History

Question 1

What steps did the French revolutionaries take to create a sense of collective

identity among French people?

Answer 1

● They introduced the ideas of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the
citizen), emphasising the concept of a united community enjoying equal
rights under a Constitution.
● They chose a new French flag, the tricolour, to replace the royal standard.
● The Estates General was elected by the body of active citizens and renamed
the National Assembly.
● In the name of the nation, new hymns were composed, oaths taken and
martyrs commemorated.
● They adopted a uniform system of weights and measures.
● They promoted the French language, as spoken and written in Paris and
discouraged regional dialects.

Question 2

What changes did Napoleon introduce to make the administrative
system more efficient in the territories ruled by him?

Answer 2

● He established the Civil Code of 1804, also-known as the Napoleonic Code. This did
away with all privileges based on birth. It established equality before law and secured
the right to property.
● He abolished the feudal system and freed - peasants from serfdom and manorial dues
● In towns, guild systems were removed. Transport and communication systems were
improved.
● A common currency and standardised weights and measures were introduced.

Question 3

How did ideas of national unity in early nineteenth century Europe allied to the

ideology of liberalism? Explain.

Answer 3

● Liberalism stood for freedom for individual and equality of all before law.
● It emphasized on the concept of government by consent.It stood for the end of
autocracy and clerical privileges.
● It believed in a constitution and representative government through
Parliament.
● In the economic sphere, liberalism stood for the freedom of markets and the
abolition of state-imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and capital.
● A wave of economic nationalism and Equality strengthened the wider
nationalist sentiments growing at the time.

Question 4

What were the main provisions of the Treaty of Vienna held in 1815?

Answer 4

The main intention was to restore the monarchies that had been overthrown by
Napoleon, and create a new conservative order in Europe.
● The Bourbon dynasty was restored to power.
● France lost the territories it had annexed under Napoleon.
● A series of states were set up on the boundaries of France to prevent
French expansion in future.
● Prussia was given new territories including Saxony on the western border,
Austria to control northern Italy, Russia to get Poland.

Question 5

Describe any three economic hardship faced by Europe in 1830s.

Answer 5

Economic hardships:
(i) Increase in population all over Europe.
(i) More job seekers than employment.
(iii) Rural population migrated to urban areas, overcrowded slums.

Question 6

Explain the failed attempt of the educated middle class in 1848 to unify

the Germany?

Answer 6

● Taking inspirations from the february revolution in france, men and women of
the liberal middle classes combined their demands for constitutionalism with
national unification.
● They all came together in the city of Frankfurt and decided to vote for an
all-German National Assembly. On 18 May 1848, 831 elected representatives
participated in Frankfurt parliament convened in the Church of St Paul and
drafted a constitution for a German nation to be headed by a monarchy
subject to a parliament
● Friedrich Wilhelm IV, King of Prussia, he rejected it and joined other
monarchs to oppose the elected assembly.( Attempt Failed )

Question 7

How did Britain came into existence as a nation-state? Explain?

Answer 7

There were different ethinic identifies with its own culture and politics viz English, Welsh,
Scot and Irish As the English, nations grew in wealth and power, its influences over other
Island nation also increased.
● The English Parliament had taken the power from the monarchy in 1688. It became an
instrument in building the nation-state of Britain, with England at its centre.
● United kingdom of Britain was established through the Act of Union in 1707 between
England and Scotland.
● Ireland was forcibly incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801. A new British nation was
emerged with the dominant English culture.

Question 8

Who were Marianne and Germania?

What was the importance of the way in which they were portrayed?

Answer 8

France’s allegory was named Marianne, she wore the red cap, the tricolour, the cockade like
allegories of the Republic and Liberty.Her statues were erected in public spheres to persuade
people to identify with this national symbol of unity.
● Germania was the allegory of Germany. She wore a crown of oak leaves which represented
heroism.
● These figures were portrayed to bear national symbols and values in form of objects. These
values were asserted upon the citizens to help them identify with each other.

Question 9

Define the term ‘Romanticism’. How did it facilitate the promotion of Nationalist

sentiment?

Answer 9

Romanticism was a cultural movement which sought to develop a particular form of
nationalists sentiments by criticising the glorification of reason and science and focused
instead on emotions, intuition and mystical feelings.
● Folk culture as the spirit of the nation: Johann Gottfried Herder claimed that through folk
songs folk poetry and folk dances the true spirit of a nation could be popularised
● Emphasis on vernacular language: They gave emphasis on vernacular language to recover
the national spirit and to carry the modem nationalist message to large audience who were
mostly illiterate.
● Examples Of Polish language and Karol Kurpinski.

Question 10

Who was Otto Von Bismarck? Describe His role in making of Germany?

Answer 10

● Otto Von Bismarck was the chief minister (chancellor) who was the chief architect in
the unification of Germany.
● Under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck, Prussia assumed command of the
movement to unify Germany.
● With the assistance of the Prussian army and bureaucracy. Prussians fought three wars
with Austria, Denmark, and France over the course of seven years, all of which
culminated in victory for Prussia and the unification of Germany.
● On January 18, 1871, Prussian King William I was proclaimed German Emperor.
● The unified state of Germany had modern currency, banking, legal and judicial system.

Question 11

Describe the process of unification of Italy.

Answer 11

During the middle of the 19th century, Italy was divided into seven states of which only one,
Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an Italian princely house.
● The unification process was led by Giuseppe Mazzini, Count Camillo de Cavour, and Giuseppe
Garibaldi. During 1830, Mazzini decided to unite Italy. He had formed a secret society ‘Young
Italy to achieve his goal, but failed.
● After earlier failures in 1831 and 1848, King Victor Emmanuel II took to unify the Italian states
through wars.
● Through a tactful diplomatic alliance with France by Cavour, Sardinia-Piedmont succeeded in
defeating the Austrian forces in 1859.
● Under the leadership of Garibaldi, armed volunteers marched into South Italy in 1860 and the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and succeeded in winning the support of the local peasants in order
to drive out the Spanish rulers?
● In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed king of united Italy.

Question 12

Describe the explosive conditions prevailed in Balkans after 1871 in Europe.

Answer 12

The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation comprising modern
days Romania, Bulgaria,Albania, Greece and Macedonia whose inhabitants were
broadly known as Slavs.
● A large part of Balkans was under the control of Ottoman Empire. The spread of
ideas of Romantic Nationalism in the Balkans together with the disintegration of the
Ottoman Empire made this region explosive.
● The Balkan people based their claims for independence or political rights on
nationality and used history for their claim.
● Balkan also became the scene of rivalry among big powers.
● This finally led to Ist world war in Europe.

Question 13

Describe the implications of First World War on the economic and political

situations of India.

Answer 13

Increase in defence expenditure which was financed by war loans.
● Custom duties were raised and income tax was introduced.
● Increased prices of essential commodities led to extreme hardship for the
common people.
● Forced recruitment of villagers into armies caused widespread anger
among them.
● Crop failure and influenza epidemic.

Question 14

Gandhi’s idea of Satyagraha emphasised the power of truth and the need to
search for truth. In the light of this statement assess the contribution of

Gandhiji towards Satyagraha.

Answer 14

If the struggle was against injustice, then physical force was not necessary
to fight the oppressor.
● One can win the oppressor even by appealing to the consequences.
● Gandhiji believed that this dharma of non-violence could unite all Indians.
This was experimented in Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad.

Question 15

What was Rowlatt Act? How did the Indians show their disapproval towards

this Act?

Answer 15

Rowlatt Act was an oppressive act introduced by the British Government in
1919. It gave the Government enormous powers to repress political activities
and allowed detention of political person without trial for two years.
➔ Rallies were organised in various cities, workers went on strike in railway
workshops and shops were closed down.
➔ British administration suppressed the nationalists.

Question 16

Why did the Non Cooperation Movement gradually slow down in towns and

cities?

Answer 16

Khadi clothes were very costly and beyond the of the poor.
● Boycott of daily use products was also not possible because of lack of
swadeshi industries.
● Boycott of foreign institutions too could not continue for long. There were
no alternative institutions to fill the gap.

Question 17

“The Plantation workers in Assam had their own understanding of Mahatma
Gandhi and the notion of Swaraj”. Support the statement with arguments.

Answer 17

● The idea of freely moving in and out of the confined space.
● Thousands of workers defied the authorities, left the tea garden and
headed home.
● They believed that Gandhi Raj was coming and everyone would be given
land in their own villages.

Question 18

Describe the role of poor peasantry in the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.

Answer 18

● They wanted the unpaid rent to the landlord to be remitted.
● They came in huge numbers of support Gandhiji and his followers.
● They launched ‘no rent’ campaign but it was not supported by the Congress.

Question 19

Evaluate the role of business classes in the ‘Civil Disobedience Movement’.

Answer 19

Made huge profit and became powerful. (Purshottamdas Thakur and GD Birla)
● Wanted protection against the imports of foreign goods.
● Gave financial assistance and refused to buy and sell imported goods.

Question 20

Explain the steps taken by the Indians for the reinterpretation of the Indian

history.

Answer 20

● Countering the British version on Indians as backward and primitive.
● Thoughts began to be written emphasising the developments made in art,
science, mathematics, etc. in ancient periods.
● They persuaded the readers to develop a sense of self confidence,
national pride and patriotism among them.

Question 21

The Civil Disobedience Movement was different from the Non-Cooperation

Movement. Support the statement with example.

Answer 21

Non Cooperation Movement Civil Disobedience Movement

● Movement associated with withdrawing
cooperation from British raj.
● Launched in 1921 after the Nagpur session.
● Due to Khalifat issues, Muslim community
participated in Non cooperation
movement on large scale.
● In this movement women did not
participate in large scale.
● The Non cooperation movement was
withdrawn by Gandhiji due to violent
incident at Chauri Chaura.

● Cooperation was withdrawn and along with this
authorities were disobeyed also.
● Launched in 1930 after salt March.
● The growing proximity of the Congress party and
Hindu mahasabha prevented the muslims to
participate in Civil Disobedience Movement.
● Large scale participation of women is one of the
most significant features of the Civil Disobedience
Movement.
● The Civil Disobedience Movement was withdrawn
in 1931, when Gandhiji signed Gandhi Irwin Pact.

Question 22

Describe the spread of Non-Cooperation Movement in the countryside.

Answer 22

In Awadh, Baba Ramchandra organised peasants’ movement against the
oppression of the landlords and talukdars. They even formed the Oudh Kisan
Sabha.
● Nai - dhobi bandhs were organised.
● Houses of talukdars and merchants were attacked.( sanctioned under the name
of Gandhi)
● Alluri Sitaram Raju led the tribal movement. Tribals demanded their traditional
rights over forests.
● The tribals used violence in their struggle against the colonial laws.

Question 23

Indian national movement is characterised with a truce period between the
Non Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement. Explain

the events taking place in this time period

Answer 23

● Swaraj party by the CR Das and Motilal Nehru for a return to council politics.
● World wide economic depression and Fall in the agricultural prices.
● Simon commission arrived in India.
● Opposition to simon commission - ‘ Go back Simon commission’.
● ‘Purna swaraj’ resolution at the Lahore session of 1929.

Question 24

How did the Civil Disobedience Movement came into force in various parts of

the country? Explain with examples.

Answer 24

● The rich peasants in countryside organised themselves, for them the fight
for swaraj was a struggle against high revenues.
● Poor peasants in countryside wanted the unpaid rent to the landlords to
be remitted.
● Industrialist in the towns wanted protection against import of foreign
goods and gave financial assistance to CDM.
● Workers participated in the movement on a smaller scale.
● Women in both rural and urban areas participate in the CDM.

Question 25

How had a variety of culture processes developed a sense of collective
belongingness in India during the 19th century? Explain the examples.

Answer 25

Personification of Bharat Mata
● National Song ‘Vande matram’
● Folklore : Rabindranath Tagore and Natesha Sastri
● Use of icons and symbols
● Rediscovery of India’s past

Question 26

Explain what do we mean when we say that the pre-modern world ‘shrank’ in

the 1500s

Answer 26

The world shrank after the discovery of sea routes to Asia and Americas.
● The physical distances between continents reduced metaphorically due to the
now available transportation facilities.
● What seemed like the end of the world could now be visited and viewed hence
making the vague image of how large our world was, more lucid and exact.
● The world was now interconnected. This made it appear accessible and hence
“smaller” in those terms.

Question 27

The global transfer of diseases became instrumental in colonisation of

Africa and South America’. Explain the statement.

Answer 27

The European conquest of colonies in Africa and South America was not just a result of
superior, modern, sophisticated firepower. It was because of the germs such as those of
smallpox that they carried with them.
● Smallpox in particular proved to be a fatal disease. Once, it reached the continent, it
started spreading deep into the continent and also before reaching any European there. It
killed and destroyed a large portion of the community and paved the way for conquest.
● Thus, the global transfer of disease became instrumental in colonisation of Africa and
South America

Question 28

Describe the significance of silk routes in the pre-modern period in the field of trade

cultural exchange and religion.

Answer 28

The silk routes are good examples of pre-modern trade and cultural links between
the distant parts of the world, i.e. linking Asia with Europe and North Africa.
● Along the silk routes, the silk cargoes from China, Indian spices and textiles, gold
and silver from Europe were carried to different parts of the world.
● The Buddhist preachers, Christian missionaries and later on, Muslim preachers
travelled along these routes.
● These routes proved to be a great source of trade and cultural links between distant
parts of the world.
● Thus, it can be concluded that silk routes are a good example of trade and cultural
link between distant parts of the world.

Question 29

Why did Europeans flee to America in the nineteenth century. Explain.

Answer 29

Europeans fled to America in the 19th century because:
(i) Until the 19th century, poverty and hunger were common in Europe.
(ii) Cities were crowded, and deadly diseases were widespread.
(iii) Religious conflicts were common and religious dissenters were persecuted.
(iv) Thousands of people were left unemployed due to agricultural land lying uncultivated.
So, people migrated in thousands, crossed oceans to find employment and a better future
(v) In America, plantations were growing cotton and sugar for the European market. These
plantations were worked on by slaves.

Question 30

What is manuscript? Write any three shortcomings of manuscript?

Answer 30

Manuscript is the original copy of a play, book or music before it has been printed. It is written by
hand or typed.
The production of handwritten manuscripts could not satisfy the ever increasing demand for books.
Three shortcomings of manuscript are
(i) Manuscripts were fragile, awkward to handle and could not be carried around or read easily.
(ii) Copying was an expensive, laborious and time consuming business.
(iii) Their circulation remained limited. This could not satisfy the increasing demand for books.

Question 31

Why was the Vernacular Press Act passed in 1878?

Answer 31

The ‘Vernacular Press Act’ was passed in 1878 under the Governor-Generalship and Viceroyalty of
Lord Lytton to control the Vernacular papers. The act empowered the government to impose
restrictions on the press in the following ways
(i) This Act provided the government with extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the
vernacular press.
(ii) The Act controlled the printing and circulation of seditious material, specifically which were
against the British Government in India.
(iii) The Act gave powers to the government to track the Vernacular newspapers.

Question 32

Describe the effects of reading mania.

Answer 32

The following points show the effect of reading mania
(i) Booksellers roamed around for selling almanacs ballads, folktales etc.
(ii) Penny chapbooks were carried by petty pedlars in England for a penny.
(iii) In France ‘Bibliothèque Bleue, which were low priced small books were printed.
(iv) Newspapers, journals containing information started circulating.
(v) Texts containing ideas of scientists and philosophers became popular among the masses

Question 33

Write about the different innovations in the printing technology during

the 19th century.

Answer 33

Through the 19th century, there was a series of new innovations in printing technology. They were
(i) By the mid of 19th century, Richard M Hoe of New York had perfected the power-driven cylindrical press. It was
capable of printing 8000 sheets per hour which was specially useful for printing newspapers.
(ii) In the late 19th century, the offset press was developed which could print upto six colours at a time.
(iii) From the beginning of the 20th century, electrically operated presses accelerated printing operations.
(iv) Some other improvements were developed e.g. methods of feeding paper improved, the quality of plates
became better, automatic paper reels and photoelectric controls of the colour register were introduced.
(v) The 19th century periodicals serialised important novels, which gave birth to a particular way of writing novels.

Question 34

Analyse any three impacts of print culture on the religious reform

movement of 16th century.

Answer 34

The impacts of print culture on the Indian society and religion were
(i) Newspaper spread the new ideas and also shaped the nature of the debate. New contradictory ideas were
emerged and a wider public could participate in these discussions and expressed their views.
(ii) In the early 19th century, an intense controversy between social and religious reformers and the Hindu
orthodox section emerged. They angered about Brahmanical priesthood and idolatry, widow immolation,
monotheism etc.
(iii) Raja Ram Mohan Roy published ‘Sambad Kaumudi and wrote about the social evils at that time. The Hindu
orthodoxy commissioned the ‘Samachar Chandrika’ to oppose his opinions. At that time, two Persian newspapers
“Jam-i-Jahan Nama’ and ‘Shamsul Akhbar’, a Gujarati newspaper, the ‘Bombay Samachar’ were also published

Question 35

Print culture created the conditions within which French Revolution
occurred. Give any three suitable arguments to support the statement.

Answer 35

This can be asserted using the following arguments:
(i) Print popularised the ideas of Voltaire and Rousseau who criticised tradition, superstition and despotism.
(ii) Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. This gave birth to new ideas of social revolution.
(iii) A lot of literature that mocked royalty and criticised their morality was printed by the 1780s raising questions
about the existing order.
People questioned everything related to the existing order. This led to the French revolution.