This is a Core Paper under the CBCS. It highlights the development of Early Medieval India with an overview of the significant changes that took place in the Indian Subcontinent from c750 to C 1206. Beginning it’s journey much earlier, from the ‘threshold period ‘, the course of events started taking a definite shape at this point of time with distinct political, economic, social and cultural developments. Several historians have described this period as a transitional phase connecting the Ancient with the Medieval. Within this framework, the political narrative, the socio-economic complexities, the regional specificities, urban processes and overseas trade as well as the religious and cultural developments has made early medieval Indian History thematically diverse. The trends in the historiography of this period is also worth mentioning.
Overview
Syllabus
Week-1Module 1 Introducing Early Medieval IndiaModule 2 Sources: Literary TextsModule 3 Sources: EpigraphyModule 4 Sources: Architecture and Numismatic Evidence
Week-2Module 5 Recent Debates on PeriodisationModule 6 Recent Debates on Feudalism/Segmentary StateModule 7 Harshavardhan and the changing political scenarioModule 8 Political Narrative and Political Structures
Week-3Module 9 The RashtrakutasModule 10 The PalasModule 11 The PratiharasModule 12 The Tripartite Struggle
Week-4Module 13 The CholasModule 14 The ChalukyasModule 15 The Rise of the Rajputs and the Nature of StateModule 16 Legitimization of Kingship
Week-5Module 17 Administration of the CholasModule 18 Administration of the Rashtrakutas & the ChalukyaModule 19 Administration of the Palas and the PratiharasModule 20 Arab Conquest of Sindh: Nature and Impact
Week-6Module 21 Turkish Invasions: Mahmud of Ghazna/Shahab-ud-Din of GhurModule 22 Agrarian Economy and its DevelopmentModule 23 Agricultural Expansion and Crop PatternsModule 24 Relationship between Landlords and Peasants
Week-7Module 25 Land Grants as a part of Larger Social and Cultural ProcessModule 26 Varna-JatiModule 27 Proliferation of CastesModule 28 Peasant protests and growing contradictions
Week-8Module 29 The Status of UntouchablesModule 30 Gender Relations – Attitude towards WomenModule 31 Inter-Regional TradeModule 32 Maritime Trade
Week-9Module 33 Forms of ExchangeModule 34 Urbanization-1Module 35 Urbanization-2Module 36 Crafts and Guilds
Week-10Module 37 Overview of Religion and CultureModule 38 Buddhism in Early Medieval IndiaModule 39 Tantrism in Early Medieval IndiaModule 40 Puranic Traditions and other Popular Religious Cults
Week-11Module 41 South Indian BhaktiModule 42 Art and ArchitectureModule 43 Patronage to TemplesModule 44 Development of Regional Languages and Literature
Week-12Module 45 The Rise of Vaishnava devotionalism in Early Medieval and Medieval IndiaModule 46 Exploring New Strands of Intellectualism: Traditions of Islamic HistoriographyModule 47 Al Tabari and Al Masudi: their Genres of History WritingModule 48 Travel as a Historical Narrative: AlberuniModule 49 Science and Technology in Early Medieval India
Week-2Module 5 Recent Debates on PeriodisationModule 6 Recent Debates on Feudalism/Segmentary StateModule 7 Harshavardhan and the changing political scenarioModule 8 Political Narrative and Political Structures
Week-3Module 9 The RashtrakutasModule 10 The PalasModule 11 The PratiharasModule 12 The Tripartite Struggle
Week-4Module 13 The CholasModule 14 The ChalukyasModule 15 The Rise of the Rajputs and the Nature of StateModule 16 Legitimization of Kingship
Week-5Module 17 Administration of the CholasModule 18 Administration of the Rashtrakutas & the ChalukyaModule 19 Administration of the Palas and the PratiharasModule 20 Arab Conquest of Sindh: Nature and Impact
Week-6Module 21 Turkish Invasions: Mahmud of Ghazna/Shahab-ud-Din of GhurModule 22 Agrarian Economy and its DevelopmentModule 23 Agricultural Expansion and Crop PatternsModule 24 Relationship between Landlords and Peasants
Week-7Module 25 Land Grants as a part of Larger Social and Cultural ProcessModule 26 Varna-JatiModule 27 Proliferation of CastesModule 28 Peasant protests and growing contradictions
Week-8Module 29 The Status of UntouchablesModule 30 Gender Relations – Attitude towards WomenModule 31 Inter-Regional TradeModule 32 Maritime Trade
Week-9Module 33 Forms of ExchangeModule 34 Urbanization-1Module 35 Urbanization-2Module 36 Crafts and Guilds
Week-10Module 37 Overview of Religion and CultureModule 38 Buddhism in Early Medieval IndiaModule 39 Tantrism in Early Medieval IndiaModule 40 Puranic Traditions and other Popular Religious Cults
Week-11Module 41 South Indian BhaktiModule 42 Art and ArchitectureModule 43 Patronage to TemplesModule 44 Development of Regional Languages and Literature
Week-12Module 45 The Rise of Vaishnava devotionalism in Early Medieval and Medieval IndiaModule 46 Exploring New Strands of Intellectualism: Traditions of Islamic HistoriographyModule 47 Al Tabari and Al Masudi: their Genres of History WritingModule 48 Travel as a Historical Narrative: AlberuniModule 49 Science and Technology in Early Medieval India
Taught by
Dr. Jhuma Sanyal
