Paths to Modernisation

NCERT Solutions • Class 11 History • Theme 7
Answer in Brief
1. What were the major developments before the Meiji restoration that made it possible for Japan to modernise rapidly?
Even before the Meiji Restoration (1868), Japan had laid the groundwork for modernization:
  • Commercial Economy: A vibrant commercial economy had developed, with financial and credit systems already in place.
  • Literacy: Japan had high literacy rates for a pre-industrial society, facilitating the spread of new ideas.
  • Capital Consolidation: The daimyo (lords) lived in the capital (Edo), which led to the growth of internal trade and a unified market.
  • Peace: The long period of peace under the Tokugawa Shogunate allowed the economy to grow without the devastation of war.
2. Discuss how daily life was transformed as Japan developed.
Modernization radically altered Japanese daily life:
  • Family Structure: The traditional patriarchal family system (ie), where many generations lived together, shifted towards the nuclear family concept.
  • Housing: Modern housing with electricity and new appliances became popular among the new middle class.
  • Lifestyle: Western clothing became common in workplaces. Department stores were built, and new forms of entertainment (movies, radio) emerged.
  • Gender Roles: While women were encouraged to be “good wives and wise mothers,” they also increasingly entered the workforce in factories and offices.
3. How did the Qing dynasty try and meet the challenge posed by the Western powers?
The Qing dynasty’s response was largely unsuccessful and reactive:
  • Self-Strengthening Movement: They attempted reforms to adopt Western technology and weaponry while preserving Confucian values, but this was limited.
  • Examinations: They reformed the civil service examination system to include modern subjects, eventually abolishing it in 1905.
  • Constitutionalism: Towards the end, they promised a constitutional government to appease the public, but it was too little, too late.
  • Failure: Their inability to protect China from foreign aggression (Opium Wars) led to the dynasty’s overthrow in 1911.
4. What were Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles?
Sun Yat-sen’s philosophy, known as San Min Chu I, included:
  • Nationalism: To overthrow the Manchu (Qing) dynasty and remove foreign imperialist presence.
  • Democracy: To establish a republican government.
  • Socialism (Livelihood): To regulate capital and equalize land ownership to ensure economic justice.
5. How did Korea deal with the foreign currency crisis in 1997?
South Korea faced a severe economic crisis in 1997 but recovered rapidly:
  • IMF Bailout: The government accepted a loan from the IMF and implemented strict austerity measures and neoliberal reforms.
  • Gold Collection Movement: Citizens voluntarily donated gold (jewelry, heirlooms) to the government to help repay the foreign debt, showcasing immense national unity.
  • Corporate Restructuring: The major conglomerates (chaebols) were reformed to improve transparency and efficiency.
Answer in a Short Essay
6. Did Japan’s policy of rapid industrialisation lead to wars with its neighbours and destruction of the environment?
Yes, significantly.
  • Wars: To secure resources for its industries, Japan adopted an aggressive colonial policy, leading to wars with China (1894-95) and Russia (1904-05), and the annexation of Korea and Taiwan.
  • Environment: Industrialization caused severe pollution. The Ashio Copper Mine incident (pollution of rivers) and later Minamata disease (mercury poisoning) and Itai-itai disease (cadmium poisoning) are tragic examples of environmental neglect.
7. Do you think that Mao Zedong and the Communist Party of China were successful in liberating China and laying the basis for its current success?
Partially Yes.
  • Liberation: Mao successfully unified China in 1949, ending decades of civil war and foreign humiliation (“standing up”).
  • Foundation: The CCP dismantled the feudal land system, improved literacy, and women’s status, and built a basic industrial infrastructure.
  • Failures: However, policies like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution caused massive famine, economic chaos, and social trauma. The “current success” is largely due to the subsequent reforms of Deng Xiaoping (1978 onwards) which corrected Mao’s economic errors.
8. Did economic growth in South Korea contribute to its democratisation?
Yes, there is a strong link.
  • Educated Middle Class: Rapid industrialization created a large, educated middle class and an organized labor force that demanded political rights.
  • Student Activism: University students, emboldened by economic stability, led the pro-democracy movements against military dictatorships (e.g., Gwangju Uprising).
  • Result: The pressure from a prosperous and politically conscious citizenry forced the military regime to allow direct presidential elections in 1987, transitioning Korea to a full democracy.
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