NCERT Solutions for Class 11 History Chapter 8 Confrontation Of Cultures

Ans : The civilisation of the Aztecs :
→ Society was hierarchical.
→ The nobility included those who were nobles by birth, priests, and others who had been awarded the rank.
→ The nobles choose among them a supreme leader who ruled till his death.
→ The king was regarded as the representative of the sun on earth.
→ Warriors, priests and nobles were the most respected groups, but traders also enjoyed many privileges and often served the government as ambassador and spies. Talented artisans, physicians and wise teachers were also respected.
The civilisation of Mesopotamians :
→ It is known as 'cradle of civilisation'.
→ They had fertile lands and food grains were grown.
→ They had schools and students used cuneiform tablets.
→ They had canals for irrigation.
→ They worshipped many gods and goddesses. 

Ans : The new developments were :
→ The magnetic compass was brought into use which helped in locating cardinal points.
→ Larger ships were built which helped in carrying huge cargo and equipment to defend themselves if attacked the enemy ships.
→The circulation of travel literature and books on cosmography and geography created widespread interest among the people. 

Ans : The Spanish and Portuguese were the first in the fifteenth century to venture across the Atlantic because of three reasons economic, religious and political :
→ Economic :
The European economy went through a decline from mid-fourteenth centuries. Plague and wars led to depopulation in Europe and there was a shortage of gold and silver, used for making European coins.
→ Religious :
The possibility that many more people could be brought into the fold of Christianity made many devout Christian Europeans face adventure.
→ Political :
The Crusades against the Turks began as religious wars, but they increased Europe's trade with Asia and created a taste for the products of Asia, especially spices. If trade could be followed by political control, with European countries establishing colonies in regions with a warmer climate, they would benefit further. 

Ans : The new food items transmitted from South America to the rest of the world are :
→ Sugarcane
→ Cacao
→ Tobacco
→ Potato
→ Rubber
→ Chillies 

Ans : Boys were captured and sold and were sent to Brazil as slaves. Slaves were subjected to very harsh treatment, many of them died on the way and many committed sucide by jumping into the ocean. Their working conditions were horrific but the Spanish regarded the exploitation as essential to their economic gains.