The Making of a Global World

Previous Years' CBSE Board Questions

3.1 The Pre-modern World
SAI (3 marks)
1. Explain any three effects of population growth in England in the later
eighteenth century. (2020) An
2. Food offers many example of long distance cultural exchange. Justify this
statement. (2017, 2016)
3. "Trade and cultural exchange always went hand in hand". Explain the
statement in the light of silk routes. (2016, 2014)
3.2 The Nineteenth Century (1815-1914)
MCQ
4. There were three important developments that greatly shrank the pre-
modern world. Identify the incorrect one from the following options: (2023)
(a) The flow of trade
(b) The flow of labour
(c) The flow of capital
(d) The flow of technology
VSA (1 mark)
5. Why big European powers meet in Berlin in 1885? (2018)
SAI (3 marks)
6. Describe any three economic hardships faced by Europe in the 1830s.
(2017)
7. Why did the industrialists and people living in cities of Britain forced the
government to abolish Corn Laws in the 18th century? Give two reasons. (AI
2016)
8. Trade flourished and markets expanded in the 19th century, but there was a
darker side to the process. Justify the statement. (2015)
9. What were the Corn Laws? Why were the Corn Laws abolished? What was
the result of the abolishing the laws? (2014)
10. How did Rinderpest become instrumental in subjugating the Africans?
(2014)
11. 19th century indenture had been described as a new system of slavery.
Explain the statement briefly. (2014)
12. Write any three factors responsible for indentured labour migration from
India. (2014)
13. What attracted the Europeans to Africa? Give any three reasons. (2014)
LA (5 marks)
14. Explain any five effects of the abolition of the Corn Laws. (2019 C)
15. "Indian trade had played a crucial role in the late nineteenth century world
economy." Analyse the statement. (2019)
16. Describe the impact of 'Rinderpest' in Africa in the 1890s. (AI 2019)
17. Describe the condition of indentured labour that migrated from India
during the nineteenth century. (2019)
18. Describe the contribution of indentured labours towards the cultural
fusion in emerging global world. (2017, 2014)
19. After 19th century, how did the indentured labourers discover their own
ways of survival? Explain? (2016)
3.3 The Inter-war Economy
VSA (2 marks)
20. State the names and countries of the two hostile groups that turned each
other in the First World War. (2023)
21. SAI (3 marks)
22. Elucidate any three factors that led to the Great Depression. (2017, 2016)
23. Explain the three impacts of the First World War on the British economy.
(2016)
24. Describe any three effects of the Great Depression of 1929 on the Indian
economy. (2014)
LA (5 marks)
24. Explain the impact of the Great Depression on Indian Weavers during the
early twentieth century. (2020 C)
25. Explain the effects of the Great Depression of 1929 on the Unites States.
(2015)
26. How did the Great Depression of 1929 affect the Indian trade? Explain.
(2015)
27. What were the main features of the First World War? (2014)
3.4 Rebuilding a World Economy: The Post-war Era
MCQ
28. Arrange the following in chronological order andchoose the correct option.
(2023)
I. The Bretton Woods conference established the International Monetary Fund.
II. The Second World War broke out between the Axis and Allied groups.
III. A car manufacturer Henry Ford adopted the 'Assembly Line Method' for
production.
IV. The Western economic organised themselves as a group - "The Group of
77".
(a) III, II, I and IV only
(b) I, II, III and IV only
(c) IV, III, II and I only
(d) IV. II, III and I only
VSA (2 marks)
29. Differentiate between Fixed and Floating exchange rate. (2023)
SAI (3 marks)
30. The multinational companies (MNCs) choose China as an alternative
location for investment? Explain the statement. (2016)
OR
China becomes an attractive destination for investment by foreign MNCs in the
19th and 20th century. Justify the statement. (2015)
31. Mention three reasons for the creation of International Monetary Fund and
the World Bank. (2015)
32. What is Group 77? Why did Group 77 countries demand a New
International Economic Order? Explain. (2014)
33. When was the Bretton Woods conference convened? State the main aim of
the conference. (2014)
34. The relocation of industry to low-wage countries stimulated world trade
and capital flows. Justify the statement. (2014)
LA (5 marks)
35. Explain the role of Bretton Woods institutions in post-Second World War
settlement. (2020)
36. Describe any five factors that led to the end of the Bretton Woods System
and the beginning of globalisation. (2016)
37. Explain the two key lessons learnt by economists and the politicians from
the economic experiences of the Second World War. (2014)
CBSE Sample Questions
3.3 The Inter-war Economy
MCQ
1. What helped in the colonisation of Asian and African countries? Identify the
correct statement from the following options.
(a) Intergovernmental policies for the expansion of trade.
(b) Governmental invite to the mother countries for expansion.
(c) Technology, investments and improvement in transport.
(d) Capitalists of these regions wanted trade with colonial powers. (2022-23)
VSA (2 marks)
2. Analyse any two factors that were responsible for the Great Depression in
America during 1929. (2022-23)

ANSWERS
Previous Years' CBSE Board Questions
1. (i) Due to pressure from industrialists, government was forced to remove
corn laws. Food was imported in Britain.
(ii) Demand on food grains increased as urban centres expanded.
(iii) Due to pressure from landed groups government restricted import of corn
by enacting corn laws.
2. (i) Traders and travellers introduced new crops to the lands they travelled.
(ii) It is believed that noodles travelled west from China to become spaghetti.
(iii) Arab traders took pasta to 5th century Sicily, an island now in Italy.
(iv) Many of our common food such as potatoes, soyabean, groundnuts, maize
tomatoes, chillies, sweet potatoes and so on were not known to our ancestors.
3. (1) The silk routes are a good example of vibrant pre- modern trade and
cultural links between distant parts of the world.
(ii) The name 'silk routes' points to the importance of west-bound Chinese silk
cargoes along this route. Precious metals - gold, silver, etc. flowed from Europe
to Asia. Chinese potteries, textiles from China and spices from India were
traded.
(iii) Various food item offer very good examples of long distance cultural
exchanges.
(iv) Christian missionaries, Muslim preachers and Buddhist monks travelled
through this route.
4. (d): The flow of Technology.
5. For partitioning Africa among themselves
6. The economic hardships faced by Europe in the 1830's were:
(i) Rise in food prices, a year of bad harvest left the country poorer.
(ii) The ratio of the rise of population was larger than that of employment
generation.
(iii) Migration of rural population to cities led to overcrowded slums.
(iv) Peasants suffered under the burden of feudal dues and obligations in
some regions in Europe.
7. Unhappy with high food prices, urban dwellers and industrialists forced the
abolition of the Corn laws. As the population in Britain grew in the late 18th
century the demand for food grains went up. This led to a spike in prices of
food. With the expansion of industries cities began expanding. This also led to
a rise in food demand. As the food prices rose there was social unrest. This
forced the government to scrap Corn Laws. Most of the industrialists and
landlords, also did not support Corn Laws, as these laws hindered free trade.
8. (i) In many parts of the world, these developments meant loss of freedom
and livelihoods.
(ii) Late 19th century European conquest brought about many destructive
economic, social and ecological changes in the colonies.
(iii) In Africa, in the 1890s, a fast-spreading disease of cattle plague or
Rinderpest had a terrifying impact on people's livelihoods and the local
economy.
(iv) The example of indentured labour migration from India illustrates that it
was a world of faster economic growth for some and great misery and poverty
for others. It led to technological advances in Europe but a new form of
coercion in Asia and Africa.
9. (i) The laws allowing the British Government to restrict import of corn is
known as the "Corn Laws".
(ii) These laws were abolished because the industrialists and urban dwellers
were unhappy with high food prices; as a result of which they forced the
abolition of the Corn Laws.
Result : Food could be imported into Britain at a much cheaper rate.
10. (i) The loss of 90% of the cattle destroyed African livelihood.
(ii) Planters, mine owners and colonial government now successfully
monopolised what little cattle resources remained, to strengthen their power
and forced Africans into the labour market.
(iii) Control over the scarce resource of cattle enabled European colonisers to
conquer and subdue Africa.
11. New system of slavery:
(i) Recruiting agents tempted the poor people by giving false information
about the nature of work, final destinations, living and working conditions,
mode of travel, etc.
(ii) Less willing workers were, at times, forcibly abducted by the agents.
(iii) On arrival at the plantations, when labourers found conditions to be
different, many of them escaped into the wilds while other developed new
forms of individual and collective self expression.
12. Factors responsible for indentured labour migration from India:
(i) In the mid-19th century, cottage industries declined, land rents rose, lands
were cleared for mines and plantations. This affected poor people because
they were highly indebted and were forced to migrate for work.
(ii) Temptations: As the agents provided false information about final
destinations, nature of work and living and working conditions, many poor
people were tempted to go and work.
(iii) In order to escape poverty or oppression at home and in villages, many
migrants agreed to work.
13. (i) Europeans were attracted due to the resources of land and minerals of
Africa.
(ii) They came to Africa to establish plantations and exploit mines.
(iii) African countries were militarily weak and backward. So, it was easy to
conquer them.
14. The British government abolished the Corn Laws that brought several
changes to the British economy. The effects of the abolition are as follows:
(i) The abolition of Corn Laws in England contributed to cheaper grain
imports in Britain.
(ii) British farming was unable to cope with inexpensive imports and vast land
was left uncultivated, leaving thousands of men and women unemployed. They
were flocking to towns or migrating abroad.
(iii) Higher sales due to industrialisation in England led to more food imports
and higher food production in Eastern Europe, Russia, America and Australia.
(iv) It increased the revenues and political influence associated with the
possession of land.
15. The role on Indian economy in the nineteenth century world economy can
be explained as follows:
(i) India was a major exporter of raw materials to Britain most importantly
items such as cotton, spices, indigo etc.
(ii) Indian markets were flooded with the British manufactured goods, giving
huge profits to the British companies.
(iii) There was a trade surplus for Britain while trading with India. This trade
surplus was used in many ways by Britain. This was used to pay for the private
remittances by the British officials.
(iv) Not only with Britain, India also traded with China mainly in opium.
(v) In the nineteenth century, thousands of Indian labourers went to work on
plantations in mines and in rood and railway construction projects around the
world as indentured labor.
16. Rinderpest or cattle -plague was the fast-spreading and devastating
disease of cattle. Rinderpest arrived in Africa in the late 1880s. It was carried
by infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed the Italian soldiers
invading Eritrea in East Africa. Entering Africa in the east, rinderpest moved to
the west like forest fire reaching Africa's Atlantic coast in 1892. It killed 90%
of the cattle on the way. It affected the Africans in following ways:
(i) 90% of cattle were killed.
(ii) The loss of cattle destroyed African livelihoods.
(iii) Earlier people rarely worked for a wage. They possessed land and
livestock. Due to Rinderpest, they were forced to work for wages and so it
affected the economy.
(iv) Colonial government forced the Africans into labor market.
(v) Thus, this worked as a gods gift to the colonizers as now they could easily
have cheap labor to meet their colonial needs.
17. During the nineteenth century indenture has been described as a "new
system of salvery".
(i) Agents tempted the poor people by giving false information about the
nature of work, living and working conditions, final destinations, modes of
travel, etc.
(ii) Less willing workers were at times forcibly abducted by the agents.
(iii) On the plantation, the working conditions were harsh and they had a few
legal rights.
(iv) They were beaten or imprisoned for not being able to meet tasks that
used to be very heavy or for running away from the job.
(v) Nominal medical attention was given to them and wages were deducted in
case of absence at work or failure to fulfill the task.
18. Indentured labour made a huge contribution towards cultural fusion.
(i) Cultural fusion is a phenomenon, which emerges when two or more
cultures inter-mingle and produce a new culture.
(ii) Indentured labourers used to live and work in very harsh conditions. This
forced them to seek new avenues of comfort and relaxation. This blended
different cultural forms.
(iii) Examples:
(a) Hosay: In Trinidad, the annual Muharram procession was transformed into
a riotous carnival called 'Hosay' in which workers of all races and religions
joined.
(b) Chutney Music: It is another creative contemporary expression of the post
indentured experience.
(c) Rastafarianism: The protest religion of 'Rastafariansim' is also said to
reflect social and cultural links with Indian migrants to the Caribbean.
19. (i) Initially the indentured labourers found it difficult to adjust to the harsh
living conditions of the plantation. But very soon they discovered new ways of
survival.
(ii) They developed new forms of individual and collective self expression,
blended art, cultural forms, old and new.
(iii) In Trinidad, the cultural Muharram Procession was transformed into a
riotous carnival called 'Hosay' in which workers of all races and religions
joined.
(iv) The protest-religion 'Rastafarianism' is also said to reflect social and
cultural links with Indian migrants to the Caribbean.
(v) 'Chutney music' popular in Trinidad and Guyana is another creative
expression of the post indenture experience.
20. Name and countries of two hostile groups are first group were Allies and
name of countries were Britain France and Russia Second Group were central
powers and countries were Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Turkey.
21. (i) Agricultural overproduction remained a problem and it was made
worse by falling agricultural prices.
(ii) As prices slumped and agricultural incomes declined, farmers tried to
expand production and bring a large volume of produce to the market but it
pushed down prices.
(iii) In the mid 1920s, many countries financed their investments through
loans from the US, it was extremely easy to raise loans in the US when the
going was good.
(iv) But in the first half of the 1920's, countries that depended crucially on US
loan faced an acute crisis.
(v) The withdrawal of the US loans affected the rest of the world in different
ways. In Europe, it led to the failure of small major banks and the collapse of
currencies, such as the British Pound Sterling.
22. (i) After the war, Britain found it difficult to recapture its earlier position of
dominance in the colonial market.
(ii) Due to finance the war expenditures, Britain had borrowed money from
the U.S. At the end of the war Britain was burdened with huge external debts.
(iii) The war had led to a huge increase in demand, production and
employment.
(iv) The government reduced bloated war expenditures to bring them at par
with peace time revenues.
(v) These developments led to huge job losses. In 1921, one in every five
British worker was out of work.
23. (i) India's exports and imports nearly halved.
(ii) As international prices crashed, prices in India also plunged.
(iii) Wheat prices in India fell by 50 percent.
(iv) Peasants and farmers suffered more than urban dwellers.
(v) The colonial government refused to reduce revenue demands.
(vi) India's peasants' indebtedness increased.
(vii) They used up their savings and sold jewellery and precious metals. The
Great Depression helped the urban people, especially the fixed income
earners.
24. Impact of Industrialisation on Indian weavers.
(i) Clashes between the weavers and Gomasthas.
(ii) Weavers were given punishment for delays in supply.
(iii) The weavers lost the space to bargain for prices and sell to different
buyers.
(iv) Received miserably low price from the company.
(v) Weavers of Carnatic and Bengal deserted villages and migrated.
(vi) Weavers along with village traders revolted against the company.
(vii) Few weavers closed down their workshops.
25. (i) With the fall in prices and the prospect of depression, the US banks also
slashed domestic lending and called back loans.
(ii) Farmers were unable to sell their harvests.
(iii) Faced with falling income, many households in the US could not repay
what they had borrowed, and were forced to give up their homes, cars and
other consumer durables.
26. The Great Depression affected the Indian trade in many ways.
(i) India's exports and imports were halved between 1928 and 1934.
(ii) As international prices crashed, prices in India also plunged.
(iii) Peasants and farmers suffered more than urban dwellers.
(iv) Peasants producing for the world market were the worst hit.
(v) Town-dwelling land owners and middle-class salaried employees found
themselves better off as everything cost less for them.
27. The main features of the First World War are as follows:
(i) The First World War (1914-18) was mainly fought in Europe. But its
impact was felt around the world.
(ii) It was fought between two power blocks - the Allies (Britain, France and
Russia) and the Central Powers
(Germany, Austria-Hungary and Ottoman Turkey).
(iii) It lasted for more than four years.
(iv) It was the first modern industrial war as it saw the use of machine guns,
tanks, aircraft, chemical weapons, etc. on a large scale.
(v) To fight the war, millions of soldiers had to be recruited from around the
world and most of them were
young men and men of working age.
(vi) Death and injuries reduced the able-bodied workforce in Europe.
(vii) Industries were restructured to produce war-related goods.
28. (a): III, II, I and IV
29. Fixed exchange rates mean that two currencies will always be exchanged at
the same price while floating exchange rates means that the prices between
each currency can change depending on market factors
primarily supply and demand.
30. (i) Since the revolution in 1949, China gradually came in the field of world
economy. It attracted the foreign MNC's because of its economic structure.
(ii) Wages were relatively low.
(iii) China has the largest population besides labour, that formed a larger
consumer base.
31. (i) The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank were created to
meet the financial needs of the industrial countries.
(ii) When Japan and Europe rapidly rebuilt economies, they became less
dependent on the IMF and the World Bank.
(iii) Thus, from the late 1950s the Bretton Woods institutions, WB and IMF,
began to turn their attention towards newly developing countries.
(iv) The newly independent countries facing problems of poverty came under
the guidance of international agencies dominated by the former colonial
powers.
32. As colonies, many of the less developed regions of the world had been part
of Western empires. As newly independent countries facing urgent pressures
to lift their populations out of poverty, they came under the guidance of
international agencies that was dominated by the former colonial powers. The
former colonial powers still controlled vital resources such as minerals and
land in many of their former colonies. Even the large corporations of other
powerful countries, for example the US, also often managed to secure rights to
exploit developing countries' natural resources very cheaply. At the same time,
most developing countries did not
benefit from the fast growth of the Western economies experienced in the
1950s and 1960s. Therefore, they organised themselves as a group - the Group
of 77 (or G-77) - to demand 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.
33. (i) The Bretton Wood conference was convened in July, 1944 at Bretton
Woods in New Hampshire, U.S.A.
(ii) Its main aim was to preserve economic stability and full employment in
the industrial world.
(iii) The conference established International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank).
34. (i) MNCs shifted their production units to Asian countries because of
cheap labour and low wages.
(ii) Availability of raw materials and a large market.
(iii) Effects: It stimulated world trade and flow of capital. Countries like India,
China and Brazil underwent rapid economic transformation. It generated
employment opportunities and introduced competition in the domestic
markets.
35. Role of the Bretton Woods Institution in Post-Second world war
settlement:
(i) It inaugurated an era of unprecedented growth of trade and incomes for
the western industrial nation
(ii) World trade grew
(iii) Incomes of people in western countries grew.
(iv) The growth was stable without fluctuations.
(v) The unemployment rate reduced
(vi) There was world wide spread of technology and enterprise.
36. The five factors are:
(i) Decline in economic power of the USA.
(a) US dollar no longer commanded confidence.
(b) US dollar could not maintain its value in relation to gold.
(c) Collapse of fixed exchange rates on floating exchange rates.
(ii) Change in the international finance: The International Monetary Fund and
the World Bank were created to meet the financial needs of the industrial
countries. International financial system changed, and developing countries
were forced to borrow from western commercial banks.
(iii) Unemployment in industrialised countries: Industrial world was hit by
unemployment. The number of unemployed started rising and people
travelled long distances looking for any work they could find.
(iv) Shifting to production enterprises: MNCs shifted their production units to
Asian countries because of abundant labour and low wages.
(v) Changes in China: China became an attractive destination for investment
by foreign MNCs.
37. The economists and politicians learnt two key lessons from the inter-war
economic experiences of the Second World War.
(i) First, an industrial society based on mass production cannot be sustained
without mass consumption.
(ii) There was a need for high and stable income which depends on full
employment of the people.
(iii) Since market alone could not guarantee full employment; government
should intervene and take steps to minimise fluctuation of market forces.
(iv) The second lesson is that the global economy is inter- related.
(v) The goal of full employment could only be achieved if governments had
power to control flow of goods, capital and labour.
CBSE Sample Questions
1. (c): Because Europe had enough technology so that it extract resources
from their colonial power and make their investments better in world trade.
Colonisational stimulated new investments improvements in transport e.g.
faster railways, lighter wagons and larger ships helped move food more
cheaply and quickly from far away farms to final markets. (1)
2. (i) Farmers could not sell their harvests, households were ruined and
business collapsed. Faced with falling income many households in the US
could not repay what they had borrowed, and were forced to give up their
homes, cars and other consumer durables.
(ii) US overseas loans amounted to over $1 billion in the first half of 1928.
Countries that crucially rely on US financing, facing a serious crisis. (2×1)