10th standard social science major forms of imperialism
Imperialism in India and China
Colonialism and Imperialism
The policy adopted by the European countries from AD1492- AD1763 is known as Colonialism. During this period England, France, Spain and Portugal established their colonies in the Asian and American continents.
Colonialism refers to the policy of acquiring and maintaining colonies especially for exploitation. It also means that it is a relationship between an indigenous majority and minority foreign invaders.
Imperialism is a state policy and is developed for ideological as well as financial reasons. Imperialism is the concept whereas colonialism is the practice.
This policy of imperialism followed by European countries from A.D.1870- A.D.1945 is known as New Imperialism.
The major forms of Imperialism
Imperialism took three major forms in the 19th century.
Military Imperialism
Ruling a country directly by the military forces is called as Military Imperialism. For example, the USA’s invasion against Iraq with its military power forced it to have another sort of government favourable to the USA.
Political Imperialism
Ruling a country indirectly by keeping a puppet government is called as Political Imperialism. For example, the British conquered territories in India and appointed their own officers and changed the existing political structure.
Economic Imperialism
An imperialist country controlling the economic power of another country to exploit its natural resources is called Economic Imperialism. For example, China was politically independent under the Manchu rule, but it was economically controlled by the European and American countries.
Its binomial is Tectona grandis. It belongs to Verbenaceae. It is large
deciduous tree and shows resistance to termites.
Sap wood is white and heart wood is green emitting fragrance. The timber retains its fragrance for a long time.
It is hard , durable and strong and also takes up good
polishing.
In India, it is used for making furnitures, buildings, cardboards,
railway sleepers, etc.
Ships and bridges are also made from this timber.
Economic importance
Teak wood is durable and it is an important timber in the tropics. As
the seasoned teak, timber does not shrink, crack or alter its shape, it is extensively used in making household furnitures.
Its binomial is Arachis hypogea. It belongs to Fabaceae. It is an
annual. The word groundnut derives its name from the fact that its fruits ripe beneath the ground.
The roasted seeds are edible. Oil is extracted from the seeds and used as fine cooking medium.
Vegetable ghee (peanut butter) is also prepared from this oil. The oil cake is fed to the livestock. It is rich in fatty acids and proteins.
Economic importance
Ground nut oil is one of the important edible oils. It is extensively used in cookery as a salad oil. It is used for the manufacture of vanaspathi.
Groundnut kernel is rich and cheap source of vegetable protein.
Kernels are eaten, fried and salted and added to a number of dishes.
Peanut butter is prepared by grinding roasted and blanched kernels.
It is nutritious.
Groundnut oil is used to a limited extent in soap making.
Oil is used as illuminant, lubricant.
Oil cake is used as animal feed and organic manure.
Groundnut shell is used in the manufacture of activated carbon.
The groundnut cake is a good cattle feed. The plant after removing
the pod, both dried and fresh is a good cattle feed.
Many plants are economically important and useful to mankind in
several ways. Based on their utility, they are broadly classified as food plants, fibre plants, oil plants and timber plants. Now, we will discuss some of the economically important plants for each category.
Food plant Rice
Its binomial is Oryza sativa. It belongs to Poaceae. It is the most
important cereal of tropical climate. This plant is an annual grass.
The inflorescence is panicle containing a number of branches, each terminating in a single grain. IR – 8, ponni, kannagi, kavery, ganga, etc. are some of the recent varieties cultivated in India.
Food plant Rice is the chief source of carbohydrates. Polished rice is less nutritive.
Straw is used as livestock feed. In Japan, alcoholic beverages are also distilled from the grains of rice.
Recently, from the husk of paddy, a cooking (rice bran oil) oil is extracted. Now, bio-diesel is obtained from rice bran oil.
Rice is the major food of half of the world’s population. Particularly
in the eastern hemisphere it is the staple food.
Rice cultivation is the onlysource of income for majority of people in our country. The uses of rice are many.
Economic importance
Parched rice (pori) is crisp to eat. It is sold either salted or unsalted.
The flattened parboiled rice is known as flaked rice. Like corn flakes, it is a very good break fast food. Flaked rice is also used for preparing different kinds of food items.
Sake is an important alcoholic beverage in Japan. Sake is prepared
by the fermentation of rice.
Bran is an important by-product of rice milling industry. It is used as
a cattle feed.
Bran oil is extracted either by expression in a hydraulic press or
extra-ction with solvents. Bran oil is used as edible oil and for
preparation of vanaspathi, making soaps. It is also used in the textile industry, leather industry.
Bran wax is a by-product in bran-oil extraction. It is used in chocolate industry and in the manufacture of lip-sticks.
Paddy husk is used as fuel, in brick kilns. It is also used in brick
making.
Straw is used as cattle feed, in the manufacture of straw-boards and
for making hats, ropes, mats, etc.
Microbes like bacteria and fungi produce antibiotics. The substance
produced by a living organism, which inhibits the growth and metabolic activities of pathogenic organisms (mostly bacteria) without affecting the metabolism of host is called an antibiotic.
Penicillin, streptomycin, aureomycin and chloromycetin are some of the examples for antibiotics.
Penicillin is a well known antibiotic obtained from the blue green mold called Penicillium notatum. When it is grown in culture medium, the mycelium excretes an antibiotic substance called penicillin.
The crude penicillin is recovered, purified and dehydrated. It is effective against gram-positive bacteria like Pneumonia bacteria.
Streptomycin is obtained from the filamentous bacterium, Streptomyces griseus, an actinomycetes.
It cures urinary infections, tuberculosis, meningitis and pneumonia. Aureomycin mis obtained from actinomycetes, Streptomyces aureofaciens.
It is used as a medicine in the osteomyelitis, whooping cough and eye infections.
Chloromycetin is obtained from the actinomycete, Streptomyces
venezuelae. It kills bacillus form of bacteria and cures typhoid fever.
Aspergillus fumigatus produces antibiotic which is used against typhoid and dysentery.
Other group of microorganism like bacteria is also known
to produce many antibiotics. Bacillus subtilis produces 60 different
antibiotics.
Bacitracin is an antibiotic obtained from Bacillus licheniformis
and it is used to treat syphilis. It is useful in the control of sugar for
persons suffering from diabetes.
Through genetic manipulation, and introduction of human gene for insulin production, the bacterium E. coli is articulated to produce human insulin called “humulin”.
It belongs to Euphorbiaceae. The vernacular name of A. indica in
tamil is kuppaimeni, poonamayakki and its trade name is Indian Acalypha.
It is a common herb growing upto 75 cm tall with ovate leaves. Flowersare green, unisexual found in catkin inflorescence.
The paste obtained from the leaves of this plant is applied to burns.
The juice extracted from the leaves, mixed with lime and applied on skin to cure diseases caused by ringworms.
Fresh juice of leaves mixed with oil and salt is used for Rheumatoid arthritis and to cure scabies. Powdered leaves are used to cure bedsores and infected wounds.
The active medicinal compounds like Acalyphine and Triacetoneamine are extracted from this plant. They contain cyanogenic glucoside and alkaloids.
2. Aegle marmelos
It belongs to Rutaceae. The vernacular name of A. marmelos in
tamil, is vilvam. It’s trade name is baer fruit. It is an aromatic tree
growing 6 to 7.5 metres tall with long branches. Bark is grey with peeling type.
Leaves are trifoliate or pentafoliate. Leaflets are ovate. Flowers
are sweet scented with greenish white in colour and are borne on axillary panicles. Marmelosin, coumarin and triterpenoids are responsible for medicinal activity.
The unripe fruit is used to treat problems of stomach indigestion. It
kills intestinal parasites. It is used also to cure chronic diarrhoea and
dysentery. It is used as a tonic for the betterment of heart and brain.
3. Cissus quadrangularis
It belongs to Vitaceae. The vernacular name of C. quadrangularis in
tamil is as pirandai and its trade name is ‘Hadjor’ – bone joiner. It is a common shrub with tendrils. Its stem is angular, winged and contracted at nodes.
Leaves are simple, ovate or kidney shaped and thick leathery.
Coiled tendrils are found opposite to the leaves. Steroids like prescene and tetracyclic triterpenoids are the active chemicals present in this plant.
The paste obtained from the powdered stem and root of this plant is
used in bone fractures. Whole plant is useful to treat asthma and stomach troubles.
Stem is useful in the treatment of piles and its juice is used to
treat bleeding of nose.
4. Mimosa pudica
It belongs to Mimosaceae. The vernacular name of M. pudica in
tamil is ‘Thottal chinungi or Thottal surungi’. Its common english name is Touch-Me-Not plant.
It is a small herb with prickles which are erect or curved. Leaflets are arranged in two rows containing 15 to 20 pairs. Leaves are sensitive to touch. Flowers are pink and found in axillary heads.
A decoction of the root obtained from this plant is used to relieve
asthma and diarrhoea. This plant is also useful for curing piles, minor skin wounds and whooping cough. Mimosine, an alkaloid is extracted from this plant.
5. Solanum nigrum
It belongs to Solanaceae. The vernacular name of S. nigrum in tamil
is manithakkali or manathakkali. Its trade name is black night shade. It is an annual, erect, much branched and unarmed herb growing upto one metre tall. Leaves are ovate without hairs.
Flowers white borne on extra axillary cymes. Fruits are globose and black coloured berry. The extract of this herb is effective in the treatment of liver disorders like cirrhosis of liver.
This plant also cures fever, dysentery and promotes urination. Active medicinal compounds like solanin and saponin are
extracted from this plant.
India is endowed with a rich wealth of medicinal plants. From earliest
times mankind has used hundreds of medicinal-plants in an attempt to cure diseases and relieve physical sufferings.
They derived this knowledge as a result of trial and error. Medicinal properties of plants have been mentioned even in the oldest “Rig Veda”. Medicinal plants are becoming popular throughout the developed world, as people want to treat illness.
It is estimated that around 70,000 plant species, from lichens to tall
trees, have been used as medicinal plants. 500 plants have been studied in detail.
According to WHO about 25 per cent of prescribed human medicines
are derived from plants. India accounts for nearly 1,100 species used in different systems of medicines like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, etc. Out of these, 600 to 700 species are used much in the country.
But 95 per cent of medicinal plants are obtained from wild sources and they are not cultivated now.
Now, efforts are being made to introduce many of these useful plants
to farmers.
Agronomic practices have been developed for growing poppy,
isobgol, cincona, belladona, ergot, etc.
Medicinal plants have curative properties due to presence of various complex chemical substances in different composition like alkaloids, glycosides, corticosteroids, essential oils, etc.
Nowadays, these medicinally valuable compounds obtained
from the medicinal plants are called ”biomedicines”.
Some of the important medicinal-plants and their products are
Morphine, the strongest pain killer obtained from Opium poppy –
Papaver somniferum.
Quinine, antimalarial drug which controls malarial fever is derived
from Cinchona calisaya and C. officinalis.
Digoxin, used to treat heart diseases is obtained from the plant
Digitalis.
Ephedrine, used to treat cough is extracted from the plant Ephedra
sinica.
Mental and physical stress relaxing drug is obtained from the plant
ginseng – Panax ginseng.
Increased food production in India was made possible by the
employment of modern technology in agriculture. The increase in the
productivity is mainly due to rapid rise in overall area under cultivation of cereals.
To maintain the crops and productivity, we have to expand
irrigation facilities and use large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides.
This overexploitation had resulted in the degradation of soils and their erosion.
Due to degeneration in soil fertility, the traditional varieties of
crop plants as cultivated in earlier periods got disappeared or are on the brink of extinction.
Our agriculture is slowly being converted into an unsustainable system in the years to come, as the cost of chemicals and fertilizers, labour, cost of seeds are going to make the agricultural products costlier.
This will affect millions of uneducated farmers.
Hence, to remedy this situation, we will have to find alternative permanent arrangements in sustainable agriculture.
To protect the interest of the farmers on their agricultural lands and
capital investments, sustainable agriculture which is the best source of
alternative method should be compulsorily taken up and practiced by the traditional farmers.
Sustainable agriculture can be carried on without any threat to our soils, environment, plants and animal communities.
Excessive drainage of our energy and material resources can be considerably saved and protected when sustainable agriculture is intensively taken up by the farmers and practiced. This can be achieved by
1. Maintaining a healthy soil community which can automatically
regenerate soil fertility by providing organic manures, increasing fallow
periods, avoiding excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
2. Infusing bio-diversity in agriculture by sowing mixed crops, crop
rotation etc.
3. The use of alternative food sources which may reduce
overdependence to certain crops.
Men are exploiting only few species of crop plants as food and cultivate only about 15 species of plants as food crops to feed 90 per cent of the world’s population.
There are thousands of species of plants with useful and edible parts which can serve as a food source for the mankind.
This will widen our resource base on food crops and add sustainability to supplies by reducing the dependence on a few species.
eg. Winged bean which has high protein and oil.
Leaves of Ilex paraguriensis, which can be a substitute for tea and powdered seeds of Cola nitida instead of coffee.
Farmers should practice ‘organic farming’ so that it will not disturb
the ecosystem of the cultivable area and leads to sustainable yields at low costs, both to the farmer and to nature.
Chemicals, minerals, pesticides and insecticides are now categorised under non-renewable resource materials. Therefore, in the long-term strategy, these materials will make farming non-sustainable and non-productive.
Shifting to original and excessive use of organic manure, rotation of leguminous or nitrogen fixing crops, use of VAM fungi, transgenic crop and application of biofertilizer are being encouraged and practiced.
Sustainable agriculture includes scientific methods of farming that
utilise renewable resources, increase in yield, avoidance of manmade
complex substances known as Xenobiotics which are used as insecticides and pesticides that cause pollution to soil and environment.
Plant tissue culture and biotechnology also play a major role in this.
50 varieties of rice and 20 varieties in wheat have been developed in China by using these new techniques without damaging the environment.
New disease resistant virus free plants and stress resistant plants, are successfully produced. Similarly, transfer of nif (nitrogen fixing) gene to nonleguminous crops will improve higher yield.
Biotechnology and tissue culture contributed more to sustainable agriculture by providing biofertilizer, biopesticides, disease and insect resistant varieties through creation of transgenic crops, single cell protein, production of valuable pharmaceutical products and herbal drugs (Ginseng Vinca, Emetine from Cephalis) by using micropropagation technique.
To conclude Sustainable agriculture is an eco-friendly farming system
associated with production of food while maintaining on biophysical
resources including soil, water, biota with no adverse impacts on the
environment.
So it should
1. maintain or improve the production of clean food.
2. maintain or improve the quality of landscape which includes soil,
water, biota and aesthetics
3. have minimal impact on the environment.
4. be economically viable and
5. be acceptable to society.
Sustainable farming uses ecofriendly fertilizers, and pesticides and
modern technologies, such as improved seed, modern equipments for lowtillage practices, pest control using biological control principles and weed control that depends on crop rotations.
Sustainable farms try to use wind or solar energy instead of purchased energy and use organic manure and nitrogen fixing legumes as green manures to maintain soil fertility thereby reducing supply from outside farms.
The emphasis is on maintaining the environment without causing any pollution.
Organic farming is defined as production systems which avoids the
use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators and livestock feed additives.
It depends upon crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures,
legumes, green manures, off-farm organic wastes using mechanical
cultivation, biological pest control (biopesticides) to maintain soil
productivity and to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds and pests.
