Hi Everyone!! This article will share Traces of Modern Indian History Questions & Answers.
In one of my previous posts, I have shared Traces of Modern Indian History Objective Type Questions & Answers so, you can check that post as well.
Traces of Modern Indian History Questions & Answers
Question 1: Why is modern period of Indian history also referred as colonial period?
Answer: Modern period of Indian history is also referred to as colonial period because India by then had become a colony of the British.
Question 2: Why are movies like ‘Gandhi’ and ‘Sardar’ considered an important source to study the history of modern period?
Answer: Movies like ‘Gandhi’ and ‘Sardar’ are considered an important source to study the history of modern period because they help to understand the personal lives of these personalities and also to study their contribution in the struggle of independence.
Question 3: Name any two historical monuments in India.
Answer: Gateway of India, Rashtrapati Bhawan
Question 4: Why is it important to have a critical approach towards photographs as a source of history?
Answer: One has to have a critical approach to check whether it is morphed or not as it would not provide authentic information.
Question 5: Why did the British set up archives?
Answer: The British set up archives to preserve the records.
Question 6: Who discovered Mount Everest?
Answer: Mount Everest was discovered by the Survey of India.
Question 7: What does the term ‘Colonisation’ mean?
Answer: The process in which one country acquires control over another leading to the various kinds of political, economic, social and cultural changes in the former is called colonisation.
Traces of Modern Indian History Questions & Answers
Question 8: Why was the Gateway of India Built?
Answer: The Gateway of India was built by the British to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai in December 1911.
Question 9: How can the paintings be used as a source to study the history of the modern period?
Answer: Paintings can be used as a source to corroborate evidence gleaned from other sources.
Question 10: Why did the British carry out detailed surveys and prepare maps?
Answer:
i. The British believed that for the purpose of better administration of any country, it is important to know that country properly.
ii. Efforts were made to know necessary facts such as topography, quality of soil, flora, fauna, cropping patterns, etc.
So, the British carried out detailed surveys and prepared maps.
Question 11: What information do the walls of India Gate Provide?
Answer: The walls of India Gate bear the names of Indian soldiers and British officers who died in World War I and the Afghan Ward fighting for the British.
Question 12: The Industrial Revolution that occurred in England during the eighteenth century had far reaching impact on the world. Justify the statement.
Answer: The Industrial Revolution that occurred in England during the eighteenth century led to considerable growth in industrial production. Many European countries such as England started looking out for territories or markets for their finished products that would also supply resources for their domestic industries. Thus, several European nations colonised non-European countries and India became a colony of England.
Question 13: Describe oral sources.
Answer:
“Oral History is the memories of living people about events or social conditions which they experienced in their earlier lives, taped and preserved as historical evidence.”
Before the invention of writing, information was transmitted by word of mouth through successive generations, which falls in the category of oral sources.
Interviews and recordings of people and witnesses to historical events such as freedom struggle, partition of India provide anecdotes and other information about the past.
The credibility of such sources has often been questioned but when there is a paucity of sources, these are very useful.
Traces of Modern Indian History Questions & Answers
Question 14: Write a note on Periodisation?
Answer: James Mill a Scottish historian in his book, A History of British India divided Indian history into three periods, namely, Hindu, Muslim and British. Mill’s view was widely accepted. However, the later historians criticized Mill’s Periodisation and referred the periods as ancient, medieval and modern.
Question 15: What information do diaries, autobiographies and travelogues give us?
Answer:
The vast corpus of official records helps us to derive much information about the modern period, it tells us only about official views, interests and wishes of the British.
Diaries of people, accounts of pilgrims and travelers, autobiographies and biographies of important personalities and national leaders are also important to study the modern period.
The autobiography of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Toward Freedom, Waiting for a Visa written by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth reveal facts which are unknown to the common people.
While referring to such sources, historians have to be cautious enough as these are primarily based on personal experiences and may be biased.
Question 16: Why the administrative records are important for study?
Answer:
Administrative records serve as an important source of information which comprises official records.
The British officials not only believed in keeping a record of every official proceeding but also carefully preserved the important documents and papers.
They set up specialized institutions such as archives and museums to preserve the records.
Most of these materials are available in the National Archives of India at New Delhi and the Indian Office Records in London.
The India Office Records are administered by the British Library, over 300 collections and over 3000 smaller deposits of private papers are as significant source of the British experience in India.
Question 17: Why is the photograph useful to reconstruct the history of modern India?
Answer: Photography is a speechless eyewitness which can be interpreted in words.
It is a visually recorded source that conveys many historical facts and realities.
The picture of Gateway of India is the photographic representation.
It is located in Mumbai but can be viewed by anyone living in distant places as it provides the exact image of the present-day state of the monument.
While referring to a photograph as a source to reconstruct history, one has to have a critical approach to check whether it is morphed or not as it would not provide authentic information.
Traces of Modern Indian History Questions & Answers
Question 18: Why are newspapers, books and letters considered an important source of the modern history of India?
Answer: Newspapers played a vital role in national awakening. These are very useful for the study of the freedom struggle. Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s newspaper Kesari in Marathi played a great role in moulding the public opinion during the freedom struggle. Books such as ‘Un-British Rule in India and Poverty’ which are written by Dadabhai Naoroji are important for understanding the economic history of this period. Personal correspondence, official letters of national leaders, great historical personalities and of the British officials provide a window to peep into the past. For example, letters written by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to his daughter, Indira Gandhi are a very useful source to understand the prevailing situation.
Question 19: Population statistics have often been used to draw various policies for the nation.
Answer: From the end of the nineteenth century, the census held every ten years has enabled the administration to prepare detailed records of the number of people living in India.
Information pertinent to their castes, religions and occupations was also collected.
The first complete census of an Indian city was conducted in 1830 by Henry Walter in Dhaka.
This collection of population statistics have often been used to draw various policies for the nation.
Question 20: Films gave some insight into the modern period of Indian History.
Answer:
Films are also a great source in the last few decades to study the history of the modern period.
There are several films based on true events and important issues unfolding many historical facts.
Even though films are primarily made for entertainment purpose, they give some insight into the period of our study.
Films such as ‘Lagaan’,‘Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey’, etc. throw light on the clashes between the British colonizers and the Indian subjects.
On the other hand. films such as Gandhi, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Sardar, etc. made on historical personalities are of immense help not only to understand their personal lives but also to study their contribution in the struggle of Independence.
So, these were Traces of Modern Indian History Questions & Answers.