Comprehension

British colonial policy . . . went through two policy phases, or at least there were two strategies between which its policies actually oscillated, sometimes to its great advantage. At first, the new colonial apparatus exercised caution, and occupied India by a mix of military power and subtle diplomacy, the high ground in the middle of the circle of circles. This, however, pushed them into contradictions. For, whatever their sense of the strangeness of the country and the thinness of colonial presence, the British colonial state represented the great conquering discourse of Enlightenment rationalism, entering India precisely at the moment of its greatest unchecked arrogance. As inheritors and representatives of this discourse, which carried everything before it, this colonial state could hardly adopt for long such a self-denying attitude. It had restructured everything in Europe—the productive system, the political regimes, the moral and cognitive orders—and would do the same in India, particularly as some empirically inclined theorists of that generation considered the colonies a massive laboratory of utilitarian or other theoretical experiments. Consequently, the colonial state could not settle simply for eminence at the cost of its marginality; it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society. But this modernity did not enter a passive society. Sometimes, its initiatives were resisted by pre-existing structural forms. At times, there was a more direct form of collective resistance. Therefore the map of continuity and discontinuity that this state left behind at the time of independence was rather complex and has to be traced with care.
Most significantly, of course, initiatives for . . . modernity came to assume an external character. The acceptance of modernity came to be connected, ineradicably, with subjection. This again points to two different problems, one theoretical, the other political. Theoretically, because modernity was externally introduced, it is explanatorily unhelpful to apply the logical format of the ‘transition process’ to this pattern of change. Such a logical format would be wrong on two counts. First, however subtly, it would imply that what was proposed to be built was something like European capitalism. (And, in any case, historians have forcefully argued that what it was to replace was not like feudalism, with or without modificatory adjectives.) But, more fundamentally, the logical structure of endogenous change does not apply here. Here transformation agendas attack as an external force. This externality is not something that can be casually mentioned and forgotten. It is inscribed on every move, every object, every proposal, every legislative act, each line of causality. It comes to be marked on the epoch itself. This repetitive emphasis on externality should not be seen as a nationalist initiative that is so well rehearsed in Indian social science. . . . 
Quite apart from the externality of the entire historical proposal of modernity, some of its contents were remarkable. . . . Economic reforms, or rather alterations . . . did not foreshadow the construction of a classical capitalist economy, with its necessary emphasis on extractive and transport sectors. What happened was the creation of a degenerate version of capitalism —what early dependency theorists called the ‘development of underdevelopment’.

Question: 1

All of the following statements about British colonialism can be inferred from the first paragraph, EXCEPT that it:

Updated On: Aug 20, 2024
  • allowed the treatment of colonies as experimental sites.
  • faced resistance from existing structural forms of Indian modernity.
  • was at least partly shaped by the project of European modernity.
  • was at least partly an outcome of Enlightenment rationalism.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

From the information in the first paragraph, we can make inferences for options 1, 3, and 4. The idea of experimental sites is evident in the first paragraph, and the mention of Enlightenment rationalism as the motivation behind the change in colonial policy supports option 3. The statement, "It had restructured everything in Europe—the productive system, the political regimes, the moral and cognitive orders—and would do the same in India," in the first paragraph supports option 4.

Regarding option 2, although there is evidence in the passage that the change faced resistance from existing structural forms, it's crucial to note that these structural forms were not associated with modernity. The passage argues that modernity was introduced externally by the British, and the existing structural forms in India were not of modernity. Therefore, option 2 cannot be directly inferred.

In summary, options 1, 3, and 4 can be inferred from the first paragraph, but option 2 is not directly supported due to the distinction between resistance and existing structural forms.

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Question: 2

All of the following statements, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:

Updated On: Aug 20, 2024
  • the change in British colonial policy was induced by resistance to modernity in Indian society.
  • modernity was imposed upon India by the British and, therefore, led tounderdevelopment.
  • throughout the history of colonial conquest, natives have often been experimented on by the colonisers.
  • the introduction of capitalism in India was not through the transformation of feudalism, as happened in Europe.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The points explicitly mentioned by the author in the passage will undoubtedly support his argument. Conversely, any point not mentioned or one that contradicts the author's statements will not support the argument. It's crucial to recognize that not supporting does not necessarily mean weakening the argument.

Option 4 supports the author's argument since historians who argued that capitalism in India was not introduced with any modifications are explicitly mentioned in the second paragraph.

Option 3 is also supportive, as the passage, in the very first paragraph, mentions that colonies were considered experimental labs.

Option 2 is found towards the end of the passage, in the last paragraph, where the author states that since modernity was externally imposed, it led to the development of underdevelopment.

Option 1 is challenging because the term 'induced by' might be unclear. 'Induced by' means triggered or caused by. The change in British colonial policy was not induced by resistance to modernity. Instead, the change in policy came first, followed by the resistance to modernity in Indian society. Thus, the correct way to express this idea would be: the resistance to modernity in Indian society was induced by the change in British colonial policy.

Given this clarification, Option 1 is the correct choice.

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Question: 3

“Consequently, the colonial state could not settle simply for eminence at the cost of its marginality; it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society.” Which of the following best captures the sense of this statement?

Updated On: Aug 20, 2024
  • The cost of the colonial state’s eminence was not settled; therefore, it took the initiative of introducing modernity into Indian society.
  • The colonial enterprise was a costly one; so to justify the cost it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society.
  • The colonial state’s eminence was unsettled by its marginal position; therefore, it developed Indian society by modernising it.
  • The colonial state felt marginalised from Indian society because of its own modernity; therefore, it sought to address that marginalisation by bringing its modernity to change Indian society.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

To marginalize means to consider something or someone as unimportant. In the context of the passage, the colonial state, represented by a small ruling elite, was marginalized because it existed on the outskirts of Indian society. Due to its small size, the colonial state was treated as insignificant. To overcome this marginalization, the ruling elite attempted to introduce modernity to Indian society. The idea was that if everyone in the society became modernized, the colonized state would be integrated into the mainstream of Indian society. To choose the correct answer, it is crucial to grasp the meaning of the term "marginalized." Option 4 is the correct choice as it accurately captures the contextual meaning of the word 'marginalized'.

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Question: 4

Which one of the following 5-word sequences best captures the flow of the arguments in the passage?

Updated On: Aug 20, 2024
  • Colonial policy—arrogant rationality—resistance—independence—development.
  • Military power—colonialism—restructuring—feudalism—capitalism.
  • Military power—arrogance—laboratory—modernity—capitalism.
  • Colonial policy—Enlightenment—external modernity—subjection—underdevelopment.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

This question is straightforward. Towards the end of the passage, the author discusses the development of underdevelopment, and the passage opens by introducing British colonial policy. Therefore, Option 4 is the correct choice.

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Question: 5

Which of the following observations is a valid conclusion to draw from the author’s statement that “the logical structure of endogenous change does not apply here. Here transformation agendas attack as an external force”?

Updated On: Aug 20, 2024
  • Colonised societies cannot be changed through logic; they need to be transformed with external force.
  • The transformation of Indian society did not happen organically, but was forced by colonial agendas.
  • Indian society is not endogamous; it is more accurately characterised as aggressively exogamous.
  • The endogenous logic of colonialism can only bring change if it attacks and transforms external forces.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

In this context, it's important to accurately understand the meaning of the word "endogenous." It should not be confused with "endogamous," which refers to marriage within a specific tribe. "Endogenous" means having an internal cause or origin. With this clarification, it becomes evident that Option 3 is not the correct choice.

Given the meaning of the word "endogenous," the correct answer is Option 2.

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