NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside

Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside Class 8- History- Textbook Questions and Answers

1. Match the following:

• Ryot: Peasant
• Mahal: Village
• Nij: Cultivation on planter’s own land
• Ryoti: Cultivation on ryot’s lands

Also Chekc – Chapter 3- Ruling the Countryside-  Class 8 History Notes

2. Fill in the blanks:

• (a) Growers of woad in Europe saw indigo as a crop which would provide competition to their earnings.
  • Indigo was seen as a competitive threat because it produced a richer dye than woad, which was traditionally used in Europe.
• (b) The demand for indigo increased in late eighteenth-century Britain because of the expansion of cotton production and the industrial revolution.
  • As Britain industrialised and its cotton production expanded, there was a greater need for cloth dyes, especially indigo, which had a superior colour quality.
• (c) The international demand for indigo was affected by the discovery of synthetic dyes.
  • The discovery of synthetic dyes in the late nineteenth century significantly reduced the global demand for natural indigo, affecting its production and profitability.
• (d) The Champaran movement was against the oppressive plantation system where peasants were forced to grow indigo under harsh conditions.
  • This movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, was pivotal in highlighting and addressing the exploitation and hardships faced by the peasants in Champaran, Bihar due to the forced cultivation of indigo.

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3. Describe the main features of the Permanent Settlement.

• Fixed Revenue: The Permanent Settlement fixed the revenue that zamindars had to pay to the Company permanently. This amount would never increase in the future.
• Zamindars as Intermediaries: The system recognized rajas and taluqdars as zamindars who were responsible for collecting rents from peasants and paying a fixed revenue to the Company.
• Motivation for Improvement: It was believed that fixed revenue would motivate zamindars to improve agricultural production since any surplus produced would increase their income without increasing their tax burden.
• Issues with Compliance: Many zamindars found it difficult to pay the fixed revenue due to its high rate, leading to the loss of their zamindari rights and sales at auctions.

Also Check – The Battle of Plassey – Detailed Notes with Flowchart

4. How was the mahalwari system different from the Permanent Settlement?

• Periodic Revenue Revision: Unlike the Permanent Settlement, the mahalwari system allowed for the periodic revision of the revenue demand, making it more adaptable to changes in agricultural productivity and economic conditions.
• Community Responsibility: The mahalwari system calculated revenue at the level of a mahal, which could be a village or a group of villages, and the responsibility for payment was collective.
• Direct Control by Village Headmen: Revenue collection was assigned to village headmen instead of zamindars, promoting a more localised form of administration and potentially reducing the layers of intermediaries.

5. Give two problems which arose with the new Munro system of fixing revenue.

• High Revenue Demands: The Munro system often set revenue demands too high, which peasants found difficult to meet. This led to financial distress and instability among the ryots.
• Timing of Labour Needs: The system required labour at times when peasants were typically busy with their own agricultural activities, such as rice cultivation, leading to a shortage of available labour for revenue-producing crops like indigo. This misalignment exacerbated the difficulties in meeting revenue demands and maintaining agricultural productivity.

6. Why were ryots reluctant to grow indigo?

• Harsh Contractual Obligations: Ryots were often forced to sign contracts that committed them to cultivate indigo on a substantial portion of their land, which could be as much as 25% of their holdings. This limited their ability to grow food crops essential for their subsistence.
• Low Financial Returns: The financial terms offered by planters for indigo cultivation were unfavourable. Advances given to ryots were at low rates, but the return on their crops was minimal, trapping them in cycles of debt and economic insecurity.
• Exhaustion of Soil: Indigo cultivation was particularly harsh on the soil, depleting its nutrients and making it unsuitable for subsequent rice cultivation, which was a staple food and cash crop for the ryots.

7. What were the circumstances which led to the eventual collapse of indigo production in Bengal?

• The “Blue Rebellion”: A significant uprising in 1859 by the ryots against the oppressive conditions under indigo planters marked the beginning of the end for indigo cultivation in Bengal. This rebellion saw widespread violence and refusal to cultivate indigo.
• Government Intervention: Following the rebellion, the British government instituted the Indigo Commission which investigated and eventually criticised the coercive methods used by planters. The commission’s findings led to reforms that allowed ryots to refuse indigo cultivation.
• Shift of Cultivation to Bihar: As indigo production in Bengal collapsed due to these upheavals, planters moved their operations to Bihar, looking for new areas to impose their cultivation practices.
• Development of Synthetic Dyes: By the late nineteenth century, the development of synthetic dyes reduced the demand for natural indigo, further diminishing its economic viability.

8. Find out more about the Champaran movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s role in it.

• Background: The Champaran movement in 1917 was Mahatma Gandhi’s first significant involvement in Indian nationalism after his return from South Africa. It was triggered by the abusive and exploitative practices of indigo planters in the Champaran district of Bihar.
• Gandhi’s Intervention: Gandhi was persuaded by local peasants to look into their conditions. He conducted a detailed investigation, organising surveys and gathering evidence of the injustices faced by the peasants due to forced indigo cultivation.
• Impact of the Movement: Gandhi’s efforts in Champaran led to significant media attention and public outcry, which pressured the colonial government to establish a committee to investigate the grievances. Gandhi’s negotiation and advocacy led to the abolishment of the tinkathia system (forcing farmers to plant indigo on a portion of their land) and significantly improved the economic conditions and rights of the peasants.
• Legacy: The success of the Champaran movement was a crucial step in the Indian struggle for independence. It solidified Gandhi’s leadership role in the national movement and demonstrated the effectiveness of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience, strategies that would define much of Gandhi’s later work in India’s independence movement.

9. Look into the history of either tea or coffee plantations in India. See how the life of workers in these plantations was similar to or different from that of workers in indigo plantations.

History of Tea Plantations in India and Comparison with Indigo Plantations

History of Tea Plantations in India:

• Introduction of Tea Cultivation: Tea was introduced to India by the British in the 19th century, primarily to compete with the Chinese monopoly on tea production. The first major tea plantations started in Assam and Darjeeling.
• Expansion: The British colonial government took advantage of the favourable climatic conditions in the Northeast and the hills of North Bengal to expand tea cultivation. Over time, the cultivation spread to other parts of India, including the Nilgiris in South India.

Life of Workers in Tea Plantations:

• Recruitment and Labor: Many workers on tea plantations were recruited or even trafficked from central India and other parts of the country. They were often brought under false pretences or bonded labour agreements.
• Working Conditions: Workers endured harsh conditions with long working hours, minimal wages, and often lived in poor housing provided by the plantation owners. Health and sanitation conditions were typically substandard.
• Social Structure: The tea plantations developed a strict hierarchy and social structure, with British managers at the top and Indian labourers at the bottom. The plantations operated almost like self-contained economies, with very little interaction with the surrounding communities.

Comparison with Indigo Plantations:

• Labour Intensity: Both tea and indigo plantations required a large labour force. However, indigo cultivation was generally more seasonal, while tea required year-round labour due to the continuous process of planting, tending, and picking leaves.
• Worker Origins: While indigo plantations primarily used local labourers or ryots who were already living in the cultivation areas, tea plantations often relied on imported labour, leading to a more diverse workforce.
• Economic Exploitation: Workers on both types of plantations faced economic exploitation, but the mechanisms varied. Indigo workers were often trapped in cycles of debt and forced cultivation through advances and coercive contracts. In contrast, tea workers dealt with low wages and the in-kind payment system that kept them economically dependent on the plantation owners.
• Living Conditions: Housing and general living conditions were poor on both types of plantations, though tea plantations were more likely to develop permanent settlements because of the perennial nature of tea cultivation.
• Rebellion and Resistance: Like indigo plantations, where the “Blue Rebellion” highlighted the oppressive conditions, tea plantations also saw strikes and unrest, though these were more spread out over time and often less violent.