CBSE Class 8

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Chapter 3 Macavity : The Mystery Cat are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Chapter 3 Macavity : The Mystery Cat.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew (Poem) Macavity : The Mystery Cat

STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION

I. Macavity’s a Mystery Cat : he’s called the Hidden
Paw–
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s
despair :
For when they reach the scene of crime—Macavity’s
not there! (Page 50)

हिंदी अनुवाद-मैकाविटी एक रहस्यपूर्ण बिल्ला है। उसे ‘छिपा पंजा’ का दूसरा नाम भी (उसकी रहस्यमयता के कारण) मिला है। वह बड़ा कुशल अपराधी है जो बिना किसी डर के कानून तोड़ता है। उसके काम स्काटलैंड की पुलिस को घबरा देते हैं। उड़न दस्ते ने व्यर्थ ही उसे पकड़ने का प्रयत्न किया है। जब तक वे अपराध-स्थल पर पहुँचते हैं, मैकाविटी गायब हो जाता है।

Paraphrase. Macavity is a mysterious cat. His mystery has given him another name also—’Hidden Paw’. He is an expert criminal who can disobey the law with impunity. His actions puzzle the police of Scotland Yard. The Flying Squad has in vain tried to chase him. By the time they reach the scene of crime, Macavity disappears.

Multiple Choice Questions
1. Macavity is a mystery cat because
(a) he has hidden powers
(b) no-one understands his ways
(c) Scotland Yard is baffled by him
(d) he has a hidden paw.

2. Macavity is never punished because
(a) he disappears into thin air
(b) he has a hidden paw
(c) he is never found at the scene of crime
(d) Scotland Yard does not understand him.

3. Macavity breaks
(a) the pots
(b) the wall
(c) a fakir’s honour
(d) human laws.

4. The adjective from the word mystery is
(a) mysterious
(b) mystic
(c) mystify
(d) mysticism.

Answers
1. (b) no-one understands his ways
2. (c) he is never found at the scene of crime
3. (d) human laws
4. (a) mysterious

II. Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like
Macavity,
He’s broken every human law, he breaks
the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir
stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime
-Macavity’s not there! (Page 50)

हिंदी अनुवाद-मैकाविटी, मैकाविटी ; मैकाविटी जैसा कोई नहीं। उसने सभी मानवीय कानून तोड़ डाले हैं। वह गुरुत्वाकर्षण का नियम तोड़ता है। फकीरों के पास रहस्यपूर्ण शक्तियाँ होती हैं। बिना सहारे हवा में उसके उड़ने की शक्ति किसी फकीर को भी चकित कर देगी और जब तुम अपराध के घटनास्थल पर पहुँचते हो तो मैकाविटी वहाँ नहीं होता है।

Paraphrase. There is no one like Macavity. He has broken all man-made laws. He has broken even the law of gravity. Fakirs have mysterious powers. His floating in the air without support would astonish even a fakir. Above all when you reach the scene of crime, Macavity is nowhere to be seen.

Questions
1. Who is Macavity ?
2. What does Macavity do ?
3. Do people like Macavity ?
4. What does the word ‘levitation’ mean?

Answers
1. Macavity is a cat.
2. Macavity does not follow any human law. He is a criminal.
3. No, the people do not like Macavity.
4. The word ‘levitation’ means “floating in the air’.

III. You may seek him in the basement, you
may look up in the air
But I tell you once and once again,
Macavity’s not there!
Macavity’s a ginger cat, he’s very tall and
thin ;
You would know him if you saw him, for
his eyes are sunken in. (Page 50)

हिंदी अनुवाद -आप मैकाविटी को शायद तहखाने या हवा में तलाश करने का प्रयत्न करें पर वह व्यर्थ होगा। इस प्रकार उसे तलाश करने वाला उसे कहीं नहीं खोज पाएगा-न धरती के नीचे, न ऊपर। मैकाविटी अदरक के रंग वाला बिल्ला है। वह लंबा और पतला है। अगर आप उसे मिलेंगे तो उसकी धंसी हुई आँखों से उसे आसानी से पहचान लोगे।

Paraphrase. You may try to find Macavity in the basement or in the air but in vain. Thus, one who looks for him finds him nowhere—under or over the earth. Macavity is a ginger coloured cat. He is tall and thin. If you meet him, you will easily recognise him because of his deep-set eyes.

Multiple Choice Questions
1. The great difficulty is that Macavity
(a) is easily found
(b) is very difficult to be found
(c) is a ginger cat
(d) is tall and thin.

2. Ginger in the passage is
(a) a thing that Macavity likes
(b) something which resembles Macavity
(c) the colour of Macavity
(d) the breed of Macavity.

3. The poet’s name is
(a) R.N. Tagore
(b) Zulfikar Ghose
(c) William Blake
(d) T.S. Eliot.

4. The word ‘sunken’ in the passage means
(a) deep-set
(b) drowned
(c) floating
(d) attractive.

Answers
1. (b) is very difficult to be found
2. (c) the colour of Macavity
3. (d) T.S. Eliot
4. (a) deep-set

IV. His brow is deeply lined with thought, his
head is highly domed ;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements
like a snake;
And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake. (Pages 50–51)

हिंदी अनुवाद -मैकाविटी का माथा झुर्रियों से भरा है। उससे ऐसा लगता है कि हर समय वह गहरे विचारों में डूबा हुआ है। उसका सिर उसके शरीर पर किसी इमारत के ऊपर लगे गुंबज की तरह ऊँचा है। उसके शरीर की देखभाल ठीक से नहीं की जाती है। अतः उसकी खाल धूल-भरी और मूंछे बिखरी हुई हैं। साँप की तरह वह अपना सिर इधर-उधर हिलाता रहता है। वह सदा सतर्क रहता है। जब वह आपको उनींदा हुआ दिखाई दे तब भी वह पूरी तरह सतर्क होता है।

Paraphrase. Macavity’s forehead is wrinkled. From that he appears lost in deep thinking all the time. His head sits high on his body like the dome on a building. His body is not well looked after. So the skin is dusty and the whiskers are uncombed. He moves his head from side to side like a snake. He is always alert. When you think he is dozing, he is wide awake.

Questions
1. What is the passage about ?
2. What is he doing with his deeply lined brow ?
3. What does the word ‘coat refers to in the passage ?
4. Find word in the passage which is the opposite of ‘heed’.

Answers
1. The passage is about a cat named ‘Macavity.
2. He is thinking of his new criminal act.
3. The word ‘coat refers to the skin.
4. ignore.

V. Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in
the square
But when a crime’s discovered, then Macavity’s not there ! (Page 51)

Paraphrase. Macavity is special. There is no parallel to him. He is a devil in the body of a cat. He is morally corrupt like a monster ! Ordinarily, you may find him anywhere on your way. He may be there in a by-lane or in a square. However, when, his crime is discovered and people look for him, he is nowhere to be found.

Multiple Choice Questions
1. The fiend in feline shape is
(a) Macavity
(b) a dog
(c) a human being
(d) the poet.

2. It is difficult to find Macavity when
(a) he lives in the square
(b) he lives in a by-street
(c) he is a fiend
(d) he commits a crime.

3. Macavity is compared to
(a) man
(b) a dog
(c) a cat
(d) a devil.

4. The word depravity means
(a) deep thought
(b) moral corruption
(c) bad actions
(d) mystery.

Answers
1. (a) Macavity
2. (d) he commits a crime
3. (d) a devil
4. (b) moral corruption

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

WORKING WITH THE POEM (Page 51)

Question. 1.
Read the first stanza and think.
(i) Is Macavity a cat really ?
(ii) If not, who can Macavity be ?

Answer:
(i) Macavity is a cat.
(ii) If not, Macavity can be a thief.

Question. 2.
Complete the following sentences.
(i) A master criminal is one who ___
(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because ___
(iii) ____ because Macavity moves much faster than them.

Answer:
(i) A master criminal is one who is never caught.
(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because with all its might, it is unable to lay its hand upon Macavity.
(iii) Flying Squad is not able to get Macavity because Macavity moves much faster than the Flying Squad.

Question . 3.
“A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through”. (Jules Verne)
Which law is Macavity breaking in the light of the comment above ?

Answer:
The law of gravitation.

Question. 4.
Read stanza 3, and then, describe Macavity in two or three sentences of your own.

Answer:
Macavity is a ginger coloured, very tall and thin cat with sunken eyes and high head. He has a wrinkled forehead, dusty coat and uncombed whiskers. He is always alert and moves his head from side to side like a snake.

Question . 5.
Say ‘False’ or ‘True’ for each of the following statements.
(i) Macavity is not an ordinary cat.
(ii) Macavity cannot do what a fakir can easily do.
(in) Macavity has supernatural powers.
(iv) Macavity is well-dressed, smart and bright.
(v) Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one.

Answer:
(i) True
(ii) False
(iii) False
(iv) False
(v) True.

Question. 6.
Having read the poem, try to guess whether the poet is fond of cats. If so, why does he call Macavity a fiend and monster ?

Answer:
The poet is fond of the cats. That is why, he describes a big cat in such detail. However, for the rats the cat is certainly a fiend and a monster. So the poet gives him those adjectives as well.

Question. 7.
Has the poet used exaggeration for special effect ? Find a few examples of it and read those lines aloud.

Answer:
Yes. The following lines show that:
“He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the
Flying Squad’s despair.”
“His powers of levitation would make a
fakir stare.”
“For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster
of depravity.”

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Chapter 3 Macavity : The Mystery Cat help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem Chapter 3 Macavity : The Mystery Cat, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3 Glimpses of the Past are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English. Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3 Glimpses of the Past.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3 Glimpses of the Past

TEXTUAL EXERCISES

COMPREHENSION CHECK (Page 45)
1. Look at picture 1 and recall the opening lines of the original song in Hindi. Who is the singer ? Who else do you see in this picture ?
2. In picture 2 what do you understand by the Company’s “superior weapons” ?
3. Who is an artisan ? Why do you think the artisans suffered ? (picture 3)
4. Which picture, according to you, reveals the first sparks of the fire of revolt ?

Answers
1. The Hindi song’s opening lines are :

The singer is Lata Mangeshker. Others in the picture are Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Lai Bahadur Shastri and Smt. Indira Gandhi.
In the picture below there are national leaders who worked tirelessly for the Indepen-dence. They are : Rani Laxmi Bai, Sardar Bhagat Singh, Bahadur Shah Jafar, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
2. “Company’s superior weapons” refers to their more efficient guns.
3. An artisan is a person who is skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson. The expert artisans of India worked so well that there was no parallel to their creation. So British goods could not be sold in the country as long as they produced goods. To make them incapable of doing their work, the British cut their thumbs.
4. The first part of picture no. 7 reveals the first sparks of revolt. In it the santhals are seen revolting in 1855. They massacred Europeans and their supporters alike.

WORKING WITH THE TEXT (Page 45)
Answer the following questions.

Question. 1.
Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757 ?

Answer:
Indian princes were indeed short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757. They fought against each other and sought the help of the British. They could not see that this will eventually make the British most powerful. This happened and they had to suffer for their short-sightedness.

Question. 2.
How did the East India Company subdue the Indian princes ?

Answer:
Indian princes fought one another. Very often they sought the help of East India Company to do so. As a result they became weak. The company subdued them all one by one.

Question. 3.
Quote the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same principles.

Answer:
The words of Raja Ram Mohan Roy were : “Cows are of different colours. But the colour of their milk is the same. Different teachers have different opinions but the essence of every religion is the same.”

Question. 4.
In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians ?

Answer:
The British passed a resolution. Under it an Indian could be jailed without trial in a court. British goods were imported into India tax-free. The English prospered on the company’s loot while Indian industries began to die. Even the Governor-General Bentinck reported, “The bones of cotton weavers are bleaching the plains of India.”

Question. 5.
Name these people.
(i) The ruler who fought pitched battles against the British and died fighting.
(ii) The person who wanted to reform the society.
(iii) The person who recommended the introduction of English education in India.
(iv) Two popular leaders who led the revolt (Choices may vary).

Answer:
(i) Tipu Sultan
(ii) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
(iii) Lord Macaulay
(iv) Nana Saheb Peshwa and Kunwar Singh

Question. 6.
Mention the following.
(i) Two examples of social practices prevailing then.
(ii) Two oppressive policies of the British.
(iii) Two ways in which common people suffered.
(iv) Four reasons for the discontent that led to the 1857 War of Independence.

Answer:
(i) Untouchability and child marriage.
(ii) (a) The British passed a resolution under which an Indian could be jailed with-out trial in a court.
(b) The British supported the British industry. To do so they made imports to India tax-free. Consequently Indian industry began to die.
(iii) (a) The British did not care about the needs of Indians.
(b) The farmers were heavily taxed and the thumbs of the artisans were cut.
(iv) (a) Santhals had lost their lands. They became desperate. They revolted and killed the British and their supporters alike.
(b) The white soldiers got huge pay. The Indian soldier was lowly paid. This created discontentment among the soldiers.
(c) Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow was bitter. She had lost her kingdom.
(d) Many landlords were sore. They had lost their lands because of the Britishers’ policies.

WORKING WITH LANGUAGE (Page 45)
In comics what the characters speak is put in bubbles. This is direct narration. When we report what the characters speak, we use the method of indirect narration.
Study these examples.
First farmer : Why are your men taking away the entire crop ?
Second farmer : Your men have taken away everything.
Officer : You are still in arrears. If you don’t pay tax next week. I’ll send you to jail.

• The first farmer asked the officer why his men were taking away the entire crop.
• The second farmer said that their men had taken away everything.
• The officer replied that they were still in arrears and warned them that if they did not pay tax the following week, he (the officer) would send them (the farmers) to jail.

Question 1.
Change the following sentences into indirect speech.
(i) First man : We must educate our brothers.
Second man : And try to improve their material conditions.
Third man : For that we must convey our grievances to the British Parliament.
The first man said that ___
The second man added that ___
The third man suggested that ___

Answer:
The first man said that they must (had to) educate their brothers.
The second man added that they had to try to improve their material conditions also.
The third man suggested that for the education and material conditions of the people they must (had to) convey their grievances to the British Parliament.
(ii) First soldier : The white soldier gets huge pay, mansions and servants.
Second soldier : We get a pittance and slow promotions.
Third soldier : Who are the British to abolish our customs ?
The first soldier said that ___
The second soldier remarked that ___
The third soldier asked ___

Answer:
The first soldier said that the white soldier got huge pay, mansions and servants.
The second soldier remarked that they got a pittance and slow promotions.
The third soldier asked who the Britishers were to abolish their customs.

SPEAKING AND WRITING (Page 46)

Question 1.
Playact the role of farmers who have grievances against the policies of the government. Rewrite their ‘speech bubbles’ in dialogue form first.

Answer:
Speech bubbles
First farmer : “The English are taking all my crops.”
Second farmer : “Even after taking all my crops they say I have arrears to pay. They threaten to send me to jail.”
First farmer : “Our cotton crop was sold at high price. Now the English force us to give it cheap to them.”
Second farmer : “Then the famines have broken our backs.”
First farmer : “Yes, there are no signs of rain this year too.”
Second farmer : “We grow food but we are dying of hunger.”

Question 2.
Look at the pictures.

(i) Ask one another questions about the pictures.

• Where is the fox ?
• What is the fox thinking ?
• What does she want to know ?
• What happens next ?
• Where is the fox now ?
• How did it happen ?
• Who is the visitor ?
• What’s the fox’s reply ?
• Where is the goat ?
• What is the goat thinking ?

(ii) Write the story in your own words. Give it a title.
____________________________________
____________________________________

Answers
(i)

• The fox is in the well.
• It was an accident.
• The fox is thinking of getting out.
• A goat is the visitor.
• She wants to know if the water is sweet.
• The fox replies that it is very sweet indeed.
• The goat jumps into the well.
• Now the goat is in the well.
• The fox is out of the well now.
• The goat is thinking of her mother’s advice.

She had advised her to be careful while taking the advice of strangers.

(ii) The Fox and the Goat
There was a fox in a forest. Accidentally the fox fell into a well. It did not know how to get out. After some time, there came a goat. The goat peeped into the well. She saw the water and the fox. She asked the fox if the water was sweet. The fox replied that it was very sweet. He added that he had drunk too much. The goat expressed a desire to taste it. The fox asked it to jump into the well. The goat did so. All at once the fox jumped on the goat’s back. From there it jumped out of the well. Then the fox said to the goat ‘Come out when you can ?’ The goat now understood that she had been fooled. She remembered her mother’s advice. The mother had told her to be careful while taking the advice of the strangers.

Question 3. Read the following news item.
History becomes fun at this school
Mumbai : Students in the sixth grade of a certain school in Navi Mumbai love their history lessons thanks to a novel teaching aid. It is not surprising given the fact that their study material includes comic books and they use their textbooks for reference to put things into perspective. Besides, students are encouraged to tap other sources of information as well. During History classes, students pore over comic strips of historical periods, enact characters of emperors and tyrants, and have animated discussions on the subject. History has become fun.

In the class students are asked to read the comic strip aloud, after which they break up into groups of four, discuss what they have heard and write a summary. Each group leader reads his group’s summary aloud and the whole class jumps into discussion and debate, adding points, disagreeing and qualifying points of view. A sixth grade student says, ‘It’s a lot of fun because everyone gets a chance to express themselves and the summary takes everyone’s ideas into account.’

According to the school principal the comic strip format and visuals appeal to students. A historian feels that using comics in schools is a great idea. Comics and acting help students understand what characters in the story are actually thinking.
(adapted from The Times of India, New Delhi, October 2007)

Based on this news item, write a paragraph on what you think about this new method of teaching History.

Answer:
There is no doubt that this new method of teaching history is novel and interesting. Moreover, the pictures stay in the mind longer than the words. So it will be very useful if the history is taught through comic strips. There is, however, one snag. At present the syllabus is so huge that it may not be possible to do so. Moreover, many students may spend long time in looking at the pictures. They will have fixed ideas about a historic personality. The pictures may give them the ideas which may not be completely true.

Question 4. Find the chapters in your History book that correspond to the episodes and events described in this comic. Note how the information contained in a few chapters of history has been condensed to a few pages with the help of pictures and the ‘speech bubbles’.

Answer:
Attempt yourself.

Question 5. Create a comic of your own using this story.
Once the Sun and the Wind began to quarrel, each one saying that he was stronger than the other. At last they decided to test each other’s strength. A man with a cloak around his shoulders was passing by. The Wind boasted, ‘Using my strength I can make that man take off the cloak.’ The Sun agreed. The Wind blew hard. The man felt so cold that he clasped his cloak round his body as tightly as possible.

Now it was the turn of the Sun which shone very hot indeed. The man felt so hot that he at once removed the cloak from his body. Seeing the man taking off the cloak, the Wind conceded defeat.

Answer:
Attempt yourself with the help of your art teacher.

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3 Glimpses of the Past help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3 Glimpses of the Past, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 Why Do We Need a Parliament

These Solutions are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science. Here we have given. NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 Why Do We Need a Parliament?

Question 1.
Why do you think the nationalist movement supported the idea that all adults have a right to vote?
Answer:
Under colonial rule, the Indians faced the atrocities of the British government. Indians were forced to agree on many decisions taken by the Britishers. After independence, the national leaders supported the idea that all adults have a right to vote so that every adult can contribute in the formation of the government and all persons would be able to participate in making decisions. It was also important because the government can be formed of people’s choice.

Question 2.
In this 2004, map of Parliamentary constituencies, roughly identify the constituencies in your State. What is the name of the MP from your constituency? How many MPs does your state have? Why are certain constituencies coloured green while others are coloured blue?
Answer:

Question 3.
You have read in Chapter 1 that the ‘Parliamentary form of government’ that exists in India has three tiers. This includes the Parliament (Central Government) and the various State Legislatures (state governments).
Fill in the following table with information on the various representatives from your area:

Answer:
The answer will vary for each state. One example is:

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 Why Do We Need a Parliament? help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science Civics Chapter 3 Why Do We Need a Parliament? drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside

These Solutions are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science.Here we have given NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside

Question 1.
Match the following:

Answer:

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks:

1. Growers of woad in Europe saw Indigo as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.
2. The demand for indigo increased in late eighteenth-century Britain because of industrialization
3. The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of synthetic dyes
4. The Champaran movement was against indigo planters

Question 3.
Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.
Answer:
Main features of the permanent settlements:

1. Permanent Settlements benefited landlords more than the government. The Zamindars and revenue collectors were converted into numerous landlords.
2. They were not only to act as agents of the Government in collecting land revenue from the ryot but also to become the owners of the entire land in their Zamindaris.
3. Their right of ownership was made hereditary and transferable. On the other hand, the cultivators were reduced to the low status of mere tenants and were deprived of long-standing rights to the soil and other customary rights.
4. The Zamindars were to give 10/11th of the rental they derived from the peasantry to the state, keeping the only 1/11th for themselves.
5. If the rental of a Zamindar’s estate increased he would keep the entire amount of the increase. The state would not make any further demand upon him. At the same time, the Zamindar had to pay his revenue rigidly on the due date even if the crop had failed for some reason; otherwise, his lands were to be sold.

Question 4.
How was the Mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?
Answer:
Difference between Mahalwari System and Permanent Settlement:

1. Under the permanent settlement, the revenue rate was fixed Permanently, not to be increased. But in the Mahalwari System, it was decided that the rate of revenue would be revised periodically.
2. Zamindars collected the revenue from peasants in Permanent Settlement and gave a fixed part to the company. In Mahalwari this work was done by village headmen.

Question 5.
Give two problems that arose with the New Munro System of Fixing Revenue.
Answer:

• The ryots were supposed to improve their lands, but they did not. The system supposed peasants to get changed into rich enterprising farmers, but this did not happen.
• The revenue officials fixed too high a revenue demand. Ryots were not able to pay this much revenue.

Question 6.
Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?
Answer:
The reluctance of Ryots to grow Indigo:

1. The planters generally forced the ryots to sign a contract.
2. Cash advances were given at low-interest rates but that loan committed the ryots to cultivate at least 25% of holding with indigo.
3. The planter provided seed, drill, etc. and actual cultivation was done by the cultivator.
4. After the delivery of the harvested crop to the planter, a new loan was given to the ryot.
5. This way the ryot \yas trapped in a cycle of the loan. They realized that they were actually getting a low rate for their hard labour.
6. Planters forced the ryots to grow indigo on the best soils. Whereas the cultivators wanted to use that for rice.

Question 7.
What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?
Answer:

1. The indigo cultivators in Bengal were given loans but for that, they had to grow indigo on at least 25 percent of the area under their holdings.
2. The planters provided only seed and drill. The rest of the works till the crop was harvested, was to be done by the ryots.
3. The price the ryots got for their indigo, was very low. They had to take loans to repay their previous loans. Thus, the cycle of loans was never-ending.
4. The planters usually insisted that indigo should be cultivated on the best soils in which peasants preferred to cultivate rice.
5. The indigo crops exhausted the soil rapidly. After an indigo harvest, the land could not be sown with rice. These were certain circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal.

Question 8.
Find out more about the Champaran movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s role in it.
Answer:
Hints: Discuss the following points:

• The oppressive attitude of the British Government.
• The rebellion of the Ryot peasants.
• Gandhiji’s role in it.

Question 9.
Look into the history of either tea or coffee plantations in India. See how the life of workers in these plantations was similar to or different from that of workers in indigo plantations.
Answer:
Hints: Life in Tea Plantations of Assam:

• Estate owners
• Workers
  (a) Wages (b) Habitation (c) Facilities
• Problems.
  Life in the Indigo Fields
• Cultivators or Zamindars were the owners.
• Generally, cultivators worked in fields themselves.

Objective Type Questions

1. Match the following:

Answer:
(i)   c
(ii)  d
(iii) e
(iv) a
(v)  b
(vi) f

2. State whether True or False:

1. The demand for indigo increased in the late seventeenth century. False 
2. Revenues were fixed in the permanent settlement. True 
3. The company purchased goods in India before 1865 through gold and silver imports. True 
4. Mahalwari system came into existence in 1700. False 
5. The very high rate of revenue was the major problem of the ryotwari system. True 
6. Weekly markets were very flourishing during the economic crisis of Bengal. False 
7. The company introduced the Permanent Settlement in 1793. True

3. Fill in the blanks:

1. Gomasthas were the agents of planters 
2. The Mughal emperor appointed the East India Company as the Diwan of Bengal.
3. The painter was commissioned by Clive to record memorable events of his life.
4. Ryotwari system was also known as Munro System
   
5. Ryoti is cultivation on Ryot’s lands.
6. Bigha is the unit of land measurement by the British in Bengal.

 Multiple Choice Questions

Choose the correct answer:
1. The Champaran movement was against
(a) peasants
(b) East India Company
(c) the oppressive attitude of the planters
(d) none of the above

2. The Company was appointed as the Diwan of Bengal in
(a) 1762
(b) 1763
(c) 1764
(d) 1765

3. Gandhiji visited Champaran
(a) to see the plight of Indigo planters in Champaran
(b) to see the progress of indigo plantation
(c) to see the managing system of the company
(d) none of the above

4. Who devised the new-system of revenue called Mahalwari?
(a) Queen Elizabeth
(b) Holt Mackenzie
(c) Queen Victoria
(d) Gandhiji

5. Growers of woad in Europe saw ……. crop as competition to their earnings.
(a) tea
(b) rubber
(c) indigo
(d) coffee

6. Indigo production came down in Bengal in
(a) 1850
(b) 1852
(c) 1855
(d) 1859

7. Who had developed the Munro system?
(a) Captain Alexander
(b) Holt Mackenzie
(c) Thomas Munro
(d) None of these

8. How much proportion of Indigo was imported from India by Britain in 1810?
(a) 75%
(b) 95%
(c) 90%
(d) 85%

9. Colebrook describes the conditions of the under-tenant farmers in
(a) 1800
(b) 1805
(c) 1806
(d) 1810

10. After harvest, the indigo plant was taken to the …….. in the indigo factory.
(a) dye
(b) vat
(c) farm
(d) machine

11. The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of
(a) synthetic dyes
(b) woad
(c) blue colour
(d) none of these

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside, helps you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 12 India After Independence

These Solutions are part of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science. Here we have given. NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 12 India After Independence

Question 1.
Name three problems that the newly independent nation of India faced.
Answer:

1. As a result of Partition, 8 million refugees had come into the country from what was now Pakistan. These people had to be found homes and jobs.
2. There was the problem of the princely states, almost 500 of them, each ruled by a maharaja or a nawab. Each of whom had to be persuaded to join the new nation.
3. The new nation had also to adopt a political system that would best serve the hopes and expectations of its population.

Question 2.
What was the role of the Planning Commission?
Answer:
Role of Planning Commission

1. Lifting India and Indians out of poverty, and building a modem technical and industrial base were among the major objectives of the new commission.
2. A broad agreement was reached on “mixed economy” model.
3. In mixed economy both the State and the private sector would play important and complementary roles in increasing production and generating jobs.
4. These roles were:
   • Which industries should be initiated by the state.
   • Which industries by the market.
   • How to achieve a balance between the different regions and states.
5. Roles of state and private sectors were to be defined by the Planning Commission.
6. To make 5-year plans.

Question 3.
Fill in the blanks:

1. Subjects that were placed on the Union List were Taxes, defense, and foreign affairs 
2. Subjects on the Concurrent List were forests and agriculture
3. Economic planning by which both the state and the private sector played a role in development was called a mixed economy model.
4. The death of Potti Sriramulu sparked off such violent protests that the government was forced to give in to the demand for the linguistic state of Andhra.

Question 4.
State whether True or False:

1. At independence, the majority of Indians lived in villages. True 
2. The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Congress party. False 
3. In the first national election, only men were allowed to vote. False 
4. The Second Five Year Plan focused on the development of the heavy industry. True

Question 5.
What did Dr. Ambedkar mean when he said that “In politics, we will have equality, and in social and economic life we will have inequality”?
Answer:

1. Dr. Ambedkar pointed out that political democracy had to be accompanied by economic and social democracy.
2. He wanted to say that giving the right to vote would not automatically lead to the removal of other inequalities such as between rich and poor, or between upper and lower castes.
3. He meant that with the new Constitution, India was going to enter into a life of contra¬dictions. In politics, we will be recognizing the principle of one man one vote and one value. While in our social and economic life, we shall, by reason of our social and economic structure, continue to deny the principle of one man one value.

Question 6.
After independence, why was there a reluctance to divide the country into linguistic lines?
Answer:
India got independence at the cost of its division. This division had been done on the basis of religion. As a result of this division, more than a million people had been killed in riots between Hindus and Muslims. In such circumstances, it was not wise to further divide the country on the basis of language. Therefore, both Prime Minister Nehru and Deputy Prime Minister Patel were against the creation of linguistic states.

Question 7.
Give one reason why English continued to be used in India after independence.
Answer:
Since a vast majority of the population of southern India did not speak Hindi but English, they could threaten to separate from India if Hindi was imposed on them.

Question 8.
How was the economic development of India visualized in the early decades after
independence?
Answer:
1. In 1956, the Second Five Year Plan
2. This plan focused strongly on the development of heavy industries like steel, and on the building of large dams.
3. These sectors would be under the control of the State.

• The focus on heavy industry and the effort at state regulation of the economy was to guide economic policy for the next few decades.
• This approach had many strong supporters, but also some vocal critics.

Question 9.
Who was Mira Behn? Find out more about her life and her ideas.
Answer:
(1) Mira Behn was an English women and her original name Was Madelene Slade. She was like a daughter of Bapu and often acted as a bridge between him and the British bureaucracy.
(2)

• Mira Behn (November 22, 1892— July 20, 1982) was the daughter of a British admiral. She left her home in England to live and work with Gandhi.
• She devoted her life to human development, the advancement of Gandhi’s principles, and the freedom struggle in India. She was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1982.

Question 10.
Find out more about the language divisions in Pakistan that led to the creation of the new nation of Bangladesh. How did Bangladesh achieve independence from Pakistan?
Answer:
(1) When the State of Pakistan was formed in 1947, it had two wings, one to the West of India and the other to the East. The two regions were split along cultural, geographical, and linguistic lines. In 1948, the government of Pakistan ordained Urdu as a sole national language which sparked extensive protests among the Bengali-speaking majority of East Pakistan. The Bengali Language Movement of 1952 was the first sign of friction between the two wings of Pakistan. This movement was a political effort in then East Pakistan, which advocated the recognition of the Bengali language as an official language of Pakistan.

(2) Apart from linguistic discrimination, political and economic neglect led to popular agitations against West Pakistan. This led to the war of independence in 1971. With the help of Indian troops in the last few weeks of the war, East Pakistan defeated West Pakistan on December 16, 1971. This resulted in the establishment of Bangladesh. In February 1974, Pakistan also agreed to recognize the independent state of Bangladesh.

Objective Type Questions

1. Match the following:

Answer:
(i)   a
(ii)  e 
(iii) f
(iv) b
(v)  c
(vi) d

2. State whether True or False:

1. At Independence, the majority of Indians lived in cities.  False   
2. The Constituent Assembly was made up of members of the Muslim League.  False   
3. In the first national election, only men of age 30 were allowed to vote.  False   
4. The Second Five Year Plan focuses on the development of agriculture.  False   
5. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution,  True   
6. The Second Five Year Plan was formulated in 1952.  False   
7. The population of India in 1947 was 38 crore.  False   

3. Fill in the blanks:

1. Nathurain Godse assassinated Gandhiji.
2. On 26 January 1950, our Constitution was adopted.

Multiple Choice Questions

Choose the correct answer:
1. How many countries of the world joined the conference of Bandung in Indonesia?
(a) 29 countries
(b) Less than 20 countries
(c) More than 100 countries
(d) 100 countries

2. Dharavi, the largest slum of the world, is situated in
(a) Calcutta
(b) Chennai
(c) Delhi
(d) Mumbai

3. The leader who went on hunger strike for Andhra Pradesh to protect the interest of Telugu speakers is
(a) Chitta Ranjan Das
(b) Potti Sriramulu
(c) Krishna Menon
(d) None of these

4. The Bhilai steel plant was set up in the year
(a) 1950
(b) 1952
(c) 1955
(d) 1959

5. How many Indians formed the Constituent Assembly?
(a) One hundred
(b) Two hundred
(c) Three hundred
(d) Four hundred

6. New state of Andhra Pradesh came into being
(a) on 1 October 1953
(b) on 15 October 1953
(c) on 1 May 1953
(d) on 15 May 1953

7. Mukti Vahini was formed by the Bengali Population under the leadership of
(a) Mira Behn
(b) Muziburr Rehman
(c) Potti Sriramulu
(d) None of these

8. Which is NOT the features of our constitution?
(а) Adoption of Universal Adult Franchise
(b) Preference to Hindu Religion
(c) Equal rights to all citizens
(d) Special privileges for the poorest and most disadvantageous Indians

9. Up to which date was many of the princely states retained as administrative units?
(a) Up to October 15, 1947
(b) Up to October 31, 1947
(c) Up to October 15, 1955
(d) Up to October 31, 1956

10. The United Nations was formed in
(a) 1940
(b) 1945
(c) 1947
(d) 1950

11. India, celebrated its 60^th year of independence
(a) on August 15, 2007
(b) on August 15, 2009
(c) on January 26, 2005
(d) on January 15, 2005

12. Pakistan was divided into two parts because of
(a) the imposition of Persian on the Bengali speaking of the east
(b) the imposition of Islamic language on the Bengali speaking of the east
(c) the imposition of Urdu on Bengali speaking population of the east
(d) none of the above

We hope the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 12 India After Independence, help you. If you have any query regarding NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 12 India After Independence, drop a comment below and we will get back to you at the earliest.