History of Indian Independence (1857-1950)

The course is designed to offer an overall understanding of the historical processes the Indian society and polity underwent between 1857s and 1950s. These processes in critical ways conditioned the making of the subsequent Indian reality.

 

The course, to be covered in 41 modules, will be delivered over a period of 8 WEEKS, or roughly over 2 calendar months. Between 5 to 6 lectures will be released every week. There will be a fixed slot for discussion, in which the Instructor and Teaching Assistants will respond to questions or queries raised by students.

 

Every one of the 8 weeks is devoted to a particular theme divided into a number of lectures. Together, they present a historical perspective on the trajectory of the various processes, events and personalities, which left an imprint on the emergence of India as a nation state. It is designed with the typical UG history student in mind, and conforms to the UGC prescribed syllabus. Yet, its content and scope will appeal to anyone keen to study and understand the emergence of modern India.

COURSE LAYOUTWeek 1 1. RISE OF MODERN EDUCATION2. THE PRESS3. RISE OF MODERN INTELLIGENTSIA4. BRAHMO MOVEMENT & IDEOLOGY OF REFORM5. HINDU REVIVALISM Week 2 6. SANSKRITIZATION AND CASTE MOVEMENTS7. REFORMISM AND REVIVALISM AMONG INDIAN MUSLIMS8. WOMEN IN COLONIAL INDIA CHANGING POSITIONS AND ATTITUDES9. NATIONALISM HISTORIOGRAPHY OF INDIAN NATIONALISM10. TRENDS IN ANTI COLONIAL RESISTANCE IN INDIA IN 19TH CENTURY Week 3 11. POLITICAL IDEOLOGY & ORGANIZATION FORMATION OF INC12. MODERATES & EARLY NATIONALISM IN INDIA13. THE RISE OF MILITANT NATIONALISM14. THE SWADESHI MOVEMENT15. IMPACT OF SWADESHI MOVEMENT  Week 4 16. REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS17. GROWTH OF COMMUNALISM18. MUSLIM LEAGUE19. NATIONALISM TRENDS (1919-1947)20. GANDHIAN IDEOLOGY  Week 5 21. GANDHI’S RISE IN INDIAN POLITICS22. ROWLATT SATYAGRAHA23. BACKGROUND TO THE NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT24. PHASES OF THE NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT25. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT  Week 6 26. QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT27. IDEOLOGICAL TRENDS WITHIN THE CONGRESS28. LEFT IN INDIAN POLITICS29. CONGRESS AND THE PRINCELY STATES30. REFORMS OF 1909 AND 1919  Week 7 31. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT 193532. CRIPPS MISSION AND CABINET MISSION33. TWO NATIONS IN ONE COUNTRY34. THE IDEA OF PAKISTAN35. COUNTDOWN TO PARTITION36. THE FINAL CUT  Week 8 37. PARTITION, MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT38. DISPLACED PERSONS AND REHABILITATION-AGRARIAN POLICY39. INTEGRATION OF PRINCELY STATES40. MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION41. SITUATING INDIA IN THE WORLD