Social Studies and Population Education Book 8_2078 Revised and Updated Edition

Key Terms Equidistant : situated at the same distance Hemisphere : half of Earth Stretches : extend from one place to another or across a given space Evaluation Exercises Activity Take a round object and cut it into half. On that cut out part, stick a circular paper and make different angles at the distance of 30° from the right 180° to the left 180°. Your longitude is ready. Now mark longitude lines on it using thread. Present your work of latitude and longitude in your classroom. Very short answer questions 1. What is latitude? 2. What is longitude? 3. What is equator? 4. What is hemisphere? 5. Define prime meridian. 6. Write the full form of GMT. 7. What is antipode? Short answer questions 1. What are the impacts of Latitude? 2. What are the impacts of Longitude? 3. Differentiate between latitude and longitude. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 151

Lesson DISTRICTS AND PROVINCES OF NEPAL 6 Sudurpashchim Province Karnali Province N Butwal Provincial Map of Nepal Gandaki Province Pokhara JanakpurGodawariWESTBagmati Province KANCHANPUR Birendranagar EAST Province: 1 Province: 5 RUPANDEHI NAWAL NAWAELASPTARASI PARASI WEST Scale- 1:1,000,000 Hetauda Provincial Headquarters K - Kathmandu Province: 2 Biratnagar B - Bhaktapur L - Lalitpur Kathmandu, Bagmati Province, Nepal 25th Feb. 2020 Dear Zang, I hope this letter finds you in the best of your health. I received your letter yesterday and was excited to know your interest on the districts and provinces of Nepal. We had just learnt about it yesterday in our social studies class and I am more than happy to share some of my knowledge on this topic. Let me start by mentioning something about the province and district that I belong to. I live in Kuleshwor, ward no. 14, Kathmandu District, Bagmati Province, Nepal. Nepal is a landlocked country located in South Asia. Officially, Nepal is a Federal Democratic Republic country. On the basis of geographical structure, Nepal can be divided into three regions: the Mountain, the Hilly and the Terai region. 152 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

According to the concept of federalism, state power and authority has been divided among federal, provincial and local units for development activities to reach every corner of the country. It is not possible to conduct all the development activities in each and every corner of the country from the centre. Thus, in order to decentralize the power and develop the country equally, Nepal has been divided into 7 provinces, 77 districts and 753 local levels. In every district, there is a district level government office. Each district is headed by a Chief District Officer (CDO) who is responsible for maintaining law and order in the district. CDO also coordinates the work of field agencies of various ministries. There are district hospitals, public health office, agriculture office, veterinary office, cooperative office, police station which are providing services to the people of the district. The following table shows provinces and districts of Nepal: Provinces Headquarters Districts No. 1 Biratnagar No. 2 (Temporary) Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Janakpur Dhankuta, Bhojpur, Khotang, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga, Bagmati (Temporary) Udayapur, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari Gandaki Hetauda Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusa, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, No. 5 Parsa Karnali Pokhara Sudurpashchim Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Kavrepalanchok, Butwal Sindhupalchok, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan, (Temporary) Makawanpur, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu Birendranagar Gorkha, Lamjung, Tanahun, Kaski, Manang, Mustang, Parbat, Syangja, Myagdi, Baglung, Nawalparasi East Godawari Nawalparasi West, Rupandehi, Kapilbastu, Palpa, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi, Rukum East, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Dang, Banke, Bardiya Rukum West, Salyan, Dolpa, Jumla, Mugu, Humla, Kalikot, Jajarkot, Dailekh, Surkhet Bajura, Bajhang, Doti, Achham, Darchula, Baitadi, Dadeldhura, Kanchanpur, Kailali I hope this information will be useful to you. Looking forward to meet you soon. Yours Manoj Note to the teacher: After this lesson is over, bring a map or an Atlas and make the students identify the districts and the provinces. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 153

Key Terms Coordinate : organize Landlocked : country or region almost or entirely surrounded by land Evaluation Exercises Activity Assign each student to prepare at least 20 questions and answers on Nepal’s geographical facts. Divide the class into four groups and conduct a quiz. Very short answer questions 1. What are the natural division of Nepal? 2. Mention total number of provinces, districts and local levels of Nepal? 3. What is the responsibility of CDO? 4. What is the official name of Nepal? Short answer questions 1. Look at the map of Nepal and answer the following questions: a) Which provinces touch the border of India and China? b) How many districts are there in your province? 2. Draw a map of Nepal. Label the 7 provinces and indicate each province with different colours in it. 3. Show the provinces and their headquarters in a table. 4. Draw a map of your province and show its headquarters in it. 154 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Lesson USE OF DISTANCE ON MAPS 7 A map is a representation, usually on a flat surface, of a whole or part of an area, a region or the whole earth. There are different types of maps that represent specific things. Maps can display political boundaries, population, physical features, and natural resources. It is important to learn how to read, understand and utilize scale as we examine different type of maps. Maps help us to get information about roads, tourist attraction, and distance from one place to another, etc. We can scale a map by using various methods which are as follows: 1. Statement scale or verbal scale 2. Graphical scale or linear scale 3. Representative fraction scale A teacher asked students to look at the political map of Nepal given in the atlas. He asked the students to find out the headquarters of the district where they lived. Then he asked the students to find out the aerial distance between their district headquarters and the capital city Kathmandu. Everybody was confused. One of the students said that he didn’t know the distance between his district headquarters and Kathmandu and don’t know how to measure it. The teacher advised him to look carefully at the bottom of the page that has the political map of Nepal and notice the scale to measure the distance between any two places on a map. He asked the student to use ruler for the measurement. Statement or Verbal Scale The scale measurement was represented as 1 cm = 100 km. So with the help of a ruler he measured the distance between his headquarters Dunai to Kathmandu City. The measurement on the ruler was 7 cm. He measured the actual distance in the following manner: The distance measured on the map = 7 cm According to the scale, 1 cm = 100 km Therefore, 7 cm = 100 ´ 7 km Thus, the distance between Dunai and Kathmandu = 700 km SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 155

The teacher was very impressed by the student’s effort. He encouraged the other students to follow him and calculate the distance of their respected district headquarters to Kathmandu. He also taught that the Scale Measurement is also known as Statement or Verbal Scale. Graphical or Linear Scale Namrata also noticed the scale measurement but instead of a ruler she used a thread to measure the distance. She placed the thread 100 0 50 100 km on the map and marked points 0, 50 and A B CD 100. She measured the distance between her headquarters Gaighat to Kathmandu. It was 200 km. This cleverness impressed her teacher. The teacher explained the students about the Graphical Scale in the following manner: The scale of a map is the ratio of a distance on the map to the corresponding distance on the ground. In the given scale if the distance from B to C is 2 cm, then the actual distance between these two places (B to C) is 100 km. The distance from Gaighat to Kathmandu is 4 cm. Thus, the distance between two places is 200 km. There are many benefits to using a Graphical or Linear Scale. First and foremost, it is a straight forward, easy way to determine scale. Secondly, if a map’s size is enlarged or decreased, the scale is also enlarged or reduced, meaning that it is still accurate. The Representative Fraction Method The Representative Fraction method for portraying the scale of a map uses a representative fraction to describe the ratio between the map and the real world. This can be shown as 1:10,000 or 1/10,000. In this example, 1 unit of distance on the map represents 10,000 of the same units of distance in the real world. This means that 1 inch on the map represents 10,000 inches in the real world; 1 foot on the map represents 10,000 feet on the map, and so forth. Note to the teacher: The most important part of a map is measurement and scale. A map cannot be drawn if there is no measurement. Measurement helps us to estimate the actual distance between places. Show the students an atlas or a map and make them practice how to find the distance between places. 156 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Key Terms Enlarge : make larger in size Portray : depict something Scale : a system of marks set at fixed intervals, used as a standard for measurement Evaluation Exercises Activity Pair yourself with your friend, study the atlas, measure the distance based on the scale given on the maps and try to find out the distance between various places. Very short answer questions 1. What is map? 2. Define scale. 3. What are the types of scale? 4. Write any one benefit of using linear scale. 5. What is representative fraction scale? Short answer questions 1. What are the benefits we can get from the distance given on the maps? Discuss. 2. Differentiate between graphical scale and representative fraction method. 3. What is map? Write its importance in human life. 4. What is scale? Describe its types in brief. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 157

Lesson MAP OF NEPAL 8 SuPdruorvipanschechim Karnali Province 2 cm Godawari Birendranagar 2 cm Gandaki Province Province: 1 Province: 5 Pokhara 2 cmBiratnagar Butwal Bagmati Province Hetauda Province: 2 Janakpur 2 cm 3 cm 3 cm 2 cm Scale: 1 cm = 80 km Dear Sir, I am the father of Sangita who is one of the students of class 8 in your school. I am writing this letter to share one of my experiences with you. I have been living in America for the past one year for my higher education. A few days ago I attended a program here in the US and in that event all the participants had to introduce their own country to participants from other countries. My friends chose me to represent Nepal. The other participants were from countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Iran and France. The participants drew a huge map of their country and marked the renowned places of their country. They sang their National Anthem, talked about their country’s history and introduced the cultural and tourist sites. When my turn came, I stood there confused as I didn’t know how to draw the map of my country. I, then, remembered how I never paid attention and even tried to learn how to draw a map when I was in class 8. Though I have passed social studies with good marks but today I had failed at the time of my need. I understood the importance of map and the rich information it conveys. If only I had worked a little harder and learned how to draw the map of my country, I wouldn’t have to face such an embarrassing situation. I realized how important it was to learn about one’s own country. I felt ashamed as I couldn’t even point Note to the teacher: Make the students practice drawing the map of Nepal so that they can identify the important places and draw a simple structure of the map. 158 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

out where Sagarmatha, the world’s highest peak lie in our country and Lumbini the birthplace of Buddha. I felt humiliated due to my own inability. So, this is my sincere request to you so that our children won’t have to go through the same humiliation. Please help our children learn how to draw the map, sing the National Anthem, draw our flag and know the famous places of our country. I don’t want our children to just pass the examination. I want them to excel in the real world utilizing the knowledge they gained from school. This is my humble and sincere request. Your Sincerely Paras Sigdel Key Terms Attend : be present at an event Embarrass : make or become self-conscious Humble : respectful Humiliate : damage somebody’s dignity Renowned : famous Evaluation Exercises Activities 1. Divide the class into four groups. Let each group choose either Nepal’s political or physical map and open it in their own atlas. Each group will take turns to roll the dice over the map they have chosen. The person rolling the dice will have to write about three important things of the place where the dice stops rolling. The players from the other group will have to verify whether it is right or wrong. Play this game for around 15 minutes and whoever scores the most is the winner. 2. Collect some outline maps of Nepal. In two different maps colour all the provinces and geographic regions using different colour. Paste it in a thick paper or board. 3. What do the symbols below signify? Answer the following questions 1. Trace the map of Nepal by placing the tracing paper over it and mark the following places on the map. Sagarmatha, Pokhara, Janaki Mandir, Kathmandu, East-west highway. 2. Write four reasons why we should learn to draw map of Nepal. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 159

Lesson DISASTER MANAGEMENT 9 Disaster is a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss or destruction. It disrupts progress and destroys the constructed structures. It causes economic, physical, environmental and human loss. Disaster is unpredicted and unexpected. There can be man-made and natural disaster. Man-made disasters are caused by the unconscious activities of human beings. Such disasters can be prevented if timely measures are adopted. But natural disasters may occur at anytime and anywhere. It can’t be noticed earlier but we may consider the possible effects and adopt safety measures before the occurrence of natural disaster. In this lesson, we discuss about earthquake, storm and wind. Earthquake Patan Durbar Square Damaged by Earthquake A sudden and violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction to both lives and properties, as a result of movements within the earth’s crust or due to volcanic action is known as earthquake. If the shaking is very strong or violent, it can cause the massive or large scale destruction of lives and properties. It may also result in large cracks or fissures on the ground which may create problems in accessibility. There are many reasons for earthquake Magma to occur. The movement of tectonic plate system is also one of the many major reasons for it. According to the tectonic theory, the interior of the Earth is made up from a very hot and molten (semi-liquid) substance known as the magma. The magma is covered by outer crust comprising of hard rocks. 160 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

The crust is not one single piece but it is made up of many pieces called the tectonic plates that are close to each other. These plates are floating over the magma and are in very slow but continuous motion. Sometimes these plates collide with each other or move away from each other. During the process of collision, some plates may submerge under the other or may even rise up. This movement may result in shaking the whole plate or part of it which results in earthquake. Like many other countries, Nepal is also situated on the edge of the Epicenter plate known as plate boundary. The plate boundary is the region where earthquake are frequent. The Indian Hypocenter plate from the south of India is moving towards the Tibetan plate in the north and Nepal lies at the border of these two converging plates. Due to this reason Nepal is prone to earthquake which means earthquake can occur at any time. The point below the surface of the Earth where earthquake originates is known as hypocenter or focus. The point on the earth’s surface directly above the focus is known as the epicenter. The impact of the earthquake is felt most at the epicenter. Earthquake is measured in Richter scale, so named after the American seismologist Charles F. Richter. The instrument used to measure the intensity of earthquake is called Seismograph. A major earthquake hit Nepal in the year 1990 BS. Another earthquake on 5th of Bhadra, 1945 BS and 1st of Asoj, 2068 BS hit the Eastern region and 12th Baisakh 2072 BS great earthquake hit Western and Central part of Nepal. The following table published by Disaster Risk Reduction Portal, Nepal clarifies the impact of the earthquake occurred on 12th Baisakh 2072 BS: Incident Report of Earthquake 2015 AD (2072 BS), Nepal Dead 8,891 Injured 22,302 Govt. Houses Fully Destroyed 2,687 Govt. Houses Partially Destroyed 3,776 Public Houses Fully Destroyed 608,155 Public Houses Partially Destroyed 298,998 Source: http://drrportal.gov.np SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 161

It is a fact that Nepal as a whole is very vulnerable to major earthquake any time. Therefore, we should be prepared in case a major quake occurs. The following are the measures to protect ourselves in case of an earthquake: 1. Before the earthquake a) Teachers, students, parents DROP COVER HOLD and management committee should come together to make a plan in case of earthquake. First, identify all the safe places where you can hide and protect yourself and also identify those places and things which are dangerous and reconstruct or replace it. Make teams and assign them responsibilities as per plan. Make diagram of weak structures or furniture and paste them where everyone can see. b) First aid kits and registers should be placed where everyone can access them. c) After every term exams, schedule mandatory earthquake safety drill. 2. During an earthquake a) Teachers, students and all other staffs should go hide under tables and chairs and hold on to its leg to save themselves from any falling objects or walls. b) If there are no tables or chairs nearby, then you should sit on safe place covering your head with a book, bag or hand. c) Try to make your body as small as possible. d) In case you have nothing to protect yourself then just sit in the Drop Cover Hold position. e) If you are outdoors, try to stay in the open spaces away from buildings and power lines or anything that might fall. 3. After an earthquake a) You should not scream, panic or create any kind of chaos. You need to remain calm and get your senses to normal. b) You should move in queue peacefully and swiftly to come out of the building and move towards the safe place as planned earlier. Check if your friends are all safe and assist the helping team to your capacity without making any unnecessary confusion. 162 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

c) Do not move from the place until you get proper instructions from your teachers or staff and do not be in hurry to reach home. d) If you are trapped or hurt and cannot move, you need to remain calm and wait for help. If you feel somebody is near you then only make noise or call out for help. e) Stay away or out of any damaged buildings as it might collapse and hurt you. f) Expect aftershock. Storm Storm Our earth is surrounded by a blanket of air called the atmosphere. If there is movement in the air in the atmosphere then that moving air is known as wind. If the speed of the wind is excessive then it is known as storm (Huri Batas) and if it takes further speed then it is called hurricane (Aandhi). The main characteristic of the air is to maintain the similar air pressure all around. But due to the change in temperature in different places it is not always possible. To maintain the balance air travels from high pressure zone to low pressure zone. Have you seen sometimes the wind blowing in circular motion and blowing everything upwards towards the sky? Tornado This phenomenon happens when there is sudden rise in the temperature in a small pocket area and the air pressure drop suddenly, and then the wind starts to blow in that place from all directions. For instance, when Sun shines over an island covered by water in all side, the land gets heated faster than the surrounding water. This creates a low pressure over the land and high pressure over the surrounding water. In this condition, the air from the surrounding water blow towards the low pressure land in the middle creating a circular motion of air. When this phenomenon happens in a very large scale, it results in origination of a massive circular wind. This is known as cyclone (Bhumari). It is also called Tornado (Chakrawat). SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 163

The cyclone that occurs near the sea area is very strong and powerful. It is known as hurricane. It brings heavy rainfall and the storm is also powerful during hurricane. People living near the sea coast have to stay alert by listening to the weather forecast broadcast in radios or television for any prediction of hurricanes. In this way they can get some time to safeguard their lives, properties, family and any other belongings from getting destroyed. During and after such weather phenomenon (hurricane), it is not advisable to go out of the house. The Americans call it hurricane and tornado, Japanese call it typhoon and in Bangladesh and India it is known as cyclone. The Mountain region of our country also experiences wind in the afternoon. It is because of the wind blowing from the mountains. The air from low land (besi) becomes heated during the afternoon and moves upwards. The air pressure still remains higher in the high slopes of the mountain (Lek) due to low temperature. This results in the movement of air from the higher slopes of a mountain (Lek) towards the low land (besi). We should follow the following safety measures to minimize the harm of the storm: We should not sit under the tall trees, electric poles, buildings, etc. We should go to safe place if the symptoms of storm are noticed. We should close the doors and windows of the house to avoid the roof to blow off. We should listen to local radio/TV continuously for the information of further warnings. We should disconnect the electric appliances to avoid firing and socks. We should stay inside in the strongest part of the building. We should be safe from broken pieces of glasses, naked wires, etc. Finally, we should shift to safe place when the storm calms down. Key Terms Calamitous : causing great trouble, tragedy, or disaster Chaos : disorder and confusion Earthquake : shaking of Earth’s crust Earthquake Safety drill : emergency management in case of earthquake Epicenter : earth’s surface above the focus of an earthquake Storm : strong wind Note to the teacher: Conduct earthquake awareness activities for children compulsorily. This helps the teachers to handle the situation more effectively when such calamity strikes in reality. Also take help from the local Red Cross society and give practical knowledge about storm, wind, etc to help them protect themselves from such natural calamities. 164 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Evaluation Exercises Activities 1. Conduct earthquake drill under the supervision of your teachers. 2. Prepare an earthquake safety map of your home and share it in class. Very short answer questions 1. Define Earthquake. 2. What is Hypocenter? 3. What is Epicentre? 4. Earthquake can occur at anytime in Nepal. Write one cause. 5. Write any two causes of earthquake. 6. What is disaster? Write its types. 7. What is used to measure earthquake? Write its measuring unit. 8. When did the destructive earthquake hit Nepal? 9. Define storm. 10. What do you mean by tornado? Short answer questions 1. What is disaster? Differentiate between man-made and natural disaster. 2. Differentiate between hypocenter and epicentre. 3. What should we do after earthquake? 4. Write any six safety measures to reduce the harm of storm. Long answer question What are the things you need to do before and during earthquake? Write four points of each. Community Work Wind usually starts to blow after 12 pm. Do you know why? Measure the speed of the wind based on the table given below: Effects of storm Speed of wind km/hr Smoke rises up high directly. 0-1 Smoke spreads in all directions, tree leaves shake. 1-6 Small branches shake, dust and twigs are blown around. 7-16 Trees shakes, wires are snapped. 17-33 Tree branches break away, big trees fall down. 34-55 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 165

Lesson AFRICA CONTINENT 10 There are seven continents in the world. Africa is the second largest continent among them. It occupies more than one fifth of the earth’s total area. It is the only continent which is almost divided into two equal parts by the equator. It extends from 37°N to 35°S latitude. It has the total area of about 30,247,000 sq. km. Its north to south distance is 3,074 km and east to west distance is about 7,564 km. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean in the east and Atlantic Ocean in the west. The Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Strait of Gibraltar in the north-west separate Africa from Europe. The man made Suez Canal separates Africa and Asia in north-east. The southernmost tip of Africa is called Cape of Good Hope. Physical Regions Most part of Africa is plateau which is composed of ancient rocks. Towards the narrow coasts, the plateau descends in the form of steps. In general, the plateau of Africa is lower in the north and higher in the south. Africa can be divided into the following physical regions. 1. The Atlas Mountain: It is the Atlas Mountains young fold mountain located in the North-Western part of Africa. It comprises of three parallel ranges. 2. The Central Plateau: It extends from the Atlantic Coast in the west to the Nile valley in the east. The Sahara Desert forms a part of this plateau. 3. The High Plateau: The high Sahara Desert plateau of the south is divided into the Ethiopian Plateau, the Central Lake Plateau and the South African Plateau. Namib and Kalahari Desert are the parts of this plateau. Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), a snow- capped mountain lies here. 166 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

4. The Great Rift Valley: It is the Great Rift Valley special feature of Africa. It is a narrow valley formed as a result of vertical cracks developed due to the movement within the earth. There are many fresh water lakes around it. It extends for a distance of about 5,000 km. 5. The Nile and Zire Basins: These two Nile River basins have been formed by the two big rivers of Africa. The Nile basin is a flat dry region that borders the river Nile and its tributaries in north-eastern Africa. It has made very fertile land. The Zire (Congo) basin in the west- central Africa includes most of the land drained by the river Zire and its tributaries. This river basin is covered by tropical rain forests. Climate and Natural Vegetation Africa is divided into two equal halves by the equator so that the central part of Africa lies in tropical climatic region and the other parts of the continent lies in temperate region. The Zire basin, the coastal region of Gulf of Guinea and coastal region of Kenya have equatorial type of climate. It is hot and wet throughout the year. It receives conventional rainfall everyday mostly in the afternoon. The equatorial climatic region has broad-leaved, hard-wood and evergreen trees due to abundant rainfall and sunshine. It is also called tropical rainforest. This region abounds in animals like chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, crocodiles, snakes and brightly coloured birds. The Savanna type of climate is found in either side of the equator that passes the continent. It is also called Sudan type of climate as it is developed best in Sudan. Different types of grass grow here with scattered trees such as acacia and baobab. The presence of abundant grass attracts herbivorous animals like deer, giraffe, elephant and zebra which in turn attract carnivorous animals like lion, leopard, cheetah, etc. This region supports a variety of animals and this region is often referred to as the “Zoo of the World”. The people in this region practice agriculture and animal husbandry. People of this region are very poor. Nowadays SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 167

there is establishment of many national parks which boasts the tourism sector. Nearly half of the continent of Africa is covered with savanna grassland. The Sahara Desert in the north and Kalahari Desert in the south central Africa experiences the hot desert type of climate. There is less than 25 cm annual rainfall. The days are hot and nights are cold. There is nominal vegetation. Most of the trees and plants that grow in this region are highly modified to survive in the harsh desert Savanna Grassland climate. Some of the vegetation found here are cacti, rough grasses, thorny bushes and shrubs. Date palms are found in Oasis. Camel is the most important animal of the desert which is used for milk, food and transportation. It is also called the ‘Ship of the desert’. The coastal areas of north-west Africa and small areas in the south-west of South Africa experiences Mediterranean type of climate. It is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The vegetation of this region can withstand long summer droughts. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapes, etc are also grown here well. Trees have hard wood. The people of this region are involved in agriculture especially fruit farming. The high plateau of South Africa has temperate grassland type climate. Summers are hot with rainfall and winters are cold with little or no rainfall. Due to the distance from the sea, there is great variation between summer and winter temperature. The natural vegetation of this grassland region comprises mostly of short and coarse grasses. It is called Veldt. The little rainfall in summer cannot support tall trees. Antelope and donkeys are the common animals that roam in this grassland. In the different parts of the Africa continent, mines of valuable materials like gold, copper, diamond, uranium, etc are found. The minerals like iron, petroleum products, etc are also found here. Majority of the population lives below poverty line. Hunger and sickness can be seen all over the continent. Note to the teacher: Find out facts about this continent through the atlas, globe, maps or internet. 168 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Key Terms Abundant : having plenty of Animal husbandry : the science of breeding, rearing, and caring for farm animals Oasis : fertile land in desert Rain forest : thick tropical forest Evaluation Exercises Activity In the map of Africa insert the following facts: Strait of Gibraltar, Sahara Desert, Equator, Ethiopian Highlands, Nile and Congo River, Kilimanjaro Mountain, Lake Victoria, Mt. Atlas, Kalahari Desert, Great Rift Valley, Red Sea, Equator, Madagascar Very short answer questions 1. Which is the largest desert of the world? 2. Why do African people have dark skin? 3. Why is Savanna region called the ‘Zoo of the World’? 4. In which part of Africa is Mediterranean climate found? Short answer questions 1. Into how many physical regions can Africa be divided? 2. List the similarities between Nepal and Africa. 3. Explain the economic activities of Africa. 4. Why Africa is very poor continent though it is very rich in natural resources? 5. What is Savanna Grassland? Write its features. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 169

AFRICA Physical Map 40 20 0 20 Minsk 40 60 IRE. LondUo.BnKr.uAssmeNlsEstTeHr.damGERMBeArNliYn BELARUS Nor t h PORTUGAL Warsaw RUSSIA KAZAKHSTAN Lisbon POLAND Kyiv ASeraal N Atlantic Ocean BEL. LUX. PragueCZ. REP. UKRAINE Volga Tashkent Paris UZBEKISTAN 40 Vienna SLOV. TURKMENISTAN AZORES FRANCE SWITZ. AUS. Budapest MOL. Sea of Ashgabat (PORTUGAL) Azov SLO. HUNG. ROM. CRO. Belgrade Bucharest BOS.& Danube ITALY HER. SER. Sofia Black Sea GEO. Caspian AND. Corsica MONT. KOS. BULG. ARM. AZER. Sea MACE. Madrid Rome Ankara SPAIN Sardinia ALB. TURKEY GREECE Algiers Sicily Athens Tehran Constantine MADEIRA ISLANDS Strait of Gibraltar Oran Tunis MALTA Tigris AFG. (PORTUGAL) Rabat Fès CYPRUS LEB. SYRIA EupIhBRraatAesgQhdad IRAN Casablanca Beirut Damascus TUNISIA Mediterranean Sea MOROCCO Jerusalem CANARY ISLANDS Marrakech Tripoli Benghazi Alexandria ISRAEL Amman (SPAIN) Cairo JORDAN KUWAIT Al J-izah ALGERIA Persian EGYPT Laayoune Tropic of Cancer LIBYA Gulf Abu Western Aswa-n BAHR. Sahara Admin. QATAR Dhabi Riyadh Muscat U.A.E OMAN SAUDI 20 Nouadhibou SAHARA boundary ARABIA 20 MAURITANIA Port Red Sudan Sea CAPE VERDE Praia Nouakchott Timbuktu NIGER Omdurman hite Nile Nile ERITREA YEMEN Arabian Dakar SENEGAL Khartoum Asmara Sanaa Sea MALI Agadez SUDAN Lac'Assal Gulf of Socotra Banjul Bamako Niger BURKINA Niamey Zinder CHAD (lowest point in Djibouti Aden (YEMEN) THE GAMBIA FASO W Africa, -155 m) DJIBOUTI Bissau N'Djamena Nile GUINEA-BISSAU GUINEA Ouagadougou Kano SOUTH Blue Moundou SUDAN Conakry BENIN NIGERIA CENTRAL AFRICAN Addis L E Y Hargeysa REPUBLIC Juba Freetown CÔTE GHANA Niger Abuja Ababa VAL Bangui SIERRA LEONE D'IVOIRE Volta TOGO Ogbomoso Benue ETHIOPIA Prov. CAMEROON admin. Monrovia Yamoussoukro AccrLaomé Ibadan Douala RIFT line SOMALIA PNoorvtLooa-gos LIBERIA Abidjan Malabo Yaoundé CONGO UGANDA GREAT Mogadishu EQUATORIAL GUINEA Congo Gulf of Guinea REP. OF Kampala KENYA SAO TOME THE Kisangani Equator AND PRINCIPE 0 Ascension São Tomé Victoria SEYCHELLES Annobón (EQUA. GUI.) TRENCH OI ncdeiaann0 Libreville BASIN Nairobi GABON CONGO RWANDA Kigali Kilimanjaro Bukavu Lake (highest point in DEM. REP. Africa, 5895 m) BujumburaVictoria Brazzaville OF THE CONGO BURUNDI Mombasa Pointe-Noire Kinshasa ANGOLA TanLgaakneyika Dodoma Zanzibar (Cabinda) Mbuji-Mayi TANZANIA Dar es AMIRANTE M I D - AT L A N T I C Luanda Salaam Lake Glorioso Islands Nyasa COMOROS (FRANCE) Lubumbashi Moroni ANGOLA Kitwe MALAWI Cidade Mayotte Lilongwe (admin. by France, Namibe Lubango ZAMBIA de Nacala claimed by Comoros) Saint Helena Windhoek Lusaka Blantyre Juan de Nova Mahajanga Tromelin Island Walvis Bay Island (FRANCE) South Atlantic NAMIBIA Zambezi (FRANCE) Ocean NAMIB Harare MOZAMBIQUE Toamasina ZIMBABWE Mozambique Antananarivo Port 20 Beira Channel St. Denis Louis 20 Tropic of Capricorn BOTSWANA RIDGE KALAHARI Bassas MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS da India Reunion DESERT (FRANCE) Europa (FRANCE) Island Gaborone (FRANCE) Pretoria RIDGE DESERT Maputo WA LV I S Johannesburg Mbabane Saint Helena, Ascension, SOUTH SWAZILAND and Tristan da Cunha Ora Maseru (U.K.) eng AFRICA Durban Indian Ocean LESOTHO Cape Town Port Elizabeth Scale 1:51,400,000 TRISTAN Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection DA CUNHA 0 800 Kilometers Gough Island RISE 0 800 Miles 40 C A P E Boundary representation is 40 not necessarily authoritative. 20 0 20 40 60 170 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

AFRICA Political Map 40 20 IRE. U.K. 0 20 Minsk 40 60 London N North Amsterdam Berlin Warsaw BELARUS RUSSIA KAZAKHSTAN Atlantic NETH. GERMANY POLAND Kyiv Volga ASreaal 40 Ocean AZORES Brussels PORTUGAL BEL. LUX. (PORTUGAL) Lisbon Paris SWITZ. Prague CZ. REP. UKRAINE FRANCE Vienna SLOV. MOL. SAezaovof Tashkent AUS. Budapest UZBEKISTAN HUNG. SLO. CRO. Belgrade ROM. TURKMENISTAN Bucharest Ashgabat BOS.& SER. Danube Black Sea ITALY HER. So a GEO. Caspian AND. Sea KOS. BULG. Corsica Rome MONT. MACE. ARM. AZER. Sardinia Madrid ALB. Ankara SPAIN TURKEY GREECE Strait of Gibraltar Algiers Tunis Sicily Athens Tigris Tehran AFG. Constantine IRAN MADEIRA ISLANDS Rabat Oran SYRIA EupIhBRraaAtegsQhdad (PORTUGAL) Casablanca Damascus Fès MALTA CYPRUS LEB. Beirut MOROCCO TUNISIA Mediterranean Sea Alexandria JeISrRuAsaElLem CANARY ISLANDS Marrakech Tripoli Benghazi Amman (SPAIN) Cairo JORDAN Laayoune ALGERIA LIBYA Al Ji-zah KUWAIT Persian Abu Muscat Western Riyadh Gulf Dhabi OMAN Sahara Tropic of Cancer Al Jawf EGYPT U.A.E BAHR. Aswa-n QATAR Admin. 20 Nouadhibou boundary SAUDI ARABIA 20 MAURITANIA Port Red Sudan Sea CAPE VERDE Nouakchott NIGER White Nile Nile Praia SENEGAL Timbuktu Agadez CHAD Omdurman ERITREA YEMEN Arabian Dakar N'Djamena Asmara Sanaa Sea MALI Khartoum Banjul Bamako Niamey Zinder Gulf of Socotra Niger BURKINA Kano SUDAN Djibouti Aden (YEMEN) THE GAMBIA FASO DJIBOUTI Bissau Nile Ouagadougou Blue GUINEA-BISSAU GUINEA BENIN Addis Conakry GHANA Niger NIGERIA Ababa Hargeysa Abuja ETHIOPIA Freetown CÔTE TOGO Benue Moundou SOUTH SIERRA LEONE D'IVOIRE Ogbomoso CAMEROON SUDAN Prov. Douala CENTRAL AFRICAN admin. Monrovia Yamoussoukro AccraLomé Ibadan REPUBLIC Juba line SOMALIA PNoortvooL-agos LIBERIA Abidjan Bangui Malabo Yaoundé EQUATORIAL GUINEA Congo UGANDA Mogadishu Gulf of Guinea SAO TOME REP. OF Kisangani Kampala KENYA AND PRINCIPE THE Nairobi 0 São Tomé CONGO Victoria Annobón SEYCHELLES (EQUA. GUI.) OI ncdeiaann0 Equator Libreville OF TDHEEMC. ROENPG. OBRuWkaAvNuDA Kigali Mombasa Ascension GABON Bujumbura ViLcatkoeria Zanzibar BURUNDI Dar es Brazzaville Kinshasa TanLgakaenyika Dodoma Pointe-Noire Mbuji-Mayi TANZANIA ANGOLA (Cabinda) Luanda Salaam South Lubumbashi NLyaaksea COMMoOrRoOnSi Glorioso Islands Atlantic (FRANCE) Ocean ANGOLA Kitwe MALAWI Cidade Mayotte ZAMBIA Lilongwe (admin. by France, Lubango de Nacala claimed by Comoros) Namibe St. Helena Lusaka Blantyre Juan de Nova Tromelin Island Island Mahajanga (FRANCE) Zambezi Harare ZIMBABWE (FRANCE) MOZAMBIQUE Toamasina Beira Mozambique Antananarivo Port Channel Louis 20 20 Tropic of Capricorn Windhoek St. Denis Walvis Bay Bassas MAURITIUS Saint Helena, Ascension, BOTSWANA da India MADAGASCAR Reunion and Tristan da Cunha NAMIBIA (FRANCE) Europa (FRANCE) (U.K.) Gaborone Island (FRANCE) Pretoria Maputo Johannesburg Mbabane SOUTH SWAZILAND Ora eng Maseru Indian Ocean Durban AFRICA LESOTHO Cape Town Port Elizabeth TRISTAN Scale 1:51,400,000 DA CUNHA Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection 0 800 Kilometers Gough Island 0 800 Miles 40 40 Boundary representation is not necessarily authoritative. 20 0 20 40 60 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 171

AFRICA Outline Map N 172 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Lesson 11 NORTH AMERICA CONTINENT North America is the third largest continent in the world. It is entirely located in the north-western hemisphere. It extends from 8°N to 82°N latitude and 20°W to 165°W longitude. It occupies 24,227,000 sq. km. area. Its north to south length is about 8,900 km and east to west-width is about 6,400 km. This continent was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 AD, but it was named much later after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who explored North and South America between 1497 AD and 1502 AD. North America is separated from Europe Isthmus of Panama by Atlantic Ocean. The Pacific Ocean lies between Asia and North America. The Tropic of Cancer crosses to the south of the continent whereas the Arctic Circle crosses the continent in the north. It is separated from Asia by the narrow Bering Strait in the north-west and is linked with South America by a narrow Isthmus of Panama. Overall, this continent lies in temperate climatic zone. Physical Regions North America has three physical regions which are marked by certain degree of uniformity in relief, climate, vegetation, soils and other geographical conditions. They are: 1. The Western Mountain System: This mountain system is young fold mountain like Himalayas of our country. The ranges of this mountain extend from Alaska in the north to the Panama in the south, a distance of about 6,500 km. The western Grand Canyon mountain system consists of several mountain ranges running from north to south. In between the mountain ranges, there are plateaus, deep valleys and river basins. Grand Canyon (1,800 m. deep), SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 173

the deepest gorge made by Colorado river and Death Valley, which is extremely hot and dry valley lies in this mountain system. 2. Central Plain: It is also known as Death Valley the Great Plains which extends from Mississippi River Hudson Bay in the north to Gulf of Appalachian Highlands Mexico in the south east. It is the undulating lowland made by rivers and glaciers. The central plain is drained by river Mississippi and its tributaries. This is the most fertile plain of the world. The extensive temperate grassland which is called prairies lies in the central plain of North America. 3. The Eastern Highlands: These highlands are old fold mountains which have been denuded over millions of years. The ranges do not exceed 2,100 m in altitude. It is formed by three important highlands the plateau of Greenland, the Canadian Shield and Appalachian highlands. Climate and Natural Vegetation North America experiences a variety of climate due to its vast latitudinal extent, varied relief features, altitude, oceanic currents and direction of winds, etc. In general, it has temperate climate. It also includes the tropical climate in the south and tundra climate in the north. The northern most part of the continent is extremely cold throughout the year. It has tundra types of vegetation and coniferous forest. This region is severely cold with short summers so, some quick flowering plants and bushes are found here. The western coast of Canada and north western part of the USA have a mild climate so it has deciduous types of vegetation. The central part 174 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

of the continent has an extreme climate. It is very hot in summer and very cold in winter. It consists of extensive temperate grassland called prairies. This region receives low amount of rainfall and thus there is no thick growth of vegetation. The eastern part of Canada and the areas around St. Lawrence River receives rainfall throughout the year. South eastern part of the USA is under the influence of cyclones and receives rainfall in summer. These regions have mixed St. Lawrence River temperate forest comprising of coniferous and deciduous trees. The Southernmost part of the continent is hot and wet throughout the year. South-west part of the USA has the desert climate. The major countries of North America are Canada, USA and Mexico. There are a few smaller island countries to the south of this continent. Canada and the United States of America are highly developed countries. The main occupations of the people of North America are industries, trade and services. Besides these, Fisheries they are engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, tourism, mining lumbering, etc. The majority of people are of European descent but a lot of immigrants from different countries live here so North America has become a ‘melting bowl’ of various races, colours and cultures. Note to the teacher: Find out facts about this continent through the atlas, globe, maps or internet. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 175

Key Terms Deciduous : shedding its leaves annually Explorer : a person who explores a new or unfamiliar area Gorge : a narrow valley between hills or mountains, typically with steep rocky walls and a stream running through it Isthmus : a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land Evaluation Exercises Activities 1. Fill in the following facts in the map of North America. Appalachian Mountains, Prairies, Hudson Bay, Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Rocky Mountain, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River, New York, Death Valley, Mt. McKinley, Pacific Ocean, Panama Canal, Niagara falls, Washington DC, Colorado River, Alaska, Cuba 2. Look at the map of North America in the Atlas and fill in the following facts: Major Major Lakes Sea Cities Others Mountain Rivers Very short answer questions 1. Why is northern part of North America very cold? 2. Write any two animals found in northern part of North America. 3. What do you mean by Prairies? 4. Why is Prairies of North America called grain storage of the world? 5. Which mountain range lies to the east of North America? Short answer questions 1. Describe the physical regions of North America. 2. What are the major economic activities of North America? Describe in brief. 3. North America has diversified climate. Give reasons. 176 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

NORTH AMERICA Physical Map 80 SIERR A N EVA DA 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 Nord 80 0 Arctic Circle 160 Cherskiy East Greenland Sea Jan Mayen Siberian (NORWAY) RUSSIA Sea N Arctic Ocean Ittoqqortoormiit Pevek (Scoresbysund) Alert ICELAND Anadyr' Ellesmere Greenland Reykjavík Island Chukchi Qaanaaq (DENMARK) 20 (Thule) 40 180 Sea QUEEN ELIZABETH Denmark Provideniya ISLANDS Baffin Bay Strait Barrow 60 Pond Bering Inlet Tasiilaq Strait Nome BRO RANGE Prudhoe Beaufort Resolute Baffin Ilulissat O KS Bay Sea Island (Jakobshavn) Bering Sea RA NG E Inuvik Banks Sisimiut UNITED STATES Island (Holsteinsborg) Bethel Mt. McKinley Fairbanks Victoria Nuuk (highest point in Island (Godthåb) North America, 6194 m) Davis ALASK A Cambridge Bay Strait Qaqortoq Yukon Gjoa (Julianehåb) Haven Anchorage Dawson 160 A LEU T IA N T R EN C H Valdez Mackenzie River Arctic Circle Iqaluit Gulf of Great Bear Alaska River A Lake Whitehorse Great Slave Labrador Sea Juneau Fort CLake Rankin ADA Kuujjuaq Island of Nelson Happy Valley- Newfoundland an NInlet Hudson Bay Goose Bay SRlaivveer St. John's Arviat RO CKY bia River River Churchill Peace Lake Athabasca Prince Fort River Chisasibi Gulf of St. Pierre George McMurray St. Lawrence and Miquelon Nelson EdmoSnatskoatnchew (FRANCE) Calgary River Lake Moosonee Chicoutimi Saskatoon Winnipeg (Saguenay) Sydney North Vancouver Moncton Charlottetown Victoria Regina Québec Fredericton Thunder St. JohHnalifax 40 Seattle MO UNT A INS Winnipeg Bay Sudbury OttaMwoantréal C ASC A DES Colum Sna Lake Superior 60 Fargo Pacific Portland Missouri HLuarkoen Lake Boston Toronto Ontario Providence Lake Hamilton Buffalo Hartford Minneapolis Michigan Lake Erie Boise London M O U N TAINS New York Milwaukee Detroit Philadelphia ke River Great Salt Lake Salt Lake City O c e a n US TN AI TT EE DS ANt loarntthi c140 Cleveland Baltimore Pittsburgh Mississipp Chicago Washington, D.C. Omaha Columbus Virginia Beach Sacramento River Indianapolis Cincinnati San Francisco River APPA LA C HIA N Bermuda Death Valley i LSoauinist Ohio Louisville (U.K.) San Jose (lowest point in Denver Kansas City Fresno North America, -86 m) River Arkansas River River Charlotte Los Angeles Colorado Nashville Las Memphis Atlanta Vegas Albuquerque Oklahoma San Diego Phoenix City Birmingham TijuaMneaxicali Tucson Dallas Jacksonville Ocean El Paso New Orlando THE BAHAMAS Tampa Nassau CJuiuádreazd Gra Austin Orleans Miami Rio Houston nde Hermosillo San Antonio Chihuahua Gulf of CaliforniaGuadeloupe Tropic of Cancer SIERR A M AD RE O C C ID ENTA LTorreón Monterrey Gulf of Mexico Havana MEXICO20 CUBA Culiacán Matamoros HAITI La Paz San Luis Cancun Kingston Potosí Tampico Aguascalientes Léon Querétaro Mérida JAMAICA Guadalajara Mexico Scale: 1:36,000,000 City Bahía de Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, Morelia Campeche standard parallels 25°N and 77°N SIERR A Toluca Puebla Veracruz BELIZE E AM Belmopan 0 300 600 Kilometers ISLAS M I D Caribbean 0 300 600 Miles REVILLAGIGEDO HONDURAS Sea D L M ADRE DEL SUR Oaxaca Tegucigalpa 120 (MEXICO) E RIC AAcaTpRulEcNo Guatemala City C H GUATEMALA NICARAGUA 100 San Salvador Managua 80 EL SALVADOR SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 177

NORTH AMERICA Political Map 80 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 Nord 80 0 Arctic Circle 160 Cherskiy East Greenland Sea Jan Mayen Siberian (NORWAY) RUSSIA N Sea Arctic Ocean Ittoqqortoormiit Pevek (Scoresbysund) Alert ICELAND Anadyr' Ellesmere Greenland Reykjavík Island Chukchi Qaanaaq (DENMARK) 20 (Thule) 40 180 Sea Denmark Provideniya Baffin Bay Strait 60 Barrow QUEEN ELIZABETH Bering Prudhoe ISLANDS Pond Bay Inlet Tasiilaq Strait Nome Beaufort Resolute Ilulissat Sea Baffin (Jakobshavn) Bering Island Sea Inuvik Banks Sisimiut Island (Holsteinsborg) UNITED STATES Victoria Davis Nuuk Island Strait (Godthåb) Bethel Fairbanks Cambridge Bay Qaqortoq (Julianehåb) Anchorage Yukon Gjoa Valdez Haven Dawson M Iqaluit River ackenzie River Arctic Circle 160 Gulf of Great Bear ADA Alaska Labrador Sea Whitehorse Lake Hudson Bay Juneau Great Slave Rankin Kuujjuaq Island of Happy Valley- Newfoundland CLake A NInlet Goose Bay SRlaivveer Arviat St. John's Fort River Churchill Nelson AtLhaakbeasca Prince bia River Fort River Chisasibi Gulf of St. Pierre George Peace McMurray St. Lawrence and Miquelon Edmonton Saskatchew Nelson (FRANCE) River Chicoutimi Sydney Saskatoon (Saguenay) an Lake Moosonee Moncton Charlottetown Regina Winnipeg Québec Fredericton North Vancouver Calgary St. JohHnalifax Victoria Thunder Seattle Winnipeg Bay Sudbury OttaMwoantréal 40 Colum Lake Superior Lake 60 Pacific Portland Fargo Huron Missouri Toronto Lake Boston Ontario Providence Lake Hamilton Buffalo Hartford U N I T E DMinneapolis Michigan Lake Erie Boise Milwaukee London New York 140 O c e a n ke Chicago Detroit Sna Cleveland Pittsburgh Philadelphia River Baltimore Columbus Sacramento Great Salt Salt Lake City Omaha River Mississipp Indianapolis Cincinnati Washington, D.C. Lake Virginia Beach San Francisco River i Saint Bermuda San Jose Denver Kansas City Louis Ohio Louisville (U.K.) Fresno River Arkansas River Las Vegas River Charlotte Colorado STATES Nashville North Los Angeles Memphis Atlanta Atlantic San Diego Phoenix Albuquerque Oklahoma Birmingham City TijuaMneaxicali Tucson Dallas Jacksonville Ocean El Paso New Orlando THE BAHAMAS Tampa Nassau GraCiudad Austin Orleans Miami RioJuárez Houston Gulf of CaliforniaHermosillo nde San Antonio Guadeloupe Chihuahua Tropic Torreón Monterrey Gulf of Mexico Havana of Cancer Culiacán CUBA MEXICO20 La Paz Matamoros HAITI San Luis Cancun Kingston Aguascalientes Potosí Tampico Mérida JAMAICA GuadalajaraMoreliLaéonQueMréCetaixtriyoco Scale: 1:36,000,000 Toluca Bahía de BELIZE Caribbean Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, Campeche Belmopan standard parallels 25°N and 77°N Veracruz 0 300 600 kilometers ISLAS Puebla 0 300 600 miles REVILLAGIGEDO Oaxaca HONDURAS Sea 120 (MEXICO) Tegucigalpa Acapulco Guatemala City GUATEMALA NICARAGUA San Salvador 100 EL SALVADOR Managua 80 178 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

NORTH AMERICA Outline Map N SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 179

Lesson 12 SOUTH AMERICA CONTINENT South America is the fourth largest continent of the world in term of area. It has the total area of about 17,832,000 sq. km. Its north to south distance is about 7,645 km and east to west distance is 5,150 km. It lies between 12°N to 55°S latitude and 35°W to 31°W longitude. The equator passes through the northern part of the continent. The tropic of Capricorn passes a little south of the middle of South America. It is bounded by the Caribbean Sea in the North West and north, Atlantic Ocean in the North East, east and south east, and the Pacific Ocean in the west. It is joined to North America by the Isthmus of Panama in the North West. South America is known for its Atacama Desert extreme natural features and phenomena like the wettest region like equatorial region, the driest desert the Atacama, highest waterfall-Angel fall, the biggest and densest forest-equatorial rainforest, longest mountain range-Andes, etc. For this reason, South America is referred as the “land of extremes”. Physical Regions The Andes Physically, South America is divided into three main regions. They are: 1. The Andes: The Andes Mountain is the second highest fold mountain after Himalayas. The Andes is the longest chain of unbroken mountains in the world and forms a continuous chain from Venezuela in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. It stretches for 180 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

about 7,000 km running almost parallel to the west coast. On the western side of the central Andes lies the driest place of the world, the Atacama Desert. Mt. Aconcagua (6,960 m) the highest peak of South America lies in this range. In between the ranges lie several plateaus. Lake Titicaca, the largest and world’s highest fresh water navigable lake lies here. 2. The Central Lowlands: It extends from Andes in the west to the eastern highlands in the east. This area is drained by three large rivers-the Orinoco, the Amazon and the La Plata river system comprising of Paraguay-Parana and Amazon River Uruguay Rivers. This is the fertile land with the alluvia brought down by the rivers. The Orinoco river basin is covered by tropical grassland called the Llanos. Amazon River basin is also the largest river basin in the world. This basin is covered with rich evergreen equatorial forest, also called Selvas. These forests are of great economic value. South of the Parana River lies the vast temperate grassland called the Pampas. This region is well known for agriculture and animal rearing. To the south of the Pampas lies the desert of Patagonia. 3. The Eastern Highlands: This highland consists of two highlands-the Guiana Highland in the north and Brazilian highland in the north east. Guiana highlands are lower than Brazilian highlands. These regions receive a lot of rainfall and Angle Fall are heavily forested. The Brazilian highlands extend from the Amazon region to south-eastern Brazil. These highlands are older than Andes and composed of ancient rocks. The highest waterfall in the world, Angel’s falls (979 m) lie in Guiana highland in Venezuela. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 181

Climate and Natural Vegetation South America extends over a wide range of latitudes so that there is a wide range of climates. South America is wider towards the north and narrower towards the south from equator. Therefore, most part of South America lies in the tropical zone. The areas around Amazon basin have hot and wet equatorial climate throughout the year. The coastal areas have a mild climate due to influence of sea, ocean currents and Milking a Cow and Gathering Wool by Machine wind directions. However, most part of the continent has a warm climate throughout the year. The higher altitude of Andes Mountain is cold all the year around. The Amazon basin experiences hot, wet equatorial climate comprising of evergreen hard wood trees and thick undergrowth. The Orinoco basin and Brazilian plateau have tropical wet, dry or savanna type of climate. This area is characterized by the tropical grassland called Llanos in Orinoco basin and Campos in Brazil. The north eastern part of Argentina and Uruguay experience temperate climate. The vegetation in this region consists of temperate grassland called Pampas. This grassland is suitable for growing wheat and rearing cattle. The people of South America are engaged in Llamas several occupations. The people in Andes range are involved in tourism, animal husbandry and agriculture. A sheep like animal called the Llama are found here. In the tropical and temperate grassland of South America, animal rearing is the main occupation. The farmers are capable of raising hundreds of cows and sheep. In temperate grassland commercial wheat cultivation is done. There are several agro-based industries in this region. Besides these, people of South America are engaged in fishing, service and trade. Note to the teacher: Try to find out the places mentioned in this lesson on the atlas, globe or internet. 182 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Key Terms Capable : having the ability, fitness, or quality to do necessary things Commercial : making or intended to make a profit Extreme : reaching a high or the highest degree Phenomena : a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen Evaluation Exercises Activities 1. Collect articles from various sources on South America and present in class. 2. In the map of South America, insert the places given below: Rio De Janeiro, Amazon River, Mt. Aconcagua, Angle fall, Titicaca Lake, Pampas, Argentina, Caribbean Sea, Cape Horn, Atacama Desert, Chile, Patagonia Desert, Maracaibo Lake, Andes Mountain Range, River Paraguay, Llanos, Campos, Amazon Basin, Buenos Aires, Lima Very short answer questions 1. Which is the largest forest and river of the world? 2. What is Llama? 3. What is Pampas? Why is it famous for? 4. Why does the Amazon basin have hot and wet climate throughout the year? 5. What separates North America from South America? Short answer questions 1. Explain the physical regions of South America. 2. Argentina exports meat and wheat. Why? 3. What are the main economic activities of South America? 4. Explain the climatic condition of South America. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 183

SOUTH AMERICA Physical Map 80 Caribbean Sea Martinique (FRANCE) 60 40 SaInslaAndderés BARBADOS HONDURAS (COLOMBIA) NeAtnhteilrlleasnds ST. LUCIA North Tegucigalpa (NETH.) Atlantic Aruba ST. VINCENT AND NICARAGUA (NETH.) THE GRENADINES Ocean GRENADA N Managua Barranquilla Maracaibo Caracas Port-of-Spain BarquisimeVtoalencia TRINIDAD AND Cartagena TOBAGO San José Panama Cúcuta Río OrinocGoCuiuaydaanda COSTA RICA al e n a S San Cristóbal Georgetown PANAMA VENEZUELAIsla de Malpelo E Paramaribo COLOMBIA(COLOMBIA) Cayenne MagMedellín d G U I A GUYANA Bogotá D NA HI Cali Boa Vista A G H L A SURINAME French RíoN NDS Guiana (FRANCE) Equator Quito A M AmAazon Z O Rio Negro Manaus Macapá Belém 0 0 ECUADOR N Fortaleza Guayaquil Amazon Santarém São Luís Natal Iquitos Madeira Rio Xingu Teresina Piura URcíoayali BASIN Río Beni Tocantins Marañón Rio Trujillo HuánucoRío BrRainoco B R A Z I LVPeôlrhtoo Rio Recife Maceió PERU South Lima Río Mamore MATO GROSSO BRAZILIAN Pacific A ANreDquiEpCauTSisLtciacogaoca PLATEAU Francisco Ocean Trinidad Salvador Arica La Paz Cuiabá Iquique Rio Paraguai Brasília São BOLIVIA Goiânia Rio ALTIPLANOCochabamba Santa Cruz HIGHLANDS AT Sucre Uberlândia Belo Potosí Horizonte A Campo Río Vitória Grande Paraná C 20 A 20 M PARAGUAY A Rio de Janeiro Tropic of Capricorn Antofagasta DESERT Salta Asunción São Paulo San Miguel Santos de Tucumán Curitiba Isla San Félix Isla San Ambrosio Resistencia Florianópolis (CHILE) (CHILE) PAM CHILE PAS Pôrto Alegre Río Paraná Salto Cerro Aconcagua Córdoba Santa Fe (highest point in South America, 6962 m) Valparaíso Mendoza Rosario URUGUAY South Santiago Atlantic ARCHIPIÉLAGO Buenos Aires JUAN FERNÁNDEZ ANDES La Plata Montevideo (CHILE) Concepción ARGENTINA Ocean Bahía Blanca Mar del Plata San Carlos de Puerto Montt Bariloche 40 P AT A G O NIA Comodoro Rivadavia 40 Scale 1:35,000,000 Laguna del Carbón South Georgia and the Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection (lowest point in South America and South Sandwich Islands the Western Hemisphere, -105 m) 0 500 Kilometers (administered by U.K., 0 500 Miles Río Strait of Stanley claimed by ARGENTINA) Gallegos Magellan 40 20 Boundary representation is Falkland Islands not necessarily authoritative. Punta Arenas Ushuaia (Islas Malvinas) 100 (administered by U.K., claimed by ARGENTINA) Cape Horn 80 60 184 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

SOUTH AMERICA Political Map HONDURAS 80 Caribbean Sea Curacao Martinique (FRANCE) 60 40 Tegucigalpa Isla de (NETH.) ST. LUCIA BARBADOS Providencia Aruba North (COLOMBIA) (NETH.) ST. VINCENT AND Atlantic THE GRENADINES Ocean NICARAGUA GRENADA VENEZUELAManaguaIsla de Port of Spain San Andrés Barranquilla Maracaibo Caracas TRINIDAD AND N (COLOMBIA) Cartagena Panama BarquisimetVoalencia Barcelona TOBAGO San José City COSTA RICA PANAMA Cúcuta San R'io OrinocoCiudad Georgetown Cristóbal Guayana Medellín Rio Magdalena Bucaramanga GUYANA Paramaribo Pereira Bogotá Cayenne Isla de Malpelo Ibagué COLOMBIA SURINAME French (COLOMBIA) ' Guiana (FRANCE) Cali Boa Vista Equator Quito Rio N Macapá 0 ECUADOR egroAmazon Amazon Belém 0 R'io Mamore Santarém Guayaquil Manaus São Luis UR'ciaoyali Cuenca R'io Maranón Iquitos Rio Xingu Fortaleza Piura Rio Rio Madeira Teresina Natal Araguaia João Chiclayo Pucallpa Rio Pôrto Rio Tocantins Trujillo Huánuco Branco Velho Pessoa Recife PERU BRAZIL Maceió Huancayo Aracajú R'io Beni S o u t h Lima Cusco Francisco Salvador Pacific Ica Lago Trinidad Rio Paraguai Titicaca La PaBz OLIVIA Cuiabá Brasília São Arequipa Goiânia Ocean Cochabamba Santa Rio Contagem Sucre Cruz 20 Arica Iquique Potosí Uberlândia Belo Campo Horizonte Grande Rio Para Vitória ná Londrina Campinas PARAGUAY 20 Tropic of Capricorn Antofagasta Salta Asunción São Paulo Santos Rio de Janeiro San Miguel Ciudad Curitiba de Tucumán del Este Joinvile Isla San Félix Resistencia Florianópolis (CHILE) Isla San Ambrosio (CHILE) Rio Paraná CHILE Santa Porto Fe Alegre Córdoba ' Salto Valparaíso Mendoza Rosario URUGUAY South Santiago Atlantic ARCHIPIÉLAGO Buenos Aires Montevideo JUAN FERNÁNDEZ Concepción La Plata (CHILE) ARGENTINA Ocean Temuco Bahía Blanca Mar del Plata Puerto Montt San Carlos de Bariloche 40 40 Comodoro Rivadavia Scale 1:35,000,000 Punta Arenas Río Stanley South Georgia and Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection Gallegos Falkland Islands South Sandwich Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0 500 Kilometers Strait of (administered by U.K., 0 500 Miles Magellan (administered by U.K., claimed by ARGENTINA) Ushuaia claimed by ARGENTINA) Boundary representation is 40 100 not necessarily authoritative. Cape 60 20 80 Horn SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 185

SOUTH AMERICA Outline Map N 186 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Review Exercise 1. Find the name of major rivers with the help of atlas. 2. Draw a rectangle with a length of 10 cm and breadth of 6 cm. Divide the rectangle and copy the map of Nepal in it as shown in the figure below. 2 cm 2 cm Scale: 1 cm = 80 km 2 cm 2 cm 3 cm 3 cm 2 cm 3. Prepare a pamphlet or poster or placard and write a slogan to create awareness on measures to prevent causalities from earthquake in your community. You can also prepare a drama and show it in your community or school. 4. Divide the class in groups. Let them prepare the questionnaire on the topic of North America, South America and Africa. Collect all the questions along with their answers and conduct a quiz contest or discuss it in class. 5. The picture shows the equipment made up of cloth which shows the direction of wind at the airport. The colour of the cloth is red and white. It helps the aircraft to know about the direction of the wind. Now tie a ribbon or cloth to a stick and place it in an open area. The ribbon will fly in the direction of the wind. Community Work Prepare a map to show the route you take from your home to school. You can include popular place, Chowk, main road, religious place, market, office, schools, river, bridge, etc. Use symbols indicating these landmarks. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 187

Unit 6 OUR PAST Learning Achievements Understand the unification campaign of modern Nepal and the role played by common people, Explain the political situation of Nepal after the Sugauli treaty and the economic, political and social development during the Rana regime, Mention the political events from the year 2007 BS to present and also the social and economic achievements during this time, and Understand the Greek and Roman civilization and also the improvement and changes that came in the human consciousness during the renaissance period. 188 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Lesson ROLE OF PEOPLE IN THE UNIFICATION OF NEPAL 1 The Unification campaign of Nepal was Prithvi Narayan Shah started by King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha. Nepal earlier was divided into small kingdoms like Baise, Chaubise, Malla, Sen, etc which had made the country vulnerable to the foreign attacks especially from the British, who had already captured many parts of India. It was not possible for the King and his army alone to unify Nepal without the help and co-operation of the people. The effort and participation of people were equally important. The people of Nepal supported and sacrificed a lot for the unification of Nepal. The following points can make the role of the people more clear: 1. Bise Nagarchi of Gorkha, a common man, encouraged the people to collect funds to buy ammunition. He encouraged people to help in any way possible to collect money. 12,000 household of Gorkha contributed for this cause and then only it was possible for the government to buy new and good weapons. 2. All the citizens of Gorkha aged 16 to 30 participated in the unification war. 3. Following the advice of the astrologer Kulanand Dhakal and the auspicious time given by him, Gorkha attacked on Nuwakot and Kirtipur for the third time and they became victorious. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 189

4. When the soldiers of King Jayprakash Malla tried to slay the King Pritihvi Narayan Shah, it was the son of a common people who advised them not to slay him as the act would be highly condemnable. And it was the common people who transported Prithivi Narayan Shah to Nuwakot safely. 5. The people of Dahachowk supported Prithvi Jayaprakash Malla Narayan Shah to attack Kirtipur. 6. Dr. Angelo treated Surpratap Shah when he lost his eyes during the second attack on Kirtipur. 7. King Prithvi Narayan Shah was welcomed by local people after the victory of Kirtipur. 8. Shreeharsha Pant acted as the official representative to talk about the victory over Patan. 9. The soldiers of Bahadur shah were welcomed by the local people when they went to unify the western areas of Nepal. 10. Prithvi Narayan shah appointed Kalu Pandey, who was popular among the people, in the post of Kaji. Key Terms Ammunition : bullets, shells, bombs, grenades etc Attain : succeed in achieving something Auspicious : favorable Condemnable : indicate strong disapproval Slay : to kill Vulnerable : exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed Note to the teacher: Interact with people who are knowledgeable about the history of Nepal or read historical books and articles and give additional information about the participation of the Nepalese people in the unification campaign. 190 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Evaluation Exercises Activity Ask some elders about the role played by the members of your community to develop your community in the past till present day. Very short answer questions 1. Name three kingdoms of Kathmandu valley before unification? 2. What do you mean by Baise and Chaubise kingdoms? 3. Why was it necessary to co-operate with people for unification? 4. Who was Bise Nagarchi? What did he do? 5. Who supported Prithvi Narayan Shah to attack Kirtipur? 6. Who was Surpratap Shah? What happened to him during the war? Short answer questions 1. Write in short the role of people during the unification campaign. 2. Why Prithvi Narayan Shah appointed the person favoured by the people as Kaji? Explain. 3. What can we understand about Prithvi Narayan Shah as a person from the fact that he respected common people’s view like Bise Nagarchi and others? 4. Write the contributions of the following people and present it on the table given below: Name of person Contribution Bise Nagarchi Kulananda Dhakal People of Dahachowk Dr. Angelo Community Work Find out some facts about a person who has contributed in your community and conduct a program to felicitate him and also prepare a report about his contribution. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 191

Lesson UNIFICATION OF NEPAL 2 Amanda : Your country is beautiful, Prem. I found the people, culture and places fascinating. Now, I would like to know something about the history of your country. Who is Prithvi Narayan Shah and what did he do? Prem : I am glad, Amanda that you like my country. I would definitely love to tell you about our history. King Prithivi Narayan Shah was the king of Gorkha who unified Nepal. Nepal today is unified, free and a sovereign country. The credit for all this goes to King Prithvi Narayan Shah. In the earlier days Nepal was divided into the Baise and Chaubise states. Kathmandu valley itself was divided into Kantipur, Patan and Bhadgaun kingdoms. There were also certain small kingdoms like Makwanpur and Nuwakot. King Prithvi Narayan Shah unified all these small kingdoms and made Nepal strong and whole. Amanda : Why was the unification necessary? Prem : The British rule was spreading around the world like fire. They had invaded India in the pretext of business but started to capture it slowly. There was a lot of power struggle between the small ruling kingdoms of Nepal. There was a lack of feeling of patriotism and support. The British from the southern side were looking for an opportunity to enter Nepal with the intention of capturing it. King Prithivi Narayan Shah had foreseen their intention and he was also aware of the problems going on in Nepal. Amanda : He seems to have been a visionary man. How did he achieve his goals? Prem : First he spread his own small kingdom from Gorkha to Tista in the east and set the roots for geographical unification. He respected the culture and tradition of each place equally and set the root for cultural unification too. He appointed Kalu Pandey who was approved by the people, as his Kaji instead of Viraj Bakhati. In this manner he 192 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

also unified the sentiments of the people and gained their favor. I have printed out a list of some important events for your better understanding. Have a look: The chronological events of the unification Date (BS) Events 15th Asoj 1801 Victory over Nuwakot by killing Shankha Mani Rana, the 9th Bhadra 1819 son of Jayanta Rana Victory over Makwanpur, Digbandan Sen fled to Hariharpur 22nd Asoj 1819 Gorkhali troops captured Hariharpur and Digbandan Sen 3rd Chaitra 1822 surrendered Victory over Kirtipur 24th Asoj 1824 Gorkhali troops defeated the English troops very badly led by capt. Kinlock at Sindhuli and captured 500 guns of the English troops 13th Asoj 1825 Victory over Kathmandu, while the people of Kantipur were celebrating Indra Jatra 24th Asoj 1825 Victory over Patan as Tej Narsingha Malla surrendered to Gorkha 1st Mangshir 1826 Victory over Bhaktapur when Ranjit Malla surrendered before Gorkhali troops 4th Shrawan 1830 Victory over Chaudandi, the Sen kingdom of eastern Nepal 5th Shrawan 1831 Victory over Bijaypur and extension of the border of Nepal to river Tista in the east Amanda : Thank you, Prem. I really found the information interesting. I will read more on this topic of unification. Key Terms Fascinating : extremely interesting Favor : approval, support Patriotism : vigorous support for one’s country, nationalism Pretext : a reason that you give to hide your real reason for doing something Sentiments : the feelings and emotions of a person Note to the teacher: Present stories, articles, about the victory campaign of Nepal and try to give more information to the students. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 193

Evaluation Exercises Activity Read the following paragraph and answer the following questions: When we read the divine instructions of Prithvi Narayan Shah, we come to know that he was a visionary man. Today the organization like transparency International has been saying that corruption is the biggest problem in today’s world. Many years ago Prithvi Narayan Shah had said ‘Ghus linya ra dinya rajyaka shatru hun, yinako jiu jyan liya pani paap laagnyaa chhaina’. He had also said ‘Nepal chaar varna ra chhattis jaatako phulabaaree ho’. Only now are we talking about inclusion. We are saying we need to make good use of our natural resources now but he had said ‘Khaani bhaeka thaaunmaa ghar khet rahechha bhane tyasalai anyantra saaree khaani chalaaunu’. Prithvi Narayan Shah wanted to appoint Viraj Bakhati in the post of Kaji which is equivalent to a Prime Minister these days. But when he came to know that Kalu Pandey was the preferred choice of the people, he appointed Kalu Pandey. That shows that he respected the concept of democracy. Questions for discussion: 1. Why are those who take bribery or give bribery considered enemies of the nation? 2. What does it tell us about King Prithvi Narayan Shah’s nature who gave more preference to the people’s choice rather than his own? 3. What are the qualities that you have found about Prithvi Narayan Shah? List them down. Very short answer questions 1. What were the kingdoms of Kathmandu Valley before unification? 2. Why did Prithvi Narayan Shah appoint Kalu Pande as his Kaji instead of Viraj Bakhati? 3. When did Prithvi Narayan Shah get victory over Makawanpur? Short answer questions 1. What was the condition of the kingdoms before the unification of Nepal? 2. List the important events of the unification. 3. “Prithvi Narayan Shah was an expert and far sighted politician and a successful administrator.” Explain. 194 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

Lesson THE CONTINUATION OF UNIFICATION AND ITS END 3 China N India Amanda : I found our last conversation very interesting. Can you please tell me more about the unification process? Prem : Sure, Amanda. Here we go. The unification process was given continuity by the heir of Prithvi Narayan Shah. In the short rule of his son Pratap Singh Shah, places like Upardanggadhi, Kavilaspurgadhi, Sumeshorgadhi and Chitwan were included into Nepal. Sadly, King Pratap Singh Shah passed away at the tender age of 26 years. Amanda : Oh my god! Then who looked after the Kingdom? Prem : His Queen Rajendra Laxmi and his brother Bahadur Shah took care of the kingdom and continued the unification campaign. Amanda : That’s admirable, please continue. Prem : Queen Rajendra Laxmi acted as a regent for the minor King Rana Bahadur Shah and ruled over Nepal. During her regency, she SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 195

extended the border to Parvat, Lamjung and Kaski. She added some major contribution to the process of unification started by Prithivi Narayan Shah. The British historian Kirk Patrick has described her personality as being extraordinary personality. She passed away in the year 1842 BS. Amanda : Did the unification process still continue after her death? Prem : Yes, after her death Bahadur Shah stepped in and continued it. He was the youngest son of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. He ruled as a regent for Rana Bahadur Shah for the next nine years. During his regency the border of Nepal was extended to Kumau Gadwaal. He was a visionary and a courageous ruler. He married the princess of Palpa with the intention of strengthening the ties between Nepal and Palpa so that a strong kingdom like Palpa would be in his support. He also recruited qualified people in his army to make his army strong. In Jestha, 1843 BS, he conquered Gulmi, Arghakhaanchi, Dhurkot and included them in Nepal. He also achieved victory over Parvat in the Asoj of the same year. After that Pyuthan, Dang, Rolpa and Jajarkot also came under Nepal’s rule. Amanda : Bahadur Shah did conquer a lot of kingdoms during his rule, isn’t it? Prem : Not only that, after the victory over Baise and Chaubise kingdoms, the army of Nepal under the supervision of Amar Singh Thapa gained victory over Kumau, Gadwaal and went further till Alakanda. The state of Gadwaal agreed to pay tax to Nepal. Amanda : So when was Kumau and Gadwaal conquered? Prem : The Nepali army gained victory over the capital Almoda of Kumau on the 11th of Chaitra 1847 BS and on the 12th of Asar 1848 BS, they conquered Srinagar, the capital of Gadwaal and fought with Kangada. Amanda : Did the unification process end there? Prem : After the Nepal Tibet war in 1846 BS the process did slow down. But the actual end came when Amar Singh Thapa conquered Palpa Note to the teacher: You can also teach students about the unification campaign of Nepal through the medium of stories and documentary. 196 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

and included it in Nepal. All this happened during the rule of Rana Bahadur Shah. Amanda : That’s interesting. Nepal had a very brave, courageous and far sighted rulers in the past. Thank you Prem for you time. Prem : It is my pleasure. I am glad you found it interesting. Key Terms Conquer : seize area by military force Heir : a person legally entitled to the property or rank of another on that person’s death Recruit : to hire people in military service Regent : a person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor or is absent Evaluation Exercises Activity Write a story or poem or song regarding the unification of Nepal and present it in class. Very short answer questions 1. Which places were included in Nepal by Pratap Singh Shah in his short rule? 2. Who was Bahadur Shah? 3. What is regency? 4. Why did Bahadur Shah marry the Princess of Palpa? 5. When did Bahadur Shah conquer Gulmi and Arghakhanchi? 6. When was Gadwaal conquered by Nepali troops? 7. When did war between Nepal and Tibet break out? Short answer questions 1. What was the role played by Rajendra Laxmi during the unification campaign? 2. Analyse Bahadur Shah’s role as the capable son of a capable father. 3. What are the lessons that we should learn from Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa who was involved in the unification campaign? SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 197

Lesson POLITICAL EVENTS AFTER SUGAULI TREATY 4 Background The Sugauli treaty was signed to end the Anglo-Nepal. It was signed on the 2nd of December 1815 AD and ratified by 4th March 1816 AD between the East India Company and King of Nepal. Under this treaty, about one- third of Nepalese territory was lost including all the territories that the King of Nepal had won in wars in the last 25 years or so. As Nepal had to tolerate the interference of the British in its political matter, the unification campaign started by Prithvi Narayan Shah came to an end. There was a lot of conspiracy and groupism happening within the palace. The time period between the Sugauli treaty and 1903 BS was an unstable time in the Nepalese politics. Following were the causes of political instability in Nepal: 1. The courtiers were divided into various groups and they were in conflict. 2. The king’s weak and unstable nature, 3. The hatred between the queens, 4. The policy of the British to interfere in Nepal’s politics, 5. Frequent change of Prime Ministers, 6. The ancestral hostility between the Pandeys and Thapas. The main political events 1. The Mukhtiyarship (Premiership) of Rana Jung Pandey: After the downfall of Bhimsen Thapa, Rana Jung Pandey was appointed as the Mukhtiyar. He was supported by the first wife of the King Rajendra. He did not pay much attention to the demands of the Brahmin about returning their Virta which was confiscated during the rule of Rana Bahadur Shah. As he was anti-British, he had to resign from the post soon. 2. The dismissal of Bhimsen Thapa’s poison case: After Rana Jung Pandey resigned from his post. Ranganath Paudel was appointed as the Mukhtiyar. During this time the poison case of which Bhimsen Thapa was accused of was dismissed and he was set free. As he did not have any major post or responsibility, he went to his ancestral home in Borlang, Gorkha. 198 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8

3. The poison case of Bhimsen Thapa was re-opened: During the Mukhtiyarship of Pushkar Shah, Rana Jung Pandey re-opened the poison case of Bhimsen Thapa and he was arrested again. Rana Jung Pandey had accumulated false proofs against Bhimsen Thapa and proved him to be guilty. 4. Military revolt: In 1897 BS when Rana Jung Pandey was appointed Mukhtiyar for the second time, the soldiers from the military who had not received their salary in the past two years had accumulated at Tudikhel and also surrounded the compound of the British residency in order to revolt against it. They had also vandalized the residents of Pushkar Shah and Rangnath Paudel. The numbers of the soldiers involved in this activity were approximately 6,000. Taking the matter into consideration King Rajendra announced that the soldiers will not be laid off and neither will their salary be decreased. This conflict was resolved after this announcement. It has come to be known as the military revolt in the history of Nepal. 5. The younger queen’s desire for power: After the fall of Rana Jung Pandey the elder queen passed away. The younger queen Rajya Laxmi Devi started to increase her power after the elder queen’s demise. In the year 1900 BS, she received the right and the power to appoint, dismiss, exile, sentence to death, international war and to make treaties. She appointed Mathwar Singh Thapa in the post of the Prime Minister in the year 1900 BS. Her intention of appointing him was to make her son Ranendra the king but since Mathwar Singh did not help her to achieve her goals she got him killed through Jung Bahadur Rana. 6. Phattejung as a Mukhtiyar and the dominance of Gagan Singh: Mathwar Singh Thapa was murdered on the night of 4th Jestha 1902 BS. Phattejung who was living in Banaras at that time was called to Kathmandu and appointed as the new Mukhtiyar. During his Mukhtyariship the queen favored Gagan Singh and his dominance was rising. There were a lot of conflicts and imbalance in the palace. Seizing this opportunity Junga Bahadur Rana rose into power. Note to the teacher: Present stories, articles, about the victory campaign of Nepal and try to give more information to the students. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8 199

Key Terms Accumulate : gather together Conspiracy : a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful Demise : a person’s death Dominance : power and influence over others Hostility : unfriendliness or opposition Ratify : formally approve something Revolt : take violent action against an established government or ruler Vandalize : deliberately destroy or damage public or private property Evaluation Exercises Activity Divide yourself into groups and act out the major political events that happened after the Sugauli Treaty. Make an evaluation team and let them evaluate the drama. Reward the group which performs the best. Very short answer questions 1. What is Sugauli treaty and when was it signed? 2. What is Birta land? 3. What do you mean by military revolt? 4. Why did Rana Jung Pandey resign from the post of first Mukhtiyari? 5. Why was Mathwar Singh Thapa killed? Short answer questions 1. Give reasons for military revolt in the rule of Rajendra Bir Bikram Shah. 2. Write in short about the poison case against Bhimsen Thapa. 3. Why did the younger queen appoint Phattejung in the post of the Mukhtiyar? 4. Why was the political condition of Nepal unstable after the treaty of Sugauli? Write in six points. 5. How did the power given to junior queen bring instability in the politics of Nepal? Explain. 200 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 8