Examination Booklet December 2023

Table of Contents

SEM V Examination Dates 3

Course Syllabi 4
Popular Culture 4
Issues in Twentieth Century World History 5
History of India c.1200-1700 6
Religion and Society 7
Question Bank 8
History of India c.1200-1700 8
Unit 1 - Delhi Sultanate 8
Unit 2 - Vijayanagar 8
Unit 3 - Mughal Empire 8
Unit 4 - Marathas and Sikhs 9
Unit 5 - Art and Architecture 9
Unit 6 - Society, Culture and Religion 9
Unit 7 - Economy and patterns of exchange 10
Short Notes 10
Issues in Twentieth Century World History 11
Unit 1: The Concept and Definition 11
Unit 2: First World War 11
Unit 3: 1917 Russian Revolution 11
Unit 4: Fascism and Nazism 11
Unit 5: Modernity, Rights and Democracy 11
Others 11
Short Notes 12
Religion and Society 13
Unit 1 - Understanding Religion 13
Unit 2 - Religion in India 13
Unit 3 - Secularism & Communalism 13
Short Notes 13
Popular Culture 14
Unit I: Understanding Popular Culture: Some Issues 14
Unit II: Some Aspects of Popular Culture in India 14
[a] Religion and everyday practice 14
[b] Performative Traditions 14
[c] Food Cultures 14
[d] Making of a new ‘Public' 14
Contemporary India: women and empowerment 15

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 SEM V Examination Dates
Tentative

Exam Name of Course SEM Course Date

Code Type

62313518 Popular Culture V SEC 14 December

62035922 Contemporary India: Women and V GE 18 December

Empowerment

62317520 Issues in Twentieth Century World V DSE 20 December

History I

62307501 Religion and Society V DSE 22 December

62314360 History of India c. 1200 - 1700 III Core 26 December

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 Course Syllabi

Popular Culture

Course Content:

Unit I: Understanding Popular Culture: Some Issues

Defining Popular Culture: Popular Culture as Folk Culture, Mass Culture, as the
‘other’ of High Culture, People’s Culture, etc.
Popular Culture and History: The Historian and the Archives
Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe or the City of Mumbai

Unit II: Some Aspects of Popular Culture in India

(Students should choose any three from the four rubrics [a] – [d] mentioned below)

[a] Religion and everyday practice

Festivals and Rituals: Case studies of Navaratri in Madras / Urs in Ajmer / Kumbh
Mela
Everyday healing and petitioning the divine: Case studies of Jinns in Delhi / Popular
Hinduism / Tantric practices
Sacred Geographies, Sacred Spaces: Pilgrimage and pilgrim practices

[b] Performative Traditions

Orality, Memory and the Popular: Case studies of women’s Ramayanas in the oral
tradition Andhra/ Rajasthan
Theatre and Dance
Music: Popular music and Technology; Case studies of Devotional music / the Ghazal
and the Cassette

[c] Food Cultures

Recipes and the national project: Popular recipe books

Food and Public Cultures of Eating: Udupi Hotels, Dum Pukht, South Asian food in a
global world
Cultures of Consumption: Tea-Coffee and the Indian Middle Class

[d] Making of a new ‘Public'

Popular Art: Imagining the nation in Calendar art
Print media: Amar Chitra Katha
Cinema: Constructing Family, Gender and Marriage through popular cinema

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Issues in Twentieth Century World History

Course Content:

Unit I: The Concept and Definition

What is World History?

Unit II: First World War:

Consequences in Europe and the World,
League of Nations

Unit III: 1917 Russian Revolution:

Formation of the USSR
Debates on socialism and the role of the Communist International (Comintern)

Unit IV: Fascism and Nazism:

Germany,Japan and Second World War

Unit V: Modernity, Rights and Democracy:

The suffragette movement (England)
Anti-colonial struggles (Indonesia)
The formation of the United Nations
Art and politics (Picasso)

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History of India c.1200-1700

Course Outline:

Unit I. Delhi Sultanate

Foundation, expansion and consolidation of the Sultanates of Delhi c.13th to 15th
century
Iqta system
Administrative reforms
Nobility

Unit II. Regional political formations

Vijayanagara

Unit III. Mughal Empire

Foundation, expansion and consolidation of the Mughal State, c.16th to 17th century
Rajputs
Mansabdari and Jagirdari
Imperial ideology
Reassessing Aurangzeb

Unit IV. 17th century transitions

Marathas
Sikhs

Unit V. Art and architecture in Mediaeval India

Qutb complex
Vijayanagara (Hampi)
Fatehpur Sikri
Mughal miniature painting

Unit VI. Society, culture and religion

Bhakti -- Kabir and Mira Bai
Sufism – Nizamuddin Auliya
Sufism in popular literature from the Deccan: Chakki- Nama and Charkha-Nama

Unit VII. Economy and integrated patterns of exchange

Rural and urban linkages
Maritime trade and non-agrarian production

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Religion and Society

Course Outline:

1. Understanding Religion

1.1. Sociology of Religion: Meaning and Scope

1.2. Sacred and Profane
1.3 Religion and Rationalization
1.4 Rites of Passage

2. Religion in India

2.1. Hinduism
2.2. Islam
2.3. Christianity
2.4. Sikhism
2.5. Buddhism

3. Secularism & Communalism

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 Question Bank

History of India c.1200-1700

Unit 1 - Delhi Sultanate

1. Discuss Alauddin Khalji’s market control policy. / Examine the aims, extent and
impact of Allaudin Khalji's market regulations.
2. Evaluate the response of the Delhi Sultanate to the Mongol challenge.
3. Discuss the significance of the Iqta System in the political and economic history of
the Delhi Sultanate / Examine the working of the Iqta system in the 13th and 14th
centuries. How did it lead to political and economic decentralisation?
4. Examine the contribution of Iltutmish and Balban to the growth of centralised state
structure in mediaeval India./ What steps did Balban take to consolidate Delhi
Sultanate? Describe it with special reference to the theory of Kingship. / Discuss
Balban’s theory of Kingship. How did it help in centralising the political authority of
the Sultan
5. Examine the various projects of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq / Describe the experiments
of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. What were its impacts? / The economic and
administrative reforms of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq were an attempt to streamline a
rapidly growing Sultanate. Discuss.
6. Discuss the character and composition of the Sultanate ruling class during the
thirteenth century. / Critically examine the role of the nobility during the 13th and
14th centuries / Describe the relations between the Sultans and the nobility in the
Delhi Sultanate.

Unit 2 - Vijayanagar

1. To what extent was the Nayankara system central to the administration of the
Vijayanagara Empire?
2. The city of Hampi was a reflection of imperial power. Discuss.
3. Describe the social and economic changes under the Vijayanagara Empire / Describe
the society and economy of the Vijayanagara empire with reference to the changing
economic base.
4. Discuss the Vijayanagar-Bahmani conflict. To what extent did it impact the political
fortunes of the Deccan?
5. “The organisation of Vijaynagar State was dominated by its military needs.”
Elucidate.

Unit 3 - Mughal Empire

1. Discuss the evolution of the mansabdari system from Akbar to Aurangzeb / Discuss
the main features of the Mansabdari system.
2. Describe the approach of historians to the study of the Mughal Empire
3. Critically analyse the various stages in evolution of Mughal relations with the
Rajputs. / Analyze Mughal-Rajput relations under Akbar. / What were the main tenets
of the Mughal Policy towards Rajputs in the 16th century. / Mughal Rajput relations
played an important role in shaping the Mughal Empire. Discuss.

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 4. Describe the evolution of Akbar's religious ideas / Evaluate the evolution of Akbar’s
religious ideas. To what extent did it influence the consolidation of Imperial
authority?
5. Trace the emergence and the growth of the Jagirdari system under the Mughals. / The
Jagirdari system played an important role in systematising revenue collection in the
Mughal Empire. Discuss.
6. The ability of the Mughal emperors to forge formidable alliances was central to their
success. Discuss with reference to Akbar and the establishment of the Mughal Empire
ot Aurangzebs and the War of Succession.
7. Explain the main stages in the Mughal-Maratha conflict.
8. The creation of a composite nobility was central to Akbar’s success in establishing the
Mughal Empire. Discuss.
9. Do you think Sheh Shah was an innovator in the field of administration? Discuss.

Unit 4 - Marathas and Sikhs

1. Describe the importance of the Marathas in the Deccan Sultanates

2. Evaluate the various factors that were responsible for the emergence of the Marathas
in the 17th century / Evaluate the emergence of Marathas under Shivaji / Trace the
growth of Maratha state under Shivaji / Trace the development of the Maratha state
and its institutions under Shivaji.
3. Explain the main stages in the Mughal-Maratha conflict.

Unit 5 - Art and Architecture

1. Trace the different stages of the development of the Qutb complex during the
Sultanate./ Examine the evolution of Sultanate architecture in the Qutb complex.
2. Describe various architectural trends from Akbar to Shahjahan / Describe the
evolution of the Mughal painting from Akbar to Shah Jahan.
3. Explain the architectural development of Fatehpur Sikri under Akbar
4. Trace the contribution of Mughal rulers in origin and development of painting.
5. How do Mughal court paintings of Jahangir and ShahJahan’s period reflect the
imperial and cultural ideology of the Mughal Empire / To what extent do the Mughal
miniature paintings reflect contemporary society?
6. Write a short essay on Mughal architecture with special reference to Shah Jahan.

Unit 6 - Society, Culture and Religion

1. Discuss the development of musical traditions in the Mughal court in the second half
of the 17th century.
2. What was the contribution of women Bhaktas towards transforming socio-religious
life? Discuss it with reference to Mira Bai / Evaulate Mira Bai’s contributions to the
socio-religious life of the contemporary period / Evaluate Meera Bai’s contribution to
contemporary social reform, was she a conformist or rebel?
3. Evaluate the importance of the Chisti silsila in the mediaeval period
4. Discuss the contribution of Kabir and Nanak to the Bhakti movement / Explain the
social and ideological bases of the teachings of Kabir.
5. Briefly describe the emergence of the Bhakti movement in the mediaeval period.
6. Discuss Sufis as a source of authority and evaluate the significance of Nizamuddin
Auliya on the Chishti Silsila.

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Unit 7 - Economy and patterns of exchange

1. Discuss the impact of European Maritime trade on South Asia between the 15th and
the 17th centuries
2. Discuss the growing importance of trade during the 16th and 17th centuries / Discuss
the impact of European companies on trade in the 17th century.

Short Notes m. Market control policy

n. Mughal painting
a. Balban’s theory of Kingship o. Meera
b. Mughal-Rajput relations p. Banking in Mughal India
c. Fatehpur Sikri q. Development of Mughal
d. Kabir miniature paintings
e. Chakkimama & Charkanama r. Shehshah’s administration
f. Ziauddin Barani s. Shivaji
g. Sher Shah t. First battle of Panipat.
h. Taj Mahal u. Ain-i-Akbari
i. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq’s v. Zamindars in the Mughal
projects Empire
j. Hampi w. Mansabdari system
k. Jagirdari System x. Fatehpur Sikri
l. Iqta system y. The Tuluva of Vijayanagar
z.

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Issues in Twentieth Century World History

Unit 1: The Concept and Definition

1. What is capitalist industrialisation? In what way is it related to imperialism?

2. What do you understand about the term ‘Capitalism Industrialisation’. Was
imperialism its necessary outcome?
3. What do we understand by World History and Global History?
4. Discuss the main features of capitalist industrialization.

Unit 2: First World War

1. Critically analyse the factors responsible for the First World War.
2. What do you know about the League of Nations? Critically analyse its achievements
and failures / Was the League of Nations a success or failure? Discuss.
3. To what extent the division of Europe into opposite groups was responsible for the
outbreak of the First World War?
4. What were the immediate consequences of World War I? / What were the
consequences of World War I on Europe?
5. What were the causes of the First World War? How did it influence international
politics?
6. Was the peace settlement signed in Versailles an imposed treaty? Justify your answer.
7. Imperialist rivalries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries led to the first world war.
Do you agree?

Unit 3: 1917 Russian Revolution

1. What was the impact of the Bolshevik Revolution on Russia and the world?
2. What led to the outbreak of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917?
3. What were the causes of the success of the Bolsheviks in October 1917 in Russia?
4. Discuss the causes and process of the Russian revolution of October, 1917.

Unit 4: Fascism and Nazism

1. Do you agree with the view that the policy of appeasement led to the Second World
War?
2. How far was Hitler responsible for the rise of Nazism in Germany? / Discuss the
causes for the rise of Nazism in Germany.
3. To what extent were the aggressive policies of fascist countries responsible for the
second world war?
4. How did the Second World War impact the twentieth century?
5. Analyse the rise and consolidation of Nazi power in Germany.

Unit 5: Modernity, Rights and Democracy

Others

1. Analyse the impact of the Global Depression of 1929 on the industrialised world /
How did the economic depression of the industrial world affect the underdeveloped
world? / Discuss the reasons for the Great Depression of 1929.

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 2. Define modernity. How is it to related to capitalist industrialisation
3. How did the Suffragette movement in England contribute to women’s rights?
4. Discuss the emergence of anti-colonial struggles after World Wars.
5. Explain the major trajectory of Japan’s emergence into a military fascist state.
6. Had the liberal experiment failed in Japan and led the country to a military fascist
state? Discuss.

Short Notes

a. Contemporary Era
b. Treaty of Versailles
c. Liberalism and Communism
d. League of Nations
e. Mandate Era
f. Second World War

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Religion and Society

Unit 1 - Understanding Religion

1. Explain the significance of Protestant Ethic in the development of western capitalism.

2. Discuss the sociological approach to the study of religion.
3. Write an essay on totemism .
4. Examine the relationship between religion and rationalisation
5. Discuss the Rites of Passage as described by A Van Gennep

Unit 2 - Religion in India

1. Examine popular Hinduism in the context of Indian society / Write an essay on popular
hinduism
2. How has Islam contributed to the composite culture in India? / Discuss composite culture as a
result of Indo-Islamic tradition

Unit 3 - Secularism & Communalism

1. Critically examine the place of secularism in Indian society

2. Discuss Communalism in the Indian context

Short Notes
a. Five components of Hinduism
b. Communalism
c. Sikhism
d. Ritual Idiom of Coorgs
e. Sociological Approach to religion
f. Sacred and Profane
g. Rites of Passages
h. Social Context of Christianity in India

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Popular Culture

Unit I: Understanding Popular Culture: Some Issues

1. Define Popular Culture. How is it different from elite Culture?

2. Popular culture is about people's imagination. How is it different from elite culture?
3. Discuss different ways in which popular culture can be defined? What is the
relationship between popular culture and elite culture?

Unit II: Some Aspects of Popular Culture in India

[a] Religion and everyday practice

1. In what ways have popular festivals changed over time. Discuss with reference to any
one case study.
2. Discuss the social significance of Pilgrimage. Do you agree that they embody sacred
spaces? / The tradition of pilgrimage in India is deeply rooted in our culture and history.
Explain the statement with the help of two case studies.
3. Festivals are symbols of our cultural syncretism. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.
4. Describe your visit to an exhibition or cultural event.
5. Festivals are symbols of our cultural syncretism. Do you agree? Give reasons for your
answer.
6. What role do fairs play in the social, economic, cultural and religious life of the
common man?

[b] Performative Traditions

1. What role has technology played in popularising Indian Music? Explain with
Examples.
2. How are Performing art traditions helpful in contextualising regional cultural
patterns? Explain with examples.
3. Folk Songs and dances have a deep relationship with social experiences of the common
people. Observe the statement on the basis of any two states of India.
4. What are the different kinds of oral traditions prevalent in India? Examine the main
characteristics of any two of them.

[c] Food Cultures

1. Discuss the evolution of Food practices in India. How has globalisation impacted
Indian food habits?
2. What are the important aspects that determine the nature of regional cuisine in our country ?
3. Folk theatre is a key to understanding the culture of a region. Discuss with reference
to any two examples.

[d] Making of a new ‘Public'

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Contemporary India: women and empowerment

1. Discuss any three issues taken up by the women’s movement in Post-Independence

India.
2. Do cultures influence sex- and gender roles? Or are such roles biological? Support
your answer with the help of suitable examples.
3. What is patriarchy? Does it lead to creation of secondary roles for women? Give a
reasoned answer with suitable examples.
4. Dalit women are the most marginalised and discriminated group of people in India.
Do you agree? Write an essay with examples from any one of the autobiographies
prescribed for study.
5. “Sultana’s Dream” shows us the feminist dream of freedom and equality being
attained in Ladyland. Do you agree? Examine with close reference to the story.
6. What is domestic violence? Are domestic violence laws in India able to protect
women and children sufficiently? Evaluate with respect to the prevailing laws.
7. The importance assigned by society to femininity builds women’s consent for unpaid
domestic work. Discuss.
8. Discuss the issue of sexual harassment of women at the workplace. Include a critical
overview of Indian laws related to sexual harassment at the workplace.
9. Environmental crises affect women and marginalised peoples in extremely harsh
ways. Do you agree? Give a reasoned answer with suitable examples from the
contemporary Indian context.
10. With the help of “Sultana’s Dream”, demonstrate how the author shows us that “All
issues are women’s issues.”
11. With reference to any one text studied in class, comment on how Dalit women’s
autobiographies show the limitations of any concept of feminism that ignores caste.
12. Masculine notions of the honour of women and their communities caused much of the
violence against women during the Partition. Do you agree? Elaborate.

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