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Q76 (IAS/2020) History & Culture › National Movement (1857–1947) › Early national politics Official Key

With reference to the book "Desher Katha" written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statements : 1. It warned against the Colonial State's hypnotic conquest of the mind. 2. It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs. 3. The use of 'desh' by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal .. Which of the statements given above are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1 (1 and 2 only). Published in 1904, Desher Katha (Tales of the Nation) was a seminal work by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar that played a pivotal role during the Swadeshi Movement.

  • Statement 1 is correct: Deuskar warned against the "hypnotic conquest of the mind," arguing that British rule survived not just through force, but by psychologically convincing Indians of the superiority of Western civilization and the "benevolence" of colonial rule.
  • Statement 2 is correct: The book’s vivid documentation of economic exploitation reached the masses through oral traditions. It directly inspired Swadeshi street plays (Jatras) and folk songs, becoming a textbook for revolutionary activists.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: Although written in Bengali, Deuskar used "desh" to refer to the entire Indian nation, not just the region of Bengal. His focus was on the pan-Indian struggle against colonial economic drain, making his appeal nationalist rather than regional.
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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the book "Desher Katha" written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar during the freedom struggle, consider the following statemen…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 3.3/10

This is a classic 'Bouncer' derived from the periphery of standard texts. While Spectrum mentions Deuskar as a populariser of economic critique, the specific phrasing ('hypnotic conquest') comes from academic discourse or specific cultural anniversaries. The key was to identify the 'trap' in Statement 3 regarding the scope of nationalism.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the Indian freedom struggle) warn against the Colonial State's "hypnotic conquest of the mind"?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 28: Economic Impact of British Rule in India > Economic Issue a Stimulant to National Unrest > p. 552
Strength: 5/5
“The nationalist agitation on economic issues served to undermine the ideological hegemony of alien rulers over Indian minds that the foreign rule was in the interest of Indians, thus exposing the myth of its moral foundations. It was also shown clearly that India was poor because it was being ruled for British interests. This agitation was one of the stimulants for intellectual unrest and spread of national consciousness during the moderate phase of freedom struggle (1875-1905)—the seed-time of national movement. Till the end of the 19th century, the nationalists had been demanding some share in political power and control over the purse.”
Why relevant

Says nationalist agitation undermined the ideological hegemony of alien rulers over Indian minds, exposing the myth that foreign rule was in Indians' interest — a pattern of concern with mental/ideological domination.

How to extend

A student could use this rule to look for similar language/metaphors in Desher Katha (e.g., 'conquest of the mind', 'hegemony', 'myth') to see if the book frames colonial rule as mental domination.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 1: Sources for the History of Modern India > Newspapers and Journals > p. 9
Strength: 4/5
“Indian nationalists and revolutionaries living abroad published newspapers and journals—Indian Sociologist (London, Shyamji Krishnavarma), Bande Matram (Paris, Madam Cama), Talwar (Berlin, Virendranath Chattopadhyay), and Ghadar (San Francisco, Lala Hardayal) to infuse a feeling of nationalism among Indians living abroad. Newspapers depict almost all aspects of life in colonial India from around the 1870s onwards. From the 1920s onwards, newspapers tracked the major events during the freedom struggle. However, newspaper accounts cannot be seen as unprejudiced or completely objective. The accounts that were published in a newspaper in London by the pro-British Raj people were bound to be different from the report in an Indian nationalist paper.”
Why relevant

Notes that nationalists used newspapers and journals abroad to 'infuse a feeling of nationalism' — indicating an active struggle over public opinion and minds via print media.

How to extend

A student could check whether Desher Katha addresses press/propaganda or countermessaging as tools of colonial mental influence or resistance.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 2: Major Approaches to the History of Modern India > Cambridge School > p. 18
Strength: 3/5
“According to this school of thought, the fundamental contradiction under colonial rule was not between imperialism and the Indian people, but among the Indians themselves. Further, Indian nationalism was not the product of a struggle of the Indian people against colonial exploitation, but what arose from conflict among the Indians for getting the benefits given to them by the British rulers. The leaders of the national movement, according to this school, were inspired by the quest for power and material benefits. This approach has been criticised by many scholars on the ground that it takes the mind or ideals out of human behaviour and reduces nationalism to 'animal politics'.”
Why relevant

Describes a historiographical critique that some approaches 'take the mind or ideals out of human behaviour', highlighting that debates explicitly treated 'mind/ideals' as central to political behavior under colonial rule.

How to extend

A student might test whether Desher Katha engages explicitly with Indian minds/ideals (rather than only material grievances), which would support the plausibility of a warning about 'hypnotic' influence.

Political Theory, Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Freedom > Political Theory > p. 19
Strength: 3/5
“These are deep thoughts that lead us to pause and consider their implications. We must not, her words suggest, be afraid of the opinions of other people, or of the attitude of authority, or of the reactions of the members of our community to the things we want to do, of the ridicule of our peers, or of speaking our mind. Yet we find that we often exhibit such fear. For Aung San Suu Kyi living a 'dignified human life' requires us to be able to overcome such fear. From these two books of Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, we can see the power of the ideal of freedom, an ideal that was at the centre of our national struggle and the struggles of the peoples of Asia and Africa against British, French and Portuguese colonialism.”
Why relevant

Discusses freedom as overcoming fear of authority and opinion — a theme about psychological domination and liberation of mind relevant to claims of 'hypnotic' conquest.

How to extend

Use this conceptual link to look for passages in Desher Katha that frame colonial rule as creating fear/mental paralysis or call for psychological emancipation.

India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Conclusion > p. 49
Strength: 2/5
“A growing anger against the colonial government was thus bringing together various groups and classes of Indians into a common struggle for freedom in the first half of the twentieth century. The Congress under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi tried to channel people's grievances into organised movements for independence. Through such movements the nationalists tried to forge a national unity. But as we have seen, diverse groups and classes participated in these movements with varied aspirations and expectations. As their grievances were wide-ranging, freedom from colonial rule also meant different things to different people. The Congress continuously attempted to resolve differences, and ensure that the demands of one group did not alienate another.”
Why relevant

Explains how diverse grievances coalesced into national consciousness, implying intellectual/unifying processes that counter colonial influence over people's thinking.

How to extend

A student could compare Desher Katha's emphasis (if any) on building national consciousness against colonial mental domination to see if it uses 'conquest of mind' rhetoric.

Statement 2
Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the Indian freedom struggle) inspire the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > New Forms of Struggle and Impact > p. 266
Strength: 5/5
“became a medium of swadeshi propaganda not only in western India, but also in Bengal. In Bengal also, the traditional folk theatre forms were used for this purpose.”
Why relevant

Says traditional folk theatre forms in Bengal were explicitly used as a medium of swadeshi propaganda.

How to extend

A student could check whether Desher Katha was circulated or adapted into folk-theatre scripts or referenced in Bengal samiti/folk performance records.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Swadeshi Movement > p. 804
Strength: 4/5
“Rabindranath Tagore composed several songs to inspire freedom struggle and revived Bengali folk music to rouse national pride. He also set up some swadeshi stores and called for the observance of raksha bandhan (tying of threads on each other's wrists as a sign of brotherhood). Aurobindo Ghosh was in favour of extending the movement to the rest of India. He was appointed as the principal of Bengal National College founded in 1906 to encourage patriotic thinking and an education system related to Indian conditions and culture. He was also the editor of Bande Mataram and through his editorials encouraged strikes, national education etc., in the spirit of the Swadeshi Movement.”
Why relevant

Notes Rabindranath Tagore revived Bengali folk music to rouse national pride, showing literary figures could stimulate folk musical revival for nationalist ends.

How to extend

Look for parallels by investigating if Deuskar's book included folk material or was cited by performers reviving songs.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Corps of Volunteers or 'Samitis' > p. 265
Strength: 5/5
“Samitis such as the Swadesh Bandhab Samiti of Ashwini Kumar Dutta (in Barisal) emerged as a very popular and powerful means of mass mobilisation. In Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, Subramania Siva and some lawyers formed the Swadeshi Sangam which inspired the local masses. These samitis generated political consciousness among the masses through magic lantern lectures, swadeshi songs, providing physical and moral training to their members, social work during famines and epidemics, organisation of schools, training in swadeshi crafts and arbitration courts.”
Why relevant

Describes samitis using swadeshi songs and public performances to mobilise masses—an organisational pathway for a book to inspire street plays/songs.

How to extend

Search samiti pamphlets, programs or reports for references to Desher Katha being used in their cultural programmes.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Impact in the Cultural Sphere > p. 267
Strength: 4/5
“The nationalists of all hues took inspiration from songs written by Rabindranath Tagore, Rajnikant Sen, Dwijendralal Ray, Mukunda Das, Syed Abu Mohammad and others. Tagore's Amar Sonar Bangla written on this occasion was later to inspire the liberation struggle of Bangladesh and was adopted by it as its national anthem. In Tamil Nadu, Subramania Bharati wrote Sudesha Geetham. In painting, Abanindranath Tagore broke the domination of Victorian naturalism over the Indian art scene and took inspiration from Ajanta, Mughal and Rajput paintings. Nandalal Bose, who left a major imprint on Indian art, was the first recipient of a scholarship offered by the Indian Society of Oriental Art, founded in 1907.”
Why relevant

Shows nationalists drew inspiration from contemporary poets and writers whose works generated songs and cultural activity.

How to extend

Investigate whether Deuskar was among authors whose texts were set to song or adapted by nationalist cultural activists.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > The 'Sannyasi-Fakir rebellion' > p. 106
Strength: 5/5
“traditionally travelled freely for pilgrimage and charity, found their movements restricted by the British East India Company policies, especially by the new land and taxation policies. The precise motivations of the sannyasis and fakirs have been debated, but over the next three decades they attacked British treasuries and tax collectors. The British called them 'bandits', executed some of them and used their superior forces to eventually defeat them. This rebellion later inspired the Bengali writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Anandamath (1882); it contained the song 'Vande Mātaram', which would inspire Indians during the struggle for freedom in the early 20th century and, after Independence, became India's national song.”
Why relevant

Gives the concrete example of Bankim Chandra's novel inspiring the song 'Vande Mataram'—demonstrating a pattern where a literary work spawns influential patriotic songs.

How to extend

Use this pattern to justify searching for evidence that Desher Katha similarly produced or inspired street-song adaptations.

Statement 3
In the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the Indian freedom struggle), was the use of the term "desh" specifically meant to refer to the region of Bengal?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar, Desher katha (Story of the Country), 342 pp, Calcutta, June 1904, October 1905, February 1906, October 1907."
Why this source?
  • The title is given an explicit translation as 'Story of the Country', which indicates 'desh' was rendered as 'country' rather than a specific province.
  • The bibliographic context places the work in wider circulation (multiple editions in Calcutta), consistent with a national rather than purely regional focus.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"In his well-known work, Desher Katha, which was published in 1904, he comprehensively showed the impact of colonialism on the Indian economy."
Why this source?
  • The passage states the book 'comprehensively showed the impact of colonialism on the Indian economy', linking its subject to India as a whole.
  • Discussion of 'the Indian economy' implies 'desh' was used in the sense of the country (India), not only Bengal.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar, whose Desher Katha (four editions in 10,000 copies between 1904 and 1907) expounded in eloquent but simple Bengali the arguments of Dadabhai Naoroji -^ and R.C. Dutt."
Why this source?
  • The book is described as popularizing the economic critique of nationally prominent economists (Dadabhai Naoroji and R.C. Dutt), indicating a broader Indian focus.
  • Presenting those pan-Indian economic arguments in Bengali suggests 'desh' refers to the country (India) addressed to Bengali readers, not exclusively to Bengal.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > Evolution of the idea of Swadeshi > p. 20
Strength: 5/5
“During the freedom struggle, the idea of Swadeshi movement was conceptualized first during 1905 by a string of Congress leaders and then later in the 1920s under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Swadeshi means 'of one's own country'. The origin of the idea can be traced to 1872 when Mahadev Govind Ranade, in a series of lectures in Poona, popularised the idea of Swadeshi. According to Ranade, the goods produced in one's own country should be given preference even if the use of such goods proved to be less satisfactory. In the 1920s Gandhi gave a new meaning to the idea of Swadeshi by linking it to the fulfilment of a duty that all Indians owed to the land of their birth.”
Why relevant

Defines 'Swadeshi' as 'of one's own country' and shows political vocabulary in the freedom movement used 'desh'/'swadeshi' to mean 'one's country'.

How to extend

A student could check whether 'desh' in contemporary political writings of the period is used locally (e.g., Bengal) or for the whole of India by comparing usage across documents from 1905 and the 1920s.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > Summary > p. 27
Strength: 4/5
“• The swadeshi campaigns in the wake of partition of Bengal are watershed moments in the history of anti-colonial struggles. • Besides building new techniques of political propaganda, the movement also gave impetus to carry on a sustained resistance even in the Gandhian phase of freedom movement. • It was also a communication revolution as the Swadeshi movement resulted in a shift from English to swadeshi language (regional language) as the medium of political propaganda”
Why relevant

Notes that the Swadeshi campaigns followed the partition of Bengal and that political propaganda shifted to regional language — suggesting political terms like 'desh' might be used with regional reference in Bengal-era campaigning.

How to extend

One could examine Swadeshi-era Bengali-language pamphlets and newspapers (or the book's original language/context) to see if 'desh' is used to mean Bengal specifically.

THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers > Hindu > p. 117
Strength: 4/5
“The term "Hindu" was derived from an Old Persian word, used c. sixth-fifth centuries BCE, to refer to the region east of the river Sindhu (Indus). The Arabs continued the Persian usage and called this region "al-Hind" and its people "Hindi". Later the Turks referred to the people east of the Indus as "Hindu", their land as "Hindustan", and their language as "Hindavi". None of these expressions indicated the religious identity of the people. It was much later that the term developed religious connotations.”
Why relevant

Shows that historical political/geographic labels (e.g., 'Hind') were used to denote specific regions rather than solely religious groups — indicating that terms can shift between local and broader geographic senses.

How to extend

Use this pattern to ask whether 'desh' functioned similarly (regionally vs. subcontinental) by checking contemporary definitions/usages in travelogues, newspapers, or political texts.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond. Social Science-Class VI . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: India, That Is Bharat > LET'S EXPLORE > p. 78
Strength: 3/5
“Do you recognise the names of any regions given in the map (Fig. 5.4) on page 79? List the ones that you have heard of. But when do we come across a name for the entire Indian Subcontinent? Because ancient Indian texts are difficult to date, this is not an easy question to answer. The Mahābhārata uses the terms 'Bhāratavarṣha' and 'Jambudvīpa', and scholars generally agree that this long poem was written from a few centuries BCE onward. The first term, 'Bhāratavarṣha', clearly extends to the entire Subcontinent, and the text includes the names of numerous rivers and peoples. 'Bhāratavarṣha' means 'the country of the Bharatas'.”
Why relevant

Explains that ancient terms like 'Bhāratavarṣha' explicitly denote the entire subcontinent, offering a contrast that 'desh' might alternatively be a smaller-scale territorial term.

How to extend

Compare instances where authors use 'desh' versus explicit subcontinental terms (like 'Bhāratavarṣha') to infer scale of reference in nationalist-era writings.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Bengal on the Eve of British Conquest > p. 87
Strength: 3/5
“instance, the rest of India was disturbed by inter-border disputes, the Maratha invasions, Jat revolts, and external invasions by Nadir Shah and Ahmed Shah Abdali. The region of Bengal was fortunate enough to escape these challenges. The population of Calcutta rose from 15,000 (in 1706) to 100,000 (in 1750) and other cities like Dacca and Murshidabad became highly populous. Almost all the governors of Bengal strongly resented the special privileges enjoyed by the English company as it meant a huge loss to the provincial exchequer. So the friction between the English commercial interests and the Bengal government became the chief cause for conflict between the two.”
Why relevant

Gives concrete context about Bengal as a distinct, politically salient region (population, cities, conflicts) which could support using 'desh' to mean Bengal in region-focused writing.

How to extend

Cross-reference regional historical accounts and Bengal-centric political literature from the period to see if 'desh' is commonly used to denote Bengal specifically.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC is shifting from 'Events' to 'Ideas'. They didn't ask *when* the book was published, but *what argument* it made (conquest of mind). Restrictive statements about the scope of nationalism (e.g., 'Desh meant only Bengal') are often traps to test if you understand the pan-Indian nature of the Extremist phase.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Bouncer with a Logical Backdoor. The author is in Spectrum/NCERT, but the specific details (hypnotic conquest) are deep tracks found in cultural portals (e.g., Indian Culture Portal).
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Intellectual History of the Swadeshi Movement. Moving beyond 'boycott of goods' to the 'boycott of colonial thought' (decolonising the mind).
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize these Swadeshi literary pillars: 1) 'Bartaman Rananiti' (Barindra Kumar Ghosh - Urban warfare), 2) 'Bhavani Mandir' (Aurobindo - Spiritual nationalism), 3) 'Nil Darpan' (Dinabandhu Mitra - Indigo planters), 4) Mukunda Das (Swadeshi Jatra/Folk theatre).
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When studying regional literature of the freedom struggle, always ask: 'Was this regional pride or national awakening?' The Swadeshi movement's success was transforming a regional issue (Bengal Partition) into a Pan-Indian economic critique. Therefore, 'Desh' likely meant India.
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Ideological hegemony of colonial rule
💡 The insight

Colonial rule relied on an intellectual and moral claim that foreign rule served local interests, which nationalists worked to dismantle.

High-yield for UPSC because questions often ask how colonial legitimacy was contested; connects political history with intellectual and economic critiques; useful for essays and mains answers on nationalism, decolonisation, and consciousness-raising.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 28: Economic Impact of British Rule in India > Economic Issue a Stimulant to National Unrest > p. 552
🔗 Anchor: "Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the India..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Print and expatriate journals as tools of mental mobilisation
💡 The insight

Nationalist newspapers and journals were deliberately used to foster nationalist consciousness among Indians at home and abroad.

Important for source-based and polity-history questions about mobilisation strategies; links media history with public opinion formation and revolutionary networks; enables answers on communication's role in anti-colonial movements.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 1: Sources for the History of Modern India > Newspapers and Journals > p. 9
🔗 Anchor: "Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the India..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Diverse social bases and unified mobilisation in the freedom struggle
💡 The insight

Various social groups and classes, each with different grievances and aspirations, were brought together into a common struggle against colonial rule.

Valuable for structuring balanced mains answers and essays on the freedom movement; connects social composition of movements to leadership strategies and policy outcomes; helps analyze unity versus fragmentation in nationalist politics.

📚 Reading List :
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > Conclusion > p. 49
🔗 Anchor: "Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the India..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Use of folk theatre and street plays in Swadeshi propaganda
💡 The insight

Folk theatre and street plays were mobilised as direct media for swadeshi propaganda during the nationalist movement.

High-yield for questions on cultural mobilisation: explains how cultural forms were converted into political tools, links to regional performing arts and mass mobilisation tactics, and helps answer comparative questions on methods used across provinces.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > New Forms of Struggle and Impact > p. 266
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Corps of Volunteers or 'Samitis' > p. 265
🔗 Anchor: "Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the India..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Patriotic songs and revival of folk music
💡 The insight

Patriotic songs and a revival of folk music were used to rouse national pride and inspire participation in the freedom struggle.

Important for questions on cultural nationalism: connects literary and musical contributions (poets, songs) to political outcomes, aids answers on the role of culture in identity-building and long-term symbolic impacts (e.g., national songs).

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Impact in the Cultural Sphere > p. 267
  • Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 14: Nationalist Movement 1905—1918 > The Swadeshi and Bovcott > p. 242
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Swadeshi Movement > p. 804
🔗 Anchor: "Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the India..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Samitis and grassroots propaganda techniques
💡 The insight

Samitis organised lectures, swadeshi songs, training and local social work to generate political consciousness among the masses.

Useful for organisational and process-oriented questions: links institutional grassroots structures to methods of agitation and education, and helps explain how local bodies translated national ideas into sustained action.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 12: Era of Militant Nationalism (1905-1909) > Corps of Volunteers or 'Samitis' > p. 265
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 2: Rise of Extremism and Swadeshi Movement > Summary > p. 27
🔗 Anchor: "Did the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the India..."
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Regional vs. subcontinental meanings of political-cultural terms
💡 The insight

Names like 'Hindu' and 'Hindustan' have been used to denote specific regions (e.g., east of the Indus) as well as broader subcontinental identities; the question about 'desh' requires this same distinction between local and pan-Indian reference.

High-yield for source interpretation in modern Indian history: mastering how political-cultural terms shift between local and wider meanings helps answer questions about nationalism, communal labels, and authors' intended audiences. This concept links to debates on identity, terminology in primary texts, and reading colonial-era political vocabulary.

📚 Reading List :
  • THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers > Hindu > p. 117
🔗 Anchor: "In the book "Desher Katha" by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (written during the Indian..."
🌑 The Hidden Trap

Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar was a Maharashtrian settled in Bengal. He is the 'Shadow Link' who brought the 'Shivaji Festival' (started by Tilak) to Bengal to energize the youth. He is the bridge between Maratha and Bengali radicalism.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Apply the 'Expansionist vs. Restrictive' Logic. Statements 1 and 2 describe the *expansion* of the movement (mind, street plays). Statement 3 *restricts* the meaning ('specific context of Bengal'). In the Swadeshi era, the trend was broadening the struggle. Restrictive options in this context are usually incorrect traps.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS1 (Role of Literature in Freedom Struggle) & GS4 (Ethics - Cognitive Liberty): Use 'Desher Katha' as a case study for how colonial rule wasn't just political but psychological ('hypnotic conquest'), and how literature broke that spell.

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CAPF · 2008 · Q48 Relevance score: -0.52

With reference to Indian Freedom Struggle, consider the following statements : 1. P.C. Ray founded the Bengal Chemical Works. 2. V.O. Chidambaram Pillai set up the Steam Navigation Company. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

CAPF · 2018 · Q113 Relevance score: -2.07

Which of the following statement a about Binodini Dasi, a pioneering figure in Bengali theatre in the late 19th-* early 20th century, is/are correct? 1. She was one of the prime movers behind the setting up of the Star Theatre (1883) in Calcutta. 2, She serialized her autobiography Amar Katha (My Stcny) between 1010 and 101 3. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

CDS-II · 2025 · Q64 Relevance score: -2.11

With reference to the Revolt of 1857, consider the following statements : 1. Shah Mal mobilised the people of Baraut region of Uttar Pradesh and captured the bungalow of an Englishman and converted it into a "hall of justice". 2. Gonoo was a Kol leader of the Singhbhum region of Chotanagpur. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

IAS · 2002 · Q123 Relevance score: -2.18

During the Indian freedom struggle, the Khudai Khidmatgars, also known as Red Shirts, called for

NDA-II · 2010 · Q16 Relevance score: -2.29

Consider the following statements relating to Gandhian strategy of Satyagraha I. Under the Gandhian strategy, which may be described as Struggle-Truce-Struggle (S-T-S), phase of a vigorous extra-legal mass movement and confrontation with colonial authority alternate with phases, during which direct confrontation is withdrawn II. The entire political process of S-T-S was an upward spiraling one, which also assumed that the freedom struggle would pass through several stages, ending with the transfer of power by the colonial regime itself Which of the statements given above is/are correct?