Note: There will be one Question Paper which will have 50 questions out of which 40 questions need to be attempted.

Unit I:

The Story of the First Cities Harappan Archaeology

Broad overview: Early urban centers. 

Story of discovery: Harappan civilization. 

Excerpt: Archaeological report on a major site. Discussion: how it has been utilized by archaeologists/ historians. 

Unit II:

 Political and Economic History: How Inscriptions tell a story 

Broad overview: Political and economic history from the Mauryan to the Gupta period. Story of discovery: Inscriptions and the decipherment of the script. Shifts In the understanding of political and economic history. 

Excerpt: Asokan inscription and Gupta period land grant.

Discussion: Interpretation of inscriptions by historians. 

Unit III:

Social Histories using the Mahabharata

Broad overview: Issues in social history, including caste,class, kinship and gender.

Story of discovery: Transmission and publications of theMahabharata. 

Excerpt: From the Mahabharata, illustrating how it has been used by historians.

Unit IV:

 A History of Buddhism: Sanchi Stupa

Broad overview:

(a) A brief review of religious histories of Vedicreligion, Jainism, Vaishnavism, Shaivism.

(b) Focus on Buddhism.

Story of discovery: Sanchi stupa.

Excerpt: Reproduction of sculptures from Sanchi. Discussion: Ways in which sculpture has been interpreted by historians, other sources for reconstructing the history of Buddhism. 

Unit V:

Agrarian Relations The Ain-i- Akbari

Broad overview: 

(a) Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17thcenturies. 

(b) Patterns of change over the period.

Story of Discovery: Account of the compilation and translation of Ain-i-Akbari.

Excerpt: From the Ain-i-Akbari 

Discussion: Ways in which historians have used the text to reconstruct history. 

Unit VI: 

The Mughal Court: Reconstructing Histories through Chronicles

Broad Overview: 

(a) Outline of political history c. 15th-17th centuries.

(b) Discussion of the Mughal court and politics. Story of Discovery: Account of the production of court chronicles, and their subsequent translation and transmission. 

Discussion: Ways in which historians have used the texts to reconstruct political histories. 

 Unit VII: 

New Architecture: Hampi

Broad Overview:

(a)Outline of new buildings during Vijayanagarperiod — temples, forts, irrigation facilities.

(b)Relationship between architecture and the political system.

Story of Discovery: Account of how Hampi was found.

Excerpt: Visuals of buildings at Hampi. 

Discussion: Ways in which historians have analyzed and interpreted these structures. 

Unit VIII: 

Religious Histories: The Bhakti-Sufi Tradition

Broad Overview: 

(a) Outline of religious developments during this period. 

(b) Ideas and practices of the Bhakti-Sufi saints.

Story of Transmission: How Bhakti-Sufi compositions have been preserved

Excerpt: Extracts from selected Bhakti Sufi works.

Discussion: Ways in which these have been interpreted by historians.

Unit IX:

Medieval Society through Travelers’ Accounts

Broad Overview: Outline of social and cultural life as they appear in travelers’ accounts.

Story of their writings: A discussion of where they traveled, why they traveled, what they wrote, and for whom they wrote.

Excerpts: from Alberuni, Ibn Battuta, Bernier.

Discussion: What these travel accounts can tell us and how they have been interpreted by historians. 

Unit X:

Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports

Broad overview:

(a) Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late 18th century. 

(b) East India Company, revenue settlements and surveys. 

(c) Changes over the nineteenth century.

Story of official records: An account of why official investigations into rural societies were undertaken and the

types of records and reports produced. 

Excerpts: From Firminger’s Fifth Report, Accounts ofFrancis Buchanan-Hamilton, and Deccan Riots Report. 

Discussion: What the official records tell and do not tell, and how they have been used by historians.

Unit XI:

Representations of 1857

Broad Overview: 

(a) The events of 1857-58. (b) How these events were recorded and narrated.

Focus: Lucknow.

Excerpts: Pictures of 1857. Extracts From contemporary accounts.

Discussion: How the pictures of 1857 shaped British Opinion of what had happened.

 Unit XII: 

Colonialism and Indian Towns: Town Plans and Municipal Reports

Broad Overview: The growth of Mumbai, Chennai, hill stations and cantonments in the 18th and 19th century. 

Excerpts: Photographs and paintings. Plans of cities. Extract from town plan reports. Focus on Kolkata town planning.

Discussion: How the above sources can be used to reconstruct the history of towns. What these sources do not reveal. 

Unit XIII:

Mahatma Gandhi through Contemporary Eyes

Broad Overview:

(a) The nationalist movement 1918-48, 

(b) The nature of Gandhian politics and leadership

Focus: Punjab and Bengal.

Excerpts: Oral testimonies of those who experienced partition

Discussion: Ways in which these have been analyzed to reconstruct the history of the event.

Unit XV:

The Making of the Constitution

Broad Overview:

(a) Independence and the new nation state. 

(b) The making of the Constitution.

Excerpts: From the debates.

Excerpts: From the debates.

Discussion: What such debates reveal and how they can be analyzed.