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History Optional (Perspective on History Writing) by Shivlal Gupta

  • Category
    Optional
  • Test Date
    01-12-2022 07:00 AM
  • Evaluated
    Yes

To participate in the answer writing program, Register yourself for the test. Copies will be evaluated only for the registered students. Registration will be closed after the scheduled date.

Answer Writing, Copy Evaluation, and Marks Improvement Cycle:

Step 1 (Answer Writing):

1. Read the description of the theme along with the topics covered in the theme to get perspective on what to read before writing the test.
2. Questions will be uploaded on the portal on the scheduled date at 7:00 AM.
3. You have to write your answers on an A4 size sheet leaving margins on both sides based on the UPSC pattern.
4. Mention your name, email id, location, and phone number on the 1st page in the top right corner and the page number on each page.
5. After writing the answers, Click pictures of each page of your answer sheet, merge them all in a single PDF and upload them in the upload section of the same question.
6. Written answer sheets will be accepted before 7:00 PM or until First 100 copies are received.

Note: Answer sheets without the proper guidelines given above will not be accepted for evaluation.

Step 2 (Copy Evaluation): After evaluation, the first 100 copies will be uploaded to your account. During the copy evaluation period, doubt clearing and discussion about the theme or topic of the test with respective mentors of the test will be done in the telegram group

Step 3 (Mentorship): Once evaluated copies will be sent to you, and a mentorship session for the marks improvement with respective faculty will be conducted online so that students can get a wider perspective of the topics. Here you can discuss your evaluated copies also with the faculty.

For discussion sessions, you will be notified through SMS and Telegram Group.

Instruction:

  • There will be 2 questions carrying 10 marks each. Write your answers in 150 words
  • Any page left blank in the answer-book must be crossed out clearly.
  • Evaluated Copy will be re-uploaded on the same thread after 2 days of uploading the copy.
  • Discussion of the question and one to one answer improvement session of evaluated copies will be conducted through Google Meet with concerned faculty. You will be informed via mail or SMS for the discussion.

Question #1. Describe the Marxist approach to History writing? Do you believe the Marxist school of historiography contributed to the correction of the inaccuracy in the reconstruction of Indian Histo?

Question #2. Discuss the changing approaches to the study of early Indian History?

(Examiner will pay special attention to the candidate's grasp of his/her material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his/ her ability to think constructively and to present his/her ideas concisely, logically and effectively).

Model Answer

Question #1. Describe the Marxist approach to History writing? Do you believe the Marxist school of historiography contributed to the correction of the inaccuracy in the reconstruction of Indian Histo?

Approach

  • The question focuses on 3 pillars: 1) The Marxist approach to History writing, 2) Inaccuracy in the reconstruction of Indian History, 3) Critical analysis of the Marxist school of historiography.
  • Introduction (Summary of key demand of the question, along with necessary facts).
  • Conclusion by summing up the gist of the answer.

Historiography is defined as "the study of the way history has been and is written – the history of historical writing". The historiography of India refers to the studies, sources, critical methods and interpretations used by scholars to develop a history of India.

The Marxist approach to History writing:

  • Marxist historiography, or historical materialist historiography, is an influential school of historiography. The chief tenets of Marxist historiography include the centrality of social class, social relations of production in class-divided societies that struggle against each other, and economic constraints in determining historical outcomes (historical materialism). Marxist historians follow the tenets of the development of class-divided societies, especially modern capitalist ones.
  • Yet, the way Marxist historiography has developed in different regional and political contexts has varied. Marxist historiography has had unique trajectories of development in the West, in the Soviet Union, and in India, as well as in the pan-Africanist and African-American traditions, adapting to these specific regional and political conditions in different ways.
  • Marxist historiography has made contributions to the history of the working class, and the methodology of a history from below.

Inaccuracy in the reconstruction of Indian History prior to the Marxist school of historiography:

  • Orientalist Approach :Edward Said said that "The idea of representation is a theatrical one: the Orient is the stage on which the whole East is confined", and that the subject of learned Orientalists "is not so much the East itself as the East made known, and therefore less fearsome, to the Western reading public".
  • Cambridge School: This school of historiography is criticised for western bias or Eurocentrism.
  • Nationalist School: It emphasized achievements in Indian history, while downplaying negative aspects, which led to various contradictions. Nationalist historians universally praised Hindu rule of India, with Hindu upper-caste Sanskritic culture being prized above all else. In modern history, they focused on Congress, Gandhi, Nehru and high level politics.

The Marxist school of historiography contributed to the correction of the inaccuracy in the reconstruction of Indian History:

The 1950s saw the emergence of Marxist historiography, which went on to play an extremely influential role in the construction of the history of ancient and early medieval India.

  • In the long run, the major achievement of Marxist historians was to shift the focus from an event-centred history dominated by political narrative to the delineation of social and economic structures and processes, especially those related to class stratification and agrarian relations.
  • Marxist historiography also contributed towards uncovering the history of non-elite groups, some of whom had suffered centuries of subordination and marginalization.

While making these valuable interventions and contributions, Marxist writings often tended to work with unilinear historical models derived from Western historical and anthropological writings. Texts were sometimes read uncritically, with insufficient attention paid to their problematic chronology and peculiarities of genre. Archaeological data was included, but the basic framework of the historical narrative remained text centric. Initially, the focus on class meant less attention to other bases of social stratification such as caste and gender. Religion and culture were often sidelined or mechanically presented as reflections of socio-economic structures.

Procedure of Answer Writing:

To participate in the answer writing program, Register yourself for the test. Copies will be evaluated only for the registered students. Registration will be closed after the scheduled date.

Answer Writing, Copy Evaluation, and Marks Improvement Cycle:

Step 1 (Theme, Details & Its Topics):

  1. Every round of Answer writing initiative will be around a theme related to the Subject/Topic.
  2. Please read the theme and its description, and try to cover the topics given within the theme before writing the answer along with the sources.

Step 2 (Answer Writing):

  1. Questions will be uploaded on the portal on the scheduled date at 7:00 AM.
  2. You have to write your answers on an A4 size sheet leaving margins on both sides based on the UPSC pattern.
  3. Mention your name, email id, location, and phone number on the 1st page in the top right corner and the page number on each page.
  4. After writing the answers, Click pictures of each page of your answer sheet, merge them all in a single PDF and upload them in the upload section of the same question.
  5. Kindly submit your written answers before 7:00 PM. Only the first 100 copies will be considered for evaluation. No request for late submission or evaluation will be entertained once the 100 mark is reached.

Note: Answer sheets without the proper guidelines given above will not be accepted for evaluation.

Step 3 (Copy Evaluation): Copies will be evaluated in the next 72 hours of the test date. After evaluation, copies will be uploaded into your account. During the copy evaluation period, doubt clearing and discussion about the theme or topic of the test with respective mentors of the test will be done in the telegram group

Step 4 (Mentorship): Evaluated copies will be sent to you via mail and also uploaded into your account on the website. After that a mentorship session for the marks improvement with respective faculty will be conducted on the Google Meet, so that students can get a wider perspective of the topics. Here you can discuss your evaluated copies also with the faculty. Top 5 copies of every test will be shared in the telegram group for reference.

Note: Aspirants who have not written the test can also participate in the mentorship session.

For Updates and Mentorship of the session, you will be notified through SMS or Telegram Group.

For Notification And Update About the Program Join Telegram Group at: https://t.me/gsscoreopendailyanswerwriting

Note: You have to write your answers on an A4 size sheet leaving margins on both sides based on UPSC pattern. Mention Your Name on 1st page and Page Number on each page. After writing the answer, Click pictures of each page of your answer sheet, merge them all in a single PDF and upload in the Your Answer Copy section of the same question.

Copy submission is closed now for this test.

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