The Adventure

The Adventure
1.What was Gangadharpant’s experience in the Azad Maidan?

Did it have any effect on his life?
Gangadharpant was keen to address the people at Azad Maidan. He
spoke as if he was presiding over a public meeting. People did not
allow him to speak. This happened in the freak ‘adventure’ that he
lived through. As a result, he decided in his real life never to preside
over any public function or to address a gathering.
2.Why do you think Prof. Gaitonde decided never to preside over

meetings again?
Prof. Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again as he
had a bitter experience at one of the lectures going on in the Azad
Maidan.
3.Who was Professor Gaitonde? Why was he surprised to see the

name of East India Company on an imposing building in
Bombay?
Prof. Gaitonde was a history professor living in Poona in the 20th
century. He was surprised to see the name of East India Company on
a building in Bombay because it belonged to the 18th and 19th
centuries when the Company was ruling India. It did not exist in the
present time.
4.What was a vital piece of evidence that Prof. Gaitonde had with
him to show that he had really experienced a different reality?
Prof. Gaitonde had a page from the history book Bhausahebanchi
Bakhar that he was reading in the library in Bombay.
5.Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew

with what he was witnessing around him. Explain briefly.
Mumbai was different. Gangadhar Pant saw the East India Building
and mostly Anglo-Indians, Parsee. and British officers-Railway by the
name of Greater Bombay Metropolitan, Railway Stations looked
remarkably clean. He was living in the late 20th century. What he saw
was India under the British.
6.What sights did Prof. Gaitonde encounter to feel that he was
going to a different Bombay?
Prof. Gaitonde feels that he was going to a different Bombay because
the trains had marking of G.B.M.R with the Union Jack printed on
them. The station looked neat and tidy. He could see British offices on
the platform. There was also the building of East India company. He
came across many shops and office buildings.
7.What important discovery did Prof. Gaitonde make on reading

history books?
Professor Gaitonde found that the Marathas had won the Third Battle
of Panipat and that was a turning point in India’s history.
8.Why was the consequence of the Battle of Panipat important

for the Peshwas?
The victory established the supremacy of the Marathas in northern
India and later over the rest of India East India Company was confined
to some areas near Bombay, Calcutta and Madras.
9.How did the Peshwas keep in step with the changing times in
the 20th century?
The Peshwas kept apace with the changing times in the 20th century
by setting up centres of science and technology. They were highly
inspired by the West, India moved towards a democracy. For
technology development, they also accepted help from the East India
Company.
10.What information did Prof. Gaitonde get from

‘Bhausahebanchi Bakhar,‘?
From ‘Bhausahebanchi Bakhar’, Prof. Gaitonde got the information
about Vishwasroa. He got to know that Vishwasrao was not killed in
the battle. Moreover, Vishaswasrao guided his horse to the battle.
11.How did Prof. Gaitonde behave in the Azad Maidan? Why did
he behave so?
Prof. Gaitonde went on the dais and sat on the unoccupied
presidential chair. He refused to vacate and started speaking into the
mike. He behaved so because he was drawn by the empty chair.
12.What is ‘the catastrophe theory’?:

Catastrophe Theory means ‘a critical event’ which happens in a
different way. This changes the entire course of history.
13.How did ‘the catastrophe theory’ work in the battle of Panipat?

Catastrophe Theory in Panipat is that Vishwasrao did not die.
Marathas won the battle. As a result, Marathas became the dominant
power, the British were contained.
14.What have we been told about the quantum theory in the story
‘The Adventure’?
Because of the lack of determinism in quantum theory, the bullet
missed Vishwasrao and the Marathas were victorious.
15.Why was Prof. Gaitonde going to Bombay?

Professor Gaitonde was going to Bombay to read history books and to
find out how the present state of affairs was reached.
16.Who was Professor Gaitonde? Why was he surprised to see

the name of East India Company on an imposing building in
Bombay?
Prof. Gaitonde was a professor of history in Puna. He lived in
independent India. He was surprised to see the name of East India
Company, as it had been wound up after 1857.
Long Answer Type:

1.‘Gangadharpant had not been to this Bombay before.’ Show
how this Bombay is different from the one he knew.
Bombay had completely changed for Gangadharpant. The Bombay he
now visited had the trains that now paned through the suburban rail
traffic. The blue carriages had the marking of G.B.M.R with the Union
Jack printed on them. The station looked remarkably neat and clean.
The staff included mainly Anglo-Indians and Parsees along with a few
British officers. There was an imposing building of the East India
Company. Walking about Hornby Road, Gangadharpant could find a
different set of shops and office buildings. The British rule was
prevalent only in Bombay. All the other parts of the nation were not
under the rule of The British.
2.Gangadharpant was able to find the precise moment ‘where

history had taken a different turn for India’. What was this
moment? How did it affect India and the Indian people?
The precise moment where history had taken a different turn for India
was the moment when Gangadharpant learnt that Marathas had won
the Third Battle of Panipat. Their victory in the battle was not only a
great morale booster to the Marathas but it also established their
supremacy in northern India.
It was also clear that Vishwasrao was not killed in the battle. To its
dismay, the East India Company met its match in the new Maratha
ruler, Vishwasrao. He and his brother, Madhavrao, combined political
acumen and expanded their influence all over India. The East India
Company was reduced to pockets of influence near Bombay, Calcutta
and Madras, just like its European rivals, the Portugese and the
French.
Question 3.
How did Rajendra Deshpande explain Gangadhar Pant’s experience?
Write in detail.
Answer:
Prof. Rajendra explained Prof. Gaitonde’s theory on the basis of
catastrophe theory and the lack of determinism in the quantum theory.
He applied catastrophe theory to the Battle of Panipat. Both the
armies were’well-equipped, so, a lot depended on the leadership and
the morale of the troops. He said that the point at which Vishwasrao
was killed proved to be the turning point. Whether he was killed in the
battle or survived was not known that time.
But, the troops were in constant stress of losing their crucial leaders.
They lost their morale and fighting spirit. Now, when the bullet missed
Vishwarao, the battle took the other way, and the troops felt
encouraged. It boosted their morale and they applied a lot of efforts to
lion the battle.
This happened due to the lack of determinism in quantum theory

which means that you cannot predict the behavior of anything, even
the outcome may be vasthy different. Prof. Gaitonde was able to
experience a different reality because he made a transition to the
other India where the Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat. The
transition occurred because at the moment of the collision, Prof.
Gaitonde was thinking of the catastrophe Theory and the Battle of
Panipat.
4.Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew

with what he was witnessing around him. Explain briefly.
Mumbai, that Gangadharpant was familiar of was completely different
when the train stopped beyond the long tunnel, at a small station
called Sarhad, Gangadharpant was stunned to see an Anglo-Indian in
uniform checking permits. He got to know that this was the place from
where the British rule began.
For Gandadharpant, this was the new Mumbai. When the train paned
through the Suburban rail traffic, he noticed blue carriages with the
marking, GBMR and the tiny Union Jack painted on each carriage.
The station looked so spick and span. The staff included Anglo-
Indians and Parsees along with some British officers. He also noticed
the building to be East India Company along with some different
shops and office buildings. Bombay was now completely under the
influence of British rule.

The Adventure

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The Adventure

1.What was Gangadharpant’s experience in the Azad Maidan?

2.Why do you think Prof. Gaitonde decided never to preside over

3.Who was Professor Gaitonde? Why was he surprised to see the

5.Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew

7.What important discovery did Prof. Gaitonde make on reading

8.Why was the consequence of the Battle of Panipat important

10.What information did Prof. Gaitonde get from

12.What is ‘the catastrophe theory’?:

13.How did ‘the catastrophe theory’ work in the battle of Panipat?

15.Why was Prof. Gaitonde going to Bombay?

16.Who was Professor Gaitonde? Why was he surprised to see

Long Answer Type:

2.Gangadharpant was able to find the precise moment ‘where

This happened due to the lack of determinism in quantum theory

4.Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew

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