Important Questions CBSE Class 10th : Social Science Year 2009 (Solved)
(Indian Awakening)

Question .1. Mention any two changes introduced in administration of British empire in India after 1857?
Answer :
(i) East India Company was abolished and British crown took over the charge of Indian administration under its direct control.
(ii) A council called India Council was set up under the Secretary of State to supervise and control the Indian administration.

Question .2. State two social reforms advocated by Arya Samaj?
Answer : Social reforms advocated by Arya Samaj were:-
(i) Equal right for men and women.
(ii) Intercaste marriage should be encouraged and child marriage should be banned.

Question .3. Give two main features of Indian economy in the 18th century?
Answer :
(i) Each village produced every thing essential for life.
(ii) Indian traders traded with other countries and earned profit.

Question .4. In which two ways the British government disrupted the traditional Indian social and economic relationship?
Answer : (i) Disrupting the self sufficiency of village economy by linking with the markets outside the village.
(ii) By making land a saleable commodity.

Question .5. Name any two social reformers of South India who dedicated their lives to the uplift of women and castes?
Answer : (i) Narayana Guru of Kerala.
(ii) Kandukuri Veeresalingam.

Question .6. State the factors that contributed to the rise in social reform movement in India?
Answer : (i) Emergence of new social classes which provided modern education to the middle class people.
(ii) In 19th century the lower caste people were oppressed by Brahmins, oppression of women, superstition etc.

Question .7. Is the rise of nationalism a result of social reform movements ?
Answer : Swami Vivekanand, Dayanand Saraswati and Annie Besant were social reformers and they contributed to the rise of nationalism by:-
(i) reviving faith and pride in our own country.
(ii) inculcating self confidence in the mind of Indian people by encouraging them to study our ancient literature.

Question .8. State the contribution of ‘Swami Dayanand’ in the field of education?
Answer : (i) He set up a large number of schools and colleges called D.A.V. schools/colleges in many parts of the country.
(ii) He made both Hindi and English as the medium of instruction.
(iii) Education for girls was encouraged.

Question .9. How did the social reformers improve the life of the Indian women in 19 th century?
Answer : (i) The British government, with the help of social reformers, passed laws abolishing sati pratha and infanticide and legalizing widow marriage.
(ii) Promoting girls education by setting up first girls’ school in Kolkata.

Question .10. State the evils related to women in the Indian society during the 19 th century?
Answer : (i) Sati Pratha
(ii) Child marriage
(iii) Infanticide
(iv) Dowry system
(v) polygamy

Question .11. Who founded Brahmo Samaj?
Answer : Raja Rammohan Roy founded Brahmo Samaj in Kolkata. Previously its name was Brahmo Sabha which was renamed as Brahmo Samaj in 1828.

Question .12. State contributions of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar?
Answer : (i) With his efforts Lord Dalhousie passed a law legalizing widow marriage in 1856.
(ii) He played a leading role in promoting girls’ education.
(iii) He promoted Bengali language.

Question .13. State two Muslim reform movement with their leaders?
Answer : (i) Aligarh movement started in 1875 whose leader was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.
(ii) Ahmedia movement started in 1899 under the leadership of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed.

Question .14. State the features of British educational policy?
Answer : (i) It aimed at imparting English education to some Indian and prepare them for minor jobs in administration, commercial work and industries.
(ii) BY issuing the Woods Despatch in 1854, the government started spreading education. Vernacular and English was used as the medium of instruction in schools and English in colleges.
(iii) Primary education, Scientific education and girls’ education were neglected.

Question .15. State the names of social reformers of Western India with their contributions?
Answer : (i) Mahadev Govind Ranade. He was accociated with Prarthana Samaj and Poona Sarvajanik Samaj, these carried various activities on social and religious reforms. In 1887, he set up Indian Social Conference to abolish caste, introduce intercaste marriage, against polygamy and child marriage.(ii) Mahatma Jotiba Phule. He was a great social reformer of Maharastra. He organized Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873 to improve the condition of the low caste people.

Question .16. Why was social reform necessary in 19 th century India? Examine the evils that crept in the society and religion of that period.?
Answer : In 19 th century India, various kinds of social evils crept in the society, as most of them were uneducated. They were burdened with superstition and blind faith in dictates in Brahmins.They lost the power to use their own judgment. Hence social reforms was necessary.
The social evils were sati system, polygamy, child marriage, infanticide, dowry system. Religious evils were outmoded rituals, idol worship, polytheism, supremacy of the Brahmins, blind faith and superstition fanaticism, etc.

Question .17. How did the growth of Indian literature help in generating national awakening in 19 th century India?
Answer : (i) Drama and novels began to focus on social issues and created national consciousness.
(ii) Patriotic poetry and songs became popular and inspired people with the sprit of patriotism.
(iii) Historical novels and dramas presented the story of brutality of English on indigo planters and inspired the people with national
spirit.
(iv) New literature with real and current problems and written in vernacular reached more and more people and stirred national feeling in their hearts.

Question .18. Examine the importance of Theosophical Society in reviewing the Hindu religion and philosophy?
Answer : (i) Annie Besant devoted herself to the revival of Hindu religion with its philosophy, rituals and modes of worship.
(ii) They imbided the Indians with a sense of pride in their religion and philosophy.
(iii) They translated the religious scriptures to expose for those who desired to learn ancient literature and philosophy.
(iv) Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu School at Varanasi which later on became the Benaras Hindu University.The Headquarter of Theological Society at Adiyar in Chennai became a centre of study of Indian philosophy and religion.

Question .19. What was the impact of social reform movement of 19 th century on Indian society?
Answer : (i) Legal measures were adopted to elevate the status of women – sati and infanticide were abolished. Widow Remarriage Act was passed in 1856 to legalise widow remarriage. Marriageable age of girls was raised in 1861.
(ii) Due to spread in education some superstitions and outmoded rituals disappeared.
(iii) Most of the social reformers drew inspiration from Vedas and Upnishads.They proved the evil customs baseless.
(iv) Education encouraged independent thinking and a rational approach to social issues.

Question .20. Describe the reforms of Swami Dayanand Saraswati in the social and educational field?
Answer : (i) He attacked child marriage against Vedas.
(ii) He challenge the authority of Brahmin, condemned ritual in religion.
(iii) Opposed to caste system based on heredity.
(iv) Pleaded equal right s to men and women.
(v) He set up schools and colleges known as DAV with medium of instruction both Hindi and English for school and English for colleges.

Question .21. What were the reasons for slow industrial progress in India during the British rule?
Answer : Factors responsible for the slow industrial progress during the British rule:-
(i) India was turned into a British colony to supply raw materials for British industries and market to buy the British goods.
(ii) Destroyed the self sufficient village economy and end the domestic production and ruined the indigenous industries.
(iii) The production of Indian industries was inferior to the British. Capital earned by British was used in plantation industries and railways.Indian industries were not improved.
(iv) The British commercial policy deterred the growth of Indian industries and imposed restriction for its growth.
(v) The transport and communication was designed to facilitate British industries only.

Question .22. Mention the chief features of social religious movements in India during the British rule?
Answer : The main features of the Indian social reform movement:-
(i) These wanted to reform religion to reform society.
(ii) Took steps for emancipation of Indian women.
(iii) They gave importance to education to reform society.
(iv) Organisations were set up for the reform movement. They attacked bigotry superstition, supremacy of Brahmins.They aimed at abolition of caste, child marriage and other social and legal inequalities.

Question .23. Explain the contribution of Prarthana Samaj in the field of social reform?
Answer : Prarthana Samaj was set up in 1869 by Mahadev Govind Ranade and R.G.Bhandarkar. It worked actively in the field of women’s education, widow remarriage, raising the marriageable age. It opposed caste system, idolatory, polytheism and condemned rituals and outmoded customs.

Question .24. Examine the role of press in promoting national consciousness among the people in the 19 th century?
Answer : The role of press in the national awakening were:-
(i) It disseminates the new ideas and information.(ii) It focused attention of people on major current problems and issues.
(iii) It spread the opinion of the national leaders.
(iv) Vernacular press mobilized public opinion among the masses.
(v) The opinion of the leaders in the north reached the people in the south and vice versa.
(vi) It helped in the campaign for social reform and influenced the activity of the state.

Question .25. Explain the role of Raja Rammohan Roy in improving the condition of Indian women?
Answer : Role of Raja Rammohan Roy in improving the condition of Indian women were:-
(i) He persuade the government to pass a law to abolish sati system and child marriage.
(ii) He stood for the equal rights for men and women.
(iii) He advocated remarriage of widow and right of women to property.
(iv) He stood for the girls’ education and in improving the condition of women particularly the widow.

Question .26. Examine the main features of 19 th century society?
Answer : Main features of 19 th century society were:-
(i) There was caste system in the peak.
(ii) No social equality was there.
(iii) There were social evils like sati, infanticide, polygamy and religious evils like rituals and customs, polytheism, idol worship and
monopoly of Brahmins.
(iv) Education was neglected and life of the individual was guided by Dharmashastra.
(v) The position of women and low caste people was very low in the society.

Question .27. Why did the condition of Indian peasant was deterioted during the British rule?
Answer : (i) British revenue policy affected it.
(ii) The right of peasants was not protected by the government.
(iii) The old zamindars, who protected the farmers during rough times, were overthrown by the new rich one.
(iv) British made land saleable and rich people living in cities bought the land and became zamindars.
(v) Demand of heavy revenue ruined the farmers.
(vi) The British government did not take any step for irrigation and did not introduced any machinery or techniques.
(vii) The British compelled the farmers to grow cash crops and this lead to the scarcity of food grains.
(viii) Recurrent famines brought the farmers below poverty line and they fell in the grips of money lenders.

Question .28. State the main features of Ahmediya Movement?
Answer : In 1899, Mirza Ghulam Ahmed started Ahmedia Movement. It’s main features were:-
(i) The aim of this movement was to bring social and national awakening among Muslim.
(ii) A number of schools and colleges were opened all over the country to provide modern education.
(iii) It emphasized the universal and humanitarian character of Islam and wanted to establish cordial relation with people of all
communities.

Question .29. Who founded Ramakrishna Mission? State the steps taken by the mission for social service?
Answer : Swami Vivekananda Founded Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 on the idea that service to mankind is service to God. The steps taken by the mission in the field of social services were:-
(i) A number of school and college were set up for boys and girls.
(ii) Various hospitals, dispensaries and charitable for the sick and elderly were opened all over the country.
(iii) During famine, flood, earthquake or other natural calamities like epidemic etc the mission extended services to the needy. It’s braches all over the world has been set up with spirit of social service.

Question .30. State the basic principles of the social reform movement in India?
Answer : The basic principles were:-
(i) Social elevation of Indian people by removing blind faith and superstition.
(ii) To solve social problems by rational humanistic approach.
(iii) To uplift the people from old oppression and provide their position in the society especially to women.
(iv) To reinterpret religion as per need of the society.