CBSE Set Qa1 Social Science Sample Test Papers For Class 10th for students online

Section A - HISTORY

Q1) State any two factors which helped Japan to become an imperialist power. (Marks 2)
Ans1) The factors which helped Japan to become an imperialist power are:
(a) After the Meiji Restoration, in which Japan had a change of Government, she began to modernize her economy. Heavy investments were made in industry & the education system also boosted up the process making men more literate & technologically skillful. Within a few decades, she became one of the most industrialized countries of the world.
(b) Japan, however, had few raw materials to support her industries. So she looked for lands that had them & for markets to sell her manufactured goods. China provided ample opportunities for Japan's imperialist designs. Her influence increased after the Sino-Japanese war of 1894, Anglo-Japanese Treaty of 1902 & Russo-Japanese war of 1904-5.

Q2) Mention any two steps taken by Lenin immediately after the October Revolution in Russia (1917). (Marks 2)
Ans2) Immediately after the October Revolution:
(a) Russia withdrew from war, though formal peace was signed with Germany later, after ceding the territories that Germany demanded as a price for peace.
(b) Following the decree on land, the estates of the landlords, the church & the Czar were confiscated & transferred to peasant's societies to be allotted to peasant families to be cultivated without hired labour. Barring this, the control of industries was transferred to shop committees of workers, banks & insurance companies, large industries, mines, water transport & railways were nationalised, foreign debts were repudiated & foreign investments were confiscated.

Q3) Why is the period between September 1939 & April 1940 known as the period of the "Phoney war" in Europe (Marks 2)
Ans3) The period between September 1939 & April 1940 is known as the period of Phoney war because it is during this time that Germany took over Poland, Norway & Denmark without any resistance. Neither Britain nor France intervened in German expansionism. Though the second world war had begun, it was confined to a small part of Europe in the east. For about seven months after the declaration of war, there was no active war between Britain & France & Germany except a few minor naval clashes.

Q4) Name any two leaders of the Home Rule Leagues in India. Why were these Leagues set up? (Marks 2)
Ans4) Mrs. Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak are the two indispensable name attached to the Home Rule League in India. Home Rule Leagues were set up to start a mass agitation demanding 'self - government' or 'home - rule' for India after the war. This mass agitation could not be carried out under the leadership of the Indian National Congress, which had become, under Moderate leadership, a passive & inert political organisation with no political work among the people to its credit. Thus, a separate forum was set up to voice their demands.

Q5) Describe the effects of the First world War on Germany.
Ans5) German defeat in the First World War, left her with no choice than to sign what she called a 'dictated peace'. She was forced to accept her "war guilt". The Treaty of versailles was signed according to which:
(a) Alsace & Lorraine was returned to France.
(b) Polish corridor was carved out which separated East Prussia with the rest of Germany.
(c) Danzing was made a free city. Belgium, Denmark & Lithuania also gained territories from Germany
(d) Saar coal-mines were transferred to France
(e) Rhineland was de-militarized
(f) The strength of German army was a fixed at 100,000 and she was not to have any air force & submarines.
(g) She was required to pay reparations worth 6600 million pounds to the Allies.
(h) She was also deprived of all her colonial possessions & they were divided among the victorious powers.

OR

What were the objectives for which the League of Nations was set up? Which major world power never joined the League? (Marks 4)
Ans. The League of Nations was the result of the conditions created by the First World War. It was formally established in accordance with decisions taken at the Paris Peace Conference, 1919. The League was established to maintain peace in the world. It was expected to find peaceful solutions of international disputes.
(1) Its main objective was to promote international cooperation & to maintain international peace & security. The League was expected to avoid wars between nations.
(2) It was required to establish open, just and honourable relations between nations.
(3) It was expected to promote observance of international law, & to regulate inter-governmental relations on the basis of international law.
(4) It was expected to maintain justice & treaty obligations.
USA was the major power who never joined the League.

Q 6) Describe any two important reasons for the arms race which began after the second world war. What were its effects ?
Ans. 6) US dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima & Nagasaki, thereby marking an end of the second world war. It also announced its monopoly over the atomic bomb. Thus, started a mad race for more & more deadlier weapons which was necessary to retain the balance of power in the world. These weapons were also believed to serve as a deterrent.
Barring this, the formation of military alliances & the intensification of the cold war situation also boosted up the arms race. The climate of distrust which was built up as a result of this required the build up of an effective defence system which further intensified the arms race.

OR

How did the second World War become truly global in 1941 (Marks 4)
Ans. The second world war started in 1939 but till 1940, it was fought on a small scale. Though the Phoney war came to an end by German invasion of Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg & France, it remained confined mainly to Europe. However in 1941, certain events made the war truly global.
(a) In June 1941, Germany declared a war against Russia. Though "Operation Barbarossa" failed, it did get Soviet Union in the picture.
(b) On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbour at Hawai in the Pacific Ocean.
(c) As an answer to this, on December 8, 1941, US declared war on Japan & it entered the second World War.
(d) On December 11, 1941, both Germany & Italy declared war on the US and the US declared war on Germany & Italy.
Thus, it was in 1941 that the Second World War because a global war.

Q7) Examine the role of the young Bengal Movement in the national awakening in India.
Ans7) The Young Bengal movement was founded by Henry Vivian Derozio. He taught at Hindu College. His followers were bright & fiery patriots. He inspired his students to think rationally & freely, to question all authority, to love liberty, equality & freedom, & to worship truth. The Derozians attacked old & decadent customs, rites & traditions. They were passionate advocates of women's rights & demanded education for them. They carried forward Rammohan's tradition of educating the people in social, economic & political questions through newspapers, pamphlets public associations. They carried on public agitation on public quesitons such as the revision of the Company's charter, the freedom of press, better treatment of Indian labour in British colonies abroad, tail by jury, protection of the ryots from oppressive zamindars, & employment of Indians in the higher grades of government services. Surendra Nath Banerjee described the Derozians as, "the pioneers of the modern civilization of Bengal".

OR

Explain the contribution of Prarthana Samaj in the field of social reform (Marks 4)
Ans. The Prarthana Samaj was founded in 1867 in Bombay with the aim of refining the Hindu religious thought & practice in the light of modern knowledge. The light of modern knowledge in maharashtra was lit by the Prarthana Samaj, which had such great leaders as the famous sanskrit scholars & historians like R.G. Bhandarkar & Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade. The Prarthana Samaj was greatly influenced by the Brahmo Samaj & it preached the worship of one god. It also tried to free the Hindu society from the clutches of orthodoxy & priestly dominance. It attacked the caste system & campaigned against the practice of sati & child marriage. It advocated equal rights for women in inheritance, remarriage & education. Its activities spread to South India as a result of the efforts of the Telegu reformer, Vivesalingam.

Q8) Where & When was the first conference of independent countries of Asia & Africa held ? Assess its importance in shaping the role of Asian & African countries in world affairs.
Ans.8) The first Afro-Asian conference was held at Bandung in April 1955. It was a landmark in the emergence of Third World as a distinct entity. It was described as a "grand assembly to stimulate cooperation among Asians & put Asia on the map".
The convening of such a conference was suggested by Ceylon. The ideas was taken up by Nehru & Sukarno. The immediate provocation was conclusion of a treaty between Taiwan & the United States, & creation of SEATO & Baghdad Pact - military alliances, on the pattern of NATO, under the leadership of the United States. Paul Jhonson uses the term "Bandung Generation" for the sponsors of the Third world. He suggests that newly independent Afro-Asian countries considered themselves to be oppressed & therefore, they came together as a group to struggle for their rightful place in the world. The Bandung Leadership hoped for Afro-Asian contribution for world peace.
The concept of the Third World thus emerged during this conference. The growing solidarity of the Third World countries was reflected in the Bandung Conference. It emerged as an answer to the cold war politics. Non-Alignment was the essential policy at the back of the concept of third world.
In the post Bandung years the importance & solidarity of third world war reflected in various international fora including the United Nations. The Third World countries generally expressed similar views, in the U.N., on issues like anti imperialism, anti-racialism, the threats of war, aggression & intervention. They have consistently supported the principles of peaceful co-existence, self-determination, disarmament & world peace.

OR

"The end of cold war is considered as the most significant & positive development of recent years". Give arguments to justify this statement. (Marks 6)
Ans. The period after the second world war, marked a period of hostility & distrust between the two major powers of the world. Along with it, came up the formation of military alliances and the intensification of arms race. However, the end of cold war, with the disintegration of one of the power blocs i.e. USSR, is to be seen as a significant & positive development.
There did take place a significant shift in the balance of power situation as the world order changed from a bipolar one to a unipolar one. It was proved that liberal democracy was the most acceptable ideology for the entire world. The restrictions on the people that had been imposed in Eastern Europe was also eased.
Not only this, end of the Cold War also saw the slowing down of the arms race. A number of agreements were signed reducing the quantity & quality of destructive weapons. A tacit agreement is in vogue according to which no two nuclear powers can have an open war. Though the threat of a nuclear war can not be ruled out, there is an understanding that there can be no winners in a nuclear warfare.
Moreover, with the disintegration of USSR, the military alliance system also eased out with Russia itself joining the NATO & G-15, it can be rightly said that the tensions in the world situation has eased.
The end of Cold War signaled the unipolarity of the world order. However this is open to debate. Thought economically, the world may be called unipolar with USA at the head, but with the coming up of Japan & Germany this picture of unipolarity may be questioned. The nuclear club no doubt has expanded by the recent Pokhran II and Chagtai Hills tests - though the Big 5 refuse to accept it. Indian IT industry has expanded enormously & this development has been endorsed even by the USA.

Thus, the world that we now live in is more equitable or multipolar. Third world countries are flighting for democratization of international organisations & expansion of their membership. All of this has been possible with the easing of tensions in the international scene. Seen in this way, the end of cold War has been a significant development in the recent years.

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