The Making of a Global World explains how trade, migration, technology, colonialism and capital connected societies across continents.
These NCERT Solutions help Class 10 students write clear answers on global exchanges, the Great Depression, Bretton Woods and G-77.
The Making of a Global World is Chapter 3 of Class 10 History from India and the Contemporary World-II. It is important for CBSE 2026 Social Science exams because questions often ask students to connect economic events with their social impact. These NCERT Solutions Class 10 Social Science India And The Contemporary World Chapter 3 answers follow the 2026-27 NCERT exercise and explain every question in exam-ready language. Students can revise the silk routes, food travels, colonisation of America, Corn Laws, rinderpest, indentured labour, the Great Depression, Bretton Woods institutions and G-77 through direct answers.
Key Takeaways
- Globalisation: Long-distance trade, migration, capital movement and technology connected societies long before the modern period.
- Nineteenth-century economy: Trade, labour migration and capital flows created a global economic system.
- Great Depression: India’s exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934.
- Bretton Woods system: The IMF and World Bank were created to support post-war economic stability.
NCERT Solutions Class 10 Social Science India And The Contemporary World Chapter 3 Structure 2026
| Exercise Type |
Main Area |
Question Count |
| Write in brief |
Global exchanges, disease, Corn Laws, rinderpest, Bretton Woods |
5 |
| Discuss |
Indentured labour, three flows, Great Depression, G-77 |
4 |
| Project |
Gold and diamond mining in South Africa |
1 |
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 History Chapter 3 Exercise
The NCERT exercise checks how students understand global links across time. Good answers should include examples from Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe and India.
Q1. 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: Two examples of global exchanges before the seventeenth century were silk route trade from Asia and food crop exchange from the Americas.
Example from Asia:
The silk routes linked Asia with Europe and northern Africa. Chinese silk, Chinese pottery, Indian textiles and spices travelled through these routes. Gold and silver moved from Europe to Asia in return.
Example from the Americas:
Foods such as potatoes, maize, tomatoes, chillies, groundnuts and sweet potatoes came from the Americas. These crops later spread to Europe and Asia after the voyages of Christopher Columbus.
These exchanges show that goods, food, culture and ideas travelled across long distances before modern globalisation.
Q2. 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 helped Europeans colonise the Americas by destroying large parts of the native population.
Before European contact, America had remained isolated from the rest of the world for millions of years. Its original inhabitants had no immunity against diseases brought by Europeans. Smallpox became the most powerful disease carried by Spanish conquerors.
Smallpox spread deep into the continent even before many Europeans reached those areas. It killed entire communities and weakened resistance against European conquest.
European military power mattered, but disease helped them conquer America faster. Guns could be captured and used against invaders, but native communities could not fight smallpox without immunity.
Class 10 History Chapter 3 The Making of a Global World Short Answers
These answers cover the direct NCERT “Write in brief” section. Each answer gives cause, effect and textbook-specific examples.
Q3(a). Write a note to explain the effects of the British government’s decision to abolish the Corn Laws.
Answer: The abolition of the Corn Laws allowed cheap food imports into Britain.
After the Corn Laws were scrapped, food could be imported at lower prices than it could be produced in Britain. British agriculture could not compete with imported food. Large areas of land were left uncultivated.
Thousands of agricultural workers lost jobs. Many moved to cities for work, while others migrated overseas. Food prices fell, consumption increased and Britain became more dependent on imported food.
This decision also encouraged global agricultural expansion in Eastern Europe, Russia, America and Australia.
Q3(b). Write a note to explain the effects of the coming of rinderpest to Africa.
Answer: Rinderpest destroyed cattle and damaged African livelihoods in the 1890s.
Rinderpest was a cattle disease that entered Africa through infected cattle imported from British Asia. It spread rapidly from East Africa to the Atlantic coast and later to the Cape.
The disease killed about 90% of African cattle. Since land and livestock supported African livelihoods, the loss of cattle created severe economic distress.
European planters, mine owners and colonial governments controlled the remaining cattle. This forced many Africans into wage labour on plantations and mines. Rinderpest helped colonial powers strengthen control over Africa.
Q3(c). Write a note to explain the effects of the death of men of working-age in Europe because of the World War.
Answer: The death of working-age men during the First World War damaged Europe’s workforce and family incomes.
The First World War killed about 9 million people and injured about 20 million. Most of the killed and injured were men of working age. This reduced the able-bodied workforce in Europe.
Many families lost earning members, so household incomes declined. Industries and societies had to reorganise during and after the war.
As men went to battle, women took up jobs earlier done by men. The war changed work patterns and created long-term economic hardship in Europe.
Q3(d). Write a note to explain the effects of the Great Depression on the Indian economy.
Answer: The Great Depression deeply affected India’s trade, prices and rural economy.
India’s exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934. International prices crashed, so prices in India also fell. Wheat prices in India fell by 50% between 1928 and 1934.
Peasants suffered more than urban dwellers. Agricultural prices fell sharply, but the colonial government did not reduce revenue demands. Jute producers in Bengal were badly affected because gunny exports collapsed and raw jute prices fell by more than 60%.
Peasants used savings, mortgaged land and sold jewellery to survive. Rural distress increased when Gandhi launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931.
Q3(e). Write a note to explain the effects of the decision of MNCs to relocate production to Asian countries.
Answer: The relocation of production by MNCs to Asian countries changed world trade and capital flows.
From the late 1970s, multinational corporations shifted production to low-wage Asian countries. Countries like China became attractive because wages were low and production costs were lower.
This helped MNCs produce goods cheaply and sell them in global markets. It also increased foreign investment in Asian economies.
The relocation of industries stimulated world trade and capital movement. It also transformed the economic geography of the world, especially as countries like China, India and Brazil grew rapidly.
The Making of a Global World Class 10 Questions and Answers
The long-answer section needs clear explanation with historical examples. These answers are useful for 5-mark CBSE-style questions.
Q4. Give two examples from history to show the impact of technology on food availability.
Answer: Technology improved food availability by making production, transport and preservation easier.
Example 1: Railways and steamships
In the nineteenth century, railways connected agricultural regions with ports. Steamships carried food across oceans. This helped Britain import cheap food from faraway regions such as America and Australia.
Example 2: Refrigerated ships
Before the 1870s, live animals were transported from America to Europe. Many animals died, became ill or lost weight during the journey. Meat remained expensive for poor Europeans.
Refrigerated ships changed this system. Animals were slaughtered in America, Australia or New Zealand, and frozen meat was transported to Europe. This reduced costs and made meat available to more people.
Technology made food cheaper, faster to transport and easier to preserve.
Q5. What is meant by the Bretton Woods Agreement?
Answer: The Bretton Woods Agreement refers to the post-war international economic framework created in 1944.
The agreement was made at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, USA. Its aim was to preserve economic stability and full employment after the Second World War.
The agreement created two institutions. The International Monetary Fund dealt with external surpluses and deficits of member nations. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, known as the World Bank, financed post-war reconstruction.
The Bretton Woods system was based on fixed exchange rates. National currencies were pegged to the US dollar, and the dollar was linked to gold at $35 per ounce.
NCERT Solutions Class 10 India and the Contemporary World-II Chapter 3 Discuss Answers
The “Discuss” questions test explanation, imagination and application. These answers include historical detail with student-friendly structure.
Q6. 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:
Dear family,
I hope you are safe in the village. I am writing from a plantation in the Caribbean. When I left India, the agent told me that I would get good work, better wages and a chance to return after five years. Many things here are different from what we were promised.
The sea journey was long and frightening. I did not know that I would have to travel so far from home. On the plantation, the work is very hard. We have to work for long hours, and the overseers treat us harshly. If the work is considered unsatisfactory, wages are cut. Some workers are punished.
Many labourers here are from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, central India and Tamil Nadu. We miss our homes, language, festivals and families. Still, we try to survive together. We sing old songs, celebrate festivals and share stories from India. Muharram has become a large procession called Hosay, in which people of many races and religions join.
I feel lonely, but I hope to return when my contract ends.
Your loving son
Q7. 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: Economists identify three types of flows in international economic exchange: trade, labour and capital.
- Flow of trade:
This refers to the movement of goods between countries. India exported raw materials such as cotton, indigo and opium in the nineteenth century. British manufactured goods entered the Indian market in large quantities.
- Flow of labour:
This refers to the migration of people in search of work. Indian indentured labourers migrated to the Caribbean, Mauritius, Fiji, Ceylon, Malaya and Assam plantations. They worked under harsh contracts and had few legal rights.
- Flow of capital:
This refers to the movement of money for investment. Indian bankers such as Shikaripuri Shroffs and Nattukottai Chettiars financed export agriculture in Central and Southeast Asia. They used their own funds and borrowed from European banks.
These three flows show how India became part of the nineteenth-century global economy.
Q8. Explain the causes of the Great Depression.
Answer: The Great Depression was caused by agricultural overproduction, falling prices and the withdrawal of US loans.
- Agricultural overproduction:
After the First World War, agricultural production expanded in many countries. This created excess supply in the market.
- Falling agricultural prices:
When prices fell, farmers tried to produce more to maintain income. This worsened the glut and pushed prices even lower. Farm produce rotted because there were not enough buyers.
- Dependence on US loans:
Many countries borrowed money from the US in the 1920s. When US lenders panicked, they reduced overseas lending sharply. Countries dependent on US loans faced severe crisis.
- Collapse of banks and businesses:
In the US, banks called back loans and reduced lending. Households could not repay loans, businesses collapsed and thousands of banks closed.
- Fall in world trade:
The US doubled import duties to protect its economy. This damaged world trade further and spread the crisis across countries.
The Great Depression became a global crisis because economies were already closely connected.
Q9. 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 refers to a group of developing countries that demanded a New International Economic Order.
After the Second World War, many Asian and African colonies became independent. These new nations faced poverty, lack of resources and underdeveloped economies. The IMF and World Bank were created mainly for the needs of industrial countries.
As Europe and Japan recovered, the Bretton Woods institutions shifted attention towards developing countries. However, these institutions were dominated by former colonial powers and Western industrial nations. The US had strong control over key decisions.
Developing countries felt that they needed real control over their resources and fairer terms in world trade. So they formed G-77 and demanded a New International Economic Order.
They wanted:
- Control over their natural resources.
- More development assistance.
- Fairer prices for raw materials.
- Better access for manufactured goods in developed markets.
G-77 was a reaction against the unequal economic order shaped by the Bretton Woods twins.
Class 10 Social Science History Chapter 3 NCERT Solutions: Important Concepts
The chapter shows that globalisation was shaped by trade, migration, technology, disease, empire and finance. These concepts help students write stronger answers.
Pre-modern Global Exchanges
Pre-modern global exchanges included goods, ideas, religions, food crops and diseases.
Silk routes linked Asia with Europe and northern Africa. Traders carried Chinese silk, Indian textiles, spices and pottery. Missionaries, Muslim preachers and Buddhist ideas also travelled through these routes.
Food crops also moved across continents. Potatoes, maize, tomatoes and chillies came from the Americas and changed diets in Europe and Asia.
The Nineteenth-century World Economy
The nineteenth-century world economy was built through trade, labour movement and capital flows.
Britain’s demand for food led to agricultural expansion in America, Australia, Russia and Eastern Europe. Railways, harbours, settlements and ships were built to support this trade. Capital flowed from London, and labour migrated to regions where workers were needed.
By 1890, a global agricultural economy had taken shape.
Colonialism and the Global Economy
Colonialism connected colonised societies to the world economy through force and control.
European powers divided Africa among themselves in the late nineteenth century. Colonised societies lost control over land, labour and resources. Rinderpest in Africa and indentured labour migration from India show the painful side of globalisation.
Indian Trade Under Colonialism
India shifted from exporting manufactured textiles to exporting raw materials under British rule.
Fine Indian cottons once had a strong market in Europe. After industrialisation in Britain, tariffs restricted Indian textile imports into Britain. British manufactured cloth entered India, while India exported raw cotton, indigo and opium.
India also helped Britain balance trade deficits with other countries through Britain’s trade surplus with India.
The Making of a Global World NCERT Solutions: Important Dates
Dates help students understand the sequence of global economic changes. These events are useful for quick revision.
| Year/Period |
Event |
Importance |
| Before 15th century |
Silk routes flourished |
Connected Asia, Europe and North Africa |
| Mid-1840s |
Irish Potato Famine |
Showed dependence on imported food crops |
| 1834 |
Indentured labour expanded after slavery ended |
Indian workers migrated to plantations |
| 1885 |
Berlin Conference |
European powers divided Africa |
| 1929 |
Great Depression began |
World production, trade and employment fell |
| 1944 |
Bretton Woods Conference |
IMF and World Bank were established |
NCERT Class 10 History Chapter 3 Solutions: Important Terms
Important terms in this chapter often appear in short-answer and source-based questions. Learn them with examples.
| Term |
Meaning |
Example |
| Globalisation |
Growing interconnection of economies and societies |
Trade, migration and capital flows |
| Indentured labour |
Contracted labour for a fixed period |
Indian workers in Caribbean plantations |
| Rinderpest |
Cattle plague |
Killed 90% of African cattle |
| Tariff |
Tax on imports |
British tariffs on Indian textiles |
| Exchange rate |
Rate linking national currencies |
Fixed rates under Bretton Woods |
Making of a Global World Class 10 NCERT Solutions: India-focused Revision
India appears throughout the chapter as a key part of global trade, labour and finance. These points help students add India-specific detail in CBSE answers.
India and Pre-modern Trade
The Indian subcontinent was central to Indian Ocean trade. Goods, people, customs and knowledge moved through its ports and sea routes.
Indian textiles and spices travelled through the silk routes. Cowries from the Maldives also moved to China and East Africa.
India and Indentured Labour
Hundreds of thousands of Indians migrated as indentured labourers in the nineteenth century.
Most workers came from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, central India and dry districts of Tamil Nadu. They went to Trinidad, Guyana, Surinam, Mauritius, Fiji, Ceylon, Malaya and Assam.
India and the Great Depression
The Great Depression hit Indian peasants hard.
Exports and imports nearly halved between 1928 and 1934. Wheat prices fell by 50%. Jute producers in Bengal suffered when gunny exports collapsed.
India and Globalisation After the 1970s
The relocation of production to low-wage Asian countries transformed the world economy.
India, China and Brazil underwent rapid economic transformation as world trade and capital flows increased. This marked a new phase of globalisation.
Useful Links for NCERT Solutions Class 10 Social Science India and the Contemporary World