Maharashtra Board Textbook Solutions for Standard VIII
History
Chapter 2 – Europe and India
1. Rewrite the statements by choosing the appropriate options.
(1) In 1453 the city of …………… was conquered by Ottoman Turks.
(a) Venice
(b) Constantinople
(c) Rome
(d) Paris
Ans:
Option (b) – Constantinople
(2) The Industrial Revolution began in …………… .
(a) England
(b) France
(c) Italy
(d) Portugal
Ans:
Option (a) – England
(3) …………… tried to put restrictions on the illegal trade of the British.
(a) Siraj-ud-Daulah
(b) Mir Kasim
(c) Mir Jafar
(d) Shah Alam
Ans:
Option (b) – Mir Kasim
2. Explain the following concepts.
(1) Colonialism
Ans:
(i) The exploitation of one country by another and turning it into a colony is called Colonialism.
(ii) A powerful country occupies another country or region using its economic and military strength.
(iii) Many European countries established colonies in America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.
(iv) They exploited these colonies for their own benefit, which later led to the rise of imperialism.
(2) Imperialism
Ans:
(i) Imperialism means a powerful country establishes political, economic, and military control over another country.
(ii) Its main aim is to establish and expand colonies.
(iii) European countries with strong military power ruled many countries in Asia and Africa.
(iv) Imperialism gained momentum after the Industrial Revolution and gradually ended during the twentieth century.
(3) Age of Renaissance
Ans:
(i) The word Renaissance means rebirth or revival.
(ii) During this period, the art, architecture, literature, and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome were revived.
(iii) It encouraged scientific thinking, education, and humanitarian values.
(iv) The Renaissance brought all-round progress and marked the beginning of a new era in world history.
(v) This period lasted from the 13th century to the 16th century in Europe.
(4) Capitalism
Ans:
(i) After the discovery of new sea routes, trade with Asian countries increased rapidly.
(ii) Traders pooled their money together to raise capital for trade.
(iii) Large trading companies, such as the East India Company, were established.
(iv) Trade with Eastern countries brought great profits.
(v) European rulers provided military protection and special trade concessions to these companies.
(vi) The accumulation of wealth through trade led to the growth of Capitalism in Europe.
3. Explain the following statements with reasons.
(1) Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated in the Battle of Plassey.
Ans:
(i) The officers of the British East India Company misused their trade concessions and built forts around their factory at Kolkata.
(ii) Siraj-ud-Daulah captured the British factory at Kolkata.
(iii) Robert Clive secretly bribed Mir Jafar, the Commander-in-Chief of the Nawab’s army, and promised to make him the Nawab of Bengal.
(iv) During the Battle of Plassey in 1757, Mir Jafar did not support Siraj-ud-Daulah.
(v) As a result, Siraj-ud-Daulah was defeated.
(vi) Thus, the British won the Battle of Plassey through treachery and deceit.
(2) The European countries felt the necessity of finding new trade routes to Asia.
Ans:
(i) In 1453, the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
(ii) The important land trade routes between Asia and Europe passed through Constantinople.
(iii) The capture of the city disrupted the flow of valuable goods from Asia.
(iv) Therefore, European countries began searching for new sea routes to Asia.
(3) European rulers started giving military protection and trade concessions to the trading companies.
Ans:
(i) The discovery of new sea routes made trade with Eastern countries highly profitable.
(ii) Competition among European nations for trade increased.
(iii) Traders formed large trading companies such as the East India Company.
(iv) Since these companies brought wealth and prosperity, European rulers granted them military protection and trade concessions.
4. Complete the following table.
Ans:
| Sailor | Contribution |
|---|---|
| 1. Bartolomeu Dias | Reached the southern tip of South Africa. |
| 2. Christopher Columbus | Set out to reach India but reached the eastern coast of the American continent instead. |
| 3. Vasco da Gama | Reached the west coast of India at Calicut port. |