KT 17-1/Soc.

Sience 7(E) (Vol-I)

Dear Students,
We are all members of the society. It is the duty of every
citizen to embrace its virtues and to react against its vices.
Our rich culture and the various comforts we enjoy today
are the contributions of the past generations as well. We
should not only honour their sacrificial deeds but also guard
their achievements and preserve them for future generations.

Our existence is dependent on the bond between man and

environment. Hence we should protect our environment
and should carefully utilize it for social development with
the realization that it belongs to the future generations as
well. As members of a democratic nation, we should be
able to enjoy our rights and perform our duties. Learning
Social Science encourages such insightful deeds and paves
the way to excellence. I hope this text book will help you to
gain adequate knowledge, to seek and find more, and to be
responsive in society.
Wishing you the best,

Dr. P.A.Fathima
Director
SCERT
 Textbook Development Team
Abdul Azeez, V.P. P.M. Muhammed Musthafa
H.S.S.T. (History), V.P.K.M.M.H.S.S., Puthoorpallickal Lecturer, DIET, Palakkad
Aboobacker Sidhiq, K. Pradeepan, T.
U.P.S.A, G.U.P.S., Veeboor, Manjeri H.S.S.T. (History), G.H.S.S., Kallachi
Ajayakumar, N. H.A. Salim
B.P.O., B.R.C., Hosedurg U.P.S.A, G.H.S.S., Poruvazhi, Sooranad
Dr Babukuttan, P. Seenamol, M.M.
Senior Lecturer, DIET, Kollam H.S.S., Thonnackal
P.V. Hussain K.J. Sherli
H.S.A., O.H.S.S., Tirurangadi U.P.S.A., G.B.H.S.S., Karamana
Jamal, K. Somanathan, C.V.
H.S.S.T. (History), R.A.C.H.S.S., Kadameri P.O., U.P.S.A.,Thrichambaram U.P.S., Thaliparamba
Villiyappalli Vijayakumar, C.R.
Jayakumar, K. H.S.S.T.(Geography), Govt. Boys H.S.S.,
H.S.A., N.S.S.H.S., Palode Mirthamala
Manoj, K.V. Wilfred John, S.
H.S.S.T (Political Science), Govt. H.S.S, Kumaranalloor H.S.S.T. (Geography), M.G.H.S.S., Kaniyapuram
Mohanan, V.P. Dr N. Kala
H.S.A, Chothavoor, H.S.S., Chambad Research Officer, SCERT.

English Version
Dr T. Neelakantan, Associate Professor, Department of Geography, University College, Thiruvananthapuram
Dr Priyesh, M., Assistant Professor, Department of Economics,
University College, Thiruvananthapuram
Saidalavi,C., Assistant Professor, W.M.O. College, Wayanad
Meera Baby.R., Assistant Professor, Department of English, Govt. College, Kanjiramkulam
Praseeda.P., Assistant Professor, Department of English, Govt. College, Kanjiramkulam
Abdul Azeez, V.P., H.S.S.T. (History), V.P.K.M.M.H.S.S., Puthoor, Pallickal
Experts

Dr Abdul Rasaq, P.P., Associate Professor, Department of History, P.S.M.O. College, Thirurangadi
Dr N.P. Hafiz Muhammed, Associate Professor (Rtd.,), Department of Sociology,
Farooq College, Kozhikode
Manojkumar, P.S., Assistant Professor, Department of History,
K.K.T.M. College, Kodungalloor, Thrissur
Mahalingam, S., Associate Professor (Rtd.,), Department of Geography, Govt. College, Chittoor
Dr Priyesh, M., Assistant Professor, Department of Economics,
University College, Thiruvananthapuram
Dr Venumohan, Assistant Professor, Department of History, Govt. College, Nedumangad
Academic Co-ordinator

Chithra Madhavan, Research Officer, SCERT

State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT)

Vidhyabhavan, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram-695 012
 Contents
1. EUROPE IN TRANSITION ......................................................... 07

2. FROM TRADE TO POWER ........................................................ 17

3. RESISTANCE AND THE FIRST WAR OF INDEPENDENCE ........... 27

4. INDIA TOWARDS A NEW ERA ............................................... 36

5. ECONOMIC SOURCES .............................................................. 48

6. UNDERSTANDING OF MAPS ................................................... 58

7. EARTH AND BIOSPHERE .......................................................... 72

KT 17-2/Soc. Sience 7(E) (Vol-I)
Certain icons are used in this
textbook for convenience

For further reading

(Need not be subjected to evaluation)

Questions for assessing the progress

Summary

Significant learning outcomes

Let us assess

Extended activities
 Hagia Sophia

This is Hagia Sophia, one of epitome of the architectural

the important monuments in splendours of Constantinople,
the history of the world. It was a city rich in historical
built in the 6th century AD. monuments. Do you know the
Now it is preserved as a history importance of Constantinople
museum in Turkey. It is the in the history of the world?
 The Black Sea
Europe
Constantinople

Asia

The Mediterranean
Sea

Locate Constantinople in the map.

Constantinople (the present Istanbul), the erstwhile capital of the Eastern
Roman Empire has a unique place in the history of the world.
What were the features of Constantinople?
• Centre of knowledge.
• Abode of scholars and a treasure trove of scholarly texts.
• Gateway from Asia to Europe.
When the Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453, it resulted in the
fall of the centuries old Eastern Roman Empire. Consequently, scholars,
artists and writers fled from Constantinople to nearby areas in great
numbers. Many of them migrated to Italy.
Why did they migrate to Italy?

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Social Science VII
• Italy was a country that upheld the rich Greco - Roman tradition.
• The rich Italian traders were the patrons of art, literature and culture.
• These traders were keen to preserve the historical and cultural
heritage.
Hence, the Italian cities furthered thinking and encouraged the spirit of
learning among the immigrant scholars. By the end of the 13th century,
the Renaissance, which began in Italy flourished and spread to other
nations.
The Renaissance
The fine arts, literature and history in the Medieval period were centred
on religious ideology. The texts were invariably written in Greek and
Latin as these languages were considered elite and scholarly. By the
dawn of the 13th century, Latin and Greek gave way to regional languages
like English, Spanish, and French. The writers of this period adopted
the life of the common man as the central theme of their works. The
literature of this period was no longer confined to religion and
philosophy, but gave way to themes that depicted diverse aspects of
human life. Similar changes occurred in other art forms like painting
and sculpture. This vision, primarily concerned with the various aspects
of human life, is known as humanism.
The new spirit of humanism inspired unique thoughts on the universe
and human life. It promoted reasoning and the spirit of enquiry.
Consequently, a new awakening in all spheres of human life became
visible in Europe and it is known as the Renaissance.
What were the situations that helped in developing humanism in
Europe?

Now let us examine how the Renaissance influenced

the different spheres of social life.
Renaissance in Literature
Petrarch (AD 1304 - 1374) was one of the eminent
writers of the Renaissance period. He is known as
the Father of Renaissance. The magnum opus of
Petrarch is 'Secretum'.
Petrarch

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Social Science VII
 The pictures of a few Renaissance writers and their works are given
below.

Dante Boccaccio
The Divine Comedy The Decameron

Cervantes Erasmus
Don Quixote In Praise of Folly

Names of the major Renaissance writers are given in the following table.
Fill up the corresponding columns with the names of their works.

Writers Work
Petrarch
Dante
Boccaccio
Cervantes
Erasmus

Renaissance in Arts
The Renaissance spirit was most pronounced in painting. Leonardo da
Vinci was one of the great painters of the period. The Mona Lisa and
the Last Supper are his famous paintings.

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Social Science VII
The pictures of a few prominent Renaissance painters and their works
are given below:

The Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is a famous painting of the

Renaissance period. The mysterious smile of Mona
Lisa has led to much discussions and debates.
Leonardo da Vinci, one of the famous artists of
the Renaissance period, completed the painting
in between AD 1503 and AD 1505. It is preserved
in the Paris museum.
Mona Lisa

The Last Supper Leonardo da Vinci

Michelangelo The Last Judgment

Raphael The School of Athens

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 The excellence in art was not limited to painting. In course of time,
sublime works were created in the fields of architecture, sculpture, and
music.
The prominent sculptors and architects and their works can be identified
from the following pictures.

Lorenzo Ghiberti The door of the Florence Baptistery

Donatello Gattamelata

Examine the pictures and fill out the names of Renaissance artists, their
notable works, and respective fields.

Artist Work Field

The door of the

Lorenzo Ghiberti Architecture
Florence Baptistery

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Renaissance in Science
You have learned that the Sun is the centre of the Solar
System and all planets, including the Earth, revolve around
it, haven't you? But formerly it was believed that the Earth
was the centre of the universe. In the Renaissance period,
this belief was proven false. Copernicus propounded the
theory of the Solar System and announced that the Earth
revolves round the Sun. Later, Galileo Galilei invented
the telescope and using it he scientifically proved that
the theory put forward by Copernicus was true. It became
easier to propagate the Renaissance ideas widely among
the masses with the invention of the printing press by Galileo's
Gutenberg. Telescope

Johannes Gutenberg Gutenberg's Printing Press

The Story of Printing

The printing press was invented by a German

blacksmith, Johannes Gutenberg in 1439. It was made
of replaceable wooden alphabets. The invention of
printing created a new reading culture. This resulted
in revolutionary changes in the diffusion of
knowledge. Gradually, the technology spread to other
continents.

Discuss the influence of the Renaissance in the field of science.

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 The Reformation
The Renaissance had a say in the religious sphere
also. The refinement underwent by the
European Christianity in the 16 th century is
known as the Reformation. Martin Luther led
this movement which began in Germany.
Martin Luther
In Search of Sea Routes
We have seen that the Turks had conquered Constantinople. This
dismantled the trade relation between Europe and Asia. It necessitated
the European traders to discover new sea routes to Asia. The invention
of the compass and the spirit of adventure uncovered unknown routes,
oceans, and continents.
Industrial Revolution
The Renaissance in the field of science led to the invention of new
machines which brought about immense changes in the field of
production. Consequently, production increased while the cost of
production decreased. Such changes in the field of production ushered
in the Industrial Revolution. It began in England and revolutionized
production, and trade.
Inventions during the Industrial Revolution

Spinning Jenny Steam Engine

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 Inventions during the
Scientists
Industrial Revolution
Flying Shuttle John Kay
Spinning Jenny James Hargreaves

Steam Engine James Watt

Locomotive George Stephenson

How did the scientific inventions influence the system of production?

Discuss.

• The Renaissance began in Italy.

• Humanism was the most prominent characteristic feature of the
Renaissance
• The Renaissance had tremendous influence on literature, art, science,
and religion
• New sea routes were discovered and as a result, the Europeans
reached different continents
• The Industrial Revolution brought about changes in the field of
production.

• Finds out the factors responsible for the Renaissance.

• Explains that the Renaissance had a crucial role in developing
humanism and the spirit of enquiry.
• Analyses that the Renaissance influenced different spheres of human
life.
• Evaluates that the developments in the field of science and technology
brought about the Industrial Revolution.

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 • Describe the influence of humanism in the fields of art, literature,
and science.
• List out the new sea routes and their explorers.
• The Renaissance artists and their works are listed below.
Match column A with column B.

A B

The Mona Lisa Donatello

The Last Judgment Leonardo da Vinci
The School of Athens Michelangelo
Gattamelata Raphael

• Collect the pictures of the writers, artists, and scientists of the

Renaissance period and prepare an album with proper description.

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 Even the black gold has a story to tell

Friends,
I am pepper. Can I invite you to the Europe a few
centuries ago?
The rural folks in Europe would kill some of their
cattle for meat and preserve it for the prolonged
winter season.
The heavy snow fall in the winter was not
favourable for the grass to grow in the cattle
fields. Both the people and cattle faced shortage
of food during the season. The solution for this
was to preserve the cattle meat as food for winter.
Remember that there was neither electricity nor
refrigerator of any kind during that time. So they
found me effective in preserving the meat and
making it tastier. In short, I was inevitable for
them.
My friends cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, all
spices like I am, were also loved by them. The
traders came in search of us from the time
immemorial.

Didn’t you listen to the story of pepper? What did

you understand from the story?
 • The spices of our land were essential to the foreigners.
• The traders all over the world used to visit here to collect the spices.
You have understood the previous chapter about the conquest of Constantinople
by the Turks in 1453. This came in the way of the trade between Asia and Europe.
The situation necessitated the European traders to find out a sea route to India.
With the discovery of sea route to India, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the English
and the French reached India for the purpose of trade.
From Portugal to Calicut
It was a sunny morning in the month of May
1498. Three huge ships anchored at Kappad Vasco da Gama got a profit which
near Calicut. The language and dress code was 60 times greater than the cost
of the mariners in the ships were quite of their voyage by selling the
different from the native people. They were goods they took back with them.

a group of sailors from Portugal under the

leadership of Vasco da Gama.
The Zamorin, the then ruler of Calicut (Kozhikode), did not provide trading
facilities to Vasco da Gama. So he left for Kannur,
gathered necessary goods and then returned to
Portugal.
Almeida and Albuquerque, two sailors from
Portugal reached here for trade following Vasco da
Gama. Goa, and Daman and Diu were the major
trade centres of the Portuguese. They constructed
St. Angelo Fort at Kannur and Kottappuram Fort
in Thrissur
district. The
Portuguese were also known as ‘Parankis’.
Agricultural crops like pineapple, guava,
papaya, red chilly, cashew, tobacco etc. that
are found in Kerala now, were introduced
by the Portuguese. The widespread use of
printing machine and the development of
the art form ‘Chavittunatakam’ were some
Chavittunatakam
of the impacts of Indo-Portuguese
relationship.
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The Portuguese could not establish many trade centres in India. Let us examine
the reasons for it.
• They did not have
enough economic and
military resources to
compete with other
European powers.
• They faced resistance
Fort St. Angelo
from native forces.
Kunhali Marakkars, the admirals of Zamorin's naval force led the resistance
against the Portuguese in the Malabar region.
Find out the influence of the Portuguese on different walks of Indian social
life and prepare a brief note on it.
The Dutch
The Dutch were another European force who reached
India following the Portuguese. Kochi and Kollam were
the chief trade centres of the Dutch.
It was Van Rheede, a Dutch Governor who initiated the
compilation of ‘Hortus Malabaricus’, a book on the
medicinal plants of Kerala. He completed the book with
the help of Itti Achuthan Vaidyar.
The Dutch fought with Marthanda Varma, the King of
Travancore following the disputes over trade. The Dutch
were defeated in the Battle of Kolachel in 1741. They lost
their ground in India with this war. The Dutch were also
called ‘Lanthans’.
You got an idea about ‘Hortus Malabaricus’, didn’t you? Collect the folk
wisdom on the medicinal plants in your locality and prepare a magazine on
it.
The advent of the English
The English East India Company was formed in England in 1600 for trade
with the countries like India and China. Surat in Gujarat was the first trade
centre of the Company in India. They also established trading centres at
Bombay (Mumbai), Calcutta (Kolkata) and Madras (Chennai).
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 French Trade relations
The French East India Company was established in 1664 and the French reached
India for the purpose of trade. Pondichery (Puducherry), Mahe and Karakkal were
the chief trade centres of the French. Pondichery was their headquarters.

Diu Surat
Calcutta
Daman

Bombay

Goa
Arabian Sea

Bay of Bengal
Madras
Mahe Pondichery
Karakkal
Cochin
Kollam

Indian Ocean

Prepare a list of different European trade centres based on the map given above.
Can you identify any common feature of these trade centres?
In which states do these centres presently situate?
The Competition for the Monopoly of Trade
The European countries competed for monopolizing trade with India. The
Portuguese and the Dutch were defeated at the very beginning of these
competitions. The French and the English became locked in intense rivalry and
the conflict between these forces lasted long. The series of conflicts between the
French and the English in South India was known as ‘Carnatic Wars’.
Ultimately, the French were defeated.

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 The Company Gains Power
After gaining the monopoly of trade, the The war between the English and the
English East India Company focused on French happened mainly in the Carnatic
the acquisition of power in India. The region which includes the major regions
Company rule in India had its inception of the present Tamil Nadu. So these
in Bengal. Agricultural prosperity and battles were known as the Carnatic Wars.
the convenient trade facilities prompted
the Company to capture power in
Bengal. The British defeated Siraj – Ud The Plassey and the Buxar
– Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, in the The British could succeed the Battle of
Battle of Plassey in 1757. The entire Plassey through the secret alliance in
Bengal came under the Company rule which Robert Clive, the commander-in-
with its success in the Battle of Buxar chief of the British army forged with Mir
in 1764. Jafer, the commander – in – chief of Siraj
– Ud – Daulah. However the success in
What were the factors that
Buxar was solely due to the superior
motivated the English East British military power. They defeated the
India Company to gain power combined force of Sha Alam (the Mughal
in Bengal? Emperor), Shuja – Ud – Daulah (the
Nawab of Audh) and Mir Kasim (the
former Nawab of Bengal).
KT 17-3/Soc. Sience 7(E) (Vol-I)

British India (After the Battle of

Buxar)

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Social Science VII
 The Reign Expands
Mysore was another region that was subjugated by the British. Mysore was a
powerful kingdom in South India. It became the dominant power in the region
during the reign of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Their domination extended even
to the areas like Malabar. This interrupted the trade of the British in Malabar
region. The friendly relation that
Tipu Sultan maintained with the
French also added fuel to the
animosity of the British. This made The Treaty of Sreerangapattanam
them conquer Mysore. Tipu fought The British had to fight four wars before
bravely with the British and died establishing their suzerainty in Mysore. The
fighting in the Fourth Anglo – Mysore British annexed Malabar as per the
war. With the success of the British Sreerangapattanam treaty signed between
in Mysore wars, Malabar and Coorg Tipu and the British after the third Anglo-
came under the British reign. Mysore war.

Tipu Sulthan

British India (at the beginning of 19th century)

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Subsequently the company conquered the Marathas who were a threat to the
cotton trade of the British. Soon after, they conquered the princely states of Sindh,
Punjab and Awadh.
We have seen that the British conquered the powerful princely states using military
force. Such states came under the British rule. Certain other princely states were
affiliated through treaties and legislations.
The ‘Subsidiary Alliance’ introduced by Lord Wellesley and the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’
executed by Lord Dalhousie had important roles in the acquisition of the princely
states.

The princely states like

Hyderabad, Thanjavore and
Indore entered into the
‘Subsidiary Alliance’.

British India (1857)

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Social Science VII
 The rulers who signed ‘the
subsidiary alliance’ were assured
The British annexed Sambalpur, protection by the Company against
Sathara, Udaipur, Jhansi and invasions and internal revolts.
Nagpur through the ‘Doctrine of However, the actual administrative
Lapse’.
power of the states, were with the
representatives of the Company.
Lord Dalhousie introduced the policy of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. As per the policy,
when the ruler of a princely state died without a male heir, the British could
annex the state with British India.
• ‘The British adopted different strategies to annex the princely states’-
Discuss the statement and prepare a note.
Almost all of India came under the British rule by 1857 and a unified
administration was implemented in British India.

Milestones to Power

War Legislation

The battles of
Anglo Mysore Subsidiary The Doctrine
Plassey and Maratha Wars
Wars Alliance of Lapse
Buxar

Hyderabad,
Malabar, Jhansi, Satara
Bengal Maratha Tanjavore, Indore
Coorg Nagpur etc.
etc.

Implemented unified administration

in the conquered areas

Organize a seminar on how the English East India Company, formed for trade
became the rulers of India.

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Social Science VII
• The Portuguese, the Dutch, the English and the French reached India for
trade.
• The contact with these countries influenced our social, cultural and
economic life.
• It was England that succeeded in the competition for the monopoly of
trade with India.
• The British annexed the princely states through wars and treaties and
became the rulers of India.

• Evaluates that the traders from Portugal, Netherlands, England and France
reached India with the discovery of sea route to India.
• Describes the ways through which the British were able to establish their
political power in India after gaining monopoly of trade.
• Identifies and narrates that the British established their domination over
the princely states through treaties and military force.

1. The Turk’s conquest of Constantinople necessitated the Europeans to

discover a sea route to India. Why?
2. The Portuguese could not establish many trade centres in India. Identify
the reasons.
3. 'The contact with the Portuguese created lasting impact on our social,
cultural and economic life’- Evaluate the statement.
4. Who were the ‘Kunhali Marakkars’? What was their importance in the
history of India?
5. Examine the reasons for the defeat of the French in the Carnatic Wars.
6. Arrange in chronological order.

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 6. Arrange in chronological order.
• The Battle of Plassey
• The Battle of Kolachel
• The arrival of the Dutch in India
• The arrival of Vasco da Gama in Calicut
• The arrival of the French in India
7. Identify the relationship between the items given in ‘A’ and fill up the
blank spaces in ‘B’ based on the same relationship.
A. Goa Portuguese
B. Pondicherry .............................
A. Subsidiary Alliance Lord Wellesly
B. The Doctrine of Lapse .............................

• Identify the European countries that reached India for trade and colour
them in the world map.
• Collect the pictures of the forts built by the Europeans in India. Visit any
of the forts and prepare a report on it.
• Prepare a chart of the words with Portuguese origin that have been
rooted in malayalam as a result of the indo-Portuguese contact.

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Social Science VII
Thumb of the Nagodas
Nagodas were the sericulturists of Bengal. Weavers from various countries
came to buy the silk they produced.
When Bengal came under the rule of the English East India Company, the
officials began to exploit the Nagodas. They were compelled to do weaving for
meager wages. They were made bonded labourers of the company, denying
opportunity to seek any other means of livelihood. They were forced to live
like slaves under the Company. The workers who were not willing to obey
were tortured. Their properties were seized. They collectively decided to give
up their traditional occupation, for it did not help them earn a living. Hence,
they decided to cut off their thumbs as a protest against the policies of the
East India Company.
 You have seen the protest of the Nagodas. This was not an isolated event. The
Company rule adversely affected all the workers engaged in traditional
occupations. There were uprisings in different parts of our country against this.
Who were exploited under the Company rule?
• Farmers
• Weavers
• Craftsmen
• Tribals
Against the Farmers
With the subjugation of Bengal, the attention of the Company shifted to the rich
agricultural sector of the region. Their aim was to exploit the maximum resources.
What were the strategies they adopted?
• Levied heavy taxes on farmers.
• No tax concessions were sanctioned even when drought and flood destroyed
the agriculture.
• Middle men (Zamindars) were assigned to the duty of collecting tax.
• Imposed the condition that the tax was to be paid in the form of cash.
• The farmers had to depend on 'Sahus' - the private money lenders - for loans
at a high rate of interest.
The Company identified that the fertile fields of Bengal
were much favourable for growing the commercial crops
like cotton, jute and indigo. These were the major raw
materials for the industries in England. Consequently they
decided to expand its cultivation and forced the farmers
Cotton cultivation
to do so. The fields that were used only for the cultivation
of food crops changed into the plantations of cotton, jute
and indigo. As a result farmers became landless and were
forced to become labourers.
Conduct a seminar on "The hardships faced by different
categories of people in Bengal under the Company rule."

Jute cultivation
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Against the Tribals The Beginning of Railways
The intrusion of the The Indian Railways was
Company was not limited to launched on 16 th April
the agricultural sector. They 1853. The first train from
framed several laws to Bombay (Mumbai) to
exploit the forest resources. Thane was flagged off at
These laws gave the 3.35 pm on that day. The train had 14 coaches that
Company absolute control carried 400 passengers. On March 1861 the first train
over the forests. This in Kerala ran from Tirur to Beypur.
disturbed the collection of
forest products and adversely affected the tribal's traditional farming.
The tribal habitat was rich in mineral deposits and to exploit these, the British
constructed roads and railways to these regions. These measures intensified
the miseries of the tribals.
How did the forest laws imposed by the Company adversely affect the tribal
life? Discuss.
Against the Weavers
You now know that cotton cultivation became widespread in India during
the Company rule, don't you? However, the handloom industry in India
declined. Let us examine the reasons.
• The large scale export of cotton, the raw material of handloom industry
to Britain.
• The large scale import of cheaper textiles manufactured in the British
factories
• Excessive taxes were levied on clothes made in India.
These factors rendered thousands of Indian weavers jobless.
Prepare a skit on the common problems faced by the weavers against the
background of the Nagoda's protest.
The Uprisings
You have identified the major occupational groups, who lost their livelihood
as a result of the Company rule, haven't you? These people started rebellions
against the Company and Zamindars, the middle men of the Company.
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Social Science VII
 Though not well organized, the resistance against the Company became
common in different parts of the country.
Peasant revolts started at the very beginning of the Company rule. It is evident
in the Sanyasi and Fakir rebellions that occurred in the end of the 18th century.
In 19th century several rebellions broke out in Malabar. It was led by the
Mappila tenants and are known as the Mappila rebellions. Similar uprisings
burst out in Bengal and were known as 'Faraizi rebellions.' Besides the
peasants, the tribals also rose in revolt against the Company.
The major tribal groups, that organized rebellions are:
• The Bhils in Maratha
• The Kohlis in Ahammed Nagar
• The Kols in Chota Nagpur
• The Santhals in Rajmahal hills
• The Kurchiyas in Wayanad

The Santhal Rebellion

The Santhals were the inhabitants of the Rajmahal hills, in the Bengal
province. The Santhal rebellion was the result of exploitation they faced from
the Company officials and money lenders. The Rajmahal hills witnessed the
sacrifice of more than 15,000 Santhals in
this rebellion. It was under the leadership
of Sidhu and Kanhu. A Santhal Folk Song
Oh! Sidhu…
Discuss the circumstances Smeared in blood…
Oh! Kanhu...
that led to Santhal Rebellion
Screaming huul… hul…
and prepare a report. These traders… these robbers…
Made us landless
We are smeared in blood…
For our beloved folks…
Reference:
Ranajith Guha
Elementary Aspect of Peasant Insurgency
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Social Science VII
The kings and chieftains who lost their power were another group, that led
rebellions. Some of them are :
• Raja Cheith Singh of Awadh
• Veera Pandya Kattabomman of Tirunelveli
• Marutupandyan of Shivganga
• Pazhassiraja of Malabar
The Final Journey of Pazhassi Raja
• Kittoor Channamma of Karnataka
• Veluthampi Dalawa of Travancore The Raja's body was taken and put in
my palanquin, while the lady who was
• Paliyathachan of Kochi
dreadfully reduced from sickness was
The Rebellions in Kerala put into Captain Clapham's.... The
following day the Raja's body was
Pazhassi revolt was one of the major
despatched under a strong escort to
revolts of Kerala. The British lifted Manantoddy and the Sheristadar sent
Pazhassiraja's right to collect taxes from with it with orders to assemble all the
Kottayam, in North Malabar. This was Brahmins and to see that the
the immediate cause for Pazhassiraja's customary honours were performed
revolt. He led a guerrilla war against the at his funeral. I was induced to this
British in the forests of Wayanad. conduct from the consideration that
Thalakkal Chandu, Kaitheri Ambu, although a rebel he was one of the
Edachana Kunkan and Athan Gurukkal natural Chieftains of the country and
were the prominent leaders who fought might be considered on that account
with Pazhassiraja in the revolt. The rather as a fallen enemy.
revolt ended with the death of Kannur, T.H. Baber

Pazhassiraja. 1805 December 31. (Sub Collector - Malabar)

The anti-British revolts in Travancore

were led by Veluthampi Dalawa. The constant intervention of the Company
in the home affairs of Travancore hindered the smooth administration of
Dalawa. This was the main reason for him to turn against the British.
Paliyathachan, the minister of Kochi extended his assistance to Dalawa. In
the famous Kundara Proclamation of 1809, Dalawa called upon the people
to fight against the British. However, he was defeated by the British.
The First War of Independence in 1857
We have learned about the isolated resistance that occurred in different parts
of the country. The army of East India Company suppressed them.
By 1857, even people who were loyal to the Company turned against them.
The Indian soldiers in the British army (Sepoys) and the kings who lost their
hereditary rights as per the Doctrine of Lapse were the main leaders of the
revolt.
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 The living conditions of Sepoys were miserable and they
had to lead a hard life. The Sepoys were disappointed with
the following conditions.
• Meagre wages
• Prolonged working hours
• Denying leave
• Slave like treatment by superior officials
Mangal Pandey
• Poor quality food
In this context, the Company supplied a new type of
Enfield rifle to the Sepoys. There was a rumour that
the cartridges to be used in this gun were greased with
the fat of cows and pigs. Another rumour was that
the bread supplied to the Sepoys was made from wheat
flour mixed with bone powder. This provoked them
to rebel. Mangal Pandey was the first Indian soldier
to protest. Bahadur Shah II
An organized revolt against the military officials
started in Meerut. Then the soldiers reached Delhi and
proclaimed the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah II as
the Emperor of India.
The revolt spread to different parts of North India. The
rulers of princely states, who had lost their power also
joined the rebellion. The revolt further spread to
Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Jhansi, Arrah and
Nana Sahib
Faizabad.

Tantia Tope Begum Hazrat Mahal Jhansi Rani

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Social Science VII
The revolt was led by Nana Sahib and
Tantia Tope in Kanpur, Rani Lakshmi Bhai Lagta nahi he ji mera
in Jhansi, Begum Hazrat Mahal in The days of life passed with the
Lucknow, Maulavi Ahmadullah in Approaching dusk;
And now I'll stretch my legs
Faizabad and Kunvar Singh in Arrah. The To sleep…
Company suppressed the revolt and In the burial garden's comfort.
Bahadur Shah Zafar was expelled to How unfortunate is Zafar!
Rangoon. For six feet of land
Couldn't be found
Let us examine the reasons for the failure
For the burial… In his soil!
of the First War of Independence.
Bahadur Shah Zafar
• Though the revolt was widespread in
North India, there was no coordination.
• The Company had all the advantages of stronger military power, better
weapons and coordination.
• It failed to ensure mass support.
• The English educated Indians were against the revolt.
• The rulers of affluent princely states supported the Company.
Observe the map below.
• Identify the major centres of the revolt.

• Meerut
• Delhi • Awadh
• Faizabad
• Kanpur
• Arrah
• Jhansi
Ar
abi

al
ng
an

Be
Sea

of
y
Ba

The centres of the First War of

Independence in 1857
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 • List out the respective states to which these places belong.
Even though the revolt failed, it was the first mass revolt against the
Company rule. So the revolt is considered as the First War of Indian
Independence.
The highlight of the revolt was the sense of unity that the people of India
upheld irrespective of religion. It was this solidarity that motivated the sepoys
to proclaim Bahadur Shah as 'Shahen shah-e-Hindustan' (The Emperor of
India). This shows that the British efforts to breed communal hatred had not
succeeded at least up to the period of the First War of Indian Independence.
Complete the following table.

The centres of the revolt The leaders

Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bhai

The Reign of the Queen

The First War of Indian Independence in 1857 brought many administrative
changes in India. The rule of the English East India Company came to an end
with the Queen's proclamation in 1858. India came under the direct rule of
the British Queen.
Conduct a seminar in the class on 'The First War of Independence - 1857'.

• The policies implemented by the British brought misery to people from

different walks of life.
• The exploited farmers, craftsmen, tribals, kings and chieftains rebelled
against the British.
• The British government took over the administration from the English
East India Company after the First War of Independence.

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• Finds out that the British economic policies made life of Indians miserable.
• Evaluates the rebellions organized by farmers, craftsmen, tribals, kings
and chieftains against the British.
• Identifies and describes the significance of the First War of Indian
Independence in 1857.
• Comprehends the circumstances that led the British government to take
over the administration of India from the English East India Company.

1. Match the columns in the table properly.

A B
Santhal Thalakkal Chandu
Bahadur Shah II Kanpur
Pazhassiraja Sidhu and Kanhu
Nana Sahib Delhi

2. What were the hardships faced by the farmers due to the tax reforms of
the British?

3. How did the import policy of the British affect different categories of
people in Bengal?

4. What were the changes made in the administration after the First War of
Independence in 1857?

• Prepare an album of the leaders of resistance movements against the

British in Kerala and the First War of Indian Independence in 1857.
• Mark the centres of different resistance movements on a map of India.

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Social Science VII
 It was AD 1612-16.
A day in Surat.
A Baniya man was dead.
The body is being carried away for cremation to the burial ground. Hundreds of
people accompany the funeral procession. Wife of the deceased is accompanied
by relatives and maids. She has put on new clothes and ornaments as if she is
about to enter the bridal chamber. The dead body is placed on the funeral pyre.
She circles the pyre three times and sits on it, placing her husband's head on
her lap.
She is going to accompany her husband to the other world-that was the belief.
Firewood is placed around her. Ghee, oil and perfumes are showered over her
and the pyre is lit.
She was not more than ten years old and had not even lived with her husband.
Still, she as a wife was burnt alive in the pyre.

Source
William Foster CIE,
Early Travels in India 1583-1619
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Social Science VII
 This is a description on 'Sati'; an evil practice that prevailed in India. Several
such social evils and practices prevailed in India. Can you name some of
them?
• Child marriage
• Prohibition on widow remarriage
• Human sacrifice
• Female infanticide
• Slavery
•
•
Several reform movements came up in the 19th century to fight against these
evil practices. Social consciousness that developed due to English education
and rational thinking led to these reform movements. The protests against
the evil customs and superstitions, freedom of women, spread of education
and a sense of pride on Indian culture were the common features of these
movements. Let us familiarize with the important reform movements and
leaders who initiated them.

Raja Rammohan Roy

Raja Rammohan Roy who gained western education
strongly condemned the evil practices like Sati and
child marriage that prevailed in India. His campaign
against Sati persuaded Lord William Bentinck, the
British Governor General to abolish Sati. He founded
Brahma Samaj to propagate his ideology and gave the
message that the ideals of all religions are basically
the same. He strongly believed caste system to be the major source of disparity
in Indian society. He is known as the 'Father of Indian Renaissance'.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

KT 17-4/Soc. Sience 7(E) (Vol-I)

Swami Dayananda Saraswati was the leader of

Indian renaissance who attacked caste system and
condemned idol worship. To disseminate his
ideology, he founded 'Arya Samaj'. He gave the call,
'go back to Vedas'.

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Social Science VII
 Jyotirao Phule
Jyotirao Phule condemned caste system and promoted widow remarriage.
He argued that free and compulsory education should be provided to children
up to twelve years and gave primary concern to the education of the weaker
section and women. For these purposes he founded the 'Satya Shodak Samaj'.

Pandita Rama Bhai

Pandita RamaBhai founded Arya Mahila Sabha, an organization for the uplift
of women. She fought against the social inequalities faced by women and
worked tirelessly for women's education and the empowerment of widows.

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan led the movement for the spread
of modern education among Muslims. He established
Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh that
later became the famous Aligarh Muslim University. One
of his remarks on the Hindu-Muslim unity is given below:
'Both Hindus and Muslims breath the air of India, drink
the water of Ganga and Yamuna. We both feed upon the
products of the Indian soil. We are together in life and
death.'

Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda fought against the caste
inequalities and promoted education among
women. He gave emphasis to the 'Universal
Brotherhood' and remarked - "For our own mother
land a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism
and Islam, is the only hope". He was the disciple of
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He founded the
Ramakrishna Mission to propagate the teachings
of his master. The Mission established several
educational institutions all over India. He played
an important role in awakening the nationalistic
feeling and self respect among Indians.

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Social Science VII
Complete the table.

Leaders of Organizations Major activities

Indian Renaissance

Draft a note on your response to the evil customs that prevailed in

India.
Discuss the role of social reformers in creating a social consciousness
beyond the religious boundaries.
The Changing People
The leaders of the social reform movements contributed to develop a vision
emphasizing the universal brotherhood based on humanism that stood
beyond caste and religion.
All the reformers gave emphasis to the importance of education and
established educational institutions. This in turn accelerated the progress of
education in India. They reminded Indians of their rich cultural heritage and
thereby developed self respect and national pride. Thus the social reformers
played a major role in awakening the Indians.

Emergence of Nationalism
The different social reform movements and their leaders, whom we discussed
instilled a new spirit among the Indians. We have also discussed the political
and economic conditions of the period in the previous chapters.
Can you recollect them?
• The British conquered princely states and unified India politically.
• The economic exploitation of the British government created an anti-
British attitude among Indians.
• The spread of English education and the development in transport and
communication brought the people together.
• The strategies adopted by the British to suppress the First War of Indian
Independence created a national consciousness and made people think
that they belong to the same country.
These factors helped to develop a sense of unity among the Indians. Indian
Nationalism is the sense of oneness beyond religious, linguistic and regional
diversities.
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Social Science VII
 "The mountains and rivers of India, and the forests
and the broad fields, which gave us food, were all
dear to us, but what counted ultimately were the
people of India, people like them and me, who were
spread out all over this vast land. Bharat Mata, Mother India, was
essentially these millions of people, and victory to her meant victory
to these people. You are parts of this Bharat Mata, I told them, you
are in a manner yourselves, Bharat Mata, and as this idea slowly
soaked into their brains, their eyes would light up as if they had
made a great discovery.
- Jawaharlal Nehru 'The Discovery of India'

What were the factors responsible for the development of

nationalism among Indians?
The writers instrumental in the
The development of nationalism development of Nationalism
accelerated the Indians' efforts to
• Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
liberate from the British. This enhanced
• Rabindranath Tagore
the relevance of various movements for
• Mohammad Iqbal
independence.
• Lakshmi Nath Besbarua
Formation of Associations • Althaf Hussain
A number of regional organizations
came into existence at various parts of India as a result of this growing
awakening. Madras Native Association, Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and Indian
Association were a few among them. All these organizations gave priority to
the regional problems. This necessitated forming of a national organization.

Formation of the Indian National Congress

Seventy two representatives of various organizations across India assembled
in the vast auditorium of Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay, on 28th December
1885. They were of diverse attire, religion and language. W.C. Bannerjee presided

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Social Science VII
over this meeting initiated From the speech at the first meeting
by the former British civil
servant A.O. Hume. The ''We desire that the administration of India
Indian National Congress should be further modernised and we be made a
was formed in this meeting. part of it.''
W.C. Banerjee

Delegates of the first session of the Indian National Congress

The major aims of the Indian National Congress were:
• To promote fellow feeling among the volunteers from different parts of the country
• To develop a national spirit beyond the religious, caste and regional loyalties
• To bring the problems of Indians to the notice of authorities
With the formation of the Indian National Congress the agitations against the
British attained an organised nature. Such organised agitations against the British
power can be called the National Movement. Based on the style and strategies of
the agitations, the National Movement can be divided into three phases:
• The period of moderate nationalism
• The period of extreme nationalism
• Gandhian Era
The period from 1885 to 1905 was of moderate nationalism. The leaders of this
period were English educated. The prominent among them were Dadabhai Naoroji,
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Badruddin Tyabji and Pheroze Shah Mehta. Their policy
was to bring the common problems and demands to the notice of the British
Government by means of petitions, resolutions and protests. Unfortunately the
British officials did not properly consider them.

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Social Science VII
 Gopal Krishna Badruddin Tyabji Pheroze Shah Mehta
Gokhale

These leaders studied the root causes of the poverty in British India and these
studies formed the ideological base for the national movement.

DRAIN THEORY
Drain theory is the major contribution of Dadabhai
Naoroji. There was a drain of wealth from India to England
during colonial rule. It was mainly in the form of salary,
taxes and gifts. He proved that the economic drain under
the British rule is the root cause of poverty in India.
Dadabhai Naoroji

Evaluate the role of moderates in pointing out the British policies.

Partition of Bengal
The seat of the British government in India was Bengal. People of Bengal had
been living like brothers. They had been carrying out various activities against
the policies of the British government.
In 1904, the secretary of Home Affairs, Risley, observed, 'Bengal united is
power, Bengal divided, will pull several different ways. ... one of our main
objectives is to split up and thereby weaken a solid body of opponents to our
rule". The British officials treated Bengal as a growing power against the British
rule. In this background the Viceroy Lord Curzon divided Bengal in 1905.

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Social Science VII
 What were the factors
that led the British to
divide Bengal?

The map of divided Bengal in 1905

National dailies, poets and social leaders strongly

opposed the partition. The great poet Rabindranath
Tagore made his stand on the partition explicit. He stated
'the East and West Bengal are the two chambers of the
same heart which is made fertile by the Ganga and the
Brahmaputra. It is the warm blood originating from
these vessels that flows through the arteries of the
Bengalis'.
Rabindranath Tagore
Make a poster against the partition of Bengal.

Bengal Burns
The agitations against the partition stirred Bengal. How did the people of
Bengal protest against the partition?
• Organized protest meetings.
• Picketed shops that
sold foreign goods.
Ban on Sugar
• Burned foreign
clothes. 'Boycott foreign goods and use swadeshi
products' was the main slogan of the agitations
• Promoted the use of
Indian products. against the partition of Bengal. The people were
exhorted to boycott even wedding tea parties
• Organized marches
where foreign - made sugar was used. The
and public meetings
against the British. nationalists promoted jaggery instead of sugar.

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Social Science VII
 Considering the intensity of the agitations the British government was
compelled to withdraw the partition.
Prepare a news bulletin on the partition of Bengal and related agitations.

In what ways are the agitations against the partition of Bengal

different from the protests of moderate phase?

Swaraj is My Birth Right

The period of agitations followed by the partition of Bengal brought a new
turn in the National Movement and it was known as the period of extreme
nationalism. The main leaders of this phase were Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin
Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Ray. They were jointly known as 'Lal Bal Pal'.
The activities of these leaders won
country wide attention and inspired the
mass. Bal Gangadhar Thilak was the
chief spokesman of the extreme
nationalism. He was revered as
'Lokamanya'. The two newspapers he
started were 'Maratha' and 'Kesari'. He
made the famous slogan ' Swaraj is my
birth right and I must have it'.
Lala Lajpat Ray, Bal Gangadhar Tilak,
Complete the table given below:
Bipin Chandra Pal

Moderate Extremist
Leaders Leaders

Gopal Krishna Gokhale Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Compare the strategies adopted by the Moderates and the

Extremists.

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Social Science VII
All India Muslim League
The All India Muslim League was formed by Aga Khan and Nawab Salimullah
Khan in Dhaka in 1906 during the movement against 'the partition of Bengal'.

Surat Split
The national movement became stronger with the agitations against the
partition of Bengal. In this period, there was growing difference of opinion
between the moderates and the extremists. It led to the split in the Congress
at its All India Session at Surat in 1907. It temporarily weakened the activities
of the national movement.

Home Rule Movements

The Congress supported Britain in the First World War with the hope that
India would be granted autonomy after the war. During this time the Home
Rule movements led by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak kept the
national movement alive.

The Irish lady who was attracted to the Indian

culture and took Indian citizenship in 1893. She
started Home Rule Movement in 1916.

Annie Besant

Lucknow Pact
The Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress was held in 1916 when
the Home Rule movements were active. The moderates and extremists who
split in the Surat session decided to give up their difference of opinion and
joined together. They also decided to cooperate with the All India Muslim
League in the anti-British agitations.
• Prepare a seminar paper on 'The influence of the partition of Bengal on
the Indian National Movement.'
Sub topics
- The growth of extreme nationalism
- The agitations against the Partition of Bengal

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 • A lot of social evils prevailed in India.
• Raja Rammohan Roy, Swami Dayanada Saraswati, Jyothirao Phule, Sir
Syed Ahmad Khan, Pandita Rama Bhai and Swami Vivekananda were
the leaders of the Indian Renaissance.
• It was after the First War of Independence in 1857, that the nationalism
began to develop in India.
• The partition of Bengal was the consequence of the British policy of 'divide
and rule'.
• Home Rule Movement inspired the National Movement.

• Finds out that a lot of evil customs prevailed in India.

• Explains the social reform movements led by Raja Rammohan Roy, Swami
Dayanada Saraswati, Jyothirao Phule, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Pandita
Rama Bhai and Swami Vivekananda.
• Evaluates the role of the reformers and the social movements in fighting
against the social evils.
• Develops an attitude to respond to the existing social evils.
• Lists out the factors instrumental in the development of Indian
nationalism.
• Evaluates that the partition of Bengal was the consequence of the British
policy of 'divide and rule'.

1. Prepare a note on the role of the leaders of Indian Renaissance in

eliminating the social evils in India.

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Social Science VII
2. Match column A with column B.

A B
Brahma Samaj Swami Vivekanada
Arya Samaj Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Arya Mahila Sabha Swami Dayanad Saraswati
Rama Krishna Mission Pandita Rama Bhai

3. Complete the table

1 Gopal Krishna Gokhale Moderate Nationalism

2 Bal Gangadhar Tilak ........................................
3 ........................................ Home Rule Movement

4 Agha Khan ........................................

4. Prepare notes on the following

-˛ Swadeshi Movement
˛ Home Rule Movement

• Prepare an album of the leaders of the Indian Renaissance.

• Does any social evil exist in our state? Conduct a discussion in your class.
• Identify the literary works that convey the messages against social evils.
• Collect poems that inspire patriotism.

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Social Science VII
 You might have heard of the project, 'Sampoorna' which collects and records
all details related to every student of a school. Given below is a sample of the
details of parent's occupation, recorded by a teacher as part of 'Sampoorna'.

Occupation
• Farming
• Employed at
hotels
• Teaching
• Employed in
factories
• Government
service
• Medical field
Table - 1

You may be familiar with all these occupations. These are called economic
activities because they generate income. There may be many such economic
activities around you. Identify these and add to table 1.
Among these, some are related to agricultural sector. Analysing the table,
can you identify other sectors to which these activities are related?
• Industry
• Services
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The sector involving activities making direct use of natural resources is called
primary sector. As activities related to agriculture form a major part of it,
this sector is also called agricultural sector. There are economic activities
that manufacture goods making use of the products of primary sector as the
raw materials. Such activities fall under the secondary sector. As it gives
more importance to industrial activities, it is also called industrial sector.
Service sector collects and distributes products of primary and secondary
sectors. In addition to this, service sector includes education, transport,
banking, IT etc. Tertiary sector includes all services. It is also called service
sector.
Is there any economic activity that does not fall under the primary, secondary
or tertiary sectors? Discuss.

Economic growth takes place when primary, secondary and tertiary sectors
function as a whole. For example, raw cotton, a product of primary sector, is
a raw material to the textile industry. The services of transport and
communication are essential for supplying these products to the customers.
All these are services of tertiary sector.
Look at the picture depicting the interrelation among these sectors. Can you
elicit from the picture how they are inter related.

Primary sector

Tertiary sector Secondary sector

ICE

COTTON MILL

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Social Science VII
 You may find out another example showing the interrelationship between
these sectors.
Central Statistical Office (CSO) has classified the economic activities included
in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. This is given in the following
table.
Primary sector Secondary Sector Tertiary sector
• Agriculture and • Industry • Trade
allied activities • Transport
• Forestry • Generation of • Hotel
electricity • Communication
• Fishing • Building construction • Procurement
• Mining • Banking
• Insurance
Central Statistical Office (CSO) • Business
An institution that works under the • Real estate
Ministry of Statistics and Programme • Social services
Implementation (MOSPI).

Important Functions
Classify the economic activities of
• Coordinate and analyse data. revised Table No. 1 in the
• Collect data of all sectors and process following table.
it for planning purpose.
• Estimate national income using data.

Primary Sector Secondary Sector Tertiary Sector

Sectors and Related Employment Opportunities

Every occupation in our country falls under the primary, secondary and
tertiary sector. In India, the availability of employment in primary, secondary
and tertiary sectors varies. You can find an increased access to employment
in some sectors while it is not so in the other sectors. Examine the table

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Social Science VII
showing the percentage of employment availability in different sectors from
1993 to 2011.
Percentage of employment availability in each sector
sectors 1993 2005 2011
Primary sector 64.9 56.5 53.2
Secondary sector 14.2 18.7 21.5
Tertiary sector 20.9 24.8 25.3

Total 100 100 100

Table 2 (Source - Economic Survey 2012 - 13)

Write your findings after analysing table 2 based on the following indicators.
Indicators
• Which sector shows an increased trend in the availability of employment?
• Which sector shows highest availability of employment in all periods?
• How much is the employment availability in primary sector greater than
that of the other two sectors, in 2011?
You have seen that primary sector has more employment opportunities than
the other sectors. Here, agriculture and allied activities provide more
employment opportunities. The food requirement of our country is met by
primary sector.
Food Grain Production
India has been giving 300
importance to the development
Food grain production in million tonnes

257.4
250
of primary sector since
196.8
independence. Well planned 200
176.4
activities have brought about 150

much improvement in food 100

108.4
grain production. There has
50
been noticeable increase not only
in employment opportunities, 0
1970-71 1990-91 2000-01 2011-12
but in food grain production as Year
Source - Economic Survey 2012-13
well.
This is a graphical representation of the trend in food grain production in India
during different periods.
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Social Science VII
 Poverty
What type of change does the diagram
indicate? As per the recommendation of the
Planning Commission, the people in
The diagram states that there is a steady
urban areas whose intake of nutritious
progress in food production in India. But
food is less than 2100 calories and
poverty still persists in various parts of India
those in rural areas whose intake of
even after the increased food production.
nutritious food is less than 2400
What may be the reasons?
calories experience poverty. The
• Defects in distribution. Economic Survey 2011-12 states that
• Low potential of individuals to purchase the percentage of poverty in India is
goods. 29.8 - Bihar with the highest of 53.5%,
Food security is attained when there is Himachal Pradesh with the lowest of
adequate availability of food to the needy. 9.5%. Kerala has a poverty rate of
Food security exists when all people at all times 12%.
have physical and economic access to
sufficient, nutritious food to meet the dietary needs and food preference for active
and healthy life.
By analysing the definition of food security what conclusion do you arrive at?
• All people should get food.
• Food should be made available at all
Self sufficiency in food
times.
If a country is able to produce
• sufficient food to meet with the
• requirements of its people, it can be
considered as self sufficient in food.
Poverty Alleviation
Programmes
Governments are trying to ensure food security by strengthening the public
distribution system and implementing various poverty alleviation programmes.
Have a look at the projects and programmes being implemented by the
governments.

Government projects Government programmes

• Annapoorna Integrated Child Development Programme
• Andhyodaya Annayojana Mid-Day Meal Programme at schools
• Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Programme National Rural Livelihood Mission
• Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rosgar Yojana

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Social Science VII
 See the word web depicting the objectives of projects/programmes being
implemented at the government level.

Swarnajayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana

• Beneficial to the unemployed in urban areas
• Encourages self employment

Mid Day Meal Programme Annapoorna

• Beneficial to the students up to 8th • Beneficial to people who are above 65
standard in all government and aided years of age and having no income
schools
• Free supply of 10 kg of rice through
• Ensures nutritious food through schools ration shops

National Rural Livelihood Mission Andhyodaya Anna Yojana

• Provides assistance to self-help groups • Beneficial to the poorest families below

Projects/ the poverty line
• Provides financial aid through bank loans
Programmes • Supply of 35 kg of rice and wheat at the
and subsidies
rate of Rs.3/- and Rs.2/- per month
respectively.

Mahatma Gandhi Employment

Guarantee Programme
Integrated Child Development Programme
• Beneficial to those who are healthy and
• Implemented through Anganwadies willing to work
• Children below 6 years of age, pregnant • Guarantees 100 days of employment
women, lactating mothers are the beneficiaries
• Persons of the age 18 and above can
• Ensures a fixed quantity of nutritious food register
• 1/3 of the beneficiaries should be women
KT 17-5/Soc. Sience 7(E) (Vol-I)

Source : India 2013

You have seen how different projects and programmes help to eradicate
poverty and ensure food security.

Enquire about the benefits of these programmes in your locality.

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Social Science VII
 Kerala and the Public Distribution System
Kerala is not self sufficient in food. So we
depend on other states for food. Kerala Public Distribution System (PDS)
has a strong public distribution system to
ensure food security. The public Public Distribution System
distribution outlets in Kerala supply rice, provides food items and other
food products and other essential essential commodities to people at
reasonable prices and the entire
commodities to the needy at fair price.
chain of such organisations are
There are many agencies functioning with
controlled by the government.
the objective of providing essential
commodities to people at fair price. Let
us see some of them.

Agencies Commodities
available
Civil Supplies Outlet Rice, wheat,
sugar, kerosene
Horticorp Vegetables
Supplyco Super Market
Nanma Store
Neethi Store
Labham Supplyco Market All essential
Maveli store commodities
Triveni Super Market
Triveni Floating
Super Market

You may visit one such agency in your locality and find out whether
commodities are sold at fair price.

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Challenges to Food Production
Though the production and
distribution of food are effectively
Food Security Act
managed by the Public Distribution
The Parliament passed the bill in 2013.
System, our food production sector
Features
still faces certain challenges. Let us
• Food security is the legal obligation of the
have a look at these challenges.
government
Look at the collage given below. • Ensure adequate, nutritious and high quality
food items at fair price to all people.
• Availability of food is a legal right of citizens.

ll in
c a l a m ity - Fa
l .
Subsidy cut
short- Natura in production
ra
Farmers in cr
isis food g re
m eag
is - le
rm la n d s: cris possib
M is u se o f fa ic
ll in food nom tion
steep downfa Eco hanisa
production. mec

The news collage given above displays some of the challenges faced by the
food production sector. List out the challenges:
• Crop failures due to natural calamities.
• Using agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes.
• Reducing the rate of subsidies.
• Unable to purchase agricultural machines.
• Climate changes.
• Unable to ensure crop insurance.
• Excessive use of fertilizers, reducing soil fertility.
It is essential that these issues and challenges be addressed to ensure food
security by improving food production and distribution.

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 • The inter relationship of primary, secondary and tertiary sectors is the
base of economic growth.
• Among the three sectors of the economy, the agricultural sector still
provides more employment opportunities.
• Indian economy witnesses a trend of increasing employment
opportunities in the secondary and tertiary sectors and decreasing
employment opportunities in the primary sector.
• Even after enhanced food production, India has to go a long way to attain
food security.
• An efficient public distribution system and welfare activities of
governments help to attain food security.

• Classifies the economic activities into primary, secondary and tertiary

sectors.
• Statistically represents the details of employment opportunities in each
sector.
• Explains the changes in the field of food production.
• Describes the circumstances that lead to food security.
• Evaluates the features of different poverty alleviation projects and
programmes implemented by the government.
• Finds out the necessity of public distribution system.
• Describes the challenges faced by the food production sector and suggests
measures to address them.

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1. Give an example to show the inter relationship of primary, secondary
and tertiary sectors.
2. Classify the economic activities given below into different sectors.
$ Fishing • Teaching • Banking
• Factory work • Mining • Building
• Real estate • Electricity generation construction
3. Tertiary sector attains prominence now-adays. Elucidate.
4. Which are the agencies supplying essential commodities at fair price in
Kerala?
5. Even now agricultural sector has its own importance in India. Examine
this statement based on production and employment opportunities.
1
6. Which of the government programmes demands the condition that of
3
the beneficiaries should be women?
• Andhyodaya Annayojana • Annapoorna
• Mahatma Gandhi Rural • Swarnajayanti Shahari
Employment Guarantee Rozgar Yojana
Programme
7. Public distribution system helps to attain food security. Evaluate the
statement.
8. Civil supplies outlet stands for common man. Justify.
9. Food production is facing a lot of challenges. Substantiate this statement.
10. Prepare a note on any one of the poverty alleviation projects of the central
government.

• Find out the challenges faced by the food production sector in your
locality and suggest measures to overcome them.
• Conduct an enquiry and find out the sector providing more employment
opportunities in your locality.

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 Following are the accounts of sea voyages of some eminent travellers
of different periods. Read carefully.

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

Christopher Columbus was born in the

Republic of Janova (Presently North-Western
Italy) in the fifteenth century. He was a well-
known sailor and explorer. He came to know
about the natural resources of India, and
started his first voyage in search of India through the Atlantic
Ocean in 1492 A.D. In order to know the route, Columbus and
his team travelled with a large leather-wrapped globe on which
places were marked. They also used
another such sphere to mark the
location of stars. But Columbus lost
his route and reached some islands
near the North American continent.
This was because of the lack of
accurate maps and other
navigational aids…

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 FERDINAND MAGELLAN

Ferdinand Magellan was born in the sixteenth

century in Northern Portugal in Europe. With
an unquenchable quest to travel around the
world, the Portuguese explorer Magellan and
his team started their voyage from Europe in
September 1519. Their aim was to travel
through the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and to
return to Europe. They used maps prepared in the sixteenth
century to know the exact location of continents. When the
journey prolonged for years, discontent arose among them.
When they reached the Philippines Islands in the Pacific
Ocean, they had a war with the inhabitants of Mactan Island
and Magellan was killed in the war. Those who survived,
returned to Europe in September 1522. In an age when there
were no detailed maps or other facilities to know the exact
route, it took three years for them to travel around the world…

Lt. COMMANDER ABHILASH TOMY

The Indian sailor Abhilash Tomy was born at Thripunithura in the
Ernakulam district of Kerala. He set out on a sea voyage around the
world from Mumbai in November 2012. Overcoming many
challenges enroute, he travelled around the world and returned to
the shores of Mumbai on 31 March 2013. It was with the help of
accurate maps and other modern instruments that he could complete
his journey around the world in about 150 days without losing his
way.

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Social Science VII
 It is astonishing to note that Columbus and Magellan made prolonged
voyages, when there were no maps or other sophisticated equipments
to help them in navigation. It should be clear to you that with the help
of accurate and detailed maps and modern technology one can travel
around the world without losing the way.
Importance of Maps
Maps are important tools for geographers. You can illustrate your class
room, school and its premises and your locality on a paper. Similarly
any place on the earth can be illustrated on a paper. True representation
of the features of earth's surface on a two dimensional plain is called a
map. It is believed that maps were in use for centuries. But they were
not as accurate as modern maps.
Maps showing the detailed information about the earth's features have
become inevitable in the modern world. Today, different types of maps
are used in different fields.

Can you identify the fields where maps are used?

• Learning Geography
• Defence
• Tourism
• Administration
• Transport
In order to learn various concepts, different types of maps are used in
your textbooks. Try to identify them.
Let us examine who else, other than students and teachers, use maps.
• Industrialists
• Historians
• Pilots
• Captains of ships
•
For what purpose do they use maps? Do they use the same map for
different purposes? Discuss.

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Social Science VII
Different types of maps are prepared for various purposes.
Let us have a look at maps and their importance.

History of Maps
Maps of fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were not accurate and hence
the journeys of Columbus and Magellan were long and they lost their
way as well.
Were maps prepared prior to this period?

Were maps of those days as accurate and clear as the present

day maps?

Changes of maps during different periods are shown in figures 1 to 6.

1 2

Mesopotamian map Possible rendering of Anaximander's

(Clay plate) World map

3 4

World Map prepared by Hipparchus World Map prepared by Ptolemy

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 5 6

World Map prepared by Mercator World Map prepared by Ortelius

Have you noticed the pictures? Compare these with the world map in
your social science lab. What changes can be identified?
Let us examine the changes that have taken place to maps over centuries.
It is believed that the history of maps are as old as human civilization.
The Mesopotamian plates prepared on baked clay plates about 5000 years
ago, are considered the oldest maps. On these plates, there were specific
lines and symbols that help to depict the peculiarities of even small
places.
Maps were prepared on leather and bronze plates during the period
of the Greek philosopher Anaximander, who is believed to have
prepared the first map. The inventions of the Greek mathematician
Erasthothanes and the contributions of astronomers like Hipparchus
and Ptolemy helped more in preparing maps. The voyage by sailors and
explorers like Columbus and Magellan
led to the preparation of more accurate The first map
maps.
Mercator, who is known as the Father of It is believed that the first map was
Modern Cartography and Abraham prepared by the Greek Philosopher
Ortelius, who prepared an atlas by Anaximander. He was born in
combining many maps, gave new Miletus of Asia Minor in 610 B.C.
insights into the making of modern
maps. The contributions of Greek,
Roman, Arab and Indian geographers to
the development of modern cartography

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are significant.
The history of maps started with Cartography
clay plates. With the The term 'cartography' was derived
advancement of technology, it from the French words 'Carte' and
has now reached the level of 'Graphic'. 'Carte' means map and
computer - aided maps. In this 'graphic' means drawing. Cartography
fast developing world, maps is the science of map making. One who
have also changed with the times. prepares maps is known as
Cartographer.
With the help of computers, map
making has reached a stage where exact location details about a place
and three dimensional views are possible on a mouse click.
Sketch and Plan
Observe the pictures given below.

Post office
My school

Tap

Tree

Bus stop Ration shop

Scale - 1 centimetre to 10 metres

Picture A Picture B

Two pictures of the same locality are given above. What differences
that can you observe?

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 • Arrow marks to reach the destination are given in Picture A, while
they are absent in Picture B.
• Picture B has a scale and symbol showing the North direction, while
they are absent in Picture A.
• In Picture A the details required to reach the destination alone are
given, while Picture B shows all the details of that place.
•

Picture A gives the sketch showing the way to Ramu's school. Ramu
has marked in the sketch the way to his school, to enable his friend
Gopu, a student of another school, to reach his school. There are no
symbols to show the direction or to measure the distance in Picture A,
as shown in Picture B. But still Ramu succeeds in guiding his friend
Gopu to his school. Sketches are drawings having limited information
about a place, drawn from one's own memory or by observing that
place.
You can also prepare a sketch as prepared by Ramu.
Prepare a sketch showing the way to your school from your nearby bus
stop or railway station and exhibit it in your classroom.
Plans are prepared based on exact measurements, location details, scales
and direction. Picture B shows the plan of the place where Ramu's school
is located. You might have noticed the layout plans exhibited in front of
some establishments.
Shall we prepare a plan? Measure your classroom with the help of your
teacher and prepare a plan.
Maps are clear and accurate illustration of comparatively larger areas.
Let us understand more about this.

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Essential Elements of Maps
Observe the map given below (Fig. 6.1).

Kerala
Physiography A

Karnataka

Tamil Nadu

Lak
D

shad
wee
p Se
a
C

Index
Coastal Area
Midland
Highland
F

Fig. 6.1

In the above map of Kerala, A, B, C, D, E and F indicate all the essential

elements of a map. With the help of the map (Fig. 6.1) and the table
(Table 6.1) the essential elements of a map can be identified easily.

Letters Essential Elements of a Map

A Title

B Scale

C Direction

D Latitude and Longitude

E Conventional symbols and colours

F Index
Table 6.1
Let us examine the importance of each one of them.
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 Title
'Title' indicates the area depicted and the content of the map. It is usually
given at the top of the map.
Observe the maps in the social science lab of your school and prepare a
table after classifying them.
Scale
Shall we draw the plan of our school building? First we have to measure
the length and breadth of the building using a measuring tape. Assume
that the length is 30 metres and breadth is 10 metres. Can you draw a
plan of the school using these measurements? Let us do this in the
following steps.
Step 1
Try to draw the length and breadth of the building as such on a paper.
You will find that it is not possible.
Step 2
Shall we draw 30 metres as 30 centimetres? Now it is possible to draw
this on a large sheet of paper. If we adopt this method, what would be
the breadth of the building when scaled in centimetres? You must have
understood that it is to be 10 centimetres.
Step 3
Draw the length and breadth of the building.

10 cm

30 cm

You have selected the ratio of one centimetre to each metre. Scale is the
technique that we have adopted to draw length and breadth
conveniently. Here, length and breadth are represented on a scale of 1
cm to 1 metre. Scale is the relative distance used to represent the distance
between two places on the earth. Scale should be maintained while

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preparing maps. Through this, large areas can be drawn on a paper
with accuracy. Moreover, scale can be used to measure the actual
distance between places on a map.

Different maps with different scales

Scale can be depicted in three ways: Statement method, representative
fraction method and graphical method.
Statement method - Example: 1 cm to 10 km
Representative Fraction method - Example: 1 : 10,00,000
Graphical Scale - Example:
KM KM
10 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Direction
Direction is another major element of a map. North, South, East and
West are the four major directions. Magnetic compass (Fig. 6.2) is an
instrument to find out directions. Major directions can be divided into
four subdivisions as North-East, South-East, South-West, North-West.
Observe the following figure (Fig. 6.3) and identify them.

Magnetic Compass Directions

(Fig. 6.2) (Fig. 6.3)

Directions are essential to understand the exact location of places on a

map.
Latitudes and Longitudes
Observe Figure 6.4. Have you seen the lines drawn lengthwise and
breadthwise? Examine the globes and maps in the social science lab.
Are you able to see such lines on it? Such lines drawn horizontally

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 across the globe and maps are
called the latitudes. They are shown Imaginary circles drawn parallel to
the Equator are called latitudes.
in degrees. The horizontal line
drawn exactly at the centre of the
globe is the equator. It is the 00 latitude. Latitudes are marked North
and South of the equator up to 900. 900 North latitude is known as the
North Pole and 900 South latitude is known as the South Pole.

North Pole

Latitudes
Longitudes

Equator

South Pole Fig. 6.4

Observe the globe and identify major latitudes and their values in
degrees.
Have you noticed the lines drawn Imaginary semicircle that join
perpendicular to latitudes and North and South Poles are called
joining the North and the South longitudes.
Poles? These lines are called
longitudes. They are also shown in
degrees.
Observe the globe and identify the major longitudes such as 00 and
1800.
A place on maps and globe is located on the basis of latitudes and
longitudes.
Observe the world map and a globe and identify the latitudes and
longitudes between which India is located.

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 Conventional Signs and Symbols
Features of the Earth's surface like mountains, plateaus, plains, water
bodies, routes, settlements, agricultural lands etc. are depicted on maps
using internationally accepted colours, signs and symbols.
Observe the maps in your social science lab and identify the colours
and signs used.
Index
Index is the key to map reading. Index represents the colours and signs
on a map. Characteristics of a map is understood using the index.
Analyse the index of maps in your social science lab and understand its
features.
Maps prepared using the above elements are accurate and clear.
We have discussed in this chapter the history of maps, its uses and
essential elements. You can utilize this information in your day-to-day
life.

• Maps have great importance in the modern era.

• Various types of maps are used in different fields.
• Map-making has reached the present stage after passing through
various stages of development. The history of map making is as old
as civilization.
• Title, scale, direction, latitudes and longitudes, conventional signs
and symbols and index are the essential elements of a map.
KT 17-6/Soc. Sience 7(E) (Vol-I)

• Finds out the history of maps and the importance of maps.

• Identifies and differentiate the features of sketch, plan and map.

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 • Prepares the sketch and plan of his/her locality based on the
knowledge acquired in the classroom.
• Explains the essential elements of maps.

1. Students and teachers are not the only persons who make use of
maps. Justify the statement.
2. Explain the essential elements of a map.
3. Differentiate between a sketch and a plan.
4. The scale of a map is 1 cm to 15 km. Assume the distance between
two places on the map is 10 cm. Find out the actual distance between
these two places on the earth.

1. Given below is the description of the ward, where Ramu's house is

situated. Based on the information, prepare a plan of the locality.
• Length of the ward is 7 kilometres and the breadth is 4 kilometres.
• A small river flows from North to South through this ward.
• There is a large agricultural land on the West and the North West of
the region.
• Settlement that includes Ramu's house is situated in between the
agricultural land and the river.
• There is a metalled road parallel to the river from the settlement
where Ramu lives.
• On the South West of this ward, a temple and a well nearby could
be seen.

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 Make use of the colours and signs given below:

Settlements
Metalled road

River

Temple
Well
Yellow colour Agricultural land

2. Draw an outline map of India on a chart paper, mark the directions

and exhibit it in your classroom.

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 This incident took place about 4500 million years ago… A part of the Sun got
separated and exploded. The resultant pieces of the explosion became eight planets
including the Earth and their satellites. Due to the continuous boiling, heavier
materials were concentrated around the centre of the Earth and lighter materials
got themselves arranged above this layer. The gases that emanated gradually
formed an outer layer enveloping the Earth. This process continued for millions of
years. Still the earth's surface remained very hot.
Water vapour and other gases came out from the interior of the earth through
continuous and extensive volcanic eruptions. This water vapour cooled down to
form clouds and led to rains that lasted for many years. Low lying areas on the
surface of the Earth were flooded. Thus oceans were formed. It took several
thousands of years for any form of life to appear on Earth. Gradually thousands of
species of plants and animals that we see today evolved and finally the human
beings.

72 Fig. 7.1
Social Science VII
You have now read the scientific explanation regarding the evolution of land,
water, air and life forms on the Earth. Earth's lithosphere, atmosphere and
hydrosphere are the basis for the existence of biosphere. Don't you wish to know
more about these spheres?
Lithosphere
Huge mountains, broad plateaus, expansive plains, coastal areas, deserts, islands
and various landforms under oceans… Earth's surface is very much diverse! This
solid portion of the earth which contains all the landforms, rocks and soil is called
the lithosphere. The highest peak, Mt. Everest and the deepest trench, the
Challenger Deep of Pacific Ocean are all parts of the lithosphere.
Let us examine the major landforms of lithosphere. (Fig. 7.2)
Major Landforms

Mountains Plateaus

Landforms having an altitude of more than Landforms with almost flat top and which
900 metres above the mean sea level and with stands at a comparatively higher elevation
steep slopes than the surroundings

Plains

Comparatively low lying and expansive landforms

Fig. 7.2
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Social Science VII
 Mountains, plains, trenches and volcanoes, as seen on the land, are also found
under the oceans.
Observe Figure 7.3.

Fig. 7.3

The examples given above shows how the lithosphere is useful to man. Will
you find out other uses of the lithosphere?
You have now understood that the lithosphere is made up of rocks and soil.
Soil is essential for the survival of man, plants and animals.
Knowing the soil
Rocks exposed to sunlight, rain and snow for many years begin to disintegrate.
Sometimes chemical changes also occur in them. When the dead remains of
plants and animals decay, it adds humus content to the soil. Soil is formed
through such processes that take place constantly over thousands of years. It
contains a fixed amount of water, air, humus and micro organisms. Soil often
loses its fertility because of man's unscrupulous activities.

74
Social Science
science VII
VII
Can you name a few activities that adversely affect soil fertility?
• Excessive use of fertilizers.
• Excessive use of pesticides.
•
Invite the agricultural officer of your locality to your school. Ask him your
doubts about soil conservation. Questions for this can be discussed and
prepared in the class.
Soil, which is formed due to hundreds
of years of activities, is either lost or
destroyed due to man's indiscrete It takes more than one thousand
actions. They affect not just the soil but years to form one inch of soil.
also the lithosphere. Some examples
are given below.
The Disappearing Paddy Fields
Vast paddy fields were once Kerala's unique feature. But now our paddy field
and other wetlands undergo reclamation by being filled up with soil for
human purposes. By doing this we are causing permanent damage to these
natural sites of rain water percolation. In some places the clay in the paddy
fields are mined and baked in the kilns for making bricks. Clay stores water
in paddy fields. If there is no clay there will be no paddy field.
In some places the sand below the clay is mined after removing the clay from
the paddy field.
Sand Mining in Rivers
The water level of many of our rivers, which were once rich, drops drastically
after the rainy season. This is
because of the increase in the
depth of river bed due to sand
mining from rivers. It also leads
to lowering of the water level in
the nearby wells and ultimately
to water scarcity. Many rivers,
due to the increase in depth, have
almost reached the bedrock level. Fig. 7.4
This leads to bank shelving. Man
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Social Science VII
 extensively shelves river banks for sand. Shelving of fertile banks results in
loss of life and property.

Destruction of Hills

Travelling Hills
Earlier Keralites used to see lorries climbing the hills. But now hills
travelling on lorries have become a common sight! With the wide
spread use of powerful land excavating machines, our hills are
literally being transported by lorries in no time.

Destruction of hills is common in

Kerala now. Hills are nature's
water reservoirs. How will hill
mining affect the water
availability? Discuss.
Unscientific construction activities
in steep slopes increase the
possibility of landslides.
What are the other activities that
destroy soil?
Fig. 7.5
• Deforestation Destruction of hills and unscientific construction
• Unscientific agricultural activities

practices
•
Do such activities happen in your locality or near your school? If yes, visit
that place with your teacher. Prepare a report of your visit.
Seeking Alternatives
Natural resources are for our use. But their unrestrained exploitation will

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lead to imbalance in nature. It is essential to find alternatives to reduce the
damages caused to nature by the over exploitation of resources.
Technology of making bricks out of waste from clay factories and plastics is
available now. It could be used as an alternative to bricks made from the top
soil of paddy fields. Don't you think it would be helpful to reduce
environmental pollution as well? Why can't we use such models?
Use of rock debris for construction purposes instead of river sand is
noteworthy. It is proven that rock debris is as strong and as durable as river
sand.
Is it not necessary to find an alternative to rock as a construction material?
Uncontrolled exploitation of lithosphere is detrimental to the very existence
of life on earth.
Hydrosphere
You have already understood that two thirds of the surface of the earth is
water. Water, in liquid state, is found in oceans, rivers, lakes and streams, on
the earth's surface and below it as well. While water is found in solid state in
polar regions and atop high mountains, it exists as water vapour and water
droplets in the atmosphere. Water found on the earth in the said forms is
called the hydrosphere.
Precious Fresh Water
Fresh water is integral to the existence of life. Even though two thirds of the
surface of the earth is water, only three percentage of it is fresh water. Do
you know that less than one
percentage of fresh water is
available for human
consumption? This scarce
quantity of water is obtained
from rivers, ponds, lakes, wells
etc. Rest of the water is found in
solid state in polar regions and
atop mountains. (Fig. 7.6). Fig. 7.6

There are many limitations in using underground water.

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 Water Scarcity
You have understood that man's indiscrete interventions on nature leads to
water scarcity. There is already a shortage of fresh water. Man's unscientific
interventions make it all the more scarce.
Are the fresh water sources of your locality being polluted? Don't you want
to know how these are polluted? Let us have a study on that. The project
should include:
• Major sources of fresh water in the
region. The rain water that runs off
• Sources of pollution.
It is estimated that the a major chunk
• Effects of pollution on man and
of rain water falling on the Western
other animals.
Ghats reaches the sea within two days.
• Solutions.
Protection of fresh water sources is highly essential for the existence of all
life forms including man.
Let us create awareness among the public
regarding the need for protecting fresh
water sources. Organize a march on
water conservation under the leadership
of your teacher.
Scientific modes of Water
Management
• Promote terraced farming
Fig. 7.7 Terraced Farming
• Cultivate fruit bearing trees, instead
of crops like coconut and arecnut that have fibrous roots, along the rocky
hill slopes with shallow soil.

Quenching the Thirst of Soil

Most houses have concrete courtyards. Some pave their
courtyards with tiles. They are permanently blocking the
chances of water to percolate underground. Instead of
this, lay rock pieces. Grass can be grown in the spaces
between the rock pieces. It will be pleasing to the eyes
and there will be no hindrance for water to percolate.

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• Instead of concrete, use locally available rocks and wood to create check dam
along hill slopes.
• Construct earthen walls for soil conservation.
• Avoid construction activities and cultivation of crops like tapioca, yam etc.
on steep slopes since these crops require frequent tilling.
• Plant trees on barren land.
• Do not dump household and industrial waste into waterbodies.
• Protect paddy fields, ponds, lakes and river banks from reclamation.
You must be wondering whether the above said activities are possible in our
country. We have before us the example of Ralegansiddhi of Maharashtra, a village
with low rainfall which was made habitable by the activities of villagers.

Success Story of Ralegansidhi

Ralegansidhi is a small village in the Ahmednagar District of
Maharashtra. It has an average annual rainfall of less than 50 cm and
that too is irregular. Ground-water level more than 20 m below the
surface, wells that start drying when the summer begins, severe water
scarcity, high rate of soil erosion, lack of vegetative cover, unstable
agricultural production due to the dependence on rainfall,
unemployment and poverty were the story of Ralegansidhi till 1975.
Sri. Babu Rao Hazare, who retired from military services in 1975,
organised the village youth for the development of Ralegansidhi. He
created public awareness on various agricultural development projects
of the government. He searched for better agricultural practices and
tried discussing them with the villagers.
It was then decided to cultivate onions instead of sugarcane which
require more water. They discouraged the construction of private wells;
instead importance was given to public wells. Today the village has 7
public wells and plenty of water. They have minor irrigation projects
to supply water all over the village. People planted lot of trees
throughout the village.
Soil conservation has become a part of their life. Today the village has
an intermediate college, schools, cooperative societies and other
facilities.
Now, Ralegansidhi is a story of success.

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 Atmosphere
Atmosphere is a layer of air which protects the Earth like a blanket. In addition
to gases like nitrogen and oxygen, atmosphere also contains dust particles
and water vapour. Anything that brings changes to the natural composition
of air is a pollutant. Air is essential for the existence of life on the Earth. From
the diagram given below, understand the different ways by which the
atmosphere is useful to us.

Carbon dioxide required for plants Oxygen

Atmosphere

Protection from harmful ultraviolet Reasons for climatic phenomena

and gamma rays like rain and snow

You have understood the importance of atmosphere. Can you name

some activities of man that lead to air pollution?
• Gases used in refrigerators.
•
Many harmful gases and chemicals reach the atmosphere from industries
and vehicles. Such activities which change the natural composition of the
atmosphere will affect the very existence of man.

Oxygen Parlours!
For many years, this facility has been in existance in Japan. Those who enter this
parlour can breathe clean fresh air. Delhi city has huge machines which pump
fresh air into the atmosphere. Why does the urban administration take such
measures?

Collect information regarding various methods to reduce atmospheric

pollution. Using this information conduct a seminar in the class.

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Biosphere
Biosphere includes all living things on the Earth. Biosphere exists because of
the interaction of lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Observe Fig. 7.9.

Insolation

Atmosphere
Lithosphere

Biosphere

Hydrosphere

Fig. 7.9

The very existence of man, plants and animals is possible because of the
presence of lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. You must have
understood that even small changes in the lithosphere, hydrosphere and
atmosphere will have huge impacts on human life.
Carbon dioxide, water and minerals are essential for the existence of plants.
Among these, carbon dioxide is obtained from the atmosphere, minerals from
the lithosphere and water from the hydrosphere. If any one of these factors
was excluded, would plant life have existed on earth? Is it possible to imagine
a world without plants?
Man's indiscrete actions will have serious impacts on lithosphere,
hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are one such impact. Natural disasters are phenomena that
occur naturally and result in heavy loss to life and property of man.
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 It is always better to take precautionary steps than organizing rescue operations
and rehabilitation after the occurrence of a natural disaster.
Let us take a look at some of the natural disasters that occur in our state and the
measures to be taken on such occasions.

Government Departments and systems for the prevention

and risk reduction of natural disasters
• Kerala Revenue - Disaster Management Department
• State Disaster Management Authority
• Hazard Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Cell
• Land and Disaster Management Institute

Landslide
Landslide is the fast down-slope movement of rocks, soil and mud along the steep
slopes (Fig. 7.10).
When Soil loses its hold...
Amboori in Thiruvananthapuram district
(2001), Venniyani in Idukki district
(2001), Cheeyapara in Kozhikode district
(2013), Pulloorampara in Kozhikode
district (2012)... landslides have become a
common occurrence in the Western Ghats.
Most of these occur as a result of man's
unscientific exploitation of nature.
Fig. 7.10 Landslide
When land slides...
• move to safer places as early as possible
• give priority to small children, aged people and persons with physical disability
during rescue operation.
• give first aid to injured people.
• be cautious of the possibility of recurrence of landslide.
• contact police, ambulance services etc.
• take precautions to avoid electric shock.

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Flood
Surplus water during the monsoons causes overflowing of rivers leading to
floods.
To Tackle floods
• Do not construct houses very close to rivers
• Do not venture into rivers during rainy season.
• Paddy fields are places for percolation of rain water. Avoid reclamation.
• People residing in coastal areas should be more careful during rainy
season. Valuables should be shifted to elevated places.
• Cut off the electric connections if the water level rises.
Negative impact on any one of the three spheres will affect seriously the others
as well. Man's intervention on these spheres should be made very carefully.
Otherwise, this beautiful world with such diverse life forms, would become
uninhabitable. Each one of us should be aware of this.

• Lithosphere is the solid part of the surface of the Earth.

• Atmosphere is the blanket of air that envelopes the Earth.
• Hydrosphere includes the water in oceans, land and atmosphere.
• The existence of biosphere depends on lithosphere, hydrosphere and
atmosphere.
• Man's unscientific activities and interventions affect all the spheres of
Earth.
• Scientific use of natural resources is essential for the sustainability of
life.
• Different measures are available to combat natural disasters.

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 • Describes the existence of biosphere depends on lithosphere, hydrosphere
and atmosphere.
• Finds out the presence and the extent of biosphere.
• Evaluates the delicate balance of nature is the basis of man's existence.
• Develops a positive attitude towards environmental conservation
activities.
• Explains natural disaster management.

• Man's unscientific interventions adversely affect the lithosphere. Explain

with suitable examples.
• Scientific interventions are essential for the existence of a healthy
biosphere. Identify and write down three activities needed for this.
• How are the fresh water sources of your place getting polluted?
• Hydrosphere exists in three forms. Identify where and in what forms do
they exist.
• What are the things that you can do to reduce the air pollution? Prepare
a note.

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