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Syllabus


Syllabus and Recommended Reading for B.A (Hons.) Pol. Science
Delhi University


Paper I: Colonialism and Nationalism in India


Course Objective: The purpose of this course is to help the students understand India’s colonial past, the shaping of the nationalist ideology and the unfolding of the national movement. Integral to the course is the understanding that ideas of democracy and freedom and corresponding social relations and political and institutional practices took shape in the context of the anti-colonial struggles. The institutions of the state, its policies, and the social and economic structures that obtain today, reflect the imprint of the colonial experience and the manner in which they have been transformed in the course of social struggles and the national movement.


1. Conceptual Explorations
  1. Explaining imperialism, colonialism and nationalism
  2. Approaches to the study of colonialism and nationalism in India: colonial, nationalist, Marxist and subaltern interpretations

  • [Chap.1 What is Nationalism?, pp.1-15] Alter, Peter, Nationalism, Edward Arnold,
  • [Chapter 1, Colonialism: Some Basic Aspects, pp.1-22] Chandra, Bipan, “Essays on Colonialism”, Orient Longman Ltd., Hyderabad, 1999.
  • [Pages:25-36. Thapar, Romila, ‘Interpretations of Colonial History: Colonial, Nationalist, Post-colonial’] in Peter Ronald deSouza ed. Contemporary India: Transitions, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2000,
  • Islam, Shamsul, ‘Rashtravaad: Ek Siddhanthik Preepreksh’ in Bharat mein algaovaad aur dharm, Vani, Delhi, 2006, [Pages 33-51]


2. The Early phase of colonialism and its impact
  1. Political: expansion and consolidation of British power, ideological justification of colonial rule – ‘civilizing mission’
  2. Economy: Agriculture and land relations, decline of traditional industry and patterns of trade
  3. Society: English education and Middle class
  4. Ideas: debates on Indian Renaissance

Readings
  • Chandra, Bipan, “Essays on Colonialism”, Orient Longman Ltd., Hyderabad, 1999, [Chapter4: The Colonial Legacy: The Case of India, Pages 79-114]

3. The 1857 Rebellion and the making of the modern Colonial State
  1. 1857 Rebellion: The social base, consequences
  2. Knowing the colonial subjects: issues of race, caste and religion, enumeration through census
  3. Politics of Representation: Constitutional Developments (1858-1935)

Readings:
  • Habib, Irfan, ‘Understanding 1857’ in Sabyasachi Bhattacharya (ed.), “Rethinking 1857”, Orient Longman, 2007, [Pages 58-66]

4. Nationalist Politics and Expansion of the Social Base
  1. Phases of Nationalist Movement and different ideological streams: early revolutionaries and partition of Bengal, moderates and extremists within Congress and revolutionary radicals
  2. Economic Nationalism; culture, community and identity
  3. Gandhi and mass mobilisation: ideas, symbols and techniques; Khilafat, Non-cooperation and Civil Disobedience
  4. Socialist alternatives: revolutionary extremists, Congress socialists, Communists
  5. Solidification of religious Boundaries, the growth of Communalism and the politics of ‘Hindu’ and ‘Muslim’ mobilization

Readings:
  • Chowdhuri, Satyabrata Rai. “Leftism in India”, 1917-1947, Palgrave Macmillan, New Delhi, 2007, Chap. 3. ‘Communism in India’, pages 42-135, Chap. 4; ‘Growth of the Congress Left Wing’, pages 136-165; Chap. 5. ‘Labour and Peasant Movements’, pages. 166-195.
  • Bandypadhyay, Sekhar. “From Plassey to Partition”, Orient Longman, 2004, Chap. 5.1 ‘The Moderates and Economic Nationalism’, pages 227-223.
  • Bandypadhyay, Sekhar. “From Plassey to Partition”, Orient Longman, 2004, Chap. 5.2 ‘Hindu revivalism and politics’, pages 234-238; Chap 5.4 ‘Muslim politics and the foundation of Muslim League’, pages  262-279.
  • Bandypadhyay, Sekhar. “From Plassey to Partition”, Orient Longman, 2004, Chap. 6.2 ‘The Arrival of Mahatma Gandhi’, pages 284-297; Chap. 6.3 ‘Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movement’, pages 297-311; Chap. 6.4 ‘Civil Disobedience movement’, pages 311-323; Chap.7.2 Non- Brahmin and Dalit protest, pages. 342-358.
  • Anil Seal, ‘Imperialism and Nationalism in India’, in John Gallagher, Gordon Johnson, Anil Seal (eds.) ‘Locality, Province & Nation: Essays on Indian Politics 1870-1940’, Cambridge: 1973, pages 1-28.

5. Social Movements
  1. The Women’s Question: Issues of social reforms, franchise and participation in the national movement and its impact
  2. The Caste Question: anti-Brahmin movements, Phule and Ambedkar on eradication of caste system
  3. Peasant, Tribal and Worker movements

Readings


6. Decolonisation and the Nationalist legacies
  1. The immediate context of Decolonisation: World War II, Quit India movement, Royal Indian Naval Revolt (RIN), Indian National Army (INA) struggles
  2. Partition and Independence: The two Nation theory and Partition, Independence and birth of India and Pakistan
  3. Nationalist legacies: The Motilal Nehru Committee Report and the legacy of rights, constitutionalism and democracy, idea of swaraj, secularism and socialism

Readings:
  • “The Nehru Report: An Anti-Separatist Manifesto”, Report of the Committee Appointed by the All Parties’ Conference, Bombay, 1928, Michiko and Panjathan, New Delhi, 1928 (reprinted 1975).
  • Aloysius, G, “Nationalism Without a Nation in India””, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1998. [Chapter 2: Colonial Rule and the Old Order, pages 21-51]
  • Chandra Bipan, Mridula Mukherjee, Aditya Mukherjee, “India After Independence” 1947-2000, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2000 [Chapter 2: The Colonial Legacy, pages .9-19; Chapter 3: The National Movement and its Legacy, pages 20-30]
  • Bandypadhyay, Sekhar. “From Plassey to Partition”, Orient Longman, 2004, Chap. 8.1 ‘Quit India movement’, pages 405-424; Chap. 8.3 ‘Towards freedom with partition’, pages. 438-472.

Additional readings:
  1. Aloysius, G, “Nationalism Without a Nation in India”, Oxford University Press, New Delhi,1998.
  2. Chandra, Bipan, “Essays on Colonialism”, Orient Longman Ltd., Hyderabad, 1999.
  3. Pradhan, Ram Chandra, “Raj to Swaraj”, Macmillan, New Delhi, 2008.
  4. Sarkar, Sumit, “Modern India”, 1885-1947, Macmillan, 1983.

*******************

Paper II: Introduction to Political Theory

Course Objective: This course is divided into three sections. Section A introduces the students to the idea of political theory, its history and approaches, and a critical evaluation of the project of political theory. Section B helps the student familiarize with the basic normative concepts of political theory. Each concept is related to a crucial political issue that requires analysis with the aid of our conceptual understandings. This exercise is designed to encourage critical and reflective analysis and interpretation of social practices through the relevant conceptual toolkit. Section C introduces the students to the important debates in the subject. These debates prompt us to consider that there is no settled way of understanding concepts and that in the light of new insights and challenges, besides newer ways of perceiving and interpreting the world around us, we inaugurate new modes of political explanation and judgment.

Section A: Introducing Political Theory
  1. What is Politics: Theorizing the ‘Political’
  2. Traditions of Political Theory: Liberal, Marxist and Conservative
  3. Approaches to Political Theory: Normative and Empirical
  4. Critical Perspectives on Political Theory: Feminist and Postmodern

Readings

Section B: Core Concepts

1. Importance of Freedom
  1. Negative Freedom: Liberty
  2. Positive Freedom: Freedom as Emancipation and Development
Important Issue: Freedom of belief and expression

Readings

2. Significance of Equality
  1. Formal Equality: Equality of opportunity; political equality
  2. Egalitarianism: Background inequalities and differential treatment
Important Issue: Affirmative action

Readings

3. Indispensability of Justice
  1. Procedural Justice
  2. Distributive Justice
  3. Global Justice
Important Issue: Capital punishment

Readings


4. The Universality of Rights
  1. Natural Rights
  2. Moral and Legal Rights
  3. Three Generations of Rights
  4. Rights and Obligations
Important Issue: Right of the girl child

Readings

Important Issue: Right of the girl child
  • Amoah, Jewel. ‘The World on Her Shoulders: The Rights of the Girl-Child in the Context of Culture & Identity.’ Essex Human Rights Review. Vol. 4 No. 2, Sept. 2007
  • Working Group on the Girl Child (UN Report), A Girl’s Right to Live: Female Foeticide and Girl Infanticide. 2007.

5. The Grammar of Democracy
  1. Democracy: The history of an idea
  2. Procedural Democracy
  3. Deliberative Democracy
  4. Participation and Representation
Important Issue: Who is a citizen?

Readings
  • Bhargava, Rajeev and Ashok Acharya (eds), “Political Theory: An Introduction”. Pearson Longman, 2008. Pages106-128
  • Bellamy, Richard and Andrew Mason (eds), “Political Concepts”, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2003, Pages 105-117.
  • Mckinnon, Catriona (ed), “Issues in Political Theory”, New York, Oxford University Press, 2008, Pages 80-96.
  • Arblaster, Antony, “Democracy”, Buckingham, Open University Press, 2nd Edition, 1994.

Important Issue: Who is a citizen?

Section C: Major Debates
  1. Why should we obey the state? Issues of political obligation and civil disobedience.
  2. Are human rights universal? Issue of cultural relativism.
  3. How do we accommodate diversity in plural society? Issues of multiculturalism and toleration.

Readings

Section C: Major Debates
  1. Mckinnon, Catriona (ed), ”Issues in Political Theory”, New York, Oxford University Press, 2008, Pages 9-26
  2. Bellamy, Richard and Andrew Mason (eds), “Political Concepts”, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2003, Pages 41-51.
  3. Mckinnon, Catriona (ed), “Issues in Political Theory”, New York, Oxford University Press, 2008, Pages194-210.
  4. Mckinnon, Catriona (ed), “Issues in Political Theory”, New York, Oxford University Press, 2008, Pages 218- 234.
  5. Bellamy, Richard and Andrew Mason (eds), “Political Concepts”, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2003, Pages 156-168.


Paper III : Indian Political Thought

Course Objective: Three major changes have been incorporated in this paper. Firstly, the focus of study has been shifted from a purely text based study to a thematic approach that will introduce the student to issues of political philosophy. While texts remain the basic material, the ideas of individual thinkers will be studied within overarching themes. Secondly, an attempt has been made to include more ancient and medieval thinkers to balance the overwhelming tilt of the paper towards modern thinkers. Finally, the gender perspective has been included.

1. Interpreting Indian Political Philosophy: Key Concepts:
First Part of the syllabus can be taught keeping the key issues in mind such as Dharma: Ethics, Laws and Reforms, State: Nature of Indian State: Kingship (Raja Dharma), Welfare, Tolerance and Secularism, Democracy: Republican Trends, Rights and Duties, Social Order: Caste, Gender, Class.
Thinkers:
  1. Kautilya: Theory of the State
  2. Manu : Social Laws
  3. Ziyauddin Barani: Indian Polity.
  4. Abul Fazl: Governance/Administration.
  5. Raja Rammohan Roy: Civil and Religious Rights
  6. M. K. Gandhi: Swaraj (Parliamentary)
  7. B.R. Ambedkar: Inequality, Democracy and Economic theory.
  8. Pandita Ramabai: Gender and Caste.
  9. Jawaharlal Nehru: Developmentalism and Secularism.
Part: I
1. Interpreting Indian Political Philosophy: Key Concepts:
Readings:
  1. Mehta, V.R. and Thomas Pantham. , Political Ideas in Modern India: Thematic Explorations (eds.), Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2006.
  2. Radhakrishnan, S., ‘The Hindu Dharma’, in International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 33, No. 1 Oct.1922, pp. 1-22.
  4. Parekh, Bikhu and Thomas Pantham (ed), Political Discopurse, Explorations in Indian and western Political Thought, New Delhi, Sage, 1987.
  5. Mehta, V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992.
  6. Thomas Pantham and Kenneth L. Deutsch (ed), Political Thought in Modern India, New Delhi, Sage, 1986.
  8. Jyotirmaya Sharma, Hindutva : Exploring the Idea of Hindu Nationalism, New Delhi : Penguin Books, 2003, pp. 152-171.

First Part of the syllabus can be taught keeping the key issues in mind such as Dharma: Ethics, Laws and Reforms, State: Nature of Indian State: Kingship (Raja Dharma), Welfare, Tolerance and Secularism, Democracy: Republican Trends, Rights and Duties, Social Order: Caste, Gender, Class.

Part II
Thinkers:
2. Kautilya: Theory of the State
Readings:
  1. Mehta, V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992, Chapter 5
  2. Kangle, R.P, Arthashastra of Kautilya, 1960, Motilal Benarasidass, 1965.
  3. The Latest Work on the Kautilīya Arthaśāstra Author(s): Franklin Edgerton Source: Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 48 (1928), pp. 289-322 Published by: American Oriental Society
3. Manu : Social Laws
Readings:
  1. Mehta,  V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992, Chapter 2.
  2. Wendy, Donigar and Brain K. Smith, The Laws of Manu, Penguin Publications, New Delhi, 1991.
4. Z. Barani: Indian Polity.
Readings:
  1. Habib Irfan, Essays in Indian History, Tulika Publications, New Delhi, 1995.
  2. Barani’s Theory of the History of the Delhi Saltanate, Indian Historical review, Vol – VII, No: 1-2, July 1980, Jan – 1981.
  3. Mehta,  V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992, Chapter 7.
5. Abul Fazl: Sovereignty, Governance, Administration
Readings:
  1. Mehta,  V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992. Chapter 7
  2. Abul-Fazal Ain-i-Akbari

6. Raja Rammohan Roy: Civil and Religious Rights.
Readings:
  1. Pantham, Thomas and Kenneth L. Deutsch (ed), Political Thought in Modern India, New Delhi, Sage, 1986, Chapter 3
  2. Hatcher, Brian., ‘A Remembering Rammohan; An Essay on the (Re)-Emergence of Modern Hinduism’, History of Religions, Vol. 46, No. 1, August 2006, pp 50-80.

7. M. K. Gandhi: Swaraj, Truth and Politics
Readings:
  1. Mehta,  V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992. Chapter 10
  2. Pantham, Thomas and Kenneth L. Deutsch (ed), “Political Thought in Modern India”New Delhi, Sage, 1986, Chapters - 17,18,19.
  3. Gandhi, M.K., “Hind Swaraj”

8. B.R. Ambedkar: Inequality, Democracy and Economic theory.
Readings:
  1. Pantham, Thomas and Kenneth L. Deutsch (ed), “Political Thought in Modern India”, New Delhi, Sage, 1986, Chapter 10.
  2. V.R. Mehta and Thomas Pantham. “Political Ideas in Modern India: Thematic Explorations” (eds), Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2006, Section I, Chapter – 4.
  3. Rodrigues, Valarian,(eds), The Essential Writings of B.R. Ambedkar, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 2004.

9. Pandita Ramabai: Gender and Caste.
Readings:
  1. Parkar, Rebecca J., Pandita Ramabai: 1858-1992, Criticism and Interpretation, ISPCK, 1988
  2. Kosambi, Meera, Pandita Ramabai through Selected works, eds and translated, New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2000.
  3. Kosambi, Meera, ‘Motherhood in the East-West Encounter: Pandita Ramabai's Negotiation of 'Daughterhood' and Motherhood’, Feminist Review, No. 65,

10. Jawaharlal Nehru: Developmentalism and Secularism.
Readings:
  1. Mehta,  V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992. Chapter 11, pp. 247-254.
  2. Pantham, Thomas and Kenneth L. Deutsch (ed), “Political Thought in Modern India”, New Delhi, Sage, 1986, Chapter 15.
  3. Sarangi, Kumkum, ‘A Narrative of Restoration: Gandhi’s Last years and Nehruvian Secularism’, Social Scientist, Vol. 30, No ¾ March-April 2002, Pp 3-33

Essential Readings: Part – 1
  1. Mehta, V.R. and Thomas Pantham (eds), “Political Ideas in Modern India: Thematic Explorations”, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2006.
  3. Parekh, Bikhu and Thomas Pantham (ed), Political Discourse, Explorations in Indian and Western Political Thought, New Delhi, Sage, 1987.
  4. Mehta,  V. R., Foundations of Indian Political Thought, New Delhi, Manohar Publishers, 1992.
  5. Pantham, Thomas and Kenneth L. Deutsch (eds), “Political Thought in Modern India”, New Delhi, Sage, 1986.
  6. Dalton, Dennis Gilmore, India’s Idea of Freedom; Political Thought of Swamy Vivekananda, Arobindo Ghose, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, AcademicPress, 1982.

Essential Readings: Part - 2
  1. Singh, M.P and Himanshu Roy, ‘Gandhi’s Satyagraha and Swaraj’, in “Indian Political Thought”, Viva Publishers Delhi 2008.
  2. Collected Works of Mahatma K Gandhi, Vol: 85. 88, 90…………
  3. Iyer, Raghavan N., “Moral and Political thought of Mahatma Gandhi”, Oxford University Press., 2000.
  4. M.N. Roy, ‘20th Century Jacobinism; Role of Marxism in Democratic Revolutions’, Patra, Bihar Radical Democratic Party – 1940.
  5. Sarkar, Sumit, ‘Rammohan Roy and the Break with the Past’, in Joshi V.C, Rammohan Roy and the process of modernization in India.
  6. Vasanth Moon, (ed), Writings and Speeches of B.R. Ambedkar, Education Department, Government of Maharastra, Bombay, 1991.

Additional readings:
  1. Radhakrishnan, S., ‘The Hindu Dharma’, International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 33, No. 1 The University of Chicago Press, Oct., 1922, pp. 1-22.
  2. Panikkar, K. N., ‘Colonialism, Culture and Revivalism’, Social Scientist, Vol. 31, No. ½ Jan. - Feb., 2003, pp. 3-16
  3. Brown, D. Mackenzie, ‘The Premises of Indian Political Thought’, The Western Political Quarterly, University of Utah on behalf of the Western Political Science Association.
  4. Vol. 6, No. 2, Jun., 1953, pp. 243-249 Trends in the Political Thought of Medieval Muslim India Author(s): Aziz Ahmad Source: Studia Islamica, No. 17 (1962), pp. 121-130 Published by: Maisonneuve ; Larose
  5. Gowen, Herbert H., ‘The Indian Machiavelli or Political Theory in India Two Thousand Years Ago’ Political Science Quarterly, The Academy of Political Science Vol. 44, No. 2 (Jun., 1929), pp. 173-192
  6. Brown, D. Mackenzie, ‘The Premises of Indian Political Thought’, The Western Political Quarterly, University of Utah on behalf of the Western Political Science Association, Vol.6, No. 2 (Jun., 1953), pp. 243-249
  7. Doniger, Wendy, ‘Why Should a Priest Tell You Whom to Marry? A Deconstruction of the Laws of Manu’, Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 44, No. 6, Mar., 1991, pp. 18-31
  8. Boesche, Roger, ‘Kautilya's "Arthaśāstra" on War and Diplomacy in Ancient India’, The , Society for Military History Vol. 67, No. 1, Jan., 2003 pp. 9-37.
  9. Fisher, Margaret W., ‘India’s Jawaharlal Nehru’, Asian Survey, Vol. 7, No. 6, Jun 1967, pp. 363-273.
  10. Tyagi, Ruchi, Secularism in Multi Religious Indian society, New Delhi, Deep &Deep Publications, 2001, Chapter 6 (Nehru’s Concept of Secularism),


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