Memoirs of a Chota Sahib AHSEC Class 12 English notes

Memoirs of a Chota Sahib AHSEC Class 12 English notes by M MAB ®.
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1. ‘Assam Province during the Colon

2. Very Short Questions and Answers: (For 1 Mark)

1. Who is the Chota Sahib? (2015, 2018)
Ans: The author, John Rowntree himselfis the ‘Chota Sahib’ in the
‘Memoirs of a Chota Sahib’.

2. What position did John Rowntree hold before leaving Shillong a few
days after independence? (2016, 2020)
Ans: John Rowntree was the last British Senior Conservator of
Forests of Assam before leaving Shillonga few days after

independence.
3. Where did John Rowntree and his family make their first home at
Guwahati ? (2017)

Ans: John Rowntree and his family made their first home at Guwahati on
= the bank ofthe river Brahmaputra.
4. How did John Rowntree find the weather when he arrived at Gauhati.
(2018)
Ans: When John Rowntree arrived at Gauhati, he found it bearable as
the cold weather was getting under way.

5. Name the book from which “Memoirs of a Chota Sahib” is taken.
(2019, 2022)

ken from John Rowntree's book "A

Officer”.

ce cn the Peacock Island ? (2023)
Peacock Island.

Ans: “Memoirs of a Chota Sahib” is
Chota Sahib: Memoirs of a F

6. What creatures did the writer
Ans: The writer noticed only monkeys on

CA

Umananda sand (Peacock Island) In the Brahmaputra

7. What are epiphytes? (2023)

Ans: Epiphytes are plant species that grow upon another plant or object
merely for physical support.

3. ‘Short Questions and Answers: (For 2 Marks)

1. Who was John Rowntree? (2022)
‘Ans: John Rowntree was the last British, Senior Conservator of Forests of
‘Assam. He left Shillong with his family a few days after

Independence and returned to England where he took up work as a
journalist and media commentator.

2. What does Rowntree often talk of in ‘Memoirs of a Chota Sahib?
(2014, 2023)
‘Ans: In ‘Memoirs of a Chota Sahib’, Rowntree often talks about the time
he spent in Guwahati and its neigbouring areas on the eve of

Independence. He narrates his experience from the perspective ofa
British forest officer.

3. Give a brief description of Peacock Island. (2014, 2016, 2019)

‚Ans: The author, John Rowntree has given a brief description of the
Peacock Island, The Peacock Island is a small river island in the
midst of the Brahmaputra flowing through Guwahati. He has
mentioned that the dome ofa Hindu temple was just visible
through the trees. He also mentions that though the name of the

island was Peacock Island, he never discovered peacocks, but there
were only monkeys on the island.

‘View of the Pe

4. What was the belief about the dividing channel between Peacock
Island and the main land of Guwahati? (2015)
Ans: John Rowntree, in his book “A Chota Sahib: Memoirs ofa Forest
Officer’, has mentioned about the belief the common people had
regarding the dividing channel between Peacock Island and the

4. main land of Guwahati: if this channel ever Lis en it
would mean the end of the British Raj. The author |
mentioned that in some years it very nearly dried up-

large Shee!’ th
5. What does Roventre state about thelarge Bhel close KE

bungalow at Rajapara? EN

Ans: The Rajapara Forest bungalow was located near large a a
where long ago, an earthquake had pushed down the surface and +
the land was flooded with water. On the other hand, tree skeletons
still emerged from the water making it a creepy place and
reminding of the fact that it had been a dry land at one time,

6. What does Rowntree say about the riverbanks in the Manas
Sanctuary?

Ans: The Manas Sanctuary is located in the northern part of the
Brahmaputra valley, bordering Bhutan. The rivers there were full
of mahscer, and their banks used to be a favourite site for the
Governor's Christmas camps. It was the author's task to build such
camps, and for which he sometimes received a polite letter of
thanks from the Governor.

(2017)

7. What unusual visitor did Rowntree have in his bungalow one night? (2018)

Ans: One night, a tiger had probably been washed up by a flcod. The pug
marks of the large cat were clearly traceable through the
compound of Rowntree's bu

8. What is a mar boat and how is it operated ? (2019)
Ans: The mar, which was a ferry, consisted of a plank platform covering
two open boats placed alongside one another. These were either

paddled across the river or, connected by a running cable to
another stretched across the river, were propelled from one side to
the other by the force of the current. This device worked very well,
but constant adjustments had to be made for the rise and fall of the
rivers. A whole series of ghats, or landing places, had to be
constructed at different levels on the river bank.

9. Write, in brief, the scene observed by the author from the veranda of

his bungalow on the bank of the Brahmaputra. (2020)

‘Ans: The author John Rowntree describes that he and his companions
had a splendid view of the Brahmaputra and its shipping as well as
the Himalayas from the veranda of his bungalow which was
situated on the bank of the Brahmaputra,

5. He also describes the P
, describe 'eacock Island with the dome of a
Hinds rele just visible through the trees. He said that though the
of the island was Peacock Island, he never discovered
peacock, there were only monkeys on the island.

10. What character of the North Bank of the Brahmaputra does the
author refer to? (2022)
Ans: The author John Rowntree says that the North Bank of the .
Brahmaputra had a character of its own. He describes that it was a
vast, remote stretch of flat, ageless land between the sandbanks of
Brahmaputra and the Himalaya's foothills.

11. Give the author's description of a sal forest.

Ans: The author John Rowntree, in his description of the South Bank of
the Brahmaputra, has mentioned that reserve forests were mostly
in one block. It was a country of low hills and valleys, the trees
spread with villages and cultivation, and the forest itself, mostly of
sal, had more the character of English woodland.

Long Questions and Answers:

1. Describe Rowntree's experience of crossing a flooded river on

horseback.

Ans: John Rowntree, in his book book “A Chota Sah
Forest Officer”, has mentioned an incident of him crossing a
flooded river on horseback.

Travelling during the summer in the North Bank of the
Brahmaputra posed several problems. The rivers were in flood and
the bamboo bridges erected at the start of the cold weather were
soon washed away. Once, he had to cross a flooded river on
horseback. With difficulty, He persuaded the horse to plunge into
the water, and then slipped over its back and hung on to its tail,
which he was able to use as a rudder. When he pushed it to the
right, the horse veered to the left and vice versa, and eventually
they made a safe landing on the other side of the river.

2. Relate Rowntree's experiences of floods in Assam. (2018)

‘Ans: John Rowntree, in his book book “A Chota Sahib: Memoirs of a
Forest Officer’, has mentioned that the North Bank of the
Brahmaputra was delightful during the winter. But in the rainy
season, it was a hot bed of malaria and was best avoided. The rivers

6. were overflooded and the bamboo bridges erected at the start of
the cold weather were soon washed away. These bridges shook
and creaked alarmingly under a passing car, but were immensely
strong and extremely useful. Once; Rowntree forded one of these
flooded rivers on horseback. With difficulty, he persuaded the
horse to plunge into the water, then slipped over its croup and
hung on to its tail, which he was able to use as a rudder. When he |
pushed it to the right, the horse veered to the left and vice versa,
and they eventually made a safe landing on the other side of the
river.

3. Describe Rowntree's experience of the road accident during the

monsoon on the North Bank.

Ans: John Rowntree, in his book book “A Chota Sahib: Memoirs of a

Forest Officer”, has mentioned a road accident that he and his

family experienced during the monsoon on the North Bank.

Once when touring with his family on the North Bank, they
left their return rather late, or rather the monsoon broke rather
early, and although the roads were still motorable, driving became
difficult. Most of the main roads were built on top of embankments
to raise them well above the normal flood level, and they were
narrow, single-track roads. The road they were on became
increasingly greasy, one skid led to another, and finally the car
slithered over the edge into a paddy field some six feet below the
road. Paddy fields were divided into small enclosures by low banks
in order to prevent the flood water running away, and they had a
bumpy ride before finding a way back onto the road.

4. Describe the author's experience with bats in the Rajapara forest
Bungalow. (2023)
Ans: : John Rowntree, in his book book “A Chota Sahib: Memoirs of a
Forest Officer”, has described the forest bungalows in detail: one
at Kulsi, another one at Rajapara.

‘The author has mentioned that the bungalow at Rajapara
was in a clearing and also added that it would have been equally
charming like the one at Kulsi, if it had not been for the bats which
lived in the roof. Their droppings were a constant reminder of
their presence and the fusty smell of bat was always there. Larger,
but less smelly, were the huge fruit-eating bats, with a wing span
of five feet, which lived in a tree outside the bungalow and went
on a mission at dusk in search of food.