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The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Extra Question Answer
Extra Questions of The Colonial Era in India Class 8
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Very Short Question Answer
Question 1.
How did the Portuguese maintain control over maritime trade in the Indian Ocean for nearly a century?
Answer:
The Portuguese introduced the cartaz (pass) system requiring all ships in the Arabian Sea to obtain Portuguese permits. Vessels without passes were seized, allowing them to monopolise the spice trade between India and Europe for nearly a century. Their superior naval technology with faster ships and powerful camnons gave them military advantage over Arab and Indian traders.
Question 2.
Who was Rani Abbakka and why is she remembered in Indian history?
Answer:
Rani Abbakka I was a ruler of Ullal (in presentday Karnataka) who resisted Portuguese attempts to capture her port town during the $16^{\text {th }}$ century. She defended her territory using strategic alliances with neighbouring kingdoms against repeated Portuguese attacks. Though eventually captured, her courage inspired her successor Rani Abbakka II to continue resistance, and she is celebrated in the Yakshagana dance-drama.
Question 3.
What was the Subsidiary Alliance and how did it benefit British territorial expansion?
Answer:
The Subsidiary Alliance required Indian rulers to maintain British garrisons at their own expense and accept British residents in their courts. This allowed the British to expand control without direct military costs or formal annexation. Indian rulers became dependent on British protection and lost control over foreign policy, giving the British dominance while maintaining the appearance of independence.
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Short Question Answer
Question 1.
Explain the Doctrine of Lapse and discuss how it affected Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi.
Answer:
The Doctrine of Lapse was a British policy allowing annexation of princely states if the ruler died without a natural male heir, reversing traditional succession practices. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi refused to surrender her throne when the British attempted annexation following her husband’s death. She fought fiercely to defend her land with military courage, captured Gwalior Fort with General Tantia Tope’s support, and became a celebrated leader of the 1857 Great Rebellion until her death in battle on 18 June 1858.
Question 2.
How did British free trade policies destroy India’s textile industry and what were the consequences?
Answer:
British free trade policies allowed cheap British manufactured textiles to flood the Indian market without tariffs, making it impossible for Indian craftspeople to compete. Indian weavers and textile workers lost their livelihoods as consumers purchased cheaper British goods. This destroyed centurics-old textile traditions, impoverished millions and ensured India remained a raw material supplier while becoming dependent on British manufactures.
Question 3.
Describe the immediate causes that led to the sepoy revolt in Meerut on 10 May 1857 and explain why it became widespread.
Answer:
The immediate cause was rifle cartridges greased with animal fat, offensive to both Hindu and Muslim soldiers. When sepoys refused to use them, they were severely punished, leading to rebellion. The revolt spread because many sepoys and their families were already angry over British policies. religious insult, annexations and economic hardship.
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Long Question Answer
Question 1.
Discuss the historical importance of the Battle of Plassey (1757).
Answer:
The Battle of Plassey (1757) was a decisive event that laid the foundation of British rule in India.
- It was fought between Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah of Bengal and the British East India Company led by Robert Clive.
- The British, though fewer in number, won due to the betrayal of Mir Jafar, the Nawab’s commander-in-chief, who had been promised the throne by Clive.
- The victory gave the Company control over Bengal’s immense revenue, its richest province.
- Bengal’s wealth financed further military conquests and strengthened British trade monopolies.
- The Company thus changed from a commercial enterprise into a territorial power.
This battle marked the beginning of British political supremacy in India and symbolised the shift from mere trade to conquest, making Plassey the true starting point of colonial domination in the subcontinent.
Question 2.
Examine the causes and consequences of the Great Bengal Famine of 1770.
Answer:
The Great Bengal Famine of 1770 was one of the most devastating tragedies under the East India Company’s rule.
Causes:
- After the Battle of Plassey, the Company took over revenue collection in Bengal, Bihar and Odisha and became focused solely on extracting maximum profit.
- A severe drought destroyed crops for two consecutive years, but instead of providing relief, the Company increased land taxes.
- Farmers were forced to pay revenue in cash even when harvests failed.
- Despite the growing scarcity, the British continued exporting large amounts of grain to Britain, while some local traders hoarded food for profit, worsening the crisis.
Consequences:
- Nearly one-third of the population, about ten million people, died of starvation and disease.
- The famine revealed the exploitative nature of colonial rule, where profit mattered more than human life.
- It became the first of many famines under British rule, as harsh economic policies and revenue demands repeatedly pushed India into misery.
The famine exposed how British economic policies caused immense misery and permanently weakened Bengal’s prosperity.
The Colonial Era in India Class 8 Case Based Questions
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
1. A Queen Defies an Empire
The corridors of Jhansi Palace echoed with hurried footsteps. Raja Gangadhar Rao was dead and grief hung heavy. In the dim court, Rani Lakshmibai held her adopted son close as British officers read out Lord Dalhousie’s decree: Jhansi would be annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse since no “natural male heir” existed. The Rani’s calm voice hardened: “I will not give up my Jhansi.” British officials dismissed her defiance as emotional. But across Bundelkhand, her name spread like wildfire. She trained soldiers, repaired fort walls and even included women in her army.
When the Revolt of 1857 erupted, Jhansi became its burning heart. Surrounded by British cannon fire, Lakshmibai led her troops on with courage. She fell in battle but lived on in every heart that yearned for freedom. Her courage showed that resistance was not a matter of strength but of conviction.
(i) Which British policy justified annexing Jhansi?
Answer:
The British policy used to justify the annexation of Jhansi was the Doctrine of Lapse, introduced by Lord Dalhousie.
(ii) How did this policy violate Indian customs of succession?
Answer:
The Doctrine of Lapse violated the Indian custom of succession because it refused to recognise an adopted son as a legitimate heir. In many Indian royal families, adoption was accepted as a valid way to continue the ruling line.
(iii) If you were her adviser, what peaceful step might you have proposed before war broke out?
Answer:
As her adviser, I might have suggested that Rani Lakshmibai first send a formal appeal to the British authorities, asking them to recognise her adopted son as the rightful heir. She could also have tried to gather support from other Indian rulers and negotiate a treaty that allowed Jhansi to remain under her rule instead of being directly annexed.
Class 8 The Colonial Era in India Extra Questions for Practice
Question 1.
In which year did Vasco da Gama reach Calicut?
(a) 1498
(b) 1508
(c) 1518
(d) 1528
Question 2.
Which battle marked a rare recorded instance of an Asian power defeating a European naval force?
(a) Battle of Plassey
(b) Battle of Colachel
(c) Carnatic Wars
(d) Battle of Buxar
Question 3.
The Doctrine of Lapse allowed annexation of princely states when:
(a) They refused to pay taxes
(b) Their ruler died without a natural male heir
(c) They engaged in trade
(d) They allied with other states
Question 4.
The immediate trigger for the 1857 rebellion was:
(a) High taxes
(b) Religious disrespect
(c) Rifle cartridges with animal fat
(d) Destruction of temples
The following questions consist of two statements – Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Answer these questions by selecting the correct option:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false hut R is true.
Question 5.
Assertion (A) : The Portuguese maintained dominance over Indian Ocean trade for nearly a century.
Reason (R) : They had superior naval technology and introduced the cartay pass system.
Question 6.
Assertion (A) : British railways and telegraphs improved Indian infrastructure for national development.
Reason (R) : These were primarily built to transport raw materials to ports and move troops efficiently.
Question 7.
The Portuguese established the ______ at Goa in 1560, a tribunal that persecuted various religious communities.
Question 8.
Under the ______ , Indian rulers lost control over foreign policy and defence matters to the British.
Question 9.
The ______ Rebellion of 1855-1856 was a major tribal uprising against British revenue demands.
Question 10.
The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was more focused on military conquest than commercial trade.
Question 11.
The Battle of Plassey in 1757 gave the British decisive victory and dominance in Bengal.
Question 12.
The Great Rebellion of 1857 was immediately crushed with no lasting impact on British rule.
Question 13.
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
The Lost Industry
India’s textile industry had flourished for centuries, producing world-famous cotton and silk fabrics. British merchants arrived with factory-made textiles that were much cheaper than Indian handmade goods. As British tariff policies allowed these goods to flood Indian markets, weavers lost customers. Entire families who had been weavers for generations found no buyers for their cloth. Villages that once thrived on textile trade became impoverished. Within decades, India’s share in global textile trade collapsed sharply. The irony was bitter: India provided the raw cotton, but wealth went to British factories and merchants.
(a) What made British textiles competitive in Indian markets?
(b) How did British tariff policies contribute to the decline of Indian textile industries?
(c) What steps could have been taken to protect Indian industries from this fate?
Question 14.
Who was Rani Lakshmibai and what role did she play in the 1857 rebellion?
Question 15.
What caused the Bengal famine of 1770-1772 and how did British policies worsen it?
Question 16.
Name two early resistance movements against colonial rule in India before 1857.
Question 17.
How did the British use the policy of “Divide and Rule” to strengthen their control over India, and what role did the Subsidiary Alliance play in this strategy?
Question 18.
Discuss the factors that enabled European powers to establish control over India.
OR
Explain how British economic policies led to the decline of India’s traditional industries.