History UPSC PYQ 2019

Assess the rule of Zainul Abedin in Kashmir.

Is it justified to say that the Government of India Act of 1935 had all brakes, but no engine?

Q8 (Paper 2). (a) Do you subscribe to the view that the Greek War of Independence was mired in contrasts of the best and the worst episodes? How did it affect the Concert of Europe? (20 marks) (b) Was Czechoslovakia served on a dish to Hitler at Munich? What were its implications? (20 marks) (c) Analyse the role of Egypt after the Second World War in bringing about Arab unity. (10 marks)

"Non-alignment came to symbolize the struggle of India and other newly independent nations to retain and strengthen their independence from colonialism and imperialism."

The emergence of early capitalism in the Mughal period was primarily due to urbanisation and commercialisation. Comment.

With reference to Mughal India, what is/are the difference/differences between Jagirdar and Zamindar? Jagirdars were holders of land assignments in lieu of judicial and police duties, whereas Zamindars were holders of revenue rights without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection. Land assignments to Jagirdars were hereditary and revenue rights or Zamindars were not hereditary. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Internal strife and conflict beset with personal ambitions was enough of an invitation for the Ghurids to invade India. Discuss.

"Tipu Sultan was trying to build in Mysore a strong centralised and militarised state, with ambitious territorial designs."

Why is the Quit India Movement characterised as a 'Spontaneous Revolution'? Did it accelerate the process of Indian independence?

Do you subscribe to the view that the Greek War of Independence was mired in contrasts of the best and the worst episodes? How did it affect the Concert of Europe?

"The Cripps Mission was plagued throughout, and ultimately torpedoed."

Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim. (i) Brick temple site (ii) Early Harappan site (iii) Ancient seaport and trade centre (iv) Stone age site (v) Neolithic site (vi) Archaeological site (vii) Ancient capital city (viii) Ancient capital (ix) Harappan site (x) Ancient inscriptions site (xi) A Rock-cut cave site (xii) Ancient capital city (xiii) Famous temple site (xiv) Centre of School of art (xv) Ancient inscriptional site (xvi) Ancient education centre (xvii) Pre-Harappan site (xviii) Chalcolithic period site (xix) Early inscriptional site (xx) Ancient petroglyphs site

Assess the statement that 'the philosophy of Shankaracharya revolutionised religious thoughts in India'.

How did the introduction of Community Development Programme and Panchayati Raj promote welfare of rural India?

Q2 (Paper 2). (a) How far was the drain theory a focal point of nationalist critique of colonialism? (20 marks) (b) Examine the forces at work for the introduction of western education in India. Analyse the thrust given to it by the Christian Missionaries. (20 marks) (c) Do you subscribe to the view that the Anglo-French tussle in Carnatic demonstrated the internal decay of the provincial chieftains of South India? (10 marks)

Q2 (Paper 1). (a) "Do you agree that archaeological evidence often helps in the better understanding of literary sources?" (15 marks) (b) On the Sunga period art and architecture development in relation to anti-Buddhist beliefs. (15 marks) (c) Whether agricultural mastery facilitated Harappan urban development. (15 marks)

There are no literary sources for the Harappan culture and no archaeological evidence for the Vedic period. Explain the phenomenon.

Examine the forces at work for the introduction of western education in India. Analyse the thrust given to it by the Christian Missionaries.

Q4 (Paper 1). (a) Ashoka's use of religion as a political expansion tool. (15 marks) (b) Land grant systems during the Gupta-Vakataka period and state decentralisation. (15 marks) (c) Hippalus's discovery of the monsoon and its impact on Indo-Roman trade. (15 marks)

Q6 (Paper 2). (a) How did the policies of governments facilitate the process of industrialization in Europe? (20 marks) (b) How was Italy transformed from 'a geographical expression' to a nation state? (20 marks) (c) How far did the Napoleonic preferential stance to help out the French economy result in embroiling France in continental conflicts? (10 marks)

Q5 (Paper 1). Answer in about 150 words each: (a) Vijayanagara as the cultural capital of the south. (b) The status of Sanskrit in Mughal India. (c) The rule of Zainul Abedin in Kashmir. (d) The economic measures of Alauddin Khalji were aimed at greater political control. (e) The European impact on Mughal paintings.

How would you explain the nature of pre-Marxian Socialism?

Do you agree that the system of land grants from the Gupta-Vakataka period was connected with the decentralisation of state in any way?

Did the mastery over agriculture act as a leverage for the rise of Harappan towns and cities? Discuss.

Q7 (Paper 2). (a) Which factors would you attribute to the British colonial intervention in Malaya in the 19th century? How did Malays react to British colonial rule? (20 marks) (b) Explain why Latin America was beset with chronic political instability and endemic military conflicts throughout most of the 19th century. (20 marks) (c) Do you agree with the view that the formation of NATO marked a revolution in American attitude to the world's problems? (10 marks)

The Mughals built like Titans and embellished like jewellers. Comment.

Examine the status of Sanskrit in Mughal India.

Critically analyse whether the success of the Mughals is to be credited to their robust Jagirdari and Mansabdari system.

How did the policies of governments facilitate the process of industrialisation in Europe?

Delineate the state of agriculture during the Sultanate period.

Q3 (Paper 2). (a) How would you explain the major trends of the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal? (20 marks) (b) Is it justified to say that the Government of India Act of 1935 had all brakes, but no engine? (20 marks) (c) How far was the widow remarriage movement effective in arousing social concern for Indian women? (10 marks)

Shivaji was not merely a military conqueror but also was an enlightened ruler. Discuss.

Explain why Latin America was beset with chronic political instability and endemic military conflicts throughout most of the 19th century.

Q6 (Paper 1). (a) "Assess the statement that 'the philosophy of Shankaracharya revolutionised religious thoughts in India'." (20 marks) (b) Delineate the state of agriculture during the Sultanate period. (15 marks) (c) "Sufi and Bhakti thoughts ennobled Indian psyche amidst the vagaries of time." (15 marks)

Examine how the transformation of the Varna system from the Rigvedic to the Later-Vedic period affected the position of women.

The flourishing international trade during the Kushana period gave tremendous impetus to the development of art. Discuss.

Q5 (Paper 2). Critically examine the following statements in about 150 words each: (a) "The arguments of the free traders were a curious mixture of economic hardheadedness, social benevolence, cosmopolitan idealism and class prejudice." (b) "There are many ways in which the war of 1914-18 was unprecedented, and in human history, entirely novel." (c) "The ineffectiveness of the League of Nations to prevent or to check Japanese aggression against China was the first serious blow to its prestige as an agency for providing security." (d) "Non-alignment came to symbolize the struggle of India and other newly independent nations to retain and strengthen their independence from colonialism and imperialism." (e) How would you explain the nature of pre-Marxian Socialism?

Q1 (Paper 2). Critically examine the following statements in about 150 words each: (a) "Tipu Sultan was trying to build in Mysore a strong centralized and militarized state, with ambitious territorial designs." (b) "Not until independence, when economic development became a conscious and pursued policy, did the Railways begin to realize their potential for assisting in the transformation of the Indian economy." (c) "Two important intellectual criteria which informed the reform movements were rationalism and religious universalism." (d) "...the Kol Insurrection was mainly a war of the tribal inhabitants of Chotanagpur against the non-tribal settlers and service-holders." (e) "The Cripps Mission was plagued throughout, and ultimately torpedoed."

"The ineffectiveness of the League of Nations to prevent or to check Japanese aggression against China was the first serious blow to its prestige as an agency for providing security."

Q7 (Paper 1). (a) "The emergence of early capitalism in the Mughal period was primarily due to urbanisation and commercialisation." (20 marks) (b) "Internal strife and conflict beset with personal ambitions was enough of an invitation for the Ghurids to invade India." (15 marks) (c) "The Mughals built like Titans and embellished like jewellers." (15 marks)

Examine the European impact on Mughal paintings.

"... the Kol Insurrection was mainly a war of the tribal inhabitants of Chotanagpur against the non-tribal settlers and service-holders."

How was Italy transformed from 'a geographical expression' to a nation-state?

Which factors would you attribute to the British colonial intervention in Malaya in the 19th century? How did Malays react to British colonial rule?

Do you subscribe to the view that the Anglo-French tussle in Carnatic demonstrated the internal decay of the provincial chieftains of South India?

Analyse the role of Egypt after the Second World War in bringing about Arab unity.

Q8 (Paper 1). (a) "Critically analyse whether the success of the Mughals is to be credited to their robust Jagirdari and Mansabdari system." (20 marks) (b) "It was as much the court intrigues as also the defiance of the provincial powers that hastened the decline of the Mughals in the 18th century." (15 marks) (c) "Shivaji was not merely a military conqueror but also was an enlightened ruler." (15 marks)

Q3 (Paper 1). (a) International trade during the Kushana period and art development. (15 marks) (b) Varna system transformation from Rigvedic to Later Vedic period affecting women's status. (15 marks) (c) Absence of literary sources for the Harappan culture versus non-archaeological evidence for the Vedic period. (15 marks)

Q4 (Paper 2). (a) Why is the Quit India Movement characterized as a 'Spontaneous Revolution'? Did it accelerate the process of Indian independence? (20 marks) (b) Assess the role of Subhas Chandra Bose in India's struggle for independence. (20 marks) (c) How did the introduction of Community Development Programme and Panchayati Raj promote welfare of rural India? (10 marks)

Answer the following questions in about 150 words each :

Assess the role of Subhas Chandra Bose in India's struggle for independence.

"Two important intellectual criteria which informed the reform movements were rationalism and religious universalism."

How would you explain the major trends of the Swadeshi Movement in Bengal?

Discuss how Vijayanagar empire became the cultural capital of the south?

The economic measures of Alauddin Khalji were aimed at greater political control. Discuss.

Was Czechoslovakia served on a dish to Hitler at Munich? What were its implications?

The development of art and architecture during the Sunga period belies the belief that they were anti-Buddhist. Discuss.

How far was the widow remarriage movement effective in arousing social concern for Indian women?

The discovery of monsoons by Hippalus gave a new direction to Indo-Roman trade during the Satavahana period. Comment.

"There are many ways in which the war of 1914 - 18 was unprecedented, and in human history, entirely novel."

How far was the drain theory a focal point of nationalist critique of colonialism?

Do you agree with the view that the formation of NATO marked a revolution in American attitude to the world problems?

Sufi and Bhakti thoughts ennobled Indian psyche amidst the vagaries of time. Elucidate.

"Not until independence, when economic development became a conscious and pursued policy, did the Railways begin to realize their potential for assisting in the transformation of the Indian economy."

Explain how Ashoka used religion as a tool of political aggrandizement?

How far did the Napoleonic preferential stance to help the French economy result in embroiling France in continental conflicts?

Consider the following statements: Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

"The arguments of the free traders were a curious mixture of economic hard-headedness, social benevolence, cosmopolitan idealism and class prejudice."

It was as much the court intrigues as also the defiance of the provincial powers that hastened the decline of the Mughals in the 18th century. Comment.

Do you agree that archaeological evidence often helps in the better understanding of literary sources? Comment.