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Colonialism and Nationalism in India

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Course Type Course Code No. Of Credits
Discipline Core NSUS1PO701 4

Course Coordinator and Team:                  SES Faculty

Email of course coordinator:                       pcbabed@aud.ac.in 

Pre-requisites:                                               No

Course Description:

The course presents a broad understanding and discussion on multiple perspectives and approaches of colonialism and nationalism in India. This paper explores the meaning, nature and phases of colonialism in India. The course also discusses along with advent of the colonial project in India, the nationalistic resistance to it. It further looks into the stages of nationalistic movement to decolonise, different ideological dispensations that led the multi layered nationalistic response to colonialism and the expansion of the socio-cultural consciousness of Indian nationalism that has intricately shaped the post-colonial India.

Course Objectives:

  • To introduce students with theoretical understanding of colonialism and nationalism in India
  • To introduce students with the stages of colonialism and explain the rise of nationalism in India.

Course Outcomes:

  • Have a comprehensive historical and political understanding of colonialism and nationalism in India
  • Engage in discussions related to the spirits for the nationalism

Brief description of Modules

Module 1:  Colonialism and Nationalism: A Conceptual Paradigm

The first module will introduce the students with the conceptual paradigm about Colonialism and Nationalism in India. It will provide the students with diverse perspectives to the understanding of Colonialism in India which includes Liberalism, Marxism and Post-Colonialism, and approaches to the study of nationalism in India, such as Nationalist, Imperialist, Subaltern and Marxist.

Module 2: Colonial Rule in India: Stages and Impact

This module will explore the various stages of colonial growth in India. It aims to equip students with the expansion and consolidation of British power and the ideological justification of the colonial rule. The module will also focus on its impact on agriculture, industry and land relations and the changes it brought in the administration.

Module 3: Socio-Religious Reform Movements and Indian Response to Colonialism

The module will define the concept of social and religious movements. It will discuss the major social and religious reform movements across India such as Brahmo Samaj, SatyaShodhak Samaj, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission to name a few. The module will also familiarise the students with the circumstances which had created the base for the 1857 War of Independence. The module will further discuss about the education and the rise of the new middle class in India.

Module 4: Stages of Nationalism and Expansion of Social Base

The module will familiarise students with different phases and shades of nationalist movement. Gandhi and mass mobilisation, opposition and alternate movements that opposed non-violence of Gandhi: Non-cooperation, Civil Disobedience, and Quit India Movement, will be discussed in this module. The Socialist alternatives such as revolutionaries, socialists and communists will also be included in the module. The students will get introduced to the communalism in Indian Politics, the two-nation theory and the negotiations over partition in this module.    

Module 5: Social Movements

This module will aware the students of the various social movements such as anti-caste, peasant, tribal and women movements and the contribution of these in the nationalist movements which shaped the post-independence national identity of India.

Assessment Structure:

Assessment

Weightage

Assignment 1: Engagement with the educational resources. This involves in-class quizzes and short response notes

30%

Assignment 2: Assignments and/or presentations

30%

Assignment 3: End-term assessment

40%

References

  • Chandra, B. (1999) Essays on Colonialism, Hyderabad. Orient Longman, pp.1-22.
  • Guha, Ranajit. (1982). Subaltern Studies, I. Oxford University Press. Delhi. pp.1-8.
  • Young, R. (2003) Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 9-68.
  • Chandra, B. (1988) India’s Struggle for Independence, New Delhi. Penguin, pp.13-30
  • Bandopadhyay, S. (2015 revised edition) From Plassey to Partition and After: A History of Modern India. New Delhi: Orient Longman, pp. 37-65; 66-138.
  • Metcalf and Metcalf. (2002) A Concise History of India. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 55-80
  • Bandopadhyay, S. (2008) Eighteen-Fifty-Seven and Its Many Histories, in 1857: Essays from Economic and Political Weekly, Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan. pp.1-22.
  • Sarkar, Sumit, Modern India, 1885-1947, Laxmi Pub., New Delhi, 2008
  • Sarkar, S. (1983) Modern India (1885-1847). New Delhi: Macmillan.
  • Fulcher, J. (2004) Capitalism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Masselos, Jim, Indian Nationalism: A History, New Dawn Press, 2005
  • Jalal, A. and Bose, S. (1997) Modern South Asia: History, Culture, and Political Economy. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 109-119; 128-134; 135-156.
  • Rao, MSA. 2002. Social Movements in India. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers and Distributors
  • Shah, Ghanashyam. 1990. Social Movements in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications.
  • Desai, A.R. (2019, reprint- 6th edition) Movement for the Emancipation of Women, in Social Background of Indian Nationalism, Sage.
  • Vimla Farooqui (1996) A Short History of Women’s Movement in India. New Delhi. People’s Publishing House, pp. 14-24.
  • Wilson, John 1973. Introduction to Social Movements. Basic Books: New York.
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