These Class 8 Social Science Worksheet and Class 8 SST Chapter 4 The Colonial Era in India Worksheet with Answers are excellent for board exam practice.
Class 8 SST Chapter 4 The Colonial Era in India Worksheet
Class 8 The Colonial Era in India Worksheet
Worksheet On The Colonial Era in India Class 8 – The Colonial Era in India Worksheet Class 8
Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1.
Which battle started the British rule in India?
(a) Battle of Buxar
(b) Battle of Panipat
(c) Battle of Haldighati
(d) Battle of Plassey
Question 2.
was the Nawab of Bengal defeated at the Battle of Plassey?
{a) Tipu Sultan
(6) Shuja-ud-Daula
(c) Siraj-ud-Daulah
(d) Haider Ali
Question 3.
Which foreign power first came to India for trade?
(a) Dutch
(b) French
(c) British
(d) Portuguese
Question 4.
In which year did Vasco da Gama reach Calicut?
(a) 1492
(b) 1498
(c) 1526
(d) 1600
Question 5.
What was the economic policy of the British in India?
(a) Industrialisation
(b) Socialism
(c) Mercantilism
(d) Self-sufficiency
Question 6.
What was the main aim of Europeans when they came to India?
(a) To spread religion
(b) To learn Indian culture
(c) To trade in spices and textiles
(d) To find jobs
Question 7.
Who was the first Portuguese sailor to reach India?
(а) Marco Polo
(b) Vasco da Gama
(c) Christopher Columbus
(d) Ferdinand Magellan
Question 8.
Which trading company was started in 1600 to trade with the East?
(а) Portuguese Trade Guild
(b) British East India Company
(c) Dutch East India Company
(d) French India Company
Question 9.
Why did the British introduce railways in India?
(a) To promote tourism
(b) To help Indians travel
(c) To improve communication
(d) To transport raw materials and troops
Question 10.
What was one big effect of British rule on Indian industries?
(a) Free trade for Indian merchants
(b) Development of Indian industries
(c) Decline of cotton industries
(d) Increase in Indian exports
Assertion and Reason Questions
There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided below:
Question 1.
Assertion (A): The British applied the Doctrine of Lapse to take over several princely states.
Reason (R): According to this policy, states without a direct male heir could be annexed.
Codes:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and R is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Question 2.
Assertion (A):The Indian handloom industry suffered a decline during British rule.
Reason (R): This was because the British supported Indian weavers with modern machinery.
Codes:
(a) Both (A) and (R) are true, and R is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(d) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Fill in the Blanks with the Words given in the Box Below
| Calicut, Portuguese, 1757, Siraj-ud-Daula, British |
1. In 1498, Vasco da Gama reached _____________
2. The _____________ were the first Europeans to come to India.
3. The British fought the Battle of Plassey in the year _____________
4. In the Battle of Plassey, the British defeated _____________
5. The _____________ East India Company was set up in 1600.
State whether the following Statements are True or False
1. The Revolt of 1857 is remembered as India’s First War of Independence.
2. The British set up railways in India mainly to improve the condition of Indian farmers.
3. Rani Lakshmibai peacefully agreed to the Doctrine of Lapse enforced by the British.
4. The entry of the British into India was solely to promote modern industries for Indians.
5. The Battle of Plassey became the turning point that began British political rule in India.
Match the Contents in Column A with those in Column B
| Column A | Column B |
| A. Doctrine of Lapse | (i) 1757 |
| B. VascodaGama | (ii) Symbolic leader of the Revolt of 1857 |
| C. Battle of Plassey | (iii) Introduced by Lord Dalhousie |
| D. Bahadur Shah Zafar | (iv) ReachedCalicutin 1498 |
| E. Rani Lakshmibai | (v) Revolt leader of Jhansi (1857) |
Choose the correct option:
(a) A—(iii), B—(iv), C—(i), D—(ii), E—(v)
(b) A—(iii), B—(i), C—(ii), D—(v), E—(iv)
(c) A—(ii), B—(iv), C—(i), D—(v), E—(iii)
(d) A—(v), B—(iii), C—(iv), D—(ii), E—(i)
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Which Mughal ruler was the last emperor during the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Question 2.
Which European sailor first discovered the sea route to India?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Question 3.
What strategy did Lord Dalhousie introduce to annex Indian princely states?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Question 4.
In which year did the historic Battle of Plassey take place?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Question 5.
What was the chief aim of the British when they first arrived in India?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
What was the Doctrine of Lapse and what happened to Indian kingdoms because of it?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Question 2.
How did British rule bring changes to India’s industries and economy?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Question 3.
What problems and reasons led Indians to start the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Question 4.
In what ways did British rule harm the textile work of India?
Answer:
_________________________________________
Long Answer Type Questions
1. Who was Rani Lakshmibai and how did she fight in the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
2. What changes did the British bring in Indian education, and how did these affect people?
Answer:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
3. How did tribal groups respond to British rule? Mention any two tribal uprisings.
Answer:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Case Based Questions
Read the given excerpt and answer the questions that follow:
The British transformed India’s economy from a self-sufficient agricultural system supplemented by craft and manufacture production into a supplier of raw materials for British industry and a market forced to buy British goods. Without going into the technical details of this economic transformation, let us take the example of the construction of India’s vast railway network, often cited as a colonial blessing.
(a) How was India’s economy before the British transformed it?
(b) Into what kind of economy did the British change India?
(c) What was India forced to buy under British rule?
(d) How is the railway network often described in colonial times?
(e) Which example is given to explain the economic transformation?
Answer:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Skill Based Question
A political map of India under British rule highlights the following locations:
- Calcutta
- Bombay
- Madras
- Jhansi
- Meerut
Using this map and your knowledge of history, respond to the questions that follow.
(a) From which region did Rani Lakshmibai lead her fight in the Revolt of 1857?
(b) Which Indian city is remembered as the place where the Revolt of 1857 began?
(c) Name any two presidency cities that became important administrative centres under the British.
Answer:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Competency Based Question
Imagine yourself as a weaver in 19th-century India. How did British rule change your work and the everyday life of your community?
Answer:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Picture Based Questions
Observe the picture given below and answer the questions that follow:
(a) Who is shown in the picture?
(b) Which revolt or movement is she known for?
(c) What does the picture show about India’s fight against the British?
Answer:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Map Based Question
Read the following clues carefully, figure out the places and mark them on the given political map of India.
(a) The territory ruled by Begum Hazrat Mahal.
(b) Sepoys took control of a fort here during the 1857 Revolt.
(c) The region where the Kol Uprising occurred between 1831 and 1832.
(d) Clive called this place “paradise on Earth”.
