Discover ‘Memoirs of Chota Sahib Notes, Class XII,’ a thorough manual containing all textual and crucial supplementary questions, designed in straightforward language to assist students in comprehension and exam readiness.
Table of Contents
Memoirs of Chota Sahib Notes
– John Rowntree
Textual Question Answers
THINK AS YOU READ-I
Q.1. Briefly describe the scene observed by the author from the veranda of his bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra. H.S. ’20
Ans: The bungalow of the author was situated on the south bank of the Brahmaputra. In front of the bungalow, there was a raised portico from which the narrator and his companions had a splendid view of the river Brahmaputra and the Himalayas. In the centre, there was the Peacock Island with a Hindu temple. The dome of the temple was visible through the trees. Though the island was called ‘Peacock Island’, there was not a single peacock, but only monkeys.
Q.2. What is the belief about the dividing channel between Peacock Island and the mainland of Guwahati that the author mentions? H.S. ’15
Ans: It was believed that if the channel between Peacock Island and the mainland of Guwahati ever dried up completely, it would indicate the end of the British Raj. In some years, it was about to dry up. The writer said that he was ignorant whether in the time of independence of India, the channel got dried up or not. Because he would be no longer in Guwahati at that time.
Q.3. What does the author say about the importance of Guwahati? Is the statement true in our time today also?
Ans: The author says that Guwahati was the port of entry into Assam. Most travellers passed through on their way between Kolkata and Shillong or to other places. This is true even today because Guwahati is the gateway to northeast India.
THINK AS YOU READ-II
Q.1. What character of the North Bank of the Brahmaputra does the author refer to?
Ans: The North Bank of the Brahmaputra had its own characteristics. It was a vast remote stretch of flat, ageless land between the sandbanks of the Brahmaputra and the Himalayan foothills. It was a strange place where the rivers dried up in the hot weather and suddenly disappeared underground.
Q.2. What information does the author give us about Manas Wild Life Sanctuary? H.S. ’24
or
What does Rowntree say about the river banks of the Manas Sanctuary? H.S. ’17
Ans: The author said that the Manas Wild Life Sanctuary was on the border of Bhutan. There few rhinos were found but it was full of fishes.
Q.3. Describe the author’s experience of crossing a flooded river on horseback on the North Bank of the Brahmaputra. H.S. ’16
or
Relate Rowntree’s experiences of flood in Assam. H. S. ’18
Ans: Once the author crossed a flooded river on horseback. He persuaded the horse to plunge into the water, then slipped over his croup and hung on to its tail. Again when the author pushed the horse to the right, it veered to the left and when he pushed to the left the horse veered to the right. But eventually, he could make a safe landing on the other side of the river.
THINK AS YOU READ-III
Q.1. Relate the author’s experiences of the road accident during the monsoon on the North Bank. Marks – 5
Ans: Once the author was touring with his family on the north bank of the Brahmaputra and was caught in the monsoon rain. Although the road was still motorable, driving became very risky. The roads were increasingly greasy. Finally, they slithered over the edge into a paddy field some six feet below the road. Paddy fields were divided into small enclosures by low banks so that flood water would not run away. However, they found a way back to the road. In the car there were the author, his wife, the child, ayah and their servants. Fortunately, not a single spring of the car was broken and the family was safe.
Q.2. Relate the author’s reminiscence of the forest bungalow at Kulsi. 5 Marks)
Ans: There were two comfortable bungalows in the forest. One was at Kulsi and the other was at Rajapara. The bungalow at Kulsi was very beautifully situated on a wooded spur above the river. The second was also beautiful but on the roof of the bungalow, there were bats. The bungalow at Kulsi was a favourite to the author. The bungalow was surrounded by a teak plantation, planted some sixty years before.
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Additional Question Answers
A. Short Answers Type Questions
Q.1. What is the lesson ‘Memoirs of Chota Sahib’ all about?
Ans: The lesson ‘Memoirs of Shota Sahib’ is a brief but vivid account of Guwahati and its neighbouring areas on the eve of the independence of India as seen by the author John Rowntree.
Q.2. What did the author observe about the bheel at Rajapara?
Ans: Close to the Rajapara Forest Bungalow there was a large bheel. An earthquake had once lowered the surface and the land became inundated with water. It was a strange spot rose out of the water which was a reminder that it had once been dry land.
Q.3. Name the places where two bungalows were situated.
Ans: The names of the places of the two bungalows are- Kulsi and Rajapara.
Q.4. Name three plants mentioned in the essay.
Ans: The three plants mentioned in the essay are sal, teak and rubber.
Q.5. Why did Rowntree dislike the forest bungalow at Rajapara?
Ans: No doubt, the Forest Bungalow at Rajapara was beautiful and charming; but the author disliked the bungalow because of the presence of a large number of bats which lived in the roof and lent their fusty smell to the bungalow and its surroundings.
Q.6. What did they have to do to get clean water in the camp?
Ans: In the camp, clean water could be had by using alum into water.
Q.7. Who is the ‘Chota Sahib’ in the ‘Memoirs of Chota Sahib’? H.S. ’15, ’18
Ans: John Rowntree is the ‘Chota Sahib’ in the ‘Memoirs of Chota Sahib’. He was the last British Senior Conservator of the Forests of Assam
Q.8. Who was John Rowntree?
Ans: John Rowntree was the last British senior conservator of Forests of Assam.
Q.9. By what name is the ‘Peacock Island’ popularly known?
Ans: The ‘Peacock Island’ is popularly known as ‘Umananda’.
Q.10. What is ‘pug marks’?
Ans: ‘Pug marks’ are footprints of animals.
Q.11. What is ‘Assam Cheetal’?
Ans: Assam Cheetal is a kind of deer locally known as ‘Phutuki Harin’.
Q.12. What is a ‘mar boat’ and how is it operated? H.S. ’19
Ans: ‘Mar boat’ is a ferry consisting of a plank platform covering two open boats placed alongside one another.
The marboats were either paddled to cross the river or connected by a cable to another stretched across the river. These boats were propelled from one side to another by the force of the current of the river.
Q.13. What position did John Rowntree hold before leaving Shillong of few days after independence? H.S. ’16, ’20
Ans: John Rowntree held the post of the Senior Conservator of the Forest of Assam before leaving Shillong.
Q.14. Where did John Rowntree and his family make their first home in Guwahati? H.S. ’17
Ans: John Rowntree and his family made their first home at Guwahati on the bank of the river Brahmaputra.
Q.15. How did John Rowntree find the weather when he arrived at Guwahati? H.S. ’18
Ans: When John Rowntree arrived at Guwahati, he found the weather bearable and little cold.
Q.16. What unusual visitor did Rowntree have in his bungalow one night? H.S. ’18
Ans: One night John Rowntree found some pugmarks in the compound of his bungalow. It was an imprint of a tiger. Thus a tiger was the unusual visitor that Rowntree had in his bungalow one night.
Q. 17. How clean water could be had in the camp at Guwahati?
Ans: In the camp, clean water could be had by using alum in water.
Q.18. Give a brief description of Peacock Island. H.S. ’16, ’19
Ans: The bungalow of J. Rowntree was situated on the bank of the river Brahmaputra. A splendid view of the river and the Himalayas were could be viewed from his bungalow. There was an island called ‘The Peacock Island’. It was at the centre of the river. There was a Hindu temple the dome of which could be seen through the trees. He thought that the Peacock Island was full of peacocks. But in reality, he found there not a single peacock but only monkeys.
Q.18. What animals did the author discover in Peacock Island? H.S. ’16, ’19, ’24
Ans: The animals that the author discovered in the Peacock Island were not peacocks but only monkeys. 0 0 0
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