8th CBSE Notes On Colonialism And The City

   Grade 08 

 History 

 CHAPTER : 06 

 Colonialism And The City 

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Que1: How was the divide between the rich and the poor evident in Shahjahanabad?

Answer :

1. In Shahjahanabad, the poor lived in small mud houses, which were located around the large havelis or palaces where the rich lived. 
2. This showed the divide between the rich and the poor.

Que2: How were the residential areas of Indians different from those of the British in the presidency cities?

Answer :

1. In the presidency cities, Indians stayed in unplanned areas known as ‘black’ areas, whereas the British stayed in well-planned areas known as ‘white’ areas.

Que3: What events were held in Delhi to celebrate British victories?

Answer :

1. In 1877, a durbar was organised in Delhi to proclaim Queen Victoria as the Empress of India. 
2. Again, in 1911, a durbar was held to commemorate the crowning of King George V in England when Delhi was announced the new capital of British India.

Que4: Why was the Lahore Gate Improvement scheme introduced?

Answer :

The Lahore Gate Improvement scheme was introduced in 1888.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Que1 : Analyse the differences between the major features of Old Delhi and New Delhi?

Answer :

1. New Delhi was a well-planned city and took about twenty years to build. 
2. While Shahjahanabad had narrow winding by-lanes, leading to crowded mohallas , 
3. The streets of New Delhi were broad and straight and were lined with extensive mansions in the centre of large compounds. 
4. The new city also had many clean and open spaces, lots of trees and parks, reliable water supply and a good sewage system, which were not available in Old Delhi. 
5. Therefore, New Delhi was a stark contrast to the city of Old Delhi.

Que2: What happened to the old city of Delhi under the British rule?

Answer :

1. During the 19th century, Old Delhi was neglected. 
2. Mughal Delhi’s famous canals, wells and drainage systems were severely damaged and could no longer serve the needs of the growing population. 
3. By the end of the 19th century, old drains were replaced by open drains. 
4. The stench from the overflowing open drains and the roadside privies was unbearable and forced the rich inhabitants to complain about the drainage system to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. 
5. But the Municipal Corporation was reluctant to construct an efficient drainage system. 
6. By the end of the 19th century, the British rule made it difficult for Mughal aristocrats to maintain their havelis, so they sold or abandoned them. 
7. At the same time, the British stayed in colonial bungalows meant for nuclear families.

Que3 : How was New Delhi designed?

Answer :

1. New Delhi was a well-planned city and took about twenty years to build.
2. The task of designing the city was assigned to architects Herbert Baker and Edward Lutyens. 
3. The city of New Delhi was built on an area of ten square miles on Raisina Hill, to the south of Delhi. 
4. The Secretariat buildings were built on either side of a two-mile long street, the Kingsway, known today as Rajpath.
5. The Kingsway led to the Viceroy’s Palace, known today as the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
6. The overall stylistic appearance of the government buildings was similar to the buildings built in Greece in 5th century BCE. 
7. However, many of the palace’s features were borrowed from Indian architecture. 
8. For example, 
9. Elements like the red sandstone and the carved screens or jalis were inspired by Mughal architecture.
10. The central dome of the Viceroy’s Palace resembles the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi.
11. The streets of New Delhi were broad and straight.
12. They were lined with extensive mansions in the centre of large compounds. 
13. The new city also had many clean and open spaces, lots of trees and parks, reliable water supply and a good sewage system.

Que4: What changes occurred in Delhi due to the partition of India?

Answer :

1. The partition of India in 1947 had a major impact on Old Delhi. 
2. The partition led to a large number of people crossing the new border on both the sides, which increased the population of Delhi. 
3. There was a change in the occupations of people and the culture of the city as well.
4.  Within the days of partition, violent riots broke out. 
5. A large number of Muslims from Delhi left for Pakistan, and an equally large number of Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan arrived in Delhi, 
6. Many new colonies, schools, colleges and shops also came up in the city during this time to meet the growing demands of the migrants. 
7. The migrants who came to Delhi had different skills and engaged in different occupations as compared to the people who moved to Pakistan. 
8. The social environment of Delhi changed with the arrival of new migrants, and Urdu culture, which was once prevalent, was replaced by newly-developed preferences in attire, food and the arts.

FILL IN THE  BLANKS

1. Surat is a city that de-urbanised and declined in the 19th century.

2. Shahjahanabad housed one of the grandest and largest mosques in India, known as the Jama Masjid.

3. Delhi was made the capital of British India in 1911.

4. Most of the refugees who migrated to Delhi were from Punjab.

5. Robert Clarke planned an extension scheme called the Lahore Gate Improvement Scheme.

TRUE OR FALSE

1. Delhi came under the control of the British in 1857 when they defeated the Marathas. False

2. The havelis had an inner courtyard with rooms and pavilions for the women of the haveli. True

3. The central dome of the Viceroy’s Palace was inspired by Mughal architecture. False

4. Herbert Baker and Edward Lutyens were the architects of New Delhi. True

5. The Delhi Improvement Trust constructed areas like Daryaganj South for the poor Indians. False

EXTRA QUESTIONS (Not necessary to write in class work)

Que : Why do the period from 1830-57 is called as the period of Delhi Renaissance?

Answer :

1. The Company won and captured Delhi in the year 1803 from Maratha in the battle of Assaye.
2. In the president cities like Calcutta, Bombay and Madras there was a stark difference between the areas where the British and the Indians resided. 
3. While the Indians stayed in unplanned areas, known as the ‘black’ areas, the British stayed in well-planned areas known as the ‘white’ areas.
4. In Delhi, the British took up residence within the walled city among the wealthy Indians, 
5. They took part in local festivals and started enjoying Persian and Urdu poetry and culture.
6. The establishment of the Delhi College in 1792 led to the emergence of many intellectuals, especially in the fields of science and humanities. 
7. So, the years from 1830 to 1857 are considered by many as the period of Delhi renaissance.

Que : How did British take revenge against the revolt of 1857 in Delhi? 

Or

Explain the way the British destroyed the walled city of Delhi.

Answer :

1. The British wanted to erase memories of Delhi’s Mughal past. 
2. They cleared pavilions, mosques and gardens around the fort for security purposes.
3. They filled up all the canals in the city. 
4. They destroyed mosques or turned them into buildings used for other purposes. 
5. They did not allow worship in the Jama Masjid for five years.
6. In the 1870s, the British also broke down the western walls of the city to build railways and expand the city. 
7. They also converted the Delhi College into a school and later closed it down in 1877.
8. Then, the British started to live in the Civil Lines area, located in the north, away from the walled city where Indians lived. 
9. In this way, the British destroyed about one-third of Delhi and subsequently moved to the northern part of the city.

Que : How did British try to prove that they are more powerful than Mughals in Delhi?

Or

How did British erase the memory of Mughal's past in Delhi?

Answer :

1. To prove that British is more powerful than Mughals, they celebrate their victories and other important events in the city of Delhi even though their capital was still Calcutta.
2.  British held many spectacular events in the city after 1857. 
3. In 1877, a Durbar was organised in Delhi to proclaim Queen Victoria as the Empress of India. 
4. Again in 1911, a Durbar was held to commemorate the crowning of King George V in England. 
5. On this occasion, Delhi was announced the new capital of British India.
6. The British also asserted their importance by constructing the Viceroy’s Palace at a much greater height than the Jama Masjid built by Shah Jahan.

Que : What were the improvement plan for Old Delhi?

Answer :

1. To decongest the city, Robert Clarke planned an extension scheme called the Lahore Gate Improvement scheme in 1888. 
2. The scheme aimed to provide a structured layout for the people to live in. 
3. The new place called Clarkegunj would have market squares, shops and wide streets in a grid pattern. 
4. However, the scheme could not be completed and did not help decongest the old city. Facilities like water supply and sanitation in the new area were still very poor even in 1912.
5. Later, in 1936, the Delhi Improvement Trust was established. 
6. The trust began to construct areas like Daryaganj South for wealthy Indians, where houses were built around parks based on the new privacy rules. 
7. These houses contained separate private spaces for members of the same family.