History 2021 Paper II 50 marks 150 words Compulsory Critically examine

Q5

Critically examine the following statements in about 150 words each: (a) There were many reasons why the industrial revolution first happened in England. (10 marks) (b) Napoleon's continental system may be reckoned as the greatest blunder and may be described as a "monument of misdirected energy". (10 marks) (c) The Chartist Movement failed to achieve its stated objectives, but succeeded in seeding the idea that a representative democracy should include all citizens. (10 marks) (d) During the Cold War, some important leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement wanted to keep the movement away from the military blocs. (10 marks) (e) The Arab countries looked up to Nasser as a leader who could withstand the pressure exerted by Western countries on Egypt to make peace with Israel. (10 marks)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

निम्नलिखित कथनों में से प्रत्येक का लगभग 150 शब्दों में समालोचनात्मक परीक्षण कीजिए : (a) इस बात के कई कारण थे जिनकी वजह से औद्योगिक क्रांति पहले इंग्लैंड में हुई । (10 अंक) (b) नेपोलियन की महाद्वीपीय व्यवस्था को सबसे बड़ी भूल माना जा सकता है तथा इसे "गलत निर्देशित ऊर्जा के स्मारक" के रूप में वर्णित किया जा सकता है । (10 अंक) (c) चार्टिस्ट आंदोलन अपने घोषित उद्देश्यों को प्राप्त करने में असफल रहा, परंतु इस विचार का बीजारोपण करने में सफल रहा कि प्रतिनिधिक प्रजातंत्र में सभी नागरिकों को शामिल किया जाना चाहिए । (10 अंक) (d) शीत युद्ध के दौरान, गुट-निरपेक्ष आंदोलन के कुछ महत्वपूर्ण नेता इस आंदोलन को सैन्य गुटों से दूर रखना चाहते थे । (10 अंक) (e) अरब देशों ने नासिर को ऐसे नेता के रूप में देखा जो उस दबाव के सामने खड़ा रह सकता था जो पश्चिमी देश, मिस्र पर इज़राइल के साथ शांति बनाने के लिए डाल रहे थे । (10 अंक)

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Directive word: Critically examine

This question asks you to critically examine. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.

See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

The directive 'critically examine' demands balanced analysis with evidence-based judgment for each statement. Allocate approximately 30 words per mark across five parts (~30 words each), spending roughly 3 minutes per sub-part. Structure each 150-word response as: brief context (20%), dual-sided critical analysis (60%), and measured conclusion (20%). For (a) emphasize multiple causal factors; for (b) assess economic warfare outcomes; for (c) evaluate success-failure paradox; for (d) examine NAM's non-military positioning; for (e) analyze Nasser's pan-Arab leadership against Western pressure.

Key points expected

  • (a) England's industrial revolution: geographical advantages (coal, iron), agricultural revolution/enclosure movement, capital accumulation from colonial trade, stable political institutions, Puritan work ethic, absence of internal customs barriers, and availability of skilled artisans
  • (b) Napoleon's Continental System: Berlin and Milan Decrees (1806-1807), economic warfare against Britain, smuggling and resistance from allies, Continental Blockade's role in Napoleonic Wars' expansion, and assessment of its contribution to Napoleon's downfall
  • (c) Chartist Movement: Six Points (1838 People's Charter), 1839, 1842, and 1848 petitions, Kennington Common demonstration, reasons for failure (lack of middle-class support, government repression), but legacy for universal suffrage and working-class political consciousness
  • (d) NAM and military blocs: Belgrade Conference (1961), Tito-Nehru-Nasser-Sukarno-Nkrumah leadership, Afro-Asian solidarity vs. SEATO/CENTO, India's non-alignment vs. Pakistan's alliances, and the movement's attempt to avoid formal military commitments
  • (e) Nasser's leadership: 1952 Free Officers coup, Suez Crisis (1956), Aswan High Dam and Soviet alignment, United Arab Republic (1958), rejection of Baghdad Pact, and his symbolic role as defender of Arab dignity against Western-imposed settlements with Israel

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Chronology accuracy20%10Precise dating across all five parts: for (a) 1760s-1840 periodization; for (b) 1806-1814 Continental System with specific decrees; for (c) 1838-1848 Chartist phases; for (d) 1961 Belgrade founding with Bandung 1955 antecedent; for (e) 1952 revolution, 1956 Suez, 1958 UAR—demonstrating command of temporal sequencingBroadly correct century placement with minor errors (e.g., confusing 1806 Berlin Decree with 1807 Milan Decree, or muddling 1955 Bandung with 1961 Belgrade)Significant chronological confusion such as placing Industrial Revolution in 17th century, Chartism in 18th century, or NAM before WWII
Source & evidence20%10Specific evidentiary anchors: for (a) cites E.P. Thompson or Rostow's stages; for (b) references Napoleon's correspondence or Continental System's trade statistics; for (c) names Lovett, O'Connor, or Feargus O'Connor's Northern Star; for (d) cites Tito's 1950 UN speech or Nehru's Panchsheel; for (e) references Nasser's Philosophy of the Revolution or Voice of the Arabs radioGeneral references to movements and leaders without specific documentation, or conflation of primary and secondary sourcesNo named sources, invented quotations, or reliance on popular mythology rather than scholarly consensus
Multi-perspective analysis20%10Genuine critical examination with balanced argumentation: for (a) weighs geographical determinism vs. institutional factors; for (b) assesses both economic rationale and strategic miscalculation; for (c) evaluates immediate failure against long-term democratic legacy; for (d) contrasts non-alignment idealism with pragmatic power balancing; for (e) examines both anti-imperialist solidarity and authoritarian consolidation under NasserOne-sided treatment with superficial acknowledgment of counter-arguments, or descriptive narrative without analytical tensionPurely descriptive or partisan account—uncritical celebration or condemnation without evidence-based assessment of multiple viewpoints
Historiographic framing20%10Awareness of interpretive debates: for (a) engages with 'why Britain first' controversy (Crafts vs. traditionalists); for (b) cites Paul Kennedy's assessment of strategic overextension or Ellis's economic warfare analysis; for (c) references Thompson's Making of the English Working Class vs. revisionist critiques; for (d) situates NAM within Cold War historiography (Westad, Itty Abraham); for (e) engages with post-colonial readings of Nasserism vs. critical assessments of its failuresImplicit historiographic awareness without explicit citation, or single-school adherence without acknowledging alternativesWholly presentist or nationalist framing without recognition that historical interpretations evolve, or conflation of primary actors' views with scholarly analysis
Conclusion & synthesis20%10Each sub-part delivers measured, evidence-based judgment: for (a) synthesizes multiple factors into coherent explanation; for (b) weighs 'greatest blunder' claim against alternative strategic options; for (c) resolves paradox of failure and success; for (d) assesses NAM's actual non-military achievement; for (e) evaluates Nasser myth vs. reality—demonstrating ability to qualify and contextualize rather than simply affirm or deny the given statementsRestatement of main points without genuine synthesis, or conclusion that merely repeats the question's framing without critical engagementMissing or contradictory conclusions, or conclusions unsupported by the preceding analysis; failure to address the 'critically examine' directive through balanced judgment

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