Complete NCERT textbook questions with model answers for Class 10 History Chapter 3. These solutions follow CBSE marking scheme patterns and show how to structure answers for 1, 3, and 5 marks questions. Focus on answer writing technique rather than just memorizing content.
Write in Brief (1 Mark Questions)
Exam Tip: 1-mark answers should be precise, direct, and not exceed 20-30 words. No explanation needed.
Answer: The Corn Laws were British trade laws that imposed restrictions on the import of corn to protect domestic farmers from foreign competition.
Answer: The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic crisis that lasted from 1929 to the late 1930s, characterized by massive unemployment and economic decline.
Answer: Indentured labourers were bonded workers from India who migrated to British colonies under contracts (indentures) to work on plantations for 5-10 years.
Answer: The Bretton Woods System was an international monetary system established in 1944 that created fixed exchange rates and institutions like IMF and World Bank.
Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)
Exam Tip: 3-mark answers should be 60-80 words with clear points. Structure: Introduction + 2-3 points + Conclusion.
Answer: The global transfer of diseases, particularly from Europe to the Americas, played a crucial role in colonization by devastating native populations who had no immunity to Old World diseases, making conquest easier for European colonizers.
- Demographic catastrophe: Diseases like smallpox killed 90-95% of Native American populations
- Military advantage: Weakened native resistance to European conquest
- Labor shortage: Created need for African slaves as alternative workforce
- Psychological impact: Natives saw epidemics as divine punishment, undermining their cultural confidence
This biological warfare, though unintentional, proved more devastating than military conquest and fundamentally altered the demographic balance in the Americas.
Answer: International economic exchange involves three interconnected flows: the flow of trade (goods), flow of labor (people migration), and flow of capital (investments), which together create global economic interdependence.
| Type of Flow | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Flow of Trade | Movement of goods and commodities across borders | Silk Route trade, Spices from India, British textiles to colonies |
| Flow of Labor | Migration of people seeking work or better opportunities | Indentured laborers from India, European immigrants to America |
| Flow of Capital | Movement of money for investment or loans | British investments in railways, World Bank loans to developing countries |
These flows accelerated during the 19th century with improved transportation and communication technologies, creating the foundation of modern globalization.
Answer: The Bretton Woods institutions, established in 1944, were designed to ensure post-war economic stability through international cooperation and included distinctive features that shaped global economic governance.
| Institution | Main Features | Primary Functions |
|---|---|---|
| International Monetary Fund (IMF) | • Fixed exchange rates tied to US dollar and gold • Surveillance of member economies • Short-term loans for balance of payments |
• Maintain exchange rate stability • Provide financial assistance • Offer policy advice |
| World Bank | • Long-term development financing • Reconstruction loans initially • Focus on infrastructure projects |
• Post-war reconstruction • Poverty reduction • Development projects funding |
These institutions promoted US economic leadership, established dollar as global currency, and created frameworks for international economic cooperation until the system ended in 1971.
Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)
Exam Tip: 5-mark answers need 120-150 words with proper structure: Introduction, 4-5 main points with examples, and conclusion.
Answer: The Great Depression (1929-1939) severely impacted the Indian economy through declining agricultural prices, reduced exports, and widespread rural distress, while paradoxically providing some opportunities for Indian industrial growth through import substitution.
Key Impacts of Great Depression on India:
Conclusion: The Depression exposed India's vulnerability as a colonial economy dependent on primary exports, while simultaneously creating conditions for limited industrial growth and strengthening the nationalist movement against British economic policies.
Answer: The G-77 refers to the coalition of developing countries established in 1964 to promote collective economic interests and challenge the dominance of Western economic institutions, representing a direct response to perceived inequities in the Bretton Woods system dominated by industrialized nations.
| Aspect | G-77 Formation & Objectives | Reaction to Bretton Woods Institutions |
|---|---|---|
| Historical Context | Formed in 1964 with 77 founding members (now 134) during UNCTAD I conference to address development disparities | Response to IMF and World Bank dominated by US and European powers with voting based on economic strength |
| Economic Demands | • New International Economic Order (NIEO) • Better terms of trade for primary products • Technology transfer from developed countries • Increased development assistance |
Challenge to Bretton Woods policies seen as favoring industrialized nations through conditionality and structural adjustment programs |
| Political Objectives | • Collective bargaining power • South-South cooperation • Reform of global economic governance • Greater voice in international institutions |
Reaction to limited voting power of developing countries in IMF/World Bank despite being major borrowers |
| Key Achievements | • UNCTAD establishment • Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) • Special Drawing Rights (SDR) creation • Debt relief initiatives |
Success in modifying some Bretton Woods policies and creating alternative forums for development discussion |
Significance: The G-77 represents the organized voice of the Global South, challenging the post-war economic order and advocating for fairer globalization, though with limited success in fundamentally altering global economic power structures.
Map-Based Question
Important: Map questions carry 2-3 marks. Always label clearly and include a key/legend if needed.
a) Countries of destination for Indian indentured laborers
b) Major silk route trading centers
c) Countries affected by the 'Potato Famine'
d) Major gold and diamond mining areas in 19th century
e) Important ports for 19th century global trade
[Image: World map showing global trade routes, migration patterns, and economic centers 1750-1950]
Map showing: Indian indentured labor destinations (Mauritius, Caribbean, Fiji), Silk Route centers (Samarkand, Kashgar, Constantinople), Potato Famine areas (Ireland), Mining areas (South Africa, Australia, California), Major ports (London, Bombay, Shanghai, New York)
Answer Key for Map:
- Indentured labor destinations: Mauritius, Caribbean islands (Trinidad, Guyana), Fiji, South Africa, Malaysia
- Silk Route centers: Chang'an (China), Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Baghdad (Iraq), Constantinople (Turkey), Venice (Italy)
- Potato Famine affected: Ireland (1845-1852), also parts of Scotland and Continental Europe
- Gold/diamond mining: South Africa (Kimberley, Witwatersrand), Australia (Victoria), USA (California), Brazil
- Major trade ports: London, Liverpool, Bombay, Calcutta, Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, Rotterdam
Extra Practice Questions
Answer: Technological innovations during the 19th century fundamentally transformed the global economy by revolutionizing transportation, communication, and production, creating unprecedented levels of economic integration and enabling the first wave of modern globalization.
| Technology Type | Specific Innovations | Economic Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | • Railways (Stephenson's Rocket 1829) • Steamships (SS Great Britain 1843) • Refrigerated ships (1870s) |
• Faster movement of goods and people • Lower transportation costs • Global perishable food trade |
| Communication | • Telegraph (1837) • Transatlantic cable (1866) • Telephone (1876) |
• Instant global communication • Integrated financial markets • Coordinated business operations |
| Production | • Industrial machinery • Assembly lines • Agricultural mechanization |
• Mass production • Lower consumer prices • Increased productivity |
Global Integration: These technologies reduced the "tyranny of distance," created global commodity markets, facilitated mass migration, and established patterns of economic interdependence that defined the modern world economy.
Answer: Colonialism refers to the political, economic, and cultural domination of one country over another, which systematically transformed colonized societies through exploitation, resource extraction, and integration into global capitalist economy on unequal terms.
| Aspect of Colonialism | Economic Mechanisms | Impact on Colonized Societies |
|---|---|---|
| Resource Extraction | • Plantation agriculture • Mining operations • Forest resource exploitation |
• Environmental degradation • Monoculture dependence • Depletion of natural resources |
| Trade Manipulation | • Export of raw materials • Import of manufactured goods • Unequal exchange terms |
• Deindustrialization • Trade deficits • Vulnerability to price fluctuations |
| Labor Systems | • Forced labor • Indentured migration • Low wage policies |
• Social disruption • Cultural alienation • Demographic changes |
| Infrastructure | • Railways and ports • Communication networks • Administrative centers |
• Uneven development • Export-oriented infrastructure • Neglect of local needs |
Legacy: Colonialism created dependent economies specialized in primary exports, established patterns of underdevelopment, and left lasting structural imbalances that continued to affect post-colonial economic development trajectories.
Answer Writing Checklist
Final Note: These solutions demonstrate how to write answers, not just what to write. Practice adapting this structure to different questions.
