WBBSE 10th Class Social Science Solutions History Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas & Initiatives (From mid-19th Century to the Early 20th Century) : Characteristics and Observations
WBBSE 10th Class Social Science Solutions History Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas & Initiatives (From mid-19th Century to the Early 20th Century) : Characteristics and Observations
West Bengal Board 10th Class Social Science Solutions History Chapter 5 Alternative Ideas & Initiatives (From mid-19th Century to the Early 20th Century) : Characteristics and Observations
WBBSE 10th Class History Solutions
Salient points – At a glance
- The cause of Indian nationalism was largely promoted by the Indian press. The first newspaper in India was started by James Augustus Hicky. To the Serampore Missionary goes the credit of publishing the first Bengali monthly, ‘Digdarshan’.
- In 1818, there appeared ‘Samachar Darpan’ with JC Marshman as its editor. Several other newspapers were published during this period. Among them, mention may be made of ‘Sambad Kaumudi’, ‘Samachar Chandrika’, ”Sambad Prabhakar’, ‘Jnananweshan’, ‘Sambad Bhaskar’, ‘Saptahik Bartabaha’. etc. These newspapers helped in spreading knowledge and awareness among the people.
- During the 18th and 19th century, people of India were largely illiterate. With the introduction of printing of text books, dissemination, of knowledge became easy. The Baptist Mission Press started to print books in Bengali and other provincial languages. In 1800, Lord Wellesley founded the Fort William College to give training to the newly recruited young civilians in India.
- Upendrakishore Raychowdhury was pioneer of the printing industry. He is remembered in India and abroad for the new method he developed for printing both books and photographs in black and white as well as in colour. In 1913, he started one of the best publishing houses at Garpar in North Calcutta. He invented several techniques related to halftone block making.
- During this phase, researches were also carried on in different fields of science. Mahendralal Sircar established the ‘Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science’. In this context, the name ‘Basu Bigyan Mandir’, which is a research institute in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Plant Biology, Bioinformatics, might be mentioned. The ‘University College of Science and Technology’ also deserves to be mentioned here.
- Towards the end of the 19th century, the nationalists felt that since the exisiting system of education was inadequete, the ‘National Educational Institution’ could not meet the educational needs of the society. So the ‘National Council of Education’ was founded with the objective of organising an elaborate system of education on national lines and under national control.
- Another group of educationists set up the ‘Society for Promotion of Technical Education in Bengal’, whose objective was to promote technical education among the masses.
- Rabindranath’s ideas of education materialised through his ashramic school at Santiniketan. Teaching-learning in Santiniketan was conducted under the open sky because Rabindranath himself disliked keeping students confined within four walls of a classroom. Pupils participated in various forms of creative activities and social development schemes for spiritual and social development.
- Rabindranath wanted to harmonise and integrate Eastern and Western cultures at ‘Visva Bharati’. According to him, “the foundation of the relationship in which awaits dissemination all over the world will be established here.” While explaining the aims and functions of the institution, he said that being strongly impressed by need and responsibility, he had formed a nucleus of an International University for the promotion of mutual understanding between the East and the West.
TOPIC – A
Development of Printing Press in Bengal
Explanatory Answer (EA) Type Questions
Answer in 15 to 16 sentences
1. How did printing press flourish in Bengal?
Ans. The newspapers were mainly responsible for the promotion of public opinion among the various sections of the Indian population. The first newspaper in India was started by James Augustus Hicky. Hicky’s newspaper was followed by some other newspapers like ‘The Bengal Hurkaru’, ‘The Calcutta Gazette’, ‘The India Gazette’ etc.
To the Serampore Missionary goes the credit of bringing out the first Bengali monthly, ‘Digdarshan’. It started in April, 1818. A few days later ‘Samachar Darpan’ was published from Serampore Mission. J C Marshman was its editor. In June, 1818, another weekly Bengali paper ‘Bengal Gazette’ started by Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya, made its appearance. Several other papers were published between 1821 and 1851. Among these were ‘Sambad Kaumudi’ (1821) edited by Bhabanicharan Bandyopadhyay, ‘Samachar Chandrika’ (1822) also edited by Bhabanicharan, ‘Sambad Prabhakar’ (1831) started by Iswar Chandra Gupta, Jnananweshan’ (1831), edited by Dakshninarajan Mukhopadhyay,. ‘Sambad Bhaskar’ (1839) run by Gourishankar Tarkabagish, ‘Education Gazette’ and ‘Saptahik Bartabaha’ (1856). These papers helped in spreading news about the events occurring in the country and also helped the formation of public opinion among the masses in the country.
The post-mutiny period saw the publication of several important newspapers both in Bengali and English. Among these the most important were ‘Amrita Bazar Patrika’, ‘Indian Mirror’, ‘Somprakash’. All of these were published from Calcutta. The ‘Hindoo Patriot’ brought to light the various grievances of the ryots and the peasants.
2. What is the contribution of William Carey and Serampore Mission to the spread of education?
Ans. Before the arrival of William Carey and other missionaries, formal education was chiefly confined to the upper classes. Carey came to Bengal and set up a printing press in Serampore. Then under his initiative the Serampore Mission played an important role in the spread of mass education in Bengal.
- 1Establishment of printing press: William Carey set up a printing press in Serampore in 1800. Through this press translations of the Bible, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other Indian literary works as well as various textbooks were published and became available to the students in the rural areas.
- Establishment of schools: In 1818, about 103 primary schools were established in Serampore and adjoining areas which accomodated about 6703 students. Serampore Mission established the first school for girls and thus played an important role in spreading women’s education.
- Establishment of colleges: William Carey and his two associates established a degree college in Serampore in 1818 at their own expense. It was the first degree college in Asia.
- Medium of instruction: Carey had realised that it was necessary to provide education through vernacular medium i.e., Bengali in order to spread mass education in rural Bengal. So he tried to spread education through the medium of Bengali.
- Progressiveness: Carey tried to remove bigotry and superstition from the minds of the students. So he emphasised on teaching subjects like modern literature, science, mathematics, history, philosophy etc., instead of following the old and obsolete method of education. Vishal Mangalwadi, in his book ‘The Legacy of William Carey’, has written that Carey had provided spiritual strength to the people to stand against those priests who had deprived them from the liberty of exploring the truth for their own interest.
3. What do you know about the inventions and introduction of printing press?
Ans. The invention of printing press is one of the most important inventions of all time. Few inventions have had such an impact as the printing press. It is one that ultimately led to our modern world.
- Printing press in China: The first overtures towards printing began around roughly 800 AD in China. Xylography, the art of engraving wood for the purpose of printing, likely originated in Chinese Buddhist temples. The world’s first movable type printing technology for printing book was invented around 1040 AD in China.
- Printing press in Arabian countries: The Battle of Talas took place between China and the Arabian countries in 751 AD. China was defeated by the Arabian countries. After their defeat several, Chinese craftsmen, who could produce paper and who knew the art of printing were taken as prisoners. With them the technique of printing arrived in the Arabian countries.
- Printing press in Europe: The technique of printing arrived in Europe along with the Arabian within 1250-1350 AD. This technique was further modified by Johannes Gutenberg (1400-1468 AD) of Germany. When he invented the modern printing machine, a revolution began in the printing world. Hence he is known as the ‘Father of Printing Press’.
- Printing press in India: In 1556 the Portuguese introduced printing press in India. Later the Christian missionaries played an important role in the development of printing press.
- Printing press in Bengal: Towards the end of 18th century the Portuguese missionaries introduced printing press in Bengal. James Augustus Hickey in 1777 AD and Charles Wilkins in 1778 AD introduced. printing press in Calcutta and Chinsurah respectively. Panchanan Karmakar and Suresh Chandra Mazumdar were the first to type Bengali alphabets.
4. What was the role of Upendrakishore Raychowdhury in the establishment of printing industry in Bengal?
Ans. Upendrakishore Raychowdhury was a pioneer of the printing industry. In the field of publishing, he is remembered in India and abroad for the new method he developed for
printing both black and white and coloured books and photographs with great accuracy and detail. He was the main brain behind the method of halftone block-making. He invented several techniques related to halftone block-making, of which the ‘screen adjusting machine’ deserves special mention. When he saw that for one of his books, ‘Chotoder Ramayan’, the wood cut line block was of poor quality, he decided to import books, chemicals and equipment from Britain to learn the procedure of block-making. His articles about block-making were published of the ‘Penrose Annual Volume’ of Britain. After successfully learning the art, he set up a business for block-making. After fully grasping the art, he decided to start a publishing house of his own. Initially he did not have any printing machine of his own. So he had to print his books in other printing presses. In 1913, he started one of the best publishing houses at Garpar in North Calcutta called U Ray & Sons. He quickly earned. recognition in India and abroad for the new method he developed for printing both black and white and colour photographs with great accuracy. His ‘Tuntunir Boi’, is a classic, still loved and relished in most of the Bengali homes. He did the illustrations of most of his books himself. Upendrakishore Raychowdhury was also a writer, painter, violin player, composer and entrepreneur.
Analytical Answer (AA) Type Questions
Answer in 7 to 8 sentences
1. Who was James Augustus Hicky? Why were several prosecutions instituted against him?
Ans. James Augustus Hicky is called the ‘Father of Indian Journalism’. He was a printer in the East India Company.
Hicky started the first newspaper in India. It was started in 1780 and was published from Calcutta. This paper, called the ‘Bengal Gazette’ or the ‘Original Calcutta General Advertiser’, was popularly known as ‘Hicky’s Gazette’. Its motto was “Weekly political and commercial paper, open to all parties, but influenced by none.”
‘Hicky’s Gazette’ was a medium of exposing scandals among the company’s employees. It exposed the exploitative methods of accumulation of vast wealth by British traders. The life of the European community in Calcutta, their scandals, their duels, were fully exposed in this newspaper. It incurred the displeasure of Warren Hastings and several prosecutions were instituted against Hicky and thus the paper failed to survive.
2. Write a short note on the Fort William College.
Ans. The Fort William College was founded in 1800 by Lord Wellesley to give training to the newly recruited young civilians in India. These young civilians were generally ignorant of Indian affairs. The East India Company’s government felt the need to train administrators in Indian languages and law as well as European literature and philosophy to work efficiently. A number of eminent scholars like Carey, Matthew Lumsden, Mrityunjay Vidyalankar, Tarini Charan Mitra and others contributed towards the development of Indian language and literature. Thousands of books were translated from Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Bengali, Hindi and Urdu in English at this institution. The college employed more than one hundred local linguists to meet its purposes.
3. How did Serampore Mission Press become pioneer in printing press?
Ans. Christian missionaries from Denmark, established several printing press in Serampore, due to various reasons. It added to the pride of the East.
- Establishment of printing press: A Christian missionary, William Carey, established a printing press in Serampore, which was Asia’s largest and one of the best printing presses in the world.
- Release of the translation: Different ancient texts like the Bible, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata etc., were translated and published in several languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Marathi and so on.
- Other works related to printing: Other than translation, academic books for Fort William College, Ramram Bose’s ‘Pratapaditya Charitra’ and several other newspapers were also published from these printing press.
- Imparting education: Under the initiative of William Carey, Joshua Marshman and William Ward, from Serampore mission, mass education flourished. More than 2 lakhs books were published in about 40 languages, in this printing press, within 1801-1832. They played a very important role in spreading eduction about culture and science.
- Privileges to the poor students: Since large number of books were printed from these printing press, they were available to the poor students, at a cheaper price or even free of cost. Thus, they were no longer deprived from gaining knowledge and wisdom.
4. What was the role of Serampore Mission Press in the spread of mass education in Bengal?
Ans. William Carey, an eminent Baptist missionary and linguist, established a printing press in Serampore in 1800. The books printed by this press were available to the common people at low prices and this helped in the spread of mass education in Bengal.
- Translations in Bengali: Various works of translation were published by the Serampore printing press. The most important works were the Bible translated under the supervision of Carey, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata under the initiative of Ramram Basu and Mrityunjay Vidyalankar and Bengali translations of ancient Indian literature.
- Bengali prose: The Serampore Missionary Press played an important role in the development of Bengali prose. The most significant part was played by William Carey, Joshua Marshman and William Ward. Thus Bengali literature could reach the masses smoothly.
- Publication of textbooks: The Serampore Missionary Press published a number of textbooks for the benefit of the students. The Calcutta School Book Society was established in Calcutta in 1817 to make these books cheaply available to the students. In 1818 the Calcutta School Book Society distributed thousands of textbooks published by the Serampore press among the students.
- Spread of mass education: The various translation works, Bengali literary works and textbooks were made cheaply available to the readers and students by the Serampore press. As a result mass education spread all over Bengal.
5. Discuss the foundation and development of modern printing press in Bengal.
Ans. The European Christian missionaries set up modern printing press in Bengal towards the end of 18th century. By the next century, a number of printing press were established in different parts of Bengal.
- Primary initiative: The first printing press was established in Calcutta in 1777 by James Augustus Hicky. In the following year, the East India Company official, Charles Wilkins, established another one at Chinsurah in Hooghly. The East India Company also founded its own press in Calcutta in 1779.
- Subsequent initiatives: The Christian missionaries founded a printing press at Serampore in 1800 which soon turned out to be the largest press in Asia. After that some press were established in Calcutta under foreign initiative.
- Initiative of Bengalis: The first press was established in Calcutta in 1816 under the initiative of Bengalis. The founder was Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya. After that some other Bengalis also came forward to get books and journals published through their own press.
- Press in East Bengal: The first printing press in East Bengal was ‘Barttabaha Jantra’ which was set up in Rangpur in 1847. After that Dacca Press was founded in Dacca in 1856 under the initiative of Alexander Forbes. Another press was established in Dacca in 1860. It was followed by one in Faridpur which published the journal ‘Amrita Bazar Patrika’.
6. What was the role of printing press in importing education in Bengal during the British rule?
Ans. The printing press established in late 18th century, played a major role in imparting education throughout Bengal.
- Academic books: Several academic books of the different schools and colleges were printed in these press. The subjects dealt with in these books included literature, mathematics, science, history, geography, etc. The low prices of these books also ensured that they reached the students in rural areas of Bengal and thus these books gained much popularity.
- Other books: After the establishment of press in Bengal, translations of the Bible, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other ancient texts in Bengali were published. Besides, several research papers were also published. These easily reached the common masses of Bengal.
- Newspapers and and journals: Several newspapers and journals in Bengali and English were published from these printing press. Apart from daily news, several informative articles were also published in these papers.
- New educational institutions: In order to write textbooks for the students, and hand it over to them at low prices or free of cost, the Calcutta School Book Society was set up in 1817. In 1818, after the Calcutta School Society was set up, several schools were established under it. Thus, the education system in Bengal improved.
7. Explain the relation between printed books and the spread of education.
Ans. During the 18th and 19th century people of India were largely illiterate. With the introduction of printed books dissemination of knowledge became easy.
- Printed books were cheaper than hand written books and the public could afford to buy printed books which helped in the dissemination of knowledge.
- The Bible, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other Indian literary works as well as various textbooks were printed and translated in several languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Marathi and so on. These translated books were made available to the people even in the rural areas.
- Newspapers were printed and published, which helped in the dissemination of education among the students and even among the women.
- Cheap printed books were made available to the students which helped in the spread of education among them.
- Literacy spread as more people were able to read in their mother tongue.
8. Discuss the development of modern Bengali script in printing work.
Ans. Towards the end of 18th century the establishment and development of printing press as well as publication of different books in Bengali began under the initiative of Christian missionaries. For this reason, the modern Bengali script emerged and also underwent several modifications.
- Initiative of Charles Wilkins: Charles Wilkins, a Brtish East India Company official, set up a printing press at Chinsurah in Hooghly in 1778. He designed a Bengali script, a style of letters, for the first time with the purpose of printing. However, those letters were quite simple and of inferior quality.
- Initiative of Panchanan Karmakar: Panchanan Karmakar, a skillful goldsmith, designed a more developed set of letters for typing in Bengali. He is called ‘Father of Bengali Typewriting’. Serampore Mission Press used his designs to publish their Bengali books.
- Initiative of Suresh Chandra Majumdar: After Panchanan Karmakar, the letters of Bengali typewriting was further developed by Suresh Chandra Majumdar. He devised a set of letters known as ‘linotype’ which was a highly developed design of letters.
- Initiative of Manohar Karmakar: Panchanan Karmakar had taught his son-in-law Manohar Karmakar the art of making Bengali type. Manohar showed much great skill in this field and developed it further.
9. Why was the Vernacular Press Act introduced? What were its provisions?
Ans. The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878 during the viceroyalty of Lord Lytton. The British rulers in India held vernacular press responsible for spreading critical nationalist spirit among the readers.
Vernacular papers like ‘Yugantar’, ‘Bangabasi’, the ‘Kaal’ and the ‘Kesari’ made criticisms of the moderate programme of prayer, petition and protest. Vernacular press preached the need of active movement in order to obtain freedom from the British. The constant attacks of the native press on government’s policies and actions led Lord Lytton to pass the Vernacular Press Act. The Act was introduced to suppress the growing criticism of the British government. The Vernacular Press Act laid down that the publishers and printers of papers in Indian languages must not publish any matter which may induce the reader to form an anti-British opinion. They were required to give an undertaking that they would not publish any matter that is likely to cause hatred against the British and the law also provided for imposition of heavy fines.
Short Answer (SA) Type Questions
Answer in 2 to 3 sentences
1. When and where was the first printing press of the Portuguese started?
Ans. The first printing press of the Portuguese started in Goa on April 30, 1556.
2. In which year and by whom was Persian Press established?
Ans. Persian Press was established by Matthew Lumsden in 1805.
3. Who established the Sanskrit Press and when?
Ans. Baboo Ram with the help of Colebrooke established the Sanskrit Press in 1807.
4. Who was Baboo Ram?
Ans. Baboo Ram was the teacher of Sanskrit language and literature in Fort William College. He established the Sanskrit Press in 1807.
5. Who wrote ‘Kripa Sastrer Arthaved’ and in which language?
Ans. Manuel da Assumpcao wrote ‘Kripa Sastrer Arthaved’. It was written in Bengali.
6. Who published the ‘Bengal Gazette’ and when?
Ans. James Augustus Hicky published the ‘Bengal Gazette’. It was published on January 29, 1780.
7. Why was ‘Hicky’s Bengal Gazette’ important?
Ans. ‘Hicky’s Bengal Gazette’ was important for various reasons. It was the first major newspaper in India and it also spread patriotism among the people of the nation. Moreover, it was free and independent.
8. Who established the Bengali Gazette Press and when?
Ans. Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya established the Bengali Gazette Press in 1818.
9. Who set up Sanskrit Press and Depository? What was their objective?
Ans. Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar and Madanmohan Tarkalankar set up Sanskrit Press and Depository.
Their objective was to spread education among the masses by publishing their writing and opinion.
10. What role did the hawkers of Battala play in the Bengali press business?
Ans. Battala of Calcutta played an important role in the business of Bengali press. Hawkers were employed to dispatch books published from Battala to distance villages. The hawkers used to sell books in towns and far off villages. Sometimes, instead of taking cash for the books, they took old books in exchange. They sold these books in Calcutta in different printing presses. As the books of Battala were cheap, their market was good.
11. Why did Rammohan Roy fight against Adam’s Press Regulations (1923)?
Ans. Rammohan Roy fought against Adam’s Press Regulation (1923) because there was a clear distinction between the Anglo-Indian and Indian presses. Various restrictions were imposed on the Indian Press while there was no restriction on the Anglo-Indian press.
12. In which year was the Fort William College established and by whom? Which languages were taught there?
Ans. The Fort William College was established in 1800 by Lord Wellesley.
Various languages like Parsee, Bengali and Hindusthani were taught there.
13. What was the role of Panchanan Karmakar in the development of Bengali Press?
Ans. Panchanan Karmakar, a skillful goldsmith, designed and developed a set of letters for typing in Bengali. He is called ‘Father of Bengali Typewriting’. Serampore Mission Press used his designs to publish their Bengali books.
14. Who was Charles Wilkins?
Ans. Charles Wilkins, a British East India Company Official, set up a printing press at Chinsurah in’ Hooghly in 1778. He designed a Bengali script, a style of letters, for the first time with the purpose of printing. However, those letters were quite simple and of inferior quality.
15. What is the importance of the introduction of linotype printing in Bengali?
Ans. Suresh Chandra Majumdar devised a set of letters known as ‘linotype’ which was a highly developed design of letters. It became one of the mainstay methods to set type. Nathaniel Brassey Halhed’s ‘A Grammar of the Bengal Language’ was printed using linotype.
16. What is the importance of Battala Prakashana in the history of Bengali Press?
Ans. Battala Prakashana is situated in the Sovabazar and Chitpur area of Calcutta. It is often considered as the earliest centre of printing and publishing in Calcutta. It began the printing and publication industry in Bengal in the 19th century. Puthi, Panchali, Panjika (Calender) myths and legends were the main publications of Battala. Cheap editions of religious books and scriptures were sold from here.
17. Why was the colonial system of education defective?
Ans. The colonial system of education was defective in the following ways:
- The colonial system of education was confined to a limited section of the Indian society. People who lived in the villages were deprived of the benefit of western education.
- The colonial system of education neglected women’s education and could not attract the muslim community.
- The greatest defect was that it neglected the education of the people at the elementary stage.
18. What was the impact of the development of printing press on the cultural life of Bengal?
Ans. Before the invention of printing press, education was confined to the upper class of the society. But after the development of printing press, printed books were available to the common people at low price. This helped in the spread of mass education in Bengal. Various works of translation were published by the Serampore Press and thus Bengali literature could reach the common people.
19. What was the principal objective of the Christian Missionaries in introducing western education in India?
Ans. The role of the Christian missionaries was very significant in the spread of western education in India. The principal objective of the Christian missionaries in introducing western education was to spread Christianity among the people of India. The missionaries thought that western education would destroy the faith of the Indians in their own religion and lead them to embrace Christianity.
Very Short Answer (VSA) Type Questions
Answer in one sentence.
1. Where was the first printing press established in Bengal?
Ans. In Bengal, the first printing press was established in Hooghly.
2. Who established the first printing press in Hooghly?
Ans. John Andrews established the first printing press in Hooghly.
3. Who was Charles Wilkins?
Ans. Charles Wilkins was a servant of the East India Company.
4. Who established the Hindusthani Press in Calcutta?
Ans. John Gilchrist and William Hunter established the Hindusthani Press in Calcutta.
5. In which year was the Hindusthani Press in Calcutta established?
Ans. Hindusthani Press in Calcutta was established in 1802.
6. Who wrote ‘Brahman Roman Catholic Sambad’?
Ans. Dome Antonio-De Rogerio wrote ‘Brahman Roman Catholic Sambad’.
7 .Name some of the papers published in Bengal at the end of the 18th century.
Ans. Some of the papers published in Bengal at the end of the 18th century were ‘The India Gazette’, ‘The Calcutta Gazette’, ‘The Bengal Hurkaru’, ‘The Calcutta Courier’ etc.
8. Why were the efforts of the missionaries of Serampore in publishing books not fully successful?
Ans. The efforts of the missionaries of Serampore in publishing books were not fully successful because they only wanted to Christianise the people of the country.
9. Who is known as the pioneer of the Indian Press?
Ans. James Augustus Hicky is known as the pioneer of Indian Press.
10. Why were some Indian papers of the mid-nineteenth century charged before the Supreme Court?
Ans. Some Indian papers of the mid-nineteenth century were charged before the Supreme Court for publishing seditious articles.
11. Who wrote ‘Raja Pratapaditya Charitra’?
Ans. Ramram Basu wrote ‘Raja Pratapaditya Charitra’.
12. Who passed the University Act of 1904?
Ans. Lord Curzon passed the University Act of 1904.
13. Who was the first Bengali publisher and bookseller?
Ans. Ganga Kishore Bhattacharya was the first Bengali publisher and bookseller.
14. Where was Upendrakishore Raychow-dhury born?
Ans. Upendrakishore Raychowdhury was born at Musua village in the district of Mymensingh.
15. Name the first book published by U Ray & Sons.
Ans. The first book published by U Ray & Sons was ‘Tuntunir Boi’.
16. In which year Serampore Mission Press was established?
Ans. In 1800 Serampore Mission Press was established.
17. Write the name of the first illustrated book published in Bengali?
Ans. The name of the first illustrated book published in Bengali is ‘Annadamangal’ by Bharat Chandra Ray.
18. Who wrote ‘Varna Parichay’?
Ans. Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar wrote ‘Varna Parichay’.
19. In which year was ‘Varna Parichay’ published?
Ans. Varna Parichay’ was published in 1855.
20. Why is Panchanan Karmakar famous?
Ans. Panchanan Karmakar developed the first Bangla type for printing and became famous.
21. Which was the first Bengali weekly published from Serampore Mission Press?
Ans. The first Bengali weekly published from Serampore Mission press was ‘Samachar Darpan’.
22. When and by whom was printing press introduced in Chinsurah?
Ans. In 1778 printing Press was introduced in Chinsurah by Charles Wilkins.
Fill in the blanks
1. ‘Compendio Espiritual Da Vida Christa’ was printed in ………
Ans. 1561
2. A Baptist Mission in Serampore was established in ………..
Ans. 1800
3. Bengal Gazette of Ganga Kishore Bhattacharaya was a ……… newspaper published in 1818.
Ans. weekly
4. Adam’s Press Regulations (1823) were repealed by ……….
Ans. Charles Metcalfe
5. The ‘Sambad Prabhakar’ edited by Iswar Chandra Gupta, became a daily on ……..
Ans. June 14, 1839
6. ‘Sambad Prabhakar’, the first vernacular paper run by Indians, was a ……… paper.
Ans. daily
7. Fort William College was founded in ………
Ans. Calcutta
8. In Calcutta, the first Bengali who established press was ………
Ans. Baboo Ram
9. The Vernacular Press Act (1878) was repealed by ………..
Ans. Lord Ripon
10. Upendrakishore Raychowdhury was a famous ……….
Ans. writer
11. The Serampore Press became famous as the largest printing press in ……….
Ans. Asia
12. ……… is known as the ‘Father of Printing Press’.
Ans. Johannes Gutenburg
13. The Calcutta School Book Society was established in Calcutta in ………
Ans. 1817
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
1. ‘Compendio Espiritual Da Vida Christa’ is now in a public library in-
A. New York
B. Italy
C. Russia
D. Switzerland
Ans. A
2. ‘Dautrina Christa’ was published from-
A. New York
B. Quilon
C. Venice
D. Portugal
Ans. B
3. The first printing press was established in Hooghly in-
A. 1878
B. 1877
C. 1787
D. 1778
Ans. D
4. James Augustus Hicky established a printing press in-
A. Hooghly
B. Calcutta
C. Serampore
D. Howrah
Ans. A
5. Hicky set up a printing press in-
A. 1870
B. 1780
C. 1808
D. 1707
Ans. B
6. The pioneer of the Indian press was-
A. James Augustus Hicky
B. JC Marshman
C. Iswar Chandra Gupta
D. John Andrews
Ans. A
7. A rigid press censorship was imposed in 1799 by-
A. Wellesley
B. Cornwallis
C. Minto
D. Ripon
Ans. A
8. The Baptist Mission was founded in 1800 in-
A. Hooghly
B. Barasat
C. Nadia
D. Serampore
Ans. D
9. The press set up by Upendrakishore Raychowdhury was in–
A. North Calcutta
B. South Calcutta
C. 24 Parganas
D. Hooghly
Ans. A
10. ‘Brahman Roman Catholic Sambad’ was written in-
A. Roman alphabets
B. French alphabets
C. Bengali alphabets
D. English alphabets
Ans. A
11. In which year the first Bengali book was printed?
A. 1554
B. 1778
C. 1785
D. 1800
Ans. D
12. William Carey was a teacher in-
A. English
B. Bengali
C. Mathematics
D. Science
Ans. B
13. The book published by Battala Prakashani-
A. Chaitanyacharitamrita
B. Nabababu Bilas
C. Varnaparichay
D. Lorchandrani
Ans. B
14. The ‘Father of Bengal Printing Press’ was-
A. James Augustus Hicky
B. Nathaniel Brassey Halhed
C. Charles Wilkins
D. Marshman
Ans. C
15. The first illustrated Bengali book was-
A. Annadamangal
B. Sishusiksha
C. Varna Parichay
D. Sandesh
Ans. A
16. The first Bengali printed book written by a Bengali-
A. Varna Parichay
B. Sishusiksha
C. Hitopodesa
D. Pratapaditya Charita
Ans. D
17. ‘Varna Parichay’ was published in the year-
A. 1845
B. 1850
C. 1855
D. 1860
Ans. C
18. In India halftone printing technique was introduced by-
A. Upendrakishore Raychowdhury
B. Sukumar Ray
C. Panchanan Karmakar
D. Charles Wilkins
Ans. A
TOPIC – B
Development of Science and Technical Education in Bengali
Explanatory Answer (EA) Type Questions
Answer in 15 to 16 sentences
1. Give a brief description of the development of technical education in Bengal.
Ans. Prior to the establishment of British rule in Bengal, there was no provision for western education which included modern technology. Technical education began to develop in Bengal since the 19th century.
Technical institutes: Along with the progress of science in Bengal, some educational institutions also grew up to impart technical education. Such institutes include Roorkee Engineering College (1847), Calcutta Engineering College (1856), Association for the Advancement of Scientific and Industrial Education, Calcutta (1903), Jadavpur Engineering College (1906), Bengal Technical Institute (1906) etc,.
Bengal Technical Institute was established by Taraknath Palit in Calcutta, when the Swadeshi Movement (1905) started against the partition of Bengal, Its contributions towards spread of technical education are as follows-
- Initiative for national education: During the Swadeshi Movement, an attempt was made to establish a national system of education as an alternative for the education system of the British government. One of the objectives of national education was the spread of indigenous technical education. So Taraknath Palit, an Indian lawer, founded the Bengal Technical Institute in Calcutta on July 25, 1906.
- Association with other institutes: In order to spread the indigenous system of education, Bengal Technical Institute merged with Bengal National College in 1910 and formed the Bengal National College and Technical School. This joint institution was renamed as College of Engineering and Technology (CET) in 1928.
- Activities: After the merging of the institutions, arrangements were made for the cultivation of various subjects like Physics, Chemical Technology, Industrial Technology etc., besides the disciplines of Humanities. As a result several educated Bengalee youths could receive technical education and become self-dependent.
2. Write what you know about the foundation of the Bose Institute.
Ans. Bose Institute was one of those institutions which grew up during the colonial rule in Bengal for the cultivation of science and development of scientific education.
- Background: Famous scientist Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was completely dedicated to the cultivation of science in India. He gathered a lot of experience by travelling through different countries and tried to build up a modern scientific research centre on the basis of his experiences.
- Foundation: Sir J C Bose resigned from the post of Professor in Presidency College (1950) and founded the Bose Institute on November 30, 1917 to carry out fundamental researches on different branches of science. He dedicated the institution to his nation in his welcome speech named ‘The voice of life’ at the inauguration ceremony.
- Expenses: Sir J C Bose sold his ancestral property in Munsigunj and spent the major part of it to establish the Bose Institute and to build up the infrastructure for the cultivation of science at global level. When the institute ran short of funds, Rabindranath Tagore extended a helping hand.
- Research work: Sir JC Bose arranged an international level of researches in various branches of science like Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Environmental Science etc. He also made suitable arrangements for the publication of a journal containing the research papers.
Analytical Answer (AA) Type Questions
Answer in 7 to 8 sentences
1. Write what you know about the development of scientific and technical education in colonial Bengal.
Ans. Prior to the establishment of Brtish rule in Bengal, there was no provision for western education which included modern science and technology. Modern scientific and technical education began to develop in Bengal since the 19th century.
- The spread of Western education: Modern Western education spread all over Bengal during the colonial rule. This helped to acquaint the students with the modern science and technology of the west. In this way, a backdrop for the development of modern scientific and technical education was created in Bengal.
- Primary initiative: One of the first and foremost institutions for the cultivation of modern science in Bengal was the “Asiatic Society’ founded by Sir William Jones in 1784. This society published different research papers on science in its magazine. Moreover, the famous chemist John Mackay began to teach chemistry at Serampore College in 1821.
- Science institutes: Science institutes grew up during the colonial period under the initiative of the British government and some eminent Bengalis to impart modern scientific education. In this context, some institutes that deserve special mention are Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta Science College, Bose Institute, National Education Council etc.
- Technical institutes: Along with the progress of science in Bengal, some educational institutions also grew up to impart technical education. Such institutes include Roorkee Engineering College (1847), Calcutta Engineering College (1856), Association for the Advancement of Scientific and Industrial Education, Calcutta (1903), Jadavpur Engineering College (1906), Bengal Technical Institute etc,.
2. Discuss the contribution of Bengal Technical Institute in the spread of technical education.
Ans. Bengal Technical Institute was established by Taraknath Palit in Calcutta in 1905, when the Swadeshi Movement started against the partition of Bengal. Its contributions towards spread of technical education are as follows-
- Initiative for national education: During the Swadeshi Movement, attempt was made to establish a national system of education as an alternative for the education system of the British government. One of the objectives of national education was the spread of indigenous technical education. So Taraknath Palit, an Indian lawer, founded the Bengal Technical Institute in Calcutta on July 25, 1906.
- Association with other institutes: In order to spread the indigenous system of education, Bengal Technical Institute merged with Bengal National College in 1910 and formed the Bengal National College and Technical School. This joint institution was renamed College of Engineering and Technology (CET) in 1928.
- Activities: After the merging of the institutions, arrangements were made for the cultivation of various subjects like Physics, Chemical Technology, Industrial Technology etc., besides the disciplines of Humanities. As a result several educated Bengalee youths could receive technical education and become self-dependent.
- Journals: The students of the College of Engineering and Technology, published a journal named ‘Tech’. They dedicated the first edition of this journal to those who had dreamt of national education during the age of Swadeshi Movement.
3. What led to the foundation of the Bengal Technical Institute?
Ans. The National Council of Education was established in 1906. There was a difference of opinion among its members regarding the nature of education to be imparted. The majority group wanted to impart literary, scientific and technical education on nationalist lines and under national control. However, the minority group within the National Council of Education, wanted to emphasise technical education. They decided to set up a rival institution known as the Society for the Promotion of Technical Education in Bengal. Taraknath Palit set it up in his own house (92, Upper Circular Road) and donated 4 lakh rupees for this purpose. The first Principal of this institute was Pramatha Nath Basu and the first President was Rashbehari Ghosh. The objective of the institute was to promote technical education among the masses and to make the younger generation more interested in technical education.
4. Write a note on the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.
Ans. The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science was established in 1867 by Mahendralal Sircar. It is one of India’s leading scientific institutions. It was the first national science association of India. Mahendralal realised that to achieve economic prosperity and hasten social change, it is necessary that Indians must cultivate science. Thus he planned for an association that would be funded, run and managed by native Indians. Many citizens of Calcutta contributed enthusiastically and Mahendralal, along with Father Eugene Lafont, inaugurated the association at 210, Bowbazar street, Calcutta. Later on, its location was changed to Jadavpur. Dr. Sircar was the secretary and eminent persons like K C Sen and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar were its trustees. Basic departments such as Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Spectroscopy were established. The teachers included Eugene Lafort, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Ashutosh Mukherjee, Nilratan Sirker and others. Many scientists like K S Krishnan (Magnetism) and Meghnad Saha (Astrophysics) worked here. This institute is engaged in fundamental researches in various branches of science. Lectures and demonstrations are arranged regularly for the public to popularise science.
Nobel laureate CV Raman did his ground-breaking work on the Raman Effect in this institution.
5. What was the contribution of Mahendralal Sircar in the cultivation of science in Bengal?
Ans. The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science was established in 1867 by Mahendralal Sircar. It is one of the leading scientific institutions of India. It was the first national science association of India. Mahendralal realised that to achieve economic prosperity and hasten social change, it is necessary that Indians must cultivate science. Basic departments such as Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Spectroscopy were established. This institute is engaged in fundamental researches in various branches of science. Lectures and demonstrations are arranged regularly for the public to popularise science.
6. What part did Jagadish Chandra Bose play in the development of scientific study in Bengal?
Ans. Bose Institute is a research institute in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Plant Biology, Microbiology, Biophysics, Animal Physiology, Immunotechnology, Bioinformatics and Environmental Science. It was established in 1917 by Jagadish Chandra Bose at Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, Rajabazar, West Bengal. After its foundation, a managing committee was formed, consisting of members like Rabindranath, Satyendra Prasanna Sinha, Nilratan Sircar, Bhupendranath Basu, Sudhangshumohan Basu, Satishranjan Das, Abala Basu and Jagadish Chandra himself. The aim of the institute is the development of science and spread of scientific education. While inaugurating the institute, Jagadish Chandra said, “h dedicate today this institute not merely a laboratory but a temple. The advance of science is the principle object of this institution and also diffusion of knowledge.”
Bose Institute pioneered the concept of interdisciplinary research in India with global trends. After Jagadish Chandra’s death, Debendramohan Basu took up the responsibility of the institution.
Short Answer (SA) Type Questions
Answer in 2 to 3 sentences
1. In which year did Chandrasekhar Venkat Raman win the Nobel Prize and for what?
Ans. Chandrasekhar Venkat Raman won the Nobel Prize in 1930 for inventing the famous Raman Effect.
2. When was the Bengal Technical Institute founded? What was its objective?
Ans. The Bengal Techrnical Institute was founded in July, 1906.
Its objective was to spread technical education among the people of West Bengal.
3. What were the subjects of research in the Bose Institute?
Ans. In the Bose Institute there were arrange-ments for international level of researches in various branches of science like-Physics Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Environmental Science etc.
4. Who founded the Rajabazar Science College and when?
Ans. Rajabazar Science College was founded in 1914 by Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, who was the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calcutta.
5. What was the role played by the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in the development of science in 19th century?
Ans. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science which was established in 1876, was the first national science association of India. Basic departments such as Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Spectroscopy were established. This institute is engaged in funda-mental researches in various branches of science. Lectures and demonstrations are arranged regularly for the public to popularise science.
6. When and by whom was the Indian Association for the Cultivation of science established?
Ans. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science was established in 1876 by the famous doctor Mahendralal Sircar.
Very Short Answer (VSA) Type Questions
Answer in one sentence
1. What is the full form of SPTE?
Ans. The full form of SPTE is Society for the Promotion of Technical Education.
2. When was the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science established?
Ans. The Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science was established on January 25, 1876.
3. What is the full form of IACS?
Ans. The full from of IACS is Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.
4. Name two famous teachers of IACS.
Ans. Two famous teachers of IACS were Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose and C V Raman.
5. Who established Bengal Chemicals?
Ans. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray established Bengal Chemicals.
6. What was invented by Jagadish Chandra Bose?
Ans. Crescograph was invented by Jagadish Chandra Bose.
7. Who is the father of wireless technology?
Ans. Jagadish Chandra Bose is the father of wireless technology.
8. Name two institutes which were established for imparting technical education in Bengal.
Ans. Two institutes which were established for imparting technical education were- [1] National Council of Education and [2] Bengal Technical Institute.
9. Who donated land and money for establishing the Calcutta Science College?
Ans. Taraknath Palit and Rashbehari Ghosh donated land and money for establishing the Calcutta Science College.
10. Who established Calcutta Science College?
Ans. Ashutosh Mukherjee established Calcutta Science College.
11. Who set up the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science?
Ans. Mahendralal Sircar set up Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.
Fill in the blanks
1. School of Industrial Art was set up in …….
Ans. 1854
2. The Indian Chemical Society was established in ……..
Ans. 1924
3. A technical college was established in Jadavpur in ………. for the spread of technical education.
Ans. 1907
4. The first Principal of the Bengal Technical Institute was ………
Ans. Pramatha Nath Basu
5. Urea stibamine, a medicine of kala-azar was invented by ………
Ans. Upendranath Brahmachari
6. The Rajabazar Science College was founded by ………
Ans. Ashutosh Mukherjee
7. Indian Institute of Science was fouded in ………
Ans. 1909
8. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science was patronized by ……….
Ans. Surendranath Banerjee
9. ………. was an active member of the National Planning Committee constituted by the Indian National Congress in 1938.
Ans. Meghnad Saha
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
1. The foundation stone of Calcutta Science College was laid on-
A. March 27, 1941
B. March 27, 1914
C. March 17, 1941
D. March 29, 1915
Ans. B
2. Bengal Technical Institute was established on-
A. July 25, 1906
B. July 25, 1905
C. June 26, 1906
D. June 26, 1904
Ans. A
3. The Rajabazar Science College was founded in-
A. 1914
B. 1916
C. 1918
D. 1920
Ans. A
4. The Ballygunge Science College is called-
A. Rashbehari Siksha Prangan
B. University College of Science and Technology
C. Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
D. Taraknath Palit Siksha Prangan
Ans. D
5. Bose Institute was founded in-
A. 1917
B. 1918
C. 1971
D. 1981
Ans. A
6. The Bengal Technical Institute was founded by-
A. SPTE
B. NCTE
C. NCE
D. DEACS
Ans. A
7. The first principal of Bengal Technical Institute was-
A. Aurobindo Ghosh
B. Satish Chandra Bose
C. Jogesh Chandra Ghosh
D. Pramatha Nath Bose
Ans. D
8. The scientist of the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science who was awarded the Nobel Prize was-
A. Jagadish Chandra Bose
B. C V Raman
C. Prafulla Chandra Roy
D. Satyendranath Bose
Ans. B
9. Bose Institute was established by-
A. Jagadish Chandra Bose
B. Satyendranath Bose
C. Chandramukhi Basu
D. Anandmohon Bose
Ans. A
10. Radio Physics department of Calcutta University was established under the leadership of-
A. Sisir Kumar Mitra
B. Ananda Mohon Bose
C. Satish Chandra Bose
D. Sisir Kumar Ghosh
Ans. A
11. Bengal Technical Institute was established in-
A. 1905
B. 1906
C. 1911
D. 1912
Ans. B
12. The first principal of Bengal National College was-
A. Rajnarayan Basu
B. Surendranath Banerjee
C. Taraknath Palit
D. Aurobindo Ghosh
Ans. D
13. The first engineer to build a steam engine-
A. Suresh Chandra
B. Golak Chandra
C. Nilmani Mitra
D. Keshab Chandra
Ans. B
14. The first Indian scientist to win the Nobel Prize-
A. Jadadish Chandra Bose
B. Prafulla Chandra Roy
C. Chandrasekhar Venkatraman
D. Satyendranath Tagore
Ans. C
15. Who was the first Indian president of IACS?
A. Mahendralal Sircar
B. Jagadish Chandra Bose
C. Meghnad Saha
D. Peary Mohan Mukhopadhyay
Ans. D
TOPIC – C
Criticism of the Colonial System of Education and Visva-Bharati
T Explanatory Answer (EA) Type Questions
Answer in 15 to 16 sentences
1. Write a note on Rabindranath Tagore’s ashramic school at Santiniketan.
Ans. According to Rabindranath Tagore, there must be three basic elements in any ideal method of teaching. Those are-[1] freedom, [2] creative self-expression and [3] active communication between man and nature. A child is born in a natural environment and he is also born into a social environment. According to Rabindranath, a method which can integrate these two in education should be selected. To make such an integration possible, he established the Ashrama Vidyalaya at Santiniketan. He expected that the ashramic society and nature around would help in educating children better.
In 1901, he started this school with only a few pupils. He was impressed by the trends of ancient Indian ashramic education and established this school. The learners there practised simple living. The relation between a teacher and a pupil was as close as that of the ancient ashramic period and was based on mutual respect.
At his school in Santiniketan, Rabindranath Tagore applied three of his principles on teaching. The pupils of the school were allowed to enjoy enough freedom. They could move about the campus according to their own will. They could also play as they liked. Selection of the site for the school was in keeping with his principles and ideals of teaching. The teaching-learning process was conducted under the open sky because Rabindranath himself disliked keeping students confined within the four walls of a classroom. For their spiritual and social development, pupils participated in various forms of creative activities and social development schemes.
2. Give a brief description of Rabindranath Tagore’s ideais on education and Santiniketan.
Ans. According to Rabindranath Tagore, there must be three basic elements in any ideal method of teaching. These are-[1] freedom, [2] creative self-expression, and [3] active communication with man and nature. His ideals of education were materialised through his ashramic school at Santiniketan. Rabindranath said, “At first started a school at Santiniketan and brought children here to let them move freely in the wide fields of this universe. But gradually it came to my mind that existing differences between one man and another would have to be removed and man will have to be emancipated amidst all other men.” He wanted to harmonise and integrate Eastern and Western cultures at Visva-Bharati. So he said, “the foundation of that relationship, which awaits discrimination all over the world, will be established here.” The Visva-Bharati University is pursuing its aim successfully till date.
If we analyse Rabindranath’s ideals in education, it will be understood that his childhood experiences are the sources of his inspiration. He had some bitter experiences in his childhood regarding studying at school and college. This made him sympathetic towards children. He brought together the educational ideals of the past and the present and educational philosophies of the East and the West in developing his system of education. While explaining the aim and function of the Visva-Bharati University, he said that being strongly impressed by need and responsibility, he had formed the nucleus of an international university for promotion of mutual understanding between the East and the West. Rabindranath Tagore’s educational philosophy is, at the same time, a combination of scientific, psychological and sociological trends. According to him a student confined within the four walls of a classroom was nothing more than a bird in a cage.
Analytical Answer (AA) Type Questions
Answer in 7 to 8 sentences
1. What was the role of Dawn society in national education?
Ans. The Dawn Society was established in 1902 by Satish Chandra Mukherjee. It derived inspiration from Swadeshi spirit. Satish Chandra’s work of establishing the society was supported by eminent persons of Bengal. The members of the society included noted intellectuals of Bengal including Rabindranath Tagore, Rajendra Prasad, Raja Subodh Chandra Mallick, Aurobindo Ghosh, Brajendra Kishore Roychoudhury, Radha Kumud Mukherjee and others. The society sought to promote national education for man making and nation building. Its curriculum included economics, political science, history, geography; science and technology. The work of the society saw the founding of the National Council of Education in 1905.
2. Explain Rabindranath’s view on the synthesis of nature, man and education.
Ans. According to Rabindranath a child is born in a natural environment and he is also born in a social environment. A method which can integrate these two in education should be selected. He believed that society and nature around would help in educating children better. He believed that in any ideal method of teaching, there must be active communication between man and nature. The pupils of the school should be allowed to enjoy enough freedom. They should be allowed to move about freely in the school campus according to their own will and play as they like. The teaching-learning should be conducted under the open sky and he himself disliked keeping students confined within the classroom. He believed that the relation between a teacher and a pupil should be as close as that of the ancient ashramic period and based on mutual respect.
3. With what aim was Sriniketan established?
Ans. Rabindranath Tagore’s dream project was Sriniketan, near Santiniketan. It was established by Tagore in 1922. Its aim was to develop a better life for the people of the village by educating them to be self-reliant. It focussed on agriculture and rural development with the cooperative efforts of the villagers themselves. Its objective was to help the villagers to solve their own problems instead of accepting a solution being imposed on them from outside. The Institute of Rural Reconstruction was Tagore’s attempt to put to work his ideas about village reform. It is now a big hub of rural development projects.
4. What were the objectives of the National Council of Education? How far was it successful?
Ans. The National Council of Education was founded in 1906. The Swadeshi Movement started against the Partition of Bengal (1905) and this swadeshi spirit helped the growth of national education. The nationalists felt that the existing system of education was inadequate since the national educational institutions could meet the educational needs of the society. The nationalists favoured the establishment of educational institutions where literary, technical and scientific education could be imparted to the students. Thus, the National Council of Education was successfully founded with the objective of organising an elaborate system of education on national lines and under national control.
The National Council of Education, in the course of next two years, set up 25 secondary and 300 primary schools affiliated to it. However, lack of funds and measures of repression adopted by the government proved to be serious obstacles in the way of smooth running of these institutions. As a result the indigenous system of education did not work well and many students returned to the British-run schools and colleges.
Short Answer (SA) Type Questions
Answer in 2 to 3 sentences
1. In which year was the Santiniketan School inaugurated? What were its objectives?
Ans. The Santiniketan School was inaugurated on December 22, 1901.
Its objectives were-[1] to teach the students the imporatance of Indian heritage, [2] to provide an all round development for the students, [3] to establish a bond of love and friendship between man and nature, [4] to encourage creative learning within a natural environment.
2. What were the reasons behind the failure of the National Council of Education?
Ans. The National Council of Education was set up in 1906. It challenged the British system of education and provided education on national lines and under national control. But the government’s repressive policy hampered the activities of the council. The institutions under the National Council of Education suffered from lack of funds. Many of the students favoured British system of education rather than indigenous system of education.
3. Why teaching and learning conducted under open sky in Santiniketan?
Ans. The pupils of Santiniketan were allowed to enjoy enough freedom. They could move around the campus according to their own will. They could also play as they liked. The teaching-learning process was conducted under the open sky because Rabindranath himself dislikedkeeping students confined within four walls of a classroom. According to him, a student’ confined within the four walls of a classroom was nothing more than a bird in cage.
Very Short Answer (VSA) Type Questions
Answer in one sentence
1. Who was the secretary of the National Council of Education?
Ans. Rashbehari Ghosh was the secretary of the National Council of Education.
2. Name the two institutions started by the National Council of Education.
Ans. The two institutions started by the National Council of Education were Bengal National College and Bengal Technical Institute.
3. What is the full form of NCERT?
Ans. The full form of NCERT is National Council of Educational Research and Training.
4. When was Visva-Bharati established?
Ans. Visva-Bharati was established on December 23, 1921.
5. Who is the chancellor of Visva-Bharati University?
Ans. The Prime Minister of India is the Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University.
6. When was Bengal National School and College founded?
Ans. Bengal National School and College was founded in 1906.
Mark True or False
1. Rabindranath Tagore founded his own school at Santiniketan in 1901.
Ans. True
2. The students of Brahmacharyasram did not have any fixed curriculum.
Ans. True
3. The object of Visva-Bharati was to synthesize the cultures of the East and the West.
Ans. True
4. Visva-Bharati University was given the status of a central university in 1956.
Ans. False
5. Visva-Bharati is a non-residential university.
Ans. False
6. According to Rabindranath a student confined within the four walls of a classroom was nothing more than a bird in a cage.
Ans. True
7. Calcutta University was ironically called ‘Goldighir Golam Khana’.
Ans. True
Fill in the blanks
1. The Jadavpur University Act was enacted in ……….
Ans. 1955
2. The first national school was established in ……….
Ans. Rangpur
3. Sriniketan was established by ………
Ans. Rabindranath Tagore
4. ………. was a student of Visva-Bharati University.
Ans. Indira Gandhi
5. Vishva-Bharati University is located in ………..
Ans. Birbhum
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
1. Brahmacharyasram was inaugurated on-
A. December 22, 1901
B. December 22, 1905
C. December 20, 1901
D. December 21, 1900
Ans. A
2. Visva-Bharati was established by-
A. Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar
B. Rabindranath Tagore’
C. Swami Vivekananda
D. Debendranath Tagore
Ans. B
3. Tree plantation ceremony is celebrated in Santiniketan on-
A. 25 Baisakh
B. 25 Asar
C. 22 Sravan
D. 22 Agrahayan
Ans. C
4. Santiniketan was established in the year-
A. 1893
B. 1895
C. 1901
D. 1905
Ans. C
5. National Council of Education was established in the year-
A. 1905
B. 1906
C. 1907
D. 1908
Ans. B
6. National Council of Education was established in 1906 on-
A. 2 June
B. 11 March
C. 1 July
D. 2 July
Ans. B
7. The first Vice-Chancellor of Visva Bharati University was-
A. Rabindranath Tagore
B. Rathindranath Tagore
C. Gaganendranath Tagore
D. Abanindranath Tagore
Ans. B
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