The Making of a Global World – Very Short Answer Type Questions
Class 10
Social Science – History
NCERT • CBSE Board Exams
Chapter 3 – The Making of a Global World
Book: India and the Contemporary World – II
Topics: The Pre-modern World • The Nineteenth Century • The Interwar Economy • Rebuilding a World Economy (Post-War Era)
Topics: The Pre-modern World • The Nineteenth Century • The Interwar Economy • Rebuilding a World Economy (Post-War Era)
Suitable for CBSE Board Examinations:
- CBSE Class 10 Board Examination – Social Science (History)
- Annual / Term-End School Examinations
- Class Tests, Pre-Boards and Practice Assignments
- Quick Concept Checking and Last-Minute Revision
CBSE Class 10 History – The Making of a Global World (VSAQ with Answers)
The following 50 Very Short Answer Type Questions with answers are prepared strictly as per the NCERT syllabus for CBSE Class 10 Social Science. They are arranged topic-wise to help students revise quickly and effectively for the board examinations.
A. The Pre-modern World
Questions 1 to 12 are based on early forms of globalisation, Silk Routes, food travels and cultural exchanges.
Q1. What were the Silk Routes?
Ans. The Silk Routes were ancient overland and sea trade routes linking Asia with Europe and North Africa, used to trade silk and many other goods.
Q2. Why are these trade routes called “Silk” Routes?
Ans. They are called Silk Routes because Chinese silk was one of the most valuable and frequently traded items that moved along these routes.
Q3. Name any two regions connected by the Silk Routes.
Ans. The Silk Routes connected regions such as China and India with West Asia and European lands.
Q4. Besides trade in goods, what else moved along the Silk Routes?
Ans. Along with goods, people, ideas, religions, art forms and technologies also travelled along the Silk Routes.
Q5. Give one example to show that food can reveal global connections.
Ans. The potato, originally from the Americas, became a common food in Europe and Asia, showing how crops spread through global contacts.
Q6. Name any two crops that came from the Americas to Europe and Asia.
Ans. Potato and maize are two crops that came from the Americas to Europe and Asia.
Q7. How did new crops from the Americas affect European societies?
Ans. New crops like the potato improved food supply, supported population growth and changed diets in European societies.
Q8. How were diseases also a part of early global exchanges?
Ans. Traders and conquerors carried germs to new regions; local people without immunity suffered large-scale deaths due to unfamiliar diseases.
Q9. What was the impact of European conquest on indigenous populations in some regions?
Ans. European conquest often led to the decline of indigenous populations due to warfare, forced labour and deadly diseases.
Q10. State one way in which pre-modern trade created cultural links.
Ans. Pre-modern trade spread religions, languages and artistic styles from one region to another, creating cultural links.
Q11. Why can the pre-modern world be called an “interconnected” world?
Ans. Because faraway regions were linked through long-distance trade, migration and cultural exchanges, making them interdependent.
Q12. What does the study of food history tell us about globalisation?
Ans. Food history shows how crops, cooking styles and eating habits travelled across continents, reflecting long-term processes of globalisation.
B. The Nineteenth Century (1815–1914)
Questions 13 to 27 focus on industrialisation, trade, migration and the role of colonies in the world economy.
Q13. Which major economic change transformed the world in the nineteenth century?
Ans. The spread of the Industrial Revolution transformed production and trade in the nineteenth century.
Q14. Why did industrial countries need colonies?
Ans. Industrial countries needed colonies for raw materials, cheap labour and secure markets for their manufactured goods.
Q15. How did steamships and railways affect nineteenth century trade?
Ans. Steamships and railways reduced transport costs and time, making long-distance trade faster and cheaper.
Q16. Define “world trade” in the context of the nineteenth century.
Ans. World trade refers to the large-scale exchange of goods and capital between different countries and continents.
Q17. Give one example of a raw material that colonies supplied to industrial nations.
Ans. Cotton, used in textile industries, is one example of a raw material supplied by colonies.
Q18. What is meant by “cash crops”?
Ans. Cash crops are agricultural crops grown mainly for sale in the market rather than for local consumption, such as cotton or jute.
Q19. Why were many colonial farmers encouraged to grow cash crops?
Ans. Colonial governments encouraged cash crops to earn export income and supply raw materials for industries in imperial countries.
Q20. What is meant by “global agricultural economy”?
Ans. A global agricultural economy is one in which farm production in different regions is linked through international trade and price movements.
Q21. Define “migration” in the historical context.
Ans. Migration refers to the movement of people from one region or country to another in search of work, land or better opportunities.
Q22. Who were “indentured labourers”?
Ans. Indentured labourers were workers hired under a contract to work for a fixed period, often on plantations or in mines, usually in overseas colonies.
Q23. Why did many Indians become indentured labourers in the nineteenth century?
Ans. Many Indians became indentured labourers due to poverty, debt, high rents and the hope of better incomes abroad.
Q24. Name any two regions where Indian indentured labourers were sent.
Ans. Indian indentured labourers were sent to places like the Caribbean islands and Mauritius.
Q25. How did migration create a “global labour market”?
Ans. Migration linked workers from Asia, Europe and Africa to jobs in America, Africa and Australia, forming a worldwide labour market.
Q26. Who are called “latecomers” to industrialisation?
Ans. Countries that industrialised after Britain, such as some European nations and Japan, are called latecomers to industrialisation.
Q27. Why did some countries protect their industries with tariffs in the nineteenth century?
Ans. They used tariffs to shield their emerging industries from competition by cheaper imported goods.
C. The Interwar Economy
Questions 28 to 40 relate to the First World War, post-war recovery and the Great Depression.
Q28. What is meant by the “interwar period”?
Ans. The interwar period refers to the years between the First World War and the Second World War.
Q29. How did the First World War affect European economies?
Ans. European economies were weakened by heavy war expenditure, inflation, debt and destruction of resources.
Q30. Which country emerged as a major economic power after the First World War?
Ans. The United States emerged as a major economic and financial power after the First World War.
Q31. What is the “Gold Standard” in monetary systems?
Ans. The Gold Standard is a system in which the value of a country’s currency is directly linked to a specific quantity of gold.
Q32. Why was post-war recovery in Europe uneven and fragile?
Ans. Recovery was uneven because economies were heavily damaged, faced high debts and struggled to return to pre-war policies like the Gold Standard.
Q33. What was the Great Depression?
Ans. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic crisis starting around 1929, marked by a sharp fall in production, prices and employment.
Q34. Mention one major cause of the Great Depression.
Ans. One major cause was overproduction in agriculture and industry, leading to unsold stocks and falling prices.
Q35. How did the collapse of banks worsen the Great Depression?
Ans. When banks failed, credit dried up, people lost savings and investment fell, deepening the economic crisis.
Q36. Why did world trade shrink during the Great Depression?
Ans. Many countries raised tariffs and reduced imports to protect their economies, causing a decline in world trade.
Q37. How were farmers in agricultural countries affected by the Great Depression?
Ans. Farmers faced a collapse in crop prices, heavy debts and in many cases were unable to repay loans or maintain their livelihoods.
Q38. How did the Great Depression affect colonial economies?
Ans. Colonial economies dependent on exports saw falling demand and prices, causing severe hardship to peasants and workers.
Q39. What lesson about global interdependence does the Great Depression teach?
Ans. It shows that a crisis in one major economy can spread worldwide when economies are closely linked by trade and finance.
Q40. Why is the interwar period considered economically unstable?
Ans. Because it was marked by war damage, weak recovery, unstable currencies and the severe disruption caused by the Great Depression.
D. Rebuilding a World Economy – The Post-War Era
Questions 41 to 50 cover Bretton Woods institutions, post-war growth, decolonisation and a new phase of globalisation.
Q41. Why did countries want a new economic system after the Second World War?
Ans. They wanted a stable system that would avoid another Great Depression and support reconstruction and growth.
Q42. Where was the conference held to design the post-war international economic order?
Ans. The conference was held at Bretton Woods in the United States in 1944.
Q43. Name the two main international institutions set up at Bretton Woods.
Ans. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were set up at Bretton Woods.
Q44. What was the main role of the IMF?
Ans. The IMF was created to promote stability in the international monetary system and provide short-term financial assistance to countries.
Q45. What was the main role of the World Bank?
Ans. The World Bank was meant to give long-term loans for reconstruction and development of war-affected and developing countries.
Q46. How were exchange rates managed under the Bretton Woods system?
Ans. Currencies were kept at fixed but adjustable exchange rates, with the US dollar linked to gold and other currencies linked to the dollar.
Q47. What was the general trend of the world economy in the 1950s and 1960s?
Ans. The world economy saw rapid growth in production, trade and incomes during the 1950s and 1960s.
Q48. What major political change occurred in Asia and Africa after the Second World War?
Ans. Many Asian and African countries gained independence from colonial rule through decolonisation.
Q49. Why did newly independent countries try to protect their economies?
Ans. They protected their economies through planning and controls to build domestic industries and reduce dependence on former colonial powers.
Q50. What marks the new phase of globalisation after the 1970s?
Ans. After the 1970s, freer movement of capital, growth of multinational companies and rapid spread of technology marked a new phase of globalisation.
These Very Short Answer Type Questions and Answers closely follow the NCERT textbook for Class 10 History – The Making of a Global World and are ideal for CBSE Board exam revision, class tests and quick practice.