History 2022 Paper II 50 marks 150 words Compulsory Critically examine

Q5

Critically examine the following statements in about 150 words each: (a) 'Rousseau kindled a hope which became the spirit of the Enlightenment'. (10 marks) (b) 'The codification of French Law was perhaps the most enduring of Napoleon's achievements'. (10 marks) (c) Engels did much more than Marx himself to popularise the ideas of Marxism. (10 marks) (d) 'Roaring Twenties' in Europe and America had many positive points. It helped women to uplift themselves in the region. (10 marks) (e) 'The first Reformation Act (1832) occupies a significant place in the constitutional development of Britain'. (10 marks)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

निम्नलिखित कथनों में से प्रत्येक का लगभग 150 शब्दों में समालोचनात्मक परीक्षण कीजिए : (a) 'रूसो ने एक आशा प्रज्वलित की जो प्रबोधन की आत्मा बन गई' । (10 अंक) (b) 'फ्रांसीसी कानूनों का संहिताकरण, नेपोलियन की उपलब्धियों में सम्भवतः सबसे स्थायी था' । (10 अंक) (c) मार्क्सवाद के विचारों को लोकप्रिय बनाने में एंगेल्स ने मार्क्स से ज्यादा कार्य किया । (10 अंक) (d) यूरोप तथा अमेरिका में 'गरजते बीस के दशक' के अनेकों सकारात्मक बिंदु थे । इसने महिलाओं को इन इलाकों में अपने उत्थान करने में सहायता की । (10 अंक) (e) 'प्रथम सुधार अधिनियम (1832) ब्रिटेन के संवैधानिक विकास में महत्वपूर्ण स्थान रखता है' । (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 evaluation with evidence for and against each statement. Allocate approximately 30 words per sub-part (150 words total), spending roughly equal time on each since all carry equal marks. Structure each part as: brief context → arguments supporting the statement → counter-arguments/limitations → nuanced conclusion. No introduction or conclusion needed for the overall answer; treat as five independent short notes.

Key points expected

  • (a) Rousseau's concept of 'general will' and popular sovereignty as transformative; contrast with Locke's constitutionalism and Voltaire's elitism; acknowledge Rousseau's paradoxical authoritarian potential in 'Social Contract'
  • (b) Napoleonic Code's principles of equality before law, meritocracy, and property rights; its endurance across Europe and Latin America; limitations regarding women, workers, and colonial subjects
  • (c) Engels' role in 'Anti-Dühring', 'Condition of the Working Class', and post-1883 editing of Marx's works; Marx's original theoretical contributions in 'Capital'; collaborative nature of Marxism
  • (d) Economic prosperity, technological innovation, and cultural liberation of 1920s; women's suffrage (19th Amendment, 1928 UK Act), flapper culture, employment expansion; contrast with agricultural depression and rising inequality
  • (e) 1832 Act's elimination of rotten boroughs, extension to middle-class industrialists, symbolic shift to parliamentary sovereignty; limitations regarding working class, women, and continued aristocratic dominance

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Chronology accuracy20%10Precise dating for all sub-parts: Rousseau's 'Social Contract' (1762), Napoleonic Code (1804), Engels' 'Anti-Dühring' (1878), 19th Amendment (1920) and UK Equal Franchise Act (1928), Reform Act (1832); no anachronistic conflationsBroadly correct century identification with minor errors; conflates 1832 with subsequent Reform Acts or misplaces Engels' contributionsSignificant chronological confusion; places Rousseau before Locke, confuses 1920s with post-WWII period, or treats all reforms as simultaneous
Source & evidence20%10Cites specific texts: 'Social Contract', 'Discourse on Inequality', 'Capital' Volumes, 'Condition of the Working Class in England', 'Napoleonic Code' articles; references specific clauses of 1832 Act and 19th AmendmentMentions general works without specificity; vague reference to 'Enlightenment thinkers' or 'Marx's books' without titlesNo textual evidence; relies on generic statements without any documentary support or misattributes works
Multi-perspective analysis20%10Presents balanced critique for each: Rousseau's democratic vs. totalitarian readings; Code's equality vs. patriarchal limitations; Engels' populariser vs. co-founder debates; 1920s liberation vs. consumerism critique; 1832 middle-class victory vs. Chartist exclusionOne-sided treatment of most parts; acknowledges some complexity in 2-3 sub-parts but largely descriptive elsewhereUncritical acceptance of all statements or purely negative dismissal; no engagement with historiographical debates
Historiographic framing20%10References relevant historiography: Isaiah Berlin on Rousseau's 'positive liberty', Alfred Cobban on Napoleonic Code's reception, Terrell Carver on Marx-Engels collaboration, Modris Eksteins on 'Raging Twenties', or E.P. Thompson on 1832 as 'great betrayal'Implicit historiographical awareness without naming scholars; recognizes different interpretations without attributionWholly presentist or textbook narrative with no sense of historical debate or changing interpretations
Conclusion & synthesis20%10Each sub-part ends with nuanced judgment: qualified agreement with modification; for (a) Rousseau as 'spirit' not 'sum'; (b) endurance despite authoritarian origins; (c) complementary roles; (d) partial emancipation; (e) foundational but incompleteSimple affirmative/negative conclusions for most parts; some sub-parts lack clear resolution or end with restatementNo conclusions for individual parts; trailing off without judgment or contradictory final statements

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