UG-I-Social History of England PDF

Social History of England Two Mark Questions 1) Who were the Original inhabitants of England? The Original inhabitants of England were a set of aborigines called Picts. They were of a low intellectual level. 2) What was the Ol...

Social History of England Two Mark Questions 1) Who were the Original inhabitants of England? The Original inhabitants of England were a set of aborigines called Picts. They were of a low intellectual level. 2) What was the Old name of England? Who gave it? The Old name of England was Britain. It was given by Brythones, the Celtic race. 3) Name the Germanic tribes who invaded England by the middle of the fifth century. The Jutes, the Saxons and the Angles were the Germanic tribes who invaded England by the middle of the fifth century. 4) What is meant by Heptarchy? The Germanic tribes (Jutes, Saxons, and Angles) established Seven Kingdoms in Britain. Those seven kingdoms are collectively called as Heptarchy. They are Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, Northumbria, East Anglia and Mercia. 5) Who named Britain as England? Angles, one of the Germanic tribes, gave England its present name. 6) When did the conversion of England to Christianity start? The conversion of England to Christianity started with the advent of St. Augustine, a missionary from Rome, by the end of the sixth century. He was sent by Pope Gregory the Great. 7) What is “Danelaw”? In the middle of the ninth century, England was invaded by the Danes (Danes were from Denmark). The territory over which the Danes ruled was called “Danelaw” because it was governed according to the law of the Danes. 8) Who is known as “Edward the Confessor”? Why? Edward, the grandson of Alfred the Great, ruled England from 1042 to 1066. He was a man noted for Piety. So he was called Edward the Confessor. He is the one who built the famous Westminster Abbey. 9) Who is known as “William the Conqueror”? Why? William of Normandy is known as “William the Conqueror” who landed in England in 1066. As he got down from the boat he stumbled and was about to fall down. He pretended that he had purposely bent down. He then took a handful of sand and showing it to the men around him, proclaimed that he would hold England under his way just as he held the sand in his hand. His words came true within a few years. He had complete control over the country and was able to introduce some useful reforms. 10) What is feudal system? Feudal system was introduced by William of Normandy. Feudal system refers to the distribution of land. The King granted land to the barons on condition that they would be faithful to him and help him fight his battles. In the same way the barons divide their lands among their followers. In this system the granter was called “lord” and the receiver was called the “vassal”. 11) What is Doomsday book? The Doomsday book was drawn by William of Normandy. It contained all the necessary information about every bit of land in England. 12) Mention the great event that occurred during the reign of Henry II? An event of great importance during the reign of Henry II was the quarrel between him (the King Henry II) and Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was a struggle for power between the State and the Church. In that dispute Archbishop Thomas Becket was killed by four knights sent by King Henry II on 29th December 1170 in the Cathedral while Archbishop uttering his evening prayers. 13) Who wrote “Canterbury Tales” and what is the historical significance of this poem? The poem “Canterbury Tales” was written by Geoffrey Chaucer, the Father of English Poetry. This poem commemorated the martyrdom of Thomas Becket. 14) Write a short note on “The Canterbury Tales”? “The Canterbury Tales” was written by Geoffrey Chaucer. It is a collection of twenty four tales narrated by the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were going to the Canterbury cathedral which was built in the memory of Thomas Becket. 15) Who wrote “Murder in the Cathedral”? T.S. Eliot wrote the play “Murder in the Cathedral”. 16) Name any two works in English literature dealing with Becket’s martyrdom? Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” and T.S.Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral”. 17) Who is known as the “Lion Heart”? Richard I (1189-1199) is known as the “Lion Heart”. He had participated in the third crusade. 18) Write a short note on Crusades. Crusades were considered as holy wars. It was undertaken by the European powers between the 11th century and the 14th century. Its aim was to recover the holy places where Jesus Christ had lived his earthly life. It was called crusades because the soldiers who took part in the war wore a cross sewn on their clothes. Altogether four crusades were conducted. 19) What is Magna Carta or the Gread Charter? During the reign of King John (1199-1216) the Barons, the Archbishop Stephen Langton and the Mayor of London presented the King with a charter which explained the grievances of the country. The King signed the document on 15th June 1215 at a meadow called Runnymede. This document because of its length was called Magna Carta or the Great Charter. This charter marked the beginning of the English Constitution. 20) Who was called the Creator of the first “House of Commons”? Simon De Montfort is called the creator of the first “House of Commons”. 21) Who rebuilt the famous Westminster Abbey? King Henry III built the Westminster Abbey which now stands in the place of the one built by Edward the Confessor. 22) Who were Black Friars? The monks who followed the religious orders founded by St.Dominic, of Spain in the early part of the 13th century, were called Dominican monks. Their objective was preaching, in order to prevent the spread of heresy. They came to England during the reign of King Henry III and played an effective role in the religious and social life of the country. Those Dominican monks were favored by King Henry III of England. The Dominicans wore black cloaks andso they were called Black Friars. 23) Who were Grey Friars? The monks who followed the religious orders founded by St. Francis of Assissi in the early part of the 13th century, were called Franciscan Friars. Their objective was preaching, in order to prevent the spread of heresy. They came to England during the reign of King Henry III and played an effective role in the religious and social life of the country. The Franciscans were popular among the people. They settled in the outskirts of towns and looked after the poor and the sick. They wore grey cloaks and so they were called Grey Friars. 24) Which countries involved in “The Hundred Years War”? “The Hundred Years war” was fought between England and France. 25) Define “Black Death”. Black Death is the pestilence which swept over the entire Europe. It reached England in 1348. Many people died of the Pestilence Plague. As it is spread by a black variety of rats, it is called “Black Death”.