Paper-I
Archaeological sources:
Exploration, excavation, epigraphy, numismatics, monuments Literary sources: Indigenous: Primary and secondary;’poetry, scientific literature, literature, literature in regional languages, religious literature. Foreign accounts: Greek, Chinese and Arab writers.
Pre-history and Proto-history:
Geographical factors; hunting and gathering (paleolithic and mesolithic); Beginning of agriculture (neolithic and chalcolithic).
Indus Valley Civilization:
Origin, date, extent, characteristics, decline, survival and significance, art and architecture.
Megalithic Cultures:
Distribution of pastoral and farming cultures outside the Indus, Development of community life, Settlements, Development of agriculture, Crafts, Pottery, and Iron industry.
Aryans and Vedic Period:
Expansions of Aryans in India. Vedic Period: Religious and philosophic literature; Transformation from Rig Vedic’ period to the later Vedic period; Political, social and economical life; Significance of the Vedic Age; Evolution of Monarchy and Varna system.
Period of Mahajanapadas:
Formation of States (Mahajanapada): Republics and monarchies; Rise of urban centres; Trade routes; Economic growth; Introduction of coinage; Spread of Jainism and Buddhism; Rise of Magadha and Nandas. Iranian and Macedonian invasions and their impact.
Mauryan Empire:
Foundation of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta, Kautilya and Arthashastra; Ashoka; Concept of Dharma; Edicts; Polity, Administration; Economy; Art, architecture and sculpture; External contacts; Religion; Spread of religion; Literature.Disintegration of the empire; Sungas and Kanvas.
Post ‘ Mauryan Period:
(Indo-Greeks, Sakas, Kushanas, Western Kshatrapas):Contact with outside world; growth of urban centres, economy, coinage, development of religions, Mahayana, social conditions, art, architecture, culture, literature and science.
Early State and Society:
in Eastern India,’Deccan and South India:’Kharavela, The Satavahanas, Tamil States of the Sangam Age; Administration,’economy, land grants, coinage, trade guilds and urban centres; Buddhist centres; Sangam literature and culture; Art and architecture.
Guptas, Vakatakas’and Vardhanas:
Polity and administration, Economic conditions, Coinage of the Guptas, Land grants, Decline of urban centres, Indian’feudalism, Caste system, Position of women, Education and educational institutions; Nalanda, Vikramshila and Vallabhi, Literature, scientific literature, art and architecture.
Regional States during Gupta Era:
The Kadambas, Pallavas, Chalukyas of Badami; Polity and Administration, Trade guilds, Literature; growth of Vaishnava and Saiva religions. Tamil Bhakti movement, Shankaracharya; Vedanta; Institutions of temple and temple architecture; Palas, Senas, Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Polity and administration; Cultural aspects. Arab conquest of Sind; Alberuni, The Chalukyas of Kalyana, Cholas, Hoysalas, Pandyas; Polity and Administration; local Government; Growth of art and architecture, religious sects, Institution of temple and Mathas, Agraharas, education and literature, economy and society.
Themes in Early Indian Cultural History:
Languages and texts, major stages in the evolution of art and architecture, major philosophical thinkers and schools,’ ideas in Science and Mathematics.
Early Medieval India, 750-1200:’Polity:
Major political developments in Northern India and the Peninsula, origin and the rise of Rajputs;’The Cholas: administration, village economy and society;”Indian Feudalism’;’Agrarian economy and urban settlements;’Trade and commerce;’Society: the status of the Brahman and the new social order;’Condition of women;’Indian science and technology
Cultural Traditions in India, 750-1200:
Philosophy: Skankaracharya and Vedanta, Ramanuja and Vishishtadvaita, Madhva and Brahma-Mimansa;’Religion: Forms and features of religion, Tamil devotional cult, growth of Bhakti, Islam and its arrival in India, Sufism;’Literature: Literature in Sanskrit, growth of Tamil literature, literature in the newly developing languages, Kalhan’s Rajtarangini, Alberuni’s India;’Art and Architecture: Temple architecture, sculpture, painting
The Thirteenth Century:
Establishment of the Delhi Sultanate: The Ghurian invasions ‘ factors behind Ghurian success;’Economic, social and cultural consequences;’Foundation of Delhi Sultanate and early Turkish Sultans;’Consolidation: The rule of Iltutmish and Balban
The Fourteenth Century:
‘The Khalji Revolution’;’Alauddin Khalji: Conquests and territorial expansion, agrarian and economic measures;’Muhammad Tughluq: Major projects, agrarian measures, bureaucracy of Muhammad Tughluq;’Firuz Tughluq: Agrarian measures, achievements in civil engineering and public works, decline of the Sultanate, foreign contacts and Ibn Battuta’s account;
Society, Culture and Economy:
in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries:’Society: composition of rural society, ruling classes, town dwellers, women, religious classes, caste and slavery under the Sultanate, Bhakti movement, Sufi movement;’Culture: Persian literature, literature in the regional languages of North India, literature in the languages of South India, Sultanate architecture and new structural forms, painting, evolution of a composite culture;’Economy: Agricultural production, rise of urban economy and non-agricultural production, trade and commerce
The Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century:
Political Developments and Economy:’Rise of Provincial Dynasties: Bengal, Kashmir (Zainul Abedin), Gujarat, Malwa, Bahmanids;’The Vijayanagra Empire;’Lodis;’Mughal Empire, First phase: Babur and’ Humayun;’The Sur Empire: Sher Shah’s administration;’Portuguese Colonial enterprise;’Bhakti and Sufi Movements
The Fifteenth and early Sixteenth Century‘
Society and Culture:’Regional cultural specificities;’Literary traditions;’Provincial architecture;’Society, culture, literature and the arts in Vijayanagara Empire.
Akbar:’
Conquests and consolidation of the Empire;’Establishment of Jagir and Mansab systems;’Rajput policy;’Evolution of religious and social outlook, theory of Sulh-i-kul and religious policy;’Court patronage of art and technology
Mughal Empire in the Seventeenth Century:
Major administrative policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb;’The Empire and the Zamindars;’Religious policies of Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb;’Nature of the Mughal State;’Late Seventeenth century crisis and the revolts;’The Ahom Kingdom;’Shivaji and the early Maratha Kingdom.
Economy and Society in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries:
Population, agricultural production, craft production;’Towns, commerce with Europe through Dutch, English and French companies : a trade revolution;’Indian mercantile classes, banking, insurance and credit systems;’Condition of peasants, condition of women;’Evolution of the Sikh community and the Khalsa Panth
Culture in the Mughal Empire:
Persian histories and other literature;’Hindi and other religious literature;’Mughal architecture;’Mughal painting;’Provincial architecture and painting;’Classical music;’Science and technology
The Eighteenth Century:
Factors for the decline of the Mughal Empire;’The regional principalities: Nizam’s Deccan, Bengal, Awadh;’Maratha ascendancy under the Peshwas;’The Maratha fiscal and financial system;’Emergence of Afghan Power, Battle of Panipat: 1761;’State of politics, culture and economy on the eve of the British conquest
Paper ‘ II
European Penetration into India:
The Early European Settlements;’The Portuguese and the Dutch;’The English and the French East India Companies;’Their struggle for supremacy; Carnatic Wars; Bengal -The conflict between the English and the Nawabs of Bengal; Siraj and the English; The Battle of Plassey; Significance of’ Plassey.
British Expansion in India:
Bengal” Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim; The Battle of Buxar; Mysore; The Marathas; The three Anglo-Maratha Wars; The Punjab.
Early Structure of the British Raj:
The early administrative structure; From diarchy to direct control; The Regulating Act (1773); The Pitt’s India Act (1784); The Charter Act (1833); The voice of free trade and the changing character of British colonial rule; The English utilitarian and India.
Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule:
Land revenue settlements in British India; The Permanent Settlement; Ryotwari Settlement; Mahalwari Settlement; Economic impact of the revenue;’arrangements; Commercialization of agriculture; Rise of landless agrarian labourers; Impoverishment of the rural society;’Dislocation of traditional trade and commerce; De-industrialisation; Decline of traditional crafts; Drain of wealth; Economic transformation of India; Railroad and communication network including telegraph and postal services; Famine and poverty in the rural interior; European business enterprise and its limitations.
Social and Cultural Developments:
The state of indigenous education, its dislocation; Orientalist ‘ Anglicist controversy, The introduction of western education in India; The rise of press, literature and public opinion; The rise of modern vernacular literature; Progress of science; Christian missionary activities in India.
Social and Religious’Reform movements in Bengal and Other Areas:
Ram Mohan Roy, The Brahmo Movement; Devendranath Tagore; Iswarchandra Vidyasagar; The Young Bengal Movement; Dayanada Saraswati; The social reform movements in India including Sati, widow remarriage, child marriage etc.; Thecontribution of Indian renaissance to the growth of modern India; Islamic revivalism ‘ the Feraizi and Wahabi Movements.
Indian Response to British Rule:
Peasant movements and tribal uprisings in the 18th and 19th centuries including the Rangpur Dhing (1783), the Kol Rebellion (1832), the Mopla Rebellion in Malabar (1841-1920), the Santal Hul (1855), Indigo Rebellion (1859-60), Deccan Uprising (1875) and the Munda Ulgulan (1899- 1900); The Great Revolt of 1857 ‘ Origin, character, causes of failure, the consequences; The shift in the character of peasant uprisings in the post-1857 period; the peasant movements of the 1920s and 1930s.
Factors leading to the birth of Indian Nationalism
Politics of Association; The Foundation of the Indian National Congress; The Safety-valve thesis relating’to the birth of the Congress; Programme and objectives of Early Congress; the social composition of early Congress leadership; the Moderates and Extremists; The’Partition of Bengal (1905); The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal; the economic and political aspects of Swadeshi Movement; The beginning of revolutionary extremism in India.
Rise of Gandhi
Character of Gandhian’nationalism; Gandhi’s popular appeal; Rowlatt Satyagraha; the Khilafat Movement; the Non-cooperation Movement; National politics from the end of the Non-cooperation movement to the beginning of the Civil Disobedience movement; the two phases of the Civil Disobedience Movement; Simon Commission; The Nehru Report; the Round Table Conferences; Nationalism and the Peasant Movements; Nationalism and Working class movements; Women and Indian youth and students in Indian politics (1885-1947); the election of 1937 and the formation of ministries; Cripps Mission; the Quit India Movement; the Wavell Plan; The Cabinet Mission.
Constitutional Developments’in the Colonial India between 1858 and 1935
Other strands in the National Movement:
The Revolutionaries: Bengal, the Punjab, Maharashtra, U.P, the Madras Presidency, Outside India. The Left; The Left within the Congress: Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, the Congress Socialist Party; the Communist Party of India, other left parties.
Politics of Separatism:
The Muslim League; the Hindu Mahasabha; Communalism and the politics of partition; Transfer of power; Independence.
Consolidation as a Nation:
Nehru’s Foreign Policy; India and her neighbours (1947-1964); The linguistic reorganisation of States (1935-1947); Regionalism and regional inequality; Integration of Princely States; Princes in electoral politics; the Question of National Language.
Caste and Ethnicity:
After 1947; Backward castes and tribes in postcolonial electoral politics; Dalit movements.
Economic development and political change;’Land reforms; the politics of planning and rural reconstruction; Ecology and environmental policy in post ‘ colonial India; Progress of science.
Enlightenment and Modern ideas:
Major ideas of Enlightenment: Kant, Rousseau;’Spread of Enlightenment in the colonies;’Rise of socialist ideas (up to Marx); spread of Marxian Socialism
Origins of Modern Politics:
European States System;’American Revolution and the Constitution;’French revolution and aftermath, 1789- 1815;’American Civil War with reference to Abraham Lincoln and the abolition of slavery;’British Democratic Politics, 1815- 1850; Parliamentary Reformers, Free Traders, Chartists.
Industrialization:
English Industrial Revolution: Causes and Impact on Society;’Industrialization in other countries: USA, Germany, Russia, Japan;’Industrialization and Globalization.
Nation-State System:
Rise of Nationalism in 19th century;’Nationalism: state-building in Germany and Italy;’Disintegration of Empires in the face of the emergence of nationalities across the world.
Imperialism and Colonialism:
South and South-East Asia;’Latin America and South Africa;’Australia;’Imperialism and free trade: Rise of neo-imperialism.
Revolution and Counter-Revolution:
19th Century European revolutions,’The Russian Revolution of 1917- 1921,’Fascist Counter-Revolution, Italy and Germany;’The Chinese Revolution of 1949
World Wars:
1st and 2nd World Wars as Total Wars: Societal implications;’World War I: Causes and consequences;’World War II: Causes and consequence
The World after World War II:’
Emergence of two power blocs;’Emergence of Third World and non-alignment;’UNO and the global disputes.
Liberation from Colonial Rule:
Latin America-Bolivar;’Arab World-Egypt;’Africa-Apartheid to Democracy;’South-East Asia-Vietnam
Decolonization and Underdevelopment:
Factors constraining development: Latin America, Africa
Unification of Europe:
Post War Foundations: NATO and European Community;’Consolidation and Expansion of European Community;’European Union.
Disintegration of Soviet Union and the Rise of the Unipolar World:
Factors leading to the collapse of Soviet communism and the Soviet Union, 1985-1991;’Political Changes in Eastern Europe 1989-2001;’End of the cold war and US ascendancy in the World as the lone superpower.
