NCERT Solutions Class 10 Social Science Chapter 3 – History: The Making of a Global World

Nahi, ye poori baat nahi hai. Silk Route naam zaroor Chinese silk se pada, lekin in routes se Chinese pottery, Indian aur South-East Asian textiles aur spices bhi travel karte the, aur badle me Europe se gold-chandi Asia jaata tha. Isse aage, ye routes sirf goods tak simit nahi the — inhi ke through Buddhism South aur South-East Asia tak pahuncha aur early Christian missionaries bhi inhi raston se travel karte the. Isliye Silk Route sirf ek trade-corridor nahi, balki ek cultural-exchange corridor bhi tha.

America continent lakhon saalon tak baaki world se geographically alag-thalag raha — na wahan ke log Europe/Asia/Africa ki diseases se exposed the, na unke paas koi immunity thi. Columbus ke pahunchne (aur uske baad Spanish conquest) ke baad, Europeans apne saath naye foods (potato, maize, soya) le gaye jo poori duniya me failii — isse global diet badli. Lekin isi exchange me diseases (khaaskar smallpox) bhi America pahunche, jinhone indigenous population ko tabaah kar diya aur Europeans ke liye conquest aasan bana diya.

Corn Laws Britain ke wo laws the jo anaaj (corn/wheat) ke sasta import ko restrict karte the, taaki landowners ki zameen se milne wale anaaj ki keemat high rahe. Lekin isse Britain me food (roti/rotti) ka price bahut high ho gaya — jo shehri industrialists aur mazdoor class ke liye mehenga saabit hua kyunki unhe apne workers ko zyada wage deni padti thi. Isi dabaav me 1846 me Corn Laws hata di gayi, jisse sasta food import Britain me aane laga.

Rinderpest infected cattle ke saath Africa pahunchi jo British Asia se Italian soldiers ke liye khana supply karne ke liye import kiye gaye the. Ye bimari tezi se puri continent me failii aur Africa ke 90% tak cattle ko maar gayi. Iska sabse bada asar ye hua ki jin African samudaayon ki livelihood cattle par nirbhar thi, unke paas survival ke liye European-controlled plantations/mines me wage-labour karne ke alawa koi option nahi bacha — is tarah cattle ka khatma colonial control ko mazboot karne ka hathiyar ban gaya.

Henry Ford ne apni car factory me assembly-line technique introduce ki — jahan har worker ek fixed station par khada rehkar sirf ek specific chhota kaam karta tha, aur product (car) belt par move karte hue banti jaati thi. Isse production speed bahut badh gayi aur per-unit cost ghat gayi. Iska nateeja hua mass production aur mass consumption — cars aur household items ab hire-purchase/credit ke through common logon ke bhi pahunch me aa gaye, jo baad me overproduction aur Great Depression ki ek wajah bhi bani.

Step 1 — Refrigerated ships (1880s se): Pehle animals ko zinda hi jahaz me America/Australia se Europe bheja jaata tha — bahut jagah ghirti thi aur kayi jaanwar raaste me hi mar jaate the, sirf meat ka hissa hi use ho paata tha, isliye meat mehenga rehta tha. Refrigerated cargo ships aane ke baad sirf dressed meat (already-killed, cold-stored) transport hone laga — cost kam hui, meat sasta hua aur Europe ke working-class logon ki diet me protein badha.

Step 2 — Faster railways aur steamships: In dono technologies ne North America, Russia aur Australia jaise land-surplus regions se wheat jaisi anaaj ko kam samay aur kam lagat me Europe tak pahunchana mumkin banaya. Isse global food supply badhi, prices stable hue, aur Britain jaisa desh apni zaroorat se zyada food import kar saka — jo Corn Laws ke khatam hone ke baad domestic production kam hone ki bhi wajah bani.

Historians ne ek nahi, balki kayi Silk Routes identify ki hain — kuch land (overland) se, kuch samundar (by sea) se — jo Asia ko Europe aur North Africa se jodti thi. Inka naam China ke silk trade ke naam par pada, kyunki ye routes Chinese silk cargo carry karte the.

Par sirf silk hi nahi — Chinese pottery, textiles aur spices bhi India aur South-East Asia se in routes par jaati thi, aur badle me sona-chandi (precious metals) Europe se Asia ki taraf jaate the. Ye routes China, Central Asia, Persia, Arab lands, India, Roman Empire (Europe) aur North Africa ko jodte the. Sirf goods hi nahi, pre-modern cultural aur religious exchange bhi in routes se hua — Buddhism South aur South-East Asia tak inhi routes se pahuncha, aur early Christian missionaries bhi inhi raston se travel karte the.

Step 1 — Isolation: America ka continent lakhon saalon tak baaki duniya se geographically isolated raha — isliye wahan ke original (indigenous) log Afro-Asian-European diseases (jaise smallpox) ke exposure me kabhi nahi aaye the, aur unme koi natural immunity nahi thi.

Step 2 — Conquest: Jab Spanish conquerors (jaise Cortes) America pahunche, wo apne saath unknowingly germs bhi le aaye — khaaskar smallpox.

Step 3 — Result: Ye disease indigenous population me tezi se failii aur unhe barbaad kar diya — poore-poore samudaay khatam ho gaye. Smallpox ne kisi bhi conventional hathiyar se zyada logon ko maara. Iska nateeja ye hua ki ek chhoti si Spanish army bhi America ke bade-bade samrajya (jaise Aztecs) ko haraa saki, kyunki bimari pehle hi population aur unka morale tod chuki thi. Isliye disease colonisation ka ek shaktishaali (aksar hathiyar se bhi zyada asardaar) tareeka ban gaya.

(a) Bretton Woods Agreement: July 1944 me USA ke Bretton Woods town me hui conference me duniya ke desho ne mil kar do institutions banaye — International Monetary Fund (IMF) (members ke external surplus-deficit sambhalne ke liye) aur World Bank (post-war reconstruction finance karne ke liye). Isi agreement se fixed exchange rate system bhi shuru hua, jisme har currency US dollar se aur dollar gold se pegged tha.

(b) Indentured labour migration: 19th–early 20th century me lakhon Indian aur Chinese mazdoor Caribbean islands (Trinidad, Guyana, Surinam), Mauritius aur Fiji jaise plantations me kaam karne bheje gaye. Ye ek bonded-labour contract (indenture) tha — mazdoor ka safar-kharcha employer chukata tha, badle me mazdoor ek tay samay tak kaam karne ko bandhit hota tha. Recruiting agents (arkatis) aksar galat/jhoothe promises karke gareeb logon ko is contract me phasate the; plantation ki working conditions kaafi kathin hoti thi.

(c) Corn Laws ka khatma (1846): Britain ke Corn Laws sasta anaaj import hone se rokte the, taaki landowners ko fayda ho. Industrialists aur shehri logon ke dabaav me 1846 me ye laws hata diye gaye. Isse sasta food import Britain me aane laga, food prices gire, lekin isi wajah se Britain me khud khet-kheti kam ho gayi aur desh food-import par nirbhar ho gaya — jisne America, Russia aur Australia jaisi jagah rail-harbour infrastructure aur naye zameen ki kheti me European capital-labour ke invest hone ka raasta khola.

Economists 19th century ki world economy ko teen tarah ke aapas me judhe hue 'flows' se samjhate hain:

1. Flow of trade: Zyaadatar goods ka — jaise cloth (textile) ya wheat (anaaj) — ek desh se doosre desh me bikri.

2. Flow of labour: Rozgaar ki talaash me logon ka ek jagah se doosri jagah migration — jaise Europe se America, ya India-China se Caribbean/Fiji indentured labour ke roop me.

3. Movement of capital: Short-term ya long-term investment ke liye paise ka lambi doori tak ek jagah se doosri jagah jaana — jaise London ka capital America/Australia ke railway aur infrastructure projects me lagna.

Ye teeno flows ek doosre se gehrai se jude the — jaise ek jagah trade badhne se labour aur capital dono ki demand badhti thi — aur inhone milkar 19th century me logon ki zindagi ko pehle se zyada gehrai se badla.

Step 1 — Agricultural overproduction: 1920s me farm production zaroorat se zyada badh gaya, jisse crop prices girna shuru hua aur farmers ki income kam hone lagi.

Step 2 — US loans ka acharsak rukna: Kayi desh apni economy US se liye gaye loans par chala rahe the. 1928 ke baad US ke andar stock market me speculative boom hua, jisse American investors ne apna paisa Europe se hataakar apne hi stock market me lagana shuru kiya — isse US loans doosre desho ko milna kam ya band ho gaya.

Step 3 — Chain reaction: Jin desho ki economy US loans par depend karti thi (jaise Europe aur Latin America ke kai desh), wahan investment ruk gaya, production giri, banks fail hone lage — logon ne dar ke maare apni jama-poonji nikalna shuru kar diya jisse aur banks doob gaye (US me hi 1933 tak ~17,000 se zyada banks band ho gaye).

Step 4 — Global asar: India jaise colonies me bhi export-import lagbhag aadha ho gaya, wheat ki keemat 50% tak gir gayi, jinka livelihood world market par depend karta tha (jaise peasants/farmers) sabse zyada pareshaan hue — jabki colonial sarkar ne revenue demand kam nahi ki.

Aana kaise hua: Rinderpest 1880s ke late me Africa pahuncha — infected cattle Italian soldiers ke liye khana supply karne ke liye British Asia se import kiye gaye the, jinke saath ye virus bhi aa gaya.

Failna: Ye disease jangal ki aag ki tarah faila — 1892 tak Africa ke Atlantic coast tak pahunch gaya, aur 1897 tak Cape (Southern Africa) tak.

Asar: Rinderpest ne Africa ke 90% cattle maar diye — jinpar African pastoral communities apne khaane, rituals aur trade ke liye poori tarah nirbhar the. Cattle ke khatm hone se unki livelihood barbaad ho gayi.

Colonial control: European planters, mine-owners aur colonial sarkaron ne bache-khuche cattle par control jamaa liya, jisse Africans ke paas plantation ya mine me wage-labour karne ke alawa koi chaara nahi bacha — is tarah cattle ka scarcity colonial powers ke liye Africa par control jamaane ka ek taakatwar hathiyar ban gayi.