Answers of Learning sheet -1

1. Just a year after independence, steps were taken to abolish intermediaries and to make the tillers
the owners of land. The idea behind this move was- (Choose the correct alternative)
a) To reduce the concentration of land ownership in a few hands.
b) That ownership of land would give incentives to the tillers to invest in making
improvements.
c) Fixing the maximum size of land which could be owned by an individual.
d) To reduce the vast inequality in land holding.
2. What percentage of India’s population was dependent on agriculture on the eve of Independent?
a) 75 % c) 65 %
b) 50 % d) 85 %
3. At independence, productivity in the agriculture sector was very low because of:
a) Use of old technology
b) The absence of required infrastructure
c) Lack of irrigation facility
d) All the above
4. Commercialisation of agriculture helped farmers in improving their economic condition.
(True/ false)? Give reason.
False: Instead of producing food crops now they were producing cash crops which were to be
ultimately used by British industry back home.
5. Under the British colonial rule, the agriculture production decreased (True/ false)? Give reason.
False: In absolute terms, the agriculture sector experienced some growth due to expansion of
the aggregate area under cultivation and due to relatively higher yield of cash crops in certain
areas of country.
6. What was the condition of agriculture at the time of Independence?
a) High level of technology
b) High use of fertilizers
c) Low level of productivity
d) Low dependence on monsoon
7. Zamindari system implemented by the Britishers was the major land settlement.
8. The stagnation in the agriculture sector during the colonial rule was caused mainly because of
Land settlement system that were introduced by colonial government. (Fill-up the blanks with
correct answer)
9. “During the British colonial rule, despite being the occupation of above 85% of India’s population,
the agriculture sector continued to experience stagnation and, not infrequently, unusual
deterioration. Agricultural productivity becomes low.”
Do you agree with the statement? Give valid reasons in support of your answer.
This given statement is correct. During British colonial rule, India’s agricultural sector continued
to experience Stagnation. Agricultural productivity become low though, in absolute terms, the
agriculture sector experienced some growth due to expansion of the aggregate area under
cultivation. The main causes of India’s agricultural stagnation and low productivity are:
(1) Various land settlement system
(2) Low level of technology, lack of irrigation facility and negligible use of fertilizers.
(3) Absence of adequate infrastructure.
(4) Commercialization of agriculture couldn’t help farmers in improving their economic
conditions.
 10. Identify the causes which have been explain for stagnancy in Indian agriculture sector during the
colonial rule.
The main causes of India’s agricultural stagnation and low productivity are:
1. Various land settlement system
2. Low level of technology, lack of irrigation facility and negligible use of fertilizers.
3. Absence of adequate infrastructure.
4. Commercialization of agriculture couldn’t help farmers in improving their economic
conditions.

Answers of Learning sheet-2

1. Under the colonial regime, there was no infrastructure development (True/ false)? Give
reason.
False- Under the colonial regime, basic infrastructure such as railways, port, water transport
and telegraphs did develop though these efforts were spiced with selfish motives.
2. Industries which produce machines and equipment’s to help in the further production of
goods is called Manufacturing industries.

3. The Tata Iron and Steel company was incorporated in 1907. (1910/1907)
(Fill-up the blank with correct option)
4. Industrial sector creates infrastructure which help in growth of-
a) Secondary
b) Primary
c) Tertiary
d) All of these
5. Reason behind the decay of handicrafts industry in India was-
a) All of these
b) More tariff on export of raw material from India
c) Heavy duty on Indian handicrafts products
d) More tariff on import of British goods into India

6. What does the export surplus mean?

a) When export of current year of a country is more than the previous year export.
b) Total export of a country
c) When export of a country is more than import.
d) When import of a country is more than export.

7. What was the two-fold motive behind systematic de-industrialization affected by the British
in pre- independent India?
Answer-
a) Reduce India to exporter of raw materials for rapid industrialization in Britain
b) Convert India to importer for the cheap finished products
c) Decline in Indian handicraft industries leads to massive unemployment.
d) Demand for cheap imported manufactured goods from Britain rises
8. Name some modern Industries which were in operation in our country at the time of
independence.
Answer-TISCO, Sugar cement chemical and paper industries.
9. “India could not develop a sound industrial base under the British colonial rule. Even as the
country’s world famous handicraft industries declined, no corresponding modern industrial
base was allowed to come up to take pride of place so long enjoyed by the former.” In the
light of the above statement, critically appraise some of shortfalls of industrial policy
pursued by British colonial administration.
 Answer-
Some shortfall of Industrial policy pursued by the British colonial administration are as
fallows-
 Industrial development remained very slow.
 There was hardly any capital good industry to help promote further Industrialization in
India.
 The growth rate of industrial sector and its contribution to GDP remained very small.
 Very limited area of operation of the public sector. Only in railways, power generation,
communication, ports and some other departmental undertaking
10. “The traditional handicraft industries were ruined under the British rule”
Do you agree with this view? Give reason in support of your answer.
Answer- Yes, I agree with this view. British Government systematically destroyed
Indian handicraft industries in order to serve their following two-fold motive;
(i) To get raw materials from India at cheap rates to be used by upcoming modern industries
in Britain
(ii) To sell finished products of British industries in Indian market at higher prices.
Colonial government enforced discriminatory tariff policy, which allowed free export of
raw materials from India and free import of final goods of British Industry to India. But,
heavy duty was imposed on the export of Indian handicrafts. As a result, Indian markets
were full of finished goods from Britain, which led to the decline of Indian handicrafts,
both in the domestic market as well as the export market.

Answers of Learning sheet-3

1. Arrange the following events of India before the Independence in chronological order:
a) The opening of Suez Canal
b) Introduction of railways
c) Second stage of demographic transition
d) Incorporation of Tata Iron and steel company
Answer -(ii), (i), (iV), (iii)
 What was the condition of foreign trade under British rule-?
a) Net exporter of raw material
b) Net importer of finished goods reproduced by British India
c) Surplus on account of foreign trade was spent on war expenses
d) All of these
3. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869-
a) Raised the cost of transportation between Britain and India
b) Intensified British control over India’s foreign trade
c) Reduced the cost of transportation and made access to the Indian market easier.
d) Both (b) and (c)
4. The restrictive policies of commodity production, trade and tariff pursued by the colonial
government adversely affected the structure and composition of India’s foreign trade.
True/False? Give reason.
True- India become exporter of primary products such as raw silk, cotton, wool, sugar, indigo,
jute etc. and importer of finished consumer goods like cotton, silk and woollen clothes and
capital goods like light machinery produced in the factories of Britain
5. “The most important characteristic of India’s foreign trade throughout the colonial period
was the generation of large export surplus. But this surplus came of a huge cost to the
country’s economy.”
Do you agree with the above statement? Give valid reason in support of your answer.
Answer- The given statement is correct to its character.
India’s foreign trade during the British colonial rule generated a large export surplus but at
huge cost to the country’s economy because:
 Several essential commodities –food grains, cloths, kerosene, etc. were scarcely available in
the domestic market.
 The export surplus did not result in any flow of gold or silver into India. Rather, this was
used to make payments for the expenses incurred by an office set up by the colonial
government in Britain, expenses on war fought for the British government, and the import
of invisible items. All these led to the “drain of India wealth”
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