A.C. : 10.05.

2025
Annexure-4.03.01(1)

UGCF- 2022
SEMESTER- VII
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
CATEGORY I
B.A. HONOURS HISTORY

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE (DSC): Reading Sources in Indian History I

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Reading Sources in Indian

History: An Introduction
to Literary Traditions I 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
Historians know what they do because they are trained to read and interpret texts and material
finds from past. This paper initiates students into an early interface with 'primary' sources -
from times far removed from our own. While this assorted list cannot be representative of the
vast extant literary corpus, it is meant to give the readers a glimpse of it. Each of the texts have
been chosen carefully with a view to familiarise the students with varied kinds of texts, and the
diverse set of problems they pose for the historian trying to use them. It is also intended to
apprise the students of the ways in which historians interpret and deploy these textual resources
along with other similar or dissimilar sources to create a meaningful narrative about the past.
Additionally, they should also be able to appreciate the need for and legitimacy of more than
one way of reading the same source.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, the students shall be able to
• Contextualize the source in its own time, space, and genre
• Understand the issues that arise in the process of using a source for the reconstruction
of history

Syllabus

1
Unit I: Vedic to Puranic Source: Rgveda (10th Mandala); Yajnavalkya Smriti (section on
Vyavhara); Matsyapurana (ch.11)
Unit II: Buddhist text: Vajrasuchi of Asvaghosa
Unit III: Tamil Sangam text (Akam poetry)
Unit IV: Medieval Sources: Lekhapaddhati; Palam Baoli Sanskrit Inscriptions of 13 century;
Kānhaḍade Prabandh; Description of India in Amir Khusrau Nuh Siphir

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: Vedic to Puranic (teaching time: approx. 4 weeks)
• Rgveda, ed. Satvalekar, Paradi,1985
• J. Gonda, Vedic Literature , Leiden,1975
• A Treatise on Yajnavalkya, by Patrick Olivelle, Murty Collection, 2019. .
• Derrett, JDM, Dharmashastra and Juridical Literature: A History of Indian Literature, vol
1, Delhi: Manohar, 2019
• Taluqdar Of Oudh (trans.), The Matsya Puranam, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers
(repnt.), Delhi
• Jaya Tyagi, Contestation and Compliance: Retrieving Women’s ‘Agency’ from Puranic
Traditions, OUP, 2014.
• R. C. Hazra, Studies in the Puranic Records on Hindu Rites and Customs, Motilal
Banarsidass (new edn.), Delhi, 1988.

Unit II: Buddhist text: Vajrasuchi (teaching time:approx.. 2 weeks)

• Sujitkumar, Mukhopadhyaya, ed & tr, The Vajrasuchi of Asvaghosa, Shantiniketan,1960
• Ramesh, Bhardwaj, Vajrasuchi of Asvaghosa and the concept of varna jati, Delhi,2007
• Law, B.C, Asvaghosa, Calcutta, 1946

Unit III: Tamil Sangam poems (Akam) (teaching time: approx. 2 weeks)
• K. Ramanujam (trans.), The Interior Landscape: Love Poems from a Classical Tamil
Anthology, OUP, Delhi, 1994. (Published online by Cambridge University Press on 23
March, 2011)
• George Hart (trans.), The Poems of Ancient Tamil: Their Milieu and Their Sanskrit
Counterparts, OUP India, 2000.
• V. Palampal, Studies in the History of the Sangam Age, Kalinga Publications, Tamil
Nadu, 1998.

Unit IV: Medieval Sources: teaching time: approx. 6 weeks)

This unit is meant to familiarise students with a variety of sources of the medieval period and
how they have been interpreted by historians.

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 • Lekhapaddhati: Documents of State and Everyday Life from Ancient and Early
Medieval Gujarat, Aligarh Historians' Society Series, translated by Pushpa Prasad,
New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2007.
• L.D. Barnett, 'Review of Lekhapaddhati, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great
Britain, and Ireland, 1926-10-01 (4), pp. 771-773.
• Pushpa Prasad, ed. and trans., Sanskrit Inscriptions of Delhi Sultanate, 1191-1526. New
Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1990.
• Padmanabha, Kānhaḍade Prabandh, translated by V.S.Bhatnagar, New Delhi: Aditya
Prakashan, 1991.
• Ramya Sreenivasan, 'Allauddin Khalji Remembered: Conquest, Gender and
Community in Medieval Rajput Narratives', Studies in History, vol. 18 (2002), no. 2,
pp. 275-96.
• Ramya Sreenivasan, "The 'Marriage' of 'Hindu' and 'Turak': Medieval Rajput Histories
of Jalor", Medieval History Journal, vol. 7 (2004), no. 1, pp. 87-108.

• Mohammad Wahid Mirza, Nuh Siphir of Amir Khusrau, Oxford University Press, 1949,
Introduction (pp. xvii-xxxviii).
• Sunil Sharma, Amir Khusraw: The Poet of Sultans and Sufis, Oneworld Publications,
May 2005, Introduction, pp. 37-92 & Chapter-4.

• Ansari, Zoe (ed.). Life, Times & Works of Amir Khusrau Dehlavi. New Delhi: National
Amir Khusrau Society, pp. 74-82, 200-214, 241-322.

Suggested Readings:
• Irfan Habib, 'Persian Book Writing and Book Use in the pre printing age', Proceedings
of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 66 (2005-2006), pp. 514-537.
• R.S Sharma, Material Culture and Social Formation in Ancient India, Macmillan,1983
• V. Nath, The Puranic World: Environment, Gender, Ritual, and Myth, Manohar, Delhi,
2009.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

3
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Sources and the Practice of History – I

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the

course Pre-
Eligibilit
Credit requisite of
s Practical y the course
Lecture Tutorial / criteria
(if any)
Practice

Sources and the

Practice of History – 4 3 1 0
I

Learning Objectives
This course is a sequel to its counterpart in the previous semester and trains the student in
the close reading, analysis and contextualization of historical sources. It consists of primary
texts of different genres from Indian history. Students will be confronted with the challenges
of historical interpretation and reconstruction of a variety of concepts, perspectives and
experiences including those relating authority, gender, religion, social categorization, caste,
and history. Students will learn to evaluate sources in conjunction with each other to develop
their analytical abilities and the use of evidence so as to gain a richer historical understanding.
They will also be introduced to the distinctiveness of British colonialism, its modes of
exploitation and governance as well as a diversity of critical perspectives from India on
fundamental subjects such as that of the state, nation, religion, caste and gender. A study of
these themes will prepare students to specialise further in the discipline. Each of the texts has
been provided with a standard translated version where required and a few secondary
readings around it, which are indicative of historical contexts and inferences drawn from them
in Indian history writing.

Learning outcomes
Students will be exposed to nuanced readings of important texts produced during the early
modern and colonial period. The student will be study in depth a range of ideas including that
of the nation, state, society, development, religion, the critique of caste and patriarchy, as well

4
as the different strands of nationalism which encompass multiple and connected ideas of
India. Syllabus

Unit I: 1. James Mill : History of British India 2. M.K Gandhi : Hind Swaraj
Unit II: 1. Jyotirao Phule Gulamgiri 2. Dr. BR Ambedkar :Annihilation of Caste 3. Tarabai
Shinde : Stri Purush Tulana.
Unit III: 1. JL Nehru : Discovery of India 2. V D Savarkar : Essentials of Hindutva (1923)
Unit IV: 1. The Forest Act of 1878. 2. Royal Commission on Labour in India, 1931 3.
Constituent Assembly Debates : Fundamental Rights and Duties
Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings:
Unit 1 (12 Lectures )
* James Mill, History of British India, 3 vols. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, 1826.
* MK Gandhi, Hind Swaraj in A. Parel Ed. Hind Swaraj and other writings Cambridge; New
York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
* Rhetoric of Reform’, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 24, No. 2, (May 1990), pp. 209-224.
* Mehta, Uday. (1999) Liberalism and Empire, Chicago: University of Chicago Press (chapter
3)
* Hardiman, David. (2003). Gandhi in his time and ours. New Delhi: Permanent Black.
* Guha, Ramachandra. (2018.). Gandhi: the years that changed the world, 1914-1948.
Gurugram: Penguin Random House India.
* Gandhi, M.K. (1997). Hind Swaraj and other writings, (ed.), Anthony J. Parel, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press

Unit 2 (12 Lectures)

* Jyotirao Phule Gulamgiri in G.P. Deshpande (2012) Ed. Selected Writings of Jotirao Phule
New Delhi: Leftword Books.
* Dr. BR Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste in Valerian Rodrigues Ed. The essential writings of
B.R. Ambedkar Delhi; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
* Tarabai Shinde, Stri Purush Tulana.,Translation: O'Hanlon, Rosalind. (1994). A Comparison
between Women and Men: Tarabai Shinde and the Critique of Gender Relations in Colonial
India. Madras: Oxford University Press
* O'Hanlon, Roslaind. (1985). Caste, Conflict and Ideology Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press
* Zelliot, Eleanor. (2010). From Untouchable to Dalit: Essays on Ambedkar Movements, New
Delhi: Manohar.
* Nagaraj, D.R. (2010). The Flaming Feet and Other Essays: The Dalit Movement in India, ed.
Prithvi Datta and Chandra Shobhi, Ranikhet: Permanent Black.
* Banyopadhyay, Shekhar (Ed.). (2009). Nationalist Movement in India, A Reader. New Delhi:
Oxford University Press.

Unit 3 ( 12 )Lectures
* JL Nehru, Discovery of India. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund : Distributed by
Oxford University Press, [1981] (1994 printing)
* V D Savarkar, Essentials of Hindutva, Hindi Sahitya Sadan (1923)

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* Chatterjee, Partha. (1999). The Partha Chatterjee Omnibus. New Delhi: Oxford University
Press.
* Khilnani, Sunil. (2004, rpt.). The Idea of India. New Delhi: Penguin. * Parekh, Bhiku. (1991)
“Nehru and the National Philosophy of India”, Economic and Political Weekly Vol. 26, No. 1/2
(Jan. 5-12, 1991), pp. 35-48.
* Bhargava, Rajeev. (2017). “Nehru against Nehruvians: on religion and secularism”.
Economic and Political Weekly. 52(8), pp. 34 – 40
* Bakhle, Janaki. (2010). "Savarkar (1883-1966), Sedition, and Surveillance: the rule of law
in a colonial situation," in Social History. vol. 35, no. I.
* Bakhle, Janaki. (2010) "Country First? Vinayak Damodar Savarkar ( I883-I966) and the
Writing of Essentials of Hindutva,
" Public Culture 22:I. * Chaturvedi, Vinayak. (2010). “Rethinking Knowledge with Action: V.D.
Savarkar, the Bhagavad Gita, and Histories of Warfare” Modern Intellectual History, 7, 2, 417-
35.

Unit 4 ( 12 Lectures) *The Forest Act of 1878. * Royal Commission on Labour in India, 1931
(several vols.).
* Gadgil, Madhav, and Ramchandra Guha. (2000). The Use and Abuse of Nature, This
Fissured Land- An Ecological History of India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
* Guha, Ramachandra. (1991). The Unquiet Woods: Ecological Change and Peasant
Resistance in the Himalaya. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
* Grove, Richard H. (1998). Ecology, Climate and Empire, The Indian Legacy in Global
Environmental History, 1400-1940. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. * Kumar, Dharma and
Meghand Desai, (Eds.). (1984). Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol II, 1657-1970.
Hyderabad: Orient Longman Ltd
* Constituent Assembly Debates on fundamental rights, language, separation of power,
judicial review, etc. * Constituent Assembly Debates
* Vol.III: 28-4-1947 to 2-5-1947 (Fundamental
Rights)https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/762962/1/cad_29-04-1947.pdf * Vol.VII: 4-
11-1948 to 8-1-1949 (Directive Principles of State Policy)
https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/763029/1/cad_19-11-1948.pdf.
* Austin, Granville. (1999). Working a Democratic Constitution: the Indian Experience. Delhi:
Oxford University Press.
* Chandra, Bipan. (2008). India Since Independence. Delhi: Penguin.

Suggested Readings:

* Gokhale, Balkrishna Govind. (1978). ‘Nehru and History’ History and Theory, Vol. 17, No. 3
(Oct., 1978), pp. 311-322.
* Pandey, Gyanendra (1993). “Which of us are Hindus” in Gyanendra Pandey, Ed. Hindus and
Others: The Question of Identity in India Today (New Delhi: Viking, 1993)
* Kumar, Ravi, V.M. (2010). ‘Green Colonialism and Forest Policies in South India, 1800-
1900’, Global Environment, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 100-125.
* Nigam, Aditya. (2004). ‘A Text without Author: Locating Constituent Assembly as Event’,
Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 39, No. 21 (May 22-28, 2004), pp. 2107-2113.
* Omvedt, Gail. (2013). Dalits and the Democratic Revolution: Dr.Ambedkar and the Dalit
Movement in Colonial India, New Delhi: Sage Publications.

6
* Panesar, Amerdeep, Stoddart, Amy, Turner, James, Ward, Paul and Wells, Sarah. (2017)
J.H. Whitley and the Royal Commission on Labour in India 1929–31. In: Liberal Reform and
Industrial Relations: J.H. Whitley (1866–1935), Halifax Radical and Speaker of the House of
Commons. Routledge Studies in Modern British History, Routledge, London, pp. 129-142.
* Tucker, Richard P. (1982). ‘The Forests of the Western Himalayas: The Legacy of British
Colonial Administration’ Journal of Forest History, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Jul., 1982), pp. 112-123.
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Practice of History – I

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the

course Pre-
Eligibilit
Credit requisite of
s Practical y the course
Lecture Tutorial / criteria
(if any)
Practice

Practice of History –
4 3 1 0
I

Learning Objectives
This course aims to familiarize, and at the same time re-emphasize the concepts and methods
used in the practice of history, especially those pertaining to the pre-colonial past. Under the
catch-all umbrella of historical practice come disciplinary inputs from allied fields such as
archaeology, art history, and record-keeping and archival studies. For a holistic understanding
of the past, a multi-pronged approach needs to be applied in the scrutiny of sources and the
study of history. Thus, while the unique contribution of each field in terms of distinctive
features, objectives, principles, and processes will be explained, their cross-fertilization and
interaction with history to draw out meaning will be constantly underscored.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Understand how the study of history has evolved and developed as a discipline and
practice.

7
 • Explain the significance of archaeology in the study of the past – its tools, methods and
the mutual reliance of the two domains to better understand times gone by.
• Discuss the historiographical traditions in different chronological and cultural contexts,
and be able to contextualize the study of history.
• Develop an awareness of the field of art history and its dynamics, and better appreciate
the iconography and symbolism which become culture and civilizational markers.
• Delineate how record keeping, documentation and the writing of annals fed into coeval
processes and, over time become vital tools for a historian’s craft.

Syllabus
Unit I: The Practice of History: An overview of concepts, tools, sources and the accompanying
historiographical methods.
Unit II: Relationship between Archaeology and History: Definitions and Features; Academic
trends, Research tools and methods; Exploration, survey, excavations and site typologies;
Documentation, Analysis and Publication
Unit III: Pre-modern Historical Traditions: History and Historical Writings; Memory and
Recording – Mythology, Hagiography, Biography and History; Greeco-Roman
historiographical traditions; Chinese, Arab and Persian writings on history; Indian historical
genres; the colonial interlude.
Unit IV: Conjunction of Art and History: Beginnings and Development; Evolution of
iconography and symbolism across mediums; genres and styles – rock art, terracotta art,
sculpture, and painting; Discourses of art history

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: This unit will introduce the paper, and in sync with the overview nature of the course,
spell out the core themes and their concerns and working templates. A stimulating discussion
on the nature and purpose of history, the historiography that has been meticulously produced,
and operating principles of tools, sources etc. can initiate students into this course. (Teaching
Tim: 3 weeks)
• Carr, E.H. 2008. What is History (also available in Hindi), London: Penguin Books
• Bloch, M. 2004. The Historian’s Craft, with an Introduction by Peter Burke,
Manchester: Manchester University Press
• Collingwood, R.G. 1994. The Idea of History. New York: Oxford University Press
• Philips, C.H. ed. 1967. Historians of India, Pakistan and Ceylon. London: Oxford
University Press

Unit II: This unit seeks to address a very vital question: Is archaeology the hand-maiden of
history? There is no escaping the filial relationship of the two primary disciplines that seek to
investigate the past, and no denying the symbiotic relationship between the two. Accordingly,

8
this rubric will familiarize students with the aims, concepts, and survey and excavation
methods that lead to the formation of the archaeological knowledge corpus, and its intertwined
relationship with history. (Teaching Time: 3 weeks).
• Bahn, P. 1996. Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
• Renfrew, C and P. Bahn. 2016. Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice.
London: Thames & Hudson.
• Wheeler, R.E.M. 1954. Archaeology from the Earth. London: Oxford University Press
• Chakrabarti, D.K. 2006. The Oxford Companion to Indian Archaeology: The
Archaeological Foundations of Ancient India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press
• Singh, U. 2005. The Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the
Beginnings of Archaeology. Delhi: Permanent Black (Chapters 1-2, Chapter 4, Chapters
9-10).
• ओझा, राम प्रकाश .1978. परु ातत्व िव�ान, लखनऊ, प्रकाशन कें द्र I
• पाण्डेय, जयनारायण (2015. परु ातत्व िवमशर्, इलाहबाद, प्राच्य िवद्या संस्थान I
• व्हीलर, सर मािटर्मर 1954.पृथ्वी से परु ातत्व,पटना,िबहार िहदं ी ग्रन्थ अकादमी I
• एिलिटंग,एम., एफ.फोल्सम (. 2008. परु ातत्व िव�ान क� कहानी,िदल्ली, भारतीय िव�ान सिमित I

Unit III: Pre-modern Historical Traditions The study of the past is recorded across societies
and cultures. Human beings are keepers of memories that have spawned different
commemorative rituals and learning traditions, besides vast fields of knowledge in the form of
texts, inscriptions, and sacred geographies. This unit will acquaint the students with pre-
modern history writing traditions, and other forms in which the past lies encoded. (Teaching
Time: 2 ½ weeks)
• Kelley, D.R. 1991. Versions of History from Antiquity to the Enlightenment. New
Haven: Yale University Press
• Marincola, J. 1997. Authority and Traditions in Ancient Historiography, Cambridge:
University Press, pp. 3-19 (‘Introduction’ ‘Myth and History’)
• Pulleybank, E.G. and Beasley, W.G. eds. 1961. Historians of China and Japan.
London: Oxford University Press
• Warder, A.K. 1972. An Introduction to Indian Historiography. Bombay: Popular
Prakashan

Unit IV: Conjunction of Art and History The creation of art and artistic expression across
medium is an important signifier of a culture and its development. Art history forms a vital part
of cultural history and in employing its methods, historians can better gauge the socio-cultural
ethos and the economic processes and transactions that allowed for its creation. Thus, the value
addition of art history refines our understanding of past processes of production, patronage,
belief, and practice. (Teaching time: 2 ½ weeks)
• Huntington, Susan L. 2016. The Art Of Ancient India: Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Delhi:
Motilal Banarsidass
• Neumayer, E. 2010. Rock Art Of India, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

9
 • Ray, N.R, 1974. An Approach to Indian Art, Chandigarh: Panjab University Publication
Bureau
• Agrawala, V.S. 2022. Indian Art. Varanasi: Prithvi Prakashan
• Agrawala, V.S. 2010. Bharatiya Kala. Varanasi: Prithvi Prakashan
• Coomaraswamy, A.K. Rpt. 2010. Introduction To Indian Art. Kessinger Legacy
Reprints
• Tomory, E. 1989. History Of Fine Arts in India and The West. New Delhi: Orient
Blackswan

Suggested Reading:
• Puri, B.N. 1994. Ancient Indian Historiography. Delhi and Lucknow: Atma Ram &
Sons
• Lahiri, N. 2011. Finding Forgotten Cities: How the Indus Civilization was Discovered.
New Delhi: Hachette India
• Avikunthak, A. 2021. Bureaucratic Archaeology: State, Science, and Past in
Postcolonial India. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Kumar, S. 2014. Domestication of Animals in Harappan Civilization. New Delhi:
Research India Press.
• Stern, F. ed. 1973. Varieties of History: From Voltaire to the Present. New York:
Vintage (Introduction)
• Haskell, F. 1993. History and Its Images: Art and the Interpretation of the Past. New
Haven and London: Yale University Press
• Adams, L, S. 1996. The Methodologies of Art: An Introduction. New York: Harper
Collins.
• Preziosi, D. 2009. The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology. Oxford: Oxford
University Press
• Ginzburg, C. and John Tedeschi, Anne C. Tedeschi. 1993, ‘Micro history: Two or
Three things that I know about it’, Critical Inquiry, The University of Chicago Press,
20, 1, pp. 10–35.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

10
 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE): Archaeology: Theory and Practice

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Prerequisites of the Course

Course title & Credi Credit distribution of the course Eligibility Pre-requisite of
Code ts criteria the course
Lecture Tutorial Practical/
(if any)
Practice

Archaeology: 4 3 1 0 12th Pass

Theory and
Practice

Learning Objectives
The objective of this course is to explore different varieties of archaeology and examine the
theories, methods and techniques used by archaeologists to retrieve the material culture of the
human past. As part of this course we aim to provide a basic introduction to different aspects
of archaeology, its development as a distinct discipline and understanding of the latest
methodologies in this field. This course introduces students to the process of archaeological
investigation from the discovery of sites to their excavation and analysis of the recovered
archaeological evidences. This course includes training in field methods including visits to
archaeological sites or museums or both. Field trip to an ongoing excavation or exploration of
any site/sites is suggested.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course the student shall be able to:
• Develop a foundation on the understanding of the nature, development, and value of
archaeology as a discipline.
• Understand the characteristics and chronology of cultural deposition; and significance
of pottery and other artifacts.
• Be able to identify and differentiate between the artifacts of different time periods

SYLLABUS OF DSC- 2
Unit I: Introduction to Archaeology
a) Definition aims and scope
b) Archaeological findings and their significance

Unit II: Field Methods

a) Development of Field Archaeology in India
b) Exploration Techniques (Practical aspect: Exploration kit, Site form, Survey data sheet,
label/labelling of antiquity and pottery)

11
 c) Excavation Techniques: vertical and horizontal (Practical aspect: Stratigraphy, Site
d) Notebook, 3D Recording, Trench Layout, Elevation and Plan, Drawings- section,
structure, pottery, antiquity; photography, label of antiquity)

Unit III: Analysis of Archaeological Evidences

a) Classification of objects/findings (Practical aspect: identification of artifacts, features
and Ecofacts)
b) Characteristic features of Pottery: from Neolithic to Mughal Period (Practical aspect:
Identification and drawing of potteries)

Unit IV: Field Tour

a) Explorations, ongoing excavations, visit of archaeological site and historical
monuments
b) Identification of archaeological material through the visit of museums (National
Museum, Delhi; Art and Archaeological Museum, Department of History, DU;
Archaeological Museum, Old Fort Museum, Delhi; Indraparastha Museum, The Indian
Archaeological society, Delhi)

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: Introduction to Archaeology
This unit introduces archaeology as a scientific study of past human cultures through material
remains. It defines archaeology, explores its aims—such as understanding human evolution,
culture, and societal development—and outlines its interdisciplinary scope involving history,
anthropology, and science. The unit emphasizes the importance of archaeological findings,
including tools, pottery, and structures, in reconstructing past lifeways. These artifacts provide
vital clues to economic, social, and religious aspects of ancient civilizations, contributing
significantly to our understanding of human history and cultural heritage. (Teaching Time: 3
weeks Approx.)
• Childe, V.G. 1960. A Short Introduction to Archaeology. New York: Collier
• Childe, V. Gordon. 1956. Piecing Together the Past: The Interpretation of
Archaeological Data. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
• Pandey, J.N. 2000. Puratattva Vimarsha (in Hindi), Prachya Vidya Sansthan,
Allahabad
• Sharer, R. J. & Ashmore, W. 1979, Fundamentals of Archaeology, The
Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, California.
• Raman, K.V. 1991. Principal and Methods of Archaeology. Parthanjan Pub. Madras
• Wheeler, R.E.M. 1961. Archaeology from the Earth. Penguin (Also available in Hindi)
• शमार्, जी. आर. 2006. परु ातत्व का प�रचय. वाराणसी: बाणारस िहदं ू यिू नविसर्टी प्रकाशन।

12
Unit II: Field Methods
This unit covers the evolution of field archaeology in India, highlighting pioneers and key
excavations. It teaches exploration techniques, including the use of kits, site forms, and survey
data sheets, along with the proper labelling of antiquities. Excavation methods such as vertical
(for chronological layering) and horizontal (for spatial understanding) are discussed. Practical
components include maintaining site notebooks, creating trench layouts, stratigraphic analysis,
and 3D recording. It also involves elevation and plan drawing, artifact photography, and
systematic labelling—essential for recording and interpreting archaeological data. (Teaching
Time: 6 weeks Approx.)

• Chakrabarty, D.K., 1990, India An Archaeological History, Oxford: OUP.

• Rajan, K. 2016. Understanding Archaeology: Field Methods, Theories and Practices.
Thanjavoor: Manoo Pathippakam.
• Raman, K.V. 1991. Principal and Methods of Archaeology. Parthanjan Pub. Madras
• Schiffer, M.B. 1991. 'Archaeological Method and Theory’, Journal of Field
Archaeology 18(4), pp. 523-526
• Wheeler, R.E.M. 1961. Archaeology from the Earth. Penguin (Also available in Hindi)
• Pandey, J.N. 2000. Puratattva Vimarsha (in Hindi). Prachya Vidya Sansthan,
Allahabad.
• ित्रपाठी, वी. 2012. भारतीय परु ातत्व: िसद्धांत और प्रिक्रया. िदल्ली: अिभलाषी प्रकाशन।

Unit III: Analysis of Archaeological Evidences

This unit focuses on the classification and analysis of archaeological materials. It distinguishes
between artifacts (human-made objects), features (immovable elements like walls), and
ecofacts (natural remains). Students learn identification skills and methods for interpreting
these finds. A major focus is the study of pottery, a key chronological and cultural indicator.
Practical exercises include recognizing stylistic and functional characteristics of pottery from
the Neolithic to the Mughal period and documenting them through detailed drawings, aiding
in the reconstruction of ancient technologies and societal practices. (Teaching Time: 6 weeks
Approx.)

• Dhavalikar, M.K., 1999, Historical Archaeology of India, New Delhi: Books and Books
• Jain, V.K., 2017, Prehistory and Protohistory of India: An Appraisal, Delhi: DK Print
World (Also available in Hindi)
• Paddaya, K., 2011, 'Stone age technology in India', Ancient India, New Series, No. 1
• Pandey, J.N. 2000. Puratattva Vimarsha (in Hindi). Prachya Vidya Sansthan,
Allahabad.
• Sankalia, H.D., 1982, Stone age tools: Their techniques, names and probable functions,
Pune: Deccan College.
• Sinha, B.P. (ed). 1969, Potteries in Ancient India, Patna: Patna University Press
• Renfrew, Colin, and Paul Bahn. 1991. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice.
London: Thames and Hudson.
• िमश्र, टी. एन. 2005. भारतीय परु ातत्व में सामग्री संस्कृ ित का िव�े षण. लखनऊ: भारतीय िवद्या संस्थान।

13
Unit IV: Field Tour
The field tour provides hands-on exposure to archaeological practices and materials. Students
participate in site explorations, visit ongoing excavations, and study historical monuments to
understand contextual archaeology. Visits to major museums such as the National Museum
and Archaeological Museum at Old Fort allow students to observe and identify authentic
artifacts, gaining insight into typology, material culture, and preservation techniques. These
experiences enhance practical understanding of archaeological processes, bridging classroom
knowledge with real-world application and fostering appreciation for cultural heritage and
archaeological research. (Teaching Time: 3 – 5 days Approx.)
• Balme, J, and Alistair Paterson (eds). 2014, Archaeology in Practice, Willey Blackwell,
UK
• Drewett, Peter, 1999, Field Archaeology: An Introduction, UCl press, London
• Verma, R.K., 2000, Kshetriya Puratatva, Paramajyoti Prakashan, Allahbad
• Atkinson, R. J. C. 1953. Field Archaeology. London: Methuen.
• शमार्, आर. एस. 1990. भारत क� पुराताित्वक धरोहर. पटना: िबहार राष्ट्रभाषा प�रषद।्

Suggestive readings (if any)

• Anthony Agrawal, D.P. 1982. Archaeology in India, Copen Hagen Scandinavian
Institute of Asian Studies.
• Allchin, B and F.R. Allchin 1983. The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan. New
Delhi: Select Book Service Syndicate.
• Atkinson, RJC. 1953. Field Archaeology. Methunen, London.
• Brothwell, D.R. and A.M. Pollard (eds). 2001. Handbook of Archaeological Sciences.
John Wiley and Sons: New York.
• Chakrabarthi, D.K. 1988. A History of Indian Archaeology: From the beginning to
1947, New Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal.
• Harris, E.C. 1979. Principles of Archaeological Stratigraphy. London: Academic
Press.
• Kenyon, K.M. 1961. Beginnings in Archaeology, London
• Linda, Ellis. (ed). 2000. Archaeological Method and Theory: An Encyclopedia,
Garland Publishing, Inc, New York & London
• Mathew and Co. Basker, P. 1982. Techniques of Archaeological Excavation, London,
Batsford
• Renfrew, Colin and Paul G. Bahn. 2000. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and
Practice (3rd Edition). London: Thames and Hudson.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination

Branch from time to time.

14
DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Fundamentals of Historical Research
Methodology

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the

course Pre-
Eligibilit
Credit requisite of
s Practical y the course
Lecture Tutorial / criteria
(if any)
Practice

Fundamentals of
Historical 4 3 1 0
Methodology

Learning Objectives
This course aims to prepare the students with elementary techniques of conducting historical
research within the larger social science framework. It does so by familiarising them with the
theoretical frameworks and procedures/techniques of research that historians deploy in order
to construct a meaningful narrative about the past. The course proceeds to equip students with
the preliminary research steps like identifying research questions, theoretical context, survey
of the literature; locating reliable sources; framing a research paper, etc.; as well acquainting
them with research ethics.

Learning outcomes
Having finished the course, the students would have learnt:
• The distinctiveness of historical research
• The issues and problems in writing history
• How to carefully choose interpretative techniques when reading sources
• How to choose a historical "field" and within that field a specific research question
• The skills and protocols related to academic writing and research in history
• The essentials of research ethics.

Syllabus
Unit I: Distinctiveness of historical inquiry
1. The nature of history
2. The scope of historical research

15
Unit II: Issues and problems in historical research
1. Facts and inference
2. Explanation and historical research
3. Objectivity and history writing
4. History writing and relations of power

Unit III: Sources and interpretation

1. Types of historical sources: their use and limitations
2. Analytical frames in historical research
3. Varieties of approaches to sources and methods

Unit IV: Conducting historical research

1. Selecting a topic and preliminary work
2. Protocols of academic writing and avoiding plagiarism

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings:

Unit I: This introductory Unit seeks to enable students to i) distinguish the historical from the
past, memory, and myth; ii) comprehend the relationship of history with social science
theories and concepts; iii) distinguish aspects of history (social, political, economic, religious,
cultural, ecological). (Teaching Time: 9 hours)
• Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1998). On History, UK: Abacus (Ch.2, “A Sense of the Past”, and
Ch.3, “What Can History Tell Us About Contemporary Society”).
• Bloch, Marc. (1992). The Historian’s Craft, Manchester University Press. Reprint
(“Introduction,” pp. 1-19).
• Schlabach, Gerald. A Sense of History: Some Components
http://www.geraldschlabach.net/about/relationships/benedictine/courses/handout
s/sense-of-history/
• Marwick, Arthur. (1989). The Nature of History. Third edition, Hampshire and London:
MacMillan (pp. 14-25 - “The Necessity of History” and “Stories and Dialogues”).
• Stephens, Lester D. (1977), Probing the Past: A Guide to the Study and Teaching of
History, Boston, London & Sydney: Allyn and Bacon Inc. (Ch.1, “The Nature of
History,” and Ch.6, “History and Related Studies”).
• Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology, Trivandrum:
Centre for South Indian Studies. (Ch.1: pp. 14-20).
• Tosh, J. (2002). In Pursuit of History. Revised third edition. London, N.Y., New Delhi:
Longman (Ch.8, “History and Social Theory”: pp. 214-225, and Ch.3, “Mapping the
Field”). 212

16
Unit-II: This unit will deal with some important issues such as identifying historical facts,
context, causal explanations, generalizations, objectivity; and configurations of power and
history writing. (Teaching Time: 12 hours)
• Carr, E.H. (1991). What is History. Penguin. Reprint. (Ch.1, “The Historian and His
Facts”, Ch.3, “History, Science and Morality”, and Ch.4, “Causation in History”).
• Marwick, Arthur (1989). The Nature of History. Third edition, Hampshire and London:
MacMillan. (Ch.6, “The Historian at Work: The Writing of History,” pp. 242-254).
• Tucker, Aviezer (ed.) (2009), A Companion to the Philosophy of History and
Historiography, Chichester: Wiley Blackwell Publishing (Ch.7, “Causation in
History”).
• Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology, Trivandrum:
Centre for South Indian Studies. (Ch.3, “The Critical Philosophy of History-Part I” and
Ch.4, “The Critical Philosophy of History-Part II”).
• Stephens, Lester D. (1977), Probing the Past: A Guide to the Study and Teaching of
History, Boston, London & Sydney: Allyn and Bacon Inc. (Ch.3, “The Historian and
His Work,” and Ch.4, “Explanation and History”).
• Michel-Rolph Trouillot (1995), Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of
History. Boston: Beacon Press. (Ch.1, Ch.3 and Ch.5).
• Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1998). On History, UK: Abacus (Ch.10, “Partisanship”).

Unit-III: This unit looks at (i) Different sources and analytical frameworks; (ii) types of history
and their connection to sources (global, national, regional, micro, oral, visual, archival, textual-
official and private). (Teaching Time: 12 hours)
• Jordonova, Ludmilla. (2000). History in Practice, London/New York: Arnold and
Oxford University Press Inc. (Ch.2, “Mapping the Discipline of History”, Ch.4, “The
Status of Historical Knowledge”, and Ch.7, “Historians’ Skills”).
• Brundage. Anthony (2018). Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and
Writing, Sixth edition, Wiley Blackwell. (Ch. 2, “The Nature and Variety of Historical
Sources”, Ch.5, “Beyond Textual Sources”, and Ch.7, “Engaging with Primary
Sources”).
• Tosh, J. (2002). In Pursuit of History. Revised third edition. London, N.Y., New Delhi:
Longman. (Ch.4, “The Raw Materials” and Ch.5, “Using the Sources”).
• Black, J., MacRaild, D.M. (1997). Studying History. How to Study. Palgrave, London.
(Ch.4, “Approaches to History: Sources, Methods and Historians”).
• Howell, Martha and Walter Prevenier (2001). From Reliable Sources: An Introduction
to Historical Methods. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. (Ch.2, “Technical Analysis of
Sources,” Ch.3, “Historical Interpretation: The Traditional Basics,” and Ch.4, “New
Interpretative Approaches”).

Unit IV: This unit will familiarize students with i) framing a research question and building
an argument, (ii) literature review and scope of research, iii) research ethics, dangers of
plagiarism and styles of referencing/citation. (Teaching Time: 12 hours)

17
 • Booth, Wayne C. and Gregory G. Colomb (Contributor), Joseph M. Williams, William
C. Booth. The Craft of Research: From Planning to Reporting. University of Chicago
Press.
• Brundage, Anthony (2018). Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and
Writing. Sixth edition, Wiley Blackwell. (Ch.3, “Finding Your Sources”, Ch.4,
“Getting the Most out of History Books”, Ch.6, “Exploring Changing Interpretations”
and Ch.7, “Engaging with Primary Sources”).
• Sorenson, Sharron (1995), How to Write a Research Paper, MacMillan
• Nayak, Dhanwanti (2011), 'Karaoked Plagiarism in the Classroom', Economic and
Political Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9 (pp. 49-53).
• Katju, Manjari (2011), “Plagiarism and Social Sciences,” Economic and Political
Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9 (pp. 45-48).
• Chicago Manual of Style. 15th edition, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2003.
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 5th edition, New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 1999.

Suggested Readings:
• Arnold, J.H. (2000). History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University
Press (Ch.3. & Ch.7).
• Black, J., MacRaild, D.M. (1997). Studying History. How to Study. Palgrave, London.
(Ch.6, “Studying History”). • Elton, G.R., The Practice of History, London: Fontana
Press, 1987. • Gardiner, P. (1973). The Varieties of History: From Voltaire to Present.
Second edition, Vintage Books.
• Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1998). On History. UK: Abacus.
• Jordonova, Ludmilla. (2000). History in Practice. London/New York: Arnold and
Oxford University Press Inc., pp. 163-171 and 173-183 (Ch.6, “Public History”).
• Munslow, Alun (2000), The Routledge Companion to Historical Studies, Second
edition, London: Routledge [Relevant entries – concepts & names of historians are
listed alphabetically just like a dictionary / encyclopedia].
• Munslow, Alun (2012), A History of History, London and New York: Routledge.
(Ch.1, “The Emergence of Modern Historical Thinking,” Ch.1, “History and/as
Science,” and Ch.3, “Forms of History”).
• Postan, M.M. (1971). Facts and Relevance: Essays on Historical Method. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press (“Fact and Relevance, History and the Social Sciences in
Historical Study”).
• Sarkar, Sumit (1997), “The Many Worlds of Indian History”, Writing Social History,
New Delhi: OUP.
• Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology, Trivandrum:
Centre for South Indian Studies. (Ch.6, “Historical Research Methodology”).
• Topolski, Jerzy. (1976). Methodology of History, translated by OlgierdWojtasiewicz,
D. Reidel Publishing Company (Ch.10, “Historical Facts”, Ch.11, “The Process of
History” 214 – the section on Causality and Determinism, Ch.18, “The Authenticity of

18
 Sources and the Reliability of Informants”, Ch.19, “Methods of Establishing Historical
Facts.”)
• Tosh, John. (2002). In Pursuit of History. Revised third edition. London, N.Y., New
Delhi: Longman. (Ch.1, “Historical Awareness” and Ch.6, “Writing and
Interpretation”).
• Tucker, Aviezer (ed.) (2009), A Companion to the Philosophy of History and
Historiography, Chichester: Wiley Blackwell Publishing (Ch.6, “Historiographic
Evidence and Confirmation”, Ch.10, “Explanation in Historiography” and Ch.14,
“Historiographic Objectivity”).

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
University of Delhi, from time to time.

19
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): History of Diseases and Epidemics

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

History of Diseases and

4 3 1 0
Epidemics

Learning Objectives

The objective of the course is to engage the learners about emerging areas of historical
understanding. Tracing the history of diseases and epidemics from ancient to the contemporary
times, the course will enrich learners about the cultural and social sensibilities to explore
changing human experiences across time and space. With reference to some of the diseases
and pandemics like cholera, plague, influenza, malaria, smallpox, and covid-19, the issues of
public health, medicines, vaccination, local healers, local responses and more will be discussed.
This course also proposes to familiarize the learners with community spread and circulations
of diseases and epidemics in the public spaces and role played by jails, ships and railways.
Further this course will help learners to understand the how diseases were perceived, treated,
and imagined in terms of cultural taboos, state intervention and rise of public health systems.
Through art, literature and cinema students will be able to understand representation of disease
and therapeutic cultures. The student will develop a basic understanding and awareness how
these diseases and epidemics were remembered and shaped the lives and livelihood of the
affected population.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, the students will be able:

• To develop critical thinking about human experiences of diseases and epidemics.

20
 • To enhance their analytical facility about diseases and epidemics in historical and
contemporary time.
• To discuss and debate social, scientific, economic and political nuances of such
phenomenon.
• To be equipped to conduct further research in the emerging area of history of diseases
and epidemics.

Syllabus

UNIT I: Diseases, Epidemics and Pandemics: A historiographical trend in Indian context

1. Healthcare system and healers in Ancient India: Charak and Sushruta

2. Health and medicinal system in Medieval India

UNIT II: Experiences of Curing and Healing Practices: Trust, Faith and Rituals

1. Empire and the Spread of Diseases: Railways, Ships, Jails, Pilgrim sites and Quarantine
Stations (any one site) with reference to any disease (Cholera/Plague/Influenza/Malaria
or any other disease).
2. Therapeutic rituals: quacks, quackery and local healers
3. The rise of the alternatives medical traditions: Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy, Siddha,
Naturopathy (any two)

UNIT III: Consequences, Challenges and Learning:

1. State Intervention and emergence of Public Health (WHO)

2. New Threats and Challenges in the 21st century

UNIT IV: Popular Representation and Responses: Art, cinema and literature

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings

UNIT I: Diseases, Epidemics and Pandemics: A historiographical trend in Indian context

(Teaching Time: 3 weeks approx.)

This unit will help to understand the emerging writings on disease and epidemics. Various
perceptions and debates about diseases and therapeutic rituals performed in various culture.

• Basham, A. L. (1976). “The practice of medicine in Ancient and Medieval India”, Asian
medical systems: A comparative study, 18-43.
• Subbarayappa, B. V. (2001). “The roots of ancient medicine: an historical outline”,
Journal of Biosciences-Bangalore-, 26(2), 135-143.

21
 • Muthu, C. (1913). “A Short Review of the History of Ancient Hindu Medicin”,
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 6(Sect_Hist_Med), 177-190.
• Hayes, J.N. (2005). Epidemics and Pandemics: Their Impacts on Human History.
ABC-CLIO.
• Watts S., Epidemics and History: Disease, Power, and Imperialism, Yale University
Press, New Haven, USA, 1997.
• राय, सौरव कुमार (15 मई 2020), 'महामारी: आिथर्क, राजनीितक एवं सामािजक �ि�कोण', समालोचन: सािहत्य, िवचार और
कलाओ ं क� वेब-पित्रका.

UNIT II: Experiences of Curing and Healing Practices: Trust, Faith and Rituals (Teaching
Time: 3 weeks approx.)

This Unit will help students to understand people’s faith and trust associated with disease, state
intervention to control epidemic outbreak and emergence of public health systems. It will also
help students to understand the eruption and spreading of diseases from one place to other.
Various sites such as pilgrim centres, jails etc become a breeding ground and diseases were
transported from these places to others through fluctuating population via trains and ships.

• Kerr, I. J. (1995). Building the Railways of the Raj, 1850-1900 (p. 180). New Delhi:
Oxford University Press.
• Arnold, David (1986). ‘Cholera and Colonialism in British India’. Past and Present,
113, 118-151.
• Harrison, Mark. “Quarantine, Pilgrimage and Colonial Trade: India 1866-1900”, Public
Health in British India: Anglo-Indian Preventive Medicine 1859-1914 (CUP, 1994) pp.
117-38.
• Pati, Biswamoy and Mark Harrison, eds., Health, Medicine and Empire: Perspectives
on Colonial India, Delhi: Orient Longman Limited, 2001. (Introduction).
• आनर्ल्ड, डेिवड ‘देह पर दस्तदराज़ी: भारतीय प्लेग के प�रप्रे�य, (1896-1900)’, शािहद अमीन, �ानेंद्र पांडेय (सं), िनम्न वग�य
प्रसंग, खंड 2, राजकमल प्रकाशन, िदल्ली.
• Madhwi, Health, Medicine & Migration : The Formation of Indentured Labour c.1834-
1920. Primus 2020. Introduction & Chapter 3
• Quaiser Nishat, Colonial Politics of Medicine and Popular Unani Resistance, Indian
Horizones, April-June 2000, pp. 29-41.
• Ralph Nicholas, ‘The Goddess Sitala and the Epidemic Smallpox in Bengal’, Journal
of Asian Studies, 41 (1) (1981), pp. 21-44.
• Samanta, Arabinda (2017). Living with Pandemics in Colonial Bengal, 1818-1945.
Delhi: Manohar.

UNIT III: Consequences, Challenges and Learning: (Teaching Time: 3 weeks approx.)

22
In this unit, students will explore the pivotal role of the state in disease control and the evolution
of public health systems in India. Additionally, they will examine emerging health threats and
challenges of the 21st century.

• Harrison, Mark, Public Health in British India: Anglo-Indian Preventive Medicine,

1859-1914, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
• Sivaramakrishnan, Kavita. Constructing Boundaries, Contesting Identities: The Politics
of Ayurved in Punjab (1930–40) Studies in History 2006; 22; 253.
• Arnold, David, Colonizing the Body: State Medicine and Epidemic Disease in
Nineteenth-Century India, California: University of California Press, 1993.
(Introduction).
• Kumar, Anil, Medicine and the Raj: British Medical Policy, 1835-1911, New Delhi:
Sage, 1998. (Introduction)
• Sharma, Madhuri, Indigenous and Western Medicine in Colonial India, Foundation
Books: CUP, 2011 (Introduction)
• Lal, Vinay (2020), The Fury of COVID-19: The Politics, Histories, and Unrequited
Love of the Coronavirus, New Delhi: Pan Macmillan India.
• Alavi, Seema. (2008). Islam and Healing: Loss and Recovery of an Indo-Islamic
Medical Tradition, 1600-1900. New Delhi: Permanent Black (Introduction).
• Singh, Madhu (2022). Outbreaks: An Indian Pandemic Reader. Delhi: Pencraft
International.

UNIT IV: Popular Representation and Responses: Art, cinema and literature (Teaching Time:
3 weeks approx.)

This unit will help students to know about how diseases and epidemics were
represented in art, literature and cinema. Feminization of diseases such as sitalamata,
plague ki churail etc.
• Hanson, M., Small, L.’ Pandemic Patterns: How Artistic Depictions of Past Epidemics
Illuminate Thematic and Structural Responses to COVID-19 Today’, Journal of
General Internal Medicine Vol. 37, 878–884 (2022)
• Niels Brimnes, ‘Fallacy, Sacrilege, Betrayal and Conspiracy: The Cultural
Construction of Opposition to Immunisation in India,” in The Politics of Vaccination:
A Global History, edited by Christine Holmberg, Stuart Bulme and Paul Greenough
(Manchester United Press, 2017).
• Madhuri Sharma Chapter 8, in ed. Pati and Harrison ed. The Social History of Health
and Medicine in Colonial India, UK: Routledge, 2009.
• शक्ु ल, श्रीप्रकाश (2021). महामारी और किवता, नयीिदल्ली: सेतुप्रकाशन.
• िसंह, सजु ीत कुमार (22 अप्रैल 2020) 'उपिनवेश में महामारी और ि�याँ', समालोचन: सािहत्य, िवचार और कलाओ ं क� वेबपित्रका.
• मास्टर भगवानदास, ‘प्लेग क� चड़ु ैल’, सरस्वती ,1902.
• Suggested Novels: King of Maladies, Love in the Time of Cholera, The Plague
• Suggested Movies: Contagion, Outbreak, Khushboo, The Black Death

23
Suggestive Reading

• Arnold, David (1987). ‘Touching the Body: Perspectives on the Indian Plague, 1896-
1900’. In R. Guha (Ed.) Subaltern Studies V: Writings on South Asian History and
Society (pp. 55-90). New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
• Guha, Sumit, ‘Nutrition, Sanitation, Hygiene, and the Likelihood of Deaths: The British
Army in India c. 1870-1920’, Population Studies, vol. 47, no. 3, 1993, pp. 385–401.
• Khan, Enayatullah (2013). ‘Visitations of Plague in Mughal India’. Proceedings of
Indian History Congress, Vol. 74, 305-12.
• Klein, Ira (1994). ‘Imperialism, Ecology and Disease: Cholera in India, 1850-1950’.
Indian Economic and Social History Review, 31 (4), 491-518.
• Madhuri Sharma- Indigenous and Western Medicine in colonial India, Foundation
Books-CUP, 2011.
• Mills, I.D. (1986). ‘The 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic: The Indian Experience’.
Indian Economic and Social History Review, 23(1), 1–40.
• Singh, Madhu (2021). ‘Bombay Fever/Spanish Flu: Public health and native press in
Colonial Bombay, 1918–19’. South Asia Research, 41(1).
• Singh, A. (2000). The Bias against India In Western Literature On History Of
Medicine-With Special Emphasis On Public Health. Journal of Indian Medical
Heritage, 30(1), 41-58.
• Keswani, N. H. (1968). Medical education in India since ancient times. All India
Institute of Medical Sciences.
• Sahay, S. (2023). Traditional Knowledge of Medicine in Ancient India:(Based on
Classical Texts and Treatises). In Aspects of Science and Technology in Ancient India
(pp. 117-133). Routledge India.
• Valiathan, M. S. (2001). Diseases in ancient India. In SALEMA, A. Ayurveda at the
Crossroads of Care and Cure: Proceedings of the Indo-European Seminar on
Ayurveda Held at Arrábida, Portugal, in November (pp. 18-24).
• Prasad, H., & Bujari, M. Public Health in Ancient India: A Historical Review.
• Vedam, R., & Ayyagari, S. (2022). On Hygiene Practices in Ancient India & its
Relation to Ritual Purity. In WAVES Conference, New Delhi.
• Kumar, D. (2010). Probing history of medicine and public health in India. Indian
Historical Review, 37(2), 259-273.

A visual history of pandemics:

• https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/a-visual-history-of-pandemics
• https://www.medievalists.net/tag/disease/page/2/

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

24
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Reading Social Relations through Texts and
Visuals—I

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the

course Pre-
Eligibilit
Credit requisite of
s Practical y the course
Lecture Tutorial / criteria
(if any)
Practice

Reading Social
Relations through 4 3 0 1
Texts and Visuals—I

Learning Objectives
This course enables students to critically analyze the intersection of texts and visual
representations in shaping social history. By examining classical literary works—drama, epics,
folktales, and Sufi literature —students will explore themes of politics, power and tradition.
They will also explore Indian architectural and artistic heritage assessing their cultural
significance. Through comparative analysis and field research, students will apply theoretical
concepts to real-world heritage studies, developing strong analytical and research skills for
interpreting historical and cultural narratives.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Understanding the Interplay Between Texts and Visuals in Social History. Develop a
conceptual framework for studying social history through literary and visual sources.
Analyze how texts and visual forms shape and reflect historical and cultural narratives.

25
• Examine the Relationship Between Political Acumen, Power, and Tradition in Classical
Works. Critically engage with drama, epics, folktales, and Malfūzāt to explore themes of
authority, morality, and social structures. Compare and contrast different literary traditions
and their influence on societal norms.
• Analyze Architectural and Artistic Expressions in Indian Cultural History. Study the
symbolism, function, and evolution of architectural forms such as stupas, temples, minarets,
and baolis. Explore how stone art and monuments convey religious, political, and social
meanings across time.
• Develop Analytical and Research Skills Through Field Study. Conduct a heritage or cultural
site analysis, applying theoretical knowledge to real-world observations. Synthesize findings
into a structured analytical report, demonstrating critical thinking and research skills.
These Learning Objectives and Outcomes ensure that the course develops students ’
analytical, comparative, and research skills while deepening their understanding of social
history through texts and visuals.

Unit I: Concepts and Ideas

Conceptualizing Social History in Texts
Ideating Social History through Visual Representations

Unit II: Wisdom, Power, and Tradition: A Study of Any Two Classical Works
Drama: Mricchakatikam
Epics: Sabha Parva
Folktales: Jatakas
Malfūzāt: Fawaid al Fawad

Unit III: Stone, Symbolism, and Structure: Focus on Two Visual Forms
Stupa: Bharhut/ Sanchi
Art on stone: Elephanta Caves/ Mahabalipuram
Temple: Konark Temple / Virupaksha Temple
Minarets and Baolis: Qutub Minar/ Agrsen Ki Baoli/ Rani ki Vav

Unit IV: Practical Component:

This component involves a field-based analytical study, requiring students to engage directly
with a designated heritage or cultural site. Students must produce a critically reflective report
that documents their observations, interpretations, and contextual insights. All submissions
must be substantiated with geo-tagged photographs to verify on-site engagement and
experiential learning.

The student may choose to study and write a report on any of the centrally protected
monuments listed by the government of India given in the link below.
https://www.nma.gov.in/showfile.php?lang=1&level=1&ls_id=965&lid=1276&nma_type=0

Readings for Unit I:

26
In Reference to the Text Section
1. Thapar, Romila, Ancient Indian social history: Some interpretations, New Delhi:
Orient Longman, 1978, pp. 211-239.
2. Olivelle, Patrick: Collected Essays III: Reading Texts and Narrating History, Delhi:
Primus Books, 2022. (Introduction).

In Reference to the Visual Section:

1. Hauser, Arnold, The Social History of Art, vol.1, United Kingdom: Routledge, 3rd
edition, 1999. (Introduction).
2. Bawa, Seema, “Seeing Hierarchies and Difference in Early Indian Art”, Proceedings
Indian History Congress Warangal, 2023. pp 983-1012.
3. Devangana Desai, ‘Social Dimensions of Art in Early India’, Social Scientist, Vol. 18,
No. 3, 1990), pp. 3-32.
4. Miller, Barbara Stoller (ed). The Powers of Art: Patronage in Indian Culture, Delhi:
OUP, 1992, pp.1-18.

Readings for Unit II

1. Kale, M. R., (tr) Sudraka: The Mrichchhakatika: A Study, Prakash Book Depot, 2020.
(Introduction). [Available in Hindi]
2. Shah, Shalini, ‘The Socio- Sexual World of Vesavasa and Antahpura: A Study in
Contrast ’in D.N Jha (ed) The Complex Heritage of Early India: Essays in Honour of
R.S Sharma, Delhi: Manohar, 2014, pp. 429-445.
3. Buitenen, J.A.B.van (ed). Mahabharata Book 2. The Book of the Assembly Hall,
(Sabha Parvan) London: The University of Chicago, 1975.
4. Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr.,The Mahabharata, Book 2: Sabha Parva, 1883-1896.
5. Chakravarti, Uma, ‘Who Speaks for Whom? The Queen, the Dāsī and Sexual Politics
in the Sabhāparvan’, Mahabharata Now, Narration, Aesthetics, Ethics, (ed) Arindam
Chakrabarti, Sibaji Bandyopadhyay, London: Routledge India, 2014, pp.132-152.
6. Sahgal, Smita, ‘The Mahabharta Conundrum: Querying Draupadi’s Rights and
Responsibilities’, in NIU, vol.8, 2021, pp.18-31.
7. Fausboll, V. (ed.), The Jatakas together with its Commentary. London: Trubncr & Co.,
6 vols., 1877-96, (nos. 240, 420, 520, 546).
8. Gopesh Kumar Ojha, Jatakaparijata (2 volumes), Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass
Publishing House.
9. Wagle, N.K., ‘Kinship Groups in the Jātakas’, in (ed.) Thomas R. Trautmann, Kinship
and History in South Asia: Four Lectures, The University of Michigan: Center for
South and Southeast Asian Studies, 1974, pp.105-157.
10. Roy, Kumkum, ‘Justice in the Jatakas ’in The Gender of Power and the Power of
Gender: Explorations in Early Indian History, Delhi: OUP, 2010, pp.290-310.
11. Chakravarti, Uma, ‘Women, Men and Beasts: The Jatakas as Popular Tradition ’in
Everyday Lives, Everyday Histories: Beyond Kings and Brahmans of Ancient India,
New Delhi: Tulika Books, 2006, pp.198-221.
12. Bruce, Lawrence, tr., Nizam ad Din Awliya, Morals for the Heart, Paulist Press, New
York, 1992.

27
 13. Ernst, Carl W., Eternal Garden: Mysticism, History, and Politics at a South Asian
Sufi Center, New York: State Univ of New York Press, 1992.
14. Kugle, Scott, ‘Sufi Attitudes Towards Homosexuality: Chishti Perspectives from
South Asia’, Raziuddin Aquil and David L. Curley (ed.), Literary and Religious
Practices in Medieval and Early Modern India. New Delhi: Manohar, 2016, pp. 31-
59.

Readings for Unit III

1. Bhatt, Purnima Mehta, Her Space, Her Story: Exploring the Stepwells of Gujarat,
New Delhi: Zubaan, 2014.
2. Carmel Berkson, Elephanta: The Cave of Shiva, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass
Publishing House, 1999.
3. Dehejia, Vidya, Discourse in Early Buddhist Art: Visual Narrative in India, Delhi:
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 2002, pp.75-134.
4. Jain-Neubauer Jutta, The Stepwells of Delhi, INTACH Delhi Chapter lecture, October
2011.
5. Kumar, Sunil, Qutb and Modern Memory, The Present in Delhi’s Pasts, New Delhi:
Three Essays, 2002, pp.1-61.
6. Nagaswamy, R., Mahabalipuram (Monumental Legacy Series), Delhi: Oxford
University Press, 2008.
7. Singh, Snigdha, Inscribing Identities: Proclaiming Piety: Exploring Recording
Practices in Early Historic India, Delhi: Primus Books, 2022, pp.88-191.

Recommended Readings:
1. Olivelle, Patrick: Collected Essays III: Reading Texts and Narrating History, Delhi: Primus
Books, 2022. (Chapter 4).
2. Desai, Devangana, Art and Icon: Essays on Early Indian Art, Delhi, 2013. (Chapter 1& 3).
3. Dehejia, Vidya, ‘Collective and Popular Bases of Early Buddhist Patronage: Sacred
Monuments, 100 BC-AD 250 ’in (ed). Miller, Barbara Stoller, The Powers of Art:
Patronage
in Indian Culture, Delhi: OUP, 1992, pp.35-45.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

28
 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE): Environmental History of the World

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Environmental History of
the World
4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course introduces key themes in world environmental history. Students will learn about
pre-modern ideas about nature, economic and urban development, the effects of epidemics and
environmental changes, and the impact of industrialization. It will critically analyse how
colonialism and imperialism have shaped human-environment relationships around the world.
This course will also help students develop a historical perspective on today’s environmental
challenges such as global warming and climate change.

Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students should be able to -

• Understand the historical relationship between non-human environment and human

societies.

29
 • Examine case studies from around the world to illustrate the impact of environmental
changes on human civilizations and vice versa.
• Explain how colonialism, capitalism, and ecological imperialism have shaped
environmental and ecological changes.
• Explore historical case studies of climate change and environmental crises.
• Critically engage with the concept of environmentalism.
• Connect historical environmental changes to contemporary global issues.

Syllabus
Unit 1: Living with Nature

1. Methods and Sources in Environmental History

2. Human-Nature Interactions in Pre-Modern Societies; Beginning of Agriculture

3. Urban Societies and Idea of States- Case study of Maya

4. Imperial Cities- Case study of Athens and Constantinople
Unit 2: Divorce with Nature: Colonialism and Ecological Imperialism
1. The Concept of Ecological Imperialism; Syphilis
2. Plantation Economies and Environmental Degradation; Deforestation, Tea plantation
3. Resource Extraction and Colonialism, Green Imperialism
Unit 3: Human Societies in the Face of Climate Change
1. Climate and Civilization: A Historical Overview
2. The Little Ice Age and the General Crisis of the 17th Century
3. Industrialization and Carbon Economies; London as a case study
4. Global Warming and Climate Change; The Great Acceleration
Unit 4: Science, Conservation and Environmentalism
1. Aswan dam, Bali’s Green Revolution- Case study of Any one
2. Socialism and Environmentalism in the 20th Century; Soviet Russia
3. Environmentalism in Global North and South; IPCC

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential / Recommended Readings

Unit 1: This module examines the evolution of human societies from early agricultural
settlements to the rise of urban centers and imperial cities. (Teaching time: 9 hrs. approx.)
• J. Donald Hughes, What is Environmental History? (2016), Ch. 1

30
 • J.Donald Hughes, “An Ecological Paradigm of the Ancient City,” in Richard J.Borden,
ed., Human Ecology: A Gathering of Perspectives, Baltimore: The Society for Human
Ecology, 1986, 214–20.
• J.Eric S.Thompson, The Rise and Fall of Maya Civilization, Norman: Oklahoma
University Press, 1954
• J.Donald Hughes, An Environmental History of the World, London: Routledge, 2001;
Ch.4. (Imperial Cities)
• Jelena, Bogdanović, “The Relational Spiritual Geopolitics of Constantinople, the
Capital of the Byzantine Empire.” In Political Landscapes of Capital Cities, edited by
Jelena Bogdanović, Jessica Joyce Christie, and Eulogio Guzmán, University Press of
Colorado, 2016, 97–154.

Unit 2: This module explores key themes such as ecological imperialism, plantation
economies and colonial resource extraction. It examines how colonialism reshaped
landscapes, disrupted ecosystems, and transformed human-environment relationships.
(Teaching time: 9 hrs. approx.)
• Alfred W. Crosby, “Ecological Imperialism: The Overseas Migration of Western
Europeans as Biological Phenomenon”, in The Ends of the Earth: Perspectives on
Modern Environmental History, edited by Donald Worster, Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1988, 103-117.
• Alfred Crosby, “The Early History of Syphilis: A Reappraisal”, American
Anthropologist 71, no. 2 (1969): 218–27.
• Richard Grove, Green Imperialism: Colonial Expansion, Tropical Island Edens, and
the Origins of Environmentalism (1995), Introduction, Ch. 3 & 4
• Madhav Gadgil and Ramchandra Guha, This Fissured Land, Delhi: OUP, 1992; Ch.4
& 5. Also available in Hindi [माधव गाडिगल एवं रामचद्रं गहु ा, इयाह दरकती ज़मीन, िदल्ली: ऑक्सफोडर् यिू नविसर्टी
प्रेस, 2018; अध्याय 4 एवं 5]
• Arnab Dey, Tea Environments and Plantation Culture: Imperial Disarray in Eastern
India. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Unit 3: This module explores historical climate change and its impact on human societies,
examining how civilizations were shaped by environmental shifts. (Teaching time: 9 hrs.
approx.)
• Geoffrey Parker, Global Crisis: War, Climate Change, and Catastrophe in the
Seventeenth Century, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2013, Ch. 1
• John L. Brooke, Climate change and the course of Global History (New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2014), pp.444-466.
• Peter Brimblecombe, The Big Smoke: A History of Air Pollution in London Since
Medieval Times, London: Methuen, 1987.
• John McNeill & Peter Engelke, The Great Acceleration: An Environmental History of
the Anthropocene since 1945, Harvard: Belknap Press, 2016, Ch.1

31
Unit 4: This module explores how scientific knowledge, conservation efforts, and political
ideologies shape environmental policies and practices. (Teaching time: 9 hrs. approx.)
• Hussein M.Fahim, Dams, People and Development: The Aswan High Dam Case, New
York: Pergamon Press, 1981.
• J.Stephen Lansing, Priests and Programmers: Technologies of Power in the
Engineered Landscape of Bali, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991.
• Stephen Brain, Song of the Forest: Russian Forestry and Stalinist Environmentalism,
Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011, 140-167. Ch.6.
• “The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: Challenges and Opportunities” by
Diana Liverman and Ronald L. Mitchell, Annual Review of Environment and
Resources.
• Ramachandra Guha, Environmentalism: A Global History, Delhi: Allen lane, 2014, Ch.
7 and 8.
Additional Readings:
• Brian M. Fagan, People of the Earth, Delhi: Pearson, 2014.
• Donald Worster ed., Ends of the Earth, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
• Ramachandra Guha, Environmentalism, A Global History, OUP, 2000.
• John McNeill, Something New Under the Sun, Penguin, Allen Lane, 2000.
• J.Donald Hughes, An Environmental History of the World, London: Routledge, 2001.
• Michael E. Mann, The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Threatening Our
Planet, New York: Columbia University Press, 2016.
• माधव गाडिगल एवं रामचंद्र गुहा, इयाह दरकती ज़मीन, िदल्ली: ऑक्सफोडर् यिू नविसर्टी प्रेस, 2018.
• िव. िसंह, पयार्वरण पर मानव पदिच�, िदल्ली: िट्रिनटी प्रेस, 2015.
• Madhav Gadgil and Ramchandra Guha, This Fissured Land, Delhi: OUP, 1992.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

32
 DISSERTATION : Dissertation Writing
Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods-I
(The department has opted for Dissertation)

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Dissertation Writing Track

of Research Methods-I 6

Learning Objectives
This course seeks to make students learn the elementary aspects of research which
include the ability to zero in on, define, and state the topic of research, to identify
primary and secondary sources towards that end, as well as to observe patterns in
collected data. They should also be able to forge complex and novel arguments
on the basis of demonstrable patterns in available information.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Understand the specificity and value of academic writing.
• Develop the art of quickly identifying and grasping the arguments and
relevance of secondary sources.
• Identify, Access, and Interpret primary sources
• Raise informed questions as well as make complex and nuanced arguments
articulated in relation to and in contradistinction with existing
historiography
• Identify and respect the need to avoid pitfalls of plagiarism

I. Outcomes expected of Dissertation writing track in the 4th Year of UG

Programmes
Semester VII
The following four outcomes must be achieved by the end of VII Semester:
i. Research Problem identification
ii. Review of literature
iii. Research design formulation

33
iv. Commencement of fieldwork/similar tasks: exploring primary sources from
Museum, historical sites, Archives etc.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the

Examination Branch, from time to time.

34
 UGCF- 2022
CATEGORY II
BA (MULTIDISCIPLINARY) with History as Major

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE (DSC): Contemporary India (1950 – 1990s)

SEMESTER – VII
Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Contemporary India (1950

4 3 1 0
– 1990s)

Learning Objectives
This course seeks to familiarise students with the trajectory of significant changes in the Indian
state, politics and economy during the 1950s to 1990s. Students will study the transformation
of political organizations, and the emergence of new forms of political mobilization along the
axes of caste, class, gender, region and community. The course also offers an overview of the
new developments in education, cinema, art, literature and sports over this period.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this course the student shall be able to
• Draw a broad outline of the history of key debates that unfolded during the framing of
the Constitution.
• Highlight key moments in the process of reorganization of provincial boundaries.
• Examine the trajectory of economic policies and nature of economic developments,
particularly the problems of uneven development.
• Trace the significant developments with respect to party politics, electoral coalitions,
regional aspirations and inequalities; caste and religion in politics
• Assess the shift from mixed economy to liberalization.
• Evaluate the history of important social movements around axes of class, caste, gender,
and region.
• Familiarize the key developments in art, literature, cinema, science and education.

Syllabus
Unit-I Laying the Foundation of Independent India (3 weeks)

35
 1. Making of the Constitution: Key debates and amendments
2. Reorganization of states; regional inequalities and foreign Policy
3. Economic development: concept of planning; agriculture and industry; problems of
uneven development

Unit-II: Major Trends in Politics and Society (4 weeks)

1. Changing nature of party system: Congress, Jansangh-BJP, growth of regional parties;
Left parties; coalition politics; Emergency
2. People’s movements: Dalit, adivasi, labour and peasant movements
3. The Women’s Movement and institutional changes: debating personal laws, women
atrocities acts.

Unit-III: Turning Points in the 1980s and 1990s (4 weeks)

1. Changing forms of political mobilization
2. Liberalization of the Indian economy

Unit-IV The New Public Sphere (3 weeks)

1. Popular and parallel cinema
2. Art and literature
3. Science, Technology and Education

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Relevant chapters from:
• Chandra, Bipan. (2008). India Since Independence. Delhi: Penguin
• िबपन चंद्र (2015), आज़ादी के बाद का भारत, िदल्ली: िहदं ी माध्यम कायार्न्वयन िनदेशालय, िदल्ली िव�िवद्यालय
• Guha, Ramachandra. (2008). India After Gandhi. Delhi: Picador
• रामचंद्र गुहा. (2016). भारत गांधी के बाद, िदल्ली: पेंगुइन बुक्स

Unit-I: Laying the Foundation of Independent India (Teaching time: 3 weeks)

This unit outlines the history of key debates that unfolded during the framing of the
Constitution. It deals with the history and politics of the early years of Independence. It also
deals with the linguistic re-organisation of states and important milestones in foreign policy. It
examines the trajectory of economic policies and nature of economic developments up to the
1990s, particularly the problems of uneven development.
• Austin, Granville (1999). The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of Nation, New Delhi:
OUP. Pp. 1-62, 384-411. Also available in Hindi ग्रैिन्वल ऑिस्टन – भारतीय संिवधान : राष्ट्र क�
आधारिशला, (अनवु ाद: नरे श गोस्वामी) वाणी प्रकाशन, 2017
• Asha Sarangi, Sudha Pai. (2011). - Interrogating Reorganisation of States: Culture,
Identity and Politics in India, Routledge India
• Abraham, Itti (2008), Foreign policy of India. Commonwealth & Comparative Politics
Vol. 46, No. 2, April 2008 , pp195–219.

36
 • Frankel, Francine R. (2005). India’s Political Economy. New Delhi: OUP. Chapters
1,3,4
• Kohli, Atul (2006). “Politics of Economic Growth in India, 1980-2005: Part I: The
1980s”. EPW, Vol. 41(13), April 1-7, 2006, pp 1251-1259
• Chadha, G.K. Khurana, M.R. (1989). Backward Agriculture, Unrewarded Labour and
Economic Deprivation: Bihar’s Contrast with Punjab. EPWI, Nov 25, 1989, pp. 2617 -
2623
• Roy, Tirthankar. Indian Economy after Independence: Economic History of India
1857-2010. [Chapter-13].
• Pai, Sudha and Asha Sarangi, Interrogating Reorganisation of State, Culture, identity
and politics, chapter 1-Introduction, Forward by BG Vargese

Unit II: This unit deals with history of congress party and other political formations that
emerge to challenge its hegemony, tracing the developments in party politics, electoral
coalitions, regional aspirations and inequalities. The unit also seeks to highlight Dalit, adivasi,
labour and peasant movements. It also examines history of social reform with reference to
Women and Hindu Code Bill (Teaching time: 4 weeks)
• Stanley, Kochanek. The Congress Party of India: The Dynamics of One-Party
Democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (1968).
• Chatterjee Partha (ed.). (1997). State and Politics in India. Delhi: Oxford University
Press. Pp 92-124
• Hasan, Zoya. (2004). Parties and Party Politics in India. New Delhi: Oxford University
Press. Chapters 9&10
• Kumar, Ashutosh (ed) (2016), Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions within
Regions, New Delhi: Routledge India, pp. 35-111
• Kumar, Radha. (1993). The History of Doing: An illustrated account of movements or
women rights and feminism in India, 1800-1990, New Delhi: Kali for Women.
• Sangeeta Dasgupta, Introduction: Reading the archive, reframing ‘adivasi’ histories.
IESHR, 53, 1, 2016, pp 1-8
• Gadgil, Madhav and Ramachandra Guha (1994), Ecological Conflicts and the
Environmental Movement in India, Development and Change. Vol 25, pp.101-136.
• Sen, Sukomal. (2010). Working Class of India : History of Emergence and Movement,
1830–1970. Calcutta: Prajashakti. [relevant chapters.]
• Banerjee, Sumanta. (1984). India’s Simmering Revolution: The Naxalite Uprising.
London: Zed Books. Chapters 3 and 4.

Unit III: This unit deals with the important turning points in the polity and economy of India
from about 1990s. It traces the consolidation of caste and religion in politics in this period, and
also marks the regional aspirations of new states like Uttarakhand/Jharkhand/Chattisgarh. The
unit also assesses the shift from mixed economy towards liberalization and its impact.
(Teaching time: 4 weeks)
• Kumar, Ashutosh (ed) (2016), Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions within
Regions, New Delhi: Routledge India

37
 • Christophe Jaffrelot, (2003), India’s Silent Revolution: The Rise of the Lower Castes
in North India. Part II Uneven emancipation of the Lower Castes….
• Hasan, Zoya. (2004). Parties and Party Politics in India. New Delhi: Oxford University
Press. Relevant Chapters
• Bruce Desmond Graham (1990), Hindu Nationalism and Indian Politics_ The Origins
and Development of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Cambridge University Press.
• Kohli, Atul (2006). “Politics of Economic Growth in India, 1980-2005: Part II: The
1990s and Beyond”, EPW, Vol. 41, No. 14 (Apr. 8-14), pp. 1361-1370
• P Sainath. (1996). “Reforms that Weren’t,” Asian Studies Review.

Unit IV: This unit deals with the emergence of postcolonial public sphere, and its artistic,
literary and cinematic manifestations. It also examines key developments in the field of science
and education (Teaching time: 3 weeks)
• Gayatri Sinha - (2009), Art and visual culture in India, 1857-2007. (Relevant Chapters)
• Zoya Hasan (ed,), (2019), Forging Identities: Gender, Communities, And the State in
India, Routledge. (Relevant chapters).
• Sahu, Sudhansubala. (2018). “Revisiting Television in India,” Sociological Bulletin,
Vol. 67 (2), August, pp. 204-219.
• Dwyer, Rachel. (2002). Cinema India: The Visual Culture of Hindu Film. New Jersey:
Rutgers University Press.
• Gupta, Vikas. (2014), ‘Changing Discourses on Inequality and Disparity: From Welfare
State to Neoliberal Capitalism’, in Ravi Kumar, (Ed.), Education, State and Market:
Anatomy of Neoliberal Impact, Aakaar, pp 19-57.
• Gupta, Vikas. Agnihotri, Rama Kant. and Panda Minati (Ed.), (2021). Education and
Inequality: Historical and Contemporary Trajectories. Orient Blackswan. (Relevant
Chapters)
• Qaiser, Rizwan. (2013), “Building Academic, Scientific and Cultural Institutions,
1947-1958”, in his Resisting Colonialism and Communal Politics, Delhi, Manohar,
(First published 2011). Pp. 179-240.
• Raina, Dhruv. “Science Since Independence.” India International Centre Quarterly 33,
no. 3/4 (2006): 182–95. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23006080.
• Stanley, Kochanek and R.L. Hardgrave. (2007). India: Government and Politics in a
Developing Nation. Cengage Learning.
• Sunil Khilnani - The Idea of India-Penguin Books India (2012), Also abvailabe in Hindi
as भारतनामा, Rajkamal Prakashan , 2016
• Basu, Durga Das (2020). Introduction to the Constitution of India, Nagpur: Lexis Nexis
Pp. 3-50 [MOVE TO SUGGESTED READINGS.]
• Kudaisya, Gyanesh. (2014). Reorganisation of States in India: Text and Context. Delhi:
National Book Trust. Chapter on Introduction
• Damodaran, A.K (1987). Roots of Indian Foreign Policy. India International Centre
Quarterly. Vol.14. No. 3., pp. 53-65. [MOVE TO SUGGESTED READINGS.]

38
 • Dhavan, Rajeev. (2008). “Book Review: Sarbani Sen, Popular Sovereignty and
Democratic Transformations: The Constitution if India,” Indian Journal of
Constitutional Law, Vol.8, pp.204-220.
• Sanjaya Baru, Economic Policy and the Development of Capitalism in India: the role
of regional capitalists and political parties
• D. R. Nagaraj. 2010. The Flaming Feet and Other Essays (Permanent Black) Chapter
5: “The Cultural Politics of the Dalit Movement”
• Urvashi Butalia, “Women’s Movement in India: Action and Reflection.” (Originally
published, Communique (Nos. 42-43, July-Aug 1997)
• Jayal, Niraja Gopal & Pratap Bhanu Mehta (eds.). (2010). The Oxford Companion to
Politics in India. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
• Prasad, Archana (2003). Against Ecological Romanticism Verrier Elwin and the
Making of an Anti-Modern Tribal Identity. Preface: Ecological Romanticism and
Environmental History.
• Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi and N.N. Vohra (eds.) (2002). Looking Back: India in the
Twentieth Century. New Delhi: National Book Trust.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

39
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Histories of Regional Literature

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Histories of Regional
4 3 1 0
Literature

Learning Objectives

The settling down of humans across the world, created thousands of languages. Yet all
languages are not equal. In each region, there are dominant languages with standardised rules
for writing and articulation, while others live on without a written form. Shaping the histories
of the region, the elite languages tend to be spoken by a minority, while other languages - of
those who interact with the speakers of the elite/cosmopolitan language - evolve interacting
with those languages. In the Indian subcontinent, Sanskrit, the name itself meaning refined,
was the language of the elite for exacting standards of scientific inquiry, administration, and
aesthetic exploration, whereas assorted Prakrit grew into what came to be called Indian
vernaculars. Southern India saw Tamil serving in that role for the region’s other languages such
as Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam, all of which interacted with Sanskrit as well.

Learning outcomes

1. This paper would help the student perceive the historical development of different
regions and its relation to the development of specific regional languages.
2. It would also trace the historicity of some of the stateless languages in the Indian
subcontinent
3. It would help in understanding how the languages define shaping of culture and its
transmission across geographies and generations, as well as in constituting identities –
of the self and that of imagined communities.

Syllabus

Unit 1: Histories of regions, language, and its significance

1. Historiographical debates: Issues of stateless languages (Sindhi, Urdu)

Unit 2: Language, Culture, and the History of the Region from the South
1. Tamilakam
2. Kannada

Unit 3: Language and Region in Early Modern India

1. Marathas and Marathi
2. Hindavi: Awadhi, Braj and the Vernacular debate
Unit 4: The Colonial State, the language question, and the region
1. Language policy and perspectives
2. Language Movements and Identities: Tamil and Telugu; Odia; North East

40
 3. National to Regional: Tamil; Hindi and Urdu; standardisation of language

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings

Unit 1: Histories of regions, language, and its significance: This unit will familiarise students
with India’s regional histories and situate its meaningfulness through their languages. It will
also delve into the several issues of stateless languages in India (Teaching Hours: 03 weeks)

● Dimock Jr., Edward C. Braj B. Kachru, & Bh. Krishnamurti (eds), Dimensions of
sociolinguistics in South Asia: Papers in memory of Gerald B. Kelley. New Delhi:
Oxford & IBH Publishing Co., 1992
● Metcalf, Barbara D., ‘Urdu in India in the 21st Century: A Historian's Perspective’
Social Scientist , May - Jun., 2003, Vol. 31, No. 5/6 (May - Jun., 2003), pp. 29-37
● Orsini, Francesca, “How to do Multi-lingual Literary History? Lessons from Fifteenth-
and Sixteenth-century North India”, The Indian Economic & Social History Review,
June 2012, pp. 225-246.
● Partha Chatterjee and Raziuddin Aquil (eds), History in the Vernacular, Permanent
Black, Ranikhet/New Delhi, 2008 (Introduction).
● Pollock, Sheldon, “The Cosmopolitan Vernacular”, The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol.
57, No. 1, February 1998, pp. 6-37.
● Ramaswamy, Sumathi, “En/Gendering Language: The Poetics of Tamil Identity”
Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 35, No. 4 Oct., 1993

Unit 2: Language, Culture, and the History of Southern India: The notion of the making of the
regions - the concept of South India, the making of the Tamil region - is integral to
understanding our distinct and yet interconnected cultural pasts. The connections between
languages, for example, Sanskrit and the rise of early Kannada would be useful for students to
engage with for understanding the Kannadiga region. (Teaching time: 03 weeks)

● Gurukkal, Rajan, “Characterisizing Ancient Society: The Case of South India”

Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 1998, Vol. 59, 1998, pp. 30-57.
● Ganesh, K.N., “Spaces in History: A Study in Human Geography in the Context of
Sangam Texts”, Studies in History, 25(2), 151–195, 2009.
● Pollock, Sheldon, “The Cosmopolitan Vernacular Author”, Journal of Asian Studies,
Vol. 57, No. 1, February 1998, pp. 6-37.
● Ramaswamy, Sumathi, “Language of the People in the World of Gods: Ideologies of
Tamil before the Nation”, Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 57, No. 1, February 1998, pp.
66-92.
● Ramaswamy, Sumathi, Passions of the Tongue: Language Devotion in Tamil India,
1891–1970, University of California Press, 1997.
● Venkatachalapathy, A. R. “Dravidian Movement and Saivites: 1927-1944”, Economic
& Political Weekly, Vol. 30, No. 14, Apr. 8, 1995, pp. 761-768.

Unit 3: This unit will help the student engage with the formation of regional languages and
identities through some case studies. The study of language and literature shaping the voice of
the region will help to understand the linkages between geography and culture. (Teaching time:
03 weeks)

41
 ● Busch, Allison, “Hidden in Plain View: Brajbhasha Poets at the Mughal Court”,
Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, 2010, pp. 267-309.
● Deshpande, Prachi, Scripts of Power: Writing, Language Practices and Cultural History
in Western India, Permanent Black and Ashoka University, 2023
● Narayanan, Varadarajan and Prakash, Rabi, “Emerging Scholarship on Vernacular
Languages in Early Modern North India: A Conversation with Imre Bangha”, in
Economic & Political Weekly, Vol. 56, No. 02, January 2021, Engage (Online),
accessed on 6th May 2022.
● Novetzke, Christian Lee, The Quotidian Revolution: Vernacularization, Religion, and
the Premodern Public Sphere in India, Columbia University Press, 2016
● Pollock, Sheldon, “India in the Vernacular Millennium: Literary Culture and Polity,
1000-1500,” Daedalus, Vol. 127, No. 3, Early Modernities, 1998, pp. 41-74.
● Rai, Amrit, The Origin and Development of Hindi/Hindavi, Oxford University Press,
Delhi, 1984.

Unit 4: The period of the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries was when the mingling of
languages, the firming of scripts, selections and eliminations, and overall standardisation of the
languages became part of public discourse and political action. The period became a site of
contestation in the making of the region and the nation. (Teaching Time: 05 weeks)

● Cohn, Bernard, ‘The Command of Language and the Language of Command,’ in

Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge, Princeton University Press, 1996
● Dalmia, Vasudha, Nationalisation of Hindu Traditions: Bharatendu Harishchandra and
Nineteenth-century Banaras, Oxford India Paperbacks, 1999.
● Kharingpam, A.C. and Saima Malik (eds), Re-imagining Northeast Writings and
Narratives: Language, Culture and Border Identity, 2024
● Misra, Salil, ‘Transition from the Syncretic to the Plural: the World of Hindi and Urdu’,
Jamal Malik and Helmut Reifeld (ed.), Religious Pluralism in South Asia and Europe,
New Delhi, OUP, 2005, pp. 268-97.
● Sahu, B. P., The Making of Regions in Indian History: Society, State and Identity in
Pre-modern Orissa, Primus Books, Delhi, 2019.
● Venkatachalapathy, A. R., “The 'Classical' Language Issue”, Economic & Political
Weekly, Vol. 44, No. 2, Jan., 10-16, 2009, pp. 13-15

▪☻Ν, ╖ � ▓ Δ╦ □♪ , ☺□♫□╦ Ỳ☺◦▪☻╦ □, IJ╓‫ ﻛ‬ĀǾ■ Δ╦ □♪ ▼, 2015

▪☻Ν, IJ ǿ♠ ♠ , �ij╓▲▫ ╥ ♀╚�ǻ: IJ □▄ ╖ ■▫■, ╧╓▪░■ ♦ ■ǻ☻□▼, ▼☼□○▬, ╖ Δċ♠ -▀ ◦▼2008

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

42
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Fundamentals of Historical Research
Methodology

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Fundamentals of
Historical Methodology 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course aims to prepare the students with elementary techniques of conducting historical
research within the larger social science framework. It does so by familiarising them with the
theoretical frameworks and procedures/techniques of research that historians deploy in order
to construct a meaningful narrative about the past. The course proceeds to equip students with
the preliminary research steps like identifying research questions, theoretical context, survey
of the literature; locating reliable sources; framing a research paper, etc.; as well acquainting
them with research ethics.

Learning outcomes
Having finished the course, the students would have learnt:
• The distinctiveness of historical research
• The issues and problems in writing history
• How to carefully choose interpretative techniques when reading sources
• How to choose a historical "field" and within that field a specific research question
• The skills and protocols related to academic writing and research in history
• The essentials of research ethics.

Syllabus
Unit I: Distinctiveness of historical inquiry
1. The nature of history
2. The scope of historical research
Unit II: Issues and problems in historical research
1. Facts and inference
2. Explanation and historical research

43
 3. Objectivity and history writing
4. History writing and relations of power
Unit III: Sources and interpretation
1. Types of historical sources: their use and limitations
2. Analytical frames in historical research
3. Varieties of approaches to sources and methods
Unit IV: Conducting historical research
1. Selecting a topic and preliminary work
2. Protocols of academic writing and avoiding plagiarism
Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings:
Unit I: This introductory Unit seeks to enable students to i) distinguish the historical from the
past, memory and myth; ii) comprehend the relationship of history with social science theories
and concepts; iii) distinguish aspects of history (social, political, economic, religious, cultural,
ecological). (Teaching Time: 9 hours)
• Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1998). On History, UK: Abacus (Ch.2, “A Sense of the Past”,
and Ch.3, “What Can History Tell Us About Contemporary Society”).
• Bloch, Marc. (1992). The Historian’s Craft, Manchester University Press. Reprint
(“Introduction,” pp. 1-19).
• Schlabach, Gerald. A Sense of History: Some Components
http://www.geraldschlabach.net/about/relationships/benedictine/courses/handout
s/sense-of-history/
• Marwick, Arthur. (1989). The Nature of History. Third edition, Hampshire and
London: MacMillan (pp. 14-25 - “The Necessity of History” and “Stories and
Dialogues”).
• Stephens, Lester D. (1977), Probing the Past: A Guide to the Study and Teaching
of History, Boston, London & Sydney: Allyn and Bacon Inc. (Ch.1, “The Nature of
History,” and Ch.6, “History and Related Studies”).
• Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology,
Trivandrum: Centre for South Indian Studies. (Ch.1: pp. 14-20). 176
• Tosh, J. (2002). In Pursuit of History. Revised third edition. London, N.Y., New
Delhi: Longman (Ch.8, “History and Social Theory”: pp. 214-225, and Ch.3,
“Mapping the Field”).

Unit-II: This unit will deal with some important issues such as identifying historical facts,
context, causal explanations, generalizations, objectivity; and configurations of power and
history writing. (Teaching Time: 12 hours)

44
 • Carr, E.H. (1991). What is History. Penguin. Reprint. (Ch.1, “The Historian and His
Facts”, Ch.3, “History, Science and Morality”, and Ch.4, “Causation in History”).
• Marwick, Arthur (1989). The Nature of History. Third edition, Hampshire and London:
MacMillan. (Ch.6, “The Historian at Work: The Writing of History,” pp. 242-254).
• Tucker, Aviezer (ed.) (2009), A Companion to the Philosophy of History and
Historiography, Chichester: Wiley Blackwell Publishing (Ch.7, “Causation in
History”).
• Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology, Trivandrum:
Centre for South Indian Studies. (Ch.3, “The Critical Philosophy of History-Part I” and
Ch.4, “The Critical Philosophy of History-Part II”).
• Stephens, Lester D. (1977), Probing the Past: A Guide to the Study and Teaching of
History, Boston, London & Sydney: Allyn and Bacon Inc. (Ch.3, “The Historian and
His Work,” and Ch.4, “Explanation and History”).
• Michel-Rolph Trouillot (1995), Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of
History. Boston: Beacon Press. (Ch.1, Ch.3 and Ch.5).
• Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1998). On History, UK: Abacus (Ch.10, “Partisanship”).

Unit-III: This unit looks at (i) Different sources and analytical frameworks; (ii) types of history
and their connection to sources (global, national, regional, micro, oral, visual, archival, textual-
official and private). (Teaching Time: 12 hours)
• Jordonova, Ludmilla. (2000). History in Practice, London/New York: Arnold and
Oxford University Press Inc. (Ch.2, “Mapping the Discipline of History”, Ch.4, “The
Status of Historical Knowledge”, and Ch.7, “Historians’ Skills”).
• Brundage. Anthony (2018). Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and
Writing, Sixth edition, Wiley Blackwell. (Ch. 2, “The Nature and Variety of Historical
Sources”, Ch.5, “Beyond Textual Sources”, and Ch.7, “Engaging with Primary
Sources”).
• Tosh, J. (2002). In Pursuit of History. Revised third edition. London, N.Y., New Delhi:
Longman. (Ch.4, “The Raw Materials” and Ch.5, “Using the Sources”).
• Black, J., MacRaild, D.M. (1997). Studying History. How to Study. Palgrave, London.
(Ch.4, “Approaches to History: Sources, Methods and Historians”).
• Howell, Martha and Walter Prevenier (2001). From Reliable Sources: An Introduction
to Historical Methods. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. (Ch.2, “Technical Analysis of
Sources,” Ch.3, “Historical Interpretation: The Traditional Basics,” and Ch.4, “New
Interpretative Approaches”).

Unit IV: This unit will familiarize students with i) framing a research question and building
an argument, (ii) literature review and scope of research, iii) research ethics, dangers of
plagiarism and styles of referencing/citation. (Teaching Time: 12 hours)

45
 • Booth, Wayne C. and Gregory G. Colomb (Contributor), Joseph M. Williams, William
C. Booth. The Craft of Research : From Planning to Reporting. University of Chicago
Press.
• Brundage, Anthony (2018). Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and
Writing. Sixth edition, Wiley Blackwell. (Ch.3, “Finding Your Sources”, Ch.4,
“Getting the Most out of History Books”, Ch.6, “Exploring Changing Interpretations”
and Ch.7, “Engaging with Primary Sources”).
• Sorenson, Sharron (1995), How to Write a Research Paper, MacMillan
• Nayak, Dhanwanti (2011), 'Karaoked Plagiarism in the Classroom', Economic and
Political Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9 (pp. 49-53).
• Katju, Manjari (2011), “Plagiarism and Social Sciences,” Economic and Political
Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9 (pp. 45-48).
• Chicago Manual of Style. 15th edition, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2003.
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 5th edition, New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 1999.

Suggested Readings:
• Arnold, J.H. (2000). History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University
Press (Ch.3. & Ch.7).
• Black, J., MacRaild, D.M. (1997). Studying History. How to Study. Palgrave, London.
(Ch.6, “Studying History”).
• Elton, G.R., The Practice of History, London: Fontana Press, 1987.
• Gardiner, P. (1973). The Varieties of History: From Voltaire to Present. Second edition,
Vintage Books.
• Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1998). On History. UK: Abacus.
• Jordonova, Ludmilla. (2000). History in Practice. London/New York: Arnold and
Oxford University Press Inc., pp. 163-171 and 173-183 (Ch.6, “Public History”).
• Munslow, Alun (2000), The Routledge Companion to Historical Studies, Second
edition, London: Routledge [Relevant entries – concepts & names of historians are
listed alphabetically just like a dictionary / encyclopedia].
• Munslow, Alun (2012), A History of History, London and New York: Routledge.
(Ch.1, “The Emergence of Modern Historical Thinking,” Ch.1, “History and/as
Science,” and Ch.3, “Forms of History”).
• Postan, M.M. (1971). Facts and Relevance: Essays on Historical Method. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press (“Fact and Relevance, History and the Social Sciences in
Historical Study”).
• Sarkar, Sumit (1997), “The Many Worlds of Indian History”, Writing Social History,
New Delhi: OUP.
• Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology, Trivandrum:
Centre for South Indian Studies. (Ch.6, “Historical Research Methodology”).
• Topolski, Jerzy. (1976). Methodology of History, translated by OlgierdWojtasiewicz,
D. Reidel Publishing Company (Ch.10, “Historical Facts”, Ch.11, “The Process of
History” – the section on Causality and Determinism, Ch.18, “The Authenticity of

46
 Sources and the Reliability of Informants”, Ch.19, “Methods of Establishing Historical
Facts.”)
• Tosh, John. (2002). In Pursuit of History. Revised third edition. London, N.Y., New
Delhi: Longman. (Ch.1, “Historical Awareness” and Ch.6, “Writing and
Interpretation”).
• Tucker, Aviezer (ed.) (2009), A Companion to the Philosophy of History and
Historiography, Chichester: Wiley Blackwell Publishing (Ch.6, “Historiographic
Evidence and Confirmation”, Ch.10, “Explanation in Historiography” and Ch.14,
“Historiographic Objectivity”).

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

47
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Cultural Transactions between India and the
World

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Cultural Transactions
between India and the 4 3 1 0
World

Learning Objectives
The paper explores in historical context the varied forms of cultural interactions that had taken
place between India and the Greco- Roman world, the areas of East Asia and Tibet in early
times. Within this ambit, the paper focuses on the trading networks, which moving along land
and maritime spheres linked these areas closely to each other. Just as commerce flowed easily
across these paths that had been created assiduously and through regular use, cross cultural
dialogues also simultaneously tool place. This was reflected in cultural diversities that
manifested as a result. Demographic dynamics, language, literature, art forms, were a few of
the areas that bore remarkable evidence of the transaction that ensued.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this Course, the students will be able to:
• Understand in detail the various perspectives that have evolved among historians
regarding the various aspects of cultural transactions between early India on the one
hand and the eastern countries, Tibet on the other.
• Comprehend the complexities of the trading linkages that developed over time
• Get familiarised with the significant role and contribution of specific people and
localities in these interactions

Syllabus
Unit I: Historical Background for early India's contact with Greco- Roman world, East and
South east Asia and Tibet
Unit II: Trade Networks between India and the World: Maritime and Land routes
Unit III: Cross cultural impact of trade and commerce
Unit IV: Agents of trade and cultural Transactions: People and localities

Practical component (if any) - NIL

48
Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: This Unit will introduce students, within spatial and chronological framework to early
India's contact with Greco- Roman world, Tibet, East and South East Asia
(Teaching Time: 3 weeks approx.)
• Radha Madhav Bharadwaj, ‘Tibet’ in Sarao, KTS and Long, Jeffrey D. (eds), Buddhism
and Jainism, - Encyclopaedia of Indian Religions, vol.1, Springer, The Netherlands, pp.
1252-1260 (e Book ISBN-978-94-024-0852-2; ISBN-978-94-024-0853-9 Print and
electronic bundle).
• Xinru Liu, The Silk Road in World History (The New Oxford World History), OUP
2010.
• Tarling, N., ed. (2000). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia (vol. 1, part 1: from
earliest times to 1500 CE), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (A basic text book
for the course).
• Wolters, O.W. (1999). History, Culture and Region in Southeast Asian Perspectives,
Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
• Miksic, John N. and Geok Yian Goh. (2017). Ancient Southeast Asia, London:
Routledge
• Kenneth R. Hall, (2011). A History of Early Southeast Asia: Maritime Trade and
Societal Development, 100-1500, London: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Kulke, H. (1993; 2001). Kings and Cults: State Formation and Legitimation in India
and Southeast Asia, New Delhi: Manohar.

Unit II: This unit will familiarise with the trade networks that were in use between India and
the World: Maritime and Land routes (Teaching Time: 4 weeks approx.)
• E. H. Warmigton, Commerce between the Roman Empire and India, Curzon Press,
1974.
• J. Thorley, ‘The Silk Trade between China and the Roman empire at its Height, CIRCA
A.D 90- 130’, Greece and Rome, vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 71-80.
• Jason Emmanuel Neelis ‘Old Roads in the Northwestern Borderlands’ in Early
Buddhist Transmission and Trade Networks: Mobility and Exchange within and beyond
the Northwestern Borderlands of South Asia, Brill, 2011. (chapter 4)
• Marilyn Martin Rhie (2002): Early Buddhist Art of China and Central Asia. Volume II:
The Eastern Chin and Sixteen Kingdoms Period in China and Tumshuk, Kucha and
Karashar in Central Asia, Leiden: Brill, pp. 388-399.
• Mortimer Wheeler, Rome Beyond the Imperial Frontiers, London, G. Bell and Sons,
Ltd, 1954.
• Philip D Curtin, Cross-Cultural Trade in World History, CUP 1985.
• Raheshwari Ghose, (ed.) Kizil on the Silk Road: Crossroads of Commerce and Meeting
of Minds, Marg Foundation, 2008, pp. 24-31.
• Xinru Liu, ‘Silk and Religions in South Asia c. AD 600-1200’, Journal of World
History, Vol. 6, no. 1 (spring 1995).

49
Unit III: The unit familiarises the student with various aspects of the Cross cultural impacts
of trade and commerce (Teaching Time: 4 weeks approx.)
• Bonnie Cheng. 'THE SPACE BETWEEN: Locating "Culture" in Artistic Exchange',
Ars Orientalis, Vol. 8, pp. 81 – 120.
• Dieter Schlingloff, ‘The Oldest Extant Parvan list of the Mahabharat’, Journal of the
American Oriental Society, Vol. 89. No.2 (April-June 1969), pp.334-338.
• E. Errington et al, eds, The Crossroads of Asia. Transformation in Image and Symbol
in the Art of Ancient Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ancient India and Iran Trust, 1992.
• Luce Boulnois, Silk Road: Monks, Warriors and Merchants, Hong Kong: Odyssey
books, (2015 reprint).
• Marshak B and Rospopova Wall Paintings from a House with a Granary, Panjikent The
Silk Road Key Papers, Part 1: The Pre-Islamic Period, Ed. Valerie Hansen, Global
Oriental, 2012.

Unit IV: This unit introduces the learners to the various people and localities that emerged as
significant in the area and period of the study (Teaching Time: 5 weeks approx.)
• Doney, Lewis. ‘Padmasambhava in Tibetan Buddhism’ in Silk, Jonathan A. et al. Brill's
Encyclopedia of Buddhism, pp. 1197-1212. BRILL, Leiden, Boston.
• Ines Konczak-Nagel, Monika Zin, Essays and Studies in the Art of Kucha, Dev
Publishers & Distributors, 2020. (Introduction).
• Kurt Behrendt, Tibet and India: Buddhist Traditions and Transformations, The
Metropolitan Museum of Art; Distributed by Harry N. Abrams; 1st edition, 2014.
• Lokesh Chandra and Nirmala Sharma, Buddhist Paintings of Tun-Huang, Niyogi
Books, 2012.
• Radha Madhav Bharadwaj, ‘Atisa’ in Sarao, KTS and Long, Jeffrey D. (eds), Buddhism
and Jainism, - Encyclopaedia of Indian Religions, vol.1, Springer, The Netherlands, pp.
195-197 (e Book ISBN-978-94-024-0852-2; ISBN-978-94-024-0853-9 Print and
electronic bundle).
• Rajeshwari Ghose, (ed.) Kizil on the Silk Road: Crossroads of Commerce and Meeting
of Minds, Marg Foundation, 2008, pp. 8-23 and 106-115.
• Translation of Kumarajiva's biography as it is told in the Gaoseng zhuan compiled by
Hui Jiao of the Liang Dynasty (502-551 CE).

Suggested Readings:
• Buddha Prakash, Indian and the World, Vishvesharanand Vedic Research Institute,
1964
• पी. वी. बापट, बौद्ध धमर् का 2500 वष� का इितहास, पिु ब्लके शन्स िडवीज़न, गवनर्मेंट ऑफ़ इिं डया, 1956. (अध्याय V, VIII,
IX और XI)
• P.V. Bapat, 2500 years of Buddhism, The Publications Division, Government of India,
1965. (Chapters V, VIII, IX and XI)
• The Silk Roads: An ICOMOS Thematic Study by Tim Williams on behalf of ICOMOS
2014.

50
 • Weblink-
https://www.icomos.org/images/mediatheque/ICOMOS_WHThematicStudy_SilkRoa
ds_final_lv_201406.pdf
• Christopher I. Beckwith, Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Asia from the
Bronze age to the Present, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009
• https://en.unesco.org/silkroad/silk-road-themes/cities-silk-roads

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

51
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): History of Travellers and Travelogues

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

History of Travellers and

4 3 1 0
Travelogues

Learning Objectives
This paper shall provide an overview of the history of travel and travelogues across a swathe
of time and space. It will acquaint students with the various genres, contexts, and cultural
literary traditions in which these travels were undertaken and written about. The course will
trace the transformative nature of travel and its changing character till the modern
contemporary times. Through a critical historical and literary study of a select list of
travelogues, the course would introduce the students to the varied interests of travellers and
their descriptions of local societies, economic practices, and socio-cultural traditions. It will
engage students with a series of problematics and issues arising from writings on cross cultural
engagements. This course will equip students to critically read travelogues and commentaries
on travels as a tool of historical research.

Learning outcomes
After completing the course students will be able to:
• Describe the various contexts in which these travel accounts and texts were produced
• Trace the historically changing experience and character of travel
• Analyse the evolving concerns of the travellers especially in the early modern and
colonial periods
• Develop the skills to analyse travelogues and critically evaluate cross cultural literature
• Critically engage with the Eurocentric emphasis in travel narratives
• Critically engage with questions of race, language, gender and religion in travel
narratives

Syllabus

52
Unit I: Reading and Writing Travel
1. Travel writing through the ages
2. Travelogues: Place, Landscapes, Forms and Genre

Unit II: Reconnaissance, Science and Pilgrimage

1. Travel and travelogues as Reconnaissance and Scientific texts
2. Religion and Pilgrimage

Unit III: Discoveries, Trade and Colonialism

1. The Age of Discoveries 1400-1800
2. Colonial and Post Colonial travelogues

Unit IV: Travel, Texts and History

(select any one traveller from the following three sections : A, B & C)

A. Travel in the Pre Modern World

1. Huen Tsang and Fa Hein
2. John Mandeville
3. Ibn Batuta
B. Travel in the Early Modern World
1. Christopher Colombus
2. Varthema
3. Guru Nanak
4. Bhimsen Saxena
C. Travel in the Modern World
3. Sheikh Itesamuddin
4. Durgabati Das
5. Rahul Sankrtyayana

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings

Unit I: This unit aims to familiarise the students with the various kinds of travel writing. They
will read about the various genres, geographical and political contexts in which these texts were
produced. They will explore the questions and concerns of travel-writers and the contours of
the distinct popular gaze shaped by the text. Students will be familiarised with how travelogues
have been used to build cross cultural engagements, and in the process, how these establish
certain cultural and social stereotypes. They shall learn to read travelogues as distinct texts that
introduce the readers to distinct historical geographies. (Teaching Time: 4 weeks)

• Das, Nandini and Youngs, Tim (Eds.) The Cambridge History of Travel Writing,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2019

53
 • Duncan, James and Gregory, Derek, Writes of Passage: reading travel writing,
Routledge, 1999
• Moroz, Grzegorz and Szztachelska, Jolanta (eds.) Metamorphoses of Travel Writing:
Across theories, Genres, Centuries and Literary traditions, Cambridge Scholars
Publishing, Newcastle, 2010
• Pratt, Mary Louise, Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation, Routledge,
London, 1992.
• Thompson, Carl, Travel Writing, Routledge, London, 2011.

Unit II: In this unit, students shall study about the experience of travel through a study of
pilgrimages and as reconnaissance missions. Students shall engage with themes of race, gender,
and culture. They will trace how various themes like geography, culture, language, social
practices, economic activity, and religion are conceptualised differently across time. (Teaching
Time: 3 weeks)

• Brummett, Palmira, Introduction: Genre, Witness and Time in the ‘Book of Travels’,
in Palmira Brummett, The Book of Travels: Genre, Ethnology, and Pilgrimage, 1250-
1700, Brill, Leiden, 2009. p241-282
• Gosch, Stephens S., and Stearns, Peter N., Premodern Travel in World History,
Routledge, London, 2008 p.1-111
• Greenblatt, Stephen, Marvellous Possessions: The Wonder of the New World,
University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1991. p. 52-119.
• Buitelaar, Marjo, Stephan-Emmrich, Manja and Thimm, Viola, Muslim Women’s
Pilgrimage to Mecca and beyond: Reconfiguring Gender, Religion and Mobility,
London, Routledge, 2021. p. 1-19, 56-74, 127-147.

Unit III: In this unit, students shall study about travel in the early modern and modern. They
shall read about the experience of travel and the impact of new emerging national identities on
travel writing. Students shall engage with themes of race, gender, colonialism and culture.
Using the perspectives offered in the study of the above themes through different periods of
time, students will acquire the necessary insights on how to engage with the readings prescribed
in the last unit. (Teaching Time: 3 weeks)

• Green, Nile, Writing Travel in Central Asian History, Bloomington, Indiana University
Press, 2014. p. 1-69 & 193-212
• Pratt, Mary Louise, Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation, London,
Routledge, 2003. p. 124-213
• Javed Majeed, Autobiography, Travel and Post-national Identity: Gandhi, Nehru and
Iqbal, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2007. p.10-135
• Youngs, Tim (ed.) Travel Writing in the Nineteenth Century: Filling the Blank Spaces,
Anthem Press, London, 2006. p. 19-37 & 87-106

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Unit IV: In this unit the student will focus on specific travelogues as case studies, read
alongside other secondary literature. The student will write an essay on any one of the explorers
listed under this unit. He or she will analyse the varying approaches of each author and use the
insights from the earlier units to critically analyse these texts. The learners shall be encouraged
to explore in greater detail specific themes that interest them, such as gender, religion, race,
social practices, economic exchanges, etc. (Teaching Time: 4 weeks)

A. Travel in the premodern world

• Gosch, Stephens S., and Stearns, Peter N., Premodern Travel in World History,
Routledge, 2008 p.134-160
• Faxian. A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms. United Kingdom, Clarendon Press, 1886.
• Si-Yu-Ki, Buddhist Records of the Western World: Translated from the Chinese of
Hiren Tsiiang (AD 629) (trans. Samuel Beal), Oriental Books Reprint Corporation,
Delhi,1969
• Devahuti D., The Unknown Hsuan-Tsang, India, OUP India, 2006.
• Mandeville, John, Book of Marvels and Travels, Oxford World Classics, Oxford
University Press: Oxford, 2012
• Akbari, Suzanne Conklin, 'The Diversity of Mankind in The Book of John Mandeville.'
in Eastward Bound, Travel and Travellers 1050-1550 , by Rosamund Allen, 157-176.
Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2004.
• Battuta, Ibn, Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354, (trans. H A R Gibb), Low Price
Publications, Delhi 2004
• Ibn Batuta. The Travels of Ibn Batūta, with Notes, Illustrative of the History,
Geography, Botany, Antiquities, Etc. Occurring Throughout the Work, United
Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2012.

B. Travel in the Early Modern World

• Columbus, Christopher, The Four Voyages of Christopher Columbus: Being his own
log book, letters, and dispatches with connecting narratives, (trans. J Cohen), Oxford,
Oxford University Press, 1969
• Varthema, Ludovico Di, The Itinerary of Ludovico Di Varthema of Bologna, (trans.)
John Winter Jones, Asian Educational Services, New Delhi 1997
• Rubies, Joan Pau, Travel and ethnology in the Renaissance: South India through
European eyes 1250-1652, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000
• Saxena, Bhimsen, Nushka-i-Dilkasha, Edited by V.G. Khobrekar. Translated by Sir
Jadunath Sarkar, Vol. Sir Jadunath Sarkar Birth Centenary Volume. Mumbai, The
Department of the Archives, Government of Maharashtra, 1972.
• Kohli, Surinder Singh, Travels of Guru Nanak, Punjab University Publication Bureau,
1978

55
C. Travel in the Modern World

• Hasan, Mushirul (ed.), Exploring the West, Three Travel Narratives, Oxford University
Press, New Delhi, 2009.
• Fisher, Michael F., Counterflows to Colonialism: Indian Travellers and Settlers in
Britain 1600-1857, Permanent Black, 2004. P1-49, 243-337
• Khan, Gulfishan, Indian Muslim Perceptions of the West During the Eighteenth
Century, Oxford University Press, 1998.
• Das, Durgabati, The Westward Traveller (ed & trans by Somdatta Mandal), Orient
Blackswan, January 2010
• Dandal, Somdatta, Indian Travel Narratives: New Perspectives, Pencraft International,
2020
• Sankrtyayana, Rahul, Volga to Ganga: A Picture in Nineteen Stories of the Historical,
Economic and Political Evolution of the Human Society from 6000 B.C. to 1922 A.D.
(trans.. Victor Gordon Kiernan), Punjab Book Centre, 2015.
• Whitmore, Luke, Mountain, Water, Rock, God: Understanding Kedarnath in the
Twenty-First Century, 2018, pp. 84-106

Suggested Readings:

• Allen Rosamund, Eastward Bound: Travel and Travellers, 1050-1550. United

Kingdom, Manchester University Press, 2004.
• Banerjee, Rita, India in Early Modern English Travel Writing: Protestantism,
Enlightenment, and Toleration, Brill, Leiden, 2021.
• Blanton, Casey, Travel Writing: The self and the World, Routledge, 2002
• Brock, Aske Laursen, Meersbergen, Guido Van and Smith, Edmond, Trading
Companies and Travel Knowledge in the Early Modern World, Hakluyt Society Studies
in history of Travel, Routledge 2022
• Clarke, Robert, The Cambridge Companion to Postcolonial Travel Writing, Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, 2018
• Duncan, James and Gregory, Derek, Writes of Passage: reading travel writing,
Routledge, 1999
• Elsner, Jas and Rubies, Joan-Pau, Voyages and Visions: Towards a Cultural History of
Travel, Reaction Books, 1999.
• Grewal, Inderpal, Home and Harem: Nation, Gender, Empire and the Cultures of
Travel, Duke University Press, Durham, 1996
• Henes, Mary and Murray, Brian H.(eds.), Travel Writing, Visual Culture and Form,
1760-1900, Palgrave Macmillan, 2016
• Peterson, Jennifer Lynn, Education in the School of Dreams: Travelogues and Early
Nonfiction Film, Duke University Press, Durham, 2013

56
 • Stagl, Justin, A History of Curiosity: The Theory of Travel 1550-1800, Routledge,
London, 2004.
• Taylor, Tom, Modern Travel in World History, London, Routledge, 2022
• Bracewell, Wendy (ed.) Orientations: An Anthology of East European Travel Writing,
ca. 1550-2000, Central European University Press, Budapest, 2009.
• Rodenas, Adriana Mendez, Transatlantic Travels in Nineteenth century Latin America:
European Women Pilgrims, Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg, 2014

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

57
 DISSERTATION: Dissertation Writing
Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods-I
(The department has opted for Dissertation)

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Dissertation Writing
Track of Research 6
Methods-I

Learning Objectives
This course seeks to make students learn the elementary aspects of research which
include the ability to zero in on, define, and state the topic of research, to identify
primary and secondary sources towards that end, as well as to observe patterns in
collected data. They should also be able to forge complex and novel arguments
on the basis of demonstrable patterns in available information.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Understand the specificity and value of academic writing.
• Develop the art of quickly identifying and grasping the arguments and
relevance of secondary sources.
• Identify, Access, and Interpret primary sources
• Raise informed questions as well as make complex and nuanced arguments
articulated in relation to and in contradistinction with existing
historiography
• Identify and respect the need to avoid pitfalls of plagiarism

II. Outcomes expected of Dissertation writing track in the 4th Year of UG

Programmes
Semester VII
The following four outcomes must be achieved by the end of VII Semester:
v. Research Problem identification

58
vi. Review of literature
vii. Research design formulation
viii. Commencement of fieldwork, or similar tasks: exploring primary sources
from Museum, historical sites, Archives etc.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the

Examination Branch, from time to time.

59
 COMMON POOL OF GENERIC ELECTIVE (GE)

GENERIC ELECTIVE (GE): History of Health and Medicine in India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

History of Health and

4 3 1 0
Medicine in India

Learning Objectives

The objective of the course is to provoke the learners about emerging areas of historical
understanding. Tracing the history of health and medicine from ancient to the contemporary
times, the course will enrich learners about the cultural and social sensibilities to explore
changing human experiences across time and space. It will help students to analyse the diverse
facets of health, healing systems and medicine. Beginning with historiography, this course will
explore unique set of themes capturing the diverse population globally. The course intends to
trace the development of knowledge about physical and psychological illness, diseases,
diagnosis, cure and treatment of illness from the early period to modern times. Further, this
paper will discuss about medical pluralism and institutionalization of health care system during
colonial times such as hospitals, dispensaries, pharmacy, sanatoriums, lock hospitals and so
on. The course will equip the students with adequate expertise to analyze the historical
developments in this area taking place during the swadeshi and Indian national movement.
They will be familiarized with the new challenges and issue of holistic wellbeing in the
contemporary times.

Learning outcomes

After completing this course, the students will be able to:

• Develop critical thinking towards understanding health and medicine.

• Discuss the new area of historical understanding and grasp significant aspects related
to medicine, health and illness in historical perspective.
• Trace the processes of institutionalization of health.
• Describe the developments during the national movement.

60
 • Through class discussions, students would also get equipped to conduct further research
in the emerging area of history of health and medicine.

Syllabus

Unit 1: Socio-Cultural History of Health and Medicine: A Reflection

Unit 2: Institutionalization & Professionalization of health system during Colonial times

(Teaching time: 4 weeks)

• Quackery versus Degree: Honouring Designations and Professional titles

• Hospital, Public Health and Sanitary measures
• New Legal framework, New Medical Technology & Standardization of medicine

Unit 3: Health, Medicine and Nationalist Rhetoric and new challenges(Teaching time: 4
weeks)

• Medicine and Nationalism

• Policy making & Emergence of holistic wellbeing: State intervention and WHO

Unit 4: Exploring Health and Healing practices in Popular Culture: Literature Art and
Cinema (Teaching time: 4 weeks)

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings

Unit 1: Socio-Cultural History of Health and Medicine: A Reflection (Teaching Time: 4

weeks approx.)

This unit will analyse the debates and discourses related to health, healing practices and
medicine. Students willdelve into the diverse healing systems and practices in India. They will
explore the emergence of a syncretic culture of health, healing practices and healers.

• Olivelle, P. (2017). The medical profession in ancient India: Its social, religious, and
legal status. eJournal of Indian Medicine, 9(1), 1-21.
• Saini, A. (2016). Physicians of ancient India. Journal of Family Medicine and
Primary Care, 5(2), 254-258.
• Alavi, Seema. (2008). Islam and Healing: Loss and Recovery of an Indo-Islamic
Medical Tradition, 1600-1900. New Delhi: Permanent Black (Introduction).
• Arnold, David, Colonizing the Body: State Medicine and Epidemic Disease in
Nineteenth-Century India, California: University of California Press, 1993.
(Introduction).
• Kumar, Anil, Medicine and the Raj: British Medical Policy, 1835-1911, New Delhi:
Sage, 1998.(Introduction)

61
 • Leslie, C. “The Ambiguities of Medical Revivalism in Modern India” in Leslie, C.
(ed.), Asian Medical Systems: a Comparative Study, California, University of
California Press, 1977.
• Sharma, Madhuri, Indigenous and Western Medicine in Colonial India, Foundation
Books: CUP, 2011(Introduction)

Unit 2: Institutionalization & Professionalization of health system during Colonial times

(Teaching Time: 4 weeks approx.)

In this unit student will study the growth and development of modern medical institutions such
as hospitals and sanatoriums. This unit will focus on the emergence of professionalization of
medicine, development of entrepreneurship in medicine.
Ayurveda/Unani/Homeopathy/Allopathy. Contestation between Vaidyas, Hakims and Doctors.

• Keswani, N. H. (1968). Medical education in India since ancient times. All India
Institute of Medical Sciences.
• Sahay, S. (2023). Traditional Knowledge of Medicine in Ancient India:(Based on
Classical Texts and Treatises). In Aspects of Science and Technology in Ancient India
(pp. 117-133). Routledge India.
• Kumar, Deepak and Raj Shekhar Basu, eds., Medical Encounters in British India, New
Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2013.(Introduction and pp 160-86)
• Sharma, Madhuri ‘Creating a Consumer: Exploring medical advertisements in colonial
India’, in Mark Harrison and Biswamoy Pati (eds.), The Social History of Health and
Medicine in Colonial India, Routledge, London& New York, 2009, pp. 213-28.
ISBN10:0-415-46231-2(hbk).
• Sivaramakrishnan, K., Old Potions, New Bottles: Recasting Indigenous Medicine in
Colonial Punjab (1850-1945), New Delhi, Orient Longman, 2006.(Introduction)

Unit 3: Health, Medicine and Nationalist Rhetoric and new challenges (Teaching Time: 4
weeks approx.)

This will help to develop an understanding about the nuances of social interaction and
encounter with western medicine during colonial times and role played by medical
practitioners in the ongoing swadeshi and national movement. This unit will help to
understand the role of state in controlling diseases. It will further acquaint students with the
emergence of the concept of holistic well being

• Quaiser Nishat, Colonial Politics of Medicine and Popular Unani Resistance, Indian
Horizones, April-June 2000, pp. 29-41.
• Lal, Vinay (2020), The Fury of COVID-19: The Politics, Histories, and Unrequited
Love of the Coronavirus, New Delhi: Pan Macmillan India.
• Madhuri Sharma Chapter 8, in ed. Pati and Harrison ed. The Social History of
Health and Medicine in Colonial India, UK: Routledge, 2009.

62
 • िसंह, सजु ीत कुमार (22 अप्रैल 2020) 'उपिनवेश में महामारी और ि�याँ', समालोचन: सािहत्य, िवचार और कलाओ ं क�
वेबपित्रका.

Unit 4: Exploring Health and Healing practices in Popular Culture: Literature Art and
Cinema (teaching time 4 weeks)

This unit will help students to know about how Health and Healing practices were
represented in art, literature and cinema. Feminization of health such as sitala mata,
plague ki churail etc.

• Hanson, M., Small, L.’ Pandemic Patterns: How Artistic Depictions of Past Epidemics
Illuminate Thematic and Structural Responses to COVID-19 Today’, Journal of
General Internal Medicine Vol. 37, 878–884 (2022)
• Niels Brimnes, ‘Fallacy, Sacrilege, Betrayal and Conspiracy: The Cultural
Construction of Opposition to Immunisation in India,” in The Politics of Vaccination:
A Global History, edited by Christine Holmberg, Stuart Bulme and Paul Greenough
(Manchester United Press, 2017).
• Madhuri Sharma Chapter 8, in ed. Pati and Harrison ed. The Social History of Health
and Medicine in Colonial India, UK: Routledge, 2009.
• शक्ु ल, श्रीप्रकाश (2021). महामारी और किवता, नयीिदल्ली: सेतुप्रकाशन.
• िसहं , सजु ीत कुमार (22 अप्रैल 2020) 'उपिनवेश में महामारी और ि�याँ', समालोचन: सािहत्य, िवचार और कलाओ ं क� वेबपित्रका.
• मास्टर भगवानदास, ‘प्लेग क� चड़ु ैल’, सरस्वती ,1902.
• Suggested Novels: King of Maladies, Love in the Time of Cholera, The Plague
• Suggested Movies: Contagion, Outbreak, Khushboo, The Black Death

Suggested Readings:

• Arnold, David, ed., Imperial Medicine and Indigenous Societies, Delhi: Oxford
University Press, 1989.
• Bhattacharya,N., Disparate Remedies: Making Medicines in Modern India, McGill
Queen’s University Press, 2023, pp.3-20
• Chatterjee,S., Western medicine and Colonial Society: Hospitals of Calcutta, c.
1757-1860, Primus, 2017, pp. 1-28
• Foucault, Michel, ‘The Politics of Health in the Eighteenth Century’, in Essential
Works of Foucault, 1954–84, Vol. 3: Power, ed. Michel Foucault, James D.
Faubion, tr. Robert Hurley et al., New York: The New Press, 1994.
• Harrison, Mark, Public Health in British India: Anglo-Indian Preventive Medicine,
1859-1914, New Delhi: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
• Kumar, S. & Jugal Kishore, Public Healthcare in India: historical Background and
Current Realities, Century Publications, New Delhi, 2020, pp1-48
• Kumar, D. (2010). Probing history of medicine and public health in India. Indian
Historical Review, 37(2), 259-273.

63
• Valiathan, M. S. (2001). Diseases in ancient India. In SALEMA, A. Ayurveda at
the Crossroads of Care and Cure: Proceedings of the Indo-European Seminar on
Ayurveda Held at Arrábida, Portugal, in November (pp. 18-24).
• Leslie, C. (ed.), Asian Medical Systems: a Comparative Study, California,
University of California Press, 1977.
• Levine, Philippa, Prostitution, Race and Politics: Policing, Venereal Disease in the
British Empire, New York, London: Routledge, 2003.
• Madhwi, Health, Medicine & Migration : The Formation of Indentured Labour
c.1834-1920. Primus 2020. pp 1-30
• Majumdar, R.C. (1971). ‘Ayurveda: Origins and Antiquity’, in D.M. Bose, Concise
History of Science in India, New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy, pp. 213-
216; ‘Ayurveda and its Classical Division’, pp. 227-234; ‘Ayurveda in the Middle
Ages’, pp. 262-265.
• Mishra, Sabyasachi R., ‘An Empire “De-Masculinized”: The British Colonial State
and the Problem of Syphilis in Nineteenth Century India’, in Diseases and Medicine
in India: A Historical Overview, ed. Deepak Kumar, New Delhi: Tulika Books,
2001, pp. 166–79.
• Mills, James H., Madness, Cannabis and Colonialism: The ‘Native Only’ Lunatic
Asylums of British India, 1857-1900, Great Britain: Macmillan, 2000.
(Introduction)
• Pati, Biswamoy and Mark Harrison eds., The Social History of Health and Medicine
in Colonial India, UK: Routledge, 2009. (Introduction)
• Sharma, Madhuri ‘Knowing Health and Medicine: A Case Study of Benares, c.
1900-1950’, in Deepak Kumar & Raj Sekhar Basu (eds), Medical Encounters in
British India, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2013,pp 160-86. ISBN: 13:978-
0-19-808921-6 (hbk)
• Syed Ejaz Hussain & Mohit Saha (eds.), India’s Indigenous medical Systems: A
cross Discipinary Approach, Primus, 2015, Introduction
• Pati, Biswamoy and Mark Harrison, eds., Health, Medicine and Empire:
Perspectives on Colonial India, Delhi: Orient Longman Limited, 2001.
(Introduction).
• Bala Poonam ed. Contesting Colonial Authority Medicine and Indigenous
Responses in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century India, Primus Books, Delhi
2016.(Introduction)
• Harrison, Mark, ‘Public Health and Medicine in British India: An Assessment of
the British Contribution’, based on a paper delivered to the Liverpool Medical
Society on 5 March 1988; see
http://www.evolve360.co.uk/Data/10/Docs/10/10Harrison.pdf.
• Gupta Charu, Procreation and Pleasure: Writings of a Woman Ayurvedic
Practitioner in Colonial North India, Studies in History, Volume 21 No.1, 2005, pp.
17-44.
• S. Manasi & K.V.Raju, “Policy options for sustainable holistic health care
intervention’, Policy Brief, May 2019

64
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

65
 GENERIC ELECTIVE (GE): Colonialism and Nationalism: Nineteenth to early
twentieth century India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Colonialism and
Nationalism: Nineteenth to
4 3 1 0
early twentieth century
India

Learning Objectives
This course will familiarize the students with the dynamics of colonial rule in India and the
unfolding process of nationalist agitation and nation-building.

Learning outcomes
On completion of the course, students would be able to:

• Trace the important features of colonial exploitation and governance and how these
features evolved from the early colonial to later colonial period.
• Trace the origins and dynamics of nationalism in India.
• Highlight the relationship between mainstream nationalism and competing ideas of
nationalist thought and nation-building.
• Highlight some of the complexities involved in the process of nation-building in the
1940s.

Syllabus

Unit 1: Facets of colonial rule in India: i) impacts on trade, agriculture, and manufacture; ii)
colonial governance and changes in society (choose a case study:- colonial law or colonial
education or surveys and census enumeration)
Unit 2: Emergence of nationalist thoughts and trends within Indian nationalism: i) social
composition;
ii) phases
Unit 3: Challenging dominance: many voices of a nation in making: i) tribal and peasant
movements;

66
ii) labour and marginalized social groups; iii) the role of Indian industrialists in the national
movement
Unit 4: Towards freedom: i) constitutional developments, 1930s-1950; ii) Partition

Unit 1: This Unit briefly traces the East India Company’s trading practices and the impact of
colonial rule on India’s pattern of trade. It proceeds to highlight the impact of colonial rule on
artisanal production, revenue policies, agrarian relations, land market, and its role in the
creation of a factory labour force. The unit also briefly outlines the repercussions of colonial
governance on society by drawing on a case study of evolving colonial law or the case of
colonial education policy or the case of census enumeration.

• भट्टाचायर्, सब्यसाची (2015 edition), आधिु नक भारत का आिथर्क इितहास, िदल्ली: राजकमल प्रकाशन
• बदं ोपाध्याय, शेखर (2007), प्लासी से िवभाजन तक ऑर उसके बाद आधिु नक भारत का इितहास, नई िदल्ली: ओ�रएटं
ब्लैकस्वान
• Bose, Sugata and Jalal, Ayesha (2004), Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political
Economy, New York & London: Routledge. [Chapters 7 & 10]
• Cohn, Bernard S. (1987), ‘The census, social structure and objectification in South
Asia,’ An Anthropologist Among the Historians and Other Essays, Delhi: OUP, pp.
224-54.
• Constable, Philip (2014), ‘Sitting on the School Veranda,’ in Sumit Sarkar and Tanika
Sarkar (eds), Caste in India, vol. 2, New Delhi: Permanent Black.
• Kumar, K. (2005), Political Agenda of Education: A Study of Colonialist and
Nationalist Ideas, Delhi: SAGE.
• Sarangi, Asha (2010), ‘Enumeration and the Linguistic Identity Formation in Colonial
North India,’ Studies in History, vol. 25, pp. 197-227.
• Sarkar, Sumit (2015), Modern Times: India 1880s-1950s, Ranikhet: Permanent Black.
[Chapters 2 & 4]
• Singha, Radhika (1998), A Despotism of Law, Oxford and New York: OUP. [Preface,
Chapter-4 & Epilogue]
• Skuy, David (July 1998), ‘Macaulay and the Indian Penal Code of 1862: The Myth of
the Inherent Superiority and Modernity of the English Legal System Compared to
India's Legal System in the Nineteenth Century’, Modern Asian Studies, 32 (3), pp.
513-557.

Unit 2: This unit provides an overview of the phases of and trajectories within the anti-colonial
struggle. It also draws attention to the social composition of the national movement.

• Bandopadhyay, Shekhar (ed) (2009), ‘Part I’ & ‘Part II,’ Nationalist Movement in
India: A Reader: OUP.

67
 • बदं ोपाध्याय, शेखर (2007), प्लासी से िवभाजन तक ऑर उसके बाद आधिु नक भारत का इितहास, नई िदल्ली: ओ�रएटं
ब्लैकस्वान
• Bose, Sugata and Jalal, Ayesha (2004), Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political
Economy, New York & London: Routledge. [Chapters 12 to 16]
• Chandra, Bipan (2010), The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism in India, Delhi:
Har-Anand Publications Pvt Ltd. (revised edition).
• Desai, A.R. (1981), Social Background of Indian Nationalism, Delhi: Popular
Prakashan. Also available in Hindi.
• Sarkar, Sumit (1989), Modern India: 1885-1947, Delhi: Macmillan. [Chapters 3 to 5].
Also available in Hindi.

Unit 3: The unit explores the relationship of the tribal and peasant movements with mainstream
nationalism from the 1850s to the 1940s. Relevant case studies for discussion are the Santhal
Rebellion, the 1857 Revolt, Deccan Riots, the Kisan Sabha movement, Eka movement, Bardoli
satyagraha, and Tebhaga movement. The unit briefly outlines the key features of the non-
Brahmin and Dalit movements from the early 1900s to the 1940s, and proceeds to explain the
build-up of demands such as separate representation. It also acquaints students with the
interface between the labour movement and mainstream nationalism, as well as the relationship
between the Indian capitalist class and the anti-colonial struggle.

• Bahl, Vinay (1988), ‘Attitudes of the Indian National Congress towards the working-
class struggle in India, 1918-1947,’ in K. Kumar (ed.) Congress and Classes:
Nationalism, Workers and Peasants, New Delhi: Manohar, pp. 1-31.
• Bandopadhyay, Shekhar (ed) (2009), Nationalist Movement in India: A Reader: OUP.
[Chapters 15 & 18]
• बंदोपाध्याय, शेखर (2007), प्लासी से िवभाजन तक ऑर उसके बाद आधिु नक भारत का इितहास, नई िदल्ली: ओ�रएटं
ब्लैकस्वान. Also available in English.
• Bayly, Susan (2001 reprint), Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth
Century to the Modern Age, Cambridge: CUP. [Chapters 5 & 6]

• चंद्रा, िबपन (2015), भारत का स्वतंत्रता संघषर्, िदल्ली: िदल्ली िव�िवद्यालय िहदं ी माध्यम कायार्न्वयन िनदेशालय
• Hardiman, David (1993), ‘Introduction,’ Peasant Resistance in India, 1858-1914,
Delhi: OUP.
• Markovits, Claude (1985), Indian Business and Nationalist Politics 1931 – 1939: The
Indigenous Capitalist Class and the Rise of the Congress Party, Cambridge, London &
New York: CUP.
• Pati, Biswamoy (ed.) (2010), The Great Rebellion of 1857: Exploring Transgressions,
Contests and Diversities, Abingdon & New York: Routledge. [Chapters 1, 3, 4 & 5]
• Pati, Biswamoy (ed.) (2011), Adivasis in Colonial India: Survival, Resistance and
Negotiation, New Delhi: Orient BlackSwan. [Chapters 7 & 8]

68
Unit 4: This unit highlights the making of the Government of India Act, 1935, provides an
overview of the build-up to Partition in 1947, and of constitution framing.

• Austin, Granville (1999, The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of Nation, New Delhi:
OUP [relevant sections].
• Bayly, Susan (2001 reprint), ‘Chapter 7: State Policies and ‘Reservations’ – The
Politicization of Caste-based Social Welfare Schemes,’ Caste, Society and Politics in
India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age, Cambridge: CUP.
• Butalia, Urvashi (1993), ‘Community, State and Gender on Women’s Agency During
Partition,’ Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 28, no. 17, 1993, pp. 12–21.
• Bose, Sugata and Jalal, Ayesha (2004), Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political
Economy, New York & London: Routledge. [Chapter 17 & 18]
• Chatterji, Joya (2007), ‘Chapter-1,’ The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947-
1967, Cambridge: CUP.
• चंद्रा, िबपन, मृदल ु ज� इत्यािद (2009), स्वतंत्रता के बाद का भारत, िदल्ली: िदल्ली िव�िवद्यालय िहदं ी माध्यम
ु ा मख
कायार्न्वयन िनदेशालय
• Chaube, Shibani Kinkar (2009), The Making of the Indian Constitution, pp. 1-67, Delhi:
National Book Trust. Also available in Hindi.
• Chiriyankandath, James (1992), ‘“Democracy” under the Raj: Elections and separate
representation in British India,’ The Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative
Politics, Vol. 30 (1), pp. 39-63.
• Moore, R.J. (1970), ‘The Making of India’s Paper Federation, 1927-35,’ in C.H. Philip
and M.D. Wainwright (eds) The Partition of India: Policies and Perspectives, 1935-
47, London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd.

Suggested readings:

• Bandopadhyay, Shekhar (ed) (2009), ‘Chapter 20: Popular Movements and National
Leadership’ (Sumit Sarkar), Nationalist Movement in India: A Reader: OUP.
• Brass, Paul (2005), ‘Chapter 3: Muslim Separatism in the United Provinces: The Social
Context and Political Strategy of the Muslim Minority before Partition,’ Language,
Religion and Politics in North India, Lincoln: IUniverse.Inc
• Butalia, Urvashi (2000), ‘’, The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of
India, London: Hurst & Co.
• Chandavarkar, Rajnarayan (1998), Imperial Power and Popular Politics: Class,
Resistance and the State in India, 1850-1950, Cambridge: CUP. [Chapters 3, 4, 5 & 8]

• Chandra, Bipan et al (1999), ‘Chapters 4 to 10,’ India Since Independence, New Delhi:
Penguin Books. Also available in Hindi.
• चंद्रा, िबपन (2019 edition), आधिु नक भारत में उपिनवेशवाद और राष्ट्रवाद, िदल्ली: अनािमका पिब्लशसर्
• Chatterjee, Partha (1993), ‘Chapters 1, 3, 8, 9 & 11,’ The Nation and its Fragments:
Colonial and Postcolonial Histories, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

69
 • Farooqui, Amar (2014), The Establishment of British Rule: 1757-1813, A People’s
History of India, Vol. 23, New Delhi: Tulika Books. Also available in Hindi.
• Gooptu, Nandini (2001), ‘Chapters 2, 5, 8 & 9,’ The Politics of the Urban Poor in Early
Twentieth Century India, Cambridge: CUP.
• Hasan, Mushirul (ed.) (1995), India Partitioned: The Other Face of Freedom, 2 vols,
Delhi: Roli Books.
• John, M. (2016). “(De)skilling Caste: Exploring the Relationship between Caste, State
Regulations and the Labour Market in Late Colonial India,” in Sabyasachi Bhattacharya
and Rana P. Behal (eds), The Vernacularization of Labour Politics, New Delhi: Tulika
(pp. 267-293).
• Omvedt, Gail (2011), ‘Chapters 7 to 11,’ Cultural Revolt in a Colonial Society: The
Non-Brahmin Movement in Western India, New Delhi: Manohar.
• Oommen, T.K. (2010), ‘Indian Labour Movement: Colonial Era to the Global Age,’
Economic and Political Weekly, December 26, 2009-January 1, 2010, Vol. 44 (52), pp.
81-89.
• Pandey, Gyan (1982), ‘Peasant Revolt and Indian Nationalism: Peasant Movement in
Awadh, 1919-22,’ in Ranajit Guha (ed.), Subaltern Studies, Vol. 1, Delhi: OUP.
• Prashad, Vijay. (1995). “Between Economism and Emancipation: Untouchables and
Indian Nationalism, 1920-1950,” Left History, Vol. 3(1), spring—summer, pp. 5-30.
• शक्ु ला, रामलखन (1993), आधिु नक भारत का इितहास, नई िदल्ली: िदल्ली िव�िवद्यालय िहन्दी माध्यम कायार्न्वयन
िनदेशालय.
• Skaria, Ajay (1999), Hybrid Histories: Forests, Frontiers and Wilderness in Western
India, Delhi: OUP.
• Stokes, Eric (1980), ‘Introduction,’ & ‘Chapter 7,’ Peasants and the Raj: Studies in
Agrarian Society and Peasant Rebellion in Colonial India, Volume 23 of Cambridge
South Asian Studies, Cambridge: CUP.
• Tomlinson, B.R. (2013), ‘Chapter 1: Introduction,’ ‘Chapter 2: Agriculture, 1860-
1950,’ & ‘Chapter 3: Trade and Manufacture, 1860-1945,’ The Economy of Modern
India: From 1860 to the Twenty-First Century, Cambridge & New York: CUP.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

70
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): Money and Monetary History of India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Money and Monetary

4 3 1 0
History of India

Learning Objectives
The aim of this course is to familiarise students with the ideas of money and the development
of monetary policies and institutions in Indian history. It provides an overview of technological
development and exchange networks from the earliest times till 1947.

Learning outcomes
After doing this course the students will be able to:
• Understanding the concept of money and origin of coinage
• Distinguish between various technologies of minting coins
• Continuity and shifts in the role of monetary economy
• Locate the development of various metallic coins
• Standardisation of the currency system and State interventions
• Development of modern financial institutions and colonialism

Syllabus
UNIT I: Introduction
1. Concept of money
2. Nature of exchange before the advent of coinage, barter, cowries, and hundis

UNIT II: Origin and development of coinage upto 900 CE: Manufacturing technology,
metrology and expansion
1. Punchmarked Coins
2. Post-Mauryan Coins with special reference to Satavahana, Kushana and Ganasangha
3. Gupta coinage
4. Post-Gupta coinage; paucity of coins

UNIT III: Coinage and changing patterns in monetary system (900 – 1700 CE)

71
 1. Nature of coinage under Delhi Sultanate; monetary experiment under AllaudinKhilji
and Muhammad Bin Tughlaq
2. Development of coinage under Cholas, Vijaynagar and Bahamani
3. Monetary system under Mughals: Nature and significance

UNIT IV: Institutions and Money (1700-1947 CE)

1. Money, finance and trade under the indigenous states
2. East India Company; trade, conquest and bullion
3. The Colonial State and its Financial Institutions
4. The Nationalist critique of the Colonial Economy

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
UNIT I: This unit seeks to introduce an understanding about the concept of money and
monetary systems. The unit would also talk about the nature of exchange before coinage in the
Indian subcontinent. (Teaching time:2 weeks)
• Cribb, Joe(ed.), 1986, Money: From Cowrie Shells to Credit Cards,London: British
Museum Press.
• Graeber, D.,2011, Debt: The First Five Thousand Years, New York: Melville House
Publishing. (Chapters 2 and 3)

Unit II: This unit seeks to develop an understanding of various minting/manufacturing

technologies. This unit also deals with changes about continuity and change in monetary
systems in the Indian subcontinent. (Teaching time:5 weeks)
• Gupta, P.L., 1996, Coins, Delhi: South Asia House(Available in Hindi also)
• Jha, Amiteshwar, 2003, Bharatiya Sikke: Ek Aitihasik Parichay, Nasik: IIRNS
Publication.
• Mitchiner,Michael, 1973, The Origin of Indian Coinage, London: Hawkins
Publications.
• Mukherjee, B.N.,1997, The Technique of Minting Coins in Ancient and Medieval
India,Calcutta: Indian Museum.
• Pokharna,Premlata, 2006,Coins of Northern India (500-1200 AD), Jaipur: Unique
Traders.

Unit III: This unit deals with the development and changes in the monetary system in the
medieval times. The state intervention and regional variation in coinage at regional levels will
also be explored. (Teaching time: 4 weeks)
• Haider, Najaf,October 1999, The Quantity Theory and Mughal Monetary History, The
Medieval History Journal2, pp. 309-348.
• Habib, Irfan, 1984, The price regulations of Aluddin Khilji - A Defence of
ZianBarni,Indian Economic and Social History Review,21(4), pp. 393-414.

72
 • Subramanyam, Sanjay,1999, Money and the Market in India, 1100-1700 (Oxford in
India Readings: Themes in Indian History), Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Unit IV: This unit deals with the standardization of the currency system and development of
modern financial institutions, the development of colonial economic system and its critique
(Teaching time: 5 weeks)
• Bagchi, Amiya,1985, Transition from Indian to British Indian Systems of Money and
Banking 1800–1850, Modern Asian Studies, 501-519
• Chandra, Bipin, 2016, India’s Struggle for Independence 1857-1947, Delhi: Penguin
Random House (Chapter 7)
• Chaudhury, Sushil, 1991, Trade, Bullion and Conquest, Itinerario 15 (2):21-32
• Chaudhury, Sushil, 2000, Prelude to Empire, Manohar (Chapter 9)
• Garg, S. (Ed.), 2019, Monetary Foundations of the Raj, Delhi: Routledge (Introduction,
Chapters 1 and 3)
• Patnik, U., 2017, Mr Keynes and the forgotten holocaust in Bengal, 1943–44: Or, the
macroeconomics of extreme demand compression, Studies in People's History, Vol.4
(2), pp. 197-210.
• S. Sen, 2003, Tributes and Transfers from Colonial India, in G. Balachandran (Ed.)
India and the Global Economy, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Suggested Readings:
• Balachandran, G. (Ed.), 2003, India and the Global Economy, New Delhi: Oxford
University Press.
• Deyell, John S, 1990, Living Without Silver: The Monetary History of Early Medieval
North India, Delhi: Oxford University Press
• Handa, Devendra, 2007, Tribal Coins of Ancient India, Delhi: Aryan Books
International
• Maity, S.K., 1970, Early Indian Coins and Currency System, Delhi, Munshilal
Manoharlal
• Moosvi, Shireen, 1989, Numismatic Evidence and the Economic History of the Delhi
Sultanate, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 50.
• Om Prakash, 2004, Bullion for Goods, Delhi: Manohar
• Narain, A.K. and P.L. Gupta (Eds.), 1961, Journal of the numismatic society of India
(Golden Jubilee Volume), Volume XXIII.
• Patnaik, U. and P. Patnaik, 2021, Capital and Empire, New Delhi: Tulika/ Columbia
University Press (Chapters 1, 8-13)

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

73
 DISSERTATION: Dissertation Writing
Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods-I

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Dissertation Writing Track

of Research Methods-I 6

Learning Objectives
This course seeks to make students learn the elementary aspects of research which include the
ability to zero in on, define, and state the topic of research, to identify primary and secondary
sources towards that end, as well as to observe patterns in collected data. They should also be
able to forge complex and novel arguments on the basis of demonstrable patterns in available
information.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Understand the specificity and value of academic writing.

• Develop the art of quickly identifying and grasping the arguments and relevance of
secondary sources.
• Identify, Access, and Interpret primary sources
• Raise informed questions as well as make complex and nuanced arguments articulated
in relation to and in contradistinction with existing historiography
• Identify and respect the need to avoid pitfalls of plagiarism

I. Outcomes expected of Dissertation writing track in the 4th Year of UG Programmes

74
Semester VII
The following four outcomes must be achieved by the end of VII Semester:
i. Research Problem identification
ii. Review of literature
iii. Research design formulation
iv. Commencement of fieldwork/ similar tasks: exploring primary sources from Museum,
historical sites, Archives etc.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

75
 UGCF- 2022
SEMESTER- VIII
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
CATEGORY I
B.A. HONOURS HISTORY

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE (DSC): Reading Sources in Indian History II

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Reading Sources in Indian

History: An Introduction
to Literary Traditions II 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course endeavors to introduce undergraduate students to the field of research, raise and
frame questions of inquiry and interpretation and pay attention to the intersection of history,
archive and literary imagination. Students should learn to explore the documents and given
themes in conjunction with other evidence and readings. While documents often reveal
information, a critical approach will consider hidden agendas, unintended meanings, and bias
or point of view of the creator of the document provoking the students to verify the information
with photographs, objects, oral histories, or other available sources to reconstruct the material
world.

Learning outcomes
Introducing students to primary sources enable students to:
• develop critical thinking
• develop the skills for contextualized interpretation of sources
• sympathetically engage with and critique alternative interpretations

Syllabus
Unit I: Nuskha-i Dilkusha

Unit II: Census of India, 1901 and1931; Land Surveys; District Gazeteers (British Period)

Unit III:
1. Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay’s Anandmath

76
 2. Mahmud Farooqui/ W. W Hunter
3. Swami Vivekananda's East and the West or Prachya o Paschatya

Unit IV:
1. Premchand’s Rangbhoomi
2. Phaniswar Nath Renu’s Maila Anchal

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: Nuskha-i Dilkusha of Bhimsen (Teaching time: 2 weeks approximately)
With its focus on a Persian text composed by a kayastha soldier and writer in Aurangzeb's
regime, this unit seeks to apprise students of how the Mughal state appeared to one of its own
employees. Considering that Aurangzeb's reign was one of the most contentious in the history
of the Mughals, this text may potentially reveal to students a state in tumult. With reference to
the ways in which historians have used the book, it will also expose students to the varied
challenges that such texts throw for historians, and the diverse ways in which the latter deal
with them. Teaching time: 3 weeks approximately)
• Bhimsen Burnhanpuri, Nuskha-i Dilkusha, edited and translated by V.G. Khobrekar,
Sir Jadunath Sarkar Birth Centenary Commemoration Volume, Bombay, 1972.
• Taymiya R. Zaman (2015), 'Nostalgia, Lahore, and the Ghost of Aurangzeb,' in
Fragments, vol. 4.
• Majida Khan (1980), 'A Kayastha Family of Mughal Officials in the Reign of
Aurangzeb', Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 41, pp. 386-394.
• Majida N. Khan. 'Bhimsen’s Views on the Political and Economic Problems of the
Mughal Empire During Aurangzeb’s Reign', Proceedings of the Indian History
Congress, vol. 39, Volume I (1978), pp. 549-554.

Unit 2: Census of India, 1901 an1931; Land Surveys; District Gazeteers (British Period)
(Teaching time: 4 weeks approximately)
• B. Padmanabh Samarendra, ‘Census in Colonial India and the Birth of Caste,’
Economic & Political Weekly, August 13, 2011 vol. xlvI no. 33, pp.51-58.
• Timothy L. Alborn, ‘Age and Empire in the Indian Census, 1871–1931’, Journal of
Interdisciplinary History, xxx:1 (Summer, 1999), 61–89.
• Nicholas B. Dirks, Castes of Mind: Colonialism and the Making of Modern India,
Delhi: Permanent Black, 2006.
• Bernard S. Cohn, An Anthropologist Among the Historians and Other Essays, Delhi:
Oxford University Press, 1987.
• C. J. Fuller “Anthropologists and Viceroys: Colonial Knowledge and Policy Making in
India, 1871–1911.” Modern Asian Studies 50, no. 1 (2016): 217–58.
• Véronique Bénéï, ‘Reappropriating Colonial Documents in Kolhapur (Maharashtra):
Variations on a Nationalist Theme’, Modern Asian Studies, Oct., 1999, Vol. 33, No. 4
(Oct., 1999), pp. 913-950.

Unit 3: Bankimchandra Chattopadhyaya's Anandmath; Mahmud Farooqui/ W W Hunter;

Swami Vivekananda's East and the West or Prachya o Paschatya (Teaching time: 4 weeks
approximately)

77
 Jasodhara Bagchi ‘Positivism and Nationalism: Womanhood and Crisis in
Nationalist Fiction: Bankimchandra's Anandmath, ’Economic and Political Weekly, Oct. 26,
1985, Vol. 20, No. 43 (Oct. 26, 1985), pp. WS58-WS62
W W Hunter; Indian Musalmans: Are they bound in Conscience to rebel against
the Queen? Lahore: The Premier Book House, Reprinted in 1968.
• Syed Ahmad Khan (1872), Review on Dr Hunter’s Indian Musalmans: Are they
bound in Conscience to rebel against the Queen? Benaras: Printed at medical Hall
Press.
• Mahmud Faruqui, Beseiged Voices from Delhi 1857; Penguin, 2010.
• Gadar 1857 : Aankhon Dekha Vivaran by Moinuddin Hasan tr. Abdul Haq, Delhi
University Hindi Nideshalay 1999.
• Santosh Kumar Rai, ‘Bhartiya Muslim Samaj mein Jati aur Pitrisatta’ in Samajiki: A
Peer Reviewed Magazine of Social Science and Humanities, New Delhi: Rajkamal
Prakashan and Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad, October-
December 2021, pp.47-60.
• Amiya P. Sen, Swami Vivekananda, New Delhi: OUP,2013.

Unit 4: Premchand’s Rangbhoomi, Phaniswar Nath Renu’s Maila Anchal; (Teaching time: 3
weeks approximately)
• Geetanjali Pandey, 'Premchand and the Peasantry: Constrained Radicalism,' Economic
and Political Weekly , Jun. 25, 1983, Vol. 18, No. 26 (Jun. 25, 1983), pp. 1149-1155.
• Sudhir Chandra,‘Premchand and Indian Nationalism’, Modern Asian Studies , 1982,
Vol. 16, No. 4 (1982), pp. 601-621.
• Akhilesh Kumar,‘The Intersection of Caste and Disability in Premchand’s
Rangbhoomi’, Indian Literature , September–October 2023, Vol. 67, No. 5 (337)
(September–October 2023), pp.126-135, Sahitya Akademi.
• Kathryn Hansen,‘Renu's Regionalism: Language and Form’: The Journal of Asian
Studies , Feb., 1981, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 273-294.
• Nemichandra Jain and Rupert Snell,‘SENSITIVE AND MUSICAL: "MAILA
ANCHAL" Journal of South Asian Literature , Summer, Fall 1982, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp.
131-136, Asian Studies Center, Michigan State University. Stable URL:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40872481.

Suggested Readings:
• Bernard S. Cohn, Colonialism and its Forms of Knowledge: The British in India,
Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1996.
• Norbert Peabody, ‘Cents, Sense, Census: Human Inventories in Late Precolonial and
Early Colonial India’, Comparative Studies in Society and History, 43 (4), 2001,
pp.819-850.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

78
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC Elective (DSE): Sources and the Practice of History – II

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Sources and the Practice of

History-II 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives

This course is a sequel to its counterpart in the previous semester and trains the student in the
close reading, analysis and contextualization of primary historical sources. It consists of
primary texts of different genres from Indian history. Historians know what they do because
they are trained to read and interpret texts and material finds from past. This paper initiates
students into the study of “primary sources” from times far removed from our own. While this
assorted list cannot be representative of the vast extant literary corpus, it is meant to give the
readers a glimpse of it. Each of the texts have been chosen carefully with a view to familiarise
the students with varied kinds of texts, and the diverse problems they pose for the historian
trying to use them. It is also intended to apprise the students of the ways in which historians
interpret and deploy these textual resources along with other similar or dissimilar sources to
create a meaningful narrative about the past. Students will be confronted with the challenges
of historical interpretation and reconstruction of a variety of concepts, perspectives and
experiences including those relating authority, gender, social categorization, caste, ecology,
emotions and art. A study of these themes will prepare students to specialise further in the
discipline.

Each of the texts has been provided with a standard translated version and a few secondary
readings around it, which are indicative of historical contexts and inferences drawn from them
in Indian history writing.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course student should be able to identify:

* The importance of the primary texts for broader historical understandings
* To gain an understanding of several themes such as authority, society, gender, caste, ecology
and culture.
* Trace the emergence and trajectories of institutions, ideologies and concepts.

Syllabus
Unit I: Arthashastra, Unit II: Meghaduta Unit III: Divyavadana Unit IV: Rajatarangini

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: Arthashastra (12 Lectures )

79
* Translation: R.P. Kangle, (transl.) The Kautiliya Arthasastra, Part I: Sanskrit Text with a
Glossary; The Kautiliya Arthasastra, Part II: An English Translation
* Thomas Trautmann, (transl.) Arthashastra: The Science of Wealth, Penguin, 2012
* Heesterman JC (1985) The Inner Conflict of Tradition Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and
Society, (Chapter 9, “Kautilya and the Ancient Indian State”)
* Olivelle, Patrick (1 January 2004). "Manu and the Arthaśāstra, A Study in Śāstric
Intertextuality", Journal of Indian Philosophy Journal of Indian Philosophy, 32 (2–3):281–291.

Unit 2: Meghaduta (12 Lectures)

* Translation: M.R. Kale, (transl.), The Meghaduta of Kalidasa, Motilal Banarsidass,

(1January2008)
* Daniel H.H. Ingalls, ‘Kalidasa and the Attitudes of the Golden Age’, Journal of the American
Oriental Society, Vol. 96, No.1 (Jan.-Mar., 1976), pp. 15-26.
* Ram Gopal, Kalidasa: His Art and Culture, Concept Publishing Company, 1984.
* Simona Sawhney, ‘Who is Kalidasa? Sanskrit poetry in modern India’, Postcolonial Studies,
Vol. 7, Issue 3, 2004, pp. 295-312.

Unit -3 Divyavadana (12 Lectures )

*Translation : E.B.Cowell and R.A. Neil , The Divyavadana : A Collection of Early Buddhist
Legends , Gyan Publishing House , 2021
*Kalpana Upreti ,‘ Institutional and Ideological Usage of Dana in Divyavadana‘. Proceedings
of the Indian History Congress , Vol.50, 1989, pp.88-95.

*Kalpana Upreti , India A Reflected in Divyavadana , Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt.

Ltd, 1995

Unit 4: Rajatarangini (12 Lectures )

* Translation:. A. Stein, (transl.) Kalhana’s Rajatarangini: A Chronicle of the Kings of

Kashmir: 3 Volumes – vols. 1 and 2 in English, vol. 3 in Sanskrit (1892), Motilal Banarsidass,
5th edition (1 January 2017).
* Thapar, Romila. 'Historical Ideas of Kalhan as Expressed in the Rajatarangini', in Mohibul
Hasan (ed.) Historians of Medieval India, Delhi, 1968.

* Rangachari, Devika, 'Kalhana's Rajatarangini: A gender Perspective ' The Medieval History
Journal, 5(1), 2002, pp. 37-75.
* Roy, Kumkum, ‘The Making of a Mandala: Fuzzy Frontiers of Kalhana's Kashmir' in
idem., ed., The Power of Gender and the Gender of Power: Explorations in Early Indian
History, OUP, 2010.

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Suggested Readings :

* Translation: Rangarajan, L.N., (transl.) Kautilya: The Arthashastra, Penguin Classics, 1992
* Translation: Olivelle, Patrick, (transl.) King, Governance and Law in Ancient India:
Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
* Shiv Subramaniam, ‘How a Philosopher Reads Kalidasa: Vedantadesika’s Art of Devotion’,
Journal of Indian Philosophy, 49(1), 2021, pp. 45-80.
* Agnihotri, Manisha , Life and Times of Two Shikhandis in the Mirror of History , Motilal

80
Banarsidass ,Delhi , 2025, Part -II (for Divyavadana) , pp. 41-85
*Agnihotri, Manisha, Do Shikhandiyon Ka jeevancharitra Avam Unka Kaal : Itihaas ke Darpan
Mein , Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi , 2025 , Dvitiya Khand (for Divyavadana) , pp. 43-93.

* Translation: Rajatarangini: The Saga of the Kings of Kashmir by Ranjit Sitaram Pandit ,
(English Translation) The Indian Press, Allahabad, 1935.(South Asia Books ; Reprint edition ,
1 December 1990 ) ( Sahitya Academy , Government of India , New Delhi).
* Translation: Rajatarangini (with Hindi Commentary by Ramtej Shastri Pandey),
Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratishthan, 2015

* Kaul, Shonaleeka, 'Seeing the Past: Text and Questions of History in Kalhana's
Rajatarangini', History and Theory, Vol. 53, Issue 2, 2014, pp.194-211.
* Bronner, Yigal, 'From Conqueror to Connoisseur: Kalhana's Account of Jayapida and the
Fashioning of Kashmir as a Kingdom of Learning', The Indian Economic and Social History
Review, 2013.

* Zutshi, Chitralekha, ed., Kashmir's Contested Past: Narratives, Sacred Geographies and the
Historical Imagination, OUP, 2014

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

81
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Sources and the Practice of History - III

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Sources and the Practice

4 3 1 0
of History-III

Learning Objectives
This course is a sequel to its counterpart in the previous semester and trains the student in the
close reading, analysis and contextualization of primary historical sources. It consists of
primary texts of different genres from Indian history. Historians know what they do because
they are trained to read and interpret texts and material finds from past. This paper initiates
students into the study of “primary sources” from times far removed from our own. While
this assorted list cannot be representative of the vast extant literary corpus, it is meant to give
the readers a glimpse of it. Each of the texts have been chosen carefully with a view to
familiarise the students with varied kinds of texts, and the diverse problems they pose for the
historian trying to use them. It is also intended to apprise the students of the ways in which
historians interpret and deploy these textual resources along with other similar or dissimilar
sources to create a meaningful narrative about the past. Students will be confronted with the
challenges of historical interpretation and reconstruction of a variety of concepts,
perspectives and experiences including those relating authority, gender, social categorization,
caste, ecology, emotions and art. A study of these themes will prepare students to specialise
further in the discipline.

Each of the texts has been provided with a standard translated version and a few secondary
readings around it, which are indicative of historical contexts and inferences drawn from
them in Indian history writing.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this course student should be able to identify:

* The importance of the primary texts for broader historical understandings
* To gain an understanding of several themes such as authority, society, gender, caste,
ecology and culture.
* Trace the emergence and trajectories of institutions, ideologies and concepts.

Syllabus
Unit I : Rayvachkamu
Unit II: The Ain i Akbari

82
Unit-III: Dabistan – i Mazahib
Unit-IV: The Mertiyo Rathors of Merto Rajasthan

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: Rayvachkamu (12 Lectures )
* Translation: Philip B.Wagoner, Tidings of the King: A Translation and Ethnohistorical
Analysis of the Rayavacakamu, University of Hawaii Press, 1993.
* Cynthia Talbot, Precolonial India in Practice: Society, Region and Identity in Medieval
Andhra, 2001, OUP, pp. 197-202.
* Nilkanta Sastri et.al, Further Sources of Vijaynagara History, 3 Volumes, University of
Madras,1946.

Unit 2: The Ain-i Akbari (12 Lectures)

* Translation: Akbarnama of Abul Fazl (Trans. ) . H. Beveridge , Delhi , 1972.
* Translation: Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazl-i- Allami . Vol.1 Translated by H. Blochmann,
Revised and edited by Colonel D.C. Phillott,Third edition, 1977.
* Translation: Ain-i-Akbari ,Vol.II& III Translated by Colonel H.S Jarrett, corrected and
further annotated by Sir Jadunath Sarkar , New Delhi, 1978.
* Athar Ali, ‚The Perception of India in Akbar and Abul Fazl‘, in Irfan Habib ed. ,Akbar And
His India , OUP, 2000, pp.,215-24. Also available in Hindi , Akbar Aur Abul Fazl Ke Bharat
Sambandhi Vichar ‚ in Irfan Habib ed. , Akbar Aur Tatkaleen Bharat , Rajkamal Prakashan
,Delhi 2005
* Ruby Lal, Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University Press, 2005
* Audrey Truschke , Culture of Encounters : Sanskrit at the Mughal Court , Columbia
University Press, 2018. Chapter- 4 , 'Abul Fazl Redefines Islamicate Knowledge and Akbar's
Sovereignty', pp. 142-165.
* Shireen Moosvi.(1987), The Economy of the Mughal Empire , C. 1595: A Statistical Study,
Oxford Collected Essays , 2008.

Unit 3: Dabistan – i Mazahib (12 Lectures)

* Translation: David Shea and Anthony Troyer (Trans.), The Dabistan, or School of
Manners,
Paris , 1843, Vol.-II.
* M. Athar Ali, 'Pursuing an Elusive Seeker of Universal Truth – the Identity and
Environment of the Author of the Dabistan-i-Mazahib', Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society,
Vol.9, Part-3, Nov, 1999.
* Irfan Habib, 'A Fragmentary Exploration of an Indian Text on Religions and Sects: Notes
on Earlier Version of the Dabistan -i- Mazahib’; Proceedings of the Indian History Congress;
Kolkatta, 2000-01
* Manisha Mishra, 'Traces of Syncretic Novelties in the Religious Systems of the Hindus in
the Dabistan’, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Session – 2002, pp.447-452.
* Manisha Mishra, 'Paradigm Shifts in the Indian Philosophical Systems During the17th
Century: A Study of Dabistan -i-Mazahib’, U.P. Historical Review, Vols. II &III, 2007:66-
84. Hindi version of this article is also available,मनीषा अिग्नहोत्री, 'दिग्नस्तान के अनश
ु ीलन से ज्ञात सत्रहवीीं शताब्दी
के

83
 ु पता का स्वरुप’; in Pratima Asthana and S.Z.H.
भारतीय दाशशग्ननक पद्धग्नतयोीं में पररवतशनशीलता तथा अनरू
Jafri(eds.), Transformations in Indian History , Anamika Publishers,2009:715-730.

Unit-IV: The Mertiyo Rathors of Merto Rajasthan (12Lectures)

* The Mertiyo Rathors of Merto Rajasthan: The History of a Rajput Family 1462-1660, 2
Volumes, Translation by Richard Saran and Norman P.Ziegler, University of Michigan Press,
2001.(pp. 1-
33 ,51-70,81-190)
* T Norman P. Ziegler, "Some Notes on Rajput Loyalties during the Mughal Period" in J. F.
Richards, ed., Kingship and Authority in South Asia, University of Wisconsin, 1978, pp. 215-
51.

Suggested Readings:

* Hermann Kulke et. al., Maharajas, Mahants and Historians: Reflections of the
Historiography of Early Vijayanagara and Sringeri, In Vijayanagara-City and Empire: New
Currents of Research, ed. A.L. Dallapiccola and S.Z. Lallemant Stuttgart: Steiner Verlag
Wiesbaden,1985.
* Velcheru Narayan Rao, 'Kings, Gods and Poets: Ideologies of Patronage in Medieval
Andhra, in the Powers of Art:' Patronage in Indian Culture ed. Barbara Stoler Miller, Delhi:
Oxford University Press, 1992

* J F Richards, The Formulation of Imperial Authority under Akbar and Jahangir; in

Muzaffar Alam and Sanjay Subramanyam (eds).The Mughal State , 1526-1750; Delhi 1998.
* S.A.A Rizvi , Religious and Intellectual History of the Muslims During the Reign of Akbar
(1556- 1605); Delhi;1975.

* Harbans Mukhia, Historians and Historiography during the Reign of Akbar . Vikas
Publishing House;1976.
* K. A.Nizami , On History and Historians of Medieval India , New Delhi , Vedic Books;
1983. * Afzar Moin, The Millennial Sovereign: Sacred Kingship & Sainthood in Islam, New
York: Columbia University Press, 2014 Introduction, pp. 1-22.

* एच.सी. वमाश (सम्पाग्नदत), मध्यकालीनभारत (वॉल्यमू II) १५४०-१७६१; ग्नहींदी माध्यम कायाशन्वयन ग्ननदेशालय, ग्नदल्ली
ग्नवश्वग्नवद्यालय; २०१७
* सतीश चींद्र, मध्यकालीन भारत (भाग II ), सल्तनत से मग़ु ल काल तक, नई ग्नदल्ली, जवाहर पिब्लशसश & िग्नस्ट्रीब्यटू सश.
* ई. श्रीधरन, इग्नतहास लेख: एक पाठ्यपस्ु तक, ग्नदल्ली, २०११.
* Irfan Habib, “Sikhism and the Sikhs, 1645-46” From ‘Dabistan -i-Mazahib’ in J.S.Grewal
and Irfan Habib (eds.), Persian Sources of Sikh History, Aligarh; New Delhi, 2000

* Karim Najafi Barzegar , ‚ Introducing A Hitherto Undiscovered Copy of Dabestan-e

Mazaheb‘ ,Proceedings of the Indian History Congress , 2009-10, vol.70 , pp.318-28.
* Aditya Behl, ‘Pages from the Book of Religions: Encountering Difference in Mughal
India’, in Sheldon Pollock ed. Forms of Knowledge in Early Modern Asia: Explorations in
the Intellectual History of India and Tibet, 1500-1800, Delhi: Manohar 2011 pp 210-239.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination

Branch, from time to time.

84
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Practice of History – II

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the

course Pre-
Eligibilit
Credit requisite of
Practical y
s the course
Lecture Tutorial / criteria
(if any)
Practice

Practice of History –
II 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course aims to introduce students to some important methodological approaches and tools
to the writing of several important fields of history-writing (connected history, social history,
micro-history, history of emotions and oral history). Each unit contains core historical texts
along with readings that will allow the student to critically engage with the methods of research
and analysis used by the author. The course will both give students a sense of the wide range
of the historiographical advances in the discipline, as well as equip them to read and interpret
primary sources by familiarizing them with some crucial tools of historical analysis.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this course the student will be able to:
• Critically read and engage with the arguments as well as the methodology used by
historians in texts of historiographical importance
• Understand the methodological perspectives and tools of analysis in different fields.
• Reflect on how these diverse practices of history could be used by them to read and
interpret primary sources.

Syllabus
Unit 1: Connected Histories: Circulations and Entanglements, Trans-national Histories
Unit 2: Social History, history of emotions and senses
Unit 3: Micro-History: Local and Particular, Issues of Context
Unit 4: Oral History: History and Ethnography; Memory and Narrative; Practice

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: This unit focuses on scholarship that looks at the history of movement of people, goods
and ideas across regions and locales. (Teaching Time: 03 weeks approximately).
• Bayly, Christopher et al. “AHR Conversation: On Transnational History.” The
American Historical Review, 111 (5), 2006: 1441-1464.
• Scott, Julius S., The Common Wind: Afro-American Currents in the Age of the Haitian
Revolution, Duke, 2018.

85
 • Subrahmanyam, Sanjay. “Connected Histories: Notes towards a Reconfiguration of
Early Modern Eurasia.” Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No. 3, 1997: 735–62.
• Wiesner, Merry, “Crossing Borders in Transnational Gender History,” Journal of
Global History, Vol. 6, Issue 3, November 2011, pp. 357-379.

Unit II: This unit focuses on readings intersectionality in social history, history of emotions
and senses that have been particularly pertinent in the Indian context. (Teaching Time: 06
weeks approximately).
• Sarkar, Tanika, “A Book of Her Own, A Life of Her Own,” in Kumkum Sangari and
Uma Chakravarti (eds), From Myths to Markets, Manohar, 1999.
• Scott, Joan, “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis,” American Historical
Review, Vol. 91, No. 5, 1986, pp. 1053-75.
• Sinha, Mrinalini, “Giving Masculinity a History,” Gender and History, Vol. 11, No. 3,
November 1999, pp. 445–460.
• Caste
• Rawat, Ramnarayan S., Reconsidering Untouchability: Chamars and Dalit History in
North India, Permanent Black, 2010, Chapters 1 and 2.
• Rege, Sharmila, Writing Caste, Writing Gender: Narrating Dalit Women’s
Testimonies, Zubaan, 2013. ( Chapter 1)
• V. Geetha, “Bereft of Being: The Humiliations of Untouchability,” in Gopal Guru ed.
Humiliation: Claims and Context, OUP, 2009.
• Ali, Daud, “Towards a history of courtly emotions in early medieval India, c. 300–700
CE,” South Asian History and Culture, Vol. 12, Issue 2-3, 2021, 129-145.
• Corbin, Alain, Village Bells: The Culture of the Senses in the 19th century French
Countryside, Columbia University Press, 1998. (Chapters 1, 3, 6 and 7).
• Febvre, Lucien, “Sensibility and History: How to Reconstitute the Emotional Life of
the Past,” in Peter Burke (ed.), A New Kind of History: From the Writings of Febvre,
trans. K. Folca, Harper & Row, New York, 1973, pp. 12-26.
• Smith, Mark M., “Producing Sense, Consuming Sense, Making Sense: Perils and
Prospects for Sensory History,” Journal of Social History, Vol. 40, No. 4, 2007, pp.
841–58.

Unit III: This unit will consist of readings that use the local and the specific to illustrate larger
historical trends and developments. (Teaching Time: 02 weeks approximately).
• Ginzburg, Carlo, The Cheese and the Worms: the Cosmos of a 16th-century Miller,
John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1982. (Chapters 1, 3, 11, 14).
• Ginzburg, Carlo, et al., “Microhistory: Two or Three Things That I Know about It,”
Critical Inquiry, Vol. 20, No. 1, 1993, pp. 10–35.
• Levi, Giovanni, “On Microhistory,” in Peter Burke (ed.), New Perspectives on
Historical Writing, Polity Press, Cambridge, 1991, pp. 97-119.
• Revel, Jacques, “Microanalysis and the Construction of the Social,” in Jacques Revel
and Lynn Hunt, Histories: French Constructions of the Past, New Press, 1998, pp. 492-
502.

Unit V: This unit focuses on key texts on oral tellings , listening and the making of historical
narratives. (Teaching Time: 03 weeks approximately).
• Bharucha, Rustom, Rajasthan: An Oral History: Conversations with Komal Kothari,
Penguin Books, India, 2007.

86
 • Butalia, Urvashi, “Beginnings,” in The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition
of India, Penguin Books, 1998, p. 1-20.
• Singer, Wendy, Creating Histories: Oral Narratives and the Politics of History Making,
OUP, 1997. (Chapters 1, 2, 3 and Conclusion).
• Thompson, Paul, “The Voice of the Past: Oral History,” in Robert Perks and Alistair
Thomson (eds), The Oral History Reader, Routledge,1978, pp. 33-39.

Suggested Readings:
• Amin, Shahid, Event, Metaphor, Memory: Chauri Chaura 1922-1992, OUP, 1995. (Part
1, Part 5).
• Bama, Karukku, OUP, 2014. (Chapters 1, 2 and 3).
• Bourke, J. (2003), ‘Fear and Anxiety: Writing about Emotion in Modern History’,
History Workshop Journal, 55, pp. 111-133.
• Chowdhury, Indira, “Speaking of the Past: Perspectives on Oral History.” Economic
and Political Weekly, Vol. 49, No. 30, 2014, pp. 39–42.
• Cooper, Frederick. “What is the Concept of Globalization Good for? An African
Historian’s Perspective.” African Affairs, Vol. 100, No. 399, 2001, pp. 189–213.
• Davis, Natalie Zemon, “Decentering History: Local Stories and Cultural Crossing in a
Global World”, History and Theory, Vol. 50, No. 2, 2011, pp. 188-202.
• Davis, Natalie Zemon, The Return of Martin Guerre, Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, 1983. (See Chapters 1, 2, 5, 9, 11).
• Gruzinksi, Sergei, What Time Is It There: America and Islam at the Dawn of Modern
Times, Polity Press, 2010. (Introduction, Chapters 1, 5 and 9).
• Hall, Catherine, White Male and Middle Class: Explorations in Feminism and History,
Polity Press, 1995. (Chapters 1, 6 and 9).
• Jaaware, Aniket, “(Un)touchability of Things and People”, in idem. Practicing Caste:
On Touching and Not Touching, Fordham University Press, 2019, pp. 149-168.
• LaCapra, Dominick, “The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Twentieth-Century
Historian”, in idem., History and Criticism, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 1985, pp.
45-70.
• Linebaugh, Peter and Marcus Rediker, The Many Headed Hydra: The Hidden History
of the Revolutionary Atlantic, Verso, 2012. (Introduction, Chapters 6, 7).
• Mohan, P. Sanal, Modernity of Slavery: Struggles against Caste Inequality in Colonial
Kerala, OUP, 2015 ( Chapters 1, 5 and 6)
• Pernau, Margrit, “From Morality to Psychology: Emotion concepts in Urdu, 1870–
1920”, Contributions to the History of Concepts, Vol. 11, Issue 1, 2016, pp. 38–57.
• Portelli, Alessandro, The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories: Form and Meaning
in Oral History, CUNY Press, 1991, pp. 1-28

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

87
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): History of Labour in Colonial and Postcolonial
India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

History of Labour in
Colonial and Postcolonial 4 3 1 0
India

Course objectives: Course objectives: This course will trace major themes and issues of
labour history from the colonial to the postcolonial period. It shall introduce students to
important concepts through a broad historiographical survey of labour issues that have
emerged. The course proceeds to delve into key case studies that will further familiarise the
students about the major themes and debates in Indian labour history.

Learning outcomes: On completion of the course, students would be able to:

• Trace important historiographical issues informing labour history writing.
• Comprehend the historical as well as contemporary transformations unfolding within
the world
of labour.
• Examine how workers are positioned in different work settings.
• Trace how labour negotiates and contests different historically produced identities that
also shape
the work experiences.
• Evaluation of labour’s contestation and resistance with respect to work regimes, living
conditions and state policies.

Unit-1: Historiographical trends: This Unit familiarizes the students with key conceptual and
historiographical contributions in the field of labour history. It introduces the students to broad
trends in labour history writing. (Teaching time: 2 weeks)

(a) Ahuja, Ravi. (2020) “‘Produce or Perish’. The crisis of the late 1940s and the place of labour
in post-colonial India,” Modern Asian Studies. 54 (5), pp. 1041-1112.
(b) Breman, Jan (2016). “Chapter-2: A Short History of Informal Sector. In At Work in the
Informal Economy of India: A Perspective from the Bottom Up. New Delhi: OUP.
(c) Gupta, Ranajit Das and Dipesh Chakravarty (2019 reprint). Some Aspects of Labour History
of Bengal in the Nineteenth Century: Two Views (Social Science Across Disciplines). Delhi:
OUP.

(d) Chandavarkar, Rajnarayan. (1997). “‘The Making of the Working Class’: E. P. Thompson
and

88
Indian History.” History Workshop Journal, Vol. 43(1), spring, pp. 177–196.
(e) Joshi, Chitra, Prabhu Mohapatra and Rana P. Behal (2010). “India.” In Histories of Labour.
National and International Perspectives, edited by Joan Allen, Alan Campbell and John
Mcllroy. Pontypool.

•
Unit-2: Different Labour Regimes and Work Settings: This Unit provides an overview of
how different forms of labour have existed under different work settings and systems of
control. It will also familiarize the students as to how these labour regimes have changed
over time. (Teaching time: 5 weeks)

I. Labour in agriculture, plantations, domestic services and artisanal work:

(a) Breman, Jan (2008). Labour Bondage in West India from Past to Present. Delhi: Oxford
University.

(b) Behal, Rana P. and Prabhu P. Mohapatra (1992). “‘Tea and Money versus Human Life’:
The Rise and Fall of the Indenture System in the AssamTeaPlantations 1840–1908.” In
Plantations, Proletarians and Peasants in Colonial Asia, edited by E. Valentine Daniel,
Henry Bernstein, and Tom Brass. London: Routledge.

© Prakash, Gyan (ed.) (1992). “Introduction.” The World of Rural Labourer. Delhi: Oxford
University Press.

(d) Sen, Samita and Nilanjana Sengupta (2018). “Introduction.” Domestic Days: Women,
Work, and Politics in Contemporary Kolkata. Delhi: OUP.

(e) Rai, Santosh Kumar (2021). “Introduction.” Weaving Hierarchies: Handloom

Weavers in Early Twentieth Century United Provinces. Delhi: Primus.

(f) Roy, Tirthankar. (1999). “Introduction.” Traditional Industry in the Economy of

Colonial India. Cambridge: CUP.

II. Labour in factories, workshops and urban informal employment:

• (a) Chandavarkar, Rajnarayan. (2002). “Problems and Perspectives.” The Origins of

Industrial Capitalism in India: Business Strategies and the Working Classes in
Bombay 1900-1940. Cambridge: CUP.

• (b) Masselos, J.C. (1982). “Jobs and Jobbery: The Sweeper in Bombay under the
Raj,” IESHR, Vol. XIX (2), pp. 101-39.

• (c) John, M. (2018). “The ‘Half-timer’: Colonial Indian Regulation of Child

Labourers.” In Law and Time, edited by Siân Beynon-Jones and Emily Grabham
(Eds.). London: Routledge Social Justice Book Series. (pp. 162–78).

89
 • (d) Bandyopadhyay, Ritajyoti (2016). “Institutionalizing Informality: The Hawkers'
Question in Post- colonial Calcutta.” Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 50(2) (March), pp.
675-717.

Unit-3: Labour and social identities: caste, gender, religion, nation: This Unit will
familiarize the students with the interplay between key social identities and the class position
of the labouring masses. (Teaching time: 4 weeks)

I. Caste and labour

• (a) Gooptu, Nandini (1993). “Caste, Deprivation and Politics: The Untouchables in
U.P. Towns in the Early Twentieth Century.” In Dalits and Meanings of Labour,
edited by Peter Robb. Delhi: OUP.

• (b) Sarkar, Tanika. (2013). “'Dirty Work, Filthy Caste': Calcutta Scavengers in the
1920s.” In Working
Lives and Worker Militancy, edited by Ravi Ahuja. Delhi: Tulika.

• (c) John, M. (2016). “(De)skilling Caste: Exploring the Relationship between Caste,
State Regulations
and the Labour Market in Late Colonial India.” In The Vernacularization of Labour
Politics, edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Rana P. Behal. New Delhi: Tulika
(pp. 267-293).

II. Gender and labour

• (a) Sen, Samita. (2008). “Gender and Class: Women in Indian Industry, 1890–1990,”
Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 42(1), pp. 75-116.

• (b) Kumar, Radha. (1983). “Family and Factory: Women in the Bombay Cotton
Textile Industry,” 1919-39, IESHR, Vol. 20 (1), pp. 81-110.

• (c) Forbes, Geraldine. (1996). “Chapter 4: Women’s Work in Colonial India.”

Women in Modern India. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

III. Community and Nation

• (a) Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. (1988). “Swaraj and the Kamgar: The Indian National
Congress and the Bombay Working Class, 1919-31.” In Congress and Indian
Nationalism: The Pre-Independence Phase, edited by R. Sisson and S. Wolpert.
Berkeley and Los Angeles, pp. 223-49.

• (b) Chakravarty, Dipesh. (1989). “Class and Community.” Rethinking Working Class
History. Princeton University Press.

• (c) Joshi, Chitra. (1985). “Bonds of Community, Ties of Religion: Kanpur Textile
Workers in the Early Twentieth Century,” Indian Economic & Social History Review,
Vol. 22(3), pp. 251-280.

90
Unit-4: Tracing labour resistance: This Unit will trace how labour has continued to resist
and contest work conditions, living conditions and state policies in the colonial times as well
as in the contemporary time period. It will familiarize the students with important typologies
of labour resistance and movements. (Teaching time: 3 weeks)

• (a) Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. (2016). “Introduction.” In The Vernacularization of

Labour Politics, edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Rana P. Behal. New Delhi:
Tulika.

• (b) Bhattacharya, Shahana. (2013). “Rotting Hides and Runaway Labour: Labour
Control and Workers' Resistance in the Indian Leather Industry, c. 1860-1960.” In
Working Lives and Worker Militancy, edited by Ravi Ahuja. Delhi: Tulika.

(c) Breman, Jan. (2016). “Chapter-6: Resistance to Exclusion and Coping with Insecurity.” In
At Work in the Informal Economy of India: A Perspective from the Bottom Up. New Delhi:
OUP.

• (d) Chandavarkar, Rajnarayan. (2004). “From Neighbourhood to Nation: The Rise

and Fall of the Left in Bombay's Girangaon in the Twentieth Century.” In One
Hundred Years, One Hundred Voices: The Mill Workers of Girangaon: An Oral
History, edited by Meena Menon and Neera Adarkar. Calcutta: Seagull Books.

• (e) De Neve, Geert. (2005). “Introduction.” The Everyday Politics of Labour.

Berghahn Books.

• (f) Joshi, Chitra (1999). “Hope and Despair: Textile Worker in Kanpur in 1937-38
and the 1990s.” In Lost Worlds. Delhi

Suggested readings:

• Agarwala, Rina. (2013). Informal Labor, Formal Politics, and Dignified Discontent in
India. Cambridge University Press. [Chapters 2 & 3]

• Breman, Jan. (1996). Footloose Labour: Working in India’s Informal Economy.

Cambridge: CUP.
Dupré, J. and Regenia Gagnier. (1996). A Brief History of Work. Journal of Economic
Issues, 30 (2), pp.553-

• 59.
Joshi, Chitra. (2002). “Notes on the Breadwinner Debate: Gender and Household
Strategies in Working-Class

• Families,” Studies in History, Vol.18(2): 261-27.

• Mohapatra, Prabhu. (2005). “Regulated Informality Legal Constructions of Labour

Relations in Colonial India 1814–1926.” In Workers in the Informal Sector. Studies in
Labour History 1800–2000, edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Jan Lucassen. New
Delhi: Macmillan India.

• Ness, I. (2014). “Introduction: New Forms of Worker Organizations”; and Arup K. Sen,
“Chapter-4: The Struggle for Independent Unions in India’s Industrial Belts:

91
 Domination, Resistance, and the Maruti Suzuki Auto Workers.” In New Forms of
Worker Organization: The Syndicalist and Autonomist Restoration of Class- Struggle
Unionism. PM Press, Oakland, CA.

• Oommen, T.K. (2010). “Indian Labour Movement: Colonial Era to the Global Age,”
Economic and Political Weekly, December 26, 2009-January 1, 2010, Vol. 44 (52), pp.
81-89.

• Robb, Peter. (1993). Dalits and Meanings of Labour. Delhi: OUP. (Chapters 5, 7, 8 and
12). RoyChowdhury, Supriya (2015). “Bringing Class Back In: Informality in
Bangalore,” Socialist Register

• Vol.51 (Transforming Classes). London: Merlin Press.

Sinha, Nitin, Nitin Verma and Pankaj Jha. (2019). “Introduction.” Servants’ Past: Late
Eighteenth to

• Twentieth Century South Asia. Delhi: Orient Blackswan.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination

Branch, from time to time.

92
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Introduction to Epigraphy and Numismatics

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Introduction to Epigraphy
and Numismatics 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course covers essential aspects of two important categories of archaeological sources
namely epigraphy and numismatics. It will introduce students to explore the field of epigraphy
and numismatics and equip them to understand its handling and how to use them for historical
reconstruction a new. Being aware of epigraphy and its significance for historical
reconstruction encourage students to learn about scripts, languages and thereby its evolution
and development. Similarly, understanding of numismatics and concerned methodologies
provide students ideas as to how they may infer its pertinence to debasement and fiscal history.
Parameters of analysis involved in epigraphy and numismatics gives a firm background to
understand and explore these potential field with promising research scopes to enrich
understanding of social, cultural, political and economic history.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:
• know the nature and importance of original sources for historical reconstruction
• variations in and different types of inscriptions and coins of different historical periods
• learning of languages and scripts used in inscriptions and coins; practical experience of
different physical aspects of inscriptions and coins.
• Learn classical languages and scripts of India and circulation of coins in the society.

Syllabus
Unit-I: Elements of Epigraphy
1. The decipherment of ancient scripts and the evolution of epigraphic research in India.
2. Classifying inscriptions on the basis of language, script and purport. Analyzing
inscriptions: the role and potential of epigraphic evidence in historical reconstruction;
modes of analysis -- quantitative methods; mapping; issues of intent, purpose, audience,
context; the relationship between inscriptions and literature.

Unit-2: Development and Evolution of Epigraphy The Harappan script: basic features;
claims to decipherment; the role of writing in the Harappan civilization.
1. The origins, paleographic features, and development of early historic Indic scripts, with
special reference to Brahmi, Kharoshthi and Tamil-Brahmi.

Unit-II: Elements of Numismatics

1. Survey of Numismatic Studies (early 18th century to the present).

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 2. Methods for using coins for reconstruction of different kinds of histories of early India:
economic, social, political, religious, and cultural.
3. Numismatic Terminology.

Unit-IV: Development and Evolution of Numismatics

4. Origin and Evolution of Coins – Techniques of Manufacturing.
5. Metrology of Coins: Weight Standards.
6. Survey of Early Coins (up to circa 1300 CE).

Practical component (if any) - Reading and interpreting inscriptions: A close reading and
analysis of at least 6 different types of inscriptions (eg. edicts, prasastis, votive
inscriptions, land grants and records of the proceedings of local bodies) belonging to
different periods and regions.

Essential/recommended readings
Unit: I: This unit introduces the students to the essentials of epigraphy. It explores history of
epigraphic research in India, classification of inscriptions, (Teaching time: 12 hrs.
approximately)
• Sircar, D.C.: ed. Select Inscriptions bearing on Indian History and Civilisation,
vol.1&2, 1 983.
• Singh, K.S. and Manoharan S. : Language and Scripts, vol-9, 1993.
• गौरीशंकर हीराचंद ओझा: प्राचीन भारतीय िलिपमाला, 2016.
• Salomon Richard. 1999. Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in
Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages (South Asia Research). Oxford:
Oxford University Press.
• Hultzsch, E. 1925. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol.1 Inscriptions of Asoka.
Delhi: ASI
Unit II: This unit deals with evolution and development of early historic Indian scripts and
interpretation of inscriptional data. (Teaching time: 11 hrs. approximately)

• Dani, A. H. Indian Epigraphy. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal.1986, 1997.

• Bühler, G. Indian Palaeography ([1904], 2004). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal,
1904, 2004.
• Subrahmanian, N.and Venkataraman, R. 1980 Tamil Epigraphy Madurai: Ennes
Publications, 1980.
• शमार् अिमता:भारतीय अिभलेखशा�,परु ािलिपशा� एवं कालक्रम पद्धित, 2010.

Unit: III: This unit introduces the students to the essentials of numismatics. It explores history
of numismatics research in India, methods of using coins for reconstruction of
history,(Teaching time: 11 hours approximately)
• Sircar. D. C. Studies in Indian Coins. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publisher. 1968.
• Elliot, Walter. Coins of South India. Delhi: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, 2005.
• Cunningham, Alexander. Coins of Ancient India: From the Earliest Times Down to the
Seventh Century A.D. Delhi: ASI, 1996.
• Allan, John: Catalogue of the Coins of Ancient India in the British Museum (1936,
Indian Reprint 1975
Unit IV : This unit deals with familiarizing students with the origin and evolution of coins,
metrology of coins and survey of early coins. (Teaching time: 11 hours approximately)

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 • Mukherjee, N. The Techniques of Minting Coins in Ancient and Medieval
India.1997.वासदु ेव उपाध्याय: भारतीय िसक्के , 1948.
• Gupta, P. L. Kuṣāṇa coins and history. Delhi: D.K. Printworld. 1994.
• Sharma, I.K.: Coinage of the Satavahana Empire 1980.
• Tylecote, R.F.: Metallurgy in Archaeology: Readings for various Coin Series 1962.
• Chattopadhyay, Bhaskar: The Age of the Kushanas: A Numismatic Study 1967.
• Pokharna, Premlata : Coins of North India (500-1200 AD): A Comprehensive Study on
Indo-Sassanian Coins, Unique Traders, Jaipur, 2006.

Suggestive readings:
• Hultzsch, E. 1925. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol.1 Inscriptions of Asoka.
Delhi: ASI
• Diskalkar D. B.: Selections from Sanskrit Inscriptions, 1977.
• वासदु ेव उपाध्याय: भारतीय िसक्के , 1948
• Cribb, Joe : “Investigating the Introduction of Coinage in India – A Review of Recent
Research”, JNSI, Vol.XLV, 1983, pp.80-107.
• Chakrabortty S.K. : Study of Ancient Indian Numismatics 1931.
• Guillaume, Olivier : Analysis of Reasonings in Archaeology:The Case of
GraecoBactrian and Indo-Greek Numismatics 1990
• Deyell, John S. : Living Without Silver: The Monetary History of Early Medieval North
India, OUP,Delhi, 1990.
• Jha, Amiteshwar and Dilip Rajgor : Studies in the Coinage of the Western Kshatrapas
(1994)
• Altekar A.S.: Coinage of the Gupta Empire (1957)
• Chattopadhyay, Bhaskar : The Age of the Kushanas : A Numismatic Study (1967)
• Ray, S.C.: Stratigraphic Evidence of Coins in Indian Excavations and Some Allied
Issues (1959)
• Gupta, P.L. and T.R.Hardekar : Ancient Indian Silver Punch-Marked Coins (1985)
• Casey , P.John : Understanding Ancient Coins : An Introduction for Archaeologists and
Historians (1986)
• Tiwari, J.N. & P.L.Gupta : “A Survey of Indian Numismatography”, JNSI, Vol.XXIII,
1961, pp.21-48
• Mitchiner, Michael : The Origins of Indian Coinage (1973)
• Dasgupta, K.K. :A Tribal History of Ancient India – A Numismatic Approach (1974)
• Mahadevan, Iravatham. 2003. Early Tamil Epigraphy: From the Earliest Times to the
Sixth Century AD. Chennai: Cre-A and the Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies,
Harvard University.
• Ojha, G. H. (1918] 1993) The Palaeography of India. New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal.
• Pollock, Sheldon. ([2006] 2007) The Language of the Gods in the World of Men:
Sanskrit, Culture, and Power in Premodern India. New Delhi: Permanent Black.
• Ramesh, K. V. 1984. Indian Epigraphy, vol. 1. Delhi: Sundeep Prakashan
• Subrahmanian, N.and Venkataraman, R. 1980. Tamil Epigraphy Madurai: Ennes
Publications.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

95
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Reading Social Relations through Texts and
Visuals II

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Reading Social Relations

through Texts and Visuals 4 3 1 0
II

Learning Objectives
This course explores the interplay between texts and visual arts in shaping social history and
cultural memory. Students will critically examine autobiographies, historical chronicles, and
calligraphy to understand how narratives of power, identity, and resistance are constructed.
Simultaneously, they will analyze paintings, architecture, theatre, early cinema, and music as
visual mediums that document and challenge historical discourse. The course examines the
intersections of social hierarchies, cultural identities, and political structures, encouraging
students to critically engage with dominant narratives. Through experiential research and site
documentation, students will develop methodological tools for critical analysis, enhancing
their ability to interpret and reframe historical and cultural representations.

Learning Outcomes:
After completing this course, students will be able to:
Critically Analyze Textual and Visual Narratives
o Understand the social, cultural, and historical significance of texts and visual
arts.
Engage in Interdisciplinary Approaches to History and Culture
o Explore the role of calligraphy, autobiography, and historical texts in shaping
perspectives on power and identity.
o Examine theatre, cinema, and music as tools for capturing and expressing
social change.
Evaluate the Representation of Social Relations in Different Mediums
o Study how paintings, architecture, and performing arts depict and influence
societal structures.
o The course explores the intersections of historical structures, cultural
frameworks, and political authority, encouraging students to critically analyze
dominant narratives.
Apply Research Skills Through Experiential Learning

96
 o Conduct field-based research and document findings in an academic report.
o Develop methodological skills to assess historical and cultural sites critically.
These objectives and outcomes ensure that students develop a multidisciplinary
understanding of historical and cultural narratives while strengthening their analytical and
research capabilities.

Unit I: Concepts in Text and Visual Arts

(a) Exploring Social Narratives in Textual Sources
(b) Capturing Social History Through Visual Expression

Unit II: Voices and Scripts of History: An Analytical Exploration of Two Chosen
Texts
(a) Gulbadan Begum, Ahval-i Humayun Badshah
(b) Calligraphy: In Early Modern India
(c) Autobiography: Amar Jiban
(d) Jainendra Kumar, Sunita (1935, Hindi)

Unit III: Visual Narratives: A Critical Examination of Two Artistic Works

(a) Paintings: Rajput /Pahari
(b) Architecture: Taj Mahal/ Red Fort /Jantar Mantar
(c) Theatre: Binodini Dasi (1863-1941)
(d) Early Cinema: Fearless Nadia’s Films
(e) Music: Gauhar Jaan (1873-1930)

Unit IV: Practical Component:

This component involves a field-based analytical study, requiring students to engage directly
with a designated heritage or cultural site. Students must produce a critically reflective report
that documents their observations, interpretations, and contextual insights. All submissions
must be substantiated with geo-tagged photographs to verify on-site engagement and
experiential learning.

The student may choose to study and write a report on any of the centrally protected
monuments listed by the government of india given in the link below.
https://www.nma.gov.in/showfile.php?lang=1&level=1&ls_id=965&lid=1276&nma_type=0

Readings for Unit I:

Text-Based Reading Material:
(1) D. Fairchild Ruggles, ed., Women, Patronage and Self-Representation in Islamic
Societies, New York: State University of New York Press, 2000, Introduction, pp.1-
15.
(2) Anshu Malhotra & Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, eds., Speaking of the Self: Gender,
Performance and Autobiography in South Asia, New Delhi: Zubaan, 2017,
Introduction, pp. 1-30.
(3) Sarkar, Sumit, Writing Social History, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997.

97
Readings for Visual and Performative Arts:

(1) Blair, Sheila S., ‘Islamic Art as a Source for the Study of Women in Premodern
Societies’, Amira El-Azhary Sonbol, Beyond the Exotic; Women’s Histories in Islamic
Societies, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2005, pp. 336-46.
(2) Davis, Richard (ed) Picturing the Nation: Iconographies of Modern India Delhi: Orient
Longman, 2007, Introduction: 1-31.
(3) Pinny, Christopher, Camera Indica: The Social Life of Indian Photographs Envisioning
Asia, Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1997.

Readings for Unit II

(1) Calabria, Michael D., The Language of the Taj Mahal, New Delhi: Bloomsbury, 2022,
Chapters 1-2, pp. 1-54.
(2) Govind, Nikhil, ‘Jainendra Kumar and the Hindi Novelistic Tradition’, in Govind,
Between Love and Freedom, London: Routledge, 2014, pp.82-108.
(3) Lal, Ruby, Vagabond Princess: The Great Adventures of Gulbadan, New Delhi:
Juggernaut, 2024.
(4) Dass, Bruj Ratan, Gulbadan Begum Ka Humayunaama (Hindi tr.), Delhi: National
Book Trust 2020.
(5) O’ Hanlon, Rosalind, A Comparison Between Women and Men, Delhi: Oxford
University Press,1994.
(6) Roxburgh, David J., “The Eye is Favoured for Seeing the Writing’s Form”: On the
Sensual and the Sensuous in Islamic Calligraphy’, Muqarnas, Vol. 25, 2008, pp. 275-
98.

Readings for Unit III

(1) Aitken, Molly, Purdah and Portrayal: Rajput Women as Subjects, Patrons and
Collectors, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 62, No. 2, 2002, pp. 247-80.
(2) Dasi, Binodini, My Story and My Life as an Actress, Delhi: Kali for Women, 1998.
(3) Giles Tillotson, Taj Mahal, Gurgaon: Penguin Random house, 2008.
(4) Goswamy, B.N., ‘A Complex Web: Approaches to Time in Rajput and Mughal
Painting’, in Indian Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art, (ed.) Arindam Chakrabarti,
New York: Bloomsbury, 2016, pp. 215-220.
(5) Koch, Ebba, The Complete Taj Mahal, London: Thames & Hudson, 2012.
(6) Mukherji, Anisha Shekhar, The Red Fort of Shahjahanabad: An Architectural History,
New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2003.
(7) Sampat, Vikram, Gauhar Jaan: The Life and Times of a Musician, Delhi: Rupa, 2010.
(8) Pandey, Anshuman (translated by), Mera Naam Hai Gauhar Jaan, New Delhi: Jnanpith
Vani Prakashan, 2021.
(9) Sharma, Virendra Nath, Sawai Jai Singh and His Astronomy, Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass Publication, 1995.
(10) Wenner, Dorothee, Fearless Nadia: The True Story of Bollywood’s Original
Stunt Queen, Penguin India, 2005.

Recommended Readings:
(1) Khanna, Meenakshi, Madhyakaleen Bharat ka Sanskritik Itihas, Delhi: Orient
Blackswan, 2012. (Hindi)
(2) Necipoglu, Gulru, Framing the Gaze in Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Palaces, Ars
Orientalis, Vol. 23, 1993, pp. 303-42.

98
 (3) Roxburgh, David, ‘The Eye is Favoured for Seeing the Writing’s Form: On the
Sensual and the Sensuous in Islamic Calligraphy’, Muquarnas, Vol. 25, 2008, pp.
275-98.
(4) Singh, Kavita, Visibility, Veiling and Voyeurism: The Depiction of Women in Mughal
Art, YouTube 2020.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

99
 DISSERTATION: Dissertation Writing
Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods-I

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Dissertation Writing Track

of Research Methods-I 6

Learning Objectives
This course seeks to make students learn the elementary aspects of research which include the
ability to zero in on, define, and state the topic of research, to identify primary and secondary
sources towards that end, as well as to observe patterns in collected data. They should also be
able to forge complex and novel arguments on the basis of demonstrable patterns in available
information.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Understand the specificity and value of academic writing.
• Develop the art of quickly identifying and grasping the arguments and relevance of
secondary sources.
• Identify, Access, and Interpret primary sources
• Raise informed questions as well as make complex and nuanced arguments articulated
in relation to and in contradistinction with existing historiography
• Identify and respect the need to avoid pitfalls of plagiarism

Outcomes expected of Dissertation writing track in the 4th Year of UG Programmes

The following three outcomes must be achieved by the end of VIII Semester:
i. Completion of fieldwork, and tracking the primary sources.

100
 ii. Submission of dissertation
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

101
 UGCF- 2022
CATEGORY II
BA (MULTIDISCIPLINARY) with History as Major
SEMESTER – VIII

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE (DSC): Reconstructing the Past

Course title & Credit distribution of the Pre-

Code course requisite
Eligibility
Credits of the
Practical/ criteria
Lecture Tutorial course (if
Practice
any)
Reconstructing
4 3 1 0
the Past

Learning Objectives
This paper aims to familiarize the students with the most commonly tried and tested
ways in which historians reconstruct past. It does so by apprising them of the manner
in which the discipline of history, in relation to certain other comparable disciplines,
developed diverse techniques and approaches to understand a society. How did
historians have done so in the past? It also allows students to describe and critically
assess the best practices of modern historiography, especially that of the last two
centuries. The paper impresses upon them that a historian has an option of choosing
her analytical thrust from a variety of options. She must exercise this choice with care,
and after taking due cognizance of the specificity of sources, time and place.

Learning outcomes
Having finished the course, the students would have learnt to-
• Assess how historians approach, understand and describe past in diverse ways
• Understand and analyse how historiographies changed over a period of time
• Appreciate the value of multiple histories
• Notice how historians deploy specific categories of analysis in historical
reconstruction
• Coherently weave information from sources

102
Syllabus

Unit 1: Positivism and its Other: Ranke and Collingwood

Unit 2: Annales and Marxist Historiography; Social History

Unit 3: Feminist historiography; History from Below

Unit 4: Microhistory, Global History and Connected Histories

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1 Teaching Time: 2 Weeks
• Carr, E.H. (1987, 1990). What is History. Second edition, London: Penguin.
[Ch. 1: The Historian and His Facts].
• Collingwood, The Idea of History, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946 [Part V,
Sections on ‘History and Freedom’, and ‘Progress and Created by Historical
Thinking’, pp. 315-334.]

Unit 2 Teaching Time: 4 Weeks

• Doug Lorimer (1999). Fundamentals of Historical Materialism: The Marxist
View of History and Politics, Resistance Books, [Introduction and Ch. 1:
Historical Materialism as a Science]
• Sarkar, Sumit (1997), 'The Many Worlds of Indian History', in Sarkar, Writing
Social History, Delhi: Oxford University Press.
• E.P. Thompson (1963). 'Preface', The Making of the English Working Class,
New York: Vintage, pp. 9-14.
• Jacques Le Goff (1974), 'Mentalities: A History of Ambiguities', in Constructing
the Past: Essays in Historical Methodology, edited by Le Goff and Nora.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 166-80. (First published in English
in 1985)

Unit 3 Teaching Time: 4 Weeks

• Meyerowitz, Joanne. (2008). “A History of ‘Gender’,” American Historical
Review, Vol, 113, No. 5. December, pp. 1346-56.
• Joan W. Scott (1988), 'Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis', in
Gender and the Politics of History, New York, Columbia University Press, pp.
41-50.
• Linda Gordon (1990). Review of “Gender and the Politics of History” by Joan
W. Scott, in Signs, Vol. 15. No. 4, Summer, 848-60.

103
 • Guha, Ranajit (1982) Subaltern Studies 1: Writings on South Asian History and
Society, Delhi: Oxford University Press [‘Preface’ and Ch. 1: ‘On Some Aspects
on the Historiography of Colonial India’, pp. 1-8]

Unit 4 Teaching Time: 4 Weeks

• Ginzburg, Carlo (1993). ‘Two or Three Things That I Know about It’, Critical
Inquiry, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 10-35.
• Berger, Stefan. (2007). Introduction. In Writing the Nation: A Global
Perspective. Palgrave MacMillan.
• Conrad, Sebastian. (2016). What is Global History. Princeton and Oxford:
Princeton University Press. (Introduction and Chapter 4: Global History as a
Distinct Approach).
• Subrahmanyam, Sanjay (199). ‘Connected Histories: Notes towards a
Reconfiguration of Early Modern Eurasia’, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No.
3, pp. 735-762.

Suggested readings:
• Gardiner, P. (1973). The Varieties of History: From Voltaire to Present. Second
edition, Vintage Books.
• Appadurai, The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
• Sayer, Derek. (1987). “The Historicity of Concepts.” The Violence of
Abstraction: The Analytical Foundations of Historical Materialism. Oxford: Basil
Blackwell.
• Riley, Denise. (2008). “Does a Sex Have a History?” The Sociology of Gender,
ed. Sarah Franklin, and Joan W. Scott, “Unanswered Questions”, American
Historical Review, 113, no. 5. December.
• Croce, B. (2008 reprint). Ch.19: Denationalisation of History, in idem,
Philosophy and Other Essays on the Moral and Political Problems of our Time.
Read Books
• Eley, Geoff and K. Nield (2010), “Introduction” and “Conclusions”, The Future
of Class in History: What’s Left of the Social? Ann Arbor: University of Michigan
Press.
• Haraway, Donna. (2001). “‘Gender’ For A Marxist Dictionary.” Feminism:
Critical Concepts in Literary & Cultural Studies. Ed. Mary Evans. London:
Routledge.
• Skeggs, Beverley. “(Dis)Identifications of Class: On Not Being Working Class.”
Formations of Class And Gender. London: SAGE, 2002, pp. 74-97.
• Wood, E.M. (1986). “Autonomization of Ideology and Politics.” In Retreat from
Class: A New True Socialism. London: Verso.

104
 Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination
Branch, from time to time.

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Methods of studying material cultures

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Methods of studying
4 3 1 0
material cultures

Learning Objectives
To familiarize students with the material evidence that has been left behind by the past, and the
craft of dealing with them. Students will be able to rationalise the sources as the information
which adds to the sum of our knowledge of the past. A basic appreciation about the sources
will familiarise students with the important tools for developing an understanding of any
development in the past. The objective is to make the learner aware of the ways of securing
access to the records of cultural, social, scientific, economic and political thought and
achievement produced by people who lived during the specific period to be studied.

Learning outcomes
• The learners will be able to have a sense of what it was like to be alive during the
bygone times.
• They will be able to critically evaluate generalization, analysis, synthesis, interpretation
and evaluation of the original information.
• They will be able to question and make inferences about the material, purpose, point of
view and bias inherent into the sources.

Syllabus
Unit I: Primary sources and historian’s craft

105
 1. Construction of sources, historical imagination and biases,
2. Scope and limitations of primary sources,

Unit II: Archaeological sources

1. Study of past through material remains: explorations and excavations
2. Scientific techniques useful in archaeology
3. Interpreting archaeological evidence: New archaeology, Processual Archaeology, Post-
Processual Archaeology, Cognitive Archaeology, Ethno-archaeology

Unit III: Epigraphic records

1. Scope and significance of epigraphic material: the case of Indian history
2. A survey of inscriptions: from Ancient to Medieval Indian history
Unit IV: Numismatic Records
3. A brief history of Indian Coinage (upto 18th century)
4. Coins as a source for reconstructing Indian history (upto 18th century)

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: Primary sources and historian’s craft
• Arthur Marwick. 2003. The New Nature of History: Knowledge, evidence, Language.
Palgrave: Hampshire.
• Carr, E.H. [1961] 1987.What is History? Penguin Books: London.
• Poovey, Mary. (1998). “The Modern Fact, the Problem of Induction, and Questions of
Method” in A History of the Modern Fact: Problems of Knowledge in the Sciences of
Wealth and Society, Chicago: University of Chicago, (Chapter 1).

Unit II: Archaeological sources

• Bahn, Paul. 1996. Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University
Press
• Iqtidar Alam Khan, “Methodologies and Approaches for Medieval Archaeology: A
Report of Exploration of Public Buildings and Minor Structures along Mughal
Highways”, Indian Archaeology Since Independence,ed. K.M. Shrimali, Delhi, 1996.
• Jain, V.K.2006. Prehistory and Protohistory of India: An Appraisal. New Delhi: D.K.
Printworld, pp. 1-18.
• Renfrew, Colin and Paul Bahn. [1991] 2016. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and
Practice. 7th edn. London: Thames and Hudson.
• Singh, Upinder. 2016.A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone
Age to the 12th Century. Noida:Pearson, pp. 34-41

Unit III: Epigraphic records

• Prasad, Pushpa. (1990). Sanskrit Inscriptions of Delhi Sultanate, 1191-1526. OUP,
Delhi, pp. xv- xxxii.
• Ray, Himanshu Prabha. 2006. Coins in India: Power and Communication. Mumbai:
Marg Publications. Introduction.
• Raza, S. Jabir. (2014). ‘Coinage and Metallurgy under the Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud’,
in Proceedings of Indian History Congress, Vol 75, Platinum Jubilee, pp. 224-231.

106
 • Salomon, Richard. 1998. Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in
Sanskrit,Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages. New York: Oxford University
Press.
• Singh, Upinder. 2016.A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone
Age to the 12th Century. Noida: Pearson, pp. 42-56
• Sircar, D.C. 1965. Indian Epigraphy, Motilal Banarasidass: Delhi.
• Tirmizi, S.A.I. (1968). Ajmer Through Inscriptions, New Delhi: Indian Institute of
Islamic Studies, pp. 11-24.

Unit IV: Numismatic records

• Cribb, Joe. 2005. The Indian Coinage Tradition: Origins, Continuity and Change.
Nashik: Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies.
• Grierson, Philip. 1975. Numismatics. London: Oxford University Press.
• Siddiqui, I.H. (2012). “Money and Social Change in India during Medieval Times” in
S.Z.H. Jafri (ed.) Recording the Progress of Indian History: Symposia Papers of the
Indian History Congress, 1992-2010, 433-458.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

107
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Methods of studying archival and literary
sources

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Methods of studying
archival and literary 4 3 1 0
sources

Learning Objectives
• To understand diverse historical sources (literary, archival, artistic) for reconstructing
the past.
• To critically analyze the authenticity, biases, and limitations of these sources across
cultural contexts.
• To explore the interplay of history, literature, art, and archives in shaping historical
narratives.
• To integrate various sources to build well-rounded historical arguments.
• To appreciate the socio-political and cultural contexts influencing historical sources.

Learning outcomes
• Ability to analyze and interpret literary, archival, and artistic sources to reconstruct
history.
• Proficiency in critically evaluating the reliability and biases of diverse sources using
recommended methodologies.
• Capacity to synthesize multiple sources into nuanced historical narratives.
• Application of interdisciplinary approaches, effectively integrating literary, archival,
and artistic evidence.

108
 • Awareness of the cultural and political contexts shaping historical sources.

Syllabus
Unit I: Literary Sources and Historical Imagination
1. Literary traditions in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Persian and Urdu languages.
2. Literary traditions in Dravidian languages: Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam.

Unit II: Vernacular and Foreign Literary Sources

1. Literary trends in Vernacular languages: Khari boli, braja bhasha, Bengali.
2. Accounts and Chronicles by foreign travellers.

Unit III : Archival Sources

1. Official records, farmans, official letters and manuals
2. Private Archives, family papers, letters
3. Cartography and maps
4. Oral evidence

Unit IV: Art as source of recovering history:

1. Paintings, miniatures, portraits and scrolls,
2. Museums, films and documentaries,

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: Literary Sources and Historical Imagination
• Athar Ali, “Translations of Sanskrit Works at Akbar’s Court” Social Scientist, vol. 20
no.9, 1992, pp, 38-45
• Audrey Truschke, Culture of Encounters: Sanskrit at the Mughal Court, Columbia
University Press, 2018, Introduction.
• David L. Curely, Poetry and History. Bengali Mangal-Kabya and Social Change in Pre-
Colonial Bengal, New Delhi: Chronicle Books, 2008 (Chaps. 1 and 5).
• Gossman, Lionel. Between History and Literature, Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, 1990.
• Mugali, R. S. 1975. History of Kannada Literature. New Delhi: SahityaAkademi
• Muzaffar Alam, Languages of Political Islam, Delhi: Permanent Black, 2004, Chapter
4, ‘Language and Power’, pp. 115-140.
• Nair, P.K. Parameswaran. 1967. History of Malayalam Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya
Akademi.
• Pollock, Sheldon. 2003. Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions from South Asia.
Delhi: Oxford University Press. Introduction.
• S.R. Faruqui, “A long History of Urdu Literary Culture: Part 1: Naming, Placing a
Literary Culture” Chap 14, in Pollock, Sheldon. (Ed.). Literary Cultures in History:
Reconstructions from South Asia, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.
• Singh, Upinder. 2016. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone
Age to the 12th Century. Noida: Pearson, pp. 13-32
• Sisir Kumar Das. 2006. A History of Indian Literature, 500-1399: From Courtly to the
Popular. Delhi: Sahitya Akademi Publications.
• V. N. Rao, David Shulman and Sanjay Subrahmanyam (eds.) (2001). Textures of Time:
Writing History in South India 1600-1800, Delhi: Permanent Black

109
 • Varadarajan, Mu. 1988. A History of Tamil Literature. E. Sa Viswanathan (trans. from
Tamil). Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.
• Walter Hakala, Negotiating Languages: Urdu, Hindi, and the Definition of Modern
South Asia, 2016, Columbia University Press.
•
• हरीश चद्रं वमार् सपं ादक मध्यकालीन भारत, भाग २, १५४०-१७६१, िदल्ली, िहदं ी माध्यम िनदेशालय, िदल्ली िव�िवद्यालय,१९९३, पृ�
५६७-६३३.

Unit II: Vernacular and Foreign Literary Sources

• Allison Busch, “Hidden in Plain view: Brajbhasha poets at the Mughal Court” Modern
Asian Studies. 2010, Vol. 44, No.2, pp 267-309
• Ray, (2005). “Francoise Bernier’s Idea of India” in Irfan Habib, ed., India:Studies in the
History of an Idea, New Delhi: MunshiramManoharlal, 2005.
• Alam, Muzaffar and Sanjay Subrahmanyam. (2007). Indo-Persian Travels in the Age of
Discoveries, 1400-1800, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Singh, Upinder. 2016. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone
Age to the 12th Century. Noida: Pearson, pp. 13-32

Unit III: Archival Sources

• Amin, Shahid. (1987) “Approver’s Testimony, Judicial Discourse: The Case of Chauri
Chaura,” in Ranajit Guha (ed.), Subaltern Studies 5, Delhi: OUP, pp. 166-202.
• B.N. Goswami, “The Records kept by Priests at Centres of Pilgrimage as a Source of
Social and Economic History”, Indian Economic and Social History Review Vol. III No.
2, pp. 174-84.
• Benison, Saul. (1960). “Reflections on Oral History.” The American Archivist 28:1, pp.
71-77.
• Farooqui, N.R. (2017). “An Overview of Ottoman Archival Documents and their
Relevance for Medieval Indian History”, Medieval History Journal, Vol. 20., Issue I,
April. pp. 192-229.
• Irfan Habib, ‘Cartography in Mughal India’, Medieval India — a Miscellany, ed.K.A.
Nizami, Vol.IV, Bombay, 1977.
• Jeremy Black,Maps and History: Constructing Images of the Past, New Haven and
London: Yale University Press, 1997.
• John Seyller, “The Inspection and Valuation of Manuscripts in the Imperial Mughal
Library”,Artibus Asiae, Vol. 57, No. 3/4 (1997), pp. 243-349.
• Srivastava, K.P. (ed.), (1974). Mughal Farmans [1540 to 1706], vol.1, Uttar Pradesh
State Archives, Lucknow, 1-71.
• Thompson, E.P. (Jan 1977) ‘Folklore, Anthropology and History’, Indian Historical
Review, III, no. 2, pp. 247-66.
• Zemon-Davis, Natalie. (1990). Fiction in the Archives: Pardon Tales and their Tellers
in Sixteenth Century France, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987, pp. 1-35, 76-
110.

Unit IV: Art as source of recovering history:

• Deshpande, Anirudh, ‘Films as Historical Sources or Alternative History’ Economic and
Political Weekly, Vol. 39, No. 40 (Oct. 2-8, 2004), pp. 4455-4459.

110
 • Koch, Ebba, “How the Mughal padshahs referenced Iran in their visual construction of
universal rule” in Peter Fibiger Bang and Dariusz Kołodziejczyk ed.,Universal Empire:
A Comparative Approach to Imperial Culture and Representation inEurasian History,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 194-209.
• Ramaswamy Sumathi, ‘Conceit of the Globe in Mughal Visual Practice’, Comparative
Studies in History and Society, vol.49, no.4, 2007, pp.751–782.
• Shaw, Wendy. (2007) "Museums and Narratives of Display from the Late Ottoman
Empire to the Turkish Republic." Muqarnas 24, pp. 253-79.
• Singh, K. (2002). “The Museum is National,” India International Centre Quarterly,
29(3/4), pp. 176-196.

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Social History of Education in India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Social History of Education

in India 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course will provide students a historical perspective on different traditions of education
in India from ancient to colonial periods. In addition to studying the so-called mainstream
pattern, it seeks to engage predominantly with alternative ideas, traditions and perspectives. It
seeks to underscore complex trajectories of continuity and change in the field of education over
a longer period.

• Learning outcomes
• The course will enhance learners’ comprehension of the complex historical trajectories
of the expansion as well as limitations of educational opportunities in pre-colonial
India; the diversity of knowledge production and its transmission.
• The course will lead to a better understanding of the connection between knowledge
and power: the role of state and different social categories.
• It will make learners more informed about the historical patterns of educational
inclusion and exclusion in India.
• It will make students aware of the rich legacy of alternative education in

Syllabus

111
Unit 1: Indigenous Education in pre-Colonial India: from ancient to medieval Period. (3
weeks)
Unit 2: Interface of Indigenous and Colonial Education during eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries. (3 weeks).
Unit 3: Impact of Colonial Educational Policies on Society: Female education, socio-Religious
and Ethnic Communities and children with disabilities. (5 weeks)
Unit 4: Campaign for Free and Compulsory Elementary Education in Colonial India and Some
Alternative Education Models Evolved During Freedom Struggle(3 weeks)

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: This unit examines the key aspects of educational arrangements in ancient and medieval
India, such as patronage, knowledge traditions, pedagogical practices, and translation
initiatives. What these arrangements and traditions reveal about social relations during the
period under study. What were the major changes and continuities during this period? (3
weeks)
• Altekar, A. S. (1944), Education in Ancient India. Benares: Nand Kishore & Bros.
• Alam, Muzaffar. (2003), ‘The Culture and Politics of Persian in Pre-colonial
Hindustan,’ in Sheldon Pollock (ed.), Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions
from South Asia, University of California Press, 2003, pp. 131-198.
• Hussain, S. M. Azizuddin (ed.) (2005), Madrasa Education in India: Eleventh to
Twenty First Century. Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi.
• Jafri, Saiyid Zaheer Husain. (2021), ‘Education and the Transmission of Knowledge in
India’s Medieval Past: Contents, Processes, and implications’ in Cristiano Casalini,
Edward Choi and Ayenachew A. Woldegiyorgis (Eds.), Education beyond Europe:
Models and Traditions before Modernities. Brill, pp. 129-151.
• Lowe, Roy and Yasuhara, Yoshihito (2016), The Origins of Higher Learning:
Knowledge Networks and the Early Development of Universities, Routledge. Chapter
Two, ‘From the Indus to the Ganges, Spread of Higher Learning in India.’
• Rezavi, Syed Ali Nadeem. (2007), ‘The Organization of Education in Mughal India’.”
Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 68, pp. 389-97.
• Salgado, Nirmala, S. (1996), ‘Ways of Knowing and Transmitting Religious
Knowledge: Case Studies of Theravada Buddhist Nun’, Journal of the International
Association of Buddhist Studies, Volume 19, Number 1, Summer 1996, pp. 61-80.
• Scharfe, Hartmut (2002). Education in Ancient India, Leiden: Brill.
• Shrimali, Krishna Mohan. (2011). ‘Knowledge Transmission: Processes, Contents and
Apparatus in Early India.’ Social Scientist, Vol. 39, No. 5/6, pp. 3–22.

Unit 2. This unit deals with the transition from pre-colonial indigenous learning to Western-
style modern education in colonial India. It surveys the Early and recent historiographical
discourse on indigenous education; its salient features; and different explanations for its decline
or interface with colonial system of education. This unit shows how the two systems, traditional
and modern interfaced with or encountered each other during 18th and 19th century. It will
engage with how a complex relationship of coalition and conflict emerged between European
officers and upper classes and castes of Indian society which shaped the extent and nature of

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education in colonial India, and what kind of structure of education emerged out of this
coalition and interface. (3 weeks)
• Acharya, Poromesh. (1996). “Indigenous Education and Brahminical Hegemony in
Bengal”. In Nigel Crook, (Ed.), The Transmission of Knowledge in South Asia: Essays
on Education, Religion, History, and Politics, Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 98-
118.
• Chaudhary, I. K. (2013), “Sanskrit learning in colonial Mithila: continuity and change”.
In Kumar, Deepak., Bara, Joseph., Khadria, Nandita., & Gayathri, Radha Ch (Eds.),
Education in Colonial India: Historical insights. (pp. 125-146). Manohar, New Delhi.
• Dharampal. (Ed.), (1983), The beautiful tree: indigenous education in the eighteenth
century. Biblia Impex New Delhi. (Specially Introduction).
• Di Bona, Joseph. (Ed.) (1983), One teacher one school. Biblia Impex New Delhi.
(Specially Introduction).
• Farooqui, Amar (2021), ‘Some Aspects of Education and Knowledge Formation in
Nineteenth-Century Delhi’, in Vikas Gupta, Rama Kant Agnihotri, & Minati Panda
(Eds.), Education and Inequality: Historical Trajectories and Contemporary
Challenges, Orient Blackswan, pp. 211-225.
• Gupta, Vikas. (2017a), ‘Macaulay se Pare’, in Hariday Kant Dewan, Rama Kant
Agnihotri, Arun Chaturvedi, Ved Dan Sudhir, and Rajni Dwivedi, (eds), Macaulay,
Elphinstone aur Bhartiya Shiksha, Vani Prakashan, New Delhi.
• Jafri, S.Z.H., (2020), “Indo Islamic Learning and the Colonial State: Bengal Presidency
under East India Company”. J.P.H.S., 68 (2), pp. 47-68.
• Rao, Parimala V. (2020), Beyond Macaulay: Education in India, 1780-1860, New
York, Routledge.
• Seth, Sanjay. (2008), Subject Lessons: The Western Education of Colonial India, Delhi,
OUP, pp. 17-46.
• Shahidullah, Kazi. (1996), “The purpose and impact of Government policy on
pathshala gurumohashoys in nineteenth-century Bengal”. In Nigel Crook. (Ed.). The
transmission of knowledge in South Asia: essays on education, religion, history and
politics (pp. 119-134). Oxford University Press, Delhi.

Unit 3. This unit critically examines the effects of colonial educational policies on various
social groups in India, focusing on how education functioned either as an emancipatory project
or as an instrument of social control and subjugation. It explores the historical debates and
historiographical perspectives on the impact of colonial education on marginalized and
disadvantaged communities, including Dalits, tribal groups, women, Muslims, and children
with disabilities. The unit interrogates the role of Christian missionaries, the colonial state,
social reformers, and community leaders in shaping access to and the nature of education. The
overarching question guiding this unit is whether colonial education contributed to social
mobility and empowerment or whether it reinforced existing structures of exclusion,
dominance, patriarchy, and majoritarianism. (5 weeks)
• Ahmed, Rafiuddin. (1981). The Bengal Muslims 1871-1906: A Quest for Identity.
Delhi: Oxford University Press. (Especially Chapter 5).

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 • Allender, Tim. (2016). Learning Femininity in Colonial India, 1820–1932. Manchester:
Manchester University Press.
• Bagchi, Barnita. (2009). "Towards Ladyland: Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and the
Movement for Women's Education in Bengal, c. 1900–c. 1932." Paedagogica Historica
45, no. 6: 743-755.
• Bara, Joseph (2005). Seeds of mistrust: tribal and colonial perspectives on education in
Chhotanagpur, 1834–c. 1850. History of Education, 34(6), 617-637.
• Bara, Joseph (2010). Schooling ‘Truant’ Tribes: British Colonial Compulsions and
Educational Evolution in Chhotanagpur, 1870–1930. Studies in History, 26(2), 143-
173.
• Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. (Ed.), Education and the Disprivileged: Nineteenth and
Twentieth Century India (pp. 153-160). Hyderabad: Orient Longman.
• Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. Ed. (1998) The Contested Terrain: Perspectives on
Education in India, Orient Longman Limited. (Specially Introduction and the essays by
Suresh Chandra Sukla and B.M. Sankhdher, pp. 1-53 and 290-302).
• Constable, Philip (2000). Sitting on the School Verandah: The ideology and Practice of
‘Untouchable’ Educational Protest in Late Nineteenth-Century Western India. The
Indian Economic and Social History Review, 37(4), 383-422.
• Gupta, Vikas. (2022). "Educational Inequities in Colonial India and the Agency of
Teacher: Lens of Molvi Zaka Ullah." Social Scientist 50, nos. 9-10 (September-
October): 21-41.
• Kitchlu, T.N. ED. A Century of Blind Welfare in India, Penman, Delhi, 1991.
• Kumar, Arun (2019). The ‘Untouchable School’: American Missionaries, Hindu Social
Reformers and the Educational Dreams of Labouring Dalits in Colonial North India.
South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 42(5), 823-844.
• Miles, M. 1995. Disability Care & Education in 19th Century India: Dates, Places &
Documentation, with Some Additional Material on Mental Retardation and Physical
Disabilities up to 1947. Revised Version. 1997-05. ERIC
• Pandey, R.S. and Advani, Lal, Perspectives in Disability and Rehabilitation, Vikas,
New Delhi, 1995.
• Paul, M. C. (1989). "Colonialism and Women’s Education in India." Social Change 19:
3-17.
• Robinson, Francis. (1975). Separatism Among Indian Muslims: The Politics of The
United Province Muslims, 1860-1923. Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, First Indian
Edition.
• Zelliot, Eleanor (2014). Dalit Initiatives in Education, 1880-1992. In Parimala V. Rao
(Ed.), New Perspectives in the History of Indian Education (pp. 45-67). New Delhi:
Orient BlackSwan.

Unit 4. This unit focusses on two interrelated aspects. Firstly, this unit critically assesses the
successes and the failures of the efforts of colonial state, social reformers, and nationalist
leaders to provide free and Compulsory Primary Education in colonial India. Secondly, it seeks
to decode legacy of the Educational discourse of freedom struggle in India and the educational

114
alternatives established by Indians, such as the Swadeshi Movement, Gandhian initiatives,
Tagore’s educational activities, work of Bhaurao Patil and others.
• Acharya, Poromesh. (1997) “Educational Ideals of Tagore and Gandhi: A Comparative
Study” EPW, 32, pp 601-06. Firstly, it seeks to decode legacy of the Educational
discourse of freedom struggle in India and the educational alternatives established by
Indians.
• Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. Bara, Joseph. and Yagati, Chinna Rao. eds., (2003)
Educating the Nation: Documents on the Discourse of National Education in India
(1880-1920), Kanishka Publishers Distributors (Specially Introduction).
• Chatterji, Basudev. ed., (1999) “Towards Freedom (1938 Watershed)” Oxford
University Press for ICHR, (Vol. I. chapter 8.)
• Gupta, Vikas. (2018) 'BhauraoPatil's Educational Work and Social Integration',
Inclusive, Vol. 1, Issue 12. (January).
• Kumar, Krishna. (2009) “Listening to Gandhi” in his What is Worth Teaching? Orient
Longman, (Third Edition), Ch. 9, pp 111-128.
• Mondal, Ajit. (2017), ‘Free and Compulsory Primary Education in India Under the
British Raj’, SAGE Open, SAGE Publications.
• Naik, J.P. (1941) Compulsory Primary Education in Baroda State: Retrospect and
Prospect, (First published in the Progress of Education, Poona, and thereafter
separately published in book form).
• Oesterheld, Joachim. (2009) ‘National Education as a Community Issue: The Muslim
Response to the Wardha Scheme’, in Krishna Kumar and Joachem Oesterheld, eds.,
Education and Social Change in South Asia, New Delhi, Orient Longman, pp. 166-195.
• Rao, Parimala V. (2013), ‘Compulsory Education and the Political Leadership in
Colonial India, 1840-1947’, in Parimala V. Rao ed., New Perspectives in the History of
Indian Education, New Delhi, Orient BlackSwan, pp. 151-175.
• Sadgopal, Anil. (2017) “Macaulay Banam Phule, Gandhi-Ambedkarka Muktidai
Shaikshik Vimarsh” in Hariday Kant Dewan, Rama Kant Agnihotri, Chaturvedi, Arun.
Sudhir, Ved Dan and Rajni Dwivedi. eds., Macaulay, Elphinstone Aur Bhartiya
Shiksha, New Delhi, VaniPrakashan, pp. 82-95.
• Sarkar, Sumit. (1973) Swadeshi Movement in Bengal (1903-1908), People’s Publishing
House, (Chapter 4, pp. 149-181).
• Venkatanarayanan, S. (2013), ‘Tracing the Genealogy of Elementary Education Policy
in India Till Independence’, SAGE Open, Sage Publications.

Suggested Readings:
• Awan, Maqbool Ahmad. (2019). "Role of the Muslim Anjumans for the Promotion
of Education in the Colonial Punjab: A Historical Analysis." Bulletin of Education
and Research 41, no. 3: 1-18.
• Bandyopadhyay, D. (2002), ‘Madrasa Education and the Condition of Indian
Muslims’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 37, No. 16, pp. 1481-1484.
• Basu, Aparna. (1974) The Growth of Education and Political Development in India,
1898-1920. Delhi: Oxford University Press.

115
• Bronkhorst, Johannes (2013), Buddhist Teaching in India. Boston: Wisdom
Publications.
• Bryant, Edwin (2009), The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation,
and Commentary, New York, USA: North Point Press.
• Crook, Nigel. ed., (1996), The Transmission of Knowledge in South Asia: Essays
on Education, Religion, History, and Politics, Delhi, Oxford University Press.
• Divakaran, P.P. (2019), The Mathematics of India: Concepts, Methods,
Connections, Springer, Singapore. Introduction. pp. 1-21.
• Fagg, Henry. (2002), A Study of Gandhi’s Basic Education, Delhi:
National Book Trust.
• Frykenberg, R. E. (1986), ‘Modern Education in South India, 1784-1854: Its Roots
and Role as a Vehicle of Integration under Company Raj’, American Historical
Review, Vol. 91, No. 1, February, pp. 37-65.
• George L. Hart (1975), The Poems of Ancient Tamil, Their Milieu and Their
Sanskrit Counterparts, Issue 21, Center for South and Southeast Asia Studies, UC
Berkeley Publications, Center for South and Southeast Asia studies.
• Gupta, Vikas. (2021) (Ed). Education and Inequality: Historical Trajectories and
Contemporary Challenges, edited by Vikas Gupta, Rama Kant Agnihotri, and
Minati Panda. Orient Blackswan.
• Habib, Irfan. Technology in Medieval India: C. 650-1750. India: Tulika Books,
2013. Chapter to be specified.
• Hindustani Talimi Sangh. (1950). Educational reconstruction: A collection of
Gandhiji’s articles on the Wardha Scheme along with a summary of the proceedings
of the All-India National Educational Conference held at Wardha—1937 (5th ed.).
• Jafar, S.M., (1936), Education in Muslim India, S. Muhammad Sadiq Khan,
Peshawar.
• Jafri, S.Z.H. (2020). "Indo Islamic Learning and the Colonial State: Bengal
Presidency under East India Company." Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society
68, no. 2: 47-68.
• Kamal, M. M. (1998), ‘The Epistemology of the Carvaka Philosophy’, Journal of
Indian and Buddhist Studies, 46(2), pp. 13–16.
• Kannan, Divya (2022). Caste, space, and schooling in nineteenth century South
India. Children’s Geographies, 20(6), 845–860.
• Kumar, Krishna. (2014) Politics of Education in Colonial India. New Delhi:
Routledge.
• Kumar, Krishna. and Oesterheld, Joachem. (eds) (2007), Education and Social
Change in South Asia, New Delhi, Orient Longman (Essays by Sanjay Seth, Heike
Liebau, Sonia Nishat Amin, Margret Frenz and Joachim Oesterheld).
• Kumar, Nita. (2000) Lessons from Schools: History of Education in Banaras. New
Delhi: Sage Publication.

116
 • miles, m. ‘blind and sighted pioneer teachers in nineteenth century china and india’.
indipendent living institute(revised ed), 2011, online version
www.independentliving.org/docs7/miles201104.pdf
• Mondal, Ajit and Mete, Jayanta. (2016), Right to Education in India (two Volumes),
Delhi: Gyan Publishing House.
• Naik, J.P. & Nurullah, Syed (2004), A Students’ History of Education in India,
(1800-1973), Delhi, Macmillan India Ltd, First Published 1945, Sixth Revised
Edition 1974, Reprinted 2004. (Also available in Hindi).
• Nizami, K.A., (1996), ‘Development of the Muslim Educational System in
Medieval India’, Islamic Culture.
• Paik, Shailaja (2014). Dalit Women’s Education in Modern India: Double
Discrimination. Routledge.
• Pollock, Sheldon. (2006), The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskriti,
Culture and Power in Premodern India, University of California Press, California.
• Rupavath, R. (2016). Tribal Education: A Perspective from Below. South Asia
Research, 36(2), 206-228.
• Sadgopal, Anil. (2013) “The Pedagogic Essence of Nai Talim: Exploring its Role
in Contemporary School Curriculum” in Tara Sethia and Anjana Narayan eds., The
Living Gandhi: Lessons of Our Times, New Delhi, Penguin Books India, pp. 163-
179.
• Shetty, Parinita (2008). Missionary pedagogy and Christianization of the heathens:
The educational institutions introduced by the Basel Mission in Mangalore. Indian
Economic Social History Review, 45, 509-551.
• Siddiqui, I. H. (2005), ‘Madrasa-education in medieval India’, in Husain SM
Azizuddin (ed.) Madrasa Education in India: Eleventh to Twenty First Century.
Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 7–23.
• Soni, Jayandra. (2000). ‘Basic Jaina Epistemology’. Philosophy East and West,
Vol. 50, Issue 3, pp. 367–377.
• Viswanathan, Gauri. (1990) Masks of Conquest: Literary Study and British Rule in
India. London: Faber and Faber.
• Walsh, Judith. (2004). Domesticity in Colonial India: What Women Learned When
Men Gave Her Advice. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
• Witzel. M. (1987), On the localisation of Vedic texts and schools, India and the
Ancient world. History, Trade and Culture before A.D. 650. P.H.L. Eggermont
Jubilee Volume, ed.by G. Pollet, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 25, Leuven, pp.
173-213.
• Wujastyk, Dominik(2003), The Roots of Ayurveda. Penguin. Introduction, pp.1-38.

िहदं ी पाठ्यसामग्री

• आचायर्, परोमेश। (2000). देसज िशक्षा, औपिनवेिशक िवरासत और जातीय िवकल्प, (अनवु ाद: अिनल राजीमवाले), ग्रंथिशल्पी,
नई िदल्ली।

117
 • धमर्पाल (संपा.), (2005), संदु र वृक्ष: अठारहवीं सदी में भारत क� स्वदेशी िशक्षा, धमर्पाल समग्र लेखन (खंड 3), पनु रुत्थान ट्रस्ट,
अहमदाबाद।

• दीवान, ह्रदय कांत , अिग्नहोत्री रमाकांत , चतुवद� ी अरुण , वेददान सधु ीर और िद्ववेदी रजनी (सम्पािदत)। मैकॉले, एिल्फंस्टोन और
भारतीय िशक्षा। नई िदल्ली, वाणी प्रकाशन। (िवशेष रूप से अिनल सद्गोपाल और िवकास गु�ा के िनबंध)।

• गु�ा, िवकास। (2021). औपिनवेिशक भारत में व्यविस्थकरण का िशक्षाशा�, िशक्षक और िशक्षा क� चनु ौितयां: 19वीं और
शरुु आती 20वीं सदी के चार िशक्षाशाि�यों का नज़�रया। िशवानी नाग, ह्रदयकान्त देवन और मनोज कुमार (संपािदत), अध्यापन कमर्,
अध्यापक क� छिव व अिस्मता, नई िदल्ली, वाणी प्रकाशन। ISBN 9789390678334।

• नरुु ल्लाह, सैयद एवं नायक, जे. पी. (2004), भारत में िशक्षा का इितहास (1800–1973), मैकिमलन इिं डया िलिमटेड, िदल्ली।

• शाह, शािलनी। (2016). नारीत्व का गठन। नई िदल्ली, ग्रंथिशल्पी।

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

118
 Discipine specific Elective (DSE): Ideas and Institutions in Indian History

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Ideas and Institutions in

Indian History 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course intends to introduce students to the complex relations that have historically existed
between ideas and institutions. It aims to inquire into fundamental categories like the state,
religion, economy and society as they have evolved over time. Students will be able to thereby
trace the long term trajectories that have shaped the history of India.

Learning outcomes
Course Outcome:
The interdisciplinary nature of this course will introduce both history and non-history students
to some of the long term processes that have shaped Indian history. It will help students
develop their analytical abilities by introducing them to a wide range of themes and sources.

Course Content

- Unit I: In The State’s Purview: Ideas and Institutions

119
 - Unit II: On Religion and Dharma: Debates, Identities and Communities

- Unit III: The Economic Setup: Structures and Processes

- Unit IV: Social Practices and Institutions: Varna, Jati, and Tribe

Unit I: In The State’s Purview: Ideas and Institutions

The focus of this unit will be an examination of political formation in the Indian subcontinent
over the longue duree. Issues and aspects relating to power, authority, governance and its
legitimation will be analysed.

Essential Readings:

• R. S. Sharma. 1996. Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India.

Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas.
• S. Kumar, “Courts, Capitals and Kingship: Delhi and its Sultans in the 13th and 14th
centuries” in Jan Peter Hartung and Albrecht Fuess, eds., Court Cultures in the
Muslim World, London: SOAS/Routledge Studies on the Middle East, pp. 123-148.
• J. F Richards. 1998. Kingship and Authority in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University
Press,
• H. Kulke, 1997. The State in India 1000-1700, Delhi: Oxford University Press
• C.A.Bayly.1990. Indian Society and the Making of the British Empire (The New
Cambridge History of India)

• A.Farooqui. 2023. The Establishment of British Rule in India, 1757-1813. New Delhi:
Tulika Books

• N. Hussain, 2019. The Jurisprudence of Emergency: Colonialism and the Rule of Law
Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press

Unit II: On Religion and Dharma: Debate, Identities and Communities

The subject matter of this unit is the domain of the ‘other world’ in this world – essentially,
the sphere of religion, spirituality, and matters of faith. The term dharma encapsulates it
closely, and the paper will seek to understand its myriad connotations over time. Through a
text-based elucidation and discussion, students will be encouraged to probe the debates and

120
religious identities that have evolved uniquely in South Asia, and the institutions that have
helped articulate and formalize communities formed thereof.

Essential Readings:

• M.Biardeau. 1989. Hinduism: The Anthropology of a Civilization. New Delhi: Oxford

University Press
• P.Olivelle, 2016 A Dharma Reader: Classical Indian Law. Columbia University Press
• W. Halbfass 1991.Reflection and Tradition Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas (Chapters 2-4,
8-10)
• V. Eltschinger. 2015 Caste and Buddhist Philosophy Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas
(Chapter 1)
• M. Devadan, 2016. A Pre-History of Hinduism Berlin: De Gruyter Open Ltd
• S. Kumar “Assertions of Authority: a Study of the Discursive Statements of Two
Sultans of Delhi—‘Ala al-Din Khalaji and Nizam al-Din Auliya”, in The Making of
Indo-Persian Culture: Indian and French Studies, ed. Muzaffar Alam, Francoise
‘Nalini’ Delvoye, and Marc Gaborieau, Delhi: Manohar, pp. 37-65
• A. Truschke. 2015. Culture of Encounters New York : Columbia University Press
• M. Alam. 2021. The Mughals and the Sufis Ranikhet: Permanent Black
• K. Jones. 2006. Socio-Religious Reform Movements New York : Cambridge
University Press
• V. Geetha. 1998. Towards a Non Brahmin Millennium: From Jyothee Thas to Periyar
Calcutta : Samya.

Unit III: The Economic Setup: Structures and Processes

The economic setup of any area provides the basis and matrix in which other socio-cultural
forms germinate. How were economic relations transacted, and which were the core
principles and ideas that provided the structures and exchanges for the economic functioning
of India in pre-modern times? Trade, money economy, operation of guilds, labour relations,
economic measures and taxation as well as deindustrialization, commercialization of
agriculture will be issues within the ambit of Unit III.

Essential Readings:

121
 • N.Lahiri. 1992. The Archaeology of Indian Trade Routes Up to c.200 BC: Resource
Use, Resource Access and Lines of Communication. New Delhi: Oxford University
Press

• R.Chakravarti, ed.2004. Trade in Early India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

• B.P.Sahu & B.D.Chattopadhyay ed.1997. Land, System and Rural Society in Early
India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

• J.Deyell.1990. Living Without Silver: The Monetary History of Early Medieval North
India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

• R.S.Sharma. 2000.Pracheen Bharat Ka Arthik evam Samajik Itihas. Delhi:

Directorate of Hindi Medium Education, University of Delhi

• T.Raychaudhuri & I.Habib.ed. 1982. Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol. I,

1200-1750. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

• D.Kumar.ed. 2000. Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol. II. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press
• T.Roy. 2011. The Economic History of India 1857-1947. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press
Unit IV: Social Practices and Institutions: Varna, Jati, and Tribe
Unit IV will cover perhaps the most pervasive of the social ideas that manifest as identities
and are further perpetuated through institutions, both orthodox and heterodox. In the process,
issues self-identity and ‘othering’, hierarchies and inequalities, and marginalized social
entities will be brought to light.

Essential Readings:
• A.Parasher-Sen ed. 2004. Subordinate and Marginalized Groups in Early India. New
Delhi: Oxford University Press
• S. Jaiswal, 1998. Caste: Origin, Function and Dimensions of Change, New Delhi:
Manohar Publishers & Distributors.
• जायसवाल, सुबीरा. (२००४), वणर् -जाि◌त�व�ा: उद्भव, प्रकायर् और रूपां तरण
(अनु वादक: िआद� नारायिणसं ह). नई ि◌द�ी: ग्रंिथश�ी. पृ �१५-४३.
• S. Guha, 1999. Environment and Ethnicity in India, 1200-1900. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

122
 • T. Trautmann. 1997. Aryans and British India Berkeley: University of California
Press
• V. Rodrigues, The Essential Writings of B.R. Ambedkar New Delhi: Oxford
University Press 2005. pp. 1-44; 47-53; 191-205; 219-239; 383-407.

Suggested Readings:
• A. Hiltebeitel. 2011, Dharma: Its Early History in Law, Religion, and Narrative. New
York: Oxford University Press
• H. Kulke and B.P. Sahu ed. 2022.The Routledge Handbook of the State in Premodern
India Routledge India
• Rajat Ray. ed. 1994. Entrepreneurship and Industry in India. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press
• P. Parthasarathy, 2011, Why Europe Grew Rich and Asia did not: Global Economic
Divergence, 1600-1850, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

DISSERTATION: Dissertation Writing

Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods-I

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Dissertation Writing
Track of Research 6
Methods-I

Learning Objectives

123
This course seeks to make students learn the elementary aspects of research which
include the ability to zero in on, define, and state the topic of research, to identify
primary and secondary sources towards that end, as well as to observe patterns in
collected data. They should also be able to forge complex and novel arguments
on the basis of demonstrable patterns in available information.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Understand the specificity and value of academic writing.
• Develop the art of quickly identifying and grasping the arguments and
relevance of secondary sources.
• Identify, Access, and Interpret primary sources
• Raise informed questions as well as make complex and nuanced arguments
articulated in relation to and in contradistinction with existing
historiography
• Identify and respect the need to avoid pitfalls of plagiarism

Outcomes expected of Dissertation writing track in the 4th Year of UG

Programmes

The following three outcomes must be achieved by the end of VIII Semester:
i. Completion of fieldwork / tracking the primary sources.
ii. Submission of dissertation

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the

Examination Branch, from time to time.

124
 COMMON POOL OF GENERIC ELECTIVES

GENERIC ELECTIVE (GE): History of Theatre

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

History of Theatre 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
The course will apprise the students with the elementary outlines of the history of theatre in
India, from its beginnings to contemporary times. The different forms of theatre – classical,
folk, Parsi, and modern will be discussed, and their nuances will be examined.

Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
• Outline the historical context within which the beginnings of theatre can be understood.
• Analyze the changes which appeared at different times.
• Not only to see theatre as a mode of entertainment but also as an instrument to raise
socio-political issues.

125
Syllabus
Unit I: Origins and Theory & Practice
1. Classical Theatre: Bharat Muni's Natyasastra, Rasa Theory
2. Performativity and classical theatre
3. Sanskrit writers and Plays – Mattavilasa Prahasana by Mahendravarman I,
Abhijanshakuntalam by Kalidas.

Unit II: Regional and Folk Theatre

1. Jatra, Tamasha, Nautanki, Koddiyattam, Krishnattam, Mobile Theatre.
2. Influence of folk theatre on media and art practices.

Unit III: Institutionalization of Theatre

1. The Dramatic Performances Act 1876, Theatre from 1876 to 1959, Parsi Theatre, IPTA
2. Institutions of Drama and Training-National School of Drama, Regional Drama
Schools

Unit IV: Modern Indian Theatre: People, Themes, and Spaces

1. Locating playwrights within socio-cultural contexts - Bharatendu Harishchandra,
Jaishankar Prasad, Mohan Rakesh, and Girish Karnad
2. Study of Indian Directors- BV Karanth, Habib Tanvir, Satyadev Dubey, Vijaya Mehta,
and Shambhu Mitra.

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
• Kapila Vatsyayana; Traditional Indian Theatre National book House 1980
• Parsi Theatre Udbhav aur Vikas – Somnath Gupt
• Somanath Gupta; tr. Kathryn Hansen (2005). The Parsi Theatre: Its Origins and
Development. Seagull Books
• Devendra Sharma, Community, Artistry, and Storytelling in the Cultural Confluence of
Nautanki and Ramlila, Asian Theatre Journal, Volume 37, Number 1, Spring 2020, pp.
107-132 (Article), Published by University of Hawai'i Press DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1353/ark.2020.0027
• Hansen, K. (1983) Indian folk traditions and the modern theatre. Asian Folklore
Studies, pp.77-89.
• Varadpande, M.L. (1987) History of Indian theatre (Vol. 1). Abhinav Publications.
• Bhatia, N. (1997) Staging Resistance: The Indian People's Theatre Association. In The
Politics of Culture in the Shadow of Capital (pp. 432-460). Duke University Press.

Suggested Readings:
1. "History of the Parsi Theatre" Zoroastrian Educational Institute.
2. Sense of Direction: Some Observations on the Art of Directing Paperback – October 9,
2003 by William Ball (Author)
3. The Craft of Play Direction by Curtis Candield
4. Dutt, U., 2009. On Theatre. Seagull Books.
5. Gokhale, S. (2000). Playwright at the Centre. Seagull Books.
6. Karnad, G. (1995) Performance, Meaning, and the Materials of Modern Indian Theatre.
New Theatre Quarterly, 11(44), pp.355-370.

126
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

127
 GENERIC ELECTIVE (GE): Ideas and Institutions in Indian History

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Ideas and Institutions in

Indian History 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course intends to introduce students to the complex relations that have historically existed
between ideas and institutions. It aims to inquire into fundamental categories like the state,
religion, art, society and education as they have evolved over time. Students will be able to
thereby trace the long term trajectories that have shaped the history of India.
Theory and Practical/ Fieldwork/Hands-on-learning: A separate supplement to this framework
could be the use of resources such as libraries, websites, museums, archives, and historic sites.
The use of alternative primary sources such as texts, artifacts, photographs, audio, video,
multimedia, background articles, and instructional strategies along with secondary sources,
group discussion will further expand the horizons of the students.

Learning Objectives
The interdisciplinary nature of this course will introduce both history and non-history students
to some of the long term processes that have shaped Indian history. It will help students develop
their analytical abilities by introducing them to a wide range of themes and sources.

Syllabus
- Unit I: In The State’s Purview: Ideas and Institutions

- Unit II: On Religion and Dharma: Debates, Identities and Communities

- Unit III: The Economic Setup: Structures and Processes

- Unit IV: Social Practices and Institutions: Varna, Jati, and Tribe

Unit I: In The State’s Purview: Ideas and Institutions

The focus of this unit will be an examination of political formation in the Indian subcontinent
over the longue duree. Issues and aspects relating to power, authority, governance and its
legitimation will be analysed.

Essential Readings:

128
 • R. S. Sharma. 1996. Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India.
Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas.
• S. Kumar, “Courts, Capitals and Kingship: Delhi and its Sultans in the 13th and 14th
centuries” in Jan Peter Hartung and Albrecht Fuess, eds., Court Cultures in the
Muslim World, London: SOAS/Routledge Studies on the Middle East, pp. 123-148.
• J. F Richards. 1998. Kingship and Authority in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University
Press,
• H. Kulke, 1997. The State in India 1000-1700, Delhi: Oxford University Press
• C.A.Bayly.1990. Indian Society and the Making of the British Empire (The New
Cambridge History of India)

• A.Farooqui. 2023. The Establishment of British Rule in India, 1757-1813. New Delhi:
Tulika Books

• N. Hussain, 2019. The Jurisprudence of Emergency: Colonialism and the Rule of Law
Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press

Unit II: On Religion and Dharma: Debate, Identities and Communities

The subject matter of this unit is the domain of the ‘other world’ in this world – essentially,
the sphere of religion, spirituality, and matters of faith. The term dharma encapsulates it
closely, and the paper will seek to understand its myriad connotations over time. Through a
text-based elucidation and discussion, students will be encouraged to probe the debates and
religious identities that have evolved uniquely in South Asia, and the institutions that have
helped articulate and formalize communities formed thereof.

Essential Readings:

• M.Biardeau. 1989. Hinduism: The Anthropology of a Civilization. New Delhi: Oxford

University Press
• P.Olivelle, 2016 A Dharma Reader: Classical Indian Law. Columbia University Press
• W. Halbfass 1991.Reflection and Tradition Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas (Chapters 2-4,
8-10)
• V. Eltschinger. 2015 Caste and Buddhist Philosophy Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas
(Chapter 1)
• M. Devadan, 2016. A Pre-History of Hinduism Berlin: De Gruyter Open Ltd

129
 • S. Kumar “Assertions of Authority: a Study of the Discursive Statements of Two
Sultans of Delhi—‘Ala al-Din Khalaji and Nizam al-Din Auliya”, in The Making of
Indo-Persian Culture: Indian and French Studies, ed. Muzaffar Alam, Francoise
‘Nalini’ Delvoye, and Marc Gaborieau, Delhi: Manohar, pp. 37-65
• A. Truschke. 2015. Culture of Encounters New York : Columbia University Press
• M. Alam. 2021. The Mughals and the Sufis Ranikhet: Permanent Black
• K. Jones. 2006. Socio-Religious Reform Movements New York : Cambridge
University Press
• V. Geetha. 1998. Towards a Non Brahmin Millennium: From Jyothee Thas to Periyar
Calcutta : Samya.

Unit III: The Economic Setup: Structures and Processes

The economic setup of any area provides the basis and matrix in which other socio-cultural
forms germinate. How were economic relations transacted, and which were the core
principles and ideas that provided the structures and exchanges for the economic functioning
of India in pre-modern times? Trade, money economy, operation of guilds, labour relations,
economic measures and taxation as well as deindustrialization, commercialization of
agriculture will be issues within the ambit of Unit III.

Essential Readings:
• N.Lahiri. 1992. The Archaeology of Indian Trade Routes Up to c.200 BC: Resource
Use, Resource Access and Lines of Communication. New Delhi: Oxford University
Press

• R.Chakravarti, ed.2004. Trade in Early India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

• B.P.Sahu & B.D.Chattopadhyay ed.1997. Land, System and Rural Society in Early
India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

• J.Deyell.1990. Living Without Silver: The Monetary History of Early Medieval North
India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press

• R.S.Sharma. 2000.Pracheen Bharat Ka Arthik evam Samajik Itihas. Delhi:

Directorate of Hindi Medium Education, University of Delhi

• T.Raychaudhuri & I.Habib.ed. 1982. Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol. I,

1200-1750. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

130
 • D.Kumar.ed. 2000. Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol. II. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
• T.Roy. 2011. The Economic History of India 1857-1947. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press

Unit IV: Social Practices and Institutions: Varna, Jati, and Tribe
It will cover perhaps the most pervasive of the social ideas that manifest as identities and are
further perpetuated through institutions, both orthodox and heterodox. In the process, issues
self-identity and ‘othering’, hierarchies and inequalities, and marginalized social entities will
be brought to light.

Essential Readings:
• A.Parasher-Sen ed. 2004. Subordinate and Marginalized Groups in Early India. New
Delhi: Oxford University Press
• S. Jaiswal, 1998. Caste: Origin, Function and Dimensions of Change, New Delhi:
Manohar Publishers & Distributors.
• जायसवाल, सुबीरा. (२००४), वणर् -जाि◌त�व�ा: उद्भव, प्रकायर् और रूपां तरण
(अनु वादक: िआद� नारायिणसं ह). नई ि◌द�ी: ग्रंिथश�ी. पृ �१५-४३.
• S. Guha, 1999. Environment and Ethnicity in India, 1200-1900. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
• T. Trautmann. 1997. Aryans and British India Berkeley: University of California
Press
• V. Rodrigues, The Essential Writings of B.R. Ambedkar New Delhi: Oxford
University Press 2005. pp. 1-44; 47-53; 191-205; 219-239; 383-407.

Suggested Readings:
• A. Hiltebeitel. 2011, Dharma: Its Early History in Law, Religion, and Narrative. New
York: Oxford University Press
• H. Kulke and B.P. Sahu ed. 2022.The Routledge Handbook of the State in Premodern
India Routledge India
• Rajat Ray. ed. 1994. Entrepreneurship and Industry in India. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press

131
 • P. Parthasarathy, 2011, Why Europe Grew Rich and Asia did not: Global Economic
Divergence, 1600-1850, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): Life Narrative and History

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Life Narrative and History 4 3 1 0

Learning Objectives
This course explores life narratives, including autobiography, biography, memoir and life writing
as a form of history. While covering the ancient and the medieval period, it particularly focuses on
modern India, when life writing emerged as a systematic genre. It discusses important personalities,
regional histories, and histories of gender and caste through life narratives.

Learning outcomes
After the completion of the course the students would be able to:
• Understand how and why life narratives are critical to history as a discipline.
• Discuss life writing, biographies and autobiographies as a systematic genre.
• Analyse autobiographies and life writings of some leading personalities of India.
• Contemplate on the relationship between regional histories, gender and caste on the one
hand and life narratives on the other.

Syllabus
Unit I: Life Histories in India
Unit II: Life Narratives and Leading Political Figures: Harsha, Ibn Battuta, Gandhi, Nehru,
Iqbal
Unit III: Regional Histories and Life Narratives: Rajasthan, Kerala, West Bengal
Unit IV: Caste and Life Narratives
Unit V: Gender and Life Narrative
Unit VI: Theatre and Religious Autobiographies

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I
• Arnold, David and Stuart Blackburn. (2004). ‘Introduction: Life Histories in India’, in
David Arnold and Stuart Blackburn (eds), Telling Lives in India: Biography,
Autobiography, and Life History, Delhi: Permanent Black, pp. 1-28.
• Ramaswamy, Vijaya. (2008). ‘Introduction’, in Vijaya Ramaswamy and Yogesh
Sharma (eds), Biography as History: Indian Perspectives, New Delhi: Orient
Blackswan, pp. 1-15.

132
 • Zaman, Taymiya R. (2011). ‘Instructive Memory: An Analysis of Auto/Biographical
Writing in Early Mughal India’, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the
Orient, vol. 54, pp. 677-700.

Unit II
• Harshacarita of Banabhatta. (1968). Translated by E.W. Cowell and F.W. Thomas.
Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass (Reprint). Introduction.
• Majeed, Javed. (2007). Autobiography, Travel and Postnational Identity: Gandhi,
Nehru and Iqbal, New York: Palgrave.
• Waines, David. (2010). The Odyssey of Ibn Battuta: Uncommon Tales of a Medieval
Adventurer, London: I. B. Tauris and Co. Especially relevant are the first three chapters:
(i) Travel Tales, Their Creators and Critics, (ii) The Travels, and (iii) Tales of Food and
Hospitality.

Unit III
• Busch, Allison Busch. (2012). ‘Portrait of a Raja in a Badshah's World: Amrit Rai's
Biography of Man Singh (1585)’, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the
Orient, vol. 55, pp. 287-328.
• Kaviraj, Sudipto. (2015). The Invention of Private Life: Literature and Ideas, New
York: Columbia University Press.
• Kumar, Udaya. (2016). Writing the First Person: Literature, History, and
Autobiography in Modern Kerala, Ranikhet: Permanent Black.
• Roy, Kumkum. (2008). ‘The Artful Biographer (Sandhyakar Nandi on
Rampalacharita)’, in Vijaya Ramaswamy and Yogesh Sharma (eds), Biography as
History: Indian Perspectives, New Delhi: Orient Blackswan.

Unit IV
• Koppedrayer, K. I. (1991). ‘The Varnasramacandrika and the Sudra's Right to
Preceptorhood: The social background of a philosophical debate in late medieval south
India’, Journal of Indian Philosophy, vol. 19, pp. 297-314.
• Kumar, Raj (2010). Dalit Personal Narratives: Reading Caste, Nation and Identity.
Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2010.
• Rege, Sharmila. (2006). Writing Caste/Writing Gender: Narrating Dalit Women’s
Testimonios. Delhi: Zubaan.
• Shankar, S. and Charu Gupta, eds. (2017). Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly:
Special Issue on Caste and Life Narratives, 40, 1, Winter.

Unit V
• Malhotra, Anshu and Siobhan Lambert-Hurley (eds). (2015). Speaking of the Self:
Gender, Performance, and Autobiography in South Asia, Durham, NC: Duke
University Press.
• Sarkar, Tanika Sarkar. (1993). ‘A Book of Her Own, A Life of Her Own: autobiography
of a nineteenth century woman’, History Workshop, vol. 36, pp. 35-65.
• Shah, Shalini. (2008). ‘Poetesses in Classical Sanskrit Literature: 7th-13th Centuries
CE’, Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Vol.15 (1), Jan-Apr: 1-27.
• Tharu, Susie and K. Lalitha (eds). (1991). Women Writing in India: 600 BC to Present,
Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Unit VI

133
 • Granoff, Phyllis. (1998). Monks and Magicians: Religious Biographies in Asia,
Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press.
• Hansen, Kathryn. (2011). Stages of Life: Indian Theatre Autobiographies, Ranikhet:
Permanent Black.
• Mehrotra, Deepti Priya. (2006). Gulab Bai: the Queen of Nautanki Theatre, Delhi:
Penguin Books.
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

134
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): Migration and Indian Diaspora: Social and Cultural
Histories

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Migration and Indian

Diaspora: Social and 4 3 1 0
Cultural Histories

Learning Objectives
This paper explores the historical patterns of Indian migration and the socio-cultural
transformations within diasporic communities. It examines their political and economic
contributions in host countries and India, highlighting their impact on global economies and
policy frameworks. The study evaluates key theoretical approaches to migration, identity
formation, and transnationalism, offering insights into cultural hybridity and diasporic
belonging. Additionally, it assesses government policies and international frameworks related
to diaspora engagement, dual nationality, and economic partnerships. By integrating historical,
cultural, political, and economic perspectives, this paper provides a comprehensive
understanding of the Indian diaspora’s evolving role in a globalized world.

Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students will be able to:
• Critically engage with primary and secondary sources on migration and diaspora
studies.
• Explain key historical events and their role in shaping Indian migration patterns.
• Analyze how migration influences identity, belonging, and cultural hybridity.
• Assess the impact of Indian diasporic communities on host countries and their
connections to India.
• Develop independent research skills in migration and diaspora studies.

Syllabus
Unit I: Understanding Migration and Diaspora: Theoretical and Historical Frameworks
1. Concepts and theories of migration and diaspora
2. Ancient, medieval, and early modern Indian migration patterns
3. Colonial-era migration: Indentured labor and the global dispersal of Indian laborers
4. Post-colonial migration: The Indian diaspora in North America, Europe, and the
Middle East.

Unit II: Social and Cultural Histories of the Indian Diaspora

1. Cultural adaptations, hybridity, and syncretism and social categories within the
Indian diasporic communities.

135
 2. Indian cinema, literature, and popular culture in diasporic identity formation

Unit III : Political Economy and Contemporary Issues in the Indian Diaspora
1. Economic contributions and remittances to India
2. Diaspora engagement in Indian politics and foreign policy

Unit IV: Challenges faced by Diasporic communities

1. Citizenship, belonging, and challenges of multiculturalism in host nations
2. Contemporary issues faced by the diasporic communities: Xenophobia, racism, and identity
politics

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: This unit will enable students to develop a theoretical understanding of migration and
diaspora studies while exploring historical migration patterns and their socio-political contexts.
It will help them analyze the economic, political, and social factors that contributed to
migration, particularly the impact of colonialism and indentured labor systems. Students will
also examine post-colonial migration trends and their implications for Indian communities in
North America, Europe, and the Middle East. (Teaching time: 15 lectures 5 weeks)
• Vertovec, Steven. (2009). Transnationalism. London: Routledge.
• Cohen, Robin. (2008). Global Diasporas: An Introduction. London: Routledge.
• Jayaram, N. (Ed.). (2004). The Indian Diaspora: Dynamics of Migration. New Delhi:
Sage.
• Tinker, Hugh. (1974). A New System of Slavery: The Export of Indian Labour
Overseas 1830–1920. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Jain, Ravindra K. (1993). Indian Communities Abroad: Themes and Literature. New
Delhi: Manohar.
• Safran, William. Ajaya Sahoo, Ajaya & Brij V. Lal (Ed.). (2019). Transnational
Migrations The Indian Diaspora. Routledge India.
• Mishra, Vijay (2007). The Literature of the Indian Diaspora: Theorizing the Diasporic
Imaginary. New Delhi: Routledge.
Unit II This unit will help students critically engage with how caste, class, and gender influence
migration experiences, shaping the socio-cultural fabric of Indian diasporic communities. It
will enhance their understanding of cultural adaptation, hybridity, and syncretism, exploring
the role of religion, traditions, and social networks in maintaining diasporic identity. The unit
will also introduce students to how Indian cinema, literature, and popular culture contribute to
diasporic narratives, fostering a sense of belonging while negotiating identity within the host
society. (Teaching time: 15 lectures 5 weeks)
• Lal, Brij V., Peter Reeves, and Rajesh Rai (Eds.). (2006). The Encyclopedia of the
Indian Diaspora. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
• Appadurai, Arjun. (1996). Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
• Mishra, Vijay. (2007). The Literature of the Indian Diaspora: Theorizing the Diasporic
Imaginary. London: Routledge.
• Ghosh, Amitav. (2008). Sea of Poppies. London: Penguin.
• Vertovec, Steven. 1997. “Three Meanings of Diaspora: Exemplified among South
Asian Religions”. Diaspora, Vol. 6 (3): 277-330.

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Unit III: This unit will equip students with an understanding of the Indian diaspora’s economic
impact, particularly through remittances and investments in India. It will enable them to
analyze how the diaspora engages in Indian politics and influences international
relations.(Teaching time: 18 lectures 6 weeks)
• Khadria, Binod. (1999). The Migration of Knowledge Workers: Second-generation
Effects of India’s Brain Drain. New Delhi: Sage.
• Shain, Yossi, and Aharon Barth. (2003). "Diasporas and International Relations
Theory." International Organization, 57(3), pp. 449–479.
• Kapur, Devesh. (2014). Diaspora, Development, and Democracy: The Domestic
Impact of International Migration from India. Princeton University Press
• Parekh, Bhikhu, Gurhapal Singh and Steven Vertovec (eds.). 2003. Culture and
Economy in the Indian Diaspora. London: Routledge. [Introduction]
Unit 4: This unit with familiarize students with the challenges faced by diasporic communities.
Students will critically examine issues of citizenship, multiculturalism, and identity politics in
host nations while understanding contemporary challenges such as xenophobia, racism, and
social exclusion. This unit will also provide insights into the policies shaping diaspora
engagement and their implications for global migration governance.

• Raj, Dhooleka Sarhadi. (2003). Where Are You From?: Middle-Class Migrants in the
Modern World. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Varadarajan, Latha. (2010). The Domestic Abroad: Diasporas in International
Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Clarke, C et al. (1990). South Asians Overseas: Migration and Ethnicity by. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the Examination Branch,
from time to time.

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 DISSERTATION: Dissertation Writing
Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods-I

Course title & Code Credit distribution of the course Pre-requisite of

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)

Dissertation Writing Track

of Research Methods-I 6

Learning Objectives
This course seeks to make students learn the elementary aspects of research which
include the ability to zero in on, define, and state the topic of research, to identify
primary and secondary sources towards that end, as well as to observe patterns in
collected data. They should also be able to forge complex and novel arguments
on the basis of demonstrable patterns in available information.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Understand the specificity and value of academic writing.
• Develop the art of quickly identifying and grasping the arguments and
relevance of secondary sources.
• Identify, Access, and Interpret primary sources
• Raise informed questions as well as make complex and nuanced arguments
articulated in relation to and in contradistinction with existing
historiography
• Identify and respect the need to avoid pitfalls of plagiarism

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Outcomes expected of Dissertation writing track in the 4th Year of UG
Programmes

The following three outcomes must be achieved by the end of VIII Semester:
i. Completion of fieldwork, and tracking the primary sources.
ii. Submission of dissertation

Note: Examination scheme and mode shall be as prescribed by the

Examination Branch, from time to time.

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