CLASS X CHAPTER 04 - THE MAKING OF A GLOBAL WORLD NCERT SOLUTIONS

CHAPTER 04 - THE MAKING OF A GLOBAL
WORLD
Write in Brief
Question 1:
Give two examples of different types of global
exchanges which took place before the seventeenth
century, choosing one example from Asia and one
from the Americas.
Answer :
Examples of the different types of global exchanges
which took place before the seventeenth century:
1) Textiles, spices and Chinese pottery were
exchanged by China, India and Southeast Asia in
return for gold and silver from Europe.
2) Gold and foods such as potatoes, soya, groundnuts,
tomatoes and chillies were first exported from the
Americas to Europe.
Question 2:
Explain how the global transfer of disease in the pre-
modern world helped in the colonisation of the
Americas.
Answer :
The global transfer of disease in the pre-modern
world helped in the colonisation of the Americas
because the native American Indians were not
immune to the diseases that the settlers and
colonisers brought with them. The Europeans were
more or less immune to small pox, but the native
Americans, having been cut off from the rest of the
world for millions of years, had no defence against it.
These germs killed and wiped out whole communities,
paving the way for foreign domination. Weapons and
soldiers could be destroyed or captured, but diseases
could not be fought against.
Question 3:
Write a note to explain the effects of the following:
(a) The British government’s decision to abolish the
Corn Laws.
(b) The coming of rinderpest to Africa.
(c) The death of men of working-age in Europe
because of the World War.
(d) The Great Depression on the Indian economy.
(e) The decision of MNCs to relocate production to
Asian countries.
Answer :
(a) The British government’s decision to abolish the
Corn Laws resulted in losses for the agricultural
sector, but progress in the industrial sector. Food
began to be imported more cheaply into Britain, and
thousands of workers involved in cultivation became
unemployed. However, consumption increased and
the industrial sector grew, with more workers being
available in cities than in rural areas.
(b) The coming of rinderpest to Africa caused a loss of
livelihood for countless Africans. Using this situation
to their advantage, colonising nations conquered and
subdued Africa by monopolising scarce cattle
resources to force Africans into the labour market.
(c) The death of men of working age in Europe
because of the World War reduced the able-bodied
workforce in Europe, leading to a steady decline in
household incomes and a consequent struggle to meet
the living expenditure by families whose men were
handicapped or killed.
(d) The Great Depression had a major impact on the
Indian economy. Between 1928 and 1934, it reduced
Indian imports and exports by nearly half. Wheat
prices too fell by 50% during this time. More than the
urban areas, the agricultural sector (which dominated
livelihoods in rural lands) was badly hit by the Great
Depression.
(e) The decision of MNCs to relocate production to
Asian countries led to a stimulation of world trade and
capital flows. This relocation was on account of low-
cost structure and lower wages in Asian countries. It
also benefitted the Asian nations because employment
increased, and this resulted in quick economic
transformation as well.
Question 4:
Give two examples from history to show the impact of
technology on food availability.
Answer :
The impact of technology on food availability was
manifold in the late nineteenth century. Faster
railways, lighter wagons and larger ships helped
transport food more cheaply and quickly from
production units to even faraway markets. Also,
refrigerated ships helped transport perishable foods
such as meat, butter and eggs over long distances.
Question 5:
What is meant by the Bretton Woods Agreement?
Answer :
The Bretton Woods Agreement was finalised in July
1944 at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire, USA. It
established the International Monetary Fund and the
World Bank to preserve global economic stability and
full employment in the industrial world. These
institutions also dealt with external surpluses and
deficits of member nations, and financed post-war
reconstructions.
Discuss
Question 6:
Imagine that you are an indentured Indian labourer in
the Caribbean. Drawing from the details in this
chapter, write a letter to your family describing your
life and feelings.
Answer :
Indentured Indian labourers in the Carribbean—facts
—signed a contract stating that they would return to
India after working for five years at a plantation;
belonged to eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, central India
and the dry districts of Tamil Nadu; migrants took up
the overseas jobs hoping to escape poverty and
oppression in their home villages; migrants were not
even informed about the long sea voyages, and some
unwilling ones were abducted as well; also known as
“the new system of slavery”; harsh living and working
conditions; few legal rights; many escaped into the
wilds; some developed new art forms for expression;
some returned home after the contract period, while
others stayed on
(Base your letter on these facts.)
Question 7:
Explain the three types of movements or flows within
international economic exchange. Find one example of
each type of flow which involved India and Indians,
and write a short account of it.
Answer :
The three types of movements or flows within the
international economic exchange are trade flows,
human capital flows and capital flows or investments.
These can be explained as—the trade in agricultural
products, migration of labour, and financial loans to
and from other nations.
India was a hub of trade in the pre-modern world,
and it exported textiles and spices in return for gold
and silver from Europe. Many different foods such as
potatoes, soya, groundnuts, maize, tomatoes, chillies
and sweet potatoes came to India from the Americas
after Columbus discovered it.
In the field of labour, indentured labour was provided
for mines, plantations and factories abroad, in huge
numbers, in the nineteenth century. This was an
instrument of colonial domination by the British.
Lastly, Britain took generous loans from USA to
finance the World War. Since India was an English
colony, the impact of these loan debts was felt in India
too. The British government increased taxes, interest
rates, and lowered the prices of products it bought
from the colony. Indirectly, but strongly, this affected
the Indian economy and people.
Question 8:
Explain the causes of the Great Depression
Answer :
The Great Depression was a result of many different
factors. The post-war global economy was weak. Also,
agricultural over-production proved to be a nuisance,
which was made worse by falling food grain prices. To
counter this, farmers began to increase production
and bring even more produce to the markets to
maintain their annual incomes. This led to such a glut
of food grains that prices plummeted further and farm
produce was left to rot. Most countries took loans
from the US, but American overseas lenders were wary
about the same. When they decreased the amount of
loans, the countries economically dependent on US
loans faced an acute crisis. In Europe, this led to the
failure of major banks and currencies such as the
British pound sterling. In a bid to protect the American
economy, USA doubled import duties. This worsened
the world trade scenario. All these factors contributed
to the Great Depression. It affected USA the worst on
account of its being a global loan provider and the
biggest industrial nation.
Question 9:
Explain what is referred to as the G-77 countries. In
what ways can G-77 be seen as a reaction to the
activities of the Bretton Woods twins?
Answer :
G-77 countries is an abbreviation for the group of 77
countries that demanded a new international
economic order (NIEO); a system that would give
them real control over their natural resources,
without being victims of neo-colonialism, that is, a
new form of colonialism in trade practised by the
former colonial powers.
The G-77 can be seen as a reaction to the activities of
the Bretton Woods twins (the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank) because these two
institutions were designed to meet the financial needs
of industrial and developed countries, and did nothing
for the economic growth of former colonies and
developing nations.