkin. Still others were expert trappers of beaver.
The cause of conflict between the British government and the
Indian farmer was the unremunerative price of opium given to the cultivator.
The British bought opium at a very cheap price and sold it at a high price to
opium agents in China.
Short
answer type questions [3 marks]
Q.1.
Why were the poor farmers of England against the threshing machines?
Ans. The poor
farmers felt the threshing machines would replace people, would deprive them of
their livelihood and render them jobless.
Q2.What
was theCaptain Swing Movement?
Ans.Captain Swing was a mythical name used in threatening
letters, written by workmen against the use of threshing machines by rich
farmers
Q3.
Define the following: (a) Enclosure (b) Commons
Enclosure:
Enclosing land by building hedges around their holdings to separate their
land-holdings from that of others is called Enclosure. This deprived poor
farmers of using the commons.
Commons: It
was land which belonged to the villagers as a whole. Here they pastured their
cows and grazed their sheep, collected fuel wood, fruit and berries. They
fished in the rivers and ponds and hunted rabbits in the common forests.
Q.4.
‘Over the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the English
countryside changeddramatically.’ Explain.
Ans.1. Over the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
centuries the English countryside changed dramatically.
2. Before this
time, in large parts of England the countryside was open. It was not
partitioned into enclosed lands privately owned by landlords. It was all open
fields and common lands.
3. After the mid-eighteenth century the Enclosure
Movement swept through the countryside, changing the English landscape forever.
Between 1750 and 1850, 6 million acres of land was enclosed.
Q.5. Why were the Manchus unwilling to
allow the entry of foreign goods into China? Ans. The Confucian rulers of
China were suspicious of all foreign merchants. They felt that these foreigners
would meddle in local politics and disrupt their authority.
Q.6.
Explain three factors which led to the Enclosure Movement in England after the Mid-eighteenth
century.
Ans. The factors which led to the Enclosure Movement in
England were:
(1) Rapid
expansion of population from 7 million in 1750 to 21 million in 1850 and 30
million in 1900.
(2) Increased demand for food grains to feed the growing
population.
(3)War with France disrupted trade and import of food
grains from Europe. Prices in England skyrocketed, encouraging landowners to
enclose lands and enlarge the area under grain cultivation. Profits flowed in
and landowners pressurised the parliament to pass the Enclosure Acts.
Q.7
Discuss why the British Parliament passed the Enclosure Acts
Ans.1. Till the middle of the eighteenth century the
Enclosure Movement proceeded very slowly. The early enclosures were usually
created by individual landlords.
2.They were not supported by the state or the Church.
After the mid-eighteenth century, however, the Enclosure Movement swept through
the countryside, changing the English landscape forever. Between 1750 and 1850,
3.6 million acres of land was enclosed. The British
Parliament no longer watched this progress from a distance. It passed 4,000
Acts legalising these Enclosures.
Q.8.
what was the effect of Enclosure Movement on landlords of England?
Ans. The Enclosure Movement was instrumental in making
the rich landlords richer by filling. Due to it, the landlords brought various
changes in agricultural methods and technology. The richer farmers expanded
grain production, sold this grain in the world market, made profits and became
powerful. The poor farmers sold their small land pieces to richer farmers. They
left the villages.
Q.9.
Enclosure filled the pockets of landlords. What happened to the poor persons
who depended on the commons for their survival?
Ans. Enclosures filled the pockets of the rich landlords.
When fences came up the enclosed land become the property of one landowner. The
poor could no longer collect apples and berries or hunt small animals for meat,
nor could they gather the stalkes that lay on the fields after the crop was
cut. Everything belonged to the landlord, everything had a price which the poor
could not afford to pay. The poor were displaced from the land. They tramped in
search of work.From Midlands they moved to the southern countries of England.
Q10.
Explain three reasons for Captain Swing riots in English countryside.
Ans.1. Modern agriculture in England: Use of threshing
machines deprived workmen of their livelihood.
2. Enclosures: These deprived the poor of the use of the
commons which was essential for their survival. The Enclosures barred them from
pasteurising their cows
3. Collecting fruits and berries, fuel wood, hunting
small animals for food etc., cutting of wages bylandlords and cutting down of
workmen. All these factors prompted/induced the poor to start the Captain Swing
riots.
Q.11.
Discuss the effect of Agricultural Revolution on different sections of people
in EnglishCountryside
Ans. 1.The coming
of modern agriculture in England led to many different changes. The open fields
disappeared, and the customary rights of peasants were undermined.
2. The richer farmers expanded grain production, sold
this grain in the world market, made profits, and became powerful.
3. The poor left their villages in large numbers. Some
went from Midlands to the southern countries where jobs were available, others
to the cities. The income of labourers became unstable, their jobs insecure,
their livelihoods precarious.
Long
answer type questions [5 marks]
Q.1.
Discuss the factors that led to the Agricultural Depression. What were the
consequences of this Depression?
An1. after the
Napoleonic wars had ended, thousands of soldiers returned to the villages. They
needed alternative jobs to survive.
2.But this was a time when grain from Europe began
flowing into England, prices declined and an Agricultural Depression set in.
Anxious landowners began reducing the area they cultivated and demanded that
the exports of crops be stopped
3.They tried to cut wages and the number of workmen they
employed. The unemployed poor tramped from village to village, and those with
uncertain jobs lived in fear of a loss of their livelihood.
4.The Captain Swing riots spread in the countryside at
this time. For the poor, the threshing machines had become sign of bad times.
Q.2. Why did the
farmers feel the need to introduce mechanisation in agriculture during the
Napoleonic wars?
Ans. During the Napoleonic wars, prices of food grains
were high and farmers expanded production vigorously. Fearing a shortage of
labour, they began buying the new threshing machines that had come into the
market. They complained of the insolvency of labourers, their drinking habits
and the difficulty of making them work. The machines, they thought, would help
them reduce their dependence on labourers.
Q.3.
Discuss the westward expansion of the white settlers in America.
Ans. The story of agrarian expansion is closely connected
to the westward movement of the white settlers who took over the land. After
the American War of Independence from 1775 to 1783 and the formation of the
United States of America, the white Americans began to move westward. By the
time Thomas Jefferson became the President of the USA in 1800, over 700,000
white settlers had moved into Appalachian plateau through the passes.
Q.4.
What were the problems associated with wheat expansion in USA? Discuss with
special reference to mechanisation and ‘dust bowl’.
Ans.1. In the late 19th century, there was a great
expansion of wheat cultivation in the USA. With an increase in population. The
expansion was made possible by new technology.
2. Implements and tools were modified to suit their
needs. Now farmers were using tractors and disk ploughs to clear land for
cultivation.
3. Mechanical reapers were used to reap and cut harvest.
By the early 20th century, combined harvesters were being used to cut grain.
4. Now with power-driven machinery large tracts of land
could be ploughed, seeded, harvested within a short time. But there were problems.
Poor farmers were hard to pay the taxes. They could not buy these machines. The
bank offered loans but most and they could not repay these loans. Many of them
left their farms in search of a job. In addition, terrifying dust storms began
to blow, blinding the people, choking the cattle, covering fields, rivers, and
machines with dust. This was because the entire area had been ploughed and
stripped of grass whose roots could have bounded the soil.
Q.5.Which
system was introduced by the British to make the unwilling cultivators produce
opium? How did this system work? Discuss with special reference to it being a
drawback for the peasants.
Ans. 1. Ever had enough to survive. It was difficult for
them to pay rent to the landlord or to buy food and clothing
2. The government's opium agents advanced money to them
through the headmen of their village.
3. They felt tempted to accept it, hoping to meet their
immediate needs and pay back the loan at a later date, but the loan paid by the
peasants to the headmen and through him to the government.
4. By taking the loan the cultivator was forced to grow
opium on a specified area of land and hand over the produce to the agents once
the crop had been harvested.
HOTS:
Q.1.
‘The history of opium production in India was linked up with the story of
British trade with China.’ Elaborate.
Ans. 1.The history of opium production in India was
linked up with the story of British trade with China. The English East India
Company was buying tea and silk from China for sale i England. As tea became a
popular English drink, tea trade became more and more important. This created a
problem.
2. England at this time was producing nothing that could
easily be sold in China. How to finance the tea trade? They searched for such a
commodity. The Portuguese had introduced opium into China.
3. Western merchants began an illegal trade in opium.
While the English cultivated a taste forChinese tea, the Chinese became
addicted to opium.
Q.2.
‘The conflict between the British government, peasants and local traders
continued as long as opium production lasted.’ Elaborate.
Ans.1. By 1773, the British Government in Bengal had
established a monopoly to trade in opium. No one else was legally permitted to
trade in the product. 2. By the 1820s, the British taxed opium production in
their territories to make it declining, but it was increasing outside British
territories, especially in central India and Rajasthan within princely states,
which are not under direct British control. 3. The British tried to stop it. It
instructed its agents in princely states to confiscate all opium and destroy
the crops. This conflict between the British Government, peasants and local
traders continued as long as opium production lasted.
NCERT
QUESTIONS
Q1-Explain briefly what
the open field system meant to rural people in eighteenth- century England.
Look at the system from the point of view of:
(a) A rich farmer
A. The open field system
was not beneficial for the rich farmer because he could not have exclusive
control of the commons. He could not expand his area under cultivation beyond
the strips which were allocated at the beginning of a year.
(b) A labourer
A.This system was
beneficial for a labourer because it provided additional sources of livelihood.
The labourer could hunt rabbits and catch fish for getting some nutritious
food. The commons provided some source of livelihood during off seasons when
farm work was not available.
(c) A peasant woman
A.For a peasant woman,
the commons provided ample space for collecting firewood, fruits and berries.
Q2 - Explain briefly the
factors which led to the enclosures in England.
A: The increased price
of wool tempted the rich farmers to usurp the commons. They wanted to improve
their sheep breeds to earn more profits. They began making enclosures on the
commons land.
After the late
eighteenth century, the population of England increased significantly. This was
also the time of industrialization. Many people migrated to towns in search of
new opportunities. All of this increased the demand for food-grains. These
developments hastened the enclosure movement in England.
Q3 - Why were threshing
machines opposed by the poor in England?
A.Threshing machines reduced the need for
manual labour. After the end of Napoleonic Wars, many soldiers who came back to
villages could not find jobs because of threshing machines. For them, the
threshing machine was a symbol of joblessness and hence they opposed the
threshing machines.
Q. 4 - Who was Captain
Swing? What did the name symbolise or represent?
A: Captain Swing was a
mythical person. During the riots to destroy threshing machines and farmhouses,
the letters left by the rioters carried the signature of Captain Swing. The
name symbolized the protest of poor against the rich farmers and against the
new technology.
Q5 - What was the impact of the westward expansion of settlers in the
USA?
A: After the late
eighteenth century, white Americans began to move westward. The displaced local
tribes and changed the entire landscape into agricultural belts. Finally, they
established control up to the west coast. By the early twentieth century, the
landscape of the USA had transformed radically. The USA began to dominate the
world market in agricultural produce.
Q 6 -
What were the advantages and disadvantages of the use of mechanical harvesting
machines in the USA?
A: Combined harvester
saved time and manual labour for the farmers. It helped in managing huge farms
with minimum number of workers. It improved productivity and profitability of
big farmers.
Many poor farmers fell
in debt trap because they could not utilize the combined harvester to its full
potential. Many of them deserted their farmland and turned into labourers.
Q7 -
What lessons can we draw from the conversion of the countryside in the USA from
a bread basket to a dust bowl?
A: The conversion of USA
countryside from a bread basket to a dust bowl teaches the importance of
conservation of the ecosystem. Human development cannot take place at the cost
of natural environment.
Q8 -
Write a paragraph on why the British insisted on farmers growing opium in
India.
A: The British were
heavily dependent on China for tea imports. Since the Chinese authority did not
allow foreign goods, so the British had to pay for tea in silver and bullions.
This had the potential danger of siphoning off the treasure of Britain. Opium
could be easily smuggled into China because of a large number of opium addicts.
Profit from opium trade could be utilised to finance the tea imports. Hence,
the British insisted on farmers to grow opium in India.
Q9 -
Why were Indian farmers reluctant to grow opium?
A: Opium production
required the use of the best lands which meant diversion of land from cereal
and pulses production. Opium cultivation was time consuming which left little
time to care for other crops. Most of the farmers did not own land and they had
to lease a land for growing opium. The British offered very low price of opium
to the peasants. These are the various reasons for Indian farmers’ reluctance
to grow opium.
