WBBSE 10th Class Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Ideas of History

1. History is a study of the past events and transformations. It is a depiction of what happened in the years since the inception of human race. History is a deep rooted knowledge and study of the past. It takes us closer to the happenings and events the past. We can know about and learn how things have changed ever since, and who were the personalities who had helped to change the scenario. From history, we can learn the types of culture and traditions people followed as well as their way of living. All cultures that we know of today have their roots in the cultures of the past.
2. Historiography is the study of the methodology of historians in developing history. The historiography of a specific theme covers how historians have studied that topic using particular approaches, sources and techniques.
3. Social history is a broad branch of history that studies the daily life and experiences of ordinary people along with their social and economic relationship. It also includes religious and cultural affairs such as literature, education, music, etc.
4. The history of sports can teach us a great deal about social changes as well as the nature of sports itself. Most of the sports played today developed to their present form in the 19th and 20th centuries, though many take their origins from more primitive games and pastimes of ancient people.
   Historiography of sports reveals that there close links between sports and pastimes and in particular, between sports and national consciousness.
5. Food refers to anything that is eaten to provide energy and keep the body healthy. Economic status affects the food habits of the people. All ethnic groups have their own food customs. As cultural groups develop over the ages, they form their own living pattern, which includes food habit. Food patterns are also influenced by religious beliefs. Even the food people eat are dictated by their religious beliefs as well.
6. Historiography of clothing constitutes a large and sophisticated field of research. One should not forget that there is also a history behind the clothes we wear. All societies observe certain rules, and some of these are quite strict about the way in. which men, women and children should dress. These norms came to define the identity of the people. As times change and societies transform, these notions also alter. Modifications in clothing came to reflect these changes. The emergence of the modern world is marked by dramatic changes in clothing among most communities around the world.
7. The transport and communication system helped in the growth of civilization. As India is a country of rivers, many civilizations grew up on the banks of the rivers. The natural means of transport here was boats. The best means of land transport was bullock carts. Even today, bullock carts are used in transporting goods, especially in rural areas. Elephants and horses were used as a means of transportation too. In the mid-twentieth century, there has been a development in the history of the transport system. Nowadays, trains, buses, aeroplanes, and metro rails have replaced the earlier slow moving means of transport. Before the establishment of railways and telegraph, the most important means of communication was Dak Chowki. Nowadays, with scientific innovations like the internet, one can be acquainted with the world within a few minutes.
8. Visual arts (painting and photography) assist in our understanding of historical events. It is one of the important sources of cultural data, stimuli in recording of oral history, and catalyst for promoting an awareness of cultural history. Paintings and photographs give us a well-rounded view of historical events, situations and people.
9. Military history is the historical record of armed conflicts in the history of human race, its effect on the society, economy, culture and international relations. The essential subjects of military history are the causes of the war, military doctrines of the two opposite sides, the policies of the governments for waging a war, the technology, strategy, leadership and tactics used, and how these have gradually changed over time. Military history records the details of the battles and equipment, arms and ammunitions and the aftermath of wars.
10. Women’s history is another important subject for researchers. Women play an important role in the society and in history. Women’s history is not only concerned with the role played by women, but it also includes the history of the growth of women’s rights, the study of individual and groups of women of historical importance and the effects of various historical events on them.
11. Government documents are the primary sources of information for reconstructing the history of India. Government documents include-[i] records of the British officials, [ii] police and intelligence reports, [iii] official letters and correspondence, [iv] history recorded by English officers in the light of their own experiences.
12. Autobiography is an account of a person’s life written by the same person. A memoir is an account written by a public figure on his/her life and experiences. The autobiography of Bipin Chandra Pal- ‘Sattar Batsar’-is a unique composition and evidence of many untraceable occurrences in the country. Sarala Devi Chaudhurani was an educationist and a feminist. We come to know a great deal about her life and contemporary events from her autobiography-‘Jibaner Jharapata’. Rabindranath’s autobiography, ‘Jiban Smriti’, reflects the society in which he was brought up. It has painted an accurate portrait of the society of 1860s and 1870s.
13. Periodicals and newspapers are important sources of information for reconstructing modern Indian history. In this connection, mention may be made of ‘Bangadarshan’ and ‘Somprakash’, which published the wrongs done by the British administration in India and thereby made the people politically conscious.

TOPIC – A

Answer in 7 to 8 sentences

1. Activities of kings: History still continues to discuss wars, conquests, establishment of peace, treaties, rise and fall of dynasties, etc.
2. Discussion about the elite class: The discussion about the aristocrats, landlords, feudal lords, etc., still constitute an important part of historical discussion.
3. Discussion about the common people: Though the lifestyle, food habits, dress, art and culture, sports, environment etc., of the common people was neglected in the earlier times, nowadays these aspects of common life have found much importance.
4. Local history: Nowadays much importance is being given to the study of local and regional history. So the people of all continents, countries, cities and villages have now been included within the purview of history.
5. History of science: The study of history also includes the continuous development of science, technology and medical science since the ancient times.
6. History of women: Though women were much neglected in the earlier times, the modern historians are giving more importance to the study of history of women.

1. Stories of kings and princes: In the earlier times one of the most important topics of discussion was the rise and fall of various dynasties, wars, conquests, success and failures of brave generals and heroes and so on.
2. Story of elite classes: In the last century matters concerning the lifestyle of the nobles, aristocrats, local lords landlords and ruling classes constituted the main subject of discussion.
3. Religious matters: In the earlier century one of the main topics of discussion was the different religious activities of the people.
4. Political events: The various significant political events of the past found a place in the historical discussion in the earlier times. Imperialism, colonialism and the spread of western ideas easily became the topics of discussion.
5. Disasters: The various disasters of the past including flood, drought, earthquake, epidemics and massive loss of lives also came up for historical discussions.

1. View from bottom to top: In new social history, an attempt is being made to view things from bottom to top instead of the other way round. This means, that the society is now viewed more widely on the basis of the role of the lower classes rather than from the viewpoint of the upper classes.
2. Predominance of the larger community: New social history assigns more importance to the wider, common or lower and marginal classes rather than to the handful of aristocrats. The contribution of the larger community in society and culture is more seriously discussed.

1. Role of Annal group: Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre published a journal named ‘Annals of Economic and Social History’ in 1921. This French Annal group played an important role in popularising the study of new social history. Fernand Braudel and Laduree have illuminated on statistics, family, psychology, society, culture and economy of the common people.
2. Role of American historians: Eugene Genovese and Herbert Gutman have discussed about the lifestyle of the labourers, system of slavery and slave society. There is also an evidence of such discussion in the journal ‘Past and Present’.
3. Subaltern studies: This involves the study of lower classes. It has become popular in India and other South Asian countries since 1980s. Historians like Ranajit Guha, Partha Chattopadhyay, Gyanendra Pandey, Shahid Amin, Sumit Sarkar, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Gautam Bhadra and others have elaborately discussed about the lower class society irrespective of caste and religion.

1. The food habits of the people of different regions vary according to the difference in climate.
2. Geographical factors of an area are also responsible for determining the food habits of the people.
3. The easy availability of food items in different regions are also responsible for determining the food habits. For example, in Bengal, owing to the presence of rivers, fish is one of the important items of food.
4. Different types of inventions like invention of fire have also changed the food habits of people of ancient times.
5. Food patterns are influenced by religious beliefs. The food people eat are also dictated by their religious beliefs at times.

1. Man’s urge to live: The struggle of the common people to live on the background of wars and political events is now an important subject of discussion.
2. Picture of common life: Along with the various events concerning the upper classes, the events concerning the lower classes are also being discussed. The role of the common people in the state, society, religion, politics, economy, etc., has become increasingly important.
3. Art and culture: Nowadays, the cultivation of art and culture by the common people is also being simultaneously discussed with the tales of wars carried out by kings and princes. An increasing interest in the society, sports, dress, food habits, visual arts, painting etc., of the common classes is being noticed.
4. Struggle: History also deals with the transformation of the state and society which is the result of the struggle of the common people.
5. Evolution: The various developments in science, technology, religion etc., have been possible due to the efforts of the common people since ages. These topics have also found a significant place in history.

1. Cultivation of music by aristocrats: In the ancient times, the cultivation of music in the royal courts was chiefly associated with the upper classes and the common people were almost detached from it. So, a clear idea can be formed about the caste distinction in a society from the study of the cultivation of music.
2. External influence: The history of music helps us to understand whether the music of a particular community was influenced by that of some other society or community and if so, then what was the extent of such influence. The influence of music also indicates the cultural prosperity of a society or community.
3. Evolution of Indian music: In the earlier ages Indian society was dominated by devotional music but later on due to continuous evolution, massive changes came about in Indian music in the 20th century. In this course of evolution, Rabindrasangeet, Nazrulgeeti, etc., became popular in Bengal.
4. Diversity: Different types of music filled the treasure house of the music of the different communities as a result of continuous evolution and transformation. Nowadays, along with devotional music, folk songs, Rabindrasangeet, Nazrulgeeti as well as film songs, band music, etc., have harmoniously lent a diversity to the storehouse of Bengali music.
5. Study of history of music: Recently, researchers and experts are engaged in detailed study of history of music of different countries. Umesh Joshi, Raj Kumar, Karunamoy Goswami, Sudhir Chakrabarty, Mridulkanti Chakrabarty and others have made considerable contribution in the field of study of history of Indian music.

1. Cultivation of drama in Europe: Though dramatic performances were prevalent in ancient Europe, cultivation of dramatic art in modern sense began in 16th-17th centuries and became popular in 18th-19th centuries. The plays written by Shakespeare, Christopher Marlow, Ben Jonson, John Galsworthy, Bernard Shaw etc., attained immense popularity.
2. Cultivation of drama in Bengal: Modern dramatic art developed in Bengal in the 18th-19th centuries. This art which began in the 18th century developed profusely in the 19th century and is still continuing.  Significant contributions were made by Michael Madhusudan Dutta, Dinabandhu Mitra, Girishchandra Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore, Dwijendralal Roy, Sisir Bhaduri, Sambhu Mitra, Utpal Dutta and others.
3. Reflection of society: The plays belonging to different countries and societies reflect the contemporary events, oppression, tyranny, social discrimination, imperia-lism, nationalism etc. Thus drama can become a mirror to society and also act as a social media.
4. History of drama: In recent times, researchers are seriously engaged in the study of history of drama. Some important works are, ‘Bangiya Natyashalar Itihas’ by Brajendranath Bandopadhyay, ‘Drishya Kavya Parichay’ by Satyajiban Mukhopadhyay, ‘Bangla Natya Sahityer Itihas’ by Asutosh Bhattacharya, ‘Madhyajuger Bangla Natya’ by Selim Al  Deen, ‘Bangladesher Lok Natak : Bishoy O Angik Boichitro’ by Simon Zakaria, ‘National theatre for India’ by Baldoon Dhingra, etc.

1. Architectural construction: In the past it was the kings and wealthy people who showed interest in building structures. In the modern age, apart from the ruling class, common people are also associated with various architectural constructions.
2. Study of history of architecture: The backdrop, style and patronage of various forms of architecture have become important subjects for historical discussions. Recently, the architecture of Europe, India and Bengal have found a prominent place in the study of history.
3. Beginning of historical study of architecture: The study of history of architecture began in India in 19th-20th centuries. Some of the pioneers of this field were Alexander Cunningham, Percy Brown, J Fergusson, Catherine Asher, etc.
4. Study of history of architecture in Bengal: Different researchers have studied the development of the art of architecture in Bengal in different ages. Notable ones among them are George Michell, Amiya Kumar Bandopadhyay, Shamsunnahar Lovely, Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed, etc.

1. Dresses of women and men during a particular period represent the social, economic and cultural condition of the society.
2. Use of special material in clothing reflects the economics of a region or group.
3. The style of dressing of an individual indicates the overall position in the state or the community to which he or she belongs.
4. When two communities or societies come in contact with each other, they are often influenced by the other’s dress. So clothing is an important yardstick to measure the degree of acculturation and assimilation.
5. Dressing up in a certain way could be symbolic of protest. Protesting groups sometimes wear similar clothes to reflect their unity and solidarity. For example, during the freedom movement of India, wearing Khadi clothes became a symbol of protest against the British rule.
6. Clothing can also be used to show uniformity and solidarity. For example, soldiers and students are required to wear similar uniform.
7. The colour of clothes is treated as the symbol of a particular group. For example, while the red colour is associated with left wing, the saffron colour is associated with the right wing.

Short Answer (SA) Type Questions

Answer in 2 to 3 sentences

Very Short Answer (VSA) Type Questions

Answer in one sentence

Fill in the blanks

Multiple Choice Questions

TOPIC – B

Methods of Using Sources of Modern Indian History

Analytical Answer (AA) Type Questions

Answer in 7 to 8 sentences

1. What is the importance of government documents as a source material for the reconstruction of the history of India?

Ans. Government documents are the primary sources of information for reconstructing the history of India. Government documents include-[1] records of the British officials, [2] police and intelligence reports, [3] official letters and correspondence, [4] History recorded by English officers in the light of their own experiences.

India, with its diverse culture and many dialects, posed an administrative challenge for the British. Thus, to ensure smooth administration, the British recorded every aspect of their administration in India. Every administrative decision was recorded and carefully preserved. Every executive, legislative and judicial body had record rooms in which even the smallest records were kept well catalogued. Many of these official documents are now preserved in the National Archives of India at the National Museum, New Delhi. Government museums in Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata also possess original documents of the past like letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. By reading these materials, researchers can trace every important development stage by stage.

It will perhaps not be correct for scholars to assume that the documents and reports contain all relevant information on the subject. Nor will it be proper to accept the facts mentioned in the reports as accurate in all respects. These sources should be checked. There might be biased or exaggerated views. This becomes particularly true when dealing with modern Indian history where the British account is very often vastly different from how Indians of the time have written about it. Thus, all the facts narrated in these documents are not to be accepted on face value but are to be corroborated from other independent sources.

2. How far are autobiographies and memoirs reliable sources of information?

Ans. The life history of an individual, written by himself, is called an autobiography. A memoir is an account of an individual’s life and experience. It is a piece of writing based on the writer’s personal knowledge and experiences.

Autobiographies and memoirs are important sources of information in writing history. These are essential elements in the study of history as well. History is a record of human progress, achievements and endeavours. Hence, without the contribution of personal accounts, the study and analysis of history would be a one dimensional representation of facts. History without personal facts would be tedious and unbalanced.

But autobiographies and memoirs as sources of history have some limitations. Memory and passage of time can distort or omit details. Sometimes the narrative can be too elaborate or might be an exaggerated form of an individual’s contribution. Autobiographies can also add personal insight into an event or modify or distort the truth. Due to this, autobiographies are not totally reliable.

Thus, the wisest way to study history through autobiographies and memoirs is to corroborate the accounts of autobiographies and memoirs with other sources of information. Historians have to juxtapose with other sources to arrive at a better understanding of the facts.

3. Write a note on the autobiography of Bipin Chandra Pal.

Ans. The extremist leader Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932) is called the ‘Father of Revolutionary Thoughts’ in India. His

autobiography ‘Sattar Batsar’, covering the period of 1858 to 1880, is an unfinished work. His work was published serially in ‘Prabasi Patrika’. He has given an account of his childhood days and school life, his education, his journey to Calcutta, his joining of the Brahmo Samaj, his plunging with the independence and Swadeshi movement, his association with the Hindu Mela and Nabagopal Mitra etc. His autobiography furnishes lively pictures of Orissa during 1879. It reflects all spheres of activities of the Orissa and Bengal societies, i.e., art, culture, literature, religion and religious activities, social rights and festivals. His writings reflect the impressions of a young perceptive mind in a transitional period-tremendous political upheaval and unprecedented wide turmoil-that led to total transformation of Indian life and thought. His autobiography is no doubt a unique composition and evidence of many untraceable occurrences of the country.

4. Write a note on the autobiography of Sarala Devi Chaudhurani.

Ans. Sarala Devi Chaudhurani was an educationist and a feminist. She was the daughter of Rabindranath’s elder sister Swarna Kumari Devi. We come to know a great deal about her life and contemporary events from her autobiography ‘Jibaner Jharapata’. She was involved with the Indian National Congress from her college days. The nationalistic Urdu paper, ‘Hindustan’, was edited by her and was thus under the watchful eyes of the British government. She worked for women upliftment and proposed a scheme for the education of women. She also believed in physical prowess and therefore instituted a sports and athletics festival, the ‘Birastami Utsav’. Her Birastami Festival in Calcutta included the worship of the sword as a symbol of bygone heroes. In 1904 she opened a swadeshi shop called ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’. The Indian National Congress gave her a gold medal for her efforts in promoting swadeshi trade. In 1910, she convened the first meeting of the Bharat Stree Mahamandal, the first major Indian Women’s organisation set up by women. In 1930 she opened a school-the Bharat Stree Shiksha Sadan. Sarala Devi Chaudhurani’s memoir of her early life were serialized in the weekly magazine ‘Desh’. Thirty years later, they were put together as ‘Jibaner Jharapata’ (Life’s Fallen Leaves).

5. Write a note on Rabindranath Tagore’s autobiography ‘Jiban Smriti’.

Ans. Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Jiban Smriti’ or ‘Remembrance of Life’ was published in 1912. In this narrative Rabindranath has painted an accurate potrait of the society of 1860s and 1870s. ‘Jiban Smriti’ reflects the society in which he was brought up. He writes that he was brought up under the supervision of the servants. In his memoir, he recalled the rigid customs and norms of the society which was plagued by orthodoxy. He did not write about the contemporary politics, but his writing about ‘Swadeshi’ in the pages of his books is really very interesting.

6. How far are letters important in reconstructing the history of India? Write about Jawaharlal Nehru’s letter to his daughter Indira Gandhi.

Ans. Letters are primary sources of information for reconstructing the history of India. Letters are among the most democratic of historical sources. These are valuable windows of looking into the past. Letters exchanged among different political leaders serve as an important source for writing history. More than any other kind of historical text, letters reveal how people both embraced and resisted the time and place in which they lived. But they have to be always read with care and juxtaposed with evidence taken from other resources.

‘Letters from a Father to His Daughter’ is a collection of 30 letters written by the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru in 1928 to his daughter Indira Gandhi, when she was 10 years old, teaching her about natural history and the story of civilisation. Nehru, as a loving father, tries to answer queries of his 10 year old daughter in a series of letters. In these

series of letters, Nehru tries to make Indira aware of the evolution of earth, its species, evolution of human civilisation and societies. Nehru starts with the very beginning-he talks about how the universe was created and then he slowly moves on to telling the story of evolution and birth of human beings.

7. What part did the Bengali weekly newspaper ‘Somprakash’ play in rousing national consciousness?

Ans. ‘Somprakash’, a Bengali weekly news-paper, was founded in 1858 under the joint efforts of Iswar Chandra Vidysagar and Dwarakanath Bidyabhusan. With its lucid language and fearless criticism ‘Somprakash’ occupies a very important position among the Bengali newpapers. It played an important role as the mouthpiece of the Indian public. It reached out to the common people in distant villages with the clarion call to fight against the British.

1. It was the first Bengali newspaper to indulge in political discussion. Political issues regularly featured in it. It raised its voice against the Vernacular Press Act. It supported the Ilbert Bill and the Factories Act of 1881.
2. It supported the oppressed workers of the indigo plantation as well as the peasants. It strongly criticised the indigo planters and landlords.
3. It also indulged in matters of social issues. It opposed child marriage and Kulinism. Though not clearly in favour of women’s freedom, it supported women’s education and widow remarriage.
4. It was a terror to the British administration and all the drastic press laws were particularly aimed against it. In 1878, when the Viceroy Lord Lytton introduced the Vernacular Press Act especially targeting the Bengali press, Vidyasagar closed down ‘Somprakash’ rather than sign an undertaking about it, agreeing to follow the dictates of the British authorities. Later, when the Act was withdrawn, he resumed the publication of ‘Somprakash’.

8. What is the importance of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s ‘Bangadarshan’?

Ans. ‘Bangadarshan’ was a Bengali literary monthly journal founded by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1872. The importance of this journal may be summed up as follows-

1. ‘Bangadarshan’ brought about a cultural revival in Bengal by stimulating the intellect of the Bengalees. Many of Bankim Chandra’s novels were serialised in this journal. Besides Bankim Chandra, a galaxy of Bengali literary talents like Akshay Chandra Sarkar, Hem Chandra Banerjee, Krishna Kamal Bhattacharjee, Ramdas Sen, Chandranath Sen and others used to contribute articles as they were inspired by the ideals of ‘Bangadarshan’.
2. ‘Bangadarshan’ was a dispenser of knowledge. It published articles on the Puranas, the Vedas, and the Vedanta. It also covered topics on science, philosophy, literature, social science, linguistic, criticisms, etc. When Bankim Chandra started the journal, he wrote a series of Bengali articles on solar eruption, stars, the universe in motion, the moon, as well as on dust, quantity, measures, protoplasm and antiquity of man.
   
3. Besides the readership among Bengali intelligentsia the journal influenced Bengali women too. It became popular and was widely read among the Bengali literate women.
4. ‘Bangadarshan’ was a genesis of nationalism in Bengal. ‘Anandamath’, the political novel, first appeared in a serial form in ‘Bangadarshan’. The book depicts a sannyasi Hindu ascetic army fighting the British soldiers. The book calls for the rise of Hindu nationalism to uproot the foreign British rule and attain self-rule. The famous song ‘Bande Mataram’, which features in this novel, became the national hymn and it inspired Indians to sacrifice their lives for the emancipation of their motherland.

9. What are the uses and abuses of internet in collecting historical information?

Ans. The internet is the world wide web exchanging information and data through telecommunication satellites. It is no doubt indispensible in modern civilization. Nowadays, every person has an easy access to it and one can be acquainted with the world by clicking a button in the computer that connects to the internet. It is so informative that one can avail oneself of the scope of collecting important data for different disciplines and can avail any kind of books that can be found in other parts of the globe. Research students cannot but use the internet for knowledge and various facts. So most of the people use internet which has now become an essential part of our life. At present we do not have to travel from country to country, from one place to another, or spend hours together in libraries searching useful documents or books, as everything can be exchanged through the internet.