NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science Our Pasts 3 Chapter 1

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1

People, actions, decisions, encounters, and behaviours are studied in History. It’s an engaging subject because it encompasses themes that show the human condition in all its manifestations and have echoed throughout History: power, weakness, corruption, tragedy, victory, and so on. The fundamental goal of History is to serve as a focal point for a wide-ranging, tolerant, and intellectually rigorous discussion of our existence: our political institutions, leadership, society, economics, and culture.

History studies how things were in the past and how they have changed in modern times. .  History was  associated with names and dates. The Class 8 History Chapter 1- How, When, and Where is all about dates and  why dates are important  when studying History. NCERT Class 8 History Chapter 1 provides students with a glimpse  of  ancient  History and how people used to identify dates concerning specific events.

History is a vast subject, and some students find it very challenging to remember all the concepts. To help students with this problem, Extramarks has developed NCERT Solution Class 8 History Chapter 1. Extramarks leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing the best learning material with unmatchable speed and accuracy for students irrespective of the class and subject. 

 NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1  prepared by subject matter experts keeping in mind the latest CBSE updates regarding the examination pattern. These solutions are useful for both the teachers and the students, and they can be accessed anywhere without much hassle. It has gained  popularity among students because they are concise, accurate and to the point.

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Key Topics Covered in NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1

Mentioned below are the key topics that are covered in Key Topics Covered in NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1- How, When, and Where:

How important are dates?

  • –Which dates?
  • -How do we periodise?
  • -What is colonial?

How do we know?

  • –Administration Produces Records
  • -Surveys become important
  • -What official records do not tell

Let us look at Extramarks in-depth information on each subtopic in NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1- How, When, and Where.

How important are dates?

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 explains the importance of  dates in the following section.

Dates enthralled historians. History is about observing changes across time and determining how things were in the past and how they have changed. Battles and significant events were chronicled in History. However, it is mainly about rulers and their policies. Historians recorded the year a monarch was crowned, married, had a child, fought a specific war, died, and the year the following ruler ascended to the throne. Historians can choose the  exact dates for events like the one mentioned earlier.

Which Dates?

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 tells us which dates we consider essential in the following section.

The dates we choose and use to construct our historical narrative are unimportant. They become essential because we consider a specific collection of events to be noteworthy. The significant chapters of British India’s History were distinguished by the chronology of distinct characters’ lives. It’s to bring some structure to each chapter. It’s narrating  a tale in a way that makes sense and is simple to understand. .

How do we Periodise?

James Mill released- “A History of British India”, a three-volume masterpiece, in 1817. His book classified Indian History into Hindu, Muslim, and British periods. All Asian cultures, according to Mill, were less civilised than European societies. Before the British arrived in India, Hindu and Muslim despots dominated the country, according to his version of History. Social life was governed by religious intolerance, caste taboos, and superstitious customs. British dominion, he believes, has the potential to civilise India. British dominance symbolised all the forces of development and civilization in this vision of History. Historians classified Indian History into three periods: “ancient,” “mediaeval,” and “modern.”

What is Colonial?

Students will learn how the British conquered the nation and established their control, subjugating local nawabs and rajas, by reading this section of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1. They took control of the economy and society, gathered enough income to cover all of their needs, acquired what they desired at affordable rates, and grew the crops they needed for export and the resulting changes. In addition, they will study the changes in values, preferences, habits, and practises that British control brought about. Colonisation occurs when one country is subjugated by another, resulting in political, economic, social, and cultural changes.

How do we know?

Administration produces Records

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 emphasises  about the significance of records produced by the administration in this section.

The British strongly believed in the act of writing, which resulted in a culture of memoranda, notations, and reports. Essential documents and correspondence were also carefully preserved. In all administrative institutions, important records are kept. These documents were painstakingly copied out and elegantly written by calligraphists — individuals who specialised in the art of beautiful writing – in the early nineteenth century. Multiple copies of these documents were printed as proceedings of each government agency by the middle of the nineteenth century, thanks to the growth of printing that records were prepared and maintained..

Surveys become important

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 explains the importance of Survey and how this method gained popularity in the following section.

The technique of surveying gained popularity during the colonial government. By the early nineteenth century, the colonial government got extensive surveys to map the nation. Revenue surveys were done in the communities to learn about the terrain, soil quality, vegetation, animals, local histories, and cropping patterns. Every ten years, beginning at the end of the nineteenth century, Census operations were performed to compile detailed records of the number of people in all of India’s provinces, including information on castes, religions, and occupations. Among the many others are botanical, zoological, archaeological, anthropological, and forest surveys.

What official records do not tell?

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 discloses what the official records do not reveal. There were certain instances in our history that they could not afford to tell, fearing public revolt.

Official documents will not help us comprehend how other countries’ citizens felt or what motivated their conduct. Other than official documents, people’s diaries, pilgrims’ and travellers’ tales, autobiographies of notable figures, and popular pamphlets can be discovered. Printing was invented, newspapers were created, and public debates were held. Poets and novelists wrote to convey their feelings, while leaders and reformers wrote to propagate their beliefs. However, History and how the tribals and peasants, mine workers, and the destitute on the streets lived their lives cannot be described using these sources.

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 Exercises and Solutions

Extramarks are the number one solution for delivering quality content to students. Students can access materials like past year’s question papers, questions and answers, revision notes, additional questions, and tons of other stuff. All this and more for all the classes and competitive examinations.

Click on the  link given below to access  NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1:

  • Class 8 History Chapter 1: Very Short Answer Type Questions
  • Class 8 History Chapter 1: Short Answer Type Questions
  • Class 8 History Chapter 1: Long Answer Type Questions

By clicking here, students may access NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 and other chapters. In addition, students can also explore NCERT Solutions for other classes below.

By accessing NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1, students can easily understand all the concepts relating to History’s How, When, and Where.

Key Features of NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1

Students are often advised to go through the NCERT Solutions of the chapters to score well in the upcoming exams. NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science History Chapter 1 has been prepared in a systematic and organised manner so that  students can easily retain all the chapter concepts. Following are some of the reasons why should you choose Extramarks:

  • These solutions help students clear their doubts and practise  answer writing  within the timeframe so that students are confident and stress free . 
  • Not just retaining, these solutions help students comprehend the fundamentals of the chapter.
  • These solutions have been prepared to keep in mind  the CBSE curriculum and guidelines. 
NCERT Solutions Class 8 (History – Our Pasts) Chapter-wise List
Chapter 1 – How, When and Where
Chapter 2 – From Trade to Territory
Chapter 3 – Ruling the Countryside
Chapter 4 – Tribals, Dikus and the Vision
Chapter 5 – When People Rebel
Chapter 6 – Colonialism and the City
Chapter 7 – Weavers, Iron Smelters and Factory Owners
Chapter 8 – Civilising the “Native”, Educating the Nation
Chapter 9 – Women, Caste and Reform
Chapter 10 – The changing World of Visual Arts
Chapter 11 – The Making of the National Movement: 1870s-1947
Chapter 12 – India After Independence

Q.1 State whether true or false:

(a) James Mill divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim, Christian.

(b) Official documents help us understand what the people of the country think.

(c) The British thought surveys were important for effective administration.

Ans.

(a) True

(b) False

(c) True

Q.2 What is the problem with the periodisation of Indian history that James Mill offers?

Ans.

(i) In 1817, in his book A History of British India, James divided Indian history into three periods – Hindu, Muslim and British.

(ii) Mill thought that Asian societies were at a lower level of civilisation than Europe.

(iii) According to his division of Indian history, before the British came to India, Hindu and Muslim despots ruled the country.

(iv) He argued in the book that religious intolerance, caste taboos and superstitious practices dominated the social life of Indians.

(v) He believed that British rule could civilise India. To do this it was necessary to introduce European manners, arts, institutions and laws in India.

(vi) Though his periodisation, Mill suggested that the British should conquer all the territories in India to ensure the enlightenment and happiness of the Indian people. For India was not capable of progress without British help.

Q.3 Why did the British preserve official documents?

Ans.

(i) The British believed that the act of writing was important.

(ii) They wrote every instruction, plan, policy decision, agreement, and investigation clearly; the records were used properly for studying and debating.

(iii) This conviction produced an administrative culture of memos, notings and reports.

(iv) The British also felt that all important documents and letters needed to be carefully preserved.

(v) So they set up record rooms attached to all administrative institutions.

(vi) The village tahsildar’s office, the collectorate, the commissioner’s office, the provincial secretariats, the lawcourts – all had their record rooms.

(vii) Specialised institutions like archives and museums were also established to preserve important records.

Q.4 How will the information historians get from old newspapers be different from that found in police reports?

Ans.

(i) Historians gather information essential for writing history from various sources, unlike the police reports which deal with local incidents.

(ii) Apart from official documents in the archives, historians gather information from archaeological evidence, personal diaries of historical figures, travel accounts of pilgrims and religious scholars and autobiographies of important rulers.

(iii) Information gathered by historians from the newspapers focus on socio-economic aspects across the country, whereas the police reports focus on the criminal aspects of the local incidents.

(iv) Due to this difference in the perspectives, the information the police reports provide are different from for historical information.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. What is the best way for the students to grasp Chapter 1 of History Class 8?

History can be challenging for some students, mainly because it involves a significant amount of information that might be difficult to memorise. The easiest method to learn this chapter is to read it from the NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Social Science and highlight  important points and key words. Then, you must answer all the questions and check your answers using Extramarks NCERT Solutions.  Once you are done with all of this, go back to the chapter, and read the underlined concepts again for a quick revision.

2. What were the motives behind the British government's preservation of official documents?

The British used to save official records for the following reasons:

  • First, understanding the period’s social, economic, and historical background.
  • Anyone can access and utilise any information or proof from the preserved records for any judgement or conclusion.
  • For further information, look at the notes and reports that were made in the past.
  • The records that have been saved indicate how far the country has progressed in the past.

 

3. What are the benefits of studying History as per Chapter 1 of the Class 8 History textbook?

Students will be able to make wiser decisions  and  develop a critical and informed way of looking at the contemporary world. . In addition, students will learn how History has influenced their current lives and how laws  were created to provide justice to people and enhance your understanding to air your views on broader societal issues.

Similarly, History is filled with conflicts and religious heinousness. Students will begin to appreciate their current living situations after studying History. For many individuals, studying History entails examining the changes that occurred year after year, eventually leading to the contemporary world we see today. We explain things from the past through History, and it  shows us patterns that we might overlook now but that might lead to disastrous results if not addressed.