NETAJI SUBHAS OPEN UNIVERSITY
DD 26, Sector – I, Salt Lake City, Kolkata – 700064
Website: www.wbnsou.ac.in
Tel.: 033-4066-3220
Syllabus of Elective History (BDP)
Course Code: EHI
1
Name of the Papers
Paper I: Ancient India
Paper II: Medieval India
Paper III: Early Modern India
Paper IV: China & Japan
Paper V: South East Asia
Paper VI: Modern Indian History
Paper VII: Modern Europe
Paper VIII: Making of the modern world
Paper I: Ancient India
Module-1:
Sources of Ancient Indian History; Harappan Civilization—Origin.
Extent, urban life and decline; Society, Economy and Polity during the
Vedic Age; Religious Beliefs, Ideas and Practices during the Vedic Age.
Module-2:
Rise of the Mahajanapada with special reference to the ascendancy of
Magadha (up to the end of the Nanda Rule): The Maurya Empire
Expansion. Extent, Administrative System. Policy of Dhamma. Collapse
of the Empire; Non-indigenous powers in India with special reference to
Kushana empire (brief notices of the Greek, Saka and Parthian
invasions)-Rise of the Satavahanas in the Deccan-a brief note on Polity
and Administration: The Gupta Empire in the North-Foundation,
Expansion, Decay, the Deccan under the Vakatakas, Polity and
Administration with special reference to Provincial and Local Level
Administration.
2
Module-3:
Major North Indian Powers (600-1200): Harsha, Gujrata-Pratharas-Brief
discussion on Kashmir, Kolachuris of Dahala and the Gahadhavalas of
Kanauj; Bengal as a Regional Power: Sasanka, the Palas and the Senas
(600-1205)—Polity and Administrative organization; Regional Powers in
the Deccan-The Chalukyas of Badami and the Rashtrakutas; Powers in
the far South. The Pallavas, the Cholas (Rayaraju, Rajendra, Chola
Maritime Expeditions).
Module-4:
Salient features of early Indian Rural Economy: Agriculture and
Irrigation, Ownership of land, Landed Intermediaries and Peasants—
Debates on Indian Feudalism; Non-agrarian Sector of the Economy:
Crafts, Organisations of Craftsmen and Professionals (Sreni, Samgha
etc). Trade and Urban Centres; Society and Religious Life; Family,
Varna-Jati, Marriage, position of women. Science, technology and
society; attitude to science and technology in ancient India; Art history:
Stupa, Chaitya and Structural Temples (Regional Styles), Sculpture
including terracotta and painting.
Paper II: Medieval India
Module-1:
Impact of Islam and political change in India—the foundation of Delhi
Sultanate ; The early history of the Sultanate and the emergence of a
centralized monarchy ; The Khilji Revolution ; The Tughlaques ;
Independent Sultans of Bengal-the Vijaynagar Empire.
Module-2:
The Delhi Sultanate and the changing framework of agriculture-the Iqta
System-emergence of new urban centres with an expanding commercial
life; The nature of the impact of Islam on Indian Society-Sufism-
emergence of syncretic ideas and beliefs-the Bhakti movement. Role of
the Indo-Saracenic style in architecture; Disintegration of the Sultanate
and the foundation of the Mughal Empire-Babur-Mughal & Afghan
3
contest-Sher Shah; Akbar and the consolidation of the Mughal Empire—
Political expansion. Administrative reorganization including the
Mansabdari System.
Module-3:
The imperial expansion under Jahangir and Saha Jahan—consolidation
of the Mughal ruling class; The history of Aurangzeb—Political
expansion in the Deccan, the Mughal-Maratha contest-state and religion;
The break-up of the Mughal Empire. Political and economic
explanations for Imperial decline; Mughal rule in Bengal.
Module-4:
The Mansabdari System—Mughal revenue policy and agriculture;
Commercial expansion—Urbanization and foreign trade; The Mughals
and the European trading companies; Religious Syncretism-devotional
cults-art & architecture in Mughal era.
Paper III: Early Modern India
Module-1:
Decline of the Mughal Empire during the early Eighteenth Century;
Agrarian crisis: Peasant insurrection; Political Parties and conflicts in the
Mughal Court, The decline of the aristocracy; Emergence of Regional
States: Bengal, Hyderabad, Awadh; European Traders in the early
eighteenth century.
Module-2:
The rise of the British Empire: Bengal 'The British Bridge head'-1757-
1760-1765; The framework of the early Colonial State in Bengal; Political
Expansion: North India, Mysore, Maharashtra-Settlement of 1818; The
rise of Pararnountcy: Hastings, Dalhousie.
Module-3:
The Colonial Impact: The changing structure of India's foreign trade-
Drain-Early 19th Century: Domination effect-deindustrialization;
4
Changes in rural Society-Land revenue policies-Causes of revenue
maximization: The three different settlements; The New Administrative
framework: Law-Judicial reforms—Penal Law—Educational policy;
Westernization and its impact on Indian society; Three different
responses: Eclectic, Conservative and Radical.
Module-4:
Early rural resistance : Landlords and peasants ; Peasant Resistance-
Civil Disturbance, Tribal unrest-Santal resistance, Farizis, Pagal Panthi
etc. ; Urban politics of the Indian notables-Bengal, Bombay and Madras ;
The Revolt of 1857 : Context-Historiography.
Paper IV: China & Japan
Module-1:
Elements of traditional Chinese Society, Culture and polity; Agents of
change-internal contradictions within imperial system including land
system-gentry-peasant rebellions; Decentralized polity of traditional
Japan before 1603, Japanese feudalism-Samurai-features of Samurai
tradition; Emergence of new system of political control and economic
change in the Tokugawa Shogunate-drive towards centralization and
erosion of old economic order.
Module-2:
Commercial contact & cultural encounter: Opium War and their
aftermath up to Sind Japanese War: Arrival of Commodore Perry and its
implications-decline or consolidation or imperial control-the rise of
modern state up to constitution of 1889.
Module-3:
From Reform movement (1889) to Sun Yat-sen (1911); 1911 to
establishment of Communist Party of China; Post Constitution Japan to
1915: the growth of militarism Japanese Modernization: Japan from
1915-1931.
Module-4:
5
China (1921-1949); Japanese Polity (1931-1945), Japanese Economy (1931-
1945)
Paper V: South-East Asia
Module-1:
European expansion and Consolidation in South-East Asia.
Module-2:
Society and economy under Colonial Rule.
Module-3:
Emergence and phases of nationalism in South-East Asia.
Module-4: South-East Asia in contemporary polities to 1970s, with
special reference Indonesia.
Paper VI: Modern Indian History (1858-1964)
Module-1:
India after 1857: Administrative reorganization-The Acts of 1858,
Queen's Proclamation and Act of 1861-Changes in the Army, the Police
and other instruments of Governance ; Peasant and tribal unrest in India
in later 19th Century; Colonial Economic Transformation ; Social Reform
Movements.
Module-2:
Social Roots of Indian National Congress: The Early Congress and the
ideological framework of moderate nationalism; Extremism, Swadeshi
Movement and Congress split at Surat; Revolutionary Nationalism.
Module-3:
India after the First World War—Rise of Gandhi; Gandhi and Mass
Politics, 1921-42 (Khilafat, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience. Quit
India Movements) ; The left in the Congress, Trade Union Movement,
Subhas Chandra Bose and the INA, Post-War Upsurge ; The Partition
6
and its aftermath (with reference to Communal mobilization, Pakistan
Movement, the Partition and the transfer of Power).
Module-4:
The Constituent Assembly and the Framing of the Indian Constitution;
Politics in Independent India: Nehru Era; Planning and the Indian
Economy; Nehruvian Foreign Policy-Non Alignment.
Paper VII: Modern Europe (1789-1919)
Module-1:
Reform and Revolution (1789-1815): Background and causes of French
Revolution of 1789; Trends of the French Revolution of 1789; Rise of
Napoleon-Empire building; Napoleonic Reforms and their effects-
Estimate-Child of Revolution.
Module-2:
The Conservative Order and the Revolutionary Challenge (1815-1871);
Vienna Settlement-Metternich-Concert of Europe; Revolts of 1830 &
Revolution of 1848 ; France under Second Empire—Paris Commune ;
Formation of Nation States-Italy & Germany-Problems of the Old
Empires-Hapsburg Empire of Australia, Hungary & the Ottoman
Empire.
Module-3:
The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of Socialism: Industrial
Revolution -England and the Continent; Socialist Movements in Europe;
Reforms in Russia; Revolution of 1905 and 1917 in Russia.
Module-4:
Imperialism, Nationalism and New Diplomacy: Colonial expansions.
Balkan Nationalism, New Diplomacy and First World War.
Paper VIII: Making of the modern world (1919-1956)
Module-1:
7
The peace settlement and its effects : Europe in 1919 : Search for security;
Reparation - Economic Nationalism - Great depression; The foreign
policies of the United States and Soviet Russia two World Wars.
Module-2:
Efforts at peace and its breakdown: League of Nations: Disarmament-
Locarno Pact: Rise of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy: Japan's
Expansionism-Manchurian Crisis – Italy-Abyssinian War - Spanish Civil
War—Rome, Berlin, Tokyo Axis-Appeasement-coming of the Second
World War.
Module-3:
The Cold War: Effects of the second World War-Decolonization-
Emergence of the United States and Soviet Russia as super powers; The
Chinese Revolution; The origin of the Cold War its growth; The United
Nations-Functions and peace efforts.
Module-4:
Nationalism and the Developing World: Arab Nationalism; Nationalism
on Africa: Neo-Colonialism and new forms of Domination; Policy of
Non-Alignment.
