Glimpses of the Past NCERT Summary & Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Chapter 3 

The Glimpse of the Past takes the shape of a discussion on the Indian independence movement. The author is S. D. Sawant. The chapter outlines the events and the situations that took place in India between the year 1757 to 1857. It begins with the period of East India Company dominance in India.

The rulers and states of India were occupied in warfare with each other. They frequently turned to the British for assistance, which the British exploited to consolidate their authority and impose their will on India. Additionally, the social environment was not in excellent shape. Social ills including child marriage, untouchability, sati pratha, and so forth were commonplace. The farmers also had to pay high taxes.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy put a lot of effort into social improvement. The British also enacted many resolutions aimed at destroying India and her industries. Additionally, Lord Macaulay introduced a measure mandating that English be the only language used in school.

The primary objective of the British was to train clerks who could support them in administrative tasks. India was a fully British colony by 1856. But with the 1857 uprising, British authority began to wane. Up until 1947, that is, until they succeeded in achieving independence, the Indians revolted and fought for it.

The events of the year 1757 are covered at the beginning of the chapter. In India during this period, the British held a commanding position. They possessed better weapons, ammo, and financial means. The princes and the Indian states, on the other hand, lacked perspective and were preoccupied with battling one another. They were not cohesive. Additionally, they frequently asked for British assistance, which the East India Company fully exploited.

In addition to putting an end to the Princes, the British used a "Divide and Rule" strategy. Some were in support of the British, while others weren't. But the British also engaged in combat with Tipu Sultan of Mysore. Regretfully, nevertheless, he lost his life fighting in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799.

The chapter goes on to discuss the social structure between 1765 and 1836. Religious leaders propagated negative social practises such child marriage, untouchability, Sati pratha, etc. The Indians lost their dignity as a result of the British's contempt for them. Farmers were subjected to high levies by the British. The skilled craftspeople's thumbs were also sliced by them. The English imports, however, were exempt from taxes. The British were therefore driven primarily by the desire to maximise wealth and profit at any costs.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy began his attempts to change Indian civilization between 1772 and 1833. For this reason, he founded Brahmo Samaj. He promoted the notion that all faiths have the same core principles and teachings. In India, he also launched publications. He opposed the caste system, polygamy, child marriages, and Sati Pratha, among other immoral customs. His contribution to the abolition of Sati Pratha was significant.

The Third Regulation Act was passed by the British in 1818. It said that an Indian might be imprisoned without first receiving a judicial trial. The Indians were being oppressed throughout this time. British exports were valued at seven crore rupees by 1829. As the Indian industry was collapsing.

Apparently, this was insufficient, so the British now focused on training clerks to manage the administration. Consequently, Lord Macaulay suggested in 1835 that English be used as the primary language of instruction. A few intellectuals who recognised the wrongs of the British Raj and educated their fellow Indians were also produced by this educational programme.

India was a completely governed British Colony by 1856. When the crackdown reached its height, uprisings resulted. The British and their servants were slain by the Santhals in 1855 when they rebelled. The first Sepoy Mutiny began in 1857 when Mangal Pandey was put to death.

While marching towards Delhi, the sepoys sang chants in support of Bahadur Shah Zafar. Landlords joined this movement as well. Chapatis bearing the message that their local king is in need of assistance were distributed by people. An identical lotus blossom was given to each of the Indian soldiers.

Numerous monarchs, including Kunwar Singh of Bihar, Tatya Tope, Peshwa Nana Saheb of the Maratha empire, Hazrat Mahal of Lucknow, and Maulvi Ahmadullah of Faizabad, also joined the uprising. This marked the start of the Indian liberation movement.

Solutions for Chapter 3 Glimpses of the Past

Comprehension Check (Page 45)

Questions:

1. Look at picture 1 and recall the opening lines of the original song in Hindi. Who is the singer? Who else do you see in this picture?
2. In picture 2 what do you understand by the Company’s ‘superior weapons?
3. Who is an artisan? Why do you think the artisans suffered? (Picture 3)
4. Which picture, according to you, reveals the first sparks of the fire of revolt?

Answer:

1. "Aye Mere Waten Ke Logon, Turn Khub Logo Nara: Ye Shubh Din Hai Hum Sab Ka Lehralo Tiranga Pyara, Par Mat Bhulo Seema Par Veron Ne Hain Pran Gawayen" are the song's opening lyrics in Hindi. Lata Mangeskar was the singer. This photograph shows Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Lai Bahadur Shastri, and Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.
2. The East India Company used diplomacy and its superior armaments to conquer India.
3. An artisan is a competent craftsman in a particular profession. Their suffering stemmed from the fact that their products were no longer in demand in the Indian market.
4. The first flicker of the revolt's fire is shown in Picture 7.

Working With the Text (Page 45)

Answer the following questions.

Question 1:

Do you think the Indian princes were short-sighted in their approach to the events of 1757?

Answer:

Yes, the Indian rulers' strategy was ill-advised. With British assistance, they engaged in combat with one another. The British thereby assumed a virtual hegemony.

Question 2:

How did the East India Company subdue the Indian Princes?

Answer:

In order to advance its commerce, the East India Company expanded throughout India. They helped one Indian prince to achieve his goals. Power therefore transferred to their hands.

Question 3:

Quote the words used by Ram Mohan Roy to say that every religion teaches the same principles.

Answer:

"Cows are of different colours, but the colour of their milk is the same," said Ram Mohan Roy to his wife. Though the beliefs of various instructors vary, all religions share a common core.

Question 4:

In what ways did the British officers exploit Indians?

Answer:

The British rulers passed a resolution under which an Indian could be sent to jail without trial in a court. The goods manufactured in England were exempted from custom duty. The officers prospered on the company’s loot and their private business flourished.

Question 5:

Name these people.

The ruler who fought pitched battles against the British and died fighting.

The person who wanted to reform the society.

The person who recommended the introduction of English education in India.

Two popular leaders who led the revolt (choices may vary.)

Answer:

Tipu Sultan of Mysore.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy of Bengal.

Lord Mecaulay

Nana Sahib Peshwa, Kunwar Singh, Begum Hazrat Mahal.

Question 6:

Mention the following.

Two examples of social practices prevailing then.

Two oppressive policies of the British.

Two ways in which common people suffered.

Four reasons for the discontent that led to the 1857 War of Independence.

Answer:

Untouchability and child marriage.

The British masters allowed imports in India tax free. They ruined Indian cottage industries,

The farmers were taxed heavily and the thumbs of skilled workers were cut.

(a) Santhals who lost their land became desperate and they revolted.

(b) The sepoys in the English army were paid much less than the white soldiers. So they were discontented and angry.

(c) The Brahmins were furious when they came to know that the bullets they had to bite, contained cow fat and pig-fat.

(d) Many landlords were sore because the British policies deprived them of their land and estate.

Working With Language (Page 45)

In comics what the characters speak is put in bubbles. This is direct narration. When we report what the characters speak, we use the method of indirect narration.

Study these examples:

First farmer: Why are your men taking away the entire crop?

Second farmer: Your men have taken away everything.

Officer: You are still in arrears. If you don’t pay tax next week, I’ll send you to jail.

The first farmer asked the officer why his men were taking away the entire crop.

The second farmer said that their men had taken away everything.

The officer replied that they were still in arrears and warned them that if they did not pay tax the following week, he (the officer) would send them (the farm­ers) to jail.

1.Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

(i) First man: We must educate our brothers.

Second man: And try to improve their material conditions.

Third man: For that we must convey our grievances to the British Parliament.

The first man said that________________ a__________________________________

The second man added that they _____b______________________________________

The third man suggested that___________ c__________________________________

(ii) First soldier: The white soldier gets huge pay, mansions and servants.

Second soldier: We get a pittance and slow promotions.

Third soldier: Who are the British to abolish our customs?

The first soldier said that______________ a___________________________________

The second soldier remarked that_____ b ______________________________________

The third soldier asked___________________ c________________________________

Answer:

(i)

(a) they must educate their brothers.

(b) should try to improve their material conditions,

(c) they must convey their grievances to the British Parliament.

(ii)

(a) the white soldier got huge pay, mansions and servants.

(b) they got a pittance and slow, promotions.

(c) who the British were to abolish their customs.

Speaking and Writing (Page 46)

Play and act the role of farmers who have grievances against the policies of the government. Rewrite their speech bubbles in dialogue form first.

                                           See NCERT Textbook Pages 47-48

(i)Ask one another questions about the pictures.

• Where is the fox?
• How did it happen?
• What is the fox thinking?
• Who is the visitor?
• What does she want to know?
• What is the fox’s reply?
• What happens next?
• Where is the goat?
• Where is the fox now?
• What is the goat thinking?

Answer:

(i) The fox is in the well.

She fell into the well by accident.

The fox thinks how to get out of there.

The visitor is a goat.

She wants to know whether the water is sweet.

The fox replies that the water is very sweet and she had a lot of it.

The goat wanted to taste the water.

The goat is dragged into the water by the fox.

The fox comes out of the well.

The goat is thinking of her mother’s advice not to trust any stranger.

(ii)Write the story in your own words. Give it a title.

A fox once unintentionally tumbled into a well. She considered her escape from the well. By coincidence, a goat ended up there. She peered down the well. Is the water delicious, she questioned the fox. The wily fox tricked everyone. She lied and said she'd had enough of the water since it was so nice. The stupid goat was eager to sample the water as well. She was enticed into the well by the fox. The goat arrived there quickly. The fox now ascended out of the well on the goat's back. She then praised the goat for its assistance. The goat was reminded of her mother's injunction to never follow a stranger's advise.

Question 2:

Read the following news item.

                                             See NCERT Textbook Page 49

Based on this news item write a paragraph on what you think about this new method of teaching history.

Answer:

Attempt yourself.

Question 3:

Find the chapters in your history book that correspond to the episodes and events described in this comic. Note how the information contained in a few chapters of history has been condensed to a few pages with the help of pictures and ‘speech bubbles’.

Answer:

Attempt yourself.

Question 4:

Create a comic of your own using this story.

Once the Sun and the Wind began to quarrel, each one saying that he was stronger than the other. At last they decided to test each other’s strength. A man with a cloak around his shoulders was passing by. The Wind boasted, “Using my strength I can make that man take off the cloak.” The Sun agreed. The Wind blew hard. The man felt so cold that he clasped his cloak round his body as tightly as possible.

Now it was the turn of the Sun which shone very hot indeed. The man felt so hot that he at once removed the cloak from his body. Seeing the man taking off the cloak, the Wind conceded defeat.

Answer:

Attempt yourself.