PGT History :
Writing and City Life
Iraq, 3rd millennium BCE
1. Growth of towns
2. Nature of early urban societies
3. Historians’ Debate onuses of writing
An Empire across Three Continents
Roman Empire, 27BCEto600 CE
1. Political evolution
2. Economic Expansion
3. Religion-culture foundation
4. Late Antiquity
5. Historians’ view on the Institution of Slavery
NOMADIC EMPIRES
The Mongol, 13th to 14th century
1. The nature of nomadism
2. Formation of empires
3. Conquests and relations with other states
4. Historians’ views on nomadic societies and state formation
The Three Orders.
Western Europe 13th - 16th century
1. Feudal society and economy
2. Formation of state
3. Church and society
4. Historians’ views on decline of feudalism
Changing Cultural Traditions
Europe 14th -17th century
1. New ideas and new trends in literature and arts
2. Relationship with earlier ideas
3. The contribution of West Asia
4. Historians’ viewpoint on the validity of the notion ‘European Renaissance
Displacing Indigenous People
North America and Australia, 18th to 20th century
1. European colonists in North America and Australia
2. Formation of White Settler societies
3. Displacement and repression of local people
4. Historians’ viewpoint on the impact of European settlement on indigenous population
Paths to Modernization
East Asia, late 19th to 20th century
1. Militarization and economic growth in Japan
2. China and the communist alternative
3. Historians’ Debate on the meaning of modernization
BRICKS, BEADS AND BONES
The Harappan Civilization
1. Broad overview: Early urban centers
2. Story of discovery: Harappan civilization
3. Excerpt: Archaeological report on a major site
KINGS, FARMERS AND TOWNS:
1. Early States and Economies (c. 600 BCE-600 CE)
2. Broad overview: Political and economic History from the Mauryan to the Gupta period
3. Story of discovery: Inscriptions and the Decipherment of the script. Shifts in the Understanding of political and economic history.
4. Excerpt: Ashokan inscription and Gupta period land grant
KINSHIP, CASTE AND CLASS
Early Society Societies (C. 600 BCE-600 CE)
1. Broad overview: Social Histories: Using the Mahabharata
2. Issues in social history, including caste, class, kinship an d gender
3. Story of discovery: Transmission and publications of the Mahabharat
4. Excerpt: from the Mahabharata, illustrating how it has been used by historians.
THINKERS, BELIEFS AND BUILDINGS
Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)
1. Broad overview: A History of Buddhism: Sanchi Stupa a) A brief review of religious histories of Vedic religion, Jainism, Vaishnavism, Shaivism (Puranic Hinduism) b) Focus on Buddhism.
2. Story of discovery: Sanchi stupa. Excerpt: Reproduction of sculptures from Sanchi.
THROUGH THE EYES OF TRAVELLERS
Perceptions of Society (tenth to seventeenth century)
1. Broad Overview: outlines of social and cultural life as they appear in traveller’s account.
2. Story of their writings: A discussion of where they travelled, what they wrote and for whom they wrote.
3. Excerpts: from Al Biruni, Ibn Battuta, Francois Bernier.
BHAKTI –SUFI TRADITIONS:
Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts (eighth to eighteenth centuries)
1. Broad overview: a. Outline of religious developments during this period saints. b. Ideas and practices of the Bhakti-Sufi
2. Story of Transmission: How Bhakti-Sufi compositions have been preserved.
3. Excerpt: Extracts from selected Bhakti-Sufi works
AN IMPERIAL CAPITAL: VIJAYANAGARA(fourteenth to sixteenth centuries)
1. Broad Over View: New Architecture: Hampi a. Outline of new buildings during Vijayanagar period-temples, forts, irrigation facilities. b. Relationship between architecture and the political system
2. Story of Discovery: Account of how Hampi was found.
3. Excerpt: Visuals of buildings at Hampi
PEASANTS, ZAMINDARS AND THE STATE:
Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire (c. sixteenth-seventeenth centuries)
1. Broad overview: The Aini-Akbari a. Structure of agrarian relations in the 16th and 17th centuries. b. Patterns of change over the period.
2. Story of Discovery: Account of the compilation and translation of Ain I Akbari
3. Excerpt: from the Ain-i-Akbari.
COLONIALISM AND THE COUNTRYSIDE:
Exploring Official Archives
1. Broad overview: Colonialism and Rural Society: Evidence from Official Reports a) Life of zamindars, peasants and artisans in the late18thcentury b). Permanent Settlement, Santhals and Paharias
2. Story of official records: An account of why official Investigations in to rural societies were undertaken and the types of records and reports produced.
3. Excerpts: From Fifth Report
REBELS AND THE RAJ:
1857 Revolt and its Representations
1. Broad overview: a. The eventsof1857-58. b. Vision of Unity c. How these events were recorded and narrated. Focus: Lucknow
2. Excerpts: Pictures of 1857.
3. Extracts from contemporary accounts.
MAHATMA GANDHI AND THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT:
1. Civil Disobedience and Beyond Broad overview: a. The Nationalist Movement 1918-48. b. The nature of Gandhian politics and leadership.
2. Focus: Mahatma Gandhi and the three movements and his last days as “finest hours”
3. Excerpts: Reports from English and Indian language newspapers and other contemporary writings.
FRAMING THE CONSTITUTION:
1. The Beginning of a New Era Broad overview: The Making of the Constitution an overview: a. Independence and then new nation state. b. The making of the Constitution
2. Focus: The Constituent Assembly Debates
3. Excerpts: from the debates
