PAPER I (subject code 1031)

1. Sources :

Archaeological sources :
Exploration, excavation, epigraphy, numismatics, monuments.
Literary sources:
Indigenous: Primary and secondary; poetry, scientific literature, literature, literature in regional
languages, religious literature.
Foreign account: Greek, Chinese and Arab writers.

2. Pre‐history and Proto‐history :

Geographical factors; hunting and gathering (paleolithic and mesolithic); Beginning of agriculture
(neolithic and chalcolithic).

3. Indus Valley Civilization :  

Origin, date, extent, characteristics-decline, survival and significance, art and architecture.

4. Megalithic Cultures : 

Distribution of pastoral and farming cultures outside the Indus, Development of community life,
Settlements, Development of agriculture, Crafts, Pottery, and Iron industry.

5. 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.

6. 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 Buddism; Rise of Magadha and
Nandas.
Iranian and Mecedonian invasions and their impact.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Guptas, Vakatakas and Vardhanas:

Polity and administration, Economic conditions, Coinage of the Guptas, Land grants, Decline ofurban
centres, Indian feudalism, Caste system, Position of women, Education and educational institutions;
Nalanda, Vikramshila and Vallabhi, Literature, scientific literature, art and architecture.

11. Regional States during Gupta Era:

The Kadambas, Pallavas, Chalukyas of Badami; Polity and Administration, Trade guilds, Literature;
growth of Vaishnava and Saiva religions. Tamil Bhakit movement, Shankaracharya; Vedanta;
Institutions of temple and temple architecture; Palas, Senas, Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Polity and
administration; Cultural aspects. Arab conquest of Sind; Alberuni, The Chaluky as 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. The Fourteenth Century :

• “The Khalji Revolution”.
• Alauddin Khalji: Conquests and territorial expansion, agrarian and economic measure.
• Muhammad Tughluq: Major projects, agrarian measures, bureaucracy of Muhammad
  Tughluq.
• Firuz Tugluq: Agrarian measures, achievements in civil engineering and public works, decline of
  the Sultanate, foreign contacts and Ibn Battuta’s account.

17. 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, literaute 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.

18. The Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century‐Political Developments and Economy :

• Rise of Provincial Dynasties : Bengal, Kashmir (Zainul Abedin), Gujarat.
• Malwa, Bahmanids.
• The Vijayanagara Empire.
• Lodis.
• Mughal Empire, first phase : Babur, Humayun.
• The Sur Empire : Sher Shah’s administration.
• Portuguese colonial enterprise, Bhakti and Sufi Movements.

19. The Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Century‐ Society and culture:

• Regional cultures specificities.
• Literary traditions.
• Provincial architectural.
• Society, culture, literature and the arts in Vijayanagara Empire.

20. Akbar:

• Conquests and consolidation of 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.

21. 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.

22. Economy and society, in the 16th and 17th Centuries:

• Population Agricultural and craft production.
• Towns, commerce with Europe through Dutch, English and French companies : a trade revolution.
• Indian mercantile classes. Banking, insurance and credit systems.
• Conditions of peasants, Condition of Women.
• Evolution of the Sikh community and the Khalsa Panth.

23. Culture during Mughal Empire :

• Persian histories and other literature.
• Hindi and religious literatures.
• Mughal architecture.
• Mughal painting.
• Provincial architecture and painting.
• Classical music.
• Science and technology.

24. 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, political, cultural and economic, on eve of the British conquest.

PAPER‐II (subject code 1032)

1. 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.

2. British Expansion in India :

Bengal-Mir Jafar and Mir Kasim; The Battle of Buxar; Mysore; The Marathas; The three Anglo-
Maratha Wars; The Punjab.

3. Early Structure of the British Raj :

The Early administrative structure; From diarchy to direct contol; 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.; The contribution of Indian renaissance to the growth of modern
India; Islamic revivalism-the Feraizi and Wahabi Movements.

7. Indian Response to British Rule :

Peasant movement 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, casuses 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.

8.

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.

9. 

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 Noncooperation
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.

10. Constitutional Developments in the Colonial India between 1858 and 1935.

11.

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.

12. Politics of Separatism; the Muslim League; the Hindu Mahasabha; Communalism and the politics of
partition; Transfer of power; Independence

13.

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.

14. Caste and Ethnicity after 1947; Backward Castes and Tribes in post-colonial electoral politics; Dalit
movements.

15. 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.

16. Enlightenment and Modern ideas:

(i) Major Ideas of Enlightenment : Kant, Rousseau.
(ii) Spread of Enlightenment in the colonies.
(iii) Rise of socialist ideas (up to Marx); spread of Marxian Socialism.

17. Origins of Modern Politics :

(i) European States System.
(ii) American Revolution and the Constitution.
(iii) French Revolution and Aftermath, 1789-1815.
(iv) American Civil War with reference to Abraham Lincoln and the abolition of slavery.
British Democratic politics, 1815-1850 : Parliamentary Reformers, Free Traders, Chartists.

18. Industrialization :

(i) English Industrial Revolution : Causes and Impact on Society.
(ii) Industrialization in other countries : USA, Germany, Russia, Japan.
(iii) Industrialization and Globalization.

19. Nation‐State System :

(i) Rise of Nationalism in 19th century.
(ii) Nationalism : State-building in Germany and Italy.
Disintegration of Empires in the face of the emergence of nationalities across the World.

20. Imperialism and Colonialism :

(i) South and South-East Asia.
(ii) Latin America and South Africa.
(iii) Australia.
(iv) Imperialism and free trade: Rise of neo-imperialism.

21. Revolution and Counter‐Revolution :

(i) 19th Century European revolutions.
(ii) The Russian Revolution of 1917-1921.
(iii) Fascist Counter-Revolution, Italy and Germany.
(iv) The Chinese Revolution of 1949.

22. World Wars :

(i) 1st and 2nd World Wars as Total Wars : Societal implications.
(ii) World War I : Causes and Consequences.
(iii) World War II : Causes and Consequences.

23. The World after World War II:

(i) Emergence of Two power blocs.

(ii) Emergence of Third World and non-alignment.

(iii) UNO and the global disputes.

24. Liberation from Colonial Rule :

(i) Latin America-Bolivar.
(ii) Arab World-Egypt.
(iii) Africa-Apartheid to Democracy.
(iv) South-East Asia-Vietnam.

25. Decolonization and Underdevelopment :

(i) Factors constraining Development ; Latin America, Africa

26. Unification of Europe :

(i) Post War Foundations ; NATO and European Community.
(ii) Consolidation and Expansion of European Community
(iii) European Union.

27. Disintegration of Soviet Union and the Rise of the Unipolar World :

(i) Factors leading to the collapse of Soviet Communism and Soviet Union, 1985-1991.
(ii) Political Changes in East Europe 1989-2001.
(iii) End of the Cold War and US Ascendancy in the World as the lone superpower.