Question 1

Question 6How did the evil effects of Industrial Revolution help in the rise of Socialism?

Accepted Answer

As a result of Industrial Revolution the society was divided into two distinct classes — the Capitalist and the Socialists. The capitalists had their selfish interests and they began to exploit the workers. They paid them low wages and made them work for long hours. They amassed great wealth and began to lead a luxurious life at the cost of the workers. The rich were becoming richer and the poor, still poorer. This gulf went on widening and created social disharmony and ultimately led to struggle between the two classes. The socialist took the cause of the workers and tried to save them from the exploitation of the capitalists.

Question 2

Question 7Mention any two effects of the Industrial Revolution on the general public.

Accepted Answer

Two effects of the Industrial Revolution on the general public were:Loss of traditional jobs — Women in households, who had earned income from spinning, found the new factories taking away their source of income. Skilled labourers lost their jobs as new machines replaced them.Exploitation — In the factories, people had to work for long hours under harsh conditions. Factory owners and managers paid the minimum amount necessary for a workforce, often recruiting women and children at low wages.

Question 3

Question 8Mention any two advantages of Industrialisation.

Accepted Answer

Two advantages of Industrialisation are:Industrialisation increased the national wealth, raised the standard of living, made life more comfortable. The economy was expanding at a rate that was more than twice the pace at which it had grown before Industrial Revolution.The widespread poverty and constant threat of mass starvation that had haunted the pre-industrial age were reduced.

Question 4

Question 9Mention two negative effects of the Industrial Revolution on labourers.

Accepted Answer

Two bad effects of the Industrial Revolution on labourers were:Exploitation — People had to work for long hours and under harsh condition. Factory owners and managers paid the minimum amount necessary for a workforce, often recruiting women and children to tend the machines because they could be hired for very low wages.Stress and Strain — Due to division of labour, each worker had to perform one task rather than a single worker doing the entire job. This improved productivity but made jobs repetitive and boring. Workers had to labour for many hours often more than 12-14 hours and people worked 6 days a week. Factory workers faced strict rules and close supervision by the managers. Safety was not a matter of concern, and workers often suffered serious even fatal accidents.

Question 5

Question 10Mention any two differences between 'Capitalism and Socialism'.

Accepted Answer

Sl. No.CapitalismSocialism1Capitalism refers to the economic system in which the means of production like labour, raw material, tools and machines are owned by private individuals or groups of them for profit.Socialism refers to the economic system in which the government owns and controls the means of production (as factories) and distribution of goods.2In Capitalism production is for profit; useful goods and services are a by-product of pursuing profit.In Socialism production is for use; useful goods and services are produced specifically for their usefulness.

Question 6

Question 1With reference to the picture of a factory given below answer the questions that follow:(a) Name the revolution that brought about the existence of this. Where did it begin? Why is it an important event in history?(b)	Explain the two factors responsible for its beginning in that particular country.(c)	Explain how did it lead to the growth of an economic system quite different from the domestic system of production.

Accepted Answer

(a) The given picture shows a factory scene which came into existence due to the Industrial Revolution. It began in England around mid-eighteenth century by mass production of goods.It is an important event in history because it brought a transition from production by hand to production by machine, from small-scale production to large-scale production, from handmade goods to machine-made goods. Thus, within a hundred years, it brought in revolutionary changes in the political, social and economic life of the people.(b) Two important factors responsible for its origin in England were:Colonial Empire: England had a large colonial empire. From her colonies she could get raw material at cheaper rates for her factories. These colonies also served as markets for the British manufactured goods.Increase in the Demand for Goods: The incentive to produce more and more goods was provided by two factors. First, the huge profits of expanding trade provided an impetus to discover new ways of increasing her production. Second, the Napoleonic wars made the English industries quite active. The Napoleonic wars damaged trade and industry of the continental countries. Since these wars were never fought in Britain, the long period of peace in Britain proved conducive to industrial production.(c) Mass production destroyed the domestic system of production. In domestic system, production was carried out manually by craftsmen in small spaces with simple tools, and the scale of production was small. However, during Industrial revolution, the growth of industries and the use of huge machines gave rise to factories. The people of villages shifted to towns for employment in the factories. The factory system increased efficiency and output, and led to the growth of economy based on mass production and profit.

Question 7

Question 2The Industrial Revolution marked a change from hand work to machine work and from domestic system of production to factory system of production. In this context, discuss the role of the following factors in ushering in the Industrial Revolution:(a) Invention of machines.(b) Availability of coal and iron.(c) Improved Transportation.

Accepted Answer

(a) Invention of machines — Invention of machinery and its use in manufacturing was the starting point of Industrial revolution. John Key, a weaver of Lancashire, invented 'The Flying Shuttle' which increased the speed of weaving. It also made the weaving of broad cloth by one man possible. A Lancashire weaver named James Hargreaves invented a machine called the spinning Jenny. It could spin eight threads at a time instead of one thread of the old-fashioned spinning wheel. Richard Arkwright invented the 'Water Frame'. It produced harder and stronger yarn than that of the spinning Jenny, but it was run by water power. It ushered the factory system.(b) Availability of coal and iron — Natural resources such as iron and coal were available in England. The iron and coal mines were situated close to each other. Iron was used in making machines. The coal provided cheap fuel. Both these factors helped in the development of industries.(c) Improved Transportation — In the second half of the 18th century, transport system in England was adequate. The use of tarcoal and tar enabled the construction of roads in many European countries. Steamboats and steamships were used extensively. George Stephenson designed his first locomotive engine, which was used for hauling coal in the Killingworth colliery. This brought about a revolution in transport. James Watt invented the steam engine. The discovery of steam as a source of power, facilitated the industrial revolution as it was used for transport both on land and sea.

Question 8

Question 3With reference to the rise of Capitalism, answer the following questions:(a) What were the causes for the rise of Capitalism?(b) What was the impact of Capitalism on the working class?(c) How did it give rise to Socialism?

Accepted Answer

(a) The causes for the rise of Capitalism were:Increase in population — People from the rural areas migrated to the urban areas for employment, education, cultural benefits, better freedom and enjoyment.Legal Requirement — There was the new enclosure law which required farmers to put fences or hedges around their fields to prevent common grazing on the land. That's why small farmers had to sell their fields as it was expensive to put fences and search for work elsewhere. These factors combined to provide a ready workforce for the new industries.Growth of Towns — New manufacturing towns and cities grew dramatically. Many of these cities were located close to the coalfields that supplied fuel to the factories.Mass Production — Mass production destroyed the domestic system of production. The growth of industries and use of huge machines gave rise to factories.Disappearance of Small Farmers — Small farmers shifted to new industrial towns. They were forced to seek employment in the factories because they were replaced by big landlords.(b) The impact of Capitalism on the working class is summarised below:There was loss of traditional jobs. Women in households earning income from spinning and traditional handloom weavers were impacted as they could no longer compete with mechanised production. Skilled labourers lost their jobs as new machines replaced them.People worked long hours under harsh conditions. Factory owners and managers often recruited women and children and paid very low wages.Jobs were repetitive and boring. The labourers had to work more than 12 to 14 hours a day and six days a week. Safety was not a matter of concern. They faced strict rules and supervision with their life ruled by the clock.Working people moved to cities and cities became over crowded. The working poor lived in crowded areas in the centre of cities in shoddy houses.By 1820s, income levels of workers began to improve and people adjusted to the different circumstances and conditions.(c) The capitalists had their selfish interests and the began to exploit the workers. They paid them low wages and made them work for long hours. They amassed great wealth and began to lead a luxurious life at the cost of the workers. The rich were becoming richer and the poor, still poorer. This gulf went on widening and created social disharmony and ultimately led to rise of Socialism. The evil effects of Capitalism and the spirit of improving the condition of workers gave birth to Socialism.

Question 9

Question 4With reference to Capitalism and Socialism, state the following:(a) Difference between Capitalism and Socialism in terms of control over means of production and profit.(b) Two key proponents of Capitalism and Socialism. Give examples of two countries where each economic system is prevalent.(c) What according to you is better of the two economic systems? Give reasons to support your answer.

Accepted Answer

(a) In Capitalism, the means of production like labour, raw material, tools and machines are owned by private individuals or groups of them for profit whereas in Socialism, the government owns and controls the means of production (as factories) and distribution of goods.(b) The two key proponents of Capitalism were Richard Cantillon and Adam Smith while the two key proponents of Socialism were Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels.Two examples of countries where Capitalism is prevalent are the USA and the UK while two examples of countries where Socialism is prevalent are China and Denmark.(c) Capitalism is better of the two economic systems. It believes in free market and is opposed to government intervention. Many Capitalist countries like the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia; are developed and successful. To prevent the drawbacks of Capitalism, the government should enforce laws in favour of labourers and working class to prevent their exploitation. Government should enforce laws of fair minimum wages and reasonable working hours. Labour laws relating to safety of labourers and protection against exploitation should be enforced to check the evil effects of the Capitalist economic system.

Question 10

Question 5With reference to the picture given, answer the following questions:(a) Identify the person in the picture. Name his long time associate and co-author. Name one famous publication of this person and his associate.(b) What were the causes for the rise of the economic system propounded by these two individuals?(c) Briefly describe the type of society they envisioned.

Accepted Answer

(a) The person in the given picture is Karl Marx. Frederick Engels was his longtime associate and co-author. One of their famous publications was 'Das Kapital'.(b) The causes for the rise of the socialist economic system are:Rise in evils of capitalism — The capitalist economy was exploiting the worker class due to which there was resentment in them.Trade union movements — These movements aimed at recognition of the rights of workers. The vast difference between rich and poor was brought into sharp focus.The Chartist Movement — It was started to achieve social and political equality.(c) They had envisioned a society without exploitation. In a socialist society, private property in the means of production would be headed by co-operative ownership. A socialist economy would not base production on the creation of private profits, but would instead base production and economic activity on the criteria of satisfying human needs. Karl Marx had envisioned a classless and stateless system.

The Modern Age in Europe — (C) Industrial Revolution

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