Ancient Indian History

1 The problematic of the "Feudal" social formation in early medieval India. Discuss with special emphasis on either its social or economic or political dimensions.

The Readings are:

R.S. Sharma, Indian feudalism

D.D. Kosambi, Introduction to the study of Indian history

D.N. Jha (ed.), Feudal social formation in early India

H. Mukhia and Terry Byres (ed.s), Feudalism and non-European societies

B.D. Chattopadhyaya, The making of early medieval India

B.N.S. Yadava, Society and culture in northern India

R.S. Sharma, Perspectives in social and economic history of early India

2 Caste and social structure in early India

The Readings are:

Uma Chakravarti, The social dimensions of early Buddhism

Suvira Jaiswal, Caste: origin, function and dimensions of change

D.D. Kosambi, Introduction to the study of Indian history

R.S. Sharma, Material culture and social formations in ancient India

Romila Thapar, From lineage to state

Narendra K. Wagle, Society at the time of the Buddha

Medieval Indian History

3 The Deccan and the Mughal Empire.

The Readings are:

Burton Stein, Vijaynagara

J.F. Richards, Mughal administration in Golconda

J.F. Richards, The Mughal empire

Joshi and Shervani, History of medieval Deccan

Athar Ali, Mughal nobility under Aurangzeb

S. Gordon, The Marathas

Satish Chandra, Parties and politics in the Mughal court

Irfan Habib (ed.), The Cambridge economic history of India, Vol I

A. Banerjee and D.K. Ghose (ed.s), The comprehensive history of India, Vol 9

4 The nature of the medieval India economy

The Readings are:

Irfan Habib, The agrarian system of Mughal India

W.H. Moreland, India at the death of Akbar

W.H. Moreland, From Akbar to Aurangzeb

Irfan Habib (ed.), The Cambridge economic history of India, Vol I

Sanjay Subrahmanyam (ed.), Money and market in India, 1100-1700

Satish Chandra (ed.), Essays in medieval Indian economic history

Irfan Habib, Potentialities of capitalistic development in the economy of Mughal India

Satish Chandra, Growth of a money economy in medieval India

J.F. Richards, The Mughal empire

Modern Indian History

5 Impact of British imperialism on the Indian economy, 1850-1947

The Readings are:

R.C. Dutt, Economic history of India, Vol. II

Dharma Kumar (ed.), The Cambidge economic history of India, Vol. II

D.R. Gadgil, Industrial evolution of India

Daniel Thorner, Land and labour in India

R.P. Dutt, India Today

P.M. Sweezy, Political economy of growth

6 In what ways have recent research changed our conception of colonial power ?

The readings are:

S. Gopal, British policies in India

Francis Hutchins, Illusion of permanence: British imperialism in India

K. Ballhatchet, Race, sex and class under the Raj

D. Kopf, British orientalism and the Bengal renaissance

B. Cohn, An anthropologist amongst historians and other essays, (chapters 10, 16, 21 to 23)

K. Tetlscher, India inscribed, (chapters 5 to 7)

D. Arnold, Colonizing the body (chapters 1, 2, 5 and 6)

J. Majeed, Ungoverned imaginings (Introduction, Chapters 1 and 4, Conclusion)

7 Evaluate the meaning and significance of non-violence as an essential principle of Gandhiji's political method.

The Readings are:

Bipan Chandra, Indian national movement: the long term dynamics

Bipan Chandra, et.al. India's struggle for independence, (chapter 38)

Rajmohan Gandhi, The good boatman, (esp. chapter on Non-Violence)

Bhiku Parekh, Colonialism, tradition and reform, (chapters 4 and 5)

Thomas Merton (ed.), Gandhi on non-violence