History Question Answers Chapter 3 Europe and India Class 8 Maharashtra Board

Question Answers For All Chapters – History Class 8

Exercise

1. Rewrite the statements by choosing the appropriate options:

1. Portuguese, (b) Dutch, French, British participated in the competition of capturing the Indian market.
2. In 1802, Peshwa (d) Bajirao II signed the Subsidiary Alliance with the British.
3. Jamshedji Tata started the manufacturing of steel at Tata Iron and Steel industry established in (c) Jamshedpur.

2. Explain the following concepts:

1.  Civil Services:Civil Services were introduced by Lord Cornwallis to manage British territories in India. It involved the recruitment of administrative officers through competitive exams (Indian Civil Services – ICS). These officers collected revenue, maintained law and order, and administered justice.

2. Commercialization of Agriculture:The British promoted the cultivation of cash crops like cotton, indigo, tobacco, and tea instead of food crops. This shift from traditional farming to profit-oriented crops is called commercialization of agriculture. It led to rural poverty and food shortages in India.

3. Economic Policies of the British:British economic policies aimed to benefit England while exploiting India. These policies included heavy land taxes, cash-based tax payments, and promoting cash crops. They also imposed heavy duties on Indian goods while allowing cheap machine-made British products to flood the Indian market, causing the decline of local industries.

3. Explain the following statements with reasons:

1. Farmers in India became bankrupt:British land revenue policies required farmers to pay taxes in cash rather than in kind. When farmers could not pay on time, their lands were confiscated. Many farmers had to borrow money from moneylenders, and when they could not repay loans, they lost their land, leading to widespread bankruptcy.

2. There was a decline of traditional industries in India:British policies imposed heavy taxes on Indian exports while allowing British goods to enter India with little to no tax. Cheap, machine-made British products flooded the market, making it difficult for Indian artisans to compete. This caused the closure of traditional industries and left many artisans unemployed.

4. Complete the following table: