NCERT Solutions For Class 11 English
Hornbill
Chapter 4 – The Adventure (Jayant Narlikar)
Theme
This chapter, titled "The
Adventure," delves into the uncertainties faced by a seasoned historian
regarding historical facts and reality. Professor Gaitonde, an adept public
speaker in the field of history, is en route from Bombay to Pune during the
Pre-Independence Era. The narrative takes a turn when, following a collision
between his car and a truck, Gaitonde slips into a coma, entering a parallel
world in his unconscious state where historical events unfold differently from
reality.
In this alternate reality, Gaitonde
perceives a divergence in the course of the Battle of Panipat. A near miss in
the trajectory of a bullet spares the Maratha leader Vishwasrao, contrary to
historical evidence indicating his demise, which led to the Marathas' defeat.
To make sense of Gaitonde's
perplexing experience, his friend Rajendra Deshpande introduces concepts like
Catastrophe Theory and the Lack of determinism in Quantum Theory. Deshpande
explains that Catastrophe Theory suggests a small alteration in circumstances
can bring about a sudden shift in behavior. Drawing parallels to the Battle of
Panipat, where the bullet's near miss led the army to mistakenly believe their
leader was dead, Deshpande contends that this misconception lowered morale,
resulting in the ultimate defeat. He posits that a minor change in the
situation could have altered the war's course, favoring the Marathas.
Gaitonde's transition, as he
perceives it, involves shifting between the familiar world we inhabit and a
parallel reality where history unfolds differently. It is not a journey to the
past or the future; rather, he exists in the present while experiencing an
alternative world. His subconscious fixation on the Catastrophe Theory just
before the accident, pondering its implications on the Battle of Panipat,
serves as the catalyst for his entry into this parallel realm.
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