WBBSE Class 10 History Chapter 1 Ideas Of History Long Answer Questions

Chapter 1 Ideas Of History Topic A Analytical Answer Type Questions

Diverse Aspects of the Study of Modern Historiography

Question 1: Discuss the ramifications of historical discussions in recent times.’ Or, Mention the diverse aspects of historical discussions in modem times.
Answer:

The ramifications of historical discussions in recent times:

Earlier the discussion of history included only the tales of royal families, the rise and fall of dynasties, the exploits of heroes and generals, the lifestyle of the upper classes, and so on. However, in recent times the study of history has become more interesting and diversified due to the inclusion of several new topics. These are as follows—

(1)Activities of kings: History still continues. to discuss wars, conquests, the establishment of peace, treaties, the rise and fall of dynasties, etc.

(2)Discussion about the elite class: The discussion about the aristocrats, landlords, feudal lords, etc., still constitutes an important part of historical discussion.

(3)Discussion about the common people: Though the lifestyle, food habits, dress, art and culture, sports, environment, etc-., of the common people were neglected in earlier times, nowadays these aspects of common life have found much importance.

(4)Local History: Nowadays much importance is being given to the study of local and regional history. So the people of all continents, countries, cities, and villages have now been included in the purview of history.

(5)History of science: The study of history also includes the continuous development of science, technology, and medical science since ancient times.

Question .: What do you understand by history? What were the topics discussed In the previous century?
Answer:

History:

The term ‘history’ refers to the ‘tales of the past’. So history includes the study of the society, politics, economics, and religion of the prehistoric as well as the historic ages. Earlier the study of history was confined to the upper classes of society and the most significant social, political, and religious events. These included—

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1. Stories of kings and princes: In earlier times one of the most important topics of discussion was the rise and fall of various dynasties, wars, conquests, successes and failures of brave generals and heroes, and so on.
2. Story of classes: In the last century matters concerning the lifestyle of the nobles, aristocrats, local lords landlords, and ruling classes constituted the main subject of discussion.
3. Religious matters: In the earlier century one of the main topics of discussion was the different religious activities of the people.
4. Political events: The various significant political events of the past found a place in, the historical discussion in earlier times. Imperialism, colonialism, and the spread of western ideas easily became the topics of discussion.
5. Disasters: The various disasters of the past including floods, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, and massive loss of lives also came up for historical discussions.

Question: 2 What do you understand by the term history? What were the topics of the historical discussion in the previous century?
Answer:

History

The term ‘history’ refers to the ‘tales of the past’. So history includes the study of the society, politics, economics, and religion of the prehistoric as well as the historic ages. Earlier the study of history was confined to the upper classes of society and the most significant social, political, and religious events. These included—

1. Stories of kings and princes: In earlier times one of the most important topics of discussion was the rise and fall of various dynasties, wars, conquests, successes and failures of brave generals and heroes, and so on.
2. Story of elite classes: In the last century matters concerning the lifestyle of the nobles, aristocrats, local lords landlords, and ruling classes constituted the main subject of discussion.
3. Religious matters: In the earlier century one of the main topics of discussion was the different religious activities of the people. political events of the past found a place in the historical discussion in earlier times. Imperialism, colonialism, and the spread of western ideas easily became the topics of discussion.
4. Disasters: The various disasters of the past including floods, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, and massive loss of lives also came up for historical discussions. rather than from the viewpoint of the upper classes.

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Question 3: what do you mean by new social history? From which point of view is this subject discussed?
Answer:

New social history: Social history forms a significant part of historical discussion. Previously, social history was confined to the discussion about, the royal families, the aristocrats, and the upper classes but now the scope of the discussion has widened and the discussion about the people belonging to the middle, lower and marginal classes has assumed much importance. Therefore, social history is now termed as ’new social history.

New social history had its origin in 1960-70. At this time, history began to be discussed from the point of view of the lower classes.

1. View from bottom to top: In new social history, an attempt is being made to view things from bottom to top instead of the other way around. This means, that society is now viewed more widely on the basis of the role of the lower classes rather than from the viewpoint of the upper classes.
2. The predominance of the larger community: New social history assigns more importance to the wider, common, or lower and marginal classes rather than to the handful Of aristocrats. The contribution of the larger community to society and culture is more seriously discussed.

Question: 4 Whose discussion finds an eminence hi new social history? Who has popularised the new social history in modern times?
Answer:

The discussion of the. a larger community consisting of the lower, poor, marginal, and ordinary people have found a place of eminence in the discussion of new social history in the 20th century. New social history originated in 1960-1970. Since then, different historians have made their contributions to popularise this subject. They are as follows.

1. Role of Annal group: Marc Bloch and Lucien Febvre published a journal named ‘Annals of Economic and Social History’ in 1921. This French Annal group played an important role in popularising the study of new social history. Fernand Braudel and Laduree have illuminated on statistics, family, psychology, society, culture, and economy of the common people.
2. Role of American historians: Eugene Genovese and Herbert Gutman. have discussed the lifestyle of the laborers, the system of slavery, and slave society. There is also evidence of such discussion in the journal Past and Present.
3. Subaltern studies: This involves the study of lower classes. It has become popular in India and other South Asian countries since the 1980s. Historians like Ranajit Guha, Partha Chattopadhyay, Gyanendra Pandey, Shahid Amin, Sumit Sarkar, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Gautam Bhadra, and others have elaborately discussed the lower class society irrespective of caste and religion.

Question 5: the factors that determine the habits of people.
Answer:

Habits of people: The most important thing related to human life is the food habits of people. So attention is now paid to people’s food habits in the study of new social history.

Factors that determine the habits of people

1. The food habits of the people of different < regions vary according to the differences in the climate.
2. Geographical factors of an area are also responsible for determining the food habits of the people.
3. The easy availability of food items in different regions is also responsible for determining food habits. For example, in Bengal, owing to the presence of rivers, fish is one of the important items of food.
4. Different types of inventions like the invention of fire have also changed the food habits of people of ancient times.
5. Food patterns are influenced by religious beliefs. The food people eat is also dictated by their religious beliefs at times.

Question 6: Describe the history of transportation and communication in India from the ancient to the modern period.
Answer:

The history of transportation and communication in India from the ancient to the modern period:

The transport and communication system helped in the growth of civilization. As India is a land of rivers, many civilizations grew up on the banks of these rivers. The natural means of transport here were boats. The best means of land transport was bullock carts. Even today bullock carts are used in transporting goods, especially in rural areas. Elephants and horses were also used as means of transportation.

Horse-driven carriages were used for carrying people and elephants were used for carrying heavy loads. In the mid-twentieth century, there has been a development in the history of the transport system. Nowadays, trains, buses, airplanes, and metro rails have replaced the earlier slow-moving means of transport. Before the establishment of railways and telegraphs, the most important means of communication was Dak Chowki. Nowadays, with scientific innovations like the internet, one can be acquainted with the world within a few minutes.

Question 7: Write a note on the history of visual arts.

Answer:

The history of visual arts: Visual arts primarily includes photography and painting. Photographs assist in our understanding of historical events. It is proof of past occurrences. Historical photos are important as sources of cultural data, stimuli in the recording of oral history, and catalysts for promoting awareness of cultural history.

Photographs serve to present a scene with authenticity. Paintings from the past hold clues to life in the past as well. By looking at a painting, its color, and its material, we can learn about the culture that produced it.

Painting gives us a well-rounded view of events, situations, and people. By analyzing paintings from the past and looking at their details, we can find out how different were the paintings of the bygone days. Some important works on visual art are- Abanindranath Tagore’s ‘Bageswari Shilpa Prabandhabali’, Gita Kapoor’s ‘Contemporary Indian Painters’, Ratnabali Chatterjee’s ‘From the Karkhana to the Studio’,

Binod Beharl Mukhopadhyay’s ‘Chitra Katha’, Sofi Gordon’s ‘Nineteenth Century Indian Photography’, Jahid Choudhuri’s ‘Afterimage of Empire: Photography in Nineteenth-Century India’. In these books, India’s national movement and partition of India are represented through photographs.

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Question 8: What do you mean by military What do we come to know from it?

Answer:

Military

Military history is the historical record of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its effect on society, economy, culture, and international relations. Historians record the details of battles, equipment, arms and ammunition, the uniforms used, and the aftermath of wars.

• The essential subjects of military history are the causes of the war, military doctrines of the two opposite sides, the policies of the governments in going to war, the technology, strategy, leadership, and tactics used, and how these gradually changed over time.
• From the ancient past till the 20th century, many books have been written on the military history of India, among which, mention may be made of ‘Military History of India’ by Jadunath Sarkar, ‘A Military History of India and South Asia From East India Company to the Nuclear Era’ by Daniel! Martson and Chhandar S Sundaram (edited). The works of Marc Ferro and Keith Windsehuttie also deserve mention in this respect.

Question 9: What aspect of the common people has found an important place m contemporary historical discussion?

Answer: In the previous century, the chief topics of historical discussion included various events concerning the royal family, the elite, feudal lords, and landlords. However, in recent times, the various aspects concerning the common people have found a place in the discussions of history. Such as

1. Man’s urge to live: The struggle of the common people to live in the background of wars and political events is now an important subject of discussion.
2. Picture of common life: Along with the various events concerning the upper classes, the events concerning the lower classes are also being discussed. The role of the common people in the state, society, religion, politics, economy, etc., has become increasingly important.
3. Art and culture: Nowadays, the cultivation of art and culture by the common people is also being simultaneously discussed with the tales of wars carried out by kings and princes. An increasing interest in society, sports, dress, food habits, visual arts, painting, etc., of the common classes is being noticed.
4. Struggle: History also deals with the transformation of the state and society which is the result of the struggle of the common people.
5. Evolution: The various developments in science, technology, religion, etc. have been possible due to the efforts of the common people since ages. These topics have also found a significant place in history.

Question 10: Which topics have become significant in the recent study of the cultivation of art? What is the significance of music in the study of the cultivation of art?
Answer: We can form an idea about the cultural progress of a community from the study of its cultivation of art. The different branches of art include music, dance, drama, and cinema. Man has been cultivating different types of art since time immemorial. Music forms an important branch of art and the study of the history of music is gradually becoming popular.

1. Cultivation of music by aristocrats: In ancient times, the cultivation of music in the royal courts was chiefly associated with the upper classes, and the common people were almost detached from it. So, a clear idea can be formed about the caste distinction in a society from the study of the cultivation of music.
2. External influence: The history of music helps us to understand whether the music of a particular community was influenced by that of some other society or community and if so, then what was the extent of such influence. The influence of music also indicates the cultural prosperity of a society or community.
3. Evolution of Indian music: In the earlier ages Indian society was dominated by devotional music but later on due to continuous evolution, massive changes came about in Indian music in the 20th century. In this course of evolution, Rabindrasangeet, Nazrulgeeti, etc., became popular in Bengal.
4. Diversity: Different types of music filled the treasure house of the music of the different communities as a result of continuous evolution and transformation. Nowadays, along with devotional music, folksongs, Rabindrasangeet, Nazrulgeeti as well as film songs, band music, etc., have harmoniously lent diversity to the storehouse of Bengali music.
5. Study of the history of music: Recently, researchers and experts have engaged in a detailed study of the history of the music of different countries. Umesh Joshi, Raj Kumar, Karunamoy Goswami, Sudhir Chakrabarty, Mridulkanti Chakrabarty, and others have made considerable contributions to the field of study of the history of Indian music.

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Question 11: How has the historical study of drama become important in the modern age ‘as a part of visual arts?
Answer: The cultivation of drama has its origin in the civilizations of ancient times. The ancient Greek dramas still impress the audience in different countries.

1. Cultivation of drama in Europe: Though dramatic performances were prevalent in ancient Europe, cultivation of dramatic art in the modern sense began in the 16th-17th centuries and became popular in the 18th-19th centuries. The plays written by Shakespeare, Christopher Marlow, Ben Jonson, John Galsworthy, Bernard Shaw etc., attained immense popularity.
2. Cultivation of drama in Bengal: Modern dramatic art developed in Bengal in the 18th-19th century. This art which began in the 18th century developed profusely in the 19th century and is still continuing. Significant contributions were made by Michael Madhusudan Dutta, Dinabandhu Mitra, Girish Chandra Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore, Dwijendralal Roy, Sisir Bhaduri, Sambhu Mitra, Utpal Dutta, and others.
3. Reflection of society: The plays belonging to different countries and societies reflect contemporary events, oppression, tyranny, social discrimination, imperialism, nationalism, etc. This drama can become a mirror to society and also act as a social media.
4. History of drama: In recent times, researchers have seriously engaged in the study of the history of drama. Some important works are, ‘Bangiya Natyashalar Itihasa by Brajendranath Bandopadhyay, ‘Drishya Kavya Parichay’ by Satyajiban Mukhopadhyay, ‘Bangla Natya Sahityer Itihas’ by Asutosh Bhattacharya, ‘Madhyajuger Bangla Natya’ by Selim Al Deen, ‘Bangladesher Lok Natak: Bishoy O Angik Boichitro’ by Simon Zakaria, ‘National theatre for India’ by Baldoon Dhingra, etc.

Question 12: Discuss the study of the history of architecture in the modern age.
Answer:

The study of the history of architecture in the modern age: The art of architecture originated at the time when ancient cavemen’ learned to build houses. The art of architecture forms a significant component in the study of history.

1. Architectural construction: In the past, it was the kings and wealthy people who showed interest in building structures. In the modern age, apart from the ruling class, common people are also associated with various architectural constructions.
2. Study of the history of architecture: The backdrop, style, and patronage of various forms of architecture have become important subjects for historical discussions. Recently, the architecture of Europe, India, and Bengal has found a prominent place in the study of history.
3. Beginning of historical study of architecture: The study of the history of architecture began in India in the 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the pioneers of this field were Alexander Cunningham, Percy Brown, J Fergusson, Catherine Asher, etc.
4. Study of the history of architecture in Bengal: Different researchers have studied the development of the art of architecture in Bengal at different ages. Notable ones among them are George Michell, Amiya Kumar Bandopadhyay, Shamsunnahar Lovely, Dr. Nazimuddin Ahmed, etc.

Question 13: Write a note on the historiography of sports.
Answer:

The historiography of sports: History is not just about the dramatic events of the world. It is equally about the small things in our lives. Everything around us has a history—including sports. Historiography of sports started in the 1970s. In the 1980s, Tony Mason, Richard Holt, and others enriched sports historiography. The ‘International Journal of the History of Sports’, published in England, became very popular in Europe.

• Sports historiography took a definite shape when the British Society of Sports History was established in 1982. In India, the first research work on sports historiography was done by Soumen Mitra in ‘A Study of Football in Bengal: Nationalism, Communalism and SubRegionalism’ (1880-1950).
• Other researchers on sports historiography are Ramchandra Guha, Boria Majumdar, Ashis Nandy, Arjun Appadurai, Mihir Bose, and others. Historiography of sports reveals that there are close links between sports and politics, and in particular between sports and national consciousness.
• Historiography of sports can reflect and shape national consciousness. The Olympic Games and the Football, Rugby, and Cricket World Cup have often been used as platforms for the expansion of nationalistic sentiments.

Question 14: What is the importance of the study of clothing in modem India?
Answer:

The importance of the study of clothing in modem India: The history of clothing constitutes an important field of academic research. The reasons why the history of clothing is to be studied are as follows

1. The dresses of women and men during a particular period represent the social, economic, and cultural conditions of the society.
2. The use of special materials in clothing reflects the economics of a region or group.
3. The style of dressing of an individual indicates the overall position in the state or the community to which he or she belongs.
4. When two communities or societies come in contact with each other, they are often influenced by the other’s dress. So clothing is an important yardstick to measure the degree of acculturation and assimilation.
5. Dressing up in a certain way could be symbolic of protest. Protesting groups sometimes wear similar clothes to reflect their unity and solidarity. For example, during the freedom movement in India, wearing Khadi clothes became a symbol of protest against British rule.
6. Clothing can also be used to show uniformity and solidarity. For example, soldiers and students are required to wear similar uniforms.
7. The color of clothes is treated as the symbol of a particular group. For example, while the red color is associated with the left wing, the saffron color is associated with the right wing.

Chapter 1 Ideas Of History Topic B Methods Of Using Sources Of Morden Indian History

 Analytical Answer Type Questions

Question 1: What is the importance of government documents as source material for the reconstruction of the history of India?
Answer:

The importance of government documents as source material for the reconstruction of the history of India: Government documents are the primary sources of information for reconstructing the history of India. Government documents include

1. Records of the British officials,
2. Police and intelligence reports,
3. Official letters and correspondence,
4. History Marks 4 recorded by English officers in the light of their own experiences.

India, with its diverse culture and many dialects, posed an administrative challenge for the British. Thus, to ensure smooth administration, the British recorded every aspect of their administration in Indi1. Every administrative decision was recorded and carefully preserved.

Every executive, legislative, and judicial body had record rooms in which even the smallest records were kept well catalogue4. Many of these official documents are now preserved in the National Archives of India at the National Museum, New Delhi. Government museums in Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata also possess original documents of the past like letters written by Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi.

By reading these materials, researchers can trace every important development stage by stage. It will perhaps not be correct for scholars to assume that the documents and reports contain all relevant information on the subject. Nor will it be proper to accept the facts mentioned in the reports as accurate in all respects.

These sources should be checked. There might be biased or exaggerated views. This becomes particularly true when dealing with modern Indian history where the British account is very often vastly different from how Indians of the time have written about it. Thus, all the facts narrated in these documents are not to be accepted at face value but are to be corroborated by other independent sources.

Question 2: How far are autobiographies and memoirs reliable sources of information?
Answer:

Autobiographies and memoirs are reliable sources of information: The life history of an individual, written by himself, is called an autobiography. A memoir is an account of an individual’s life and experience. It is a piece of writing based on the writer’s personal knowledge and experiences. and Autobiographies and memoirs are important sources of information in writing history.

• These are essential elements in the study of history as well. History is a record of human progress, achievements, and endeavors. Hence, without the contribution of personal accounts, the study and analysis of history would be a one-dimensional representation of facts.
• History without personal facts would be tedious and unbalanced But autobiographies and memoirs as sources of history have some limitations. Memory and the passage of time can distort or omit details. Sometimes the narrative can be too elaborate or might be an exaggerated form of an individual’s contribution. Autobiographies can also add personal insight into an event or modify or distort the truth.
• Due to this, autobiographies are not totally reliable. Thus, the wisest way to study history through autobiographies and memoirs is to corroborate the accounts of autobiographies and memoirs with other sources of information. Historians have to juxtapose with other sources to arrive at a better understanding of the facts.

Question 3: Write a note on the autobiography of Bipin Chandra Pal.
Answer:

The autobiography of Bipin Chandra Pal:

The extremist leader Bipin Chandra Pal (1858-1932) is called the ‘Father of Revolutionary Thoughts’ in India.

His autobiography ‘Sattar Batsar’, covering the period of 1858 to 1880, is an unfinished work. His work was published serially in ‘Prabasi Patrika’. He has given an account of his childhood days and school life, his education, his journey to Calcutta, his joining of the Brahmo Samaj, his plunging with the independence and Swadeshi movement, his association with the Hindu Mela and Nabagopal Mitra, etc.

His autobiography furnishes lively pictures of Orissa during 1879. It reflects all spheres of activities of the Orissa and Bengal societies, i.e., art, culture, literature, religion and religious activities, social rights, and festivals.

His writings reflect the impressions of a young perceptive mind in a transitional period-tremendous political upheaval and unprecedented wide turmoil-that led to a total transformation of Indian life and thought. His autobiography is no doubt a unique composition and evidence of many untraceable occurrences of the country.

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Question 4: Write a note on the autobiography of Sarala Devi Chaudhurani.
Answer:

The autobiography of Sarala Devi Chaudhurani: Sarala Devi Chaudhurani was an educationist and a feminist. She was the daughter of Rabindranath’s elder sister Swarna Kumari Devi. We come to know a great deal about her life and contemporary events from her autobiography ‘Jibaner Jharapata’.

She was involved with the Indian National Congress from her college days. The nationalistic Urdu paper, ‘Hindustan’, was edited by her and was thus under the watchful eyes of the British government. She worked for women’s upliftment and proposed a scheme for the education of women. She also believed in physical prowess and therefore instituted a sports and athletics festival, the ‘Birastami Utsav’.

Her Birastami Festival in Calcutta included the worship of the sword as a symbol of bygone heroes. In 1904 she opened a swadeshi shop called ‘Lakshmi Bhandara. The Indian National Congress gave her a gold medal for her efforts in promoting the swadeshi trade. In 1910, she convened the first meeting of the Bharat Stree Mahamandal, the first major Indian Women’s organization set up by women.

In 1930 she opened a school-the Bharat Stree Shiksha Sadan. Sarala Devi Chaudhurani’s memoir of her early life was serialized in the weekly magazine ‘Desh’. Thirty years later, they were put together as ‘Jibaner Jharapata’ (Life’s Fallen Leaves).

Question 5: Write a note on Rabindranath Tagore’s autobiography ‘Jiban Smriti’.
Answer:

Rabindranath Tagore’s autobiography ‘Jiban Smriti’: Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Jiban Smriti’ or ‘Remembrance of Life’ was published in 1912. In this narrative, Rabindranath painted an accurate portrait of the society of the 1860s and 1870s. Jiban Smriti’ reflects the society in which he was brought up.

He writes that he was brought up under the supervision of the servants. In his memoir, he recalled the rigid customs and norms of the society which was plagued by orthodoxy. He did not write about contemporary politics, but his writing about ‘Swadeshi’ in the pages of his books is really very interesting.

Question 6: How far are letters important in reconstructing the history of India? Write about Jawaharlal Nehru’s letter to his daughter Indira Gandhi.
Answer:

Letters are primary sources of information for reconstructing the history of India. Letters are among the most democratic of historical sources. These are valuable windows for looking into the past. Letters exchanged among different political leaders serve as an important source for writing history.

More than any other kind of historical text, letters reveal how people both embraced and resisted the time and place in which they lived. But they have to be always read with care and juxtaposed with evidence taken from other resources.

‘Letters from a Father to His Daughter’ is a collection of 30 letters written by the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru in 1928 to his daughter Indira Gandhi, when she was 10 years old, teaching her about natural history and the story of civilization. Nehru, as a loving father, tries to answer the queries of his 10-year-old daughter in a series of letters.

In this e series of letters, Nehru tries to make Indira aware of the evolution of the earth, its species, and the evolution of human civilization and societies. Nehru starts with the very beginning-he talks about how the universe was created and then he slowly moves on to tell the story of evolution and the birth of human beings.

Question 7: What part did the Bengali weekly newspaper ‘Somprakash’ play in the rousing national consciousness?
Answer:

‘Somprakash’, a Bengali weekly newspaper, was founded in 1858 under the joint efforts of Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar and Dwarakanath Bidyabhusan. With its lucid language and fearless criticism ‘Somprakash’ occupies a very important position among Bengali newspapers. It played an important role as the mouthpiece of the Indian public. It reached out to the common people in distant villages with the clarion call to fight against the British.

1. It was the first Bengali newspaper to indulge in political discussion. Political issues are regularly featured in it. It raised its voice against the Vernacular Press Act. It supported the Ilbert Bill and the Factories Act of 1881.
2. It supported the oppressed workers of the indigo plantation as well as the peasants. It strongly criticized the indigo planters and landlords.
3. It also indulged in matters of social issues. It opposed child marriage and Kulinism. Though not clearly in favor of women’s freedom, it supported women’s education and widow remarriage.
4. It was a terror to the British administration and all the drastic press laws were particularly aimed against it. In 1878, when the Viceroy Lord Lytton introduced the Vernacular Press Act, especially targeting the Bengali press, Vidyasagar closed down ‘Somprakash’ rather than sign an undertaking about it, agreeing to follow the dictates of the British authorities. Later, when the Act was withdrawn, he resumed the publication of ‘Omprakash’.

Question 8: What is the importance of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s ‘Bangadarshan’?
Answer:

The importance of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s ‘Bangadarshan’: ‘Bangadarshan’ was a Bengali literary monthly journal founded by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1872. The importance of this journal may be summed up as follows-

1. ‘Bangadarshan’ brought about a cultural revival in Bengal by stimulating the intellect of the Bengalees. Many of Bankim Chandra’s novels were serialized in this journal. Besides Bankim Chandra, a galaxy of Bengali literary talents like Akshay Chandra Sarkar, Hem Chandra Banerjee, Krishna Kamal Bhattacharjee, Ramdas Sen, Chandranath Sen, and others used to contribute articles as they were inspired by the ideals of ‘Bangadarshan’.
2. ‘Bangadarshan’ was a dispenser of knowledge. It published articles on the Puranas, the Vedas, and the Vedant1. It also covered topics on science, philosophy, literature, social science, linguistics, criticisms, etc. When Bankim Chandra started the journal, he wrote a series of Bengali articles on solar eruption, stars, the universe in motion, and the moon, as well as on dust, quantity, measures, protoplasm, and the antiquity of man.

(3) Besides the readership among Bengali intelligentsia the journal influenced Bengali women too. It became popular and was widely read among Bengali literate women.

(4) ‘Bangadarshan’ was the genesis of nationalism in Bengal. ‘Anandamath’, the political novel, first appeared in a serial form in ‘Bangadarshan’. The book depicts a sannyasi Hindu ascetic army fighting the British soldiers. The book calls for the rise of Hindu nationalism to uproot foreign British rule and attain self-rule. The famous song ‘Bande Mataram’, which features in this novel, became the national hymn and it inspired Indians to sacrifice their lives for the emancipation of their motherland

Question 9: What are the uses and abuses of the internet in collecting historical information?
Answer:

The uses and abuses of the internet in collecting historical information: The internet is the world wide web exchanging information and data through telecommunication satellites. It is no doubt indispensable in modern civilization.

• Nowadays, every person has easy access to it and one can be acquainted with the world by clicking a button on the computer that connects to the internet. It is so informative that one can avail oneself of the scope of collecting important data for different disciplines and can avail any kind of books that can be found in other parts of the globe.
• Research students cannot but use the internet for knowledge and various facts. So most people use the internet which has now become an essential part of our life.
• At present, we do not have to travel from country to country, from one place to another, or spend hours together in libraries searching for useful documents or books, as everything can be exchanged through the internet. But some websites are also abusing the internet.
• As there is no censorship, the facts we get from the internet are not always reliable. Sometimes wrong information is given which may lead to wrong concepts. The correct information is always essential for reconstructing history. We must corroborate the information available on the internet with other authentic sources of information.