Question

Discuss the following statement in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.

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

Answer 1

In favour of the motion

Against the motion

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 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.

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 the 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 the event may change the course of history is not tenable. There may be alternative effects following an event.