22. Reading Skills Comprehension: Don’t be snobbish! Teach your folks the latest technology

Don’t be snobbish! Teach your folks the latest technology

Read the passage given below:

1. Thackeray reached Kittur along with a small British army force and a few of his officers. He thought that the very presence of the British on the outskirts of Kittur would terrorise the rulers and people of Kittur and that they would lay down their arms. He was quite confident that he would be able to crush the revolt in no time. He ordered that tents be erected on the eastern side for the fighting forces, and. a little away on the western slopes tents are put up for the family members of the officers who had accompanied them. During the afternoon and evening of 20th October, the British soldiers were busy making arrangements for these camps.

2. On the 21st morning, Thackeray sent his political assistance to Kitturforn to obtain a written assurance from all the important officers of Kittur rendering them answerable for the security of the treasury of Kittur. They, accordingly, met SardarGurusiddappa and other officers of Kittur and asked them to comply with the orders of Thackeray. They did not know that the people were in a defiant mood. The commanders of Kittur dismissed the agent’s orders as no documents could be signed without sanction from Rani Chernamma.

3. Thackeray was enraged and sent for the commander of the Horse Artillery, which was about 100 strong, and ordered him to rush his artillery into the fort and capture the commanders of the Desai’s army. When the Horse Artillery stormed into the fort, SardarGurusiddappa, who had kept his men on full alert, promptly commanded his men to repel and chase them away. The Kittur forces made a bold front and overpowered the British soldiers.

4. In the meanwhile, the Desai’s guards had shut the gates of the fort and the British Horse Artillerymen, being completely overrun and routed, had to get out through the escape window. Rani’s soldiers chased them out of the fort killing a few of them until they retreated to their camps on the outskirts.

5. A few of the British had found refuge in some private residences, while some were hiding in their tents. The Kittur soldiers captured about forty persons and brought them to the palace. These included twelve children and a few wollen from the British officers’ camp. When they were brought in the presence of the !lard, she ordered the soldiers to be imprisoned. For the women and children, she had the only gentleness and admonished her soldiers for taking them into custody. At her orders, these women and children were taken inside the palace and given food and shelter. Rani came down from her throne, patted the children lovingly and told them that no harm would come to them.

6. She, then, sent word through a messenger to Thackeray that the British women and children were safe and could be taken back any time. Seeing this noble gesture of the Rani, he was moved. He wanted to meet this gracious lady and talk to her. He even thought of trying to persuade her to enter into an agreement with the British to stop all hostilities in lieu of an inam (prize) of eleven villages. His offer was dismissed with a gesture of contempt. She had no wish to meet Thackeray. That night she called SardarGurusiddappa and other leading Sardars, and after discussing all the issues came to the conclusion that there was no point in meeting Thackeray who had come with an army to threaten Kittur into submission to British sovereignty.

On the basis of your understanding of the passage, answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option.

 (a) Thackeray was a/an

(i) British tourist                                  (ii) army officer

(iii) advisor to the Rani of Kittur         (iv) treasury officer

(b) British women and children came to Kittur to

(i) visitKittur                                        (ii) enjoy life in tents

(iii) stay in the palace                         (iv) give company to officers

Answer the following questions as briefly as possible.

(c) Why did Thackeray come to Kittur?

 (d) Why did Kittur official refuse to give the desired assurance to Thackeray?

(e) What happened to the Horse Artillery?

(f) How do we know that the Rani was a noble queen?

(g) How, in your opinion, would the British women have felt after meeting the Rani?

 (h) Why did the Rani refuse to meet Thackeray?

Find words from the passage which are similar in meaning to the following.

(i) entered forcibly (para 3)

 (j) aggressive/refusing to obey (para 2)

ANSWERS:-

 (a) (ii)

(b) (iv)

 (c) Thackeray came to Kittur to crush the revolt and to terrorise the ruler and the people so that they would lay down arms.

(d) The officials refused to give the desired assurances to Thackeray as no document could be signed without sanction from Rani Chenamma. Also, people were in a defiant mood.

(e) The Horse Artillery were repelled and chased. The British soldiers were overpowered and some were also killed.

(f) Rani was indeed a noble soul. She provided food, shelter and patted the children lovingly and sent word of their safety.

(g) The British women must have felt gratitude and respect for the Rani, they must have felt relieved and also surprised by the unusual behaviour of the noble Rani.

(h) The Rani refused to meet him since she thought that it was pointless to meet a person who had come with an army to threaten into submission.

(i) stormed

(j) defiant

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