UT 1 SST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

1. What was tithes?

ANS- It was a tax levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural
produce.

2. What was taille?

ANS- It was a direct tax to be paid to the State

3. Give the titles of the books written by :

(a) Rousseau - The Social Contract,
(b) Charles Montesquieu - The Spirit of the Laws.

4. Who proposed a division of power within government? - Montesquieu.

5. Name any four French philosophers who inspired the French people to revolt.

ANS - Jean Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Maximilian Robespierre.

6. Who was the leader of the Jacobin Club? - Maximilian Robespierre.

7. Who wrote the ‘Two Treatises of Government’? - John Locke.

8. Explain the impact of the French Revolution on the life of people of French.

 ANS - Divorce was made legal, and could be applied by both women and
men. Women could be now trained for jobs, could become artists or run
small businesses.
 The Constitution of 1791 began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and
Citizen. It proclaimed that Freedom of speech and opinion and equality
before law were natural rights of each human being by birth. These could
not be taken away.
 Newspapers, pamphlets and printed pictures appeared steadily in the towns
of French. From there, they travelled into the countryside. These
publications described and discussed the events and changes taking place
in the country.

9. What was the role of philosophers and thinkers in the French Revolution?
Explain by giving three examples.
  ANS - The philosophers and thinkers believed that,no group in a society
should be privileged by birth. They supported a society based on freedom
and equal laws.
 In his Two Treatises.of government, John Locke sought to refute the
doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
 Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of government based
on a social contract between people and their representatives. In The Spirit
of the Laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the
government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.

10. What was the significance of ‘The Tennis Court Oath’ in the French
Revolution?

 ANS - The Tennis Court Oath was a significant event in the French
revolution. The Oath was taken on 20th June in the hall of an indoor court in
the grounds of Versailles.
 The members declared themselves as the National Assembly and swore
not to disperse till they had drafted a Constitution for France that would limit
the powers of the monarch.
 The National Assembly drafted the new Constitution which laid the
foundation of Republic of France.

1. Which places in India experience sunrise first and last respectively?

ANS - Arunachal Pradesh experiences sunrise first, and Saurashtra in Gujarat

last.

2. Which longitude represents the Standard Meridian of India? - Longitude of 82°

30′ E.

3. Name the Indian states which share borders with Pakistan. - Jammu &
Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

4. In which island is active volcano found in Andaman and Nicobar islands? -

Barren island.

5. Name any one state that has international border. - Gujarat.

6. Explain the significance of India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean.

  ANS - This helps India to establish close contact with west Asia, Africa,
Europe from western coast and with south-east and east Asia from the
eastern coast.
 The sea routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities.
 The ideas of Upanishads and Ramayana, Indian numerals and the decimal
system could reach to many parts of the world.
 The spices, muslin and other merchandises were taken to other countries.
 Influence of Greek sculpture and styles of dome and minaretes can be seen
in our country.

7. What is the longitudinal extent of India? Mention the degree of longitude for
the Standard Meridian. State the importance of Standard Meridian.

ANS - The longitudinal .extent of India is 68°7’E and 97°25’E.

The degree of longitude of Standard Meridian of India is 82° 30′ E.
According to the International accepted convention, the Standard Meridian of a
country must be either a multiple of 7.5 or 15 or it has to pass through some
important city. Though 82° 30′ E meridian does not pass through the exact centre
of the country, but it is still chosen as the Standard Meridian as it passes through
an important city called Mirzapur. It is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT.

1. What was the Gondwanaland?

ANS - It was an ancient super continent located in southern hemisphere which

included the present day South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica

2. What is meant by doab? The land between two rivers is locally known as the
doab.

3. Which is the highest peak of India? - Kanchenjunga (8,598 m).

4. Which is the highest peak of the world? Where is it situated? - Mount Everest
(8848 m) located in Nepal is the highest peak in the world.

5. Why are the Northern Plains primarily an agricultural belt?

ANS - The Northern Plains have a thick soil cover composed of fine silt or
alluvium brought down by the Himalayan rivers. This alluvial soil is very fertile.
Hence, this is primarily an agricultural belt.

6. What is ‘barchan’? - It is crest shaped sand dune with cusps of the crescent
pointing downward.
7. Explain the theory of Plate Tectonics.

ANS - According to this theory, the crust of the earth has been formed out of
seven major and some minor plates. The movement of these plates led to
folding, faulting and volcanic activity. These are classified in three categories:

 Convergent Boundary: When plates come .towards each other, also called
folding movement.
 Divergent Boundary: When plates move away from each other, also called
faulting movement.
 Transform Boundary: In the event of coming together, they may collide or
may slide under each other.

8. What is a delta? Name some deltas of the Indian sub-continent.

ANS - The triangular deposition of sediments at the mouth of a river is known as

a delta. The Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta, The Mahanadi Delta, The Godavari
Delta, The Krishna Delta, The Kaveri Delta.

1. What are rabi crops? - The crops which are grown in the winter season i.e.,
November or December and harvested in summer i.e., April or May. For example,
wheat.

2. What are kharif crops? - The crops which are grown in the rainy season i.e., June or
July and harvested in October or November. For example, rice.

3. What is physical capital? - Physical capital includes variety of inputs required at every
stage during production like machines, raw material etc.

4. Which term is used for production for self-consumption? - Subsistence farming.

5. Write down the names of the crops that were promoted by Green Revolution. -
Cultivation of wheat and rice.

6. What is Green Revolution?

ANS - The great increase in the production of food grains in our country during the last
40 years, due to use of high yielding variety (HYV) of seeds, and other inputs is known
as the Green Revolution.
7. Name any two states which benefited from the Green Revolution. – PUNJAB,
HARYANA.

8. Which is the best way to expand non-farm activities in a village?

ANS - Better transportation, availability of loan at low interest, availability of markets

where goods can be sold are the best way to expand non-farming activities.

9. What is multiple cropping?

ANS - To grow more than one crop on a piece of land during the year is known as
multiple cropping.

10. Which capital is known as working capital?

ANS - Raw materials and money in hand are called the working capital.

11. Capital is a basic need in agriculture.’ How is it arranged by Indian farmers? Explain.

 ANS - Most of the small farmers borrow money from the moneylenders or traders
to arrange the capital.
 The moneylenders and traders charge a high rate of interest from the farmers.
 Medium and large farmers have their own savings from the farming.
 They also get loans from the banks.

12. Describe any three features of small-scale manufacturing as a non-farm activity in

Palampur.

 ANS - Less than 50 people are engaged in manufacturing in Palampur.

 Manufacturing in Palampur involves very simple production methods and are done
on a small-scale.
 Manufacturing activities are carried out mostly at home or in the fields with the
help of family labour. Labourers are hired rarely.

13. Describe any three sources of irrigation in Palampur.

 ANS - Persian wheel is the main source of irrigation in Palampur.

 Well is also a source of irrigation.
 Tubewells are also important sources of irrigation. These are run by electric
supply.