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A2 History Coursework Help, Just the Research!

Hi guys,

I need some historians views/opinions of Gandhi and i'm having trouble finding any on the internet and bookshops. My local waterstones only had his autobiography and that was it. The internet comes up with endless sites but nothing useful. Tried the library also, and got every book with him in it. :eek:

I need some sources to enable to stand a chance of getting an A grade.

Is anyone able to point me in the right direction of some historiography on Gandhi, please? Or recommend me some books?

Thanks AJ

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Reply 1
Are you by any chance doing Gandhi for Individual Assignment? I am too. Try going to SOAS; "Modern India" by Sumit Sarkar is good, H.V Hodson's views are good, and I've got a few from general historians of India.

There isn't really precise "historiography" on Gandhi but there are different ideas on what motivated him, what sort of personality he had, that kind of thing. I can't really tell you much about historiography unless I know what question you have.
Reply 2
i'm doing my own history coursework on something similar "to what extent were the british responsible for the partition of inida" I've also had a lot of trouble finding historians opinions and suchliek to analyze to get a good grade.
Reply 3
Hi guys,

Woah, didn't expect any responses to be honest.

If any of you guys want to discuss this on MSN, just PM me your addy and we can discuss it.

Also Reema, thanks for your suggestions. Is there any chance you could email me links to the opinions, views and the general historians view at all please via email? Also congrats on all 6 of your offers! I only managed to get 2 of 6.

Thanks AJ
Reply 4
Thanks for the congratulations. As for links, you'll be hard-pressed to find them. Go to SOAS library or find books at various university libraries. My question is "To what extent was Gandhi responsible for Indian Independence". So basically yours is quite similar to mine: role of individual and then other factors. In terms of your question you might have to bring in other individuals (i.e Nehru, Jinnah), and look at Sarkar = he argues that nationalism was grassroots and came from the bottom up (or something like that). Don't forget role of the British in the shaping of historical events (presumably independence?), changes in attitude as a result of WWI/WWII, that kind of thing. Should have enough to start on.
Reply 5
Yup, i am doing so. Just handed in my 2nd draft, will see what kind of constructive criticism i get and redo it, again!
Reply 6
Im also doin my A2 coursework, wot a bitch it has become! Had trouble gettin sources for mine (The Major Generals- to what extent did their imposition create a dictatorship and a time of tyranny?). So many footnotes....

Try e-mailing a uni professor, someone i no did that and they basically got their coursework critiqued by them! If neccessary lie in the e-mail saying ur gonna do history as a degree etc to get sympathy!
I HATE the footnotes.
Reply 8
I've emailed a few people but only one was polite enough to email me back and send me some articles about my chosen individual.

My courseworks coming along, but still requires a lot of tweaking in certain areas. I need an A on it! Not want, NEED!!!!!!!
Reply 9
I got my first draft back and my teacher says I need to change it just a litle bit as about 2 of my paragraphs dont quite link back to the question otherwise it's ready to hand in...woo-hoo!!!
Reply 10
Mine is far from ready to be handed in, it need quite a bit of changing after reading through it thoroughly.

Chandni, which sources did you use?
Reply 11
I used several sources including BBC GCSE bitesize for some basic information especially on the people involved in the partition, a book called soul of India by amary de reincourt, A history of India by Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund and Britain 1914-2000 by Derrik Murphy (my old teacher lol!!! good textbook useless teacher), http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Part.html http://www.haverford.edu/engl/engl277b/Contexts/partition_of_india.htm http://www.mkgandhi.org/biography/partitin.htm

this ones good to read but I found it quite difficult to understand so I didn't really use it as a source: http://www.sasnet.lu.se/partition.doc

and then the usuals like encata online, spartus and wikepeidia.

I didn't "use" all those sources but I looked at them all and each helped me in some way.
Reply 12
So these include the "historiography" you are supposed to use?

Because i've seen the grade A band and it says a wide use of primary and secondary sources must be used, i'm not sure whether all of mine is appropriate and my history teacher is too busy focusing on those that are really behind with the coursework (Not me).
Reply 13
I have some quotes from ppl like Nehru, Jinnah, Mounbatten, Cripps, Atlee, Jinnah etc. as primary sources and hen historians opinions as secondary sources.
Reply 14
I need to find some quotes from Jinnah as he was meant to be have been very critical of Gandhi's method of acquiring independence and i need to present both sides of the arguement. Any idea where i can find some?
Reply 15
What the hell... drafts! Teachers aren't allowed to read anything once it has been written.
Amrad
What the hell... drafts! Teachers aren't allowed to read anything once it has been written.

Teachers should monitor progress throughout the investigation and regular discussion is not only permissible but desirable.
Reply 17
Yes, but they are not permitted to read anything that the candidate has written. Discussion and guidance before the student has written is in prose form is what should happen.
Section 5.6.3 of the Approved History guidelines for Module 2592 states that assistance given to candidates is a matter for professional judgement. It's a question of interpretation, there are generally ways to get around the wordings of things, and the majority of teachers in the majority of centres do offer guidance as to what has been written. There is, for example, nothing at all wrong with writing your piece, telling your supervisor what you have written, and them commenting on it. Even to go as far as reading out what you have written does not involve the supervisor actively reading the draft. This falls under discussion and guidance.

E.g.
Candidate: Should I begin a paragraph in this way, or this way?
Supervisor: It would sound better in this way.

In fact, many centres have even been known to send in marked drafts, without repercussions.
Reply 19
I don't know what board you are doing but the OCR guidelines state:

Once candidates have framed their question, teachers must not read
anything a candidates writes. Commenting on or marking candidates’
notes or drafts infringe the inter-Board regulations. Only when an
Investigation has been handed in may it be read to forecast the grade.


Reading it out would not strictly contravene this guidance, but people on this thread are talking about handing drafts in and getting them marked and given back!