BHIC 108 Question Paper December 2025 is the sharpest practice set for Rise of the Modern West. It shows how IGNOU frames mercantilism, the seventeenth-century crisis, the Reformation, the King and Parliament conflict and the Enlightenment. If your exam is in 2026, this is where to begin.
What is the BHIC-108 December 2025 Question Paper?
The BHIC 108 December 2025 question paper is the official IGNOU Term-End Examination paper for Rise of the Modern West-II. It is set in English medium for 100 marks across 3 hours, split into Part I and Part II.
The paper holds eight questions, four in each Part. You attempt any five, with at least two from each Part, and each carries 20 marks. The themes run from mercantilism and seventeenth-century intellectual trends to the Protestant Reformation, demographic change, the economic divergence of Western Europe, and the meaning of the Enlightenment.
About IGNOU BHIC-108 Rise of the Modern West—II
BHIC-108 is the early modern European history course in the IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History (BAHIH) programme. It studies how the modern West took shape, opening with mercantilism and commercial capitalism and the contrasting paths of Holland, England and France.
From economy the course moves to ideas and institutions: the intellectual trends of the seventeenth century, the Scientific Revolution including its non-quantitative fields, and the Protestant Reformation. It then covers the English Civil War and the clash between King and Parliament, the seventeenth-century crisis, state and politics in eighteenth-century England and France, demographic patterns, the Enlightenment, and the Great Divergence between Western Europe and the wider world.
This page was prepared by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by the Unnati Educations academic team with history and humanities content reviewers. It is anchored to the IGNOU Term-End Examination, December 2025. Last updated June 2026.
BHIC-108 Question Paper December 2025 Exam Pattern and Marks
| Medium | English |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Paper structure | Two Parts, Part I and Part II, four questions each |
| Total questions in the paper | 8 |
| Questions to attempt | Any five, with at least two from each Part |
| Marks per question | 20 each, all questions carry equal marks |
| Word guidance | About 400 words per main answer and about 200 words per short note |
| Question type | Long descriptive essays plus short-note clusters worth 10+10 |
| Language of answers | English |
All Questions in the BHIC-108 December 2025 Paper
Note : Attempt any five questions in about 400 words each. Attempt at least two questions from each Part. All questions carry equal marks.
Part—I
What were the main features of Mercantilism ? Evaluate the impact of mercantilist ideas on Holland, England and France in 17th and 18th centuries. (20)
Describe in brief the major intellectual trends that were dominant in seventeenth century Europe. (20)
Briefly describe the nature of conflict between the King and the Parliament in England till 1649. (20)
Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each : (10+10)
(a) Impact of 17th century crisis on Europe
(b) Music in the 17th century
(c) Development in non-quantitative fields of Science
(d) Protestant Reformation
Part—II
Briefly discuss the nature of state and politics in England and France in the 18th century. (20)
Discuss the demographic trends in Europe in 17th and 18th centuries. (20)
Evaluate the process of divergence in economic development of the Western Europe and the rest of the world. (20)
Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each : (10+10)
(a) The meaning of Enlightenment
(b) The Boston Tea Party
(c) European Marriage Pattern
(d) The nature of Book Production in the Early Modern Europe
Topics Covered in the BHIC-108 Paper
• The main features of mercantilism and its impact on Holland, England and France.
• The major intellectual trends dominant in seventeenth-century Europe.
• The nature of the King and Parliament conflict in England till 1649.
• The impact of the seventeenth-century crisis on Europe.
• Music in the seventeenth century.
• Developments in the non-quantitative fields of science.
• The Protestant Reformation.
• The nature of state and politics in eighteenth-century England and France.
• Demographic trends in seventeenth and eighteenth-century Europe.
• The economic divergence of Western Europe from the rest of the world.
• The meaning of the Enlightenment.
• The Boston Tea Party.
• The European Marriage Pattern.
• The nature of book production in early modern Europe.
How to Use BHIC 108 Question Paper to Score in the 2026 Exam
The first thing to plan is your spread. Because you must take at least two questions from each Part, don't over-prepare the economic half (mercantilism, divergence, demography) and leave the political-intellectual half (the Reformation, King versus Parliament, the Enlightenment) thin. A balanced five across both Parts is safer than five strong answers stuck in one.
Several questions are comparative, and that is exactly how to answer them. For mercantilism, contrast Holland, England and France rather than describing each in isolation. For Q7, set Western Europe's growth against the rest of the world's stagnation and explain the gap with named causes. Most students notice that structured comparison scores far better than parallel description.
Across recent IGNOU December TEE papers, mercantilism, the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the seventeenth-century crisis keep returning, so weight those when you are short on time.
Sample Answer Approach of BHIC 108 Question Paper (not a full answer)
Take Q3, the conflict between the King and Parliament in England till 1649. Here is the shape of a 20-mark, 400-word answer, not the answer itself.
Context: open by placing the clash in the Stuart period and the question of royal versus parliamentary authority.
Points to cover: the financial disputes and Charles I's personal rule, religious tensions, the Petition of Right, the Long Parliament, and the slide into civil war.
Worked example: use the trial and execution of Charles I in 1649 as your anchoring event.
Conclusion: a short analytical line on what the conflict settled about sovereignty.
Four or five points with one dated example is what earns the full twenty.
Frequently Asked Questions about the BHIC-108 Question Paper December 2025
Is this the authentic IGNOU BHIC-108 December 2025 Question Paper?
It is the real December 2025 Term-End Examination paper for BHIC-108, shown exactly as IGNOU printed it. Both Parts, the Note line, every 20-mark value, the 10+10 short notes and all sub-parts from mercantilism to book production are intact. Nothing has been reworded, so the questions you rehearse on the Reformation and the Enlightenment are the genuine ones.
Will the BHIC-108 December 2025 Question Paper help my 2026 attempt?
Considerably. Being the most recent official paper, it mirrors what you are likely to face next on mercantilism, the King and Parliament conflict and the Great Divergence. IGNOU repeatedly returns to the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the seventeenth-century crisis, so working this set under the two-Part rule trains both your content depth and your selection strategy.
Can I get a solved version of the BHIC-108 Question Paper?
A solved BHIC-108 paper with structured model answers can be arranged on request. The answers treat the long essays on mercantilism and the divergence question at roughly 400 words, and short notes such as the Boston Tea Party or the European Marriage Pattern at around 200. Message the desk on WhatsApp to request it for this December 2025 paper.
Does the BHIC-108 paper support assignment work too?
It does, indirectly. Themes here, including the Protestant Reformation, eighteenth-century state and politics and the meaning of the Enlightenment, overlap closely with common BHIC-108 assignment questions. Drilling these exam questions reinforces the same material your tutor-marked assignment tests, so one focused study session strengthens both your exam and your assignment.
How quickly is the BHIC-108 Question Paper delivered?
Delivery is fast and handled over WhatsApp directly. Send your course code to the desk and the material, including a solved version covering mercantilism, the seventeenth-century crisis and the demographic-trends question, reaches you without a long wait, so you can begin revising the same day instead of hunting through scattered sources for the right paper.
What help can I get with the BHIC-108 paper?
Direct, personal help over WhatsApp for any doubt on this paper, whether it is the at-least-two-per-Part rule or how to frame a comparative answer on Holland, England and France. If a topic like the non-quantitative fields of science or book production in early modern Europe feels unclear, the team replies itself and guides your approach rather than sending an automated response.
Unnati Educations is an independent IGNOU study-resource platform that prepares previous-year papers, solved assignments and guess papers for student practice.
Disclaimer: Unnati Educations is an independent academic support service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The original question paper is the property of IGNOU and is provided here only as a reference for student practice.
To revise more widely, browse the IGNOU previous year question papers archive for further early-modern sets, pair this with the matching BHIC-108 solved assignment to write the same themes out in full, and add the IGNOU guess paper set to anticipate likely 2026 questions. For the solved version or any quick doubt, message us on WhatsApp at 9899436384.