NCERT Solutions for Class 10

History Chapter 3 The Making of

Global World
Write in Brief

1. Give two examples of different types of global exchanges which

took place before the seventeenth century, choosing one example
from Asia and one from the Americas.

Answer

Examples of the different types of global exchanges which took

place before the seventeenth century:
• Example from the Americas: America had abundant crops,
minerals and precious metals like gold and silver. The Europeans
enhanced their wealth by utilising the rich resources of gold and
silver.
• Example from Asia: China exported pottery and silk to India and
Southeast Asia in return of textile goods and spices.

2. Explain how the global transfer of disease in the pre-modern

world helped in the colonisation of the Americas.

Answer

The global transfer of disease in the pre-modern world helped in the

colonisation of the Americas because the original inhabitants had no
immunity against these diseases that came from Europe. Before the
discovery of America, it had been cut off from regular contact with
the rest of the world for millions of years. In particular, Smallpox
proved a deadly killer. Once introduced, it spread deep into the
continent, ahead even of any Europeans reaching there. It killed and
decimated whole communities, paving the way for conquest.

3. Write a note to explain the effects of the following:

(a) The British government's decision to abolish the Corn Laws.
(b) The coming of rinderpest to Africa.
(c) The death of men of working-age in Europe because of the World
War.
(d) The Great Depression on the Indian economy.
(e) The decision of MNCs to relocate production to Asian countries.

Answer

(a) After the British government's decision to abolish the Corn Laws,
food could be imported into
Britain more cheaply than it could be produced within the country.
British agriculture was unable to compete with imports. Vast areas
of land were now left uncultivated, and thousands of men and
women were thrown out of work. They flocked to the cities or
migrated overseas. This indirectly led to global agriculture and rapid
urbanisation, a prerequisite of industrial growth.

(b) Rinderpest had a terrifying impact on people’s livelihoods and

the local economy. Rinderpest killed 90 percent of the cattle which
destroyed African livelihoods. Planters, mine owners and colonial
governments strengthen their power and forced Africans into the
labour market.

(c) The death of men of working-age in Europe because of the World

War reduced the able-bodied workforce in Europe. As men went to
battle, women stepped in to undertake jobs that earlier only men
were expected to do.

(d) The depression immediately affected Indian trade. India's

exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934.
Between 1928 and 1934, wheat prices in India fell by 50 percent.
Across India, peasants' indebtedness increased. They used up their
savings, mortgaged lands, and sold whatever jewellery and precious
metals they had to meet their expenses. In these depression years,
India became an exporter of precious metals, notably gold.

(e) The relocation of industry to low-wage countries stimulated world

trade and capital flows. In the last two decades, the world's
economic geography has been transformed as countries such as
India,
China and Brazil have undergone rapid economic transformation.

4. Give two examples from history to show the impact of technology

on food availability.

Answer

Two examples from history to show the impact of technology on food

availability were:
→ Faster railways, lighter wagons and larger ships helped move food
more cheaply and quickly from faraway farms to final markets.
→ Refrigerated ships, which enabled the transport of perishable
foods like meat, butter and eggs over long distances.

5. What is meant by the Bretton Woods Agreement?

Answer

The Bretton Woods Agreement was signed between the world

powers in July 1944 at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, USA. It
established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deal with
external surpluses and deficits of its member nations and the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development was set up
to finance post-war reconstruction.

Discuss

6. Imagine that you are an indentured Indian labourer in the

Caribbean. Drawing from the details in this chapter, write a letter to
your family describing your life and feelings.

Answer
Respected Family,

I hope all of you are fine there. I have been hired by the
colonisers under a contract stating that I could return to India after
working for five years at a plantation. However, the contract was a
fraud and these are not allowing me to return. I joined this job in the
hope to escape poverty and oppression but the condition of living
and working is very harsh here. Most of the workers here belong
to Bihar, central India and the dry regions of Tamil Nadu. There are
few legal rights given to us. However, we have developed new art
forms for expression.

Your Loving,
ABC

7. Explain the three types of movements or flows within

international economic exchange. Find one example of each type of
flow which involved India and Indians, and write a short account of
it.

Answer

The three types of movements or flows within the international

economic exchange are:
(i) Flow of trade: mean trade in goods such as cloth or wheat.
(ii) Flow of labour: mean the migration of people to new areas in
search of work.
(iii) Flow of capital: short-term and long-term loan to and from other
nations.

(i) India was involved in trade relations since ancient times. It

exported textiles and spices in return for gold and silver from
Europe.

(ii) In the nineteenth century, hundreds of thousands of Indian

labourers went to work on plantations, in mines, and in road and
railway construction projects around the world.

(iii) During British rule in India, many Europeans established their

factories in India. Also, many Indian traders ventured beyond
European colonies and they established flourishing emporia at busy
ports worldwide, selling local and imported curios to tourists.

8. Explain the causes of the Great Depression.

Answer

The Great Depression was a result of many factors:

→ Prosperity in the USA during the 1920s created a cycle of higher
employment and incomes. It led to rise in consumption and
demands. More investment and more employment created
tendencies of speculations which led to the Great Depression of
1929 upto the mid-1930s.
→ Stock market crashed in 1929. It created panic among investors
and depositors who stopped investing and depositing. As a result, it
created a cycle of depreciation.
→ Failure of the banks: Some of the banks closed down when people
withdrew all their assets, leaving them unable to invest. Some banks
called back loans taken from them at the same dollar rate inspite of
the falling value of dollar. It was worsened by British change in
policy to value pound at the pre-war value.

9. Explain what is referred to as the G-77 countries. In what ways

can G-77 be seen as a reaction to the activities of the Bretton Woods
twins?
Answer

G-77 countries is a group of developing countries that demanded a

new international economic order (NIEO); By the NIEO they meant a
system that would give them real control over their natural
resources, more development assistance, fairer prices for raw
materials, and better access for their
manufactured goods in developed countries’ markets.

The Bretton Woods twins i.e., the International Monetary Fund and
the World Bank have been established by the developed countries.
The decision-making power in these institutions is in the hands of
the Western industrial powers and USA. These institutions were set
up to meet the financial needs of the industrialised countries and
had nothing to do with the poverty and lack of development in the
former colonial countries and developing nations. G-77 was created
to cater the needs of developing nations. Therefore, G-77 be seen as
a reaction to the activities of the Bretton Woods twins.

Discuss how Kashmir’s location on Silk Route shaped the economy

and culture of this region.

Answer:

Kashmir’s strategic location on the ancient Silk Route played a

crucial role in shaping its economy and culture:

1. Economic Impact:

Kashmir was an important trade link between Central Asia, China,

and the Indian subcontinent.

Traders from various regions passed through Kashmir, which led to

the development of markets and trade centers.
The exchange of goods like silk, spices, wool, pashmina, and
handicrafts contributed to the prosperity of the region.

2. Cultural Impact:

The Silk Route facilitated the exchange of ideas, religions, art, and
architecture.

Kashmir became a melting pot of cultures, influenced by Buddhism,

Islam, and Hinduism.

The region saw growth in learning, literature, and Sufi traditions,

contributing to a rich cultural heritage.

Thus, the Silk Route made Kashmir an important hub for both
commercial and cultural exchange, enhancing its historical
significance.

Question 5: Briefly describe the impact of economic depression on

the economy of Jammu and Kashmir region.

Answer:

The Great Economic Depression of the 1930s had significant effects

on the economy of Jammu and Kashmir:

1. Decline in Exports:

Kashmir’s famous shawl and handicraft industry faced a major

setback as demand decreased globally due to reduced purchasing
power.

Export-based income dropped drastically, affecting local artisans

and traders.

2. Agricultural Impact:

The depression caused a fall in prices of agricultural products,

leading to reduced earnings for farmers.
Peasants and rural workers faced hardship due to rising debts and
falling wages.

3. Rise in Unemployment and Poverty:

Many workers lost jobs, especially in the cottage industries.

This led to increased poverty and migration in search of work.

4. Political Awakening:

Economic hardship led to growing discontent among the masses,

fueling political awareness and protests against the ruling
authorities.

Thus, the Great Depression weakened the traditional economy of the

region and had long-term socio-economic and political effects on
Jammu and Kashmir.
MCQ Questions for Class 10 History: Ch 3 The Making
of a Global World

1. Which of the following statements is a true definition of what the

economists identify as “flows”?

(a) Trade in goods (cloth or wheat), migration of people in search of

employment and movement of capital for short-term or long-term
investments over long distances

(b) Economic, social, cultural and technological exchanges

(c) Self-sufficiency in food and no imports of food

(d) All the above

► (a) Trade in goods (cloth or wheat), migration of people in search
of employment and movement of capital for short-term or long-term
investments over long distances

2. The most powerful weapon, which the Spanish conquerors of

America had, was :

(a) superiority in conventional weapons

(b) germs, such as those of small pox, proved a deadly killer and
paved the way for conquest

(c) America’s original inhabitants had no immunity against diseases

that came from Europe

(d) both (b) and (c)

► (d) both (b) and (c)

3. ‘Globalisation’ today mainly refers to :

(a) Trade, migration of people in search of work

(b) Movement of capital

(c) An economic system that has emerged in the last 50 years

(d) Cultural links among world societies

► (c) An economic system that has emerged in the last 50 years

4. Who were the first people to link the world in ancient times and
why?

(a) Priests and pilgrims travelled vast distances for knowledge and
spiritual fulfilment
(b) Travellers, traders, priests and pilgrims travelled vast distances
for knowledge, opportunity, spiritual fulfilment or to escape
persecution

(c) Traders

(d) All the above

► (b) Travellers, traders, priests and pilgrims travelled vast distances

for knowledge, opportunity, spiritual fulfilment or to escape
persecution

5. The two evidences we have of India carrying on an active coastal

trade in ancient times are :

(a) Indians carried goods, money, skills and ideas abroad

(b) An active coastal trade, as early as 3000 BC, linked Indus Valley
Civilisation with present- day West Asia

(c) Both (a) and (b)

(d) For more than a millennium, cowries (a form of Indian currency)

found its way from

Maldives, to China and East Africa.

► (c) Both (a) and (b)

6. Why did MNCs begin to shift production operations to low-wage

Asian countries in the late 1970s?

(a) The industrial world was hit by unemployment from the mid-
1970s to the early 1990s

(b) Low wages in countries like China reduced the cost of

investments and made it easy for the MNCs to capture world
markets
(c) Both (a) and (b)

(d) New economic policies in China and collapse of the Soviet Union

► (c) Both (a) and (b)

7. Which of the following statements are reasons for the collapse of

the system of fixed exchange rate in the 1960s?

(a) The rising costs of its overseas involvements weakened the US

finances and competitive strength

(b) The US dollar no longer commanded confidence as the world’s

principal currency

(c) The US dollar could not maintain its value in relation to gold

(d) All the above

► (d) All the above

8. The ‘Bretton Woods’ twins are :

(a) The USA and Soviet Russia

(b) The two international banks — The IMF and the World Bank – set
up to finance post-war reconstruction

(c) The framework agreed upon by the United Nations Monetary and
Financial Conference

(d) All the above

► (b) The two international banks — The IMF and the World Bank –
set up to finance post-war reconstruction

9. Which among the following were considered as Allies Powers?

(a) Britain, France, Russia

(b) Germany, Austria - Hungary and Ottomon Turk

(c) Japan, France and Germany

(d) Britain, Japan and Russia

► (a) Britain, France, Russia

10. Who adopted the concept of an assembly line to produce

automobiles?

(a) T. Cuppola

(b) V. S. Naipaul

(c) Henry Ford

(d) Ramesh Sarwan

► (c) Henry Ford

11. What is Rinderpest?

(a) a person

(b) a disease

(c) a place

(d) monument

► (b) a disease

12. Which one of the following institutions was established in the

Bretton Wood Conference?

(a) International Security Fund

(b) International Monetary Fund

(c) Indian Monetary Fund

(d) International Labour Organisation

► (b) International Monetary Fund

13. Who made the best-cost cutting decision?

(a) Henry Ford

(b) James Watt

(c) James Ford

(d) None of these

► (a) Henry Ford

14. Which one of the following did not travel along the silk routes in
the pre-modern world?

(a) Christian missionaries

(b) Traders

(c) Tourists

(d) Muslim preachers

► (c) Tourists

15. Which of the following West Indies cricketers trace their roots to
indentured labour migrants from India?

(a) Vivian Richards and Gary Sobers

(b) Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo

(c) Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul

(d) Brian Lara and Courtney Walsh

► (c) Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul

16. Which among the following countries were considered as Axis

Powers during Second World War?

(a) Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy

(b) Britain, Germany, Russia

(c) France, Germany, Italy

(d) Britain, France, Russia and the US

► (a) Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy

17. Which one of the following is a Nobel Prize winning writer who is
a descendant of indentured labour from India?

(a) Salman Rushdie

(b) V. S. Naipaul

(c) Arundhati Roy

(d) Bob Marley

► (b) V. S. Naipaul

18. Which one of the following did not travel along the silk routes in
the pre-modern world?

(a) Christian missionaries

(b) Traders
(c) Tourists

(d) Muslim preachers

► (c) Tourists

19. The introduction of which of the following crops led to European

poor to eat better and live longer?

(a) Potato

(b) Spaghetti

(c) Tomatoes

(d) Soya

► (a) Potato

20. What is El Dorado in South America?

(a) It was the place where Columbus landed

(b) Where silver mines were located

(c) A fabled city of gold

(d) A famous slave market

► (c) A fabled city of gold