QUESTION 5(a)
GS4
10 marks
“Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principles which direct them.” – Napoleon Bonaparte. With examples, mention rulers who harmed society and country and those who worked for their development.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Use Napoleon's quote to contrast rulers whose ambition harmed society with those who used it for development.
Mention with examplesAnswer exactly what the question asks.
Demand-wise check
- 1Meaning: ambition is neutral; principles decide whether it builds or destroys≈30 words
- 2Harmful rulers: Hitler (genocide, war), Pol Pot (Khmer Rouge killings), Idi Amin≈30 words
- 3Developmental rulers: Ashoka after Kalinga (dhamma, welfare), Akbar (sulh-i-kul, administration), Lincoln (abolition), Mandela (reconciliation), Lee Kuan Yew (development)≈30 words
- 4Lesson for administrators: ambition with ethics, constitutional values≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Quote's meaningHarmful examplesDevelopmental examplesLessonConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Only listing names without what principles drove them
- Missing the link to principles
Draw this
- Two-column table: ruler → principle → outcome
Value addition
- EdictAshoka's Rock Edict XIII records his remorse after Kalinga and turn to dhamma.Ashokan edicts
- ExampleNapoleon himself shows both sides: ruinous wars but the Napoleonic Code (1804).Historical record
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- G Sanjana · AIR 55 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.