Making of Global World Class 10 Notes - FREE PDF Download
FAQs on The Making of a Global World Class 10 Notes: CBSE History Chapter 3
1. What is a quick summary of the main themes in the chapter 'The Making of a Global World'?
This chapter provides a revision of the long history of globalisation through trade, migration, and the movement of capital. It traces this process through different phases: the pre-modern world with its Silk Routes, the transformations of the nineteenth century driven by colonialism and technology, the economic turmoil of the inter-war period including the Great Depression, and the establishment of a new global economic system in the post-war era.
2. What were the Silk Routes and why are they a key concept for revision?
The Silk Routes were a network of ancient trade routes connecting Asia with Europe and North Africa. They are a key concept for revision because they serve as a prime example of pre-modern trade and cultural links between distant parts of the world. Through these routes, not only did goods like Chinese silk and Indian spices travel, but so did ideas, religions like Buddhism and Christianity, and even diseases.
3. How does the concept of 'food travels' help us revise the idea of early globalisation?
The concept of 'food travels' is an excellent example of long-distance cultural exchange that shaped lives and economies. It shows how interconnected the world was even before the modern era. For instance, it is believed that noodles travelled west from China to become spaghetti. The discovery of the Americas introduced foods like potatoes, soya, maize, and tomatoes to Europe and Asia, which transformed diets and allowed for better nutrition and population growth.
4. What were the three main 'flows' that shaped the 19th-century global economy?
To revise the 19th-century economy, it's useful to remember the three main types of movement or 'flows' identified by economists:
- The flow of trade, primarily in goods such as cloth or wheat.
- The flow of labour, which involved the migration of people in search of employment.
- The flow of capital, covering short-term or long-term investments over long distances.
5. How did key technologies transform the world economy in the late nineteenth century?
Key technological inventions were crucial in shaping the global economy. Railways and steamships made it cheaper and faster to transport goods and people, connecting production centres to global markets. The telegraph revolutionised communication, allowing information to travel instantly across continents. A significant development was the refrigerated ship, which enabled the transport of perishable foods like meat from Australia and America to Europe, making it more affordable for the masses.
6. What was Rinderpest, and what was its impact on the African continent?
Rinderpest was a fast-spreading and deadly cattle plague that had a devastating impact on Africa in the late 1880s. The disease killed about 90% of the cattle, which destroyed the livelihoods of Africans who depended on their livestock. This loss of wealth and resources made them dependent on wage labour in mines and on plantations, making it easier for Europeans to establish colonial control over the continent.
7. Why is the system of 'indentured labour' often called a 'new system of slavery'?
The system of indentured labour is often called a 'new system of slavery' because, despite being based on a contract, it involved extreme exploitation. Labourers from India were often recruited using false information about their final destination, the nature of the work, and living conditions. Once they arrived, they faced harsh conditions, had very few legal rights, and were severely punished for attempting to escape, making their experience very similar to that of slaves.
8. How did the First World War transform the global economic balance?
The First World War caused major economic and political disruption. It was the first modern industrial war, leading to immense destruction and debt for European nations. The most significant economic shift was that it transformed the United States from an international debtor into an international creditor. Conversely, Britain, the world's leading economy before the war, emerged with huge external debts, fundamentally altering the global economic balance of power.
9. What were the main causes and consequences of the Great Depression?
The Great Depression, beginning around 1929, had several core causes, including agricultural overproduction, which led to falling prices, and the withdrawal of US loans that many countries had become dependent on. Its global consequences were catastrophic, leading to a severe decline in production, employment, incomes, and international trade. It particularly devastated agricultural regions and led to the collapse of banking systems in the US and Europe.
10. What were the Bretton Woods institutions, and what was their main objective?
The Bretton Woods institutions are the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, established at the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, USA, in 1944. Their primary objective was to preserve economic stability and full employment in the post-war industrial world. The IMF was created to deal with external surpluses and deficits of its member nations, while the World Bank was set up to finance post-war reconstruction.
11. Why did developing countries form the G-77 group after World War II?
Newly independent developing nations felt that the Bretton Woods institutions were not designed to meet their specific needs and often benefited the former colonial powers. They organised themselves into the Group of 77 (G-77) to act as a collective bargaining unit. They demanded a New International Economic Order (NIEO), a system that would give them genuine control over their natural resources, fairer prices for raw materials, and better access to markets in developed countries.

















