Question Bank - Grade 8 - Social Studies
History - Chapter 1 - How, when, where
● What do you mean by “colonial” period? Describe any 3
characteristics of this period in Indian history. [5]
● Describe any 3 methods by which the British rule produced primary
sources. [3]
● Why are primary sources always not trust-worthy? [3]
● Why did the British do multiple surveys of the Indian subcontinent? [4]
History - Chapter 2 - From trade to territory
● Explain why the Mughal empire declined after Aurangzeb’s death. [5]
● How did the foreign invasions weaken the Mughal empire in the first
half of the 18th century?
[3]
● Why was there a rise of local rulers in 18th century India? [3]
● Write a short note on - East India Company. [5]
● Describe the difficulties and obstacles faced by EIC in their early
trading years in India.
[3]
● Why did conflicts arise between the British and the Nawab of Bengal
in the mid-1700s?
[3]
● How was the trade with India extremely profitable for the EIC? [3]
● State and explain the effects of Battle of Plassey. [5]
● Describe the differences between the traditional Indian military and
the modern European military.
[4]
● Explain how the following methods were used by the British to
expand territories in India during the late 18th and early 19th
centuries. [2 each]
○ Doctrine of Lapse
○ Maladministration / misgovernment
○ Military conquests
○ Claim to Paramountcy
● Explain the Subsidiary Alliance between local Indian rulers and EIC.
How did it help the EIC to control and gain more territories?
[5]
History - Chapter 2 - Ruling the countryside
● At the Treaty of Allahabad (1765), the British EIC received the Diwani
of Bengal. What do you mean by Diwani? How did the British benefit
from this? [3]
● Differentiate between the traditional Mughal revenue system and the
new revenue systems implemented by the British. [3]
● What was the impact of the new revenue systems such as
Zamindari?
[3]
● Why were the local peasant farmers forced to grow cash crops? Give
an example of this.
[3]
● What were the problems associated with Nij / Indigo cultivation? [3]
Social & Political LIfe - Chapter 3 - Parliament & Law Making
● Suggest benefits of the Parliamentary system of democracy.
● Explain the roles of the Parliament.
[5]
● How is a government formed after elections? [4]
● Describe the process of a bill turning into a law.
[5]
[3]
Geography - Chapter 2 & 3 - Population dynamics
● Why is a census necessary?
[3]
● What kind of data is collected through census?
[3]
● Describe the factors that lead to population growth in a country?
[4]
● Describe the factors that lead to population decline in a country? [4]
● Explain the reasons behind high death rates in a country. [3]
● State and explain the impacts of underpopulation. [4]
● State and explain the impacts of overpopulation.
[4]
● How can a country remain underpopulated due to environmental /
physiographic / natural factors?
[3]
● How can government policies influence population change? Explain
with appropriate examples. [5]
Geography - Chapter 4 - Migration
● Differentiate between push and pull factors with appropriate
examples. [4]
● Write a short note on - Brain drain.
[5]
● Describe the positive impacts of migration on the country of
destination.
[3]
● Describe the negative impacts of migration on the country of
destination.
[3]
● Describe the positive impacts of migration on the country of origin.[3]
● Describe the negative impacts of migration on the country of origin.[3]
● Describe the impacts of migration on the migrants themselves. [3]
● What could be some barriers for international migration? [4]
● Suggest possible natural / environmental / physiographic push factors
that lead to large scale migrations.
[3]