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History MCQ, Class-10th, Chapter-2, Nationalism in India
Geography MCQ, Class 10, Chapter-6, Manufacturing Industries
NCERT Based MCQ with Explanation:
1. What was the primary reason for the rapid expansion of cultivation in India during the colonial period?
(a) Population growth
(b) Improved irrigation techniques
(c) British encouragement of commercial crops
(d) Local demand for food
Explanation: The British promoted commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat, and cotton to meet Europe’s urban and industrial demands, leading to rapid agricultural expansion and significant deforestation.
2. How did the colonial view of forests as unproductive influence land use in the 19th century?
(a) Forests were preserved for biodiversity
(b) Forests were cleared for cultivation
(c) Forests were used for grazing
(d) Forests were left untouched
Explanation: The colonial state viewed forests as unproductive wilderness, encouraging their clearance for cultivation to generate agricultural revenue, resulting in extensive forest loss.
3. What was a major consequence of the forest laws on forest dwellers’ daily practices?
(a) Criminalization of wood collection
(b) Legalization of hunting
(c) Improved access to forest resources
(d) Increased grazing rights
Explanation: The Forest Act made everyday practices like collecting wood, grazing, and hunting illegal, forcing forest dwellers to steal resources and face harassment from forest guards.
4. Which community in Java was skilled in forest cutting and shifting cultivation?
(a) Santhals
(b) Mundurucu
(c) Banjaras
(d) Kalangs
Explanation: The Kalangs of Java were skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators, valued for their expertise in harvesting teak and building palaces, but resisted Dutch control in 1770.
5. What was the main purpose of the Indian Forest Act of 1865?
(a) To promote biodiversity
(b) To expand forest cover
(c) To encourage local resource use
(d) To restrict tree felling and grazing
Explanation: Introduced by Dietrich Brandis, the 1865 Forest Act restricted tree felling and grazing to preserve forests for timber production, enforcing scientific forestry.
6. Why were forests cleared for plantations during the colonial period?
(a) To meet Europe’s demand for commodities
(b) To support local communities
(c) To preserve forest ecosystems
(d) To create grazing lands
Explanation: Forests were cleared for tea, coffee, and rubber plantations to meet Europe’s growing demand, with colonial governments leasing land to European planters.
7. What was a significant impact of railway expansion on Indian forests?
(a) Enhanced grazing opportunities
(b) Massive tree felling for sleepers
(c) Increased forest conservation
(d) Reduced demand for timber
Explanation: Railways required 1,760–2,000 sleepers per mile, leading to extensive tree felling, with 35,000 trees cut annually in the Madras Presidency by the 1850s.
8. Who was appointed as the first Inspector General of Forests in India?
(a) George Yule
(b) Dietrich Brandis
(c) William Ward
(d) Surontiko Samin
Explanation: Dietrich Brandis, a German expert, was appointed India’s first Inspector General of Forests in 1864, introducing scientific forestry and formulating the Forest Act.
9. What was the colonial perception of shifting cultivation?
(a) Beneficial for biodiversity
(b) Harmful to forests
(c) A sustainable practice
(d) Essential for timber production
Explanation: European foresters viewed shifting cultivation as harmful because it prevented tree growth for railway timber and posed fire risks, leading to its ban.
10. Which forest product was used to make oil for cooking and lighting?
(a) Bamboo
(b) Tendu leaves
(c) Mahua seeds
(d) Sal seeds
Explanation: Mahua seeds were pressed to produce oil for cooking and lighting, a vital resource for forest dwellers, though restricted by colonial forest laws.
11. What was the primary reason for the disappearance of oak forests in England by the early 19th century?
(a) Timber demand for shipbuilding
(b) Agricultural expansion
(c) Urban development
(d) Natural disasters
Explanation: Oak forests in England were depleted due to high demand for durable timber for the Royal Navy’s shipbuilding, prompting timber imports from India.
12. How did the Forest Act of 1878 categorize forests in India?
(a) Reserved, protected, and village forests
(b) Urban, rural, and coastal forests
(c) Commercial, sacred, and tribal forests
(d) Timber, grazing, and plantation forests
Explanation: The 1878 Forest Act divided forests into reserved, protected, and village forests, with reserved forests being the most restricted, limiting villagers’ access.
13. What was a key feature of scientific forestry introduced by Dietrich Brandis?
(a) Banning all tree felling
(b) Encouraging local forest use
(c) Planting single tree species in rows
(d) Promoting diverse tree species
Explanation: Scientific forestry involved clearing diverse forests and planting single tree species in rows for efficient timber production, as implemented by Brandis.
14. Why did the British encourage the killing of large animals like tigers and wolves?
(a) To support local hunters
(b) To promote biodiversity
(c) To civilize India by eliminating threats
(d) To protect forest ecosystems
Explanation: The British saw large animals as signs of a primitive society and offered rewards for their killing, believing it would civilize India.
15. What was the blandongdiensten system in Java?
(a) A forest conservation policy
(b) Free labor for timber transport
(c) A tax on forest products
(d) A ban on shifting cultivation
Explanation: The Dutch introduced the blandongdiensten system, exempting villages from rent if they provided free labor and buffaloes for timber transport.
16. Who led the rebellion in Bastar in 1910?
(a) Birsa Munda
(b) Gunda Dhur
(c) Surontiko Samin
(d) Alluri Sitarama Raju
Explanation: Gunda Dhur, from Nethanar village, was a key figure in the 1910 Bastar rebellion against British forest reservation policies.
17. What was a major cause of deforestation between 1700 and 1995?
(a) Urban migration
(b) Forest conservation efforts
(c) Industrial uses and cultivation
(d) Natural forest regeneration
Explanation: Globally, 13.9 million sq km of forests were cleared from 1700 to 1995 for industrial uses, cultivation, pastures, and fuelwood due to industrialization.
18. How did forest laws affect nomadic and pastoralist communities?
(a) They were exempt from taxes
(b) They were given land ownership
(c) Their livelihoods were restricted
(d) They gained new grazing rights
Explanation: Forest laws restricted grazing and hunting, forcing nomadic and pastoralist communities like the Korava to lose traditional livelihoods.
19. What was the impact of the World Wars on forests in India and Java?
(a) Reduced demand for timber
(b) Reckless tree felling for war needs
(c) Increased forest conservation
(d) Expansion of sacred groves
Explanation: During the World Wars, forests were heavily exploited, with trees cut freely to meet British war demands, abandoning management plans.
20. What was a key reason for the Bastar rebellion in 1910?
(a) Reservation of two-thirds of forests
(b) Increased grazing rights
(c) Introduction of new crops
(d) Construction of railways
Explanation: The 1905 British proposal to reserve two-thirds of Bastar’s forests, banning shifting cultivation and hunting, sparked the 1910 rebellion.
21. What was the role of the Imperial Forest Research Institute?
(a) To train foresters in scientific forestry
(b) To promote local forest use
(c) To ban all forest activities
(d) To expand agricultural lands
22. How did villagers in Bastar protect their forests?
(a) By leasing forests to traders
(b) By engaging watchmen
(c) By banning all tree felling
(d) By planting commercial crops
23. What was a major source of income for forest dwellers?
(a) Hunting large animals
(b) Building railway tracks
(c) Collecting tendu leaves
(d) Selling tea and coffee
24. Why did the Dutch enact forest laws in Java?
(a) To restrict villagers’ forest access
(b) To promote local cultivation
(c) To encourage biodiversity
(d) To ban timber exports
25. What was Surontiko Samin’s argument against state forest ownership?
(a) Forests were for cultivation only
(b) Forests belonged to traders
(c) The state did not create natural resources
(d) Forests were sacred lands
26. How many sleepers were required per mile of railway track?
(a) 100–200
(b) 500–700
(c) 1,760–2,000
(d) 3,000–3,500
27. What was a consequence of banning shifting cultivation?
(a) Improved agricultural yields
(b) Forced displacement of communities
(c) Increased forest cover
(d) Enhanced timber production
28. Which forest product was used to convert skins into leather?
(a) Tendu leaves
(b) Mahua flowers
(c) Sal seeds
(d) Tannin
29. What was the outcome of the Bastar rebellion of 1910?
(a) Reduction of reserved forest area
(b) Increased land rents
(c) Complete forest reservation
(d) Banning of all rebellions
30. What was a key feature of taungya cultivation?
(a) Banning all forest use
(b) Temporary cultivation in plantations
(c) Permanent farming in forests
(d) Exporting timber to Europe
31. Why did the British view large animals as threats?
(a) They were sacred to locals
(b) They symbolized a primitive society
(c) They competed with livestock
(d) They damaged crops
32. What was the impact of colonial forest laws on hunting?
(a) Customary hunting was banned
(b) Hunting was legalized for all
(c) Hunting was promoted for locals
(d) All hunting was stopped
33. Which community in Bastar was involved in the 1910 rebellion?
(a) Dhurwas
(b) Santhals
(c) Mundurucu
(d) Kalangs
34. What was the purpose of the Imperial Forest School in Dehra Dun?
(a) To promote commercial farming
(b) To teach scientific forestry
(c) To train villagers in forest management
(d) To ban forest use
35. How did the colonial government view uncultivated land?
(a) As sacred to locals
(b) As needing improvement
(c) As valuable for biodiversity
(d) As untouchable resources
36. What was a major source of timber for railway sleepers in India?
(a) Bamboo forests
(b) Sal forests
(c) Oak forests
(d) Teak forests
37. Why did the Dutch follow a scorched earth policy in Java?
(a) To support local communities
(b) To expand plantations
(c) To prevent Japanese access to timber
(d) To promote rice cultivation
38. What was a key belief of the Bastar people regarding land?
(a) Land was for commercial use
(b) Land was given by the Earth
(c) Land belonged to the state
(d) Land was individually owned
39. How did forest communities adapt to new trade opportunities?
(a) By trading forest products
(b) By moving to cities
(c) By refusing to trade
(d) By banning trade
40. What was the impact of the Forest Act on women collecting fuelwood?
(a) They were paid for collection
(b) They faced harassment
(c) They gained legal rights
(d) They were banned from forests
41. Which crop was commonly grown in shifting cultivation in Central India?
(a) Millets
(b) Rice
(c) Wheat
(d) Sugarcane
42. What was the role of elephants in colonial forestry?
(a) Transporting villagers
(b) Clearing plantations
(c) Lifting heavy timber
(d) Guarding forests
43. Why did the British import timber from India in the 1820s?
(a) To support local economies
(b) To replace depleted oak forests
(c) To create plantations
(d) To build railways
44. What was the significance of the 1878 Forest Act amendment?
(a) It stopped timber exports
(b) It categorized forests into three types
(c) It banned all forest use
(d) It promoted local forest rights
45. How did the Baigas respond to the ban on shifting cultivation?
(a) They joined the forest department
(b) They moved to urban areas
(c) They petitioned the government
(d) They started plantations
46. What was a major reason for forest conflicts in the 1980s?
(a) Ban on commercial crops
(b) Expansion of grazing lands
(c) Exclusion of forest communities
(d) Overuse of sacred groves
47. Which forest product was used to make ropes?
(a) Mahua flowers
(b) Siadi creeper
(c) Tendu leaves
(d) Sal seeds
48. What was the outcome of Samin’s movement in Java?
(a) Ban on teak exports
(b) Increased taxes on villagers
(c) Widespread protests against Dutch policies
(d) Complete forest control by the Dutch
49. How many tigers were killed for rewards between 1875 and 1925?
(a) 80,000
(b) 10,000
(c) 150,000
(d) 200,000
50. What was the primary goal of scientific forestry?
(a) To support local economies
(b) To manage forests for timber
(c) To promote biodiversity
(d) To expand grazing lands