cht 1

indian tradition

Self Test: History & Political Science (Chapter 1)

Historiography: Indian Tradition

• Q. 1: "Stripurush Tulana" written by Tarabai Shinde is acknowledged as the first feminist book in India.

• Q. 2: Notable British historians who wrote on Indian history:

  1. James Mill - The History of British India

  2. James Grant Duff - The History of Mahrattas

  3. Mountstuart ElS. A. Dange

  4. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar - Who were the Shudras

• Q. 3: Wrong pair identified: The Indian War of Independence – Marxist History.

• Q. 4: Nationalistic Historiography:

  • English education in the 19th century led Indian historians to celebrate their national heritage.

  • Aimed to restore pride in India's ancient glory and foster self-esteem in Indian readers.

  • Laid the foundation for Nationalistic writing.

  • Opposed prejudiced narratives by British historians and emphasized the golden era of Indian history.

  • Sometimes criticized for not critically analyzing historical truths.

Subaltern History

• Q. 2: Characteristics of Subaltern History:

  1. Focuses on histories of deprived classes and communities lacking rights.

  2. Influenced by Marxist history, emphasizing perspectives of the lower strata of society.

  3. Antonio Gramsci highlighted the need to begin historical narratives from the bottom.

  4. Ranjit Guha promoted subaltern history as a crucial area in historiography.

  5. Reflections in the works of Mahatma Phule and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

• Q. 5: Contributions of Nationalistic Historians:

  1. Indian historians in British educational institutions sought to restore Indian self-esteem.

  2. Regional historians criticized biased British accounts and concentrated on local geographic and historical contexts.

  3. Similarly, this genre encouraged the independence movement and regional historical writings.

Regional Histories

• Q. 6: Post-independence trends include:

  1. Emergence of Marxist historiography emphasizing class struggles.

  2. Importance of the modes of production and social dynamics in history writing.

  3. Transition studies within the caste system.

  4. Prominent Marxist historians include Damodar Kosambi, Comrade Shripad Dange, Sharad Patil, and Ram Sharan Sharma, all reflecting Marxist ideologies.

  5. Comrade Dange was noted as a founding member of the Indian Communist Party.

Self Test: History & Political Science (Chapter 2)

Contributions of V. K. Rajwade

1. Renowned for writings in Marathi regarding history, linguistics, etymology, and grammar.

2. Compiled 22 volumes of Marathyanchya Itihasachi Sadhane, stating history represents the comprehensive image of past societies.

3. Argued that history encompasses more than political narratives and power struggles.

4. Advocated for authentic sourcing in historical writing.

5. Emphasized a balanced approach in historiography, combining Time, Space, and Personalities.