CBSE Class 8 - Our Pasts - Ch3 - Ruling The Country Side (NCERT Solution)

Ruling The Country Side

Nil Darpan - A famous Bengali play written by Dinbandhu Mitra.
The play talks about NilBidroha or The Blue Rebellion or Indigo Revolt

NCERT Chapter Q & A

Q1: Match the following:
(a) ryot (i) village
(b) mahal (ii) peasant
(c) nij (iii) cultivation on ryot’s lands
(d) ryoti (iv) cultivation on planter’s own land

Answer: 
  (a) ryot - peasant
  (b) mahal - village
  (c) nij - cultivation on planter’s own land
  (d) ryoti - cultivation on planter’s own land


Q2: 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 lateeighteenth-century Britain because of __________.
(c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of __________.
(d) The Champaran movement was against __________.

Answer: (a) indigo
  (b) industrialisation which expanded cotton production and created demand for cloth dyes.
  (c) synthetic dyes
  (d) indigo planters


Q3: Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.

Answer:

1.  Permanent Settlement was introduced by Eas India Company in 1793.
2.  By the terms of the settlement, the rajas and taluqdars were recognised as zamindars.
3.  Zamindars would collect rent from the peasants and pay revenue to the Company.
4. It would ensure a regular flow of revenue into the Company’s coffers and encourage the zamindars to invest in improving the land.
5. But this settlement created problems. Zamindars found revenue rates were too high and they found it difficult to pay.

Q4: How was the Mahalwari System different from the Permanent Settlement?

Answer:

	Mahalwari System	Permanent Settlement
1.	Devised by Holt Mackenzie	Introduced by Lord Cornwallis
2.	Introduced in 1822	Introduced in 1793
3.	Alternative to Permanent Settlement	Main objective to have constant land revenue
4.	Village Headmen to collect revenue	Rajas, Taluqdars (called Zamindars) would collect revenue
5.	Revenue amount was not fixed and	Initially revenue amount was fixed be revised periodically

Q5: Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.

Answer:
  (i) Revenue officials fixed too high a revenue demand in order to increase their revenue ncome.
  (ii) Peasants were unable to pay, ryots fled the countryside. Villages became deserted in many regions.


Q6: Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?

Answer: Ryots were reluctant to grow indigo for the following reasons:

1. British officials forced them to sign contract and ryots had to cultivate indigo at least 25% of the area.
2. Price for indigo was very low as compared to other crops.
3. The cycle of loans given to ryots became a vicious circle.
4. Indigo crops exhausted the soil fertility and after its harvest the and could not be sown with rice.
5. Finally this hash system and exploitation by the Company officials resented the peasants and it led to revolt. 

Q7: What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?

Answer:
Resentment grew among Indian peasants and they rebelled against being forced to grow indigo plants. It led to Blue Rebellion in March 1859.  Farmers refused to pay rent to the planters. They attacked the indigo factories with weapons and their womenfolk attacked with pots and pans. The agents of the planters were beaten and farmers who worked for the planters were socially boycotted. The government set up Indigo Commission to enquire into the system of indigo production. The commission also criticised planters for their coercive methods. It collapsed indigo production in Bengal and planters shifted their operation to Bihar.