VIDYASAGAR UNIVERSITY

POST GRADUATE SYLLABUS IN HISTORY

(Draft)

UNDER CHOICE BASED CERDT SYSTEM (CBCS)

w.e.f. 2024 -25

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SEMEST COUR COURSETITLES Full No. of CREDIT
ER SE Marks Lecture (Lecture –
s Tutorial -
(hours) Practical)
(L-T-P)
I HIS History and Historiography 50 50 4-1-0
101
HIS Socio Religious Reform Movements in 50 50 4-1-0
102 Colonial India
HIS State and Economy in Colonial India 50 50 4-1-0
103
HIS War, Society, and Politics in Europe 50 50 4-1-0
104 (1789 - 1914)

HIS Industrial Revolution: The Nature of the 50 50 4-1-0

105 Industrial Revolution and the English
Experience
TOTAL 250 250 25 2
4
II HIS Social History of Colonial India 50 50 4-1-0
201
HIS Environmental History of India in the 50 50 4-1-0
202 Anthropocene Age

HIS Anti-Colonial Resistance in India 50 50 4-1-0

203
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 C-HIS Contemporary World [CBCS] 50 50 4-1-0
204
(CBCS)
HIS 50 50 4-1-0
205 Twentieth Century World: Politics,
Economy, and Society
TOTAL 250 250 25 -
0
-
2
III HIS A Brief Introduction to the History of 50 50 4-1-0
301 Medicine

HIS The Global Indian Migration and 50 50 4-1-0

302 Diaspora
HIS Adivasi History in Colonial Bengal 50 50 4-1-0
303
C-HIS Contemporary India [CBCS] 50 50 4-1-0
304
(CBCS)
HIS (A) South West Bengal – 19th and 20th 50 50 4-1-0
305 Centuries
(OPTI (B) History of the Disasters in South-
ONAL) West Bengal: 19th and 20th Centuries
(C) Military History of India( From
Ancient to Modern Times)
(D) State and Economy in Early Modern
India

TOTAL 250 250 25 2

4

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IV HIS Conventional and Non-Conventional 50 50 4-1-0
401 Tools of History: Archives, Field Study
and Dissertation

HIS Social History of Science, Technology, 50 50 4-1-0

402 and Medicine in India: Colonial Period

HIS Politics and Society in Post-Partition 50 50 4-1-0

403 Bengal

HIS History of Constitutional Development 50 50 4-1-0

404 in Modern India
HIS (A) Historical Methods 50 50 4-1-0
405 (B) Culture in Bengal, 19th and 20th
(OPTI Centuries
ONAL) (C) Global History of Pandemic
(D) Religion and Ecology in Early India
TOTAL 250 250 25 2
4
GRANDTOTAL 1000 1000 100 9
6

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The Postgraduate course has a total of 1000 marks and is divided into four semesters. Each
paper carries 50 marks: Theory: 40 and Internal Assessment: 10. There are two CBCS papers in
Semester II (204) and Semester III (304).

Distinctive features of course content :

Value-added course: HIS 401
Employability/entrepreneurship/ skill development: All of the courses
Ethics, gender, human values, environment & sustainability: HIS102, HIS202, HIS103,
HIS303, HIS302, HIS 305B, HIS 405B, HIS 405 E
The new course introduced: HIS 103, HIS202, HIS205, HIS303, HIS405C, HIS 405D, HIS
203, HIS 305B.
Project and Field Study in Semester IV

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SEMESTER I

Compulsory Course (i)

HIS 101: HISTORY ANDHISTORIOGRAPHY
Lectures: 50

Unit - I: What is History? Events and interpretations - Philosophy of History – Enlightenment

Historiography – Empiricism – Positivism – Idealist view of history.

Unit – II: History writing and different versions of the Idea of Progress – T. B. Macaulay and the
Idea of Liberty – Karl Marx and the principle of equality – G.M. Trevelyan and the Literacy and
Social History. Development of economic and social history in the early twentieth century –
Maurice Dobb and the Rise of Capitalism – R. H. Tawney and the Gentry Thesis – G. Lefevbre
and A. Soboul and the French Revolution.

Unit – III: Social History as History of Movements – Seventeenth-century crisis, English

Revolution and Christopher Hill. Social History as history of classes – Eric J. Hobsbawm and
the Age of Capital, E. P. Thompson and the working class, Raphael Samuel and the History of
the People, Emergence of new social history. Micro-history and oral history – Expanding the
horizon of history writing. The Annales School and the concept of Total History.

Unit – IV: Debates in Indian History – Historiography of feudalism in India, Eighteenth century
crisis in India, Indian Awakening in the Nineteenth Century, Indian Nationalism, Partition of
India. Modern Indian History with socio-economic perspective – peasantry and working classes,
caste, tribe, gender, environment, science and technology.

Suggested Reading:

1. Ernest Breisach: Historiography.

2. Arthur Marwick: The Nature of History.

3. E.H.Carr: What is History?

4. Beverley Southgate: History: What and Why.

5. H.W.Kaye: British Marxist Historians.

6. Ken Morrison: Marx, Durkheim, Weber.

7. Peter Geyl: Debates with Historians.

8. P.Lambert andVidyasagar
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9. Mary Fulbrook: Historical Theory.

10. M.C. Lemon: Philosophy of History.

11. David Cannadine (ed): What is History Now?

12. G.R.Elton: The Practice of History.

13. E.Sreedharan: A Textbook of Historiography.

14. Sumit Sarkar: Writing Social History.

15. Ronald Inden: Imagining India.

16. Bandopadhyay, Sekhar: Plassey to Partition and After

17. Adam Budd: The Modern Historiography Reader-Western Sources.

18. Mark T.Gilderhus: History and Historians.

19. GeorgG.Iggers and Edward Wang: Global History of Modern Historiography.

20. Shashi Bhushan Upadhyay: Historiography in the Modern World

21. Amales Tripathi: Itihas o Aitihasik

SEMESTER I
Compulsory Course:
HIS 102: SOCIO-RELIGIOUS REFORM MOVEMENTS IN COLONIAL INDIA
Lectures: 50

UNIT I: Orientalists, Utilitarians and the Bengal Renaissance – debates on ‘Renaissance,’

reform and social Change – the evolution of socio-religious reform movements – the difference
between social and religious movements – the debate over strategies - Vidyasagar and
Rammohan Roy.

UNIT II: Reform or Revival – definitions and debates – Hindu shastras and social reform –
religion as the basis of social reform – Hindu- Brahmo relations – Prarthana Samaj and Arya
Samaj - Vedanta and revitalization of Indian life: Ramkrishna, Vivekananda and the Ramkrishna
Mission - response to the movement in press and literature: a review of the work of Bhudeb
Mukhopadhyay, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Nabin Chandra Sen, and Akshay Chandra
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Sarkar.

UNIT III: Nationalism, modernity, and Muslim identity in India before 1947: Islamic reformers
and their movements in India - educational movements, faith, and revival movements – Syed
Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh Movement, Wahabi Movement, Deoband Movement.

UNIT IV: Muslim women, reform and patronage: a study of Nawab Sultan Jahan Begam of
Bhopal – issues on caste and education: Begam Rokeya Sakhawat Hossein and Sarala Debi –
issues on widow remarriage and Sati – orthodox Hinduism and the Age of Consent Bill.

Suggested Readings

1. Ahmad, Q.: The Wahabi Movement in India.

2. Ahmed, F. A. S.: Social Ideas and Social Change in Bengal, 1818 – 1835.

3. Ghai, K. R.: Suddhi Movement in India.

4. O’Hanlon, R.: Caste, Conflict and Ideology.

5. Heimsath, H. C.: Indian Nationalism and Hindu Social Reform.

6. Hurley, L. S.: Muslim Women, Reform and Princely Patronage Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum
of Bhopal.

7. Jaffrelot, C.: The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics: 1925 to the 1990s.

8. Jones, W. K.: The New Cambridge History of India Socio-Religious Reform Movements in
British India.

9. Kopf, D. and Joarder, S.: (eds.) Reflections on the Bengal Renaissance.

10. Kopf, D.: British Orientalism and the Bengal Renaissance: The Dynamics of Indian
Modernization 1773 – 1835.

11. Kopf, D.: The Brahmo Samaj and the Shaping of the Modern Indian Mind.

12. Metcalf, D. B.: Islamic Contestations Essays on Muslims in Indian and Pakistan.

13. Metcalf, D. B.: Islamic Revival in British India: Deoband 1860 – 1900.

14. Mullatti, L.: The Bhakti Movement and the Status of Women.
15. Nizami, A. T.: Muslim Political Thought and Activity in India during the First Half of
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the19th Century.

16. Reetz, D.: Islam in the Public Sphere Religious Groups in India 1900 – 1947.

17. Sarkar, S.: Bibliographical Survey of Social Reform Movements in the Eighteenth
andNineteenth Centuries.

18. Sarkar, S.: On Bengal Renaissance.

19. Sarkar, T.: Hindu Wife, Hindu Nation Community, Religion and Cultural Nationalism.

20. Sarkar, T.: Rebels, Wives, Saints Designing Selves and Nations in Colonial Times.

21. Sen, P. A.: Explorations in Modern Bengal c.1800 – 1900 Essays on Religion, History and
Culture.

22. Sen, P. A.: Social and Religious Reform. The Hindus of British India.

23. Sen, P. S. (ed.): Social and Religious Reform Movements in the Nineteenth and Twentieth
Centuries.

24. Sharma, K.: Bhakti and the Bhakti Movement : A New Perspective.

SEMESTER- I
Compulsory Course:

HIS 103: STATE AND ECONOMY IN COLONIAL INDIA

Lectures: 50

UNIT I: The colonial state: brief overview of British expansion in India – British Parliament and
the East India Company – structure of administration: police, judiciary, bureaucracy, army.

UNIT II: The colonial ideology: Orientalist and Utilitarian phases; paternalist attitude – white
racism – divide and rule policy – social- cultural policies and their impact (education, tribe, caste
etc.).

UNIT III: The colonial economy and its impact (1): changing pattern of English trade – land
revenue settlements – commercialisation of agriculture.

UNIT IV: The colonial economy and its impact (2): decline of traditional handicrafts –
emergence of modern industries and colonial industrial policy – impact of railways.

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Suggested Reading:

1. Bandopadhyay, Sekhar (ed.): Bengal: Rethinking History. Delhi, 2001

2. Bandopadhyay, Sekhar: Plassey to Partition and After/ Palashi Theke Partition. New
Delhi, 2004

3. Banerjee, A. C.: Constitutional History of India. 1977

4. Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi (ed.): The Contested Terrain. Hyderabad, 1998

5. Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi (ed.): Approaches to History. Delhi, 2011

6. Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi: Ouponibeshik Bharater Arthaniti. Calcutta, 1989

7. Bose, N. S.: Racism, Struggle for Equality, and Indian Nationalism. Calcutta, 1981

8. Bose, Sugata & Jalal, Ayesha: Modern South Asia. Delhi, 1997

9. Bose, Sugata: Peasant Labour and Colonial Capital. Cambridge, 1993

10. Chattopadhyay, Basudeb: Crime and Control in Early Colonial India. Calcutta, 2000

11. Desika Char, S. V.: Readings in Constitutional History of India. Delhi, 1983

12. Fisher, M. H.(ed.): The Politics of British Annexation in India. Delhi, 1996

13. Ghosh, S. C.: The History of Education in Modern India. Delhi, 2002

14. Guha, Ranajit: A Rule of Property in Bengal. Hyderabad, 1982

15. Karashima, Noboru: A Concise History of South India. Delhi, 2014

16. Kerr, Ian J. (ed.): Railways in Modern India. New Delhi, 2001

17. Kumar, Dharma (ed.): The Cambridge Economic History of India (Volume 2).
Cambridge, 1982

18. Marshall, Peter J.: East Indian Fortunes. Oxford and New York, 1996

19. Metcalf, T. R.: Ideologies of the Raj. Cambridge, 1995

20. Ray, R. K. (ed.): Entrepreneurship and Industry in India. Delhi, 1994

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 21. Roy, Tirthankar: The East India Company. New Delhi, 2012

22. Roy, Tirthankar: The Economic History of India. New Delhi, 2011

23. Sarkar, Sumit: Modern India/Adhunik Bharat. Delhi, 1983

24. Sarkar, Sumit: Modern Times. Ranikhet, 2014

25. Singha, Radhika: A Despotism of Law. Delhi, 1998

26. Stein, Burton (ed.): The Making of Agrarian Policy in British India. Delhi, 1992

27. Subramanian, Laxmi: History of India, 1707-1857. Hyderabad, 2010

28. Tomlinson, B. R.: The Economy of Modern India. Cambridge, 2013

SEMESTER- I

Compulsory Course:

HIS 104: War, Society, and Politics in Europe (1789 - 1914)

Lectures: 50

UNIT I: The French Revolution: crisis of the ancient regime, intellectual currents, participation
of social classes – The Napoleonic wars – The war of the Third Coalition – Napoleon and the
Road to Waterloo – Restoration and Revolution, 1815-49 – The Riddle of Napoleon: Jomini and
Clausewitz – Improving the ‘means of destruction’: key changes in weapons technology, 1815-
49 – Growth of democracy in Britain – Liberalism in England, Irish problem: its socio-economic
and political aspects – Countdown to the revolutions of 1848.

Unit II: Napoleon III and the militarization of Europe, 1848-66 – Neo-absolutism, Napoleon
III’s second empire, 1852-70 –The Franco-Austrian War of 1859 – The rise of Prussia and Italy,
1861-6: Bismarck’s wars and Bismarck’s foreign policy – The Austro-Prussian War – A
revolution in naval warfare? The sea battle of Lissa in 1866 – The unification of Italy, 1866-70.

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UNIT III: The Paris Commune – New weapons and the ‘new imperialism’ 1877-1905 – The
Boer War, 1899-1902 – Russia during the 19th Century: Tsarist Russia and the socio-political
aspects – The Russo-Turkish War – The Crimean War, the Congress of Berlin – Russia, Japan,
and the scramble for China, 1894-1904, The Russo-Japanese War: the naval battle of Tsushima,
May 1905 – War and society intersect: the Russian Revolution of 1905.

UNIT IV: The Eastern Crisis: nature of the crisis – Seapower and popular navalism, 1890–1914
– Early challenges to Britain, France and the jeune école – New Imperialism – The Spanish-
American War, 1898 – ‘Fleet policy’ and the Anglo-German naval race, 1898-1912 – The
Balkan Wars and after, 1912-14 – War plans and armaments: The Schlieffen plan, Austro-
Hungarian war plans – French, British, and Russian war plans – The European arms race, 1911-
14.

Suggested Readings:

1. Addington, Larry H., The Patterns of War since the Eighteenth Century, Indiana University
Press, 1984.

2. Bartlett, C. J., The Global Conflict: The International Rivalry of the Great Powers, 1880–
1990, Longman, 1994.

3. Bertaud, Jean-Paul, The Army of the French Revolution, trans. R. R. Palmer, Princeton
University Press, 1988

4. Chandler, David G. The Campaigns of Napoleon, Macmillan, 1966

5. Bury, J. I. T. France, 1814-1940, Routledge, 1985.

6. Fisher, H. A. L., A History of Europe, Vol. 2, Fontana Library, 1969.

7. Hill, Christopher, From Reformation to Industrial Revolution, Penguin, 1970.

8. Hill, Christopher, Lenin and the Russian Revolution, Penguin, 1978.

9. Joll, James, Europe since 1870: An International History, Penguin Books, 1990.

10. Langer, W. L., European Alliances and Alignments: 1871-1990, Greenwood Press, 1977.

11. Lefebvre, Georges, Coming of the French Revolution, Princeton, 1947.

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12. Taylor, A. J. P., The Struggle for Mastery in Europe, OUP, 1955

13. Thompson, David, Europe Since Napoleon, Longmans, 1957.

14. Bergeron L., France Under Napolean, Princeton, 1981.

15. Hobsbawm, E. J., The Age of Revolution, 1789-1848, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1962.

16. Hobsbawm, E. J., The Age of Capital, 1848-1875, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975.

17. Hobsbawm, E. J., The Age of Empire, 1875-1914, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1987.

18. Hobsbawm, E. J.,The Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991, Michael
Joseph, 1994.

19. Di Scala, Spencer M., Italy: From Revolution to Republic, 1700 to the Present, Westview,
1998.

20. Ketelbey, C. D. M. A History of Modern Times from 1789, OUP, 1973.

21. Blanning, T. C. W., Europe – 18th Century: History, Europe 1688-1815, Oxford University
Press, 2000.

SEMESTER-I
Compulsory Course:

HIS 105: INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: THE NATURE OF THE INDUSTRIAL

REVOLUTION AND THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE

Lectures: 50

UNITI:-Defining the Industrial Revolution– validity of the concept of ‘Industrial Revolution’–

why did the Industrial Revolution first occur in England? – Chronology of the British Industrial
Revolution.

UNIT II: Demographic Revolution – Agricultural Revolution; Enclosures in Britain –

Commercial Revolution - Transport Revolution.

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UNITIII: England: The 18th century background –the adoption of Free Trade–role played by
labor, capital, banks, and government–the role of technology and science in the Industrial
Revolution – the concept of a leading sector – Cotton Industry & Iron Industry.

UNITIV: Legislations and human dimensions–changes in the occupational structure–conditions

of work– social attitude–women and child labour – Factory Acts – labour organizations –
standards of living.

Suggested Reading:
1. Ashton, T. S.: Iron and Steel in the Industrial Revolution

2. Bhattacharya, H.: Britaine Shipabiplab O Tarpar

3. Chambers, J. D. and Mingay, G. E.: The Agricultural Revolution, 1750-1880

4. Chapman, S. D.: The Cotton Industry in the Industrial Revolution

5. Cipolla, Carlo M.: The Industrial Revolution, 1700-1914 (The Fontana Economic History of
Europe.)
6. Clapham, J. H.: An Economic History of Modern Britain (Volume 1)

7. Deane, P.: The First Industrial Revolution

8. Deane, P. & Cole, W. A: British Economic Growth, 1688-1959

9. Flinn, M. W.: Origins of the Industrial Revolution

10. Habakkuk, H. J.: Population Growth and Economic Development since 1750

11. Habakkuk, H. J. and M. M. Postan, (eds.): The Cambridge Economic History of Europe
(Volume 6)

12. Hammond, J. L., and B.: The Village Labourer, 1760-1832.

13. Hartwell, R. M. (ed.): The Causes of the Industrial Revolution in England

14. Hobsbawm, E. J.: Industry and Empire: From 1750 to the Present Day

15. Hyde, C. K.: Technological Change in the British Iron Industry, 1700-1870

16. Jackman, W. T.: The Development of Transportation in Modern England

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17. Landes, D.: Unbound Prometheus: Technological Change and Industrial Development in
Western Europe from 1750

18. Mantoux, Paul: The Industrial Revolution in the Eighteenth Century

19. Mathias, P.: The First Industrial Nation: The Economic History of Britain, 1700-1914

20. Mingay, G. E.: Enclosure and the Small Farmer in the Age of the Industrial Revolution

21. Nef,J.: ‘The Progress of Technology and the Growth of Large-scale Industry in Great
Britain,1540-1640.’.Reprinted in Carus- Wilson (ed.): Essays in Economic History (Volume 1)

22. Rostow, W. W.: The Stages of Economic Growth

23. Schumpeter, E. B.: English Overseas Trade Statistics, 1697-1808

24. Taylor, A. J.: Laissez-faire and State Intervention in Nineteenth-century Britain

25. Thompson, E.: The Making of the English Working Class

SEMESTER -II
Compulsory Course:
HIS 201: SOCIAL HISTORY OF COLONIAL INDIA
Lectures: 50

UNIT I: A changing discipline: what is social history: ‘From Social History to History of
Society’ and beyond; the post-modern challenge; from social history to cultural history –
Orientalist, Utilitarian, and Nationalist perceptions of Indian society – a brief overview of
aspects of post-colonial Indian society.

UNIT II: Communities in society: Caste: traditional features; colonial sociology and new
mobility movements; lower caste aspirations and the national movement – Labour:
consciousness, conditions of work, and the making of a working class; capital and labour;
organization and protest; labour and the national movement – the new Hindu and Muslim middle
class: emergence, composition, professions, aspirations, contraditions, lifestyle; the concept of
the bhadralok/ bhadramahila

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UNIT III: Family and childhood: a brief discussion on patriarchy and gender; traditional society,
kinship, and family structure and household functions; changes in structure and norms during
colonial rule – traditional ideas of childhood and attitude towards children; a ‘new’ idea of
childhood and experience of childhood in the colonial period; traditional and modern children’s
literature.

UNIT IV: The city and its inhabitants: traditional cities; urbanization and urbanism in colonial
India; the metropolises and the mofussils – emergence of a new middle class; other classes in the
city; their attributes and sensibilities, and relations – different aspects of elite and popular culture
in the city.

Select reading:

1. Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar (ed.): Rethinking History. Delhi, 2001

2. Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar: Caste, Politics and the Raj. Calcutta, 1990

3. Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar and Dasgupta, Abhijit (eds.): Jati, Barna o Bangali Samaj. Calcutta,
1998

4. Banerjee, Sumanta: The Parlour and the Streets. Calcutta, 1989

5. Banga, Indu: The City in Indian History. Delhi, 2005

6. Baumer, Rachel M. (ed.): Aspects of Bengali History and Society. New Delhi, 1976

7. Bayly, Susan: Caste, Society, and Politics in India. Cambridge, 1999

8. Burke, Peter: History and Social Theory. Ithaca, 1992

9. Chakrabarty, Dipesh: Rethinking Working-Class History. Princeton, 2000

10. Chatterjee, Indrani: Unfamiliar Relations. Delhi, 2004

11. Chatterjee, Partha: The Nation and its Fragments. Delhi, 1995

12. Downloaded
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13. Dass, Manishita: Outside the Lettered City. New York, 2015

14. Dube Chatterjee, Ishita (ed.): Caste in History. Delhi, 2008

15. Forbes, Geraldine: Women in Modern India. Cambridge, 1996

16. Joshi, Sanjay (ed.): The Middle Class in Colonial India. Delhi, 2010

17. Kakar, Sudhir: The Inner World. Delhi, 1978

18. Macraild, Donald M. and Taylor, Avram: Social Theory and Social History, New York,
2016

19. Murshid, Golam: Hajar Bachharer Bangali Samskrti. Dhaka, 2006

20. Ray, Niharranjan: Bangalir Itihas. Adi Parva. Calcutta, 2009

21. Roychaudhuri, Tapan: Bengal under Akbar and Jehangir. Delhi, 1969

22. Roychaudhuri, Tapan: Perceptions, Emotions, Sensibilities. New Delhi, 2005

23. Roychaudhuri, Tapan: Prabandha Sangraha. Calcutta, 2009

24. Sabyasachi Bhattacharya (ed.): Approaches to History. Delhi, 2011

25. Sanyal, Hiteshranjan: Social Mobility in Bengal. Calcutta, 1981

26. Sarkar, Sumit: Modern Times. Ranikhet, 2014

27. Sarkar, Sumit: Writing Social History. Delhi, 1997

28. Schendel, Willem van and Ball, Elen (ed.): Banglar Bahujati. Calcutta, 1998

29. Sen, Prabodhchandra: Banglar Itihas-sadhana. Calcutta, 1953

30. Stone, Lawrence: The Past and Present Revisited. London 1987

31. Walsh, Judith: Growing up in British India. Teaneck, 1993

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Semester-II
Compulsory Course

HIS 202: ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF INDIA IN THE ANTHROPOCENE AGE

Unit I: The concept of Anthropocene- in Indian Context -Historiography of environmental

history
The relationship among environmental history, climate history, animal history and
environmental humanities
Unit II: i. Arrival of the British and cataloguing of landscape and eco-system
ii. History of Forest, Water and Wildlife
iii. Colonial Deforestation, Timber Trade, Wildlife destruction
iv. Making of Gardens: Tea, Jute and Rubber plantation

Unit III: i. Colonial Policies on Environment: Environmental Change, Famines, and Migration
ii. Colonial Flood Control and Disaster management
Unit IV: i. Colonial Conservation of Ideas on Environment; Indigenous Perception of
Environment.
ii. Borderland Environment

Select Readings
1. Chakrabarty, Dipesh, Climate of History in Planetary Age, New Delhi, Primus Books.

2. Chakrabarti, Ranjan, Situating Environmental History, New Delhi, 2007.

3. Chakrabarti, Ranjan, Does environmental History Matter? Kolkata, 2006

4. Chakrabarti, Ranjan, Critical Themes in Environmental History of India, ICHR & Sage,
2021.

5. Damodaran,Vinita, Gender, ‘Forests and Famine in 19th-Century Chotanagpur’, Indian

Journal of Gender Studies, Vol. 9, No-2, 2002.

6. Ghosh, Mili, The Shattered Earth: Histories of Climate, Catastrophe and the Wilderness,
New Delhi: Primus Books, 2024.

7. Gunnel Cederölf, and K Sivaramkrishnan (eds.) Ecological Nationalism: Nature, Livelihood,

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and Identities in South Asia, Permanent Black, New Delhi, 2005.

8. Damodaran, Vinita, Colonial Construction of the ‘Tribe’ in India: The Case of Chotanagpur,
The Indian Historical Review, Vol.-XXXIII, 2006.

9. Richard H. Grove, Vinita Damodaran and Satpal Sangwan, (eds.) Nature and the Orient: An
Environmental History of South and South East Asia, OUP, New Delhi, 1998.

10. Fisher, Michael H., An Environmental History of India, CUP, 2018.

11. Iqbal, Iftekhar, The Bengal Delta: Ecology, State, and Social Change 1840-1943,
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010.

12. Jalia, Anu, Forest of Tigers: People, Politics and Environment in the Sundarbans, New
Delhi, Routledge, 2011.

13. Mahato, Nirmal Kumar, ‘Environmental Change and Chronic Famine in Manbhum, Bengal
District, 1860-1910’, Global Environment, 6, 2011.

14. Mahato, Nirmal Kumar, Sorrow Songs of Woods: Adivasi-Nature Relationship in the
Anthropocene in Manbhum, Primus, New Delhi, 2020.

15. Saikia, Arupjyoti, Forests and Ecological History of Assam, 1826-2000, OUP, 2011.

16. Sivaramakrishnan, K., ‘A Limited Forest Conservancy in South West Bengal, 1864-1912’,
Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 56(1), 1997.

17. Sivaramakrishnan, K., Science, ‘Environment and Empire History: Comparative

Perspectives from Forests in Colonial India,’Environment and History, Vol. 14,1, 2008.

18. Rangarajan Mahesh and Sivaramakrishnan, K (ed.) India’s Environmental History:

Colonialism, Modernity, and the Nation, Permanent Black, Ranekhet, 2013.

19. Roy, Anuradha, Rethinking Human-Animal Relationship: Reading Stories from Bengali
Literature, Primus Books, 2023.

20. Kumar, Deepak, Vinita Damodaran and Rohon D’ Souza, (eds), The British Empire and the
Natural World: Environmental Encounters in South Asia, New Delhi, 2011.

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SEMESTER II
Compulsory Course

HIS 203:ANTI-COLONIAL RESISTANCE IN INDIA

Lectures: 50

UNIT I: Context of anti-colonial Adivasi/Tribe and Peasant protests – Historians and

Historiography of the Revolt of 1857

UNIT II: Foundation of the Congress- Historiography of Indian Nationalism

UNIT III: Organized politics and anti-colonial resistance – Congress and the educated social
groups – Boycott and Swadeshi movements –Radical Trends

UNIT III: Swaraj Party-Labour Movement-Nehru Report- Purna Swaraj-Civil Disobedience

UNIT IV: Non-Brahman and ‘Untouchable Movements’- Left-wing politics- Quit India
Movement-Netaji and Azad Hind Fauj- Rebel of Royal Indian Navy-Tebhaga Movement

Suggested Reading:

1. Baker, C. J.: An Indian Rural Economy: The Tamilnad Countryside

2. Bose, S.: Agrarian Bengal: Economy, Social Structure and Politics, 1919-1947

3. Bose, S.: Peasant Labour and Colonial Capital: Rural Bengal Since 1770

4. Brass, P. R.: The Politics of India Since Independence

5. Chakrabarty, D.: Rethinking Working Class History: Bengal, 1890-1940

6. Chakrabarty, H.: Political Protest in Bengal: Boycott and Terrorism, 1905-18

7. Chandra, B. et al. (ed.): India After Independence

8. Chandra, B.: Essays on Contemporary India

9. Chatterjee, P.: Nationalist Thought and the Colonial World: A Derivative Discourse?
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10. Chaudhuri, S. B.: Civil Disturbances during British Rule in India, 1765-1857

11. Dutt, R. C.: Economic History of India (Volume 2)

12. Gopal, S.: British Policy in India, 1858-1905

13. Guha, R.: Elementary Aspects of Peasant Insurgency in Colonial India

14. Guha, R.: India After Gandhi

15. Hardiman, D. (ed.): Peasant Resistance in India 1858-1914

16. Hasan, M.: Nationalism and Communal Politics in India 1916-1928 29. Jeffrey, R. (ed.):
People, Princes, and Paramount Power. Society and Politics in the Indian Princely States

17. Jalal, A.: The Sole Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League and the Demand for Pakistan

18. Karlekar, H.: Independent India. The First Fifty Years

19. Kaul, J. M.: Problems of National Integration

20. Kothari, R: Politics in India

21. Kumaramangalam, S. M.: India’s Language Crisis

22. Metcalf, T.: The Aftermath of Revolt: India 1857-1870

23. Mukherjee, R.: Awadh in Revolt: A Study of Popular Resistance

24. Murshid, T.: The Sacred and the Secular

25. Namboodiripad, E. M. S.: Economics and Politics of India’s Socialist Pattern

26. Nanda, B.R.: Gandhi: Pan–Islamism, Imperialism and Nationalism in India

27. Naoroji, D.: Poverty and Un-British Rule in India

28. Page, D.: Prelude to Partition: The Indian Muslims and the Imperial System of Control 1920-
1932

29. Pande, B. N.: A Centenary History of the Indian National Congress, (Volume IV)

30. Sarkar, S.: Modern India, 1885-1947

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31. Sen, S.N.: Eighteen Fifty-Seven

32. Stokes, E.: The Peasant and the Raj: Studies in Agrarian Society and Peasant Rebellion in
Colonial India

33. Banerjee-Dube, Ishita, A History of Modern India, Cambridge University Press, 2014.

SEMESTER- II
CBCS Course:

HIS 204: CONTEMPORARY WORLD

Lectures: 50

UNIT I: Crises in the Middle East: The creation of Israel and the Arab-Israeli war 1948-9 –The
Suez War of 1956 –The Six Day War of 1967 – The Yom Kippur War of 1973 – Camp David
and the Egyptian-Israeli peace, 1978-9 – Peace between Israel and the PLO – Conflict in
Lebanon – The Iran-Iraq War, 1980-8 – The Gulf War, 1990-1 – Israelis and Palestinians fight
again – Israel-Iran Conflict

UNITII: Third World : Historical context of the emergence of the Third World–Developmental
issues of the Third World–Changing face of the Third World; politics, society, economy,
culture.

UNIT III: India Engaging with the World – Look East Policy – India and South Asian – India
and Super Powers

UNIT IV: Major conflicts since the dissolution of USSR: Chechen crisis, Yugoslav crisis,
Georgian crisis, Ukraine crisis ‒ South, East and South-East Asia: Kargil War 1999 ‒ Rise and
fall of Taliban in Afghanistan, Post 9/11 Global war on terror in Afghanistan ‒ Sri lankan Tamil
crisis, Senkaku islands dispute, South- China Seadispute‒WestAsia:USinvasioninIraq2003,ISIS
in Syria and Iraq‒Yemen crisis, Israel-Gaza conflict ‒ Africa: Congo Crisis, Nigerian civil war,
Somalian crisis, Libyan crisis, Egyptian crisis, Sudan crisis

Suggested Reading

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1. Appadorai, A. and Rajan, M. S.: India's Foreign Policy and Relations
2. Bandyopadhyaya, Jayantanuja: The Making of India's Foreign Policy. Determinants,
Institutions, Process and Personalities
3. Dixit, J. N.: India's Foreign Policy and its Neighbours
4. Dutt, V. P.: India's Foreign Policy since Independence
3. Ganguly, Sumit, (ed.): India's Foreign Policy: Retrospect and Prospect
4. Bhasiin, Kamala: What is Patriarchy?
5. Shiva, Vandana: Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development
6. Miles, Maria and Shiva, Vandana (eds.): Ecofeminism
7. McWilliams, Wayne C. and Piotrowski, Harry: The World since 1945 – A History of
International Relations
8. Calvocoressi, P.: World Politics 1945 – 2000
9. Briggs, A. & Clavin, P.: Modern Europe, 1789 – Present
10. Haynes, J.: Third World Politics
11. Mazrui, Ali A. & Michael, T.: Nationalism and New States in Africa
12. Burns, B.: Latin America: A Concise Interpretative History
13. Ray, B.: Early Feminists of Colonial India
14. Jackson, S.: Contemporary Feminist Theories
15. Talpade Mohanty, C. & Russo, A.: Third World Women and the Politics of Feminism
16. Simonton, D.: Women in European Culture and Society
17. Gilmore, S.: Groundswell: Grassroots Feminist Activism in Postwar America
18. Murray, P. S.: Women and Gender in Modern Latin America
19. Dabashi Hamid, The Arab Spring: The End of Post Colonialism, (Zed Books,2012).
20. Deepinder Singh, The IPKF in Sri Lanka, (Noida, Trishul Publication, 2001).
21. Karlekar Hiranmay, Endgame in Afghanistan, (Sage Publications India, 2012).
22. Malik V. P., Kargil: From Surprise to Victory, (Harpar Collins India, 2006).
23. Robert Brad, (edit) Order and Disorder after the Cold War, (Cambridge, M A,1995).
24. W. Danspeckgruber and C. Tripps (edits), The Iraqi Aggression against Kuwait, (Colorado,
Boulder, 1996).
Suggested Readings:
25. Aburish. S. K., Arafat: From Defender to Dictator (Bloomsbury, 1999)
26. Aburish, S. K., Nasser: The Last Arab (Duckworth, 2005 edition)
27.Chomsky, N. and Pappe, I., Gaza in Crisis: Reflections on Israel's War against the
Palestinians (Penguin, 2011).
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28.Dawisha, A., Arab Nationalism in the 20th Century: From Triumph to Despair (Princeton
University Press, new edition, 2005).
29.Hirst, D., Beware of Small States: Lebanon, Battleground of the Middle East (Faber, 2010).
30. Kyle, K., Suez: Britain's End of Empire in the Middle East (Tauris, Reprint edition, 201
Milton-Edwards, B. & Farrell, S., Hamas: The Islamic Resistance Movement (Poling, 2010).
31. Osman, T., Egypt on the Brink: from Nasser to Mubarak (Yale University Press, revised
edition, 2011).
32. Roy, S., Hamas and Civil Society in Gaza (Princeton University Press, 2011).
33. Schlaim, A., Israel and Palestine: Reappraisals, Revisions, Refutations (Verso, 2010).
34. Tripp, C., A History of Iraq (Cambridge University Press, 3rd edition, 2007).

SEMESTER II
Compulsory Course:

HIS 205: TWENTIETH CENTURY WORLD: POLITICS, ECONOMY, ANDSOCIETY

Lectures: 50

UNIT I: The First World War: historical background; factors that precipitated; nature and
impact – Peace Settlement: Fourteen Points of Woodrow Wilson and Paris Peace Conference
– Issues arising out of the War: quest for security; problem of disarmament; problem of
reparation – the Great Depression: causes and consequences.

UNIT II: Italy and Germany between the Wars; domestic and foreign affairs – France and
Great Britain between the Wars – impact of the Peace Pact of 1919 on West Asia –
emergence of America & Soviet Russia as world powers – Civil War in Spain – origin and
nature of World War II.

UNIT III: UNO and the concept of World Peace – the Cold War and bilateralism in world
politics; military and economic alliances – end of the European empires – the emergence of
the Third World; problems of the Third World countries – internationalization of regional
tensions: Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Chile, Kashmir, and Afghanistan – rise of Communist China;
changing contours of Sino-Soviet (Russian) relations – Africa in world politics: anti-colonial
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movement in Algeria; the Congo Crisis; end of apartheid in South Africa – South Asia: India
and her neighbours; India’s nuclear policy – Southeast Asia: Colonial rule, growth of
Nationalism and Modernization.

UNIT IV: Disintegration of the Soviet Union and its impact on international politics
–international terrorism and its impact on world politics – Globalization: theory and practice;
its economic and political impact – economic and technological development – environment
and climate change: developmental discourse; growth of environmental concern in modern
society.

Suggested Reading:
1. Benns, F. L.: Europe since 1919
2. Blanning, T, C. W. (ed.): The Oxford Illustrated History of Modern Europe
3. Briggs, A. & P. C.: Modern Europe, 1789-Present
4. Burns, B.: Latin America: A Concise Interpretative History
5. Baylis, J. and S. Smith (eds.): The Globalization of World Politics – An Introduction to
International Relations
6. Carr, E. H.: International Relations between the Two World Wars, 1919-1939
7. Calvocoressi, P.: World Politics 1945 - 2000
8. Chickering, R., S. F. & B. Greiner, (eds.): A World at Total War: Global Conflict and
the Politics of Destruction, 1937-1945
9. Clavin, P.: The Great Depression in Europe, 1929-1939
10. Fisher, S. N.: The Middle East: A History
11. Gathorne-Hardy, G. M.: A Short History of International Affairs, 1920-1938
12. Grove, R., V. Damodaran and S. Sangwan (eds.): Nature and the Orient: The Environmental
History of South and Southeast Asia
13. Hall, D. G. E.: A History of South-East Asia
14. Haynes, J.: Third World Politics
15. Hsu, I. C. Y.: The Rise of Modern China
16. Joll, J. & G. M.: The Origins of the First World War
17. Keylor, W. R.: The Twentieth Century World – An International History
18. Langsam, W. C.: The World since 1919
19. Lenczowski, G.: The Middle East in World Affairs
20. Mazrui, A. A. and M. Tidy: Nationalism and New States in Africa
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21. McWilliams, W. C., and H. Piotrowski: The World since 1945 – A History of International
Relations.
22. Payne, S. G.: A History of Fascism, 1914-1945
23. Reynolds, D.: The Origin of the Cold War
24. Tarling, Nicholas (ed.). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, the Nineteenth and
Twentieth Centuries, Volume 2
25. Taylor, A. J. P.: The Origins of the Second World War

SEMESTER III
Compulsory Course:

HIS 301: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THEHISTORY OF MEDICINE

Lecture 50

UNITI: Antiquity to Classical Era 1000 BC to 800 CE: Ayurveda; Greek Medicine; Roman
Medicine; Chinese Medicine

UNIT II: Middle Ages: 800 CE – 1500 CE: Arab Islamic Medical Tradition; Debates in
Ayurveda and Unani; Renaissance Medicine; Islam and Medicine

UNIT III: Modern Times: 1500 CE – 1900 CE: Medicine in the Age of Enlightenment;
Diseases and Trade Routes; Imperialism and Medicine

UNIT IV: Twentieth Century: 1900 CE – 2000 CE: Public Health; War and Medicine; Drugs
and Pharmaceutical Companies

Select Readings:

1. M S Valiathan, The Legacy of Caraka. Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 2003

2. M S Valiathan, The Legacy of Susruta. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2007

3. Vivian Nutton, Ancient Medicine. Oxon: Routledge, 2004

4. Maarten Bode, Taking Traditional Knowledge to the Market: The Modern Image of the
Ayurvedic and Unani Industry 1980 – 2000. Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 2008

5. Anna Winterbottom & Facil Tesfaye (eds), Histories of Medicine and Healing in the Indian
Ocean World Vols. 1 & 2. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016
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6. W F Bynum & Roy Porter (eds) William Hunter and the Eighteenth-Century Medical World

7. Roy Porter, The Cambridge History of Medicine

8. Harold J Cook, Matters of Exchange: Commerce: Medicine and Science in the Age of
Empire. Hyderabad: Orient Longman, 2008

9. Mark Harrison, Margaret Jones, and Helen Sweet (eds) From Western Medicine to Global
Medicine. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, 2009

10. Pratik Chakrabarti, Materials and Medicine: Trade, Conquest and Therapeutics in the
Eighteenth Century.Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2010.

11. Richard Taylor,‘Medical Imperialism’. In: Medicine Out of Control. Palgrave, London,
1979

12. Schreier, H. & Berger, L, ‘On medical imperialism’, Lancet, 1:1161, 1974

13. Roger Cooter and John Pickstone (eds), Companion to Medicine in the Twentieth Century.
London & New York: Routledge, 2003

14. Jeremy A Greene, Prescribing by Numbers: Drugs and the Definition of Disease. Baltimore:
Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007

15. Jeremy A Greene, Generic: The Unbranding of Modern Medicine. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 2014

SEMESTER III
Compulsory Course:

HIS 302: THE GLOBAL INDIAN MIGRATION AND DIASPORA

Lectures: 50
UnitI: a) Definition and Types of Migration b) Patterns of Migration c) Domestic and Global
Migration d)Definition and Types of Diaspora; Patterns of Diaspora e) Geo-politics of Diaspora;
State, Nation, Border, Environment, Frontier, Citizenship, Rights and Refugees—asylum, ghetto
Harlem.

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Unit II : The Origins of the modern Indian Diaspora: Migrations in pre colonial time, Migration
during the indenture Period - Indentured Labour; Trade Diaspora; Displacement, Migration in
contemporary period – Trans-nationalism ---Indian Diaspora across continents: USA, UK,
Africa, Canada, West Asia, Pacific countries and others.

Unit III: Culture and Community in Diaspora: A) Cultural Identity, Race, Gender, Religion,
Spread of Indian Philosophy, Language and Literature—Ramayana & Mahabharata; Diaspora
B) Struggle against Racism, Sexism and Lesbophobia ; Ethno-nationalism, Cultural Pluralism
and Ethnic Politics C) Indian Cinema-- Transnational media networking-- Music, Folk Arts and
Cultural Migration.

Unit IV: Diaspora — then Politics of the Nation – State, and Long –Distance Nationalism; Civil
Society, Social Movements and Development Process--foreign policy; Indian state and the
South Asians across continents—modern global Indian history.

Select Readings

1. Tinker, Hugh. A New System of Slavery: The Export of Indian Labour Overseas (1830-1950,
Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1974.

2. Tinker. Hugh, Separate and Unequal; India: The Indians in the British Commonwealth
(1920-1950), London, 1976.

3. Cohen,Robin. Global Diaspora: An Introduction, Routledge, 2008.

4. Judith Brown, Global South Asians: Introducing the Modern Diaspora (Cambridge
University Press, 2006).

5. Stephane Dufoix, Diasporas, trans. William Rodamor (Berkeley: University of California

Press, 2008)
6. South Asians Overseas: Migration and Ethnicity, ed. Colin Clarke, Ceri Peach and Steven
Vertovec (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1990).
7. Selections from Brij V.Lal,ed., The Encylcopedia of the Indian Diaspora Singapore: Editions
Didier Millet, in association with National University of Singapore, 2006.
8. Marina Carter and Khal Torabully, Cooliltude: An Anthology of the Indian Labour Diaspora
(South Asian Anthem Studies, 2002).

9. Vinay Lal, The Other Indians: A Cultural and Political History of South Asians in America
(Delhi: Harper Collins; Los Angeles: University of California/Asian American Studies Center
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Press, 2008).

10. Sheffer, Gabriel. Diaspora Politics: At Home Abroad, CUP, 2003.

11. Jayaram, N. The Indian Diaspora: The Dynamics of Migration, Sage 2004.

12. Bhana, Surendra. Indentured Indian emigrants at Natal, 18601902, New Delhi, Promila &
Co, 1991.

13. Carter,Marina.Voices from the indentured experiences of Indian migrants in the British
Empire, London, Leicester University Press.1996.

14. Laxmi Narayan Kadekar, et al. The India Diaspora: Historical and Contemporary context,
New Delhi, Rawat Publication.2009.

15. Lal, BV. Encyclopaedia of Indian Diaspora. Fimian Lacpatia, Les Indien de La Réunion:
La Vie et Social, St.Denis Dyonisus, 1982.

16. Reis, M. “Theorising Diaspora: perspectives of classical and contemporary Diaspora”,

International Migration, Vol. 42(2)2004.

17. Cohen, R. “Diaspora and the nation-state: From victim to a challenger,” International
Affairs Vol. 72(3)1944.

SEMESTER III
Compulsory Course:

HIS 303: ADIVASI HISTORY IN COLONIAL BENGAL

Lectures 50

Unit –I: Concept of Tribe, Tribe in Indian Civilization and history, The problem of
nomenclature: Adivasis, Tribes and Indigenous people, Representation of the Adivasis/ ‘Tribes’:
Sanskritik and Colonial Archives: A Critical Survey, Sources for Adivasi History Writing,
Historiography of Tribe in India, is there a tribal history? Adivasi Collective Memory and Myth
as their own History

Unit-II: Broad Trends and Tendencies in Adivasi Studies; The Conflict between Political and
Moral Economy Land, Forest and Water Cosmologies, their Perception of Water and their
Methods Water
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Medicinal System and Practices; Adivasi Migration; Impact of Colonial Policies on Land,
Forests and Water

Unit-III
Search for a Village as locus of Adivasi socio-cultural life; Pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial
governance, Adivasi Village Republic and Polity; Customary Law; The Concept of Adivasi
Governance Identity Assertion of Adivasis and movements for jal, jungle and jameen (water,
forest, and land) in colonial and contemporary times

Unit IV: Adivasis in India: Northern India, Southern India, Eastern India, Southern India. North
Eastern India, The Demography of Adivasis in India, Their social and economic Status,
Adivasis in Indian politics. ‘Tribes’ and the V and VI Schedule of the Indian constitution

References

1. Banerjee, Prathama, Politics of Time: ‘Primitives’ and Histroty- writing in a Colonial

Society, New Delhi: OUP, 2006. Dhirendranath, Saotali Ganasangramer Itihas, Calcutta:
Kathasilpa, 1976

2. Bhowmik, Shruhid Kumar, Aranyak Darshan o Saotali Esoponishad, Mechheda: Marangburu

Press, 1991.

3. Chakrabarti, Ranjan, Situating Environmental History, New Delhi: Manohar, 2007.

4. Chattopadhyay, Pradip, Redifining Tribal Identity: The Changing Identity of the Santhals in
South-West Bengal, New Delhi: Primus, 2014. Dasgupta, Sangeeta, Reordering Adivasi Worlds,
New Delhi: OUP, 2020.

5. Dasgupta,Sanjukta, Adivasis and the Raj: Socio-economic Transformation of the Hos, 1820-
1932, Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan, 2011. Dutta, Kalikinkar, The Santal Insurrection of 1855-
57, Calcutta: Firma K. L. M., 1940.

6. Cederolf, Gunnel and K. Sivarmakrishnan, ed., Ecological Nationalism: Nature, Livelihood

and Ientities in South Asia, New Delhi: Permanent Black, 2006.

7. Hembrom, N., Austric Civilization in India, New Delhi: Privately Published, 2005.

8. Grove, Richard, V. Damodaran and Satpal Sangwan, Nature and the Orient: The
Environmental History of South and Southeast Asia, NewDelhi: 1998.
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9. Guha, Ranajit, Elementary Aspects of Peasants Insurgency in Colonial India, New
Delhi:OUP, 1989.

10. Jha, J.C., The Kol Insurrection in Chotanagpur, Calcutta: Thacker, Spink and Co., 1964.

11. Jha, J.C., The Bhumij Revolt, 1832-33, New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1967.

12. Kabiraj, Narahari, Santal Village Community and the Santal Rebellion of 1855, Calcutta:
Subarnarekha, 2001.

13. Kresh III, Shepherd, The Ecological Indian, New York: W W Norton & Co.,2000.

14. Mahapatra, Sitakanta, Modernization and Ritual: Identity and Change in Santal Society,
Calcutta, 1986.

15. Mahato, P.P., Bharater Adivasi o Dalita Samaj, Kolkata: Sujan, 1995.

16. Mahato, Nirmal Kumar, Sorrow Songs of Woods: Adivasi- Nature Relationship in the
Anthropocene in Manbhum, New Delhi: Primus, 2020.

17.Nag,Sajal, Contesting Marginality: Ethnicity, Insurgency and sub-nationalism in North-

east India, New Delhi: Manohar, 2002.

18. Sahlin, Marshal, Stone Age Economics, Chicago: Aldines, Atherton Inc., 1992.

19. Samaddar, Ranabir, Memory, Identity and Power: The Politics in the Jungle Mahals(West
Bengal) 1890-1950, Hydrabad: Orient Longman,1998, repr. 2013.

20. Sen, Ashoka Kumar, Indigeneity, Landscape and History: Adivasi Self-fashioning in India,
London and New York: Routledge, 2018.

21. Sen, Ashoka Kumar, The Making of a Village, The Dynamics of Adivasi Rural Life in India,
Routledge India, 2020.

22. Sen, Suchibrata, Bharater Adivasi: Samaj, Paribesh o Samgram, Kolkata: Book Post, 2020.

23. Sen, Suchibrata, The Santals of Jungle Mahals through the Ages, Kolkata: Ashadep, 2013.

24. Singh, K. Suresh, The Dust Storm and the Hanging Mist: A Study of Birsha Munda and His
Movement in Chotanagpur, 1874-1901, Calcutta: Firma K.L. Mukhopadhyay, 1996.

25. Sinha, S. S., Restless Mother and Turbulent Daughters: Situating Tribes in Gender Studies,
Kolkata: Stree, 2005.

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26. Skaria, Ajay, Hybrid Histories: Forests, Frontiers and Wilderness in Western India, New
Delhi: OUP, 1999.

27. Sunder, Nandini, Subalterns and Sovereigns: An Anthropological History of Baster, 1854-
2006, New Delhi: OUP, 2007. Sumit Sarkar, Modern India, McMilan, 1980.

28. K S Sing, Tribal Situation in India, IIAS, Shimla, 1970

29. K S Singh, Tribal Movements in India, 2 vols, Manohar, reprint 2000

SEMESTER III
CBCS Course:

HIS 304: CONTEMPORARY INDIA

Lectures: 50

UNIT I: History of Indian Classical Music–Hindustani–Natyashastra and the background to

Indian music–Medieval adaptations– Developments in the Mughal period – Forms of Music in
the Eighteenth Century

UNIT II: History of Indian Sport: Social significance of sport in traditional India – Colonial
India: ‘sport ethic’ in colonial policy, football, cricket, and nationalism and communalism –
Sport in post-colonial India: promotion of sport by the Indian state, proliferation and
popularization of sport, and increasing of, and professionalism in, sport in recent times – Sport
and gender in post-colonial Indian society.

UNIT III: Women in Religion: Divinity and Femininity --- Womanhood, Selfhood, Gender
Identity; Scriptures and injunctions; Women and spirituality ---economic and cultural
dimensions; Women in contemporary Faith Movements of India. Women in Politics: Political
Representation of Women--issues and challenges; Gender and Political Empowerment—caste,
religion and sexism; Women in Medicine: Contesting the Zenana; Women Doctors in Colonial
India

UNIT IV: History and Literature: Indian Writing in English; Women writing in India—
Postcolonial Writing in English and other languages—Literature from North east India--Dalit
Literature—Literature and Films—Literature and Society

Suggested Reading:
1. Bandopadhyay, K.: Scoring Off the Field

2. Bhatia, N. (ed.): Modern Indian Theatre

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3. Bor, Joep. Delvoye, Francoise Nalini. Harvey, Jane. Nijenhuis, Emmie te.: Hindustani Music:
Thirteenth to Twentieth Centuries

4. V N Bhatkhande: Comparative Study of some of the leading music systems of the 15th, 16th,
17th and 18th centuries

5. Bonnie C. Wade: Imaging Sound : An Ethno musicological Study of Music, Art, and Culture
in Mughal India

6. Van Der Meer, Wim: Hindustani Music in the 20th Century Sourindro Mohun Tagore:
Universal History of Music: Complied from diverse sources together with Various Original
Notes on Hindu Music

8. Lewis Rowell: Music and Musical Thought in Early India

9. Ethel Rosenthal: The story of Indian Music and its Instruments

10. Ranade, Ashok Promilla: Hindustani Classical Music, Keywords and Concepts

11. Swami Prajnanananda: A Historical Study of Indian Music

12. Bhavanrav A Pingle: History of Indian Music: with particular reference to theory and
practice

13. Briggs and Peter Burke: A Social History of Media from Gutenberg to the Internet

14. Burke, Kenneth: Attitudes toward History

15. Carey, James W: Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society

16. Gooptu, Sarmistha: Bengali Cinema. An Other Nation

17. Jain, Madhu ed.: Narratives of Indian Cinema

18. Lal, A. (ed.): Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre

19. Majumdar, B. & Mangan, J. A. (eds): Sport in South Asian History

20. Nerone, John: “The Future of Communication History.” Critical Studies in

MediaCommunication Volume 23, No. 3 (2006): 254–262

21. Peters, Benjamin: “And Lead Us Not into Thinking the New Is New: A Bibliographic Case
for New Media History.” New Media & Society Volume 11, nos. 1 & 2 (2009): 13–30
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22. Peters, John Durham: “History as a Communication problem”, In Explorations in
Communication and History, edited by Barbie Zelizer,
19 – 34

23. Vasudevan, R: The Melodramatic Public: Film Form and Spectatorship in Indian Cinema

24. Winston, Brian: Media Technology and Society A History: From the Telegraph to theIntern

25. Altekar, A.S. The Position of Women in Hindu Civilization: From Prehistoric Times to the
Present Day. Motilal Banarsidas, 2016.

26. Anderson, Leona M. and Pamela Dickey Young Eds. Women and Religious Traditions.
Oxford University, 2004

27. Bose, Mandakranta. Women in the Hindu Tradition: Rules, Roles and exceptions, Routledge,
2010.

28. Boserup E., Women's Role in Economic Development, George Allen and Unwin
Ltd., 1970

29. Brush, Lisa D. Gender and Governance. Rawat Publications, 2007

30.Cabezón, José Ignacio. (ed.) Buddhism, Sexuality and Gender. State University of New York
Press, 1992.

31.Desai Neera and M. Krishna Raj - Women and Society in India. Janta Publications, 1987.

32.Sahu, Skylab. Unfolding Feminism in India: Women, Power and Politics. Routledge,2023.

33.Saxena, Alka. Role of Women in Reservation Politics.Altar Publishing House, 2011.

34.Sethi, Manisha. Escaping the World: Women Renouncers among Jains, Routledge, 2011

35. Therese Saliba, Carolyn Allen and Judith A Howard (eds.) Gender, Politics and Islam,
University of Chicago Press, 2002

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SEMESTER III
Optional Course:

HIS 305A: SOUTH WEST BENGAL - 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES

Lectures: 50

UNITI: South-West Bengal in Colonial period: impact of western education and ideas–growth
of western educated local intelligentsia– new educational institutions and response of indigenous
elites – emergence of modern professions – social consequences of westernization – newspapers
and periodical journals.

UNITII: Emergence of modern politics– rise of local leadership–Swadeshi militant nationalism–

Non Cooperation mobilization–Civil Disobedience Movement – second phase of the
revolutionary politics – Quit India movement.

UNITIII: Emergence of left wing politics condition of the working class and peasants; their
mobilization–students’responseto radicalism.

UNITIV: Condition of women, tribes and castes– Utkal Brahmins of Midnapur–ecology and
environment; natural disasters; the Famine of 1943 and its impact on local society.

Suggested Reading:

1. Hunter, W. W.: A Statistical Account of Bengal (volume 3)

2. Hunter, W. W.: Annals of Rural Bengal

3. O’Malley, L. S. S.: Bengal District Gazzetteer, Midnapore.

4. Price, J. C.: Notes on the History of Midnapore

5. Majumdar, R. C.: History of the Freedom Movement in India (Volumes 1 & 2)

6. Samanta, A. (ed.): Terrorism in Bengal (6 volumes)

7. Chatterjee, P. K. (ed.): Midnapore’s Tryst with Struggle

8. Das, B. S.: Changing Profile in Frontier Bengal.

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9. Barui, B. C.: Salt Industry in Bengal

10. Chakraborty, B.: Local Politics and Indian Nationalism, Midnapur, 1919 – 1944

11. Panda, C.: Decline of the Bengal Zaminders

12. Risley, H. H.: The Tribes and Castes in Bengal (Volumes 1 & 2)

13 Greenough, P.: Prosperity and Misery in Modern Bengal – The Famine of 1943 – 1944

14. Bhowmick, S. P.: History of the Bengal Nagpur Railway Working Class Movement with
special reference to Kharagpur

15. Pal, R.: Women of Midnapore in Indian Freedom Struggle

16. Sanyal, H. R.: Swarajer Pathe

17. Basu, J. C.: Medinipurer Itihas

18. Chaudhuri, R. M.: Bankurajaner Itihas Sanskriti

19. Roy, P. & Das, B. S. (eds.): Medinipur: Itihas O Sanskritir Bibartan, Volumes 1-5

20. Bhattacharyya, T.: Medinipur, Bankura, Purulia (3 books)

SEMESTER- III
Optional Course:

HIS 305(B): HISTORY OF DISASTERS IN SOUTHWEST BENGAL: 19TH AND

20THCENTURIES
Lectures: 60

UNIT I: Situating Southwest Bengal and its physical aspects ― interactions of the geographical
disparities with population ― natural disaster propensity of this area ― history and
historiography of natural disasters in Southwest Bengal.

UNIT II: Impact of disasters upon human society and traditional rural economy ― gender
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dimensions of disasters ― profits from disasters ― underlying tensions in rural society ―
relation between scarcity and crime ― migration ― response of the Indian society towards
sufferers.

UNIT III: The colonial response ― rescue and relief ― recovery and reconstruction ― the
epidemic control policy ― the crisis: natural or man-made ― rise of anti-British feelings.

UNIT IV: Looking at the future ― self-protection mechanism ― disaster mitigation policy by
the state ― proposed remedial measures ― reluctance to solve the issue.

Suggested Reading:
1. Amartya Sen, 1981, Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation,
CLARENDON PRESS OXFORD.

2. Arabinda Samanta, 2003, Prakitik Biparjay O Manush, Dey’s Publishing: Calcutta.

― 2017, Living with Epidemics in Colonial Bengal, 1818―1945, Manohar: New Delhi
― 1997, ‘Cyclone Hazards and Community Response in Coastal West Bengal’, Economic
and Political Weekly, 32(38): 2424-28

3. Asok Mitra, 1991, Towards Independence, 1940-1947: Memoirs of an Indian

Civil Servant, Bombay Popular Prakashan

4. Benjamin Kingsbury, 2019, An Imperial Disaster: The Bengal Cyclone of 1876, India:
Speaking Tiger

5.BidyutChakrabarty, 1997, Local Politics, and Indian Nationalism: Midnapur, 1919-

1944 Manohar: New Delhi.

6. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya et al., 1985, West Bengal District Gazetteers: Puruliya, West
Bengal District Gazetteers: Calcutta.

7. B. M. Bhatia, 1991 (Third Revised Edition), Famines in India, Konark Publishers Pvt. Ltd:
Delhi.

8. Richard H. Grove, Vinita Damodaran, and Satpal Sangwan (eds.), 1997, Nature and the
Orient: The Environmental History of South and Southeast Asia, OUP: New Delhi

9. H. Coupland, 1911, Bengal District Gazetteers: Manbhum, Calcutta: Bengal Secretariat Book
Depot.

10. Hitesranjan Sanyal, 1993, Swarajer Pathe (Bengali), Papyrus.

― 1988, ‘The Quit India Movement in Medinipur District,’ in Gyanendra Pandey, ed., The
Indian Nation in 1942, KP Bagchi & amp; Company: Calcutta/New Delhi

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11. Janam Mukherjee, 2015, Hungry Bengal: War, Famine, Riots and the end of Empire,
Harper Collins Publishers: India.

12. Jogeschandra Bosu, 1328 B.S., Medinipurer Itihas (Bengali), Contai: Midnapore (District).

13. L.S.S. O’Malley, 1995, (Reprint), Bengal District Gazetteers: Midnapore , Calcutta: West
Bengal District Gazetteers
― 1908, Bankura, Calcutta: The West Bengal Secretariat Book Depot.

14. Madhusree Mukerjee, 2018, CHURCHILL’S SECRET WAR: The British Empire and the
Ravaging of India during World War II, PENGUIN BOOKS: INDIA

15. Malabika Chakrabarti, 2004, The Famine of 1896-1897 in Bengal: Availability or

Entitlement Crisis?, Orient Longman.

16. Nirmal Kumar Mahato, 2011, ‘Environmental Change and Chronic Famine in Manbhum,
Bengal District, 1860-1910’, Global Environment, 6: 68-94.
― 2020, Sorrow Songs of the Woods, Primus Books: Delhi.

17. Paul R. Greenough, 2018, (Reprint), PROSPERITY AND MISERY IN MODERN BENGAL: The
Famine of 1943-1944, Oxford University Press.

18. Ranjan Chakrabarti, ed., 2020, Critical Themes in Environmental History of India, Sage
Publications: New Delhi/ California/ London / Singapore
― 2022, Climate, Calamity and the Wild: An Environmental History of the Bengal Delta,
c.1737―1947, Primus Books: Delhi.

19. Rohan D’Souza, 2016 (Paperbacks), Drowned and Dammed: Colonial Capitalism and
Flood Control in Eastern India, Oxford University Press.

20. Sajal Nag, (ed.), 2017, Playing with Nature:History and Politics of Environment in North-
East India, Manohar.
― 2017, Force of Nature: Essays on History and Politics of Environment, Manohar.

21. Shyamaprasad De, 2019, ‘The 1864 Cyclone and Its Aftermath in Midnapore District: A
Historical Analysis of a Disaster’, Vidyasagar University Journal of History, Vol. VIII: 84-
102.
― 2022, ‘The 1942 Cyclone and the Colonial Administration: A Story of Imperial Revenge
against the Rebellious Midnapore’, Journal of People’s History and Culture, 8(2): 114-
123.
― 2024, ‘Disaster, society, and administration: the Midnapore and Burdwan Cyclone of 1874
in Bengal, India’, Theoretical and Applied Climatology, 155: 3437-3447.

22. Srimanjari, 2009, Through War and Famine: Bengal 1939―45, Orient BlackSwan
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23. Syed Rashed Ali, 2008, Midnapore District: Company, Raiyats & Zamindars, 1760-1885,
K.P. Bagchi & Company: Kolkata.

24. Tirthankar Roy, 2012, Natural Disasters and Indian History, Oxford University Press.

25. W.W. Hunter, 1997, (Reprint), Statistical Account of the District of Midnapur, Calcutta:
West Bengal District Gazetteers.

SEMESTER III
Optional Course (iii)
HIS 305(C): MILITARY HISTORY OF INDIA

UNIT I: Definition and Historiography of the Indian Military History – Military organization
and the art of warfare of the Vedic, Epic and Puranic period – Comparative study of Indo-Greek
art of warfare and Military organization with special reference to Alexander’s invasion of India
and the battle of Hydaspes (326 B.C.) – Kautilya's Philosophy of war – Military Organization /
System of the Mauryas, Guptas, Chalukyas, and Harsh Wardhan – The battle of Somnath (1025
A.D.) and the fall of the Hindu Military System.

UNIT II: Rajput Military organization / System and the mode of fighting with reference to the
first and Second battle of Tarain – Campaigns of Alauddin Khilji: Mongol invasions – Babar’s
invasion of India: Introduction of new elements in the art of fighting with particular references
to the first battle of Panipath and the battle of Kanwah – Sher Shah's battles with Humayun –
Military Organization of the Mughal Army under Akbar – The second battle of Panipath and the
Battle of Haldighat, Central Asian campaign of Shajahan and the Military Organisation of
Aurangjeb – The causes of the decline of Mughal Military System

UNIT III: The Maratha and the Sikh Military System: Military organization of the Marathas
under Shivaji, causes of the downfall of the Marathas, Rise of Sikhism and its philosophy – Sikh
military under Guru Govind Singh and Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, Anglo-Sikh wars, Causes of the
decline of Sikh Military System

UNIT IV: The Military organization of the East India Company – The battle of Plassey, the
battle of Buxar – The British Military operations in the eighteenth and nineteenth century:
Anglo-Mysore wars, Anglo-Maratha wars – 1857 Indian Mutiny: reorganization and reforms of
Army in India under the British Crown – Rise of the Presidency Armies, Indianization of the
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Army – Indian Army in World War I and World War II – INA and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
– Indian Naval Mutiny – Division of the armed forces between India and Pakistan –
Nationalization of the Army.

Suggested Readings
1. J. N. Sarkar, Military History of India, Bombay, Orient Longmans, 1960.

2. S. G. Singh, A Military History of Ancient India, New Delhi, Vision Books, 2000.

3. P. C. Chakravarti, The Art of War in Ancient India, New Delhi, Low Price Publication, 1941.

4. P. Sensarma, Military Wisdom in the Puranas, Calcutta, Darbari, 1979.

5. S. Gordon, Military system of Marathas 1600-1818, London, Cambridge University Press,

1993.

6. K. Roy, The Armed Forces of Independent India, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers and
Distributors, 2010.

7. K. Roy, Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia, London, Routledge, 2015.

8. S. N. Sen, Administrative System of the Marathas, New Delhi, Indian Books, 2002.

9. J. N. Sarkar, Shivaji and His Times, New Delhi, Orient Longman, 1973.

10. B. N. Majumdar, Study of Indian Military History, University of Michigan, Army

Educational Stores, 1963.

11. B. N. Majumdar, Military System of The Sikhs, New Delhi, Army Educational Store, 1965.

12. F. S. Bajwa, Military System of the Sikhs during 1799-1849, Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass,
1964.

13. G. S. Sandhu, A Military History of Ancient India, New Delhi, Vision Books, 2000.

14. J. F. C. Fuller, Generalship of Alexander the Great, London, Eyre and Spottiswoode Pub,
1958.

15. J. Manohar, The Art of War in Medieval India, New Delhi, Munshiram Manohar Lal Pub,
1984.

16. J. D. Grant, History of Marathas, New Delhi, Associate Publishing House, 1971.
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17. K. B. Kangley, Kautilya’sArthasastra, Bombay, University of Bombay, 1972.

18. K. K. Thapiyal, S. N. Misra, Select Battles in Indian History: From Earliest Times To 2000
A.D., Vol. I & II, Delhi, Agam Kala Prakashan, 2002.
19. M. B. Deopujari, Shivaji and the Maratha Art of War, Nagpur, Vidarbha Samshodan
Mandal, 1973.
20. P. Jackson, Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History, UK, Cambridge University
Press, 2003.
21. R. Nath, Military Leadership in India: Vedic period to Indo-Pak Wars, New Delhi, Lancer
Publication, 1990.
22. S. T. Das, Indian Military- Its History & Development, Delhi, Sagar Publications, 1969.
23. S. D. Singh, Ancient Indian Warfare: With Special Reference to the Vedic Period, Leiden,
Brill, 1965.

Semester- III
Optional Course:

HIS 305(D): STATE AND ECONOMY IN EARLY MODERN INDIA

Lectures: 50

UNITI: State and economy in early modern India: the establishment of a centralized state under
the Mughals; emphasis on military and revenue administration – extension of the core Mughal
model into other areas viz. Gujarat, Ahmadnagar, Bengal.

UNITII: Impact on agrarian society, especially in terms of the high revenue demand–
relationship between the state and the landed elites viz. social and administrative – expansion
and integration of the agrarian base during the Mughal period; drive for revenue and the new
agrarian frontiers.

UNITIII: Indian economy and the Indian Ocean: trade network and commerce; transformations
since the 15thcentury–maritimemerchants in the Indian Ocean region – Indian merchants and
their participation in the Indian Ocean and hinterland or internal trade.

UNIT IV: Trade and the Indian Economy: the flow of precious metals and currency – the
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state and the need for monetization – mint administration and towns – internal and overseas
markets – inland trade networks.

Suggested Reading:

1. Alam, M.: Crisis of Empire in Mughal North India. Awadh and Punjab, 1701-1748

2. Chandra, S.: Medieval India: Society, the Jagir Crisis and the Village

3. Chaudhuri, K. N.: The Trading World of Asia and English East India Company

4. Dasgupta, A.: The World of the Indian Ocean Merchants, 1500-1800. Collected Essays
ofAshin Dasgupta

5. Datta, R. (ed.): Rethinking a Millennium: Perspectives on Indian

6. Habib, I: Agrarian System of Mughal India

7. Hasan, S. N.: Thoughts on Agrarian Relations in Mughal India : History from the Eighth to
the Eighteenth Century, History of India (Volume 1)

8. Moreland W. H.: India at the Death of Akbar

9. Moreland, W. H.: From Akbar to Aurangzeb

10. Raychaudhuri, T. & Habib, I (eds.): The Cambridge Economic

11. Richards, J. F.: The Mughal Empire

12. Siddiqui, N. A.: Land Revenue Administration under the Mughals

13. Subramanyam, S. & Alam, M.: The Mughal State

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SEMESTER IV
Compulsory Course:
HIS 401: Conventional and Non-Conventional Tools of History: Archives, Field Study,
and Dissertation

Marks Division: Unit I, II and III: 20 Marks; Field Study20 [20+ 20 = 40]
Viva-Voce 10= 50

Conventional and Non-Conventional Tools of History: Archives, Field Study, and

Dissertation

When integrated into the history curriculum, field studies serve as a powerful tool to enhance
academic learning and students’ connection to the past. The interdisciplinary nature of field
studies, which incorporates geography, archaeology, and anthropology, significantly enriches
the understanding and appreciation of history. These studies promote contextual understanding,
critical thinking, and cultural awareness. By merging oral history with field studies, we gain a
deeper understanding of the past, capturing first-hand accounts of historical events and personal
perspectives. This approach complements traditional historical methods and contributes to a
more nuanced and inclusive historical record. The focus on experiential learning through field
studies allows students to directly engage with historical sites, artifacts, and landscapes, thereby
increasing student engagement and motivation beyond the confines ofthe traditional classroom.

Conventional tools of history refer to the methods and resources historians use to study and
interpret the past. These tools include:

Primary Sources, the cornerstone of history research, are original documents or physical
objects created at the time under study. These include letters, diaries, photographs, official
records, and artifacts. They provide a direct link to the past, enhancing the authenticity of
historical narratives.

Secondary Sources: Works that interpret or analyze primary sources. These include books,
articles, and documentaries created by historians and scholars.

The study of how history has been written and the various interpretations offered over time are
crucial tools.

Oral History is collecting and studying historical information using interviews with people who
have personal knowledge of past events.

Archaeology studies human history by excavating sites and analyzing artifacts and other
physical remains.
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Chronology: The arrangement of events in their order of occurrence helps us understand the
sequence and context of historical events.

Paleography: The study of ancient writing systems and the deciphering and dating historical
manuscripts.

These tools help historians construct a coherent narrative of the past, critically examine sources,
and provide a deeper understanding of historical events and contexts.

Class Room teaching and Dissertation Writing (Unit I, II and III: 20 Marks):

UNIT I: Conventional Tools of History

Primary Source Material: Oral history provides primary source material, including personal
recollections and eyewitness accounts. These narratives can offer new information, clarify
existing records, and provide personal insights into historical events.

Diverse Perspectives: It captures the voices of individuals who might be overlooked in

traditional historical records, such as women, minorities, and other marginalized groups. This
helps to create a more inclusive and comprehensive historical record.

Cultural Preservation: Oral history preserves cultural heritage, including languages, dialects,
and vernacular speech. It ensures that the historical record includes the voices and experiences
of diverse communities.

Methodology

Interview: Oral historians use structured interviews to gather detailed and reliable accounts.
This involves preparing questions, creating a comfortable environment for the interviewee, and
recording the conversation for accuracy.

Recording and Preservation: Interviews are recorded (audio or video) and often transcribed.
These recordings are preserved in archives, libraries, and museums, making them accessible for
future research.

UNIT II: Non-Conventional Tools of History

Non-conventional historical sources refer to materials and methods beyond traditional

documents and artifacts to provide a broader and often more nuanced understanding of the past.
These sources can include:

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Oral Histories are interviews and testimonies from individuals who experienced historical
events firsthand. This method captures personal perspectives and memories that might not be
recorded in written documents.

Folklore and Legends: Stories, myths, and legends passed down through generations can offer
insights into cultural values, beliefs, and historical events, even if they are inaccurate.

Material Culture: Everyday objects, tools, clothing, and household items that provide
information about the daily lives, practices, and social structures of past societies.

Visual Arts: Paintings, sculptures, and other forms of visual art that reflect the cultural,
political, and social contexts of their time.

Music and Oral Traditions: Songs, chants, and oral traditions convey historical narratives,
cultural practices, and social values.

Environmental Evidence: Data from fields like paleoclimatology, geology, and biology help
reconstruct past environments and understand how human societies interact with their
surroundings.

Digital Archives and Social Media: Modern digital platforms and archives capture
contemporary history and provide new ways to access and analyze historical data.

These non-conventional sources can enrich our understanding of history by providing diverse
perspectives and highlighting aspects of the past that traditional sources might overlook.

Community Histories: Oral history projects often focus on documenting the experiences of
specific communities, capturing their unique stories and contributions to broader historical
narratives.

Social Movements: It is used to document participants’ experiences in social and political

movements, providing personal insights into the motivations, challenges, and impacts of these
movements.

Family Histories: Oral history is also famous for preserving family histories, capturing the
stories and memories of older generations for future descendants; families with a significant
impact on the society

Challenges

Subjectivity: Oral history relies on personal memories, which can be subjective and influenced
by the passage of time. Historians must critically evaluate these accounts and corroborate them
with other sources.

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Ethical Considerations: It is crucial to ensure the consent and comfort of interviewees.
Historians must handle sensitive topics carefully and respect the privacy and wishes of those
sharing their stories.

UNIT III: Oral History

Personal Narratives: Oral history gives individuals a voice, allowing them to share their
personal stories and perspectives, which can enrich the historical record.

Diverse Perspectives: It helps to include diverse viewpoints, especially from marginalized or

underrepresented groups.

Cultural Memory: Oral histories preserve cultural traditions and memories that might be lost.

Community Histories: Documenting the experiences of different communities.

Social Movements: Capturing participants’ voices in social and political movements.

Family Histories: Preserving family stories and genealogies.

UNIT IV: Field Study (20)

It involves research outside traditional classroom settings, often at historical sites or within
communities. This method allows historians to gather data through direct observation and
interaction.

Experiential Learning: Students and researchers gain hands-on experience, which can deepen
their understanding of historical contexts.

Historical events’ geographical and cultural settings

Interdisciplinary Approach: Field studies often integrate methods from archaeology,

anthropology, and geography, providing a comprehensive view of history.

Project/ Dissertation Guidelines:

i) A topic may be chosen from the syllabus for the project
ii) A topic selected for project should be precise and having specific objectives
iii) Project should be written within 4000 words.
iv) It may be submitted both in hand written and type format
v) Submission of project will be intimated by the Head, Dept of History
vi) Not more than 15% plagiarism will be entertained.
vii) Students will be allocated in separate groups to individual faculty member

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Structure of the Project/ Dissertation Paper
Title of the Project
Acknowledgements
List of Table, Maps, Figures etc.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Body
Conclusion
Bibliography

References:
1. Satyajit Das Gupta (ed.), Mukher Kathay Itihas, Kolkata: Firma KL, 1997.
2. Urvashi Butalia, The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India, New Delhi:
Penguin Books, 1998.
3. Jan Vansina, Oral Tradition as History, University of Wisconsin Press, 1985.
4. Rustom Bharucha, Rajasthan: An Oral History - Conversations with Komal Kothari, New
Delhi: Penguin Books, 2003.
5. Leslie Roy Ballard, Thomas L. Charlton et.al, History of Oral History: Foundations and
Methodology, Altamira Press, 2007.
6. Thomas L. Charlton, Lois E. Myers & Rebecca Sharpless, Handbook of Oral History,
Rowman Altamira, 2006.
7. Abrams Lynn, Oral History Theory, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2020.
8. Kristina R. Llewellyn & Nicholas Ng-A-Fook , Oral History and Education: Theories,
Dilemmas, and Practices, Palgrave Studies in Oral History, Palgrave Macmillan; 1st ed. 2017.
9. Alexander Freund & Alistair Thompson, Oral History and Photography (Palgrave Studies in
Oral History), Palgrave Macmillan; 1st edition, 2011.
10. S. Trower, Place, Writing, and Voice in Oral History (Palgrave Studies in Oral History),
Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
11. S. Field, Oral History, Community, and Displacement: Imagining Memories in Post-
Apartheid South Africa, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011
12. A. Sheftel, & S. Zembrzycki, Oral History Off the Record: Toward an Ethnography of
Practice (Palgrave Studies in Oral History), Palgrave Macmillan, 2013
13. K. Loh & S. Dobbs (eds.), Oral History in Southeast Asia: Memories and Fragments
(Palgrave Studies in Oral History), Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

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14. Nancy Tomes, Oral History in The History Of Medicine, Journal of American History 1991
78(2): 607–617.
15. Vilanova Mercedes, International Oral History, History Workshop Journal (1995) No. 39,
pp. 67–70.
16. Indira Chowdhury, “Speaking of the Past: Perspectives on Oral History.” Economic and
Political Weekly 49, no. 30 (2014): 39–42.
17. Erin Jessee, “The Limits of Oral History: Ethics and Methodology Amid Highly Politicized
Research Settings”, The Oral History Review, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2011, pp. 287-307.
18. Ellen D. Swain, “Oral History in the Archives: It’s Documentary Role in the Twenty-First
Century.” The American Archivist 66, no. 1 (2003): 139–58. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40294221.
19. Thomson, Alistair, Michael Frisch, and Paula Hamilton. “The Memory and History Debates:
Some International Perspectives.” Oral History 22, no. 2 (1994): 33–43.
20. Donald A. Ritchie, Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide, OUP USA, 2nd edition, 2005.

SEMESTER IV
Compulsory Course:

HIS 402: SOCIAL HISTORY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE IN

INDIA: COLONIAL PERIOD

Lectures: 50
UNIT I: Colonial Science – considerations of the colonial power underpinning scientific and
technological initiatives of British India – British surveys in India as colonial forms of
knowledge – technology and the colonial project of India’s development – Departments of
Irrigation, Agriculture, Public Works, Railways – role of Asiatic Society of Bengal.

UNIT II: Western medicine in an Indian environment – colonial government, public health, and
state medicine – the emergence of the study of tropical diseases – underpinnings of colonial
power in epidemiology in colonial India – the role of scientific education and technical
institutions – government and private colleges – engineering and medical colleges –
involvement of women in science education and medicine.

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UNIT III: Nationalist science as a counter-discourse of colonial science; claim of an ancient
‘national’ scientific tradition for India; the search for ‘scientific’ texts from ‘antiquity’ –
Nationalist medicine: Ayurveda, Unani, nationalist adoption of Homeopathy.

UNIT IV: Nationalism and the founding of institutions and associations for scientific research –
Swadeshi technology: in theory and practice – response to western science: failures and
successes – modern scientific outlook and the ‘women question’.

Suggested Reading:
1.Arnold, D.: The New Cambridge History of India III – 5: Science, Technology and Medicine
in Colonial India
2.Baber, Z.: The Science of Empire
3.Chakraborty, P.: Western Science in Modern India
4.Kumar, D.: Science and the Raj
5.Sangwan, S.: Science, Technology, and Colonization: An Indian Experience
6.Bernal, J. D.: Science in History (2 volumes)
7.Arnold, D.: Colonizing the Body – State Medicine and Epidemic Disease in Nineteenth-
Century India
8.Lourdusamy, J.: Science and National Consciousness in Bengal, 1870-1930
9.Habib, S. I. & Raina, D. (eds.): Social History of Science in Colonial India
10.Harrison, M.: Public Health in British India
11.Dasgupta, S.: Jagadish Chandra Bose and the Indian Response to Western Science
12. Sarkar, S: The Making of Geology in India
13. Kumar, D. & MacLeod, R. (eds.): Technology and the Raj
14. Headrick, Daniel R.: The Tentacles of Progress – Technology Transfer in the Age of
Imperialism, 1850-1940
15.Prakash, G.: Another Reason – Science and Imagination in Modern India
16.Erns, W.: Mad Tales from the Raj: The European Insane in British India, 1800 – 1858
17.Roy, K.: History of Public Health – Colonial Bengal, 1921 – 1947
18.Bala. P.: Imperialism and Medicine in Bengal
19.Rahman, A.: Science and Technology in Indian Culture
20.Palit, C. et al: Science, Technology, Medicine, and Environment in India – In Historical
Perspective

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SEMESTER IV
Compulsory Course:

HIS 403: POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN POST PARTITION BENGAL

Lectures: 50

Unit I: a) Partition historiography; Impact of the Partition-- creation of borderlands-- migration

of population, refugee rehabilitation and resettlement b) The Business world and partition:
Hindu and Muslim perspectives—the arrival of freedom and the election of 1952

Unit II: Political Transformations in a ‘Problem Province’--- Bidhan Chandra Roy and the
reconstruction of West Bengal; The rise of the opposition in West Bengal-- different
implications---Rise and growth of leftist politics— Major Governmental Policies on
Agriculture—(Operation Barga). Communism in the refugee city-- the rise of the Hindu Right.

Unit III: Changing perceptions about caste and ethnic politics---rise of the Marginal
communities—trans-gender communities, refugees and minorities; Different dimensions of the
Naxalite Movement----Emergency and the transition in West Bengal politics; The Bangladesh
War and its impact.

Unit IV: From ‘Party Society’ to ‘Peoples Society’---Different dimensions of agitations; the
Civil Society in Post-colonial Bengal—public intellectuals; Rise of a new genre of ‘protest
literature’—little magazine movements; Press and Media—.the nature of the students’
movements in West Bengal----Challenges and limitations of Leftist politics—the shifting
patterns of ‘mass’ politics.

Suggested Reading:

1. Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar (ed), Bengal: Rethinking History. Essays in Historiography, New

Delhi, Monohar, 2001
---Caste, Culture, and Hegemony: Social Dominance in Colonial Bengal, New Delhi, Sage,
2004
2. Butalia, U, The Other Side of Violence: Voices from the Partition of India, Delhi, Penguin,
1998
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3. Chakrabourty, B, The Partition of Bengal and Assam, 1932-47, Routledge, London, 2004
4. Chakrabourty, S, With Dr B.C Roy and Other Chief Ministers, Calcutta, Benson’s, 1974
5. Chandra, B, Mukherjee,M. and Mukherjee, A. Indian After Independence, 1947-2000, New
Delhi, Penguin, 1999
6. Chatterjee, Joya, The Spoils of Partition: Bengal and India, 1947-1967,Cambridge
University Press, 2007
7. Duara, P. Decolonization, Perspectives from Now and Then, London, Routledge, 2004
8. Ghosh, G.K. and Sukla Ghosh, Legends of Origin of the Castes and Tribes of Eastern India,
Calcutta, Firm KLM, Pvt. Ltd., 2000.
9. Jaffrelot, Christophe, India’s Silent Revolution: Rise of the Low Castes in North India
Politics, Delhi, Permanent Black, 2003.
10. Karkhanis, S. Indian Politics and the Role of the State, New Delhi, Vikas, 1981
11. Mallik, Ross, Development, Ethnicity and Human Rights in South Asia, New Delhi, 1998.
12. Masani, M.R, The Communist Party of India: A Short History, London, 1954
13. Mendelsohn, Oliver, and Marika Vicziany, The Untouchables: Subordination, Poverty and
the State in Modern India (Contemporary South Asia), Cambridge University Press, 1998.
14. Oberoi P, Exile and Belonging, Refugees and State Policy in South Asia, New Delhi, OUP,
2006
15. Ray, R, The Naxalites and Their Ideology, Delhi, OUP, 1998
16. Samadda, P. Reflection on Partition in the East, New Delhi, Vikas, 1997
17. Sengupta, N, Bengal Divided: The Unmaking of a Nation, 1905-1971, New Delhi, Penguin,
2007
18. Sengupta P, The Congress Party in West Bengal, A Sudy of Factionalism, 1947-86,
Calcutta, Minerva Associates, 1988
19. Van Schendel, W. The Bengal Borderland, Beyond State and Nation in South Asia, London,
Anthem, 2005
20. Weiner, M, Party Politics in India: The Development of a Multi Party System, PUP, 1957

SEMESTER-IV
Compulsory Course:

HIS 404: HISTORY OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MODERN INDIA

Lectures: 50
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UNITI: Brief outline of the East India Company‒East India Company and the Dual System in
Bengal‒Constitutional development during company’s rule: the era of centralization of power‒
The Regulation Act of 1773, Pitts Acts of 1784 and the Charter Acts of 1793, 1813,and 1833.

UNITII:Evolution of representative governance: Queen’s Proclamation‒ Government of India

Act of 1858‒ Indian Council Act of 1861‒ Local Self Government: proposal of Mayo and Ripon
and introduction of Local Self-Government (1864-1882) ‒ Indian Council Act of 1892‒
Administrative policy under Lord Curzon ‒ The Indian Council Act of 1909.

UNIT III: Making responsive governance: Montague Declaration (1917) and Montford Reforms
(1919): main provisions, working of diarchy in provinces ‒ Simon Commission ‒ Nehru Report:
its salient features ‒ Jinnah’s fourteen Points ‒ The round table conference ‒ Communal Award,
Poona Pact ‒ The Government of India Act of 1935: its main provisions ‒ Elections in 1937.

UNIT IV: Towards freedom: August Offer of 1940, Cripps Mission of 1942, C.R.Formula,
Wavell’s Plan of 1945,Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 ‒ Formation of the Constituent
Assembly: its debates and deliberations ‒ Attlee’s declaration of 1947 ‒ Mountbatten’s
Plan, mechanisms on the Partition and debates on federation States ‒ The Indian Independence
Act of 1947 ‒ Promulgation of the Constitution ‒ Public services in India (1858-1947) ‒ Growth
of central legislature in India ‒ Growth of provincial legislature in India ‒ Framing of the new
Constitution of the Republic of India ‒ Nature of the Indian Constitution ‒ Salient features of
Indian Constitution
Suggested readings:

1. C. A. Bayly, Indian Society and Making of the British Empire (Cambridge University Press,
1990)

2. Tara Chand, History of the Freedom Movement in India, Vols. I-IV (Publications Division,
Government of India, 1967, 1973)

3. R. Coupland, India: The Indian Problem, 1833-1935 (Oxford University Press, 1968)

4. S. Gopal, British Policy in India, 1858-1905 (Oxford University Press, Delhi, (1965)

5.B. B. Majumdar, Indian Political Associations and the Reform of the Legislature, 1818-1917,
(Firma KLM Private Limited, Calcutta, 1965)
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6. R. C. Majumdar, The History and Culture of the Indian People, Vol. VIII-X
(BhartiyaVidyaBhawan, Bombay, 1967-77)

7. B. B. Misra, The Administrative History of India, 1834-1947 (OUP, New Delhi, (1970)

8. V. B. Mishra, Evolution of the Constitutional History of India, 1773-1947 (SandeepPrakshan,

New Delhi, 1987)

9. Bisheshwar Prasad, Bondage and Freedom: Freedom, 1858-1947, Vol. II, (Rajesh
Publications, New Delhi, 1979)

10. Hiralal Singh, The Problems and Policies of British in India, 1885-1898, (Asia Publishing
House, 1963)

11. R. Cumming, Political India, 1832- 1932 (S. Chand & Company, New Delhi, 1968

12. Peter Ronald deSouza, Contemporary India: Transitions (Sage Publications, New Delhi,
2000)

13. S. Gopal, Viceroyalty of Lord Irwin (Oxford, Delhi, 1957)

14. D. C. Gupta, Indian National Movement (Vikas, New Delhi, 1970)

15. Shree Govind Mishra, Constitutional Development and National Movement in India, 1919-
1947 (JanankiPrakashan, Patna, 1978)

16. P. Robb, The Government of India and Reform Policies towards the Politics and the
Constitution, 1916-192 (London, 1976)

17. Gopal Sarvapalli, British Policy in India (1858-1905) (Canbridge Uni.press1965)

18. Eric Stokes, The English Utilitarians in India (OUP 1959)

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SEMESTER- IV

Optional Course:
HIS 405(A): HISTORICAL METHODS
Lectures: 50

UNIT I: Positivist History: the background of Empiricism; observation and prediction in history;
criticism of empiricist and positivist history– Whig History; Reason and Progress; contrast with
tradition.

UNIT II: Marxist History; the beginnings; Karl Marx, Marxism, and History: some general
themes – the Monist view of history: Determinism, critique of determinism – structuralism,
history from below and new social history.

UNIT III: Annales: the agenda for Total History; Marc Bloch, Lucien Febvre and the early
years– Structure, conjuncture and event: the Braudelian perspective.

UNIT IV: The history of mentalities, the history of emotions and the history of everyday life–
the return of the narrative–Foucault and the history of power and discourse.

Suggested Reading:

1. Anderson, P.: Arguments within English Marxism

2. Aymard, M. & Mukhia, H.: French Studies in History

3. Bloch, M: The Historian's Craft

4. Braudel, F.: On History

5. Burke, P: Sociology and History

6. Butterfield, H.: The Whig Interpretation of History

7. Carr, E. H.: What is History

8. Cohen, G. A: Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence

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9. Collingwood, R. G.: The Idea of History

10. Goldstein, L. G.: Historical Knowing

11 Kay, H: The British Marxist Historians

12. Le Goff, J. & Nora, P. (ed.): Constructing the Past: Essays in Historical Methodology

13. Murphey, M. G.: Our Knowledge of the Historical Past

14. Plekhanov, G.: The Monist View of History

15. Poster, M: Foucault, Marxism and History

16. Ricoeur, P: The Contributions of French Historiography to the Theory of History

17. Stoianovich, T.: The French Historical Method: The Annales Paradigm

SEMESTER- IV
Optional Course:

HIS 405(B): CULTURE IN BENGAL, 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES

Lectures: 50

Unit I: Defining culture: the relationship between society and culture; elements of power and
contestation – traditional cultural landscape; elite, mass, and folk cultures – religious, tribal,
class, gender, and regional cultural distinctions – the making of a ‘new’ ‘Bengali’ culture in
colonial times and a ‘popular’ culture recently – political, social, and economic ideals, thought,
and agenda in modern Bengal.

Unit II: Festivities: traditional Bengali social and religious rites among various communities –
emergence of modern festivals like the baaroyaari Durga puja – modern social festivals like
book fairs, literary fests, celebration of birthdays of eminent personalities like Rabindranath
Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose.

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Unit III: Performing arts, literature, entertainment, and public opinion: traditional Bengali
performing arts like the Jatra – the modern theatre, films, radio and television – music,
Rabindrasangit, Bangla Band, etc. – the evolution of a modern Bengali language, literature, and
reading culture – news media, public opinion, political culture.

Unit IV: Culinary, sartorial, and physical culture: traditional Bengali food, and feasts and fasts;
the modern emphasis on nutrition, health, and a ‘national’ cuisine – the evolution of a regional
attire in Bengal and the modern way of ‘respectable’ dressing – the culture of the akhra,
Bratachari movement, football, cricket and so on.

Select Reading:

1. Anisuzzaman: Muslim- manas o Bangla Sahitya. Dhaka, 2012

2. Bandyopadhyay, Kausik: Scoring Off the Field. Delhi, 2016

3. Banerjee, Himani: Inventing Subjects. London, 2002

4. Banerjee, Sumanta: The Parlour and the Streets. Calcutta, 1989

5. Baumer, Rachel M. (ed.): Aspects of Bengali History and Society. New Delhi, 1976

6. Bhatia, Nandi (ed.): Modern Indian Theatre. New Delhi, 2009

7. Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi: The Defining Moments of Bengal. New Delhi, 2014

8. Bhattacharya, Tithi: The Sentinels of Culture. Recherche, 2005

9. Biswas, Adrish and Acharya, Anil (eds.): Bangalir Battala. Calcutta, 2013

10. Chaudhuri, Sukanta (ed.): Calcutta. The Living City.2 volumes. Calcutta, 1990

11. Chatterjee, Partha et al. (eds), New Cultural Histories of India, New Delhi, 2014

12. Freedman, Paul, Chaplin, Joyce E. and Albala, Ken (eds.): Food in Time and Place. AHA
Companion to Food History. Oakland, 2014

13. Ghosh, Anindita: Power in Print. New Delhi, 2006

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14. Ghosh, Benoy: Banglar Lokosamskrtir Samajtattva. Calcutta, 1979

15. Ghosh, Benoy: Paschimbanger Samskrti. Calcutta, 1950

16. Gohain, Hiren: The Idea of Popular Culture in the Early Nineteenth Century Bengal.
Calcutta, 1991

17. Gooptu, Sarmistha: Bengali Cinema. New Delhi, 2010

18. Guha-Thakurta, Tapati: In the Name of the Goddess. Delhi, 2015

19. Hunt Lyn (ed.). The New Cultural History, Barkley, 1989

20. Lal, Ananda: The Oxford Companion to Indian Theatre. Calcutta, 2004

21. Murshid, Ghulam: Hajar Bachharer Bangali Samskrti. Dhaka. 2005

22. Nicholas, Ralph W.: Thirteen Festivals. Delhi, 2016

23. Ray, Niharranjan: Bangalir Itihas. Adiparba. Calcutta, 2009

24. Ray, Rajat K: Exploring Emotional History. Delhi, 2007

25. Roychaudhuri, Tapan: Bengal under Akbar and Jehangir. Delhi, 1969

26. Roychaudhuri, Tapan: Perceptions, Emotions, Sensibilities. New Delhi, 2005

27. Roychaudhuri, Tapan: Prabandha Sangraha. Calcutta, 2009

28. Sanyal, Hiteshranjan: Banglar Kirtaner Itihas. Calcutta, 1989

29. Sen, Kshitimohan: Hinduism. Delhi, reprint, 2005

30. Sen, Prabodhchandra: Banglar Itihas Sadhana. Calcutta, reprint, 1997

31. Som, Reba: Rabindranath Tagore. Gurgaon, 2017

32. Storey, John: Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. An Introduction. 5th edition, Harlow,
2009

33. Tagore, Rabindranath: Shiksa, Calcutta, 1908

34. Taylor Sen, Colleen: Feasts and Fasts. A History of Food in India. London, 2015

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SEMESTER- IV
Optional Course:

HIS 405C: GLOBAL HISTORY OF PANDEMIC

Lecture 50
Unit I: Defining disease; differences between endemic, epidemic, and pandemic with examples
from each; pattern evolution of a disease from endemic to epidemic then to a pandemic; change
in the trend of the virus or bacteria through different waves; treatments; role of World Health
Organization. An Introductory discussion on COVID Pandemic from the first to the third wave

Unit II: CHOLERA: The First Cholera Pandemic occurred in Kolkata, Dhaka, Burma, and
Ceylon in 1817 and in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Basra in 1821. For the next
couple of years, the disease disappeared from most of those places except around the Bay of
Bengal as it traveled along trade routes from Arabia to the eastern African and Mediterranean
coasts.

Second Cholera Pandemic: Europe and America in 1829; Moscow in 1830, continuing to
Finland and Poland; through traders and ports, reached Hamburg and Sutherland in 1831; 1832
in the Western Hemisphere, Canada to the USA; in 1833, it reached Mexico and Cuba.

Third Cholera Pandemic: India, Persia, Europe, United States, Great Britain in 1852

Fourth and Fifth Cholera Pandemic: Naples, Russia, China, and Japan between 1863 to 1881;
South America in the 1890s

Sixth Cholera Pandemic: From 1899 to 1923, cholera was lethal in India, Arabia, and along the
North African Coast; Mecca in 1902; Russia; certain ports of Western Europe; Italy, Greece,
Turkey, and the Balkans; after 1923, cholera receded from most of the world, though endemic
cases continued in the Indian subcontinent.
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Seventh Cholera Pandemic: Cholera did not spread widely again until 1961 - seventh pandemic
spread throughout Asia during the 1960s; during the next decade it spread westward to the
Middle East and reached Africa, where cholera had not appeared for 70 years; Africa was badly
affected in the 1990s; by 2005 cholera had been reported in nearly 120 countries; Zimbabwe
cholera outbreak in 2008 – 09; Haiti Cholera outbreak of 2010 - 11

Unit III: ‘SPANISH’FLU: Spanish Flu did not originate in Spain, there is an absolutely
different reason behind this connotation.

First Wave early 1918: Outbreak in a military Camp Funston in Kansas,United States 1918,from
there to several military camps of US; troop travel led and brought the flu over the Atlantic
Ocean; reached France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland; continued to spread
from there to Eastern Europe and North Africa; reached Japan, Taiwan, Korea; Great Britain;
via the Port of Bombay to India; Australia.

Second Wave late 1918:naval base in Brest France where military personnel from different
countries gathered, bringing the mutated strain of the flu with them; US military camps, first in
Boston, then to other Camps; rest of North America, Central America, and South America,
including Brazil and the Caribbean region; France; African Continent along the coast, rivers,
and railways, along the river Zambezi into Ethiopia; Russia, due to the Russian Civil War and
the Trans-Siberian railway it spread throughout Asia, including Iran, India, China, and Japan.

Third Wav late 1919: began in Australia, spread to Europe, mainly affecting Siberia, France; and
Great Britain; isolated outbreaks in US cities; Mexico.

After the three main waves,a few minor outbreaks occurred.Mitigation measures were
remarkably similar to those for Covid-19: face masks, social distancing, and isolation /
confinement.

Unit IV: EBOLA: It began with the death of a two-year-old toddler in December 2013 in
Meliandou, a small village in south eastern Guinea; West Africa 2013-2014; Escalation of the
outbreak and the role of WHO; USA; Spain; Germany, Norway, France, Italy, Switzerland, and
the UK
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The Course ends by questioning the pattern of past three pandemics with the present COVID
Pandemic, and lessons, if at all, learnt from history.

READING LIST

1. Adam Kucharski, The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread and Why they Stop New
York: Basic Books, Hachette Book Group, 2020

2. Chinmay Tumbe, Age of Pandemics (1817 – 1920): How they Shaped India and the World.
New Delhi: Harper Collins, 2020

3. Dorothy H Crawford, Ebola: Profile of a Killer Virus. UK: OUP, 2016

4. Dorothy H Crawford, Viruses: A Very Short Introduction. UK: OUP, 2018

5. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera, 1985

6. Mark Honigsbaum, The Pandemic Century: A History of Global Contagion from the Spanish
Flu to Covid -19.

7. Randall MPackard,A History of Global Health: Interventions into the Lives of Other Peoples
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press,2016

8. Sonia Shah, Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond. New York:
Sarah Crichton Books, 2016

9. Laura Spinney, Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 And How It Changed The World UK:
Random House, 2018

SEMESTER- IV
Optional Course:

HIS 405(D): RELIGION AND ECOLOGY IN EARLY INDIA

Lectures 50

Unit-I: Ecology, Religion, Sources and methodology; Ecology and Hindu Religious tradition
Hindu worldview on Nature; Aspects of Nature in Hindu Tradition- Mother Earth in Hindu
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Culture- Forests in Classical Texts; Classical Paradigms of Kings as Protectors of the Earth-
Environmental Management during the Age of Empires (500 BC-AD 300)

Unit-II; Ecology and Buddhist Traditions; The Concept of Buddhist Ecology-Buddhist

Environmentalism

Unit-III; Ecology and Jainism; Ecology and Jain Worldview; Jain Environmental Ethics;
Teachings of Tirthankara Mahavir on Ecology and Environment

Unit-IV: Ecology and Tribal/ Adivasi Religious Practices; Adivasi Worldview about nature; Adi
Dharam: a way of life based on entangled life of nature, ancestor and human, and a symbiosis
between human, plants and animal kingdom; Environmental Ethics of the Adivasis

References

1. Abraham, Ralph. “Orphism: The Ancient Roots of Green Buddhism.” In Dharma Gaia: A
Harvest of Essays in Buddhism and Ecology, ed. Allan Hunt Badiner, 39–49. Berkeley, Calif.:
Parallax Press, 1990.

2. Badiner, Allan Hunt, ed. Dharma Gaia: A Harvest of Essays in Buddhism and Ecology.
Berkeley, Calif.: Parallax Press, 1990.

3. Balsys, Bodo. Ahimsa: Buddhism and the Vegetarian Ideal. New Delhi: Munshiram
Manoharlal Publications, 2004.

4. Batchelor, Martine and Kerry Brown, eds., Buddhism and Ecology, London: Cassell, 1992.

5. Bhowmik, Shruhid Kumar, Aranyak Darshan o Saotali Esoponishad, Mechheda: Marangburu

Press, 1991.

6. Bilimoria, Purushottama. “Buddha, fifth century BCE.”In Fifty Key Thinkers on the
Environment, ed. Joy A. Palmer, 1-7. New York: Routledge,2001.

7. Brown, Brian Edward. “Toward a Buddhist Ecological Cosmology,” in Worldviews and

Ecology: Religion, Philosophy, and the Environment, edited by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John
A. Grim, 124-37. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1994.

8. Chapple, Christopher Key, Jainism and Ecology: Non-Violence in the Web of Life, Delhi:
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 2006.

9. Chapple, Christopher Key, Hinduism and Ecology: The Intersection of Earth, Sky and Water,
Havard: Havard University Press, 2000

10. Chakrabarti, Ranjan, Critical Themes in Environmental History of India, Sage & ICHR,
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2020.

11. Dwivedi, O. P., and B. N. Tiwari. Environmental Crisis and Hindu Religion. New Delhi:
Gitanjali, 1987

12. Hembrom, Ruby, We come from the Geese, Kolkata: Adivani, 2013.

13. Ives, Christopher, “Buddhism: A Mixed Dharmic Bag: Debates about Buddhism and
Ecology” in Willis J. Jenkins, Mary Evelyn Tucker, JohnGrim, eds., Routledge Handbook of
Religion and Ecology, Routledge, 2017.
16. Gupta, Subhendu, Prachin Bharate Paribesh Chinta, Kolkata: Sahitya Sangsad, 2012.

14. Munda, Ram Dayal, Adi-dharam. Religious beliefs of the Adivasis of India, Kolkata:
Adivani, 2014.

15. Padmaja Sen, Padmaja, Changing Tribal Life: A Socio-Ecological Perspective, New Delhi:
Concept Pub, 2003

16. Tagore, Rabindranath. ‘Topovan’ in Siksha, Kolkata: Bisva-Bharati Granthan Bibhag, 1315
(Bengali Year)

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