Reminder of the deadline for question submission. Question 33: World History topic.

#AnswerWritingPractice

What a touching line...

#harappa
@nikhilhistoryoptional

Answer Writing Practice

Question 34: Modern India
“The Ilbert Bill was the most extreme but by no means isolated expression of white racism.” Comment. (1987, 20m)

PS0: It appears to be a simple PYQ but once you start thinking about it, there are a lot of dimensions underneath.
Hint:
1. Don't confine your answer only to the other examples of racism. Try to go beyond mere factual examples, and incorporate elements of 'why'. Why the empire was racist in its orientation?
2. Always try to locate the question in chronological context. If it belongs to 1860s/70s/80s, then most probably it is in the context of the rise of modern nationalism in India. Can you connect Racism with the rise of nationalism?

PS1: Submit your answers by the end of 27th October.
PS2: Reply here in the comment section with your answers (scanned image) for evaluation. Or join the discussion group @nikhilhistorydiscussion for commenting and posting.

#AnswerWritingPractice
@nikhilhistoryoptional

If you have just finished the Foundation course, then DAMP is a very suitable option for:

1. Disciplined Revision of entire syllabus in 4 months before completely shifting to Prelims

2. Regular practice to develop the craft of answer writing with UPSC level questions and in depth video discussions

3. Upgrading your notes with upgraded historiography

If you have doubt or need any help regarding the optional, feel free to get in touch with the Level Up IAS or Nikhil sir directly on Telegram at @nikhil4history

Tomorrow is the last date of answer submission of Question 34.

#AnswerWritingPractice

History Optional DAMP 2.0 starting on 7th November.

▪️Revise your optional in four months, just before you turn to Prelims preparation.
▪️Improve the answer writing with daily practice under expert guidance
▪️ Sectional papers
▪️Update your notes with latest historiography

For the daily schedule, visit:
https://www.levelupias.com/course/upsc-damp-history-optional/

Join @nikhilhistoryoptional, a channel dedicated for history optional preparation.

History Optional DAMP 2.0 starting on 7th November.

▪️Revise your optional in four months, just before you turn to Prelims preparation.
▪️Improve the answer writing with daily practice under expert guidance
▪️ Sectional papers
▪️Update your notes with latest historiography

For the daily schedule, visit:
https://www.levelupias.com/course/upsc-damp-history-optional/

Join @nikhilhistoryoptional, a channel dedicated for history optional preparation.

History Optional DAMP 2.0 starting on 7th November.

▪️Revise your optional in four months, just before you turn to Prelims preparation.
▪️Improve the answer writing with daily practice under expert guidance
▪️ Sectional papers
▪️Update your notes with latest historiography

For the daily schedule, visit:
https://www.levelupias.com/course/upsc-damp-history-optional/

Join @nikhilhistoryoptional, a channel dedicated for history optional preparation.

Answer Writing Practice

Henceforth, I will try to be more regular in posting the questions. That is why the timeline given here is now shorter. Next 3 days. Lets revive the activity and have a good amount of writing practice before turning to Prelims preparation fully.

Question 35: Medieval India
How could the local self-government under the Cholas adjust with their centralized administration structure? (10)

PS0: It is not about the features of the local self government, it is also not about the formation of committees, election process and qualification criteria. Therefore, please don't focus on the typical factual data about the LSG that we gather from some inscriptions. Try to think analytically.

PS1: Submit your answers by the end of 7th November.
PS2: Reply here in the comment section with your answers (scanned image) for evaluation. Or join the discussion group @nikhilhistorydiscussion for commenting and posting.

#AnswerWritingPractice
@nikhilhistoryoptional

History Optional DAMP 2.0 starting on 7th November.

▪️Revise your optional in four months, just before you turn to Prelims preparation.
▪️Improve the answer writing with daily practice under expert guidance
▪️ Sectional papers
▪️Update your notes with latest historiography

For the daily schedule, visit:
https://www.levelupias.com/course/upsc-damp-history-optional/

Join @nikhilhistoryoptional, a channel dedicated for history optional preparation.

In Unit 13 and Unit 14 of the syllabus of Paper I, which are the specific topics that you find most difficult or need better understanding of?

Also, which are the topics which you are most comfortable with in general?

Got a fair bit of idea now. I will try to produce one video regarding the religious/philosophical development of the era.

https://youtu.be/a6ScxqI15e0

For the details, visit: https://www.levelupias.com/course/upsc-damp-history-optional/

This is the exercise given in Old NCERT of Medieval India, class 7 written by Romila Thapar. Now, compare them with the questions recently asked by UPSC in GS/Optional:

▪️"The Chola rulers were not only mighty conquerors, efficient administrators but also builders of fine temples." Comment. [2021, 15 Marks]
▪️Chola maritime expansion was driven largely by concerns of overseas commerce. Elucidate. [2022, 20m]

Mention of Diwali in Al Beruni's Kitab up Hind.

#traveller #literature #earlymedieval

@nikhilhistoryculture

Tagore in 1903 on the state of history writing in India:

"The History of India that we read and memorize to sit for examinations is only a narrative of nightmares. [It is a tale] of who came from where, ceaselessly fought each other, of which sons and brothers wrestled for the throne, of the disappearance of one group and its replacement by the other. The confusing congeries of the Pathans, the Mughals, the Portuguese, the French and the English have made the nightmare more and more complicated…

Where the Indians are, these histories do not answer. As if, only those who have engaged in battles and assassinations alone exist, Indians do not…. It one's youth, it is history which makes one familiar with his own country. It is exactly the opposite in our case. It is our history which has hidden our country in obscurity."

“On a stormy day, the storm itself is not the only event of the day… For human beings, the events of births and deaths, joy and sadness taking place on that day are more important. But a foreigner sees only the storm, because he is outside the houses, not inside. That’s why, in the history written by foreigners, we only see stories of that dust and storm, not of the homes. When we read that history, it seems there was no India then, the Mughals and Pathans, raising their flags, just marched around from north to south and west to east… It wasn’t like there were only Delhi and Agra then. There were Kashi and Nabadweep (birthplace of 15th century Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) too. The life stream flowing around that time in the real India, the waves of efforts that were rising, the social changes that were happening, we don’t find any description of that in history.

Tagore asserted that Indians are not “branches and shrubs” but “our hundreds and thousands of roots through centuries have occupied prime position in India. But the kind of history we are made to read makes our children forget all this. It seems, we don’t exist in India, only the visitors do,” he wrote.

#Historiography
@nikhilhistoryculture

Answer Writing Practice

Question 36: Medieval India
Write a critical note on the role played by the Ulama in the Delhi Sultanate Polity. (10)

PS1: Submit your answers by the end of 14th November.
PS2: Reply here in the comment section with your answers (scanned image) for evaluation. Or join the discussion group @nikhilhistorydiscussion for commenting and posting.

#AnswerWritingPractice
@nikhilhistoryoptional

https://youtu.be/e3M-fshh74I

#religion #acharya #bhakti #hinduism
@nikhilhistoryoptional