Structural Change - Test Papers

 CBSE Class-12 Sociology Test Paper-01

Part 2(Ch-01 Structural change)

General Instruction:

  • Question 1-5 carries two marks each.
  • Question 6-8 carries four marks each.
  • Question 9-10 carries six marks each.
  1. Why is it important to understand the colonial experience while comprehending about modern India?
  2. Give an example of changes in our society that has been shaped by our paradoxical experience with colonialism.
  3. Define ‘colonialism’.
  4. Give one example each of deliberate and unintended change that resulted as consequences of colonialism.
  5. Explain capitalism as an economic system.
  6. Explain how the use of English language in India was many sided and paradoxical.
  7. Describe the vital difference between the empire building of pre-capitalist times and that of capitalist times.
  8. How has colonialism impacted our lives?
  9. Colonialism in India introduced a wide array of changes leading to structural changes. Explain this statement with suitable examples?
  10. How has the impact of colonial rule different from the earlier form of conquests?

CBSE Class-12 Sociology Test Paper-01
Part 2(Ch-01 Structural change)

  1. It is important to understand the colonial experience while comprehending modern India as many modern ideas and institutions reached India through colonialism. It is also because such an exposure to modern ideas was contradictory or paradoxical.
  2. An example of changes shaped by our paradoxical experience with colonialism is that Indians in the colonial period read about western liberalism and freedom. Yet they lived under a western, colonial rule that denied Indians liberty and freedom.
  3. Colonialism simply means the establishment of rule by one country over another. It leads to subjugation of one country’s people by another country thereby changing its political, economic, social or cultural structures.
  4. An example of deliberate change would be the western education system that was introduced to create Indians who would manage British colonialism. However, it led to the growth of a nationalist and anti-colonial consciousness that was unintended.
  5. Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and organised to accumulate profits within a market system.
  6. The use of English language as an outcome of changes due to colonialism has many sided impact and yet paradoxical. The following were the impact:
    • English is not only widely used in India but we now have an impressive body of literary writings by Indians in English.
    • Knowledge of English has given Indians an edge in the global market.
    • However, English still continues to be a mark of privilege and not knowing English is considered a disadvantage in the job market.
    • On the other hand, those who were traditionally deprived access to formal education such as the Dalits, knowledge of English may open doors of opportunities that were formally closed.
  7. There is a vital difference between the empire building of pre-capitalist times and that of capitalist times.
    • Apart from outright pillage, the pre-capitalist conquerors benefited from their domination by exacting a continuous flow of tribute. On the whole they did not interfere with the economic base.
    • They simply took the tribute that was skimmed off the economic surplus that was produced traditionally in the subjugated areas.
    • In contrast British colonialism which was based on a capitalist system directly interfered to ensure greatest profit and benefit to British capitalism.
    • Every policy was geared towards the strengthening and expansion of British capitalism. For instance, it changed the very laws of the land.
  8. Colonialism have impacted our lives in several ways:
    • British colonialism was based on a capitalist system directly interfered to ensure greatest profit and benefit to British capitalism. It changed the very laws of the land.
    • It changed not just the land ownership laws but decided even what crops ought to be grown and what ought not to be.
    • It altered the way production and distribution of goods took place.
    • The colonial rules brought in Forest Acts that changed the lives of pastoralists.
    • They were prevented from entering many forests that had earlier provided their livelihood.
    • Colonialism also led to considerable movement of people from one part to another within India.
  9. Colonialism introduced a wide array of changes in every sphere, be it legal or cultural or architectural:
    • Some of these changes were deliberate while some took place in an unintended fashion. For example, we saw how western education was introduced to create Indians who would manage British colonialism. Instead it led to the growth of a nationalist and anti- colonial consciousness.
    • This magnitude and depth of the structural changes that colonialism unleashed occurred due to the western capitalism. It was a complex process of European exploration of the rest of the world, its plunder of wealth and resources, an unprecedented growth of science and technology, its harnessing to industries and agriculture. This had a lasting impact on the way capitalism developed in a colonised country like India.
    • Another important change was the nation-state as the dominant political form based on the principle of nationalism. However, the practice of colonialism and the principle of nationalism and democratic rights are contradictory.
    • For colonial rule implied foreign rule such as British rule over India. Nationalism implied that the people of India or of any colonised society have an equal right to be sovereign. Indian nationalist leaders were quick to grasp this irony.
    • They declared that freedom or swaraj was their birth- right and fought for both political and economic freedom.
  10. The impact of colonial rule is distinguishable from all other earlier rules because the changes it brought in were far-reaching and deep. History is full of examples of the annexation of foreign territory and the domination of weaker by stronger powers.
    There is a vital difference between the empire building of pre-capitalist times and that of capitalist times. Apart from outright pillage, the pre-capitalist conquerors benefited from their domination by exacting a continuous flow of tribute. On the whole they did not interfere with the economic base. They simply took the tribute that was skimmed off the economic surplus that was produced traditionally in the subjugated areas.
    In contrast British colonialism which was based on a capitalist system directly interfered to ensure greatest profit and benefit to British capitalism. Every policy was geared towards the strengthening and expansion of British capitalism.
    Colonialism changed the very laws of the land. It changed not just land ownership laws but decided even what crops ought to be grown and what ought not to be.
    Colonialism also led to considerable movement of people. It led to movement of people from one part to another within India