Course Code and Title: HS 201 | World Civilizations and

Cultures (Semester I-2023-24)

Instructors: Madhumita Sengupta, V.N. Prabhakar, Sharada CV

SECTION Instructor: V.N. Prabhakar, Office AB 12/402C

Lecture venue: Jasubhai Auditorium
Timings: 11.30 to 12.50 AM on Tuesdays and Fridays

Course TA: Saurabh Mishra

Meetings through appointment only
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Course Description

This course in History deals with major trends and debates in the
transition from the ancient to the modern world, with a special focus on the history
of the Indian subcontinent. The course has been divided into four broad sections-
The Ancient World, the Medieval World, India and the World, and the Modern
World.

In its first section, the course will focus on key trends in the evolution
of human societies from hunter-gatherers to settled communities and the
emergence of more complex state societies. In this section, the course will also
provide a brief overview of some of the world's major civilisations, such as the
Harappan, the Egyptian, the Mesopotamian, the Greek and the Chinese. The
principal themes to be covered in this section include- the broad socio-economic
trends characterizing each of these civilizational zones, regimes of resource
sharing among the people therein, their practices of governance and policies of
social and political exclusion as well as the interconnections and trade networks
that existed among communities geographically and culturally separated from
each other.

In the section on the medieval world, the course will probe into the
circumstances that led to the emergence of feudal state societies in Europe. The
historiographical debate over the existence of feudalism in India will form a
significant component of this section. The rise of Islam, the circumstances leading
to the Crusades and the latter’s impact on the Mediterranean trade will form
another major component in this section of the course. In the section on India and
the world, the course will discuss some of the major developments in the ancient
and medieval history of the Indian subcontinent, with a special focus on the
region’s interactions with the outside world in the form of trade, invasions and
immigrations and the collective social impact of the latter. This section will also
engage with key advancements in technology and learning in ancient and
medieval India.

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 The course's final section is devoted to “Modern History”. This section
will provide a brief overview of some of the prominent trends of the late medieval
and the modern periods, such as the eclipse of royal power, the rise of the
bourgeoisie, the emergence of capitalist production, the dissemination of
Socialist ideas, geographical discoveries and the expansion of European trade,
the Industrial Revolution in Europe, the establishment of European colonies in
Asia and Africa, and the latter’s specific ramifications for the history of the Indian
subcontinent (with special focus on “De-industrialization” and “Drain of Wealth”).
The course will conclude with a discussion of the two major wars of the period,
the First and the Second World Wars.

Total Lectures: 20 (TWO weekly lectures of one hour and 20 minutes). The
last day of the course is 24 November 2023.

Course Modules
A. The Ancient World (9 lectures)

i) The transition from Hunter-Gatherers to Farming Communities, the

knowledge of metallurgy irrigation and, the growth of the earliest urban
settlements, the use of iron and the second urban revolution in North
India in the 6th century BCE (1)

ii) Major civilizations of the world (Harappan, Egyptian, Mesopotamian,

Greek), Factors responsible for their rise, chronology, geographical
extent and salient features (8)

B. The Medieval World (3 lectures)

iii) Circumstances responsible for the emergence of Feudal state society in

the early medieval period (focusing on Western Europe, India), The
conflict with monarchy, the obstruction to the Mediterranean trade and
the emergence of serfdom (1)

iv) The rise of Islam, the conflicts with the Christian Church and the
Crusades (1)

v) The struggle against the monarchy and the emergence of democratic

state structures (examples from the parliamentary history of Great Britain
and the French Revolution) (1)

C. India and the World: The Ancient and the medieval periods (3 lectures)

vi) The Indo-Roman trade network (1)

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 vii) The Glories of India: Advancements made in Science and Technology
(1)

viii) the emergence of Buddhism, Jainism in the 6th century BCE (1)

D. The Modern World (5 lectures)

ix) Geographical discoveries and the expansion of European trade in the

seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries (1)

x) Socialism, Marxism and the Communist Revolution (1)

xi) Establishment of European colonies (1)

xii) The European penetration of India and the establishment of British

colonial rule (A brief discussion of “Deindustrialization” and “Drain of
Wealth)” (1)

xiii) Major wars: the First and the Second World Wars (1)

Select Bibliography
1. Haywood, J. 1995. The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings. Penguin
Books. London.

2. Kenoyer, J.M. 1998. Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. Oxford
University Press. Oxford. Oxford;

3. Maisels, C.K. 1999. Early Civilizations of the Old World: The Formative
Histories of Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, India and China. Routledge.
London;

4. McKillop, H. 2004. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. ABC-CLIO, Inc.

California.

5. Satish Chandra, Medieval India, vols 1 & 2.

6. Schelach-Lvai, G. 2015. The Archaeology of Early China: From Prehistory

to the Han Dynasty. Cambridge University Press. New York.

7. Shekhar Bandopadhyay, From Plassey to Partition.

8. Susan Wise Bauer, The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest
Account to the Fall of Rome. W.W. Norton;

9. Susan Wise Bauer, The Middle Ages: From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of
the Renaissance.

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10. Susan Wise Bauer, The Modern Age.

11. The Cassell Atlas of World History, vols. 1, 2, 3

12. Trigger, B.G. 1993. Early Civilizations: Ancient Egypt in Context. The
American University in Cairo Press. Cairo;

13. Trigger, B.G. 2003. Understanding Early Civilizations: A Comparative

Study. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge;

14. Upinder Singh.2009. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India.

Pearson.

Evaluation Plan: Total Marks: 100%

1. TWO Exams – during the examination period, the first carrying 30 marks
and the second carrying 35 marks (to be held during the examination
period): 65%

First Exam: 15% Objective multiple choice; 10% multiple-choice

based on statements, True/False; Matching the correct answer.

Second Exam: 15% Objective multiple choice; 20% comprehension-

based question and answer.

2. Attendance: 15 marks
(to be evaluated based on attendance and participation in
discussions): 80-90% = 10 marks; More than 90% = 15 marks; Less than
80 - 0 marks

Please note that you must seek prior permission from the instructor if
you wish to miss a class. Under all circumstances, the instructor's
final decision regarding attendance and attendance marks will
remain. No bargaining or negotiations in this regard will be
entertained.

4. Journal Writing: 20%

Students are expected to choose a topic from anything taught in the class
before and after the first exam and write at least 1000 words (Two sides of
an A4 sheet, at least 18-20 lines per page). Topics will be announced
during Journal Writing Week, and the students are expected to write the
Journal during class hours. There are TAs who will check these
assignments.

Each such journal will carry TEN marks. You must submit a total of
TWO such journals (one before the First Exam and the second before
the Final Exam) throughout the course. The deadlines will be
announced later.

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The Rubric for the evaluation of journal writing will be as follows:

Excellent – 9; Good – 7-8; Average – 5-6; Not Satisfactory - <5 (it

may range between 1-5).

Criteria for the grading

Excellent is when you have an introduction, a brief description of the

matter, an analysis and a conclusion. The journal should be introduced
in a manner which captures the essence of the topic.

Good when you have all these components, but it needs to be done in
a satisfactory manner.

Average is when you do not have any one of these components.

NS is when you do not have more than one of the above-mentioned

components.

Plagiarism

Up to 10% only names of authors, bibliography, not more than

three continuous words