The Age of Industrialization – Very Short Answer Type Questions
Class 10
Social Science – History
NCERT • CBSE Board Exams
Chapter 4 – The Age of Industrialization
Book: India and the Contemporary World – II
Topics: Before the Industrial Revolution • Hand Labour and Steam Power • Industrialization in the Colonies • Factories Come Up • The Peculiarities of Industrial Growth • Market for Goods
Topics: Before the Industrial Revolution • Hand Labour and Steam Power • Industrialization in the Colonies • Factories Come Up • The Peculiarities of Industrial Growth • Market for Goods
Suitable for CBSE Examination Preparation:
- CBSE Class 10 Board Examination – Social Science (History)
- Annual / Term-End School Examinations
- Class Tests, Pre-Boards and Assignment Practice
- Objective / Very Short Answer Type Question Practice
CBSE Class 10 History – Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialization (Very Short Answer Type Questions)
The following 50 Very Short Answer Type Questions with clear, easy-to-understand answers are designed strictly as per the NCERT textbook for Class 10 History – Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialization. They are ideal for quick revision, oral tests, and CBSE Board exam preparation.
A. Before the Industrial Revolution
Questions 1 to 9 cover proto-industrialisation, merchants, rural households and the putting-out system in Europe.
Q1. What is meant by “proto-industrialisation”?
Ans. It refers to the early phase of industrialisation when large-scale production for the world market took place in the countryside but before factories were set up.
Q2. Why did merchants move to the countryside in eighteenth-century Europe?
Ans. Town guild rules restricted production in cities, so merchants shifted to villages where they could get work done freely and cheaply by rural families.
Q3. What was the “putting-out” system?
Ans. It was a system in which merchants supplied raw material to rural households, who processed it in their homes and returned the finished goods to the merchant for payment.
Q4. Why were peasants willing to work for merchants?
Ans. Land was limited and incomes were low, so peasants welcomed such work as it gave them extra cash income along with agriculture.
Q5. What role did guilds play in European towns?
Ans. Guilds were associations of producers that regulated quality, prices and entry into trades, and often blocked new merchants from expanding production in towns.
Q6. Why is proto-industrialisation called a “production in the countryside” phase?
Ans. Because most goods for export were produced by rural households working on merchant orders, not in urban factories.
Q7. Name any one product commonly produced under the proto-industrial system in Europe.
Ans. Textiles (like woollen and linen cloth) were commonly produced by rural households under the proto-industrial system.
Q8. How did proto-industrialisation help merchants?
Ans. It allowed merchants to control production, avoid town restrictions, use cheap rural labour and meet the growing world market demand.
Q9. How did proto-industrialisation affect rural families?
Ans. Many rural families combined farming with spinning and weaving at home, which increased their income but also made them dependent on merchant orders.
B. Hand Labour and Steam Power
Questions 10 to 19 focus on early factories, machines, hand labour, working conditions and the role of steam power.
Q10. When and where did the first Industrial Revolution begin?
Ans. It began in the late eighteenth century in Britain, especially in the textile industry.
Q11. Name any one important invention in the textile industry during the Industrial Revolution.
Ans. The spinning jenny and the power loom were key inventions in the textile industry.
Q12. Who invented the steam engine most widely used in early factories?
Ans. James Watt improved the steam engine design, and it became widely used in early factories.
Q13. Why did hand labour continue in Britain even after the introduction of machines?
Ans. Because wages were low, many goods needed careful hand finishing, and demand for different styles favoured flexible hand production.
Q14. Why did upper-class people in Europe prefer hand-made goods?
Ans. They saw hand-made goods as beautiful, refined and luxurious, and believed they showed better taste and social status.
Q15. How did machines change the speed of production?
Ans. Machines could work continuously and faster, increasing output compared to hand labour for many products.
Q16. Why did factories prefer seasonal or casual workers in some industries?
Ans. In industries with seasonal demand, like book printing or shipbuilding, employers preferred to hire workers only when needed instead of investing in costly machines.
Q17. Mention any one hardship faced by workers in early industrial factories.
Ans. Workers faced long working hours, low wages and often unsafe or unhealthy working conditions.
Q18. How did workers protest against their conditions in early industrial Britain?
Ans. They organised strikes, machine-breaking and later formed trade unions to press for better wages and conditions.
Q19. What was the main advantage of steam power over human or animal power?
Ans. Steam power could provide constant and stronger energy, allowing bigger machines to run for longer periods and increase production.
C. Industrialization in the Colonies (India)
Questions 20 to 30 deal with industrialisation under colonial rule, Indian textiles, British policies and early mills.
Q20. Why was India famous in the pre-colonial world market?
Ans. India was famous for its fine handloom textiles like muslins and chintz, which were in high demand in Asia, Europe and Africa.
Q21. How did British tariff policies affect Indian textile exports?
Ans. Britain imposed high import duties on Indian textiles, making them costlier and reducing their demand in the British market.
Q22. Why were British manufacturers interested in the Indian market?
Ans. They wanted India both as a source of raw materials and as a large captive market to sell their machine-made goods.
Q23. What happened to many Indian weavers after British textiles flooded the Indian market?
Ans. Many weavers faced unemployment or very low wages, and some shifted to agriculture or worked as labourers for European agencies.
Q24. Name the city where the first steam-driven cotton mill of India was set up.
Ans. The first steam-driven cotton mill in India was set up in Bombay (Mumbai).
Q25. Why did jute mills develop mainly in Bengal?
Ans. Jute mills developed in Bengal because the region had easy access to raw jute, river transport and the nearby port of Kolkata for export.
Q26. Who were “agency houses” in the colonial economy?
Ans. Agency houses were large European trading and managing firms that controlled trade, finance and often managed plantations and mills in India.
Q27. Name any one Indian entrepreneur associated with early industrial ventures.
Ans. Dwarkanath Tagore is one example of an Indian entrepreneur who invested in coal mines and shipping in the early nineteenth century.
Q28. Why was it difficult for Indian industrialists to compete with British goods?
Ans. British machine-made goods were cheaper and enjoyed tariff advantages, while Indian industries faced discriminatory policies and competition.
Q29. How did railways support industrialisation in colonial India?
Ans. Railways helped transport raw materials to mills and finished goods to ports, linking inland areas with markets and export centres.
Q30. Why is colonial industrialisation described as “unequal” growth?
Ans. Because growth was controlled by colonial interests, centred in a few sectors and regions, and did not lead to balanced, independent development of the Indian economy.
D. Factories Come Up
Questions 31 to 38 highlight early factories, Indian industrialists, workers and jobbers.
Q31. Who were the main investors in early Indian cotton textile mills?
Ans. Early mills were set up by a mix of Indian merchants and industrialists and British managing agencies.
Q32. From where did most Indian factory workers come?
Ans. Most workers were migrants from nearby villages who came to towns in search of jobs and wages.
Q33. Who was a “jobber” in Indian factories?
Ans. A jobber was a middleman who brought workers from villages, helped them get jobs and often controlled and supervised them inside the factory.
Q34. Why did workers depend on jobbers for employment?
Ans. Because jobs were limited and factory managers relied on jobbers, workers needed jobbers’ recommendations and links to secure employment.
Q35. Mention any one problem faced by workers in industrial cities like Bombay.
Ans. Workers had to live in overcrowded, unsanitary slums and faced irregular employment and low wages.
Q36. How did workers try to improve their working conditions?
Ans. They formed workers’ associations and unions, organised strikes and protests to demand better wages and conditions.
Q37. Why were children often employed in factories?
Ans. Children were employed because they could be paid very low wages and were considered easier to control by factory managers.
Q38. What was the impact of factory discipline on workers’ lives?
Ans. Factory discipline fixed timings and rules, reducing workers’ freedom and forcing them to adjust to strict schedules unlike village life.
E. The Peculiarities of Industrial Growth
Questions 39 to 44 focus on patterns of industrial growth, war-time boom and sectors that expanded.
Q39. Why is industrial growth in India called “peculiar”?
Ans. Because it was uneven, controlled by colonial policies, dominated by a few sectors and influenced heavily by war and world market changes.
Q40. How did the First World War create an opportunity for Indian industries?
Ans. During the war, imports from Britain declined, so Indian factories had to supply cloth and other goods for the army and people, leading to a production boom.
Q41. After the war, why did Indian industrialists demand protection?
Ans. When British goods returned, Indian mills again faced stiff competition, so industrialists demanded tariff protection to safeguard their industries.
Q42. Which two textile sectors expanded significantly in colonial India?
Ans. The cotton textile industry in Bombay and the jute industry in Bengal expanded significantly.
Q43. Name any one consumer goods industry that developed in India during this period.
Ans. Industries producing matches, soap, flour or oil developed as consumer goods industries.
Q44. Why did heavy industries grow slowly in colonial India?
Ans. Heavy industries needed huge capital and state support, and colonial policies did not encourage Indian-owned heavy industrial development.
F. Market for Goods
Questions 45 to 50 relate to branding, advertisements, labels, calendars and creation of consumers.
Q45. Why did industrialists feel the need for advertisements?
Ans. With many similar products in the market, industrialists used advertisements to attract customers and create a distinct identity for their goods.
Q46. How were labels used on cloth bundles?
Ans. Labels showed the company name, logo and images, which helped build brand recognition and signalled quality to buyers.
Q47. Why did foreign cloth manufacturers sometimes use images of Indian gods on labels?
Ans. They used such images to appeal to Indian buyers and make foreign cloth appear familiar and trustworthy in the Indian market.
Q48. How did calendars and posters help in advertising?
Ans. Calendars and posters were hung in homes and shops all year, so they constantly reminded people of the brand and its products.
Q49. What kind of images were often shown in industrial advertisements?
Ans. Advertisements used images of gods, royalty, modern life and strong figures to suggest that using the product brought prosperity, strength or prestige.
Q50. How did advertisements help create a “market for goods”?
Ans. They not only provided information but also created new tastes, desires and trust in brands, thereby expanding demand and building a steady market for industrial goods.
These 50 Very Short Answer Type Questions and Answers are closely based on NCERT Class 10 History – Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialization and are suitable for CBSE Board exams, class tests and rapid revision.