Please refer to The Making of a Global World Class 10 Social Science Important Questions with solutions provided below. These questions and answers have been provided for Class 10 Social Science based on the latest syllabus and examination guidelines issued by CBSE, NCERT, and KVS. Students should learn these problem solutions as it will help them to gain more marks in examinations. We have provided Important Questions for Class 10 Social Science for all chapters in your book. These Board exam questions have been designed by expert teachers of Standard 10.
Class 10 Social Science Important Questions The Making of a Global World
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question. Why were indentured labourer hired from India and China ?
Answer : In the nineteenth century, thousands of Indians and Chinese labourers were hired to work on plantations, mines, and road and railways construction projects as indentured labourers.
Question. What is El Dorado ?
Answer : El Dorado was deemed to be the fabled city of gold.
Question. Why did the Big European Powers meet in Berlin in 1885 ?
Answer : On account of the Partition of Africa, the Big European powers met in Berlin at a conference in 884-85.
Question. Who was indentured labourer ?
Answer : Indentured labourer signifies a ‘bonded labourer1 who obtained contract to work for an employer for a particular period of time.
Question. What kind of cultural exchanges were made through ‘Silk Route’ ?
Answer : ‘Silk Route’ was a popular network as it was frequented by the Christian missionaries, Muslim and Buddhist preachers.
Question. How frozen meat reached European market at reduced cost ?
Answer : Animals were slaughtered for food in America, Australia or New Zealand and then transported to Europe as frozen meat at reduced cost.
Question. How did dependency on potatoes kill the poorest peasants of Ireland ?
Answer : The poor peasants of Ireland became so dependent on potatoes that when potato blight occurred in the mid 1840s, hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation.
Question. Why did big European powers meet in Berlin in 1885?
Answer : The big European powers met in Berlin for completing the carving up of the territories in Africa among them in the year 1885.
Question. What kind of silk routes have been identified by historians ?
Answer : Historians have identified several silk routes, over land and by sea, interlacing wider regions of Asia and connecting Asia with Europe and Northern Africa.
Question. Who forced the government to abolish Corn Laws ?
Answer : Industrialists and urban dwellers compelled the government to abolish Com Laws.
Question. Can you name some prominent Indians whose descendents were migrant indentured labourers in West Indies ?
Answer : Nobel Prize winning writer V.S. Naipaul and West Indies cricketers Shivnarine Chandrapaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Question. Which important inventions transformed nineteenth century world ?
Answer : The railways, steamships and the telegraph were the significant inventions that transformed the nineteenth century world.
Question. What was Paper Partition ?
Answer : In 1885, the major European powers assembled in Berlin to divide the countries of Africa between them. This event was called Paper Partition.
Question. Which common foods were introduced to our ancestors after Columbus discovered America ?
Answer : Potatoes, soya, maize, tomatoes, chillies, groundnuts and sweet potatoes were introduced in Europe and Asia after the discovery of America by Columbus.
Question. Why did people migrate from Europe to Australia and America ?
Answer : Due to the increasing demand for food and employment, people from Europe migrated to Australia and America in search for better future prospects.
Question. How did Rinderpest reach Africa ?
Answer : Rinderpest was borne by infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed the Italian soldiers in East Africa.
Question. What were ‘Silk Routes’ ?
Answer : Silk routes were dynamic pre-modem trade and cultural links between distant parts of the world.
Question. How did food like ‘Noodles’ travel to various parts of the world and got adopted by different names ?
Answer : The food like ‘Noodles’ travelled west from China to become Spaghetti and Pasta in Italy. It is also believed that Arab traders took pasta to fifth century Sicily, an island in Italy.
Question. What was Rastafarianism ?
Answer : Rastafarianism means a protest religion that reflected social and cultural connections with Indian emigrants in the Caribbean region.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question. Why did Europeans flee to America in the 19th century? Give three reasons.
Answer : Europe was facing the problems like poverty, hunger, deadly diseases, religious conflicts, slave traders etc. and therefore many Europeans shifted to America by the 18th century.
Question. “China became an attractive destination for investment by foreign MNCs in the nineteenth and twentieth century.” Justify the statement.
Answer : It is true to say that in the 19th and 20th century, China became an attractive destination for investment by the foreign MNCs. This is due to the following reasons:
a. MNCs shifted their production units to low wage countries like China by the late 1870s.
b. Due to the highly skilled people in large numbers it was easy to get the skilled labour at low cost in China.
c. The new economic policy in China and better opportunity for the MNCs to maximize their profit also played an important role in this.
Question. Describe the effects of abolishing the Corn Laws.
Answer : According to the Corn Laws in Britain, the government restricted the import of the corn which increased the prices of food items in Britain. The industrialists and the urban dwellers forced the government to abolish the Com Laws.
The abolition of Com Laws was responsible for the movement of people to the cities and overseas because the imported corn was much cheaper which the British farmers were unable to compete as a result they either left the cultivation or were thrown out of the farm.
Question. “The relocation of industry to low-wage countries stimulated world trade and capital flows.” Justify the statement.
Answer : It is true to say that the relocation of industry to low wage countries stimulated the world trade and capital flows. From the 1970s the MNCs shifted their production operations in the low wage Asian countries where they could maximize their profits. This step of the MNCs again stimulated the world trade and capital flows.
Question. Explain any three types of flows within the international economy in exchanges.
Answer : There were three types of movements or flows noticed by the economist in the international market.
a. Flow of trade in which there was large scale trade of goods such as clothes and food stuffs.
b. Flow of labour in which the people migrated from one place to another in large numbers in search of employment.
c. Flow of capital in which capital moved over long distances for short term or long term investments.
Question. Before the arrival of outsiders, most of the Africans had a little reason to work for a wage. Explain three reasons.
Answer : a. Earlier, Africa had vast land resources and minerals which attracted the European powers to establish plantations and mines which could be exported to Europe. But there was shortage of labour because the African people rarely worked for a wage because they had abundant land and enough livestock for the livelihood of the small population.
b. To solve the problem of labour shortage, recruitment and retaining the labour, heavy taxes were imposed, inheritance laws were changed and confined the mineworkers in the compound itself.
c. To pay the heavy taxes, the Africans were bound to work for wages on plantations and mines. According to the new inheritance law, only one member in the family was allowed to inherit the land and thus the other members of the family were displaced from the land and pushed into the labour market. The mine workers also did not have the freedom of movement.
Question. Why did the household incomes decline after the First World War? Give two reasons,
Answer : The various reasons for the decline in the family income after the First World War were:
a. The large scale deaths and injuries in the First World War reduced the working age people in Europe, declined the family income and the women had to undertake jobs to run the family.
b. The First World War led to an economic boom which means large increase in demand, production and employment but the production decreased arid the unemployment increased when the war ended. In the year 1921, there was huge job losses, almost l/5th of the British workers were out of job.
c. Again after the War, Eastern Europe revived the wheat production. Due to this there was tremendous supply of wheat in the world market which resulted in falling prices, decline of the rural income and the fanners fell in debt.
Question. How did technology help to solve hardship of food availability throughout the world in the late-nineteenth century? Explain with example.
or
What was the impact of technology on food availability?
Answer : Railways, ports, harbours and settlements were developed in America and Australia for the smooth supply of food stuffs and for the industrial raw materials.
Now the food was grown by the low paid agricultural workers and transported from thousands of miles through railways and ships.
To solve the problems of this meat trade, refrigerated ships were developed for carrying these for a longer distance. The animals were slaughtered at the starting point and then transported as frozen meat to Europe which solved the problems of space, shipping cost and the price of the meat in the European market. As the price of the meat reduced in the market, the European poor could also consume butter, eggs and meat which helped in better living conditions and social peace in the country.
Question. How did the withdrawal of US loans during the phase of the Great Depression affect the rest of the world? Explain in three points.
Answer : During the First World War, the US financed through loans a number of countries. The withdrawal of US loans affected the rest of the world in the following three ways:
a. It caused the failure of some major banks and collapse of currencies in Europe.
b. The banks in US slashed domestic lending and called back loans but many households were unable to repay the loan due to decline in sale of agricultural products.
c. Collapse of business and falling income which finally resulted into collapse of the US banking system.
To protect its economy, the US doubled the import duties which led to another severe blow to the world trade.
Question. Explain three effects of the abolition of Corn Laws.
Answer : The three effects of the abolition of the Corn Laws were:
a. It led to the movement of people to the cities and overseas.
b. The imported corn was much cheaper which the British farmers were unable to compete.
c. As a result they either left the cultivation or were thrown out of the farm.
Question. Describe the circumstances responsible for the formation of G-77.
Answer : The developing countries were not benefitted from the fast growing western economies so they organized together and formed a Group of 77 which is commonly referred to as G-77 and demanded a new international economic order.
Their demand for NIEO was to get the real control over their own natural resources, development assistance, and fairer prices for the raw materials and access for their manufactured goods in the markets of the developed nations.
Question. When was the Brettonwoods conference convened?
State the main aim of the conference.
Answer : The framework for preserving the economic stability and full employment was agreed upon at the UN monetary and financial conference which was held in 1944 July, at Brettonwoods in New Hampshire (USA). The Brettonwoods twins or the Brettonwoods institutions are – the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank which commenced its financial operations in the year 1947.
Though these two institutions are controlled by the western industrial powers, the US has right of veto over the key decisions.
The IMF was established at the Bretton¬woods Conference for dealing with the external surpluses and deficits of its member Countries whereas the World Bank was setup to finance the post war reconstruction .
The Brettonwoods system was based on fixed exchange rates in which the national currencies were pegged to the dollar at a fixed rate of exchange.
Question. How was the food problem solved in Britain after scrapping the Corn Laws? Explain.
Answer : The abolition of Corn Laws was responsible for the movement of people to the cities and overseas because the imported corn was much cheaper which the British farmers were unable to compete as a result they either left the cultivation or were thrown out of the farm. The consumption of food crops rose in Britain due to the fall in prices. The food imports increased due to the higher income caused by the faster industrial growth in Britain.
This increased demand of food crops in Britain was fulfilled by the countries in Western Europe, Russia, America and Australia where the lands were cleared for the expansion of the food grain production.
Question. Describe the canal colonies. Where and why were they introduced?
Answer : A network of irrigation canals was built in India in the Punjab region for converting the semi-arid wastelands into fertile cultivable lands. The peasants settled near the canal were from other parts of Punjab and thus the area was called the canal colonies.
Question. Describe in brief the destruction caused during the Second World War.
Answer : The Second World War took place from 1939 to 1945 between the Axis powers (which included Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (which included Britain, France, Soviet Union and US). 60 million people were killed and millions were injured in this war in which civilian deaths were more than the soldiers. Many European and Asian cities were destroyed due to the aerial bombardment and artillery attacks.
This war had caused great social and economic fracture. The post war 1 reconstruction was long and difficult.
Question. Describe any three problems faced by Indian cotton weavers in the nineteenth century.
Answer : The three problems faced by Indian cotton weavers in the nineteenth century were:
a. Earlier, India was the main exporter of fine cotton to Britain but when the British cotton industries began to expand after industrialisation, they put pressure on the government to restrict the import of cotton to Britain.
b. As a result, tariffs were imposed on the import of cotton cloth from India which protected the local manufacturers in Britain.
c. Thus the inflow of the fine cotton from India declined.
Question. Explain how the First World War was so horrible a war like none other before.
or
Why is it said that there was no other war earlier like the First World War? State in three points.
Answer : There was no other war earlier like the First World War because of the following reasons:
a. The First World War which took place mainly in Europe from 1914 to 1918 had a profound impact on economic and political stability which took over three decades to overcome,
b. The leading industrial nations of the world were taking part, they wanted to harness the vast powers of the modern industries for the greatest possible destructions. Modern weapons like tanks, aircrafts, machine guns and chemical weapons were used, large ships and trains were used to move the recruited soldiers.
c. Around 9 million died and 20 million injured, the industries were restructured to produce war-related goods and also the societies were reorganized for war.
Question. Explain the impact of First World War on the British economy.
Answer : The First World War which took place mainly in Europe from 1914 to 1918 had ; a profound impact on the economy of Britain.
a. The large scale deaths and injuries in the First World War reduced the working age people in Europe, declined the family income and the women had to undertake jobs to run the family.
b. During the First World War the US became the international creditor from being international debtor because, to finance the war, Britain borrowed huge sums of money from the US banks and US public.
c. The debt mounted and thus Britain was not able to produce goods for exports.
Question. Define trade surplus. Why did Britain have a trade surplus with India?
Answer : Trade surplus is a condition in which the value of export exceeds the value of import. Earlier, India was the main exporter of fine cotton to Britain but when the British cotton industries began to expand after the industrialisation they put pressure on the government to restrict the import of cotton to Britain.
As a result, tariffs were imposed on the import of cotton cloth from India which protected the local manufacturers in Britain and thus the inflow of the fine cotton from India declined.
Even though Britain had a trade surplus with India which means that the value of British exports to India was more than the value of British imports from India.
Question. Describe the great economic hardship that prevailed in Europe during the 1830s.
Answer : Economic hardships that prevailed in Europe during the 1830s were
◆ The first half of the nineteenth century saw an enormous increase in population all over Europe. Migration of rural people to the cities further made the situation worse.
◆ Small producers in towns faced stiff competition from import of cheap machine-made goods from England. This competition was mainly faced by the textile production as it was carried out mainly in homes or small workshops which were partly mechanised.
◆ Some regions of Europe which were under the feudal rule, the condition of the peasants was not good. The rise of food prices and bad harvest led to widespread pauperism in town and country.
Question. Explain any three effects of scraping Corn Laws in Britain.
Answer : Three effects of scraping Corn Laws in Britain were
◆ After the Corn Laws were abolished, food could be imported into Britain more cheaply than it could be produced within the country.
◆ British agriculture was unstable to compete with imports. Vast areas of land were now left uncultivated and thousands of men and women were thrown out of work. They migrated to the cities or other countries in search of work.
◆ As the food prices fell, consumption in Britain rose. From the mid 19th century, faster industrial growth in Britain also led to higher incomes and therefore, more food imports.
Question. Who were indentured labourers? How were they recruited? Explain condition of the indentured labourers who went to work in different parts of the world.
OR
Write a short note on indentured labourers.
Answer : Indentured labourers were bonded labourers under contract to work for an employer for a specific amount of time, to pay off their passage to a new country or home.
They were recruited by agents engaged by employers and were paid a small commission.
The condition of the indentured labourers in different parts of the world was very pathetic in the following ways
◆ They were subjected to harsh, inhuman and unsympathetic conditions.
◆ If they were unwilling to migrate, they were captured by agents.
◆ If they were caught while escaping, they faced severe punishment.
◆ They have very few legal rights.
◆ Deductions were made from their wages, if the work was found unsatisfactory.
Question. Describe the significance of silk routes in the pre-modern period in the field of trade cultural exchange and religion.
Answer : The significance of silk routes were
◆ The silk routes are good examples of pre-modern trade and cultural links between the distant parts of the world, i.e. linking Asia with Europe and North Africa.
◆ Along the silk routes, the silk cargoes from China, Indian spices and textiles, gold and silver from Europe were carried to different parts of the world.
◆ The Buddhist preachers, Christian missionaries and later on, Muslim preachers travelled along these routes.
◆ These routes proved to be a great source of trade and cultural links between distant parts of the world.
Question. Mention any three circumstances that compelled Indians and Chinese to work as indenture labour in plantation and mines.
Answer : In the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of Indians and Chinese labourers went to work on plantations in mines and in different construction projects as indentured labour around the world. The circumstances that compelled them to work as indentured labour were
(i) Decline of cottage industry
(ii) Increase in land rents
(iii) Unemployment, poverty and indebtedness
Due to these reasons, poor were forced to migrate in search of work. The prospective migrants were tempted by the false promises of the agents and became indentured labourers.
Question. Why did Group 77 countries demand a New International Economic Order? Explain.
Answer : Group 77 countries demanded a New International Economic Order (NIEO) because
◆ They wanted to revise the International Economic System in favour of the developing countries.
◆ They wanted a system that would give them a real control over their natural resources.
◆ They wanted to set up a system under which they could get a fairer price for raw materials and better access for their manufactured goods in the developed countries’ market.
Question. ‘Food offers many examples of long distance cultural exchange’. Justify this statement.
Answer : Food offers many examples of long distance cultural exchange in the following ways
◆ Traders and travellers introduced new crops to the lands they travelled.
◆ Ready food stuffs in distant parts of the world might share common origins. It is believed that noodles travelled West from China to become spaghetti.
◆ Arab traders took ‘pasta’ to Sicily in Italy.
◆ Many of our common foods like potatoes, soya, groundnuts, maize, tomatoes, chillies were not known to us. These foods came from American Indians and we became gradually dependent on these.
Question. How did housing and consumer boom lead to prosperity in the US?
Answer : The housing and consumer boom in the 1920s created the basis of prosperity in the US in the following ways
◆ Large investments in housing and household goods seemed to create a cycle of higher employment and incomes. This led to rising consumption demand, more investment and again more employment and incomes.
◆ In 1923, the US resumed exporting capital to the rest of the world and became the largest overseas lender.
◆ US imports and capital exports boosted European recovery and world trade and also it enhanced the income growth over the next six years.
Question. Describe the economic condition of Britain after the ‘First World War’.
Answer : The economic condition of Britain after the First World War was
◆ Britain which was a leading economy of the world before the First World War faced a prolonged crisis. While Britain was pre-occupied with war, industries had developed in Japan and India. After the war, Britain found it difficult to recapture its earlier position.
◆ Britain has borrowed liberally from the USA for its war time expenditure, thus at the end of the war, Britain was burdened with huge external debt.
◆ After the war, production in Britain contracted which led to huge job losses. In 1921, one in every five British workers was out of work. Anxiety and uncertainty about work became an enduring part of the post-war time.
Question. How did Bretton Woods inaugurate an era of unprecedented growth in trade?
OR
Explain the role of Bretton Woods institutions in post-Second World War settlement.
Answer : Bretton Woods inaugurated an era of unprecedented growth in trade by establishing International Monetary Fund and Bank for Reconstruction and Development known as world Bank.
The Bretton Woods Conference established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deal with external surplus and deficits of its member nations. The conference established the World Bank to finance post-war reconstruction.
The IMF and World Bank were referred as the Bretton Woods Institutions or the twins of the Bretton Woods.
Both these institutions commenced financial operations in 1947. Decision making in these institutions was controlled by the Western industrial powers.
Question. Describe the impact of ‘Rinderpest’ on people’s livelihood and local economy in Africa in the 1890s.
Answer : Rinderpest was a cattle plague spread by Asian cattle taken to Africa to feed the Italian soldiers by the European colonisers. The impact of ‘rinderpest’ on people’s livelihood and local economy in Africa in the 1890s was
◆ Economic Impact Rinderpest killed 90 per cent of the cattle. This virtually destroyed the African economic system based on cattle and land. Africans, who worked rearing cattle, were unemployed and forced to earn their livelihood by working in mines and on plantations set-up by the Europeans.
◆ Impact on Livelihood Using this plague advantage, colonising nations successfully monopolised cattle resources. By this, they strengthen their power and forced Africans into the labour market.
Question. What are MNCs? Why MNCs choose China as an alternative location for investment?
Answer : Multinational Corporations (MNCs) are large companies that operate in several countries at the same time.
The first MNCs were established in 1920s. The MNCs choose China as an alternative location of investment because
◆ Availability of skilled and unskilled labours/ workers at low wages
◆ Less cost of production
◆ China has the largest population besides labour. They also formed a large consumer base.
Question. Examine how the First World War transformed the US from being an international debtor to an international creditor.
Answer : The First World War has transformed the US from being an international debtor to an international creditor in the following ways
◆ During the war, industries were restructured to produce war related goods. The US became the big supplier of war needs. So, the war helped to boost the US economy.
◆ The war led to the snapping of economic links between some of the world’s largest economic powers which were now fighting with each other to pay for them.
◆ Due to war, Britain borrowed large amount of money from US banks.
Question. Analyse any three factors that make globalisation more fair.
Answer : Fair globalisation means that the benefits of the globalisation must be shared by all equally. The ways to make globalisation fair in India are
(i) Government needs to care about the labour laws so that workers get their trade union rights.
(ii) Government can negotiate with WTO for fairer rules and can align with developing countries to stand against the domination of developed countries.
(iii) Supporting the small producers to improve their performance so that they remain viable in the face of competition from MNC.
Question. Explain three reasons for the attraction of Europeans to Africa.
Answer : The three reasons for the attraction of European to Africa were
(i) Africa had abundant land and was rich in mineral resources. Its population was relatively small.
(ii) The Europeans were hoping to establish plantations and mines in Africa to produce crops and minerals for export to Europe.
(iii) In Africa, industrial revolution did not take place. Africans were militarily weak and backward. Europeans thought that they could easily capture the country and use its resource and people for their own profit.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question. Explain the impact of the Great Depression on India during the early twentieth century.
Answer : The impact of the Great Depression on India during the early twentieth century was
◆ The depression immediately affected Indian trade. India’s exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934. As international prices crashed, prices in India also plunged. Between 1928 and 1934 wheat prices in India fell by 50 per cent.
◆ Peasants and farmers suffered more than urban dwellers. Agricultural prices fall sharply, but the colonial government refused to reduce revenue demands.
◆ Peasants producing for the world market were the worst hit. As gunny exports collapsed, the price of raw jute crashed more than 60 per cent.
◆ Peasants who borrowed in the hope at better times or to increase output in the hope of higher income suffered a lot.
◆ Across India, peasants’ indebtedness increased. Jute producers fell deeper and deeper into debt. They used up their savings, mortgaged lands and sold their valuables like jewellery to meet their expenses.
Question. How did rinderpest become instrumental in subjugating the Africans?
Answer : Rinderpest was a disease of cattle plague spreading fastly in Africa in the 1880s. It had terrible impact on the livelihood and the local economy in Africa. This disease was carried by the infected cattle which were imported from the British Asia in order to feed the Italian soldiers who were deputed for invading Eritrea in the east Africa.
Rinderpest spread from the east Africa to the West Africa and reached the Atlantic coast of Africa in the year 1892 and the southernmost tip of Africa (the Cape) in 1897.
Along the way from East to West Africa this rinderpest killed 90% of the cattle which destroyed the livelihoods of the Africans.
Now the leftover or scarce cattle was monopolized by the planters, mine owners and the colonial governments. This incident helped the European powers to conquer and subdue Africa and easily forced the Africans into the labour market.
Question. Describe in brief the world economic condition in the post first world war period.
Answer : a. Before the First World War, Britain was the world’s leading economy but after the war Britain was over burdened with external debts.
b. In the meantime, industries in India and Japan developed a lot. Due to these conditions it became difficult for Britain to get its dominance over India back and compete with Japan internationally. ‘ The First World War led to an economic boom which means large increase in demand, production and employment but the production decreased and the unemployment increased when the war ended. In the year 1921, there was huge job losses, almost l/5th of the British workers were out of job.
c. Eastern Europe was the major supplier of wheat in the world which was disrupted when Europe was bpsy with the First World War. During this war period the production of wheat rose in Canada, US and Australia. Again after the war Eastern
d. Europe revived the wheat production. Due to this there was tremendous supply of wheat in the world market which resulted in falling prices, decline of the rural income and the farmers fell in debt.
Question. Explain giving examples, the role played by technological inventions in transforming 19th century world.
Answer : Railways, ports, harbours and settlements were developed in America and Australia for the smooth supply of food stuffs and for the industrial raw materials.
A network of irrigation canals was built in India in the Punjab region for converting the semi-arid wastelands into fertile cultivable lands. All these developments throughout the world was possible due to the development in technologies such as railways, steamships, telegraph etc. which were the results of socio-economic and political factors. Improvement in faster means of transport for the quicker delivery of goods and people from the supply areas to the demand areas. To solve the problems of meat trade, refrigerated ships were developed for
carrying these for a longer distance. The animals were slaughtered at the starting point and then transported as frozen meat to Europe which solved the problems of space, shipping cost and the price of the meat in the European market.
Question. How did the Great Depression of 1929 affect the farmers and the middle classes in India in different ways?
Answer : The great depression of US also affected India severely. The exports and imports fell down almost by 50%.
a. The peasants who were producing for the world market were hit hard than the urban dwellers because of the sharp decline in the price of the agricultural products in the international market and also the colonial government refused to reduce the revenue.
b. The jute producers of Bengal fell into debt due to the collapse of the gunny exports and decline in the price of the raw jute. To come out of the situation of indebtedness, Indian peasants used their savings, mortgaged lands and sold their jewellery and precious metals.
c. During this depression period, India became an important exporter of Gold which helped Britain to speed up its recovery and also helped in promoting the global economic recovery.
d. The urban India people were not much affected as their income was fixed. Either they were dependent on rental income or they were salaried employees.
Question. Explain the following:
(a) G-77
(b) The Great Depression
Answer : a. G-77: The developing countries were not benefitted from the fast growing western economies so they organized together and formed a group of 77 which is commonly referred to as G-77 and demanded a new international economic order. Their demand for NIEO was to get the real control over their own natural resources, development assistance, and fairer prices for the raw materials and access for their manufactured
goods in the markets of the developed nations.
b. The Great Depression: The year 1929 was called the year of Great Depression which lasted till mid-1980s. Production, employment, income and trade declined all over the world due to which the agricultural regions and communities were worst affected because the prices of the agricultural products declined sharply and for long period than the Price fall in the industrial goods. The two main reasons for this Great
Depression were the overproduction in the US and the withdrawal of US loans which caused the failure of some major banks and collapse of currencies in Europe.
Question. Explain the three types of movements or flows within international economic exchange. Mention any one example of any one type of flow from India and one from England.
Answer : There were three types of movements or flows noticed by the economist in the international market.
a. Flow of trade in which there was large scale trade of goods such as clothes and food stuffs.
b. Flow of labour in which the people migrated from one place to another in large numbers in search of employment.
c. Flow of capital in which capital moved over long distances for short term or long term investments.
Railways, ports, harbours and settlements were developed in America and Australia for the smooth supply of food stuffs and for the industrial raw materials. All this required capital and labour which flowed from the financial centres such as London. During this period, around 50 million people migrated from Europe to America and Australia and around 150 million people migrated all over the world in search of their better future.
The indentured labourers were hired from India (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, central India and dry districts of Tamilnadu) for a period of five years to work on plantations.
Question. The Spanish conquest and colonization of America was decisively underway by the mid sixteenth century. Explain with examples.
or
How did the global transfer of disease in pre-modern world helped in colonisation of the Americas?
Answer : The Portuguese and the Spanish conquered America not just with the conventional military weapons but also with the germs such as the small pox. The small pox was carried on their person (Spanish invaders were immune to this disease) to America for which the American Indians were not immune to and proved a deadly weapon as it killed the whole community there.
These diseases could not be bought or captured and turned against the European invaders unlike the guns and other conventional weapons.
Question. Explain any three benefits of refrigerated ships.
Answer : The three benefits of refrigerated ships were:
a. There was trade in meat till the 1870s from America to Europe. The cattle were slaughtered after they reach the destination. There were number of problems in carrying the five animals into the ships such as they took lot of space, many died on the way, fell ill, lost their weight, became inedible.
b. To solve the problems of this meat trade, refrigerated ships were developed for carrying these for a longer distance. The animals were slaughtered at the starting point and then
transported as frozen meat to Europe which solved the problems of space, shipping cost and the price of the meat in the European market.
c. As the price of the meat reduced in the market, the European poor could also consume butter, eggs and meat which helped in better living conditions and social peace in the country. This condition supported for imperialism abroad.
Question. “Trade and cultural exchange always went hand in hand.” Explain the statement in the light of Silk Route.
Answer : There were several silk routes over land and sea which helped in trade and cultural links between the different countries of the world especially Asia, North Africa and Europe.
The silk routes got its name due to the Chinese silk cargoes along these routes which were actively functional before the Christian era and upto the 15th century. Chinese pottery, Indian spices and precious metals like gold and silver from Europe had travelled through these silk routes.
These silk routes were also used for the cultural exchange by the Christian missionaries, Muslim preachers arid the Buddhist.
Question. Describe the condition of indentured labour that migrated from India during the nineteenth century.
Answer : The condition of indentured labour that migrated from India during the 19th century was
◆ The conditions of these workers were very bad and their wages were extremely low.
◆ Agents tempted the prospective migrants by providing false information about final destinations. They did not tell them about the harsh modes of travel, the nature of the work and living and working conditions.
◆ There was long working hours for the labourers and children who were more than the age of five years were also expected to work with their parents.
◆ The indenture labour was nothing but a ‘new system of slavery’. On arrival of the working place the labourers found completely different environment which they imagined.
◆ Sometimes the labourers could not finish the work which they were allotted. If they could not complete it, they were prosecuted and sent to jail.
◆ Their wages were deducted if their works were considered to be unsatisfactory. Many tried to escape, but if they caught, they faced severe punishment.
Question. Why the year 1929 known as the Great Depression? Explain the main factors responsible for the Great Depression.
OR
Explain the causes of Great Depression.
Answer : The year of 1929 came to be known as the Great Depression because during this period most parts of the world experienced catastrophic declines in production, employment, income and trade.
The Great Depression was caused by several factors which were
◆ Many countries financed their investments through loans from the US. In the early 1920s, the economy of the US was strong. But the over production in industrial and agricultural sectors led to the depression.
◆ There was a sudden growth in the purchase of refrigerators, washing machines, radios, gramophone players, etc through hire-purchase. With the fall in prices and the prospect of depression, US banks slashed domestic lending and called back loans.
◆ Farms could not sell their harvests, households were ruined and business collapsed. The consumerist prosperity of 1920s disappeared.
◆ As a result of falling incomes, many households could not repay what they had borrowed. They even were forced to give up their homes, cars and other consumer durables.
Question. Explain what is referred to as the G-77, countries. In what ways can G-77 be seen as a reaction to the activities of the Bretton Woods twins?
Answer : The G-77 is a coalition of developing nations.
They have demanded a New International Economic Order (NIEO) in which they have a real control over their natural resources.
By NIEO, they got more development assistance and fairer prices for raw materials, and better access to the markets in developed countries for their manufactured goods.
G-77 was seen as a reaction to the activities of the Bretton Woods twins because the Bretton Woods twins, IMF and World Bank were mainly setup to favour the developed nations. As a result most developing countries did not benefit from the fast growth that the Western economics experienced in the 1950s and 1960s. So, they organised themselves as a group-the group of 77 of G-77 to demand a new economic order.
The developing nations organised themselves into G-77 so as to gain real control over their natural resources. They also wanted a better opportunity for their manufactured goods in the markets of developed nations.
Question. How did Henry Ford revolutionise mass production in the US? Explain.
Answer : Henry Ford revolutionise mass production by adopting the assembly line of a Chicago slaughterhouse to his new car plant in Detroit. The assembly line allowed a faster and cheaper way of producing vehicles. It forced workers to repeat a single task mechanically and continuously which is dictated by the conveyor belt. This increased their efficiency in the single task and the speed of production too.
As a result, Henry Ford’s cars came off the assembly line at three-minute intervals. However, standing in front of the conveyor belt, no worker could delay the motion or take a break. In the beginning, many workers quit since they could not cope up with the stress of work. Thus, Henry Ford paid high wages to the workers who do that monotonous tasks, but recovered this cost through faster production. Due to this mass production, car production in the US hiked from 2 million in 1919 to more than 5 million in 1929.
Question. Describe the role of technology in transformation of the world in the 19th century.
Answer : Technology has played an important role in transformation the world economy in the 19th century in the following ways
◆ Technology can be regarded as the primary source in economic development. The railways, steamships, the telegraph were important inventions in the nineteenth century.
◆ The technological advances were the result of larger social, political and economic factors. For example, colonisation stimulated new investment and improvements in transport system.
◆ Faster railways, lighter wagon and large refrigerated ships helped move food more cheaply and quickly from America, Australia or New Zealand to final markets in different European countries.
◆ The reduced shipping costs lowered meat prices in Europe. The poor in Europe could consume a more varied diet which included meat, butter and eggs.
◆ Better living condition in Europe as a result of technology promoted social peace within the country and people started to support the policies of imperialism.
Case Based Questions
Question. Read the given case/source and answer the following questions.
The Bretton Woods conference established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deal with external surpluses and deficits of its member nations. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (popularly known as the World Bank) was set up to finance post-war reconstruction: The IMF and the World Bank are referred to as the Bretton Woods institutions or sometimes the Bretton Woods twins. The post-war international economic system is also often described as the Bretton Woods system. The IMF and the World Bank commenced financial operations in 1947.
Decision- making in these institutions is controlled by the Western industrial powers. The US has an effective right of veto over key IMF and World Bank decisions.
The international monetary system is the system linking national currencies and monetary system. The Bretton Woods system was based on fixed exchange rates. In this system, national currencies, e.g., the Indian rupee, were pegged to the dollar at a fixed exchange rate. The dollar itself was anchored to gold at a fixed price of $35 per ounce of gold.
(i) Which institutions were established by the Bretton Woods conference ? Why the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was set up?
Answer : International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, popularly known as World Bank were established by the Bretton Woods Conference. The IMF was set up to promote International Monetary Cooperation.
(ii) What was the Bretton Woods system?
Answer : The Bretton Woods System was a system based on fixed exchange rates. In this system, national currencies i.e. the Indian rupees were pegged to the dollar at a fixed exchange rate.
(iii) What decision was taken at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, USA?
Answer : In Bretton Woods Conference New Hampshire USA, decision was taken for establishing World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to preserve Global economical stability and full employment in the industrial world.
Question. Read the case/source given and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct option.
When the Second World War ended, large parts of the world were still under European colonial rule. Over the next two decades most colonies in Asia and Africa emerged as free independent nations. They were, however, overburdened by poverty and a lack of resources, and their economies and societies were handicapped by long periods of colonial rule. The IMF and the World Bank were designed to meet the financial needs of the industrial countries. They were not equipped to cope with the challenge of poverty and lack of development in the former colonies. But as Europe and Japan rapidly rebuilt their economies, they grew less dependent on the IMF and the World Bank. Thus, from the late 1950s the Bretton Woods institutions began to shift their attention more towards developing countries. As colonies, many of the less developed regions of the world had been part of Western empires. Now, ironically, as newly independent countries facing urgent pressures to lift their populations out of poverty, they came under the guidance of international agencies dominated by the former colonial powers.
Even after many years of decolonisation, the former colonial powers still controlled vital resources such as minerals and land in many of their former colonies. Large corporations of other powerful countries, for example the US, also often managed to secure rights to exploit developing countries’ natural resources very cheaply.
(i) Why the Bretton Woods Institutions were established? Choose the correct option from the following:
(a) To promote the International Trade
(b) To reconstruct the economies damaged during the Second World War
(c) To improve the adverse Balance of Payment situation of the non member countries
(d) All of the above
Answer : (b) To reconstruct the economies damaged during the Second World War
(ii) What factors led to decolonisation after the Second World War? With reference to the above context, infer the appropriate option.
(a) After World War-II, European countries lacked the wealth and political support necessary to suppress the revolts.
(b) There were strong independence movements in colonies.
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Financial needs of European countries were not favoured as they were colonial powers.
Answer : (c) Both (a) and (b)
(iii) Which of the following countries has an effective right of veto over key IMF and World Bank decisions? Select the best suitable option from the following reference to the context:
(a) France
(b) Australia
(c) Russia
(d) USA
Answer : (d) USA
(iv) Why did the Bretton Woods Institutions shift their focus from industrial countries to colonies? Identify from the given options.
(a) As upliftment of poor countries was a central notion.
(b) Because industrial countries had rebuilt their economies.
(c) Because financial support was a need for establishment of administration in colonies.
(d) As industrial countries tried to establish their control on Bretton Woods Institutions.
Answer : (b) Because industrial countries had rebuilt their economies.
(v) How did Bretton Woods Institutions failed in maintaining the idea of decolonisation? Choose the correct option.
(a) The European rulers played a dominant role in Bretton Woods Institutions.
(b) As its focus was to improve the European industrial centres.
(c) Through Bretton Woods Institutions, European rulers continued their control over colonies resources.
(d) All of the above
Answer : (c) Through Bretton Woods Institutions, European rulers continued their control over colonies resources.
(vi) Assertion (A) World Bank and IMF were established after the Second World War.
Reason (R) Second World War caused an immense amount of economic destruction and many parts of Europe and Asia were destroyed.
Codes
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
Answer : (b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
Question. Read the given case/source and answer the following questions.
Source A Decolonisation and Independence
At the same time, most developing countries did not benefit from the fast growth the Western economies experienced in the 1950s and 1960s. Therefore, they organised themselves as a group i.e. the Group of 77 (or G-77) to demand a New International Economic Order (NIEO). By the NIEO they meant a system that would give them real control over their natural resources, more development assistance, fairer prices for raw materials and better access for their manufactured goods in developed countries’ markets.
(i) What is NIEO? Explain the objectives of developing countries.
Answer : NIEO is the New International Economic Order. It was a set of proposal put forward during the 1970’s by the developing countries with the following objectives
◆ To revise the international economic system in favour of the developing countries.
◆ These countries wanted to set up a system under which they could get fairer prices for raw materials and better access for their manufactured goods in the developed countries markets, etc.
Source B Indentured labour Migration from India
Recruitment was done by agents engaged by employers and paid a small commission. Many migrants agreed to take up work hoping to escape poverty or oppression in their home villages. Agents also tempted the prospective migrants by providing false information about final destinations, modes of travel, the nature of the work and living and working conditions. Often migrants were not even told that they were to embark on a long sea voyage. Sometimes agents even forcibly abducted less willing migrants.
(ii) How were the indentured workers exploited by the recruiting agents?
Answer : Recruiting agents exploited indentured workers by providing them false information about final destination, modes of travel, the nature of work and living and working conditions. Sometimes agent even forcibly captured less willing migrants.
Source C The Great Depression
The Great Depression began around 1929 and lasted till the mid-1930s. During this period, most parts of the world experienced catastrophic declines in production, employment, incomes and trade. The exact timing and impact of the depression varied across countries.
But in general, agricultural regions and communities were the worst affected. This was because the fall in agricultural prices was greater and more prolonged than that in the prices of industrial goods.
(iii) Which factors was responsible for the Great Depression in 1929?
Answer : The main factor responsible for the depression in 1929 was agricultural overproduction. This decreased the prices of agricultural products. To handle this situation, farmers tried to expand production by bringing a larger volume of produce to the market. But this further decreased the price of agricultural products.