The history of India can be traced back to the time of the ancient Harappan civilization. Since then, the stream of history has been continuously flowing till today.
The Indus Valley civilization, the Aryan civilization, the Mauryan Age, the Gupta Age, the Sultanate period and the Mughal period have all been parts of this flowing stream one after the other.
WBBSE Class 8 History Chapter 1 Notes
Finally, the British came and established their rule in this country. India became independent in 1947 and since then India has been playing a significant role in world history.
The Idea of History Class 8 Summary
Nationalism is a feeling through which a nation’s traditions, aspirations, and recollections are manifested. A nationalistic feeling arises when a community begins to feel pleasure, pain, disgrace, or any other sentiment in religion, language, literature, and culture.
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This feeling mingled with patriotism constitutes the broader concept of nationalism.
When one country crushes the liberty and sovereignty of another country for self-interest and establishes its domination over that country, it is called imperialism. One country subjugates another with the help of this policy.
Colonialism refers to the policy of occupying land beyond one’s territory and subsequently establishing political and economic domination over it.
The land thus occupied is called a colony and the colonizing nation derives most of its resources from there.
Class 8 History Chapter 1 Conceptual Notes
Gradually it brings the regional residents of the colony under its control and thus begins to enjoy political supremacy apart from economic and commercial monopoly.
Battle of Bidara:
The Battle of Bidara took place between the Dutch and the English in 1759. After defeating the Dutch completely in this battle the British East India Company established a monopoly trade in India.
So the prospect of setting up a Dutch colony in India was terminated forever and so the Dutch gradually began to shift their trade centers elsewhere. The English later occupied two Dutch trading centers Negapatam (modern Nagapattinam) on the Coromandel Coast and Trincomalee in Ceylon and the Dutch traders now shifted to Indonesia.
Class 8 History Important Topics from Chapter 2
Battle of St. Thome or Mylapur:
The Battle of St. Thome took place between the Nawab of Karnataka Anwaruddin and the French army. This battle began as a legacy of the Anglo-French rivalry at the time of the First Carnatic War.
The Nawab was offended as both the European powers had started the war without taking his permission. The French general Dupleix tried to pacify him by promising to hand over Madras to him after occupying It.
However, Dupleix did not keep his word and so the battle began but Anwaruddin was defeated in the battle.
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Battle of Wandiwash: During the Third Carnatic War in 1760 the Battle of Wandiwash took place between the French army led by Count de Lali and the English army led by Sir Eyre Coote on 22nd January.
The French were forced to take shelter inPondicherry.
Taking advantage of the situation Sir Eyre Coote captured the French centers of Pondicherry, Mahe, and Jinzi.
Murshid Quli Khan:
The early name of Murshid Quli Khan was Muhammad Hadi and he was the slave of Ispahani. After Ispahani’s death, he joined the office of the Diwani in Berar.
When his fame reached Aurangzeb he was appointed the Diwan of Hyderabad in 1698 and the Diwan of Bengal in 1700. In the next year, he became the Faujdar of Murshidabad, Burdwan, and Midnapur.
When he deposited a revenue of one crore rupees as the Diwan of Bengal he was given the title of Murshid Quli by the emperor.
WBBSE Class 8 History Chapter 2 Notes
Shuja Ud Din:
Shuja ud din was the son-in-law of Murshid Quli Khan (the Nawab of Bengal) and succeeded his father-in-law as the Nawab. He divided Bengal into two parts for administrative convenience and appointed ‘Naibs’ there.
The Subah of Bihar was annexed to Bengal during his time. He was a just and impartial administrator and ruthlessly controlled the English and other European trading companies.
Alivardi Khan:
The real name of Alivardi Khan was Mirza Muhammad Ali. He came from Arabia and joined as an official in Shuja ud din’s court. Later he became the Naib Nazim and became the Nawab after defeating and killing Sarafraj Khan in the Battle ofGiriya.
During his reign, Bengal was attacked by the Maratha cavalry several times. He permitted the Europeans to carry on trade in Bengal but never exempted their taxes.
Class 8 History Chapter 2 Key Points
Clive:
Robert Clive was the commander in chief of the British East India Company. He established the company as a ruling power and began the victorious journey of the English by defeating Siraj ud-daullah.
He brought legal recognition to the company by winning the Battle of Buxar and obtaining the ‘Diwani’.
He first came to Madras in India in 1741 as the captain of the East India Company and showed his genius in the Anglo-French rivalry. He went back to England in 1753 and came again after two years. He finally returned to England in 1767.
Rise of Regional Powers Class 8 Summary
Dupleix:
Joseph Dupleix was the general of the French army. He joined the French East India Company at Pondicherry in 1720. After ten years he became the administrator of the headquarters of the French company and after some time the company appointed him the governor of the French colonies.
He showed his genius by winning the Battle of St. Thome but afterward, he was defeated by the British East India Company in the Anglo-French rivalry.
Cornwallis Code:
The Coe of Cornwallis was introduced in May 1793. In this case, Lor Cornwallis complies with and systematizes the laws. He made this code, particularly to increase the honesty, skill, and discipline of the government employees and so it was mandatory for all government employees.
Ruling the Countryside Class 8 Key Points
The Thugees:
During Lor Bentinck’s reign, the common people were greatly troubled by the criminal activities of a group of bandits called the Thugs or Thugees. Their main areas of operation were Delhi, Hyderabad, Ayohya, Rajputana and Bunelkhan. These thugees were finally suppressed by General Sleeman under the instructions of Lor Bentinck,
Haileybury College:
The British youths who were newly recruited into the Indian Civil Service were completely ignorant of the Indian languages, society, principles, and traditions.
However, this knowledge was very necessary for them to work among the Indians. Therefore, Haileybury College was established in England in order to train these youths.
Establishing Colonial Authority Class 8 Summary
William Jones:
The Company adopted a new educational policy during Warren Hastings’ tenure. A number of English schools and colleges as well as research centres were established as a part of the policy.
So William Jones set up the Asiatic Society in Kolkata in 1784. This society took the initiative of translating ancient Indian literature into English.
Jones felt that it would help in bringing about a better understanding between the educated Indians and the British people.
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William Carey:
William Carey was a Baptist Missionary as well as the Hea of the Bengali department of Fort William College. He wrote two books ‘Kathopakathan’ (1801) and ‘Itihas Mala’ (1812) in Bengali and also introduced a Bengali newspaper named ‘Samachar Area in Sreerampur.
He translates the Indian epics into English and also translates a part of the Bible into various Indian languages. He also wrote and published the Bengali grammar book written by Nathaniel Halhe.
While preaching Christianity, Carey also played a vital role in removing the ignorance of the Indians. He was the first Christian missionary to participate in the anti-Sati movement.
Panchasala System:
Warren Hastings restructured the revenue system of Bengal in 1772 and also abolished the dual government system during his Governor Generalship.
He toured Naia district as the Hea of the Mobile Committee in June 1772 and introduced a new revenue system which is known as the Panchasala or Ijaraari system. This was a system under which land was leased out for five years.
WBBSE Class 8 History Chapter 3 Notes
Baptist missionaries:
The Christian missionaries made a notable contribution to the spread of Western education in India. They set up educational institutions in different parts of India basically to spread Christianity but this indirectly helped in the spread of Western education.
Versions of the Bible in different Indian languages were published. About 10,000 students in India got the opportunity to receive Western education in about 126 schools.
Judicial Murer:
Maharaja Nana Kumar was hanged on the false allegation by the order of Elijah Impey, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. This incident is referred to as ‘Judicial murder.
Industrial Revolution:
Radical changes took place in the industrial production system and the general lifestyle of the people due to the use of advanced technology in the middle of eighteenth-century England and then spread to other countries of Europe. Several new machines and devices were invented at that time. This is called the Industrial Revolution
1. Muslin:
Muslin is a very fine cotton cloth woven by the weavers of Dhaka in undivided Bengal. Its texture was so fine and smooth that an entire saree could be folded and placed inside a matchbox.
2. Eksala System:
Warren Hastings allocated land to the Ijaradars every year. auction. This system was introduced in 1717 and was known as the ‘Eksala’ system.
Key Features of Colonial Economy Notes
3. Panchsala System:
Warren Hastings toured Nadia in June 1772 as the Chief of the Mobile Committee and introduced a new land revenue system. This was known as the Panchsala or Ijaradari system. Here the agreement was made for five years. The Amini Commission was formed in 1776 to evaluate the utility of this system.
Based on the commission’s report, the Company authorities replaced the Panchsala with the Eksala system, i.e. one-year agreement.
Impact of British Rule on Indian Economy Notes
4. Auction System:
The mediators who collected revenue sometimes used the auction system. Land was handed over to the highest bidder. Here the amount of revenue collected was variable.
The rate of revenue or ryot was newly determined every year. To avoid discrepancies, the Company introduced the permanent settlement system.
WBBSE Class 8 Colonial Economy Notes
5. New Mahajans:
Many city dwellers and traders bought lands permanently to become landlords but they were not acquainted with rural life or agricultural procedures. Naturally, they could understand the problems of the farmers.
They simply tried to extract revenue by hook or crook. Thus the farmers of Bengal became the victims of the new Mahajan.
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6. Tax Policy of the British Company :
The British company destroyed the indigenous industries through the establishment of the dual government system as well as by using inequal tax policies. They took tax concessions but imposed high taxes on Indigenous products and thus completed the destruction of Indigenous industries.
Important Definitions in Colonial Economy
7. Jewel of British Empire:
The British used the resources of colonial India during the Industrial Revolution. Since the time of the Sepoy Mutiny, they met all the administrative expenses from the revenue collected from India.
They sent the surplus wealth to England. They used India as a raw material supplier as well as a market for their finished products. Therefore, India was the most expensive jewel of the British Empire.
1. Ramkrishna Mission:
Swami Vivekananda and his associates founded Ramakrishna Mission on May 1, 1897. It aimed to reflect Guru Ramkrishnadev’s ideal of serving fellow beings as God. Ramakrishna Math and Mission members have been serving mankind irrespective of caste, creed, or religion till today.
The main center of the Mission is Belur on the banks of the Ganga and is popularly known as Belur Math. These institutions follow the Vedantas and recognize image worship. They serve society through schools, libraries, health centers, and orphanages established by them.
2. Academic Association:
Derozio founded a debate association named the Academic Association in 1828 at Sri Krishna Sinha’s garden house at Manicktala. Derozio was the president, and his student Umesh Chandra Bose was the secretary. This association was the first student organization in India.
At the various conferences of this association, discussions and debates on philosophy, history, sociology, casteism in Hindu society, untouchability, and idolatry were held.
Key Events of the 1857 Rebellion Notes
3. Damin IKoh:
The word Damin l Koh means a ‘hilly frontier province’. The Santhals, a tribal group who inhabited the forested areas of Bengal and Bihar, became victims of oppression by the landlords and moneylenders as a result of the introduction of the Permanent Settlement system.
So they left their original homes and shifted to Rajmahal Hills and a part of the forested area of Murshidabad. They cleared the forests and began to cultivate the land. They named this place of new settlement ‘Damin-i-koh’.
4. Munda Ulgulan:
The Munda Revolt that broke out in 1899-1900 was known as ‘Munda Ulgulan’. The land of the Mundas was being slowly taken away by outsiders. So the rebellion aimed at driving away the outsiders and establishing self-rule under their leader Birsa.
Millions of Mundas joined hands together and took the pledge of terminating the British domination over their land. The Ulgulan come to an end with the death of Birsa Munda and the cruel suppression of the revolt by the British.
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5. Nil Darpan:
The drama ‘Nil Darpan’ was written by Dinabandhu Mitra in 1858-59 on the backdrop of the Indigo Revolt in Bengal. It was translated into English by Michael Madhusudan Dutta. This translation revealed the torture and oppression meted out to the cultivators by the indigo planters.
6. Enfield Rifle:
In 1857 the British authorities decided that the sepoys would have to use the new Enfield rifle instead of the old ‘Brown base’ muskets. The outer shell of the cartridge of the Enfield rifle was made of the fat of cow and pig. The shells had to be bitten off before fitting the cartridge into the rifle. This enraged both Hindus and Muslims as this directly hurt their religious sentiments and they broke out into revolt.
WBBSE Class 8 Cooperation and Revolt Notes
7. Mopala Revolt:
Many Arabian traders lived on the Malabar coast in South India and their descendants were called Mopalas. The Mopalas were mainly agriculturists, small traders, and fishermen.
When the Zamindars imposed illegal taxes upon them and raised. the rate of revenue they became rebellious. The revolt of Theese Mopala peasants against the tyranny of the landlords in 1873-1896 is known as the Mopala Revolt. However, this revolt was suppressed by the army.
8. Sepoy Revolt in Meerut:
On May 10, 1857, some sepoys were speaking to the civilians near the army barrack in Meerut UP. On the day before, 85 sepoys were imprisoned and kept in chains by Colonel Carmichael Smith for refusing to use the Enfield Rifle.
At that time a regiment of white soldiers was marching toward the church. A young boy suddenly raised a hue saying ‘Whites are coming’, which created a misconception that the Whites were coming to imprison the Indian sepoys. This infuriated the civilians who joined the Indian soldiers and captured the arsenal as well as killed some British soldiers. Thus the sepoy revolt was triggered in Meerut.
9. Bamboo Castle:
The Wahabi Movement in Bl was led by Titu Mir or Titu Mian. He declared himself the ‘Badshah’ and began to carry on a parallel administration from a bamboo castle constructed at Narkelberia. This was at a distance of 10km from the Baduria police station of 24 Parganas.
His Prime Minister was Mainuddin, his Commander in chief was his nephew Ghulam Masum and Mishin Shah was the Chief of Espionage. William Bentinck sent the 10th infantry under Colonel Stuart to suppress Titu Mir. The army destroyed the Bamboo Castle and Titu was killed.
Understanding the 1857 Revolt
10. Shuddhi Or Purification Movement:
A split could be seen in the Honda society due to large-scale conversion. So Swami Dayanand, the founder of Arya Samaj tried to protect Hindu society from disintegrating.
He took up a purification program to reconvert the Hindus who had adopted other religions, to bring the non-Hindus into the fold, to resist the influence of other religions, and to build up a unified Indian society.
1. Economic Nationalism:
The Moderates criticized the British administration openly for the economic crisis in India. They said that India had gradually turned into land for supplying agricultural raw materials to Britain.
Again, India was being used as a market for selling goods manufactured in Britain. The agro-based economy of India was being used to protect the interests of Britain only. Consequently, the agriculture and industry of India were being destroyed.
The exponents of this ‘economic nationalism’ were Dadabhai Naoroji, Mahadev Govind Ranade, and Ramesh Chandra Dutta.
WBBSE Class 8 Nationalism Notes
2. Mitramela:
A new zeal entered the revolutionary movement of Maharashtra in the first half of the twentieth century. The pioneers of the movement were the Savarkar brothers Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Ganesh Savarkar.
They founded a secret revolutionary society named Mitramela in Nasik in 1899. Here the youths were initiated into the revolutionary ideals and given. martial training.
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3. Abhinav Bharat:
In 1904 Ganesh Savarkar renamed ‘Mitramela’ as ‘Abhinav Bharat’ in imitation of Mazzini’s ‘young Italy’. This society aimed at obtaining freedom through armed revolution.
They made branches in different parts of the country where training was given for physical fitness, mountain neering, and fighting with swords and sticks. The society also tried to infuse revolutionary ideals into the students.
4. Lal Bal Pal:
Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal were together known as ‘Lal Bal Pal’. All of them were nationalist leaders who believed in extremism. Punjab Kesari, i.e., Late Lajpat Rai had led the movement against Simon Commission.
Bal Gangadhar Tilak said, “Swaraj is my birthright and I will attain it.” The pioneer of passive resistance, Bipin Chandra Pal said, “Swaraj, cannot be donated or granted, it has to be attained.”
Key Events in the Rise of Nationalism Notes
5. Theosophical Society:
The word ‘Theosophy’ consists of two words ‘Theos’ (God) and ‘Sophia’ (knowledge). So it means ‘knowledge of God.’ This term was first used by the Greek philosopher Lamblicus in the 3rd century, AD.
The ‘Theosophical Society’ was first established in New York by Colonel H.S. Olcott and Madame H.P. Blavatsky in 1875. Then they established a branch of this society at Adiyar in Madras in 1886. Society became popular when Anne Besant joined it in 1889.
The theosophists who had deep faith in the Indian religion and philosophy tried to revive the ancient Hindu, Buddhist, and Parsee religions.
6. Ganapati and Shivaji Festival:
The basis of extremist nationalistic ideals of the Maharashtrian revolutionary leader Bal
Gangadhar Tilak was an ancient Hindu religion and history.
So Tilak took the initiative of converting the worship of Ganapati, which was prevalent among the Marathas, into a public festival named ‘Ganapati Utsav’ to inspire the youths with the ideals of revolutionary nationalism and to spread nationalistic ideals among the public.
He also organized the ‘Shivaji Utsav’ in 1895 to commemorate the matchless patriotism, strength of character, valor, and achievement of Shivaji, the pride of Maharashtra, and project him as a representative of the revolutionary movement.
Through this festival, he tried to inspire the ideals of patriotism, self-sacrifice, and armed revolution against the British among the people of Maharashtra.
7. Carlyle’s Circular:
Thomas Carlyle, the Chief Secretary of the British government issued a circular on 10th October 1905 to keep the Indian students aloof from the Swadeshi movement.
This is known as Carlyle’s Circular. According to this circular, punitive measures would be taken against students and universities who were involved in the movement.
Important Definitions Related to Nationalism
8. Silk Handkerchief Conspiracy:
Case: Mahendra Pratap built up a temporary independent Indian Government in Kabul.
Sheikh Mahamdul Hassan and Maulana Abdullah carried on an anti-British campaign from Kabul. They used silk. handkerchiefs as the medium of exchanging messages. This exchange was done through. symbolic script.
The British government filed the Silk Handkerchief Conspiracy Case against them and many of the revolutionaries were imprisoned.
9. Safety Valve Theory:
Many people think that Hume had tried to keep the educated section of society aloof from the anti-British revolts. So he tried to restrict the agitation against the British by establishing a political institution, i.e. the Indian National Congress.
Therefore, he had tried to use Congress as a ‘safety valve’ of the British Empire in India or as a preventive for destructive forces. This theory came to be known as the ‘Safety Valve Theory’.
1. Satyagraha:
The term Satyagraha is a combination of two words ‘Satya’ and ‘Agraha’. It was a new strategy introduced by Gandhiji in Indian politics. The gist of this ideal was to win over the adversary through non-violence and self-suffering and to obtain the faith of the opponent by conquering fear.
WBBSE Class 8 Nationalist Ideas Notes
2. Lahore Session of Congress:
The Lahore session of Congress held in 1929 was presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru. The working committee of the Congress decided that until India became independent 26th January would be celebrated as the symbolic independence day. Moreover, a strategy for launching a civil disobedience movement under the leadership of Gandhiji was also adopted in this session.
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3. Gandhi Irwin Pact:
After the first Round Table Conference the British became interested in signing a pact with the Congress. On noticing such a change in the attitude of the government Gandhiji agreed to enter into a discussion with Viceroy Lord Irwin. After a long discussion of fifteen days the Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed on March 5, 1931. Since it was signed in Delhi it was also called the Delhi Pact.
Short Notes on Evolution of Nationalist Thought
The terms of the pact were
4. Tinkathia System:
5. National Government of Tamralipta:
Tamralipta National Government was formed in 1942 in the Tamluk sub-division of Medinipur under the leadership of Satish Chandra Samanta. When the agricultural system of Medinipur collapsed in a cyclone this government extended a helping hand towards the sufferers.
The British government had not sent enough relief materials to the affected areas. The Tamralipta National Government took the initiative of distributing the surplus paddy of the rich persons among the poor. This government existed till September 1944.
Important Definitions Related to Nationalism
6. Nehru Report:
When the Simon Commission arrived in India on February 3, 1928, the Indian leaders expressed intense grudge against the commission and announced that they would formulate the future constitution of India by themselves. So in the all-party conference in Delhi in February 1928, a committee headed by Motilal Nehru (an ex-leader of the Swaraj Party) was entrusted with the responsibility of drafting the main policies to be included in the new Indian constitution.
This committee is known as the Nehru Committee. The reports submitted by the Nehru committee at the all-party conference in the Lucknow session of Congress in August 1928 are known as the ‘Nehru Report’ in history.
7. Kakori Conspiracy Case:
The members of the Hindustan Republican Association robbed a train at Kakori station near Lucknow on August 9, 1925, under the leadership of Ram Prasad Bismil and Chandrashekhar Azad.
They amassed huge government wealth to raise funds for their revolutionary activities. Forty-four revolutionists were arrested and the case which started against them came to be known as the Kakori conspiracy case. Ram Prasad Bismil, Rajendranath Lahiri, Sachindranath Sanyal, and three others departed for life and some others were sentenced to long-term imprisonment.
Key Features of Nationalism in India Notes
8. Corridor Warfare:
On December 8, 1930, Binoy Bose, Badal Gupta, and Dinesh Gupta attacked the Writer’s Building and killed Colonel Simpson (the notorious prison authority) and some other high officials.
Then a huge police force arrived from Lalbazar and firing and counter-firing continued for some time. This incident is known as Corridor Warfare.
9. Kabul Thesis:
Subhas Chandra left India and absconded to Kabul for a while. At that time he published a document containing an Eight-point agenda concerning his plans and objectives of the Forward Bloc. This document is known as the Kabul thesis. Some of the items on the agenda were
1. Communalism:
The word communalism has various connotations. In Bengali, it implies differences in religious views. In the mid-nineteenth century, communalism referred to the strong grudge that one religious sect bore toward another. People who believe in communalism think that the interests of people belonging to different religions are different.
Important Definitions Related to Communalism and Partition
2. Divide and rule policy:
The policy adopted by the British government to arouse racial and communal disunity and malice was called the divide-and-rule policy. The discriminatory policy of the British was responsible for the rise of communalism in Indian politics.
The shrewd British rulers thought that they could maintain their imperialistic rule in India by implementing a divide-and-rule policy since the country was already divided into so many castes, races, and religions.
3. Communal division and the separate electorate:
The British Prime Minister Ramsay Macdonald introduced the Communal Award on August 16, 1932, to create a rift in the unity of the Indians.
WBBSE Class 8 Communalism to Partition Notes
The main objective was to weaken the national movement. It was a package in which the Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Anglo-Direct Indians were given separate electorates.
Again, the backward Hindus were also regarded as a separate minority group. In this way, an attempt was made to destroy the unity of the Hindus. The declaration of the Communal Award made the communal issue more complicated.
4. Muslim League:
The Mohammedan Educational Conference was organized in 1906 under the leadership of Nawab Vikar ul Mulk.
At this conference, the All India Muslim League was founded in the presence of 8000 representatives. Aga Khan became the first president of the League.
Mohsin ul Mulk and Vikar ul Mulk were elected as joint secretaries. The emergence of the League gave rise to the dual nation concept. In later years the activities of the League paved the way for the division of India and the separate state of Pakistan was created.
5. Hindu Mahasabha:
The All India Hindu Mahasabha was founded on April 9, 1915, at Haridwar during Kumbhamela by the efforts of Madan Mahan Malviya.
Other associated members were Bhai Paramananda, Munje, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Ashutosh Mukherjee, Motilal Ghosh, Lala Hansraj, Munshiram (Swami Shraddhananda) Rambhuj Dutta and Bhagwan Dutta. This organization was founded to safeguard the interests of the Hindus.
6. Direct action:
Congress finally accepted the proposal of the Cabinet Mission and agreed to join the ‘Interim Government’. Viceroy Lord Wavell invited Jawaharlal Nehru to form the cabinet.
This offended the Muslim League and they decided to protest under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Muslim League called upon the Muslim society to observe August 16, 1946, as the Direct Action Day against the government. Though it was called against the government it practically turned into a fratricidal riot against the Hindus.
Key Events Leading to Partition Notes
7. The Great Calcutta Killing (Calcutta Riot):
Viceroy Wavell invited Jawaharlal Nehru to form the cabinet on August 12, 1946.
As a protest against this, under the leadership of Jinnah, the Muslim League called upon the Muslims to observe August 16 as a Direct Action Day against the government. At that time, the cabinet minister in Kolkata was led by Surahwardi.
Under his instigation, a massacre was committed in Bengal while the police and administration remained completely neutral. The situation continued for four days. Just in Kolkata, 6000 people were killed and 20000 women were raped The Statesman referred to this incident as the ‘Great Calcutta Killing”.
8. Radcliff Line:
In 1947, the National Congress and Muslim League accepted Mountbatten’s plan of partition. Two frontier commissions were set up to divide Bengal and Punjab.
The British lawyer Cyril Radcliff was the President of the Commission. He prepared a map showing the partition of India and this is called Radcliff Line. However, it was done irresponsibly since he did not have clear knowledge about the frontier of India.
The map was erroneous because Radcliff did not take the opinion of the inhabitants of Bengal and Punjab and did the work in a great hurry.
1. Constitution of India:
India became independent on August 15, 1947. A Constituent Assembly was formed on December 9, 1946, to draft the Constitution of independent India.
After a discussion of almost three years, the draft was accepted in the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. It came into force on January 26, 1950.
The original draft contained one preamble, 39 articles, and 8 schedules. After repeated amendments, it now has 407 articles, many sub-articles, and 12 schedules.
2. Republic Day:
January 26, 1950, was declared as the Republic Day of India. It was on this day that the Constitution came into force.
On this day India ceremonially became a sovereign, democratic state. So it is a very important day for the Indians and every year it is celebrated as Republic Day.
Important Definitions Related to the Indian Constitution
3. Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act:
In society, women often fall prey to deprivation and torture. So the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act was passed in 2005 to protect women.
By this law, women can appeal to the judicial magistrate for protection in case of torture or assault. They can also appeal to the District Protection Officer. In this case, the mentally and financially oppressed women can avail themselves of free legal aid.
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4. Right to Freedom of Religion:
The present Indian Constitution contains six fundamental rights of which the Right to Freedom of Religion is an important one. This right is contained in Articles 25 to 28 of the Constitution.
According to Article 26, every religious community can carry its religious rituals and practices within the fold of its religion, and acquire and use movable and immovable properties.
According to Article 27, no person can be compelled to pay tax for the maintenance, supervision, or spread of any particular religion or religious community.
According to Article 28, no religious lessons or subjects can be taught in governmental educational institutions. However, private institutions don’t need to follow this.
5. Impeachment:
Impeachment is the process by which the President of India is removed from the post before the completion of a tenure of five years on a charge of violating the Constitution.
The written approval of two-thirds of the total members of Lok Sabha and Raj Sabha is necessary for the impeachment of a President.
WBBSE Class 8 Constitution of India Notes
6. Directive Principles:
Articles 36 to 51 in Part IV of the Constitution contain some principles instructing the government regarding the administration of the state.
These are called Directive Principles of State policy. Initially, there were 13 such principles but now there are 17. Some of them are
The main objective of these principles is to convert India into a public welfare state. Some people say that the main objective is to proceed toward the formation of a socialist state.
Understanding the Indian Constitution
7. Local Self-Government System:
The responsibility of administration can be decentralized through the local self-government system. It paves the way for individual development.
In India, there are two types of local self-government rural and municipal. In the villages, Gram Panchayat is the lowest unit of local self-government.
It is supervised by Panchayat Samity which is again supervised by Zilla Parishad. In the cities, the unit for local self-administration is the municipal corporation.
Key Features of the Indian Constitution Notes
7. Mandal Commission:
According to Article 380, the President can appoint a commission for the development of backward classes.
In 1978 a commission was appointed for the development of OBC people named Mandal Commission as its chairman was Shri Vindeshwari Prasad Mandal.
On the recommendation of this Commission, the government declared a reservation of 27% for the people of Other Backward Classes (OBC).