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History Optional PYQ Master Pack · Model answer

“James Mill, the apostle of utilitarian philosophy, proposed a revolution of Indian society through the ‘weapon of law’ solely. But in actual policy framing, other influences and considerations weighed much more than the colonial State.” Elucidate.

  • UPSC 2015
  • Early Structure of the British Raj

James Mill's utilitarian vision imagined colonial law as a near-omnipotent instrument capable of remaking Indian society from above, but the actual record of British policy shows that instrument constantly bent, diluted, or redirected by forces the theory never fully accounted for.

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What the full answer covers

  • Mill's Utilitarian Vision: Law as the Sole Engine of Revolution
  • Where the Weapon of Law Was Blunted: Education
  • Where the Weapon of Law Was Blunted: Administration and Justice
  • Where the Weapon of Law Was Blunted: Social Reform
  • Where the Weapon of Law Was Blunted: Revenue Policy
  • Rival Currents That Diluted Utilitarian Exclusivity

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