THE MODERN SCHOOL,

ECNCR DELHI
SESSION 2024- 25
CLASS – S3
SUBJECT – SOCIAL SCIENCE (History)
Back Exercises

1.Why were people dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880?

Sol. The people were dissatisfied with British rule in the 1870s and 1880s due to following
reasons:

i. The Arms Act was passed in 1878 which disallowed Indians from possessing arms.
ii. The Vernacular Press Act was also passed in 1878. The act empowered the
government to confiscate the assets of the newspaper including their printing
presses if the newspaper published anything objectionable.
iii. The government tried to introduce Ilbert Bill was in 1883. This made provisions for
a trial of British or European persons by Indians. Thus, the sought equality between
British and Indian judges in the country.

2.Who did the Indian National Congress wish to speak for?

Sol. The Indian National Congress wished to speak for the people of India belonging to different
communities.

3.What economic impact did the first World War have on India?

Sol. In India, the First World War hugely impacted the economic situation in the following
ways:

i. As a result of the war, the defence expenditures of the Government of India rose.
The government increased taxes on individual incomes and business profits to meet
the war expenses.
ii. Many goods and articles began to supply to the war zones which led to an acute rise
in prices of the commodities. This created many difficulties for the common people.
iii. Indians were dragged into the war and resources were badly exploited by the
British.
iv. Business groups reaped fabulous profits from the war as war created demand for
industrial goods like jute, bags, cloth, rails, etc. and caused a decline of imports
from other countries into India.

4.What did the Muslim League resolution of 1940 ask for?

Sol. The Muslim League resolution of 1940 asked for a separate homeland for the Muslims in
the north-western and eastern areas of India. The resolution did not mention partition or
Pakistan.

5.Who were the Moderates? How did they propose the struggle against British rule?

Sol. i. In the first twenty years of its existence, the Congress was “moderate” in its
objectives and methods. The Congress leaders of this period were called the
Moderates.
ii. They proposed to struggle against British rule in non-violent manner which the
radicals called “politics of petitions”. They wanted to develop public awareness
about the unjust nature of British rule.
iii. They believed in goodness and justice of the British and believed in making appeals
to the British through speeches and articles.
iv. The moderate leaders wanted to develop public awareness about the unjust nature of
British rule.
v. They published the newspaper, wrote articles and exposed the true nature of the
British to the Indians.
vi. They criticised British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different
parts of the country to mobilise public opinion.
vii. They believed that their moderate demands would be accepted by the colonial rule.

6.How was the politics of the radicals within the Congress different from that of the moderates?

Sol. i) The radicals within Congress were much different from the moderates. They criticised the
Moderates for their ‘politics of prayers’ and emphasised the importance of self-reliance and
constructive work.
ii) They argued that people must rely on their own strength, not on the “good” intentions of
the government (as was the stated policy of the Moderates).
iii) They believed that people must fight for Swaraj. They wanted to explore radical
methods to ensure freedom.

7.Discuss the various forms that the Non-Cooperation Movement took in different parts of India.
How did people understand Gandhi ji?

Sol. During 1921 and 1922, the Non-Cooperation Movement gained momentum:

i. In Kheda, Gujarat, Patidar peasants organised non-violent campaigns against the

high land revenue demand of the British.
ii. In coastal Andhra and interior Tamil Nadu, liquor shops were picketed.
iii. In the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, tribals and poor peasants staged a number
 of ‘forest satyagrahas’ to abolish the forest regulations imposed by the British.
iv. In Sindh, the people supported the demands of the Khilafat Movement.
v. In Bengal, the people showed enormous communal unity during the Khilafat and
Non-Corporation Movement.
vi. In Assam, the labourers of the plantations demanded an increase in their wages.

People thought Gandhiji as a messiah, someone who could help them overcome their
misery and poverty. Peasants believed that he would help them in their fight against
zamindars, while agricultural labourers felt that he would provide them with the land.

8.Why did Gandhiji choose to break the salt law?

Sol. Mahatma Gandhi decided to break the Salt Law because it established the monopoly of the
state on the manufacture and sale of salt. It is also an essential item of our food.

9.Discuss those developments of 1937-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan.

Sol. The development of the 1837-47 period that led to the creation of Pakistan are the following:

i. In 1937, the government announced elections to the provincial legislature. The

Congress was victorious in 7 out of 11 provinces and formed governments in the 7
provisions. This result convinced the Muslim League that Muslims were a minority.
ii. In 1940, the Muslims League passed a resolution demanding 'Independent States' for
Muslims in the North-Western areas of the country.
iii. In 1946, elections to the provision were held. The Congress did well in the 'general
constituencies' at the same time the Muslim League succeeded very well in areas
where seats were reserved for Muslims.

10.Find out how the national movement was organized in your city, district, area or state. Who
participated in it and who led it? What did the movement in your area achieve?

Sol. i) The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was the first Satyagraha movement led by Gandhi in
India and is considered a historically important revolt in the Indian
Independence Movement.
ii) It was a farmer's uprising that took place in Champaran district of Bihar, India, during
the British colonial period. This marked Gandhiji's entry into India's struggle for freedom.
Local leader. An ashram was established by Gandhi established an ashram in Champaran.
iii) A detailed survey and study of the villages were organised where Gandhiji’s
handpicked group of eminent lawyers like Babu Braj Kishore Prasad, Dr Anugrah Narayan
Sinha and Dr.Rajendra Prasad accounted the general state of degenerate living, atrocities
and terrible episodes of sufferings of the indigo farmers.
iv) Ultimately, the system was abolished. Gandhi became the mass leader only after the
Champaran Satyagraha.
11.Find out more about the life and work of any two participants or leaders of the national
movement and write a short essay about them. You may choose a person not mentioned in this
chapter.

Sol. i. Dr. Rajendra Prasad: He started his political career as a social worker. He came
under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi since the Champaran Satyagraha of 1918.
The Jallianwala Bagh atrocities deeply perturbed him. He was sent to jail many
times. He was the most uncontroversial figure in Indian politics. Under his
presidentship, the country made all-round progress.
ii. Sarojini Naidu: Also called the Nightingale of India was a distinguished poet,
renowned freedom fighter and one of the great orators of her time. She presided
over the annual session of Indian National Congress at Kanpur (1925). She was
President of National Women's Conference for many years. She was the first
woman to be appointed in 1947 as the Governor of the United Province (Uttar
Pradesh).