Class 8 History Chapter 6 Civilizing the Native, Educating the Nation Questions and Answers

by | Jun 24, 2023 | General | 0 comments

 

Class 8 History Chapter 6 Civilizing the Native, Educating the Nation

 

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 History Chapter 6 Civilizing the Native, Educating the Nation

Civilizing the Native, Educating the Nation – Given in this post is NCERT Solutions Class 8 History Chapter 6 Civilizing the Native, Educating the Nation 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 6 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. Jones discovered that his interests were shared by many British officials living in Calcutta at the time. Englishmen like Henry Thomas Colebrooke and Nathaniel Halhed were also busy discovering the ancient Indian heritage, mastering Indian languages and translating Sanskrit and Persian works into English. Together with them, Jones set up the Asiatic Society of Bengal, and started a journal called Asiatick Researches. Jones and Colebrooke came to represent a particular attitude towards India. They shared a deep respect for ancient cultures, both of India and the West. Indian civilisation, they felt, had attained its glory in the ancient past, but had subsequently declined. In order to understand India, it was necessary to discover the sacred and legal texts that were produced in the ancient period. For only those texts could reveal the real ideas and laws of the Hindus and Muslims, and only a new study of these texts could form the basis of future development in India.

1 Name two Englishmen who were discovering Indian languages.

Ans. Henry Thomas Colebrooke and Nathaniel Halhed were two Englishmen who were discovering Indian languages.

2 Who established the Asiatic Society of Bengal?

Ans. Jones, Henry Thomas Colebrooke and Nathaniel Halhed together established the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

3 Name the journal started by Jones.

Ans. Asiatick Researches.

4 What did the Englishmen have in common?

Ans. They shared a deep respect for ancient cultures, both of India and the West. Indian civilisation, they felt, had attained its glory in the ancient past, but had subsequently declined.

5 Which texts as mentioned in the above paragraph could reveal the real ideas and laws of the Hindus and Muslims?

Ans. Legal texts produced in the ancient period could reveal the real ideas and laws of the Hindus and Muslims.

B. From the early nineteenth century, many British officials began to criticize the Orientalist vision of learning. They said that knowledge of the East was full of errors and unscientific thought; Eastern literature was non-serious and light-hearted. So they argued that it was wrong on the part of the British to spend so much effort in encouraging the study of Arabic and Sanskrit language and literature. James Mill was one of those who attacked the Orientalists. The British effort, he declared, should not be to teach what the natives wanted, or what they respected, in order to please them and “win a place in their heart”. The aim of education ought to be to teach what was useful and practical. So Indians should be made familiar with the scientific and technical advances that the West had made, rather than with the poetry and sacred literature of the Orient. 

1 From the early nineteenth century, many British officials began to criticize the ________vision of learning.

Ans. From the early nineteenth century, many British officials began to criticize the Orientalist vision of learning.

2 What did the officials say against the Orientalist vision?

Ans.They said that knowledge of the East was full of errors and unscientific thought; Eastern literature was non-serious and light-hearted.

3 So they argued that it was wrong on the part of the British to spend so much effort in encouraging the study of French and Sanskrit language and literature. True/False?

Ans. False, So they argued that it was wrong on the part of the British to spend so much effort in encouraging the study of Arabic and Sanskrit language and literature.

4 Name one official who was against Orientalist vision.

Ans. James Mill was one of those who attacked the Orientalist vision.

5 What did James Mill believe in?

Ans. James Mill was one of those who attacked the Orientalists. The British effort, he declared, should not be to teach what the natives wanted, or what they respected, in order to please them and “win a place in their heart”. The aim of education ought to be to teach what was useful and practical. So Indians should be made familiar with the scientific and technical advances that the West had made, rather than with the poetry and sacred literature of the Orient. 

C. In 1854, the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London sent an educational despatch to the Governor-General in India. Issued by Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control of the Company, it has come to be known as Wood’s Despatch. Outlining the educational policy that was to be followed in India, it emphasized once again the practical benefits of a system of European learning, as opposed to Oriental knowledge. One of the practical uses the Despatch pointed to was economic. European learning, it said, would enable Indians to recognise the advantages that flow from the expansion of trade and commerce, and make them see the importance of developing the resources of the country. Introducing them to European ways of life would change their tastes and desires, and create a demand for British goods, for Indians would begin to appreciate and buy things that were produced in Europe.

1 What did the Court of Directors of the company sent to the Governor- General of India?

Ans. In 1854, the Court of Directors of the East India Company in London sent an educational despatch to the Governor-General in India.

2 What was the despatch named as and who was it issued by?

Ans. Issued by Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control of the Company, it has come to be known as Wood’s Despatch.

3 What did the despatch state?

Ans. Outlining the educational policy that was to be followed in India, it emphasized once again the practical benefits of a system of European learning, as opposed to Oriental knowledge.

4 One of the practical uses the Despatch pointed to was _______.

Ans. One of the practical uses the Despatch pointed to was economic.

5 Explain how the despatch was economic?

Ans. One of the practical applications mentioned in the Despatch was the way it was economic in nature. It was claimed that European education would assist Indians to understand the benefits of increased trade and commerce, as well as the significance of developing the country’s resources. Introducing them to European ways of life would alter their tastes and aspirations, creating a demand for British goods, as Indians would grow to enjoy and purchase European-made goods.

 

D. The system of education was flexible. Few things that you associate with schools today were present in the pathshalas at the time. There were no fixed fee, no printed books, no separate school building, no benches or chairs, no blackboards, no system of separate classes, no roll-call registers, no annual examinations, and no regular time-table. In some places, classes were held under a banyan tree, in other places in the corner of a village shop or temple, or at the guru’s home. Fees depended on the income of parents: the rich had to pay more than the poor. Teaching was oral, and the guru decided what to teach, in accordance with the needs of the students. Students were not separated out into different classes: all of them sat together in one place. The guru interacted separately with groups of children with different levels of learning.  

1 Which system is mentioned in the above paragraph?

Ans. The Indian system of education is mentioned in the above paragraph.

2 The system of education was rigid. True/False? 

Ans. False, The system of education was flexible.

3 What are some similarities between schools today and pathsalas?

Ans. Few things that one can associate with schools today were present in the pathshalas at the time. There were no fixed fee, no printed books, no separate school building, no benches or chairs, no blackboards, no system of separate classes, no roll-call registers, no annual examinations, and no regular time-table.

4 State some features of the system mentioned above.

Ans. In some places, classes were held under a banyan tree, in other places in the corner of a village shop or temple, or at the guru’s home. Fees depended on the income of parents: the rich had to pay more than the poor. Teaching was oral, and the guru decided what to teach, in accordance with the needs of the students. Students were not separated out into different classes: all of them sat together in one place. 

5 Who was the guru and what did they do?

Ans. The guru was the teacher and interacted separately with groups of children with different levels of learning.

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 To promote Islamic law, a madrasa was set up at ______ in 1861.
A) Bombay
B) Calcutta
C) Benaras
D) Lucknow
Ans.C) Benaras

Q2. _______ was introduced in India in 1835.
A) English Education Act
B) Arabic Education Act
C) Sanskrit Education Act
D) Civil Services Act
Ans. A) English Education Act

Q3 Those who have scholarly knowledge of Asiatic language and culture are called _____
A) Linguistic
B) Orientalists
C) Vernacularists
D) Munshis
Ans. B) Orientalists

Q4 Wood’s Dispatch for ‘Education for Commerce’ in India was introduced by ____.
A) Charles Wood
B) William Wood
C) Henry Wood
D) Archie Wood
Ans. A) Charles Wood

Q5 A person who can read, write and teach Persian is known as _______
A) Munshi
B) Maulavi
C) Qazi
D) Brahman
Ans. A) Munshi

Q6 Wood’s Dispatch also aimed at clearing _______ of Indian people.
A) poverty
B) moral character
C) illiteracy
D) sophistication
Ans. B) moral character

Q7 _______ saw India as an uncivilised society that needed to be civilised.
A) James Mill
B) Thomas Macaulay
C) Robert Clive
D) Warren Hastings
Ans. B) Thomas Macaulay

Q8 Until 1813, East India Company was opposed to the _______ in India.
A) missionary activities
B) religious function
C) education
D) trade
Ans. A) missionary activities

Q9 ________ college was established in Calcutta on the banks of river Hooghly.
A) Serampore
B) Hindu
C) Islamic
D) Scottish
Ans. A) Serampore

Q10 _______ was one of the first British officials to attack the views of Orientalists.
A) William Jones
B) Henry Colebrook
C) James Mill
D) Henry Ongle
Ans. C) James Mill

Q11 According to Adam’s report, there were over ____ schools in rural Bihar and Bengal in the 1830s.
A) 1 lakh
B) 50 thousand
C) 2 lakhs
D) 5 lakhs
Ans. A) 1 lakh

Q12 _____ toured Bihar and Bengal in the 1830s to prepare a report on Education in vernacular schools.
A) William Woods
B) William Adams
C) Robert Clive
D) Thomas Bell
Ans. B) William Adams

Q13 In the 1830s, no classes were held for rural students once ______ started.
A) harvest season
B) rainy season
C) winter season
D) summer season
Ans. A) harvest season

Q14 To promote study of English texts, the company set up a Hindu College in _____
A) Benaras
B) Madras
C) Surat
D) Lucknow
Ans. A) Benaras

Q15 ___ was a Scottish Missionary who helped to establish Serampore Mission.
A) William Carey
B) Thomas Woods
C) Paul Derik
D) James Watt
Ans .A) William Carey

Q16 Wood’s Dispatch was introduced in _____.
A) 1854
B) 1855
C) 1845
D) 1839
Ans. A) 1854

Q17 ______ had argued that English education had enslaved Indians
A) Mahatma Gandhi
B) Raja Rammohan Roy
C) Sardar Patel
D) Rasbehari Bose
Ans. A) Mahatma Gandhi

Q18 According to Aurbindo Ghosh, education should awaken the spirit of ___ among students of India.
A) religion
B) nationality
C) thoughtfulness
D) integration
Ans. B) nationality

Q19 _____ city is situated on the banks of river Hooghly.
A) Madras
B) Calcutta
C) Delhi
D) Lahore
Ans. B) Calcutta

Q20 _______ started Shantiniketan in 1901.
A) Rabindranath Tagore
B) Subhash Chandra Bose
C) Aurbindo Ghosh
D) R C Mukherjee
Ans. A) Rabindranath Tagore

Q21The _______ established the University of Bombay.
A) British
B) French
C) Dutch
D) German
Ans. A) British

Q22 Hindu College came up in _____ to promote study of Hindu religious texts.
A) 1791
B) 1795
C) 1799
D) 1792
Ans. A) 1791

Q23 Rural _____ which accepted new rules were supported through government grants by the Company.
A) Pathshalas
B) Shops
C) temples
D) colleges
Ans. A) Pathshalas

Q24 _______ first started setting up schools exclusively for girls’ education.
A) Christian missionaries
B) Indian pandits
C) Company
D) Local government
Ans. A) Christian missionaries

Q25 Tagore wanted to combine the elements of _____ with traditional Indian Education.
A) Eastern Education
B) Western Education
C) religious education
D) Local education
Ans. B) Western Education

 

Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)

Q1. What did Jones and Colebrooke think about Indian civilisation?

Ans. Jones and Colebrooke felt that Indian civilisation had attained its glory in the ancient past, but has subsequently declined.

Q2.Why was madrasa set up in Calcutta in 1781? 

Ans. Madrasa was set up in Calcutta in 1781 to promote the study of Arabic, Persian and Islamic law. 

Q3. Where were classes held under the system of pathshalas?

Ans. Under the system of pathshalas classes were held under a banyan tree or in the corner of a village shop or temple or at the guru’s home.

Q4. Who were called Orientalists? 

Ans. Those with a scholarly knowledge of the language and culture of Asia were called Orientalists.

Q5. Who established the Serampore Mission?

Ans. William Carey was a Scottish missionary who helped establish the Serampore Mission.

Q6. Name two individuals who sharply attacked the Orientalists.

Ans. Two individuals who sharply attacked the Orientalists were James Mill and Thomas Babington Macaulay.

Q7. Who started the journal Asiatick Researches?

Ans. Jones set up the Asiatic Society of Bengal thereby starting a journal called Asiatick Researches.

Q8. Name the two Indians who reacted against Western education.

Ans. Two Indians who reacted against Western education were Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. 

Q9. Which year did the East India Company decide to improve the system of vernacular education?

Ans. After 1854 the Company decided to improve the system of vernacular education.

Q10. What did Thomas Macaulay urge the British government in India?

Ans. Thomas Macaulay urged the British government in India to stop wasting public money in promoting Oriental learning for it was of no practical use.

 

Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)

Q1. What type of education did Tagore want to give to children?

Ans. Tagore despised attending school. It was suffocating and unpleasant to him. He believed that childhood should be a time of self-learning, free of the severe and confining discipline of the British-imposed schooling system. Teachers have to be creative, understand the child, and assist the youngster in developing her curiosity. According to Tagore, existing schools eliminated the child’s natural urge to be creative, as well as her own thoughts and desires.

Q2. What different languages did William Jones study? 

Ans. Jones worked as a linguist. He had studied Greek and Latin at Oxford, as well as French and English, and had picked up Arabic from a friend, as well as Persian.

Q3. What were the views of other Company officials? 

Ans. Other Company leaders did not agree with the Orientalists’ notions. They began to criticise the Orientalist view of education. They saved the wisdom of the East, which was riddled with fallacies and unscientific reasoning. They regarded Eastern literature as frivolous and lighthearted. As a result, they believed that the British were incorrect to put so much effort into supporting the study of Arabic and Sanskrit language and literature.

Q4. Why was the Hindu College established in Benaras? 

Ans. In 1791, the Hindu College was founded in Benaras to promote the study of old Sanskrit writings that would be beneficial in the governance of the country.

Q5. Why did many Company officials in India want to promote Indian rather than Western learning? 

Ans. Many Company officials believed that educational institutions should be established to promote the study of old Indian scriptures and to educate Sanskrit and Persian language and poetry. These officials believed that Hindus and Muslims should be taught subjects that they were already familiar with and respected and protected, rather than those that were foreign to them. They believed that only by doing so could the British win the hearts of the Indians and therefore gain the respect of their subjects.

Q6. Define the term ‘vernacular’. Why did the British use this term in colonial countries like India?

Ans. The term “Vernacular” refers to a local language or dialect that is unique from the standard language.

In colonial territories such as India, the British used this word to distinguish between local languages and English, the imperial masters’ language.

Q7. What measures were taken by the British after issuing Wood’s Despatch?

Ans. Some measures that were taken by the British after issuing of Wood’s Despatch were as follows:

  • Education departments of the government were set up to extend control over all matters regarding education.
  • A university education system was established. Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay each had their own university.
  • Attempts were also made to effect reform inside the school education system.

Q8. Why was the East India Company opposed to missionary activities in India?

Ans. The East India Company was opposed to missionary activity in India until 1813. It worried that missionary efforts would elicit a negative reaction from the indigenous community, making them wary of the British presence in India.

Q9. How did Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi differ in their thoughts about western education?

Ans. Mahatma Gandhi was a harsh critic of Western civilisation and its obsession with machines and technology. Tagore wished to integrate parts of current Western culture with the best of Indian tradition. He underlined the need of teaching science and technology at Shantiniketan, in addition to art, music, and dance.

Q10. What measures were taken by the English Education Act of 1835?

Ans. The English Education Act of 1835 enacted the following measures: 

  • English was made the medium of teaching for higher education.
  • Promotion of Oriental institutions such as the Calcutta Madrasa and Benaras Sanskrit College was halted. These institutions were viewed as temples of evil that were decaying on their own.
  • The production of English textbooks for schools began.

 

Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)

Q1. How can you say that the system of education in pathshalas was flexible?

Ans. There was no fixed fee, no printed books, no separate school building, no benches or seats, no blackboards, no separate class system, no registers, no annual examinations and no regular timetable in pathshalas. Classes were held in some areas under a banyan tree, in others in the corner of a small shop or temple, or in the guru’s home. The fee was determined by the parents’ income.

Teaching was done orally, and the guru determined what to teach based on the requirements of the students. Students were not divided into separate classes. They sat in the same spot. Classes were not held during harvest season, when rural youngsters were occupied in the fields. When the crops were chopped and stored, the pathshalas resumed.

Q2. Why did Thomas Macaulay emphasise the need for European Education in India?

Ans. Thomas Macaulay was a staunch opponent of the orientalist school of thought on education. He saw India as an uncivilised country in need of civilisation. He believed that no branch of Eastern knowledge could stand up to what England had developed. He advised the British administration in India to stop wasting public funds on promoting oriental study since it was useless.

He underlined the importance of introducing European education to India. He believed that knowing English would enable Indians to study some of the world’s best literature. It would educate them on the latest advances in Western science and philosophy. Teaching English could help to civilise people by changing their likes, values, and culture.

Q3. Why did many company officials in India want to promote Indian rather than western learning?

Ans. Many Company officials thought that the British should encourage Indian learning rather than Western learning. This is due to the fact that they believed that institutions should be established to promote the study of old Indian scriptures as well as to teach Sanskrit and Persian language and poetry.

The administrators also believed that Hindus and Muslims should be taught what they were already familiar with, as well as what they respected and treasured, rather than subjects that were unfamiliar to them.

Only then, they reasoned, could the British hope to win the hearts of the “natives”; only then could the alien rulers expect to be revered by their subjects. 

Q4. Write a short note on the report of William Adam regarding the education system prevalent in India. 

Ans. Adam discovered nearly a lakh pathshalas in Bengal and Bihar. These were little schools with no more than 20 students. These institutions were founded by affluent individuals or the local community. They were sometimes initiated by a teacher (guru).

The educational system was adaptable. There were no fixed fees, printed books, separate school buildings, seats or chairs, blackboards, separate class systems, roll call registers, annual examinations, or regular timetables. Classes were held in some areas under a banyan tree, in others in the corner of a small shop or temple, or in the guru’s home.

Teaching was done orally, and the guru determined what to teach based on the requirements of the students. Students were not divided into distinct classrooms; they all sat together in one place. The guru dealt with numerous groups of children with varying levels of learning.

Adam realised that this adaptable approach was well-suited to local requirements. For example, school was not held during harvest season, when many rural children worked in the fields.

Q5. Write a note on Rabindranath Tagore and his school Shantiniketan. 

Ans. Rabindranath Tagore, like Mahatma Gandhi, was not a fan of Western education. When some Indians pushed the British to open more and more schools, colleges, and institutions in order to disseminate English education in India, Rabindranath Tagore was outraged. He was a fantastic educator. But he despised school because he perceived it as oppressive. In reality, he desired to construct a school where children might be joyful and free to explore their thoughts and passions without feeling repressed. He advocated for providing children with natural environments in which to foster their innate creativity.

Rabindranath Tagore founded Shantiniketan in 1901 with the aforementioned principles in mind. It was a ‘abode of serenity’ to him. He established his school in a rural setting 100 km from Calcutta in order to offer youngsters with a very serene environment. They might use their imagination and inventiveness here. Tagore believed that existing schools were suffocating children’s inherent yearning to be creative. As a result, it was critical to assist them in developing their interest by giving them with strong teachers who could comprehend them. He accomplished an excellent work in the realm of education by building an institution such as Shantiniketan.

Q6. How were the irregularities of pathshalas checked by the Company?

Ans. The Company took extensive measures to strengthen the system of vernacular education. It assigned several government pandits, each in charge of four or five schools. The pandit’s job was to visit the pathshalas and strive to enhance the teaching standards.

Each guru was required to produce periodic reports and attend classes on a regular basis. Teaching would henceforth be centred on texts, and learning would be assessed through an annual examination system.

Students were required to pay a regular tuition, attend regular classes, sit in assigned seats, and follow the new disciplinary procedures.

Q7. Write a brief note on the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

Ans. Sir William Jones, a well-known English jurist, created the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He introduced Europeans to Asian languages, literature, arts, and sciences. The Asiatic Society of Bengal members were the first European scholars to recognise Sanskrit’s common heritage with Greek, Latin, and other European languages. They regarded Sanskrit as India’s classical language, praising its magnificent structure and declaring it to be more flawless than Greek.

The Asiatic Society’s major goal was to gather antique Indian texts. They amassed a collection of Sanskrit manuscripts. They wished to start an Asiatic studies society.

The Asiatic Society’s memorandum of articles stated that all investigations shall be conducted within the geographical boundaries of Asia, and that within these boundaries, its inquiries will be extended to whatever is accomplished by man or created by nature.The members were chosen via ballot voting and the library currently houses 117,000 books and 79,000 journals.

Q8. What was the importance of Wood’s despatch?

Ans. One of the practical applications mentioned in the Despatch was economic. It was claimed that European education would assist Indians to understand the benefits of increased trade and commerce, as well as the significance of developing the country’s resources. Introducing them to European ways of life would alter their tastes and aspirations, creating a demand for British goods, as Indians would grow to enjoy and purchase European-made goods.

Wood’s Despatch also contended that European education will strengthen Indian moral character. It would make them trustworthy and honest, providing the Company with civil officials who could be relied on.

Q9. What were the provisions of Wood’s Despatch?

Ans. The Court of Directors of the East India Company in London sent an educational despatch to the Governor- General in India in the year 1854. As the despatch was issued by Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control of the Company, it came to be known as Wood’s Despatch. Wood’s Despatch outlined the educational policy that was to be followed in India. It criticised the Oriental knowledge and emphasised the need of European learning. The Despatch made it clear that European learning would enable Indians to recognise the benefits that would flow from the expansion of trade and commerce. It would also make them see the importance of developing country’s resources. 

Indians needed to adopt European ways of life because this would change their tastes and desires and create a demand for British goods.

Wood’s Despatch further argued that European learning would improve the moral character of the people of India. It would make them honest and reliable and thus supply trusted civil servants to the Company. The Despatch strongly criticised the literature of the East because it was full of errors and unable to instill in people a sense of duty and a commitment to work.

Q10. What type of education did Mahatma Gandhi want in India? 

Ans. Mahatma Gandhi desired an education that would assist Indians in regaining their dignity and self-esteem.

Mahatma Gandhi was adamant that Indian languages be used as a medium of instruction. Indians were “strangers in their own lands” as a result of their English education, which crippled them and separated them from their own social circumstances. The English educated did not know how to relate to the populace because they spoke a foreign language and despised local culture.

He contended that education should foster the development of both the mind and the soul. Literacy, or merely learning to read and write, did not constitute education. People had to labour with their hands, master a craft, and understand how various machines worked. This would help to strengthen their brains and understanding.
 
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