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

Rajasthan Board RBSE Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside Textbook Exercise Questions and Answers.

RBSE Class 8 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 Ruling the Countryside

RBSE Class 8 Social Science Ruling the Countryside InText Questions and Answers

Activity (Page-28)

Questions 1. 
Why do you think Colebrook is concerned with the conditions of the under-ryots in Bengal? Read the preceding pages and suggest possible reasons.
Answer:
1. As the company was appointed as the Diwan of Bengal, the Company became the chief financial administrator of the territory under its control. The Company implemented permanent settlement in Bengal and later mahalwari settlement in some provinces.

2. Due to British policy, tenants started feeling helpless. The powerful ryots or zaminadars leased the land to others and used to collect heavy- rent from them. Sub-tenants or tenants were not in a position to pay the rent raised by the zamindars.

3. If they did not pay the rent, they would lose the land. On the other hand if they were to repay, they had to take a loan.

4. They were not in a position to repay the debt because after paying the rent they did not have enough money to support their family.

5. Similarly, the sub-tenants or tenants were stuck in a never ending cycle of debt. Hence, Colebrook’s concern over the status of tenants or sub-tenants of Bengal is justified. He felt that the policies of the Company were neither in the interest of the landowner and the tenant nor the company itself and all were badly affected by them.

Activity (Page-30)

Question 2.
Imagine that you are a company representative sending a report back to England about the conditions in rural areas under Company rule. What would you write. 
Answer:
Board of Directors East India Company London Sir,In India, with reference to the condition of rural areas under Company rule, I have to say that-

1. The Company has introduced permanent settlement arrangements with the landlords. This will give the Company a regular and fixed land revenue.
2. Landlords have been asked to take care of the interests of tenants and land reforms.
3. The farmers have been instructed to grow the crops that the company requires for its business.
4.  Farmers are being given advance amount to do farming for the country.
5. The farmers are not satisfied with the price of their crops. It is being considered to increase the price of crops.
6. The Company has contracted with the weavers according to which they will sell their garments to the Company at the price mentioned in the contract and not to any other.
7. People are living in a peaceful way in rural areas. The law and order situation is satisfactory. J. McPherson
8. Company Representative (India).

Activity (Page-30)

Question 3.
Imagine you are a witness giving evidence before the Indigo Commission. W.S. Seton Karr asks you “On what condition will ryots grow indigo”? What will your answer be?
Answer:
In response to the above question, my possible answer would be as follows-On present conditions of cultivation of indigo, the ryots will not cultivate indigo under any circumstances. If their interests are taken care of and their following things are accepted, they will probably be ready to cultivate indigo.

1. They should not be forced to cultivate indigo on the entire land, they should also be allowed to grow food crops.
2. They should be land cultivation on ryot's lands 
3. They were asked to collect rent from the peasants and pay revenue to the Company.
4. The amount to be paid by the zamindars was fixed permanently, that is, it was not to be increased ever in future.
5. If any zamindar failed to pay the revenue, lost his zamindari.

RBSE Class 8 Social Science Ruling the Countryside Textbook Questions and Answers

Let’s Recall

Question 1. 
Match the following:

• ryot - village
• mahal - peasant 
• nij - cultivation on ryot’s lands
• ryoti - cultivation on planter’s own land

Answer:

• ryot - peasant
• mahal - village 
• nij - cultivation on planter’s own land 
• ryoti - cultivation on ryot's lands 

Questions 2.
 Fill in the blanks-
(a) Growers of woad in Europe saw .................. as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.
(b) The demand for indigo increased in late-eighteenth-century in British because of .................. .
(c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery' of ..................... .
(d) The Champa ran movement was against ............................ .
Answers :
(a) indigo 
(b) industralisation 
(c) synthetic dyes 
(d) indigo planters.

Let’s Discuss

Questions 3. 
Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.
Answer:
The main features of the Permanent Settlement are as follows-
The rajas and taluqdars were recognised as zamindars. 

Questions 4.
How was the mahalwari system different from the permanent settlement? 
Answer:
The mahalwari system is different from the permanent settlement on the following ways-

1. In the permanent settlement, the revenue was determined on the basis of the quantity and the quality of the individuals land, on the other hand, in the mahalwari system, the revenue was paid by the entire village, which was called Mahal.
2. In the permanent settlement, the land revenue was fixed, which could not be increased even in the future, while in the mahalwari system, the land revenue had to be recalculated from time to time.
3. In the permanent settlement, the responsibility' of collecting land revenue was that of the zamindars, while in mahalwari system, it was the responsibility of the village headman.

Questions 5.
Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.
Answer:
 The two problems with the new Munro system of fixing revenue were-

1. In Munro system it was imagined that the new system would transform the peasants into rich enterprising farmers, but this did not happen.
2. Driven by the desire to increase the income from land, revenue officials fixed too high a revenue demand. Peasants were unable to pay. 

Questions 6.
Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?
Answer:
The ryots were reluctant to grow indigo for the following reasons-

1. The ryots were given advance loans for the cultivation of indigo but were forced to sell their crops at low prices when harvested. He could not repay his loan at this price. As a result, they were trapped in a never-ending debt cycle.
2. Indigo cultivation required the most fertile land. The remaining land was not suitable for growing other crops.
3. They had to cultivate indigo on a certain area of their land. So for other crops, they have only a small area of land. This did not even fulfil their need for food grains.
4. Indigo cultivation required extra hard work and time. As a result, they have a shortage of labour and time for other crops.
5. The cultivation of indigo was used to draw all the strength of the soil. Paddy could not be cultivated thereafter harvesting indigo.

Questions 7. 
What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?
Answer: 
Following circumstances were responsible for the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal-
(1) Planters used to give cash loans at low interest rate to the indigo producing farmers in Bengal. The debt-ridden ryot had to cultivate indigo on at least 25 per cent of his land.

(2) Peasants who were initially tempted by the loans soon realised how harsh the system was. The price they got for the indigo they produced was very low and the cycle of loans never ended.

(3) In March, 1859 thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to grow indigo. As the rebellion spread, ryots refused to pay rents to the planters, and attacked indigo factories armed with swords and spears, bows and arrows. Women turned up to fight with pots, pans and kitchen implements.

(4) Those who worked for the planters were socially boycotted, and the gomasthas—agents of planters-who came to collect rent were beaten up. Ryots swore they would no longer take advances to sow indigo nor be bullied by the planters’ lathiyals-the lathi-wielding strongmen maintained by the planters.

(5) In many villages, headmen who had been forced to sign indigo contracts, mobilised the indigo peasants and fought pitched battles with the lathiyals. In other places even the zamindars went around villages urging the ryots to resist the planters.

(6) The magistrate Ashley Eden issued a notice stating that ryots would not be compelled to accept indigo contracts.

(7) Worried by the rebellion, the government brought in the military to protect the planters from assault, and set up the Indigo Commission to enquire into the system of indigo production. 

The Commission held the planters guilty, and criticised them for the coercive methods they used with indigo cultivators. It declared that indigo production was not profitable for ryots. The Commission asked the ryots to fulfil their existing contracts but also told them that they could refuse to produce indigo in future.In this way, after the revolt, indigo production collapsed in Bengal.