Question 1: Fill in the blanks:
Question 2: State whether true or false:
Answer: (a) False, (b) True, (c) True, (d) False
Question 3: What problems did shifting cultivators face under British rule?
Answer: The shifting cultivators were forced to take up settled cultivation. But type of land and shortage of water meant they could not produce enough. Many of them had to move on to other areas in search of work when access to the forest was restricted.
Question 4: How did the powers of tribal chiefs change under colonial rule?
Answer: The functions and powers of the tribal chiefs changed considerably under the British rule. They lost much of their administrative power. They were forced to follow the laws made by the British. They had to pay tribute to the British. They were expected to discipline their people on behalf of the British government. However, they were allowed to keep their land titles over a cluster of villages and could rent out lands. Thus, the authority of the tribal chiefs significantly reduced under the colonial rule.
Question 5: What accounts for the anger of the tribals against the dikus?
Answer: Interaction with merchants and traders usually meant debt and poverty for the tribal. Hence, moneylenders and traders were seen as evil outsiders. They were seen as the cause of the misery of tribal people. The moneylenders and any other outsider were called the dikus.
Question 6: What was Birsa’s vision of a golden age? Why do you think such a vision appealed to the people of the region?
Answer: The tribal sirdars talked of a golden age. This was an age when the Mundas had been free from the oppression of dikus (enemies). They visualized of a time when the ancestral right of the community would be restored.
Everyone wants a freedom from oppression and most of the people want the pride of their community. The vision of a golden age was like a dream for the tribal people. Hence, this vision appealed to the people of the region.
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