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History of India (750-1206)

By Dr. Jhuma Sanyal   |   Women’s Christian College
Learners enrolled: 940
This is a Core Paper under the CBCS. It highlights the development of Early Medieval India with an overview of the significant changes that took place in the Indian Subcontinent from c750 to C 1206. Beginning it’s journey much earlier, from the ‘threshold period ‘, the course of events started taking a definite shape at this point of time with distinct political, economic, social and cultural  developments. Several historians have described this period as a transitional phase connecting the Ancient with the Medieval. Within this framework, the political narrative,  the socio-economic complexities, the regional specificities, urban processes and overseas trade as well as the religious and cultural developments has made early medieval Indian History thematically diverse. The trends in the historiography of this period is also worth mentioning. 
Summary
Course Status : Ongoing
Course Type : Core
Language for course content : English
Duration : 12 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 : 15 Dec 2024 IST
Exam Schedule :

Shift 1

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


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Course layout

Week-1
Module 1 Introducing Early Medieval India 
Module 2 Sources: Literary Texts 
Module 3 Sources: Epigraphy 
Module 4 Sources: Architecture and Numismatic Evidence  

Week-2
Module 5 Recent Debates on Periodisation 
Module 6 Recent Debates on Feudalism/Segmentary State
Module 7 Harshavardhan and the changing political scenario 
Module 8 Political Narrative and Political Structures  

Week-3
Module 9 The Rashtrakutas 
Module 10 The Palas 
Module 11 The Pratiharas
Module 12 The Tripartite Struggle 

Week-4
Module 13 The Cholas
Module 14 The Chalukyas
Module 15 The Rise of the Rajputs and the Nature of State 
Module 16 Legitimization of Kingship

Week-5
Module 17  Administration of the Cholas 
Module 18 Administration of the Rashtrakutas & the Chalukya
Module 19  Administration of the Palas and the Pratiharas 
Module 20  Arab Conquest of Sindh: Nature and Impact

Week-6
Module 21  Turkish Invasions: Mahmud of Ghazna/Shahab-ud-Din of Ghur
Module 22  Agrarian Economy and its Development
Module 23  Agricultural Expansion and Crop Patterns
Module 24 Relationship between Landlords and Peasants

Week-7
Module 25  Land Grants as a part of Larger Social and Cultural Process
Module 26  Varna-Jati 
Module 27 Proliferation of Castes
Module 28 Peasant protests and growing contradictions

Week-8
Module 29 The Status of Untouchables 
Module 30  Gender Relations – Attitude towards Women 
Module 31 Inter-Regional Trade
Module 32 Maritime Trade

Week-9
Module 33  Forms of Exchange
Module 34 Urbanization-1
Module 35 Urbanization-2
Module 36 Crafts and Guilds

Week-10
Module 37 Overview of Religion and Culture
Module 38 Buddhism in Early Medieval India 
Module 39 Tantrism in Early Medieval India 
Module 40 Puranic Traditions and other Popular Religious Cults

Week-11
Module 41 South Indian Bhakti 
Module 42 Art and Architecture
Module 43 Patronage to Temples 
Module 44 Development of Regional Languages and Literature

Week-12
Module 45 The Rise of Vaishnava devotionalism in Early Medieval and Medieval India 
Module 46 Exploring New Strands of Intellectualism: Traditions of Islamic Historiography 
Module 47 Al Tabari and Al Masudi: their Genres of History Writing
Module 48 Travel as a Historical Narrative: Alberuni
Module 49 Science and Technology in Early Medieval India

Books and references

• Romila Thapar, The Penguin History Of Early India: From the Origins To AD 1300. (Penguin Books, 2003)
 
• Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. (Pearson Longman, An Imprint of Pearson Education, 2008)
 
• Upinder Singh (edited), Rethinking Early Medieval India- A Reader. (Oxford University Press, 2011, 19th Impression, 2021)

Instructor bio

Dr. Jhuma Sanyal

Women’s Christian College
Dr. JHUMA SANYAL, M.A, M.Phil, Ph.D. Retired Associate Professor. Worked and retired as HOD, Department of History, Women’s Christian College. Acted as Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Lecture Series. Acted as Coordinator and Moderator of Honours Papers at UG level, Calcutta  University. Acted as Moderator for History Honours papers at St. Xavier’s  College. Connected with St. Xavier’s College  as a Member of the Board of Studies. Acted as an Expert for recruitment of Assistant Professors in undergraduate colleges.
Has several publications to her credit including a book which has run into three editions of which two are e-editions and seven articles in edited  books.



Course certificate

30% for in course Assessment & 70% of end term Proctored Exam. Securing 40% in both separately is mandatory to pass the course and get Credit Certificate.


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