📘 Maharashtra Board Textbook Solutions

🏫 Standard 8 – History

📖 Chapter 12: India Gains Independence

✍️ 1. Rewrite the statements by choosing the appropriate options.

🔹 (1) __________ was the head of the Interim Government.

  • (a) Vallabhbhai Patel
  • (b) Mahatma Gandhi
  • (c) Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
  • (d) Barrister Jinnah

✅ Answer: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

🔹 (2) The plan for the creation of two independent nations, India and Pakistan, was made by __________.

  • (a) Lord Wavell
  • (b) Stafford Cripps
  • (c) Lord Mountbatten
  • (d) Pethick Lawrence

✅ Answer: Lord Mountbatten

📝 2. Answer the following questions in one sentence.

🔸 (1) Which demand was advocated by Barrister Jinnah?

✅ Answer: Barrister Jinnah advocated the two-nation theory and demanded a separate Muslim nation called Pakistan.

🔸 (2) Write the names of the ministers participating in the Cabinet Mission.

✅ Answer: Pethick Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, and A. V. Alexander were the ministers participating in the Cabinet Mission.

🧠 3. Explain the following statements with reasons.

🔹 (1) The Indian National Congress approved the partition.

✅ Answer:

  • Lord Mountbatten proposed a plan for the creation of India and Pakistan as two independent nations.
  • The Indian National Congress opposed partition because it believed in national unity.
  • The Muslim League strongly demanded the creation of Pakistan.
  • Hence, the Congress accepted partition as it had no other option.

🔹 (2) The working of the Interim Government could not run smoothly.

✅ Answer:

  • The Muslim League demanded a separate nation, Pakistan.
  • Its supporters adopted violent methods.
  • Though the League joined the Interim Government later,
  • Its leaders followed a policy of obstruction, which disturbed smooth functioning.

🔹 (3) The Wavell Plan could not become successful.

✅ Answer:

  • Barrister Jinnah insisted that only the Muslim League should nominate Muslim members to the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
  • The Indian National Congress opposed this demand.
  • As no agreement was reached, the Wavell Plan failed.

🕰️ 4. Write the events on the following timeline.

📍 1945

  • Lord Wavell proposed a plan to provide representation to Muslims, Dalits, and minorities.
  • Equal representation of Hindus and Muslims in the Viceroy’s Executive Council was suggested.

📍 1946

  • The Cabinet Mission consisting of Pethick Lawrence, Stafford Cripps, and A. V. Alexander came to India.
  • The Muslim League observed Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946.

📍 1947

  • The Indian Independence Act was passed on 18 July 1947.
  • India and Pakistan became independent nations on 15 August 1947.

📍 1948

  • Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on 30 January 1948 by Nathuram Godse.
  • British Prime Minister Clement Attlee had earlier announced that Britain would leave India by June 1948.

✅ 5. Answer the following questions in brief:

Q1. Why did the British take steps towards granting freedom to India?

Answer:

  1. The Indian freedom struggle became very intense during the period of the Second World War.
  2. The revolt of the Royal Indian Navy and the Air Force shook the foundations of British rule in India.
  3. The demand for complete independence was becoming stronger across the country.
  4. The Muslim League demanded a separate Muslim nation (Pakistan).
  5. Communal violence increased due to political tensions.
  6. The British government realised that it would not be possible to continue ruling India for long.
  7. Therefore, they began preparing plans to grant independence to India.

Q2. Write information about the Mountbatten Plan.

Answer:

  1. The Prime Minister of Britain, Clement Attlee, announced that power would be transferred to Indian leaders before June 1948.
  2. Lord Mountbatten was appointed as the last Viceroy of India to arrange the transfer of power.
  3. He held discussions with major Indian leaders.
  4. Mountbatten proposed the partition of India into two independent nations — India and Pakistan.
  5. Although the Indian National Congress was against partition, it accepted the plan due to the firm stand of the Muslim League.
  6. On the basis of the Mountbatten Plan, the Indian Independence Act was passed in 1947.
  7. India became independent on 15 August 1947.

Q3. Why did the Muslim League declare 16 August as Direct Action Day? What were its effects?

Answer:

  1. The Muslim League strongly demanded the creation of Pakistan.
  2. It was not satisfied with the Cabinet Mission Plan because it did not clearly provide for a separate Muslim state.
  3. Therefore, the Muslim League declared 16 August 1946 as Direct Action Day.
  4. On that day, large-scale communal riots broke out in many parts of the country.
  5. Violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims occurred.
  6. Severe riots and massacres took place in the Noakhali region of Bengal.
  7. These events increased communal tensions and hastened the decision to partition India.
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