Themes

Objectives

An Introduction to History

Explain the specific nature of the discipline.

When, Where and How (a) The time frame under study. (b) The geographical framework. (c) Sources.

(a) Familiarize the learner with the major developments to be studied. (b) Develop an understanding of the significance of geographical terms used during the time frame. (c) Illustrate the sources used to reconstruct history.

The Earliest Societies (a) Hunting and gathering as a way of life, its implications. (b) Introduction to stone tools and their use. (c) Case study: the Deccan.

(a) Appreciate the skills and knowledge of hunter-gatherers. (b) Identify stone artefacts as archaeological evidence, making deductions from them.

The First Farmers and Herders (a)Implications of farming and herding. (b) Archaeological evidence for crops, animals, houses, tools, pottery, burials, etc. (c) Case study: the North-West, and North-East.

(a) Appreciate the diversity of early domestication. (b) Identify the material culture generated by people in relatively stable settlements. (c) (Understand strategies for analyzing these.

The First Cities (a) The settlement pattern of the Harappan civilisation. (b) Unique architectural features. (c) Craft production. (d) The meaning of urbanism. (e) Case study: the North-West.

(a) Appreciate the distinctive life in cities. (b) Identify the archaeological evidence of urban centres. (c) Understand how this is used to reconstruct processes such as craft production.

Different Ways of Life (a) The Vedas and what they tell us. (b) A contemporary chalcolithic settlement. (c) Case studies: the North-West and the Deccan.

(a) Appreciate that different developments were taking place in different parts of the subcontinent simultaneously. (b) Introduce simple strategies of textual analysis. (c) Reinforce the skills of archaeological analysis already developed.

Early States (a) Janapadas to Mahajanapadas (b) Case study: Bihar, Magadha and the Vajji confederacy.

(a) Introduce the concept of the state and its varieties. (b) Understand the use of textual sources in this context.

New Ideas (a) Upanisads. (b) Jainism. (c) Buddhism.

(a) Outline the basic tenets of these systems of thought, and the context in which they developed and flourished.

(b) Introduce excerpts from sources relating to these traditions.

The First Empire (a) The expansion of the empire. (b) Asoka (c) (Administration.

(a) Introduce the concept of empire.

(b) Show how inscriptions are used as sources.

Life in towns and villages (a) The second urbanisation. (b) Agricultural intensification. (c) Case study: Tamil Nadu.

(a) Demonstrate the variety of early urban centres-coastal towns, capitals, religious centres.

(b) Illustrate the use of archaeological material including coins, sculpture, as well as textual sources to reconstruct social and economic histories.

Contacts with Distant lands (a) The Sangam texts and long distance exchange. Suggested regions: the Tamil region, extending to south east Asia and the west. (b) Conquerors from distant lands: north western and western India. (c) The spread of Buddhism: north India to Central Asia.

(a) Introduce the idea of different contexts of contact between distant lands, and the motivating forces (including conquest).

(b) Examine the implications of journeys within the subcontinent.

(c) Illustrate the use of textual and visual material for reconstructing the histories of such contacts.

Political Developments (a) Gupta empire and Harshavardhana. (b) Pallavas and Chalukyas.

(a) Introduce the idea that strategies of expansion, and their logic, differ.

(b) Explain the development of different administrative systems.

(c) Understand how prasastis and caritas are used to reconstruct political history.

Culture and Science (a) Literature, including the Puranas, the epics, other Sanskrit and Tamil works. (b) Architecture including early monasteries and temples, sculpture, painting (Ajanta); (c) Science.

(a) Develop a sense of appreciation of textual and visual traditions of the period.

(b) Introduce excerpts from texts and visual material for analysis and appreciation.