Xavier School

SHS Grade 12 - History Standard

A4: Central Document

INSTRUCTIONS: Work on this synchronously and individually. Answer the questions as

comprehensively as possible. Answer in complete sentences. If you used an additional
source for the information on an entry, put it at the end of the document.

DAY 1
Country of choice India
Chosen historical Mahatma Gandhi Atal Bihari Vajpayee
figures
The Story of My Experiments Vajpayee: The Years that
Title of biography with Truth Changed India

Year of 1993 edition 2020

publication
Mahatma Gandhi is famously The three-term PM of india
known for his non-violent played a key role in India’s
peaceful approach, Satyagraha. modern economic reform.
As well as his promotion for Strengthening the nation’s
truth, Satya. nuclear power and improving
relations with its neighbor
His vision for India was rooted Pakistan through diplomacy.
in a self-sufficient, agrarian
Short bionote of society. Moral and spiritual He is also remembered for his
historical figure values were prioritized over overall contributions to India’s
industrialization, and society infrastructural development.
leaned on material wealth
values

He also aimed to involve social

and economic form to India and
not just political independence.
.

DAY 1-3

Thoughts on the Spiritual Nationalism Pragmatic Nationalism

nation
(Nationalism, identity,
ethnicity, culture) Gandhi’s vision of Nationalism Vajpayee prioritized India’s
 was mainly rooted in moral and position in the world stage
spiritual values. Believing that through modernization. He
the nation was deeply emphasized the nationalist
connected with it’s rural, he ideology of Hindutya. A focus
advocated that villages be on India’s Hindu identity. He
self-sufficient (khadi) and asserted India as a nuclear
noninvolvement with British power and pursued
industrial goods. technological advancements
and globalization.
His idea of self-governance
went beyond independence but He balanced economic
also included social reform. He development and national
rejected the West’s materialism. security. He envisioned India as
Instead, he aimed to preserve a nation to embrace
India’s cultural and spiritual modernization whilst also
identity and heritage while also holding onto it’s very ancient
achieving self-reliance. He cultural roots.
viewed India as a leader in
showing the world the values of
non-violence and an ethical
government.

Gandhi envisioned an Vajpayee envisioned an India

egalitarian society. Removing that was more aligned with
the caste divisions that plagued modern liberalization and
India’s social life. His fight focused more on improving
against the caste system was a infrastructure and education as
vital part in his social reform well as reducing poverty rates
plan. Advocating for the through creating economic
Thoughts on upliftment of the poor and the reforms.
society marginalized. Promoting the
(Social structures and
traditions, work & idea of Sarvodaya (universal Under his term, India saw
labor, quality of life) upliftment), where the ideas of projects like the Golden
social equality, self sufficiency Quadrilateral highway project
and non-violence would be and the telecommunications
guiding principles. revolution wich greatly
improved the connectivity of
He critiqued industrialization the nation. He attempted to
and saw it as a threat to India’s take steps toward reducing
traditional self-reliant villages. economic inequality but were
 challenged by the country’s
long history with poverty and
unemployment.
Gandhi’s outlook on history was Vajpayee’s views on history
shaped by the belief of moral were heavily influenced by the
reform. He viewed India’s geopolitical realities of the 20th
recent past struggles as a and 21st centuries.
consequence of Western
domination and influence. He viewed the
Therefore he ultimately post-independence period as a
believed that India must return significant event with great
to their spiritual roots to potential but with significant
genuinely have independence. challenges. Despite the
country’s freedom in 1947, they
Gandhi believed that British rule still continued to heavily
not only represented political struggle on issues like poverty,
subjugation, but also cultural a bad economy and
and impoverishment. India had infrastructure.
strayed away from it’s values of
Thoughts on self reliance, moral He believed that India needed
history righteousness and overall to move towards a more
(Opinions or insights simplicity after adopting the market-oriented economy that
on the past & past
events, leaders, Western values, (reliance on understood the importance of
struggles)
industrialization, and foreign modernization and industries.
goods). A return to swedeshi he
believed will undo these He pushed for economic
wrongs. Advocating for the reforms that embraced
revival of village economies and liberalization and globalization
local industries. and saw these as steps to make
India have a more prominent
He had an admiration of Indian role in the global stage.
leaders who shared his position
and ideology. Bringing up He was more concerned in
figures like Lord Ram and the asserting the nations identity
teachings of the Bhagavad Gita through Hindutva, a form of
to reinforce his ideas. cultural nationalism that
focused on Hindu roots. Viewing
The very long and cruel years Indian history as a never ending
of foreign oppression, like the struggle that needed to adopt
British Rule were defining modern realities. Such as
 moments that presented India’s national pride through military
spirit of resilience in spite of strength and technological
subjecation. innovation.

DAY 3-4

Both Gandhi and Vajpayee both shared a vision for an

independent and strong Indian nation with differing methods.

Shared views Gandhi focused on the spiritual and social reform of India during
(Anything from above) their subjugation of the British Empire.

Vajpayee emphasised on the modernization of India through

economic growth and prosperity as well as national security.
Both of them valued social equality, independence, and a sense
of self-reliance.

Shared values Gandhi focused on ethical governance and the upliftment of the
(Draw conclusions
from information) people marginalized by society.

Vajpayee prioritized India's technological progress and

infrastructure development.
They both played crucial roles in shaping a new India. Gandhi
Shared famously leading the non-violent struggle for independence
experience against the British. Vajpayee was a respected key figure in the
(Common parts of
personal life) liberalization and development of India to become a modern-day
superpower.

DAY 4

Would they disagree with anything of Would/do they view the past source
the newer source – methods, beliefs, with respect or judgment? Why?
ideology? Why?

Points of
contention Gandhi would have most likely Vajpayee might have found
(How would each disagreed with Vajpayee’s focus Gandhi’s approach as idealistic
source "react" to the
other?)) on industrialization and or unrealistic. As Vajpayee
globalization, given Gandhi’s believed that modernization
view of India being a self-reliant and globalization were key
and non industrial country. factors in a survival of a nation
 in the modern global stage.
Gandhi’s Autobiography may show The autobiography may have offered
some inconsistencies regarding his a largely heroic depiction of Vajpayee
views on celibacy, truth violence, and generally focused on his main
race, idealism and personal successes during his term.
Inconsistencies spirituality.
(Factual information,
misinterpretations) The book may have possibly
There have been tensions between his downplayed some of the
private experiences with regards to controversies or criticisms regarding
morals and his public role politically. Vajpayee. Some may say even
idealized the portrayal of his term.

DAY 4

Mahatma Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee represents 2 distinct

but crucial phases in Indias history.Each contributing to the
nation’s identity.

Grounded in spiritual and moral ideas, Gandhi sought to reshape

Researcher's India into a society of non violence and self sufficiency after the
remarks many years of British subjucation and reliance. Empowering the
(Any conclusions or
analyses that haven't marginalized and the rural.
been brought up)
Pragmatic nationalism and modernization is what drove Vajpayee
to transcend India in the modern global stage through nuclear
power, infrastructure and globalization.

Both continue to leave lasting legacies that continue to shape

India’s development even by today.

Books:

Gandhi, M. K., Desai, M. H., & Bok, S. (1993). Gandhi: An autobiography, the story of my experiments with
truth. Beacon Press.

Sinha, S. (2020). Vajpayee: The years that changed India. Penguin Group.