UGCF- 2022

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

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE (DSC): Sources and the Practice of History – I

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Sources and the Practice
4 3 1 0
of History-I

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

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course student should be able to identify:
 The importance of the primary texts for broader historical understandings
 To gain an understanding of several themes such as authority, society, gender, caste,
ecology and culture.
 Trace the emergence and trajectories of institutions, ideologies and concepts.

Syllabus
Unit I: Arthashastra,
Unit II: Abhigyanshakuntalam
Unit III: Rajatarangini
Unit IV: Rehla
Unit V: Rayvachkamu
Unit VI: Humanyunnama
Unit VII: The Ain i Akbari

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: Arthashastra
 Translation: R.P. Kangle, (transl.) The Kautiliya Arthasastra, Part I: Sanskrit Text
with a Glossary; The Kautiliya Arthasastra, Part II: An English Translation
 Translation: Rangarajan, L.N., (transl.) Kautilya: The Arthashastra, Penguin
Classics, 1992 Thomas Trautmann, (transl.) Arthashastra: The Science of Wealth,
Penguin, 2012
 Translation: Olivelle, Patrick, (transl.) King, Governance and Law in Ancient India:
Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
 Heesterman JC (1985) The Inner Conflict of Tradition Essays in Indian Ritual,
Kingship, and Society, (Chapter 9, “Kautilya and the Ancient Indian State”)
 Olivelle, Patrick (1 January 2004). "Manu and the Arthaśāstra, A Study in Śāstric
Intertextuality", Journal of Indian Philosophy Journal of Indian Philosophy, 32 (2–
3):281–291.

Unit 2: Abhigyanshakuntalam
 Translation: M.R. Kale, (transl.), The Abhijnanasakuntalam of Kalidasa, Motilal
Banarsidass, 11th edition (1January2010)
 Translation: N.P. Unni, (transl.), Abhijnanasakuntalam of Kalidasa (Sanskrit text
with English translation), New Bhartiya Book Corporation, 1st edition (1 January
2013)
 Romila Thapar, Sakuntala Texts, Readings, Histories, Anthem Press, 11 June 2002
 Daniel H.H. Ingalls, ‘Kalidasa and the Attitudes of the Golden Age’, Journal of the
American Oriental Society, Vol. 96, No.1 (Jan.-Mar., 1976), pp. 15-26.
 Ram Gopal, Kalidasa: His Art and Culture, Concept Publishing Company, 1984.
 Shiv Subramaniam, ‘How a Philosopher Reads Kalidasa: Vedantadesika’s Art of
Devotion’, Journal of Indian Philosophy, 49(1), 2021, pp. 45-80.
 Simona Sawhney, ‘Who is Kalidasa? Sanskrit poetry in modern India’, Postcolonial
Studies, Vol. 7, Issue 3, 2004, pp. 295-312.

Unit 3: Rajatarangini
 Translation:. A. Stein, (transl.) Kalhana’s Rajatarangini: A Chronicle of the Kings of
Kashmir: 3 Volumes – vols. 1 and 2 in English, vol. 3 in Sanskrit (1892), Motilal
Banarsidass, 5th edition (1 January 2017).
 Translation: Rajatarangini: The Saga of the Kings of Kashmir by Ranjit Sitaram
Pandit , (English Translation) The Indian Press, Allahabad, 1935.(South Asia Books ;
Reprint edition , 1 December 1990 ) ( Sahitya Academy , Government of India , New
Delhi).
 Translation: Rajatarangini (with Hindi Commentary by Ramtej Shastri Pandey),
Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratishthan, 2015.
 Thapar, Romila. 'Historical Ideas of Kalhan as Expressed in the Rajatarangini', in
Mohibul Hasan (ed.) Historians of Medieval India, Delhi, 1968.
 Kaul, Shonaleeka, 'Seeing the Past: Text and Questions of History in Kalhana's
Rajatarangini', History and Theory, Vol. 53, Issue 2, 2014, pp.194-211.
  Rangachari, Devika, 'Kalhana's Rajatarangini: A gender Perspective ' The Medieval
History Journal, 5(1), 2002, pp. 37-75.
 Roy, Kumkum, ‘The Making of a Mandala: Fuzzy Frontiers of Kalhana's Kashmir' in
idem., ed., The Power of Gender and the Gender of Power: Explorations in Early
Indian History, OUP, 2010.
 Hardy, Peter, 'Some Studies in Pre-Mughal Muslim Historiography', in Historians of
India , Pakistan and Ceylon , edited by C.H. Philips, 1962, pp.115-127.
 Zutshi, Chitralekha, ed., Kashmir's Contested Past: Narratives, Sacred Geographies
and the Historical Imagination, OUP, 2014
 Bronner, Yigal, 'From Conqueror to Connoisseur: Kalhana's Account of Jayapida and
the Fashioning of Kashmir as a Kingdom of Learning', The Indian Economic and
Social History Review, 2013.

Unit 4: Rehla
Translation:
• H AR Gibbs, ‘The Travels of Ibn Batuta: AD 1325-1354’ Vol 2, Ch. VI & VII, pp.
183-240.
Essential Readings:
 Ross E. Dunn; The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the Fourteenth
Century.Edition: 3Published by: University of California Press.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1pnht1.
Unit 5: Rayvachkamu
 Translation: Philip B.Wagoner, Tidings of the King: A Translation and
Ethnohistorical Analysis of the Rayavacakamu, University of Hawaii Press, 1993.
 Cynthia Talbot, Precolonial India in Practice: Society, Region and Identity in
Medieval Andhra, 2001, OUP, pp. 197-202.
 Nilkanta Sastri et.al, Further Sources of Vijaynagara History, 3 Volumes, University
of Madras,1946.

Unit 6: Humanyunnama
 Translation: The History of Humayun (Humayun-Nama), Translated Into English
With Introduction, Notes, Illustrations And Biographical Appendix And Reproduced
In The Persian From The Only Known Manuscript Of The British Museum; by
Annette S. Beveridge, New Delhi, 2001.

Unit 7: The Ain-i Akbari

 Translation: Akbarnama of Abul Fazl (Trans. ) . H. Beveridge , Delhi , 1972.
 Translation: Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazl-i- Allami . Vol.1 Translated by H.
Blochmann, Revised and edited by Colonel D.C. Phillott,Third edition, 1977.
 Translation: Ain-i-Akbari ,Vol.II& III Translated by Colonel H.S Jarrett, corrected
and further annotated by Sir Jadunath Sarkar , New Delhi, 1978.
 Ruby Lal, Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World. Cambridge, UK:
Cambridge University Press, 2005
 S.A.A Rizvi , Religious and Intellectual History of the Muslims During the Reign of
Akbar (1556-1605); Delhi;1975.
 Audrey Truschke , Culture of Encounters : Sanskrit at the Mughal Court , Columbia
University Press, 2018. Chapter- 4 , 'Abul Fazl Redefines Islamicate Knowledge and
Akbar's Sovereignty', pp. 142-165.
  Shireen Moosvi.(1987), The Economy of the Mughal Empire , C. 1595: A Statistical
Study, Oxford Collected Essays , 2008.
 J F Richards, The Formulation of Imperial Authority under Akbar and Jahangir; in
Muzaffar Alam and Sanjay Subramanyam (eds).The Mughal State , 1526-1750; Delhi
1998.
 The Mertiyo Rathors of Metro Rajasthan: The History of a Rajput Family 1462-1660,
2 Volumes, Translation by Richard Saran and Norman P.Ziegler, University of
Michigan Press, 2001.(pp. 1-33 ,51-70,81-190)

Suggested Readings:
 Ahmed Alrefai and Michael Brun , 'Ibn Khaldun: Dynastic Change and its Economic
Consequences’; Arab Studies Quarterly , Spring 1994, Vol. 16, No. 2, Spring 1994,
pp. 73-86; Pluto Journals, Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41858090.
 Hermann Kulke et. al., Maharajas, Mahants and Historians: Reflections of the
Historiography of Early Vijayanagara and Sringeri, In Vijayanagara-City and Empire:
New Currents of Research, ed. A.L. Dallapiccola and S.Z. Lallemant Stuttgart:
Steiner Verlag Wiesbaden,1985.
 Velcheru Narayan Rao, 'Kings, Gods and Poets: Ideologies of Patronage in Medieval
Andhra, in the Powers of Art:' Patronage in Indian Culture ed. Barbara Stoler Miller,
Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1992
 Harbans Mukhia, Historians and Historiography during the Reign of Akbar . Vikas
Publishing House;1976.
 K. A.Nizami , On History and Historians of Medieval India , New Delhi , Vedic
Books; 1983.
 Afzar Moin, The Millennial Sovereign: Sacred Kingship & Sainthood in Islam, New
York: Columbia University Press, 2014 Introduction, pp. 1-22.
 एच.सी. वर्मा (सम्पादित), मध्यकालीनभारत (वॉल्यूम II) १५४०-१७६१;
हिंदी माध्यम कार्यान्वयन निदेशालय, दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय; २०१७
 सतीश चंद्र, मध्यकालीन भारत (भाग II ), सल्तनत से मुग़ल काल तक, नई
दिल्ली, जवाहर पब्लिशर्स & डिस्ट्रीब्यूटर्स.
 ई. श्रीधरन, इतिहास लेख: एक पाठ्यपुस्तक, दिल्ली, २०११.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 OR

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE (DSC): Sources and the Practice of History - II

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Sources and the Practice
4 3 1 0
of History-II

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

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

Syllabus
Unit I: Ardhkathanak
Unit II: Jahangirnama
Unit III: Dabistan – i Mazahib
Unit IV:
1. James Mill : History of British India
2. M.K Gandhi : Hind Swaraj
Unit V:
1. Jyotirao Phule Gulamgiri
2. Dr. BR Ambedkar :Annihilation of Caste
3. Tarabai Shinde : Stri Purush Tulana.
Unit VI:
1. JL Nehru : Discovery of India
 2. V D Savarkar : Essentials of Hindutva (1923)

Unit VII:
1. The Forest Act of 1878.
2. Royal Commission on Labour in India, 1931
3. Constituent Assembly Debates : Fundamental Rights and Duties

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: Ardhkathanak
 Translation: Mukund Lath. (ed. Translation), Half a Tale, Ardhakathanak, Jaipur,
1981.
 Essential Readings:
 Rupert Snell, “Confessions of a Seventeenth Century Jain Merchant: Ardhkathanak of
Banarasidas”, South Asian Research, Volume 25, No. 1, 2005.
 Chowdhury, Rohini; Banarasidas Ardhkathanak: A Half Story, Penguin books, 2009.
 Eugenia Vanina, The “Ardhakathanak” by Banarasi Das: A Socio-cultural Study,
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Third Series,Volume, 5, No. 2, July, 1995,pp.
211-224.
 Farhat Hasan, ‘Presenting the Self: Norms and Emotions in Ardhakathanaka,’ in
Vijaya Ramaswamy and Yogesh Sharma (eds.), Biography as History (New Delhi:
Orient, 2009), pp. 105-122.
 Shalin Jain, Identity, Community and State: The Jains under the Mughals, Primus
Delhi, 2017; Chapter 3 “Social Moorings and Formations”, pp. 114-157 and Chapter
4 “The Urban Jain Community, Commercial Mobility and Diaspora”, pp. 158-205.

Unit 2: Jahangirnama
 Translation: The Jahangirnama: Memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India, Translated
by Wheeler M Thackston; Oxford University Press; 1999. 1
 Corinne Lefevre, 'Recovering a missing voice from Mughal India; The imperial
Discourse of Jahangir (1605-1627) in his memoirs’; Journal of Economic and Social
History of the Orient; Vol 50, No. 4; 2007; pp. 452-489; URL:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25165207.
 M A Alavi & A Rahman, Jahangir the Naturalist; National Institute of Sciences; New
Delhi; 1968.
 Eba Koch, 'Jahangir as Francis Bacon’s ideal of the King as an observer and
Investigator of Nature’; Journal of Royal Asiatic Society. Third Series, Vol.19, No. 3;
Jul. 2009; pp.293-338; URL: https://www.jstor.org.stable/27752071.
 J F Richards, The Formulation of Imperial Authority under Akbar and Jahangir; in
Muzaffar
 Alam and Sanjay Subramanyam (eds).The Mughal State , 1526-1750; Delhi 1998.

Unit 3: Dabistan – i Mazahib

 Translation: David Shea and Anthony Troyer (Trans.), The Dabistan, or School of
Manners, Paris , 1843, Vol.-II.
 M. Athar Ali, 'Pursuing an Elusive Seeker of Universal Truth – the Identity and
Environment of the Author of the Dabistan-i-Mazahib', Journal of the Royal Asiatic
Society, Vol.9, Part-3, Nov, 1999.
  Irfan Habib, 'A Fragmentary Exploration of an Indian Text on Religions and Sects:
Notes on Earlier Version of the Dabistan -i- Mazahib’; Proceedings of the Indian
History Congress; Kolkatta, 2000-01.
 Manisha Mishra, 'Traces of Syncretic Novelties in the Religious Systems of the
Hindus in the Dabistan’, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Session – 2002,
pp.447-452.
 Aditya Behl, ‘Pages from the Book of Religions: Encountering Difference in Mughal
India’, in Sheldon Pollock ed. Forms of Knowledge in Early Modern Asia:
Explorations in the Intellectual History of India and Tibet, 1500-1800, Delhi:
Manohar 2011 pp 210-239.
 मनीषा अग्निहोत्री, 'दबिस्तान के अनुशीलन से ज्ञात सत्रहवीं
शताब्दी के भारतीय दार्शनिक पद्धतियों में परिवर्तनशीलता तथा
अनुरूपता का स्वरुप’; in Pratima Asthana and S.Z.H. Jafri(eds.), Transformations
in Indian History , Anamika Publishers,2009:715-730.

Unit 4
 James Mill, History of British India, 3 vols. London: Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy,
1826.
 MK Gandhi, Hind Swaraj in A. Parel Ed. Hind Swaraj and other writings Cambridge;
New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
 Rhetoric of Reform’, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 24, No. 2, (May 1990), pp. 209-
224.
 Mehta, Uday. (1999) Liberalism and Empire, Chicago: University of Chicago Press
(chapter 3)
 Hardiman, David. (2003). Gandhi in his time and ours. New Delhi: Permanent Black.
 Guha, Ramachandra. (2018.). Gandhi: the years that changed the world, 1914-1948.
Gurugram: Penguin Random House India.
 Gandhi, M.K. (1997). Hind Swaraj and other writings, (ed.), Anthony J. Parel,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Unit 5
 Jyotirao Phule Gulamgiri in G.P. Deshpande (2012) Ed. Selected Writings of Jotirao
Phule New Delhi: Leftword Books.
 Dr. BR Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste in Valerian Rodrigues Ed. The essential
writings of B.R. Ambedkar Delhi; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
 Tarabai Shinde, Stri Purush Tulana.
 Translation: O'Hanlon, Rosalind. (1994). A Comparison between Women and Men:
Tarabai Shinde and the Critique of Gender Relations in Colonial India. Madras:
Oxford University Press
 O'Hanlon, Roslaind. (1985). Caste, Conflict and Ideology Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press
 Zelliot, Eleanor. (2010). From Untouchable to Dalit: Essays on Ambedkar
Movements, New Delhi: Manohar.
 Nagaraj, D.R. (2010). The Flaming Feet and Other Essays: The Dalit Movement in
India, ed. Prithvi Datta and Chandra Shobhi, Ranikhet: Permanent Black.
 Banyopadhyay, Shekhar (Ed.). (2009). Nationalist Movement in India, A Reader.
New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Unit 6
  JL Nehru, Discovery of India. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund :
Distributed by Oxford University Press, [1981] (1994 printing)
 V D Savarkar, Essentials of Hindutva, Hindi Sahitya Sadan (1923)
 Chatterjee, Partha. (1999). The Partha Chatterjee Omnibus. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press.
 Khilnani, Sunil. (2004, rpt.). The Idea of India. New Delhi: Penguin.
 Parekh, Bhiku. (1991) “Nehru and the National Philosophy of India”, Economic and
Political Weekly Vol. 26, No. 1/2 (Jan. 5-12, 1991), pp. 35-48.
 Bhargava, Rajeev. (2017). “Nehru against Nehruvians: on religion and secularism”.
Economic and Political Weekly. 52(8), pp. 34 - 40
 Bakhle, Janaki. (2010). "Savarkar (1883-1966), Sedition, and Surveillance: the rule of
law in a colonial situation," in Social History. vol. 35, no. I.
 Bakhle, Janaki. (2010) "Country First? Vinayak Damodar Savarkar ( I883-I966) and
the Writing of Essentials of Hindutva," Public Culture 22:I.
 Chaturvedi, Vinayak. (2010). “Rethinking Knowledge with Action: V.D. Savarkar,
the
 Bhagavad Gita, and Histories of Warfare” Modern Intellectual History, 7, 2, 417-35.
 Pandey, Gyanendra (1993). “Which of us are Hindus” in Gyanendra Pandey, Ed.
Hindus and Others: The Question of Identity in India Today (New Delhi: Viking,
1993)

Unit 7
 The Forest Act of 1878.
 Royal Commission on Labour in India, 1931 (several vols.).
 Gadgil, Madhav, and Ramchandra Guha. (2000). The Use and Abuse of Nature, This
Fissured Land- An Ecological History of India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
 Guha, Ramachandra. (1991). The Unquiet Woods: Ecological Change and Peasant
Resistance in the Himalaya. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
 Grove, Richard H. (1998). Ecology, Climate and Empire, The Indian Legacy in
Global Environmental History, 1400-1940. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.
 Kumar, Dharma and Meghand Desai, (Eds.). (1984). Cambridge Economic History of
India, Vol II, 1657-1970. Hyderabad: Orient Longman Ltd

Unit 8: Constituent Assembly Debates on fundamental rights, language, separation of power,

judicial review, etc.
 Constituent Assembly Debates
 Vol.III: 28-4-1947 to 2-5-1947 (Fundamental
Rights)https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/762962/1/cad_29-04-1947.pdf
 Vol.VII: 4-11-1948 to 8-1-1949 (Directive Principles of State Policy)
https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/763029/1/cad_19-11-1948.pdf.
 Austin, Granville. (1999). Working a Democratic Constitution: the Indian Experience.
Delhi: Oxford University Press.
 Chandra, Bipan. (2008). India Since Independence. Delhi: Penguin.

Suggested Readings:
 Manisha Mishra, 'Paradigm Shifts in the Indian Philosophical Systems During the17th
Century: A Study of Dabistan -iMazahib’, U.P. Historical Review, Vols. II &III,
2007:66-84. Hindi version of this article is also available,
 Irfan Habib, “Sikhism and the Sikhs, 1645-46” From ‘Dabistan -i-Mazahib’ in
J.S.Grewal and
  Irfan Habib (eds.), Persian Sources of Sikh History, Aligarh; New Delhi,
2000.Kumkum
 Chatterjee, “The Persianization of Itihasa: Performance Narratives and Mughal
 Political Culture in Eighteenth-Century Bengal”; The Journal of Asian Studies; Vol.
67, No. 2 (May) 2008: pp.513–543.
 Gokhale, Balkrishna Govind. (1978). ‘Nehru and History’ History and Theory, Vol.
17, No. 3 (Oct., 1978), pp. 311-322.
 Kumar, Ravi, V.M. (2010). ‘Green Colonialism and Forest Policies in South India,
1800-1900’, Global Environment, Vol. 3, No. 5, pp. 100-125.
 Nigam, Aditya. (2004). ‘A Text without Author: Locating Constituent Assembly as
Event’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 39, No. 21 (May 22-28, 2004), pp.
2107-2113.
 Omvedt, Gail. (2013). Dalits and the Democratic Revolution: Dr.Ambedkar and the
Dalit Movement in Colonial India, New Delhi: Sage Publications.
 Panesar, Amerdeep, Stoddart, Amy, Turner, James, Ward, Paul and Wells, Sarah.
(2017) J.H. Whitley and the Royal Commission on Labour in India 1929–31. In:
Liberal Reform and Industrial Relations: J.H. Whitley (1866–1935), Halifax Radical
and Speaker of the House of Commons. Routledge Studies in Modern British History,
Routledge, London, pp. 129-142.
 Tucker, Richard P. (1982). ‘The Forests of the Western Himalayas: The Legacy of
British Colonial Administration’ Journal of Forest History, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Jul.,
1982), pp. 112-123.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Advanced Research Methodology

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Advanced Research
4 3 1 0
Methodology

Learning Objectives
This paper aims to prepare the students with elementary techniques of conducting research from a
historical perspective. It does so by familiarising them with the manner in which the discipline of
history is related to other disciplines, the manner in which modern historiography has developed
over the last two centuries, and the categories of analysis as well interpretive techniques a
historian must deploy in order to construct a meaningful narrative about the past. The paper also
intends to make the students learn the importance and styles of referencing, as well as the meaning
and danger of plagiarism.

Learning outcomes
Having finished the course, the students would have learnt to reflect on the categories of
analysis deployed in the secondary sources as well as to carefully choose their own
interpretive techniques when reading a primary source. They would also be able to pick up
useful techniques of analysis and narrativization from other neighbouring disciplines even if
only to enrich the historical methods. Moreover, they would know how to prepare
footnotes/endnotes and how to write a bibliography following the standard international
styles. They would be able to avoid plagiarism and detect it when reading a spurious piece.

Syllabus
Unit I. History and Neighbouring Disciplines
Unit II. Modern Historiographical schools
Unit III. Categories of analysis
Unit IV. Conducting historical research

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: This Unit will place History in context with other disciplines and their approaches:
Sociology, Anthropology, Literature, Economics, Geography, Psychology, and
Environmental Studies. (Teaching Time: 3 weeks approx.)
 Marwick, Arthur, “The Place of Theory: History, Science and Social Science,” in The
Nature of History.
 Carr, E.H. (1987, 1990). What is History. Second edition, London: Penguin. [Ch.3].
 Wilson, O.E (1988), Consilience. The Unity of Knowledge. New York. Vintage
Books pp. 19-71.
 Furay, Conal and Michael J. Salevouris (1988). The Methods and Skills of History: A
Practical Guide, Wiley Blackwell. 4th edition, 2015.
  Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology. Centre for
South Indian Studies: Trivandrum [Ch.2-Part II: history and Social Science; Ch.2-Part
III: History and the Humanities; Ch.5; Ch.7]

Unit-II: This unit will explore significant ‘turns’ that have raised new questions in the
discipline of history - Positivist, Collingwoodian, Annales, Marxist history writing, Social
history, history-from-below, Feminist, Post-modernist. (Teaching Time: 4 weeks approx.)
 Tucker, Aviezer (2009), A Companion to the Philosophy of History and
Historiography, Wiley-Blackwel [relevant sections]
 Munslow, Arthur (2000), The Routledge Companion to Historical Studies, 2nd
edition. [relevant sections]
 Sarkar, Sumit (1997), 'The Many Worlds of Indian History', Writing Social History,
OUP.
 Joan W. Scott (1988), 'Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis', in Gender
and the Politics of History, New York, Columbia University Press, pp. 41-50.
 Linda Gordon (1990). Review of “Gender and the Politics of History” by Joan W.
Scott, in Signs, Vol. 15. No. 4, Summer, 848-60.
 E.P. Thompson (1963), 'Preface', The Making of the English Working Class, New
York: Vintage, pp. 9-14.
 Jacques Le Goff (1974), 'Mentalities: A History of Ambiguities', in Constructing the
Past: Essays in Historical Methodology, edited by Le Goff and Nora. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, pp. 166-80. (First published in English in 1985)
 Sanjay Subrahmanyam, 'Connected Histories: Notes towards a Reconfiguration of
Early Modern Eurasia', Modern Asian Studies, vol. 31 (1997), no. 3, pp. 735-62.

Unit III: This unit will look at how historians have used caste, class, gender, global, nation,
and region to frame their research. (Teaching Time: 4 weeks approx.)
 Meyerowitz, Joanne. (2008). “A History of ‘Gender’,” American Historical Review,
Vol, 113, No. 5. December, pp. 1346-56.
 Bright, Erik Olin. (2015). Understanding Class. London: Verso.
 Dirks, Nicholas B. (1992). “Castes of Mind,” Imperial Fantasies and Postcolonial
Histories, Special Issues. Winter, pp.56-78.
 Berger, Stefan. (2007). Introduction. In Writing the Nation: A Global Perspective.
Palgrave MacMillan.
 Conrad, Sebastian. (2016). What is Global History. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton
University Press. (Chapters 4, 6, 8 to 10).
 Sharma, Ursula. Caste. Delhi: Worldview Publishers.
 Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology. Centre for
South Indian Studies: Trivandrum [Ch.7-Part III]

Unit-IV: This Unit will examine how historians initiate historical research by (i) Setting up a
problematic and forging an argument, (ii) 'Historical analysis and pitching a research
proposal', and (iii) Dangers of Plagiarism and Styles of Referencing. (Teaching Time: 3
weeks approx.)
 Booth, Wayne C. and Gregory G. Colomb (Contributor), Joseph M. Williams,
William C. Booth. The Craft of Research : From Planning to Reporting. University of
Chicago Press.
 Brundage, Anthony. (2018) Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and
Writing. Sixth edition, Wiley Blackwell. [Ch. 2, Ch.5, Ch.7, and Ch.8].
 Sorenson, Sharron (1995), How to Write a Research Paper, MacMillan
  George, A.I. and A. Bennett (2005), Case Studies and Theory Development in the
Social Sciences, Cambridge: MIT Press.
 Dhanwanti Nayak (2011), 'Karaoked Plagiarism in the Classroom', Economic and
Political Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9, pp. 49-53.
 Manjari Katju (2011), 'Plagiarism and Social Sciences', Economic and Political
Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9, pp. 45-48.
 Chicago Manual of Style. 15th edition, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2003.
 MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 5th edition, New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 1999.

Suggested readings
 Gardiner, P. (1973). The Varieties of History: From Voltaire to Present. Second
edition, Vintage Books.
 Gaddis, John Lewis, The Landscape of History
 Brian K. Smith, Introduction in Classifying the Universe, The Ancient Indian Varna
System and the Origins of Caste, 1994, OUP
 Appadurai, The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
 Sayer, Derek. (1987). “The Historicity of Concepts.” The Violence of Abstraction:
The Analytical Foundations of Historical Materialism. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
 Guha, Ranajit. (1988). “Preface” and “On Some Aspects of the Historiography of
Colonial India.” In Ranajit Guha and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak eds, Selected
Subaltern Studies. New York: Oxford University Press. 35-44.
 Guha, Sumit. (2016). Introduction. Beyond Caste. New Delhi: Permanent Black
 Riley, Denise. (2008). “Does a Sex Have a History?” The Sociology of Gender, ed.
Sarah Franklin, and Joan W. Scott, “Unanswered Questions”, American Historical
Review, 113, no. 5. December.
 Croce, B. (2008 reprint). Ch.19: Denationalisation of History. In My Philosophy and
Other Essays on the Moral and Political Problems of our Time. Read Books
 Bright, Erik Olin. (1989). The Debate on Classes. London: Verso
 Eley, Geoff and K. Nield (2010), “Introduction” and “Conclusions”, The Future of
Class in History: What’s Left of the Social? Ann Arbor: University of Michigan
Press.
 Donna. (2001). “‘Gender’ For A Marxist Dictionary.” Feminism: Critical Concepts in
Literary & Cultural Studies. Ed. Mary Evans. London: Routledge.
 Skeggs, Beverley. “(Dis)Identifications of Class: On Not Being Working Class.”
Formations of Class And Gender. London: SAGE, 2002, pp. 74-97.
 Wood, E.M. (1986). “Autonomization of Ideology and Politics.” In Retreat From
Class: A New True Socialism. London: Verso.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Practice of History – II

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Practice of History – II 4 3 1 0

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

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

Syllabus
Unit 1: Connected Histories: Circulations and Entanglements, Trans-national Histories
Unit 2: Intersectionality in Social History
Unit 3: Micro-History: Local and Particular, Issues of Context
Unit 4: History of Emotions: Studies of the Senses, Reading Emotions in the Past
Unit 5: Oral History: History and Ethnography; Memory and Narrative; Practice

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: This unit focuses on scholarship that looks at the history of movement of people,
goods and ideas across regions and locales. (Teaching Time: 03 weeks approximately).
 Bayly, Christopher et al. “AHR Conversation: On Transnational History.” The
American Historical Review, 111 (5), 2006: 1441-1464.
 Scott, Julius S., The Common Wind: Afro-American Currents in the Age of the
Haitian Revolution, Duke, 2018.
 Subrahmanyam, Sanjay. “Connected Histories: Notes towards a Reconfiguration of
Early Modern Eurasia.” Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 31, No. 3, 1997: 735–62.
 Wiesner, Merry, “Crossing Borders in Transnational Gender History,” Journal of
Global History, Vol. 6, Issue 3, November 2011, pp. 357-379.
Unit II: This unit focuses on readings intersectionality in social history that have been
particularly pertinent in the Indian context. (Teaching Time: 04 weeks approximately).
 Arondekar, Anjali, “Without a Trace: Sexuality and the Colonial Archive.” Journal of
the History of Sexuality, Vol. 14, No. 1/2, 2005, pp. 10–27.
 Sarkar, Tanika, “A Book of Her Own, A Life of Her Own,” in Kumkum Sangari and
Uma Chakravarti (eds), From Myths to Markets, Manohar, 1999.
 Scott, Joan, “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis,” American Historical
Review, Vol. 91, No. 5, 1986, pp. 1053-75.
 Sinha, Mrinalini, “Giving Masculinity a History,” Gender and History, Vol. 11, No. 3,
November 1999, pp. 445–460.
 Caste
 Rawat, Ramnarayan S., Reconsidering Untouchability: Chamars and Dalit History in
North India, Permanent Black, 2010, Chapters 1 and 2.
 Rege, Sharmila, Writing Caste, Writing Gender: Narrating Dalit Women’s
Testimonies, Zubaan, 2013. ( Chapter 1)
 V. Geetha, “Bereft of Being: The Humiliations of Untouchability,” in Gopal Guru ed.
Humiliation: Claims and Context, OUP, 2009.
 Valmiki, Om Prakash, Joothan: An Untouchable’s Life (Translated by Arun Prabha
Mukherjee), Samya, 2007 (Also in Hindi - ओम प्रकाश वाल्मीकि, 'जूठन',
राधाकृष्ण प्रकाशन, 2009).

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

Unit IV: This unit looks at the relationship between emotions, sensory experiences and
history. (Teaching Time: 02 weeks approximately).
 Ali, Daud, “Towards a history of courtly emotions in early medieval India, c. 300–
700 CE,” South Asian History and Culture, Vol. 12, Issue 2-3, 2021, 129-145.
 Corbin, Alain, Village Bells: The Culture of the Senses in the 19th century French
Countryside, Columbia University Press, 1998. (Chapters 1, 3, 6 and 7).
 Febvre, Lucien, “Sensibility and History: How to Reconstitute the Emotional Life of
the Past,” in Peter Burke (ed.), A New Kind of History: From the Writings of Febvre,
trans. K. Folca, Harper & Row, New York, 1973, pp. 12-26.
 Smith, Mark M., “Producing Sense, Consuming Sense, Making Sense: Perils and
Prospects for Sensory History,” Journal of Social History, Vol. 40, No. 4, 2007, pp.
841–58.

Unit IV: This unit focuses on key texts on oral tellings , listening and the making of
historical narratives. (Teaching Time: 03 weeks approximately).
 Bharucha, Rustom, Rajasthan: An Oral History: Conversations with Komal Kothari,
Penguin Books, India, 2007.
  Butalia, Urvashi, “Beginnings,” in The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the
Partition of India, Penguin Books, 1998, p. 1-20.
 Singer, Wendy, Creating Histories: Oral Narratives and the Politics of History
Making, OUP, 1997. (Chapters 1, 2, 3 and Conclusion).
 Thompson, Paul, “The Voice of the Past: Oral History,” in Robert Perks and Alistair
Thomson (eds), The Oral History Reader, Routledge,1978, pp. 33-39.

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

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): History of Labour in Colonial and Postcolonial
India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
History of Labour in
Colonial and Postcolonial 4 3 1 0
India

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

Learning outcomes
On completion of the course, students would be able to:
 Trace important historiographical issues informing labour history writing, both within
and beyond India.
 Comprehend the historical as well as contemporary transformations unfolding within
the world of labour.
 Examine how workers are positioned in different work settings.
 Trace how labour negotiates and contests different historically produced identities that
also shape the work experiences.
 Evaluation of labour’s contestation and resistance with respect to work regimes, living
conditions and state policies.

Syllabus
Unit-1: Historiographical trends
Unit-2: Different Labour Regimes and Work Settings
Unit-3: Labour and social identities: caste, gender, religion, nation
Unit-4: Tracing labour resistance

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit-1: This Unit familiarizes the students with key conceptual and historiographical
contributions in the field of labour history. It introduces the students to broad trends in labour
history writing. (Teaching time: 3 weeks)

I. An introduction to labour and its general historiography:

 ● Marx, Karl. (1976, reprint 1990). Chapter-6: The Buying and Selling of Labour-
Power, Vol. I. London: Penguin.
● Thompson, E.P. (1963, 1991). Preface. The Making of the English Working Class.
London: Penguin.
● Katznelson, Ira and Aristide Zolberg (1986). Chapter-1: Working Class Formation:
Constructing Cases and Comparisons. Working-Class Formation. Princeton, N.J.:
Princeton University Press.
● Hobsbawm, Eric. (1984). The Making of the Working Class, 1870-1914. In Worlds of
Labour: Further Studies in the History of Labour. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
● Linden, Marcel. (2008). Workers of the World: Essays Towards a Global History.
Leiden & Boston: Brill. [Chapters 1 to 4,].

II. Historiography of Labour in India:

● Gupta, Ranajit Das and Dipesh Chakravarty (2019 reprint). Some Aspects of Labour
History of Bengal in the Nineteenth Century: Two Views (Social Science Across
Disciplines). Delhi: OUP.
● Chandavarkar, Rajnarayan. (1997). ‘The Making of the Working Class’: E. P.
Thompson and Indian History. History Workshop Journal, Vol. 43(1), spring, pp.
177–196.
● Joshi, Chitra, Prabhu Mohapatra and Rana P. Behal (2010). India. In Histories of
Labour. National and International Perspectives, edited by Joan Allen, Alan Campbell
and John Mcllroy. Pontypool.
● Breman, Jan (2016). A Short History of the Informal Sector (Chapter 2) in At Work in the
Informal Economy of India : A Perspective from the Bottom Up, New Delhi, Oxford
University Press

Unit-II: This Unit provides an overview of how different forms of labour have existed under
different work settings and systems of control. It will also familiarize the students as to how
these labour regimes have changed over time. (Teaching time: 4 weeks)
I. Labour in agriculture, plantations, domestic services and artisanal work:
● Breman, Jan (2008). Labour Bondage in West India from Past to Present. Delhi:
Oxford University.
● Behal, Rana P. and Prabhu P. Mohapatra (1992). 'Tea and Money versus Human Life':
The Rise and Fall of the Indenture System in the Assam Tea Plantations 1840–1908.
In Plantations, Proletarians and Peasants in Colonial Asia, edited by E. Valentine
Daniel, Henry Bernstein, and Tom Brass. London: Routledge.
● Mohapatra, Prabhu. (2005). Regulated Informality Legal Constructions of Labour
Relations in Colonial India 1814–1926. In Workers in the Informal Sector. Studies in
Labour History 1800–2000, edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Jan Lucassen.
New Delhi: Macmillan India.
● Prakash, Gyan (ed.) (1992). Introduction. The World of Rural Labourer. Delhi:
Oxford University Press.
 ● Bhattacharya, Neeladri. (1994). Agricultural Labour and Production: Central and
South-East Punjab, 1870-1940. In The World of Rural Labourer, edited by Gyan
Prakash. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
● Santosh Kumar Rai, Introduction, Weaving Hierarchies: Handloom Weavers in Early
Twentieth Century United Provinces (Delhi: Primus, 2021)Nitin Sinha, Nitin Verma,
Pankaj Jha (2019) Introduction, Servants’ Past: Sixteen to Eighteenth Century South
Asia, Orient Blackswsan
● Nitin Sinha, Nitin Verma, (2019) Introduction, Servants’ Past: Late eighteenth to
Twentieth century South Asia, Orient Blackswsan
● Roy, Tirthankar. (1999). Introduction. Traditional Industry in the Economy of
Colonial India. Cambridge: CUP.
● Wielenga, Karuna Dietrich (2020). Chapter-2: Statistics, Looms and People: The
Changing Contours of the Handloom Industry. Weaving Histories: The
Transformation of the Handloom Industry in South India, c. 1800 – 1960. British
Academy with OUP (UK).
II. Labour in factories, workshops and urban informal employment:
● Chandavarkar, Rajnarayan. (2002). Problems and Perspectives. The Origins of
Industrial Capitalism in India: Business Strategies and the Working Classes in
Bombay 1900-1940. Cambridge: CUP.
● Masselos, J.C. (1982). Jobs and Jobbery: The Sweeper in Bombay under the Raj,
IESHR, Vol. XIX (2), pp. 101-39.
● John, M. (2018). The ‘Half-timer’: Colonial Indian Regulation of Child Labourers. In
Law and Time, edited by Siân Beynon-Jones and Emily Grabham (Eds.). London:
Routledge Social Justice Book Series. (pp. 162–78).
● Bhattacharya, Shahana. (2013). Rotting Hides and Runaway Labour: Labour Control
and Workers' Resistance in the Indian Leather Industry, c. 1860-1960. In Working
Lives and Worker Militancy, edited by Ravi Ahuja. Delhi: Tulika.

Unit-III Labour and social identities: caste, gender, religion, nation: This Unit will familiarize
the students with the interplay between key social identities and the class position of the
labouring masses. (Teaching time: 4 weeks)
I. Caste and labour
● Gooptu, Nandini (1993). Caste, Deprivation and Politics: The Untouchables in U.P.
Towns in the Early Twentieth Century. In Dalits and Meanings of Labour, edited by
Peter Robb. Delhi: OUP.
● Prashad, Vijay. (1995). Between Economism and Emancipation: Untouchables and
Indian Nationalism, 1920-1950, Left History, Vol. 3(1), spring—summer, pp. 5-30.
● Sarkar, Tanika. (2013). 'Dirty Work, Filthy Caste': Calcutta Scavengers in the 1920s.
In Working Lives and Worker Militancy, edited by Ravi Ahuja. Delhi: Tulika.
● John, M. (2016). (De)skilling Caste: Exploring the Relationship between Caste, State
Regulations and the Labour Market in Late Colonial India. In The Vernacularization
of Labour Politics, edited by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Rana P. Behal. New Delhi:
Tulika (pp. 267-293).
II. Gender and labour
● Sen, Samita. (2008). Gender and Class: Women in Indian Industry, 1890–1990,
Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 42(1), pp. 75-116.
● Kumar, Radha. (1983). Family and Factory: Women in the Bombay Cotton Textile
Industry, 1919-39, IESHR, Vol. 20 (1), pp. 81-110.
● Forbes, Geraldine. (1996). Chapter 4: Women’s Work in Colonial India. Women in
Modern India. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
● Joshi, Chitra. (2002) “On De Industrialisation and the Crisis of Male Identities” in
International Review of Social History , Vol 47, No. 10, pp. 159-175.

III. Community, Nation and Diaspora

● Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. (1988). Swaraj and the Kamgar: The Indian National
Congress and the Bombay Working Class, 1919-31. In Congress and Indian
Nationalism: The Pre-Independence Phase, edited by R. Sisson and S. Wolpert.
Berkeley and Los Angeles, pp. 223-49.
● Mohapatra, Prabhu. (1997). The Hosay Massacre of 1884: Class and Community
Among Indian Immigrant Labourers in Trinidad. India: Centre for Contemporary
Studies, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.Jaiswal, Ritesh Kumar (2022). Scar of
Association: Repercussions of the Great Depression and Xenophobic Nationalism on
Indian Migrants in Burma, Independent Journal of Burmese Scholarship (IJBS), Special
Issue, Vol. I, 233-280
● Chakravarty, Dipesh. (1989). Class and Community. Rethinking Working Class
History. Princeton University Press.
● Joshi, Chitra. (1985). Bonds of Community, Ties of Religion: Kanpur Textile
Workers in the Early Twentieth Century. Indian Economic & Social History Review,
Vol. 22(3), pp. 251-280.

Unit IV: This Unit will trace how labour has continued to resist and contest work conditions,
living conditions and state policies in the colonial times as well as in the contemporary time
period. It will familiarize the students with important typologies of labour resistance and
movements. (Teaching time: 3 weeks)
● Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi (1981). “Capital and Labour in Bombay City, 1928-
29.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 16, no. 42/43
● Chandavarkar, Rajnarayan. (2004). From Neighbourhood to Nation: The Rise and
Fall of the Left in Bombay's Girangaon in the Twentieth Century. In One Hundred
Years, One Hundred Voices: The Mill Workers of Girangaon: An Oral History, edited
by Meena Menon and Neera Adarkar. Calcutta: Seagull Books.
● De Neve, Geert. (2005). Introduction. The Everyday Politics of Labour. Berghahn
Books.
● Joshi, Chitra (1999). Hope and Despair: Textile Worker in Kanpur in 1937-38 and the
1990s inParry, Jonathan P., Jan Breman, and Karin Kapadia. 1999. The Worlds of Indian
Industrial Labour. New Delhi:.
 ● Bandyopadhyay, Ritajyoti (2016). Institutionalizing Informality: The Hawkers'
Question in Post-colonial Calcutta. Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 50(2) (March), pp.
675-717.
● Agarwala, Rina (2013) Informal Labour, Formal Politics and Dignified Discontent in
India, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, Chapter 2 and 3.
● Breman, Jan (2016). Resistance to Exclusion and Coping with Insecurity(Chapter 6) in At
Work in the Informal Economy of India : A Perspective from the Bottom Up, New Delhi,
Oxford University Press

Suggested readings:
● Dupré, J. and Regenia Gagnier. (1996). A Brief History of Work. Journal of
Economic Issues, 30 (2), pp.553-59.
● Ahuja, Ravi. (2020) ‘Produce or Perish’. The crisis of the late 1940s and the place of
labour in post-colonial India, Modern Asian Studies. 54 (5), pp. 1041-1112.
● Bhowmik, Sharit K. (1998). The Labour Movement in India: Present Problems and
Future Perspectives. The Indian Journal of Social Work, Vol. 59(1).
● Breman, Jan. (1996). Footloose Labour: Working in India’s Informal Economy.
Cambridge: CUP.
● Chatterjee, Rakhahari. (1984). Working Class and the Nationalist Movement in India:
The Critical Years. New Delhi.
● Ghosh, Parimal. (1990). Communalism and Colonial Labour: Experiences of Calcutta
Jute Mill Workers, 1880-1930. Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 25(30), pp. 54-
60.
● Hofmeester, Karin and Marcel van der Linden. (2018). Handbook Global History of
Work. De Gruyter Oldenbourg.
● Joshi, Chitra. (2002). Notes on the Breadwinner Debate: Gender and Household
Strategies in Working-Class Families, Studies in History, Vol.18(2): 261-27.
● Kumar, Dharma. (1965). Land and Caste in South India; Agricultural Labour in the
Madras Presidency During the Nineteenth Century. Cambridge: CUP.
● Oommen, T.K. (2010). Indian Labour Movement: Colonial Era to the Global Age,
Economic and Political Weekly, December 26, 2009-January 1, 2010, Vol. 44 (52),
pp. 81-89.
● Parry, J., Jan Breman and Karin Kapadia. (1999). The Worlds of Indian Industrial
Labour. SAGE.
● Robb, Peter. (1993). Dalits and Meanings of Labour. Delhi: OUP. (Chapters 5, 7, 8
and 12).
● RoyChowdhury, Supriya (2015). Bringing Class Back In: Informality in Bangalore,
Socialist Register Vol.51 (Transforming Classes). London: Merlin Press.
● Sen, Sukomal. (2010). Working Class of India History of Emergence and Movement,
1830-2010. Calcutta : Prajashakti.
● Marx, Karl. (1867, 1990). Chapter-10: The Working Day. Capital, Vol. I. London:
Penguin.
 ● Ness, I. (2014). Introduction: New Forms of Worker Organizations; and Arup K. Sen,
Chapter-4: The Struggle for Independent Unions in India’s Industrial Belts:
Domination, Resistance, and the Maruti Suzuki Auto Workers. New Forms of Worker
Organization: The Syndicalist and Autonomist Restoration of Class-Struggle
Unionism. PM Press, Oakland, CA.
● Jaiswal, Ritesh Kumar (2020) ‘Mediated (Im)mobility: Indian Labour Migration to
Ceylon under the Kangany System (c. 1850–1940)’, In: Campbell G., Stanziani A.
(eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Bondage and Human Rights in Africa and Asia,
Palgrave Macmillan, New York
● Sen, Samita and Nilanjana Sengupta (2018). Introduction. Domestic Days: Women,
Work, and Politics in Contemporary Kolkata. Delhi: OUP
● Eckert, Andreas. “Why All the Fuss about Global Labour History?” Global Histories of
Work, edited by Andreas Eckert, 1st ed., De Gruyter, 2016, pp. 3–22
● Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi (2006)” Paradigms in the Historical Approach to Labour
Studies in South Asia” in Lucassen, J. Global Labour History. A State of the Art.
Lausanne, Switzerland: Peter Lang Verlag
● Nitin Sinha, Domestic Servants and Master–Servant Regulations in Colonial Calcutta,
1750s–1810s, Past & Present, Volume 255, Issue 1, May 2022, Pages 141–188
● Anna Sailer, Workplace Relations in Colonial Bengal, Bloomsbury, 2022, Chapter 5
● Aditya Sarkar, Trouble at the Mill, OUP, 2018
● Ravi Ahuja, Shipping Lords and Coolie Stokers: Class, Race, and Maritime
Capitalism in the Early Twentieth Century, Verso Book, 2024

Suggested primary sources

 J.H Wheatley ( 1931) Report of the Royal Commission of Labour in India . London,
H.M Stationery Office.
 P.B Gajendragadkar ( 1969) Report of the National Commission on Labour in India.
Delhi.
 Government of India ( 1988) Shram Shakti: Report on the Self Employed Women in
India. Delhi
 Sengupta , Arjun ( 2009) Report of the National Commission on the Enterprises in the
Unorganised Sector, Delhi

Teaching Learning Process:

Classroom teaching, classroom discussions and student presentations in class and/or in
tutorials. Presentations shall focus either on important themes covered in the class lectures, or
on specific readings. As this is a paper tracing the history of the Indian subcontinent,
supporting audio-visual aids like documentaries, maps and power point presentations will be
used. Students shall also be encouraged to participate in talks/seminar presentations by
specialists in the field. Overall, the Teaching Learning Process shall emphasise the
interconnectedness of themes within the different rubrics to build a holistic view subject
under study.

Assessment Methods:
 Students will be regularly assessed in their analytical abilities through the debates and
discussions that will be conducted in class. Two written submissions and at least one
presentation will be used for final grading of the students. Students will be assessed on their
ability to engage with a sizeable corpus of readings assigned to the theme for written
submissions, i.e. being able to explain important historical trends and tracing historiography
reflected in the assigned readings.
Internal Assessment: 25 Marks
Written Exam: 75 Marks
Total: 100 Marks

Key words: Labour, Labour history, labour resistance, factory, work conditions

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Epigraphy and Numismatics

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Epigraphy and
4 3 1 0
Numismatics
Learning Objectives
This course covers essential aspects of two important categories of archaeological sources
namely epigraphy and numismatics. It will introduce students to explore the field of
epigraphy and numismatics and equip them to understand its handling and how to use them
for historical reconstruction a new. Being aware of epigraphy and its significance for
historical reconstruction encourage students to learn about scripts, languages and thereby its
evolution and development. Similarly, understanding of numismatics and concerned
methodologies provide students ideas as to how they may infer its pertinence to debasement
and fiscal history. Parameters of analysis involved in epigraphy and numismatics gives a firm
background to understand and explore these potential field with promising research scopes to
enrich understanding of social, cultural, political and economic history.

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

Syllabus
Unit-I: Elements of Epigraphy
1. The decipherment of ancient scripts and the evolution of epigraphic research in India.
2. Classifying inscriptions on the basis of language, script and purport. Analysing
inscriptions: the role and potential of epigraphic evidence in historical reconstruction;
modes of analysis -- quantitative methods; mapping; issues of intent, purpose,
audience, context; the relationship between inscriptions and literature.
3. The Harappan script: basic features; claims to decipherment; the role of writing in the
Harappan civilization.
4. The origins, paleographic features, and development of early historic Indic scripts,
with special reference to Brahmi, Kharoshthi and Tamil-Brahmi. Languages of
ancient and early medieval inscriptions – Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the regional
vernaculars.
5. Reading and interpreting inscriptions: A close reading and analysis of at least 6
different types of inscriptions (eg. edicts, prasastis, votive inscriptions, land grants
and records of the proceedings of local bodies) belonging to different periods and
regions.
Unit-II: Elements of Numismatics
1. Survey of Numismatic Studies (early 18th century to the present).
2. Methods for using coins for reconstruction of different kinds of histories of early
India: economic, social, political, religious, and cultural.
3. Numismatic Terminology.
4. Origin and Evolution of Coins – Techniques of Manufacturing.
5. Metrology of Coins: Weight Standards.
6. Survey of Early Coins (up to circa 1300 CE).

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit: I: This unit introduces the students to the essentials of epigraphy. It explores history of
epigraphic research in India, classification of inscriptions, evolution and development of
early historic Indian scripts and interpretation of inscriptional data. (Teaching time: 23 hrs.
approximately)
 Sircar, D.C.: ed. Select Inscriptions bearing on Indian History and Civilisation,
vol.1&2, 1 983.
 Singh, K.S. and Manoharan S. : Language and Scripts, vol-9, 1993.
 गौरीशंकर हीराचंद ओझा: प्राचीन भारतीय लिपिमाला, 2016.
 Salomon Richard. 1999. Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in
Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages (South Asia Research).
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 Hultzsch, E. 1925. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol.1 Inscriptions of Asoka.
Delhi: ASI
 Dani, A. H. Indian Epigraphy. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal.1986, 1997.
 Bühler, G. Indian Palaeography ([1904], 2004). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal,
1904, 2004.
 Subrahmanian, N.and Venkataraman, R. 1980 Tamil Epigraphy Madurai: Ennes
Publications, 1980.
 शर्मा अमिता:भारतीय अभिलेखशास्त्र,पुरालिपिशास्त्र एवं कालक्रम
पद्धति, 2010.

Unit: II: This unit introduces the students to the essentials of numismatics. It explores history
of numismatics research in India, methods of using coins for reconstruction of history, origin
and evolution of coins, metrology of coins and survey of early coins. (Teaching time: 22
hours approximately)
 Sircar. D. C. Studies in Indian Coins. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publisher. 1968.
 Gupta, P. L. Kuṣāṇa coins and history. Delhi: D.K. Printworld. 1994.
 Elliot, Walter. Coins of South India. Delhi: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan, 2005.
 Mukherjee, N. The Techniques of Minting Coins in Ancient and Medieval India.1997.
 वासुदेव उपाध्याय: भारतीय सिक्के, 1948.
 Cunningham, Alexander. Coins of Ancient India: From the Earliest Times Down to
the Seventh Century A.D. Delhi: ASI, 1996.
 Allan, John: Catalogue of the Coins of Ancient India in the British Museum (1936,
Indian Reprint 1975
 Chattopadhyay, Bhaskar: The Age of the Kushanas: A Numismatic Study 1967.
 Pokharna, Premlata : Coins of North India (500-1200 AD): A Comprehensive Study
on Indo-Sassanian Coins, Unique Traders, Jaipur, 2006.
 Sharma, I.K.: Coinage of the Satavahana Empire 1980.
 Tylecote, R.F.: Metallurgy in Archaeology: Readings for various Coin Series 1962.

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

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Reading Social Relations through Texts and
Visuals II

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Reading Social Relations
through Texts and Visuals 4 3 1 0
II

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

Learning outcomes
After completing this course, students will be able to:
Critically Analyze Textual and Visual Narratives
 Understand the social, cultural, and historical significance of texts and visual
arts.
Engage in Interdisciplinary Approaches to History and Culture
 Explore the role of calligraphy, autobiography, and historical texts in shaping
perspectives on power and identity.
 Examine theatre, cinema, and music as tools for capturing and expressing
social change.
Evaluate the Representation of Social Relations in Different Mediums
 Study how paintings, architecture, and performing arts depict and influence
societal structures.
 The course explores the intersections of historical structures, cultural
frameworks, and political authority, encouraging students to critically analyze
dominant narratives.
Apply Research Skills Through Experiential Learning
 Conduct field-based research and document findings in an academic report.
 Develop methodological skills to assess historical and cultural sites critically.
These objectives and outcomes ensure that students develop a multidisciplinary
understanding of historical and cultural narratives while strengthening their analytical and
research capabilities.

Syllabus
Unit I: Concepts in Text and Visual Arts
1. Exploring Social Narratives in Textual Sources
2. Capturing Social History Through Visual Expression

Unit II: Voices and Scripts of History: An Analytical Exploration of Two Chosen Texts
1. Gulbadan Begam, Ahval-i Humayun Badshah
2. Calligraphy: In Early Modern India
3. Autobiography: Amar Jiban
4. Jainendra Kumar, Sunita (1935, Hindi)

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

1. Paintings: Rajput /Pahari
2. Architecture: Taj Mahal
3. Theatre: Binodini Dasi (1863-1941)
4. Early Cinema: Fearless Nadia’s Films
5. Music: Gauhar Jaan (1873-1930)

Unit IV: Experiential Research and Academic Documentation of a Selected Site

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I:
Text-Based Reading Material:
 D. Fairchild Ruggles, ed., Women, Patronage and Self-Representation in Islamic
Societies, New York: State University of New York Press, 2000, Introduction, pp. 1-
15.
 Anshu Malhotra & Siobhan Lambert-Hurley, eds., Speaking of the Self: Gender,
Performance and Autobiography in South Asia, New Delhi: Zubaan, 2017,
Introduction, pp. 1-30.
 Sarkar, Sumit, Writing Social History, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1997, Part
One: 1-108.

For Visual and Performative Arts Reading Material:

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

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

Unit III
 Aitken, Molly, Purdah and Portrayal: Rajput Women as Subjects, Patrons and
Collectors, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 62, No. 2, 2002, pp. 247-80.
 Dasi, Binodini, My Story and My Life as an Actress, Delhi: Kali for Women, 1998.
 Giles Tillotson, Taj Mahal, Gurgaon: Penguin Random house, 2008.
 Goswamy, B.N., ‘A Complex Web: Approaches to Time in Rajput and Mughal
Painting’, in Indian Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art, (ed.) Arindam Chakrabarti,
New York: Bloomsbury, 2016, pp.215-220.
 Koch, Ebba, The Complete Taj Mahal, London: Thames & Hudson, 2012.
 Wenner, Dorothee, Fearless Nadia: The True Story of Bollywood’s Original Stunt
Queen, Penguin India, 2005.
 Sampat, Vikram, Gauhar Jaan: The Life and Times of a Musician, Delhi: Rupa, 2010.

Suggestive Readings:
 Kavita Singh, Visibility, Veiling and Voyeurism: The Depiction of Women in Mughal
Art, YouTube 2020.
 Necipoglu, Gülru, Framing the Gaze in Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal Palaces, Ars
Orientalis, Vol. 23, 1993, pp. 303-42.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): History of Theatre

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
History of Theatre 4 3 1 0

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

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

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

Unit II: Regional and Folk Theatre

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

Unit III: Institutionalization of Theatre

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

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

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

Practical component (if any) - NIL

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

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

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

Branch, from time to time.
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): Ideas and Institutions in Indian History

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Ideas and Institutions in
4 3 1 0
Indian History

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

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

Syllabus
Unit I: The State: Ideas and Institutions
Unit II: Religion: Debates, Identities and Institutions
Unit III: Art and Architecture: Ideas and Institutions
Unit IV: Social Categories and Institutions: Varna, Jati, Tribe and Race
Unit V: Education and Knowledge Production

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: The focus of this unit will be an examination of political formation in the Indian
subcontinent over the longue duree. Issues and aspects relating to power, authority,
governance and its legitimation will be analysed. (Teaching time: 3 weeks)
 R. S. Sharma, Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India. Delhi:
Motilal Banarsidas. 1996
 S. Kumar, “Courts, Capitals and Kingship: Delhi and its Sultans in the 13th and 14th
centuries” in Jan Peter Hartung and Albrecht Fuess, eds., Court Cultures in the
Muslim World, London: SOAS/Routledge Studies on the Middle East, pp. 123-148.
 J. F Richards, Kingship and Authority in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University Press,
 H. Kulke, The State in India, Delhi: Oxford University Press
  N. Hussain, The Jurisprudence of Emergency: Colonialism and the Rule of Law Ann
Arbor : University of Michigan Press Aug. 2019

Unit II: The subject matter of this unit is the domain of the ‘other world’ in this world –
essentially, the sphere of religion, spirituality, and matters of faith. Through a text-based
elucidation and discussion, students will be encouraged to probe the debates and religious
identities that have evolved uniquely in South Asia, and the institutions that have helped
articulate and formalize these. (Teaching time: 4 weeks)
 R. Thapar, The Past Before Us Ranikhet : Permanent Black, 2013
 W. Halbfass Reflection and Tradition Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas 1991. (Chapters 2-4,
8-10)
 V. Eltschinger Caste and Buddhist Philosophy Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas 2015
(Chapter 1)
 M. Devadan A Pre-History of Hinduism Berlin: De Gruyter Open Ltd., 2016
 S. Kumar “Assertions of Authority: a Study of the Discursive Statements of Two
Sultans of Delhi—‘Ala al-Din Khalaji and Nizam al-Din Auliya”, in The Making of
Indo-Persian Culture: Indian and French Studies, ed. Muzaffar Alam, Francoise
‘Nalini’ Delvoye, and Marc Gaborieau, Delhi: Manohar, pp. 37-65
 Truschke, Culture of Encounters New York : Columbia University Press, 2015
 M. Alam The Mughals and the Sufis Ranikhet. Permanent Black 2021
 K. Jones Socio-Religious Reform Movements New York : Cambridge University
Press, 2006.
 V. Geetha Towards a Non Brahmin Millennium: From Iyothee Thas to Periyar
Calcutta : Samya 1998.

Unit III: The tangible testimony of our collective heritage stands in the shape of monumental
architecture and different forms of art. Unit III, with Art and Architecture as its subject of
study, will explore the aesthetics behind artistic expression, the symbolism as also the varied
building traditions across time and regions. (Teaching time: 3 weeks)
 Coomaraswamy, The Transformation of Nature into Art. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi
National Centre for the Arts: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1995.
 M. Willis, The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual: Temples and the establishment of the
gods, Cambridge University Press 2009
 R. Eaton and P. Wagoner Ed. Power, Architecture, Memory New Delh: Oxford
University Press, 2014.
 K. Veluthat, “Religious Symbols in Political Legitimation: The Case of Early
Medieval South India” Vol. 21, No. 1/2 (Jan. - Feb., 1993), pp. 23-33
 E. Koch Mughal Art and Imperial Ideology, New Delhi: Oxford University Press
2001.
 G. Minissale Images of Thought: Visuality in Islamic India, 1550-1750 Cambridge
Scholars Publishing, 2009 (Introduction, Chapter 1)
 T. R. Metcalf, An Imperial Vision: Indian Architecture and Britain's Raj. Berkeley
and London: University of California Press 1989
 T. Guha-Thakurta : Monuments, Objects, Histories: Institutions of Art in Colonial and
Postcolonial India, Ranikhet: Permanent Black, Delhi, 2004.
 JDM Derrett, “The Reform of Hindu Religious Endowments” in DE Smith Ed. South
Asian Politics and Religion Princeton University Press 1966

Unit IV: Unit IV will cover perhaps the most pervasive of the social ideas that manifest as
identities and are further perpetuated through institutions, both orthodox and heterodox. In
the process, issues self-identity and ‘othering’, hierarchies and inequalities, and marginalized
social entities will be brought to light. (Teaching Time:3weeks)
 Parasher Mlecchas in Early India: A Study in Attitudes Towards Outsiders up to 600
AD New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1991.
 Parasher-Sen ed. 2004. Subordinate and Marginalized Groups in Early India. New
Delhi: Oxford University Press
 S. Jaiswal, Caste: Origin, Function and Dimensions of Change, New Delhi: Manohar
Publishers & Distributors, 1998.
 जायसवाल, सुबीरा. (२००४), वणर्-जाितव्यवस्था: उद्भव, प्रकायर् और
रूपांतरण (अनुवादक: आिदत्य नारायणिसंह). नई िदल्ली: ग्रंथिशल्पी.
पृष्ठ१५-४३.
 S. Guha, Environment and Ethnicity New York: Cambridge University Press, c1999.
 T. Trautmann Aryans and British India Berkeley: University of California Press,
c1997.
 S. Misra “The Customs of Conquest: Legal Primitivism and British Paramountcy in
Northeast India” Studies in History, Vol 37, Issue 2, 2021
 V. Rodrigues, The Essential Writings of B.R. Ambedkar New Delhi: Oxford
University Press 2005. pp. 1-44; 47-53; 191-205; 219-239; 383-407.

Unit V: The production and dissemination of knowledge through learning traditions and
norms transects all the spheres of lived human experience. Situating these within the larger
South Asian context, Unit IV will help students understand the processes and institutions that
canonized forms of knowledge and promoted its spread and perpetuation. (Teaching Time: 3
weeks)
 Mookerji, R.K. Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist. Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, rpt. 2016
 Dasgupta, S.N. A History of Indian Philosophy. New Delhi: Rupa Publications, rpt.
2018
 Pollock, S. The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture and
Power in Premodern India, University of California Press, 2006.
 Dharampal, The Beautiful Tree. Delhi: Rashtrarottana Sahitya, 2021
 Suggested Readings:
o Hiltebeitel, Dharma: its early history in law, religion, and narrative New York:
Oxford University Press, 2011.
 H. Kulke and B.P. Sahu Ed. The Routledge Handbook of the State in Premodern India
Routledge India
 P. Chandra, ed., Studies in Indian Temple Architecture, American Institute of Indian
Studies, Varanasi, 1975.
 R. Ahluwalia Reflections on Mughal art & culture New Delhi: Niyogi Books 2021
 R. Singha, A Despotism of Law: Crime and Justice in Early Colonial India Delhi ;
New York : Oxford University Press, 1998.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): Life Narrative and History

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

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

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

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

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

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I
 Arnold, David and Stuart Blackburn. (2004). ‘Introduction: Life Histories in India’, in
David Arnold and Stuart Blackburn (eds), Telling Lives in India: Biography,
Autobiography, and Life History, Delhi: Permanent Black, pp. 1-28.
 Ramaswamy, Vijaya. (2008). ‘Introduction’, in Vijaya Ramaswamy and Yogesh
Sharma (eds), Biography as History: Indian Perspectives, New Delhi: Orient
Blackswan, pp. 1-15.
 Zaman, Taymiya R. (2011). ‘Instructive Memory: An Analysis of Auto/Biographical
Writing in Early Mughal India’, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the
Orient, vol. 54, pp. 677-700.

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

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

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

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

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

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Migration and Indian
Diaspora: Social and 4 3 1 0
Cultural Histories

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

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

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

Unit II: Social and Cultural Histories of the Indian Diaspora

1. Caste, class, and gender in Indian migration
2. Cultural adaptations, hybridity, and syncretism in Indian diasporic communities
3. Indian cinema, literature, and popular culture in diasporic identity formation

Unit III : Political Economy and Contemporary Issues in the Indian Diaspora
 1. Economic contributions and remittances to India
2. Diaspora engagement in Indian politics and foreign policy
3. Citizenship, belonging, and challenges of multiculturalism in host nations
4. Contemporary issues: Xenophobia, racism, and identity politics

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: This unit will enable students to develop a theoretical understanding of migration and
diaspora studies while exploring historical migration patterns and their socio-political
contexts. It will help them analyze the economic, political, and social factors that contributed
to migration, particularly the impact of colonialism and indentured labor systems. Students
will also examine post-colonial migration trends and their implications for Indian
communities in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. (Teaching time: 15 lectures 5
weeks)
 Vertovec, Steven. (2009). Transnationalism. London: Routledge.
 Cohen, Robin. (2008). Global Diasporas: An Introduction. London: Routledge.
 Jayaram, N. (Ed.). (2004). The Indian Diaspora: Dynamics of Migration. New Delhi:
Sage.
 Tinker, Hugh. (1974). A New System of Slavery: The Export of Indian Labour
Overseas 1830–1920. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 Jain, Ravindra K. (1993). Indian Communities Abroad: Themes and Literature. New
Delhi: Manohar.
 Safran, William. Ajaya Sahoo, Ajaya & Brij V. Lal (Ed.). (2019). Transnational
Migrations The Indian Diaspora. Routledge India.
 Mishra, Vijay (2007). The Literature of the Indian Diaspora: Theorizing the
Diasporic Imaginary. New Delhi: Routledge.
Unit II This unit will help students critically engage with how caste, class, and gender
influence migration experiences, shaping the socio-cultural fabric of Indian diasporic
communities. It will enhance their understanding of cultural adaptation, hybridity, and
syncretism, exploring the role of religion, traditions, and social networks in maintaining
diasporic identity. The unit will also introduce students to how Indian cinema, literature, and
popular culture contribute to diasporic narratives, fostering a sense of belonging while
negotiating identity within the host society. (Teaching time: 15 lectures 5 weeks)
 Lal, Brij V., Peter Reeves, and Rajesh Rai (Eds.). (2006). The Encyclopedia of the
Indian Diaspora. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
 Appadurai, Arjun. (1996). Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalization.
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
 Mishra, Vijay. (2007). The Literature of the Indian Diaspora: Theorizing the
Diasporic Imaginary. London: Routledge.
 Ghosh, Amitav. (2008). Sea of Poppies. London: Penguin.
 Vertovec, Steven. 1997. “Three Meanings of Diaspora: Exemplified among South
Asian Religions”. Diaspora, Vol. 6 (3): 277-330.
 South Asians Overseas: Migration and Ethnicity by C. Clarke et al. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1990
Unit III: This unit will equip students with an understanding of the Indian diaspora’s
economic impact, particularly through remittances and investments in India. It will enable
them to analyze how the diaspora engages in Indian politics and influences international
relations. Students will critically examine issues of citizenship, multiculturalism, and identity
politics in host nations while understanding contemporary challenges such as xenophobia,
racism, and social exclusion. This unit will also provide insights into the policies shaping
diaspora engagement and their implications for global migration governance. (Teaching time:
18 lectures 6 weeks)
 Khadria, Binod. (1999). The Migration of Knowledge Workers: Second-generation
Effects of India’s Brain Drain. New Delhi: Sage.
 Raj, Dhooleka Sarhadi. (2003). Where Are You From?: Middle-Class Migrants in the
Modern World. Berkeley: University of California Press.
 Shain, Yossi, and Aharon Barth. (2003). "Diasporas and International Relations
Theory." International Organization, 57(3), pp. 449–479.
 Varadarajan, Latha. (2010). The Domestic Abroad: Diasporas in International
Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 Kapur, Devesh. (2014). Diaspora, Development, and Democracy: The Domestic
Impact of International Migration from India. Princeton University Press
 Parekh, Bhikhu, Gurhapal Singh and Steven Vertovec (eds.). 2003. Culture and
Economy in the Indian Diaspora. London: Routledge. [Introduction]

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISSERTATION: Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods
Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods II
(The department has opted for Dissertation)

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Dissertation Writing
Track of Research 4 3 1 0
Methods II

Learning Objectives
This course involves students in doing actual research on a topic each of their choice to be decided
in consultation with their assigned faculty advisor. It is meant to make the student learn to
negotiate the complicated trajectories of doing original research and writing a dissertation. The
idea is to ensure that the student is well-equipped with research and writing skills required for
enrolling in a PhD programme.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the students would have
 Completed their reading of primary sources and collecting data/information
 Written out a dissertation to the satisfaction of the concerned faculty advisor and
submitted the same
 Published part (or all) of their dissertation as either a research paper in a reputed
journal of history (or any other discipline of Humanities/Social Sciences); or a book
chapter (in an edited volume by a reputed publisher); or a book by a reputed
publisher. Any scholastic work (as recommended by the BRS and approved by the
Research Council) may also be treated as at par with a published research paper for
the course.

Syllabus
Unit I: Deciding on a Topic of Research after reviewing preliminary readings in
consultations with the concerned faculty advisor
Unit II: Reading primary sources and taking notes in consultation with the faculty advisor
Unit III: Reading secondary sources and writing a literature review
Unit IV: Writing Dissertation to the satisfaction of the faculty advisor

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
As recommended from time to time for each student by the concerned faculty advisor/guide.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 UGCF- 2022
CATEGORY II
BA (MULTIDISCIPLINARY) with History as Major
SEMESTER – VIII

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE (DSC): Primary Sources and Reconstructing the Past

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Primary Sources and
4 3 1 0
Reconstructing the Past

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

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

Syllabus
Unit I: Primary sources and historian’s craft
1. Construction of sources, historical imagination and biases,
2. Scope and limitations of primary sources,

Unit II: Archaeological sources

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

Unit III: Epigraphic and numismatic records

1. Scope and significance of epigraphic material: the case of Indian history
2. A survey of inscriptions: from Ancient to Medieval Indian history
3. A brief history of Indian Coinage (upto 18th century)
4. Coins as a source for reconstructing Indian history (upto 18th century)
 Unit IV: Literary Sources and Historical Imagination
1. Literary traditions in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Persian and Urdu languages.
2. Literary traditions in Dravidian languages: Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam.
3. Literary trends in Vernacular languages: Khari boli, braja bhasha, Bengali.
4. Accounts and Chronicles by foreign travellers.

Unit V: Archival Sources

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

Unit VI: Art as source of recovering history:

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

Practical component (if any) - NIL

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

Unit II: Archaeological sources

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

Unit III: Epigraphic and numismatic records

 Cribb, Joe. 2005. The Indian Coinage Tradition: Origins, Continuity and Change.
Nashik: Indian Institute of Research in Numismatic Studies.
 Grierson, Philip. 1975. Numismatics. London: Oxford University Press.
 Prasad, Pushpa. (1990). Sanskrit Inscriptions of Delhi Sultanate, 1191-1526. OUP,
Delhi, pp. xv- xxxii.
 Ray, Himanshu Prabha. 2006. Coins in India: Power and Communication. Mumbai:
Marg Publications. Introduction.
  Raza, S. Jabir. (2014). ‘Coinage and Metallurgy under the Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud’,
in Proceedings of Indian History Congress, Vol 75, Platinum Jubilee, pp. 224-231.
 Salomon, Richard. 1998. Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in
Sanskrit,Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages. New York: Oxford University
Press.
 Siddiqui, I.H. (2012). “Money and Social Change in India during Medieval Times” in
S.Z.H. Jafri (ed.) Recording the Progress of Indian History: Symposia Papers of the
Indian History Congress, 1992-2010, 433-458.
 Singh, Upinder. 2016.A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone
Age to the 12th Century. Noida: Pearson, pp. 42-56
 Sircar, D.C. 1965. Indian Epigraphy, Motilal Banarasidass: Delhi.
 Tirmizi, S.A.I. (1968). Ajmer Through Inscriptions, New Delhi: Indian Institute of
Islamic Studies, pp. 11-24.

Unit IV: Literary Sources and Historical Imagination

 Allison Busch, “Hidden in Plain view: Brajbhasha poets at the Mughal Court” Modern
Asian Studies. 2010, Vol. 44, No.2, pp 267-309
 Athar Ali, “Translations of Sanskrit Works at Akbar’s Court” Social Scientist, vol. 20
no.9, 1992, pp, 38-45
 Audrey Truschke, Culture of Encounters: Sanskrit at the Mughal Court, Columbia
University Press, 2018, Introduction.
 David L. Curely, Poetry and History. Bengali Mangal-Kabya and Social Change in
Pre-Colonial Bengal, New Delhi: Chronicle Books, 2008 (Chaps. 1 and 5).
 Gossman, Lionel. Between History and Literature, Harvard University Press,
Cambridge, 1990.
 Mugali, R. S. 1975. History of Kannada Literature. New Delhi: SahityaAkademi
 Muzaffar Alam, Languages of Political Islam, Delhi: Permanent Black, 2004, Chapter
4, ‘Language and Power’, pp. 115-140.
 Nair, P.K. Parameswaran. 1967. History of Malayalam Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya
Akademi.
 Pollock, Sheldon. 2003. Literary Cultures in History: Reconstructions from South Asia.
Delhi: Oxford University Press. Introduction.
 Ray, (2005). “Francoise Bernier’s Idea of India” in Irfan Habib, ed., India:Studies in
the History of an Idea, New Delhi: MunshiramManoharlal, 2005.
 S.R. Faruqui, “A long History of Urdu Literary Culture: Part 1: Naming, Placing a
Literary Culture” Chap 14, in Pollock, Sheldon. (Ed.). Literary Cultures in History:
Reconstructions from South Asia, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.
 Singh, Upinder. 2016. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone
Age to the 12th Century. Noida: Pearson, pp. 13-32
 Sisir Kumar Das. 2006. A History of Indian Literature, 500-1399: From Courtly to the
Popular. Delhi: Sahitya Akademi Publications.
 V. N. Rao, David Shulman and Sanjay Subrahmanyam (eds.) (2001). Textures of Time:
Writing History in South India 1600-1800, Delhi: Permanent Black
 Varadarajan, Mu. 1988. A History of Tamil Literature. E. Sa Viswanathan (trans. from
Tamil). Delhi: Sahitya Akademi.
 Walter Hakala, Negotiating Languages: Urdu, Hindi, and the Definition of Modern
South Asia, 2016, Columbia University Press.
 Alam, Muzaffar and Sanjay Subrahmanyam. (2007). Indo-Persian Travels in the Age
of Discoveries, 1400-1800, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  हरीश चंद्र वर्मा संपादक मध्यकालीन भारत, भाग २, १५४०-१७६१, दिल्ली,
हिंदी माध्यम निदेशालय, दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय,१९९३, पृष्ट ५६७-६३३.

Unit V: Archival Sources

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

Unit VI: Art as source of recovering history:

 Deshpande, Anirudh, ‘Films as Historical Sources or Alternative History’ Economic
and Political Weekly, Vol. 39, No. 40 (Oct. 2-8, 2004), pp. 4455-4459.
 Koch, Ebba, “How the Mughal padshahs referenced Iran in their visual construction of
universal rule” in Peter Fibiger Bang and Dariusz Kołodziejczyk ed.,Universal Empire:
A Comparative Approach to Imperial Culture and Representation inEurasian History,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 194-209.
 Ramaswamy Sumathi, ‘Conceit of the Globe in Mughal Visual Practice’, Comparative
Studies in History and Society, vol.49, no.4, 2007, pp.751–782.
 Shaw, Wendy. (2007) "Museums and Narratives of Display from the Late Ottoman
Empire to the Turkish Republic." Muqarnas 24, pp. 253-79.
 Singh, K. (2002). “The Museum is National,” India International Centre Quarterly,
29(3/4), pp. 176-196.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Life Narrative and History

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

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

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

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

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

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I
 Arnold, David and Stuart Blackburn. (2004). ‘Introduction: Life Histories in India’, in
David Arnold and Stuart Blackburn (eds), Telling Lives in India: Biography,
Autobiography, and Life History, Delhi: Permanent Black, pp. 1-28.
 Ramaswamy, Vijaya. (2008). ‘Introduction’, in Vijaya Ramaswamy and Yogesh
Sharma (eds), Biography as History: Indian Perspectives, New Delhi: Orient
Blackswan, pp. 1-15.
 Zaman, Taymiya R. (2011). ‘Instructive Memory: An Analysis of Auto/Biographical
Writing in Early Mughal India’, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the
Orient, vol. 54, pp. 677-700.
Unit II
 Harshacarita of Banabhatta. (1968). Translated by E.W. Cowell and F.W. Thomas.
Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass (Reprint). Introduction.
 Majeed, Javed. (2007). Autobiography, Travel and Postnational Identity: Gandhi,
Nehru and Iqbal, New York: Palgrave.
 Waines, David. (2010). The Odyssey of Ibn Battuta: Uncommon Tales of a Medieval
Adventurer, London: I. B. Tauris and Co. Especially relevant are the first three
chapters: (i) Travel Tales, Their Creators and Critics, (ii) The Travels, and (iii) Tales
of Food and Hospitality.

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

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

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

Unit VI
 Granoff, Phyllis. (1998). Monks and Magicians: Religious Biographies in Asia,
Oakville, Ontario: Mosaic Press.
 Hansen, Kathryn. (2011). Stages of Life: Indian Theatre Autobiographies, Ranikhet:
Permanent Black.
  Mehrotra, Deepti Priya. (2006). Gulab Bai: the Queen of Nautanki Theatre, Delhi:
Penguin Books.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Advance Research Methodology

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Advance Research
4 3 1 0
Methodology

Learning Objectives
This paper aims to prepare the students to become historians by teaching elementary
techniques of conducting research like a historian must. It does so by apprising them of the
distinctiveness of the discipline of history in relation to certain other comparable disciplines.
It also allows students to take a critical look at the ways in which modern historiography has
developed over the last two centuries. By focusing on the categories of analysis as well
interpretive techniques a historian deploys, the paper impresses upon them the fact that the
historians should exercise their choice of choosing categories of analysis with care and after
taking due cognizance of the specificity of sources, time and place. The paper also intends to
make the students learn the importance and styles of referencing, as well as the meaning and
danger of plagiarism.

Learning outcomes
Having finished the course, the students would have learnt to-
 consciously deploy specific categories of analysis in historical analysis
 carefully choose their own interpretive techniques when reading a primary source
 pick up useful techniques of analysis and narrativization from other neighboring
disciplines if only to enrich the historical methods
 prepare footnotes/endnotes as well as bibliographies following the standard
international styles
 avoid plagiarism and detect it when reading a spurious piece

Syllabus
Unit 1 History in Relation to Other Disciplines
1. History among other disciplines and their approaches: Sociology, Anthropology,
Literature, Economics and Geography
Unit-2: Modern Historiographical schools: Exploring significant ‘turns’ that have raised new
questions in the discipline of history - Positivist, Collingwoodian, Annales, Marxist history
writing, history-from-below, Feminist.
Unit-3 The Analytical frames and its categories: How do historians use categories of caste,
class, gender, global, nation, region, etc. as framing concepts for meaningfully conducting
their research.
Unit-4: Conducting historical research:
2. 'Historical analysis and pitching a research proposal'
3. Dangers of Plagiarism and Styles of Referencing.

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1 History in Relation to Other Disciplines Teaching Time: 2 Weeks
 Marwick, Arthur, “The Place of Theory: History, Science and Social Science,” in The
Nature of History.
 Carr, E.H. (1987, 1990). What is History. Second edition, London: Penguin. [Ch.3].
 Furay, Conal and Michael J. Salevouris (1988). The Methods and Skills of History: A
Practical Guide, Wiley Blackwell. 4th edition, 2015.
 Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology. Centre for
South Indian Studies: Trivandrum [Ch.2-Part II: history and Social Science; Ch.2-Part
III: History and the Humanities; Ch.5; Ch.7]

Unit-2: Modern Historiographical schools: Exploring significant ‘turns’ that have raised new
questions in the discipline of history - Positivist, Collingwoodian, Annales, Marxist history
writing, history-from-below, Feminist. Teaching Time: 5 Weeks
 Munslow, Arthur (2000), The Routledge Companion to Historical Studies, 2nd
edition. [relevant sections]
 Sarkar, Sumit (1997), 'The Many Worlds of Indian History', Writing Social History,
OUP.
 Joan W. Scott (1988), 'Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis', in Gender
and the Politics of History, New York, Columbia University Press, pp. 41-50.
 Linda Gordon (1990). Review of “Gender and the Politics of History” by Joan W.
Scott, in Signs, Vol. 15. No. 4, Summer, 848-60.
 E.P. Thompson (1963), 'Preface', The Making of the English Working Class, New
York: Vintage, pp. 9-14.
 Jacques Le Goff (1974), 'Mentalities: A History of Ambiguities', in Constructing the
Past: Essays in Historical Methodology, edited by Le Goff and Nora. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, pp. 166-80. (First published in English in 1985)

Unit-3 The Analytical frames and its categories: How do historians use categories of caste,
class, gender, global, nation, region, etc. as framing concepts for meaningfully conducting
their research. Teaching Time: 5 Weeks
 Meyerowitz, Joanne. (2008). “A History of ‘Gender’,” American Historical Review,
Vol, 113, No. 5. December, pp. 1346-56.
 Bright, Erik Olin. (2015). Understanding Class. London: Verso.
 Dirks, Nicholas B. (1992). “Castes of Mind,” Imperial Fantasies and Postcolonial
Histories, Special Issues. Winter, pp.56-78.
 Berger, Stefan. (2007). Introduction. In Writing the Nation: A Global Perspective.
Palgrave MacMillan.
 Conrad, Sebastian. (2016). What is Global History. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton
University Press. (Chapters 4, 6, 8 to 10).
 Sharma, Ursula. Caste. Delhi: Worldview Publishers.
 Sreedharan, E. (2007). A Manual of Historical Research Methodology. Centre for
South Indian Studies: Trivandrum [Ch.7-Part III]

Unit-4: Conducting historical research: (i) 'Historical analysis and pitching a research
proposal', and (ii) Dangers of Plagiarism and Styles of Referencing. Teaching Time: 2
Weeks
  Booth, Wayne C. and Gregory G. Colomb (Contributor), Joseph M. Williams,
William C. Booth. The Craft of Research : From Planning to Reporting. University of
Chicago Press.
 Dhanwanti Nayak (2011), 'Karaoked Plagiarism in the Classroom', Economic and
Political Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9, pp. 49-53.
 Manjari Katju (2011), 'Plagiarism and Social Sciences', Economic and Political
Weekly, vol. 46, no. 9, pp. 45-48.
 Chicago Manual of Style. 15th edition, Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2003.
 MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers 5th edition, New York: Modern
Language Association of America, 1999.

Suggested readings:
 Gardiner, P. (1973). The Varieties of History: From Voltaire to Present. Second
edition, Vintage Books.
 Brian K. Smith, Introduction in Classifying the Universe, The Ancient Indian Varna
System and the Origins of Caste, 1994, OUP
 Appadurai, The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
 Sayer, Derek. (1987). “The Historicity of Concepts.” The Violence of Abstraction:
The Analytical Foundations of Historical Materialism. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
 Guha, Ranajit. (1988). “Preface” and “On Some Aspects of the Historiography of
Colonial India.” In Ranajit Guha and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak eds, Selected
Subaltern Studies. New York: Oxford University Press. 35-44.
 Riley, Denise. (2008). “Does a Sex Have a History?” The Sociology of Gender, ed.
Sarah Franklin, and Joan W. Scott, “Unanswered Questions”, American Historical
Review, 113, no. 5. December.
 Croce, B. (2008 reprint). Ch.19: Denationalisation of History, in idem, Philosophy
and Other Essays on the Moral and Political Problems of our Time. Read Books
 Eley, Geoff and K. Nield (2010), “Introduction” and “Conclusions”, The Future of
Class in History: What’s Left of the Social? Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
 Haraway, Donna. (2001). “‘Gender’ For A Marxist Dictionary.” Feminism: Critical
Concepts in Literary & Cultural Studies. Ed. Mary Evans. London: Routledge.
 Skeggs, Beverley. “(Dis)Identifications of Class: On Not Being Working Class.”
Formations of Class And Gender. London: SAGE, 2002, pp. 74-97.
 Wood, E.M. (1986). “Autonomization of Ideology and Politics.” In Retreat From
Class: A New True Socialism. London: Verso.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Social History of Education in India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Social History of
4 3 1 0
Education in India

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

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

Syllabus Unit 1: Indigenous Education in pre-Colonial India.

Unit 2: Interface of Indigenous and Colonial Education during eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries.
Unit 3: Impact of Colonial Educational Policies on Social Groups: Gender, Caste, Religious
and Ethnic Communities and children with disabilities.
Unit 4: Nationalist and Pedagogic Alternatives in Education During Twentieth Century

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit 1: This unit examines the key aspects of educational arrangements in ancient and
medieval India, such as patronage, knowledge traditions, pedagogical practices, and
translation initiatives. What these arrangements and traditions reveal about social relations
during the period under study. What were the major changes and continuities during this
period? (3 weeks)
 Alam, Muzaffar. (2003), ‘The Culture and Politics of Persian in Pre-colonial
Hindustan,’ in Sheldon Pollock (ed.), Literary Cultures in History:
Reconstructions from South Asia, University of California Press, 2003, pp. 131-
198.
 Hussain, S. M. Azizuddin (ed.) (2005), Madrasa Education in India: Eleventh to
Twenty First Century. Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi.
  Jafri, Saiyid Zaheer Husain. (2021), ‘Education and the Transmission of
Knowledge in India’s Medieval Past: Contents, Processes, and implications’ in
Cristiano Casalini, Edward Choi and Ayenachew A. Woldegiyorgis (Eds.),
Education beyond Europe: Models and Traditions before Modernities. Brill, pp.
129-151.
 Lowe, Roy and Yasuhara, Yoshihito (2016), The Origins of Higher Learning:
Knowledge Networks and the Early Development of Universities, Routledge.
Chapter Two, ‘From the Indus to the Ganges, Spread of Higher Learning in
India.’
 Pollock, Sheldon. (2006), The Language of the Gods in the World of Men:
Sanskriti, Culture and Power in Premodern India, University of California Press,
California.
 Rezavi, Syed Ali Nadeem. (2007), ‘The Organization of Education in Mughal
India’.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 68, pp. 389-97.
 Salgado, Nirmala, S. (1996), ‘Ways of Knowing and Transmitting Religious
Knowledge: Case Studies of Theravada Buddhist Nun’, Journal of the
International Association of Buddhist Studies, Volume 19, Number 1, Summer
1996, pp. 61-80.
 Scharfe, Hartmut (2002). Education in Ancient India, Leiden: Brill.
 Shrimali, Krishna Mohan. (2011). ‘Knowledge Transmission: Processes, Contents
and Apparatus in Early India.’ Social Scientist, Vol. 39, No. 5/6, pp. 3–22.

Unit 2. This unit deals with the transition from pre-colonial indigenous learning to Western-
style modern education in colonial India. It surveys the Early and recent historiographical
discourse on indigenous education; its salient features; and different explanations for its
decline or interface with colonial system of education. This unit shows how the two systems,
traditional and modern interfaced with or encountered each other during 18 th and 19th century.
It will engage with how a complex relationship of coalition and conflict emerged between
European officers and upper classes and castes of Indian society which shaped the extent and
nature of education in colonial India, and what kind of structure of education emerged out of
this coalition and interface. (3 weeks)
 Acharya, Poromesh. (1978), “Indigenous Vernacular Education in Pre-British Era:
Traditions and Problems”. Economic and Political Weekly 13, 1983-88.
 Acharya, Poromesh. (1996). “Indigenous Education and Brahminical Hegemony
in Bengal”. In Nigel Crook, (Ed.), The Transmission of Knowledge in South Asia:
Essays on Education, Religion, History, and Politics, Delhi: Oxford University
Press, pp. 98-118.
 Acharya, Poromesh. (2000), Desaj Siksha, Aupniveshik Virasat and Jatiya Vikalp,
(translated in Hindi by Anil Rajimwale), Granth Shilpi, New Delhi.
 Basu, Aparna. (1982), Essays in the History of Indian Education, Concept
Publishing Company, New Delhi. (Specially Chapters 1 and 2.)
 Chaudhary, I. K. (2013), “Sanskrit learning in colonial Mithila: continuity and
change”. In Kumar, Deepak., Bara, Joseph., Khadria, Nandita., & Gayathri, Radha
Ch (Eds.), Education in Colonial India: Historical insights. (pp. 125-146).
Manohar, New Delhi.
 Dharampal. (Ed.), (1983), The beautiful tree: indigenous education in the
eighteenth century. Biblia Impex New Delhi. (Specially Introduction).
 Di Bona, Joseph. (Ed.) (1983), One teacher one school. Biblia Impex New Delhi.
(Specially Introduction).
  Farooqui, Amar (2021), ‘Some Aspects of Education and Knowledge Formation
in Nineteenth-Century Delhi’, in Vikas Gupta, Rama Kant Agnihotri, & Minati
Panda (Eds.), Education and Inequality: Historical Trajectories and
Contemporary Challenges, Orient Blackswan, pp. 211-225.
 Gupta, Vikas. (2017a), ‘Macaulay se Pare’, in Hariday Kant Dewan, Rama Kant
Agnihotri, Arun Chaturvedi, Ved Dan Sudhir, and Rajni Dwivedi, (eds),
Macaulay, Elphinstone aur Bhartiya Shiksha, Vani Prakashan, New Delhi.
 Jafri, S.Z.H., (2020), “Indo Islamic Learning and the Colonial State: Bengal
Presidency under East India Company”. J.P.H.S., 68 (2), pp. 47-68.
 Rao, Parimala V. (2020), Beyond Macaulay: Education in India, 1780-1860, New
York, Routledge.
 Seth, Sanjay. (2008), Subject Lessons: The Western Education of Colonial India,
Delhi, OUP, pp. 17-46.
 Shahidullah, Kazi. (1996), “The purpose and impact of Government policy on
pathshala gurumohashoys in nineteenth-century Bengal”. In Nigel Crook. (Ed.).
The transmission of knowledge in South Asia: essays on education, religion,
history and politics (pp. 119-134). Oxford University Press, Delhi.

Unit 3. This unit critically examines the effects of colonial educational policies on various
social groups in India, focusing on how education functioned either as an emancipatory
project or as an instrument of social control and subjugation. It explores the historical debates
and historiographical perspectives on the impact of colonial education on marginalized and
disadvantaged communities, including Dalits, tribal groups, women, Muslims, and children
with disabilities. The unit interrogates the role of Christian missionaries, the colonial state,
social reformers, and community leaders in shaping access to and the nature of education.
The overarching question guiding this unit is whether colonial education contributed to social
mobility and empowerment or whether it reinforced existing structures of exclusion,
dominance, patriarchy, and majoritarianism. (5 weeks)
 Acharya, Poromesh. (1997) “Educational Ideals of Tagore and Gandhi: A
Comparative Study” EPW, 32, pp 601-06. Firstly, it seeks to decode legacy of the
Educational discourse of freedom struggle in India and the educational
alternatives established by Indians.
 Ahmed, Rafiuddin. (1981). The Bengal Muslims 1871-1906: A Quest for Identity.
Delhi: Oxford University Press. (Especially Chapter 5).
 Allender, Tim. (2016). Learning Femininity in Colonial India, 1820–1932.
Manchester: Manchester University Press.
 Ambasht, N. K. (2002). Tribal Education and Fading Tribal Identity. In
Sabyasachi Bhattacharya (Ed.), Education and the Disprivileged: Nineteenth and
Twentieth Century India (pp. 153-160). Hyderabad: Orient Longman.
 Bagchi, Barnita. (2009). "Towards Ladyland: Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain and the
Movement for Women's Education in Bengal, c. 1900–c. 1932." Paedagogica
Historica 45, no. 6: 743-755.
 Bara, Joseph (2005). Seeds of mistrust: tribal and colonial perspectives on
education in Chhotanagpur, 1834–c. 1850. History of Education, 34(6), 617-637.
 Bara, Joseph (2010). Schooling ‘Truant’ Tribes: British Colonial Compulsions
and Educational Evolution in Chhotanagpur, 1870–1930. Studies in History,
26(2), 143-173.
 Basu, Aparna. (1982) Essays in the History of Indian Education, New Delhi,
Concept Publishing Company, pp. 1-27, 39-90.
 Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. Bara, Joseph. and Yagati, Chinna Rao. eds., (2003)
Educating the Nation: Documents on the Discourse of National Education in
India (1880-1920), Kanishka Publishers Distributors (Specially Introduction).
 Bhattacharya, Sabyasachi. Ed. (1998) The Contested Terrain: Perspectives on
Education in India, Orient Longman Limited. (Specially Introduction and the
essays by Suresh Chandra Sukla and B.M. Sankhdher, pp. 1-53 and 290-302).
 Chatterji, Basudev. ed., (1999) “Towards Freedom (1938 Watershed)” Oxford
University Press for ICHR, (Vol. I. chapter 8.)
 Constable, Philip (2000). Sitting on the School Verandah: The ideology and
Practice of ‘Untouchable’ Educational Protest in Late Nineteenth-Century
Western India. The Indian Economic and Social History Review, 37(4), 383-422.
 Gupta, Vikas. (2018) 'BhauraoPatil's Educational Work and Social Integration',
Inclusive, Vol. 1, Issue 12. (January).
 Gupta, Vikas. (2022). "Educational Inequities in Colonial India and the Agency of
Teacher: Lens of Molvi Zaka Ullah." Social Scientist 50, nos. 9-10 (September-
October): 21-41.
 Kitchlu, T.N. ED. A Century of Blind Welfare in India, Penman, Delhi, 1991.
 Kumar, Arun (2019). The ‘Untouchable School’: American Missionaries, Hindu
Social Reformers and the Educational Dreams of Labouring Dalits in Colonial
North India. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 42(5), 823-844.
 Kumar, Krishna. (2009) “Listening to Gandhi” in his What is Worth Teaching?
Orient Longman, (Third Edition), Ch. 9, pp 111-128.
 Miles, M. 1995. Disability Care & Education in 19th Century India: Dates, Places
& Documentation, with Some Additional Material on Mental Retardation and
Physical Disabilities up to 1947. Revised Version. 1997-05. ERIC
 Mondal, Ajit. (2017), ‘Free and Compulsory Primary Education in India Under
the British Raj’, SAGE Open, SAGE Publications.
 Naik, J.P. (1941) Compulsory Primary Education in Baroda State: Retrospect and
Prospect, (First published in the Progress of Education, Poona, and thereafter
separately published in book form).
 Oesterheld, Joachim. (2009) ‘National Education as a Community Issue: The
Muslim Response to the Wardha Scheme’, in Krishna Kumar and Joachem
Oesterheld, eds., Education and Social Change in South Asia, New Delhi, Orient
Longman, pp. 166-195.
 Pandey, R.S. and Advani, Lal, Perspectives in Disability and Rehabilitation,
Vikas, New Delhi, 1995.
 Paul, M. C. (1989). "Colonialism and Women’s Education in India." Social
Change 19: 3-17.
 Rao, Parimala V. (2013), ‘Compulsory Education and the Political Leadership in
Colonial India, 1840-1947’, in Parimala V. Rao ed., New Perspectives in the
History of Indian Education, New Delhi, Orient BlackSwan, pp. 151-175.
 Robinson, Francis. (1975). Separatism Among Indian Muslims: The Politics of
The United Province Muslims, 1860-1923. Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, First
Indian Edition.
 Sadgopal, Anil. (2017) “Macaulay Banam Phule, Gandhi-Ambedkarka Muktidai
Shaikshik Vimarsh” in Hariday Kant Dewan, Rama Kant Agnihotri, Chaturvedi,
Arun. Sudhir, Ved Dan and Rajni Dwivedi. eds., Macaulay, Elphinstone Aur
Bhartiya Shiksha, New Delhi, VaniPrakashan, pp. 82-95.
 Sarkar, Sumit. (1973) Swadeshi Movement in Bengal (1903-1908), People’s
Publishing House, (Chapter 4, pp. 149-181).
Unit 4. This unit focusses on two interrelated aspects. Firstly, this unit critically assesses the
successes and the failures of the efforts of colonial state, social reformers, and nationalist
leaders to provide free and Compulsory Primary Education in colonial India. Secondly, it
seeks to decode legacy of the Educational discourse of freedom struggle in India and the
educational alternatives established by Indians. (5 weeks)
 Venkatanarayanan, S. (2013), ‘Tracing the Genealogy of Elementary Education
Policy in India Till Independence’, SAGE Open, Sage Publications.
 Zelliot, Eleanor (2014). Dalit Initiatives in Education, 1880-1992. In Parimala V.
Rao (Ed.), New Perspectives in the History of Indian Education (pp. 45-67). New
Delhi: Orient BlackSwan.

Suggested Readings:
 Altekar, A. S. (1944), Education in Ancient India. Benares: Nand Kishore & Bros.
 Awan, Maqbool Ahmad. (2019). "Role of the Muslim Anjumans for the
Promotion of Education in the Colonial Punjab: A Historical Analysis." Bulletin
of Education and Research 41, no. 3: 1-18.
 Bandyopadhyay, D. (2002), ‘Madrasa Education and the Condition of Indian
Muslims’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 37, No. 16, pp. 1481-1484.
 Basu, Aparna. (1974) The Growth of Education and Political Development in
India, 1898-1920. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
 Bronkhorst, Johannes (2013), Buddhist Teaching in India. Boston: Wisdom
Publications.
 Bryant, Edwin (2009), The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation,
and Commentary, New York, USA: North Point Press.
 Charney, Michael W. (2011), 'Literary Culture on the Burma–Manipur Frontier in
the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries'. The Medieval History Journal, (14) 2,
pp 159-181.
 Crook, Nigel. ed., (1996), The Transmission of Knowledge in South Asia: Essays
on Education, Religion, History, and Politics, Delhi, Oxford University Press.
 Divakaran, P.P. (2019), The Mathematics of India: Concepts, Methods,
Connections, Springer, Singapore. Introduction. pp. 1-21.
 Fagg, Henry. (2002), A Study of Gandhi’s Basic Education, Delhi:
National Book Trust.
 Frykenberg, R. E. (1986), ‘Modern Education in South India, 1784-1854: Its
Roots and Role as a Vehicle of Integration under Company Raj’, American
Historical Review, Vol. 91, No. 1, February, pp. 37-65.
 George L. Hart (1975), The Poems of Ancient Tamil, Their Milieu and Their
Sanskrit Counterparts, Issue 21, Center for South and Southeast Asia Studies, UC
Berkeley Publications, Center for South and Southeast Asia studies.
 Ghosh, Suresh Chandra (2000) The History of Education in Modern India (1757-
1998), New Delhi, Orient Longman Limited, First Published 1995, Revised
Edition 2000, pp 92-176.
 Gupta, Vikas. (2021) (Ed). Education and Inequality: Historical Trajectories and
Contemporary Challenges, edited by Vikas Gupta, Rama Kant Agnihotri, and
Minati Panda. Orient Blackswan.
 Habib, Irfan. Technology in Medieval India: C. 650-1750. India: Tulika Books,
2013. Chapter to be specified.
 Hardy, Peter. (1972). Muslims of British India. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
 Hindustani Talimi Sangh. (1950). Educational reconstruction: A collection of
Gandhiji’s articles on the Wardha Scheme along with a summary of the
proceedings of the All-India National Educational Conference held at Wardha—
1937 (5th ed.).
 Jafar, S.M., (1936), Education in Muslim India, S. Muhammad Sadiq Khan,
Peshawar.
 Jafri, S.Z.H. (2020). "Indo Islamic Learning and the Colonial State: Bengal
Presidency under East India Company." Journal of the Pakistan Historical
Society 68, no. 2: 47-68.
 Kamal, M. M. (1998), ‘The Epistemology of the Carvaka Philosophy’, Journal of
Indian and Buddhist Studies, 46(2), pp. 13–16.
 Kannan, Divya (2022). Caste, space, and schooling in nineteenth century South
India. Children’s Geographies, 20(6), 845–860.
 Kumar, Krishna. (2014) Politics of Education in Colonial India. New Delhi:
Routledge.
 Kumar, Krishna. and Oesterheld, Joachem. (eds) (2007), Education and Social
Change in South Asia, New Delhi, Orient Longman (Essays by Sanjay Seth,
Heike Liebau, Sonia Nishat Amin, Margret Frenz and Joachim Oesterheld).
 Kumar, Nita. (2000) Lessons from Schools: History of Education in Banaras.
New Delhi: Sage Publication.
 Metcalf, Barbara Daly. (1982). Islamic Revival in British India: Deoband, 1860-
1900. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 3-137.
 miles, m. ‘blind and sighted pioneer teachers in nineteenth century china and
india’. indipendent living institute(revised ed), 2011, online version
www.independentliving.org/docs7/miles201104.pdf
 Minault, Gail (1998). Secluded Scholars: Women's Education and Muslim Social
Reform in Colonial India. Oxford University Press, Delhi.
 Mondal, Ajit and Mete, Jayanta. (2016), Right to Education in India (two
Volumes), Delhi: Gyan Publishing House.
 Naik, J.P. & Nurullah, Syed (2004), A Students’ History of Education in India,
(1800-1973), Delhi, Macmillan India Ltd, First Published 1945, Sixth Revised
Edition 1974, Reprinted 2004. (Also available in Hindi).
 Nizami, K.A., (1996), ‘Development of the Muslim Educational System in
Medieval India’, Islamic Culture.
 Paik, Shailaja (2014). Dalit Women’s Education in Modern India: Double
Discrimination. Routledge.
 Rai, Lajpat. (1966) The Problem of National Education in India, Publications
Division, New Delhi.
 Robinson, Francis. (1975). Separatism Among Indian Muslims: The Politics of
The United Province Muslims, 1860-1923. Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, First
Indian Edition.
 Rupavath, R. (2016). Tribal Education: A Perspective from Below. South Asia
Research, 36(2), 206-228.
 Sadgopal, Anil. (2013) “The Pedagogic Essence of Nai Talim: Exploring its Role
in Contemporary School Curriculum” in Tara Sethia and Anjana Narayan eds.,
The Living Gandhi: Lessons of Our Times, New Delhi, Penguin Books India, pp.
163-179.
 Shah, Shalini (2012), The Making of Womanhood: Gender Relations in The
Mahabharata, 2nd revised edition, pp.166-172. Also available in Hindi,
Granthshilpi,2016, pp.179-185)
  Shetty, Parinita (2008). Missionary pedagogy and Christianization of the
heathens: The educational institutions introduced by the Basel Mission in
Mangalore. Indian Economic Social History Review, 45, 509-551.
 Shukla, Suresh Chandra. (1959), Elementary Education in British India during
Later Nineteenth Century, Central Institute of Education, New Delhi.
 Siddiqui, I. H. (2005), ‘Madrasa-education in medieval India’, in Husain SM
Azizuddin (ed.) Madrasa Education in India: Eleventh to Twenty First Century.
Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi, 7–23.
 Sikand, Y. (2005), Bastions of the Believers: Madrasas and Islamic Education in
India. Penguin, New Delhi.
 Soni, Jayandra. (2000). ‘Basic Jaina Epistemology’. Philosophy East and West,
Vol. 50, Issue 3, pp. 367–377.
 Viswanathan, Gauri. (1990) Masks of Conquest: Literary Study and British Rule
in India. London: Faber and Faber.
 Walsh, Judith. (2004). Domesticity in Colonial India: What Women Learned
When Men Gave Her Advice. Delhi: Oxford University Press.
 Witzel. M. (1987), On the localisation of Vedic texts and schools, India and the
Ancient world. History, Trade and Culture before A.D. 650. P.H.L. Eggermont
Jubilee Volume, ed.by G. Pollet, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 25, Leuven, pp.
173-213.
 Wujastyk, Dominik(2003), The Roots of Ayurveda. Penguin. Introduction, pp.1-
38.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC ELECTIVE (DSE): Making of Post- Colonial India

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Making of Post- Colonial
4 3 1 0
India

Learning Objectives
This thematic course introduces the students to various perspectives on India’s evolving
political, economic, social and cultural conditions from the 1940s to the 2000. The course
intends to familiarise the students with some select themes pertaining to the gradual historical
transformation of political organizations, the emergence of new forms of socio-political
mobilization, the patterns of economic development and cultural representation and peoples’
movements in the period under study.

Learning outcomes
The Learning Outcomes of this course are as follows:
 Draw a broad outline of the history of the early years of the Indian Republic, focusing
on the framing of the Constitution, the integration of princely states, the
reorganization of states and the features of our foreign policy.
 Examine critically patterns of economic development in the early years of
Independence and the subsequent shifts and the persistent problems of uneven
development.
 Trace a broad history of political organizations at the national level and political
developments in the regional contexts.
 Examine issues of critical relevance with respect to the assertions and mobilization in
the movements on the questions of caste, tribe and women.

Syllabus
Unit I: Laying the Foundation of the Nation State
1. Making of Indian Constitution and its salient features;
2. Integration of princely states, delineating provincial boundaries and the formation of
newer states;

Unit II: Political Trajectories.

1. Politics and Political Parties: I. Congress, the rise of regional political parties; II. Left
political parties; III. J.P. movement / Nav Nirman movement, IV Jansangh and Rise
of the BJP;V. Emergency
2. Key features of the foreign policy of India.

Unit III: Socio-Economic Development and underdevelopment

1. Concept of planned economy and the key features of respective five year plans for
agrarian, industrial and other sectors;
2. Shift from the model of mixed economy and public sectors to economic liberalization,
privatization and globalisation;
 3. Discontents amongst peasants and workers and the larger concerns of economic re-
distribution, inequality, sustainability and environment.
4. Peoples’ Movements for Rights, Liberation and Social Justice: Dalits, Adivasis and
women.

Unit IV: Shaping a new public sphere and its discontents

1. Education, science and technology;
2. Language and Literature;
3. Cinema and visual art.

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: This unit deals with laying the foundations of the Indian republic by discussing key
debates in the framing of the Constitution, some aspects of the finally adopted Constitution
and amendments within it particularly focusing upon the questions of citizenship, language,
fundamental rights, directive principles and the rights of the minorities. The unit also deals
with the integration of princely states and the process of delineating or reorganizing the
provincial boundaries. (Teaching Time: 3 weeks approx.)
 Agnihotri, Rama Kant (2015), Constituent Assembly Debates on Language, EPW,
Feb 21, 2015, pp. 47-56.
 Bhargava Rajiv. (ed.), (2009), Politics and Ethics of the Indian Constitution. New
Delhi: Oxford University Press.
 Khosla, Madhav. (2020), India’s Founding Moment. HUP.
 Ahmad, Aijaz. (1992). “Three World Theory: End of the Debate”. In Theory.
London: Verso.
 Asha Sarangi, Sudha Pai. (2011), Interrogating Reorganisation of States: Culture,
Identity and Politics in India, Routledge India
 Austin, Granville (1999). The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of Nation, New
Delhi: OUP [relevant sections].
 Damodaran, A.K (1987), “Roots of Indian Foreign Policy”, India International
Centre Quarterly. Vol.14. No. 3., pp. 53-65
 Dhavan, Rajeev. (2008). “Book Review: Sarbani Sen, Popular Sovereignty and
Democratic Transformations: The Constitution if India,” Indian Journal of
Constitutional Law, Vol.8, pp.204-220.
 Markovits, Claude. (2004), A History of Modern India. Anthem Press. (Chapter 21)

Unit II: This unit traces the trends of the emergence of political parties and movements
in post-independence India. This unit will also focus on the key features of India’s
foreign policy in the period under study, including the non-alignment. (Teaching
Time: 4 weeks approx.)
 Bipan Chandra. In the name of Democracy: JP Movement and the Emergency.
Penguin Random House India. [Relevant chapters].
 Chatterjee, Partha (ed.). (1997). State and Politics in India. Delhi: Oxford
University Press. [pp. 92-124].
 Francine Frankel et al, (eds.). (2002), Transforming India: Social and Political
Dynamics of Democracy. Delhi: Oxford Univeresity Press. [Relevant chapters].
 Hasan, Zoya. (2004). Parties and Party Politics in India. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press. Chapters 9 and 10.
  Jaffrelot, Christophe. (1999). The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian
Politics 1925 to 1990s. New Delhi: Penguin. Chapters 3, 5, 7, 11 to 13.
Chhibber, Pradeep K (1999). State Policy, Party Politics, and the Rise of the
BJP in Democracy without Associations: Transformation of the Party System
and Social Cleavages in India. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. (pp.
159-176).
 Kochanek, Stanley. (1968). The Congress Party of India: The Dynamics of
One-Party Democracy. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Chapters 1 to 4,
13 and 16.
 Kumar, Ashutosh (ed). (2016), Rethinking State Politics in India: Regions
within Regions. New Delhi: Routledge India. [Relevant chapters].
 Nirija Gopal Jayal and Pratap Bhanu Mehta (2011) Oxford Companion to
Politics in IndiaOxford University Press
 Subhash C. Kashyap, Our Parliament (National Book Trust) (Chapter 15).
 Tarlo, Emma. (2003) Unsettling Memories: Narratives of the Emergency in
Delhi, Berkeley: University of California Press. Introduction and C (2017),
Chapte (2017), r 2.
Unit III. This unit deals with the history of economic developments from 1950s till
2000. It focuses on planning, agrarian issue and industrialisation in the first two
decades of Independence and goes on to explore the subsequent liberalization of the
Indian economy and the concomitant uneven development. It also links this history
with the unrest amongst peasants and workers as well as with the issues of
sustainability and environment. (Teaching Time: 4 weeks approx.)
 Bhalla, G.S. (2007). Indian Agriculture since Independence, New Delhi:
National Book Trust
 Chadha, G.K. Khurana, M.R. (1989). Backward Agriculture, Unrewarded
Labour and Economic Deprivation: Bihar’s Contrast with Punjab. EPW, Nov
25, 1989, pp. 2617 - 2623
 Partha Chatterjee (ed.) (1997 State and Politics in India. Delhi: OUP) “Chapter-
7: Development Planning and Indian State.”
 Roy, Tirthankar. Indian Economy after Independence: Economic History of
India 1857- 2010. [Chapter-13].
 Singh, Satyajit K. (2010).“State, Planning and Politics of Irrigation
Development: A Critique of Large Dams”, in in Achin Vanaik and Rajeev
Bhargava (eds.), Understanding Contemporary India: Critical Perspective
(Hyderabad: Orient BlackSwan), pp. 105-148.
 Kohli, Atul (2006). Politics of Economic Growth in India, 1980-2005: Part I &
2 -- The 1980s. EPW, V 41, No 13, April 1-7, 2006, pp 1251-1259; and EPW,
 Vol. 41, No. 14 (Apr. 8-14, 2006), pp. 1361-1370.
 Frankel, Francine R. (2005). India’s Political Economy. New Delhi: OUP.
Chapters 1, 3 and 4.
 Prasad, Archana (2003). Preface: Ecological Romanticism and Environmental
History. In Against Ecological Romanticism Verrier Elwin and the Making of
an Anti-Modern Tribal Identity.
 Sangeeta Dasgupta, Introduction: Reading the Archive, Reframing ‘Adivasi’
Histories. IESHR, 53, 1, 2016, pp 1-8.
 Gadgil, Madhav and Ramachandra Guha (1994), Ecological Conflicts and the
Environmental Movement in India, Development and Change. Vol 25.
Unit IV. Shaping a new public sphere and its discontents: This unit traces the official
policies as well as their contestations and alternatives with regard to some key themes
of public sphere in post-independence India, such as Education policy: issues of access
and participation; role and nature of the intervention of science and technology; politics
over Language; emerging trends in Literature; and representations in Cinema and visual
art. (Teaching Time: 4 weeks approx.)
 Balaran, Rakhee., Mitter, Partha., Mukherji, Parul Dave. (2021) 20th Century
Indian Art: Modern, Post- Independence, Contemporary. Thames & Hudson.
 Brass, Paul R. (2005), Language, Religion and Politics in North India.
Cambridge University Press, 1974. (Specially Introduction pp 3-50 and
Chapters 3-5 pp 119-275).
 Das Gupta, Jyotirindra. (2018), Language Conflict and National Development:
Group Politics and National Language Policy in India. University of California
Press. First published, 1970.
 Deshpande Anirudh. (2014), Class, Power and Consciousness in Indian Cinema.
 Dwyer, Rachel. (2002). Cinema India: The Visual Culture of Hindu Film. New
Jersey: Rutgers University Press.
 Gupta, Vikas. (2014), ‘Changing Discourses on Inequality and Disparity: From
Welfare State to Neoliberal Capitalism’, in Ravi Kumar, (Ed.), Education, State
and Market: Anatomy of Neoliberal Impact, Aakaar, pp 19-57.
 Gupta, Vikas. Agnihotri, Rama Kant. and Panda Minati (Ed.), (2021).
Education and Inequality: Historical and Contemporary Trajectories. Orient
Blackswan. (Relevant Chapters)
 Hasan Zoya. (ed,), (2019), Forging Identities: Gender, Communities, And The
State In India. Routledge. Relevant chapters.
 Qaiser, Rizwan. (2013), “Building Academic, Scientific and Cultural
Institutions, 1947- 1958”, in his Resisting Colonialism and Communal Politics,
Delhi, Manohar, (First published 2011). Pp. 179-240.
 Raina, Dhruv. (2006), “Science Since Independence.” India International Centre
Quarterly 33, no. 3/4: 182–95,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/23006080.
 Sahu, Sudhansubala. (2018). “Revisiting Television in India,” Sociological
Bulletin, Vol. 67 (2), August, pp. 204-219.
 Sinha Gayatri. (2009), Art and visual culture in India, 1857-2007. Relevant
Chapters.
 Vasudevan, Ravi. (2011), The Melodramatic Public: Film Form and
Spectatorship in Indian Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan.
Suggested readings :
 Chandra, Bipan. (2008). India Since Independence. Delhi: Penguin
 Guha, Ramachandra. (2008). India After Gandhi.
 रामचंद्र गुहा. (2016). भारत गांधी के बाि◌, र्ि◌ल्ल k: प�गुइन बुक्स

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

Branch, from time to time.
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): History of Theatre

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
History of Theatre 4 3 1 0

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

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

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

Unit II: Regional and Folk Theatre

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

Unit III: Institutionalization of Theatre

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

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

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

Practical component (if any) - NIL

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

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

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

Branch, from time to time.
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): Ideas and Institutions in Indian History

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Ideas and Institutions in
4 3 1 0
Indian History

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

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

Syllabus
Unit I: The State: Ideas and Institutions
Unit II: Religion: Debates, Identities and Institutions
Unit III: Art and Architecture: Ideas and Institutions
Unit IV: Social Categories and Institutions: Varna, Jati, Tribe and Race
Unit V: Education and Knowledge Production

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: The focus of this unit will be an examination of political formation in the Indian
subcontinent over the longue duree. Issues and aspects relating to power, authority,
governance and its legitimation will be analysed. (Teaching time: 3 weeks)
 R. S. Sharma, Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India. Delhi:
Motilal Banarsidas. 1996
 S. Kumar, “Courts, Capitals and Kingship: Delhi and its Sultans in the 13th and 14th
centuries” in Jan Peter Hartung and Albrecht Fuess, eds., Court Cultures in the
Muslim World, London: SOAS/Routledge Studies on the Middle East, pp. 123-148.
 J. F Richards, Kingship and Authority in South Asia, Delhi: Oxford University Press,
 H. Kulke, The State in India, Delhi: Oxford University Press
  N. Hussain, The Jurisprudence of Emergency: Colonialism and the Rule of Law Ann
Arbor : University of Michigan Press Aug. 2019

Unit II: The subject matter of this unit is the domain of the ‘other world’ in this world –
essentially, the sphere of religion, spirituality, and matters of faith. Through a text-based
elucidation and discussion, students will be encouraged to probe the debates and religious
identities that have evolved uniquely in South Asia, and the institutions that have helped
articulate and formalize these. (Teaching time: 4 weeks)
 R. Thapar, The Past Before Us Ranikhet : Permanent Black, 2013
 W. Halbfass Reflection and Tradition Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas 1991. (Chapters 2-4,
8-10)
 V. Eltschinger Caste and Buddhist Philosophy Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas 2015
(Chapter 1)
 M. Devadan A Pre-History of Hinduism Berlin: De Gruyter Open Ltd., 2016
 S. Kumar “Assertions of Authority: a Study of the Discursive Statements of Two
Sultans of Delhi—‘Ala al-Din Khalaji and Nizam al-Din Auliya”, in The Making of
Indo-Persian Culture: Indian and French Studies, ed. Muzaffar Alam, Francoise
‘Nalini’ Delvoye, and Marc Gaborieau, Delhi: Manohar, pp. 37-65
 Truschke, Culture of Encounters New York : Columbia University Press, 2015
 M. Alam The Mughals and the Sufis Ranikhet. Permanent Black 2021
 K. Jones Socio-Religious Reform Movements New York : Cambridge University
Press, 2006.
 V. Geetha Towards a Non Brahmin Millennium: From Iyothee Thas to Periyar
Calcutta : Samya 1998.

Unit III: The tangible testimony of our collective heritage stands in the shape of monumental
architecture and different forms of art. Unit III, with Art and Architecture as its subject of
study, will explore the aesthetics behind artistic expression, the symbolism as also the varied
building traditions across time and regions. (Teaching time: 3 weeks)
 Coomaraswamy, The Transformation of Nature into Art. New Delhi: Indira Gandhi
National Centre for the Arts: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1995.
 M. Willis, The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual: Temples and the establishment of the
gods, Cambridge University Press 2009
 R. Eaton and P. Wagoner Ed. Power, Architecture, Memory New Delh: Oxford
University Press, 2014.
 K. Veluthat, “Religious Symbols in Political Legitimation: The Case of Early
Medieval South India” Vol. 21, No. 1/2 (Jan. - Feb., 1993), pp. 23-33
 E. Koch Mughal Art and Imperial Ideology, New Delhi: Oxford University Press
2001.
 G. Minissale Images of Thought: Visuality in Islamic India, 1550-1750 Cambridge
Scholars Publishing, 2009 (Introduction, Chapter 1)
 T. R. Metcalf, An Imperial Vision: Indian Architecture and Britain's Raj. Berkeley
and London: University of California Press 1989
 T. Guha-Thakurta : Monuments, Objects, Histories: Institutions of Art in Colonial and
Postcolonial India, Ranikhet: Permanent Black, Delhi, 2004.
 JDM Derrett, “The Reform of Hindu Religious Endowments” in DE Smith Ed. South
Asian Politics and Religion Princeton University Press 1966

Unit IV: Unit IV will cover perhaps the most pervasive of the social ideas that manifest as
identities and are further perpetuated through institutions, both orthodox and heterodox. In
the process, issues self-identity and ‘othering’, hierarchies and inequalities, and marginalized
social entities will be brought to light. (Teaching Time:3weeks)
 Parasher Mlecchas in Early India: A Study in Attitudes Towards Outsiders up to 600
AD New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1991.
 Parasher-Sen ed. 2004. Subordinate and Marginalized Groups in Early India. New
Delhi: Oxford University Press
 S. Jaiswal, Caste: Origin, Function and Dimensions of Change, New Delhi: Manohar
Publishers & Distributors, 1998.
 जायसवाल, सुबीरा. (२००४), वणर्-जाितव्यवस्था: उद्भव, प्रकायर् और
रूपांतरण (अनुवादक: आिदत्य नारायणिसंह). नई िदल्ली: ग्रंथिशल्पी.
पृष्ठ१५-४३.
 S. Guha, Environment and Ethnicity New York: Cambridge University Press, c1999.
 T. Trautmann Aryans and British India Berkeley: University of California Press,
c1997.
 S. Misra “The Customs of Conquest: Legal Primitivism and British Paramountcy in
Northeast India” Studies in History, Vol 37, Issue 2, 2021
 V. Rodrigues, The Essential Writings of B.R. Ambedkar New Delhi: Oxford
University Press 2005. pp. 1-44; 47-53; 191-205; 219-239; 383-407.

Unit V: The production and dissemination of knowledge through learning traditions and
norms transects all the spheres of lived human experience. Situating these within the larger
South Asian context, Unit IV will help students understand the processes and institutions that
canonized forms of knowledge and promoted its spread and perpetuation. (Teaching Time: 3
weeks)
 Mookerji, R.K. Ancient Indian Education: Brahmanical and Buddhist. Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, rpt. 2016
 Dasgupta, S.N. A History of Indian Philosophy. New Delhi: Rupa Publications, rpt.
2018
 Pollock, S. The Language of the Gods in the World of Men: Sanskrit, Culture and
Power in Premodern India, University of California Press, 2006.
 Dharampal, The Beautiful Tree. Delhi: Rashtrarottana Sahitya, 2021.

Suggested Readings:
 Hiltebeitel, Dharma: its early history in law, religion, and narrative New York: Oxford
University Press, 2011.
 H. Kulke and B.P. Sahu Ed. The Routledge Handbook of the State in Premodern India
Routledge India
 P. Chandra, ed., Studies in Indian Temple Architecture, American Institute of Indian
Studies, Varanasi, 1975.
 R. Ahluwalia Reflections on Mughal art & culture New Delhi: Niyogi Books 2021
 R. Singha, A Despotism of Law: Crime and Justice in Early Colonial India Delhi ;
New York : Oxford University Press, 1998.

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

Branch, from time to time.
 GENERIC ELECTICE (GE): Migration and Indian Diaspora: Social and Cultural Histories

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Migration and Indian
Diaspora: Social and 4 3 1 0
Cultural Histories

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

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

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

Unit II: Social and Cultural Histories of the Indian Diaspora

1. Caste, class, and gender in Indian migration
2. Cultural adaptations, hybridity, and syncretism in Indian diasporic communities
3. Indian cinema, literature, and popular culture in diasporic identity formation

Unit III: Political Economy and Contemporary Issues in the Indian Diaspora
1. Economic contributions and remittances to India
 2. Diaspora engagement in Indian politics and foreign policy
3. Citizenship, belonging, and challenges of multiculturalism in host nations
4. Contemporary issues: Xenophobia, racism, and identity politics

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
Unit I: This unit will enable students to develop a theoretical understanding of migration
and diaspora studies while exploring historical migration patterns and their socio-political
contexts. It will help them analyze the economic, political, and social factors that
contributed to migration, particularly the impact of colonialism and indentured labor
systems. Students will also examine post-colonial migration trends and their implications
for Indian communities in North America, Europe, and the Middle East. (Teaching time: 15
lectures 5 weeks)
 Vertovec, Steven. (2009). Transnationalism. London: Routledge.
 Cohen, Robin. (2008). Global Diasporas: An Introduction. London: Routledge.
 Jayaram, N. (Ed.). (2004). The Indian Diaspora: Dynamics of Migration. New
Delhi: Sage.
 Tinker, Hugh. (1974). A New System of Slavery: The Export of Indian Labour
Overseas 1830–1920. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 Jain, Ravindra K. (1993). Indian Communities Abroad: Themes and Literature. New
Delhi: Manohar.
 Safran, William. Ajaya Sahoo, Ajaya & Brij V. Lal (Ed.). (2019). Transnational
Migrations The Indian Diaspora. Routledge India.
 Mishra, Vijay (2007). The Literature of the Indian Diaspora: Theorizing the
Diasporic Imaginary. New Delhi: Routledge.
Unit II: This unit will help students critically engage with how caste, class, and gender
influence migration experiences, shaping the socio-cultural fabric of Indian diasporic
communities. It will enhance their understanding of cultural adaptation, hybridity, and
syncretism, exploring the role of religion, traditions, and social networks in maintaining
diasporic identity. The unit will also introduce students to how Indian cinema, literature,
and popular culture contribute to diasporic narratives, fostering a sense of belonging while
negotiating identity within the host society. (Teaching time: 15 lectures 5 weeks)
 Lal, Brij V., Peter Reeves, and Rajesh Rai (Eds.). (2006). The Encyclopedia of the
Indian Diaspora. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
 Appadurai, Arjun. (1996). Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of
Globalization. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
 Mishra, Vijay. (2007). The Literature of the Indian Diaspora: Theorizing the
Diasporic Imaginary. London: Routledge.
 Ghosh, Amitav. (2008). Sea of Poppies. London: Penguin.
 Vertovec, Steven. 1997. “Three Meanings of Diaspora: Exemplified among South
Asian Religions”. Diaspora, Vol. 6 (3): 277-330.
 South Asians Overseas: Migration and Ethnicity by C. Clarke et al. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1990
Unit III: This unit will equip students with an understanding of the Indian diaspora’s
economic impact, particularly through remittances and investments in India. It will enable
them to analyze how the diaspora engages in Indian politics and influences international
relations. Students will critically examine issues of citizenship, multiculturalism, and
identity politics in host nations while understanding contemporary challenges such as
xenophobia, racism, and social exclusion. This unit will also provide insights into the
 policies shaping diaspora engagement and their implications for global migration
governance. (Teaching time: 18 lectures 6 weeks)
 Khadria, Binod. (1999). The Migration of Knowledge Workers: Second-generation
Effects of India’s Brain Drain. New Delhi: Sage.
 Raj, Dhooleka Sarhadi. (2003). Where Are You From?: Middle-Class Migrants in
the Modern World. Berkeley: University of California Press.
 Shain, Yossi, and Aharon Barth. (2003). "Diasporas and International Relations
Theory." International Organization, 57(3), pp. 449–479.
 Varadarajan, Latha. (2010). The Domestic Abroad: Diasporas in International
Relations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 Kapur, Devesh. (2014). Diaspora, Development, and Democracy: The Domestic
Impact of International Migration from India. Princeton University Press
 Parekh, Bhikhu, Gurhapal Singh and Steven Vertovec (eds.). 2003. Culture and
Economy in the Indian Diaspora. London: Routledge. [Introduction]

Suggested Readings:
 Hangloo, Rattan Lal (Ed.) (2016). Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean: History,
Culture, and Identity. Primus Books.
 Naujoks, Daniel. (2013). Migration, Citizenship, and Development: Diasporic
Membership Policies and Overseas Indians in the United States. Oxford University
Press.
 Rai, Rajesh & Reeves Peter (Ed.). (2010). South Asian Diaspora: Transnational
Networks and Changing Identities. London: Routledge.
 Rayaprol, Aparna. (1997). Negotiating Identities: Women in the Indian Diaspora.
Oxford University Press.
 Dubey, Ajay. (2003). Indian Diaspora: Global Identity. Kalinga Publications.
 Bose, Sugata, and Ayesha Jalal. (2022). Modern South Asia: History, Culture,
Political Economy. London: Routledge.
 Affairs https://www.mea.gov.in/images/pdf/BibliographyResearcher.pdf

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

Branch, from time to time.
 DISSERTATION : Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods
Dissertation Writing Track of Research Methods II
(The department has opted for Dissertation)

Credit distribution, Eligibility and Pre-requisites of the Course

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

Eligibility
Credits Practical/ the course (if
Lecture Tutorial criteria
Practice any)
Dissertation Writing
Track of Research 4 3 1 0
Methods II

Learning Objectives
This course involves students in doing actual research on a topic each of their choice to be decided
in consultation with their assigned faculty advisor. It is meant to make the student learn to
negotiate the complicated trajectories of doing original research and writing a dissertation. The
idea is to ensure that the student is well-equipped with research and writing skills required for
enrolling in a PhD programme.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the students would have
 Completed their reading of primary sources and collecting data/information
 Written out a dissertation to the satisfaction of the concerned faculty advisor and
submitted the same
 Published part (or all) of their dissertation as either a research paper in a reputed
journal of history (or any other discipline of Humanities/Social Sciences); or a book
chapter (in an edited volume by a reputed publisher); or a book by a reputed
publisher. Any scholastic work (as recommended by the BRS and approved by the
Research Council) may also be treated as at par with a published research paper for
the course.

Syllabus
Unit I: Deciding on a Topic of Research after reviewing preliminary readings in
consultations with the concerned faculty advisor
Unit II: Reading primary sources and taking notes in consultation with the faculty advisor
Unit III: Reading secondary sources and writing a literature review
Unit IV: Writing Dissertation to the satisfaction of the faculty advisor

Practical component (if any) - NIL

Essential/recommended readings
As recommended from time to time for each student by the concerned faculty advisor/guide.

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

Branch, from time to time.