Chapter 7

The Adventure

Page No: 60

Notice these expressions in the text.

Infer their meaning from the context.

blow-by-blow account
de facto
morale booster
astute
relegated to
doctored accounts
political acumen
gave vent to

Answer

blow-by-blow account : detailed account. In the text “The Adventure” this

expression occurs in the context of Gangadharpant trying to understand
the outcome of the Battle of Panipat by reading a book on the topic.

morale booster : anything that serves to increase morale or confidence.

The expression occurs in the text 'Adventure' where it is told that the
Marathas emerged victorious in the Battle of Panipat which increased
their morale or confidence in establishing their supremacy all over the
country.

Relegated to : assigned to a lower rank or position. In the text it is said

how Dadasaheb, a maratha Chieftain was assigned to a lower rank after
the Battle of Panipat.

political acumen : political shrewedness with keen insight. In the text

'The Adventure' the expression is used to convey how Madhavrao and
Vishwasrao because of their shrewedness could expand their influence
all over India.
de facto : existing in fact whether with lawful authority or not. In the text
'Adventure' the Peshwas are regarded as de facto rulers as they kept the
Mughal regime alive in Delhi.

astute : marked by practical hardheaded intelligence. In the text “The

Adventure” this word is used to convey that the Peshwas were very
intelligent to recognise the importance of technological age dawning in
Europe.

doctored accounts : manipulation of accounts. This expression conveys

that the Bakhars were not providing historical facts but manipulated
account of history.

give vent to : to express one's feelings and ideas. Professor Gaitonde

expressed his ideas in the public lecture on the Battle of Panipat.

Page No: 69

Understanding the Text

I.Tick the statements that are true.

1. The story is an account of real events.

2. The story hinges on a particular historical event.

3. Rajendra Deshpande was a historian.

4. The places mentioned in the story are all imaginary.

5. The story tries to relate history to science.

Answer

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True
II. Briefly explain the following statements from the text.

1.“You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present
experiencing a different world.”

2. “You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a

catastrophic experience.”

3. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew with

what he was witnessing around him.

4. “The lack of determinism in quantum theory!”

5. “You need some interaction to cause a transition.”

Answer

1. This statement was said by Rajendra to Professor Gaitonde. He made

a transition from one world to another and back again. By making a
transition, he was able to experience two worlds although one at a time.
He neither travelled to the pas nor to the future. He was in the present
but experiencing a different world.

2. This statement was made by Rajendra to Prof. Gaitonde in the text

The Adventure by Jayant Vishnu Narlikar. Gangadhar had passed
through a strange experience. He had the experience of living in two
world, one he lived in now and other where he had spent two days.

3. Gangadharpant knew India which had seen the decline of Peshwas

and experienced the slavery of the British. But the India he had seen in
two days was completely different. It had not been subjected to slavery
for the whiteman. It was self dependent and enjoyed self respect. He
compared the two countries the one that he knew already and other that
he was witnessing around him. Both had different histories.

4. Professor Gaitonde had decided to go to a big library at Bombay and

browse through history books. Then he would find out how the present
state of affairs was reached. On his return to Pune, he would have a long
talk with Rajendra Deshpande. He hoped that Rajendra would help him
understand what had happened.

5. This bombay was under the British Raj. An Anglo-Indian in unform

checked permits. Each of the blue carriages of GBMR had the tiny Union
Jack painted on it. The Victoria Terminus station looked very neat and
clean. The staff was mostly of Anglo-Indians and Parsee along with a
handful fo british Officers.

Talking about the Text

1. Discuss the following statements in groups of two pairs, each pair in a

group taking opposite points of view.

(i) A single event may change the course of the history of a nation.

(ii) Reality is what is directly experienced through the senses.

(iii) The methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar.

Answer

(i)
For
A single event may change the course of the history of a nation. The
battle of Panipat for example is said to be the turning point in the history
of India. In the Battle of Panipat, the Marathas gave in to the forces of
Ahmed Shah Abdali. After this event the history of India took another
turn. Gradually, the country was was overtaken by the foreign forces. In
the story The Adventure it is mentioned how in the beginning Prof.
Gaitonde was preparing a speech on what course the history would have
taken if the Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat. This shows the
importance of a single event in the history of a nation.

Against
The motion that A single event may change the course of the history of a
nation is a matter of perspective only. It is a relative truth. If we apply the
catastrophic theory in understanding history then we will find that there
may be alternative outcomes of a single event so that we cannot
proclaim that any one course of event is the reality. Since there may be
alternative courses of history so debating on a single course is not
fruitful. In the story the Adventure due to catastrophic phenomenon the
Battle of Panipat is revealed in a different version to Prof Gaitonde.
According to this version, the Marathas emerged victorious in the Battle
of Panipat. After the event the Marathas extended influence over the
entire country. India never fell to the alien forces. So, to argue that a
single course of event may change the course of history is not tenable.
There may be alternative effects following an event.

(ii)
For
Our senses , that is the senses of touch, sight, taste and hearing and
smell provide us facts about the world we live in. Knowledge from
experience come through these senses. The reality is what we directly
experience through these senses. No other reality exists which is not
revealed to the senses.

Against
Reality is not what is directly revealed to the senses. We cannot
experience so many entities like atoms and molecules but these are real.
We cannot even predict the behaviour of these entities accurately. This
point is mooted by Rajendra in the story Adventure when he points to the
discoveries made by the physicists regarding the behaviour of the
atoms. We can predict the position of a bullet fired in a particular
direction from a gun but we cannot predict the position of a an electron
fired from a source. This proves that reality is not what is directly
revealed to the senses, there can be alternative realities existing side by
side.

(iii)
For
The methods of inquiry of History, Science and Philosophy are similar. In
the story The Adventure one can find the perspectives of History,
Philosophy and Science converging towards a focal point.
History employs the methods of observation, analysis and rationalism in
understanding the course of past events. Science is based on
observation, experimentation and analysis. Rationalism is the most
fundamental principle that Science follows. Philosophy is thoroughly
critical in methodology.
Philosophy examines everything including the assumptions and
methodology of Science and other disciplines like History. In the story
The Adventure History, Science and Philosophy converge. Prof. Gaitonde
experienced an altogether different version of the out come of the Battle
of Panipat. Contrary to the version as provided in History text books,the
Marathas emerged as victorious in this battle. Prof. Gaitonde tried to
understand this rationally but he failed to get any clue. In this context,
Rajendra intervened to explain this phenomenon in the light of the
Catastrophic theory which is being employed by Physicists in
understanding the behaviour of atoms. Here we find Science and History
converging. The similar perspective is seen in Philosophy that truth is
relative and not absolute. In fact, the philosophical movement of post
Modernism is based on this.
In other words, the methods of inquiry of History, Science and
Philosophy are similar.

Against
It is a misnomer that the methods of inquiry of History,Science and
Philosophy are similar.
The similarity is at superficial level and not at the core. In the story The
Adventure Rajendra tried to rationalise the experience of Prof Gaitonde
by applying the Catastrophic theory. But this explanation is not
convincing though it convinced the professor. Catastrophic theory can
best explain phenomenon of the physical world but History deals with
behavioural world. It is concerned with the behaviour of society and
individuals. The methods of inquiry will also vary accordingly.
The method of inquiry of Philosophy is speculative. Philosophy even
questions rationalism. Philosophy is highly critical of the methods of
Science and History. In other words, the methods of History, Science and
Philosophy are not similar. The story The Adventure by Jayant Vishnu
Narlikar is, in fact, a science fiction which is trying to show the
convergence of Science History and Philosophy. In reality the three
disciplines, namely, Science, History and Philosophy have to employ
different methodology of inquiry vis-a-vis the subject matter.

2. (ii) Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside

over meetings again?

Answer

(ii) Professor Gaitonde was experiencing a different version of the Battle

of Panipat. According to this version, the Marathas emerged victorious in
the Battle and started extending influence over the entire country. His
mind was actually witnessing a different version of the historical reality.
Interestingly, he was also witnessing an event that was not conforming
to the conventions. The event was a lecture session on the outcomes of
the Battle of Panipat. In this lecture session Prof. Gaitonde observed that
the chair of the President was vacant. This again was contrary to the
conventions. Prof. Gaitonde rushed to occupy the chair and started
explaining the need of a President in a lecture session like this. The
public got angry on this point and started throwing objects on him. He
had a harrowing experience. This led him to decide not to preside over
meetings again.