Category: Selfstudyhistory.com

Q. Examine the key features of ‘New Imperialism’ in relation to the resurgence of colonialism during the nineteenth century. [10 Marks] NOTE: All those enrolled can send their answers for evaluation in PDF format after scanning (you can use any app) on selfstudyhistory@gmail.com Name your file as your name and day. For example, if your […]

Q. “The First World War did not produce just political consequences, it also had a deep impact on the ways of thinking.” Critically examine. [UPSC- 2025] Ans: The First World War (1914–1918) was not merely a geopolitical rupture that destroyed empires and redrew national boundaries. The unprecedented scale of mechanised killing, mass mobilisation and social […]

Q. Review the features of the ‘New Imperialism’ in the context of the revival of colonialism in the nineteenth century. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The term “New Imperialism” generally refers to the rapid expansion of European colonial control, especially after 1870 and up to the First World War. Unlike the earlier phase of colonialism centred mainly […]

Q. “Permanent settlement policy resulted in an unfair distribution of assessment, particularly when there was no survey.” Critically examine. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The Permanent Settlement of 1793, introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal, Bihar and parts of Orissa, sought to create a stable landed aristocracy and ensure a predictable revenue flow to the East India […]

Q. “Immanuel Kant was an advocate of liberalism and nationalism.” Critically examine. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: Immanuel Kant (1724–1804), one of the foremost thinkers of the European Enlightenment, placed individual autonomy, reason, republican government and universal moral law at the centre of his philosophy. While these ideas made him an important intellectual precursor of modern liberalism, […]

Q. “The Meiji reign (1868–1912) was an epoch making in the industrial history of Japan.” Critically examine. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The Meiji Restoration of 1868 marked Japan’s transition from a feudal Tokugawa order to a modern, centralised nation-state. Under the slogan “Fukoku Kyohei” — Rich Country, Strong Army, the Meiji state consciously pursued industrialisation to […]

Q. Discuss the core principles and significance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. [UPSC- 2026] Ans: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was established through the Washington Treaty of 1949 as a trans-Atlantic political-military alliance. Its primary objective is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. Its contemporary […]

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 […]