HIST2007 British India: its Rise and Decline, 1850-1940

2015

4.5

2 x 1-hour lectures weekly
1 x 1-hour tutorial weekly

HIST2060 has been successfully completed

This Topic will examine the political, economic and social transformations in India from the Mutiny of 1857 through to the Second World War. It will analyse the changes brought to India by British rule and by the reactions to that rule. We will look especially at the Indian nationalist movement, at its foot soldiers (for example, peasants, urban workers, women and untouchables) as well as its elite (the leaders, such as Gandhi, Nehru and Jinnah). We will consider the development of nationalist, socialist and communalist ideologies and assess the importance of these in the political conflicts of the period. The Topic will also encourage students to discuss and evaluate the various historical interpretations of this phase of Indian history.

1. To examine India's struggle for nationhood and, through that examination, to increase students' knowledge of Indian history
2. To enable students to apply knowledge in evaluating the comparative significance of the Indian struggle as aneventthat shaped the modern world
3. To understand the different foundations of historical knowledge
4. To learn how to discriminate between different types of historical evidence (e.g. genealogy, archives, film, fiction, propaganda and others)
5. To develop certain necessary techniques, such as how to see the key issues in the question under consideration; how to take useful notes from books and lectures; how to sift evidence; how to organise an argument and support it; and how to reference adequately
6. To enable students to communicate their knowledge effectively, both in collaborative situations (discussions etc) and independently (through the written word)

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Having successfully completed this Topic, students should be able to engage in:

• An informed discussion of the main themes in Indian history from 1850 to1940
• An examination of the relative importance of Indian history during that period
• An identification and critical examination of the main issues in Indian historical debates regarding the period
• Critical and comparative thinking to construct and develop a coherent argument about an issue, with particular reference to Indian history
• Oral and written communication in tutorial discussions and in a variety of written work
• Effective use of libraries and other sources for research.