Memoirs of A CHOTA SAHIB
-John Rowntree
About the author: John Rowntree, the last British senior conservator of Forests of Assam,
was born in 1906 soon after Independence in 1947, he along with his family left
Shillong and returned to England. There, he became a journalist and media
commentator. He breathed his last in 1975.
Memoirs of a Chota Sahib, an extract from John Rowntree's A Chota Sahib: Memoire of a Forest
officer, is a terse account of the life of a forest officer in Assam, in
India, during the last day of the British Raj. What makes this an interesting
read is the impressive imagery and set up of the great outdoors together with
his sometimes interesting adventures Rowntree's account of his times in
Guwahati and the adjoining areas is not only local specific but also relevant
to the present time.
Summary: In the lesson “Memoirs of a
Chota Sahib,” the author John Rowntree gives his audience an account of his
experience in Guwahati (then spelt Gauhati) and its neighbouring areas during
his tenure as a British forest officer. His first home, being located on the
bank of the Brahmaputra, gave him the joy of relishing the magnificent view of
the river with its shipping and the Himalayas. The writer gives a quick description
on the Peacock Island, the certitude of the people regarding the narrow
dividing channel between the Island and the mainland and the odd visitors like
a tiger once was washed up.
He also gives a detailed sketch of both the bank to which the Kamrup District
extended the North Bank and the South Bank. He describes the North Bank as a
vast, stretch of flat, land that lay between the Brahmaputra and the Himalayan
foothills. It had so much to offer – bheels, rhinos, mahseer, cheetal,
sloth bears and deer. Recounting the North Bank as delightful in the cold
weather, the author also writes about the various problems from malaria to
flooded rivers- faced during the rainy season. He gives his readers funny
flooded rivers of the North Bank on horseback. At this point, john Rowntree
does not fail to write about the then only available means of transportation on
the river – the mar boat. To throw light on the difficulties faced while
travelling anywhere in Assam during the rains, he gives a vivid description of
his road accident during the monsoon on the North Bank when he was touring with
his family. He also touches upon the incident when the car in which they were
travelling hit a high ramp hidden by dust.
The author describes the South
Bank as more homely with smaller terrains, lesser distances, low hills and
valleys and forest mostly of sal, having the features of English Woodland. He
beautifully sketches in words, the two forest bungalows that served their needs
one at Kulsi and the other a Rajapara. Though Rajapara was a pleasant places to
work in, Kulsi with its teak plantations was his favourite. He also refers to
the rubber plantations found there, giving a fair idea of the forested
appearance of Kamrup Districts in the days before independence.
TEXTUAL QUESTION & ANSWER
1.
Briefly describe the scene
observed by the author from the veranda of his bungalow on the bank of the
Brahmaputra?
Ans: After a drawn- out, dusty journey across India,
the author with his family arrived at Guwahati and settled in a bungalow on the
bank of the Brahmaputra. Owing to the advancing cold weather, the climate was
quite bearable. The veranda on top of the bungalow offered a captivating sight
of the majestic river with the boats that sailed over it. In the distance could
be seen the lower Himalayas; while at closer hand was an island called the
Peacock Island, on which could be seen a Hindu temple dome. This dome was
almost hidden by trees.
2.
What is belief about the
dividing channel between the peacock Island and the mainland of Guwahata that
the author mentions?
Ans: With the advancement of the cold weather, the
level of the Brahmaputra fell and the water distance between the peacock Island
and the mainland diminished. By the end of the hot weather, only a narrow dividing,
channel remained. There was a belief that the British Raj would cease in India
if the channel ever entirely dried up. Although this route sometimes did dry up
considerably, but the author could not comment whether one could tread on a dry
channel at the time of Independence in 1947, as he did not live in Guwahati at
that time.
3.
What does the author say
about the importance of Guwahati? Is the statement true in our time today also?
Ans: The author highlights the importance of
Guwahati by describing it as the part of entry into Asama. In earlier times,
most travellers passed though Guwahati on their way from Calcutta to Shillong
or to districts lying further up to valley. As time, they used it as resting
spot by staying overnight.
Yes, the statement holds true
even in the present times. Even today, Guwahati connects the rest of India with
all the states of the North-East region and is hence referred to as the gateway
to North- East India. Tourists from across the country and abroad visit Guwahati
in huge numbers every year, especially as a transit station abode when
travelling to other part of North-East India.
4.
What character of the
North-Bank of the Brahmaputra does the author refer to?
Ans: The North-Bank, lying between the sandbanks of
the Brahmaputra and the Himalayan Foothills, was an extensive, solitary expanse
of flat and ageless land. The peculiarity of this region was that in the hot
weather, the rivers either dried up or vanished underground. Dwellers of the
region had to dig for water which was so muddy that it had to be cleaned by
using alum to precipitate the mud.
5.
What information does the
author give us about Manas Wildlife Sanctuary?
Ans: The Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, which bordered
the Himalayan state of Bhutan, was the habitat of a few rhinoceros. The rivers
were replete with mahseer and their banks were popular spots for the Governor’s
Christmas camps. The Sanctuary was also the abode of Asama cheetal, sloth-bear
and deer. Amid the forest, a European and his wife had leased out a piece of
land from the forest department to grow simul tree for the close by match
factory. The area had miles of electric fencing to block out the deer.
6.
Describe the author’s
experience of crossing a flooded river on horseback on the North Bank of the
Brahmaputra.
Ans: The author has given a humorous account of his
adventurous ride on horseback that he had once undertaken to cross one of the
flooded rivers of the North Bank. He, with much difficulty, convinced the horse
to jump into the river and slipped over its rump. He hung onto his tail and
used it to steer. The horse too contributed to the exciting ride by moving to
the left when the writer tried to push it to the right and vice versa. This
memorable expedition finally culminated with a sound landing on the other bank
of the river.
7.
Relate the author
experiences of the road accident during the monsoon on the North Bank.
Ans: The author was once traveling with his family
on the North Bank. He gad either faultily planned to return after the monsoon
or the monsoon broke out ahead of time that year. Consequently, driving became
extremely risky, even though the roads were still traversable. To raise
majority of the main roads way above the normal flood level, the roads were
constructed on top of embankments. These roads were quite narrow and single-
track. Struggling to drive through an extremely slippery road, the author’s car
went out of control and started sliding along the road to fall into a paddy
field around six feet below the road. To keep the flood water from running
away, the paddy fields in the North Bank were divided into enclosures by low
banks. Driving over these banks was quite jerky but they finally reached the
road again.
8.
Relate the author’s
reminiscence of the forest bungalow at kulsi?
Ans: The bungalow at Kulsi was ideally positioned on
a raised and forested area above the river and was the author’s favourite. Teak
plantations, which were planted some sixty years back and were nearly fully
grown, enveloped the bungalow. There was also a rubber plantation of Ficus
elastica, very close to the bungalow. However the author recalls that since a
very long time, it had not been tapped.
Understanding the text
1.
Give an account of the
author’s experiences of the floods on the North Bank of the Brahmaputra during
the monsoon?
Ans: The author relates various experiences of
floods on the Northern bank. He once crossed a flooded a flooded river on
horseback. He somehow got his house to jump, into the water, then climbing atop
it, he used the horse tail to steer it, and crossed the river successfully.
On another occasion he was caught in the train while touring the Northern
bank. Driving over raised embankment was tricky, and his vehicle slipped down
into a paddy field. Riding over the banks built in the fields was jerky, but he
did get back on the road. The river during floods was crossed by special boats
for which landing places were constructed at different levels depending on the
water level.
2.
Relate the author’s
observation on the use of mar boats as a mode of river transport in Asama.
Ans: The author refers to the use of special boats,
called mar boats. This device consisted of two open boats covered with a
platform made of wooden planks. It was tedious to move this drive forward. It
was either pedalled across, or propelled along a cable that connected the boats
to another cable stretched across the river. Though it was a successful
contraption, landing ghats had to be made at different levels along the bank,
as per the rising and falling river-water level. The author adds that traffic
was low, crossing over took time but there were minimal delays.
3.
Give the author’s
description of a sal forest?
Ans: The author compares the sal forest of Asama to
the English woodland. The sal forests were spread in the flat terrain of the
South Bank. In this vast expanse of land, the reserve forests comprising
particularly of sal tree were mainly in one block and the tree interspersed
with villages and cultivation.
4.
Describe the author’s
experience with bats in the Rajapara forest bungalow.
Ans: The author opined that had it not been for the
bats which lived in the roof, the bungalow at Rajapara would have been fairly
appealing. Their excrement and stench constantly reminded the writer of their
presence. The colossal fruit eating bats were less fusty, had a wing span of
five feet and lived in tree outside the bungalow. They flew out into the open
after sunset in quest of food and the sight appeared like an uncanny cluster of
spooky figures soaring in the sky on hushed wings.
ADDITIONAL QUESTION & ANSWER
1.
Where did John Rowntree and
family make their first home at Guwahati?
Ans: John Rowntree and his family make their first home
at Guwahati on the bank of river Brahmaputra.
2.
What does Rowntree say about
the river bank and the means Sanctuary?
Ans: The means will life Sanctuary situated on the
border of Bhutan, Where a few Rhinos were found. Its rivers were fell of mashur
and was the home of Asama cheetal. The banks of the river were a favourable
site for the governors Christmas camps.
3.
What pasha did John Rowntree
hold before leaving Shillong a few days after Independence?
Ans: Before leaving Shillong a few days after
Independence John Rowntree was the last British senior conservator of forest of
Assam.
4.
Give a brief description of
Peacock Island?
Ans: There was a believed that if the channel ever
dried up completely it would mean the end of the British Raj.
5.
What is the Chota sahib in
the memoirs of a Chota Sahib?
Ans: John Rowntree, the last British senior
conservator of the Forest of Assam. Is the Chota sahib in the memoirs of a
Chota Sahib.
6.
Describe Rowntree experience
of crossing a flowed river house back.
Ans: Which touring the North Bank during the rainy
season once the flooded rivers on house back with difficulty, the presumed his
mount to plunge into the water, then slipped over his croup and hung on the his
tail, which he was able to uses as rudder. When the author pushed it to the
right the horse veered to the left and eventually made a safe landing on the
author side of the river.
7.
What does Rowntree state
about the large Bheel close to the Bungalow at Rajapara?
Or
What does Rowntree after take of in memoirs of Chota Sahib?
Ans: Rajapara forest Bungalow was situated in a
clearing. There was a large Bheel close to the Bungalow. Though the Bungalow
was comfortable, the bats which live in the roof mode the family of the author
perturbed because of the dropping and the fasty smell of the bath.
8.
. Who was the unusual
visitor in the author’s compound? How could the author identify it?
Ans: the unusual visitor to the author’s compound was a tiger that had been
washed up by the flood. The author could identify it with the help of the clear
traceable footprints of the carnirvore seen all over the compound.
9.
Apart from submerged bridges
and flooded rivers, what other difficulty about travel anywhere in Assam during
the rain does the author point out?
Ans: Apart from submerged bridges and flooded rivers, in the rainy season,
the muddy roads soon become good for nothing and driving on them with the help
of normal cars almost became impossible. This turned out to be one of the major
hindrances in travelling anywhere in Assam during the rains. Also, the Jeep,
which can traverse all types of terrain, was yet to be invented.
10. Briefly describe the bheel
near the Rajapara bungalow.
Ans: The Rajapura forest bungalow was located near a large bheel where long
ago, a quake had pushed down the surface and the land was flooded with water.
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.
11. What information does the
author give as about the paddy field at Rajapara?
Ans: The paddy field of Rajapara were delightful, sunlit and wide spaces
and a congenial place to work in. Here the jungle-fowl gathered to feed on the
gains after harvest and once in a while found their way into the pot where the
gains were kept.
Previous
year question (most important question)
2012 YEAR
· Erroor
2013 YEAR
· Error
2014 YEAR
1.
Give a brief description of Peacock Island? (2
marks)
2. What does Roventree often talk
of in “Memoris of a Chota Sahib”? (2 marks).
2015 YEAR
1. Who is the Chota Saheb in the
“Memoris of a Chota Sahib”? (1 mark)
2. What was the belief about the
dividing channel between Peacock Island and the main land of Guwahati? (2 marks)
3.
What does Roventree state about the large “bheel” close to the bungalow
at Rajapara? (2 marks)
2016 YEAR
1.
Give a brief description of Peacock Island? (1
marks)
2. What position did John Rowntree
hold before leaving Shillong a few days after Independence? (1 marks).
3. Describe Rowntree’s experience
of crossing a flooded river on horseback. (5 marks)
2017 YEAR
1. Where did John Rowntree and his
family make their first home at Gauhati? (1 marks).
2. What does Rowntree say about
the river bank in the Manas sanctuary? (2 marks).
2018 YEAR
1.
Who is the Chota Saheb in the “Memoris of a Chota Sahib” (1 marks).
2. How did John Rowntree find the
weather when he arrived at Gauhati? (1 marks).
3. Relate Rowntree’s experience of
floods in Assam? (5 marks).
2019 YEAR
1. Name the book from which
“Memoris of a Chota Sahib” is taken? (1 mark).
2. Give a brief description of
Peacock Island? (2 marks).
2020 YEAR
1.
What position did John Rowntree hold before leaving Shillong a few days
after Independence? (1 marks).
2.
Write, in brief, the scene observed by the author from the veranda of his
bungalow at the bank of the Brahmaputra? (2 marks)
More 👇👇
More Chapter:
More Chapter:
FLAMINGO (Prose)
Chapter -1: The Last Lesson
Chapter -2: Lost Spring
Chapter -3: Deep Water
Chapter -4: Indigo
Chapter -5: Going Places
Chapter -6: Memoirs of a Chota Sahib
All Chapter: 1 too 6
FLAMINGO (poem)
Vistas:
Chapter - 2: Journey to the End of the Earth
Class-12: English Question and Answers:
gyanmoya