History 2025 Paper II 50 marks Explain

Q3

(a) "During the Carnatic Wars, the French position, which at one time dazzled the Indian world by its political successes, was destined to end in humiliation and failure." Explain. (20 marks) (b) Why has the 'safety valve theory' related to the foundation of the Indian National Congress been thoroughly discredited by recent researchers? Analyze. (20 marks) (c) "The emergence of Gandhi signified the Indianization of the national movement." Analyze with reference to his early movements between 1917-1922. (10 marks)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

(a) "कर्नाटक युद्धों के दौरान, फ्रांसीसी स्थिति जिसने एक समय भारतीय विश्व को अपनी राजनीतिक सफलताओं से चकित कर दिया था, उसका अंत अपमान और विफलता में होना तय था।" व्याख्या कीजिए। (20 अंक) (b) भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस की स्थापना से संबंधित 'सुरक्षा वाल्व सिद्धांत' को हाल के शोधकर्ताओं द्वारा पूरी तरह से अस्वीकृत क्यों कर दिया गया है? विश्लेषण कीजिए। (20 अंक) (c) "गांधी का आगमन राष्ट्रीय आंदोलन का भारतीयरण था।" 1917-1922 के मध्य हुए उनके प्रारंभिक आंदोलनों के संदर्भ में विश्लेषण कीजिए। (10 अंक)

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Directive word: Explain

This question asks you to explain. 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 'explain' in (a) and 'analyze' in (b) and (c) demand causal reasoning and evidence-based argumentation. Allocate approximately 40% of time/words to part (a) given its 20 marks and narrative complexity, 35% to part (b) for historiographic depth, and 25% to part (c) for focused analysis. Structure each part with brief context, analytical body addressing the specific demand, and a synthesizing conclusion that connects to broader themes of colonial transition and nationalist evolution.

Key points expected

  • Part (a): French initial successes under Dupleix (1746-1754), the alliance system with Indian powers (Hyderabad, Mysore), naval superiority of the British, decisive Treaty of Paris (1763), and structural weaknesses of French commercial-military model
  • Part (a): Specific battles—Plassey (1757) context, Wandiwash (1760), and the failure of French support to Indian allies post-1760
  • Part (b): Origins of safety valve theory in Lajpat Rai's writings and R. Palme Dutt's 'India Today' (1940), the 'conspiracy theory' of British officials creating INC
  • Part (b): Counter-evidence from Bipan Chandra, S.R. Mehrotra, and Carey Anthony Watt showing organic elite mobilization, pre-1885 associations, and British official suspicion of INC
  • Part (c): Gandhi's early movements—Champaran (1917), Kheda (1918), Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918), Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919), Non-Cooperation (1920-22)—and their mass base versus earlier elite politics
  • Part (c): Techniques of satyagraha, Hindu-Muslim unity emphasis, use of Indian languages and symbols, and shift from petitioning to mass civil disobedience as markers of 'Indianization'

Evaluation rubric

DimensionWeightMax marksExcellentAveragePoor
Chronology accuracy20%10Precise dating of First Carnatic War (1746-48), Second (1749-54), Third (1756-63); correct sequencing of Gandhi's movements 1917-1922; accurate identification of 1885 INC founding session and Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College venueBroad period identification (mid-18th century for Carnatic Wars, post-WWI for Gandhi) with minor errors in specific years or conflation of battle datesConfused timelines (e.g., placing Third Carnatic War before Plassey), anachronistic treatment of INC origins, or misdating Gandhi's movements by years
Source & evidence20%10Citation of specific treaties (Aix-la-Chapelle 1748, Pondicherry 1754, Paris 1763); reference to Dutt's 'India Today' for safety valve theory and Bipan Chandra's 'India's Struggle for Independence' for critique; use of Gandhi's 'Hind Swaraj' or contemporary government reports for early movementsGeneral reference to 'historians' or 'recent research' without naming specific scholars; vague mention of treaties and battles without specificsNo scholarly attribution; reliance on textbook generalizations; factual errors about key documents or misattribution of theories
Multi-perspective analysis20%10For (a): British naval-commercial superiority vs French territorial ambition; for (b): British official, nationalist, and Marxist historiographic positions; for (c): elite vs subaltern participation, regional variations in response to GandhiBinary treatment (French vs British, British conspiracy vs nationalist heroism) without nuance; acknowledgment of multiple actors but superficial treatmentSingle-factor explanations (e.g., French failure only due to naval weakness); uncritical acceptance of one historiographic position; ignoring Indian agency in all parts
Historiographic framing20%10Explicit engagement with historiographical shifts—imperial vs nationalist vs Cambridge school vs subaltern readings; recognition of how 'safety valve' served colonial and nationalist polemics; situating Gandhi within 'constructive swaraj' vs 'political swaraj' debatesImplicit awareness of different interpretations without explicit labeling; some mention of 'recent historians' without clear positioningWhiggish or teleological narrative; treating historiography as settled fact; complete absence of awareness that interpretations have changed over time
Conclusion & synthesis20%10Integrated conclusion connecting French failure to broader European transition in India, INC historiography to ongoing debates about colonial knowledge and power, and Gandhi's Indianization to subsequent mass nationalism; demonstrates how parts collectively illuminate the shift from colonial competition to anti-colonial mobilizationSeparate conclusions for each part without cross-referencing; summary restatement of main points without analytical elevationMissing or abrupt conclusion; irrelevant personal opinion; failure to address the specific demands of any sub-part

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