Chapter 3, “Ruling the Countryside,” of the NCERT History book for class 8 covers several key aspects:
- The East India Company Becomes Diwan: British East India Company became the Diwan of Bengal after the Battle of Buxar in 1764. Due to this, they gained control over the region.
- The Permanent Settlement: This section explains Lord Cornwallis’s introduction of the Permanent Settlement in 1793. This impacted zamindars and peasants.
- The Ryotwari and Mahalwari Systems: Alternative revenue systems like Ryotwari and Mahalwari and how they functioned in different regions of India.
- Indigo Cultivation: Oppressive conditions of indigo cultivation in Bengal and how it results in “Blue Rebellion” by the cultivators.
Some of the important dates NCERT Class 8 History textbook for the chapter –
- 1765: Mughal emperor appointed the East India Company as the Diwan of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa
- 1770: A terrible famine killed ten million people in Bengal
- 1788: Approximately 30% of the indigo imported into Britain was from India
- 1791: Slave revolt in St. Domingue leading to the collapse of indigo plantations in the Caribbean
- 1793: The Permanent Settlement introduced by the East India Company
- 1810: 95% of the indigo imported into Britain was from India
- 1822: Holt Mackenzie devised the Mahalwari settlement in the North Western Provinces of the Bengal Presidency
- 1859: The “Blue Rebellion” where thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to grow indigo
- 1860: The Indigo Commission was set up to enquire into the system of indigo production
This chapter deals with how British policies and revenue collection systems shaped rural India and its economy. Feel free to download this in PDF format or print this page for further reference. Explore our additional MCQ questions for Class 8 History.
20 Class 8th History Chapter 3 MCQ Ruling the Countryside “Ruling the Countryside” with Answers
20 multiple-choice questions(MCQ) based on Chapter 3 of the NCERT History book for class 8 –
1. Who became the Diwan of Bengal after the Battle of Buxar?
a) The British East India Company
b) Nawab of Bengal
c) Mughal Emperor
d) French East India Company
Answer:
a) The British East India Company
2. What was the Permanent Settlement?
a) A system to settle European traders in India
b) A land revenue system implemented by the British
c) A treaty between the British and Indian rulers
d) A law to regulate trade in Bengal
Answer:
b) A land revenue system implemented by the British
3. Who introduced the Permanent Settlement of Bengal?
a) Lord Cornwallis
b) Warren Hastings
c) Lord Dalhousie
d) Lord Wellesley
Answer:
a) Lord Cornwallis
4. The ryotwari system was primarily prevalent in:
a) Bengal and Bihar
b) Madras and Bombay
c) Punjab and Sindh
d) Assam and North-East
Answer:
b) Madras and Bombay
5. The ‘Blue Rebellion’ was related to the cultivation of:
a) Opium
b) Cotton
c) Indigo
d) Tea
Answer:
c) Indigo
6. Who was responsible for collecting revenue under the Mahalwari System?
a) Village headmen
b) British officials
c) Zamindars
d) Peasants themselves
Answer:
a) Village headmen
7. The ryotwari system was introduced by:
a) Thomas Munro
b) Lord Dalhousie
c) Lord Cornwallis
d) John Shore
Answer:
a) Thomas Munro
8. In the Permanent Settlement, the amount of revenue to be paid by zamindars was:
a) Frequently changed
b) Decided by the zamindars
c) Fixed permanently
d) Increased every year
Answer:
c) Fixed permanently
9. The ‘Mahalwari System’ was introduced in the:
a) North-Western Provinces of Bengal Presidency
b) Southern parts of India
c) Entire subcontinent
d) Eastern regions of Bengal
Answer:
a) North-Western Provinces of Bengal Presidency
10. The indigo cultivators of Bengal revolted against the British in:
a) 1857
b) 1859
c) 1861
d) 1872
Answer:
b) 1859
11. What was the main crop cultivated under the ryoti system?
a) Tea
b) Indigo
c) Cotton
d) Rice
Answer:
b) Indigo
12. Which system was introduced by Thomas Munro?
a) Mahalwari System
b) Permanent Settlement
c) Ryotwari System
d) Subsidiary Alliance
Answer:
c) Ryotwari System
13. What did the Permanent Settlement lead to among the zamindars?
a) Decrease in land prices
b) Over-assessment of revenue
c) Decrease in agricultural productivity
d) Increase in the welfare of peasants
Answer:
b) Over-assessment of revenue
14. Which year witnessed the ‘Blue Rebellion’?
a) 1856
b) 1857
c) 1858
d) 1859
Answer:
d) 1859
15. The Permanent Settlement was implemented primarily in which regions?
a) Bengal and Bihar
b) Madras and Bombay
c) Punjab and Sindh
d) North-Western Provinces
Answer:
a) Bengal and Bihar
16. The Indigo Commission was set up in response to:
a) The ryots’ demand for higher wages
b) The collapse of the indigo market
c) Protests and rebellion against indigo cultivation
d) The Company’s need to increase revenue
Answer:
c) Protests and rebellion against indigo cultivation
17. Who was responsible for the implementation of the Mahalwari System?
a) Lord Dalhousie
b) Lord Cornwallis
c) Holt Mackenzie
d) Thomas Munro
Answer:
c) Holt Mackenzie
18. The ryotwari system was prevalent in which of the following areas?
a) Bengal and Bihar
b) Madras and Bombay
c) Awadh and Punjab
d) Gujarat and Rajasthan
Answer:
b) Madras and Bombay
19. What led to the collapse of the indigo plantations in the Caribbean Islands?
a) Natural disasters
b) Revolt by the slaves
c) Economic downturn
d) British policies
Answer:
b) Revolt by the slaves
20. The Champaran movement was related to the plight of:
a) Cotton farmers
b) Indigo cultivators
c) Tea plantation workers
d) Jute growers
Answer:
b) Indigo cultivators
The questions are created to test students’ understanding of British land revenue systems in India. This chapter also studies the impact on agriculture and rural society due to British land revenue systems.
Fill in the Blanks Questions for Class 8 History Chapter 3 “Ruling the Countryside”
10 fill-in-the-blank questions based on Chapter 3, “Ruling the Countryside,” of the NCERT History book for class 8 –
1. The East India Company acquired the rights of __ from the Mughal emperor in 1765.
Answer:
Diwani
2. The __ Settlement was implemented in Bengal by Lord Cornwallis in 1793.
Answer:
Permanent
3. __ was a cash crop that was cultivated on large plantations by the British in India.
Answer:
Indigo
4. The __ system was introduced by Thomas Munro in the Madras Presidency.
Answer:
Ryotwari
5. In 1859, the __ Rebellion occurred due to the oppressive practices in indigo cultivation.
Answer:
Blue
6. Under the Permanent Settlement, __ were recognized as landowners.
Answer:
Zamindars
7. The __ system was developed in the North-Western Provinces of the Bengal Presidency.
Answer:
Mahalwari
8. The Indigo Commission was set up in __ to investigate the indigo cultivation system.
Answer:
1860
9. The Champaran movement in __ was a significant event related to indigo cultivators’ plight.
Answer:
1917
10. The ryotwari system was based on direct settlement with the __, the individual cultivators.
Answer:
ryots
True or False type Questions for Class 8 History Chapter 3 “Ruling the Countryside”
10 true or false questions based on Chapter 3, “Ruling the Countryside,” of the NCERT History book for class 8:
1. The East India Company acquired the Diwani of Bengal after the Battle of Plassey.
Answer:
False (It was after the Battle of Buxar)
2. Lord Cornwallis introduced the Ryotwari system in India.
Answer:
False (It was introduced by Thomas Munro)
3. The Permanent Settlement made zamindars the owners of the land.
Answer:
True
4. The ryots in Bengal revolted against the cultivation of cotton under oppressive conditions.
Answer:
False (They revolted against the cultivation of indigo)
5. The Mahalwari system was implemented in the Madras and Bombay Presidencies.
Answer:
False (It was implemented in the North-Western Provinces)
6. Under the Ryotwari system, peasants were directly responsible for paying land revenue to the Company.
Answer:
True
7. The Blue Rebellion was a revolt by the indigo planters against the British.
Answer:
False (It was a revolt by the indigo cultivators)
8. The Indigo Commission was set up by the British in response to the Blue Rebellion.
Answer:
True
9. The Permanent Settlement fixed the revenue that zamindars had to pay the Company and it could be increased over time.
Answer:
False (The revenue was fixed permanently)
10. The Ryotwari system allowed zamindars to collect land revenues from the peasants.
Answer:
False (It was a direct settlement between the peasants and the Company)
