InstaQB - Edit Syllabus

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Syllabus Name :

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Early India: From the Beginnings to the Indus Civilisation

<ul>
	<li>To know the Stone Age humans of India</li>
	<li>To understand the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic societies of India</li>
	<li>To learn the importance of Neolithic revolution</li>
	<li>To have knowledge on salient features of the Indus culture</li>
</ul>

Early India: The Chalcolithic, Megalithic, Iron Age and Vedic Cultures

<ul>
	<li>To understand the characteristics of the Chalcolithic period in India</li>
	<li>To know the Megalithic-Iron Age cultures of India</li>
	<li>To get acquainted with Aryans, non-Aryans and Vedic cultures</li>
	<li>To learn the distinction between the Early Vedic and Later Vedic societies</li>
</ul>

Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects

<ul>
	<li>migration of Aryans towards Ganges Plains and the use of iron technology</li>
	<li> second urbanization and emergence of Mahajanapadas</li>
	<li> socio-economic changes associated with changes in polity</li>
	<li> intellectual ferment and new consciousness stirred up by Buddhism, Jainism and Ajivikam</li>
	<li> heterodox faiths in the Tamil country</li>
</ul>

Emergence of State and Empire

<ul>
	<li>the emergence of the first two important empires of India</li>
	<li>the significance of the invasions of Persians and Greeks</li>
	<li>the socio-political changes from 6th century to 3rd century BCE.</li>
	<li>the Pre-Mauryan administration and socio-economic conditions</li>
	<li>the Dharmic state of Ashoka through his edicts</li>
</ul>

Evolution of Society in South India

<ul>
	<li>To understand the social and political formation in early South India from the third century BCE to the fifth century CE</li>
</ul>

Polity and Society in Post-Mauryan Period

<ul>
	<li>To learn the cultural influence of Greeks on India</li>
	<li>To know the Indo-Greek rulers and their contributions</li>
	<li>To have knowledge about invasion of Sakas, Pahlavis of Parthians and Kushanas from Central Asia</li>
	<li>To gain understanding of the importance of contact between India and Central Asia</li>
	<li>To understand the reciprocal influence on art and literature</li>
	<li>To gain insight into the magnitude of trade with Rome and its impact on economy</li>
</ul>

The Guptas

<ul>
	<li>To learn the importance of Guptas rule in Indian history.</li>
	<li> To understand the significance of land grants and its impact on agricultural economy of the empire.</li>
	<li> To acquaint ourselves with the nature of the society and the socio-economic life of the people of the time.</li>
	<li> To know the development of culture, art and education during the period.</li>
</ul>

Harsha and Rise of Regional Kingdoms

I Harsha

<ul>
	<li> To know the ancestors and contemporaries of Harsha</li>
	<li> To learn about the military conquests of Harsha</li>
	<li> To understand the nature of Harsha’s administration</li>
	<li> To obtain knowledge of the religious policy of Harsha</li>
	<li> To become aware of the socio-cultural life of the people in India from the accounts of Hieun Tsang</li>
</ul>

II The Palas

<ul>
	<li> To know the history of Palas as a strong regional power in eastern India</li>
	<li> To learn the contribution of prominent Pala rulers such as Dharmapala, Devapala and Mahipala I in administering their kingdom</li>
	<li> To understand the significance of their role in the spread of Mahayana Buddhism in the Ganges plain</li>
	<li> To gain knowledge about the contribution of Palas to literature, art and architecture</li>
</ul>

III The Rashtrakutas

<ul>
	<li> To know the greatness of the Rashtrakutas</li>
	<li> To learn the fact that successful rulers, Krishna I through Krishna III, prevented the Pallava expansion northward.</li>
	<li> To apprise yourself of the development of Kannada literature under the patronage of Rashtrakutas.</li>
</ul>

Cultural Development in South India

<ul>
	<li>To understand state and society in early medieval south India</li>
	<li> To know the nature of political conflict between Chalukyas and Pallavas</li>
	<li> To understand the cultural exchanges occurring in south India under the two antagonistic kingdoms</li>
	<li> To study the artistic greatness of monuments at Ajantha, Ellora and Mamallapuram</li>
	<li> To study the devotional movements and impressive growth of vernacular literature in early medieval south India.</li>
</ul>

Advent of Arabs and Turks

<ul>
	<li>To learn the nature and outcome of the Arab Conquest of Sind and the military raids of Mahmud of Ghazni and Muhammad of Ghor</li>
	<li> To acquire knowledge about the nature of Delhi Sultanate under its various dynasties.</li>
	<li> To know the socio-economic conditions of the country under the Sultanate.</li>
	<li> To understand the impact of Islam in India with reference to syncretism in literature, art, music and architecture.</li>
</ul>

Later Cholas and Pandyas

I Cholas

<ul>
	<li> The achievements of Chola rulers</li>
	<li> Cultural developments in the Chola region</li>
	<li> Emergence of well-developed agrarian structure and irrigation system</li>
	<li> Role of temples in medieval Tamil society</li>
	<li> Maritime trade during Chola period</li>
</ul>

II Pandyas

<ul>
	<li> Rise of Pandyas with Madurai as their capital</li>
	<li> Malik Kafur’s invasion and its fallout</li>
	<li> Succession dispute inviting the attention of Sultan Alauddin Khalji</li>
	<li> Agriculture, irrigation and trade during the Pandya rule</li>
	<li> Religion and culture in southern Tamil Nadu</li>
</ul>

Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms

<ul>
	<li>Sources of study for Bahmani and Vijayanagar kingdoms</li>
	<li> Foundation and consolidation of Bahmani Sultanate</li>
	<li> Prolonged conflict between Bahmani kingdom and Vijayanagar</li>
	<li> Military career and achievements of Mohammed Gawan</li>
	<li> The strategic importance of Golkonda fort</li>
	<li>Origin and development of Vijayanagar kingdom by Sangama brothers</li>
	<li> Vijayanagar and Bahmani tussle-causes and consequences</li>
	<li> Brief rule of Saluva dynasty followed by Krishnadevaraya’s illustrious career</li>
	<li> Battle of Talikotta and decline of Vijayanagar kingdom</li>
	<li> Adminstration, Society and Economy of the Vijayanagar kingdom</li>
	<li> Rise of Nayak kingdoms.</li>
</ul>

Cultural Syncretism: Bhakti Movement in India

<ul>
	<li>Adi Sankara’s counter to the traditions of Jainism and Buddhism</li>
	<li> Religious renaissance and the impact of devotional movement in south India</li>
	<li> Conflicts between Saivism and Vaishnavism</li>
	<li> Conflicts with sramanic sects of Jainism and Buddhism</li>
	<li> Trends in Bhakti Movement of north India, due to the impact of Sufism and the influence of Vaishnavite movement in Bengal</li>
	<li> Monotheistic movement represented by Kabir, Guru Nanak and Ravidas and the reformist approach of the Ramanujar school of thought</li>
</ul>

The Mughal Empire

<ul>
	<li>Foundation of Mughal rule in India</li>
	<li> Humayun’s inability to sustain his rule leading to the establishment of Sur dynasty under Sher Shah</li>
	<li> Sher Shah’s administrative reforms</li>
	<li> Consolidation of Mughal rule during the reign of Akbar</li>
	<li> Akbar’s Religious and Rajput policy</li>
	<li> Significance of Jahangir’s rule</li>
	<li> Shah Jahan’s contribution to art and architecture</li>
	<li> Aurangzeb’s military conquests and his ruinous Rajput and Deccan policies and his wars against the Marathas</li>
	<li> India during Mughal rule: Development of literature, painting, music, architecture; Bhakti Movement, Sufism Sikhism, spread of Christianity and Islam, trade, commerce, industry, science and technology</li>
</ul>

The Marathas

<ul>
	<li>Conditions that facilitated the rise of Marathas</li>
	<li> Shivaji’s contribution to the establishment of Maratha kingdom</li>
	<li> Shivaji’s administrative system</li>
	<li> Peshwa rule and administration</li>
	<li> Role of Maratha in Tamilnadu with special reference to Serfoji II</li>
</ul>

The Coming of the Europeans

<ul>
	<li>European interactions with Indian states and society from 1600 to 1750</li>
	<li>Commercial networks and institutions in India in the early modern period</li>
	<li>The Indian ports and their importance in Indian Ocean trade</li>
	<li>The impact of the entry of the European trading companies on Indian merchants, trade and commerce</li>
	<li>Portuguese trade interests in India</li>
	<li> The impact of the Portuguese and Dutch presence in India</li>
	<li> Rivalry and wars between the French and the Dutch</li>
	<li> The colonial settlements of Denmark and their importance</li>
	<li> Clashes over trading monopoly between the French and the British in the Carnatic region</li>
	<li> The emergence of England as an undisputed power after the three Carnatic Wars</li>
</ul>

Effects of British Rule

<ul>
	<li>British East India Company's emergence as a territorial power</li>
	<li> Failure of dual government established by Robert Clive and assumption of direct responsibility of the Company under Regulating Act of 1773</li>
	<li> Cornwallis’ Permanent Settlement in Bengal and Thomas Munro’s Ryotwari System in Madras Presidency</li>
	<li> Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance and Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse leading to annexation of more number of Indian territories without war</li>
	<li> The Company government’s relationship with Indian Rulers</li>
	<li> Reforms in civil and judicial administration carried out by Cornwallis and Wellesley</li>
	<li> Social and educational reforms and the building of rail and communication networks attempted by Bentinck and Dalhousie</li>
	<li> Neglect of irrigation and exploitation of forest resources by the colonial state leading to frequent famines, forcing the peasants and artisans to move out of    the country as  indentured labourers</li>
	<li> Drain of Wealth theory of Dadabhai Naoroji</li>
</ul>

Early Resistance to British Rule

<ul>
	<li>The early resistance of Mysore Sultans to the British East India Company rule</li>
	<li> The establishment of palayakkarar system in south India and the revolt of southern palayakkarars</li>
	<li> The revolt of Theeran Chinnamalai in the Kongu region and other displaced rulers in Vellore.</li>
	<li> The peasant and tribal uprisings against the Company, Mahajans and Zamindars</li>
	<li> The great rebellion of 1857, resulting in the final takeover of the Company by the Crown</li>
</ul>

Towards Modernity

<ul>
	<li>Socio-Religious reforms initiated by Brahmo Samaj, Prarthana Samaj and Arya Samaj</li>
	<li> Ramakrishna Mission and the teachings of Swami Vivekananda</li>
	<li> Theosophical Society, Satya Shodhak Samaj, Sri Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana Yogam.</li>
	<li> Islamic Reform Movements and Reform Movements in Tamilnadu</li>
	<li> Contributions of Christian Missionaries</li>
</ul>