History Solution Class 9 Chapter 7 History and Sport: The Story of Cricket

7. History and Sport: The Story of Cricket

Syllabus

a) The emergence of cricket as an English sport

b) Cricket and colonialism

c) Cricket nationalism and colonisation.

Facts that Matter

·         Early cricket began to be played in village England some 500 years ago. The game grew out of many stick and ball games under a variety of different rules. By the 17^th century, cricket had involved enough to be recognisable as a distinct game. Till the middle of the 18^th century, bats were roughly of the same shape as hockey sticks, curving outwards at the bottom.

·         Cricket is a unique game in many ways. It can go for five days and still end in a draw. No other modern team takes even half as much time to complete. Another curious characteristic of cricket is that length of the pitch is specified but the size or shape of the ground is not. Most other team sports lay down the dimensions of the playing area but cricket does not.

·         The first written ‘Laws of cricket’ were drawn up in 1744 Ad. These laws stated, “The principles shall choose from amongst the gentlemen present two umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes. The stumps must be 22 inches high and the bail across them six inches. The bail must be between 5 and 6 ounces, and the two sets of stumps 22 yards apart”.

·         The world’s first cricket club was formed in Hambledon in the 1760s and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) was founded in 1787. In 1788, the MCC published its first revision of the laws and became the guardian of cricket’s regulations.

·         The MCC’s revision of the laws brought in a series of changes in the game. For example, the curved bat was replaced with straight one.

·         In 1774, the first leg before law was published. Also around this time, a third stump became common. By 1780, three days had become the length of a major match.

·         Many important changes occurred during the 19^th century. For example, the rule about wide balls was applied, the exact circumference of the ball was specified, etc. in spite of all these changes cricket remained a pre-industrial sport that matured during the early phase of the industrial revolution, the late 18^th century.

·         Cricket’s connection with a rural past can be seen in the length of a Test Match. Its vagueness about the size of a cricket ground is also a result of its village origin.

·         Cricket’s most common tools are all made of pre-industrial materials. So far the material of the bat is concerned; it is changed slightly over time. Once it was cut out of a single piece of wood. Now it consists of two pieces-the blade and the handle.

·         Cricket’s protective equipment, however, has been influenced by technological change. The invention of vulcanised rubber led to the introduction of pads in 1848 and protective gloves soon afterwards. Helmets are also used. They are made out of metal and synthetic lightweight materials.

·         In the Victorian England, cricket was played by the rich not for money but only for pleasure. They were called Amateurs. But the poor played it for a living and they were called Professionals. Amateurs availed great privileges but Professionals didn’t. Captains of teams were always amateurs. It was not till the 1930s that the English Test Team was led  by a Professional.

·         Cricket remained limited to countries that had once been part of the British Empire. In British colonies, cricket was made popular either by white settlers as in Australia, New Zealand, etc. or by local elites who wanted to copy the habits of their colonial masters, as in India.

·         Cricket in colonial India was organised on the principle of race and religion. The first Indian club, the Calcutta Cricket Club , was established in 1792. Through  the 18^th century, cricket in India was almost wholly a sport played by British military men and civil servants in all-white clubs and gymkhanas. Indians were considered to have to talent for the game.

·         The origins of Indian cricket are found in Bombay. The first Indian community to start playing the game was the small community of the Parsis. The Parsis founded the first Indian Cricket Club, the Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay in 1848. Paris club were funded and sponsored by Parsi businessmen like the Tatas and the Wadias. The Parsis built their own gymkhana to play cricket in.

·         The history of gymkhana cricket led to first-class cricket being organised on communal and racial lines. The teams that played colonial Indian’s greatest and most famous first-class cricket tournament did not represent regions but religious communities. The tournament was initially called the Quadrangular, because it was played by four teams the Europeans, the Parsis, the Hindus and the Muslims. It later became the Pentangular when a fifth team namely the Rest was added. Mahatma Gandhi condemned the racial and communal foundations of the Pentangular tournament.

·         Indian entered the world of Test cricket in 1932.

·         With the decline of British influence in international politics the Imperial cricket Conference ( ICC) was renamed the cricket Conference. The change in name happened as 1965. Till then, England and Australia exercised monopoly over the regulatory body. Afterwards their privileged positions were scrapped in favour of equal membership for all test-playing nations.

·         The technology of satellite television and the game and the largest market in the cricketing have created a global market for cricket. Matches in Sydney can now be watched live in Surat.

·         Since India has the largest viewership for the game and the largest market in the cricketing world, the game’s centre of gravity shifted to South Asia. This shift was symbolised by the shifting of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai and with this came an end to the English domination over the game.

·         Today, the global market place has made Indian players the best-paid, most famous cricketers in the game, men for who is a stage.

NCERT IN-TEXT Questions solved

1. What does the sports curriculum of a nineteenth century girls’ school tell us about the behaviour considered proper for girls at that time?

Sports and vigorous exercise were not considered suitable for girls till the last part of the 19^th century. Girls could walk and skip and could do nothing more than those. They could also play croquet, which was a slow-paced, elegant game at the time. They were not allowed to over –exert themselves or become absorbed in athletic rivalries. They were also not allowed to make country excursions.

Questions

1. Test cricket is a unique game in many ways. Discuss some of the ways in which it is different from other those games. How are the peculiarities of test cricket shaped by its historical beginnings as a village game?

Some of the ways in which test cricket is different from other team games:

i) In test cricket, a match can go on for five days and still end in a draw. No other modern team sports take even half as much time to complete. A football match is generally over in an hour and a half of playing time. Even baseball, a long, drawn out but-and-ball game by the standards of modern sport, completes nine innings in less than half the time that takes to play a limited- over’s match, the shortened version of modern cricket.

ii) In the cricket, the length of the pitch is specified 22 yards but the size or shapes of the ground are not fixed. Most other team sports, such as hockey and football lay down the dimensions of the playing area but cricket does not. The playing field can vary from oval to circular. Both the peculiarities of test cricket are shaped by its historical beginnings as a village game.

Cricket’s connection with a rural past can be seen in the length of a test match. Originally, cricket matches had no time limit. The reason behind it is that the rhythms of village life were slower and cricket’s rules were made before the Industrial Revolution. In post industrial period, people were paid by the hour or the day or the week.

Cricket’s vagueness about the size of a cricket ground is a result of its village origins. Cricket was originally played in country of commons which were unfenced. The size of the commons varied form one village to another. So there were no designated boundaries or boundary hits. Even after boundaries were written into the laws of cricket, their distance from the wicket was not specified.

2. Describe one way in which in the nineteenth century, technology brought about a change in equipment and gives one   example where no change in equipment took place.

One way in which the 19^th century technology brought about a change in equipment;

i) The invention of vulcanised rubber led to the introduction of pads in 1848 and protective gloves soon afterwards.

ii) Helmets were made of metal and synthetic lightweight materials.

One example where no change in equipment took place;

Even today both bat and ball are handmade, not industrially manufactured. The material of the bat changed slightly over time. Once it was cut out of simple piece of wood. Now it consists of two pieces, the blade which is made out of simple piece of wood. Now it consists of two pieces, the blade which is made out of the wood of the willow tree and the handle which is made out of cane.

3. Explain why cricket became popular in India and the West Indies. Can you give reasons why it did not become popular in countries in South America?

Cricket became popular in India and the West Indies because—

i) Both India and the West Indies were a part of the British colonial power. In these colonies, cricket was established as a popular sport by white settlers and local elites.

ii) The local elites wanted to copy the habits of their colonial masters. They viewed the game as a sign of superior social and rural status.

iii) In the West Indies, the game became hugely popular. The Caribbean success at cricket became a measure of racial equality and political progress.

iv) At the time of their independence many of the political leaders of Caribbean countries saw in the game a chance for self-respect and international standing.

v) When the West Indies won its first test series against England in 1950, it was celebrated as a national achievement, as a way of demonstrating the West Indians were the equals of white Englishmen.

Cricket did not become popular in the countries of South America because—

i) These countries were not a part of the British colonial empire. It remained a colonial game limited to countries that had once been part of the British Empire.

ii) Moreover, the pre-industrial oddness of cricket made it a hard game to export. It took root only in countries that the British ruled.

4. Give brief explanations for the following;

·         The Parsis were the first Indian community to set up a cricket club in India.

The Parsis were the first Indian community that started playing cricket in Bombay .They founded the First Indian Cricket Club because their interest in trade brought them into close contact with the British. They were also the first Indian community to westernise.

·         Mahatma Gandhi condemned the pent angular tournament.

The Pent angular tournament was played among five teams- the Europeans, the Parsis, the Hindus, the Muslims and the Indian Christians. The tournament was based on racial and communal foundations. Mahatma Gandhi condemned it as a communally were trying to unite India’s diverse population.

·         The name of the ICC was changed from the Imperial Cricket Conference to the International Cricket Conference.

The name ICC was changed from the Imperial Cricket Conference to the International Cricket Conference because of the decolonisation of Britain. This process led to the decline of British influence in trade, commerce, military affairs, International politics and inevitably, sporting matters.

·         The shift of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai.

The technology of satellite television and the worldwide reach of multi-national television companies created a global market for cricket. Matches in Sydney could now be watched live in Surat. This simple fact shifted the balance of power in cricket. Since India had the largest viewership for the game amongst the cricket –playing nations and the largest market in the cricketing world, the game’s centre of gravity shifted to South Asia. This shift was symbolised by the shifting of the ICC headquarters from London to tax-free Dubai.

5.  How have advances in technology, affected the development of contemporary cricket?

i) Kerry packer, an Australian television tycoon , saw the money – making potential of cricket as a televised sport. He used his innovative ideas to make cricket more attractive to television audiences.

ii) This changed the nature of the game. Coloured dress, protective helmets, field restrictions, cricket under lights, became a standard part of the post-packer game.

iii) Crucially, packer made it clear that cricket was a marketable game, which could generate huge revenues. Cricket boards became rich by selling television rights to television companies.

iv) Television channels made money by selling television sports to companies who were happy to pay huge sums of money to air commercials for their products to cricket’s captive television audience

v) Television coverage changed cricket. It expanded the audience for the game by beaming cricket into small towns and villages.

vi) It also broadened cricket’s social base. Children, who lived outside the big cities, could now watch and learn by imitating their heroes.

vii) The technology of satellite television and the worldwide reach of multinational television companies created a global market for cricket.

viii) This helped shift the balance of power in cricket from Britain to South Asia. This shift was symbolised by the shifting of the ICC headquarters from London to Dubai.

ix) As a result of this shift the privileged position of England and Australia was scrapped in favour of equal membership.

x) Many innovations in cricket technique in recent years have mainly come from the practice of sub-continental teams in countries like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan has pioneered two great advances in bowling—the doosra and the ‘reverse swing’.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Choose the correct option:

i) Which country invented the game of cricket?

a) England                              b) India

c) America                              d) West Indies

ii) Where was the world’s first cricket club formed in the 1760s?

a) Bombay                               b) England

c) Eton                                     d) Hambledon

iii) What does ‘MCC’ stand for?

a) The Marylebone Cricket Club

b)  The Marylebone Cricket Corporation                                                        

c)  The Marylebone Commercial Club                                                     

d) The Marylebone Cricket Committee   

iv) When was the Calcutta Cricket Club established?

a) In 1789             b) In 1792

c) In 1768             d) In 1790

v) What is the length of the cricket pitch?

a) 21 yards                       b) 19 yards                          

c) 22   yards                     d) 20 yards                          

vi) What should be the weight of the cricket ball?

 a) Between 2 to 3 ounces

 b) Between 3 to 4 ounces

 c) Between 4 to 5ounces

 d) Between 5 to 6 ounces

vii) ‘Bat’ is an old English word which means…………….

 a) Bail                                       b) A stick or club

 c) Stumps                                d) None of the above

viii) The stumps in the game of cricket should be………….. .

a) 26 inches high                     b) 25 inches high                      

c) 24 inches high                     d) 22 inches high 

ix) Where was the first Indian cricket club established?

a) Bombay                                       b) Calcutta

c) England                                        d) Madtas

x) Where is the Adelaide Oval ground located?

a) England                                    b) Australia

c) India                                         (d) America

xi) What is Eton?

a) Cricket club                                b) A famous school

c) Cricket training ground             d) A stadium

xii) Who founded the Oriental Cricket Club in 1848?

 a) Hindus                                         (b) Sikhs

 c) parsis                                           (d) Muslims

xiii) Why was Palwankar Baloo not made the captain of the Indian cricket team?

a) He was very short.                       

b) He was physically weak.

c)  He was not interested in captaincy

d)  He was a dalit

xiv) Which country did Learie Constantine belong to?

a) West Indies                              (b) England

c) South Africa                             (d) Australia

xv) The first world cup was staged in the year…….  .

 a) 1977                             b) 1975

 c) 1970                              d) 1966

xvi) In which year did India enter the world of Test Cricket?

a) 1947                                     b) 1945

c) 1942                                     d) 1932

xvii) Which game was exported from the colonies to Britain?

a) Polo                                           b) Hockey

c) Football                                     d) Cricket

II. VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTION                                                             i) Where did the evolution of cricket as a game first occur?

The evolution of cricket as a game first occurred in England.

ii) Mention one peculiarity of Test Cricket.

A match can go on for five days and still end in a draw.

iii) Name the city where one can find the cricket ground nearly circular. Also name the ground.

Name of the city—Chennai

Name of the ground— Chepauk

iv) Where is the Adelaide Oval ground located?

The Adelaide Oval ground located in Australia.

v) The first written ‘Laws of Cricket ‘were drawn up in 1774. Mention two laws.

i) The stamps must be 22 inches.

ii) The ball must be between 5 and 6 ounces.

vi) Which authority revised the laws of cricket in 1788?

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) revised the laws of cricket in 1788.

vii) Mention two changes that occurred in cricket during the nineteenth century.

i) The rule about wide balls was applied.

ii)  Protective equipment like pads and gloves became available.

viii) Where was cricket originally played in England?

Cricket was originally played on country commons, unfenced land that was public property.

ix) Why were there no designated boundaries or boundary hits?

It was because the size of the commons varied from one village to another.

x) What led to the introduction of pads in cricket?

The invention of vulcanised rubber led to the introduction of pads in cricket.

xi) Who were called amateurs in cricket?

The rich who could afford to play cricket for pleasure were called amateurs.

xii) Who were called professionals in cricket?

 The poor who played cricket for a living were called professionals.

xiii) Who availed the social superiority in the game of cricket Amateurs or professionals?

The amateurs availed the social superiority in the game of cricket.

xiv) Which game was considered suitable for the English women?

Croquet, slow-paced, elegant game, was considered suitable for the English women.

xv) When was the first non-white club established in the West Indies?

The first non-white club established in the West Indies towards the end of the nineteenth century.

xvi) On what principle was cricket in colonial India organised?

Cricket in colonial India was organised on the principle of race and religion.

xvii) What was the name of the first Indian club? When was it established?

The name of the first Indian club was the Calcutta Cricket Club and it was established in 1792.

xviii) Who funded and sponsored Parsi clubs?

Parsi businessmen like the Tatas and Wadias funded and sponsored Parsi clubs.

xix) Name the four teams that played in the Quadrangular tournament?

The Europeans, the Parsis, the Hindus and the Muslims.

xx) Name a Christian cricketer who played for the Rest?

Vijay Hazare .

xxi) Why did Mahatma Gandhi condemn the Pent angular tournament?

Mahatma Gandhi condemn the pentangular tournament as a communally divisive competition that out of place in a time when nationalists were trying to unite India’s diverse population.

xxii) Caste feeling was prominent in cricket in colonial India. Prove it by giving example of palwankar Baloo.

Palwankar Baloo was a great cricketer. His enormous cricketing talent made sure that he could not be kept out of the team, but he was never allowed to take over as captain. The reason was that he blonged to the Dalit community.

xxiii) Who was C.K. Nayudu?

He was an outstanding Indian batsman of the time. He was the country’s first test captain.

xxiv) Between which two countries was the first Test Cricket Match played?

The first Test Cricket Match was played between England and Australia.

xxv) Which country was following the policy of racial segregation? Whom did it bar from representing that country in Test Matches?

South Africa was following the policy of racial segregation . It barred non-whites from representing that country in Test Matches.

xxvi) Which Test-playing nations boycotted South Africa?

India, Pakistan and the West Indies boycotted South Africa.

xxvii) Which countries continued to play Test cricket with South Africa?

England, Australia and New Zealand continued to play Test Cricket with South Africa.

xxviii) Which game was exported from the colonies to Britain?

Polo was exported from the colonies to Britain.

III. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. What changes occurred in cricket during the nineteenth century?

The following changes occurred in cricket during the 19^th century.

i) The rule about wide balls was applied.

ii) The exact circumference of the ball was specified.

iii) Protective equipments like pads and gloves became available.

iv) Boundaries were introduced where previously all shots had to be run.

v) Over arm bowling became legal.

2. What social superiority did amateurs avail which professionals didn’t?

i) Amateurs were called gentlemen while professionals were known as players. Amateurs even entered the ground from different entrances.

ii) Amateurs tended to be batsmen, leaving hardworking aspects of the game, like bowling to professionals.

iii) The rules of cricket were made to favour amateurs, who did most of the batting.

iv) The captain of the cricket team was traditionally a batsman, not because batsmen were naturally better captains but because they were gentlemen.

3. Write the contribution of the Parsis to Indian cricket.

Parsis were the first Indian community that started playing cricket in the country. They founded the first Indian Cricket Club, the Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay in 1848. Parsi clubs were funded and sponsored by Parsi business-men like the Tatas and the Wadies. They rivalry between the Parsis and the racist Bombay Gynkhana had a happy ending for these pioneers of Indian cricket. A Parsi team beat the Bombay Gymkhana in cricket in 1889.

4. Who was Kerry packer? What was his contribution in changing the nature of the game?

Kerry packer was an Australian television tycoon. He saw the money-making potential of cricket as a televised sport. So he signed up fifty one of the world’s leading cricketers against the wishes of the national cricket boards and for about two years staged unofficial Tests and One-Day internationals under the name of World Series Cricket. The innovations that he introduced during this time to make cricket more attractive to television audiences endured and changed the nature of the game.

Soon afterwards coloured dress, protective helmets, field restrictions, cricket under lights became a standard part of the game. He made it clear that cricket was a marketable game, which could generate huge revenues. Cricket boards became rich by selling television rights to television companies. Continuous television coverage made cricketers celebrities.

5. Mention two advances in bowling that were pioneered by Pakistan. Why did Britain and Australia view them with suspicion?

i) Pakistan has pioneered two great advances in bowling which are the Doosra and the ‘Reverse Swing’. Both skills were development in response to sub-continental conditions.

ii) The Doosra to counter aggressive batsmen with heavy modern bats who were threatening to make finger-spin obsolete and ‘Reverse Swing’ to move the ball in on dusty, unresponsive wickets under clear skies.

iii) Initially, both innovations were viewed with suspicion by countries like Britain and Australia. They saw as an underhanded illegal bending of the lawas of cricket. In time, they were accepted and became part of the lawas of cricket.In time , they were accepted and became part of the technique of all bowlers, everywhere in the world.

 6. How did Mahatma Gandhi view cricket?

 Mahatma Gandhi viewed cricket as a colonial game which should not take its roots in Indian soil. He believed that sports were essential for creating a balance between the body and the mind. However, he often emphasised that games like cricket and hockey were imported into India by the British and were replacing traditional games. He believed that these games were for the privileged. They showed a colonial mindset and were a less effective education than the simple exercise of those who worked on the land.

7. What were the two ironies attached to the victory of the West Indies’ first Test Series against England in 1950?

i) The West Indian team that won was captained by a White player. The first time a black player led the West Indies Test team was in 1960 when Frank Worrell was named captain.

ii) The West Indies cricket team represented not one nation but several dominions that later became independent countries. The pan-West Indian team that represents the Caribbean region in international Test cricket is the only exception to a series of unsuccessful efforts to bring about West Indian unification.

8. What were the first written laws of cricket?

The first written ‘Laws of cricket’ were drawn up in 1744 AD.

They stated the following rules;

i) The principals shall choose from amongst the gentlemen present two umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes.

ii) The stumps must be 22 inches high and the bail across them six inches.

iii) The ball must be between 5 and 6 ounces and the two sets of stumps 22 yards apart.

iv) But there were no limits on the shape or size of the bat. About 40 notches or runs were viewed as a very big score, probably due to the bowlers bowling quickly at shins unprotected by pads.

9.  Distinguish between amateurs and the professionals.

Amateurs	professionals
(i) The amateurs were the rich who played cricket not for money but for enjoying leisure.	(i) The professionals were the poor who played this game for money. The wages of the professionals were paid by patronage or subscription or gate-money.
(ii) They played it for pleasure.	(ii) They played it for a living.
(iii) Amateurs were called Gentlemen.	(iii) Professionals were called Players.
(iv) Amateurs tended to be batsmen.	(iv) Professionals were given hard works of fast bowling.
(v) They enjoyed social superiority.	(v) They were considered inferior.

10. Why is cricket considered to be a colonial game?

i) Cricket remained limited to countries that had once been part of the British Empire.

ii) The pre-industrial oddness of cricket made it a hard game to export to the world. It thus root only in countries that the British conquered and ruled.

iii) In British colonies cricket was made popular either by white settlers ( as in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia , New Zealand, the  West Indies and Kenya) or by local elites who wanted to copy the habits of their colonial masters, as in India.

IV. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUSESTIONS

 1. What changes did the Marylebone Cricket Club ( MCC) bring in cricket in the second half of the 18^th century?

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) published its first revision of the laws in 1788, which brought in a series of changes in cricket in the second half of the 18^th century.

i) During the 1760s and 1770s it became common to pitch the ball through the air, rather than roll it along the ground. This change gave bowlers the options of length, deception through the air, plus increased pace. It also opened new possibilities for spin and swing.

ii) Curved bat was replaced with the straight one.

iii) The weight of the ball was limited to between   5 .1/2 to 5.3/4

Ounces and the width of the bat to four inches.

iv) In 1774, the first leg-before law was published. A third stump became common around this time.

v) By 1780, three days had become the length of a major match. The first six-seam cricket ball was also created by this year.

2. How can you connect the game of cricket with a rural past?

Cricket had no time limit in the beginning. The game went on for as long as it took to bowl out a side twice. The rhythms of village life in England were slower and cricket’s rules were made before the industrial revolution. In past industrial period, time began to be measured with money. Modern factory work meant that people were paid by the hour or the day or the week. Therefore games like football and hockey were codified after the industrial revolution and were made time bounded to fit the routines of industrial city life.

Cricket’s vagueness about the size of cricket ground is also a result of its village origins. Cricket was originally played on country commons, which were usually unfenced. Since the size of the commons varied from one village to another, so there were no designated boundaries or boundary hits. When the ball went into the crowd, the crowd cleared a way for the fields’ men to retrieve it. Even after boundaries were written into the laws of cricket, their distance from the wicket was not specified.

So far game’s equipments are concerned the most important of them are made of natural, pre-industrial materials. The bat is made of wood as are the stumps and the bails. The ball is made with leather, twine and cork. Even today both bat and ball are handmade, not industrially manufactured. However, in the matter of protective equipment, cricket has been influenced by technological changes. The invention of vulcanized rubber led to the introduction of pads and protective gloves. Helmets are also made out of metal and synthetic lightweight materials.

3. The history of Gymkhana cricket led to first class cricket being organised on communal and rural lives. Explain.

The establishment of the Parsi Gymkhana in Bombay paved the way for other Indians to establish clubs based on the idea of religious community. By the 1890s, Hindus and Muslims were busy gathering funds and support for a Hindu Gymkhana and an Islam Gymkhana. The British did not consider colonial India as a nation. They saw it is a collection of castes and races and religious communities.

The teams that played colonial India’s greatest and most famous first-class cricket tournament did not represent religious but religious communities. The tournament was initially called the Quadrangular, because it was played by tour teams-the Europeans, the Parsis, the Hindus and the Muslims. It later became the Pent angular when a fifth team was added, namely, the Rest, which comprised all the communities left over, such as the Indian Christians.

However, the rural and communal foundations of the pent angular tournament were severely criticised by journalists, cricketers and political leaders. Mahatma Gandhi condemned the Pent angular, a communally divisive competition that was out of place on a time when nationalists were trying to unite India’s diverse population.

4. ‘The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.’ What does this mean?

This statement actually implies that Britain’s military success was based on the values taught to schoolboys in Britain’s best public schools. Eton was the most famous of these schools. The English boarding school was the institution that trained English boys for careers in the military, the civil service and the church, the three great institutions of imperial England. Men like Thomas Arnold, headmaster of the famous Rugby School and founder of the modern public school system in the 19^th century, saw team sports like cricket and Rugby as an organised way of teaching.

English boys learnt discipline, the importance of hierarchy, the skills, the codes of honour and the leadership qualities that helped them build and run the British Empire. Victorian empire builders justified the conquest of other countries as an act of unselfish social service, by which backward people were introduced to the civilising influence of British law Western knowledge.Cricket helped to confirm this self-image of the English elite by glorifying the amateur ideal, where cricket was played not for victory or profit, but for its own sake, in the spirit of fair play.

5. “Cricket in colonial India was organised on the principle of race and religion.” Elaborate.

i) Cricket was first played in India from 1971 by English sailors in Cambay. The Calcutta Cricket Club (the first Indian club) was established in 1792.

ii) The origins of Indian cricket can be traced to Bombay. The first Indian community to start playing the game was the Parsis.

iii) The Parsis founded the first Indian cricket club, the Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay in 1848. Parsi clubs were funded and sponsored by Parsi businessmen like the Tatas and Wadias. The Parsis built their own gymkhana to play cricket in.

iv) The establishment of the Parsi Gymkhana became an example for other Indian who, in turn, established clubs based on the idea of religious community.

v) By the 1890s, Hindus and Muslims were busy gathering funds and support for a Hindu Gymkhana and an Islam Gymkhana.

vi) The British did not consider colonial India as a nation. They saw it as a collection of castes and races and religious communities and gave themselves the credit for unifying the sub-continent.

vii) In the late 19^th century, many Indian institutions and movements were organised around the idea of religious community because the colonial state encouraged these divisions and was quick to recognise communal institutions. Thus, applications that used the communal categories favoured by the colonial state were more likely to be approved.

viii) The teams that played colonial India’s greatest and most famous first-class cricket tournament did not represent regions, as teams in today’s Ranji Trophy currently do, but religious communities.

ix) The tournament was initially called the Quadrangular, because it was played by four teams: the Europeans, the Parsis, the Hindus and the Muslims. It later became the Pent angular when a fifth team was added, namely, the Rest, which comprised all the communities left over, such as the Indian Christians.

English Solution Class 9 P7. Song of the Rain

P7. Song of the Rain

Lesson at a Glance

·         The drops of the rain are like the dotted silver threads dropped from heaven by gods.

·         Nature sends the rain to adorn its fields and valleys.

·         The drops of rain are like ‘pearls’ plucked from the crown of the goddess Ishtar.

·         When it rains, hills laugh and flowers rejoice.

·         The rain acts as a messenger of mercy between two lovers-the fields and the cloud.

·         The voice of thunder announces the arrival of the rain.

·         The rainbow declares its departure.

·         It is like earthly life, beginning at the feet of ‘mad elements’ and ending under the uplifted wings of death.

·         It emerges from the heart of the sea and descends when ‘a field is in need’.

·         The rain has its own music which can be heard by all but can be understood only by a few sensitive souls.

·         It is the ‘sigh’ of the sea, the ‘laughter’ of the field and the ‘tears’ of heaven.

Summary of the lesson

The rain defines itself as the dotted silver thread dropped from the heaven by the gods. Nature sends it to ‘adorn her fields and valleys’. It is a ‘messenger of mercy’ between the two lovers-the fields and the clouds. It quenches the thirst of parched fields embracing the flowers and trees ‘ in a million little ways’. The arrival of the rain is like a welcome song which all can hear but ‘only the sensitive’ can understand and feel it. The rain is ‘the sigh of the sea’, the laughter of the field and the tear of heaven.

Reference to Context

Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow:

1. I am dotted silver thread dropped from heaven

By the gods. Nature then takes me, to adorn

Her fields and valleys.

I am beautiful pearls, plucked from the

Crown of Ishtar by the daughter of Dawn

To embellish the gardens.

Paraphrase: The rain calls itself the shimmering drops falling one after another from heaven sent by gods. Nature has adopted it to decorate her fields and valleys. The rain calls herself the ‘pearls’ that were plucked from the crown of Ishtar, the goddess of fertility by the daughter of Dawn to decorate the gardens.

Questions:

i) How does the rain define itself?

The rain calls itself the shimmering drops falling one after another from heaven sent by gods.

ii) Why has nature adopted the rain?

Nature has adopted it to add beauty to the fields and valleys.

iii) ‘I am beautiful pearls’. Name the poetic devices used in this line.

‘Personification’ and ‘metaphor’ are the poetic devices used in this line.

2. When I cry the hills laugh;

When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;

When I bow, all things are elated.

The field and the cloud are lovers

And between them I am a messenger of mercy.

I quench the thirst of the one;

I cure the ailment of the other.

Paraphrase: the rain continues telling that when she cries the hills laugh. When it shows its modesty, the flowers make merry. When it bows down and fall, all things are very happy and excited. The fields and clouds are lovers and the rain is a messenger of mercy between them. The rain quenches the thirst of the field and cures the ailment of the other (cloud). In other words, it relieves the heavily vapour-laden clouds by taking the form of water drops.

Questions:

i) What does the rain sighs from the deep sea?

With love the rain sighs from the deep sea of love and affection.

ii) How does it fall down from the endless heaven?

The rain falls down like tears from the endless heaven of memories.

iii) What is the rain for the colourful fields of the soul?

It rises like laughter from the colourful fields of the soul.

Questions from Textbook

1. (a) Given below are five lines from a poem but they are not in the right order. Get into groups of four. Read the lines and put them in the right order. Read the version that you develop to the whole class.

i) I am dotted silver threads dropped from heaven.

ii) The voice of thunder declares my arrival.

iii) The rainbow announces my departure.

iv) I emerge from the heart of the sea.

v) I descend and embrace the flowers.

(b) What is ‘I’ in these lines?

‘I’ stands for the rain.

4. On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct choice.

i) The rain calls itself the ‘dotted silver threads’ as……………..

a) the shimmering drops fall one after another

b) it ties heaven and earth

c) it dots the earth with shimmering water

d) it decorates the fields

ii) The tone and mood of the rain in the poem reflect it’s………………

a) love for the earth

b) desire to take revenge

c) merriment as it destroys

d) desire to look beautiful

5. Answer the following questions:

i) Why is the rain divine?

The rain appears to be divine because it comes down from heaven. The shimmering drops of rain look like silver threads dropped from heaven from the gods. Moreover, it is a life-giving force that elates and smiles all flowers, fields and valleys.

ii) In this universe, rain performs many functions. What are those?

In the universe the rain performs many functions. It is sent by Nature to adorn its fields and valleys and gardens. Hills laugh, flowers rejoice and ‘all are elated’ when it rains. The rain quenches the thirst of fields and relieves the clouds of their heaviness of vapours. It embraces flowers and trees in a million little ways.

iii) “When I cry the hills laugh;

When I humble myself the flowers rejoice;

When I bow, all things are elated.”

Cry, humble and bow indicate different intensity with which the rain falls. Explain the three in context.

Certainly, ‘cry’, ‘humble’ and ‘bow’ indicate different intensities with which the rain falls. ‘Cry’ means full blast of the rain that makes ‘hills laugh’ as they receive a lot of rainy water. ‘Humble’ stands for mild intensity of the rain that makes flowers dance and rejoice themselves. “Bow’ here means a general rainfall that elates all.

iv) How do you think the rain quenches the thirst of the fields and cures cloud’s ailment?

Naturally, when the rain falls it quenches the thirst of fields. The parched fields only wait for the rain. The rain cures the aliment of clouds. It means the clouds become heavy and want to burst. But when it rains, they empty themselves into showers and become light again to float in the sky.

v) Think about million little ways in which the rain embraces the trees. Mention a few of them.

The poet says that the rain falls embraces the trees in about million little ways. It is just a hyperbolic expression. The rain embraces the trees when the showers or drops of rain fall on them. The showers fall on the trees and go deep into their roots. Even, rivers, lakes and drains carry rain water that reaches plants and trees.

vi) “…All can hear, but only the sensitive can understand’ what does the poet want to convey?

The rain has its own music. Everyone can hear the music and song of the rain. But not all can understand and feel it deeply. Only those with sensitive and delicate hearts can feel and understand the song of the rain.

vii) Notice the imagery built around ‘sigh of the sea’, ‘laughter of the field’ and ‘tears of heaven’. Explain the three expressions in context of rain.

The poet has built a very suggestive imagery of rain. He uses the alliteration ‘sigh of the sea’ to express the way seawater evaporates in the form of water vapours. The rain becomes the ‘laughter’ of the field when it helps the growing crops to smile and laugh in joy. As it drops from the sky; it appears as if heaven (sky) is shedding ‘tears’ from above.

viii) How would you express rain as..

-          An agent of flood?

Tears of sorrow

-          A source of water for dams?

Water of life

ix) “I am like earthly life…”

Why does the poet call rain as earthly life?

There is a similarity between earthly life and life cycle of rain. Rain’s arrival and departure is just like birth and death of earthly life. In both the cases, the end is inevitable.

x) Explain the ending of the song.

Khalil Gibran ends the poem with Philosophical overtones. The rain been termed as a ‘sigh’ rising from the deep love of affection. It is like a laughter that colours the soul. It is like ‘tears’ that fall from the endless heaven of memories.

6. ‘Ode to’ autumn’ is a beautiful poem written by the famous poet John Keats. Listen to an excerpt from the poem and pick phrases which personify autumn.

Phrases Personifying autumn

 i) Thee sitting carelessly on a granary floor

ii) Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind

iii) ……….while thy hook/Spares the next watch

iv) And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep

v) Steady thy laden head across a brook

vi) Though watch the last oozing hours by hours.

7. Rain in the hills and rain the desert present entirely different scenario. In the hills it revitalises the greenery and freshens the vegetation; it waters the parched land and relieves the thirsty and panting souls in the desert.

This has been a year of scanty rains. Imagine how the rain would be welcomed when it pours in the hills and in the desert after a long dry spell. Choose one of the places and describe

a) What are you likely to see?

The rain revitalises the greenery washing out all dust and dust particles from plants, trees and their leaves. The rain refreshes the vegetation which comes to life again with the arrival of the rain.

b) What would happen to the rain water?

The rain water flows from the tops of the hills into small channels and brooks and soon takes the shape of river.

c) What would be the scene before and after the rain?

No doubt, greenery and vegetation were there even before the rain. But its appearance was dull and dusty. After the rain, everything looks refreshed, more green and full of life.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

I. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (Word Limit: 30-40 Words)

1. How is the rain compared to ‘the silver threads’ and ‘beautiful pearls’?

The poet khalil Gibran presents some beautiful images of the rain. The shimmering drops of rain falling one after the other look like the ‘dotted silver threads’. It appears as if the gods themselves are dropping those silver threads from heaven. Similarly, the pure white drops of the rain are compared to the ‘beautiful pearls’ plucked from the crown of Ishtar. Both the comparisons appear to be apt and logical.

2. Describe the beneficial effect of the rain on different objects of the earth.

When the rain blasts into showers, the hills laugh. Their vegetation gets a new base of life. When it falls ‘humbly’, the flower rejoice its fall. When it arrives, all feel elated. Its ‘silver-threads’ adorn fields and valleys. Its ‘beautiful pearls’ decorate the gardens.

3. How does the rain act as a messenger of mercy?

Khalil Gibran presents the rain as a messenger of mercy. It acts as a messenger between the two lovers—the cloud and the filed. When the parched fields are thirsty, the rain provides an immediate relief by quenching their thirst. Similarly, the rain relieves the clouds of their heaviness of vapours.

4. What is the song and music of the rain and why ca n only the sensitive understands it?

The rain has its own music. The very arrival of the rain is like a ‘welcome song’. Everyone can hear the welcome song of the rain. But there are very few who can feel, appreciate and understand this melodious music and song of the rain. Only people with sensitive and delicate hearts can appreciate and understand it.

5. Describe the ending of the poem. How does the rain associate itself with various objects of nature and emotions of human beings?

Khalil Gibran gives a philosophical and emotional overtone while ending the poem. The rain becomes ‘the sigh’ of the sea, ‘the laughter’ of the field and ‘the tears’ of heaven. It sighs from the deep sea of love and affection. It makes the spirit of man rejoice and laugh. The poet calls it the tears that come down from the ‘endless heaven of memories’.

6. Justify the title ‘Song of the Rain’.

Khalil Gibran captures the rain in various images, intensity and sounds. The rain can ‘cry’ when it is in full blast. It falls ‘humbly’ when it softly touches the flowers. When it ‘Bows’, it is an occasion for all to be elated. The rain has its own music. Its very arrival is like a ‘welcome song’. Everyone can hear this music or song but only those with sensitive and delicate hearts can feel an understand it. Hence, the title ‘song of the rain’ is most appropriate and logical.

II. Value based long answer question (Word limit: 80-100 words)

1. How is the rain the ‘sigh’ of the sea, the laughter of the field and the ‘tears’ of heaven? Describe the various functions performed by the rain that affect the earthly life.

Khalil Gibran presents the rain performing various functions that effect the universe and the life on the earth. Its dotted silver threads dropped from heaven look divine. Nature has sent it to decorate her fields and valleys. The cry of rain is a matter of rejoicing and laughter for the hills. They get a new lease of life. The vegetation, trees and rivulets are replaced. Its ‘humble’ showers make the flowers dance with joy. Everyone is elated when it bows and falls on the earth as a blessing. The rain acts as ‘a messenger of mercy’ between the two lovers, the field and the cloud. It quenches the thirst of the parched fields and relives the clouds heaviness of vapours. The thunder marks its arrival and the rainbow announces its departure. It emerges from the sea and sours with the breeze. It embraces flowers, trees and other vegetation in ‘a million little ways’.

The rain has its own music or song. Everyone can hear it but only a few can understand it. Only highly sensitive and delicate souls can feel and understand it. It is the ‘sigh’ of the sea, ‘the laughter’ of the field and ‘the tears’ of heaven.

2. Describe the various images, movement and sounds of the rain.

How is the rain associated with the various objects of the earth and the emotions of human beings?

Khalil Gibran presents the rain in all its glory, movements, sounds and colours. The very first image gives a divine touch to the rain. Its shimmering dotted silver threads are dropped from the heaven by the gods themselves. In the next image, Gibran compares the rain to ‘beautiful white pearls’ plucked from the crown of the Ishtar. Then in three images, the poet expresses the different intensity movement and sounds of the rain. When it ‘cries’, the hills laugh. When its falls down in ‘humble’ and soft drops, the flowers rejoice. When it bows and spreads showers all around, everyone is ‘elated’. The ‘voice of thunder’ declares is its arrival. The rainbow announces its departure. It images from the heart of the sea and sours with the breeze. It embraces flowers and trees in a ‘million little ways’. It is a ‘sigh’ of the sea. It is the ‘laughter’ of the field. It is ‘the tears of heaven’.

The rain has its own music and song. It can be heard by all but only can few understand and feel its music or song. Only the sensitive and delicate souls and hearts can feel and understand the melodies of the rain.