Question:
Why did the British want to grow the indigo plant in India?
Answer:
The indigo plant grows primarily in the tropics and this was the primary reason for the British to turn to India for the growth of the indigo plant. By the thirteenth century Indian indigo was being used by cloth manufacturers in Italy France and Britain to dye cloth.
The demand for Indian indigo grew, as European cloth manufacturers wanted only Indian Indigo as it produced a rich blue colour. Due to this demand the price of Indian indigo rose in the European market and mediated the British to grow more indigo in the Indian soil.
Another reason was the industrialisation of Britain as this resulted in the expansion of cotton production creating an enormous new demand for cloth dyes.
Indigo production in other countries began to decline and the demand for Indian Indigo increased in European countries. This demand made the East India Company to expand the area under indigo cultivation.
How, When and Where
Q 1.
Give a brief description of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Q 2.
What was the result of the competition between the trading companies from different European countries?
Q 3.
Why did James Mill divide his book, The History of British India’ into the Hindu, Muslim and British
Q 4.
What did Nana Saheb want of the British?
Q 6.
Trace the rebellion from Meerut to Delhi.
Q 7.
When did the Blue rebellion break-out?
Q 8.
What were the activities of the Tribals?
Q 9.
What were the commodities that these companies traded in?
Q 10.
Give a brief account of Tantia Tope.
Q 11.
Write a short note on the Santhals of Jharkhand.
Q 12.
Write a short note on shifting cultivation.
Q 13.
Describe a colonial bungalow during the early 20th century.
Q 14.
Give a brief description of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
Q 15.
What were the reforms introduced by the British?
Q 16.
Give a brief description of Kingsway.
Q 17.
What were to the two major systems of indigo cultivation in India?
Q 18.
Why is it important to have dates or time frames while writing History?
Q 19.
Apart from official records what are the other sources of information that is available to historians?
Q 20.
What did the British do to demolish Delhis past?
Q 21.
When and between whom did the 3rd Battle of Panipat take place?
Q 22.
Who wrote the book The History of British India?
Q 23.
Explain the system of subsidiary alliance.
Q 24.
Write a short note on the Santhals of Jharkhand.
Q 25.
Why did the British dislike shifting cultivators?
Q 26.
What is the problem with the periodisation of Indian history that James Mill offers?
Q 27.
Who wrote the book The History of British India?
Q 28.
What were the commodities that these companies traded in?
Q 29.
Give a brief note on the Battle of Plassey.
Q 30.
Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.
Q 31.
What were the main features of the Nij system of cultivation?
Q 32.
How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?
Q 33.
What did Nana Saheb want of the British?
Q 34.
What were the reforms introduced by the British?
Q 35.
Give a brief description of Shahjahanabad.
Q 36.
In 1911 a grand Durbar was held by the British in Delhi, why?
Q 37.
What was the incidence that triggered the mutiny?
Q 38.
What are Reserved forests?
Q 39.
Give a brief description of the ryotwari system.
Q 40.
What were the main features of the Nij system of cultivation?
Q 41.
Give a brief description of the method of producing indigo dye?
Q 42.
What was the result of the competition between the trading companies from different European countries?
Q 43.
Mention a few other events, which if recorded, will make history more interesting to everyone.
Q 44.
How were records preserved during the British rule?
Q 45.
How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police reports?
Q 46.
Mention a few other events, which if recorded, will make history more interesting to everyone.
Q 47.
Apart from official records what are the other sources of information that is available to historians?
Q 48.
What attracted European trading companies to India?
Q 49.
What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company?
Q 50.
How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?
