Syllabus WBSET History
THE WEST BENGAL COLLEGE SERVICE COMMISSION
STATE ELIGIBILITY TEST
SYLLABUS
Subject: HISTORY
Code No. 08
SYLLABUS
The
History paper consists of all the aspects of Indian History, Pre-history,
Ancient period, Medieval Indian history and Modern India including National
Movement and post independent phase. It also consists of Historical Method,
Research Methodology and Historiography. Since, the subject and the boundaries
of Indian history are vast and comprehensive, it has been systematically
analysed and synthesized into Ten Units. However, the concepts, the
ideas and the terms given here would specify the extent the subject included
though it is not mentioned in the units. It is to make the student realize the
comprehension of the syllabus prepared.
Concepts,
Ideas and Terms
Bharatvarsha Khilafat
Sabha and Samiti
Sulah-i-kul
Varnasrama Turkan-i-Chahlghani
Vedanta Watan
Purusharthas Baluta
Rina Taquavi
Samskaras Iqta
Yajna Jaziya
Ganarajya Zakat Janapada Madad-i-maash
Doctrine of
Karma Amaram
Dandaniti /
Arthasastra / Saptanga Raya-Rekho
Dharmavijaya Jangama /
Dasa
Stupa / Chaitya/
Vihara Madarasa /
Maqtab
Nagara / Dravida / Vesara Chauth / Sardeshmukhi
Bodhisattva / Tirthankara Sarai
Alvars / Nayanars
Polygars
Sreni Jagir
/ Shariyat
Bhumi-chidra-vidhana-nyaya
Dastur
Kara-bhoga-bhaga
Mansab (Rank)
Vishti Deshmukh
Stridhana Nadu
/ Ur
Memorial Stones Ulema
Agraharas Firman
Ain-i-Dashsalah Satyagraha
Pargana Swadeshi
Shahna-i-Mandi Revivalism
Mahalwari Communalism
Hind Swaraj Orientalism
Mercantilism Oriental
Despotism
Economic
Nationalism De-Industrialisation
Indian
Renaissance Subsidiary
Alliance
Economic Drain Evangelicalism
Colonialism Bhudan
Paramountcy Panchsheel
Dyarchy Mixed
Economy
Federalism Socialism
Utilitarianism Hindu Code
Bill
Filtration
Theory Historical
Methods
Forward Policy Plagiarism
Doctrine of Lapse Ethics and Morality
in History Writing
Unit
– I
Negotiating
the Sources: Archaeological sources: Exploration, Excavation,
Epigraphy
and Numismatics. Dating of Archaeological Sites. Literary Sources:
Indigenous
Literature: Primary and Secondary: problem of dating Religious and Secular
Literature, Myths, Legends, etc. Foreign Accounts: Greek, Chinese and Arabic.
Pastoralism
and Food production: Neolithic and Chalcolithic Phase: Settlement, distribution,
tools and patterns of exchange.
Indus/Harappa
Civilization: Origin, extent, major sites, settlement pattern, craft specialization,
religion, society and polity, Decline of Indus Civilization, Internal and external
trade, First urbanization in India.
Vedic
and later Vedic periods; Aryan debates, Political and Social Institutions,
State Structure and Theories of State; Emergence of Varnas and Social
Stratification, Religious and Philosophical Ideas. Introduction of Iron
Technology, Megaliths of South India.
Expansion
of State system: Mahajanapadas, Monarchical and Republican States, Economic
and Social Developments and Emergence of Second Urbanization in 6th century
BCE; Emergence of heterodox sects-Jainism, Buddhism and Ajivikas.
Unit
– II
From
State to Empire: Rise of Magadha, Greek invasion under Alexander and its effects,
Mauryan expansion, Mauryan polity, society, economy, Asoka’s Dhamma and its
Nature, Decline and Disintegration of the Mauryan Empire, Mauyan art and architecture,
Asokan edicts: language and script.
Dissolution
of Empire and Emergence of Regional Powers: Indo-Greeks, Sungas, Satavahanas,
Kushanas and Saka-Ksatrapas, Sangam literature, polity and society in
South India as reflected in Sangam literature. Trade and commerce from 2nd
century BCE to 3rd century CE, Trade with the Roman World, Emergence of Mahayana
Buddhism, Kharavela and Jainism, Post-Mauryan art and Architecture.
Gandhara,
Mathura and Amaravati schools. Gupta Vakataka age: Polity and Society, Agrarian
Economy, Land Grants, Land Revenue and Land Rights, Gupta Coins, Beginning of
Temple Architecture, Emergence of Puranic Hinduism, Development of Sanskrit
Language and Literature.
Developments
in Science Technology, Astronomy, Mathematics and Medicine.
Harsha
and his Times: Administration and Religion.
Salankayanas
and Visnukundins in Andhradesa.
Unit
– III
Emergence
of Regional Kingdoms: Kingdoms in Deccan: Gangas, Kadmabas, Western
and Eastern Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Kalyani Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Hoysalas
and Yadavas.
Kingdoms
in South India: Pallavas, Ceras, Colas and Pandyas, Kingdoms in Eastern India:
Palas and Senas of Bengal, Varmans of Kamarupa, Bhaumakaras and Somavamsis of
Odisha.
Kingdoms
in Western India: Maitrakas of Vallabhi and Chalukyas of Gujarat.
Kingdoms
in North India: Gurjara-Pratiharas, Kalacuri-Chedis, Gahadavalas and Paramaras.
Characteristics
of Early Medieval India: Administration and Political Structure Legitimation
of Kingship.
Agrarian
economy; land grants, changing production relations; graded land rights and
peasantry, water resources, taxation system, coins and currency system;
Trade
and urbanization: patterns of trade, and urban settlements, ports and trade routes,
merchandise and exchange, trade guilds; trade and colonization in southeast Asia.
Growth
of Brahminical religions: Vaisnavism and Saivism; Temples; Patronage and Regional
Ramification; Temple Architecture and Regional Styles. Dana, Tirtha and Bhakti,
Tamil Bhakti movement - Shankara, Madhava and Ramanujacharya.
Society:
Varna, Jati and Proliferation of Castes, Position of women; Gender,
marriage
and property relations; Women in public life. Tribes as peasants and their place
in Varna order. Untouchability.
Education
and Educational Institutions: Agraharas, Mathas and Mahaviharas as Centres
of Education. Growth of Regional Languages.
Debates
of state formation in early medieval India: A) Feudal model; B) Segmentary model;
C) Integrative model Arab contracts: Suleiman Ghaznavid conquests. Alberuni’s
Accounts.
Unit
– IV
Source of
Medieval Indian History: Archaeological, Epigraphic and Numismatic sources,
Material evidences and Monuments; Chronicles; Literary sources – Persian,
Sanskrit and Regional languages; Daftar Khannas: Firmans, Bahis / Pothis /
Akhbarat; Foreign Travellers’ Accounts – Persian and Arabic.
Political
Developments – The Delhi Sultanate – the Ghorids, the Turks, the Khaljis, the
Tughlaqs, theSayyids and the Lodis. Decline of Delhi Sultanate.
Foundation of
the Mughal Empire – Babur, Humayun and the Suris ; Expansion and Consolidation
from Akbar to Aurangzeb. Decline of the Mughal Empire.
Later Mughals and Disintegration of the
Mughal Empire.
The Vijayanagara
and the Bahmanis - Deccan Sultanate; Bijapur, Golkonda, Bidar, Berar and
Ahmadnagar – Rise, Expansion and Disintegration; Eastern Gangas and Suryavamshi
Gajapatis.
Rise of the
Marathas & the foundation of Swaraj by Shivaji ; its expansion under the Peshwas
; Mughal – Maratha relations, Maratha Confederacy, Causes of Decline.
Unit
– V
Administration
& Economy: Administration under the Sultanate, Nature of State – Theocratic and
Theocentric, Central, Provincial and Local Administration, Law of succession.
Sher Shah’s
Administrative Reforms ; Mughal Administration – Central, Provincial and Local
: Mansabdari and Jagirdari Systems.
Administrative
System in the Deccan – The Vijayanagara State & Polity, Bahamani Administrative
System; Maratha Administration – Asta Pradhan.
Frontier
Policies under Delhi Sultanate and Mughals.
Inter-State
Relations during the Sultanate and the Mughals.
Agricultural
Production and Irrigation System, Village Economy, Peasantry, Grants and
Agricultural Loans, Urbanization and Demographic Structure.
Industries –
Cotton Textiles, Handicrafts, Agro-Based industries, Organisation, Factories &
Technology.
Trade and
Commerce – State Policies, Internal and External Trade: European Trade, Trade Centres and Ports,
Transport and Communication.
Hundi (Bills of
Exchange) and Insurance, State Income and Expenditure, Currency, Mint System;
Famines and Peasant Revolts.
Unit
– VI
Society and
Culture: Social Organisation and Social Structure.
The Sufis –
Their Orders, Beliefs and Practices, the leading Sufi Saints, Social Synchronization.
Bhakti Movement
– Shaivism; Vaishnavism, Shaktism.
The Saints of
the Medieval Period – North and South – their impact on Socio- Political and Religious
Life – Women Saints of Medieval India.
The Sikh
Movement – Guru Nanak Dev: his teachings and practices, Adi Granth; the Khalsa.
Social
Classification: Ruling Class, Major Religious Groups, the Ulemas, the Mercantile and
Professional Classes – Rajput Society.
Rural society –
Petty Chieftains, Village Officials, Cultivators and Non-Cultivating Classes,
Artisans.
Position of
Women – Zanana System – Devadasi System.
Development of
Education, Centres of Education and Curriculum, Madarasa Education.
Fine Arts –
Major Schools of Painting – Mughal, Rajasthani, Pahari, Garhwali; Development of Music.
Art and
Architecture, Indo-Islamic Architecture, Mughal Architecture, Regional Styles.
Indo-Arabic Architecture, Mughal
Gardens, Maratha Forts, Shrines and Temples.
Unit
–VII
Sources of
Modern Indian History: Archieval Materials, Biographies and Memoirs, Newspapers,
Oral Evidence, Creative Literature and Painting, Monuments, Coins.
Rise of British
Power: European Traders in India in the 16th to 18th Centuries – Portuguese,
Dutch, French and the British.
Establishment
and Expansion of British Dominion in India.
British
Relations with Principal Indian States – Bengal, Oudh, Hyderabad, Mysore, Carnatic
and Punjab.
Revolt of 1857,
Causes, Nature and Impact.
Administration
of the Company and the Crown; Evolution of Central and Provincial Structure
under East India Company.
Paramountcy,
Civil Service, Judiciary, Police and the Army under the Company; British Policy
and Paramountcy in the Princely States under the Crown.
Local
Self-Government.
Constitutional Changes, 1909 – 1935.
Unit
– VIII
Colonial Economy: Changing Composition, Volume and
Direction of Trade.
Expansion and Commercialization of Agriculture, Land
Rights, Land Settlements, Rural Indebtedness, Landless Labour, Irrigation and
Canal System.
Decline of Industries – Changing Socio-Economic
Conditions of Artisans; Deurbanisation; Economic Drain; World Wars and Economy.
British Industrial Policy; Major Modern Industries;
Nature of Factory Legislation; Labour and Trade Union Movements.
Monetary Policy, Banking, Currency and Exchange, Railways
and Road Transport, Communications – Post & Telegraph.
Growth of New Urban Centres; New Features of Town
Planning and Architecture, Urban Society and Urban Problems.
Famines, Epidemics and the Government Policy.
Tribal and Peasant Movements.
Indian Society in Transition: Contact with Christianity –
the Missions and
Missionaries; Critique of Indian Social and Economic
Practices and Religious Beliefs; Educational and Other Activities.
The New Education – Government Policy; Levels and
Contents; English Language; Development of Science, Technology, Public Health
& Medicine – Towads Modernism.
Indian Renaissance – Socio-Religious Reforms; Emergence
of Middle Class; Caste Associations and Caste Mobility.
Women’s Question – Nationalist Discourse; Women’s
Organisations; British
Legislation concerning Women, Gender Identity &
Constitutional Position.
The Printing Press – Journalistic Activity and the Public
opinion.
Modernisation of Indian Languages and Literary Forms –
Reorientation in Painting, Music and Performing Arts.
Unit
– IX
Rise of Indian
Nationalism: Social and Economic basis of Nationalism.
Birth of Indian
National Congress; Ideologies and Programmes of the Indian National
Congress, 1885-1920: Early Nationalists, Assertive Nationalists and Revolutionaries.
Swadeshi and
Swaraj.
Gandhian Mass
Movements; Subas Chandra Bose and INA; Role of Middle Class in National
Movement; Women Participation in National Movement.
Left Wing
Politics.
Depressed Class
Movement.
Communal
Politics; Muslim League and Genesis of Pakistan.
Towards
Independence and Partition.
India after
Independence: Challenges of Partition; Integration of the Indian Princely States;
Kashmir, Hyderabad & Junagarh.
B.R. Ambedkar – The making of the Indian
Constitution, its Features.
The Structure of
Bureaucracy.
New Education
Policy.
Economic
Policies and the Planning process; Development, Displacement and Tribal Issues.
Linguistic
Reorganisation of States; Centre-State Relations.
Foreign Policy
Initiatives – Panchsheel; Dynamics of Indian Politics-Emergency; Liberalisation, Privatisation &
Globalisation of Indian Economy.
Unit
– X
Historical
Method, Research, Methodology and Historiography:
Scope and
Importance of History
Objectivity and
Bias in History
Heuristics
Operation, Criticism in History, Synthesis and Presentation
History and its
Auxiliary Sciences
History a
Science, Arts or a Social Science
Causation and
Imagination in History
Significance of
Regional History
Recent Trends of
Indian History
Research
Methodology
Hypothesis in
History
Area of Proposed
Research
Sources – Data
Collection, Primary / Secondary, Original and Transit Sources
Trends in
Historical Research
Recent Indian
Historiography
Selection of
Topic in History
Notes Taking, References, Footnotes and
Bibliography
Thesis and
Assignment Writing
Plagiarism,
Intellectual Dishonesty and History Writing
Beginnings of
Historical Writings – Greek, Roman and Church Historiography Renaissance and
its Impact on History Writing
Negative and
Positive Schools of Historical Writing
Berlin
Revolution in History Writing – Von Ranke
Marxist
Philosophy of History – Scientific Materialism
Cyclical Theory
of History – Oswald Spengler
Challenge and
Response Theory – Arnold Joseph Toynbee
Post – Modernism
in History.
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Page Last Updated on 25.03.2020
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