Category: Selfstudyhistory.com

Q. The conquests of Napoleon were ephemeral but his civilian work was built on granite. Explain. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: Napoleon Bonaparte dominated Europe militarily between 1799 and 1815. At its height, his empire extended from the Iberian Peninsula to Central and Eastern Europe. Yet the military edifice collapsed rapidly after the disasters in Spain, Russia […]

Q. “The rise of the Cordelier Club in France was significant for the revolutionary body.” Critically examine. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The Cordeliers Club, formally known as the Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, emerged during the French Revolution as one of the most radical political clubs of Paris. […]

Q. Would you consider eighteenth century in India an era of ‘Dark Age’, or a period of economic growth? Elucidate. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: Older historians often portrayed the 18th century as a “Dark Age”—an era of political disintegration, warfare, administrative decay and economic decline following the weakening of the Mughal Empire after Aurangzeb’s death in […]

Q. “No educated Indian has ever forgotten the lesson of Ilbert Bill.” Critically examine. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The Ilbert Bill controversy of 1883–84 was one of the most revealing racial confrontations of early colonial India. Introduced during the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon (known for relatively liberal policies) and drafted by Law Member Sir Courtenay Ilbert, […]

Q. “The Acerbo law played a crucial role in strengthening Mussolini’s hold on power by undermining democratic institutions in Italy.” Examine. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The Acerbo Law of 1923 was a decisive instrument in the transformation of Italy from a fragile parliamentary democracy into Mussolini’s Fascist dictatorship. Proposed by Giacomo Acerbo, a Fascist deputy, the […]

SECTION ‘A’ 1. Critically examine the following statements in about 150 words each:  10×5=50 1.(a) “Superior Maritime strength proved to be England’s most powerful weapon in the struggle for colonial supremacy, particularly in the Carnatic Wars.” [10 Marks] 1.(b) “No educated Indian has ever forgotten the lesson of Ilbert Bill.” [10 Marks] 1.(c) “Permanent settlement […]

Q. Why did the abdication of power by Alauddin Alam Shah in favour of Bahlol Lodi not culminate in the establishment of the Lodi Dynasty? Elucidate. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The withdrawal of Alauddin Alam Shah, the last Sayyid ruler, from Delhi and the accession of Bahlol Lodi in 1451 did in fact mark the beginning […]

Q. Critically analyze Barani’s Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi and identify the shortcomings in his account. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: Ziauddin Barani’s Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi is one of the most important Persian chronicles for the history of the Delhi Sultanate. Written in the mid-fourteenth century, it broadly covers the period from Ghiyasuddin Balban to the early years of Firoz Shah […]

SECTION- A 1. 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. [50 marks] (i) Harappan burial site (ii) Harappan site […]

Q. Barani’s “Fatwa-i-Jahandari” was not a proper account of the Delhi Sultanate, rather a lament. Elucidate. [UPSC- 2025] Ans: Ziauddin Barani, one of the most important political thinkers and chroniclers of the Delhi Sultanate, wrote the Fatawa-i-Jahandari in the fourteenth century. Unlike his Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi, which is primarily historical in character, the Fatawa-i-Jahandari is essentially […]