Page 34 - Understanding NCERT Histroy 09th

 a medium-level landowner
 a house owner.
Ans. (a) A Poor Labourer working in the Fields: Dear friends, nature has not done any
partiality in providing resources to everyone and so some people owning more land
Goyal Brothers Prakashan
than others is incorrect. All the profits from our crops are the result of hard work
done by people like me in planting seeds, irrigating the crops, keeping them free
from pests and finally harvesting them. So, I think we labourers should share in the
profits made from sale of crops, instead of getting a subsistence wage. To enable this,
private ownership of property needs to be abolished and collective ownership of the
fields by all the labourers who are working on it should be introduced.
(b) A Medium-Level Land-owner: Respected friends, I do not agree with the private
ownership of property. It is not rational and will reduce the crop production. One can
not try to increase crop production if the entire profit is not going to him. In fact, what
should be done is the equitable distribution of land to all, so that only some people do
not own large tracts of land, while others have to manage with small patch of land,
or are deprived completely of any land ownership. So, all should have ownership of
land so that everyone can be benefitted.
(c) A House Owner: I think everybody should have the basic necessities of life like food,
shelter and clothing, but not at the expense of other people’s property. Those who do
not have land should be given the means to earn their livelihoods in whatever manner
is convenient. We have earned our property through the sincere efforts of our ancestors
and so we should not be deprived of the labour and wisdom of our forefathers in
acquiring land. I think this is very reasonable.

2. THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
l The Monarchy fell in February 1917, and the events that happened in October were
termed as the Russian Revolution.

2.1 The Russian Empire in 1914

In 1914, Russia was ruled by Tsar Nicholas II.
l
• In those days the Russian Empire included the territory of Moscow, Finland, Latvia,
Lithuania, Estonia, parts of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus.
• The Russian Orthodox Christianity was practiced by the majority of its population.

2.2 Economy and Society
l The Russian population was dominated by agriculturalists,who used to cultivate for the
market as well as for their own needs. Russia was a major exporter of grain.
• At this time, industries were limited in Russia.
• The prominent industrial areas were St. Petersburg and Moscow.
• In the 1890s, more factories were set up, and foreign investment in industry increased.

• Large factories were supervised by government officials to make sure about the workers
wages and also about their working hours.
• Workers were divided according to their skills, but they were united together when they
were dissatisfied with their employer.
• The nobility, the crown and the Orthodox Church owned large properties.

History Class IX H-27