Social Science Class  - X  
Sample Paper 2000 (Part - III)
(Solved)

Section A - History

Q.What is referred to as 'paper partition' in the colonisation of Africa? (2)

Ans.  Different European powers entered into agreements/treaties often fraudulent and bogus) with the rulers of African States and brought their states as their `Protectorates' with a promise to support them against their rivals. Through these treaties, they obtained recognition of other European powers and the process of occupation began without any hindrance from them. This position is referred to as `paper partition' as the actual partition took much longer and was accomplished by the use of the superior military might of the European Powers to suppress the resistance by the Africans.

Q .Name the political parties of Russia that represented the industrial workers. How did they differ in heir policies? (2)

Ans. 2 The industrial workers of Russia were mainly represented through the `Bolsheviks' and the `Mensheviks' . The Bolsheviks were the majority group of the workers who believed in the revolutionary methods for bringing about changes in the society and the state. In their opinion, the parliamentary methods would not be able to bring about any changes in a country like Russia where no democratic rights existed and where there was no parliament. On the other hand, Mensheviks believed in parliamentary methods and participation in elections for running the state and the society. They were in he minority. They favoured parties as were existing in France and Germany which took part in elections to the legislature of their countries.

Q .Which were the countries that signed the Anti-comintern pact? Why was this Pact signed? (2)

Ans.  Anti-Comintern pact was signed between Germany, Italy and Japan in 1937 with an aim to check the expansion of communism in the world. They also pledged to follow an aggressive policy for the expansion of territories.

Q4.Mention any two aims of the Wood's Despatch? (2)

Ans. 4 One of the advances made by the British Government in the spread of education was the Wood's Dispatch in 1854.

(a) Under this Dispatch, the government undertook to pay more attention to the spread of education. Local languages along with English were made the media of instruction at the school stage and English at the college stage.

(b) The aim of education as stated by the dispatch was the spread of western culture which would seek to foster and promote loyalty to the state among Indian students and prepare them for administrative responsibilities.

Q .Describe how the Moroccan Crises led to the First World War ? (4)

Ans. 5 In 1904 Britain and France had entered into a Secret agreement according to which Britain was to have a free hand in Egypt and France was to take over Morocco. The agreement became known to Germany and aroused her indignation.

The German emperor promised the sultan of morocco his full support for the independence of morocco. The antagonism over morocco increased existing tensions in Europe, and became a cause of the First World War.


OR


Q .Describe the effects of the First World War on Austria - Hungary? (4)

Ans.  The first World War came to an end in November 1918. Great changes took place in the maps of the defeated countries like Germany, Austria, Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria. They were deprived of much of their territories which were distributed among the victors. The effects of the war on Austria - Hungary were no different. The ruling dynasty of Habsburg in Austria - Hungary was destroyed. Austria - Hungary was forced to sign a separate treaty (of St. German) with the Allies by which she had to accept the following conditions:

(a) Austria - Hungary was broken up and two separate kingdoms of Austria and Hungary were set up.

(b) Austria had to cede territories to Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Poland and was forced to accept their independence.

(c) Italy gained Tyrol from Austria.

(d) Austrian Army was reduced to 30,000 men while Hungarian army was reduced to 45,000 men.

(e) Both Austria and Hungary had to pay a huge war indemnity.

(f) Hungarian area was reduced from 1,25,000 Sq. miles to 35,000 Sq. miles.

Q .Why was the Spanish Civil War fought ? Why did it assume international significance? (4)

Ans.  The Spanish Civil war broke out in 1936 when a section of army under General France revolved against the Republican Government of Spain comprising of the socialists, communists and other democratic and anti-fascist parties. Italy and Germany helped the rebels openly by supplying arms and troops. The German aircraft's conducted air-raids on Spanish towns and villages. None of the big powers except Soviet Union came to help the Republican Government.

However thousands of anti-fascist volunteers including famous writers and artists from all over the world supported the cause of the `Republicans'. The battle in Spain assumed an international significance as it was increasingly realised that the victory of fascism in Spain would encourage more fascist aggressions. It became more like an international protest against the fascist aggression. The sacrifice of their lives by thousands of non-spaniards in Spain in the cause of freedom and democracy is one of the finest examples of the internationalism in history.

OR

Q .Trace the events after the end of the Second World War that led to the Cold War? (4)

Ans.  The co-operation and understanding that existed between Russia and western powers during the Second World War began to evaporate after the war and mutual distrust and suspicion began to appear which led to bitter feelings and tension between the two sides.

(1) American and British fear of Communism: - The rowing strength of communism in various parts of the world especially Eastern Europe, alarmed USA and Britain who then aimed at following a policy to curb its growth.

(2) Trueman Doctrine :- U.S. President Trueman declared in 1947 that U.S. would support such people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or outside pressure. The chief aim of this doctrine was to protect the independent nations from communist aggression, to preserve the balance of power, to check the expansion of Russia's influence over Middle East and the Balkan area. This doctrine accelerated the already existing hostility between America and Russia and proved the chief cause of cold war.

(3) Setting up of Military blocs:- The growing tension in the world was worsened by the setting up of military alliances. In 1949, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was formed for defence against the Soviet Union. SEATO and CENTO were formed for similar objectives. To counteract them Russia and her friendly states established the WARSAW Pact. The tension between the two sides thus increased.

(4) Race for Armaments :- Initially, America alone had the monopoly of atomic power. She was not ready to share her atomic secrets with Russia. It roused mutual fear and distrust for each other. But soon the first Russian atomic explosion took place in 1949. Then started the race for armaments between them. After 1953, both developed hydrogen bombs, long-range bombers, rockets and inter-continental missiles, etc.

Q . Explain the ills of Indian society in the eighteenth Century? (4)

Ans.  India of the 18th century failed to make progress economically, socially or culturally at an adequate pace.

(a) Economic conditions :- Indian agriculture was technically backward and stagnant. The peasant's life was miserable as he had to bear the oppression of the landlords and nobles. Constant warfare and disruption of law and order harmed the internal and external trade. The profits made by the Indian merchants were not used to develop industries. India had become a land of contrasts. Extreme poverty existed side by side with extreme riches and luxury. While towns and cities developed as administrative and commercial centres, different villages led a life of isolation.

(b) Social conditions :- Despite certain broad cultural unity developed over the centuries, there was no uniformity of culture and social patterns all over the country caste was the central feature of the social life of the Hindus. Monopolisation of all privileges by Brahmins, ban on inter caste marriages and inter dining and the practice of untouchability bred disunity and checked progress. The family system being patriarchal, the condition of women was equally bad. The social ills of child marriage, purdah system, sati system, dowry system, etc. prevailed. The Muslims were no less divided by the considerations of caste, race, tribe and status. As such, their process was also restarted.

(c) Political conditions :- The political system presented an equally dismal picture. Political loyalties were primarily local or regional. The Mughal power had declined and no other power came forward to replace it. The Marathas who emerged as a strong power had no concept of a `nation' as we understand it today. Their defeat in the Third battle of Panipat in 1761 doomed their fate in India.

OR

Q .Explain the contribution of Swami Vivekananda to the Indian reform movement? (4)

Ans.  Swami Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1896 to propagate the teachings of his master Ramakrishna Paramhansa. He made the following contributions in the sphere of socio-religious reforms.

(a) He proclaimed the essential oneness of all religious and condemned any narrowness in religious matters.

(b) He was convinced of the superior approach of the Indian philosophical radiation and subscribed to Vedanta which he declared to be a fully rational system.

(c) He strongly condemned the caste system and the current Hindu emphasis on rituals and superstitions.

(d) He condemned and preached against untouchability.

(e) Being a great humanist, he urged the people to imbibe the spirit of liberty, equality and free thinking.

(f) Through Ramakrishna Mission he set up many educational institutions, hospitals and dispensaries, libraries, orphanages, etc.

(g) He thus laid emphasis not on personal salvation but on social good or social service.



Q .Trace the main changes that have taken place in Germany after the Second World War? (6)

Ans.  After the War, Germany was divided into four occupation zones each under Soviet Union, USA, Britain and France. Even Berlin was divided amongst the four victors. At the Potsdam conference, Germany had been visualised as a single economic zone with a common currency. Gradually, however, Germany became divided into 2 parts - the three zone under he US, Britain and France becoming one, the western part, and the Soviet occupation zone becoming another, the eastern part. The economic unity of Germany was broken with the Western part stopping the despatch of industrial machinery to the eastern part and the latter ending the supply of agricultural goods to the former. Each part now had a separate currency. Russia in the meanwhile built a huge wall to separate East Berlin from West Berlin.

In 1949, Britain, France and the US got merged their zones and thus was formed the Federal Republic of Germany with its capital at Bonn. The eastern part of Germany under Russia came to be known as the German Democratic Republic.

The Federal Republic of Germany followed the capitalist line of economy. The Private Sector continued to dominate. The factories were run by the individual concerns with least state interference. In the political field, different parties were allowed to contest elections. The two main parties were the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Republic.

The German Democratic Republic came to have the Socialist economy. The industries were taken over from Private hands and made the property of the state. Likewise land was taken from the landlords and distributed among the peasants. Only one political party known as the Socialist Unity Party of Germany was allowed to exist.

Thus Germany came to be divided into two parts. But after a lapse of about four decades, both East Germany and West Germany once again got merged into one state on October 3, 1990. The United Germany is now a powerful state in the present world.

OR

Q .Trace the many changes of historical importance that have taken place in the Soviet Union in recent years? (6)

Ans.  Since 1917, the political system in the Soviet Union was based on the Principles of Communism. Under Lenin and Stalin Communism continued to be enforced with full enthusiasm, but after them the policies of terror and repression was done away with under Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Kosygin and finally under Mikhail Gorbachev who was elected the leader of the communist Party in 1985 and later on the President of the Soviet Union.

Gorbachev was a communist, but he wanted a liberal, free and democratic communist system. A number of reforms took place - the major ones being `glasnost' and `perestroika' . Under glasnost, the curbs on the freedom of thought and expression were lifted. All sides of the lie of society were open to scrutiny and criticism from all directions. This applied equally to party leadership, the media, cultural figures, and the man in the street.

Under `perestroika', economic reforms were carried out to end the stagnation that had set in and every attempt was made to improve the conditions of the people.

The hold of Communist party was lessened and other political parties were also allowed to function party decided to put an end to the "bureaucratic command - style" methods of administration. The party conference resolved to increase people's participation in decision - making through free and democratic election based on multi-candidate system. Later multi-party system was also allowed to function.

Freedom that the people of former Soviet Union acquired as a result of glasnost led to liberalisation in economy and free expression of dissent within the party and various organisations of government. Some of the Union Republics chose to be governed by leaders who refused to abide by the wishes of the central leadership. Boris Yelstin who was elected President of Russia was one such leader. Amongst turmoil, confusion and criticism, Gorbachev resigned on 25th December, 1991 and Soviet Union collapsed like a pack of cards and was divided into 15 independent republics.

Communism vanished from all these countries. Subsequently Russia demanded and got international recognition as principal successor of the former Soviet Union. Russia was granted a permanent seat in the Security Council, with power of veto earlier enjoyed by the Soviet Union.

Q .Evaluate the influence of socialist ideas on the Indian National Movement ? (6)

Ans.  The year 1927 witnessed many portents of national recovery and the emergence of the new trend of socialism. Politically, this force and energy found reflection in the rise of a new left wing in the congress under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose. The left wing did not confine its attention to the struggle against imperialism but simultaneously raised the question of internal class oppression by the capitalists and landlords.

(1) All India Trade Union Congress was formed in 1920. Many strikes were organised under it including those in Kharagpur; Ata Iron and Steel Works, Jamshedpur, Bombay Textile Mills, etc. Over five lakhs workers took part in strikes in 1928 alone.

(2) The peasants were also stirring. In UP there was an agitation for the revision of tenancy laws; in Gujarat protests were against increasing land revenue; the famous Bardoli Satyagraha and No Tax Campaign were organised during this time.

(3) In 1925, the Communist Party of India came in to existence. The national leaders began to lay stress on the economic demands of the workers.

(4) Indian youth were becoming active. The first All - Bengal Conference of Students was held in August 1928. The young nationalists turned to socialism to advocate radical solutions for the political, economic and social ills from which the country was suffering.

(5) The growing activity of the revolutionary movement was beginning to take a socialist turn. The Hindustan Republican Association was founded in 1924 to organise an armed rebellion Kakori Conspiracy case took place in 1925. Under the leadership of Chandra Shekhar Azad, its name was changed to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association in 1928.

(6) Anti-Simon Commission demonstration; assassination of Saunders by Bhagat Singh, Azad and Rajguru; throwing of bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly and Chittagong armoury case took place in the period between 1928-30.

(7) In the Karachi Session (1931), the congress adopted the economic resolution based on socialist ideas such as nationalisation of certain industries and schemes for the welfare of the peasants and the workers. Resolution on fundamental rights was also passed in this session.

(8) Congress Socialist Party was formed in 1934 under he leadership of Acharya Narendra Dev and Jai Prakash Narayan. By 1939, within the Congress the left was able to command influence over 1/3rd votes on important issues.

(9) The 1930s also witnessed the foundation of the All India Students Federation, All India Progressive Writers
Association and All India Kisan Sabha.

Thus, the development of Socialist ideas made the national movement more broad based.

OR

Q . Assess the importance of the Civil Disobedience Movement in the Indian freedom struggle? (6)

Ans.  The Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930-32, marked a critically important stage in the progress of the anti- imperialist struggle. The number of people who went to jail was estimated at over 90,000 more than three times the figure of the non-co-operation movement of 1920-22. The non-cooperation moment was essentially an urban movement, on the other hand, the Civil Disobedience Movement saw the participation of peasantry and rural population also.

The participation of Muslims in the Civil Disobedience Movement was certainly nowhere near that in 1920-22. The appeals of communal leaders to stay away, combined with active government encouragement of communal dissension to counter the forces of nationalism, hadtheir effect still, the participation of Muslims was not insignificant, either Khudai Khidmadgars in NWFP, middle class Muslims in Bengal, weaving community in Bihar, Delhi and Lucknow played an important role in the movement.

The support that the movement had garnered from the poor and the illiterate, both in the towns and the villages, was remarkable. Their participation was reflected even in the government statistics of jail - goes, and jail - going was only one of the many forms of participation.

For Indian women, the movement was the most liberating experience to date and can truly be said to have marked their entry into the public space.

Imports of cloth from Britain had fallen by half, other imports like cigarettes had suffered a similar fate. Government income from liquor excise and land revenue had been affected. Elections to the Legislative Assembly had been effectively boycotted. Moreover a vast variety of social groups - like merchants, shopkeepers, students, peasants, tribal's and workers- had been politicised on the side of Indian nationalism.

The Civil Disobedience Movement had remained non-violent until it was abandoned and thus fulfilled the basic
condition of mass satyagraha as laid down by Gandhi. The success or failure of the movement can, therefore,
be roughly regarded as that of the Gandhian technique of mass satyagraha.

Q. Giving two examples of minorities, mention why minorities should be protected in a democracy? (2)

Ans. Democracy works on majority principle, however, it is a government based on tolerance and consensus. The second principle is the basis of minority rights. Our constitution makes provision for such minority rights which can not be abridged. Therefore, it becomes important to protect the minorities in order to make them feel secure been in a majority rule. Examples of minorities may be Sikhs and Christians.

Q . Mention any two features of a nation? (2)

Ans. (i) A nation is a community held together by different ties like language, common tradition and culture and common heritage.

(ii) It should be an independent state with a definite territorial boundary.

Q . Describe in brief the problems faced by Indian Villagers? (3)

Ans.  Poverty in villages has a pattern quite different from that exist in cities. One of the major problems of villagers relates to land ownership and absentee landlords. Land reforms have been defied in many cases. Poverty among landless rural folks, unemployment during lean season of agriculture, low wages, lack of basic amenities like schools, hospitals, electricity, transport facilities etc., illiteracy are some of the problems faced by the Indian villagers.

Q . How is democracy based on majority rule and minority rights? (3)

Ans.  Democracy works on two principles. First, it is a government based on the majority principle. Only those decisions which the majority supports are implemented. Second, it is a government based on tolerance and consensus. It does not make people do things by force. This second principle of democracy is the basis of minority rights. Our constitution makes provision for such minority rights which can not be abridged. Hence, democracy is based on majority rule and minority rights.