Detailed explanations in West Bengal Board Class 10 History Book Solutions Chapter 3 Resistance and Rebellion: Characteristics and Analyses offer valuable context and analysis.
WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 3 Question Answer – Resistance and Rebellion: Characteristics and Analyses
Class 10 History Chapter 3 Question Answer WBBSE – Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)
Question 1.
What was the picture of forests in india at the time when the country became independent?
Answer:
By the time British left india her forest resources were considerably depleted.
Question 2.
How did the restrictions imposed on the use of forest affect the tribal women?
Answer:
The imposition of restrictions on the use of forest affected the tribal women adversely because they were unable to cook food using fuel- wood from forest.
Question 3.
How did the Forest Acts impact the traditional method of cultivation ?
Answer:
Millions of indian peasantry suffered because the Forest Acts banned the traditional shifting cultivation or jhum by the colonial government.
Question 4.
Which tribesmen organized a major revolt against the penetration of state in forest ?
Answer:
The tribesmen of Gudem and Rampa in Andhra Pradesh organized a major revolt against the steady penetration of state in forest.
Question 5.
What is a rebellion ?
Answer:
A rebellion may be defined as a violent uprising of the masses for any goal including change to a system of government.
Question 6.
Can the protest of the tribals against the Forest laws be termed as ‘revolution’ ?
Answer:
Protest of the tribals against the Forest laws cannot be termed as ‘revolution’ because it did not aim at bringing about any fundamental change in the governance of forest.
Question 7.
What led the ryots of Rangpur to raise the banner of rebellion ?
Answer:
The ryots of Rangpur burst out in rebellion as the petitions sent to the district authorities for redressal of their grievances received no attention.
Question 8.
How did the Rangpur Rebellion pave the way for settlement of revenue on a permanent basis ?
Answer:
The Rangpur Rebellion paved the way for settlement of revenue on a permanent basis, that is to say, the Permanent Settlement of 1793.
Question 9.
What caused tension in the tribal society leading to their rebellion ?
Answer:
Encroachment on the tribal areas by outsiders like the moneylenders, contractors, etc. under the British caused tension in the tribal society leading to their rebellion.
Question 10.
What led the Chuars to align themselves with the zamindar to raise the banner of rebellion?
Answer:
Levy of land-revenue at a high rate led the Chuars in lianson with Durjan Singh, the zamindar, to burst out in rebellion.
Question 11.
What was the paikan land ?
Answer:
Paikan was a rent-free land assigned to the paiks who acted as the private army of the local zamindars.
Question 12.
What was the impact of the Chuar rebellion in respect of the paikan land ?
Answer:
An impact of the Chuar Rebellion was that the British Government immediately stopped the take-over of the paikan land.
Question 13.
Who were the Bheels ?
Answer:
The Bheels were a backward warlike community spread over in the hilly region of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Question 14.
Why did the British occupy Khandesh ?
Answer:
The law and order problem created by the continuous plunder of the Bheels in Khandesh provoked the British Government to occupy Khandesh.
Question 15.
How did the Kol rebellion start in Chotonagpur ?
Answer:
The Kol rebellion started in 1831 when the farm of two Sikh contractors was plundered and burnt by the Kols.
Question 16.
How did the Kols fight the British soldiers ?
Answer:
The Kol tribesmen fought with their traditional primitive weapons against the British soldiers who were armed with modern instruments of warfare.
Question 17.
Why did the Santals take up arms against the oppressors ?
Answer:
The peace-loving Santals took up arms against by the colonial rulers as also their agents like the moneylenders, contractors, etc. who oppressed them beyond endurance.
Question 18.
What was the character of the Santal Rebellion ?
Answer:
So far as the character of the Santal Rebellion is concerned it took the shape of a full-fledged guerilla war spearheaded by their leaders.
Question 19.
What was the consequence of the Santal Rebellion ?
Answer:
The consequence of the Santal Rebellion was that the British administrators became conscious about the problem of the Santals and tried to reduce their suffering.
Question 20.
What administrative changes followed the Santal Rebellion ?
Answer:
The Santal Rebellion forced the British administrators to reorganize the districts populated by the Santals into a separate district of Santal Parganas.
Question 21.
What did the Santals mean by the term ‘neighbours’ ?
Answer:
By the term ‘neighbours’ Santals meant the English officials and their agents like the zamindars, traders, moneylenders, etc. who came from outside the tribal area.
Question 22.
How were the tribal peasants subjected to the medieval system of slavery ?
Answer:
Under the colonial rule the tribal peasants were forced to offer free-labour to the zamindars which was akin to the medieval system of slavery.
Question 23.
How were the female-labour procured by the arkatias (recruiters) from the tribal villages ?
Answer:
Under the colonial rule the recruiters were found moving around local village- markets where from they used to recruit or purchase girls for employment in plantations, mines and factories.
Question 24.
What was the call given by Birsa to his associates ?
Answer:
Birsa’s prediction of the coming of a golden age attracted the Mundas and with their support he gave a clarion call to establish an independent Mundaraj.
Question 25.
How did the Ulghulan begin in 1899 ?
Answer:
With a view to establishing a mundnmj Birsa called upon his fellowmen to rise, drive out or slay the foreigners, and tnat began the Munda Revolt or Ulghulan.
Question 26.
What was the character of the Munda Rebellion ?
Answer:
Character of the Munda Rebellion was definitely anti-British because Birsa Munda set forth the ideal of an independent Mundaraj.
Question 27.
What was the primary objective of the Sannyasi and Fakirs prior to the Bengal Famine of 1769-70 ?
Answer:
Prior to the Bengal Famine the objective of the Sannyasi and Fakirs was to loot properties indiscriminately.
Question 28.
Who were the Pagal-Panthis ?
Answer:
The Pagal-Panthis was a religious sect founded by a mendicant named Karam Shah.
Question 29.
Who burst out in rebellion against the zamindar of Sherpur ?
Answer:
The Gaos of the Pojal-Panthi sect burst out in rebellion against the zamindar of Sherpur, in present Bangladesh.
Question 30.
Were the Wahabi and Ferazi two separate movements ?
Answer:
Yes, the Wahabi and Ferazi were the two separate movements, the former began in Barasat and the latter in Faridpur.
Question 31.
Who was the founder of the Wahabi Movement ?
Answer:
The founder of the Wahabi Movement was Muhammad Abdul Wahhab of Nejd in Arabia.
Question 32.
Why is Titumir famous ?
Answer:
Titumir is famous because a believer in the Wahabi ideal he directed his energies in organizing the peasants against the oppressive zamindars, moneylenders, indigo planters, etc.
Question 33.
What led to a fight between Titumir’s followers and the British army ?
Answer:
Being scared at the defiance of land reforms introduced the British deployed soldiers to suppress Titumir and this led a fight between the British troops and Titumir’s followers.
Question 34.
What is ‘Barasat Uprising’
Answer:
The standard of rebellion raised by Titumir and his followers, and the resistance they offered to the British troops from the hurriedly built “bamboo fortress’ is famous in history as the ‘Barasat Rebellion’.
Question 35.
What did Dudumiyan say in his call to the peasants of the Ferazi community ?
Answer:
In the name of religion Dudumiyan gave a fervent call to rise against the oppressive zamindars, indigo-planters, money-lenders, etc. who were agents of the British.
Question 36.
Why was the Ferazi Movement unsuccessful ?
Answer:
The Ferazi Movement was unsuccessful because the rebels had no political training as also because they could not come out of the narrow limits of religion.
Question 37.
What is meant by the term Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya ?
Answer:
The term Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya means the path as shown by Hazrat Muhammad, and the term is also optionally used to mean Wahabi Movement.
Question 38.
Why did the Wahabiis enter into a clash with the Sikhs ?
Answer:
The military preparation of the Wahabis in the north-west India was taken to be their attempt to oust the Sikhs from Punjab.
Question 39.
Where did the indigo rebellion begin in West Bengal ?
Answer:
The indigo rebellion began at Chaugacha of Krishnanagar, in Nadia District of West Bengal in 1859 and continued for about a year.
Question 40.
what was the most important feature of the Indigo Rebellion ?
Answer:
The most important feature of the Indigo Rebellion was that for the first time considerable interest was shown by the middle class in support of the indigo rebels.
Question 41.
How was the spirit of passive resistance expressed in the indigo Rebellion ?
Answer:
The indigo cultivators of Barasat for the first time took a vow unitedly that they would not sow indigo anymore.
Question 42.
How was the Tenancy Act beneficial for the zamindars ?
Answer:
The Tenancy Act of 1859 while did not allow occupancy right to the peasants allowed the zamindars to enhance rent at their sweet-will.
Class 10 History Chapter 3 Questions and Answers WBBSE – Short Answer Questions (2 Marks)
Question 1.
Why did the Forest Acts affect the tribals (adivasi) adversely?
Answer:
Adivasis were virtually the ‘children of forest’. Their life centred round forests. The Forest Acts enforced by the British imposed various restrictions on the use of forest which adversely affected the tribal communities.
Question 2.
What were the strategies adopted by the adivasis against the barriers imposed on the use of forests?
Answer:
The adivasis adopted various strategies to protect their rights on forests. They started with petitioning the British government for repealing the Forest Acts. As this did not yield results the adivasis organized revolts to protect their rights on forest lands.
Question 3.
Illustrate by an example what was an ‘uprising’?
Answer:
An ‘uprising’ is a protest organized locally against certain policy or action of government authorities. The peasants of Deccan organized an uprising against the moneylenders and sowcars for their oppressions. Thus the ‘Deccan Uprising’ is an instance in point.
Question 4.
Why did the peasants of Rangpur organize revolt sainst the ijaradars?
Answer:
Ijaradars were speculators in land-revenue. Debi Singh, the ijaradar of Rangpur, forcibly collected revenue from the peasants at a high rate. The immediate cause of the revolt was the takeover and disposal of the agricultural land of the defaulting peasants by Debi Singh.
Question 5.
Why did the ‘Chuars’ burst out in rebellion ?
Answer:
The adivasis living in some parts of Bankura, Midnapur and Manbhum were called the ‘Chuars’. The Chuars burst out in rebellion in 1799 against the oppressions of the British authorities and their agents. The ‘agents’ included the moneylenders, contractors who were the creation of the British.
Question 6.
Why did the Bhils organize revolt against the British Government?
Answer:
The ‘Bhils’ were a warlike community living in parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. They enjoyed monopoly of power at Khandesh where they resorted to plunder and loot of the rich landholders. When the British with a view to putting an end to the anarchical condition occupied Khandesh the Bhils burst out in rebellion in 1818.
Question 7.
Why did the Kol tribesmen burst out in rebellion ?
Answer:
The Kol tribesmen of Chotonagpur had long been exploited by the non-tribal outsiders. The Kols became restive as they found that their territories were being encroached upon by the non-tribal planters, zamindars, etc. Finally, in 1831 the Kols under the leadership of Joa bhagat, Buddhu Bhagat and others raised the banner of rebellion.
Question 8.
What forced the Santals to burst out in rebellion?
Answer:
The Santals of the Santal Parganas were generally peace-loving people. They found that their simple and peaceful life was being disturbed by the British and their agents like the moneylenders, contractors, etc. Redress of the grievances through court of law being of no avail the Santals burst out in rebellion in 1855 under the leadership of Kanu and Sidhu.
Question 9.
What was bet-began as imposed upon the Munda tribals?
Answer:
The Munda tribals were forced to offer free-labour to the zamindars in addition to the land-revenue paid by them. The medieval system of forced labour came to be known as bet-began amongst the tribals. The Mundari society could not remain immune from the new system introduced by the British.
Question 10.
How did the Ulghulan begin under the leadership of Birsa Munda’
Answer:
After Birsa’s release from jail he clearly defined his objective to be the establishment of the Mundaraj (rule of the Mundas). He also called upon his fellowetten to rise, drive out or slay all the foreigners’ from the land of the Mundas. Here was the beginning of the Ulghuian of 1899-1900 under Birsa’s leadership.
Question 11.
What were the immediate results of the Mundari Movement of 1899-1900?
Answer:
Though unsuccessful the Mundari Ulgiwlan resulted in some administrative measures by way of review of the land settlement in the tribal areas. Forced labour or bet-begczri was declared illegal. British Government was also forced to introduce certain administrative reforms.
Question 12.
What was the character of the sannyasl and fakir rebellion?
Answer:
One opinion suggested that the sannyasi and Fakir Rebellion was a full-fledged anti-colonial. But researches subsequently revealed that it was the economic distress that provoked the sannyasi and fakirs to raise the banner of rebellion.
Question 13.
What forced the Santals to burst out in rebellion?
Answer:
The Santals of the Santal Parganas were generally peace-loving people. They found that their simple and peaceful life was being disturbed by the British and their agents like the moneylenders, contractors, etc. Redress of the grievances through court of law being of no avail the Santals burst out in rebellion in 1855 under the leadership of Kanu and Sidhu.
Question 14.
What was bet-began as imposed upon the Munda tribals?
Answer:
The Munda tribals were forced to offer free-labour to the zamindars in addition to the land-revenue paid by them. The medieval system of forced labour came to be known as bet-began amongst the tribals. The Mundari society could not remain immune from the new system introduced by the British.
Question 15.
How did the Ulghulan begin under the leadership of Birsa Munda?
Answer:
After Birsa’s release from jail he clearly defined his objective to be the establishment of the Mundaraj (rule of the Mundas). He also called upon his fellowmen to ‘rise, drive out or slay all the foreigners’ from the land of the Mundas. Here was the beginning of the Ulghulan of 1899-1900 under Birsa’s leadership.
Question 17.
What were the immediate results of the Mundari Movement of 1899-1900?
Answer:
Though unsuccessful the Mundari Ulghuian resulted in some administrative measures by way of review of the land settlement in the tribal areas. Forced labour or bet-began was declared illegal. British Government was also forced to introduce certain administrative reforms.
Question 18.
What was the character of the sannyasi and fakir rebellion?
Answer:
One opinion suggested that the sannyasi and Fakir Rebellion was a full-fledged anti-colonial. But researches subsequently revealed that it was the economic distress that provoked the sannyasi and fakirs to raise the banner of rebellion.
Question 19.
What were the features of the Wahabi Movement?
Answer:
Though began as a religious movement its anti-British character gave it a political overtone. Another fcature of the movement was that it was directed against the oppressors like the money landers, zamindars, etc. The movement, however, in the ultimate analysis the Wahabi movement did not remain confined within the narrow fold of religion.
Question 20.
Who were the Ferazis?
Answer:
In 1820, one named Haji Shariatullah of Faridpur (in Bangladesh) founded a kindered brotherhood called Ferazi. The Arabic word Ferazi means ‘one who acts upto the commandments of God’.
Question 21.
What is Tariqah I Muhammadiya?
Answer:
The real name of the Wahabi Movement was Tciriqah i Muhammadiya. The term literally means the path as shown by Muhammad. In India the founder of the movement was Syed Ahmed Barelvi.
Question 22.
Why were the peasants unwilling to cultivate indigo?
Answer:
Indigo cultivation was not at all profitable for the indigo cultivators. They did not get the wage equal to their labour. Moreover, the oppressions of the European planters made the peasants unwilling to cultivate indigo.
Question 23.
How did the Bengali middle class take up the cause of the indigo-cultivators?
Answer:
For the first time the Bengali middle class openly supported the cause of the indigo-cultivators. Harish Chandra Mukhopadhyay, who came of a middle class family despite driven to financial ruin, offered help to the indigo-cultivators. Again, Sisir Kumar Ghosh, a petty zamindar of Jessore, used to send eye-witness accounts of popular struggles of the indigo-cultivators for publication of the news in the Hindoo Patriot.
Question 24.
What is the importance of the in digo Rebellion in the history of peasants’ movement in India ?
Answer:
Importance of the indigo Rebellion lies in the fact that for the first time a close affinity was established between the peasants and the zamindars. Further, instead of lodging a silent protest, the indigo-cultivators had built up a united mass movement. Again, the spirit of passive resistance expressed in the Indigo Rebellion may be said to be the forerunner of the Non Co-operation Movement started by Gandhiji later.
Question 25.
How did the Pabna Revolt reveal that the question of rent created a bitter relationship between the ryots and the zamindars ?
Answer:
All evidences show that the Revolt was due to the enhancement of rent (khazna) by the zamindars of Pabna (in Bangladesh). In the Revolt the Muslim peasants fought hand in hand with the Hindus. The Revolt took the form of a rent-strike as the peasants refused to pay rent to the zamindars.
WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 3 Questions and Answers – Analytical Answer Questions (4 Marks)
Question 1.
How did the British colonists deplete the forest resources of the country ?
Answer:
In the beginning the colonial rulers did not feel the need for protecting the forests. Rather they thought that the forests were unproductive. Forests were considered as ‘an obstruction to agriculture and consequently a bar to the prosperity of the Empire’. it was felt that if the forest areas were brought under cultivation these would yield agricultural products and land-revenue.
Moreover, in order to meet the growing demand of timber for making English ships trees of the forests were felled on a massive scale. Thus vast quantities of timber were being exported from India. The spread of railways new demand was created. Wood was necessary for laying the railway lines sleepers which would hold the tracks together. Also wood was for use as fuel in running locomotives. Thus Indian forest resources were depleted by the colonial
rulers.
Question 2.
Why did the colonial rulers of India establish a forest department in 1864?
Answer:
The control of the forests of India through setting up of a department became necessary for the colonial rulers as they found that great chunks of forest were destroyed to meet the demand for railway sleepers. As there was no supervision over the felling operation a large number of trees was felled unnecessarily. Good quality of trees lay rotting on the ground.
Private contractors, both Indian and European, were chiefly responsible for this destruction. Realisation that India’s forests were not inexhaustible Lord Canning, the then Governor-General, called for establishment of a department that could ensure regular supply of wood to the different railway companies. The imperial forest department was formed in 1864.
Question 3.
What led the British colonial rulers to introduce forest Acts?
Answer:
The colonial rulers introduced the Forest Acts not for the benefit of the adivasi nor was the intention to save the forest resources. In fact, the Forest Acts aimed at establishing government control over the forests. After the formation of the imperial forest department in 1864 the checking the deforestation of the past decades became necessary.
With this end in view the urgent need was to formulate legal mechanism to safeguard state control over forests.The first attempt at asserting state monopoly was through the Indian Forest Act of 1865. This was followed by a number of Forest Acts.
Question 4.
What was the impact of the Forest Acts on the villagers and foresters ?
Answer:
The Forest Acts meant hardship to the villagers across the country.
- The Forest Acts deprived the tribals (adivasi) of all their everyday practices.
- Cutting of wood for their houses, collecting fruits and roots, hunting, etc. were banned.
- The tribal women were particularly disturbed as they were unable to cook food using fuel-wood collected from forests.
- Most importantly grazing and shifting cultivation (jhum) that were the life-blood of millions of Indians suffered immensely as these were banned in areas under control of the colonial government.
Question 5.
What led to the Rangpur Rebellion ?
Answer:
Rangpur Rebellion was the first peasant uprising against the oppressions perpetrated by the East India Company’s administration. The administration of Warren Hastings was marked by experiments in land-revenue settlement. Under the Ijaradari system land used to be farmed out to the highest bidder. Ijaradar basically was a speculator in land. He used to squeeze out as much money as possible from the ryots during his tenure of office.
Rangpur Rebellion took place because Debi Singh, the Ijaradar, forced the ryots to pay the revenue at the highest rate. Alongside the revenue other illegal demands made the total demand so high that the ryots were unable to pay it even after selling their wives. In the rebellion the ryots and the zamindars combined together against Debi Singh.
Question 6.
Why did the tribal people rebel during the East India Company’s rule ?
Answer:
The tribals, very much a part of the Indian society felt the brunt of the Company’s rule. Various factors led the tribals to burst out in rebellion.
- Under the Company’s rule the tribals lost their traditional rights on land.
- The foreign rulers imposed taxes on the land reclaimed by the tribals themselves.
- The tribals were subjected to oppressions by the zamindars, who were nothing but the agents of the British.
- The illiterate tribals revolted more violently than any other community including the peasantry of the country.
Question 7.
Why did the Chuars burst out in rebellion against the British rulers ?
Answer:
The adivasis living in the territorial limits of south-west Bankura, north-west Medinipur were known as the Chuars. The Chuars were subjected to oppressions by the British rulers and their agents like the moneylenders, contractors and such others. Ultimately, the Chuars burst out in rebellion in 1798-1799.
The most important cause of the rebellion, however, was the resumption of the rent-free paikan land by the British government. The Chuars who acted as the private army of the local zaminders used to enjoy rent-free paikan. As the government converted the paikan into rent-paying land the Chuars burst out in open rebellion.
Question 8.
Why did the Bheels raise the banner of rebellion against the foreign rules?
Answer:
The Bheels were a section of backward and warlike community of central india. They remained scattered in the hilly regions of Maharashtra and Gujarat. They were in the habit of resorting to plunder and loot of the rich landholders. Continuous plunder affected the law and order situation particularly in Khandesh region.
The British Government in india with a view to bringing an end to the anarchical condition ultimately occupied Khandesh. This enraged the Bheels as they lost monopoly of power in Khandesh. Of the insurgent Bheels leaders mention may be made of Chil Naik, Hiria, Dusrut, etc.
Question 9.
Why did the Kol tribesmen rebel against the agents of the British ?
Answer:
The Kol tribesmen of Chotonagpur raised the banner of rebellion against the oppressions of the agents of the British. The local zamindars, non-tribal landlords who were the agents of the British exploited the Kols in various ways. The landlords resorted to forced labour, fines, and often ‘took away their cattle’.
The Kol insurrection began in 1831 when the farm of two Sikh thikadars (contractors) were plundered and burnt. Under the leadership of Bhundu (Buddhu) Bhagat and others the Kols put up a strong resistance until they perished to the last man.
Question 10.
Was the Kol rebellion revivalist ?
Answer:
The Kol tribesmen were very much a part of the Indian society. Under the new revenue system introduced by the British every land was brought under the system. The Kols found that the land reclaimed by them was placed under zamindars or landlords, and imposed revenue on it. Besides, the Kols were subjected to oppressions by the agents of the British.
In Chotonagpur a series of uprisings broke out in the 19th century of which the most important was the one that broke out in 1831. The Kol rebellion was revivalist because they wanted to get back the rights and privileges of the land and forest that they had been enjoying earlier.
Question 11.
What led the Santals to burst out in rebellion in 1855 ?
Answer:
The Santhals of Santal Pargana raised the banner of revolt in 1855 under the leadership of Kanu and Sidhu. The Santals were generally peace-loving people who worked under primitive agricultural conditions. The simple and peaceful life of the Santals was disturbed by the effects of the alien civilisation. Besides, the contractors, money lenders, revenue-collectors and other agencies exercised a variety of tyrannies upon the timid Santal tribesmen.
Redressal of the grievances through the machinery of law being of no avail the Santals themselves took up arms against the oppressors. Under the leadership of Sidhu and his elder brother Kanu of Bhagnadihi, about ten thousand Santals armed with primitive weapons rose in revolt in 1855. The Santal rebellion for some months swept the British rule out of existence in the region.
Question 12.
What were the characteristic features of the Santal rebellion of 1855 ?
Answer:
The Santal Rebellion was the first organized resistance of its kind against feudal oppressions,
- An important feature of the rebellion was the support the rebel Santals had received from the so-called lower classes like the dom, chamar, telli, etc.
- Zamindars and other associates of the British supported the administration against the rebel Santals. Thus the British found it easy to suppress the rebels,
- That the Santal Rebellion had an anti-British character was evident from the objective of the rebels. The Santals’ aim was to bring an end to the ‘sinful’ rule that obviously meant the alien British rule in india.
Question 13.
What were the results of the Santal Rebellion of 1855
Answer:
The Santal Rebellion was a failure, yet it is not possible to ignore the results that followed.
- Santal Rebellion was the first organized resistance of its kind against the feudal oppressions.
- The rebellion brought to the surface the sufferings of the innocent tribal people. The British also henceforth became conscious about the tribal problem and sought to alleviate their sufferings.
- Despite failure the Santals drew inspiration from it and subsequently organized another resistance movement, against the British.
- The rebellion of the Santals forced the British to reorganize the districts to create a separate district of Santal Parganas.
Question 14.
What was the social cause of the Munda Movement ?
Answer:
The Munda society could not remain immune from the new economy that had been introduced by the British. In fact, it shook the old Munda society at its roots. For instance, the Panchczyati system of the Mundas decayed and even minor social disputes were now referred to the British police or judicial courts for settlement. Infiltration of the dikus or foreigners also severely affected the morale of the race. All this created a strong sentiment of protest against the intruders among the Mundas.
Question 15.
What was the nature of the Munda Movement under the leadership of Birsa Munda in the early stage ?
Answer:
The Munda movement had its beginning in 1858. But this was a failure. It was Birsa Munda taking lesson from the failure, chalked out altogether a new pattern of movement later on. Birsa’s reputation as a ‘healer’ earned him popularity. It was on the strength of this mass support that Birsa chose to embark on a popular movement.
The nature of the movement was revivalist as because Birsa predicted the coming of a golden age when bad days would be over. The British administration being annoyed with Birsa put him behind the bar. On his release in 1897 Birsa’s movement entered into the second stage.
Question 16.
Was the Ulghulan of the Mundas anti-British in character?
Answer:
The second phase of Birsa’s movement, called Ulghuian, had an anti-British element. Brrsa’s objective after 1897 was clearly defined to be the establishment of the Mundaraj that is to say, rule of the Mundas. With this end in view he called upon his fellow men to rise, drive out or slay all the foreigners. Here was the beginning of the Ulghulan. The revolt started with the attacks upon the church and missionary establishments. The main centres of the Ulghulan were Tamar, Tepa, etc.
Question 17.
Who were the Sannyasi and Fakirs ?
Answer:
The sannyasi and fakirs are very much a part of the Indian society. Both the sannyasi and fakirs lived on charitable gifts. They used to keep long hairs, and always carried with them knives and arrows. Majnu Shah was the leader of the fakirs while Bhawani Pathak led the sannyasis.
The Sannyasi and Fakir rebellion may be divided into two phases, namely, before and after the Bengal Famine. In 1760 the sannyasis of Burdwan (West Bengal) made an attack upon the English officers, and in 1763 the fakirs of Barisal (in present Bangladesh) attacked the English settlement there.
Question 18.
Why did the Sannyasi and Fakirs oppose the British ?
Answer:
It was, in fact, as a consequence of the East India Company’s drive for enhancement of land-revenue that the Sannyasis and Fakirs broke out in rebellion. The Sannyasis acquired rent-free lands on different parts of Bengal from small zamindars during the eighteenth century. In lieu of this the Sannyasis gave services as forces to repeal the aggression of other rival zamindars.
In a similar manner the Fakirs also came to acquired rentfree land from various authorities in Bengal. The British attempt to levy tax, that is to say, impose land-revenue was resisted by the Sannyasis and Fakirs. The restrictions on the movement of the Fakirs and a ban declared on the carrying of arms by the Sannyasis and Fakirs also constituted other cause that led to rebellion by the Sannyasis and Fakirs.
Question 19.
Write in short about the Pagal-Panthi Revolt.
Answer:
The religious sect called Pagal-Panthi was founded by a mendicant named Karam Shah. His doctrine became very much popular with the Garo hill tribe that inhabited in the region below the Garo hills. Karam’s successor Tipu laid stress on truthfulness and equality between man and man. The Garos of the Pagal-Panthi sect burst out in rebellion against the oppressions of the zamindar of Sherpur (in present Bangladesh). Tax levied by the zamindar became unbearable for the Garos. The Pagal-Panthi Garos then decided to undo the tax-hike by armed rebellion. The insurrection yielded result.
Question 20.
Why was Dudumiyan famous?
Answer:
In the name of religion Dudumiyan made a fervent call to the peasants of the Ferazi community to rise against the oppressions of the zamindars, indigo-planters, moneylenders, etc. He declared that Allah being the real owner of land none had the right to levy tax on the ryots. Apprehensive of the designs of the Ferazis under the leadership of Dudumiyan the zamindars further increased oppressions that led to armed clashes between the zamindars and the Ferazis. The rebels did not spare even the indigo factories. Thus Dudumiyan became famous as the leader of the suffering peasantry.
Question 21.
Why was the Ferazi movement unsuccessful ?
Answer:
The Ferazi Movement began as a religious movement. In course of time religion was utilized by the Ferazis to give vent to their agrarian grievances. Yet the movement was bound to be a failure as the Ferazis could not come out of the influence of religion.
The Ferazis were religious fanatics and thus completely alienated from the Hindus. The Muslims of the old Islamic faith were also opposed to the Ferazis. Even the Ferazis were disliked by the Wahabis because of the fanaticism of the former. Another factor responsible for the failure of the movement was that the leaders had no political training or vision.
Question 22.
What was the Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya?
Answer:
The real name of the Wahabi Movement was Tariqah-i- Muhammadiya. The term Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya literally means the path as shown by Muhammad. In India the founder of the movement was Syed Ahmed Barelvi. He toured extensively preaching the ideal of Tariqah Muhammadiya. Between 1820 and 1822 the movement gained considerable momentum, and centres were established in many parts of north India.
Question 23.
What were the objectives of the Tariqah i-Muhammadiya?
Answer:
- The Tariqah-i-Muhammadiya or the Wahabi movement initiated by Syed Ahmed Barelvi was designed to revive the ways of the Prophet.
- Along with this he put forward the objective of driving the British out of the country.
- According to Syed Ahmed Barelvi, under the British rule India had become an “unholy land’ (dar-ul-harb), and Barelvi desired, through the movement, to convert the country into the land of Islam’ (dar-ul-Islam).
- The movement, however, did not remain confined to the narrow limits religion exclusively.
Question 24.
Why is Titumir remembered ?
Answer:
Titumir is remembered for his armed struggle against the British. Alongside the British Titumir also severely dealt with the zamindars, money-lenders etc. who were the agents of the British. At Narkelberia, in present North 24 Parganas, Titumir constructed a fortress with bamboo and mud. From this fortress Titumir gave a strong fight to the British soldiers in 1831. Titumir-British armed struggle, known as the Barasat Rebellion, ended with the death of Titumir Titumir, thus, is remembered for his heroic fight against the British.
Question 25
Why were the indigo cultivators of Beigal unwilling to cultivate indigo ?
Answer:
The Europeans introduced the cultivation of indigo in India during the eighteenth century,
- The fertile land of Bengal was very suitable for growing indigo plants. The indigo-planters did not hesitate to convert the food-growing areas into indigo plantation.
- Indigo was an important and profitable item of trade for the Europeans in India. But for the indigo cultivators growing of indigo was not at all profitable.
- The European planters did not hesitate to apply all kinds of cruelty to force the peasants to cultivate indigo.
- Another issue was that the indigo cultivators were deprived of their legitimate wages. Above are the reasons why the indigo cultivators of Bengal were unwilling to cultivate indigo.
Question 26.
Write in short how the middle class Bengali intelligents is came in support of the indigo cultivators.
Answer:
An important feature of the Indigo Rebellion was that the middle class Bengali intelligentsia did not hesitate to support the rebellious indigo cultivators. In no other occasion such a support was lent by the middle class. The point may be explained by some examples. Harish Chandra Mukhopadhyay, Sisir Kumar Ghosh and other Bengali intellectuals took up the cause of the indigo cultivators.
Sisir Kumar Ghosh used to send eye-witness accounts of popular struggle for publication in the Hindu Patriot. Dinabandhu Mitra, a government employee, wrote highly popular drama Neel Darpan in which he vividly described the oppressions and injustice done to the indigo cultivators. This was how the Bengali middle class openly supported the indigo cultivators.
Question 27.
What was the impact of the Indigo Rebellion on the mass awakening ?
Answer:
An important aspect of the Indigo Rebellion was that instead of lodging silent protest against the oppressions perpetrated on them the indigo cultivators unitedly built up a mass movement. For example, the indigo cultivators of Barasat took a vow unitedly that they would no more sow indigo.
Again, the spirit of passive resistance expressed in the Indigo Rebellion may be said to be the forerunner of the Non Co-operation Movement under the leadership of Gandhiji. Lastly, the Indigo Rebellion made the people of the country conscious about their unity against the British.
Question 28.
Why did the Tenancy Act of 1859 fail to safeguard the interests of the ryots of Pabna ?
Answer:
The Tenancy Act of 1859 was designed to safeguard the interests of the rich peasants and of jotedars. The ryots or tenants were not given occupancy right. At the same time the zamindars were allowed to evict the tenants as also permitted to enhance the rent. Moreover, the zaminndars did not issue rent receipt and collected illegal cesses along with rent by improper means.
In such a situation the discontent of the ryots of Pabna, in present Bangladesh, found expression in locally organized resistance of the zamindars. Thus it may be said that the failure of the Tenancy Act of 1859 forced the tenants to organize resistance that finally took the shape of a revolt.
Question 29.
What were the characteristic features of the Pabna Revolt ?
Answer:
The characteristic features of the Pabna Revolt were as follows :
- An important feature of the revolt was that the Muslim peasants of Pubna fought hand in hand with the Hindus,
- The revolt took the form of a rent-strike as the peasants refused to pay rent to the zamindars.
- Leaders of the movement came from the rich peasants, jotedar, village headmen and others,
- Ishan Chandra Roy, a small talukdar (landed magnate) and a trader, called bidrofu raja by the rebel peasants, was an important leader. He with his assistant, Sambhunath Pal, moved from village to village organizing a league of the peasants against the zamindar.
- As the Act of 1859 had failed to ensure security of the ryots the Bengal Tenanacy Act was passed in 1885. The Act sought to protect the interests of the ryots.
Class 10 History Chapter 3 Questions and Answers West Bengal Board – Explanatory Answer Questions (8 Marks)
Question 1.
How did the colonial British rulers systematically establish control over Indian forests through Forest Acts ? What was the impact of the Forest Acts on the forest-depended communities ?
Answer:
a. Control over Forests through Forest Acts : The British administration in order to ensure availability of wood for their enormous requirement in London formed the forest department in 1864. Subsequently, through Forest Acts the officials sought to assert total control over forests.
The first attempt at asserting state monopoly was through the Forest Act of 1865. The 1865 Act was passed to facilitate the acquisition of those forest areas that were earmarked for railway supplies. However, from that time onwards the British Government in India passed a number of Acts. By the Forest Act of 1878 the Indian forests were divided into three categories, namely,
- Reserved Forest
- Protected Forest, and
- Village Forest. The villagers or the tribal forest-dwellers were not allowed to use any other forest except the Village Forests. In short the sole purpose of the Forest Acts was to terminate gradually a century-old system of rights and privileges of forest-inhabiting and forest-dependent communities.
b. Impact of the Forest Acts : The Forest Acts meant hardship to the villagers across the country.
- The Forest Acts deprived the tribals (adivasi) of all their everyday practices.
- Cutting of wood for their houses, collecting fruits and roots, hunting, etc. were banned.
- The tribal women were particularly disturbed as they were unable to cook food using fuel-wood collected from forests.
- Most importantly grazing and shifting cultivation (jhum) that were the life-blood of millions of Indians suffered immensely as these were banned in areas under control of the colonial government.
Question 2.
What was the importance of the Rangpur Rebellion ? What was the nature of the rebellion ?
Answer:
a. Rtiportance of the Rangpur Rebellion : The Rangpur rebellion of 1783 was significant on many accounts.
- The uprising of 1783 clearly exposed the evils associated with the system of colonial exploitation.
- The rebellion of 1783 demonstrated the colonial oppression. It also exposed how the law of independent social development was being suppressed by the foreign rulers.
- It has been pointed out by Prof. N. Kaviraj that all the native agents of the East India Company were linked with the Company’s high officials in the same chain in oppressing the people of the country.
- The Rangpur rebellion made clear the evils of the Ijaradari system. Devi Singh, and ijaradar of Rangpur showed the way how people could be exploited beyond their endurance.
- The Rangpur uprising paved the way for devicing a land settlement that would be permanent in nature.
b. Nature of the Rebellion : The Revolt of 1783 was a real peasant uprising.
- The uprising was led by the village headmen who palyed a very important role in the uprising. This is one of the examples to show that the uprising was a peasnat rebellion.
- The mass character of the revolt is reflected in the huge assembly of peasants in times of action.
- The peasant character of the uprising is also attested by the mass of local evidence collected at that time. The peasants showed a marvellous initiative throughout the course of the uprising.
Question 3.
What were the characteristic features of the Santal Hool ? What were its results ?
Answer:
a. Characteristic Features : The characteristic features of the Santal rebellion were many as they were varied.
- On the basis of the facts revealed through recent researches some believe that this was the first armed insurrection in India against the British.
- Contemporary records show that fighting with traditional weapons the Santals defeated the British soldiers at every place from Bhagalpur to Rajmahal in Dumka district.
- The Santal rebellion took the shape of a full-fledged guerilla war spearheaded by their leaders.
- The Santal Hool spread like wildfire in the entire Chotonagpur region before the East India Company’s soldiers contained it after a month-long battle.
- Another important feature of the Santal Hool was the support that the rebellious Santals had received from the so-called lower classes of people, particularly, the doms, chamars, telis and such others.
- The Santal Hool of 1855-56 definitely had an anti-British character because the rebels wanted to bring an end to the ‘sinful’ rule that obviously meant the British rule.
b. Results : The Santal rebellion was the first organized resistance of its kind against the feudal oppression.
- The rebellion brought to surface the sufferings of the innocent tribal people. The British administrators as an impact of the rebellion became conscious about the problem and tried to reduce their suffering.
- In spite of the failure of the rebellion the Santals drew inspiration from it and subsequently organized another resistance movement against the British. It may be mentioned here that the Santal rebellion of 1861 over the hike in rent was successful.
- The rebellion of the Santals forced the British administrators to reorganize the districts to create a separate district of Santal Parganas.
Question 4.
What was the significance of the Munda movement ? What were its results ?
Answer:
a. Significance : One can hardly underestimate the significance of the Munda Movement.
- The strained relation between the Munda peasants and the zamindars manifested, through the movement, did never imporve in the following years.
- the discontent of the Mundas against the British raj remained smouldering in the hearts of the Mundas for many years following the Ulghulan.
- The legal rights on the lands that had been derived by the tribal Mundas through the Ulghulan seem considerable as it not took ling year for the peasants of Bihar to wrest similar rights from the British.
- Importance of the Munda movement lies in the fact that the ideal of an independent Mundaraj set forth by Birsa definitely had in it an anti-British element.
b. Results : The Munda movments, though unseccessful, resulted in certain administrative measures taken by the British government.
- Necessary arrangements were made to review the land settlement in the tribal areas.
- On the basis of the survey reports new Regulations were passed.
- Forced labour or beth-begari was declared illegal.
- The British government was compelled to introduce certain administrative reforms following the Munda movement.
Question 5.
Who were the Sannyasi and Fakirs ? Why did they oppose the British ?
Answer:
a. Sannyasi : The Sannyasis of the eighteenth century were descent from the ten branches of Adwaita school established thousand years before by Shankaracharya. They were also known as dasnamis. The Sannyasis were wanderers who moved out from place ot place seeking alms.
Along side religious curriculum the Sannyasis also developed skill in the use of arms. For they believed training in arms was necessary for defence of the religion. The Sannyasis rebelled when the British government imposed certain restrictions on the movement and some activities of the Sannyasis.
b. Fakirs : The Fakirs, also known as the Madari Fakirs, were descendents of Shah-i-Madar who introduced a major Sufi order in India in the fourteenth century. There was much similarity between the Sannyasis and the Fakirs. The Fakirs, like the Sannyasis cultivated combat techniques regularly. Manju Shah was the leader of the Fakirs, while Bhawani Pathak led the Sannyasis. The Fakirs also burst out in rebellion in protest against the oppressive prohibitory orders issued against them by the British administration.
c. Their Opposition to the British : It was, in fact, as a consequence of the East India Company’s drive for enhancement of land-revenue that the Sannyasis and Fakirs broke out in rebellion. The Sannyasis acquired rent-free lands in different parts of Bengal from small zamindars during the eighteenth centuiy.
In lieu of this the Sannyasis gave services as forces to repeal the aggression of other rival zamindars. In a similar manner the Fakirs also came to acquire rent-free land from various authorities in Bengal. The British attempt to levy tax, that is to say, impose land-revenue was resisted by the Sannysis and Fakirs. The restrictions on the movement of the Fakirs and a ban declared on the carrying of arms by the Sannyasis and Fakirs also constituted other cause that led to rebellion by the Sannayasis and Fakirs.
Question 6.
How was Wahabi Movement carried to Bengal ? Write in short about the ‘Barasat uprising’.
Answer:
a. Wahabi Movement in Bengal : Titumir : The founder of the Wahabi Movement was Muhammad Abdul Wahab of Najd (in Arabia). This was orthodox Islamic religious movement, and aimed at purging Islam of all the impurities that crept into it. The Wahabi movement was successfully carried to Bengal by Mir Nisar Ali, popularly known as Titumir of North 24-Parganas.
- A believer in the Wahabi ideal Titumir, from the very beginning directed his energies in organizing the peasants against the oppressive zamindars, money-lenders, indigo planters, etc. He acquired much influence among the peasants of the present North 24-Parganas and Nadia districts of West Bengal, irrespective of their religious affiliation.
- Titumir and his followers offered the first armed resistance to the zamindar of Pura who imposed punitive tax on the Wahabis. The action on the part of the zamindar of Pura sparked off an armed rebellion against him.
- Another reason why the Wahabis took the law into their own hands was the failure to get redress either from the administration or from the court of law.
- In fact, the government machineiy and the law courts always sided with the zamindars and the village rich. Thus redress through peaceful means having failed the Wahabis resorted to armed rebellion against the oppressors.
b. Barasat Uprising : Seeing that Titumir’s activities had assumed an anti-govmment character the British deployed military contingent to suppress the rebels. In order to resist the British soldiers Titumir with his six hundred followers hurriedly built up a fortress with bamboo and mud.
This was the famous Banser Kella (bamboo-fortress) constructed at Narkelberia (Barasat), about 20 kilometres away from Kolkata. The standard of rebellion raised by Titumir and his followers, and the resistance offered by the British troops from the bamboo-fortress is famous in history as the Barasat Rebellion of 1831.
Question 7.
What was the role of Dudumiyan in the Ferazi Movement ? What were its limitations ?
Answer:
a. Dudumiyan and the Ferazi Movement: In the name of religion Dudumiyan (1840) gave a fervent call to the peasants’ of the Ferazi community to rise against the oppressive acts of the zamindars, indigo planters and money-lenders. Dudumiyan declared that Allah being the real owner of the land, the zaminders had no right of levying taxes on the ryots (cultivators, tenants or peasants).
The zamindars of the Eastern Bengal being apprehensive of the design on the Ferazis under the leadership of Dudumiayn made a common cause and further increased oppression on the peasants who had Ferazi leanings. This further deteriorated the situation and armed clashes took place between the zamindars and the Ferazis (1840-47). The Ferazi rebels did not even spare any indigo factories.
This was how the Ferazis had raised the banner of protest against the oppressors. The limitation from which the Ferazis had suffered was that the movement was confined to the Ferazi sect of the Muslims and hardly spread among the Hindus. The Ferazi movement did not have any anti-British character.
b. Limitations : The Ferazis were religious fanatics and this alienated themselves completely from the Hindu community. The Muhammadans strongly opposed to them. The Muhammdans of the old faith were sometimes found in the witness box in the court of law recording their evidence against Dudumiyan.
The Ferazi leaders were ignorant people and proud of their influence over the lower clases. This was a feature that was responsible for their differences from other Wahabi sects. Thus it may be said that the greatest limitations of the Ferazis were that they were isolated from similar other religious movements in force at that time.
Question 8.
Write some of the characteristic features of the Wahabi Movement. What was the nature of the movement ?
Answer:
a. Characteristic Features : The characteristic features of the Wahabi Movement were as follows :
- The movement initiated by Syed Ahmed was designed to revive the ways of the Prophet. Along with this he put forward the objective of driving the British out of the countiy. For according to him, India under the British had become an unholy land or ‘Dar-ul-Harb\ and it was Syed Ahmed’s desire to convert the ‘Dar-ul-Harb’ into ‘Dar-ul-Islam’, that is the land of Islam. Indeed, the anti-British aspect of the movement had given it a political overtone.
- Another important feature of the movement was that it no longer remained confined within the narrow fold of religion exclusively. Syed
Ahmed did not even hesitate to appeal to Hindurao, the Maratha leader, for help in his fight against the British.
- Under his instructions training centres were established in different parts of the country where the Wahabis received some sort of military training.
- As peasantry formed the core of the Wahabis, the movement was also directed against the oppressors like the zamindars, indigo farmers, money-lenders etc.
b. Nature of the Movement : The Ferazi Movement began as a religious movement. But in course of time the motive of religion was utilized by the Ferazis to give vent to their agrarian grievances. The movement was anti-British in the sense that the Ferazis struck terror into the hearts of the oppressors who were practically the agents of the British.
Dudumiyan had pleaded that his movment was not anti-British in character. Yet one can hardly deny that attack upon the agents of the British like money-lentders, zamindars and the like amounted to an attack upon the British government.
It must be remembered that the Ferazis because of their doctrinaire attitude alienated themselves completely from the Hindu community. Moreover, the Ferazis were not liked by the Wahabis. Belonging to a movement of a lower order, the Ferazis evoked opposition from the village rich, the zamindars, mahajans and the indigo planters.
Question 9.
What were the causes of the Indigo Rebellion ? What was its significance ?
Answer:
a. Causes of the Rebellion : Indigo cultivation was not at all profitable for the peasants. Forceable employment of the peasants to grow indigo and deprevation of the cultivators of their legitimate wages formed the background of the Indigo Rebellion. The causes of the rebellion may be summed up as follows :
- The peasants were unwilling to cultivate indigo as they did not get the wage equal to their labour
- The powerful European plantersforcibly employed the peasants to grow indigo. In fact, the cultivators were reduced to a state of slavery.
- Since the indigo-planters converted the best plots of cultivable land to indigo plantation, the production of food-crops declined considerably.
- The greedy indigo-planters did not even hesitate to augment the plantation area evicting the peasants from their villages. The armed gangman, employed by the planters used to clear village after village burning the peasants’ huts.
- Oppressions of the indigo-planters reached such a stage that even the family members of the peasants were not spared. Abduction of women was a regular affair. In short, the miseries of the indigo cultivators knew no bounds, and all this led the peasants to rise in revolt.
b. Significance of the Rebellion :
- The indigo Rebellion of Bengal constitues an important chapter in the history of the peasant movement in India. Whatever might have been the nature of the movement there is no denying the fact that it was in this rising that aclose affinity was first established between the peasants and the zaminders. This was so because of the simple fact that the indigo cultivation had adversely affected the interests of both the peasants and the zaminders.
- Another important aspect of the movement was that instead of lodging a silent protest, the indigo-cultivators, had unitedly built up a mass movement. Indeed, the indigo cultivators of Barasat took a vow unitedly not to sow indigo any more.
- The spirit of passive resistance expressed in the Indigo Rebellion may be said to be the forerunner of the Non-Cooperation Movement started by M. K. Gandhi later. Fourth important aspect of the Indigo Rebellion was the support lent by the middle class people to the oppressed peasantry.
- The revolt of the indigo cultivators made the people of India conscious about their unity against the British.
Question 10.
Write an essay on the Peasants’ Revolt in Pabna.
Answer:
Peasants’ Revolt in Pabna (presently in Bangladesh) is an ideal example of how the question of rent (khazna) created bitter relationship between the zamindars and the ryots. The Tenancy Act of 1859 was put into force to safeguard the interests of rich peasants and the landed peasantry (jotedai). It was expected that the two classes of people would act as precursor to the development of agriculture.
In reality, however, this did not happen. The zamindars did never follow the provisions of the Act. While the Tenancy Act did not allow occupancy right to the peasants, allowed the zamindars to enhance rent at their sweet-will. Official records show that enhancement of rent proceeded after 1859.
The peasants were forced to pay increased rent failing which they were evicted. In such a condition the discontent of the peasants found expression in locally organizing resistance to the zamindars. The resistance finally took the shape of a revolt in 1873 when an agrarian league was formed at Esafshahi in the Pabna district of present Bangladesh. All evidences show that the revolt was due to enhancement of rent by the zamindars.
- The characteristic feature of the revolt was that the Muslim peasants of Pubna fought hand in hand with the Hindus.
- The revolt took the form of a rent-strike as the peasants refused to pay rent to the zamindars.
- Leaders of the movement came from the rich peasants, jotedar, village headmen and others.
- Ishan Chandra Roy, a small talukdar (landed magnate) and a trader, called bidrohi raja by the rebel peasants was an important leader. He with his assistant, Sambhunath Pal, moved from village to village organizing the league. Khoodi Mollah, a Muslim jotedar, also organized the peasants against the zamindar.
- As the Act of 1859 had failed to ensure security of the ryots the Bengal Tenanacy Act was passed in 1885. The Act sought to protect the interests of the ryots.
