Chapter 1 – How, When and Where (Ncert Solutions)

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

1. State whether true or false:

(a) James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim, Christian.

(b) Official documents help us understand what the people of the country think.

(c) The British thought surveys were important for effective administration.

Answer.

(a) False

(b) False

(c) True

2. What is the problem with the periodisation of Indian history that James Mill offers?

Answer.

The problem with the periodisation of Indian History that James Mill offers is the superiority of the British shown over Hindus and Muslims. James Mill has divided Indian History into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British, claiming that it was necessary to introduce European manners, arts, institutions and laws in India.

James Mill’s views have several defects given below:

a. He thought that all Asian societies were at a lower level of civilisation when compared to Europe.

b. According to his telling of history, before the British came to India, Hindu and Muslim despots ruled the country.

c. Religious intolerance, caste taboos and superstitious practices dominated social life before the British came to India

3. Why did the British preserve official documents?

Answer.

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.

4. How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police reports?

Answer 

Information from Police Reports -

a) Police records are written information related to investigations, agreements, policy decisions, plans, and every instruction. It led to the creation of an administrative culture of reports, notings, and memos.

b) Police records do not help us to understand what the people of a country thought and intentions behind their actions. These reports present official view and thus it may be biased and prejudiced. 

c) Police records help us understand what the officials thought.

Information from Old Newspapers 

a) From old newspapers we get to know the feelings  expressed by poets, novelists, reformers and leaders. Whose ideas; issues were debated in public and published in newspapers.

b) To understand what people of a country thought we need to look at other sources like articles published in newspapers, popular booklets , autobiographies of important personalities, accounts of travellers and pilgrims, diaries of people ete.