07-02-2025, 01:02 PM
Below are detailed essay questions with comprehensive answers, written from a student’s perspective, covering factual, conceptual, and application-level aspects of the chapter "Invasion and Resistance." Each answer is at least 300 words to ensure thorough understanding and exam preparation. These essay questions and answers provide a detailed understanding of the chapter, incorporating factual details, analysis, and application-level insights. Students can use these to prepare for exams, focusing on key events, policies, and their broader implications.
An example:
Discuss the impact of British tax policies on Indian farmers and artisans, and how these policies led to economic hardship.
Answer: As a student, I feel the British tax policies described in the chapter were harsh and deeply affected Indian farmers and artisans. The British introduced three main tax systems: the Permanent Land Revenue Settlement (1793) in Bengal, the Ryotwari System (1820) in South India and Deccan, and the Mahalwari System (1822) in North India and Punjab. The Permanent Settlement, introduced by Lord Cornwallis, forced zamindars to collect high taxes, which farmers had to pay regardless of crop yields. The Ryotwari System, under Thomas Munro, made peasants pay taxes directly to the British,
with land seizure as a penalty for non-payment. The Mahalwari System treated villages as tax units,
annexing those that defaulted.
These high taxes were a nightmare for farmers. Even during floods or droughts, there was no relief, pushing farmers to borrow from moneylenders. This led to debt traps, and many lost their lands. The British also forced farmers to grow cash crops like indigo and cotton instead of food crops, causing
food shortages and further misery. The commercialization of agriculture meant farmers sold produce
at low prices, benefiting moneylenders.
Artisans faced similar hardships. The influx of machine-made British goods, like cotton and silk clothes, outcompeted Indian handicrafts. This destroyed the market for local pottery, leather, and edible oil, leaving artisans jobless. Many had to abandon their traditional crafts. The chapter’s description of the
1773 Bengal famine, from Anandamath, shows how these policies led to starvation and desperation.
Farmers sold everything, even doors, to survive. As a student, I see how these policies not only ruined livelihoods but also sparked resistance, as people fought back against such exploitation.
For 8th std Social Science Chapter 1 Invasion and Resistance essays click on the link below
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