Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Questions and Answers

by | Jun 24, 2023 | General | 0 comments

 

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

 

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

 

From Trade to Territory – Given in this post is NCERT Solutions Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Important Question Answers. The important questions we have compiled will help the students to brush up on their knowledge about the subject. Students can practice Class 8 History Chapter 2 important questions to understand the subject better and improve their performance in the exam. The NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science (History) provided here will also give students an idea about how to write the answers.

 

Source Based Questions 

Read the extract and answer the questions that follow-

A. Aurangzeb was the last of the powerful Mughal rulers. He established control over a very large part of the territory that is now known as India. After his death in 1707, many Mughal governors (subadars) and big zamindars began asserting their authority and establishing regional kingdoms. As powerful regional kingdoms emerged in various parts of India, Delhi could no longer function as an effective center. By the second half of the eighteenth century, however, a new power was emerging on the political horizon – the British.

1 Who was the last of the powerful Mughal rulers?

Ans. Aurangzeb was the last of the powerful Mughal rulers.

2 Aurangzeb established control over a very large part of the territory that is now known as Bhutan. True/False?

Ans. False, Aurangzeb established control over a very large part of the territory that is now known as India.

3 What occurred after the death of Aurangzeb?

Ans. After his death in 1707, many Mughal governors (subadars) and big zamindars began asserting their authority and establishing regional kingdoms.

4  By the second half of the eighteenth century, however, a new power was emerging on the political horizon – __________.

Ans. By the second half of the eighteenth century, however, a new power was emerging on the political horizon – the British.

5 What products and resources were the British primarily interested in?

Ans. Some products and resources that the British were primarily interested in were Cotton, silk, spices among other finer things in India.

 

B. In 1600, the East India Company acquired a charter from the ruler of England, Queen Elizabeth I, granting it the sole right to trade with the East. This meant that no other trading group in England could compete with the East India Company. With this charter, the Company could venture across the oceans, looking for new lands from which it could buy goods at a cheap price, and carry them back to Europe to sell at higher prices. The Company did not have to fear competition from other English trading companies. Mercantile trading companies in those days made profit primarily by excluding competition, so that they could buy cheap and sell dear.

 

1 In 1600, the _____________ acquired a charter from the ruler of England.

Ans. In 1600, the East India Company acquired a charter from the ruler of England.

2 What did the Company acquire in 1600?

Ans. In 1600, the East India Company acquired a charter from the ruler of England, Queen Elizabeth I, granting it the sole right to trade with the East. 

3 What did this charter mean?

Ans. This meant that no other trading group in England could compete with the East India Company.

4 The Company did have to fear competition from other English trading companies. True/False?

Ans. False, The Company did not have to fear competition from other English trading companies.

5 What all benefits did the charter provide to the East India Company?

Ans. With this charter, the Company could venture across the oceans, looking for new lands from which it could buy goods at a cheap price, and carry them back to Europe to sell at higher prices. The Company did not have to fear competition from other English trading companies. Mercantile trading companies in those days made profit primarily by excluding competition, so that they could buy cheap and sell dear.

 

C. The first English factory was set up on the banks of the river Hugli in 1651. This was the base from which the Company’s traders, known at that time as “factors”, operated. The factory had a warehouse where goods for export were stored, and it had offices where Company officials sat. As trade expanded, the Company persuaded merchants and traders to come and settle near the factory. By 1696, it began building a fort around the settlement. Two years later, it bribed Mughal officials into giving the Company zamindari rights over three villages. One of these was Kalikata, which later grew into the city of Calcutta or Kolkata as it is known today. It also persuaded the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to issue a farman granting the Company the right to trade duty free.

1 Where was the first English factory set up?

Ans. The first English factory was set up on the banks of the river Hugli in 1651.

2 Who were ‘factors’?

Ans. The company’s traders who operated from the banks of river Higli in 1651 were referred to as ‘factors’.

3 What did the Company persuade the merchants of?

Ans. As trade expanded, the Company persuaded merchants and traders to come and settle near the factory. 

4 By _________, it began building a fort around the settlement.

Ans. By 1696, it began building a fort around the settlement.

5 How did the company expand after 1696?

Ans. By 1696, the company began building a fort around the settlement. Two years later, it bribed Mughal officials into giving the Company zamindari rights over three villages. One of these was Kalikata, which later grew into the city of Calcutta or Kolkata as it is known today. It also persuaded the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to issue a farman granting the Company the right to trade duty free.

 

D. When Alivardi Khan died in 1756, Sirajuddaulah became the nawab of Bengal. The Company was worried about his power and keen on a puppet ruler who would willingly give trade concessions and other privileges. So it tried, though without success, to help one of Sirajuddaulah’s rivals became the nawab. An infuriated Sirajuddaulah asked the Company to stop meddling in the political affairs of his dominion, stop fortification, and pay the revenues. After negotiations failed, the Nawab marched with 30,000 soldiers to the English factory at Kasimbazar, captured the Company officials, locked the warehouse, disarmed all Englishmen, and blockaded English ships. Then he marched to Calcutta to establish control over the Company’s fort there. 

1 When did Alivardi Khan die?

Ans. Alivardi Khan died in 1756. 

2 Who became the nawab of Bengal after the death of Alvardi Khan?

Ans. Sirajuddaulah became the nawab of Bengal after the death of Alvardi Khan. 

3 Why was the company worried?

Ans. The Company was worried about his power and keen on a puppet ruler who would willingly give trade concessions and other privileges. 

4 Why was Sirajuddaulah infuriated?

Ans. The company tried, though without success, to help one of Sirajuddaulah’s rivals became the nawab. Thus, infuriating Sirajuddaulah. He then asked the Company to stop meddling in the political affairs of his dominion, stop fortification, and pay the revenues.

5 What did the nawab do when the negotiations fell through?

Ans. After negotiations failed, the Nawab marched with 30,000 soldiers to the English factory at Kasimbazar, captured the Company officials, locked the warehouse, disarmed all Englishmen, and blockaded English ships. Then he marched to Calcutta to establish control over the Company’s fort there. 

 

E. The final wave of annexations occurred under Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor-General from 1848 to 1856. He devised a policy that came to be known as the Doctrine of Lapse. The doctrine declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male heir his kingdom would “lapse”, that is, become a part of Company territory. One kingdom after another was annexed simply by applying this doctrine: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854). Finally, in 1856, the Company also took over Awadh. This time the British had an added argument – they said they were “obliged by duty” to take over Awadh in order to free the people from the “misgovernment” of the Nawab! Enraged by the humiliating way in which the Nawab was deposed, the people of Awadh joined the great revolt that broke out in 1857.

1 Under whom did the final wave of annexations occur?

Ans. The final wave of annexations occurred under Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor-General from 1848 to 1856.

2 He devised a policy that came to be known as the______________.

Ans. He devised a policy that came to be known as the Doctrine of Lapse.

3 What did the Doctrine of Lapse declare? 

Ans. The doctrine declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male heir his kingdom would “lapse”, that is, become a part of Company territory.

4 Name the kingdoms that were annexed due to the Doctrine of Lapse?

Ans. One kingdom after another was annexed simply by applying this doctrine: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854).

5 Explain in brief as to what occurred after the annexation of Awadh?

Ans. Finally, in 1856, the Company also took over Awadh. This time the British had an added argument – they said they were “obliged by duty” to take over Awadh in order to free the people from the “misgovernment” of the Nawab! Enraged by the humiliating way in which the Nawab was deposed, the people of Awadh joined the great revolt that broke out in 1857.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) (1 Mark)

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.

Q1 Aurangzeb died in the year _______
A) 1707
B) 1710
C) 1705
D) 1711
Ans. A) 1707

Q2. ______ was the last ruler of the Mughal empire
A) Akbar II
B) Bahadur Shah Zafar
C) Aurangzeb
D) Shah Alam II
Ans. B) Bahadur Shah Zafar

Q3 _____ granted a Charter to East India Company in early 1600s in order to trade with India
A) Queen Elizabeth I
B) Queen Victoria
C) King George V
D) Queen Elizabeth II
Ans. D) Queen Elizabeth II

Q4 _____ was the first person to discover a trading route to India.
A) Vasco da Gama
B) James Cook
C) Columbus
D) Thomas Cook
Ans. A) Vasco da Gama

Q5 Portuguese were first to discover sea route to India in _____
A) 1490
B) 1496
C) 1498
D) 1500
Ans. C) 1498

Q6 Fine qualities of ____ had big market in Europe when European traders started
marketing in India.
A) cotton
B) timber
C) wheat
D) pepper
Ans. A) cotton

Q7 The first English company came up in the year ____
A) 1666
B) 1651
C) 1652
D) 1655
Ans. B) 1651

Q8 Kalikata is the old name of
A) Calicut
B) Kozhikode
C) Kolkata
D) Madras
Ans. C) Kolkata

Q9 Battle of Plassey took place in the year
A) 1757
B) 1789
C) 1760
D) 1755
Ans. A) 1757

Q10 During late 1690s, _________ was the Nawab of Bengal.
A) Akbar II
B) Khuda Baksh
C) Shuja Ud Daulah
D) Murshid Quli Khan
Ans. D) Murshid Quli Khan

Q11 Alivardi Khan passed away in the year
A) 1756
B) 1791
C) 1780
D) 1777
Ans. A) 1756

Q12 ______ was the first major victory of Englishmen in India.
A) Battle of Plassey
B) Battle of Madras
C) battle of Mysore
D) Battle of Delhi
Ans. A) Battle of Plassey

Q13 _____ led Englishmen in the Battle of Plassey against Bengal nawab in 1757
A) Warren Hasting
B) Louis Mountbaitten
C) Robert Clive
D) Lord Canning
Ans. C) Robert Clive

Q14 _____ were appointed by Company in Indian States after Battle of Buxar
A) Resident
B) Nawab
C) Minister
D) Financer
Ans. A) Resident

Q15 Battle of Buxar was fought in _______
A) 1765
B) 1764
C) 1767
D) 1769
Ans. B) 1764

Q16 Richard Wellsely was Governor General of Bengal from ______
A) 1798-1805
B) 1790-95
C) 1766-1770
D) 1775-1780
Ans. A) 1798-1805

Q17 Kolkata city is on the banks of river ________
A) Yamuna
B) Hugli
C) Swarnaprabha
D) Mahi
Ans. B) Hugli

Q18 _____ was capital of Tipu Sultan
A) Calicut
B) Mangalore
C) Seringapatam
D) Masulipatnam
Ans. C) Seringapatam

Q19 Sirajuddaulah was the successor of ___________
A) Murshid Quli Khan
B) Shah Alam II
C) Alivardi Khan
D) Aslam II
Ans. C) Alivardi Khan

Q20 _______ was administrative head of Marathas based in Pune.
A) Holkar
B) Scindia
C) Peshwa
D) Bhonsle
Ans. C) Peshwa

Q21 _______ was Bengal’s governor in 1764.
A) Lord Canning
B) Shuja Ud Daulah
C) Robert Clive
D) Warren Hasting
Ans. C) Robert Clive

Q22 Marathas were defeated by the English in the _____ Battle of Panipat.
A) third
B) first
C) fourth
D) second
Ans. A) third

Q23 After Second Anglo-Maratha war, Peshwa was sent to exile near _____
A) Lucknow
B) Bithur
C) Delhi
D) Amravati
Ans. B) Bithur

Q24 In 1765, Mughal Empire appointed ____ as Diwan of Bengal Provinces.
A) East India Company
B) Nawab
C) Nagarsheth
D) Akbar II
Ans. A) East India Company

Q25______ preceded Tipu Sultan
A) Mir Jafar
B) Haider Ali
C) Aslam II
D) Lord Canning
Ans. B) Haider Ali

 

Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)

Q1. Who was the last of the powerful Mughal rulers?

Ans. The last of the powerful Mughal rulers was Aurangzeb. 

Q2. What was farman? 

Ans. Farman was a royal order. 

Q3. Who was called the Tiger of Mysore?

Ans. Tipu Sultan was called the Tiger of Mysore. 

Q4. When did the company take over Awadh? 

Ans. The Company took over Awadh in 1856. 

Q5. What was the prime objective of the East India Company? 

Ans. Its prime objective was the expansion of trade. 

Q6. Who was the ruler of England in 1600?

Ans. Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of England in 1600.

Q7. Who became the Nawab of Bengal after Alivardi khan?

Ans. Sirajuddaulah became the Nawab of Bengal after Alivardi khan. 

Q8. Who was made the Nawab of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey? 

Ans. Mir Jafar was made the Nawab of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey.

Q9. Which governor general was impeached by the British Parliament?

Ans. Warren Hastings was impeached by the British Parliament. 

Q10. Who led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey?

Ans. Robert Clive led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey. 

Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)

Q1. State the main reason for the defeat of Sirajuddaulah at Plassey. 

Ans. The armies led by Mir Jafar, one of Sirajuddaulah’s commanders, never fought the fight, which was one of the key causes for the Nawab’s defeat. Clive had won his approval by offering to make him nawab after destroying Sirajuddaulah.

Q2. Name the Mughal emperor seen as the natural leader during the revolt of 1857.

Ans. When a massive rebellion against British rule broke out in 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal emperor at the time, was seen as the natural leader.

Q3. What had caused enormous loss of revenue for Bengal? 

Ans. Only the Company had been authorized duty-free commerce by Aurangzeb’s farman. However, officials of the Company who engaged in private trade on the side were expected to pay duty. They refused to pay, resulting in a massive financial loss for Bengal.

Q4. What were the grievances of the Company regarding the Nawabs of Bengal? 

Ans. The Company, for its part, declared that the unjust demands of local officials were hurting the Company’s trade, and that trade could only grow if the duties were abolished.

Q5. Who were called ‘nabobs’?

Ans. Company leaders who returned to Britain with affluence lived showy lives and flaunted their status. They were known as “nabobs,” which was an anglicized version of the Indian word nawab.

Q6. Explain how Plassey got its name?

Ans. Plassey is an anglicized version of Palashi, and the town takes its name from the palash tree, which produces gulal, the powder used in the Holi festival.

Q7. Who led an anti-British movement in kittur?

Ans. The new “paramountcy” strategy was not without criticism. When the British attempted to capture Kitoor (now Karnataka), Rani Channamma took up guns and headed an anti-British resistance effort. She was imprisoned in 1824 and died there in 1829.

Q8. What was the result of the second Anglo-Maratha war?

Ans. The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05) was fought on various fronts, with the British gaining control of Orissa and the provinces north of the Yamuna, including Agra and Delhi.

Q9. Explain the following terms: Qazi, Mufti and Impeachment

Ans. 

  • Qazi – A magistrate or judge in the Indian court who exercised judicial functions. 
  • Mufti – A Muslim community jurist who is in charge of expounding the legislation that the qazi will administer.
  • Impeachment – In England, a trial by the House of Lords for charges of misbehavior presented against a member of the House of Commons.

Q10. What attracted European trading companies to India?

Ans. European trading companies were drawn to India for the following reasons:

  • Fine cotton and silk made in India found a large demand in Europe.
  • Pepper, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon were also in high demand.

Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)

Q1. Give a brief description of all the three Anglo-Maratha wars.

Ans. In a series of wars, the Marathas were defeated. There was no obvious victory in the first war, which ended in 1782 with the Treaty of Salbai. The Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-05) was fought on several fronts, with the British taking control of Orissa as well as the areas north of the Yamuna River, including Agra and Delhi.

Finally, Maratha power was defeated in the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-19. The Peshwa was deposed and relocated to Bithur, near Kanpur, with a pension. The Company now possessed entire control over the territory south of the Vindhyas.

Q2. What administrative reformations were brought in the sphere of justice?

Ans. A new system of justice was formed beginning in 1772. Each district planned to have two courts: one for criminals (faujdari adalat) and one for civils (diwani adalat). Maulvis and Hindu pandits provided legal interpretation for European district collectors who presided over civil courts. The criminal courts continued to be presided over by a qazi and a mufti, but under the supervision of the collectors. In 1775, eleven pandits were tasked with compiling a compilation of Hindu laws. This digest was translated into English by Halhed. By 1778, a code of Muslim laws had also been compiled for European judges’ use. The Regulating Act of 1773 established a new Supreme Court, as well as a court of appeal – the Sadar Nizamat Adalat – in Calcutta.

Q3. Write a note on Tipu Sultan—The ‘Tiger of Mysore’.

Ans. Tipu Sultan, the son of Haidar Ali and ruler of Mysore from 1782 until 1799, was known as the “Tiger of Mysore”. Mysore dominated the lucrative Malabar coast commerce, from which the Company purchased pepper and cardamom.

Tipu Sultan prohibited local merchants from trade with the Company and prohibited the export of sandalwood, pepper, and cardamom through his kingdom’s ports in 1785. He also had a close alliance with the French in India, and with their assistance, he modernized his army.

The Company eventually triumphed in the final battle, the Battle of Seringapatam. Tipu Sultan was assassinated while defending his capital Seringapatam.

Q4. What was the main cause of the Battle of Plassey?

Ans. Sirajuddaulah asked the Company to quit meddling in his dominion’s political affairs, discontinue fortification, and pay the revenues. Following the failure of discussions, the Nawab marched 30,000 soldiers to the English factory at Kasimbazar, seized Company executives, shut the storehouse, disarmed all Englishmen, and blockaded English ships. Then he marched to Calcutta to take control of the Company’s fort. When news of the fall of Calcutta reached Madras, Company officials dispatched armies led by Robert Clive and supported by naval fleets. Protracted negotiations with the Nawab ensued. Finally, in 1757, Robert Clive led the Company’s troops in Plassey against Sirajuddaulah. The Battle of Plassey was the Company’s first important victory in India.

Q5. How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

Ans. In 1765, the Mughal emperor designated the Company as Diwan of the Bengal region. The East India Company benefited from Diwani’s assumption in various ways.

The Diwani gave the Company access to Bengal’s substantial revenue streams.

Its trade with India had grown from the early eighteenth century. However, the majority of the products in India had to be purchased using gold and silver brought from Britain. This was due to the fact that Britain had no commodities to offer in India at the time. The outflow of gold from Britain decreased after the Battle of Plassey and ceased entirely following Diwani’s capture.

Revenues from India can now be used to fund the company’s expenses. 

These revenues could be used to purchase cotton and silk textiles in India, maintain Company troops, and meet the cost of building the Company fort and offices at Calcutta.

Q6. What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company? 

Ans. The following were the points of contention between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company:

  • The Nawabs refused to grant the Company concessions, demanded enormous payments for its ability to trade, denied it the right to issue money, and prevented it from expanding its defenses.
  • They argued that by refusing to pay taxes, writing rude letters, and attempting to humiliate the nawab and his staff, the Company was depriving the Bengal government of enormous amounts of revenue and undermining the nawab’s power.
  • The Company, for its part, declared that the unjust demands of local officials were hurting the Company’s trade, and that trade could only grow if the duties were abolished.

Q7. Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army.

Ans. The makeup of the Company’s army changed several times. The East India Company began recruiting peasants and training them as professional warriors for their armies, which became known as the sepoy army.

As warfare technology advanced beginning in the 1820s, the Company’s army’s cavalry requirements decreased.

The Company’s army members had to keep up with increasing military requirements, and its infantry units became more vital. The British began to build a consistent military culture in the early nineteenth century. Soldiers were progressively subjected to European-style training, drill, and discipline, which significantly governed their lives.

Q8. How did the East India Company begin trade in Bengal?

Ans. In 1651, the first English factory was established on the banks of the Hugli River. This was the base from where the Company’s traders, known as “factors” at the time, worked. The facility housed a warehouse for export items as well as offices for Company officials.

As trade grew, the Company urged merchants and traders to come to the factory and settle. By 1696, it had begun to construct a fortification around the village.

Two years later, the Company bribed Mughal officials into granting it zamindari powers over three villages. One of these was Kalikata, which evolved into Calcutta, or Kolkata as it is presently called. It also persuaded the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to issue a farman granting the Company the right to trade duty free.

Q9.How did trade in the eighteenth century lead to battle?

Ans. The dispute between the Company and the nawabs of Bengal heated up in the early eighteenth century.

Following Aurangzeb’s demise, the Bengal nawabs reaffirmed their independence and autonomy, as did other regional authorities at the period. Murshid Quli Khan was succeeded as Nawab of Bengal by Alivardi Khan and Sirajuddaulah. Each of them was a powerful ruler. They refused to provide concessions to the Company, demanded hefty tributes for the Company’s right to trade, denied it the right to issue coins, and prevented it from expanding its defenses.

They accused the Company of deception, claiming that it was robbing the Bengal government of vast sums of money and eroding the nawab’s authority. It was refusing to pay taxes, writing derogatory letters, and attempting to embarrass the nawab and his staff.

The Company, for its part, declared that the unjust demands of local officials were hurting the Company’s trade, and that trade could only grow if the duties were abolished. It was also convinced that in order to promote trade, it needed to expand its colonies, purchase villages, and restore its forts.The conflicts led to confrontations and finally culminated in the famous Battle of Plassey.

Q10. How did the rule of the East India Company expand?

Ans. Following the Battle of Buxar (1764), the Company established Residents in Indian states. They were political or commercial agents whose job it was to serve and advance the Company’s interests. The Company executives began intervening in the internal affairs of Indian nations through the Residents. They attempted to determine who would succeed the throne and who would be nominated to administrative positions. Occasionally, the Company coerced the states into forming a “subsidiary alliance.” Indian monarchs were not permitted to have their own armed forces under the rules of this alliance. They were to be protected by the Company, but had to pay for the “subsidiary forces” that the Company was supposed to maintain for the purpose of this protection.

If the Indian kings did not pay, a portion of their country was taken away as a penalty.

For example, during Richard Wellesley’s tenure as GovernorGeneral (1798-1805), the Nawab of Awadh was compelled to cede more than half of his land to the Company in 1801, after failing to pay for the “subsidiary forces.” On similar grounds, Hyderabad was obliged to relinquish areas.

Thus, leading to the company’s expansion.
 
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