BA(P) I

HISTORY OF INDIA FROM EARLIEST TIMES UP TO 300 CE

Unit 1

 Sources for the reconstruction of early Indian history (literary & archaeological)
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India up to 6th Century BCE, lesson 1
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 1, Reconstructing ancient Indian history (sections
1.3.1.1, 1.3.1.2, 1.3.2 & 1.3.3)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Ch. 2
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 1, pp. 1331, 3138, 4257

Unit 2
 Stone age cultures
o Palaeolithic: geographical distribution of sites; chief characteristics (tool technology and its role in subsistence)
o Mesolithic: geographical distribution of sites; chief characteristics (tool technology and its role in subsistence)
o Neolithic: geographical distribution of sites & their characteristic features (special reference: Mehrgarh);
general characteristics of Neolithic cultures (tool technology, food production, animal domestication, other
changes in daily life)
o Rock art
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India up to 6th Century BCE, lesson 3, 4
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 1: Environment and Early Patterns of Adaptation, Units 3, 4
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 2, Prehistoric hunter-gatherers (sections 2.2 & 2.3); Ch. 3,
The advent of food production (units 3.1 & 3.2)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Chs 7, 8
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 2, pp. 59, 6465, 6793; Ch. 3, pp.
9598, 10131

Unit 3
 Harappan civlization: origins; chronology; geographical distribution of sites; town-planning/urbanization/features of
urban life; political, social and economic structures; religion; script; art; decline; late Harappan cultures
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India up to 6th Century BCE, lesson 5
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 2: Harappan Civilization, Units 59
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 4, Harappan civilization (sections 4.1 & 4.2)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Ch. 10
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 4, pp. 133, 13773, 17681
 Ranabir Chakrabarti, Exploring Early India, Ch. 1, pp. 1835
 D. N. Jha, Ancient India in Historical Outline, Ch. 2, pp. 3040.

 Non-Harappan Neochalcolithic cultures: characteristic features of Neo-Chalcolithic cultures: (a) Ganeshwar-

Jodhpura and Ahar cultures in western India; (b) Kayatha and Malwa cultures in central India; (c) Savalda and Jorwe
cultures in Deccan; (d) Ochre colored pottery (OCP) culture in north India; (e) Vindhyan Chalcolithic and Narhan
cultures in middle Gangetic basin; (f) cultures in eastern and southern India
  School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India up to 6th Century BCE, lesson 6
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 3: Evolution of Early Indian Society, Units 10 (sections 10.110.4),
11(sections 11.2, 11.3)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Ch. 9
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 5, pp. 21440
 Ranabir Chakrabarti, Exploring Early India, Ch. 1, pp. 3539

Unit 4
 Vedic culture: Aryan problem; social, economic, political and religious conditions in the Early/Rig-Vedic (1500-1000
BCE) and Later Vedic (1000-600 BCE) periods
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India up to 6th Century BCE, lesson 7
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 3: Evolution of Early Indian Society, Units 12, 13
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 5, Cultures in Transition (section 5.1); Ch. 9, Religion,
Philosophy and Society (section 9.2, pp. 1423)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Chs 11, 12, 13
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 5, pp. 184210
 Ranabir Chakrabarti, Exploring Early India, Ch. 2, pp. 4273
 D. N. Jha, Ancient India in Historical Outline, Ch. 3, pp. 4161.

 Archaeological cultures of iron age: Painted Grey Ware (PGW) culture; Megalithic culture
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India up to 6th Century BCE, lesson 8
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 3: Evolution of Early Indian Society, Unit 10, section 10.5; Unit 11 (section
11.4)
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 5, Cultures in Transition (sections 5.2, pp. 1523,
2529; 5.3, pp. 3745)
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 5, pp. 24044, 24548, 25054
 Noboru Karashima (ed.), A Concise History of South India, Ch. 1, pp. 1525 (on Megalithic culture
in south India)

Unit 5
(6th-4th century BCE)
 Regional states/ Mahajanapadas and the rise of Magadha: factors for the rise of Mahajanapadas; factors for the
success of Magadha; socio-economic conditions (especially second urbanization and its causal factors) (special
reference: ganasanghas/republics)
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India (600 BCE to 750 CE), Lessons 2, 3 (‘Rise of
Magadha’)
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 4: India, 6th to 4th Century BC, Unit 14 (section 14.7), 15, 16; Block 5:
Polity, Society, Economy, 320 BC to 200 BC, Unit 18 (sections 18.2, 18.4)
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 6, Economy and Society (circa 600 BC to AD 300)
(sections 6.1, pp. 49); Ch. 7, Changing Political Formations (section 7.1, pp. 417)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Chs 15, 17
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 6, pp. 26073, 27576,
27879, 287300
  Ranabir Chakrabarti, Exploring Early India, Ch. 3, pp. 7889, 92109
 D. N. Jha, Ancient India in Historical Outline, Ch. 5, pp. 7884, 8691

Unit 6

 Buddhism and Jainism: origins; doctrines; spread; decline; contribution

 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India (600 BCE to 750 CE), Lesson 1
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 4: India, 6th to 4th Century BC, Unit 17 (sections 17.217.8, 17.10)
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 9, Religion, Philosophy and Society (sections 9.1, pp.
811; 9.4, pp. 3747; 9.6, pp. 5667)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Ch. 14
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 6, pp. 30319
 D. N. Jha, Ancient India in Historical Outline, Ch. 4, pp. 6277

Unit 7
 Mauryan period (325—187 BCE): sources (literary and archaeological); special reference: Arthashastra, Indica,
Ashokan edicts); administration and nature of state; Ashoka’s dhamma policy; social and economic conditions; art and
architecture; factors for the decline of the empire
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India (600 BCE to 750 CE), Lessons 4, 5
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 4: India, 6th to 4th Century BC, Units 18 (section 18.618.7), 19, 20, 21, 22
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 7, Changing Political Formations (section 7.2.1, 7.2.2,
pp. 1833, 3541)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Chs 18, 19
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch.7, pp. 32133, 33967
 Ranabir Chakrabarti, Exploring Early India, Ch. 4, pp. 11765
 D. N. Jha, Ancient India in Historical Outline, Ch. 6, pp. 92110

Unit 8
Post-Mauryan period (200 BCE—300 CE):
 Sources (literary & archaeological)
 Political conditions:
o Invasions and rule of Indo-Greeks, Shakas, Parthians and Kushanas in north and north-west India;
o Rule of Shungas, Kanvas and Mitras in north India;
o Rule of Mahameghavahanas/Chedis in Kalinga (eastern and coastal Orissa);
o Rule of Shaka Mahakshatrapas in western and central India;
o Rule of Satavahanas in Deccan;
o Rule of other monarchical (e.g., Nagas) and non-monarchical (e.g., Arjunayanas, Malavas, Yaudheyas) in
other parts of India
 Socio-economic conditions:
o Agricultural expansion
o Urbanization
o Trade (especially Indo-Roman trade)
o Coinage
 o Craft production
o Evolution of caste/varna system, condition of women
 Religious conditions: spread of and changes in Buddhism and Jainism; evolution of Vaishnava, Shaiva and Shakta cults
 Art and architecture (especially Gandhara and Mathura schools)
 Special reference: contribution of Kushanas and Satavahanas in the administration, religion, art and economy;
Kanishka; Satavahanas (especially Gautamiputra Shatakarni); Indo-Greeks
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India (600 BCE to 750 CE), Lessons 6, 7
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 6: India, 200 BC to 300 AD, Units 23, 24 (sections 24.424.7), 25 (sections
25.125.7), 26 (sections 26.126.5); Block 7: State and Society in South India, 200 BC to 300 AD,
Units 27 (sections 27.6, 27.827.9)
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 6, Economy and Society (circa 600 BC to AD 300)
(sections 6.26.3, pp. 1019, 2629); 7, Changing Political Formations (sections 7.3, pp. 4351)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Chs 20, 21, 23
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 8, pp. 36984, 38899,
40322, 42945, 46165
 Ranabir Chakrabarti, Exploring Early India, Ch. 5, pp. 16787, 189214, 21625
 D. N. Jha, Ancient India in Historical Outline, Ch. 7, pp. 111119, 12145
 Noboru Karashima (ed.), A Concise History of South India, Ch. 2, pp. 4043 (on Satavahanas in
Deccan)

Unit 9
 The age of Tamil Sangam literature in the South: nature of Sangam literature; social, political, economic and cultural
life reflected in the Sangam literature
 School of Open Learning (SOL), Early India (600 BCE to 750 CE), Lesson 8
 IGNOU, EHI-02, Block 7: State and Society in South India, 200 BC to 300 AD, Units 28 (sections
28.128.5), 29 (sections 29.2, 29.3.1, 29.5.229.5.3, 29.6.1), 30 (sections 30.130.9), 31 (sections
31.131.5)
 Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), Ch. 5, Cultures in Transition (section 5.4, pp. 4552,
5764)
 R. S. Sharma, India’s Ancient Past, Ch. 22
 Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Ch. 1, pp. 2729; Ch. 8, pp.
38488, 399403, 42225
 Ranabir Chakrabarti, Exploring Early India, Ch. 5, pp. 18788
 Noboru Karashima (ed.), A Concise History of South India, Ch. 2, pp. 4355