RADHESHYAM STUDY CENTRE

STD 8 Social Studies Total Marks : 30

SS STD 8 CBSE NCERT UT CH 5 (History)

SECTION A

* Multiple choice questions. [5]

1. Vir Kunwar Singh was an old Zamindar from:

(A) Bihar. (B) Central Province. (C) Lahore. (D) Merrut.
Ans. :
a. Bihar.
2. ________ was declared leader of the 1857 revolt.
(A) Nana Saheb. (B) Bahadur Shah Zafar.
(C) Rani Lakshmibai. (D) Nawab Wajid Ali Shah.
Ans. :
b. Bahadur Shah Zafar.
3. Who was Nana Saheb?
(A) Son of Peshwa Baji Rao II. (B) Son of Rani Lakshmi Bai.
(C) Son of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. (D) None of these.
Ans. :
a. Son of Peshwa Baji Rao II.
4. Name the Governor General who declared that Awadh was being
misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure proper administration.
(A) Lord Ripon. (B) William Bentick.
(C) Lord Dalhousie. (D) Lord Mountbatten.
Ans. :
c. Lord Dalhousie.
5. Name the son of Begum Hazart Mahal from Lucknow.
(A) Birjis Qadr. (B) Nana Saheb. (C) Kunwar Singh. (D) Baji Rao.
Ans. :
a. Birjis Qadr.

* State Whether The Sentences Are True Or False.[1 Marks Each] [3]

6. State whether the following statements is True or False.

None of the Indians wanted to change existing social practices.
Ans. : False.

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 7. State whether the following statements is True or False.
The British could not repress the revolt and called the rebels for negotiations.
Ans. : False.
8. State whether the following statements is True or False.
The Indian sepoys were unhappy about their pay, allowances and conditions
of service.
Ans. : True.

* Fill In The Blanks With Correct Alternative.[1 Marks Each] [3]

9. Fill in the blank.

_______ fought a guerrilla war against British with the support of many tribal
and peasant leaders.
Ans. : Tantia Tope fought a guerrilla war against British with the support of many tribal
and peasant leaders.

10. Fill in the blank.

Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the _______ jail in November 1862.

Ans. : Bahadur Shah Zafar died in the Rangoon jail in November 1862.
11. Fill in the blank.
The revolt of 1857 started from ______.

Ans. : The revolt of 1857 started from Meerut.

* Answer The Following Questions In One Sentence.[1 Marks Each] [4]

12. What objections did the sepoys have to the new cartridges that they were
asked to use?
Ans. : The sepoys objected that the new cartridges that they were asked to use were
coated with the fat of cows and pigs.

13. What was the demand of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi that was refused by the
British?

Ans. : Lakshmibai of Jhansi wanted the Company to recognize her adopted son as the heir
to the kingdom after the death of her husband. But the British turned down her plea.

14. What did the British do to protect the interests of those who converted to
Christianity?
Ans. : In 1850, a new law was passed to make conversion to Christianity easier. This law
allowed an Indian who had converted to Christianity to inherit the property of his
ancestors.

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15. What do you mean by Mutiny?

Ans. : When soldiers as a group disobey their officers in the army, it is known as Mutiny.

SECTION B

* VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS [4]

16. How did the last Mughal emperor live the last years of his life?

Ans. : The last Mughal emperor lived a very pathetic life during the last years of his life. He
was tried in court and sentenced to life imprisonment. He and his wife were sent to prison
in Rangoon. He died there after four years.

17. How did the British succeed in securing the submission of the rebel
landowners of Awadh?

Ans. : The British succeeded in securing the submission of the rebel landowners of Awadh
by providing them inheritance rights, i.e. they would enjoy the traditional rights over their
land. The British also exempted them from taxes.

SECTION C

* Answer The Following Questions In Short.[3 Marks Each] [6]

18. What impact did Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion have on the
people and the ruling families?

Ans. : Bahadur Shah Zafar’s support to the rebellion boosted the morale of the people and
the ruling families.
i. The people of the towns and villages also rose up in rebellion and rallied
around local leaders, zamindars and chiefs who were prepared to
establish their authority and fight the British.
ii. Nana Saheb, the adopted son of the late Peshwa Baji Rao, gathered
armed forces and expelled the British garrison from the city.
iii. In Lucknow, Birjis Qadr, the son of the deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah,
was proclaimed the new Nawab. He too acknowledged the suzerainty of
Bahadur Shah Zafar.
iv. In Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai joined the rebel sepoys and fought the British
along with Tantia Tope, the general of Nana Saheb.
19. What could be the reasons for the confidence of the British rulers about their
position in India before May 1857?
Ans. : The reasons are given below:
i. Since the mid-18th century Nawabs and Rajas had gradually lost their
authority and honour. Residents had been stationed in many courts, the

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 freedom of the rulers reduced, their armed forces disbanded and their
revenues and territories taken away by stages.
ii. The Company decided to end the Mughal dynasty. In 1849, Governor-
General Dalhousie announced that after the death of Bahadur Shah
Zafar the family of the king would be shifted out of the Red Fort. In 1856,
Governor-General Canning decided that Bahadur Shah Zafar would be
the last Mughal emperor and after his death his descendants would be
recognised as princes.

SECTION D

* Answer The Following Questions In Brief.[5 Marks Each] [5]

20. In what ways did the British change their policies as a result of the rebellion of
1857?

Ans. : Following are the important changes that were introduced by the British.
i. The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the
powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to
ensure a more responsible management of Indian affairs.
ii. All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would
never be annexed in future. They were allowed to pass on their
kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons. However, they were
made to acknowledge the British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount.
iii. It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would
be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased. It
was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar,
central India and south India, more soldiers would be recruited from
among the Gurkhas, Sikhs and Pathans.
iv. The land and property of Muslims was confiscated on a large scale and
they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that
they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.
v. The British decided to respect the customary religious and social
practices of the people in India.
vi. Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them
security of rights over their lands.
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