CLASS 8 HISTORY CHAPTER 1 NCERT SOLUTIONS
CLASS 8
Chapter1
Solution
Page No 8:
Question 2:
What is the problem with
the periodisation of the Indian history that James Mill offers?
ANSWER:
In his massive
three-volume work, A History of British India, James Mill divides
Indian history into three periods − Hindu, Muslim and British. According to his
prejudiced version of Indian history, the British rule represents all the
forces of progress and civilisation, while the period before British rule represents
darkness, ignorance, despotism, religious intolerance, caste taboos,
superstitious practises, etc. However, the periodisation of Indian History on
the basis of religion is problematic for several reasons. A variety of faiths,
apart from Hinduism and Islam, existed in the periods categorised as Hindu and
Muslim by Mill. Also, it is not right to classify an age according to the
religion of the rulers of the time. To do so would suggest that the lives and
the practises of the others do not really matter. Another point to keep in mind
is that all rulers in ancient India did not share the same faith.
Page No 8:
Question 3:
Why did the British
preserve official documents?
ANSWER:
For the British, the act
of writing was important. Every official document had to be clearly
written up and preserved. Once this was done, things could be properly studied
and debated. The preserved documents could be used as a point of reference
whenever required.
Page No 8:
Question 4:
How will the information
historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police
reports?
ANSWER:
For writing about any
period in history, a historian needs to gather information from various sources
so that he/she can get a clearer picture of the life and times of the period
concerned. The archived official documents provide the picture from the point
of view of the people in power. A police report is one such official document.
Archived police reports help the historian attain a better understanding about
the police, its functions, and its relation with the people who were policed,
thereby providing the historian with invaluable data regarding an important
administrative unit. However, this advantage is also a disadvantage. The very
nature of police records restricts the amount or the kind of information one
can possibly get from them. They are official documents relating to a
particular official function; hence, they are limited in this sense. Another
problem with official recordings is that often they only present what the
persons in authority want to be presented.
Therefore, for getting a
wider and balanced view of a period in history, a historian also goes through
the unofficial records relating to that period, like the diaries of people,
accounts of pilgrims and travellers, autobiographies of important
personalities, popular booklets, newspapers, etc. Unlike the restricted nature
of official documents like police records, recordings such as newspapers have
the advantage of providing varied information to the historian. However, it would
not be right to say that such information represents the complete truth. Even a
newspaper report may be influenced by the biases and interests of the person
writing the report.
Page No 8:
Question 1:
State whether true or
false:
(a) James Mill divided Indian
history into three periods − Hindu, Muslim, Christian.
(b) Official documents
help us understand what the people of the country think.
(c) The British thought
surveys were important for effective administration.
ANSWER:
(a) James Mill divided Indian history into
three periods − Hindu, Muslim, Christian.
False
(b) Official documents help us understand
what the people of the country think.
False
(c) The British thought surveys were
important for effective administration.
True
CLASS 8 HISTORY CHAPTER 1 NOTES
CLASS 8 HISTORY CHAPTER 1 UNSOLVED PAPER 2
CLASS 8 HISTORY CHAPTER 1 UNSOLVED TEST 3
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