10th Standard, Social, History Chapter – 1
THE ADVENT OF EUROPEANS TO INDIA
EXERCISES
I. Complete the following blanks with suitable answers:
1. In 1453, the Ottoman Turks occupied Constantinople
2. The sea route between India and Europe was discovered by Vasco da Gama
3. In 1741 Dutch declared war on Travancore
4. The capital of the French in India was Puduchery or Pondichery.
5. The war broke out between Siraj-ud-daula and Robert Clive in 1757 was the Battle of Plassey
6. The Diwani rights over Bengal were handed over to the British by Shah Alam-II
7. The Dual government policy was implemented by Robert Clive in Bengal.
II. Discuss in groups and answer the following questions:
8. How did trade take place between India and Europe during Middle Ages?
Answer: There were trade and commerce relations between India and Europe since ancient times. There was great demand for Indian pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and many other spices in Europe. The trade relations between India, Europe and other Asian countries continued even during the Middle Ages. The Arab merchants carried Asian merchandise to Constantinople of Eastern Roman (Byzantium) Empire. The Italian merchants would buy these goods and then sell them in European countries. Constantinople was thus the center of international trade and was considered as the ‘Gateway of European Trade’. While Arab merchants had gained monopoly over the trade in Asian countries, Italian traders had gained monopoly over trade in Europe. The merchandise from Asia brought good profits to Italian merchants.
9. Discuss the causes that resulted in the discovery of a new sea route to India.
Answer: Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese sailor left Lisbon and reached Kappad near Calicut on the West coast of India in 1498. Thus he was successful in discovering a new sea route to India. This route continued to be the route of trade between India and Europe for many years. the Portuguese were thus the first to re-establish trade between India and Europe. With the success of the Portuguese, the Dutch, French and the English of Europe arrived in India for trade. This development not only changed the history of colonised India, but also changed the history of European countries.
10. List the Europeans who came to India for trade.
Answer: The Europeans who came to India for trade are as follows.
- The Portuguese
- The Dutch
- The English (British)
- The French
11. Explain how Marthanda varma checked the Dutch.
Answer: Raja Marthanda Varma of Waynad ruled from 1729 to 1758 and saved from the surrounding rulers as well as foreigners. He made this as a great Kingdom among all. He stood against the foreigners who were greedy of pepper and brought many reforms in administration. He shifted his capital from Padmanabhapura to Thiruvananthapura and made his Kingdom as ‘world Travancore province’.
By this time, the Dutch who were trying to monopolise was defeated by Marthanda Varma. He controlled the surrounding areas and made them to oppose the Dutch. The Dutch with help of the provinces like Kayamkulam, Kochi, Purakkad and Vadakunkur attacked on travancore, Raja Marthanda defeated them and captured Nedumangada and Kottarakara trading centres.
In 1741 the Dutch declared war on Travancore with Kottarakara province in the forefront. But Marthanda Varma’s army strongly sent it back. The Dutch suffered huge losses. Finally on 15th August 1753 a treaty was signed and the Dutch forces surrendered its power to the Travancore province. This is how the period of Marthanda Varma has been recognised as an important phase in the history of India.
12. Explain the Second Carnatic War.
Answer: The Second Carnatic War started in1749 and ended in 1754. French made Salabath Jung, another son of Asaf Jha as the Nizam of Hyderabad. An officer named Bussy was appointed in Hyderabad for his protection by the French. In the Carnatic, Chandasaheb had become the Nawab with the help of French. Robert Clive of East India Company attacked Arcot, the capital city of Carnatic and defeated Chandsaheb. Chandsaheb was imprisoned and later he was killed in the war. In the place of Chandsaheb, the English named Mohammad Ali, the son of Anwaruddin, as the Nawab of Carnatic. The second Carnatic war ended with the Treaty of Pondicherry. The French recalled Dupleix. This war brought laurels to the English, while the French suffered a political setback.
13. Explain the causes and results of the battle of Plassey.
Answer: Ali Wardi Khan, the Nawab of Bengal died in 1756. His grandson Siraj-ud-Daula came to the throne. The Battle of Plassey took place between the young Nawab Siraj ud-Daulah and the British in 1757.
Causes of the battle of Plassey:
1. Misuse of Dastaks: Siraj ud-Daulah was furious that the Dastaks were misused by the officials of the company causing losses to the government treasury.
2. Mending of the fort without permission : The British repaired the fort of Calcutta and placed canons in them. This further angered Siraj-ud-Daula and he ordered the removal of the canons from the fort. The British refused to do so, angering the Nawab further.
3. Black Room Tragedy : Siraj ud-Daulah conquered Fort William easily and imprisoned some of the British. He imprisoned 146 Englishmen in a small room in the fort, of which 123 died. This is called the Black hole Tragedy. This enraged Robert Clive and arrived in Bengal with a huge army.
Results of the battle of Plassey:
1. This war brought out the immorality, lack of unity among the Indians and the greed of Indian businessmen.
2. Mir Jaffar became the Nawab of Bengal.
3. The company gained exclusive rights to trade in Bengal.
4. Mir Jaffar had to pay Rupees seventeen crores and seventy lakhs as war indemnity to the British Company for the attack on the Fort William by Siraj-ud-Daulah
14. What were the results of the Battle of Buxar?
Answer: The results of the Battle of Buxar was as follows.
1. Shah Alam-II accorded the ‘Diwani’ rights over Bengal to the British.
2. Shah Alam-II gave away all the rights over Bengal to the British for an annual fee of Rupees 26 lakhs.
3. Shuj-ud-daula the Nawab of Awadh had to pay war indemnity of Rupees 50 lakhs for waging a war against the company.
4. With the death of Mir Jaffar, the company paid pension to his son and took over the entire administration of Bengal.
III. Activity:
- Collect information on the Presidency cities built by the British.
Answer: The British established three Presidency cities in India: Bombay (Mumbai), Calcutta (Kolkata), and Madras (Chennai). These cities served as major administrative and commercial centers during the British Raj. They were strategically developed to manage trade, governance, and military operations. Established as a trading post, it later became the capital of the Bombay Presidency. Developed as a major trading center and became the capital of the Bengal Presidency. Initially a trading settlement, it evolved into the capital of the Madras Presidency. These cities were not just trading hubs; they also housed army camps, educational institutions, museums, and libraries. The presidencies were crucial for the East India Company’s expansion and control over India. The presidencies were administrative divisions of British India. The British gradually gained sovereignty over India during the Company rule (1757-1858). These cities played a vital role in the spread of British trade and commerce.
