50 IMP Q&A OF SST.docx

Why did in the last quarter of the nineteenth century nationalism no longer retained its idealistic

liberal-democratic sentiment, but became a narrow creed with limited ends?

● During this period nationalist groups became

increasingly intolerant of each other and ever

ready to go to war.

● The most serious source of nationalist tension

in Europe after 1871 was the area called the

Balkans. The Balkans was a region of

geographical and ethnic variation

● A large part of the Balkans was under the

control of the Ottoman Empire.One by one, its

European subject nationalities broke away

from its control and declared independence.

● It got even complicated because the Balkans

also became the scene of big power rivalry.

This led to a series of wars in the region and

finally the First World War.

How was the social and political

situation of India affected by the

First World War? Explain.

● The war created a new economic and

political situation.

● It led to a huge increase in defence

expenditure which was financed by war

loans and increasing taxes: customs duties

were raised and income tax introduced.

● Through the war years prices increased –

leading to extreme hardship for the common

people.

● Villages were called upon to supply soldiers,

and the forced recruitment in rural areas

caused widespread anger.

● Crops failed in many parts of India,

resulting in acute shortages of food.

How is the distribution pattern of the

Railway network in the country has

been largely influenced by

physiographic, economic and

administrative factors?

The distribution pattern of the Railway network in the

country has been largely influenced by physiographic,

economic and administrative factors:

● The northern plains with their vast level land, high

population density and rich agricultural resources

provided the most favourable condition for their

growth.

● In the hilly terrains of the peninsular region,

railway tracks are laid through low hills, gaps or

tunnels.

● The Himalayan mountainous regions too are

unfavourable for the construction of railway lines

due to high relief, sparse population and lack of

economic opportunities.

● It is also difficult to law railway lines on the sandy

plain of western Rajasthan, swamps of Gujarat,

forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,

Odisha and Jharkhand.