jotl 11

4. The Adventure ,;tt""'"o,,,rP""

·-------...._________!_layant N11rlikar)

_
In his typical and · · ·
hi
ABo:::::- ---~
Inunitable style, the scientist .
,
.....-1ns.:JI
~Jf{istotY
,-,tua
11,ctua
rflistory-
.
v/s Speculative History

.
the Peshwa, Vishwasrao, was killed and his uncle
w ps a fantastic tale in whi h WnterJayantNar}j1,_ _ }leir to eb rushed into the melee and was never seen again
. c a professor of histo . ~.
concussion, travels back into tim dh . ry, in a state Of , 13hausah
f I d. . e an as a different, a Wishful . ' thaslost the battle and their political influence
o n ian History. His rationalist friend Prof RaJ· d D Vie1y : r.1araBritish consolidated their position; railways and other
physicist, b a I · . · en ra eshpande, 1
Y PP ymg phySics theories of catastrophe and 1I
- th~ . ,_&Juences took place
determinism in quantum th . . J3nttshIJu• . .
1ack o1 1 h king became a puppet kmg
fantasti · t · eory, tries to exp lam Professor Gaitondes! 'I - tJteMug a1
. cm erpretation of history. Prof Gaintonde's "history" is history! New History:
as It ought to have taken place for India, in his view.
- history up to Aurangzeb's death the same
.
NOTES ·ttooka different turn in Battle of Parupat between the Marathas
SECTION-I - :nd Ahmad Shah Abdali

• Prof Gaitonde's Adventure into the Past Marathas won the Battle of Panipat convincingly
_ Abdali chased away
- Prof Gaitonde, in a state of transition, travels to the past to th
Maratha and British rule East India Company, scared of Maratha power, give up their
_ · travels in a Maratha Railway train called Jijamata Express from expansion programmes. Influence restricted to pockets like
Bombay, Madras, Calcutta
Pune to Bombay
- Marathas become very powerful
Bom b ay surpr ises Prof· Gaitonde as it is not the modern
Bombay that he knew but the British Raj Bombay - puppet Mughal Regime retained for political reasons

. Company '5 0 ffi ce, British companies and stores shock/

East India - Maratha rulers recognise the importance of technological age
- set up own centres for science and technology
rum I
I
.
unfamiliar IooksoftheRai! - took help ofEast India Company only for self sufficiency
- the railway station and the tram we~ G ·t nde at his office!
he is unable to meet his
.
.
Prof Gaitonde decides
. son, Mr Vmay ai o
. modem day Bombay)
(because his son lives m .
t o investigate the
I
historical event, thl/
- twentieth century saw India developing into a democracy
- Peshwas gradually replaced by democratically elected
representatives
I
I
\
I

- advent of symbolic head of state - the President

Battle of Panipat h khistoricalfacts - India
. tic Society library to c ec not enslaved, self-dependent, self-respecting
A
goes to the s1a
 - 80:rnbay liter.
• D :merely a British b . ill!lre Co,,,,,_ . e,at"P"";on 11 69
ebacieatAzadM . usinessoutp """¾11 .,,,,-"
~an ~~~ µ h - to go through something i.e. read it casually
- 'Ibe Profess i e Upto iOoJ. tlttoug
- or ond of ch::ii..;_ . i,to~se finally
strolls into Az -......u,g Public lech._ , .JIY
- •~e meetings
ad Maidan e~e!'ttl assume
a :meeting go• 0 ' rest1tlle withfacts
mg n there ' f' Uy
- occ · , cttl11 to move forward
up1es President's v ' ' 11 e
acant seat ~ettttJl' the last station
- public rough him rotl11t1s
disappe fr up, hurl tomatoes and , te connected with the city
a.rs 0 :rn the scene eggs etc at ~ t,tlfban
, ' compartments of a train
SECTION - III s~ages
I C just a few
• A Scientific Explanation hatldful
I to declare; announce
- Prof Gaitonde h t. . . , proclailJl
ur ma colhs1on with a truck hand-woven clothes
hattdloolll
- lay unconscious but mind active I
puzzle
, riddle
- in this sta te, his mind travelled back in time snatching
, grabbing
- preparing a lecture before accident on the topic: "Whai
Was , volumes copies
course history would have taken if the result of the Battle , converge to gather at one point
Panipat had gone the other way?" to be exact
, precise
- not surprisingly, his fantastic adventure took him to the Battleo/ evidently clearly
Panipat to give details
elaborate
- Prof Gaitonde's physicist friend explains his experience in tem , expansionist to stretch
of catastrophe theory and the lack of determinism in quantum , blow by blow to give minutest details
theory which makes us see reality from differentpointsofview. / account
Prof Gaitond e now understands the mystery behind his two • dismay disappointment and shock
days "disappearance " from Bombay • avidly in a courageous manner; enthusiastically
. . l ture meetings forever • sidelines
gives up his w eakness for chamng ec less important
• acumen
GLOSSARY ability to make good judgement and take
quick decisions
• considerably _ enough • e:xpand
stretch
_ screamed • llloraJe booster
• roared something which enhances spirits
 ,u

71
• astute OJl"l""';on11
()~tflt'
• Wielded alert; shrewd behave in an uncontrolled and disorderly
exercised power or in.fl 811101' way
• relegated
uence;held unknowingly
• defacto put to a lower rank
or position ~dvertentlY
existin · explain something with reason or logic
gm fact, Whether legally ' ·onalise
not accepted r11t1 guesswork
• valour Ot
' eeulation
bravery SJ' something which amazes
• dawning statWflg
th clearly
e beginning of something; obviously
existence come into gap; difference
• figurehead disparity
a leader without real power metal clothing of soldiers
• transition a.J1ll-OU!
the process of changing important
• doctored crucial
tampered; made up with energy; a driving force
• melee • jrnpetuS
unmanageable crowd manifestations creations; fo~ms
• elite
influential people , recount remember
• frugal meagre; small orbiting moving around
• throng crowd radically in totality
• mesmerize to enchant collision bang
• dignitary an important person specified made clear
• hostile to show anger • pulse vibration
• sacrilege sin, mockery or violation • grave serious
• dumbfounded shocked; unable to speak
• give vent to to express

• valiantly with bravery

• implications meanings

• catastrophe disaster

• fantasy imagination

• pacing moving to and fro

excessively pleased or satisfied
• smugly
 panion 11 73
saoaT ANSWER
(to be answer, d. Ql.JEsnoNs
JjtP111" °""
Qt. "Y e zn about 40 ·ocratically elected bodies. Consequently, the India of the
ou neither traveU d Words each)
del11 ording to Professor Gaitonde's imagination, was
e tothe st ace
Present experiencin . Past nor the future pa ' . ally different from the real one.
g a different 'W I • You \Vere . ,cceptton
Professor Gaitonde aft or d." Explain briefly a 11\the e .mlain the statement "The lack of determinism in
mental . . , er a collision With . ~IJ stieflY e~r
pictures in his activ . truck, saw di££ a'· quatl
tuJil theory!" (Textual)
such picture h e IlUnd about Indian hi t erent . g to this theory, the electrons don't take the same
e saw that the M s ory. In 0 Accord in
P · aratha h d ne . path when shot from the same nucleus like the planets
.
arupat and the British s a won the Battl
Were marginal. e of traJectory . ..
Deshpande, through th ised. Professor Rajendr do- Different routes are taken by them and no scientific law can
e present statem . a
Professor Gaitonde's ex . . ent tried to explain Iain why those routes are taken. Professor Deshpande
penence rational! th exp li d this theory to rationa
· 11y exp1am · P rof essor G aiton
· d e 's
determinism in tum Yon e basis of lack of
quan theory. app e £hi hil 1· th
Q2. different experiences o story w e ivmg m e present .
· ·
"You have passed through f . .
a antastic expenence: or more correctly . fl explain the statement: "You need some interaction to
a catastrophic experience." Expla · b • fl Q5. Bne Y
m ne Y· (Textual) cause a transition". (Textual)
Professor Deshpande refers to Professor Gaitonde's vision of Professor Gaitonde could not explain where he ha~ spent two
Indian history he has had following a collision with a truck. days before returning to Pune as his memory had gone blank.
Since he was preparing a lecture on the result of Marathas' As such, he failed to comprehend how a person could move
Battle of Panipat, his vision showed that the Marathas had between two totally different worlds at a time - the present time
won it and changed the course of Indian history. Professor and some time in the past. His friend Rajendra Deshpande
Deshpande dubbs Professor Gaitonde's experience as a
explained that according to catastrophe theory, small changes
catastrophic experience on the basis of lack of determinism in
in circumstances can lead to sudden shifts in behaviour. Just
quantum theory. before his accident, Professor Gaitonde was speculating about
Q3. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew the course Indian history would have taken had the Marathas ·
. d him. Explain briefly. (Textual)
with what he was witnessing aroun . won the Battle of Panipat and it resulted in his belief that the
M athas lost the Battle of Parupat Marathas actually had defeated Abdali.
It is a historical fact that the ar f B ·tt· hers for the next
n s
Ind · · to a slave o Q6. Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside
and this loss turned m ta .d tity In a state of
II h
respect and I en . over meetings again? (Textual)
150 years. India lost a er f history- fie
ant changed the course o a
transition, Gangadharp I f Panipat and became The Professor was still dimly conscious of the rough treatment
. o-ined that Mara thas wo
n the Batt e o
. edinpower
till ~e had been meted out at the Azad Maidan during his mental
unaa-- . ntity Theyrernam b
owerful, strong, and uruted e .e gradually replaced y Journey to the Indian history. There he was prevented from
P and wer
the twentieth century chairing the meeting and was showered with eggs and tomatoes
 by the angry t·
lferllfure Co,-_
•on 11
ca,rrP"nl 75

too ~.
crowd I-I d.1
· e dnot .
..,,..nioii 1
1
.,,/JI"
11
e l
. iv.1oreover foll
,
.
owing R .
Want it to hap . .
Peninhi.8 d heshowed him Union Jacks painted on the camages.
xp anation of h' aJendra D h tea11if aJsO all r was startled to see the headquarters of East Ind·
is catastrophi es Pande's e, p ofesso 1a
must have realized th c experience Prof l'ationaj 'fhe t English departmental stores instead of Indian
. e utterly ' essor C . coinranY, hops and British Banks.
view of history h useless natur f a1tonc1e dJooJll.S ,
e Was to take . . e o the specu1 .
never to preside o up m his lecture So h ative na!I
. tile var10
. us things noticed by Professor Gaitonde when he
Q7. How . Ver meetings again. . , e decidec1 atO, I,iSl wandering in the British Raj.
did Professor G •t
a1 onde meet . h was Gaitonde notice · d an Ang lo-Indian m · uni£orm in the
affect him? Wit an accident? II p ofessor
. . owdidit r. h checked everybody's permits. He also took note of the
Professor Gaitonde was hit b traJllW O •
Y a truck while h . Jack painted on each carnage. He was surprised to
hi s evening stroll H I . e was going for tinYUJuon .
. e ost consciousness Th h eadquarters of East India Company. The buildings
Was inactive, his mind . . . oug physically he see the h
him were of Victorian style and there were offices of
one place to another ~a~ ticking constantly, moving from aroun d _
. ' gaming new experiences. On gainin . . h companies. There were Boots and Woolworth
BrttlS
c~nsc~ousness, he was able to recall each and every moment o~ departmental stores and British banks like Lloyds and Barclays.
his SOJourn in the Indian history.
Qll. Why did Professor Gaitonde look for his son?
Q8. What was Professor
Gaitonde thinking before the accident? Professor Gaitonde was confused when he saw the
What was its effect on him? headquarters of East India Company. His vision of history told
Professor Gaitonde was to deliver a lecture on the topic: 'What him that it had wound up its operations in 1857, so it was very
course history would have taken if the result of the Battle of strange that the office was still there. He decided to meet his son
Panipat had gone the other way?'. He was contemplating over who worked in an office in Bombay in the present time, so that
the course of history connected with this event when he met he could find out what was happening around him.
with an accident. While lying in a state of unconsciousness, he Q12. Why did Professor Gaitonde decide to go to the Town Hall
thought that the Battle of Panipat had actually been won by the Library?
Marathas and he visualised a very different India from the real
Professor Gaitonde was surprised to see an establishment of
one. st
E~ India Company in Bombay. He was a historian and his
Q9. Describe the Professor's shift into the British Period. d
mm told him that the company had wound up its operations
in his
Th . in which the Professor was travelling after the eve t f 18
e tram tation called Sarhad where an
.
With his son h
n ° 57. Then he decided to check up the facts
imagination stopped at a smalls . lk d to a fellow w O was working in Bombay. But once again the
d th ir permits He ta e events confu d .
Anglo-Indian chec ek e . · . d stations for be,...~1 se him as he could not locate him. In his
'b b t the vanous trams an ·• udered stat Of .
traveller' Khan Sahi
. .
' a ou .
an Sahib d15cusse
d bis business libr e rrund, he decided to go to the Town Hall
reaching the destmatiOns, Kh ary to Verify the facts and resolve the confusion.
 ~u, __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ,_

Ql3. Whi chf

actso fhj
LJ.,.,.'~eo-_.. ~ , ,JJII'
__ ,,
c,rr
in
77

......n,le read when they saw ProfeHor Caitonde

?'llllia,,11
story slU°p rise 1 JI"
At the libra rv Pr d the Profes ctjd tti.e y--.
- J, ofess or C . SOr?WJty?
de Went th . 6, ffot' ·dent'scJtait?
volu mes of histo ry In thefi raiton rough th e diff~ rJJ ...re1•
roun d could not bear to see Pro f~ Caito
nde
. 5 tfourvo Jum . 11¢Y--
th e same as he tnt .-avle a st the
reme mber d h em but the es,
_ e t fif
things
Wereexactl fJte r-- • nresi dent' s chair_ becau se they were again
by Surp rise It th voJu Y r1'I the r e. First of alJ, the
· c1alDle d tha
t the Battle of p . rnetookhilll oectJrJ f 50mebody presi dmg over a lectur
Marafuas 1 d bv .-dic e o nned mid-w ay. The audie nce shouted at the Professor
e • Sada shi vrao Bhau and hi arupa t w as Won by y,-
Vish w _-ke fstDr r-
asrao and thatA bd ali had been '
ch
s nephe
w, t e Young
h sr . . to vacat e the chair. The Profe ssor tried to justify his
and hi br
s othe r 'Ma dha \Tao expa nd d ased
M
away v·IShWasra
· 0 as
}drlg
Th crow d was in no mood to relen t but the Professor
hiJ11
. e arath a inf] ction- e er-ze alous . Whe n the crow d could not take it any
over India · uence aU a
was aJso ov
th y threw toma toes, eggs and other objects at
him and
QI4- Wha t histone · chan ges in India did Pr
ofessor Gaitonde . . JJ'lore, e
How did In--'= - lD'lagine? ,._~ 11 ""ed him off the stage .
Ui.t thes h
emer ge with ec anges ? rii.,.,...ywc
explanation
tha M / listening to Profe ssor Gaito nde, what logic al
Prof esso r Gait onde imag ined / Q17- After
had th t arath a ruler Vishwasrao uiven by .Rajendra Desh pand e?
e uppe r hand and East Indi a Compa ny had become weak. / was tr
y. He appli ed
the Maratha hands.
I Rajendra Desh pande conn ected scien ce with histor
Even the Mug hal regim e p lay ed a pupp et in m in quan tum
/
e of technological the theories of catas troph e and non deter minis
The Mara tha ruler r~e d the impo rtanc . He said that
technology centres theory to expla in Profe ssor Gaito nde's exper ience
adva ncem ent and <lead ed to set up his own I

in whic h East India Com pany aided him.

In the twentieth II
what Professor had just narra ted was simp ly an
enlar geme nt of
accid ent. Before
cracy . The country the thought he had had befor e he met with an
centu ry, Pesh wa rule w as repla ced by demo on the Battle of
the accident, his thoug ht proce ss was focus sed
had beco me self-r elian t and progr essiv e.
Q15. What prom pted Profe ssor Gaito nde to
move towards the chair at

the publ ic gath ering at the Azad Maid an?

Afte r takin g a meal , the Profe ssor went to
have a stroll towards
Panipat in India n histo ry and his mind elabo
points to create a diffe rent worl d pictu re.
rated those very

l
r
i
I
le movi ng in large LONG ANSWER QUES TION S I
the Azad Maid an wher e he saw peop
usly going t~ be (to be answered in about 120 - 150 words each)
num bers towa rds a pand al. A lectu re was obvio
le were comi ng an~ go~g QI. Describe Gang adhar p t' 5 . 0
there . Even as the lecture was on, peopthepr eside nt'sch arrlym g itbete an J urne yiny ouro wnw ords. How can
. d
to see . the nned as an 'Adv entur e'?
but the Profe ssor was surp nse 1·ed it becau se he was 1Il Pr '
•
p d t think Oiessor G
anga dharp ant Gaito nde unde rwen t an unusu
ally
unoc cupi ed. He imm ediat ely occu. hi al life He coul no stran
st histo rian, he
e "d ~vet Moreover, he Wastged~d excit ing exper ience . As a renow ned
habi tofch airin gsuc hlec tures m o eliver a lectu r
Jectu re with out some body to "d pres~ e .
dreSS · havet..1,_if M eon the topic : "Wha t cours e histo ry woul d
of a tia}ad ~
d :Ii erhis l000 thpre s1 en arath ashad wont heBa ttleo fPan ipat? ".
· waseagerto e v
 78
79

But before h
state of
ecoul dd
uncons ci o that he Ill.et With an .
•e,
Lite,-atu

lrioir11 1'
jOII 11

,.,_,,C,
'(ltiS victorY
esta
d
bl'shed
1
the Marath a supremacy in the region
.
the East India Compa ny who had to suspend
places . He found J..~ne ss his Ill.ind tr accident anc1 .
1.Unself avelled n.. ll\ H, d weal<ene ogrammes. Gradually, Maratha influence
the British re .
4

on a train to B '-lll'Ough "'" af\ ansion pr ..

C gllne_ When h Olll.bay Whi h ~Y :.- e"P all over India . For political reasons Mughal regime
we»
ompan y there, he Was e s~w the establishtne c Was llnd.er aitded . D lhi- In the ninetee nth century the Maratha
surpns ed for he kn nt of East hid.· e"1' alive in e
had Wound up ·ts
oper · ewthat th ~ as }cept th import ance of technology and set up their
1
ations in 1857 In ecornp¾ w aliZed e .
myste ry h
e Went to the lib · order to Y _.1ers re . nee and technology. East India company
llnraveJ its fl.I' es for sc1e
the Marat has had rary and read in utter wn centr ...,,.,,ty to expand its operations but its help
. Won the Battle of p arupat . amazernentt1.. o ther oppor• =~
had margm 1· a • 'lilt
5aw an° ted torn
ake only the local centres self-sufficient. In ·
a ised the East Indi compa ny. gamst Abda!i ¾d
a was accep h,rv rnore change s were noticed as India
Ano ther stran . .
ge maden t was th twentieth cen.-;
audien ce at Azad M ·ct at he tried to address th the d toward s democ racy.
ai an where peopl thr e duallY xnove
and other objects at him . e ew tomatoe s, egg gra . tl impres sed the Profess or as.she had not been
and bodily threw him out s ·s 1nd1a grea y
. .
. . Thi h lavery of the white men. India had emerge d as
Within these two da she h b"ected tot es
hist y ad gone mto the past and altered th su l . d ndent and self-re liant state. She had learnt to
ory as per his fancy, which is quite an adventu rous thin _e a strong, Ul epe
.
gin .th the times and had stood on her own feet.
itself consid ering th thrill and excitement he experienced and changeWl
. e
RaJ· endra Deshp ande try to rationalise Professor
ilie magru rud e and speed of the events involved. Q3. How did
in the Gaitonde's strange advent ure?
Q2. Descri be Profes sor Gaiton de's revelat ion of history
library. What sort of India emerge d from the pages of history? Rajendra Deshpa nde was a physic ist and felt that everyth ing
that occurred around us had a logical and scientific explan ation.
Profes sor Gaiton de was puzzle d by the presence of East India
Comp any in Bomba y. He wanted to re-check his facts, so
he Professor Gaiton de told him that someb ody it seems had

went to the library of the Asiatic Society. There he went through tampered with history as the India he had seen in the last two
in
the first four volum es and the inform ation there matched
with days was relative ly differe nt from the India as record ed
Compa ny in
his own knowl edge. Volum e one was up to the period
of history. He had seen an establi sin.ent of East India
three Bombay which as per history had stoppe d its work after 1857,
In
Ashok a, volum e two was up to Samud ragupt a, volume
of the library he had found a differe nt accoun t of Battle of Panipa t
was up to Moha mmad Ghori and volum e four up to the death
Auran gzeb. While readin g the fifth volume , Professor
cam: between the Marath as and Abdali . Also he had met a hostile
hi t began to change. 1d
across the precis e mome nt when s ory . audience at a public meetin g at Azad Maida n. He could not
in the Battle of Panipat an
descri bed that Marat has ha won
d I d by recall where he had been in the last two days. After listenin g
as were e · ·dents a
K b I Marath. to . him' Ra·Jend ra Deshp ande tried to give these mc1
chase d away Abdal i back to a u . g y 15hwasrao.
th SCien...:c:
Sadas hivrao Bhau and his nephe w, eyoun
••.uc explan ation.
 He talked £
Which 0.1twoth .
explaine d th
eones - th
e first was th
u-..
~·"'II,.,,.
11
81

talked of n..__ e Battle of Parup t etheory ofca~ I Or

"<'«mtun ,_ lb a anct · I
Quantu m theo story "The Adventure" reveal that there is n
eory. Lack f its resUlt. N be doesth e o
can be m ry When applied to hi o detet"tninisll\ _eict be J:10"' final reality?
any 'pictures • solute or "
Catastro phic situ .
story sug l?\ the ab likar's story The Adventu re" very clearly projects
or 'Views' of th gests th.at th t Nat
atfon o-iv e World ~ JaYaJl hi. h Nietzsche had propoun ded - that the facts about
World to o f.. -~• o· es totally differ at a tiiti ·deaW c .
g • u.imer. But an ent alternativ e. the 1 vent are not always final, they can be interpreted
the experien ces and by m ~bserver can experience on}es for the .i.;ngora ne . . .
au ... · ys accordin g to the view points of the interprete rs.
Profess or expe . aking transitio n from anouswa
y one or in v . th t there is only one interpret ation of a phenomenon
nenced the tw one to anoth ro i,elieve a
Q4. S lUJUnar o Worlds th h . . .
ise th .
e ending of the sto ' oug one at a tun er· ·d t leads to dogmati sm and fanaticism. Even science,
;.nc1 en
p f e.
ry "The Adventur e" • or . . based on logic fails to reach the final conclusion of
ro essorGa itonde aft myourwords_ which is
, er undergo ing thi d We know that the theories which are considered to
was discuss ing it with a ph . . . s a venturous journey, researches.
tried . ys1c15t be the final interpret ations of certains aspects of subjects do lose
to gtve a very logical and . Ra1endra ..
Desh
pande Who
Deshpa nde referred sc1entif1c explanation for it. Prof thell'. relevance with the passage of time and new theories
to the factor of non-determinism . th replace them.
quantu m th ll m e
eory as we as the theory of 'catastrophe' to explain The chapter reveals that history too is written from the
the 'differen t' outcom e of the Battle of Panipat between the
perspective of the writer; sometim es historica l facts get
Marath as and Ahmed Shah Abdali as seen by Prof Gaitonde. He distorted because of the minds of the historian s pre-occu pied
felt that all this was a figment of the Professor's imagination. He with some specific ideas. The idea of non-dete rminism in
was of the view that as Professo r was thinking of his lecture Quantum Theory of Physics, says the science researcher,
about the differen t outcome s of the Battle of Panipat which he Rajendra Deshpan de, can be applied to history and suggests
was to deliver, he thought of all this. When, after explaining that at one time differen t views of the world may be formed by
Profess or Gaitond e's fantastic but unreal experience, Professor different people. Not only does Prof. Gaitond e's interpret ation
Deshpa nde suggest ed that the historian could now base his one of the Battle of Panipat differ from the actual incidents , there are
thousan dth lecture on real history rather than the speculative
one the Profess or replied that he had resolved never to address
other historians who have given similarly distorted views.
st
The
ory emphasi zes the catastro phe theory accordin g to which "It
,
. I In fact he had already sent his regre ~~
any ga thenng. s~ems that so far as reality is concern ed, all alternati ves are
, .
apologi es to the organis ers of the Panipat Seminar. viable but th b
. e o server can experien ce only one of them at a

:= ·1 h Jean Paul Nietzsche once time." To put 1·t . .

A ve ry famous French phi osop er, . ns•· fund m srmple words, reality is not essenti·a1 or
QS. nly interpretatio
ked· "There are no facts, there are o arnental but relative.
the s~ory "The Adventu re" justify the stateDlent.
□□ a
 ;on 11 &'4
Literitture e,,___ .
-..'Pllli,°"11
ff co'
5. Silk Road

-
V,,,-,.' ·ns
(Nick Middleton) entbegt h" ..
,tee,,,,J.sC
e to a w1'deriverwit 1cem1t
---- ·--------·-···-···----- ' rollte c1os
., wrns, burn
PY ride, car moves in 3rd gear
ABOUT THE LESSON
sharf'
Silk Road is a travelogue presentin . . ., k ge
. g a panoramic view of M f it8t ploC a tretch of drifted snow
Kailash and describing the travails of this diffi I . ountain ' rnetress
account also captures the scenic beauty of th cu t .Journey . 'rL
'fie ., afifteeJl•b"htyO
1
. fd r 1·vingaround the patch of snow
the path lead· · e mountam and th at of . . no possi . the patch of solidified snow
mg to it. The author has described this breatht k" 0 f slipping on .· . . .
beauty with picturesque phrases. a ing ., feat drives over the patch safely after covermg1tw1thsoil
., rsetan
dBlockage
NOTES secon
• other stretch of ice
• Nick Middleton along with Daniel leaves Ravu for Mountain
- an ttered with huge rocks
Kailash (driven by Tsetan) - steep slope sea .
. _ Tsetan drives around the snow skilfully
- Lhamo gifts him a sheepskin coat
- journey begins with the break of the day _ drives to safety
• A short-cut to get off the Changtang , Rap1"d Ascent past 5400 metres
oives Nick throbbing headache
- ascent er
- route would take directly towards Mt. Kailash
- involves crossing high mountain passes _ gulps water to stand the ascent

- snow stretches could present difficulty , Reached Top of the pass at 5515 metres

• Crossvastopenplain s - following tradition, go round the 'cairn of rocks' in clockwise

direction
_ come across gazelles and herds of wild asses
- Tsetan checks tyres and petrol tank
- go through grassy and stony and rocky areas
• Drive down the other side of the Pass
• Move from Rocks to hills
- Nick's headache relieved
- come across well-clad drokbas tending their sheep
- tooklunchneardrySa ltLake
. t heir
- flocks of sheep run to avoid • appro aching vehicle
- Salt Lake: hub of activity
• See nomad tents
• Reach a 8lllall town 'Hor'
alert huge black dogs keep vigil
... Daniel leaves for Lhasa
- bold&fearless, they chase the vehicles . erunesecourts
... two Punctured tyres got fixed
same breed dogs are used as hunting dogs m
... lioron the shore of sacred lake Manasarovar
 ..,,,,;or111 85
- an open-airrubb· h ,,eo"'r
• 1S -dt.Un vii""' _ climb awkwardly or with difficulty
• Nick's cold bi p.
ggered on Wayt i,ered
c1aJ11 _ a species of small, graceful and swift
- has sleepless and o Dare hen , aieues antelope
breath.less . . _ bi ting cautiously, gently or playfully
- one nostril blocked rught m Darchen ' g
tlii,t,liflg _ parched; barren
chest heavy.
, Wake up abru 1
' arid . _ empty space
- l . pt y
Ymg down troubJ void
. esome, sittin - something heavy or dark that covers or
- afraid to sleep gposturehelped pall conceals
• TsetantakesN· k - asawhole
IC to Da.rchen Med. enmasse
- given T'be •cal College move skillfully or carefully
1 tan medicine manoeuvre
- respo n d s to medicine long spreading cloud of smoke or vapour
1
pJUJ!leS
- TsetanieavesforLhasa billowed (of smoke, cloud etc.) roll outward
. Darchen
. In
• language Barner veering changing direction suddenly
- afterTsetanI ft N· k . shaggy long thick and untidy hair or fur
e , ic Middleton couldn 't .
commurucate
- no one understood or spoke English swerve - an abrupt change of course
clogged - blocked; obstructed
- Darchen did have a couple of general stores
a relaxed and unhurried place glinting shining

• Nick Middleton meets Norbu , meanders - moves with many curls and curves
, daubed - spread (a think substance) on a surface
Nick meets Norbu; a Tibetan working in Beijing in Chinese
Institute of Ethnic Literature • hunks - large pieces
- had come for Kaila.sh Kora • swathe - a broad strip or area
• petered out
- decides to climb together, though both equally iII-equipped for - graduallycametoanend
the pilgrimage • slither
- move smoothly with a sliding motion
each other's company and the suggestion to travel together • brackish lakes
salt lakes
come as a relief • lurching
- moving in an abrupt, uncontrolled and jerky
GLOSSARY manner
• hairpin bends
• flawless perfect; without any drawback/ shortcoming - sharp bends in a road
• cairn of rocks
• ducking (here)suddenloweringofthehead - heap of stones
 • fe sto on ed Cof"P"'j(f(l ll
- de co ra ted ,,,_,,,, sa ol lT ,ANSWER
• po ck m ar ke d /J
QUESTIONS
- do tte d wi th; s i. answered in about 40 wo
• ve sti ge s ca rre d (to ve rds each)
- re ma in s It pter been titled "Silk
Road"?
• tru dg in g vfttY Itastltec a aUed sil k ro ute ex ist
(Textual)
- Walkin at• p.. tflld roote C ed in ancient times fro
• re fu se g slo wl y wi th e hin a to Ce ntr al m
1lea vy ste As ia an d Europe. Ind
(here) ru bb ish ia wa s als o
• ve ne ra te d ps iastetJl C ·th it. Since
a po rti on of the rou te
- gr ea tly res pe cte d cte d w1 pa sse d thr ou gh
• flanks
coJl!le -..K,ddleton's Jo . ur ne . sh
y to the Kaila
- sid es tJie Path .oftraiv.... •
ve log ue 'Silk Ro ad,.
Mount, he ha s
• fo rg e M ore ov er, mostly snow clad
- mo ve na (!lean
d dJ:uwh
5
ite to po gr ap hy g1·ve th ·
• sta rk e rmpress1·0n o f ra ws ilk
road .
- un pl ea sa nt ly or sh arp bl ck do gs us e d as h ti' d
ly clear W}lywere a un ng ogs m · China's rm · pena •l
• pa ra ph er na lia
- mi sc ell an eo us piece Q'J-
s of eq courts?
uipment (here Or
clothing and accessories)
• av er sio n s wh y the Ti be tan ma
- dis lik e Give reason sti ffs we re po pu lar in
China's
• de re lic t •aJcourts?
- in a ve ry po or co iJnperi · (Textual)
ndition (as a result of . us stu rd y an d fea
disuse Ferocio , rle ss, th e Ti be tan ma
and neglect) stiff dogs were
very popular in the Ch
• pu nc tu at ed ine se co ur ts. Th eir
- in ter ru pt ed at int agility an d single-
ervals track mindedness ma de
• in co ng ru ou s th em go od hu nt in g an
- ou t of pla ce d gu ard dogs.
Q . What impression
3 di d Ni ck M id dl eto n fo rm about Da
• ba bb led - ma de a co nti nu ou rchen? How
s mu rm ur ing or babbli did he find it co ntr ary
ng to his ex pe cta tio n?
so un d
Or
• po nd er in g th in ki ng de ep ly Why was the au tho r di
sa pp oi nt ed wi th Da rch
• en ? (Textual)
ca ve rn ou s - gl oo my lnspite of his first ha rro
wi ng ni gh t at Da rch
en du e to ba d cold,
• ric ke ty - ol da nd wo m Nick Middleton fo un
d th e to wn no t "so ho
rrible" after all wi th
• str uc ku p - sta rte d its basic general stores
, a so lit ary cafe, its du
st, rubble an d refuse.
_ be ca me kn ow n; oc However, wh at di sa
• tra ns pi re d curred; too k place pp oi nt ed hi m wa s
tha t there were no
pilgrims there to ac co mp
• en vi sa ge d visualised an y hi m fo r th e pilgri
mage. Moreover,
nobody un de rst oo d his
ly in g fla t wi th face do lan gu ag e the re. So co
• pr os tra tin g wn wa rd mmunication wa s
abig problem.
Ql The autbor thought
that hi s positive thinking
lVellafter all. Was he rig strategy worked
ht?
(Textual)
 89
(ll"f""j(III 11
. l.iter,u"rr
'Att itud e deterlll ines
mou ntai n
l .
a htud e' s
Ci,,,,._ •
-~11 it" 4dJtiS
. the told me he knew that it didn't matterif 1passed
eers and tr kk ers thr· Uch rn a:x 1.Ills ess" What did
e ua811 t Jte th Ought it wou ld be bad for busin •
Mid dl ough ti ht P1J.1I t ,,.., (T
eton too had a ..
g corner he <I ar..,,y t,lloieatl b Y1•t?W hydi dhes ayso ? extua l)
on th posi tive and h •
ealth y attitu de. s. Nici Middletons ,
. e way - his ill heal
The h\J.rd.) 1setal' t that even if his prob lem brou ght Nick
b .
noth ing int:imid ated him th, lang uage arriers lo es IJleaf l
d •t wou ld not matt er as the worl.d woul d go 0
y hi , neline ss rse¢1' . . nas
Nor bu 's com p and even tuall ' a11ell 1
as Nick 's death woul d
any. s trek contin life to . wou ld affect his busm ess
. . . _
Ueq in al 1,ut 1t .
the difficult journ ey
QS. What Was the 11st1 ther chen ts from unde rtaki ng .
Purp ose of the a u th or'sj oum . 0 urageo Budd hist way.
ey to Mou nt l<aij diSC this state men t stoic ally in a typic al
ash? I-Ielllade
Nick Mid did Lhamo give to Nick Midd leton as he was leaving
. CTextu a,,
n
dleto n, an Engl ish man lik d W}tat gift
, e to make long, di££i uJ
trek s and jour neys to the f ar flung c t cf· l{avuandw Y·
h?
. . He was also deep! when he
Inte reste d in perf onnm th _areas ave Nick a long -slee ved shee pski n coat
Ka. g e Kora 1 e a il . age to MounYt LhaJll.o g
si . . . . p gnm ash to· complete the
ilash whic h has spiri tual declared that he was leav ing for Mt. Kail
gnificance for both the Hindus and ed some warmer
the Bud dhis ts. 'Kora' .She gave it to him as she felt that he need
Q6. Brie fly com men t on th e auth or,s phys ical conditi'0 nm
. D archen. clothes for high altitu de.
QlO. What did Tseta n deci de to do to
avoi d the circu itous route
(Textual)
Th ·
re cold at night. His through Changtang?
e auth or suffe red from a bout of seve
h wou ld take them
nasa l pass age got bloc ked and he had
extreme difficulty in Tsetan decided to take up a rout e whic
this route comprised
brea thin g. His ches t was stran gely heav
y. He spen t a sleepless directly towa rds Mou nt Kail ash. Tho ugh
him feel better. In the high mountains, it was a shor t-cut .
nigh t and sat thro ugh it for it mad e
mor ning Tset an took him to the Tibe tan
hospital.
Qll. What was the danger of driv ing over
the swat he of snow?
ing Norb u? . ery froze n surface of
Q7. Why was Nick Mid dleto n relie ved on meet · over the slipp
· k y to d nve
It could bev ery ns
Or solidified snow . Itco uldr esul tino vert urni ngth ecar that wou ld
.
after Tseta n's departure
Wha t prob lem did Nick have to face interrupt the jour ney or prov e fatal for the
trave llers .
resol ved?
from Darc hen? How was the prob lem Qu. llow did T way to Mount
Tt ·" setan get over the seco nd bloc kage on
Midd leton was feeling
Eve r sinc e Tset an had left for Lhas a, Nick "41.lash?
and lang uage barrier.
very unea sy due to lack of com pany Tsetan d . n strip of snow ·
to cont inue the joumeY 1h ecid ed to try driv ing roun d the froze
Mor eove r abse nce of any spec ific plan d · the ough the 8Iope was stee p with threa tenin g rocks, Tset an
ing abou t Norb u's inten tion of omg l\'o'd
troubled him . On learn l edaU h and reac h
to trek with. ~ obst acles and was able to cove r the patc
'xo,a', he felt relieved as he had got a companion snow had not drifted.
 Ql3. What I.deadidN· ,_ . Literahl
reCo.i,.._ jolt 11 91
IC-.
the accounts of earJj
M1ddlet
. on get about lak
"""'rioii
11
lft""""o,,n1"'1'
er Writers? e Manasar a'"" accommodation, thus enlarging the town d own to
tetJlPor •J .
The sanctity of the lake °"~fr~
t}le plairl•
Monk Ekai Kawagu h · was so awe-inspiring th 'd the author miss Tsetan after he left for Lhasa?
t c 1, overwh I at a J wJ,Y d I
no control his tears A e med With the be apiltil'st 8
s · ·1 · couple of
years later th h
auh,
.,, c:o~,d
at · After fsetan left for Lhasa the author missed him a lot since he
1m1 ar effect on S
a Wed ish tr ' e oly lak JaieW no other Ti~etan and no one could understand English.
wasnot so senti aveller Sven H d. eh~d a
Q14. IA.TL ~t m e ntal as the Japanese Monk e in, although ht fhe language barner proved to be very irritating. Nick felt very
~-•~ noctumaJd · . and handicapped without Tsetan.
lSlurbances d"d 1 N lone ly
Ravu? ick Middleton ex .
periencej~ WhY did his journey to 'Kailash' prove to be ill-timed?
(219,
U naccustomed to the h . h . Nick Middleton had always wanted to do the 'Kora' or pilgrimage
had 1.... -·-· ig altitude in R N·
U't.'CO gasping for breath avu, ick Midd!etor to Mount Ka il ash in the company of devout believers but on
several lim . 1

had got used to th . d . . es e very ni ght and I.. reaching Darchen he realized that he had arrived there too early
I!-> isturbance. •~
QlS. What medici ne d "d h for the pil grimage season . Thus, he felt his journey to Kailash
• J t e doctor give Nick Mid
disturbance at n ight in Darchen? dleton for hii was ill-timed.

The doctor ga ve h · . Q20. Who was Norbu?Why did hecometodoKailash 'Kora'?

J~some Tibetan medicines to be taken wi~
hot water. } Jc was given fifteen doses for fi ve days • l 'h e brown Norbu was a Tibetan, working in a Chinese Institute of Ethnic
.
Literature. He was a research scholar. He had come from Beijing
powder m the morning ta">tcd like cinnamon but the lunch timt
and bed-time do&es defied any identification a nd they looked on a pilgrimage to do the Kail ash 'Kora' as he had been writing
strikingly Jike s h ccp dung. academic papers on its importance in various works of
Buddh ist literature but he had ne ver done it himself.
Q16. Why wa 'i Nkk Middleton not very much impressed with the
medical college an d th e doctor? Q21. What idea do you get about Norbu's personality from the
chapter?
The consultation room in which Nick Middleton was examined
was a depressing one. It wa s cold, da rk, and d ingy. The doctor Norbu was sociable. No sooner did he enter the Darchen cafe
th
too looked like any other lay Tibetan. He neither wore a white an he stru ck a conversation with Nick Middleton. He was a
.
. own expense. A practical
jovial perso n w h o cou Id laugh at his
coat, nor did he support any other paraph e rna li a of doctors.
. yaks to carry
rnan,itwas h e w h o suggested that they should hire
Q17. How does the town of Darchen appear atthe height of pilgrimage
their luggage. .
season?
Q2i. WhydidNick' ·
· · · I excitement
At the height of the pilgrimage season, Darchen wears ~ .
ahttle b't
s m1ba on meeting Norbu give way to
. · ·tors woul 1 0f .
disappointment?
altogether different look. A sea of b ust)mg visi
. ts and put up Norbuc
descend on it. Many of them bring their own ten ame as a blessing to fill in the gap created by the absence
 Liter: ... ~11 ~
ofTset N·
an. ick's plant
a.,,~,c...... µ~CO"'T""'
-..,l'llfi·
th omakea tr k IOri11
ovar, a lake sacred to both Hindus and Buddhi ts th
e realisation that N e together gav . rv(aflasar s , e
·1 . orbu w ehun filth all around made it a horrible place. The open air rubbish
p1 gnmage as he 1-.:_ If .~ as as ill-equ. reliefh.
.u.unse Was di . tpped f VIit
Q23. Though Nick Mi ' sappointedhim. or¾ seemed to be all themoreshockingasitstoodincomplete
h . ddleton was a fore. dUfJlP st to the account given. by th e earlier travellers. He had
t e Tibetan customs d . . igner he gave d contra
an religious bel. f ue resp the description of the Manasarovar Lake by a Japanese
In spite of be" . ie s.Conunent. ect~ ~ad . . .
mg a foreigner Nick Mi _1, Ekai Kawaguchi who had V1S1ted the place in 1900 and
rv{OIIN
the pilgrimage to Mt. Kallas~ . ddleton Was llndert:.1.., .., ved to tears by the sacred, holy, heavenly nature of the
the to f th and doing the 'Ko ' ."""lllg was ...0
p o e pass following th Tb ra . On reachiJi Another traveller, Sven Hedin from Sweden who visited
pace.
1
clockwise turn round th . e 1 etan tradition he t0ok g the place after a few years of Ekai's visit too was. touched
e cairn of rocks g 1 d a
s ilk scarves and rag d ar an ed With Whi deeply by the pure, sacred lake although otherwise he was not
ge prayer flags Thus ~
Middleton gave due ·
respect to the Tibet
' we can say that an emotional fellow. Because of his familiarity with these
religious beliefs. an customs and descriptions, he expected a divine environment of holiness.
Q24. What sugges ti on did NorbugiveNickMiddleton?
Driving out of this little town must have come as a big relief to
Nick Middleton as it had given him a rude shock and shattered
Norbu suggested that they should do the 'Kora ' together. Al
his expectation.
they were academicians, they w ould make a fine team. He also
Q2. Describe Nick Middleton's visit to Darchen medical college.
s~ggested that they should hire yaks to carry their luggagt
Having had an uncomfortable night in Darchen guest house,
Nick f01md the suggestions to be sensible.
Nick Middleton w as taken to Darchen Medical College the next
morning by Tsetan. This college was new but it looked more like
LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS a monastery with an expansive courtyard and a massive door.
(to be answered in about 120 - 150 words each) Further inside the consultation room it was dark, cold and
dingy. The doctor was dressed as an ordinary lay man and did
Qt. Describe the small town of 'Hor'.
Or not wear any white coat. Nick gave a brief account of his
How was the author's experience at Hor in sharp contrast to inability to sleep and aversion to lying down. The doctor felt his

earlier accounts of the place? (TextuaD

pulse and asked him a few more questions regarding his
symptoms. He gave him. fifteen doses of medicine and
Situated on the main east-west highway that followed the old
confident!Y assure d him
. of his recovery. A full day's course of
trade-route from Lhasa to Kashmir, 'Hor' was a small little toWJl
d. ks and dust medicine work e d wonders and he did have a comfortable night.
with no vegetation. This miserable place ha JUS t roe of . Q3.
·h lated refuse Tsetan wa8 ff" . . .
an e 1c1ent, smcere, dedicated and a conscientious
scattered all over. It was littered wit accumu ~ A1te
. d the shore of IP guide.Co
nunent and support your answer.
years together. Though it was situate on
 C01"1""'joll 11 95

.
Bnefly Or
;" .
od-fearing people, with prayer flags fastened all over
conun ...i,eseS . li Th
. ent on Tsetan•s v· d lead very srmp1e ves. ey are so stoic by nature
Journey. support to the i.r la!l ,
author dlll'itt we tan candidly tells Nick Middleton that latter's death
Tsetan knew his - b g tlie wat rse
JO Well. Very f . . O'~ Id not matter at all but the former's business would be
the area, he took 0:,.-.; I amiliar With the top q/J 00
w d Again, Tibetan practical-mindedness and spirit of
..... ue andN· kMi ograph
to avoid hitting Ch ic ddleton through Yof affeCte .
angtang and a short w.re is revealed through Norbu.
Kailash. On sharp be d moved directly towards\ -CU.t K
adven
n s and bum •vtolJr\ 'dea do you get about Lake Manasarovar from the chapter?
vehicle with unparalleled skill PY roads Tsetan managed J.., t WJtatl
and confide 'llS a5· e Manasarovar is Tibet's most venerated stretch of water. It
came across snow he we t nee. Whenever h I,ak ted in the upper Himalyas and is a holy place of pilgrimage
, n over the obstacl .th e
isloca
the stretch with soil and ct· . e e1 er by covering both for the Hindus and the Buddhists. For the Hindus it has
. . Irt or circumvented it avoid•
Jutting rocks on the sides of the road He t k , mg the •ations with Lord Shiva and Buddhists do 'Kora' there.
· 00 equal care of th assoCl
hi
ve de and checked the fuel tank f e The Lake which overlooks the Mount Kailash is supposed to be
. . or pressure and got the ty
fixed m time. res
the source of origin of the river Sutlej, the Indus, the Ganges and
With a great sense of responsibility, he took the author to the Brahmaputra. Actually only the Sutlej originates from here
Darchen medical college for treatment and did not leave for and the others rise from the Mount Kailash.
Lhasa till he recovered. But the chapter reveals that the town Hor on the banks of the
Having a stoic attitude he was prepared for the worst and he Lake is terribly polluted. The narrator who had read the
candidly told Nick Middleton that it would not matter even accounts of the travellers admiring highly the divine holiness of
if Nick died . But he did admit that his death would affect the place was shocked to find the place gloomy and miserable.
business. The narrator describes it as a filthy place laden with only dust
Q4. What idea do you get a bout the Tibetan people from the chapter? and rocks all around and without any signs of vegetation. The

While giving an account of his journey to the Kailash, Nick place was littered with garbage accumulated for years. Thus,
the chapter reveals how human beings have polluted even the
Middleton also gives us an insight into the psychology of t~e
. h 1· . the higher regions and face life boldly in place most sacred for the Hind us and the Buddhists.
Tibetans w o IVe m k" coat
. ha d hi Lhamo's farewell gift of a sheeps m Q6. What idea do you form of Nick Middleton as a person and as a
spite of the r s ps. . nature of
h ·t lity and the canng traveller from his travelogue "Silk Road"?
to the author reveals t h e osp1 a king hi!ll
. 1 A ain we find Tsetan ta ~etravelogue "Silk Road" gives us a glimpse of the author Nick
these simple-minded peop e. g d some
e when he deve1ope .
Middleton b oth as a person and as a traveller. As a person, he 1s
to Darchen Medical Co eg ll f f Lhasa onlY
ss and he le t or - reli ·
sleeplessness and breathlessne d ~ous minded, positive thinker, and an academician. He has
hi problem ecided t0 tak
when Nick Middleton got over s . e up the challenging trek to the Kailash and
 Lit era tur e~-
ZOtt 11
Ma nas aro var to com ple te his pil gri ma
ge called ,
Tib eta n, Bu ddh ist ter ms . He wa nts to tra Kora• .
vel to the holy Mo 1l\
Ka ila sh in the com pan y of som e dev ou
t Buddhists H llttt
his w1. h . 1· . owev
s 1s no t rea 1zed becau se he has sta rte d er
too early and th~
sea son for Kora has not yet sta rte d. He,
wit h leanings tow
sel f-re for ma tio n, has tak en up the cou rse ards
. of pos itiv e trunkin
and tne s to ove rco me difficulties thr oug g
h positive attitud
tho ug h it is not easily applicable. e,

Nic k Mi ddl eto n, the English ma n, is an

academician too. He
car rie s a not ebo ok wit h himself to take dow
n notes and a novel
to pas s time. He finds a compatible com
panion in Norbu, a
res ear che r from Beijing because bot h of
the m are free from
sup ers titi ous beliefs and fastidious attitud
e.
As a traveller, Nick has an acute observ
ation and a knack of
giv ing detailed descriptions of his observ
ations. But he is not
acc ust om ed to the dizzying heights as of the
Kailash Mountain.
He suffers from headache and breathing pro
blems from time to
tim e and has to be taken to a hospital. Mo
rever, Nick does not
kno w mu ch abo ut the things required for
such a journey. It is
Lh am o wh o gives him a wa rm sheepskin
overcoat to protect
himself from the biting cold. He realizes tha
t he is ill-equipped
for this ard uou s jou rne y wh en in Darchen.
Thus, Nick Middleton's nar rat ion of his jou
rney to the Kailash
projects him as a ma n of religious -
bu t not dogmatic ..
tendencies, academic leanhlgs and love
for ·positive thinkillg•
As a traveller, he is a kee n obs erv er bu t not
use d to travelling to
ext rem ely hig h altitudes.