CBSE Class 8 Social Science Our Past 3 Important Questions Chapter 3 - Ruling the Countryside - Free PDF Download
FAQs on Important Questions for CBSE Class 8 Social Science Our Past 3 Chapter 3 - Ruling the Countryside
1. What are some expected 3-mark questions from CBSE Class 8 History Chapter 3, Ruling the Countryside?
For the 2025-26 exams, important 3-mark questions for this chapter often focus on the different land revenue systems. Be prepared to explain:
- The main features of the Permanent Settlement.
- The key problems with the Munro (Ryotwari) system.
- The primary differences between the ‘nij’ and ‘ryoti’ systems of indigo cultivation.
- The causes and consequences of the ‘Blue Rebellion’.
2. Explain the main features of the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal.
The Permanent Settlement was introduced by Charles Cornwallis in 1793. Its key features were:
- The land revenue amount was permanently fixed and would not be increased in the future.
- Local rajas and taluqdars were recognised as zamindars, responsible for collecting rent from peasants and paying revenue to the Company.
- The fixed revenue was intended to ensure a regular flow of income for the Company and encourage zamindars to invest in improving the land.
3. Why were the ryots (cultivators) reluctant to grow indigo?
The ryots were reluctant to grow indigo for several crucial reasons:
- Low Price: The price they received for the indigo was extremely low and did not cover the labour and costs involved.
- Loan Cycle: The system of cash advances (loans) from planters often trapped them in a cycle of debt that was impossible to escape.
- Soil Exhaustion: Indigo had deep roots that exhausted the soil's fertility, making it unsuitable for growing rice, which the peasants preferred for their own food.
- Loss of Land: Planters forced ryots to cultivate indigo on their most fertile lands, which they would have otherwise used for rice cultivation.
4. How was the Mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?
The Mahalwari system and Permanent Settlement were fundamentally different in their approach to revenue collection:
- Unit of Assessment: In the Permanent Settlement, revenue was fixed for an individual zamindar's estate. In the Mahalwari system, the revenue was assessed for a village or a group of villages, known as a 'mahal'.
- Revenue Amount: The revenue under the Permanent Settlement was fixed forever. Under the Mahalwari system, the revenue was periodically revised and not fixed permanently.
- Collection Responsibility: In the Permanent Settlement, the zamindar collected the revenue. In the Mahalwari system, the village headman (lambardar) was given the responsibility of collecting revenue from the peasants and paying it to the Company.
5. What problems did the Munro system (Ryotwari system) create for the peasants?
The Munro system, also known as the Ryotwari system, led to significant problems for peasants. The primary issue was that the revenue demand set by the officials was exceptionally high. Peasants were unable to pay this amount, which led to widespread distress. As a result, many ryots fled the countryside, and villages became deserted in many regions because the system was too oppressive to survive under.
6. Describe the two main systems of indigo cultivation: ‘nij’ and ‘ryoti’.
The two main systems of indigo cultivation were:
- Nij System: In this system, the planter produced indigo on lands that he directly controlled. He either bought the land or rented it from other zamindars. The main problem was the difficulty in expanding the area under nij cultivation, as it required large, fertile tracts of land and a massive amount of labour and bullocks, which were often busy on the peasants' own rice fields.
- Ryoti System: Under this system, the planters forced the ryots (cultivators) to sign a contract or an agreement (satta). Those who signed got cash advances at a low rate of interest to produce indigo on at least 25% of their land. The planter provided the seed and the drill, while the cultivators prepared the soil, sowed the seed, and looked after the crop.
7. Why did the East India Company, which was primarily a trading body, shift its focus to administering the countryside?
The East India Company shifted from trade to administration after being appointed the Diwan of Bengal in 1765. As the Diwan, the Company gained control over the vast revenue resources of the province. This was crucial because it needed money to:
- Finance its growing administrative and military expenses in India.
- Pay for the goods it purchased in India for export to England, such as cotton and silk textiles. Before becoming the Diwan, it had to import gold and silver from Britain to buy these goods.
Controlling the countryside's revenue allowed the Company to fund its trade and expansion from India's own resources.
8. What was the 'Blue Rebellion' and what was its immediate impact?
The 'Blue Rebellion' (or Neel Bidroha) was a large-scale peasant uprising that broke out in Bengal in March 1859. Thousands of ryots refused to grow indigo and attacked indigo factories with weapons like bows, arrows, and swords. Women also joined the fight, using household items like pots and pans as weapons. The immediate impact was that the government was forced to intervene. They set up the Indigo Commission to inquire into the system. The Commission found the planters guilty of coercive methods and declared that ryots could not be compelled to grow indigo. This led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal.
9. How did the system of cash advances (loans) for indigo cultivation function as a debt trap for farmers?
The loan system was a vicious cycle designed to trap farmers. Planters offered cash advances to persuade ryots to cultivate indigo. However, the price paid for the produced indigo was so low that it was never enough to cover the initial loan. Once the harvest was delivered, the ryot was given a new loan for the next cycle, with the previous year's outstanding amount carried over. This meant the debt kept increasing, and the farmer was perpetually tied to the planter, unable to stop cultivating indigo or clear the loan.
10. What were the long-term consequences of the Company's land revenue policies on Indian villages, from an exam point of view?
For your exams, it's important to understand that the Company's revenue policies fundamentally changed the Indian village economy. The long-term consequences included:
- Increased Poverty: High and inflexible revenue demands impoverished the peasantry across all systems (Permanent, Ryotwari, Mahalwari).
- Loss of Land: Many peasants and traditional zamindars lost their land due to their inability to pay the high revenue, leading to the rise of new moneylenders and landlords.
- Commercialisation of Agriculture: The focus on cash crops like indigo for revenue often came at the cost of food crop cultivation, affecting local food security.
- Stagnation of Agriculture: Since the revenue demands were so high, peasants had no surplus money to invest in improving agricultural techniques, leading to long-term stagnation.
