Revision Notes for Class 10 Social Science

History Chapter 3 – The Making of a Global World

Globalisation

It is defined as an economic system which is associated with

the free movement of technology, goods, people, and ideas all
across the world. This term is normally used to describe the
rapidly increasing interdependence of the world’s cultures,
populations and their growing economies. This change is
generally brought by cross-trade b/w different countries
across the world.

Globalisation refers to integrating national economies with

global economies. This increases the value of the national
marketplace & also helps the country’s economy to develop in
a better sense and gain recognition. The History of
globalisation is a testament to all the events that have led to
this drastic social and economic change.

First World War

Over 30 nations declared this war between 1914 and 1918. The
majority were on the side of the Allies, including Serbia,
Russia, France, Britain, Italy and the United States. They
were opposed by rivals Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria
and the erstwhile Ottoman Empire, who together called the
Central Powers.

Silk Routes

It was one of the most important routes that linked distant

places across the world in ancient times. These routes existed
before the Christian Era and thrived to their peak until the
th
15 century. These routes were a great example of booming
pre-modern trade & the growing cultural relationships
between distant places across the world. Religious Preachers
across different faiths ranging from Buddhism, and
Christianity to Islam had traveled through these routes.

These silk routes were a great source of trade and culture.

Historians have identified several of these silk routes In
today’s time. These routes are both the land and sea links
which were used for trading or exchanging crucial goods like
textiles & various precious metals.

Conquest, Trade, and Disease

● Conquest between the Portuguese and Spanish and the

colonisation of America was underway during this time.

● The most deadly weapon Spanish conquerors used was

called smallpox germs.
● American original Inhabitants had almost zero immunity
against such diseases.

● America's discovery- the vast fertile lands, minerals, &

crops paved the way for a global change in that time.

● Silver and various other precious metal mines located in

Mexico and Peru boosted Europe's wealth & funded trade with
Asian countries.

● The Indian subcontinent also played a key role in the trade

network. It was known for trading knowledge, goods, customs,
and so on.

Food Travels: Spaghetti and Potato

● Spaghetti and Potato explores the journey of these two

staple foods from their origins to becoming global favourites.

● Spaghetti, originally from Italy, and potatoes, native to the

Americas, have travelled across continents and integrated into
various cuisines around the world.

● This journey highlights how food can transcend geographical

and cultural boundaries, influencing and being influenced by
different culinary traditions.
● The spread of these foods reflects broader trends in global
trade and cultural exchange, showing how local ingredients
can become global staples.

Nineteenth Century

● In the nineteenth century, the sudden population boom in

Great Britain led to an increase in the demand for food
grains.

● Food which was imported into Britain was cheaper than

indigenous produce.

● The corn laws also led to the imposition of restrictions on

the import of corn. British agriculture couldn’t compete with
imports, and huge areas of land were left uncultivated.

● Rapid industrial growth in Britain's shortage of food also led

to additional food imports.

● Food was then transported via ships and railways.

● Other items such as rubber, cotton, and coal were also part
of the import trade.

Late Nineteenth Century

● This part of The Making of a Global World describes the

dark side of globalisation.
● The traders who settled in various parts of the world
started ruling those regions and exploited the people and
resources.

● The Europeans used harsh tactics like heavy taxes and

strict inheritance laws in Africa. This left the Africans with
no choice but to work for the Europeans as labourers.

● Many people from India went to the Caribbean Islands,

Mauritius and Fiji as indentured labourers.

● As the Industrial Revolution happened in England, the

exports of India stopped and imported cheap products from
Britain. The import of raw materials increased, emptying the
riches that India had.

Role of technology

● Significant technological inventions of the 19th- century

were called telegraph, railways, and steamships.

● After the invention of refrigerated ships, animals were

butchered and then shipped to Europe in the form of frozen
meat.

● It affects industries, education, healthcare, and daily

activities by introducing new tools and methods that increase
efficiency and productivity.
● From innovations in transportation to breakthroughs in
digital communication, technology continually transforms how
people work, interact, and solve problems, ultimately shaping
the modern world and its future.

Rinderpest

● Rinderpest is the deadly and rapidly spreading cattle plague

which drastically affected Africa in the 1880s.

● It was carried by an infected cattle which was imported

from British Asia. Indentured Labor Migration from India

● Indentured labour in the real sense referred to a bonded

labourer who was under a strict contract to work for a
particular employer.

● Indian indentured labourers were normally recruited to work

in Guyana, Surinam, Fiji, Mauritius, and the other Caribbean
islands.

● Recruitment was done by deceiving them.

● On arrival, Laborers found out about the actual harsh

working conditions.

● This new form of slavery was abolished in the year 1921.

Inter-War Economic

● Europe was the real epicentre of the First World War.

● The world also experienced economic hardships and political

instability, & these hardships and economic instabilities were
met with the other instabilities which were caused by the
Second World War.

● The First World War also led to the mass production of

tanks, machine guns, chemical weapons, and aircraft.

● Men of the working age were recruited as soldiers from all

across the globe.

Post-War Settlement

● The Post-War Settlement refers to the agreements and

treaties made to deal with the

aftermath of World War I and World War II.

● Following World War I, the Treaty of Versailles imposed

heavy penalties on Germany, which led to economic struggles
and political instability in Europe.

● The League of Nations was formed to prevent future

conflicts but did not succeed. After World War II, the United
Nations was established to promote global peace, and

the Cold War started between the US and the Soviet Union.
● This period also saw many colonies becoming independent.
These developments had a significant effect on global politics,
economics, and international relations.

● To secure a further stable economy, a framework was

decided by the United Nations Monetary and Financial
Conference, which was held at Bretton Woods located in

New Hampshire, US.

● The World Bank and International Monetary Fund(IMF) were

established here.

● The World Bank or the International Bank for

Reconstruction & Development was established for the
post-war era reconstruction.

● The IMF was also founded to handle external surpluses and

the deficits of the member nations.

● IMF and World Bank were famously called Bretton Twins,

and they commenced their operations in the year 1957.

● The system was as per the fixed exchange rates.

Wartime Transformations

● Wartime Transformations refer to the significant changes

that occur in societies during and after major conflicts. During
wartime, nations often experience shifts in their economies,
politics, and social structures.

● For instance, wars can lead to increased industrial

production, changes in government policies, and shifts in
social roles as people mobilise for the war effort.

● After the conflict, these changes can reshape societies, as

seen with new political boundaries, economic adjustments,
and social reforms. These transformations can have lasting
effects on a country's development and its position in the
world.

Great Depression Globally

● It was in the period b/w 1929 to mid-1930s.

● There was a huge global decline in employment, production,

trade, & income.

● The agricultural sector was also adversely affected as well

as the prices.

Agricultural overproduction also had severe consequences.

● Out of the combination of many factors which led to the

great depression, agricultural overproduction & the
disintegration of the US banking system were two of them.
● Withdrawal of US loans also affected multiple countries in a
real sense.

● The US banking system further collapsed during this period,

and many banks went bankrupt here In India.

● The Indian subcontinent was also drastically affected as

well during that time.

● Rates of Indian exports and imports extensively declined as

prices almost fell.

● Bengal jute cultivators were the most affected community

here.

● A shift of population from village to town and cities was

being observed as people migrated to the growing city-side.

Decolonisation and Independence

● Most countries in the Asian & African continents became

independent at the time.

● NAM & the UNO supported their independence.

● Developing Countries also coordinated themselves into a

● G-77 group to demand an NIEO or New International

Economic Order.
● NIEO was a new system which gave the member countries
complete control of their raw materials, national resources, &
indigenously produced goods.

Indian Entrepreneurs Abroad

● Indian Entrepreneurs Abroad refers to the Indian

businesspeople who have started and grown successful
companies outside of India.

● These entrepreneurs often take advantage of global

opportunities, leveraging their skills, resources, and innovation
to establish businesses in various countries.

● Their success can influence international markets,

contribute to economic growth in their new locations, and
create a positive image of Indian business talent globally.

● These entrepreneurs help expand India’s economic footprint

by introducing their products and services to new regions,
fostering cross-cultural business relationships, and driving
global trade.

Food Too Saw New Places

Just like with the movement of people to new places, cultures

and customs reached various new regions. Food too travelled
to many places. The traders, priests or invaders brought with
them the crops of their land to the places they went. The
History Class 10 Chapter 3 notes even mention that
ready-to-eat food such as noodles travelled to other parts of
the world.

Land up for Grabs

● As the transportation system improved, the desire of the

people to find new places increased manifold. People also
looked for more buyers to sell their products.

● Before the Nineteenth century, the Indian Ocean acted as

an important sea route. The Indian subcontinent used this
route for trade.

● After Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492,

Spain and Portugal took the same route with colonisation in
mind.

● This was not just limited to the region of today's United

States. Other North American regions like Mexico and South
American regions like Peru got the attention of these

conquerors.

● The Portuguese brought with them diseases that were

unknown in the region of America till then. So, they did not
have to wield guns or fight with swords to kill the
natives, the diseases did most of the dirty work!

● Before the Nineteenth century, European cities were not so

well while Asian countries like India or China were quite
wealthy.

1) Many of our common foods, such as potatoes, soya,

groundnuts, maize, etc., were only introduced in Europe and
Asia after ________ accidentally discovered the vast
continent that would later become known as the Americas.

a) Christopher Columbus

b) Vasco da Gama

c) Marco Polo

d) None of the above

Answer: Option (a)

2) Precious metals, particularly _______, from mines located

in present-day Peru and Mexico enhanced Europe’s wealth
and financed its trade with Asia.

a) Copper

b) Bauxite

c) Iron Ore

d) Silver
Answer: Option (d)

3) Many expeditions set off in search of El Dorado, the

fabled city of ______.

a) Silver

b) Emerald

c) Diamonds

d) Gold

Answer: Option (d)

4) America’s original inhabitants had no immunity against

diseases that came from Europe. _______, in particular,
proved a deadly killer.

a) Chickenpox

b) Measles

c) Smallpox

d) Filaria

Answer: Option (c)

5) Reduced role of ________ and the rising importance of

the Americas gradually moved the centre of world trade
westwards.

a) China
b) Japan

c) Korea

d) None of the above

Answer: Option (a)

6) Which country passed the ‘Corn Laws’ to restrict the

import of corn?

a) France

b) Great Britain

c) Spain

d) USA

Answer: Option (b)

7) Demand for ______ led to the migration of people to

America and Australia.

a) Capital

b) Raw materials

c) Labour

d) Both (a) and (b)

Answer: Option (c)

8) Between 1820 and 1914, world trade is estimated to have
multiplied 25 to 40 times. Nearly _______ per cent of this
trade comprised ‘primary products’.

a) 10

b) 20

c) 40

d) 60

Answer: Option (d)

9) One of the oldest livestock markets in ________ was at

Smithfield.

a) London

b) Liverpool

c) Manchester

d) Edinburg

Answer: Option (a)

10) Animals were slaughtered for food at the starting point –

in America, Australia or New Zealand, and then transported to
________ as frozen meat, thereby reducing the shipping
costs and reducing meat prices.

a) Asia
b) Europe

c) Africa

d) Middle East

Answer: Option (b)

11) In 1885, the big European powers met in ______ to

complete the carving up of Africa between them.

a) Paris

b) London

c) Berne

d) Berlin

Answer: Option (d)

12) The US also became a colonial power in the late 1890s by

taking over some colonies earlier held by ________.

a) Belgium

b) Portugal

c) Spain

d) France

Answer: Option (c)

13) In Africa, in the 1890s, a fast-spreading disease of
_______ had a terrifying impact on people’s livelihoods and
the local economy.

a) Rinderpest

b) Smallpox

c) Measles

d) Scurvy

Answer: Option (a)

14) Europeans came to _______ hoping to establish

plantations and mines, but they faced the problem of labour
shortage.

a) Africa

b) Asia

c) Middle East

d) South America

Answer: Option (a)

15) Rinderpest arrived in Africa in the late 1880s. It was

carried by infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed
the Italian soldiers invading ______ in East Africa.

a) Kenya
b) Eritrea

c) Ethiopia

d) Sudan

Answer: Option (b)

16) The loss of _______ destroyed African livelihoods.

a) Cattle

b) Human lives

c) Land

d) Forests

Answer: Option (a)

17) The main destinations of Indian indentured migrants were

the _____.

a) Caribbean Islands

b) Fiji

c) Mauritius

d) All of the above

Answer: Option (d)

18) Most Indian indentured workers came from the

present-day regions of ______.
a) Bihar

b) Eastern Uttar Pradesh

c) Central India

d) All of the above

Answer: Option (d)

19) Migrants from ______ went to Ceylon and Malaya.

a) Andhra Pradesh

b) Orissa

c) Tamil Nadu

d) Karnataka

Answer: Option (c)

20) India’s nationalist leaders began opposing the system of

indentured labour migration as abusive and cruel. It was
abolished in ______.

a) 1921

b) 1931

c) 1919

d) 1911

Answer: Option (a)

Q. What lessons were learnt from inter-war economic
experiences by the economists and politicians during the
Second World War? Describe.

Answer:

Economists and politicians learnt two key lessons from

inter-war economic experiences during the Second World War:

An industrial society based on mass production cannot be

sustained without mass consumption. But to ensure mass
consumption, there was a need for high and stable incomes.
Income could be stable if employment was stable. So stable
incomes and employment were needed.

Markets could not guarantee full employment. Therefore,

Government would need to check fluctuations of prices and
provision of employment. Economic stability can be ensured
with the interference of the Government.

The second lesson was a country’s economic links with the

outside world. The goal of full employment could only be
achieved if Government had power to control flow of goods,
capital and labour.
Q. What role did the ‘Silk route’ play in linking distant parts
of the world?

Or, “The silk routes are a good example of vibrant pre-modem

trade and cultural links between distant parts of the world.”
Explain how.

Answer:

The routes on which cargoes carried Chinese silk to the west

were known as ‘Silk routes’.

(i) Historians have discovered several silk routes over land and
by sea, covering vast regions of Asia and connecting Asia with
Europe and North Africa. Even pottery from China, textile and
spices from India and South Asia also travelled the same
route.

(ii) In return, precious metals like gold and silver flowed from
Europe to Asia. The traders along with trading items carried
knowledge, ideas, values, skills, inventions, lifestyles, food
habits, religious beliefs, etc.

(iii) Culturally, Buddhism emerged from Eastern India and

spread in several directions through the silk routes. Thus, silk
route not only played a major role in linking distant parts of
the world, but also promoted pre-modern trade and cultural
links.
Q. ‘Many a times introduction of new crops make the
difference between life and death/ Explain the statement
with the example of introduction of potato crop in Europe.

Answer:

Foods such as potato which were unknown before were only

introduced in Europe and Asia after Christopher Columbus
accidentally discovered the vast continent known as the
Americas.

Sometimes the new crops like potato could make the

difference between life and death. It was with the
introduction of the humble potato that Europe’s poor began
to eat well, eat better and live longer.

Ireland’s poor peasants became so dependent on potatoes

that when the potato crop was destroyed by disease in the
mid-1840s, hundreds of thousands of peasants died of
starvation.

Q. What steps were taken by economists and politicians of

the world to meet the global economic crisis that arose after
World War II?
Answer:

The Second World War caused an immense amount of

economic devastation and social disruption. To preserve
economic stability and full employment in the industrial world
a Conference was held in 1944 at Bretton Woods, USA. The
Bretton Woods Conference established the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (Popularly known as World
Bank) to deal with external surpluses and deficits of its
member nations and to finance post-war reconstruction.

The post-war international economic system is also often

described as the Bretton Woods System. The Bretton Woods
System was based on fixed exchange rates. In this system,
national currencies were pledged to the dollar at a fixed
exchange rate. The dollar itself was anchored to gold at a
fixed price of $35 per ounce of gold.

The IMF and the World Bank were designed to meet the
financial needs of the industrial countries. But as Europe and
Japan rapidly rebuilt their economies, they grew less
dependent on the IMF and the World Bank. Thus from the
late 1950s the Bretton Woods institutions began to shift their
attention more towards developing countries. The developing
countries which were former colonies came under the guidance
of international agencies dominated by the former colonial
powers.