Q6
(a) Analyze the contributions of Acharya Triumvirate to Indian Vedanta. (20 marks) (b) Compare and contrast the position of Hindu and Muslim women in 13th and 14th century India. (15 marks) (c) Examine the causes and consequences of peasants uprising during the reign of Aurangzeb. (15 marks)
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
(a) भारतीय वेदांत में आचार्य-त्रय (आचार्य तिकड़ी) के योगदान का विश्लेषण कीजिए। (20 अंक) (b) भारत में 13वीं और 14वीं शताब्दी में हिंदू और मुस्लिम महिलाओं की स्थिति की तुलना कीजिए और अंतर बताइए। (15 अंक) (c) औरंगजेब के शासनकाल के दौरान किसान विद्रोह के कारणों एवं परिणामों का परीक्षण कीजिए। (15 अंक)
Directive word: Analyse
This question asks you to analyse. 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 'analyse' in part (a) demands breaking down the Acharya Triumvirate's contributions into constituent elements with causal reasoning, while parts (b) and (c) require 'compare and contrast' and 'examine' respectively. Allocate approximately 40% of time and words to part (a) given its 20-mark weight, with ~30% each to parts (b) and (c). Structure with a brief composite introduction, three distinct sectional bodies addressing each sub-part with clear sub-headings, and a synthesizing conclusion that connects Vedanta's philosophical egalitarianism to the social realities of women and peasants.
Key points expected
- For (a): Shankara's Advaita Vedanta (monism, maya, moksha through jnana), Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita (qualified monism, bhakti-marga, accessibility to shudras), Madhva's Dvaita (dualism, eternal distinction between jiva and Brahman, rigorous theism)
- For (a): Comparative analysis of their philosophical divergences on Brahman-jiva relationship, epistemological methods, and soteriological paths
- For (b): Hindu women's position under Delhi Sultanate—practices like sati, child marriage, purdah influence; contrast with Muslim women's property rights (mehr, inheritance under Sharia), seclusion practices, and educational access in elite households
- For (b): Regional variations and class distinctions within both communities; evidence of syncretism and mutual influence in urban centers
- For (c): Causes—jizya reimposition, revenue farming (ijara), conversion pressures, destruction of local temples affecting agrarian rituals; specific revolts—Jat, Satnami, Bundela, Sikh uprisings with chronology
- For (c): Consequences—accelerated Maratha and Sikh militarization, administrative decentralization, ideological shift toward regional identities, long-term weakening of Mughal agrarian base
Evaluation rubric
| Dimension | Weight | Max marks | Excellent | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronology accuracy | 15% | 7.5 | Precisely dates Shankara (c. 788-820 CE), Ramanuja (1017-1137 CE), Madhva (1238-1317 CE) for (a); correctly places 13th-14th century Sultanate period for (b); accurately sequences Aurangzeb's reign (1658-1707) with specific revolt chronology—Satnami (1672), Jat (1669, 1685), Sikh (1675, 1705) for (c) | Approximate century placement for philosophers; general Sultanate period awareness for (b); loose Aurangzeb chronology with conflated or missing revolt dates for (c) | Anachronistic placement (e.g., Shankara in medieval period), confused timelines between Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad bin Tughlaq for (b), or attributing peasant revolts to Shah Jahan or later Mughals for (c) |
| Source & evidence | 25% | 12.5 | Cites primary Vedantic texts—Shankara's Brahmasutrabhashya, Ramanuja's Sri Bhashya, Madhva's Anubhashya for (a); uses Ibn Battuta, Shihab al-Din al-Umari, Amir Khusrau for (b); deploys contemporary Persian chronicles (Aurangzeb's farmans, Khafi Khan's Muntakhab al-Lubab, Bhimsen's Nuskha-i-Dilkusha) and regional archives for (c) | General reference to 'Vedantic philosophy' without specific texts; vague 'foreign travelers' for (b); reliance on secondary textbook summaries for peasant revolts without specific chroniclers for (c) | No textual references, conflation of primary and secondary sources, or fabricated citations; reliance on popular mythology rather than documentary evidence across all parts |
| Multi-perspective analysis | 25% | 12.5 | For (a), examines philosophical contributions through social context (temple-based vs. math-based dissemination, caste accessibility); for (b), balances normative legal texts (Sharia, Dharmashastras) with descriptive ethnographic accounts, noting regional and class variations; for (c), integrates economic (revenue extraction), religious (policy differential), and political (regional power consolidation) factors with peasant agency | Descriptive treatment of philosophies without social embedding; one-sided portrayal of women's oppression or privilege; monocausal explanation of revolts (religious OR economic) | Essentialized 'Hindu' vs 'Muslim' women's experience without nuance; reduction of peasant revolts to mere 'reaction' without structural analysis; philosophical discussion divorced from institutional and social history |
| Historiographic framing | 20% | 10 | Demonstrates awareness of scholarly debates—e.g., Hacker's 'philosophical vs. religious' Shankara, Clooney's comparative theology for (a); Chatterjee's 'nationalist' vs. Lelyveld's 'syncretic' readings of Sultanate gender for (b); Satish Chandra's 'religious policy' vs. Athar Ali's 'political pragmatism' and more recent 'agrarian crisis' interpretations (Habib, Alam) for (c) | Implicit awareness of interpretive differences without explicit naming; single historiographical line without contestation | Wholly uncritical narrative presentation; presentist moral judgments on medieval practices; anachronistic application of modern categories without historical contextualization |
| Conclusion & synthesis | 15% | 7.5 | Synthesizes across parts by connecting Vedanta's philosophical universalism (especially Ramanuja's bhakti accessibility) with the social question of women's status and peasant exclusion; reflects on whether philosophical egalitarianism translated to social practice, or how state religious policy shaped subaltern experience across intellectual, gender, and class domains | Separate concluding paragraphs for each part without cross-connection; summary restatement of main points | Abrupt termination after last sub-part; no conclusion; or entirely generic conclusion unrelated to question specifics |
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