Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age - NCERT Answers - CBSE Class 8 Social Studies (#cbsenotes)(#eduvictors)

Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age  

NCERT Answers 

Question 1: Fill in the blanks:
(a) The British described the tribal people as _____________.
(b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as ____________.
(c) The tribal chiefs got _________titles in central India under the British land settlements.
(d) Tribals went to work in the ____________ of Assam, and the ___________ in Bihar.

Answer:
(a) The British described the tribal people as uncivilized.
(b) The method of sowing seeds in jhum cultivation is known as broadcasting or scattering.
(c) The tribal chiefs got land titles in central India under the British land settlements.
(d) Tribals went to work in the tea plantations of Assam and the coal mines in Bihar.




Question 2: State whether true or false
(a) Jhum cultivators plough the land and sow seeds.

(b) Cocoons were bought from the Santhals and sold by the traders at five times the purchase price.

(c) Birsa urged his followers to purify themselves, give up drinking liquor and stop believing in witchcraft and sorcery.

(d) The British wanted to preserve the tribal way of life.

Answer:
(a) False
(b) True
(c) True
(d) False


Question 3: What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?

Answer: The shifting cultivators were forced to take up settled cultivation. But the type of land and shortage of water meant they could not produce enough. Many of them had to move on to other areas in search of work when access to the forest was restricted.

Question 4: How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?

Answer: The functions and powers of the tribal chiefs changed considerably under the British rule. They lost much of their administrative power. They were forced to follow the laws made by the British. They had to pay tribute to the British. They were expected to discipline their people on behalf of the British government. Hence, under the colonial rule, they lost the authority they had earlier enjoyed amongst their people and were unable to fulfil their traditional functions.

Question 5: What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?

Answer: There are a number of reasons for the anger of the tribals against the dikus:

(i) The tribals practised shifting cultivation but the British forced them to follow settled agriculture and also introduced land settlements.

(ii) Traders and moneylenders were coming into the forest, wanting to buy forest produce at a very cheap rate, luring them to take out cash loans at high interests etc. So, the tribals considered the traders and moneylenders as evil outsiders.

(iii) Under British rule, the tribal chiefs lost their authorities they had enjoyed earlier amongst their people. They were unable to fulfil their traditional functions.

(iv) The British evacuated them from their own lands, as a result, they became homeless and went in search of work and livelihood.

Question 6: What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?

Answer: Birsa talked about a golden age, an age of truth in which, The tribal sirdars talked of a golden age. This was an age when the Mundas had been free from the oppression of dikus (enemies). They visualized of a time when the ancestral right of the community would be restored. His golden age consisted of a reformed tribal society in which there was no place for vices like liquor, uncleanliness, witchcraft and sorcery, and outside forces like the missionaries, Hindu landlords, moneylenders, traders and the Europeans. The vision of a golden age was like a dream for the tribal people. Hence, this vision appealed to the people of the region.

Question 7: Mention different types of activities of the tribal people.

Answer:
 (i) Some practised jhum cultivation,
 (ii) Some were hunter-gatherers.
 (iii) Some herded animals.


Question 8: Why did the British introduce land settlements?

Answer:  They did so in order to get a regular revenue source for the state.


Question 9: What problem did the British face after they stopped the tribal people from living in forests?

Answer:  They faced the problem of shortage of labour.


Question 10: Who was Birsa?

Answer:  Birsa belonged to a family of Mundas, a tribal group that lived in Chottanagpur.


☛See also:
Our Pasts III - Ch1 - How, When and Where
Out Pasts III - Ch1 - How, When and Where (Assignment)
Our Pasts III - Ch 2 - From Trade to Territory (Q & A)
Our Pasts III - Ch 2 - From Trade to Territory (MCQs)
Ch2 - From Trade To Territory - Colonisation Of India (Timelines)

Our Pasts III - Ch3 - Ruling The Countryside (NCERT Solutions)
Our Pasts - Life in Rural Areas (Q & A)

Our Pasts III - Ch4 - Tribals, Dikus and Vision Of A Golden Age (NCERT Solutions)

Our Pasts III - Ch5 - When People Rebel (1857 and After)
Our Pasts III - Ch5 - When People Rebel (Worksheet)
Our Pasts III - Ch5 - When People Rebel (Assignment Sheet)
Our Pasts III - Ch5 - When People Rebel (1857 and After) - Long Q & A

Our Pasts III - Crafts and Industries (Concept Points)

Our Pasts III - Ch 10 - Colonialism and the City (SQA)