MWH

Privileged to hand over a copy of the book to DGOF & Chairman, Ordnance Factory Board, Shri S K Chourasia

        

Interestingly, the book was released on 11 SEP 


The Book now has Look Inside feature - one can have a glance at its contents and few pages.....


https://www.amazon.in/Modern-World-History-Services-Examination/dp/9386860732/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509908099&sr=1-4&keywords=world+history

Presenting a copy of the book to Shri D K Mahapatra, Secretary, Ordnance Factory Board

With Shri D K Mahapatra, Secretary, Ordnance Factory Board

Preface

“And what is it to work with love?

                          It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart,

                         as if your beloved were to wear that cloth”

-        Kahlil Gibran [Lebanese poet, philosopher & artist]

The idea of penning down the manuscript on World History, specifically for Civil Service aspirants, germinated approximately a year back. The concept sprouted suddenly no doubt, yet there exist a background.

In 2006, I took the Civil Service Examination [CSE] by the Union Public Service Commission [UPSC]. I had gleefully chosen HISTORY as one of the optional. In fact, it was the prime optional paper. Reasons were multifarious.

One, I had immense liking for the subject since my school days. However, swept away by the extant educational culture and intimidated by the ‘benchmark of merit’; I had to take up Sciences – though I never repent on the decision and rather felt sublime on studying Physics which was a prime mover for igniting analysis and critical thought.

Two, the syllabus of HISTORY for UPSC-CSE was in conformity with a chunk of its General Studies syllabus. Naturally, choosing HISTORY implied saving some precious time as I was preparing towards CSE while I was simultaneously pursuing active research in Astrophysics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

Third, another pragmatic consideration was the steady, consistent flow of marks which HISTORY generated in the CSE. The syllabus might appear ‘big’ on the face of it, but if studied from an analytical perspective and not viewed from the cliché ‘date-year-fact’ interpretation; then HISTORY would pay the aspirant richest dividends.

Sensing the opportunity, I revived my severed relationship with HISTORY.

Furthermore, after clearing CSE with 324 marks in HISTORY and a maiden attempt at UPSC Mains, that however not being the sole reason, I developed a serious ‘feeling’ for the discipline – which was beyond the story-telling genre of Amar Chitra Katha or purely examination purpose digestion of the subject.

To add to the backdrop, facing challenging queries and critical comments, and at times fed with knowledge – my interactions since 2007 with several serious claimants for the throne of UPSC-CSE very much spruced up my repertoire of HISTORY.

The present volume is an attempt to bring forth to the CSE aspirants, in a comprehensible and knowledgeable format, the apparently elaborate syllabus of World History pertaining to UPSC-CSE. The book focuses on the outline syllabus of Modern World History for CSE by UPSC, stretching from Enlightenment to 2001. Nevertheless, the book will serve the purpose for aspirants towards State Civil Services, UGC-NET examinees and prospective graduates in History from Indian Universities.

The book oscillates – albeit harmonically, between ‘extremities’ of Gandhi to Hitler, from peace to war to revolutions and back – essaying through the labyrinth of human historical evolution since 15^th century Common Era. The enormities of the World Wars, the complexities of Cold War and the ideational deceptions of imperialism and colonialism have been nurtured with care. From Industrial Revolution to nation building in Germany and Italy and finally culminating in decolonisation, the book has labored to reach out to the readers. In this apparent maze, the connectivity with Indian history has not been lost.

A work as varied and diverse as this can never claim total originality. However, the ingenuity of the author in piecing together several disjoint components has to be one of the strongest factors so as to widen the reach of the book’s compass.

I have duly acknowledged the sources, references and books which provided the scaffolding for the present work – mostly within the text and rest in the Reference & Bibliography section. Any source not mentioned or acknowledged is purely inadvertent.

I wish the readers an enjoyable journey through the book.