History Optional (UPSC)

https://www.youtube.com/live/OWeLMrTIEtg?si=hHAg1iNartiI7ywD

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https://youtu.be/7YW-gqNO_NE

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Continuing our series in Eminent Historians, this is a video on a different perspective on Mughal Decline.

I have already planned about 20-22 new snippets in line. They cover many facets of Ancient, Medieval and Modern Indian History. You would be in for a treasure.

The whole idea is that as students you don't have time to dig into this treasure. We, as teachers, should bring you interesting nuggets that would add value to your preparation.

You can watch these video snips. Enrich your understanding as these are some of the stalwart authorities in their own fields. From these, you can add relevant content to your notes. You can quote this historians in your answers.

https://youtu.be/PfHacAPtHRA?si=9iSHpvQE_fhWcTlV

https://youtu.be/SbPf9qsj00w

Sri Dalada Maligawa

Today afternoon I visited the The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple at Kandy, Srilanka. It is one of the holiest places of Buddhism in Lanka. However, the building housing it is not very old, it was constructed hardly a few centuries ago.

Notwithstanding, there is a long story of the chain of custody of Buddha's tooth relic. How it kept on changing hands from Khema to some Odiya King then finally it reached Srilanka. The role of Dantha and Hemamala, the Odiyan royals, who took it from India to Srilanka in the 4th century, sometime during the beginning of the Gupta era, is well remembered in this respect. The reason for this transfer is cited to be local rivalry, both political and religious.

Interestingly, after reaching Srilanka the story doesn't end. It rather takes a new lease of life. Many new episodes were added to it. The most recent episodes in the life of the tooth relic are from British era who added some new content to it. Its worth reading from it's very scratch.

This entire story/history/myth is very central to the identity of Srilanka Budhhism and Buddhists here. Everyone knows about it. Its a popular story. As recent as in 2014, there was even a movie on this named Siri Daladagamanaya.

Visit for Photos:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCWqj75NDia/?igsh=ZW5ldmh5OGRlYmhm

Dambulla Cave Temple

The day started with another 600 steps hillock climb. There are 5 caves with many large and small painted Buddha murtis. The cave walls are all painted.

The era to which it belongs to spans from 100 BCE (Sangama period for our rederence, or specifically, pre-Christian period) to 1700 CE (Maratha period for our reference again).

It was originally constructed by the king Walagamba. He was the king of Anuradhapura in north srilanka. But invasion from South India Tamil kings led to his flight from his capital. He went to further south in Lanka and came to this area. When he reconquered his capital in Anuradhapura, he constructed this place.

If we take our reference, the caves belong to the time when Satavahanas started excavating Ajanta and Shakas started funding Kanheri. Exactly at the time when Satavahana and Shakas were fighting to control the Roman trade in Deccan, the king Walagamba accepted Buddbism and used it to consolidate his own power in Srilanka.

What I find wonderful is that we see spread of Buddhism to Andhra coast and Sri Lanka in this period. While Tamilnadu was sandwiched by these two areas, we see least impact of Buddhism in Sangam Literature, which has much more traces of Hinduism. And all these areas were not isolated but had frequent intercourse. This to me seems like a puzzle.

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This place also a unesco world heritage site. Well protected. There is not a single foodshop in a near vicinity and the entire hill is clean. Both Sigiriya and Dambulla are some of the cleanest historic sites that I have so far seen in Indian subcontinent.

Visit for Photos:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCVttPHyUAZ/?igsh=MXR5YmZsazMxd3Nieg==

How did Shivaji Maharaj create the Maratha Navy?

Despite calling him as the father of Indian Navy, we don't often read about this fascinsting episode of Indian history.

Actually, there are a lot of fascinsting stories about it. Watch a historian of Marathas giving a very quick capsule perspective on hurdles faced and overall strategy followed by Shivaji. It must have been a hell lot of daring act...! And it did yield wonderful results.

https://youtu.be/Jq8bFLkhBWQ

Today I visited Sigiriya, which is a unesco world heritage site in srilanka.

For last exactly 10 years, I have been teaching about it in my Art and Culture classes, when we dicuss Ajanta paintings. Ajanta paintings were trendsetter in a way that it influenced entire Asian art. Its replicas/derivative paintings are found in Srilanka, Afghanistan, Thailand and China. India was indeed the 'light of Asia'. More on this in our lecture on Art and Culture during Gupta Era.

This time though, I got to visit it. Climbed all the way up but it was worth it. Its a breathtaking view of surrounding.

An anecdote:
Once upon a time, Gandhiji collected public funds for Kaka Kalelkar to visit Girosoppa waterfall. When Kaka Kalelkar said he won't go alone without students and since funds were not enough, it would be better to cancel the plan. Gandhiji replied that if one student sees it, it is only one. But when a teacher sees it, it's all the students who get to see it through him. Kaka Kalelkar was thus persuaded to go.

I am hoping to be true to Gandhiji ideal of a teacher.

(For photos, visit https://www.instagram.com/nikhilhistoryculture?igsh=ZjczcTUzdWMzMGZp )

#unesco

Preparing content for the upcoming Art and Culture lectures (in PMP) while traveling on some random road in Srilanka. In this years edition, I am planning to add some new content on linguistic history of India using a fantastic new book just published. It's by GN Devy, who has authored civilizational history of India through linguistic lens.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCTjqI6NK1B/?igsh=MTlzY3RsNnVpM284MA

#bookreview

In this very short video, we get to see whether Gandhian ideas are still relevant.

It seems that a lot of section of new protectors prefer Fanon and not Gandhi. Will it help in resolution of the problem?

How relevant is Gandhi today? UPSC has asked this question a few times. Its an evergreen question. We generally write a very typical answer. This short video will provide a different case study and a different view point. Most revealing and must watch.

https://youtu.be/flNADE-IKYQ

Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBMfaGYFl3LwC_416k6CpxA

Ninth episode of BTQ is out.

https://youtu.be/4C633EyWOAc

For more details, visit:

https://www.levelupias.com/upsc-cse-history-optional-test-series/

Episode 9 of our Behind The Question (BTQ) Explained podcast is on its way. This is an early peak.

This time we dicuss a 2024 question on Gandhi and Aurobindo, and try to open its multiple layers in a very analytical way.

Stay tuned for a very insightful episode.

https://youtu.be/bDTO8gC9n7k?si=GH1TSRyK4S3ReKMI

HOT500 2.0

This is the first lecture by Vishal sir. He has covered some part of the Sources chapter from Ancient Indian history. It is done through QnA format. Do watch it....

https://youtu.be/VOfuUz19aYc?si=uFeQDssbO4J0smST

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For more details, visit:

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https://youtu.be/IZxbS9JVg0I

This is a fabulous after-story in the life of great Rakhaldas Banerjee, the man who discovered the identity of Mohenjodaro. Did he become a thief? Or it was a usual colonial arrogance of sorts?

All of it must have been a massive misunderstanding, if at all. But lI don't think he was unaware of the value of the item involved in the story.

Do watch this facinsting story, being retold by Prof Nayanjot Lahiri.

Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBMfaGYFl3LwC_416k6CpxA

We finished the first phase of HOT500 today. Instead of originally planned 15 lectures on World History, we managed to have about 21 lectures in about three and half weeks. The total number of questions practiced in class easily crossed 200 in number. They include all sorts of questions covering almost every conceivable dimension.

Now, we will have a sectional test on World History coming up by the weekend. And in next week, post Diwali on 4th of November, we will start with Ancient India.

This has been a very intense journey so far. Not only for students but also for teachers. We had never run such a program in the past. Neither does such a model exist anywhere else. But this is already turning out to be very interesting, enriching and comprehensively useful.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBssjymyHZ2/?igsh=anY0ejNhMzM3cWhw


I am told that instagram would be a better place to reach out to wider audience with interesting books and comments. While Telegram is the platform suitable for UPSC CSE preparation, for more generic history stuff, insta will be better.

So, here I am reviving an old insta page which was laying dormant for many years.

Will gradually try to shift all non UPSC related history updates like some new events, books, reviews, visits and historians to Instagram.

https://youtu.be/AMZFAbImJgA

🪔Celebrate Diwali with LevelUp IAS. We are offering a 24% off on all LevelUp IAS courses including Prelims Master Program 2025, Mains Master Program 2025, Current Affairs Pre-cum-mains 2025, GS Foundation 2025, HOT 500, Optional DAMP program and more.

For any queries Contact: 08045248491 / 7041021151

👉Use coupon code - DIWALI24 to avail the discount.

Steps to avail the discount:
1. Visit our Website: https://www.levelupias.com/
2. Select any Course
3. Add them to Cart
4. Apply Coupon Code DIWALI24

To find the course details, click here:
https://www.levelupias.com/upsc-cse-history-optional-through-500-questions/

I really don't want leave this impression for future viewers that this is some biased or ideologically motivated video.

I request some of the viewers here to spare a few seconds and comment on that YT video. However, comment only if you have watched the video. Any comment, either positive or negative would do, as long as it is genuine.

Here is the video: https://youtu.be/vfVeUkfhvz8

Someone has written this comment on latest BTQ podcast. I think this is a wrong interpretation by this anonymous account. Our whole efforts is to try to decode what/why behind the questions asked by UPSC and try to make sense of it.

We may be off the mark, when it comes to our guess. There is no access to the people who really prepare these questions. We will never know their actual intent. We only try to guess as best as we could. It does not mean that we endorse every point of view. One mark of a dispassionate scholar is to try to entertain a thought without necessarily accepting it. Here we have to imagine a thought to exist and then entertain it for 15-20 minutes.

If anyone properly watches the complete video and even watches the entire series of 8 podcasts, he/she would understand and appreciate the efforts rather than attributing the motives.

Besides, there a whole philosophy of history, where terms like 'neutral' are highly debated. We can pardon the person for not knowing about it.

This is our Behind the Question (BTQ) podcast so far. We have released 8 episodes covering the story behind the questions in many UPSC CSE PYQs.

These podcasts are not about discussing the model answers but we are actually trying to dig deeper. Why this question may have been asked, what is the relevance of this topic, how the changing historical narrative makes this topic more appropriate, and what kind of things one should keep in mind while crafting the answer. We try to look behind, and look from above.

I am sure it will be very enriching to all students and history lovers. We have recorded one more episode, slated to be released after Diwali.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRY4mFD-4D6sOarydNTosvlS-LGN3mr0F

Fresh episode of BTQ (Behind the Question) is here... this time with a question from 2024 paper.

https://youtu.be/vfVeUkfhvz8

Now, we are coming with HOT500 2.0.

To be honest, this has been our most ambitious program ever for history optional. And running of 1.0 batch has given us a lot encouragement about the utility of this program.

This time, we will begin the schedule with Ancient India. And this will be the final batch this year. We will not be able to come up with 3.0.

Although called as HOT500, as I have recently started saying again and again, it should ideally be termed as HOT800. There are about 75+ classes and 8 tests (8 sectional, 2 FLT)

The entire course will be over before the end of February. So, you will be able to complete the optional thoroughly before shifting completely to exclusive Prelims preparation.

The schedule and details are provided on course page. Visit this link for further details.

https://www.levelupias.com/upsc-cse-history-optional-through-500-questions

IMP PS: DO NOT take admission now. I have heard that LevelUp IAS is bringing certain discount for Diwali. Wait for a couple of days.

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBMfaGYFl3LwC_416k6CpxA

Note: We will keep publishing the lectures even on Diwali days.

https://youtu.be/H72_XmrXw_I

Along with the complete set of Critical Edition of Mahabharata.

One of the toughest and longest tasks taken by Indian intellectuals. Best of the minds worked on this for about 40-50 years at Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI).

I had always read about it's intellectuals feat. Even Pandit Nehru, Zakir Hussain, Dr Radhakrishnan all had visited BORI to see this work being unfolded. Got to see the print copies, touch them and smell them for the first time.

With Rudrangshu Mukherjee, one of the best historians of modern India alive today. He is presently the chancellor of Ashoka University.

I have so far read three books by him. Gandhi and Tagore, Nehru vs Bose, Rani and Begum. Also there is Insightful analysis of peasant participation in 1857 that we regularly quote in our answers.

His talk yesterday was titled 'Bose and Bose'. It was on Rashbihari Bose and Subhashchandra Bose. Extremely interesting. Already incorporated those insights in my lecture on Revolutionaries and on INA. They will get reflected in the next round of teaching.

This is fun... Mazzini vs Marx:

In an interview, Marx described Mazzini as "that everlasting old ass". In turn, Mazzini described Marx as "a destructive spirit whose heart was filled with hatred rather than love of mankind."

https://youtu.be/B_Vhv0r6Xw0

#bookreview

Is there anyone here from CoEP who is present in Delhi and preparing from ORN? We are trying to arrange a meet up of aspirants from CoEP in Delhi.

We used to have CoEP aspirants group back in 2015 but with many of us getting selected, the group dissipated. If enough people are interested, we are thinking of starting the group again.

If you are in Delhi, please let me know. You can drop me a message or call or come to the LevelUp IAS office tomorrow morning at 10.30 AM. We can meet and chart out further plan.

Nikhil

Students, here is the schedule for Week 16 of History Optional Foundation 2025. We'll be continuing with Medieval Indian History in this week.

We'll keep Sundays off so that you can revise previous 6 day's lectures.

Watch lectures here - https://www.youtube.com/@HistoryOptionalforUPSC?sub_confirmation=1

Note: Full History Optional program is available for FREE with classes uploaded daily at 9 am on Youtube channel given above.

Enrol here in HOT 500 - https://www.levelupias.com/upsc-cse-history-optional-through-500-questions/

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Queries?? Connect with us.
Call 📲 08045248491, 7041021151

UPSC has so far not asked a question on George Washington, in the world history. We have both American revolution and American constitution in our syllabus explicitly mentioned, yet a question on George Washington remains un-asked.

Would you like to write an answer to the following question and upload here in PDF format? Lets see how many students try to pick this up.

George Washington is often referred to as the "Father of the Nation" in the United States of America. To what extent is this title justified?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBB5eLxuwmY

A sample answer. Just prepared. Fresh out of oven. A 2023 PYQ.

Somehow I have not seen anyone talking about this debate in this way. All the typical answers peddled in the market or discussed in YT videos by various experts/teachers don't even indicate towards such a debate to which this question is specifically referring. Only if they read standard books by standard historians, they would know what to teach about.

I generally don't like to criticize teachers. However, if we as teachers don't decode the demand of the question properly, how to expect upsc to award marks to students properly? If some students don't score well in History, some amount of blame for that should be shared by the teachers as well.

Teachers need to read continuously. Exhaustion of attempts and beginning of teaching don't make them omniscient automatically. They have to keep updating themselves everyday and every year. If they don't, they get ossified, students get sacrificed... UPSC doesn't anyway bother.

I am preparing for the HOT500 lecture in the morning. It is about Enlightenment. Everytime I read this chapter, newer meanings start unlocking...

Was it really so much of a new thing? Christians said that paganism was darkness and their religion brought light. Reformation said that the Roman Church was the darkness and protestsntism brought light. Enlightenment thinkers said that the entire Christinity was the darkness and philosophy brought light.

Europeans almost always create an enemy. The process has continued. Communism, Political Islam, China etc are few such enemies created by them in the recent time.

However in our syllabus we don't open up these dimensions. So, in the morning lecture, I would stick to the syllabus and discuss the questions-answers one by one.

Students, here is the schedule for Week 15 of History Optional Foundation 2025. We have made a change from this week. We'll keep Sundays off so that you can revise previous 6 day's lectures.

We'll also be starting with Medieval Indian History in this week.

Watch lectures here - https://www.youtube.com/@HistoryOptionalforUPSC?sub_confirmation=1

Note: Full History Optional program is available for FREE with classes uploaded daily at 9 am on Youtube channel given below.

Enrol here in HOT 500 - https://www.levelupias.com/upsc-cse-history-optional-through-500-questions/

Watch video by Nikhil sir https://youtu.be/XhjpVXmcmYw- The Perfect 500 Question Approach for UPSC History Optional 2025

🔴Cover entire History Optional syllabus through 500 Questions - HOT 500 for UPSC CSE 2025

Starts: 7th Oct 2024

- 70 lectures in 3.5 months
- Topic wise and thematic syllabus coverage
- Master answer writing through 500+ questions
- Get mentored by top History Optional faculty - Nikhil sir and Vishal sir
- 8 tests (sectional and FLTs)

✅Download PDF schedule & enrol here: https://www.levelupias.com/upsc-cse-history-optional-through-500-questions/

Queries? Call at: 08045248491 / 7041021151

Starting in 3 mins

https://youtube.com/live/ioMwxyrMc9M?feature=share

🔴Join Nikhil sir tomorrow (4th Oct) at 2 pm for UPSC History Optional Mains 2024 Paper 2 discussion.

⚡️https://youtube.com/live/ioMwxyrMc9M?feature=share
Note: Click on NOTIFY ME in the link above.

This will be the most detailed discussion and trend analysis you will find anywhere.

On 2nd October 2024, read this book Excerpt.

- Nikhil