You must answer both questions from Group One; in addition, you are to answer one question each from groups two and three. You will, in other words, answer a total of four questions. Each answer must be between 2-3 pages, double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12 [please use this font]. You will need two pages to answer each question adequately; but please do not exceed three pages for each answer, unless you feel it absolutely necessary. Support your answers with quotations (preferably brief), or references to one or more texts, depending on the question. [References within the paper can be in the following form: Mani, p. 120; or, similarly, Said, p. 10. You need not give elaborate footnotes. IF, however, you use a reading not on the syllabus, then you must give a full citation.] You need not use a fresh sheet of paper for each answer; just leave a few blank lines at the end of your answer and then start the next answer.
You cannot cite lecture notes [for example, Lal?s lecture, March 9], though of course you can rely upon them for understanding the arguments. Since this is a take-home exam, you may consult material on the syllabus, class notes, podcasts of my lectures, as well as materials not on the syllabus. Internet sources may be used, but with caution; and references should be given to such sources as well. If you have attended the lectures or heard the podcasts and done the readings, you will find it unnecessary to consult any sources outside the syllabus. Number and staple your pages; before submitting your exam, please proof-read besides doing a computer spell-check. Very poorly written papers, with gross errors of grammar and syntax, will be penalized. Please bear in mind that there is a close relationship between the clarity of writing and the clarity of your thought.
Group I: You must answer both questions.

1. In his essays on India, Marx appears to endorse British rule in India. If that is so, on what grounds does he justify colonialism? To what extent does Marx rely on the orientalist construction of Indian history and society in his assessment of British rule in India?

2. In the first half of the nineteenth century, sati was to provide one of the principal instances of British intervention in Indian society. Why was sati such an important issue for the British? Who were the principal parties to the debate on sati as described by Lata Mani and what arguments did they furnish for their respective positions? And what was the debate on sati really about, according to Lata Mani?

Group II: Answer one question.

3. Colonial discourse is characterized by certain recurrent images, arguments, and assumptions, or what are called ‘tropes’. An example of one such trope would be ?the effeminate Hindu?. First, describe briefly three such tropes, and be certain to cite or reference one text for each trope. Then state what you understand to be the place of such tropes in orientalist discourse.

4. What do you understand by ‘communalism’? What does ‘communalism’ tell us about how the British thought of Indian society and history? Using the work of Gyan Pandey, provide an account of some of the principal features of the colonial construction of ‘communalism’.

Group III: Answer one question.

5. The British were vastly outnumbered by the Indians, and yet they were able to establish their rule in India and expand their dominions. They arrived as traders and by the mid-18th century found themselves governing India. What, in your estimation, might be some of the factors that enabled the British to govern India for nearly 200 years?

6. In what respect was Gandhi a very different figure than other Indian nationalists? How would you describe briefly some of his principal contributions to the anti-colonial struggle and the reform of Indian society? In answering this question, you may discuss his views on politics, culture, sexuality, violence, nationalism, or anything else that you find striking. You must also discuss, at least briefly, his work entitled Hind Swaraj.

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BONUS QUESTION:
Students who would like to improve their grade can attempt the bonus question. Please note carefully the following: (1) Your bonus question can be the question below, or one of the questions that you have not answered from groups two and three; (2) You MUST still answer four questions from the above six questions and follow all the directions; (3) If your answer to the bonus question is inadequate, incorrect, or otherwise unsatisfactory, no marks will be deducted; (4) If your answer to the bonus question is adequate or good, your grade will be increased by 1/3rd of a letter grade, for example from B to B+, or from B+ to A-, or from C to C+; (5) IF you answer the bonus question, you will have answered 5 of the 7 questions on this exam.

Your answer to the bonus question should not exceed two pages; that is more than enough for an adequate answer.

7. What do you understand by the Anglicist-Orientalist controversy? What was it all about? There is one reading in particular from the syllabus which you will need to discuss at some length to answer this question.