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Case Study Questions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

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Here we are providing case study questions for class 8 social science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory.

Case Study Questions

Question 1:

The Marathas were subdued in a series of wars. In the first war that ended in 1782 with the Treaty of Salbai, there was no clear victor. The Second Anglo Maratha War (1803-05) was fought on different fronts, resulting in the British gaining Orissa and the territories north of the Yamuna River including Agra and Delhi. Finally, the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-19 crushed Maratha’s power. The Peshwa was removed and sent away to Bithur near Kanpur with a pension. The Company now had complete control over the territories south of the Vindhyas.

Based on the above passage choose the correct option:

Q. 1. In which year 2nd Anglo Maratha war was fought? (a) 1780 – 1782 (b) 1803-1805 (c) 1817-1719 (d) 1819 – 1845

Ans. Option (b) is correct.

Q. 2. Treaty of Salbai was signed in year: (a) 1782 (b) 1805 (c) 1719 (d) 1762

Ans. Option (a) is correct.

Q. 3. After the 2nd Anglo Maratha war, British gained: (a) Orissa, Agra, Delhi (b) Awadh, Agra, Delhi (c) Punjab Awadh Agra (d) Punjab Awadh Delhi

Q.4. To which place Peshwa was sent after the 3rd Anglo Maratha war? (a) Kitoor (b) Bithur (c) Awadh (d) Agra

Q. 5. What was the result of the 1st Anglo Maratha war? (a) Maratha won the battle. (b) Company won the battle. (c) no clear victory. (d) treaty of Sriragpattnam was signed.

Ans. Option (c) is correct.

What is Case Study Question in Class 8 Social Science?

Case study questions typically present a specific scenario or case related to a historical event, geographical issue, or social problem. Students are expected to read and understand the details of the case and then answer a set of questions based on their understanding and knowledge of the subject matter.

Case study questions can be an effective way to assess students’ understanding and ability to apply social science concepts to practical situations. They also encourage students to think critically, analyze information, and draw informed conclusions – skills that are valuable both inside and outside the classroom.

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NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

Ncert solutions for class 8 social science history chapter 2 – from trade to territory.

Get here the easiest and simplest NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory.

NCERT Solutions for  Class 8 History  Chapter 2 –  From Trade to Territory The Company Establishes Power:

Let’s recall

1. Match the following:

2. Fill in the blanks:

(a) The British conquest of Bengal began with the Battle of ___________.

(b) Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers of ___________.

(c) Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of ___________.

(d) Maratha kingdoms were located mainly in the ___________ part of India.

(a) The British conquest of Bengal began with the Battle of  Buxar .

(b) Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers of  Mysore .

(c) Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of  Lapse .

(d) Maratha kingdoms were located mainly in the  South-western  part of India.

3. State whether true or false:

(a) The Mughal empire became stronger in the eighteenth century.

(b) The English East India Company was the only European company that traded with India.

(c) Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the ruler of Punjab.

(d) The British did not introduce administrative changes in the territories they conquered.

(a) False, Mughal empire started to decline in eighteenth century with the emergence of new power, The British.

(b) False, French and Dutch traders also traded with India.

(d) False, the British introduced many administrative changes in the territories they conquered.

Let’s discuss

4. What attracted European trading companies to India?

European trading companies were attracted to India due to the following reasons:

(i) They could buy goods at cheap prices and carry them back to Europe to sell at higher prices.

(ii) The fine qualities of cotton and silk produced in India had a big market in Europe.

(iii) Indian spices like pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon were in great demand in Europe.

5. What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company?

The areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company were:

(i) The Bengal nawabs denied concessions to the East India Company on many occasions.

(ii) They demanded large tributes for the Company’s right to trade.

(iii) They denied the company any right to mint coins.

(iv) They stopped the company from extending its fortifications.

(vi) The company denied to pay taxes.

(vii) The company officials wrote disrespectful letters to nawabs and humiliated them.

6. How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

On being appointed the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal, the East India Company acquired greater power and authority. After the assumption of the Diwani, East India Company was benefited in several ways as mentioned below:

(i) It allowed the Company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal.

(ii) Now, trade was fully controlled by the East India Company.

(iii) Company used the revenues from India to finance its expenses like to purchase cotton and silk textiles in India, maintain Company troops, and meet the cost of building the Company fort and offices at Calcutta.

(iv) Revenue of Bengal was used to finance exports of Indian goods.

7. Explain the system of “subsidiary alliance”.

According to the subsidiary alliance the Indian rulers were not allowed to have their independent armed forces. They came under the protection of East India Company. Major effects of this system were as follows:

(i) East India Company became the guardian of the territories that it took under the alliance.

(ii) The Indian rulers had to pay for the “subsidiary forces” that the Company was supposed to maintain for the purpose of their protection.

(iii) If the Indian rulers failed to make the payment, then part of their territory was taken away as penalty.

8. In what way was the administration of the Company different from that of Indian rulers?

The administration of the Company was different from that of the Indian rulers in the following ways:

(i) The Company laid down sound administrative system in India. British territories were broadly divided into administrative units called Presidencies. There were three such Presidencies – Bengal, Madras and Bombay. On the other hand, under the Indian rulers administration was divided into four parts – District (Zila), Paragana, Tehsil and Villages.

(ii) Each presidency was under the charge of the governors whereas the Indian Administrative unit was ruled by local zamindars and peasants.

(iii) The supreme head of the administration was the Governor-General but under the Indian administrative system, the King or Nawab was the head of the supreme head.

(iv) A new judicial system was introduced from 1772. Each district had two courts- a criminal court known as ‘faujdari adalat’ and a civil court ‘diwani adalat’. Maulvis and Hindu pandits interpreted Indian laws for the European district collectors who presided over civil courts. The criminal courts were still under a qazi and a mufti but under the supervision of the collectors.

9. Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army.

The changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army were as follows:

• The Company began recruitment for its own army, which came to be known as the sepoy army.
• Like the Mughal army, the Company’s army was also composed of the cavalry and the infantry regiments, with the cavalry dominating the army. 
• As the warfare technology changed from the 1820s, the cavalry recruitments of the Company’s army declined.
• The soldiers of the Company’s army had to keep pace with changing military requirements and its infantry regiments now became more important.
• In the early 19th century the British began to develop a uniform military culture.
• Soldiers were increasingly subjected to European style training, drill, and discipline.
• Caste and community feelings were ignored.

Question 10. After the British conquest of Bengal, Calcutta -grew from a small village to a big city. Find out about the culture, architecture, and the life of Europeans and Indians of the city during the colonial period. Answer: Hints: Visit the school library or get information from the internet. Indians were influenced by British culture, architecture and lifestyle.

• Culture: British influence began.
• Architecture: Influenced by the British Architecture (fortification of the city, churches, etc.). Rich Indians started constructing bungalows in the English style.
• Life: English education, English clothes, became to be popular.

Question 11. Collect pictures, stories, poems, and information about any of the following – the Rani of Jhansi, Mahadji Sindhia, Haidar Ali, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lord Dalhousie, or any other contemporary ruler of your region. Answer: The Rani of Jhansi: Collect information and photographs Hints:

•  Early childhood
• Early marriage
• Death of husband
• Adopted son
• Fight with British
• Died fighting with the British.
• History would always remember her.

She was educated at home and was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included archery, horsemanship, and self-defense.

Rani Lakshmibai was accustomed to ride on horseback accompanied by a small escort between the palace and the temple. The Rani Mahal, the place of Rani Lakshmibai, has now been converted into a museum. She died, fighting British Army bravely, to save her state Jhansi.

Mahadaji was instrumental in resurrecting Maratha power in North India after the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761 and rose to become a trusted lieutenant of the Peshwa, leader of the Maratha Empire. During his reign, Gwalior became the leading state in the Maratha Empire and one of the foremost military powers in India.

He accompanied Shah Alarm II (Mughal Badshah) in 1771 to Delhi in order to restore the Mughals in Delhi. The Marathas were practically at that time ruling Delhi. He annihilated the power of Jats of Mathura and during 1772-73 and destroyed the power of Pashtun Rohillas in Rohilkhand and captured Najibabad. His role during the ‘First Anglo Maratha War was greatest from the Maratha side since he humbled the British in Central India, single-handed, which resulted in the Treaty of Salbai in 1782, where he mediated between the Peshwa and the British.

In 1799, Ranjit Singh captured Lahore (now in Pakistan) from the Bhangi Misl and later made it his capital. This was the first important step in his rise to power. In the following years, he brought the whole of central Punjab from the Sutlej to the Jhelum under his sway. This area includes north of Satluj (Jullundhar, Amritsar, Pathankot, etc.); and Lahore, Multan, etc. of Pakistan.

• Starting of Railway in 1853 A.D. for the first time, between Bombay to Thane.
• Starting with postal and telegraph services in India.
• Starting with widow remarriage in 1856 A.D.
• Completion of Ganges Canal.
• Reform in Indian civil services.
• East India Company captured the princely state of Punjab in 1849 A.D.
• Second Anglo-Burmese War.
• Doctrine of Lapse (Most Controversial).
• Annexation of Awadh.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Exercise Questions

Question 1. (i) Which one was not a trading company? (a) The Portuguese (b) The Dutch (c) The French (d) The Japanese

(ii) What was farman? (a) It was a royal dress. (b) It was a royal order. (c) It was a royal food. (d) It was a royal procession.

(iii) The Nawab of Bengal after Alivardi Khan was (a) Murshid Quli Khan (b) Tipu Sultan (c) Sirajuddaulah (d) Mir Qasim

(iv) The British who did the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey was (a) Robert Clive (b) Lord Hastings (c) Edmund Burke (d) Lord Dalhousie

(v) This Governor-General introduced the policy of ‘paramountcy’. (a) Lord Hastings (b) Lord Dalhousie (c) Warren Hastings (d) Lord Bentinck

(vi) Which one of these was annexed on the basis of Dolhousie’s ‘Doctrine of Lapse’? (a) Punjab (b) Awadh (c) Satara (d) Hyderabad

(vii) The Governor-General who was impeached (a) Lord Dalhousie (b) Lord Mountbatten (c) Warren Hastings (d) Lord Hastings Answer: (i) (d), (ii) (b), (iii) (c), (iv) (a), (v) (a), (vi) (c), (vii) (c).

Question 2. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words to complete each sentence.

• British territories were broadly divided into administrative units called …………….
• ……….. and ………… were two famous Maratha soldiers and statesmen of the late 18th century.
• The Royal Charter could not prevent other European powers from entering the …………… markets.
• The Bengal Nawabs asserted their power and autonomy after the death of …………..
• ………….. was made the Nawab of Bengal after the defeat of Sirajuddaulah at Plassey.
• The Company took over Awadh in the year ……………..
• The principal figure in an Indian district was the …………….
• The first Anglo-Maratha war ended with the Treaty of …………………
• Presidencies
• Mahadji Sindhia; Nana Phadnavis

Question 3. State whether each of the following statements is True or False.

• The Maratha power was crushed in the third Anglo-Maratha war.
• Tipu Sultan disallowed local merchants from trading with the Company.
• The Company took away parts of territories from Punjab and Satara on the basis of ‘subsidiary alliance’.
• The Mughal emperor appointed the Company as the Diwgzt of the provinces of Bengal in the year 1700.
• Sirajuddaulah got help from his commander Mir Jafar and finally won a victory in the Battle of Plassey.
• Lord Dalhousie’s ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ proved to be a total failure.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Who was the ruler of England in 1600? Answer: Queen Elizabeth, I was the ruler of England in 1600.

Question 2. What caused huge loss of revenue in Bengal? Answer: Aurangzeb’s Farman had granted the Company only the right to trade duty-free. But the officials of the Company, who were carrying on private trade on the side, also stopped paying duty. This caused a huge loss of revenue for Bengal.

Question 3. Why did the Company want a puppet ruler? Answer: A puppet ruler would willingly give it trade concessions and other privileges.

Question 4. What was the main reason for the defeat of Sirajuddaulah at Plassey? Answer: Mir Jafar, one of Sirajuddaulah’s commanders, did not fight the battle.

Question 5. Why did the Battle of Plassey become famous? Answer: It was the first major victory the Company won in India.

Question 6. Whom did the Company install in place of Mir Jafar? Answer: The company installed Mir Qasim in place of Mir Jafar.

Question 7. How did the Company purchase Indian goods? Answer: It purchased Indian goods with gold and silver imported from Britain.

Question 8. Who was called ‘nabobs’? Answer: Several Company officials returned to Britain with wealth and led flashy lives and showed their riches with great pride. They were called “nabobs’.

Question 9. Who were the Residents? Answer: The Residents were the political or commercial agents and their job was to serve and further the interests of the Company.

Question 10. What purpose did the Residents serve? Answer: Through the residents, the Company officials began interfering in the internal affairs of Indian states.

Question 11. Name the two rulers under whose leadership Mysore became powerful. Answer: Haider Ali and his son, Tipu Sultan.

Question 12. Why did Tipu Sultan develop a close relationship with the French in India? Answer: He did so in order to modernise his army with their help.

Question 13. What happened in the-Battle of Seringapatam? Answer: Tipu Sultan was killed defending his capital Seringapatam.

Question 14. What was the result of the second Anglo-Maratha war? Answer: The British gained Orissa and the territories north of the Yamuna river including Agra and Delhi.

Question 15 . What was the objective behind the Company’s new policy of ‘paramountcy ’? Answer: The Company claimed that its authority was paramount or supreme and therefore its power was greater than that of Indian states.

Question 16. What was the result of Rani Channamma’s anti-British resistance movement? Answer: She was put in the prison where she died.

Question 17. What was Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse? Answer: If an Indian ruler died without a male heir his kingdom would become the part of Company territory.

Question 18. Name the Kingdoms which were annexed on the basis of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. Answer: Satara, Sambalpur, Udaipur, Nagpur, and Jhansi.

Question 19. What constituted the Mughal army? Answer: Cavalry and infantry, that is; paidal soldiers.

Question 20. Why was Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, tried after he returned to England? Answer: He was tried for the misgovernance of Bengal.

Question 21. What was the result of this trial? Answer: Warren Hastings was impeached.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Give an account of different European trading companies besides the British East India Company that entered the Eastern markets. Answer: Different European trading companies were:

• The Portuguese. By the time the first English ships sailed down the West coast of Africa, round the Cape of Good Hope, and crossed the Indian Ocean, the Portuguese had already established their presence in the western coast of India and had their base in Goa.
• The Dutch. By the early 17th century, the Dutch too were exploring the possibilities of trade in the Indian Ocean.
• The French. The French traders soon arrived on the scene for the same purpose.

Question 2. What were the grievances of the Company regarding the Nawabs of Bengal? Answer: The Company declared that the unjust demands of the local officials were ruining the trade of the Company. Trade could flourish only if the duties were removed. It was also convinced that to expand trade it had to enlarge its settlements, buy up villages and rebuild its forts.

Question 3. Write a note on Tipu Sultan – The ‘Tiger of Mysore’. Answer: Tipu Sultan was the famous ruler of Mysore. He ruled Mysore from 1782 to 1799. Under his leadership, Mysore became very powerful. It controlled the profitable trade of the Malabar coast where the Company purchased pepper and cardamom. In 1785 Tipu Sultan stopped the export of these items through the ports of his kingdom and disallowed local merchants from trading with the Company. He also developed a relationship with the French in India to modernise his army with their help. The British got furious. They waged four battles against Tipu Sultan. The last battle proved unfortunate for him. He was killed defending his capital Seringapatam. The way he resisted the British is undoubtedly praiseworthy.

Question 4. Give a brief description of all the three Anglo-Maratha Wars. Also, write the main consequences. Answer: The Company waged a series of wars against the Marathas in order to crush Maratha power:

• In the first war, there was no clear victor, hence it ended in 1782 with the Treaty of Sabai.
• The second Anglo – Maratha War began in 1803 and ended in 1805. This war was fought on different fronts resulting in the British gaining Orissa and the territories north of the Yamuna river including Agra and Delhi.
• The Third Anglo – Maratha War of 1817-1819 crushed Maratha power. The Peshwa was removed. The Company now had complete control over the territories south of the Vindhyas.

Question 5. What administrative reformations were brought in the sphere of justice? Answer: Before the reformations were brought, there were Maulvis and Hindu pandits who interpreted Indian laws for the European district collectors who presided over civil courts. The criminal courts were still under a qazi and a mufti. The Brahman pandits usually gave different interpretations of local laws. But there was no uniformity in them. To bring out about uniformity, in 1775 eleven pandits were asked to compile a digest of Hindu laws. N.B. Halhed translated this digest into English. By 1778 a code of Muslim laws was also compiled for the benefit of European judges, under the Regulating Act of 1773, a new Supreme Court was established, while a court of appeal – the Sadar Nizamal Adalat – was also set up at Calcutta.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Give an account of the Battle of Plassey. Answer: The Company was very keen to have a puppet ruler in place of Sirajuddaulah so that it might enjoy trade concessions and other privileges. It began to help one of Sirajuddaulah’s rivals become the nawab. This infuriated Sirajuddaulah. He sternly asked the Company to stop meddling in the political affairs of his dominion. After negotiations failed, the Nawab marched with his soldiers to the English factory at Kasimbazar, captured the Company officials, disarmed all Englishmen, and blocked English ships. Then he marched to Calcutta to establish control over the Company’s fort there. As soon as the Company officials in Madras heard the news of the fall of Calcutta, they sent forces under the command of Robert Clive, reinforced by naval fleets. Prolonged negotiations with the Nawab followed. But no concrete solution came out. Finally, in 1759, Robert Clive led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey.

In this battle, Sirajuddaulah got defeated. The main reason was that one of his commanders, Mir Jafar, did not fight the battle. He, in fact, supported the Company by not fighting because the Company had promised to make him Nawab after defeating Sirajuddaulah. The victory of the Company in the Battle of Plassey gave it immense confidence. It was the first major victory of the Company in India.

Question 2. Who introduced the policy of ‘paramounty’? What did it mean? What sort of resistance did the Company face? Answer: Lord Hastings, who was the Governor-General of India from 1813 to 1823, introduced a new policy of ‘paramounty’. Now the Company claimed that its authority was paramount or supreme, hence its power was greater than that of Indian states. In order to protect its interests, it was justified in annexing or threatening to annex any Indian kingdom. However, this process did not go unchallenged. For example, when the British tried to annex, the small state of Kitoor (in Karnataka today), Rani Channamma took to arms and led an anti-British resistance movement. She was arrested in 1823 and died in prison in 1829. But this resistance movement did not stop. It was carried on by Rajana, a poor chowkidar of Sangoli in Kitoor. With popular support, he destroyed many British camps and records. He was also caught and hanged by the British in 1830.

Question 3. How did the East India Company begin to trade in Bengal? Answer: The East India Company set up the first English factory on the banks of the river Hugh in the year 1651. This became the base from which the Company’s traders, known at that time as ‘factors’, operated. The factory had a warehouse where goods for export were stored and it had offices where Company officials set. As trade expanded, the Company persuaded merchants and traders to come and settle near the factory.

By 1696 the Company began to build a fort around the settlement. Two years later it bribed Mughal officials into giving the Company zamindari rights over three villages. One of these was Kalikata which later developed into a city, known as Calcutta. The Company also persuaded the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to issue a firman granting the Company the right to trade duty-free. The Company tried continuously to press for more concessions and manipulate existing privileges. For instance, Aurangzeb’s Farman had granted only the Company the right to trade duty-free. But Company officials who were carrying on private trade on the side were expected to pay duty. But they refused to pay. This caused huge loss of revenue for Bengal.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Source-Based Questions

Questions: (i) What intention did the English traders show initially? (ii) How did their activities divert later on? Answers: (i) When the English traders first came into the country they were very polite. They petitioned the then government in a humble manner for liberty to purchase a plot of ground to build a factory house there.

(ii) Slowly and steadily the English traders began to show rudeness. They built a strong fort, surrounded it with a ditch which had communication with the river, and mounted a great number of guns upon the walls. They took great number of the king’s subjects into slavery.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Picture-Based Questions

Observe the following pictures taken from NCERT textbooks subsequently and answer the questions that follow:

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory in English and Hindi Medium modified for new academic session 2024-25. The solutions and explanation of questions in chapter 2 of class 8th History is revised as per the new NCERT textbook issued for 2024-25 exams.

8th History Chapter 2 Question Answers

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Download NCERT Solutions 2024-25 for Maths, Science and Hindi also in PDF file format. Discuss Your Questions with your friends and share it in the world of knowledge through Discussion Forum.

CBSE Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory is given below updated for session 2024-25. Download NCERT Books for offline use or use as it is without downloading online.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 Extra Questions

East india company begins trade in bengal. how.

The first English factory was set up on the banks of the river Hugli in 1651. This was known at that time as “factors”, operated. The factory had a warehouse where goods for export were stored and it had offices where Company officials sat. As trade expanded, the Company persuaded merchants and traders to come and settle near the factory. By 1696 it began building a fort around the settlement. Two years later it bribed Mughal officials into giving the Company zamindari rights over three villages. One of these was Kalikata, which later grew into the city of Calcutta or Kolkata as it is known today. It also persuaded the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to issue a farman granting the Company the right to trade duty free.

How trade led to battles?

After the death of Aurangzeb, the Bengal nawabs asserted their power and autonomy, as other regional powers were doing at that time. Murshid Quli Khan was followed by Alivardi Khan and then Sirajuddaulah as the Nawab of Bengal. They refused to grant the Company concessions, demanded large tributes for the Company’s right to trade, denied it any right to mint coins and stopped it from extending its fortifications. It was refusing to pay taxes, writing disrespectful letters, and trying to humiliate the nawab and his officials. The Company on its part declared that the unjust demands of the local officials were ruining the trade of the Company and trade could flourish only if the duties were removed. It was also convinced that to expand trade it had to enlarge its settlements, buy up villages, and rebuild its forts.

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After Aurangzeb there was no powerful Mughal ruler, but Mughal emperors continued to be symbolically important. In fact, when a massive rebellion against British rule broke out in 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal emperor at the time, was seen as the natural leader. Once the revolt was put down by the company, Bahadur Shah Zafar was forced to leave the kingdom, and his sons were shot in cold blood.

Important Questions on 8th History Chapter 2

Fill in the blank: the british conquest of bengal began with the battle of ___________..

The British conquest of Bengal began with the Battle of Plassey.

State whether true or false: The Mughal empire became stronger in the eighteenth century.

The Mughal empire became stronger in the eighteenth century. False

What attracted European trading companies to India?

Indian cotton and silk was in great demand in Europe. Indian spices were also in great demand. Goods could be bought at cheaper rates from India and could be sold at higher rates in Europe. This prospect attracted the European trading companies to India.

What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company?

The Bengal nawabs wanted tributes from the Company in lieu of granting the right to trade. The Company was forbidden from minting its own coins and from expanding fortifications. The Company wanted to expand its settlement and wanted special privileges.

How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

This was a major breakthrough for the Company because Diwani allowed it to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal. The Company could use the revenue to finance its trade and other expenses. It could also use the revenue to strengthen its military power.

Explain the system of “subsidiary alliance”.

According to this alliance, Indian rulers were not allowed to have their independent armed forces. The Company army was to protect the Indian state but the ruler had to pay for the “subsidiary forces”. If an Indian ruler failed to make the payment, then part of his territory was taken away as penalty. For example; Awadh and Hyderabad were forced to cede territories on this ground.

In what way was the administration of the Company different from that of Indian rulers?

The Company made a proper system of administration. The Indian rulers did not have a proper system of administration. The Company took suggestions from pundits and maulvis before making new laws for criminal and civil cases. The Indian rulers seldom thought about respecting local sensibilities before making any rule.

Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army.

The infantry regiment became more important. In the early nineteenth century the British began to develop a uniform military culture. Soldiers were increasingly subjected to European-style training. Now, drill and discipline that regulated their life far more than before.

After the British conquest of Bengal, Calcutta grew from a small village to a big city. Find out about the culture, architecture and the life of Europeans and Indians of the city during the colonial period.

The main features of Calcutta city during the colonial period were as follows: Due to planning of different Governor Generals, Civil Lines area were developed. The Lottery Committee (1817) also planned the work of town. Densely built up areas were seen as insanitary since they obstructed directly sunlight and circulation or air.

1. Mercantile: A business enterprise that makes profit primarily through trade, buying goods cheap and selling them at higher prices. 2. Farman: A royal edict, a royal order. 3. Puppet: Literally, a toy that you can move with strings. The term is used disapprovingly to refer to a person who is controlled by someone else. 4. Mufti: A jurist of the Muslim community responsible for expounding the law that the qazi would administer. 5. Impeachment: A trial by the House of Lords in England for charges of misconduct brought against a person in the House of Commons.

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Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Extra Questions

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Extra Questions and Answers are provided here. These Extra Questions with solution are prepared by our team of expert teachers who are teaching in CBSE schools for years. Extra questions for Class 8 History Chapter 2 will help you to properly understand a particular concept of the chapter.

From Trade to Territory Class 8 History Extra Questions and Answers

Very short answer type question.

1. What was the earliest name of the present day Kolkata?

Answer: Kalikata

2. What was farman?

Answer: Farman was a royal order.

3. Who was called tiger of Mysore?

Answer: Tipu Sultan was called tiger of Mysore.

4. When did the company take over Awadh?

Answer: The Company took over Awadh in 1856.

5. What was the prime objective of East India Company?

Answer: Its prime objective was the expansion of trade.

6. Who was the ruler of England in 1600?

Answer: Queen Elizabeth I was the ruler of England in 1600.

7. Who was the last of the powerful Mughal rulers?

Answer: Aurangzeb was the last of the powerful Mughal rulers.

8. Who became the Nawab of Bengal after Alivardi khan?

Answer: Sirajuddaulah became the Nawab of Bengal after Alivardi khan.

9. Who was made the Nawab of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey?

Answer: Mir Jafar was made the Nawab of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey.

10. Which governor general was impeached by British Parliament?

Answer: Warren Hastings was impeached by British Parliament.

11. Who led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey?

Answer: Robert Clive led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey.

12. Who arrested Bahadur Shah Zafar and his sons?

Answer: Bahadur Shah Zafar and his sons were arrested by Captain Hodson.

13. Who was assassinated after the Battle of Plassey?

Answer: After the defeat at Plassey, Sirajuddaulah was assassinated.

14. Who discovered the sea route to India?

Answer: Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer had discovered the sea route to India in 1498.

15. Why did the Battle of Plassey become famous?

Answer: The Battle of Plassey became famous because it was the first major victory the Company won in India.

16. Name Sirajuddaulah’s commander who never fought the Battle of Plassey.

Answer: Mir Jafar, one of Sirajuddaulah’s commanders, never fought the Battle of Plassey.

17. Whom did the Company install in place of Mir Jafar and why?

Answer: When Mir Jafar protested, the Company deposed him and installed Mir Qasim in his place.

18. Who initiated the policy of paramountcy?

Answer: Lord Hastings (Governor- General from 1813 to 1823) initiated a new policy of “paramountcy”.

19. Why could Delhi no longer function as an effective centre?

Answer: As powerful regional kingdoms emerged in various parts of India, Delhi could no longer function as an effective centre.

20. What led to intense conflict between British and local rulers?

Answer: Fortification of settlements and effort to carry on profitable trade led to intense conflict between British and local rulers.

21. What constituted the Mughal army?

Answer: The Mughal army was mainly composed of cavalry (sawars: trained soldiers on horseback) and infantry, that is, paidal (foot) soldiers.

22. Name the two rulers under whose leadership Mysore became powerful.

Answer: Haidar Ali and his famous son Tipu Sultan were the two rulers under whose leadership Mysore became powerful.

23. Why did Tipu Sultan develop a close relationship with the French in India?

Answer: Tipu Sultan established a close relationship with the French in India in order to modernized his army with their help.

24. Who were two famous Maratha soldiers and statesmen of the late eighteenth century?

Answer: Mahadji Sindhia and Nana Phadnis were two famous Maratha soldiers and statesmen of the late eighteenth century.

25. “After the Battle of Buxar (1764), the Company appointed Residents in Indian states.” Who were the Residents?

Answer: They were political or commercial agents and their job was to serve and further the interests of the Company.

26. When did the Mughal emperor appoint the Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal?

Answer: In 1765 the Mughal emperor appointed the Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal.

27. Why did the Company want a puppet ruler? Or Why was the Company keen on puppet ruler? Or Why did British want to establish puppet ruler in Bengal?

Answer: The Company was keen on a puppet ruler because he would willingly give trade concessions and other privileges.

28. Explain the term ‘Mercantile’.

Answer: Mercantile means a business enterprise that makes profit primarily through trade, buying goods cheap and selling them at higher prices.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. What do you mean by puppet?

Answer: Puppet literally means a toy that you can move with strings. The term is used disapprovingly to refer to a person who is controlled by someone else.

2. Name the Mughal emperor seen as the natural leader during the revolt of 1857.

Answer: When a massive rebellion against British rule broke out in 1857, Bahadur Shah Zafar, the Mughal emperor at the time, was seen as the natural leader.

3. List the Kingdoms which were annexed on the basis of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’.

Answer: Kingdoms annexed on the basis of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ were: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854).

4. What were the grievances of the Company regarding the Nawabs of Bengal?

Answer: The Company on its part declared that the unjust demands of the local officials were ruining the trade of the Company, and trade could flourish only if the duties were removed.

5. Who were called ‘nabobs’?

Answer: Company officials who managed to return Britain with wealth led flashy lives and flaunted their riches. They were called “nabobs” – an anglicised version of the Indian word nawab.

6. How Plassey got its name?

Answer: Plassey is an anglicised pronunciation of Palashi and the place derived its name from the palash tree known for its beautiful red flowers that yield gulal, the powder used in the festival of Holi.

7. What did it mean to be nawabs?

Answer: It meant of course that the Company acquired more power and authority. But it also meant something else. Each company servant began to have visions of living like nawabs.

8. What was the result of the second Anglo-Maratha war? Or What has happened in second Anglo-Maratha war?

Answer: The Second Anglo- Maratha War (1803-05) was fought on different fronts, resulting in the British gaining Orissa and the territories north of the Yamuna river including Agra and Delhi.

9. Why the company had to buy most of the goods in India with gold and silver imported from Britain?

Answer: The company had to buy most of the goods in India with gold and silver imported from Britain because at that time Britain had no goods to sell in India.

10. Who was Rayanna and what was his role in anti-British resistance movement? Or Who was Rayanna? How did meet his end?

Answer: Rayanna, a poor chowkidar of Sangoli in Kitoor, carried on the resistance. With popular support he destroyed many British camps and records. He was caught and hanged by the British in 1830.

11. How did the appointment of residents in Indian states help the company?

Answer: Through the Residents, the Company officials began interfering in the internal affairs of Indian states. They tried to decide who was to be the successor to the throne, and who was to be appointed in administrative posts.

12. What attracted European trading companies to India?

Answer: European trading companies were attracted to India because:

• The fine qualities of cotton and silk produced in India had a big market in Europe.
• Pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon too were in great demand.

13. Why was Warren Hastings impeached?

Answer: When Warren Hastings went back to England in 1785, Edmund Burke accused him of being personally responsible for the misgovernment of Bengal. This led to an impeachment proceeding in the British Parliament that lasted seven years.

14. What caused huge loss of revenue in Bengal? Or What had caused enormous loss of revenue for Bengal?

Answer: Aurangzeb’s farman had granted only the Company the right to trade duty free. But officials of the Company, who were carrying on private trade on the side, were expected to pay duty. This they refused to pay, causing an enormous loss of revenue for Bengal.

15. What was the main reason for the defeat of Sirajuddaulah at Plassey? Or State the main reason of defeat of Sirajuddaulah at Plassey.

Answer: One of the main reasons for the defeat of the Nawab was that the forces led by Mir Jafar, one of Sirajuddaulah’s commanders, never fought the battle. Clive had managed to secure his support by promising to make him nawab after crushing Sirajuddaulah.

16. What was the result of Rani Channamma’s anti-British resistance movement? Or Write a note on Rani Channamma. Or Who led an anti-British movement in kittur?

Answer: The new policy of “paramountcy” however, did not go unchallenged. When the British tried to annex the small state of Kitoor (in Karnataka today), Rani Channamma took to arms and led an anti-British resistance movement. She was arrested in 1824 and died in prison in 1829.

17. Explain the following terms: Qazi, Mufti and Impeachment

Answer: Qazi – A judge

Mufti – A jurist of the Muslim community responsible for expounding the law that the qazi would administer.

Impeachment – A trial by the House of Lords in England for charges of misconduct brought against a person in the House of Commons.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. How was Tipu Sultan killed? Or What happened in the Battle of Seringapatam?

Answer: Four wars were fought with Mysore (1767-69, 1780-84, 1790-92 and 1799). Only in the last – the Battle of Seringapatam – did the Company ultimately win a victory. Tipu Sultan was killed defending his capital Seringapatam, Mysore was placed under the former ruling dynasty of the Wodeyars and a subsidiary alliance was imposed on the state.

2. What is the policy of paramountcy? Or Who initiated the policy of ‘paramountcy’? What did the company claim through this policy? Or What was the objective behind the Company’s new policy of ‘paramountcy’?

Answer: Under Lord Hastings a new policy of “paramountcy” was initiated. Now the Company claimed that its authority was paramount or supreme, hence its power was greater than that of Indian states. In order to protect its interests it was justified in annexing or threatening to annex any Indian kingdom. This view continued to guide later British policies as well.

3. Write a short note on Warren Hastings.

Answer:  Warren Hastings (Governor-General from 1773 to 1785) was one of the many important figures who played a significant role in the expansion of Company power.

By his time the Company had acquired power not only in Bengal, but also in Bombay and Madras. Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General, introduced several administrative reforms, notably in the sphere of justice.

4. Explain the system of “subsidiary alliance”.

Answer: According to the terms of this alliance, Indian rulers were not allowed to have their independent armed forces. They were to be protected by the Company, but had to pay for the “subsidiary forces” that the Company was supposed to maintain for the purpose of this protection. If the Indian rulers failed to make the payment, then part of their territory was taken away as penalty. The states which had to lose their territories on this ground were Awadh and Hyderabad.

5. What was Lord Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse? Or Explain Doctrine of Lapse.

• Lord Dalhousie who was the Governor-General devised a policy that came to be known as the Doctrine of Lapse.
• The doctrine declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male heir his kingdom would “lapse”, that is, become part of Company territory.
• One kingdom after another was annexed simply by applying this doctrine: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854).

6. Give an account of different European trading companies besides the British East India Company that entered the Eastern markets.

Answer: By the time the first English ships sailed down the west coast of Africa, round the Cape of Good Hope, and crossed the Indian Ocean, the Portuguese had already established their presence in the western coast of India, and had their base in Goa. In fact, it was Vascoda Gama, a Portuguese explorer, who had discovered this sea route to India in 1498. By the early seventeenth century, the Dutch too were exploring the possibilities of trade in the Indian Ocean. Soon the French traders arrived on the scene.

7. Give a brief description of all the three Anglo-Maratha wars.

Answer: The Marathas were subdued in a series of wars.

• In the first war that ended in 1782 with the Treaty of Salbai, there was no clear victor.
• The Second Anglo- Maratha War (1803-05) was fought on different fronts, resulting in the British gaining Orissa and the territories north of the Yamuna River including Agra and Delhi.
• Finally, the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-19 crushed Maratha power. The Peshwa was removed and sent away to Bithur near Kanpur with a pension. The Company now had complete control over the territories south of the Vindhyas.

8. What administrative reformations were brought in the sphere of justice?

Answer: From 1772 a new system of justice was established. Each district was to have two courts – a criminal court (faujdari adalat ) and a civil court (diwani adalat ). Maulvis and Hindu pandits interpreted Indian laws for the European district collectors who presided over civil courts. The criminal courts were still under a qazi and a mufti but under the supervision of the collectors. In 1775 eleven pandits were asked to compile a digest of Hindu laws. N.B. Halhed translated this digest into English. By 1778 a code of Muslim laws was also compiled for the benefit of European judges. Under the Regulating Act of 1773, a new Supreme Court was established, while a court of appeal – the Sadar Nizamat Adalat – was also set up at Calcutta.

9. Write a note on Tipu Sultan—The ‘Tiger of Mysore’.

Answer: Tipu Sultan – The ‘Tiger of Mysore’

• Tipu Sultan, son of Haidar Ali (ruled from 1782 to 1799) was known as Tiger of Mysore’. Mysore controlled the profitable trade of the Malabar coast where the Company purchased pepper and cardamom.
• In 1785 Tipu Sultan stopped the export of sandalwood, pepper and cardamom through the ports of his kingdom, and disallowed local merchants from trading with the Company.
• He also established a close relationship with the French in India, and modernized his army with their help.
• In the last – the Battle of Seringapatam, the Company ultimately win a victory. Tipu Sultan was killed defending his capital Seringapatam.

10. What was the main cause of the Battle of Plassey? Or What led to the Battle of Plassey and what was the result?

Answer: Sirajuddaulah asked the Company to stop meddling in the political affairs of his dominion, stop fortification, and pay the revenues. After negotiations failed, the Nawab marched with 30,000 soldiers to the English factory at Kassimbazar, captured the Company officials, locked the warehouse, disarmed all Englishmen, and blockaded English ships. Then he marched to Calcutta to establish control over the Company’s fort there. On hearing the news of the fall of Calcutta, Company officials in Madras sent forces under the command of Robert Clive, reinforced by naval fleets. Prolonged negotiations with the Nawab followed. Finally, in 1757, Robert Clive led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey. The Battle of Plassey was the first major victory the Company won in India.

11. What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company?

Answer: The areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company were:

• The nawabs refused to grant the Company concessions, demanded large tributes for the Company’s right to trade, denied it any right to mint coins, and stopped it from extending its fortifications.
• They claimed that the Company was depriving the Bengal government of huge amounts of revenue and undermining the authority of the nawab by refusing to pay taxes, writing disrespectful letters, and trying to humiliate the nawab and his officials.
• The Company on its part declared that the unjust demands of the local officials were ruining the trade of the Company, and trade could flourish only if the duties were removed.

12. Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army.

Answer: Several changes occurred in the composition of the Company’s army:

• The East India Company started recruiting peasants into their armies and training them as professional soldiers, which came to be known as the sepoy army.
• As warfare technology changed from the 1820s, the cavalry requirements of the Company’s army declined.
• The soldiers of the Company’s army had to keep pace with changing military requirements and its infantry regiments now became more important.
• In the early nineteenth century the British began to develop a uniform military culture. Soldiers were increasingly subjected to European-style training, drill and discipline that regulated their life far more than before.

13. How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

Answer: Finally, in 1765 the Mughal emperor appointed the Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal. The assumption of Diwani benefited the East India Company in several ways.

• The Diwani allowed the Company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal.
• From the early eighteenth century its trade with India had expanded. But it had to buy most of the goods in India with gold and silver imported from Britain. This was because at this time Britain had no goods to sell in India. The outflow of gold from Britain slowed after the Battle of Plassey, and entirely stopped after the assumption of Diwani.
• Now revenues from India could finance Company expenses. These revenues could be used to purchase cotton and silk textiles in India, maintain Company troops, and meet the cost of building the Company fort and offices at Calcutta.

14. How did the East India Company begin trade in Bengal?

Answer: East India Company begin trade in Bengal

• The first English factory was set up on the banks of the river Hugli in 1651. This was the base from which the Company’s traders, known at that time as “factors”, operated. The factory had a warehouse where goods for export were stored, and it had offices where Company officials sat.
• As trade expanded, the Company persuaded merchants and traders to come and settle near the factory. By 1696 it began building a fort around the settlement.
• Two years later it bribed Mughal officials into giving the Company zamindari rights over three villages. One of these was Kalikata, which later grew into the city of Calcutta or Kolkata as it is known today. It also persuaded the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to issue a farman granting the Company the right to trade duty free.

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From Trade to Territory Class 8 Notes CBSE History Chapter 2 (Free PDF Download)

• Revision notes
• Social Science: History
• Chapter 2 From Trade To Territory

From Trade to Territory Class 8 Notes History Chapter 2 - PDF Download

History is a critical subject of the CBSE syllabus. The students should study history to know the place, the country, the world very well. As students are the future citizens of a country, they will form the society and run the country in future. To conduct the system of the country, they have to know the history of it. By knowing the history of a country, the students can form a better country to live. That is why CBSE included Indian history in the syllabus of class 8 Social Science. Class 8 history chapter 2 notes provide trading and Territory concepts to the students. They get to know about the starting of the British kingdom from NCERT class 8 history chapter 2 notes.

Download CBSE Class 8 History Revision Notes 2024-25 PDF

Also, check CBSE Class 8 History revision notes for All chapters:

Access Class 8 Social Science (History) Chapter 2 – From Trade to Territory (The Company Establishes Power)

Death of aurangzeb.

Aurangzeb became the last of the powerful Mughal leaders.

Following his death in 1707, numerous Mughal governors (subadars) and great Zamindars began to assert their authority and establish regional kingdoms.

As powerful regional kingdoms appeared in various regions of India, Delhi could no longer function as an efficient centre.

East India Company Comes East

In 1600, the East India Company acquired a charter from the British sovereign, Queen Elizabeth I, giving it the exclusive right to trade with the East.

This meant that no other commercial group in England was able to compete with the East India Company.

This would enable the company to buy cheap products or raw materials and sell them at higher prices.

However, the Royal Charter could not prevent other European powers from gaining access to Eastern markets.

The refined qualities of cotton and silk produced in India had an extensive market in Europe.

Competition among European firms inevitably pushed up the prices at which these products could be bought, which reduced the profits that could be made.

East India Company begins trade in Bengal.

The first British plant was built on the shores of the Hugli River in 1651.

The plant had a warehouse where the goods for export were stored, and it had offices where the Corporation's employees sat.

In 1696 it started constructing a fort around the colony. Two years later it bribed Mughal officials into giving the Company zamindari rights over three villages. 

It also persuaded the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to issue a farman granting the Company the right to trade duty free.

When the company officials refused to pay taxes even when they traded personally, Bengal incurred heavy financial losses.

How trade led to battles

After the death of Aurangzeb, the nawabs of Bengal affirmed their power and autonomy, as other regional powers did at that time.

They were irritated by the company’s aggressive stance.

They prevented the fortification of the Company’s Warehouses.

They also needed to set up more settlements and for that, they needed to acquire the rights to many villages.

This constant conflict between the Nawabs and the company led to the Battle of Plassey.

The Battle of Plassey

After the death of Aliwardi Khan, Sirajuddaulah became the nawab of Bengal.

The Company was worried about his power and was keenly interested in a puppeteer who willingly gave commercial concessions and other privileges.

A furious Sirajuddaulah asked the Company to stop interfering in the political affairs of his domination, stop the fortifications and pay the revenues. 

After the failed negotiations, the Nawab marched with 30,000 soldiers to the English factory of Kassimbazar, captured the leaders of the company, locked the warehouse, disarmed all the British, and blockaded English ships.

Upon hearing the news of the fall of Calcutta, the company officials at Madras sent troops under the command of Robert Clive, strengthened by naval fleets .

Extended negotiations with Nawab ensued. Finally, in 1757, Robert Clive directed the army of the company against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey.

One of the principal reasons for the defeat of Nawab was that the forces led by Mir Jafar, one of the commanders of Sirajuddaulah, never fought the battle.

The Puppet Nawab

The Company was not yet prepared to assume responsibility for the administration.Its prime objective was the expansion of trade.

When Mir Jafar protested, the Company removed him from office and placed Mir Qasim in his place.

When Mir Qasim complained, he was defeated in a battle at Buxar (1764), driven out of Bengal, and Mir Jafar was re-established.

The Nawab had to pay Rs 500,000 each month but the Company wanted more money to fund its wars, and meet the demands of trade and other expenditures.

The East India Company Gets Diwani of Bengal

Eventually, in 1765, the Mughal emperor designated the Company as the Diwan of the Bengal provinces. Diwani has enabled the Company to utilize the vast revenue resources of Bengal. This resulted in the resolution of a major problem facing the Corporation in the past. By the early 1700s, its trade with India had increased.

The Residents of the Company

The company initially did not have the interest to assume political power in India. It was only when they saw that without acquiring political power, their trade would not flourish that they decided to directly administer the state of affairs.After the company got a good hold of Bengal’s administration, they appointed Residents. The Residents were the agents of the company.Through these residents, the company interfered with the internal matters of the Indian regions. The Residents decide who would be the next successor and who would get the administrative posts.Through the subsidiary alliance, the company prevented the Indian rulers from keeping independent armies. The company’s army would protect them. But the local rulers had to pay for this protection.When this kind of dark diplomacy failed, the company used direct military intervention.

Wars with the Company

Mysore grew up under the leadership of powerful leaders such as Haidar Ali (reigned from 1761 to 1782) and his famous son Tipu Sultan (reigned from 1782 to 1799). Mysore controlled the profitable business on the Malabar coast, where the company bought pepper and cardamom.

In 1785, Tipu Sultan stopped the exportation of sandalwood, pepper and cardamom through the ports of his kingdom and prevented local merchants from trading with the Company.

Four wars were fought with Mysore (1767-69, 1780-84, 1790-92 and 1799). Only in the last  the Battle of Seringapatam did the Company ultimately win a victory. Tipu Sultan was killed defending his capital Seringapatam, Mysore was placed under the former ruling dynasty of the Wodeyars and a subsidiary alliance was imposed on the state.

Beginning at the end of the 18th century, the Company also sought to curb and eventually destroy the power of Maratha. With their defeat at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, the Marathas' dream of governing Delhi was annihilated.

A series of wars ensued against the Marathas. In the first war, which ended in 1782 with the Treaty of Salbai, no clear winner was found. The Second War AngloMaratha (1803-05) was waged on various fronts, which allowed the British to reach Orissa and the northern territories of the Yamuna River, including Agra and Delhi. Finally, the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-19 brought down the power of Maratha. 

The Policy of Paramountcy

According to the foregoing, from the beginning of the 19th century, the Society pursued an aggressive policy of territorial expansion.During the reign of Lord Hastings (GovernorGeneral from 1813 to 1823), a new policy of "supremacy" was launched. The Company claimed that its authority was paramount or supreme, so that its power was superior to that of the Indian states.  Sind was resumed in 1843. The next one up the list was Punjab. But Maharaja Ranjit Singh's presence hampered the Society. Following his death in 1839, two protracted wars took place with the Sikh kingdom. In the end, in 1849, Punjab was annexed.

The Doctrine of Lapse

The last wave of annexations occurred under Lord Dalhousie, who was governor general from 1848 until 1856. He conceived a policy which came to be known under the name of the doctrine of lapse.The doctrine stated that if an Indian leader died without a male heir, his kingdom would "fall into decay", that is, become part of the territory of the Company. One kingdom after the other was annexed merely by the application of this doctrine: Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854).

Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade To Territory Notes

Beginning of trade in india.

Many trading companies from different countries come to India for their trading business. They looked for new lands and bought cheap goods for their businesses. Different trading companies came from Portugal, France, England, some other western countries. This trading business started at the kingdom of Mughal governors and zamindars after Aurangzeb's death in 1707.

East India Company Comes India

Among all the trading companies, the East India Company of England was the most powerful in India. In 1600, this company came to India with the charter from Queen Elizabeth (ruler of England) to have the sole right of trading in the East. According to the character, they roamed around the oceans and bought cheaper goods and then they carried them to Europe and sold at a higher price. The things they bought were pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, silk, cotton, etc. In 1651, East India Company started their businesses in Bengal. In 1696, The Company built a port around the factories in Bengal. They started demanding more concessions in business and manipulated the business of Bengal.

Trading Transforms Into Battle

East India company started demanding more concessions from the nawabs of Bengal. For the convenience of the Bengal business market, the nawabs refused to grant these concessions. The company was trying to capture the Bengal market along with the kingdom. For these reasons, a conflict started between the East India Company and the nawab of Bengal. This conflict led the company and the nawab towards the battle of Plassey.

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In 1756, Siraj Ud Daulah became the nawab of Bengal. Nawab Siraj Ud Daulah got to know about the company's strategy and asked them to stop interfering in political issues. The company was not satisfied with the decision of nawab regarding the business and kingdom. The commander of Bengal helped the company and was against the nawab in the battle of Plassey. In 1757, Robert Clive sent the company's army against the nawab, and the Battle of Plassey began. The company won the battle against Siraj Ud Daulah, the nawab of Bengal. The company expanded the trade by becoming the Diwan of Bengal in 1965. 

East India Company Becomes The Ruler of India

After the Battle of Plassey, the company started forcing the actual nawabs of Bengal and made the business easy in Bengal. In 1764, the Mughal emperor appointed Robert Clive as the governor of Bengal to remove all the corruption in company administration. From 1757 to 1857, many changes occurred between the company and the kingdom of Bengal and other provinces. Gradually, the company started interfering in economic and political issues of other provinces also. The company fought many battles such as the Battle of Buxar, four battles against Mysore with the ruler of different provinces. Thus, the company captured Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Agra, Delhi, Mumbai and others one by one. Finally, East India Company won the battle of 1857 and became the ruler of 63 per cent territory and 78 per cent population of India. Thus, East India Company transformed into a colonial territorial power from a British trading company.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 Notes

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Conclusion 

Vedantu's free PDF download of CBSE Class 8 History Chapter 2 notes on "From Trade to Territory" is a valuable educational resource. These notes offer a well-structured and comprehensive overview of India's colonial history, covering key events, individuals, and their impact on the subcontinent. Vedantu's user-friendly approach ensures that students can easily grasp complex historical concepts and enhance their knowledge. By providing these notes for free, Vedantu empowers students to excel in their studies without financial barriers. They facilitate effective exam preparation and foster a deeper understanding of India's transition from trade to British colonial rule. In essence, Vedantu's CBSE Class 8 History Chapter 2 notes are an essential tool for students aiming for academic success and historical insight.

FAQs on From Trade to Territory Class 8 Notes CBSE History Chapter 2 (Free PDF Download)

1. Why is it crucial to follow class 8 history chapter 2 notes?

Ans: Class 8 social science history chapter 2 is all about the East India Company's transform from a trading company to territorial power. The Central Board of Secondary Education included the starting of the British Kingdom in India and its history in the class 8 syllabus. The students will get to know about their country's history. Knowing history is essential for the students. Also, they will score well by reading their history chapters of the syllabus. The students have to read this chapter sincerely. To have explicit knowledge of this chapter, the students should read the CBSE class 8 history chapter 2 notes. Thus, they can attend the questions of this chapter efficiently.

2. Describe the trading to territory concept briefly.

Ans: Here, the trading to territory concept refers to the East India Company's journey from trade to territory. East India Company came here for trading business with the sole right. After some days, they started demanding high concessions from the nawab of Bengal. Also, they started interfering in political issues of Bengal. The company won the Battle of Plassey against the nawab demanding trade expansion. After that, the company came to power in Bengal province. Gradually, the company started capturing Bihar, Orissa, Mysore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Agra, Delhi and other provinces of India. In 1857, the company became the ruler of India, and the territory of Britain started in India.

3. What happened after Aurangzeb’s death in Chapter 2 of Class 8 History?

Ans: The Mughal empire nearly toppled after Aurangzeb’s death as he was the last in the line of powerful Mughal rulers. Aurangzeb was successful in establishing control over a significant portion of North India. After his demise, subadars and big zamindars of the empire started fighting to establish their superiority and divided the land. They created smaller regional kingdoms that were constantly at war with each other. Soon after, the British acquired control of the land.

4. What was the charter of the East India Company in Chapter 2 of Class 8 History?

Ans: Just before the British came to India, the East India Company acquired a charter from Queen Elizabeth I. This charter gave them the permission to be the only company that was allowed to trade with the East. Thus, this charter gave the East India company full autonomy. The company made use of this charter to exploit several underdeveloped nations in the name of trade. To know more about this topic, refer to CBSE Chapter 2 of Class 8 History Notes - From Trade to Territory. The notes and solutions are present on Vedantu's official website (vedantu.com) and mobile app for free of cost.

5. Where did the East India Company first begin trade in Chapter 2 of Class 8 History?

Ans: The East India Company set up its first quarters on the bank of the Hooghly river in what is present-day Kolkata. This was the company’s first operating base. Goods were stored in warehouses and officials were made to sit in their offices. Soon, trade started booming. The British were particularly shrewd at business. They built forts around their factories and managed to bribe Mughal officials into giving them zamindari rights over three villages.

6. What led to the Battle of Plassey which was mentioned in Chapter 2 of Class 8 History?

Ans: The Nawabs of Bengal managed to assert their power after the demise of Aurangzeb. They refused to let the Company officials manipulate them into giving them concessions. Restrictions were imposed, which left the East India Company quite unhappy as with the Mughal empire, they were used to having their free will imposed. Soon enough, tensions built up and this led to the famous Battle of Plassey between the Company and the Bengal Nawabs in 1757.

7. What was the Doctrine of Lapse in Chapter 2 of Class 8 History?

Ans: Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India in the mid 1800s, released a set of annexations to strengthen British rule in India. He formulated a cunning policy that came to be known as the Doctrine of Lapse. This doctrine stated that if an Indian ruler passed away without a son to succeed him, the territory would become a part of British rule. This helped the British take over many kingdoms unjustly. Some of these kingdoms were Udaipur, Nagpur, Jhansi, and Satara.

STUDY MATERIALS FOR CLASS 8

NCERT Solutions For Class 8 History Social Science Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

• 24th February 2024

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory contain solutions to the exercises given in the History book Our Pasts -III. These answers have been explained in a manner that you will easily understand all the concepts and get your doubts cleared without even seeking anyone’s assistance. You can read and download all the questions and answers in PDF format.

Class 8 History Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory Questions and Answers

Question 1: Match the following:

Question 2: Fill in the blanks:

(a) The British conquest of Bengal began with the Battle of ______

Answer: Plassey

(b) Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers of ________

Answer: Mysore

(c) Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of ________

Answer: Lapse

(d) Maratha kingdoms were located mainly in the _______ part of India.

Answer: South-Western

Question 3: State whether true or false:

(a) The Mughal empire became stronger in the eighteenth century.

Answer: False

(b) TheEnglishEastIndiaCompanywastheonlyEuropeancompanythattradedwith India.

(c) Maharaja Ranjit Singh wasthe ruler of Punjab.

Answer: True

(d) The British did not introduce administrative changes in the territories they conquered.

Question 4: What attracted European trading companies to India?

Answer: European trading companies were attracted to India primarily due to its rich resources and commodities that were highly valued in Europe. The fine qualities of cotton and silk produced in India, along with spices like pepper, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon, had a significant market in Europe. These commodities could be bought at a cheap price in India and sold at higher prices in Europe. It enabled the trading companies to make substantial profits. Hence, European trading companies were attracted to India.

Question 5: What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal Nawabs and the East India Company?

Answer: The areas of conflict between the Bengal Nawabs and the East India Company were:

• Nawabs denied concessions to the East India Company on many occasions.
• Nawabs also demanded large tributes from the company.
• Nawabs stopped the company from extending its fortifications.
• The company refused to pay taxes.
• The company officials wrote disrespectful letters to nawabs and humiliated them.

Question 6: How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

Answer: The assumption of Diwani granted the East India Company the right to collect revenue from the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa in 1765. This was a significant turning point for the Company for several reasons:

• It allowed the Company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal.
• With the revenue from Diwani, the Company could finance its trade of Indian goods without draining British resources.
• Diwani allowed the Company to exert greater economic control over the regions.
• The company used its political power to monopolize trade & dictate terms. They could impose their own prices that had no relation to the costs of production.
• The company used revenue of Bengal to finance exports of Indian goods.

Question 7: Explain the system of “subsidiary alliance”.

Answer: The “subsidiary alliance” was a strategy used by the East India Company to control Indian states. It made states keep their kings but follow the Company’s rules for defense and foreign affairs. States had to pay for British troops or give land in return. They couldn’t make deals with others without the Company’s okay. The Company also placed its own officials in these states to keep an eye on things. This way, the Company grew its power without taking over directly.

Question 8: In what way was the administration of the Company different from that of Indian rulers?

Question 9: Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army.

Answer: The changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army were as follows:

The composition of the East India Company’s army evolved significantly over time. Initially, it relied on mercenaries and local forces. But gradually, it formed its own army mainly composed of Indian soldiers known as sepoys. They were trained and commanded by British officers. After the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the Company increased the number of European officers to ensure loyalty and improve command structures. The army adopted European military tactics, including modern training and weapons. It also started recruiting soldiers from various regions to prevent unified revolts. These changes made the Company’s army a disciplined and effective force capable of managing India’s vast territories.

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NCERT Solutions For Class 8 History Social Science Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory The Company Establishes Power

Table of Contents

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 History Chapter 2 – From Trade to Territory The Company Establishes Power provide answers to the exercises found in the history book ‘Our Pasts-III.’ These solutions are beneficial for school exams as they are derived from NCERT textbooks , ensuring accuracy.

The solutions are designed in a straightforward manner by subject experts, making it easy for students to understand the topics. With these NCERT Solutions , students can practice a wide range of questions from the textbook. To prepare effectively for board exams, students can download the PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 History using the provided links and practice offline for better results.

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Target Exam ---

Question: Match the following:

Question: Fill in the blanks:

• The British conquest of Bengal began with the Battle of ___________.
• Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan were the rulers of ___________.
• Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of ___________.
• Maratha kingdoms were located mainly in the ___________ part of India.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 7 Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation

Question: State whether true or false:

(a) The Mughal Empire became stronger in the eighteenth century.

(b) The English East India Company was the only European company traded with India.

(c) Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the ruler of Punjab.

(d) The British did not introduce administrative changes to conquered territories.

Question: What attracted European trading companies to India?

• The fine quality of cotton and silk produced in India had a big European market.
• Pepper, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon were in great demand. These attracted European Trading Companies.

Question: What were the areas of conflict between the Bengal nawabs and the East India Company?

• After the death of Aurangzeb, the Bengal Nawabs asserted their power and autonomy.
• They refused to grant the company concessions and demanded large tributes for the company’s right to trade.
• They denied the right to mint coins.
• Nawabs even stopped the Company from extending fortifications.

Question: How did the assumption of Diwani benefit the East India Company?

Answer: The assumption of Diwani benefited the East India Company in the following way.

• In 1765 the Mughal emperor appointed the company as the Diwani of the provinces of Bengal.
• The Diwani allowed the company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal.
• The outflow of gold and silver the company imported to buy goods in India was stopped.
• The revenue from Bengal could be used to purchase cotton and silk textiles in India.
• The revenue helped the company maintain its troops and meet the cost of building forts and Company offices.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 How, When and Where

Question: Explain the system of “subsidiary alliance.”

• Under the system of ‘subsidiary alliance,’ Indian rulers were not allowed to have independent armed forces.
• They were to be protected by the Company but had to pay for the subsidiary forces that the company was supposed to maintain for this protection.
• If the Indian rulers failed to make the payment, then part of their territory was taken away as a penalty.
• The states which had to lose their territories on this ground were Awadh and Hyderabad.
• How was the Company’s administration different from that of Indian rulers?
• The Company made a proper system of administration. The Indian rulers did not have a proper system of administration.
• British territories were broadly divided into administrative units called Presidencies. Whereas the Indian kingdom was divided into provinces.
• The supreme head of the British administration was the Governor General. Whereas the supreme head of the Indian administration was King.
• A new system of justice was established under British rule.
• Each district has two courts – a criminal court (faujdari Adalat) and a civil court (Diwani Adalat).
• The Company took suggestions from pundits and maulvis before making new criminal and civil case laws. The Indian rulers seldom thought about respecting local sensibilities before making any rule.
• Describe the changes that occurred in the composition of the Company’s army.
• The Company recruited the peasants into the army and trained them as professional soldiers.
• It came to be known as the sepoy army.
• As warfare technology changed from the 1820s, the cavalry requirements of the company’s army declined.
• Soldiers of the Company army had to keep pace with the changing requirements of the military, so its infantry regiment became more important.
• In the early nineteenth century, the British developed a uniform military culture.
• Soldiers were increasingly subjected to European-style training, drill, and discipline that regulated their life far more than before.

Question: After the British conquest of Bengal, Calcutta grew from a small village to a big city. Discover the city’s culture, architecture, and life of Europeans and Indians during the colonial period.

Answer: Indians were influenced by British culture, architecture, and lifestyle.

• Culture: British influence began.
• Architecture: Influenced by British Architecture (fortification of the city, churches, etc.). Rich Indians started constructing bungalows in the English style.
• Life: English education and English clothes became to be popular.

Question: Collect pictures, stories, poems, and information about the Rani of Jhansi, Mahadji Sindhia, Haidar Ali, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Lord Dalhousie, or any other contemporary ruler of your region.

Rani of Jhansi

Lakshmibai was born probably on 19 November 1828 in the holy town of Varanasi in a Marathi brahmin family. Her father was Moropant Tambe. Her father worked for a court in Peshwa of Bithoor district. Peshwa brought Manikarnika up like his own daughter. The Peshwa called her “Chhabili,” which means “playful.”

She was educated at home and was more independent in her childhood than others of her age; her studies included archery, horsemanship, and self-defense.

Rani Lakshmibai was accustomed to riding on horseback accompanied by a small escort between the palace and the temple. The Rani Mahal, the place of Rani Lakshmibai, has now been converted into a museum. She died, fighting British Army bravely to save her state Jhansi.

Mahadaji Shinde

Srikanth Mahadji Shinde (also spelled as Mahadji Scindia) was a Maratha statesman known for his crucial role in resurrecting Maratha power following the disastrous Third Battle of Panipat in 1761

Between 1742 and 1761, he would undertake many more campaigns in Northern India. These campaigns would bring regions such as Malwa, Rajputana, Rohilkhand, Bundelkhand, etc., under the Maratha Empire.

His role during the ‘First Anglo-Maratha War was greatest from the Maratha side since he humbled the British in Central India single-handedly, which resulted in the Treaty of Salbai in 1782, where he mediated between the Peshwa and the British.

Hyder Ali Of Mysore

Hyder Ali was a Muslim ruler of the Mysore princely state and military commander who played an important part in the wars in southern India in the mid-18th century.

He offered anti-colonial solid resistance against the military advances of the British East’India Company during the First and Second Anglo-Mysore Wars, and he was the innovator of military use of the ‘iron-cased Mysorean rockets.

Ranjit Singh was born to Sardar Maha Singh and Raj Kaur on 13 November 1780, in Gujranwala, Punjab (now in Pakistan). As a child, he suffered from smallpox, resulting in one eye loss. At the time, much of Punjab was ruled by the Sikhs under a Confederate Sarbat Khalsa system, which had divided the territory among factions known as misls. Ranjit Singh’s father was the commander of the Sukerchakia Misl and controlled a territory in west Punjab based around his headquarters at Gujranwala.

In 1799, Ranjit Singh captured Lahore (now in Pakistan) from the Bhangi Misl and later made it his capital. This was the first important step in his rise to power. He brought the whole of central Punjab from the Sutlej to the Jhelum in the following years under his sway. This area includes north of Satluj (Jullundhar, Amritsar, Pathankot, etc.); and Lahore, Multan, etc. of Pakistan.

Lord Dalhousie

Lord Dalhousie, Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856 .. He introduced the Doctrine of Lapse policy which turned out to be one of the major causes of the Revolt of 1857.

In India, he was famous for various negative and positive reasons. Positive:

• Railway started in 1853 A.D. for the first time between Bombay and Thane.
• I am starting with postal and telegraph services in India.
• I am starting with widow remarriage in 1856 A.D.
• Completion of Ganges Canal.
• Reform in Indian civil services.
• East India Company captured the princely state of Punjab in 1849 A.D.
• Second Anglo-Burmese War.
• The doctrine of Lapse (Most Controversial).
• Annexation of Awadh.

NCERT Solutions for sophistication 8 History-Free PDF Download

Our NCERT Solutions will offer you clarity regarding various aspects of this chapter, which can consequently assist you in solving questions from this chapter. In Chapter 2, From Trade to Territory, the corporate Establishes Power, you’ll encounter questions on various events, like when the Malay Archipelago company came to the east and began trading Bengal. This led to the Battle of Buxar, Plassey, etc.

In this chapter, practicing these questions will ensure you honestly understand the topic. NCERT Class 8 History Solutions for From Trade to Territory, the corporate Establishes Power PDF is also out here and may be accessed by students offline and online, free of charge. Download the free PDF Solution now.

NCERT Solutions for sophistication 8 science History Chapter 2 – From Trade to Territory, the corporate Establishes Power

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NCERT Class 8 History Chapter 2 FAQs

What are the essential outlines of chapter 2 - from trade to territory, the corporate establishes power.

During this chapter, we'll check out a quick outline of the events that gave our country's power to the British. It all began with the arrival of the Malay Archipelago Company within the East. The Malay Archipelago Company bought goods from Indians at a low price and sold them at a way higher price in Europe. In 1651, the primary English factory was found on the banks of river Hugli in Bengal. The battle of Plassey was a serious victory for the British in 1757. the method of the annexation of Indian states by the corporate from 1757 to 1857 brought forth some key aspects, just like the company rarely launched an immediate military attack on an unknown territory. After 1764, the corporate forced the states into a 'subsidiary alliance' The way to Reduce the Fear of Social Science? a number of scholars face problems while understanding History. Thus, Infinity Learn has made the topic easier to know with the assistance of its expert teachers. the simplest thanks to learn are to require a sensible forward step and download the NCERT Solutions PDF now. Our NCERT Solutions is one among the important parts of sophistication 8 History study materials. These solutions are made with the utmost care by experienced and skilled teachers to make your exam preparation easier.

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Each NCERT Class 8 History Chapter 2 is roofed within the NCERT Solutions. you'll get questions associated with topics including the Malay Archipelago company, how and once they came to the East, and once they started trading in Bengal. you'll encounter questions associated with the Battle of Buxar, Battle of Plassey, etc. These solutions will assist you in understanding the topic in a proper format with a deeper understanding.

Why should students prepare from NCERT Solutions for sophistication 8 History Chapter 2?

History may be a difficult subject where you'll get twisted questions in your exam. So it's better to get on the safer side and practice questions during your preparations. you'll get Solutions for NCERT questions from the PDF, so you'll understand how to mold your answers to write down the right and required information asked within the question and score good marks. These solutions are available free of charge on the Infinity Learn Mobile app.

What quiet questions are important from Chapter 2 of NCERT for sophistication 8 History from the exam point of view?

NCERT Chapter 2 Trade to Territory of sophistication 8 History is a crucial chapter from the exam viewpoint. The weightage of this chapter is going to be high within the examination. you'll score good marks by understanding the chapter thoroughly. you'll get questions on topics like the events of the Malay Archipelago company, how and once they came to the East and began trading in Bengal, the Battle of Buxar, and, therefore, the Battle of Plassey in your exam.

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What would students learn from Chapter 2 of the NCERT textbook for sophistication 8 History?

Chapter 2 Trade and Territory talks about the battles, wars, and lots of rulers that have taken part in it. Students will examine several battles, like the Battle of Buxar, the Battle of Plassey, and many more. This chapter mainly talks about the people of ancient centuries and the way they came to many territories to start the trading system in India. This historical data will help students understand more about the people who have fought for her freedom and how the country’s trading system was inculcated. You can successfully download the PDF of the Solutions for Chapter 2 of NCERT History Class 8 by following the steps mentioned below: First, click NCERT Solutions for sophistication 8 science History Chapter 2 on the Infinity Learn website(infinitylearn.com). The page of Infinity Learns solutions for sophistication 8 NCERT Solutions History Chapter 2 will open. At the highest of the page, you’ll find the “Download PDF” option on the left side. Click on the link, and your file will be downloaded within a few minutes.

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• CBSE Notes For Class 8
• Class 8 Social Science Notes
• Class 8 History Notes
• Chapter 2 From Trade to Territory

CBSE Class 8 Social Science History Notes Chapter 2 - From Trade to Territory

Did you know that the British originally came as a small trading company and were reluctant to acquire territories? How then did they come to be masters of a vast empire? In this chapter, you will see how this came about and also learn how East India Company came into power, how trade expanded, how new rules for business were implemented, and also about The Battle of Plassey, etc. With the help of these CBSE Class 8 History notes for Chapter 2 – From Trade to Territory, students can write their History exam confidently.

• Chapter 1 How When And Where
• Chapter 3 Ruling The Countryside
• Chapter 4 Tribals Dikus And The Vision Of A Golden Age
• Chapter 5 When People Rebel
• Chapter 6 Weavers Iron Smelters And Factory Owners
• Chapter 7 Civilising The Native Educating The Nation
• Chapter 8 Women Caste And Reform
• Chapter 9 The Making Of The National Movement 1870s 1947
• Chapter 10 India After Independence

CBSE Notes Class 8 History Chapter 2 – From Trade to Territory

The last powerful Mughal ruler was Aurangzeb, and after his death in 1707, many Mughal governors (subadars) and big zamindars began asserting their authority and establishing regional kingdoms. By the second half of the eighteenth century, a new power emerged on the political horizon – the British.

East India Company Comes East

The East India Company, in 1600, acquired a charter from the ruler of England, Queen Elizabeth I, granting the Company sole right to trade with the East. According to the charter, the Company could venture across the oceans, looking for new lands to buy goods at a lower price, and carry them back to Europe to sell at higher prices. The Portuguese established their presence on the western coast of India and had their base in Goa. By the early seventeenth century, the Dutch were exploring the possibilities of trade in the Indian Ocean, and very soon, the French arrived on the scene.

All the companies are interested in buying the same things. The fine qualities of cotton, silk, pepper, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon were in great demand. The urge to secure markets led to fierce battles between the trading companies. Trade was carried on with arms, and trading posts were protected through fortification.

East India Company begins to trade in Bengal

In 1651, the first English factory was set up. It was the base from which the Company’s traders, known as “factors”, operated. In the warehouse of the factory, goods for export were stored. The Company, by 1696, built a fort around the settlement. The Company continuously tried to press for more concessions and manipulate existing privileges.

How trade led to battles

The conflict between the Company and the Nawabs of Bengal intensified. The Bengal nawabs refused to grant the Company concessions, demanded large tributes for the Company’s right to trade, denied it any right to mint coins, and stopped it from extending its fortifications. They also claimed that the Company was depriving the Bengal government of huge amounts of revenue and undermining the authority of the Nawab. The conflicts led to confrontations and finally culminated in the famous Battle of Plassey.

The Battle of Plassey

In 1756, Alivardi Khan died, and Sirajuddaulah became the Nawab of Bengal. The Company tried to help one of Sirajuddaulah’s rivals to become the Nawab. After Sirajuddaulah came to know about the Company’s strategy, he asked them to stop meddling in their political affairs, stop fortification, and pay the revenues. In 1757, Robert Clive led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey. The main reason for the defeat was that the forces led by Mir Jafar never fought the battle. The Battle of Plassey became famous because it was the first major victory the Company won in India.

The prime objective of the Company was the expansion of trade. If it can be done without conquest, through the help of local rulers, then territories need not be taken over directly. But, very soon the Company discovered that this was rather difficult. In 1765, the Mughal emperor appointed the Company as the Diwan of the provinces of Bengal. It allowed the Company to use the vast revenue resources of Bengal. From the early eighteenth century, the Company’s trade with India had expanded. Goods from India had to be brought with gold and silver imported from Britain.

Company officials become “nabobs”

After the Battle of Plassey, the Company officials forced the actual nawabs of Bengal to give land and vast sums of money as personal gifts. When Robert Clive left India, his Indian fortune was worth £401,102. In 1764, he was appointed as the Governor of Bengal and was asked to remove corruption in the Company administration. Many Company officials died early death in India due to disease and war. Some of the officials came from humble backgrounds, and their desire was to earn enough in India, return to Britain and lead a comfortable life. Those who managed to return with wealth were called “nabobs” – an anglicised version of the Indian word nawab.

Company Rule Expands

After analysing the process of annexation of Indian states by the East India Company from 1757 to 1857, certain key aspects emerge.

The Company rarely launched a direct military attack on an unknown territory. It alternately used a variety of political, economic and diplomatic methods to extend its influence before annexing an Indian kingdom. After the Battle of Buxar, the Company appointed Residents in Indian states. They were political or commercial agents, and their job was to serve and further the interests of the Company.

The subsidiary alliance meant Indian rulers were not allowed to have their independent armed forces. They were to be protected by the Company but had to pay for the “subsidiary forces” that the Company was supposed to maintain for the purpose of this protection. If the Indian rulers failed to make the payment, then part of their territory was taken away as a penalty.

Tipu Sultan – The “Tiger of Mysore”

Mysore, under the leadership of powerful rulers like Haidar Ali (who ruled from 1761 to 1782) and his famous son Tipu Sultan (who ruled from 1782 to 1799), had grown in strength. It controlled the profitable trade of the Malabar coast, where the Company purchased pepper and cardamom. Tipu Sultan, in 1785, stopped the export of sandalwood, pepper and cardamom. The Company fought four wars with Mysore (1767-69, 1780-84, 1790-92 and 1799). Finally, in the last – the Battle of Seringapatam – the Company achieved victory.

War with the Marathas

The Company from the late eighteenth century was planning to destroy Maratha power. In the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, the Marathas were defeated, and their dream of ruling from Delhi was shattered. They were divided into many states under different chiefs (Sardars) belonging to dynasties such as Sindhia, Holkar, Gaikwad and Bhonsle. These chiefs were held together under a Peshwa (Principal Minister), who became its effective military and administrative head based in Pune.

Marathas were indulged in a series of wars. The first war ended in 1782 with the Treaty of Salbai, there was no clear victor. The Second AngloMaratha War (1803-05) was fought on different fronts, resulting in the British gaining Orissa and the territories north of the Yamuna river, including Agra and Delhi. Finally, the Third Anglo-Maratha War of 1817-19 crushed Maratha power.

The claim to paramountcy

Paramountcy, a new policy, was initiated under Lord Hastings (Governor General from 1813 to 1823). The Company claimed that its power was greater than that of Indian states. In the late 1830s, the East India Company became worried about Russia. It imagined that Russia might expand across Asia and enter India from the North-West. The Company fought a prolonged war with Afghanistan between 1838 and 1842 and established indirect Company rule there. Punjab was annexed in 1849 after two prolonged wars.

The Doctrine of Lapse

Under Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor-General from 1848 to 1856, the final wave of annexations occurred. The Doctrine of Lapse is a policy devised by him which declared that if an Indian ruler died without a male heir, his kingdom would “lapse”, that is, become part of Company territory. In 1856, the Company took over Awadh. Enraged by the humiliating way in which the Nawab was deposed, the people of Awadh joined the great revolt that broke out in 1857.

Setting up a New Administration

Warren Hastings (Governor-General from 1773 to 1785) played a significant role in the expansion of Company power. During his time, the Company had acquired power in Bengal, Bombay and Madras. British territories were broadly divided into administrative units called Presidencies. There were three Presidencies: Bengal, Madras and Bombay. Each was ruled by a Governor. In 1772 a new system of justice was established. According to the new system, each district needed to have two courts – a criminal court ( Faujdari adalat ) and a civil court (diwani adalat).

The Brahman pandits have different interpretations of local laws based on different schools of the Dharmashastra. To bring uniformity, in 1775, eleven pandits were asked to compile a digest of Hindu laws. By 1778 a code of Muslim laws was also compiled for the benefit of European judges. Under the Regulating Act of 1773, a new Supreme Court was established, while a court of appeal – the Sadar Nizamat Adalat – was also set up at Calcutta. The Collector was the principal figure in an Indian district. His job was to collect revenue and taxes and maintain law and order in his district with the help of judges, police officers and darogas.

The Company army

In India, colonial rule brought some new ideas of administration and reform. The Mughal army was composed of cavalry (sawars: trained soldiers on horseback) and infantry, that is, paidal (foot) soldiers. The army of the Mughals was dominated by cavalry. In the eighteenth century, changes occurred when Mughal successor states like Awadh and Benaras started recruiting peasants into their armies and training them as professional soldiers.

The East India Company adopted the same method, which came to be known as the sepoy army (from the Indian word Sipahi, meaning soldier). In the early nineteenth century, the British began to develop a uniform military culture. Soldiers were subjected to European-style training, drill and discipline that regulated their life far more than before.

The East India Company was transformed from a trading company to a territorial colonial power. In the early nineteenth century, new steam technology arrived. By 1857 the Company came to exercise direct rule over about 63 per cent of the territory and 78 percent of the population of the Indian subcontinent.

Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 8 History Notes Chapter 2: From Trade to Territory

What was the east india company.

The East India Company was founded in 1600 to import spices, tea and exotic items to Europe from India.

What was the Battle of Plassey?

The Battle of Plassey was fought in north-eastern India on 23 June 1757. Troops of the British East India Company, led by Robert Clive, came up against the forces of Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last Nawab of Bengal and his French allies.

Who was known as the Tiger of Mysore?

Tippu Sultan was known as the Tiger of Mysore.

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Case Study Questions Class 8 History Introduction: How, When and Where

Case study questions class 8 history chapter 1 introduction: how, when and where.

CBSE Class 8 Case Study Questions History Introduction: How, When and Where. Important Case Study Questions for Class 8 Board Exam Students. Here we have arranged some Important Case Base Questions for students who are searching for Paragraph Based Questions Introduction: How, When and Where.

At Case Study Questions there will given a Paragraph. In where some Important Questions will made on that respective Case Based Study. There will various types of marks will given 1 marks, 2 marks, 5 marks, 5 marks.

Case Study 1

In 1817, James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, published a massive three-volume work, A History of British India. In this, he divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British. This periodisation came to be widely accepted. Can you think of any problem with this way of looking at Indian history? Why do we try and divide history into different periods? We do so in an attempt to capture the characteristics of a time, its central features as they appear to us. So the terms through which we periodise – that is, demarcate the difference between periods – become important. They reflect our ideas about the past. They show how we see the significance of the change from one period to the next.

QUESTIONS MARKS: 1

1.) Who published ‘A History of British India’?

Ans: James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, published ‘A History of British India’.

2.) When James Mill published ‘A History of British India’?

Ans: In 1817, James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, published ‘A History of British India’.

QUESTIONS MARKS: 2

1.) How many periods are there in Indian History? Write about their name.

Ans: James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British.

2.) Why do we try and divide history into different periods?

Ans: We do so in an attempt to capture the characteristics of a time, its central features as they appear to us.

Case Study 2

Moving away from British classification, historians have usually divided Indian history into ‘ancient’, ‘medieval’ and ‘modern’. This division too has its problems. It is a periodisation that is borrowed from the West where the modern period was associated with the growth of all the forces of modernity – science, reason, democracy, liberty and equality. Medieval was a term used to describe a society where these features of modern society did not exist. Can we uncritically accept this characterisation of the modern period to describe the period of our study? As you will see in this book, under British rule people did not have equality, freedom or liberty. Nor was the period one of economic growth and progress. Many historians therefore refer to this period as ‘colonial’. What is colonial? In this book, you will read about the way the British came to conquer the country and establish their rule, subjugating local nawabs and rajas. You will see how they established control over the economy and society, collected revenue to meet all their expenses, bought the goods they wanted at low prices, produced crops they needed for export, and you will understand the changes that came about as a consequence. You will also come to know about the changes British rule brought about in values and tastes, customs and practices. When the subjugation of one country by another leads to these kinds of political, economic, social and cultural changes, we refer to the process as colonisation. You will, however, find that all classes and groups did not experience these changes in the same way. That is why, the book is called Our Pasts in the plural.

1.) Why the term ‘Medieval’was used?

Ans: Medieval was a term used to describe a society where these features of modern society did not exist.

2.) According to historians how Indian history was divided?

Ans: Historians have usually divided Indian history into ‘ancient’, ‘medieval’ and ‘modern’.

1.) Why Historians refer modern period as ‘colonial’ period?

Ans: As we can see, under British rule people did not have equality, freedom or liberty. Nor was the period one of economic growth and progress. Many historians therefore refer to this period as ‘colonial’.

2.) Why did British come to India?

Ans: The British came to conquer India and establish their rule, subjugating local nawabs and rajas.

Case Study 3

The practice of surveying also became common under the colonial administration. The British believed that a country had to be properly known before it could be effectively administered. By the early nineteenth century, detailed surveys were being carried out to map the entire country. In the villages, revenue surveys were conducted. The effort was to know the topography, the soil quality, the flora, the fauna, the local histories, and the cropping pattern – all the facts seen as necessary to know about to administer the region. From the end of the nineteenth century, Census operations were held every ten years. These prepared detailed records of the number of people in all the provinces of India, noting information on castes, religions and occupation. There were many other surveys – botanical surveys, zoological surveys, archaeological surveys, anthropological surveys, forest surveys.

News papers provide accounts of the movements in different parts of the country. Here is a report of a police strike in 1946. More than 2000 policemen in Delhi refused to take their food on Thursday morning as a protest against their low salaries and the bad quality of food supplied to them from the Police Lines kitchen. As the news spread to the other police stations, the men there also refused to take food … One of the strikers said: “The food supplied to us from the Police Lines kitchen is not fit for human consumption.

1.) Which practice became common under the colonial administration?

Ans: The practice of surveying became common under the colonial administration.

2.) By the early nineteenth century, which surveys were conducted in the villages?

Ans: In the villages, revenue surveys were conducted.

1.) Name about some other surveys by the early nineteenth century.

Ans: There were many other surveys – botanical surveys, zoological surveys, archaeological surveys, anthropological surveys, forest surveys.

2.) Write about the report of a police strike in 1946.

Ans: More than 2000 policemen in Delhi refused to take their food on Thursday morning as a protest against their low salaries and the bad quality of food supplied to them from the Police Lines kitchen. As the news spread to the other police stations, the men there also refused to take food.

Case Study 4

The dates we select, the dates around which we compose our story of the past, are not important on their own. They become vital because we focus on a particular set of events as important. If our focus of study changes, if we begin to look at new issues, a new set of dates will appear significant. Consider an example. In the histories written by British historians in India, the rule of each GovernorGeneral was important. These histories began with the rule of the first Governor-General, Warren Hastings, and ended with the last Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten. In separate chapters, we read about the deeds of others — Hastings, Wellesley, Bentinck, Dalhousie, Canning,Lawrence, Lytton, Ripon, Curzon, Harding, Irwin. It was a seemingly never-ending succession of GovernorGenerals and Viceroys. All the dates in these history books were linked to these personalities – to their activities, policies and achievements. It was as if there was nothing outside their lives that was important for us to know. The chronology of their lives marked the different chapters of the history of British India. When we write history, or a story, we divide it into chapters. Why do we do this? It is to give each chapter some coherence. It is to tell a story in a way that makes some sense and can be followed. In the process we focus only on those events that help us to give shape to the story we are telling. In the histories that revolve around the life of British Governor-Generals, the activities of Indians simply do not fit, they have no space. What, then, do we do? Clearly, we need another format for our history. This would mean that the old dates will no longer have the significance they earlier had. A new set of dates will become more important for us to know.

1.) Explain the importance of dates in history?

Ans. The dates we select, the dates around which we compose our story of the past, are not important on their own. They become vital because we focus on a particular set of events as important. If our focus of study changes, if we begin to look at new issues, a new set of dates will appear significant.

2.) Name the first and the last governor general of India.

Ans. The first governor general was Warren Hastings and the last was Lord Mountbatten.

3.) Why is history or a story divided into several chapters?

Ans. History or a story is divided into several chapters to give each chapter some coherence. It is to tell a story in a way that makes some sense and can be followed

Case Study 5

In 1817, James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, published a massive three-volume work, A History of British India. In this, he divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British. This periodisation came to be widely accepted. Why do we try and divide history into different periods? We do so in an attempt to capture the characteristics of a time, its central features as they appear to us. So the terms through which we periodise – that is, demarcate the difference between periods – become important. They reflect our ideas about the past. They show how we see the significance of the change from one period to the next. Mill thought that all Asian societies were at a lower level of civilisation than Europe. According to his telling of history, before the British came to India, Hindu and Muslim despots ruled the country. Religious intolerance, caste taboos and superstitious practices dominated social life. British rule, Mill felt, could civilise India. To do this, it was necessary to introduce European manners, arts, institutions and laws in India. Mill, in fact, suggested that the British should conquer all the territories in India to ensure the enlightenment and happiness of the Indian people. For India was not capable of progress without British help.

1.) Who was James Mill? What works did he publish?

Ans. In 1817, James Mill, a Scottish economist and political philosopher, published a massive three-volume work, A History of British India

2.) What is the importance of dividing history into different periods?

Ans. We divide history into different periods in an attempt to capture the characteristics of a time, its central features as they appear to us. So the terms through which we periodise – that is, demarcate the difference between periods – become important. They reflect our ideas about the past. They show how we see the significance of the change from one period to the next.

3.) How could the Europeans civilise India according to Mill?

Ans. British rule, Mill felt, could civilise India. To do this, it was necessary to introduce European manners, arts, institutions and laws in India. Mill, in fact, suggested that the British should conquer all the territories in India to ensure the enlightenment and happiness of the Indian people. For India was not capable of progress without British help.

Case Study 6

One important source is the official records of the British administration. The British believed that the act of writing was important. Every instruction, plan, policy decision, agreement, investigation had to be clearly written up. Once this was done, things could be properly studied and debated. This conviction produced an administrative culture of memos, notings and reports. The British also felt that all important documents and letters needed to be carefully preserved. So they set up record rooms attached to all administrative institutions. The village tahsildar’s office, the collectorate, the commissioner’s office, the provincial secretariats, the lawcourts – all had their record rooms. Specialised institutions like archives and museums were also established to preserve important records. Letters and memos that moved from one branch of the administration to another in the early years of the nineteenth century can still be read in the archives. In the early years of the nineteenth century, these documents were carefully copied out and beautifully written by calligraphists – that is, by those who specialised in the art of beautiful writing. By the middle of the nineteenth century, with the spread of printing, multiple copies of these records were printed as proceedings of each government department.

1.) Why was the act of writing important for the British?

Ans. The British believed that the act of writing was important. Every instruction, plan, policy decision, agreement, investigation had to be clearly written up. Once this was done, things could be properly studied and debated. This conviction produced an administrative culture of memos, notings and reports.

2.) Why was preservation of documents crucial for the British?How did the British make sure that the documents were preserved?

Ans. The British also felt that all important documents and letters needed to be carefully preserved. So they set up record rooms attached to all administrative institutions. The village tahsildar’s office, the collectorate, the commissioner’s office, the provincial secretariats, the lawcourts – all had their record rooms. Ans. The British made several record rooms in every building. Specialised institutions like archives and museums were also established to preserve important records.

3.) How did printing become common during the British rule?

Ans. In the early years of the nineteenth century, these documents were carefully copied out and beautifully written by calligraphists – that is, by those who specialised in the art of beautiful writing. By the middle of the nineteenth century, with the spread of printing, multiple copies of these records were printed as proceedings of each government department.

Case Study 7

1.) Why were Surveys being conducted in villages and towns?Why was survey common under the british rule?

Ans. By the early nineteenth century, detailed surveys were being carried out to map the entire country. In the villages, revenue surveys were conducted. The effort was to know the topography, the soil quality, the flora, the fauna, the local histories, and the cropping pattern – all the facts seen as necessary to know about to administer the region. . The practice of surveying also became common under the colonial administration. The British believed that a country had to be properly known before it could be effectively administered

2.) What were census operations done during the British period?

Ans. From the end of the nineteenth century, Census operations were held every ten years. These prepared detailed records of the number of people in all the provinces of India, noting information on castes, religions and occupation

3.) Name a few types of Surveys conducted during the British rule.

Ans. There were many other surveys – botanical surveys, zoological surveys, archaeological surveys, anthropological surveys, forest surveys.

Case Study 8

From this vast corpus of records we can get to know a lot, but we must remember that these are official records. They tell us what the officials thought, what they were interested in, and what they wished to preserve for posterity. These records do not always help us understand what other people in the country felt, and what lay behind their actions. For that we need to look elsewhere. When we begin to search for these other sources, we find them in plenty, though they are more difficult to get than official records. We have diaries of people, accounts of pilgrims and travellers, autobiographies of important personalities, and popular booklets that were sold in the local bazaars. As printing spread, newspapers were published and issues were debated in public. Leaders and reformers wrote to spread their ideas, poets and novelists wrote to express their feelings. All these sources, however, were produced by those who were literate. From these, we will not be able to understand how history was experienced and lived by the tribals and the peasants, the workers in the mines or the poor on the streets. Getting to know their lives is a more difficult task.

1.) What knowledge do we gather from the official records during the British rule?

Ans. They tell us what the officials thought, what they were interested in, and what they wished to preserve for posterity. These records do not always help us understand what other people in the country felt, and what lay behind their actions

2.) What sources other than official records tell us about the lives of people during the British time?

Ans. Sources like diaries of people, accounts of pilgrims and travellers, autobiographies of important personalities, and popular booklets that were sold in the local bazaars, tell us about the lives of common people.

3.) How important was newspaper during the British raj? What were its shortcomings?

Ans. As printing spread, newspapers were published and issues were debated in public. Leaders and reformers wrote to spread their ideas, poets and novelists wrote to express their feelings. All these sources, however, were produced by those who were literate.

From the newspaper sources we will not be able to understand how history was experienced and lived by the tribals and the peasants, the workers in the mines or the poor on the streets as they were only for the educated and the literates.

Also See: This Category of Questions for Your Geography Human Resource Chapter

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