History of Indian Independence (1857-1950)

Overview

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.

Syllabus

COURSE LAYOUT Week 1 1. RISE OF MODERN EDUCATION 2. THE PRESS 3. RISE OF MODERN INTELLIGENTSIA 4. BRAHMO MOVEMENT & IDEOLOGY OF REFORM 5. HINDU REVIVALISM Week 2 6. SANSKRITIZATION AND CASTE MOVEMENTS 7. REFORMISM AND REVIVALISM AMONG INDIAN MUSLIMS 8. WOMEN IN COLONIAL INDIA CHANGING POSITIONS AND ATTITUDES 9. NATIONALISM HISTORIOGRAPHY OF INDIAN NATIONALISM 10. TRENDS IN ANTI COLONIAL RESISTANCE IN INDIA IN 19TH CENTURY Week 3 11. POLITICAL IDEOLOGY & ORGANIZATION FORMATION OF INC 12. MODERATES & EARLY NATIONALISM IN INDIA 13. THE RISE OF MILITANT NATIONALISM 14. THE SWADESHI MOVEMENT 15. IMPACT OF SWADESHI MOVEMENT Week 4 16. REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS 17. GROWTH OF COMMUNALISM 18. MUSLIM LEAGUE 19. NATIONALISM TRENDS (1919-1947) 20. GANDHIAN IDEOLOGY Week 5 21. GANDHI’S RISE IN INDIAN POLITICS 22. ROWLATT SATYAGRAHA 23. BACKGROUND TO THE NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT 24. PHASES OF THE NON COOPERATION MOVEMENT 25. CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT Week 6 26. QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT 27. IDEOLOGICAL TRENDS WITHIN THE CONGRESS 28. LEFT IN INDIAN POLITICS 29. CONGRESS AND THE PRINCELY STATES 30. REFORMS OF 1909 AND 1919 Week 7 31. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT 1935 32. CRIPPS MISSION AND CABINET MISSION 33. TWO NATIONS IN ONE COUNTRY 34. THE IDEA OF PAKISTAN 35. COUNTDOWN TO PARTITION 36. THE FINAL CUT Week 8 37. PARTITION, MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT 38. DISPLACED PERSONS AND REHABILITATION-AGRARIAN POLICY 39. INTEGRATION OF PRINCELY STATES 40. MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION 41. SITUATING INDIA IN THE WORLD