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(9987063403, bhushan2006@gmail.com, www.biasips.blogspot.com) Strategy for History mains By Bhushan Deshmukh If the prelim s is to be compared with one day match, mains could be described as test match. The temperament and technique to play it is different then prelims. Prelim is mainly factual study, many times without knowing how or why. On the other hand main s is analytical study, knowing the essence of the story. With introduction of 30 marks questions instade of 60 marks, you are suppose to know the essence of many more stories. As it is rightly said that history is not a study of facts, but interpretation of facts. Facts are just raw material with which interpretation is done. Answers in the main s are about your interpretation of History. Here you have to balance different view points. For that purpose you have to know different view points. At least three main currents i.e. leftist, centrist and rightist. The angle of focus on history has constantly changed. From Political to Cultural to Economic. It will do one time if your facts go wrong, but analysis is correct, but other way round will not do. How much scoring history is? History is most popular option is U.P.S.C. examination for obvious reasons. It has synergy with General studies. 50 marks questions of modern India get covered in optional history (As per mains 2009). It is also useful in writing essay. Since at least one socio-cultural issue comes as a topic, historic vision gives depth to the arguments. (for e.g.. Globlisation vs. Nationalism in mains 2009) History complements with any combination of optional but goes best with political science. Second best combination is Public Administration. Percentile method is not applied in the mains. History is directly compared with other subjects. History is highly subjective subject. Suppose the question was given Evaluate the Gandhi, then all candidates will write different answers. Who of them is right & who is wrong? No one. It depends on how arguments are pushed. This makes the subject safe. Generally it is not possible that you don t know anything about the answer. Ultimately you fetch some minimum marks in each question. That way no body goes below 200 in history. But going by same logic history also does not give very high marks. There is nothing called perfect answer. Because of this phenomenon marks do not go above 380. But then to get into IAS one need to get 55-60% marks in the subject and that makes this subject an attractive proposition. History is scoring subject. One of my student Chinmaya Aurangabadkar scored 372 in history in 2009 mains in her first attempt to get the 139 rank. We can refer to the data of those written mains 2009. This is the larges sample group of 9026 (excludes only those handful who are chosen for interview). We can observe that History is third most popular optional taken (2777), just after Public Administration (3067) and Geography (3190) But if we the average marks secured by the candidates then History (242) is better then Public Administration (232) and Geography (221) History is the scientific subject and can be studied scientifically. It is as scientific as physics or mathematics, only since it is from humanities side, things are open ended. Bhushan V. Deshmukh - 1 -

For those who are having History as first optional in prelim, - Be cautious, don t overestimate your knowledge of History. Prepare separately for mains. For those who are having History as second optional, - Be cautious, you have to compete with candidates who are having history as a first optional in prelims. For prelim s tracking syllabus may not be a fruitful exercise, but for mains it is. The vast syllabus cannot be covered without the pointers. What is interesting is that syllabus of mains is clearly defined and examiners remain stick to it. (For e.g. in 2009 mains question asked word to word from lines of syllabus, Foreign accounts: Greek, Chinese (60) Coinage of the Guptas (30) Indian Feudalism (20), Muhammad Tughluq: agrarian measures(20), theory of Sulh-i-kul(20), Mughal Population(20), Kalhan s Rajtarangini(30) Akbar :Court patronage of art and technology (30)) The compulsory map question should be solved first and prepared first. Twenty sites are given & you have to mark the fifteen sites on the given map and describe its importance in four lines. Two marks for marking site and two for description. Sites given are of specific importance in history (for e.g. Kuchai, Utnar, Daojali Hading in mains 2009) By daily practice this question can turned into scoring one. They give blank map with only India s international boundaries.(as in 2009 mains) It is safer to make blocks and practice. Sites from Ancient and medieval India are asked. Spectrum has published the book about Ancient Indian places. Ensemble has come out with History Through Maps, a well researched and royally presented work. In paper II world history is to be targeted. On modern India now so much research is available that there is no end of interpretation. Comparatively world history is straight and neutral. There are controversies in France about how the fall of Napoleon took place, but there are no such controversies in India. As it is, if world history questions are difficult you can jump to modern India in the last moment but reverse is not true. IGNOU books are useful for mains too. Publication division has done grand job of publishing material which prove very helpful for the mains. They are 1) India Art & Architecture in Ancient & Medieval Period 2) India Early History 3) India Government & Economic life in Ancient and Medieval periods For world History good work is done by Jain & Mathur. Their book for world History mains is excellent. It has covered our syllabus topic wise, but it is also true that it is not edited properly. Recently a book is published by Krishna Reddy by the name Modern World overcomes this issue. It has avoided the bulkiness and is updated with recent changes in syllabus. World History by L.Mukherjee is lucid and will make answers readable. It can be used as complementary with Jain & Mathur or Krishna Reddy. If you analyze the past papers you will be surprised to find that most of the questions are repeated from the last ten year papers. So that s the hint. Here some analysis of past papers from 2001 onwards. Bhushan V. Deshmukh - 2 -

Ancient India Topic Sub-topic Brief Description 30 Marks 60 Marks 1 Sources i) Archeological sources 2003 ii) Exploration, excavation, epigraphy, numismatics, monuments 2007/09 2 Pre-history and Proto-history 3 Indus Valley Civilization 2002 4 Megalithic Cultures 2008 5 Aryans and Vedic Period 2009 2004 6 Period of Mahajanapadas i) Economic growth; Introduction of coinage 2003 ii) Spread of Jainism and Buddhism 2007 iii) Rise of Magadha and Nandas 2001 7 Mauryan Empire i) Polity, Administration 2005 ii) Religion; Spread of religion; Literature 2004 8 Post - Mauryan Period 2008 9 Early State and Society in Eastern India, Deccan and South India 2008 10 Guptas, Vakatakas and Vardhanas i) Polity and administration 2009 2006/05 ii) Indian feudalism, Caste system, Position of women 2007/05 iii) Education and educational institutions 2003 11 Regional States during Gupta Era i) Chalukyas of Badami ii) Palas, Senas, Rashtrakutas 12 Themes in Early Indian Cultural History i) major stages in the evolution of art and architecture 2004/2009 ii) ideas in Science and Mathematics 2001 Medieval India Topic Brief Description 20 Marks 30 Marks 60 Marks 13 Early Medieval India, 750-1200 The Cholas: administration, village economy and society 2009 2004/07 Indian Feudalism 2005/09 14 Cultural Traditions in India, 750-1200 Philosophy: Skankaracharya and Vedanta 2001 2008 Growth of Bhakti 2002 Sufism 2003 Kalhan s Rajtarangini 2003 2009 Alberuni s India 2007 2003 15 The Thirteenth Century Consolidation: The rule of Iltutmish and Balban 2004/08 2009 16 The Fourteenth Century The Khalji Revolution 2006 Alauddin Khalji 2001 Muhammad Tughluq 2003/04/09 17 Society, Culture and Economy in the 13 th & 14 th Centuries Sufi movement 2006 2009 18 The 15 th & Early 16 th Century Political Developments and Economy Mughal Empire, First phase: Babur and Humayun 2001 The Sur Empire: Sher Shah s administration 2006 Bhakti and Sufi Movements 2005 2001/03/04/05/07 Bhushan V. Deshmukh - 3 -

Portuguese Colonial Enterprise 2008 19 The 15 th & Early 16 th Century Society and Culture Literary traditions 2002 20 Akbar Establishment of Jagir and Mansab systems 2002 Rajput policy 2003/07 Evolution of religious and social outlook 2004/06/09 2002 21 Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century Major administrative policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and 2004 Aurangzeb Religious policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb 2006 2009 Ahom Kingdom 2008 22 Economy and Society in the 16 th & 17 th Centuries Agriculture & craft 2008 Towns, commerce with Europe 2009 2006 Indian mercantile classes, banking, insurance and credit systems 2005 Evolution of Khalasa 2008 23 Culture in the Mughal Empire Hindi and other religious literature 2006 Mughal architecture 2001 2002 Mughal painting 2005/07 Science and technology 2001 2009 24 The Eighteenth Century Factors for the decline of the Mughal Empire 2005 Maratha ascendancy under the Peshwas 2001 The Maratha fiscal and financial system 2003/04/07 Emergence of Afghan Power, Battle of Panipat:1761 2002 2008 Modern India Topic Subto Brief Description 20 Marks 30 Marks 60 Marks 1 European Penetration into India 2002/6 2009 2002 2 British Expansion in India 2001/4/5 2009 2006 3 Early Structure of the British Raj 2004 2005 1 English Utilitarian 2008 4 Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule 2001/3/4/5/6/9 2001/3/4/6/7 1 Famine and poverty in the rural interior 2003 2002/5/8 2 Drain of wealth 2008 5 Social and Cultural Developments 2008 2004 6 Social and Religious Reform movements in Bengal 2005/7/9 2009 and Other Areas 7 Indian Response to British Rule 2001 1 The Great Revolt of 1857 2005/7/9 8 Factors leading to the birth of Indian Nationalism 2001 1 National Congress 2002 2009 2 the Moderates and Extremists 2006 2003 9 Rise of Gandhi 2002 1 the Khilafat Movement; the Non-cooperation Movement 2008 2007 2 beginning of the Civil Disobedience movement 2005 3 Quit India Movement; 2001/3 2009 4 The Cabinet Mission 2004 10 Constitutional Developments in the Colonial India 2007 11 Other strands of the National Movement Bhushan V. Deshmukh - 4 -

1 The Revolutionaries 2008 2003 2 The Left 2002/6 3 Subhas Chandra Bose 2002 12 Politics of Separatism 2006/09 2009 13 Consolidation as a Nation; Nehru s Foreign Policy 1 Integration of Princely States 2007 2 Nehru s Foreign Policy 2001/4 14 Caste and Ethnicity after 1947 2008 15 Economic development and political change World History Topic Subtopic Brief Description 20 Marks 30 Marks 60 Marks 16 Enlightenment and Modern ideas (i) Major Ideas of Enlightenment 2004 2008 (ii) Spread of Enlightenment (iii) Rise of socialist ideas 2001/8 17 Origins of Modern Politics (i) European States System (ii) American Revolution and the Constitution. 2006 2005 (iii) French revolution and after math, 1789-1815. 2002/3/4/5/6/7 2009 2001 (iv) American Civil War (v) British Democratic Politics, 1815-1850; 2005 2004 18 Industrialization (i) English Industrial Revolution: (ii) Industrialization in other countries: 2009 (iii) Industrialization and Globalization. 2009 19 Nation-State System (i) Rise of Nationalism in 19th century (ii) Nationalism : state-building 2001/4/5 2002/3 (iii) Disintegration of Empires 2001/6 20 Imperialism and Colonialism (i) South and South-East Asia (ii) Latin America and South Africa 2009 2001 (iii) Australia (iv) Imperialism and free trade: 2007 21 Revolution and Counter-Revolution : (i) 19th Century European revolutions 2008 (ii) The Russian Revolution of 1917-1921 2005 2009 2003 (iii) Fascist Counter-Revolution 2005 2004/7 (iv) The Chinese Revolution of 1949 2002/5/6 22 World Wars (i) 1st and 2nd World Wars as Total Wars: 2007 (ii) World War I : Causes and Consequences 2001/3/4/6 (iii) World War II : Causes and consequence 2002/8/9 23 The World after World War II: (i) Emergence of two power blocs 2008 2005 (ii) Emergence of Third World and Non-Alignment (iii) UNO and the global disputes 2003 2009 24 Liberation from Colonial Rule: (i) Latin America-Bolivar (ii) Arab World-Egypt 2009 2001 (iii) Africa-Apartheid to Democracy 2006 (iv) South-East Asia-Vietnam 2009 Bhushan V. Deshmukh - 5 -

25 Decolonization and Underdevelopment (i) Factors constraining Development : 2009 26 Unification of Europe (i) Post War Foundations : 2003/7 (ii) Consolidation of European Community (iii) European Union. 27 Disintegration of Soviet Union (i) Collapse of Soviet communism 2002/4/7 (ii) Political Changes in Eastern Europe 1989-2001 2008 (iii) End of the Cold War and US Ascendancy 2003/8 Study for mains cannot be general like prelims. Reading generally will not do. One has to focus on relevant areas. Guesswork has to be done to what will come and what will not.(and be mentally prepared for third thing in paper) Nothing likes that if the notes are prepared in questionanswer format. If you get ready with say 150-200 questions with outline of answers then you can stuck a jackpot. Chronicle Publication has published the book in such format and will prove useful for reference. It may sound absurd, but NCERT books on History, both old and new versions are highly useful in writing the mains answers. They present the clue about direction and the structure of the answer. It is very common to say that one has to do writing practice. I repeat it is necessary. Candidates dream that as soon as study is over they will give tests. That s ideal, seldom has this happened. Studies may never get over. Just make a timetable of tests, follow it strictly, and get it checked from competent authority and discuss them out. Handwriting, speed, fluency and structure of answer play a main role in marks. One should give full attention to the direction of the question like Discuss, Explain, Evaluate, Describe, Compare etc. Each of them connotes different meaning. Where ever possible the answer should be substantiated with tables, diagrams and flowcharts. The sudden twist in the story In last Mains (2009) UPSC surprised (or shocked) the candidates by changing the question format. Instead of 60 marks question, they divided it into two questions of 30 marks. This was not done only in History but in all other optional. Its like test match suddenly turned into 20-20. With this examiner were able to cover far more syllabus, they are able ask the questions on such areas on which its not possible to ask questions in 60 marks pattern (for e.g. use of gold coins by commoners in Gupta period) Earlier hardly three questions are asked on Ancient, Medieval, Modern and World each. That means luck played important role. If you have luckily touched a particular part which came then hit. Those who otherwise studied harder but not studied a part that came in the paper, then you are gone. This is balanced now, with much more areas asked, covering the range of syllabus has become important. There is one more twist. Since the old format is divided into two questions. It bought the catch-22 situation for the candidates. Suppose you know the (a) answer of question 4 and (b) answer of question (5), no use, you have to answer either 4 or 5. Many found themselves helpless and lost the battle in the exam hall itself. Actually every mains UPSC will surely keep throwing new surprises, keep changing the pattern of questions ask so that nobody should take disadvantage of it. So those who accepted the changes with open heart survived. Those who were not able to and remain rigid ended up getting low score. Not to forget that the biggest test scorer in the world Sachin Tendulkar has won the Orange Cap for the best batsman in the 20-20 format. Bhushan V. Deshmukh - 6 -