SRI SATHYA SAI UNIVERSITY FOR HUMAN EXCELLENCE, KALABURAGI

Proposed Syllabus for UG Course (BA History)

I Semester

Title of the Paper:

History of India (from earliest times to 6th Century BCE)

Learning Outcomes:

 Students will acquire knowledge about the livelihood of the Primitive Society.
 Students will understand the different theories that are coming up on Indus-Saraswati
Civilization.
 Students can gather knowledge more about the great Vedic Civilization in particular as
well as overall early India’s socio-cultural profile in general.
 Students will also gain the knowledge of the historical significance of the Epics through
archaeological and historical sources i.e. the excavation reports; rock-art; inscriptions
etc.

Unit I: Pre-history of India

1. Sources: Archaeological and Literary sources of early Indian History.
2. An introduction to Indian Pre-History: Palaeolithic Period – Mesolithic Period –
Neolithic Period.
3. Socio-religious beliefs in Pre-historic period and understanding the same
through contemporary indigenous beliefs.

Unit II: Proto-history of India

1. Harappan Civilization or Indus-Saraswati Civilization?
2. Society, economy and religion of Harappan Civilization – Worship of Mother Goddess
and Pasupati (Proto-Siva).
3. Chalcolithic and Megalithic (Iron Age) Culture – Belief systems.

Unit III: Vedic Age – The Great Vedic Heritage of India

1. Vedic Literature: Sruthi (Vedas – Brahmanas – Aranyakas – Upanishads) and Smriti

(Vedangas – Sutras – Upa Vedas – Epics) – Dating of Vedic period: Maxmuller’s
hypothesis – Aryan’s Origin and invasions – Various theories.
2. Rig Vedic Society (BCE 1500 to BCE 1000) – Concept of Sanatana Dharma –
Vasudhaiva kutumbakam – Worship of Gods; Goddesses and Nature.
 3. Later Vedic Society (BCE 1000 to BCE 600) – Varna system – Ashrama Dharmas –
Purusharthas – Shadrshanas (Schools of Indian Philosophy) – Goal of human life –
Worship of Trinity – Evolution of Proto-Siva of Harappan Civilization into Vedic
Rudra and Later Vedic Siva?

Unit IV: The Epics – Historical significance

1. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata as sources of Ancient Indian History:
Different interpretations – Historical locations mentioned in the Epics and their
modern names.
2. Historical importance of the Epics Excavation reports; the Epics in the Rock-Art
and Inscriptions.
3. Political conditions in the Epic period – Origin of the state – Administration.

References

 Agarwal, D.P: The Archaeology of India, 1985

 Sankalia, HD: Prehistory and Prohistory of India and Pakistan, Poona 1974
 B.B. Lal: The Sarasvati Flows on - The Continuity of Indian Civilization, 2002
 S.R. Rao: The Lost City of Dvaraka, 1999
 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
 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
 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
 SRI SATHYA SAI UNIVERSITY FOR HUMAN EXCELLENCE, KALABURAGI
Proposed Syllabus for UG Course (BA
History)

II Semester

Title of the Paper:

History of India (6th Century BCE – 7th Century CE)

Learning outcomes
 Students will get the knowledge of second urbanization in India
 Students would come to know that the despite vigorous ideological differences in the
society, how people lived peacefully and never gone for any kind of physical violence.
 Students will understand the concept of Welfare State of Ashoka.
 Students would come to understand the recent archaeological discoveries which shed
light on the urbanisation of the Sangam age
 Students will understand how difficult to get a seat in higher educational institutions of
early India, where they had to compete with foreign students.

Unit – I
Dharmic Traditions of Sanatana Dharma and Emergence of State

I. Sources: Archaeological and literary sources

II. Ajivaka: Maskariputra Goshaala, Charvaka: Ajita kesakambali and their Philosophies
III. Jainism: Vardhmana Mahaveera, Buddhism: Buddha and their Philosophies - spread
IV. Second urbanisation in India – Janapada, Mahajanapada and Rise of Magadha

Unit – II
Mauryan Empire
I. Chandragupta Maurya, Bimbisara and Ashoka
II. Administration: Arthashastra – Chanakya, Indica: Megasthenes
III. Ashoka: Dhamma and spread of Buddhism as the first world religion
IV. Cause of Downfall of the Mauryan Empire

Unit – III
Post-Mauryan Empire

I. Native Dynasties: Shunga, Kanva and Kharavela.

II. Foreign Dynasties in India: Indo Greek, Sakas, Parthians & Kushan.
III. Satavahanas: Society and Culture, Art, Architecture and Coinage.
IV. Sangam Age (Chola, Chera and Pandya Dynasties): Archaeology, Sangam Literature,
Society, Culture and Foreign trade.
Unit – IV
Golden Age
I. Imperial Guptas - Administration, Art, Architecture, Religion, Development of
Literature and Science and Technology.
II. Centres of higher education – Takshasila, Kanchi, Nalanda, and Vallabhi.
III. Scientists of Sanatana Dharma - Panini, Sushruta, Charaka, Brahmagupta and
Aryabhata.
IV. Pushyabhuti Dynasty: Harshavardhana and his achievements and administration.

Suggested Readings:

l A.S Altekar, Education in Ancient India, Nand Kishore & Bros, Varanasi 1944
l Raychaudhary, H.C: Political History of Ancient India, rev Edition, 1996 by B.N
Mukherjee
l Majumdar R.C and Pusalkar A.D (edited): The History of Indian People, vol. I, II, III,
IV, V and IV
l Majumdar, R.C. and Altekar, A.S Vakataka: Gupta Age, Motilal Banarasi Das, 2007.
l Will Durant: The Story of civilization, five communication, US, Jan. 1993(11 Vol)
l Sastri, K.A. Nilkanta: A History of South India, from Prehistoric times to the fall of
Vijaynagar, Oxford University Press, 1955, also, in Hindi translation by Bihar Hindi
Granth Academy.
l Sastri, K.A. Nilkanta: Studies in Chola History and Administration, University of
Madras, 1932.
l Shastri, K.A Nilkanta: History of South India: from Prehistoric times to the Fall of
Vijaynagar, IV Edition, 1975
l Singh, Upinder: A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, from Stone Age to
Early Medieval India, a Pearson pub., New Delhi, 2008.
l Thapar, Romilla: Early India from the Beginnings to 1300, London, 2002
l Subramanyan, N. Sangam Polity, Asia Publishers, 1968.
l Subramanyan, N. History of Tamilnadu, Koodal Publishers, Madhurai, 1977.
 SRI SATHYA SAI UNIVERSITY FOR HUMAN EXCELLENCE,
KALABURAGI
Proposed Syllabus for UG Course (BA -
History)

III Semester

Title of the Paper:

Ancient Indian Heritage (Up to 1200 CE)

Learning Outcomes:
chemistry.
Students will understand he Ancient Indian cultural heritage which includes historical
background of ancient sciences such as astronomy, geometry, mathematics,
and
 They will learn about the development of science which includes the science behind
ancient temples, the Dashavatara and evaluation theory etc.
 They will also acquire the knowledge about the ancient performing arts and Indian
classical languages.

Unit: I Ancient Science

Science in the ancient Indian society: Astronomy, Mathematics and Chemistry.
1. Astronomy:
Lagadha 2nd Century BCE, Aryabhatta 476 CE - 550 CE, Brahmagupta 598 CE
- 665 CE, Varahamihira 505 CE - 587 CE, Bhaskara-I 600 CE - 680 CE, Lalla
720 CE - 790 CE, Satananda 1068 CE - 1099 CE, Bhaskara-II 1114 CE – 1185
CE, Sripati 1019 CE -1066 CE.
2. Mathematics:
Numbers, Anuyogdwar Sutra (2nd Century BCE)
Aryabhatta 476 CE - 550 CE - Zero & Geometry, Brahmagupta 598 CE - 665
CE - Algebra, Varahamihira’s 505 CE - 587 CE - Trigonometry and Surya
Siddhanta, Bhaskara-II 1114 CE – 1185 CE, Sridharacharya 870 CE - 930 CE.
3. Chemistry:
Kanada’s (6th Century BCE) Atomic Theory
Iron Pillar (4th Century CE) at Mehrauli in Delhi
Konark (13th Century CE) Iron Pillar

Unit: II Ancient Medicine:

Medicine in the ancient Indian society: Folk Medicine, Ayurveda, and
Veterinary Science.
1. Bhaishajya Sutra 4th Century BCE, Ayurvedic Medicine: Charaka
Samhita (1st Century), Sushruta Samhita (5th Century CE), Bower
Manuscript, Eight
 Components of Ayurveda: Kayachikitsa, Kaumarabhritya, Shalya Tantra,
Shalakya Tantra, Bhutavidya, Agadatantra/ Vishagara-vairodh Tantra,
Rasayan Tantra, Vajikaraṇatantra.
2. Veterinary Science (Horses and Elephants): Shalihotra- Ashwayurveda
(3rd Century BCE), Hastayurveda - Palakapya, Hemadri - Gaja Darpan.

Unit: III Ancient Temples

The Science behind temples, The Dashavatara and Human Evolution Theory
Shilpa Shastra, Chakras, The five senses of the body - sight, sound, smell, taste,
and touch. Colours in the temple.
Ancient Art and Architecture: Nagara, Dravida, Vesara, Vasthu styles.
Buddhist and Jain styles.

Temple as Socio-economic and religious centre. Temple management -

Devadana lands, Gramadana lands, Brahmadeya lands.
Unit: IV 1. Performing Arts:
Bharatnatyam ,Kathakali, Kathak, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Odissi,
Manipuri, Sattriya.
2. Indian Classical Languages:
Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008),
Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).

Reading Books:

Secondary Sources

 E. R. Acharya, An Academic Relation between Nepal and India With mathematics

manuscript in Nepal, J. of Ramanujan Society of Math. and Math. Sc, 2012.
 Major B. D. Basu, Vaisesika Sutra, (The Vaisesika Sutras of Kanada) The Sacred
Books of the Hindus, Vijaya Press, 1923.
 N.Chidambaram Aiyar, The Brihat Jataka of Varaha Mihira, Thompson & Co,
1905.
 P.Muridin, Brahmagupta (c 598–c 665), Encyclopedia of Astronomy & Astrophysics,
CRC Press, 2000.
 Walter Eugene Clark, The Aryabhatiya of Aryabhata (An ancient Indian Work on
Mathematics and astronomy), The University of Chicago Press, 1930.
  Vasant D.Lad, Fundamental Principles of Arurveda, Vol.I, the Ayurvedic Press,
Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2002.
 Kapila Vatsyayan, Classical Indian Dance in Literature and the Arts, Sangeet Natak
akademi, 1968.
Reference Books

 A L Basham, The Wonder That Was India, Ingram, Oxford University Press, 2014.
 A L Basham, The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism, Oxford University
Press, USA, 1991.
 A L Basham, The Illustrated Cultural History of India, Oxford University Press, 2007.
 Dandekar, R.N., Vedic Bibliography (4 Vols.), Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute,
Poona, 1990.
 Dasgupta, S.N., A History of Indian Philosophy (5 Vols.),Cambridge University Press,
2000.
 George Michell, Architecture and Art of Southern India, Cambridge University Press, 1995
 George Michell, Hindu Art and Architecture, Thames And Hudson, World of Art, 2000.
 Hastings. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, (13 Vols.), New York,1994.
 Heinrich Zimmer, ed Joseph Campbell, The Art of Indian Asia, Volume I text, Volume II,
Pantheon Books, 1955.
 J. C. Harle, The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, Penguin Books, 1986,
reprinted 1990.
 Raina, Dhruv, Images and Contexts: The Historiography of Science and Modernity in
India. New Delhi: Oxford University Press 2003.
 Sri Aurobindo, The Secret of the Veda, Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library, VoLlO.,
Pondicherry, 1990.
 Sri Aurobindo, The Foundations of Indian Culture, Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary
Library, Vol.14, Pondicherry 1990.
 T. Richard Blurton , Hindu Art, Harvard University Press, 1993.
 Up-Pravartak, ed., Illustrated Anuyogadvar Sutra, Padma Prakashan, 2001.
 David H. Bailey Jonathan M. Borwein, Ancient Indian Square Roots: An Exercise in
Forensic Paleo-Mathematics, Encyclopaedia of Mathematics, Cambridge University,
Press, 2010.
 Sita Sundar Ram Ramakalyani V.ed , History and Development of Mathematics in India,
National Mission for Manuscripts, New Delhi, 2022.
 Kapila Vatsyayan, Indian Classical Dance, Publications Division, Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 1992.
 Shama Sastry,ed., The Ayurvedasutram, University of Mysore, 1957.