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RC Passage
Direction for the questions 9 to 12: The passage below is accompanied by a set of four questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question. I have elaborated . . . a framework for analyzing the contradictory pulls on [Indian] nationalist ideology in its struggle against the dominance of colonialism and the resolution it offered to those contradictions. Briefly, this resolution was built around a separation of the domain of culture into two spheresâthe material and the spiritual. It was in the material sphere that the claims of Western civilization were the most powerful.
Science, technology, rational forms of economic organization, modern methods of statecraftâthese had given the European countries the strength to subjugate the non-European people . . . To overcome this domination, the colonized people had to learn those superior techniques of organizing material life and incorporate them within their own cultures. . . . But this could not mean the imitation of the West in every aspect of life, for then the very distinction between the West and the East would vanishâthe self-identity of national culture would itself be threatened. . . .
The discourse of nationalism shows that the material/spiritual distinction was condensed into an analogous, but ideologically far more powerful, dichotomy: that between the outer and the inner. . . . Applying the inner/outer distinction to the matter of concrete day-to-day living separates the social space into ghar and bÄhir, the home and the world. The world is the external, the domain of the material; the home represents oneâs inner spiritual self, oneâs true identity. The world is a treacherous terrain of the pursuit of material interests, where practical considerations reign supreme. It is also typically the domain of the male.
The home in its essence must remain unaffected by the profane activities of the material worldâand woman is its representation. And so one gets an identification of social roles by gender to correspond with the separation of the social space into ghar and bÄhir. . . .
The colonial situation, and the ideological response of nationalism to the critique of Indian tradition, introduced an entirely new substance to [these dichotomies] and effected their transformation. The material/spiritual dichotomy, to which the terms world and home corresponded, had acquired . . . a very special significance in the nationalist mind. The world was where the European power had challenged the non-European people and, by virtue of its superior material culture, had subjugated them. But, the nationalists asserted, it had failed to colonize the inner, essential, identity of the East which lay in its distinctive, and superior, spiritual culture. . . . [I]n the entire phase of the national struggle, the crucial need was to protect, preserve and strengthen the inner core of the national culture, its spiritual essence. . . .
Once we match this new meaning of the home/world dichotomy with the identification of social roles by gender, we get the ideological framework within which nationalism answered the womenâs question. It would be a grave error to see in this, as liberals are apt to in their despair at the many marks of social conservatism in nationalist practice, a total rejection of the West. Quite the contrary: the nationalist paradigm in fact supplied an ideological principle of selection.
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
"I have elaborated . . . a framework for analyzing the contradictory pulls on [Indian] nationalist ideology in its struggle against the dominance of colonialism and the resolution it offered to those contradictions."
Explanation: The author has developed a way to understand the conflicting influences within Indian nationalism as it fought against colonial rule and how it tried to resolve these conflicts.
"Briefly, this resolution was built around a separation of the domain of culture into two spheresâthe material and the spiritual."
Explanation: The nationalist response divided culture into two areas: material aspects (like science and economics) and spiritual aspects (like identity and values).
"It was in the material sphere that the claims of Western civilization were the most powerful."
Explanation: Western civilization dominated in material aspectsâtechnology, governance, and organization.
Paragraph 2
"Science, technology, rational forms of economic organization, modern methods of statecraftâthese had given the European countries the strength to subjugate the non-European people . . ."
Explanation: Europeans conquered others through their advanced use of science, technology, and efficient governance.
"To overcome this domination, the colonized people had to learn those superior techniques of organizing material life and incorporate them within their own cultures."
Explanation: To resist colonialism, colonized societies had to adopt and integrate these Western methods into their cultures.
"But this could not mean the imitation of the West in every aspect of life, for then the very distinction between the West and the East would vanishâthe self-identity of national culture would itself be threatened."
Explanation: However, copying the West entirely would erase the cultural differences and threaten the Eastâs identity.
Paragraph 3
"The discourse of nationalism shows that the material/spiritual distinction was condensed into an analogous, but ideologically far more powerful, dichotomy: that between the outer and the inner. . . ."
Explanation: Nationalist thought reframed the material/spiritual division as the outer (external/material) versus the inner (spiritual/essential) self.
"Applying the inner/outer distinction to the matter of concrete day-to-day living separates the social space into ghar and bÄhir, the home and the world."
Explanation: This distinction shaped everyday life by dividing it into home (inner/spiritual) and world (outer/material).
"The world is the external, the domain of the material; the home represents oneâs inner spiritual self, oneâs true identity."
Explanation: The world symbolizes external, practical matters, while the home embodies the true, spiritual self.
"The world is a treacherous terrain of the pursuit of material interests, where practical considerations reign supreme. It is also typically the domain of the male."
Explanation: The world is viewed as dangerous and materialistic, and is generally associated with men.
Paragraph 4
"The home in its essence must remain unaffected by the profane activities of the material worldâand woman is its representation."
Explanation: The home should stay pure and untouched by worldly influences, and women symbolize this protected inner space.
"And so one gets an identification of social roles by gender to correspond with the separation of the social space into ghar and bÄhir."
Explanation: This division leads to assigning roles: men belong to the outer world; women to the inner home.
Paragraph 5
"The colonial situation, and the ideological response of nationalism to the critique of Indian tradition, introduced an entirely new substance to [these dichotomies] and effected their transformation."
Explanation: Colonialism and nationalist reaction redefined and altered the meanings of these traditional divisions.
"The material/spiritual dichotomy, to which the terms world and home corresponded, had acquired . . . a very special significance in the nationalist mind."
Explanation: Nationalists gave new and deeper meaning to the material/spiritual (world/home) split.
"The world was where the European power had challenged the non-European people and, by virtue of its superior material culture, had subjugated them."
Explanation: The world symbolized the arena of colonial domination due to Western material superiority.
"But, the nationalists asserted, it had failed to colonize the inner, essential, identity of the East which lay in its distinctive, and superior, spiritual culture."
Explanation: Nationalists believed that while the West conquered externally, it couldnât touch the Eastâs spiritual core.
"[I]n the entire phase of the national struggle, the crucial need was to protect, preserve and strengthen the inner core of the national culture, its spiritual essence."
Explanation: The goal of the nationalist movement was to defend and nurture the countryâs spiritual and cultural identity.
Paragraph 6
"Once we match this new meaning of the home/world dichotomy with the identification of social roles by gender, we get the ideological framework within which nationalism answered the womenâs question."
Explanation: Combining the spiritual/material split with gender roles, nationalists formed a specific view on the role of women in society.
"It would be a grave error to see in this, as liberals are apt to in their despair at the many marks of social conservatism in nationalist practice, a total rejection of the West."
Explanation: Some liberals wrongly believe this conservative stance meant rejecting the West entirely.
"Quite the contrary: the nationalist paradigm in fact supplied an ideological principle of selection."
Explanation: Actually, nationalism allowed selective adoption of Western ideasâaccepting some, rejecting others.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
The author outlines a framework explaining how Indian nationalism managed the tension between resisting colonial rule and incorporating useful Western influences by separating culture into material and spiritual domains.
Paragraph 2 Summary
Nationalists believed it was necessary to adopt Western material strengths like science and governance, but without copying the West entirely, as doing so would endanger Eastern cultural identity.
Paragraph 3 Summary
The material/spiritual division was reinterpreted as outer/inner, expressed through the social split between the world (public, male) and home (private, spiritual, female).
Paragraph 4 Summary
In this framework, women came to represent the spiritual home, separate from the corrupt outside world, resulting in gendered social roles.
Paragraph 5 Summary
Nationalist ideology gave special importance to preserving the spiritual core of Indian culture, which they argued colonialism could not penetrate, even though it conquered the material world.
Paragraph 6 Summary
This cultural logic also shaped nationalist responses to womenâs rolesâbalancing cultural preservation with selected Western influences rather than rejecting modernity entirely.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | Indian nationalism resolved colonial contradictions by dividing culture into material and spiritual. |
| Paragraph 2 | Western material strengths were adopted, but full imitation was avoided to preserve cultural identity. |
| Paragraph 3 | The material/spiritual divide became an inner/outer one, shaping gendered social spaces. |
| Paragraph 4 | Women symbolized the protected spiritual home, leading to gender role assignments. |
| Paragraph 5 | Nationalists aimed to guard the inner spiritual identity from colonial influence. |
| Paragraph 6 | Nationalism selectively adopted from the West, forming its ideological approach to womenâs roles. |
RC Questions
Ques 9. Which one of the following explains the âcontradictory pullsâ on Indian nationalism?
Ques 10. On the basis of the information in the passage, all of the following are true about the spiritual/material dichotomy of Indian nationalism EXCEPT that it:
Ques 11. Which one of the following, if true, would weaken the authorâs claims in the passage?
Ques 12. Which one of the following best describes the liberal perception of Indian nationalism?
