What do private letters and autobiographies tell us about an individual? How are these sources different from official accounts?
Private letters and autobiographies are important source of individual’s life and views. Many of our freedom struggle leaders wrote autobiographies and letters and today they are our great record about them and history too. The autobiographies and letters tell us the following things about an individual.
1.Autobiographies and letters throw light on the interests of an individual. Let us take an example, Nehru wrote letters to his daughter Indira describing the events of world history, today it is known as the book, ” Glimpses of the World History”. These letters show that Nehru had great interest in history. These letters show also the views of the author. For example, Nehru talks highly of the socilaist government of USSR in his autobiography.
2.These autobiographies and letters are a good source of information of the social life of those days in India. Dr Rajendra Prasad has given vivid description of the village life that he saw as a child in his village.
3.Above all these autobiographies and letters are great source of history too. Nehru in his autobiography has explained in details about the obstinate approach of Moslem League towards solving the minority problem in India.
These sources were diffferent from the official accounts. This is manifested in the following points:
1.The official accounts are done by individuals but they work under the guidelines of the government. Thus, views that run against the government remain stifled. In addition, the author would not have the freedom of focused area. He would be required to write only on topics already defined. However, in autobiographies and letters one can choose anything of personal interest. Dr Rajendra Prasad gives a vivid description of his school and college days in his autobiography. This is not possible in any government account.
2.The autographic letters throw light on the personal life of individual leaders and show these events shaped the thought process of these leaders in future life. Mahatma Gandhi described how he was thrown out of the first class compartment of the train in South Africa because he was not a white man. He describes the struggle inside on how to protest and later how he took to non -violent means of protest.
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
How was non-cooperation a form of protest?
In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
Find out about the route of the Dandi March. On a map of Gujarat plot the line of the march and mark the major towns and villages that it passed along the route.Find out about the route of the Dandi March. On a map of Gujarat plot the line of the march and mark the major towns and villages that it passed along the route.
How was Mahatma Gandhi perceived by the peasants?
How did Mahatma Gandhi seek to identify with the common people?
Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
Why were the dialogues at the Round Table Conference inconclusive?
Why are newspapers an important source for the study of the national movement?
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
Why did the mutinous sepoys in many places turn to erstwhile rulers to provide leadership to the revolt?
To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context?
What did the Muslim League demand through its resolution of 1940?
What were the ideals expressed in the Objectives Resolution?
How did zamindars manage to retain control over their zamindaris?
Discuss the evidence that indicates planning and coordination on the part of the rebels.
What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
Why did some people think of Partition as a very sudden development?
How was the term minority defined by different groups?
How did the Congress come to change its views on Partition?
Why did Mahatma Gandhi think Hindustani should be the national language?
How did ordinary people view Partition?
What explains the anger of the Deccan ryots against Fig. 10.20 the moneylenders?
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?
What were the new kinds of public places that emerged in the colonial city? What functions did they serve?
How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?
Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What prompted the peasants, taluqdars and zamindars to join the revolt?
Examine any two sources presented in the chapter, choosing one visual and one text, and discuss how these represent the point of view of the victor and the vanquished.
What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?