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HISTORY
History syllabus for the Mains examination
has two papers. Paper –I start from early ancient history and goes up to
eighteenth century. Paper –II begins from the European penetration into India
and covers the entire modern Indian History up to the disintegration of the
Soviet Union in 1990. While paper 1 has 24 titles, the paper –II has 27
titles. Here is the detailed description of the History syllabus paper I and
II:History syllabus >>
PAPER - I
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 accounts: 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 Buddhism; Rise of
Magadha and Nandas.
Iranian and Macedonian 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, t rade 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 of urban centres, Indian feudalism, Caste system, Position of
women , Education and educational inst i tut ions; Nalanda, Vikramshi la 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 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 ar t and archi tecture, 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
measures
- Muhammad Tughluq: Major projects, agrar ian measures, bureaucracy of
Muhammad Tughluq.
- Fi ruz Tughluq: Agrar ian 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, 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20.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.
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 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.
- Condi t ion of peasants, condi t ion of women.
- Evolution of the Sikh community and the Khalsa Panth.
23. 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.
24. The Eighteenth Century:
- Factors for the decline of the Mughal Empire.
- The regional pr incipal i t ies: 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
1. European Penetration into India:
The Ear ly European Set t lements; 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 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 Br i t ish colonial rule; The English utilitarian and India.
4. Economic Impact of British Colonial Rule:
(a) 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.
(b) 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 educat ion in India; The r ise 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; Is War Chandra
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 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 Rebel l ion
(1859-60) , Deccan Upr ising (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 upr isings 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-co operation 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.
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.
(v) Br i t ish Democrat ic 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
(iii) 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 consequence
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 const raining 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 the Soviet Union,
1985-1991
(ii) Political Changes in Eastern Europe 1989-2001.
(iii) End of the cold war and US ascendancy in the World as the lone
superpower.
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