Teachers recommend solving Kerala Syllabus Plus One History Previous Year Question Papers and Answers Pdf Board Model Paper 2022 to improve time management during exams.
Kerala Plus One History Board Model Paper 2022 with Answers.
Time : 2 1/2 Hours
Total Scores : 80
Question 1.
Match column ‘A’ with appropriate itemsfrom Column ‘B’. (4 × 1 = 4)
| ‘A’ | ‘B’ |
| Samuel Crompton | The Puffing Devil |
| Edmund Cartwright | The Mule |
| George Stepheson | The Powerloom |
| Richard Trevithick | The Blutcher |
Answer:
| A | B |
| Samuel Crompton | The Mule Edmund |
| Edmund Cartwright | The Powerloom |
| George Stepheson | The Blutcher |
| Richard Trevithick | The Puffing Devil |
Question 2.
Answer any four amoung the following.
(i) Identify the author of Almagest
A) Dante Alighieri
B) Franscesco Petrarch
C) Cicero
D) Ptolemy
Answer:
D) Ptolemy
(ii) Who was the first to dissert the human body?
A) Donatello
B) Andreas Vesalius
C) Ibn Sina
D) Ibn Rushd
Answer:
B) Andreas Vesalius
(iii) The Pieta’ is associated with
A) Michelangelo Buonarroti
B) Donatello
C) Filippo Brunelleschi
D) Francesco Barbaro
Answer:
A) Michelangelo Buonarroti
(iv) Martin Luther was a native of _____ .
A) Switzerland
B) England
C) Germany
D) Spain
Answer:
iv) Germany
(v) The term‘wise man’is related with „
A) Homo Habilis
B) Homo Erectus
C) Homo Sapiens
D) Australopithecus
Answer:
C) Homo Sapiens
(vi) The Altamira Cave is situated in
A) France
B) Kenya
C) Ethiopia
D) Spain
Answer:
D) Spain
Question 3.
Arrange the following in chronological order: (4 × 1 = 4)
• Formation of Chinese Communist Party.
• Sun Yat-Sen established a Republic in China
• Formation of the Peoples Republic of China
• The Long March in China
Answer:
- Sun Yatsen established a republic in China – 1911.
- Formation of Chiese Communist Party -1921
- The Long March in China – 1934
- Formation of the Peoples Republic of China – 1949
Question 4.
Mark any four amoung the following on the outline map of the World provided: (4 × 1 = 4)
A) Bagdad
B) Damascus
C) Mecca
D) Medina
E) Brazil
F) Peru
Answer:
- Baghdad
- Damascus
- Mecca
- Medina
- Brazil
- Peru
Answer any 8 questions from 5 to 14. Each carries 2 scores. (8 × 2 = 16)
Question 5.
Write any two features of Hominoids.
Answer:
• Emerged 24 mya
• Ape
• Quadrupeds
• Flexible forelimbs
Question 6.
List out any two administrative measures of Abd al- Malik
Answer:
- Arabic as the language of administration.
- Islamic coinage.
- Introduction of gold dinar and silver dirham.
- Dome of the Rock was built in Jerusalem.
Question 7.
Write a short note on the courier system of Genghis Khan.
Answer:
Genghiskhan had fashioned a rapid courier system that connected the distant areas of his regime. Fresh mounts and despatch riders were placed in outposts at regularly spaced distances. For the maintenance of this courier system called ‘Yam’ the Mongol nomads contributed a tenth of their herd-either horses or livestock – as provisions. This was called thequbcurtax.
Question 8.
Prepare a short note on Yasa.
Answer:
Genghiskhan premulgaged the code of law called ‘Yasa’ at the Quriltai in 1206. It meant ‘law’, ‘decree’ or ‘order’. It was concerned with administrative regulations. The organisation of the hunt, the army and the postal system. The Yasa was a compilation of the customary traditions of the Mongol tribes.
Question 9.
Write a short note on Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Answer:
Michelangelo Buonarotti was skilled equally as painter, sculpter and architect. He was immortalised by the ceiling he painted in the sistine chapel, the sculpture called The Pieta’ and his design of the dome of St.Peter’s Church, all in Rome.
Question 10.
How did Venice and Genoa differ from the other parts of Europe?
Answer:
Venice and Genoa were vibrant Italian cities. The clergy and powerful feudal lords were not politically dominant here. Rich merchants and bankers actively participated in governing the city and this helped the idea of citizenship to strike roof.
Question 11.
Write a short note on the mutual perceptions among the natives of America and the Europeans.
Answer:
Europeans looked at the indigenes of America as uncivilized people. But the French philosopher Rousseau pointed out that such people should be respected, because they had not polluted their culture. Many people think that the term “noble savage” would be appropriate to them. But the world famous poet William Wordsworth came out with another view. He said that those who live in close proximity with nature will have less imaginative and emotional strength. In short, the indigenes were seen either as uncivilized or as noble savages or as people with less emotional and imaginative power.
The indigenes thought the things they exchanged with the Europeans as mere gifts. But for greedy Europeans the things they got – like fish and hides – were goods to be sold in the Western markets. The price of the things the Europeans sold to the indigenes depended on the supply. The indigenes did not have any idea about the markets in far-away Europe.
Sometime European gave a lot of things but sometimes only very little in exchange for the items they got from the indigenes. They used to wonder why this was so as they had no idea about the market prices. The greed of Europeans often made the indigenes sad. In their greed to get more and mor6 hides they killed a lot of otters. The indigenes were afraid that the animals would take revenge en them. The indigenes and Europeans had different concepts about forests. In the forests the indigenes imagined many invisible things. But the Europeans simply wanted to clear the forests and convert them into corn fields.
Jefferson wanted a country with Europeans and small fields. The indigenes cultivated the land fortheirown use. They did not do it for selling or profit. Therefore acquiring land in their view was a serious mistake. This is what made Jefferson think that they were uncivilized.
Question 12.
Write a short note on the winds of change in Australia.
Answer:
In 1968, people were electrified by a lecture by the anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner, entitled “The Great Australian Silence’ – the silence of historians about the aborigines. From the 1970s there was an eagerness to understand natives not as anthropological curiosities but as communities with distinct cultures. Underlying it all was the urgent question which it all was the urgent question which Henry Reynolds later articulated in a powerful book, ‘Why weren’t We Told?’ This condemned the practice of writing Australian history as though it had begun with Captain Cook’s ‘discovery’.
Question 13.
Name the two Japanese cities where nuclear bombs were dropped in 1945.
Answer:
- Hiroshima
- Nagasaki
Question 14.
Prepare a short note on the Cultural Revolution of 1965 in China.
Answer:
In 1965 Mao launched the Great Proletarin Cultural Revolution to counter his critics. The Red Guards, mainly students and the army was used for a campaign against old culture, old customs and old habits. Ideology was more important than having professional knowledge. Denuncitations and slogans replaced rational debate
Answer any two questions from 15 to 18. Each carries 3 scores. (2 × 3 = 6)
Question 15.
Briefly explain the ways through whchi the early humans obtained food.
Answer:
♦ Food gathering
♦ Hunting
♦ Scavenging
♦ Fishing
Question 16.
Write a short note on the cuneiform writing system of the Mesopotamians.
Answer:
Mesopotamians wrote on tablets of clay. A scribe would wet clay and put it into a size he could hold comfortably in one hand. He would carefully smoothen its surface. With the sharp end of a red cut obliquely, he would press wedge-shaped (cuneiform) signs on to the smoothened surface while it was still moist. Once the surface dried, signs could not be pressed on to a tablet: so each transaction, however, minor, required a separate written tablet. By 260Q B:CE or so, the letters became cuneiform, and the langage was Sumerian.
Question 17.
Prepare a short note on the Third Century crises in the Roman Empire.
Answer:
As far as the Roman Empire was concerned, the 1st and 2nd centuries were those of peace, development and economic growth. But in the 3rd century the Empire began to show signs trouble. It was foreign attacks that caused the problem.
In 225 AD the Sassanian Dynasty came to power in Iran and this was a great threat to the Roman Empire. When the Iranian Army marched forward with Euphrates in sight, it became a big crisis for the Roman Empire. In one of his famous stone inscriptions it is written that Shapur I, who was the ruler of Iran, destroyed a Roman army numbering 60,000 and captured Antioch, the Eastern capital of the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire faced attacks by Barbarians. The Romans scornfully called the Tribal people who lived in the northern border of the Roman Empire as Barbarians to mean that they were uncivilized. These Tribat Groups belonged to the Germanic race and included Alamannis, Franks and Goths. They started . infiltrating into the Rhine-Danube boundaries. Between 233 and 280, they attacked the Roman Provinces that lay between Black Sea and Alps in Southern Germany. The Romans were forced to quit from areas on the other side of River Danube. During this period Emperors had to spend a lot of time in the battle fronts. In 47 years, 25 emperors ascended the throne and this shows the extent of the crisis the Roman Empire faced.
Question 18.
What were the motives behind the voyage of discovery?
Answer:
♦ Economic
♦ Religious
♦ Political
The exploratory geographical voyages definitely had economic, religious and political goals.
Economic goals : The main inspiration behind geographical discoveries was economic. The European economy was facing a crisis. The Great Plague and wars reduced the population in Europe considerably. Trade was reduced. There wasn’t enough silver and gold for making coins. Distance trade also was in problems. In 1453, the Turk conquered Constantinople and this was a big shock. Although the Italians tried to trade with the Turks, they had to give higher taxes. With this, the land- route trade between Europeans and the Eastern countries became difficult. In short the goals of the European were making huge profits through trade and collecting valuable metals like silver and gold.
Religious : The desire to propagate Christianity to the world outside Europe also prompted the Europeans to embark upon voyages of discovery. Europeans were ready to undertake any adventure to spread Christianity to other lands. Along with the navigators there were also missionaries and priests , in their adventurous journeys.
Political: The Crusades had caused an increase in the trade between Europe and Asia. The products of Asia, especially spices, were in great demand in Europe. The rulers of Europe realized that through trade they could get political power. They thought that the newly discovered lands could be made their colonies and there they could establish their political power. They also wanted regions which were strategic so that it would help them in wars. Thus the European rulers encouraged voyages of discovery.
Answer any four questions from 19 to 24. Each carries 4 scores. (4 × 4 = 16)
Question 19.
Assess the importance of Mari in Mesopotamian civilization.
Answer:
Mari was the royal capital. The Kings of Mari were Amorites. They dressed differently from the local people. They worshipped gods of Mesopotamia. At the same time in Mari they built a temple for Bhagan who is the god of the plains. The kings of Mari had to be very alert. Although they allowed shepherds of different tribes to move about in their country, they were watched carefully. The correspondence between the kings and the officials frequently mentions the camps of these shepherds. One official wrote to the king about the fire signals in the nights by which the camps were exchanged. He doubted this might be a warning about some impending attacks.
Mari was situated on the bank of Euphrates between the South and mineral rich Turkey-Syria-Lebanon. Mari was a trade centre. Things brought in boats through the Euphrates River were bought and sold here. They included timber, copper, white lead, oil and wine. Mari is an example of a city that progresses well because of trade.
Question 20.
Briefly explain the late antiquity in the Roman Empire.
Answer:
Late antiquity means the final and fasinating period in the evolution and thp breakup of the Roman empire and refers broadly to the fourth to seventh centuries. During the time of Constantine, there were revolutionary changes in the religious life of the people in the Empire. He made Christianity the official religion of the empire. In the 7th century Islam came into being.
There were great changes in the structure of the nation. It was Diocletian (244-305) who brought changes here.
The large areas created administrative inconveniences and therefore Diocletian took steps to solve the problem. He reduced the size of his Empire by removing the strategically and economically unimportant regions. He protected the boundaries by building fortresses. He reorganized the provincial boundaries. He exempted citizens from military service. The Duces (army commanders) were given autonomy.
Constantine (306-334) was the successor of Diocletian. He brought great changes in the administrative set up. The most important among them were new currency system, new capital and economic reforms. He brought out new gold coins called Solidus which weighed 4!4 grams of gold. A lot of these coins were minted. Millions of such coins circulated in the empire. Even after the fall of the Roman Empire these coins remained valuable. Constantine made Constantinople (old Byzantium) his second capital. It was in the modern Istanbul in Turkey and it was covered on all the three sides by oceans. He also formed a new Senate for the new capital.
The emperor invested heavily in the oil mills and crystal factories in villages. Screw-making machines and water mills were introduced. He also reestablished the trade relations with the East.The Romans were polytheists. They worshipped many gods and goddesses like Jupiter, Juno, Minerva and Mars. They built temples and other places of worship for their deities. Their faith did not have any special name or label. Judaism was another religion in Rome. It was also not monolithic as the’ different ancient Jewish communities followed different ways.
By the 4th and 5th century Christianity began to spread in Rome. Constantine was the first Emperor to become Christian. Later Christianity was made the State religion. In the 4th century AD, the Roman Empire was divided into two – theEastern and the Western Empire. They were under two Emperors. In the Eastern Roman Empire there was general prosperity. It not only survived the great plague of the 540s which made the Mediterranean area a vast graveyard, but the population went on increasing. But, at the same time, the Western Roman Empire faced political crises. The attacks of the Germanic tribes were the reason for that.
Question 21.
Explain the military organisation of Genghis Khan.
Answer:
The military achievements of Genghiskhan were astounding and they were largely a result of his ability to innovate and transform different aspects of steppe – combat into extremely effective military strategies. The horse-riding skills of the mongols and the Turks provided speed and mobility to the army. Genghiskhan learnt the importance of siege engines and naphtha bombardment very quickly. Genghiskhan worked to systematically erase the old tribal identities of the different groups who joined his confederacy. His army was organised according to the old steppe system of decimal units in divisions of 10s, 100s, 1000s and 10000 soldiers. He divided the old tribal groupings and distributed their members into new military units. The new military contingents were required to serve under his four sons and specially chosen captains of his army units called noyan.
Question 22.
Analyse the causes of Fourteenth Century crisis in Europe.
Answer:
In the beginning 6f the 14th century, the economic growth of Europe was reduced drastically. There were three reasons for that.
a) Change in the climate.
b) Lack of trade.
c) Plague.
By the end of the 13th century, there were significant changes in the climate of Northern Europe. The warm climate disappeared and instead cold climate came. This climatic change adversely affected cultivation. It was difficult to cultivate on higher areas. Storms and disturbances in the sea affected shipping and trade. This reduced the income to the people and the government. Government was not getting enough taxes both from the peasants as well as traders. Then there was the plague or Black Death. It killed a lot of people and brought the economy to a standstil I. It took a long time for Europe to overcome this sorry state of affairs.
Question 23.
Briefly explain about the Copernican Revolution.
Answer:
lt was Copernicus, from Poland, who changed the Christian concept about the Universe which was prevalent until then. Hfe started an astronomical revolution. He presented his views about the Universe in his famous book “De Revolutionibus” which means on the revolutions. Copernicus theorized that the sun is the centre of the solar system and the earth and other planets revolve round the sun. This is known as the Heliocentric Theory.
The theory of Copernicus was approved by people only after a long time. It was Galileo and Kepler, two famous scientists, who took his theory forward to its perfection. Johannes” Kepler (1571-1630), a German scientist, popularised the idea that the earth was a mere part of the solar system. He wrote this in his famous book “Cosmographic Mystery”. He also proved that the planets revolve round the sun not in a circular manner but in an elliptical course. This revolution in science reached its climax with Issac Newton’s theory of gravitation.
Question 24.
What is Gold Rush? Analyse its impacts on North America.
Answer:
There was always the hope there were gold deposits in North America. In the 1840s, in California, some gold deposits were discovered. This led to the Gold Rush. In the hope of reaping fortunes, many Europeans went to America. This caused railways to be built across the American mainland. Using thousands of Chinese labourers, America completed the work of the railways in 1870. In 1885, the railway network in Canada was also completed.
Answer any two questions from 25 to 28. Each carries 5 scores. (2 × 5 = 10)
Question 25.
Compare the features of Australopithecus and Homo.
Answer:
| Australopithecus | Homo |
| Southern Ape | Human being |
| Small brain | Big brain |
| Jaw projecting much | Jaw projecting only |
| outward a | little outward |
| Huge teeth | Small teeth |
| Forest dwellers | Lived in the grassy plains |
Question 26.
Explain the contributions of Mesopotamian people in the fields of time recokoning and Mathematics.
Answer:
Question 27.
Analyse tthe social hierarchy existed in Ancient Rome.
Answer:
The Mesopotamians have made great contributions in calendar-making, to fix time of things, and mathematics. In Mathematics they discovered multiplication, division, square, square root and compound interest. Some clay slates where these things are recorded have been discovered. The square root they discovered differs only very slightly from the actual one.
Based on the rotation of the moon around the earth, a year was divided into 12 months, a month was divided into 4 weeks, and a day was divided into 24 hours, and an hour was divided into 60 minutes. This was a Mesopotamian discovery. Thus the calendar which was based on the lunar movement has been approved and accepted by the whole world.
Question 28.
Evaluate of the achievements of the Aztecs.
Answer:
The Aztecs : Aztec cuIture is centred round Mexico. In the 12th century, theAztecs from the north migrated to the main valley of Mexico. By defeating the vanous tribes there, they built a large empire. From the defeated people they also collected tributes. The Aztec society was hierarchical.
There were different classes in the society. The most important of them were the nobles or lords. Priests and other high officials belonged to this class. Hereditary nobles were a small minority. Theyoccupied the highest posts in the government, army and priesthood. The nobles chose an able man from among themselves as their leader and he continued to be the king till he died. The king was supposed to be representative of the sun on earth. Warriors and priests were the most respected people in the society. Merchants were given a lot of concessions.
Skilled and competent workers, doctors and intelligent teachers were also respected. Since the land was limited, the ztecs tried to make it as fertile as they could. They also built artificial islands (Chinampas) by weaving mats from bamboo and covering them with earth for cultivating plants. In etween these fertile mlands they built canals. In 1325, the Aztecs built their capital city Tenochtitlan in the middle of a lake. There were palaces andpyramids there. Since theAztecs were often engaged in battle, their temples were dedicated to war gods and sun-god.
Answer any two questions from 29 to 31. Each carries 8 scores. (2 × 8 = 16)
Question 29.
Explain the contributions of Islam in the fields of learning and culture.
Hints:
• Sufism
• Philosophy and medicine
• Literature
• Architecture
Answer:
Sufism
The rise of Sufism was an important event in the history of Islam in the Middle Ages. It is a reformist movement that was influenced by the Holy Quran and the life of the Prophet. The Sufis tried to understand God through asceticism and mysticism. They denied the love of Ipxury shown by the society. They rejected such a world placing their faith in God. The Sufis were mystics and believed in Pantheism. They gave importance to love and prayer.
Pantheism is the belief in one God and his creations. It means man’s soul should ultimately reach the Creator. Deep love for God is the main means becoming one with God. It was a lady ascetic called Rabia in Basra who propagated this idea. She lived in the 9th century. She propagated the love of God through her poems. It was an Iranian Sufi Bayasid Bisthami that taught the importance of man’s soul getting united with God. To get bliss and to raise emotions of love and devotion the Sufis used musical rhythms like Qawwali.
Anybody, without any distinction of religion, status or gender could accept Sufism. Dhul nun al-Misri (his tomb can be seen near the Pyramid of Egypt even now) in 861, declared like this before the Abbasid Khalifa: “I learned true Islam from an old woman, real virtues from a water carrier.” This shows there were no class differences in Sufism. Sufism made religion a personal thing and it posed a serious challenge to Islam.
Philosophy
Islamic philosophers and scientist came out with a parallel view about God and the universe. This was caused because of the influence of Greek vision and science. Even in the 7th century, the influence of the Greek culture was visible in the Byzantine-Nasanian empires. In the schools in Alexandria, Syria and Mesopotamia along with other subjects Greek vision, mathematics and medicines were taught. To translate books in Greek and Syriac-Aramaic into Arabic, the Umayyad-Abbasid Khalifas had employed Christian scholars.
During the time of Al-Mamun, translation was an organized activity. The works of Aristotle, Euclid’s “Elements”, Ptolemy’s “Almagest” etc. had attracted the attention of Arab scholars. Indian books on astronomy, mathematics and medicines were translated into Arabic. These books reached Europe and kindled their interest in philosophy and science.
The studies of new subjects encouraged critical research. It affected the intellectual life of the Islamic people. Scholars in groups like Mutazila used Greek rhetoric and logical reasoning to speak against some tenets of Islam. Ibn Sina who was a medical man and a philosopher did not believe in the resurrection of the body on the Day of Judgment. Although supporters of divine theology opposed his views, his medical books were widely read.
The most important of his books was “Canon of Medicine”. It describes 760 types of medicines and the importance of diet. It also describes the influence of climate and environment in our health and also the contagious nature of some diseases. “Canon of Medicine” was used as a text in the medical schools of Europe. There Ibn Sina was known as Avicenna. His books were read by people like Omar Khayyam who was a great poet and scientist.
Literature
The Islamic societies of the Middle Ages have given great contributions to the growth of language and literature. Language and creative imagination of a person were seen’as the highest qualities in him. These qualities raise him to cultural sanctity. Creative s writings were often a mix of prose and poetry. The epics the poets of the Abbasid period wrote eulogizing the rulers and their achievements are famous. Poets of Persian origin often challenged the cultural
dominance of the Arabs. Abu Nawas, a poet of Persian origin, composed some classic poems praising wine and homosexuality, which are prohibited by Islam, opening up new realms of poetic enjoyment. Poets that came after Abu Nawas continued in the tradition of praising masculinity. Sufis followed the tradition by writing poems praising mystic love.
At the start of the 11th century, Ghazni became the centre of Persian literary life. Naturally, poets were attracted to royal court there. The rulers knew the importance of encouraging art and knowledge for increasing their prestige. Around Mahmud Ghazni there was a group of poets. They wrote many epics and published anthologies. In the catalogue of I bn Nadum, a book seller, there are the names of many books for moral education and also for entertaining people. The oldest of these is ‘Kalila wa Dimna’. This is an Arabic version of our Panchtantra in which animals are the characters. There are famous stories in which Alexander and Sinbad are the heroes.
“One Thousand Nights” is another famous book. This is a collection of stories that Scheherazade told her husband each night. This was written in Indo-Persian and it was translated into Arabic in the 8th century. Later more stories were added to this volume. The stories here depict different kinds of people – generous, stupid, cheated, cunning – and they are good for reading and teaching many good things. In “Book of Misers”, Al Jahiz, an author from Basra, writes about misers and their interesting stories.
Architecture
By the 10th century, an Islamic world came up. Religious buildings are the external symbols of this world. Mosques and mausoleums and tombs are the most important of them. These building which spread from Spain to Central Asia are built in the same pattern. Arcs, domes, minarets, open yards in the centre, etc. are features of this architectural style. Inns where caravans rested, hospitals and palaces were built in the same style as the mosques and mausoleums. The Umayyads had built ‘desert palaces’ in deserts. Examples are Khirbat al Mafjar of Palestine and Quseir Amra of Jordan.
They were luxurious rest houses. The palaces which were built in Roman-Sassanian architectural style were adorned by statues, coloured stones, and portraits of people. The Abbasids built a new royal city in Samara. It was built amidst gardens and streams. It is described in many stories and in the various legends and myths about Harun al Rasheed. The palace of the Abbasid Khalifas in Baghdad and the palace of the Fatimids in Cairo are no more. We can only read about them in literary works.
Question 30.
Analyse the features of the three orders of Feudalism existed in Medieval Europe.
Answer:
The Three Orders were: Priestly Class, Nobles and Farmers. The First Order or social class was the Priestly class. The Catholic Church had its own rules and land given by the rulers. It had the authority to collect taxes. It was an institution that did not need to depend on the king. The head of the Catholic Church was the Pope. He stayed in Rome. The Christians in Europe were guided by bishops and priests. Most villages had their own churches. To take part in the services and to listen to the sermons, and to pray together people went to the church on Sundays.
Not everyone could become a priest. Serfs, physically or mentally handicapped people and women were denied priesthood. Men who became priests could not get married. Bishops were lords in the sphere of religion. They were, like the nobles, owners of huge estates. They stayed in palatial bungalows. The Church was the richest institution in Europe. From the farmers the Church collected tithes. One- tenth of the yearly income was taken as tithes.
The Church also received a lot of contributions from the rich lords or nobles. Many of the feudal rituals and conventions were also practised in the Church. For example, the practice of praying standing on knees, with bent heads and folded hands was borrowed from feudalism. In the feudal system, a knight declared his loyalty to his Lord in this manner. Similarly the, word ‘Lord’ denoting God is also borrowed from feudalism. Thus we can see there was much in common between the Church and Feudalism.
The Second Order was the nobles. They had a big role in the society. It was their control over the land that placed the lords in the central point. This control resulted from vassalage. In the feudal system, the entire land belonged to the king. The king distributed the land among the nobles. Thus the nobles became ‘ huge landlords. They became the vassals of the king. The nobles gave their land to the peasants for cultivation. Thus the nobles became lords or masters and the peasants became dependents or serfs. The land was transferred to the nobles with a lot of rituals and pledges. The noble had to take a pledge in the Church keeping the Bible as the witness. During this ritual the king would give the noble a written document, a staff or a clump of earth as the symbol of the land.
A noble (lord) has his own manorial house. He was the one who controlled the villages around him. Some nobles controlled hundreds of villages. Peasants lived in villages. In a small manorial estate there would be 12 families. But in big manorial estates there could be 50 or 60 families. The manorial estate had all the things necessary for daily life. From the farms they got grain. Carpenters and ironsmiths repaired and maintained the farming implements and also arms. There were masons to repair the mansion of the lord. Women wove clothes. Children worked in the vineries of the lord. There the lords used to go for hunting. In the grasslands of the estate the herds and flocks grazed. There was a church in the estate and also a fort for defence.
The Third Order was the farmers. Farmers were of two kinds. One was independent farmers and the other was serfs, who were not independent farmers. The independent farmers had land they got from the nobles. They had to do military services for the noble for at least 40 days a year. On some fixed days of the week, they had to work in the files of the nobles without getting any payment for it. They also had to dig the land, collect firewood, make fences and repair the roads. The women and children also had to help in the field. They had to do additional work like spinning, weaving, making candles, making wine etc. The king collected a special tax called Tailed from the farmers. The priests and nobles were exempted from this tax.
Question 31.
Prepare an eassy on Industrial revolution. Areas to be considered:
• Coal and Iron
• Cotton spinning and weaving
Answer:
Coal and Iron
Coal and iron ore which were essential for the manufacture of machines were plenty in England. Materials like black lead, copper and white lead which were extensively used in industries were also plenty in the country. But until the 18lh century there was a shortage of “usable iron”. Iron was made by melting iron ore into a liquid state and then separating the pure iron from it. To melt iron ore charcoal was used. There were many problems with this. Since charcoal was brittle, it was difficult to transport charcoal to faraway places. Because of the impurities in it, the iron produced this way was not of high quality. Moreover charcoal could not produce high heat. Because of large scale deforestation, there was a shortage of charcoal.
The solution to this problem was found by the Darby family of Shropshire. In 50 years, three generations of this family (grandfather, father and son) brought a revolution in the refining of iron. In 1709, Abraham Darby (1677-1717) developed the first blast furnace which could maintain very high degree of heat. In it coke could be used. Coke was made by removing the sulphur and other impurities from coal. With this there was no need for charcoal. The iron that was made from the blast furnace of Darby was strong and of a higher quality.
Darby II (1711-1768) made cast iron from iron. This would not break easily. Henry Cort (1740-1823) made two important discoveries – the puddling furnace to remove impurities from pig iron and the rolling mill to produce rails. These discoveries helped in producing many different kinds of iron products.
Cotton spinning and weaving
a) In 1773, John Kay invented the flying shuttle. Using this, the speed in weaving clothes was increased. One worker could now do the work of two. Since spinning (thread-making) was a slow process, enough thread was not available for weaving clothes. This problem was solved by Hargreaves.
b) In 1765 James Hargreaves had invented the spinning jenny. This jenny could produce many strands of threads at the same time. But the strands were not sufficiently strong.
c) In 1769 Richard Arkwright invented a new spinning machine called water frame. This machine could produce strong threads. The production capacity of the spinners increased 7 times.
d) In 1779, Samuel Crompton invented the machine called mule. With this a spinner could make 250 strands of thread simultaneously.
e) In 1787 Edmund Cartwright invented power loom. This machine worked with mechanical energy and it drastically increased the speed of weaving. It was easy to work with it. If the thread broke, it would stop automatically. Anything could be woven in this loom.