The Colonial Era in India
Short Questions
1. What is colonialism?
Answer:- Control of one country over another for power and resources.
2.Who was the first European to reach India by sea?
Answer:- Vasco da Gama.
3.In which year did Vasco da Gama arrive in India?
Answer:- 1498.
4.What was the main goal of European powers in India?
Answer:- Trade and wealth.
5. Name the battle where British won Bengal in 1757.
Answer:- Battle of Plassey.
6. What was the Doctrine of Lapse?
Answer:- Annexing states without male heirs.
7. What caused the Great Famine in Bengal in 1770?
Answer:- High taxes and crop failure.
8. Who wrote about the drain of India’s wealth in 1901?
Answer:- Dadabhai Naoroji.
9. What was Macaulay’s Minute in 1835 about?
Answer:- English education in India.
10. Name one tribal uprising against British rule.
Answer:- Santhal Rebellion.
11. What was the Indigo Revolt about?
Answer:- Farmers against forced indigo farming.
12. Who was proclaimed leader in the 1857 Rebellion?
Answer:- Bahadur Shah Zafar.
13. What ended the East India Company’s rule in 1858?
Answer:- British Crown took over.
14. Name a heroine of the 1857 Rebellion.
Answer:- Rani Lakshmibai.
15. What was India’s share of world GDP before colonialism?
Answer:- About one-fourth.
Long Questions
1. How did the Portuguese control trade in India?
Answer:- They used the cartaz system to force ships to buy permits and seized those without them. This helped them control the spice trade for nearly a century.
2. What was the ‘divide and rule’ policy of the British?
Answer:- The British played on rivalries between Indian rulers and communities to weaken them. This helped them gain control without direct fights everywhere.
3. How did British policies cause famines in India?
Answer:- High taxes even in bad harvests and exporting food during shortages led to millions dying. For example, in 1770-1772, one-third of Bengal’s people died from starvation.
4. What was the drain of wealth from India?
Answer:- Britain took billions in taxes and resources without investing back, making India poor. This funded Britain’s growth, like the Industrial Revolution.
5. How did Macaulay’s education policy change India?
Answer:- It made English the main language for schools to create Indians who thought like British. This broke traditional schools and divided society into elites and masses.
6. Why did tribal groups like Santhals rebel?
Answer:- British took their lands, forests, and imposed taxes, disrupting their lives. In 1855-1856, Santhals fought back but were crushed with thousands killed.
7. What triggered the Great Rebellion of 1857?
Answer:- Rumors of greased cartridges offending Hindu and Muslim sepoys sparked the revolt. It spread across north India with leaders like Rani Lakshmibai fighting bravely.
8. How did the British respond to the 1857 Rebellion?
Answer:- They used brutal force, burning villages and executing rebels to crush it. After winning, the British Crown took direct control from the East India Company.
9. What were the good and bad effects of British railways in India?
Answer:- Railways connected India but mainly helped export raw materials and move troops. Indians paid for it through taxes, serving British needs more than local ones.
10.What was the legacy of European colonialism in India?
Answer:- It caused poverty, famines, and loss of culture but also brought new ideas and unity against rule. India gained independence in 1947 after long struggles inspired by these events.
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