NCERT Solutions - The Adventure

Q: Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the context.

(i) Blow-by-blow account
(ii) De facto
(iii) Morale booster
(iv) Astute
(v) Relegated to
(vi) Doctored accounts
(vii) Political acumen
(viii) Gave vent to

Ans: (i) Blow-by-blow account: detailed account. In Jayant Vishnu Narlikar's "The Adventure" this expression occurs in the context of Gangadhar Pant trying to understand the outcome of the Battle of Panipat by reading a history book.
(ii) Morale booster: anything that serves to increase morale or confidence. The expression occurs in "The Adventure" where it is said that the Marathas emerging victorious in a version of the Battle of Panipat would increase their morale and confidence in establishing their supremacy across the country.
(iii) Relegated to: assigned to a lower rank or position. In the narrative it is said how Dadasaheb, a Maratha chieftain, was pushed to a lower rank after the Battle of Panipat.
(iv) Political acumen: political shrewdness with keen insight. In "The Adventure" the expression is used to convey how Madhav Rao and Vishwasrao, by virtue of their shrewdness, were able to expand their influence across India.
(v) De facto: existing in fact, whether or not backed by lawful authority. In "The Adventure" the Peshwas are regarded as de facto rulers because they effectively governed while the Mughal regime in Delhi continued in name.
(vi) Astute: marked by practical, hardheaded intelligence. In "The Adventure" this word conveys that the Peshwas were quick to recognise the significance of the technological changes taking place in Europe.
(vii) Doctored accounts: manipulated or falsified records. This expression conveys that some Bakhars presented history in a biased or altered form rather than giving strictly factual narratives.
(viii) Give vent to: to express one's feelings or opinions openly. Professor Gaitonde gave vent to his thoughts during the public lecture on the Battle of Panipat.

Understanding the Text

I. Tick the true statements.

(i) The story is an account of real events.
Ans: False
Explanation: The narrative mixes historical events with a speculative or fictional element: a character experiences an alternative version of history rather than reporting only established facts.

(ii) The story hinges on a particular historical event.
Ans: True
Explanation: The plot centres on the consequences and different possible outcomes of the Battle of Panipat, making that event central to the narrative.

(iii) Rajendra Deshpande was a historian.
Ans: False
Explanation: Rajendra Deshpande is portrayed as a collaborator and commentator who understands the significance of the experience, not as a formal historian recording facts.

(iv) The places mentioned in the story are all imaginary.
Ans: False
Explanation: Many places referred to are real historical locations; the narrative uses actual places while exploring an alternate historical outcome.

(v) The story tries to relate history to science.
Ans: True
Explanation: The narrative connects historical interpretation with scientific ideas (such as catastrophic or quantum notions) to suggest alternative histories and modes of explanation.

II. Briefly explain the following statements from the text.
(i) "You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present experiencing a  different world."
Ans: Rajendra says this to Professor Gaitonde to clarify the experience Gaitonde had. Gaitonde did not physically travel through time; rather, while remaining in the present he perceived and lived through an alternate version of events. In other words, his consciousness experienced a different historical reality while his body stayed in the present.

(ii) "You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a catastrophic experience."
Ans: Rajendra describes Gaitonde's experience as both extraordinary and disruptive. The term "catastrophic" here refers to a sudden, radical shift in understanding-an experience that overturns the familiar understanding of history and reveals an alternative sequence of events.

(iii) Gangadhar Pant could not help comparing the country he knew with what he was witnessing around him.
Ans: Gangadhar Pant already knew an India that had declined under Peshwa weakness and then fallen under British influence. During his alternate experience he sees an India that is self-reliant and proud. He naturally compares his familiar present with the different social and political order he now observes, noticing contrasts in freedom, dignity and national standing.

(iv) "The lack of determinism in quantum theory!"
Ans: Professor Gaitonde uses this phrase to express surprise that events need not follow a single determined path. He expects to trace a clear causal chain in history by consulting books, but the experience suggests that multiple outcomes are possible, much as quantum ideas allow for indeterminacy in physical systems.

(v) "You need some interaction to cause a transition."
Ans: Rajendra is referring to the necessity of an external influence or trigger for a shift between possible states. In the narrative, the environment of Bombay under the British Raj-its officials, railway staff and visible British symbols-provides the context and interactions that shape the version of history Gaitonde experiences.

Talking about the Text

Q1: 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.
Ans: For
A single event can change a nation's course. The Battle of Panipat is often cited as a turning point in Indian history because its outcome altered political power and opened the way for foreign dominance in many accounts. In "The Adventure" the differing outcome of that battle is used to show how one event could have led to a very different national trajectory.

Against
The claim that a single event determines history is contestable. From the catastrophic perspective presented in the narrative, multiple alternative outcomes could follow a single event. Social, economic and cultural forces also shape history over time, so it is reductive to attribute a nation's entire course to one occurrence; events interact with broader conditions and therefore do not always produce a single inevitable result.

(ii) Reality is what is directly experienced through the senses.
Ans: For
Sense experience gives us immediate, verifiable knowledge of the world. Sight, hearing and touch provide the information we rely on to form our everyday understanding, and many truths about the world are based on direct observation.

Against
Not all reality is accessible by the senses. Scientific discoveries (for example, atoms or subatomic behaviour) are not directly perceived, yet they are real and testable through indirect methods. The narrative highlights this point: certain physical principles indicate that different realities or outcomes may coexist even if we do not perceive them directly.

(iii) The methods of inquiry of history, science and philosophy are similar.
Ans: For
There are shared elements across these disciplines: observation, reasoning and critical analysis play a role in history, science and philosophy. In the narrative one finds historical evidence, scientific ideas and philosophical interpretation brought together to explain the same event from different angles, suggesting methodological overlap.

Against
The core procedures and aims differ. Science relies on controlled experimentation and mathematical formulation; history depends on documentary evidence, interpretation and context; philosophy emphasises conceptual analysis and critique. The narrative shows a creative overlap, but careful study recognises that each discipline has distinct standards, methods and subject matter that make them different in practice.

Q2: (i) The story is called 'The Adventure'. Compare it with the adventure described in 'We Are Not Afraid to Die...'

Ans: Both narratives explore the idea of adventure, but they do so in different ways. "We Are Not Afraid to Die..." describes a literal, life-threatening sea voyage where characters face and survive real physical danger. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar's "The Adventure" presents a mental or intellectual adventure: Professor Gaitonde experiences an alternate historical reality without leaving his temporal present. One adventure is physical and external; the other is psychological and speculative.

(ii) Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again?
Ans: Professor Gaitonde had a humiliating experience while presiding: he misread an empty chair as a breach of convention and tried to occupy it, which offended the audience and led to objects being thrown at him. The distress and public embarrassment of that episode persuaded him not to preside over meetings in future.

Thinking about language

Q1: In which language do you think Gangadhar Pant and Khan Sahib talked to each other? Which language did Gangadhar Pant use to talk to the English receptionist?
Ans: Gangadhar Pant and Khan Sahib most likely spoke Hindi or Hindustani to each other, since both were comfortable with that register. Gangadhar Pant used English to speak to the English receptionist.

Q2: In which language do you think Bhausahebanchi Bakhar was written?
Ans: Bhausahebanchi Bakhar was written in Marathi, as "Bakhar" is a Marathi prose form used for historical narratives and the words cited in the text are Marathi.

Q3: There is mention of three communities in the story: the Marathas, the Mughals, the Anglo-Indians. Which language do you think they used within their communities and while speaking to the other groups?
Ans: Within their own communities, the Marathas would typically use Marathi, the Mughals would use Urdu (or Persian in some historical contexts), and Anglo-Indians would use English. When speaking to other groups they would often use a common lingua franca (such as Hindustani) or rely on interpreters familiar with multiple languages.

Q4: Do you think that the ruled always adopt the language of the ruler?
Ans: No. The ruled do not always adopt the ruler's language. Language adoption depends on social, administrative and cultural factors; it is often gradual and many communities retain their own languages and scripts despite foreign rule.

Working with Words

I. Tick the item that is closest in meaning to the following phrases.
(i) to take issue with
(a) to accept
(b) to discuss
(c) to disagree
(d) to add
Ans: (c)
Explanation: "To take issue with" means to disagree or argue against a view, so option (c) is correct.

(ii) to give vent to
(a) to express
(b) to emphasise
(c) suppress
(d) dismiss
Ans: (a)
Explanation: "To give vent to" means to express feelings or opinions openly, which matches option (a).

(iii) to stand on one's feet
(a) to be physically strong
(b) to be independent
(c) to stand erect
(d) to be successful
Ans: (b)
Explanation: "To stand on one's feet" commonly means to be independent or self-supporting, so option (b) is correct.

(iv) to be wound up
(a) to become active
(b) to stop operating
(c) to be transformed
(d) to be destroyed
Ans: (b)
Explanation: "To be wound up" in a business or organisational context means to stop operating or be closed, which corresponds to option (b).

(v) to meet one's match
(a) to meet a partner who has similar tastes
(b) to meet an opponent
(c) to meet someone who is equally able as oneself
(d) to meet defeat
Ans: (c)
Explanation: "To meet one's match" means encountering someone who equals one's ability, so option (c) is the closest in meaning.

II. Distinguish between the following pairs of sentences.
(i)
(a) He was visibly moved.
(b) He was visually impaired.
Ans: 
Sentence (a) means that the person's emotions were clearly affected and this was observable.
Sentence (b) means that the person's sight was impaired, that is, he was partially or fully blind.

(ii)
(a) Green and black stripes were used alternately.
(b) Green stripes could be used or alternatively black ones.
Ans: 
Sentence (a) means that green and black stripes were applied one after the other in sequence.
Sentence (b) means that one could choose either green stripes or black stripes, but not both together.

(iii)
(a) The team played the two matches successfully.
(b) The team played two matches successively.
Ans: 
Sentence (a) means that the team won both matches or performed well in both.
Sentence (b) means that the team played the matches one after another, in succession.

(iv)
(a) The librarian spoke respectfully to the learned scholar.
(b) You will find the historian and the scientist in the archaeology and natural science sections of the museum respectively.
Ans: 
Sentence (a) means that the librarian addressed the learned scholar with respect.
Sentence (b) means that the historian is in the archaeology section and the scientist is in the natural science section of the museum.