Syllabus of M.A. History, Nagpur University

Syllabus of M.A. History, Nagpur University

Courses Offered :

• M.A. I in History in Marathi and English Medium
• M.A. II in History in Marathi and English Medium

Course Structure (Introduced from 2002)

M.A. I

Paper I Historiography

Paper II History of India (1757 – 1857)

Paper III History of India (1858 – 1964)

Paper IV Twentieth Century World

M.A. II

Paper I History of Maharashtra

(From the Rise of Marathas to 1818)

Paper II Women in Indian History

Or

State in India

Or

Agrarian History of Colonial India

Paper III History of Ideas

Or

Economic History of India (1757 – 1947)

Paper IV History of Vidarbha (from ancient times to 1960)

Syllabus

M.A.Part I

History-Paper 1

Historiography

Unit 1

Meaning and Scope of History :

Meaning of Historiography, Nature and Scope of History

Collection and Selection of Data

• Evidence and Its Transmission
• Causation and Historicism
• History and Other Disciplines – Archaeology, Geography, Sociology, Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Literature, Natural Sciences

Unit 2

Traditions of Historical Writing

• Ancient – Greco-Roman, Chinese, Indian
• Medieval – Persian, Arabian, Indian
• Modern – Positivist, Classical Marxist, Annals

Unit 3

Approaches to History

Theological, Orientalist, Imperialist, Nationalist, Marxist, Recent Marxist, Sub-altern, Post-Modernist

Unit 4

Major Theories of History

Cyclical, Historical Materialism, Sociological, Comparative, Ecological, Structural

Unit 5

Themes in Indian History

Economic, Labour and Peasant, Varna, Jati, Janajati, and Gender, Religion, Culture, Environment

OR

Eminent Historians

Macaulay, Hegel, Collingwood, V.K. Rajwada, J.N. Sarkar, R.C. Majumdar, D.D. Kosambi, R.C. Dutt

Debates in History

• Racial Problems
• Globalization vs Indigenous
  

Paper II

History of India 1757-1857

Unit 1

• Sources of Modern Indian History : archival records; private papers; newspapers; periodicals; and oral tradition. Approaches and interpretation - different schools of thought
• Late pre-colonial order : polity; economy; society and culture.

Unit 2

• British Ideology of Expansion and Mercantilism
• Policies and Programmes of Expansion
• Instruments of Expansion - Wars and Diplomacy
• Administrative Structure of colonial India
• Arms of the State - Police, Army and Law

Unit 3

Social Policies and Social change

• British understanding of Indian Society - Orientalist; Evangelical; and Utilitarian
• Ideas of change
• Education-indigenous and modern
• Social reform and emerging social classes

Unit 4

Economic Organization : Changes and Continuity

• Rural economy:
• Eastern India
• South India
• Western India
• Central and northern India
• Princely states

*Note: This should be studied with special emphasis on new types of land revenue administration, commercialization of agriculture, rural indebtedness, rural power relations, landlords, peasants and agricultural labour and institutions of finance.

• Urban Economy
  • Artisans and industrial production
  • Debate over de-industralializaton- regional variations
  • Rise of internal markets and urban centers; and communication – posts and telegraphs, railways, etc.

Unit 5

Resistance to Colonial Rule

• Nature and forms of resistance
• Pre-1857 – Peasant, tribal and cultural resistance
• Revolt of 1857: ideology; programmes; leadership at various levels; people’s participation; and British repression and response

Paper III

History of India 1858-1964

Unit 1

Strategies of Imperial Control

• British government and its control over Indian administration – central, provincial and district
• Relations with Princely States
• Principles and policies governing foreign relations
• India and its neighbours:
• Afghanistan and Central Asia
• Tibet
• Nepal
• Burma
• Persia and the Persian Gulf

Unit 2

Economy

• India in the imperialist world system: volume and composition of urban flow of capital; balance of payments and the drain; and currency problems.
• Agrarian relation: regional diversities and their administration; social and economic origins of commercialization and its effects; nature and extent of stratification within peasantry; and landlords, tenants and the state.
• Domestic and craft industry; rise of modern industry and class; state and industrial growth, and rise of the working class (formal and informal sectors)

Unit 3

Society

• Colonial intervention and social change: reform movements; modern education; rise of middle classes; and caste movements.
• Women: status; property rights; reform legislation; and political participation
• Tradition and Modernity

Unit 4

National Movement

• Emergence of organized nationalism
• Gandhian movements – nature, programme, social composition, limitations and challenges
• Revolutionary and Left Movements.
• Communal politics; Transfer of Power
• Subhash Bose and INA

Unit 5

Independent India

• Visions of new India; women’s problems; education; health; science; and technology
• Integration of Princely States
• Beginnings of planned economy
• Agriculture and Industrial policy
• Foreign Policy – non-alignment

Paper IV

Twentieth Century World

Unit 1

• Growth of Capitalism and Imperialism; U.K.; France; Germany; and Japan
• Liberalism and Socialism
• Nationalism

Unit 2

1. Origins of the First World War : Peace Settlement and its long term consequences
2. Making of the Russian Revolution – establishment of a Socialist State; its economic and political aspects; and responses and reactions in the West.
3. Working of the League of Nations and Collective Security; crisis in capitalism; Great Depression.

Unit 3

1. Ideologies of Nazism and Fascism: Germany, Italy and Japan.
2. Origins and results of the Second World War.
3. Nationalist Movements and Decolonization
4. Communist Revolution in China and its impact on world politics.
5. Cultural Revolution, Civil Rights Movement, Apartheid, Feminism

Unit 4

1. Ideological and political basis of Cold War; Pacts and Treaties; tensions and rivalries.
2. Non – Aligned Movement and the Third World.
3. UNO and the concept of World Peace; and regional tensions- Palestine, Kashmir, Cuba, Korea, Vietnam.

Unit 5

1. Progress in Industry; Agriculture; Science and Technology; and Communication and Information.
2. Genesis and process of disintegration of Socialist Block – its impact on society and politics.
3. Changes in the political order: from bipolar to unipolar World System.
4. Socialism in decline; globalization and its economic and political impact.

M.A. Part II
History Paper I
History of Maharashtra

( From the Rise of the Marathas to 1818 )

Unit 1

• Sources of the Maratha History
• Geographical, Social and Religious condition of Maharahstra
• Shahji – his relations with Nizam Shahi and Adil Shahi

Unit 2

• Shivaji – controversy about the birth date, Afzal Khan Episode
• Shivaji – Relations with Mirza Raje Jaisingh, Treaty of Purandhar, visit and escape from Agra
• Shivaji’s Coronation, causes and consequences, Karnataka expedition,
• Relations with English, Portuguese and Siddis. Assessment

Unit 3

• Sambhaji’s relations with Mughals, his martyrdom and its effect on Maratha politics
• The Maratha war of Independence, causes of Maratha success
• Chhatrapati Shahu – acquisition of Sanads for Swarajya and Sardshmukhi
• Peshwa Baji Rao I – Expansion of the Maratha power in North. Achievements
• Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao, Third battle of Panipat.

Unit 4

• Peshwa Madhao Rao I – Restoration of Maratha power in the North. Achievements
• The First Anglo-Maratha war
• Peshwa Baji Rao II – the Second and Third Anglo-Maratha war, downfall of Maratha power.

Unit 5

• Civil Military and Judicial administration of the Marathas
• Trade and commerce and agrarian system during the Maratha period
• Social and economic condition under the Marathas
• Art and Architecture

Paper II

Women in Indian History

Unit 1

a.Survey of Approaches – Liberal, Marxist, Psycho-analytical, Socialist, Existential, Radical,

Post-modern

b. Survey of Sources

• Archival – government files, official reports, census, private papers etc
• Non- Archival – Sacred and non-sacred texts, epigraphs, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, fiction, songs, folklore, photographs, paintings, oral history.

c. Customary and Legal status – ancient. medieval,

colonial and post independent India. Tribal

societies.

Unit 2

• Religion and women – Brahmanical and non-Brahmanical, Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity
• Reform movements and women – Bhakti movements, Vira Saivism, Brahma Samaj, Arya Samaj, Aligarh Movement, Theosophical Movement, Satya Shodhak Samaj, Shri Narayan Movement, Self-Respect Movement

Unit 3

• Education and Women – ancient , medieval, colonial, and post independent India
• Women’s representation and participation in literature, art and sculpture, music, dance, films, theatre, religious scriptures, historical writing, media.

Unit 4

a. Women’s organizations – colonial, post independent, local, provincial, national

b. Women’s political participation – Gandhian

satyagraha, revolutionary movements, peasant and

worker’s movement, tribal movements, Panchayat

and Municipal councils, state legislature and

Parliament

Unit 5

Women and work – household, agriculture, industry - formal and informal sectors, professions, wages,property rights

Or

Paper II

State in

India

Unit 1

State in Ancient India

• Towards formation of the State – chiefdoms of later Vedic times, territorial states in the age of Buddha
• The Mauryan State – Socio-economic basis, nature and functions, theory and practice
• Gupta polity – administrative organization, tributary system, socio-economic basis

Unit 2

State in South India

• Chiefdoms and the Cholas
• Vijayanagar State – structure, features, and nature

Unit 3

Islamic state

• Nature and functions of State under the Sultan of Delhi
• State under the Mughals – administrative institutions, mansabdari system, socio-economic basis

Unit 4

Colonial State

• Political, economy, state apparatus and instruments of legitimation
• Stages of developments of Nation-State in India

Unit 5

State in Independent India

• Continuity and change – Integration of States, Formation of Constitution, Reorganization of States

Or

Paper II

Agrarian History of Colonial India

Unit 1

• Some leading interpretation of the nature and process of agrarian change during British rule
• Examination of the notions of village self-sufficiency and village community, elements of conflict and solidarity in the village community – late pre-colonial India’s agrarian economy, a growing economy.

Unit 2

• Co-existence of decline and growth, increasing commercialization of agriculture, a forced commercialization? - Organization of cash crop cultivation and its impact on the small peasant economy
• Explanation of recurring famines and scarcities
• Price Movements and the nature of peasant response to price changes : a detailed study of the impact of the Great Depression on the rural economy.

Unit 3

• Major trends in demographic changes with particular reference to the period 1872 – 1947
• The New land systems and the reshuffling of the upper levels of tenurial hierarchy; and the process of replacement of the old proprietary groups with special reference to U.P. Maharashtra, Punjab, Bengal and South India
• Growth of agricultural labourers during British rule – system of bonded labour (agrestic serfdom)

Unit 4

• The changing rural credit scene as it affected the rural agrarian structure (with particular reference to Maharashtra, U.P., Bengal and Punjab) ; and examination of the notion of social and economic constraints on the powers of money lenders
• Rise of ‘a rich peasantry’ to be explained (with particular reference to Punjab, Maharashtra, Bengal and South India) – growth of the tenancy system – examination of the notion that the tenancy contributed to ‘peasant stability’.

Unit 5

• Changing rural landscape and environment and the issues concerning forestry – ecological approach to rural changes in colonial India
• The changing economy and social organization in the tribal world

Paper III

History of Ideas

Unit 1

Ancient and Medieval political Ideas

• Ideas of polity- monarchy, oligarchy and proto-republicanism.
• Rights and duties of subjects.
• Legitimacy of political power-Texts practice.

Unit 2

Modern Political Ideas

• Colonialism and emergence of new political ideas
  • Liberalism, democracy
  • Utilitarianism
  • Positivism
• Nationalism and socialism
• Communalism and secularism
  

Unit 3

Social Ideas

Formation of early ideas on hierarchy

Rationalization and justification of hierarchy

• Varna
• Jati
• Family
• Women

Anti-caste movements during the colonial period – Satya Shodhak Samaj, Shri Narayan Movement, Self –Respect Movement

Social basis of nationalism

Unit 4

Religious and Philosophical Ideas

• Formation of religious ideas in early India –
• Vedas, Upanishads and Vedanta
• Six schools of Indian philosophy
• Jainism
• Buddhism

Unit 5

Ideas of Religious and Cultural Synthesis

Bhakti movement, Sufism, Sikhism

Reform and Revivalism – Brahma Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, Arya Samaj, Deobandha and Aligarh Movement, Singh Sabha Movement

Ideas of religious universalism and fundamentalism in modern India

Or

Paper III

Economic History of India ( 1757 - 1947 )

Unit 1

Sources of Economic history of British India.

Nature and Structure of economy in the mid-18th century : rural and urban.

Agrarian and non-agrarian production, Technology and methods of production

Trade and Indigenous banking

Mercantilism and European Economic interests in India. The East India company and its rule in Bengal.

The early drain of wealth and its mechanism, magnitude and effects.

Unit 2

a. Agrarian conditions-Regional variations.

b. The Permanent Settlement -objectives, operations, effects

and official critiques.

c. Ryotwari Settlements and Mahalwari system.

d. Artisans and handicraft product background.

e. Industrial capitalism and import of English cloth and

yarn.

Unit 3

a. Railways-Economic and political compulsions.

b. Effects on agrarian production and export of raw materials.

Commercialization of agriculture.

c. Condition of large scale industry before the emergence of

modern industry.

d. Modern industry in pre 1914 phase-main industries:

cotton, jute, iron and steel and others.

e. Rise of industrial labour, types of labour movements.

Unit 4

• Changing nature of external trade- stages of mercantilism, industrial capital and finance capital. Drain of wealth
• Shift from direct to indirect taxation
• Main trends in the movement of prices
• Impact on state revenues and trad

Unit 5

• Movements of national income after 1858-the divergent assumptions and estimates
• Population growth : pre and post census estimates
• Trends in demographic changes

Paper IV

The History of Vidarbha

( from Ancient Times to 1960 )

Unit 1

• Sources of the History of Vidarbha – ancient , medieval and modern
• Political, social, economic and cultural conditions of Vidarbha
• Gond Dynasty – Chanda and Devgad branches Chanda – Bhim Ball Devgad – Bakht Buland

Unit 2

• Advent of the Bhoslas in Vidarbha – Kanhoji Bhosle, Raghuji Bhosle I – Bengal Expeditions,
• Janoji – relations with Nizam and the Peshwas. Mudhoji and war with the English
• Raghuji II – second conflict against English
• Appa Sahab Bhosle – conflict with the English, Treaty of 1826, annexation of Nagpur
• Socio-economic conditions under the Bhoslas

Unit 3

• Formation of Central Provinces in 1861
• Rise and growth of Nationalist Movement
• Congress Session of 1891 at Nagpur, 1897 at Amravati, 1920 at Nagpur and their importance
• Moderates and extremist groups
• Non-cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement in Vidarbha

Unit 4

• First Congress Ministry under Dr. N.B.Khare
• Quit India Movement with special reference to Ashti, Chimur and Yawli
• Nagpur as a capital of Madhya Pradesh – Ravi Shankar Shukla as Chief Minister
• Creation of Maharashtra State in 1960, Sanyukta Maharashtra and separate Vidarbha Movements

Unit 5

• Education – development of Shivaji Education Society, Nagpur Shikshan Mandal, Missionary activities
• Social welfare activities – Matru Seva Sangh, Tapovan, Anand Van, Gurudeo Seva Mandal
• Village upliftment programme – Jamnalal Bajaj
• R.S.S. – Dr. Hedgewar, Rashtriya Seva Dal - N.S. Hardikar, Dharma Chakra Pravartan – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1956

Admissions (Eligibility, General Procedure) Conditions of Eligibility

• Persons who have passed the B.A. Examination of the RTM Nagpur University or an examination recognized as equivalent thereto.
• Persons who are graduates of RTM Nagpur University in a faculty other than the Arts faculty and have subsequently passed the B.A. Examination with History as additional subject will be eligible for admission to the M.A. Course in History only.
• Graduates from other Universities seeking admission to the M.A. History course are required to first obtain an Eligibility Certificate from RTM Nagpur University.
  

Student Intake Capacity

• M.A. I - Marathi Medium 60
• M.A. I - English Medium 60
• M.A. II - Marathi Medium 60
• M.A. II - English Medium 60

Admission Procedure

Application forms for admission are obtainable from the office of the Officer-in-Charge, Department of Post –Graduate Teaching in Humanities, RTM Nagpur University. The duly filled forms are submitted in same office on or before the last date prescribed accompanied by a non-refundable application fee of Rs. 25/- and true copies of the college leaving certificate signed by the Principal of the Institution last attended testifying to the applicants’ having passed the qualifying examination prescribed for admission to the courses concerned. A true copy of the mark list should invariably be attached to the application form.

The admission list is prepared on the basis of merit. However the following Government criteria of reservation of seats are applicable to admissions in the department.

Reservation of Seats

S. No.	Category	Percentage to be reserved in Institution
1.	Scheduled Castes and Nava Buddhas	13 %
2.	Scheduled Tribes	7 %
3.	Vimukta Jati (A) (14 Tatsam JAti)	3 %
4.	Nomadic Tribes (B) (Prior to January 1990, 28 Va Tatsam Jamati)	2.5 %
5.	Nomadic Tribes (C) (Dhangar Va Tatsam Jamati)	3.5 %
6.	Nomadic Tribes (D) (Vanjari Va Tatsam Jamati)	2 %
7.	Other Backward Classes	19 %
	TOTAL	50 %