Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 | How, When And Where | Textbook Questions And Answers
Here are answers for textbook questions from this chapter. You can find extra questions from this chapter here.
1. State whether true or false
(a) James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and Christian
False (He divided it into Hindu, Muslim and British.)
(b) Official documents help us understand what the people of the country think.
False (These documents help us understand what the officials thought was important.)
(c) The British thought surveys were important for effective administration.
True
2. What is the problem with the periodization of Indian history that James Mills offers?
James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British. This periodization was wrong because people of all faiths lived simultaneously during all of these periods. Hence, if a period is classified as Muslim, it would mean that Hindus did not exist during that period or that their lives did not matter. This is wrong. Also, James Mills believed that Indians were uncivilized and bringing the whole country under British rule was the only way to bring enlightenment and happiness to Indians. This idea was also wrong because Indian civilization is much older than British civilization. Also, contrary to what James Mills argued, British rule did not bring happiness or prosperity to Indians.
3. Why did the British preserve official documents?
The British believed in maintaining a record of every decision, agreement, plan, policy or investigation. According to them, when there were proper records, things could be properly studied and debated. Thus, they created a culture of memos, notes and reports.
4. How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police reports?
Information contained in newspapers was often influenced by the ideas of leaders and reformers. News editors also influenced the information printed in newspapers. By contrast, police reports usually gave a factual record of various events. It was also possible for these reports to contain false or biased information that suit the interests of the officials.