JK PUBLIC SCHOOL

CLASS: 8TH
SUBJECT: HISTORY (OUR PASTS-III)
Formative Assessment- I
SESSION: 2024-2025
Formative Assessment: I
How, When and Where

Summary:
This is the introductory chapter of this book. This chapter introduces modern Indian
period also known as colonial period, which started during the second half of 18th
century. The chapter is very important to understand the important developments that
took place during this period.
By the end of this chapter, students will be able to understand about:
i) Tripartite periodization of Indian history with special reference to modern period.
ii) Role played by James Mill in periodizing Indian history.
iii) Importance of dates and events in history.
iv) Meaning, definition and concept of colonialism.
v) Important sources of the modern period.
Q.1 State whether true or false
a) James Mill divided Indian history into three periods- Hindu, Muslim, and Christian. False
b) Official documents help us to understand what the people of the country think. False
c) The British thought surveys were important for effective administration. True
Answer the following questions.
2. What is the problem with the periodization of Indian history that James Mill offers?
Ans. James Mill divided the period of Indian history on communal lines i.e. Hindu, Muslim and
British. According to Mill, before the British came to India, Hindu and Muslim “despots” ruled
the country and there were no significant developments in terms of culture, society and economy
apart from the change in the religion of the rulers. To refer to any period as ”Hindu” or
“Muslim” does not seem sound as a variety of faiths existed simultaneously in these periods.
Such a division ignores the diversity of the Indian subcontinent.
3. Why did the British preserve the official documents?
Ans. Official documents are one of the important sources of the British period. The British
believed that the act of writing was important. Every instruction, plan, policy decision,
agreement, investigation had to be clearly written up, because with a written document, things
could be properly studied and debated. That`s why they set up record rooms attached to all
administrative institutions. Archives and museums were established to preserve important
records.
4. How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that
found in police reports?
Ans.Reports published in newspapers used to be more correct, than the police reports as the
police were merely the puppets of British government. Police reports tell us the official side of
the story, while as the newspapers tells us about the day to day happenings related to common
people.
5.Discuss the significance of administrative reports and land surveys, as a valuable source
for writing the history of modern period of Jammu and Kashmir.
Ans: Since 1872, the Dogra rulers began to publish the Annual Administrative Reports
highlighting the various aspects of administration-the income and expenditure, new works taken
up, works completed etc.
Similarly revenue surveys conducted by Andrew Wingate and Walter Lawrence provide
valuable information about the entire agrarian structure including nature of the land, type of soil,
sources of irrigation, revenue etc. and hence can be used as a primary source to understand the
agrarian economy of the region.

Additional Questions
1. Define colonialism.
Ans: The process by which a powerful country controls or subjugates another country or
countries, in order to become richer. The country which controls the other country is also
called colonizer or colonial power e.g. British were colonial power in India.
2. Who was James Mill?
Ans; James Mill (1773-1836) was a Scottish economist and political philosopher. He divided
Indian history into three periods-Hindu, Muslim and British.
3. Name the book written by James Mill.
Ans: A History of British India.
4. What is periodization?
Ans: The process of dividing history into different periods is called periodization.Indian
history has been divided into three different periods i.e. Ancient, Medieval and Modern or
Hindu, Muslim and British.
5. Name some important sources of modern period.
Ans: Some important sources of modern period include official records like police reports,
court records, revenue and patwari records, census, forest surveys, botanical surveys and
unofficial records like books, travel accounts, newspapers and diaries. Historical monuments
built during this period are also an important source of modern period.
6. What is census?
Ans: The official process of counting the number of people in a country, city or town and
collecting information about them. The first census in India was held in1872.However the
first complete census was taken in the year1881.Since then census is held regularly after ten
years.
7. Where are records preserved?
Ans: Museums and archives.
 8. When was Sri Pratap Museum established?
Ans: Sri Pratap Museum also known as SPS Museum was established by Maharaja Pratap
Singh in the year 1898.
9.When was the National Archives of India established?
Ans: The National Archives of India came up in the 1920s.
10. Name some important newspapers of Jammu and Kashmir of the period under
discussion.
Ans: Hamdard,Vitasta,Khidmat.

Lesson 2: - “From Trade to Territory” (The Company establishes power)

Summary:
This chapter deals with the coming of European trading companies to India and the subsequent
colonization of India by the English East India Company.
By the end of this chapter, students will be able to understand about:
i) Important European trading companies like Portuguese, French, Dutch, Spanish and
English East India Company.
ii) Important items of import and export.
iii) How trade rivalry and control over Indian market led to battles among European
trading companies, with special focus on Anglo-French wars.
iv) Emergence of English East India Company as victorious in this trade rivalry.
v) Important battles and wars and subsequent expansion of company`s rule in India.
vi) Policies of Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse.
vii) Establishment of new administrative set up by the British.
 1. Match the following
A B
a) Diwani Right to collect land revenue.
b) “Tiger of Mysore” Tipu Sultan.
c) Faujdari adalat Criminal court.

d) Rani channamma Led an anti –British movement in Kitoor

e) Sipahi Sepoy

2. Fill in the blanks

a) The British conquest of Bengal began with the battle of plassey.
b) Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers of Mysore.
c) Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of Lapse.
d) Maratha Kingdoms were located mainly in the South-western part of India.
3 State whether True of False
a) The Mughal Empire became stronger in the eighteenth century. (False)
b) The English East India Company was the only European company that traded with
India. (False)
c) Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the ruler of Punjab. (True)
d) The British did not introduce administrative changes in the territories they conquered.
(False )
Lets us Discuss
4. What attracted European trading companies to India?
Ans. European trading companies were looking for new lands where they could buy goods at
low prices and carry them back to Europe to sell them at very high prices. Moreover the fine
qualities of cotton, silk and spices like pepper, cloves cardamom and cinnamon produced in
India had a big market in Europe. That is why European companies were attracted towards India.
5. What were the areas of conflict between Bengal Nawabs and the East India Company?
Ans.Some of the factors responsible for the conflict between Bengal Nawabs and the East India
Company are as under:
 i) The Company got the right to trade duty free from the Mughal Emperor. But officials of the
company, who used to do private trade refused to pay taxes though they were expected to pay
the duty. It caused huge loss of revenue to Bengal.
ii) The company started to fortify its settlements. Nawab of Bengal asked them to stop
fortification which led to the conflict between them.
iii) The Nawab refused to grant concessions to the company, demanded large tributes for the
company’s right to trade, denied it any right to mint coins, stopped it from extending its
fortifications. It led the conflict between them.
6. How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?
Ans. The East India Company got Diwani rights of Bengal in 1765.It allowed the company to
use vast resources of Bengal for its advantages.
i. From the Early 18th century, its trade with India expanded. But it had to buy most of the
goods in India with gold and silver imported from Britain, as they had no goods to sell in
India. Now the revenue of Bengal could finance company expenses.
ii. The outflow of gold from Britain stopped after the assumption of Diwani.
iii. Revenue of Bengal came to be used to purchase cotton and silk textiles and maintain
company troops to strengthen its position in India.
7. Explain the system of subsidiary Alliance?
Ans. The subsidiary Alliance system was introduced by Lord Wellesley in 1798 to expand
British Empire in India and to make the company very powerful. Subsidiary Alliances were
made between the company and the native rulers. According to the terms of this alliance:
I. Indian rulers had to accept the supremacy of the company.
II. They were not allowed to have their independent army, but were to be protected by the
company.
III. They had to bear the expenses of company’s army and if Indian rulers failed to make the
payment, then a part of their territory was taken away as penalty.
IV. They had to keep an English resident at their court.
8. In what ways was the administration of the company different from that of Indian
rulers?
Ans. The administration of the company was different from that of Indian rulers in the following
ways:
 i. British territories were broadly divided into three administrative units called
Presidencies; Bengal, Madras and Bombay. Whereas under the Indian rulers
administration was divided into Zila (district),pargana,tehsil and villages.
ii. Each administrative unit was ruled by a Governor and supreme authority of
administration was the Governor-General. Whereas under the Indian administrative
system the supreme head was King or Nawab.
iii. New system of justice was introduced in 1772. Every district was to have two courts- a
criminal court and a civil court. Civil courts were presided over by European district
collector and the criminal courts were under a Qazi and Mufti, but under the supervision
of the collectors.
iv. A Supreme Court was established in 1773, while a court of appeal was set up at Calcutta.
v. The district collector was supposed to collect revenue and taxes and maintain law and
order in his district.
9. Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the company’s army?
Ans. In the early 19th century the British began to develop a uniform military culture. Soldiers
were given training in European methods of Warfare. Drill and discipline was also introduced to
regulate their lives. Due to the change in warfare technology in 1820’s cavalry declined and
infantry regiments became more important. The East India Company also began to recruit
peasants, which came to be known as Sepoy Army.
10. Discuss the major changes that occurred in the administration of Jammu and Kashmir
after 1846.
Ans: Gulab Singh reign did not witness any major administrative reforms as he was pre occupied
with the territorial expansion of the region. During Maharaja Ranbir Singh`s period (1857-1885),
three main departments-the revenue, the civil and the military were set up.Ranbir Penal Code
was composed.
However, it was during Pratap Singh`s reign (1885-1925) that major administrative changes
were introduced. A political agent of the British called Resident was appointed in the court of
Maharaja Pratap Singh.New departments of public works,police,accounts,forests and revenue
were either created or re-established on modern lines.Walter Lawrence was appointed as revenue
settlement officer to introduce land revenue reforms in the state. The municipalities for Srinagar
and Jammu cities were established.
Additional Questions
1. Name the European powers which came to India.
Ans: Portuguese, French, Dutch and British.
2. When was English East India Company established?
Ans: In 1600 A.D.
3. Who was the last powerful Mughal ruler? When did he die?
Ans: Aurangzeb was the last powerful Mughal ruler. He died in 1707 A.D.
4. Who discovered sea route to India and when?
Ans: Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer discovered the sea route to India in 1498 A.D.
5. What was a Farman?
Ans: Farman was a royal order issued by the Mughal rulers.
6. What was the policy of paramountcy?
Ans: Lord Hastings (1813-1823) started this policy. The EIC claimed that its authority was
supreme or paramount. Hence its power was greater than that of Indian states.
7. What is fortification?
Ans: Making strong forts around settlements by the European companies was known as
fortification of settlements.
8. Who was Mufti?
Ans: Mufti was a jurist of the Muslim community responsible for expounding the law that the
qazi would administer.
9. Define collectorate.
Ans: The office of the district collector was known as collectorate.it became the new centre of
power during colonial period.
10. Who was Rani Channamma?
Ans: Rani Channamma(1778-1829) was one of the first female rulers to rebel against the
British Empire. As a ruler of Kitoor (Karnataka), she fought against the British and became a
folk hero.
11. Write a note on “Doctrine of Lapse”.
Ans: The policy of “Doctrine of Lapse” was introduced by Lord Dalhousie (1848-56).The
doctrine declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male heir, his kingdom would
lapse,that is become the part of East India Company`s territory.
12. Name some states which were annexed by “Doctrine of Lapse”.
Ans: The states which were annexed by Doctrine of Lapse are
Satara(1848),Sambalpur(1850),Udaipur(1852),Nagpur(1853) and Jhansi(1854).