Rise of Modern West - I

By Dr. Shilleima Chanu Naoroibam | Assistant Professor, Department of History, G.P Women’s College, Dhanamanjuri University

Learners enrolled: 102

It is a general and concise course which would provide the basic information on the rise of Modern West. The course has been designed specially to meet the requirements of the undergraduate students.

The course is meant to acquaint learners with the history of the rise of Modern West with the critical evaluation of social, religious, economic, intellectual and political history and developments in the early western European societies between 14th and 16th centuries. Early European society is treated thematically with numerous interpretations within the framework of the various controversies and debates that crop-up while examining the period. Holistic attempts have been made to deal with the period. The course starts with an introduction to the early modern west and then goes on to examine the broad interpretations of transition from feudalism to capitalism as analysed by eminent historians such as Maurice Dobb, Rodney Hilton, and E.J. Hobsbawm. The transition from medieval to early modern Europe was a historical process extending over centuries and was not dependent upon any single event or any single political, socio-cultural and economic factor. The role played by various factors such as trade, class or class struggle as highlighted by various authors is carefully delineated.

It also examines the voyages and discoveries in this period and tells us how the developments in scientific and technical knowledge facilitated the understanding of these voyages. This in turn led to the process of early colonisation, especially of Portugal and Spain. The early colonisation led to slavery and slave trade and bullion flow into Europe which ultimately led to the foundation of capitalism.

It further analyses the Renaissance and Reformation which led to new discoveries, inventions, humanism, work ethics, art and aesthetics which further enabled the transition to early capitalism. Again, it deals closely with the plantation economies and slave trade and examines how the plantations were based on an expanded agro-management techniques and slavery.

It takes a look at the commercial revolution which laid the foundations for capitalist growth, and further examines the development of the European state systems and rise of absolutist monarchies.

After successful completion of this course learners are expected to understand history of modern European society, debates on transition from feudalism to capitalism, Renaissance, Reformation, discovery and voyages, early colonisation, slave trade, capital flow, commercial revolution and emergence of European state system.

Summary

Course Status :	Ongoing
Course Type :	Core
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	15 weeks
Category :	Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit Points :	5
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	15 Jul 2024
End Date :	31 Oct 2024
Enrollment Ends :	31 Aug 2024
Exam Date :	14 Dec 2024 IST
Exam Shift :	Shift 1

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

WEEK 1	1	Introduction to Early Modern West-1
	2	Basic terms of Feudalism in Medieval Europe
	3	Feudal Mode of Production and Institution of
	4	General debate on the decline of feudalism
WEEK 2	5	Agricultural production in medieval Europe
	6	Craft Production in medieval Europe
	7	Condition and Composition of Artisans
	8	Technological innovations in medieval Europe
WEEK 3	9	Medieval towns in Europe
	10	Trade and commercial activities in medieval Europe
	11	Salient features of Capitalism
	12	Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism
WEEK 4	13	The crisis of the fourteenth century
	14	The market Centric Explanation
	15	Demographic Model
	16	The Class Relation Model
WEEK 5	17	the Early Sea Voyages
	18	Discoveries and Voyages
	19	Motives of Voyages, Exploration and Techniques
	20	Impacts of Early Colonialism
WEEK 6	21	The Economic Impacts of the ColonialEmpire
	22	Plantations, Mining and Slave Trade in the Early Colonial Empire
	23	The Impacts of Colonial Empire on Crops, Demography, Art and Literature
	24	The Rise of Portugese Colonial Empire
WEEK 7	25	Italian city states
	26	The Spanish Empire
	27	Renaissance and it's Social Foundation
	28	Renaissance Humanism and Literature
WEEK 8	29	Renaissance Political Theories
	30	Renaissance Economic Development ad Rise
	31	Renaissance and Art
	32	Renaissance Art and Outside Italy
WEEK 9	33	Renaissance, History and Education
	34	Renaissance and Christian humanism in the North
	35	Reformation
	36	Growth of the Popular Religion
WEEK 10	37	The German Reformation
	38	John Calvin and Reformation in France
	39	Reformation in England, Scotland and the Netherland
	40	The Radical and Catholic Reformation
WEEK 11	41	The Economic Impacts of Reformation
	42	The Impacts of the Reformation
	43	Crafts and Industry in fifteenth century Europe
	44	European Rural Economy in the 16th century
WEEK 12	45	European urban economy in the 16th century
	46	Trade Organisation in the 16th Century
	47	Trading and Commercial Activities in the Fifteenth Century
	48	The Rise and decline of Antwerp
WEEK 13	49	The Rise of England
	50	The Rise of Dutch
	51	The Commercial Revolution
	52	Price Revolution
WEEK 14	53	Impact of Price Revolution
	54	Rise of absolutism in france
	55	Features of Absolutism in Western Europe
WEEK 15	56	The Rise of Absolution in England
	57	The Rise of Absolutism in Russia
	58	Absolutism in Spain

Books and references

Anderson, Perry, Lineages of the Absolutist States, London, New Left Books, 1974.
Aston, T.H. and C.H. E. Philpin. Eds., The Brenner Debate: Agrarian Class Structure and Economic Development in Pre-Industrial Europe, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1985.
Dobb, Maurice, Studies in the Development of Capitalism, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1983.
Hilton, Rodney, ed., The Transition from Feudalism to Capitalism, London, Verso, 1984.
Cipolla. Carlo M., Before the Industrial Revolution: European Society and Economy 1000-1700, 2nd edn., London, Methuen, 1981.
Parker, David, The Making of French Absolutism, New York, St Martin’s Press, 1983.
Wallerstein, Immanual, The Modern World-System: Capitalist Agriculture and Origins of the European World Economy in the Sixteenth Century, London, Academic Press, 1974.
Davis, Natalie Zemon, Society and Culture in Early Modern France, California, Standford University Press, 1975.
Burke, Peter, Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe, 2nd edn., Aldershot, Hans, 1994.
Sinha, Arvind, Europe in Transition: From Feudalism to Industrialization, 13th edn., Delhi, Monohar Publishers, 2010.
Phukan, Meenaxi, Rise of the Modern West: Social and Economic History of Early Modern Europe, Delhi, Macmillan India Ltd., 1998.

Instructor bio

Dr. Shilleima Chanu Naoroibam

Assistant Professor, Department of History, G.P Women’s College, Dhanamanjuri University

Dr. Shilleima Chanu Naoroibam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History, G.P Women’s College, Dhanamanjuri University. She has received her M.Phil and Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her areas of interest are World History, Modern Indian History and Gender History. She teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

She has published many articles in many national and international journals. She has also contributed chapters for books. She has presented papers in national and international conferences and seminars. She is engaged in many academic committees at the college and Dhanamanjuri University.