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Tribals went to work in the ______________ of Assam and the ____________in Bihar.
tea plantations
,coal mines
What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?
The life of shifting cultivators was directly connected to the forest.
When the British brought changes in forest laws, their life was badly affected. The British extended their control over all forests and declared that forests were state property. Some forests were classified as Reserved Forests for they produced timber which the British wanted. In these forests people were not allowed to move freely and practise jhum cultivations. Many were therefore forced to move to other areas in search of work and livelihood
How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?
What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?
What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?
Kusum and palash flowers were used to
prepare madicines
make garlands
colour clothes and leather
prepare hair oil
C.
colour clothes and leather
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The British wanted tribal groups to _____________ and become ___________ cultivators.
settle down
,peasant
Birsa was born in a family of ____________ a tribal group that lived in _______________.
Mundas
,Chottanagpur
Match the following options:
| A. Baigas | (i) Punjab |
| B. Van Gujjars | (ii) Andhra Pradesh |
| C. Gaddis | (iii) Jharkhand |
| D. Labadis | (iv) Central India |
| E. Santhals | (v) Kulu |
A. Baigas | (i) Central India |
B. Van Gujjars | (ii) Punjab |
C. Gaddis | (iii) Kulu |
D. Labadis | (iv) Andhra Pradesh |
E. Santhals | (v) Jharkhand |
Mention different types of activities where tribal people were involved.
Tribal people were involved in a variety of activities:
(i)Some practised jhum cultivation.
(ii)Some were hunter-gatherers.
(iii)Some herded animals.
(iv)Some took to settled cultivation.
Why did the British want tribal groups to settle down and become peasant cultivators?
It was because settled peasants were easier to control and administer than people who were always on the move.
Why had the British introduced land settlements?
They had introduced in order to get a regular revenue source for the state.
Why were some forests classified as Reserved Forests?
Some forests classified as Reserved Forests for they produced timber which the British wanted.
Tips: -
V.Imp.
What problem did the British face after they stopped the tribal people from living inside forests?
They faced the problem of shortage of labour.
Tips: -
Imp.
Why had the Forest Department established forest villages?
They did in order to ensure a regular supply of cheap labour.
How did the tribal groups view the market and the traders?
The tribal groups viewed them as their main enemies.
What do you know about Birsa Munda?
Birsa Munda was born in the mid-1870s. He was the son of a poor father, who grew up around the forests of Bohonda, grazing sheep, playing the flute, and dancing in the local akhara.
What did people thought about Birsa Munda?
People thought that he had miraculous powers who could cure all diseases and multiply grain.
What did Birsa urge to the Mundas?
Tips: -
V. Imp.
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Who were considered as dikus?
The outsiders such as traders, moneylenders, missionaries, Hindu landlords and the British were considered as dikus.
Tips: -
Imp.
When and where did the forest satyagraha occur?
The forest satyagraha occurred in 1930s in the Central Provinces.
Write a note on hunting and gathering practices of Khonds.
The Khonds were a community who lived in the forests of Orissa. They saw forests as essential for survival.
They regularly went out on collective hunts and then divided the meat amongst themselves. They ate fruits and roots collected from the forest and cooked food with the oil they extracted from the seeds of the sal and mahua. They used many forest shrubs and herbs for medicinal purposes, and sold forest produce in the local markets. The local weavers and leather workers turned to the Khonds when they needed supplies of kusum and palash flowers to colour their clothes and leather.
Why did the tribals group see the moneylender and trader as evil outsiders and the cause of their misery?
How did the British officials see settled tribal groups and those who lived in the forest?
British officials saw settled tribal groups like the Gonds and Santhals as more civilised than huntergatherers or shifting cultivators.
Those who lived in the forests were considered to be wild and savage: they needed to be settled and civilised.
Mention the land settlements introduced by the British.
Why was the British effort to settle jhum cultivators not very successful?
Tips: -
V. Imp.
How the changes in forest laws had a considerable effect on tribal lives?
The changes in forest laws had a considerable effect on tribal lives:
The British extended their control over all forests and declared that forests were state property. Some forests were classified as Reserved Forests for they produced timber which the British wanted.
In these forests people were not allowed to move freely, practise jhum cultivation, collect fruits, or hunt animals. Many were therefore forced to move to other areas in search of work and livelihood.
Mention the revolts by different tribal groups in the country against the British.
The revolts were:
(i)The Kols rebelled in 1831-32,
(ii)The Santhals rose in revolt in 1855.
(iii)The Bastar Rebellion in central India broke out in 1910.
(iv)The Warli Revolt in Maharashtra in 1940.
Tips: -
Imp.
What did Birsa Munda and his followers do after his release in 1897?
When Birsa was released in 1897 he began touring the villages to gather support. He used traditional symbols and language to rouse people, urging them to destroy “Ravana” (dikus and the Europeans) and establish a kingdom under his leadership.
Birsa’s followers began targeting the symbols of diku and European power. They attacked police stations and churches, and raided the property of moneylenders and zamindars. They raised the white flag as a symbol of Birsa Raj.
How was the Birsa movement significant?
How did different tribal groups live? Describe any two.
Study the given picture taken from NCERT textbook (page 47) and answer the questions that follow:
(i) Who are the people shown in above picture?
(ii) Under what circumstances did they work?
Read the following extract (Source 2) taken from the NCERT textbook (page 45) and answer the questions that follow:
“In this land of the English how hard it is to live”
In the 1930s Verrier Elwin visited the land of the Baigas—a tribal group in central India. He wanted to know about them—their customs and practices, their art and folklore. He recorded many songs that lamented the hard time the Baigas were having under British rule.
In this land of the English how hard it is to live
How hard it is to live
In the village sits the landlord
In the gate sits the Kotwar
In the garden sits the Patwari
In the field sits the government
In this land of the English how hard it is to live
To pay cattle tax we have to sell cow
To pay forest tax we have to sell buffalo
To pay land tax we have to sell bullock
How are we to get our food?
In this land of the English
Quoted in Verrier Elwin and Shamrao Hivale, Songs of the Maikal, p. 316.
Questions:
(i) Who were the Baigas?
(ii)Why did Verrier Elwin visit their land?
(iii)What did the songs lament?
(i) The Baigas were a tribal group of central India.
(ii) Verrier Elwin visited their land because he wanted to know their customs, and practices, their art and folklore.
(iii)The songs lamented the hard time the Baigas were having under British rule.
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