Page 26 - SST Class 08

5. Under whose leadership did the revolt in Bundelkhand take place in 1842?
6. Who introduce the permanent settlement of Bengal?

E. Answer the questions in brief :
1. How did the British rule change the rural life in India?
2. What do you understand by different systems of land revenue introduced by the British?

3. Compare the ryotwari system with the mahalwari system of land revenue.
4. What was the overall impact of the British agrarian policy on the Indian peasants?
5. Why was the cultivation of commercial crops necessitated? How did it lead to peasant revolts?
6. Why did the indigo cultivators rise in revolt?

F. Answer the questions in detail :
1. What is meant by the system of permanent settlement? How did it benefit the British?
2. What were the major peasant revolts?
3. What were the important causes for commercialisation of crops?

4. What impact did the British rule make on agriculture and craft in villages?
5. Who introduced the ijardari system? What were the terms of the system? Why did it fail?
6. In what ways did the British exploit the Indian indigo cultivators?

1. What was common in permanent, ryotwari and mahalwari settlement?
2. Are peasants still facing problems in independent India? What type of problems are they facing?

Champaran Satyagraha

Champaran Satyagraha was Mahatma Gandhi’s first experiment of Satyagraha. It was undertaken in the
erstwhile undivided Champaran district in northern Bihar in April 1917. It was undertaken after
Mahatma Gandhi learned about the abuses suffered by farmers, who were forced into growing indigo
by British planters and estate owners. The tenants from Champaran were forced under the law to plant
three out of every twenty parts of his land with indigo for his landlord. Gandhiji planned to carry out an
extensive inquiry in the district and demand action based on its findings. However, local authorities did
not find his visit welcoming and they unsuccessfully tried to dissuade him. But Gandhiji began his work
from the house of Babu Gorakh Prasad in Motihari, headquarters of the then Champaran district.
During this time, Gandhiji was served with a court summon while he was making a spot visit to village.
Gandhiji was charged with violating law and was told to leave Champaran, but he refused to leave. On
April 18, 1917 when Gandhiji appeared in Motihari Court and was accompanied by nearly 2000 local
people. The then Lieutenant Governor of Bihar ordered the withdrawal of case against Gandhiji, and
the collector wrote to Gandhiji saying he was to conduct the inquiry. This small step in the form of
passive protest was a giant leap forward in the history of freedom struggle and heralded the advent of
Gandhian era. The victory at Champaran established Gandhiji in India’s struggle against the British raj.

Contemporary Social Science-8
26