SSLC Social Science 1– Wealth and the World: Sure A+ Notes Download Eng & Mal PDF Notes
The chapter “Wealth and the World” is an important topic for SSLC Social Science preparation. It covers the major geographical explorations, mercantilism, colonialism, the Industrial Revolution, imperialism, the World Wars, totalitarianism, the Cold War and neo-colonialism.
Prepared by
VIMAL VINCENT V
HST GHSS North Paravur
1. Which two significant events in the 15th century were instrumental in launching geographical expeditions?
The two important events were:
The conquest of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453.
The arrival of the Portuguese at the Guinea Coast in Africa.
The capture of Constantinople obstructed the major trade route through which Asian goods, including pepper, reached Europe. Europeans therefore began searching for new routes to obtain valuable commodities.
2. Which European countries undertook geographical expeditions?
Portugal and Spain were the first European countries to undertake major expeditions. Later, countries such as the Netherlands, England and France also joined the exploration and conquest of new territories.
3. What factors enabled European countries to undertake successful expeditions?
The important factors were:
Advanced ships capable of crossing oceans
Invention of the compass and other navigational instruments
Patronage of rulers
Strong military power
Experience in seafaring
Advances in cartography and astronomy
4. European Expeditions to Other Continents
Portuguese Expeditions
Portugal was motivated by the knowledge of gold deposits in the Niger plains. The Portuguese began their conquest of Africa in 1415 by capturing Ceuta on the Moroccan coast.
After successfully navigating Cape Bojador in 1434, they gained access to new regions along the African coast. Profits from the gold and slave trade helped finance further exploration.
In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias reached the Cape of Good Hope. In 1498, Vasco da Gama successfully sailed around the Cape and reached Kozhikode, India. This marked the beginning of European influence in India.
Spanish Expeditions
Spain also had a long coastline and a strong seafaring tradition. With the patronage of King Ferdinand and Isabella, Christopher Columbus reached the Bahamas in 1492 with financial support from Spain.
5. Important Geographical Explorers and Expeditions
| Explorer | Expedition |
|---|---|
| Bartolomeu Dias | Cape of Good Hope – 1488 |
| Christopher Columbus | Bahamas Islands – 1492 |
| Vasco da Gama | Kappad – 1498 |
| Pedro Alvares Cabral | Brazil |
| Ferdinand Magellan | First to circumnavigate the globe through oceans |
6. Consequences of Geographical Explorations
The geographical explorations produced several important consequences:
The Atlantic coast became an important trade route connecting Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
Large parts of America, Africa and Asia came under European invasion and colonisation.
Europeans attempted to monopolise the trade in pepper and other Asian spices.
Large quantities of gold and silver were transported from South America to Europe.
The triangular trade system developed.
7. What is Mercantilism?
Mercantilism was an economic policy through which nations aimed to accumulate wealth, mainly in the form of gold and silver, through trade and other means.
According to mercantilist ideas:
The wealth of a nation was measured by its gold and silver.
European countries competed to accumulate precious metals.
Colonial policies were used to extract wealth from colonies.
8. What are Colonial Policies?
Colonial policies refer to the policies and strategies adopted by colonial powers to extract wealth from their colonies.
The Portuguese colonial policy aimed to break the Arab monopoly over Asian spice trade and establish Portuguese control over it. Trade in the colonies became a monopoly of the Portuguese king, and other European powers were kept out of the trade.
9. How did the effective utilisation of wealth help the industrialisation of England?
Spain extracted large quantities of gold and silver from its colonies, while the Dutch and English conducted trade through joint-stock companies.
According to the notes, Spain and Portugal spent their profits on building and renovating palaces. England and the Netherlands, on the other hand, reinvested their profits in infrastructure and machinery. This reinvestment contributed significantly to the growth of industries in England and its economic development.
10. What were the effects of colonisation?
The major effects included:
Wealth was extracted from colonies and transferred to European countries.
Natives lost economic and political rights.
Indigenous cultures faced destruction.
Western lifestyles and practices spread through colonies.
Christianity was propagated in colonised regions.
Natives were reduced to slavery.
11. Merchant Capitalism and Industrial Capitalism
Merchant Capitalism
People involved in trade before the geographical explorations accumulated considerable wealth. They came to be known as merchant capitalists, and the economic system associated with them was called merchant capitalism.
Industrial Capitalism
England used wealth gained through colonisation to establish industries. Those who invested their wealth in industries became industrial owners and earned profits. Thus, merchant capitalism gradually gave way to industrial capitalism.
12. What is the Industrial Revolution?
The introduction of machinery into manufacturing brought major changes in the production process.
The changes in production that took place between 1780 and 1850 are described as the Industrial Revolution. It began in the textile industry.
Major Changes of the Industrial Revolution
Production became mechanised.
Metallurgy advanced, leading to better tools.
Steam became an important source of energy.
Transport facilities developed.
Production shifted from cottages to factories.
13. Merits and Demerits of the Industrial Revolution
| Merits | Demerits |
|---|---|
| Rise of factories | Exploitation of labourers |
| Increase in production | Poverty and epidemics in cities |
| New employment opportunities | Long working hours and low wages |
| Rise of cities and urbanisation | Rise of slums |
| Better living conditions | Busy and polluted cities |
14. Socialism and Industrial Capitalist Exploitation
Industrial capitalist exploitation led to different forms of resistance and the emergence of new ideologies.
Socialism became one of the most significant ideologies. Its core principles included:
Equitable distribution of goods and resources
Common ownership of the means of production
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels played an important role in transforming socialism into a practical and scientific ideology.
15. How did Imperialism transform European economic policies?
Industrial capitalists wanted to increase production and maximise profits while reducing wages. Reduced wages decreased workers' purchasing power and made it difficult to sell goods within domestic markets.
As a result:
Industrialised countries searched for overseas markets.
Colonies became sources of raw materials.
Colonies became markets for European manufactured goods.
European countries established political control over colonies.
This paved the way for imperialism.
Colonial exploitation made colonies poorer.
First World War
16. Why is the First World War considered an Imperialist War?
The First World War lasted from 1914 to 1918. Major causes included:
Imperialist Rivalry
New imperialist nations attempted to expand their influence by capturing territories controlled by older imperialist powers.
Extreme Nationalism
Extreme nationalism involved excessive glorification of one's nation and the belief in its superiority. Such ideas were used to justify territorial expansion and conquest.
Military Alliances
Two major alliances emerged:
| Triple Alliance | Triple Entente |
|---|---|
| Italy | England |
| Germany | Russia |
| Austria-Hungary | France |
Immediate Cause
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, at Sarajevo by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip became the immediate cause of the First World War.
Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia on 28 July 1914, triggering a chain reaction among the allied countries.
17. Results of the First World War
The major results were:
Millions of soldiers and civilians lost their lives.
Industrial and agricultural sectors were destroyed.
European global domination began to decline.
Freedom movements in Asia and Africa gained momentum.
The League of Nations was formed.
Totalitarian regimes emerged in countries including Italy and Germany.
Totalitarianism
18. What is Totalitarianism?
Totalitarianism refers to a political system in which the state exercises complete control over different aspects of life, disregarding individual privacy and civil rights.
The major features include:
Rejection of democracy
Opposition to socialism
Support for dictatorship
Extreme nationalism
Elimination of political opponents
Glorification of war and violence
19. Compare Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany
| Italy | Germany |
|---|---|
| Fascism was founded by Benito Mussolini. | Nazism was founded by Adolf Hitler. |
| Mussolini rose to power after the March on Rome in 1922. | Hitler initially attempted to gain power through political activity and elections. |
| Blackshirts were formed. | Brownshirts were established. |
| Non-Fascist political parties were banned. | Communists, Socialists, Democrats and Jews were targeted. |
| Fascists opposed socialist, labour and peasant organisations. | Gestapo was formed to suppress opposition. |
| — | Hitler's aggression contributed to the outbreak of World War II. |
Second World War
20. Causes of World War II
The Second World War lasted from 1939 to 1945.
Treaty of Versailles
Germany lost colonies and territories, was disarmed and was required to pay heavy war reparations. These conditions contributed to German resentment.
Failure of the League of Nations
The League of Nations failed to effectively resolve international disputes and enforce disarmament. It also failed to prevent aggressive actions by Japan, Italy and Germany.
Military Alliances
Axis Powers: Italy, Germany and Japan.
Allied Powers: England, China and France; later the USSR and USA joined the Allied side.
Policy of Appeasement
Western capitalist countries viewed fascist aggression partly as a means of countering socialist ideas. The Munich Agreement is cited in the notes as an example of appeasement.
The appeasement policy increased Hitler's confidence and encouraged further aggression. The Second World War began with Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939.
21. Results of the Second World War
The major results were:
Millions of people lost their lives.
Famines and epidemics spread.
The European economy collapsed.
Colonialism and imperialism suffered setbacks.
European hegemony came to an end.
The United Nations Organization was formed.
Asian and African colonies gained independence.
The United States and Soviet Union emerged as global powers.
Post-War World
22. What is the Cold War?
After the Second World War, European powers had lost much of their earlier importance. The United States followed capitalist economic policies, while the Soviet Union followed socialist policies.
Both countries were suspicious of each other and attempted to spread their respective ideas around the world. This rivalry continued for about half a century.
The Cold War ended in 1991 with the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
23. What is Neo-Colonialism?
After the Second World War, colonies in Asia and Africa gained independence. According to the notes, new methods were adopted to gain economic influence over newly independent countries.
The USA provided financial support to newly independent countries, which the notes describe as a new form of exploitation or colonisation. This policy is known as Neo-Colonialism and was implemented through finance capitalism.
24. What are the impacts of Finance Capitalism on Third World Countries?
The major impacts include:
Big corporations can exercise influence beyond military power.
Companies invest in different countries to earn large profits.
People involved in traditional occupations may continue to suffer.
Local resources may come under capitalist control.
Uncontrolled exploitation of resources can create environmental problems.
Quick Revision – Important Dates
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1415 | Portuguese captured Ceuta |
| 1434 | Portuguese successfully navigated Cape Bojador |
| 1453 | Turks conquered Constantinople |
| 1488 | Bartolomeu Dias reached Cape of Good Hope |
| 1492 | Christopher Columbus reached the Bahamas |
| 1498 | Vasco da Gama reached Kappad/Kozhikode |
| 1914–1918 | First World War |
| 1939–1945 | Second World War |
| 1991 | Cold War ended with the disintegration of the Soviet Union |
These dates and events are compiled from the uploaded SSLC Sure A Plus Notes – Social Science, H3: Wealth and the World.