B.A. History
3rd Semester Syllabus
Select Paper in this Semester
MJC-3 : History of India: Earliest time to 550CE
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Unit 1: Sources, Historiography and Prehistoric India
◦Sources: Scientific Literature
◦Regional Languages and Religious Literature of Ancient Indian History up to 550 C.E
◦A survey of Prehistoric India: Palaeolithic
◦Mesolithic
◦Neolithic and Chalcolithic Cultures
◦The Indus
◦Saraswati Civilization
◦Debate on the relationship of Indus
◦Saraswati Civilization and Vedic Civilization
◦Significant features of Indus-Saraswati Civilization, its continuity
◦Fall and survival of Saraswati Civilization
Unit 2: Aryan Civilization
◦Origin of Aryans and Homeland in India
◦Myths of Aryan Invasion: Various theories
◦Vedic Cultures: Early Vedic and Post-Vedic Literature and Vedic Polity
◦Society and Economy
◦Vedic Religion and Philosophy
◦Epic Literature and Culture: Problem of Dating and Historicity of the Epics
Unit 3: India from Sixth Century BCE to Mauryan Age
◦Sources
◦India in the Sixth Century BCE Mahajanpada
◦Republic and Growth of Urban Centers
◦Rise of Magadhan Imperialism
◦Religious Systems in the 6th century BCE
◦Buddhism and Jainism
◦The Maurya Empire
◦Chandragupta Maurya
◦Mauryan administration
◦Ashok and Ashoka's Dhamma
◦Mauryan Society
◦Fall of Mauryan Empire
◦Greek Invasion and its Impact
Unit 4: Post Mauryan Age
◦Sources
◦Reorganization of Republic in Post Mauryan Age
◦Indo-Greek, Saka, Kushan, Shunga, Kharvela, Satvahanas: Society and Culture, Art, Architecture and Coinage
◦Sangam Age: Sangam Literature
◦Society
◦Culture and Foreign Trade in Post Mauryan Age
Unit 5: Imperial Guptas
◦Sources
◦Imperial Guptas and their Contemporaries
◦Gupta Administration
◦Gupta Art, Architecture, Religion
◦Literature and Development of Science and Technology
Unit 6: Sangam Age in South Indian History
◦Sources
◦Cheras
◦Pandyas
◦Early Cholas
Reference Books:
- Agarwal, D.P.: The Archaeology of India, 1985
- Jayaswal, Vidula: Bhartiya Itihas Ke Adi Charna ki Rooprekha, Delhi, 1987
- Majumdar, R.C. and Pusalkar, A.D (edited): The History and Culture of Indian People Vol. I, Vedic Age.
- Majumdar, R.C. and Pusalkar, A.D (edited): The History and Culture of Indian People Vol. II: The Age of Imperial UNITY
- Pandey, Rajbali: Prachin Bharat, Vishwavidyalya Prakashan, revised edition, Varanasi, 2010.
- Raychaudhary, H.C: Political History of Ancient India, rev Edition, 1996 by B.N Mukherjee
- Raychaudhary, H.C.: The History and Culture of Ancient India, Vol III: The Classical age
- Sankalia, HD: Prehistory and Prehistory of India and Pakistan, Poona 1974
- Sastri, K.A Nilakanta: A History of South India, from Prehistoric Times to the fall of Vijyanagar, Oxford University Press, 1955; Also, in Hindi Translation by Bihar Hindi Granth Academy.
- Singh, Kripa Shankar: Rigveda, Harrappa Sabhyata and Sanskritic Nirantarta, Kitab Ghar publication, New Delhi, 2007
- Singh, Upinder: A history of Ancient and Early Medieval India, from Stone Age to early Medieval India. 2008, Pearson, New Delhi.
- Thapar, Romila: Early India from the Beginnings to 1300, London, 2002
- Kumar, Ashutosh: Magadh ki Prachin Sanskriti Evam Parampara, Prachya Prakashan, Patna, 2017