Indic Knowledge System is a collective quest of a very wide range of themes by Indians.
About Course
The imperialist version of Indian history, according to which the “meek Hindu” had always been preoccupied with pure speculations and seldom stood up in defence of his country and culture, has been predominant. The same narrative has not only continued after independence but has become more entrenched in our history textbooks. From the invention of decimal numbers to the practice of Yoga, various knowledge systems have sprung from India. Yet, history books present a sordid story of how India was shaped and reshaped after many waves of foreign invasions. In a fresh departure from this trend, we offer a course on India’s true history, free from the Colonial and Marxist biases that characterize most academic narratives. In this course, we will teach history from an Indic perspective; we will see how we consider history in our tradition so that we can witness the living ceremony and sense of historical consciousness deeply rooted in our people. This course on Indian history will highlight cultural continuities that have endured the test of time. This course will not only narrate the stories of elemental kingdoms and their role in shaping our past but also focus on socio-economic changes and India’s historical position in the world.
Important note: This was a live course where the students attended the classes regularly conducted by the instructor from 03rd June 2022. Now, we have recorded videos of the whole session available here. If you want to go through the videos, you have to get enrolled in the course first. Next, you need to click on the “Take the Course”/”Continue Course option” from this page and then visit the “Recorded Video” section. Then, you can access the videos any time as per your convenience like the other self-paced courses available on our website.
Course Curriculum
1. History Matters: The Key Question?
Lesson 1: 1.1 Exploring the Key Questions: Why, What, When and How?
Lesson 2: 1.2 Culture and Civilization: What is the difference?
Lesson 3: 1.3 Indic Vs. Western Approach: Where we are missing the train?
Lesson 4: 1.4 Anthropology, Archaeology and Genetics: Facts Vs. Interpretations
Lesson 5: 1.5 Beginning of Historical Journey: From Traditional Texts to Field Work
2. Exploring the history of Mankind: Geology, Prehistory and Primatology
Lesson 1: 2.1 General Timeline of Research in Prehistory
Lesson 2: 2.2 Rethinking Human Evolution: Does Man Really Makes Himself?
Lesson 3: 2.3 Earth System
Lesson 4: 2.4 Life on Earth: Before the Dawn of Humanity
Lesson 5: 2.5 Climatic System and Adaptation Mechanism
Lesson 6: 2.6 Cultural Components of Being Human
3. Neolithic Period: Climate and Emergence of Early Food Producing Society
Lesson 1: 3.1 Domestication: Who has Domesticated Whom?
Lesson 2: 3.2 Finding the Key: Human, Plant and Animal or Vice Versa
Lesson 3: 3.3 Settled Way of Life: Blessing or Curse
Lesson 4: 3.4 Emergence of Villages and Role of rituals to connect on another
Lesson 5: 3.5 Expending the horizons: Core and Periphery
Lesson 6: 3.6 Challenges
Lesson 7: 3.7 What was happening in Indian Subcontinent: Regional Cultures
4. Fortified Life: Further Complexity
Lesson 1: 4.1 Urbanism and Civilization: Defining the key concepts
Lesson 2: 4.3 Control and Conflict: Emergence of Administration
Lesson 3: 4.4 Taxation System
Lesson 4: 4.5 Risk and Resource Management
Lesson 5: 4.6 Role of Ideology in Assimilation
5. Harappan Civilization: Variability is Key
Lesson 1: 5.1 Timeline of Discovery
Lesson 2: 5.2 Geographical Setting: Diversity Matters
Lesson 3: 5.3 Degree of Integration: Monsoon Variability and Cultural Resilience
Lesson 4: 5.5 Crafts
Lesson 5: 5.6 Social Security and Trade Mechanism
Lesson 6: 5.7 Harappan Script
Lesson 7: 5.8 Disintegration of Harappan
6. Old Wine in New Bottle: Aryan Invasion Theory
Lesson 1: 6.1 What is Invasion?
Lesson 2: 6.2 Are there any archaeological traces of Invasion?
Lesson 3: 6.3 Debate on Indo-European and Indo-Aryan Languages: Linguistic Approach
Lesson 4: 6.4 Out of India Theory
Lesson 5: 6.5 Horse and Chariot Debate
Lesson 6: 6.6 Ancient DNA and its limitations
Lesson 7: 6.7 Recent approaches for old debate
7. Literature and Archaeology: Early Historical Period
Lesson 1: 7.1 Early Historical Archaeology and Early Historical Literature
Lesson 2: 7.2 Rishi Parampara Vs. Muni Parampara
Lesson 3: 7.3 Janpadas, Mahajanpadas, Kingdom and Republics
Lesson 4: 7.4 Punch-marked Coins
Lesson 5: 7.5 Connecting the zones: Uttarapath and Daksinapath
Lesson 6: 7.6 Emergence of Script: Brahmi, Kharosthi and Tamil- Brahmi.
Lesson 7: 7.7 Trade
Lesson 8: 7.8 Architecture and Technology
8. Geo-Political History of Northern and Southern Part of India
Lesson 1: 8.1 Why politics matters: Key points
Lesson 2: 8.2 Ashoka and his Inscription
Lesson 3: 8.3 Chola, Chera and Pandyas
Lesson 4: 8.4 Kushanas
Lesson 5: 8.5 Guptas and Vakatakas
Lesson 6: 8.6 Contacts with West Asia and South-East Asia: Alternative Route via North-East
Lesson 7: 8.7 Maritime Trade and Connecting through Ocean
9. Intangible Heritage of Ancient India
Lesson 1: 9.1 Literature: Kavya and Natyashastra
Lesson 2: 9.2 School of Arts and Architecture
Lesson 3: 9.3 Temples, Gurukulas and Land Grants: Interwoven History
Lesson 4: 9.4 Water Management and Rituals
Lesson 5: 9.5 Mathematics, Astronomy and Dharmashastra
10. An Introduction to Medieval India
Lesson 1: 10.1. Background of medieval historical records
Lesson 2: 10.2. Dharma Vs. Religion: The difference
Lesson 3: 10.3. Hindu Vs. Islamic Kingdoms: A comparison
Lesson 4: 10.4. Decline of Classical Civilization
11. Islamic Invasions and Hindu Resistance
Lesson 1: 11.1. Overview of Early Islamic Invasions and Attacks
Lesson 2: 11.2. Timeline of Early Hindu Responses from Bappa Rawal to Jayachandra
Lesson 3: 11.3. Key Battles of Tarain; Chandawar etc.
Lesson 4: 11.4. The Sultans of Delhi and Mughals
Lesson 5: 11.5. Hindu Responses to Mughals: Rana Pratap; Lachit Borphukan; Shivaji etc.
12. The Kingdom of Vijayanagar
Lesson 1: 12.1. Emergence as a bulwark against Islamic Invasions
Lesson 2: 12.2. Artistic and Cultural Achievements
Lesson 3: 12.3. European Visitors
Lesson 4: 12.4. Governance
13. Maratha Empire: What, How, When, Why?
Lesson 1: 13.1. Historical and cultural backdrop of Maharashtra
Lesson 2: 13.2. Precursors of the vision of “Hindavi Swarajya”
Lesson 3: 13.3. A brief biography of King Chh. Shivaji
Lesson 4: 13.4. Maratha empire after King Shivaji
Lesson 5: 13.5. Rise and decline
Lesson 6: 13.6. Marathas and the Europeans
14. Maratha Empire: Echoes across the Indian life
Lesson 1: 14.1. Social life in Maharashtra
Lesson 2: 14.2. Marathas and Bengal
Lesson 3: 14.3. Marathas and Gujarat
Lesson 4: 14.4. Marathas and the South
Lesson 5: 14.5. Marathas and Malwa
Lesson 6: 14.6. Marathas beyond the modern-day borders
15. Islamic Iconoclasm and Hindu Perseverance
Lesson 1: 15.1. Timeline of Destruction of Hindu Temples
Lesson 2: 15.2. Flight of Deities
Lesson 3: 15.3. Persecution of Priests and Monks
Lesson 4: 15.4. Destruction of Libraries and Universities
16. Cultural Encounters in Medieval Bengal
Lesson 1: 16.1. What is Culture?
Lesson 2: 16.2. Religious Identity in Bengal
Lesson 3: 16.3. Relations between Hindus and Muslims
17. Establishment of British Rule in India and Early Reactions and Resistance
Lesson 1: 17.1. Fundamental factors and causes that led to the establishment of British Rule in India
Lesson 2: 17.2. Expansion of the British dominance
Lesson 3: 17.3. Early reactions against British Rule
Lesson 4: 17.4. Growing discontent and earliest attempts to drive out the British
18. The Revolt of 1857 – Outbreak, Impact & Aftermath
Lesson 1: 18.1. Causes behind the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857
Lesson 2: 18.2. Spread of the revolt
Lesson 3: 18.3. Subsequent causes for the failure of the movement
Lesson 4: 18.4. Measures taken by the British to quell the uprising
Lesson 5: 18.5. Anti-British Outbreaks that take place after 1858
19. Birth of Indian Nationalism
Lesson 1: 19.1. Factors contributing to the growth of Nationalism in India
Lesson 2: 19.2. Reform Movements
Lesson 3: 19.3. Development of Political Ideas and Organizations
Lesson 4: 19.4. Genesis of Indian National Congress
20. Era of Nationalism
Lesson 1: 20.1. Partition of Bengal
Lesson 2: 20.2. Beginning of the Swadeshi Movement
Lesson 3: 20.3. Split in the Congress and Repercussions of the Surat Congress
Lesson 4: 20.4. Home Rule League Movement
21. Rise of Revolutionary Activities
Lesson 1: 21.1. Rise of Revolutionary Nationalism
Lesson 2: 21.2. Early Revolutionary Activities in Bengal and outside Bengal
Lesson 3: 21.3. Indian Revolutionary activities abroad in the light of World War 1
Lesson 4: 21.4. Plan, Program and Agenda of the Revolutionaries in India and outside India
22. Indian Political Situation – Non Cooperation Movement & Civil Disobedience Movement
Lesson 1: 22.1. British attitude towards different strands of movement
Lesson 2: 22.2. Background of the Rowlatt Acts and Nationwide Repression
Lesson 3: 22.3. Factors which led to the rise of Gandhi as a National Leader
Lesson 4: 22.4. Non-Cooperation Movement
Lesson 5: 22.5. Political events between 1921-1928
Lesson 6: 22.6. Events that led to the Civil Disobedience Movement and its Aftermath
23. The Revival of Revolutionary Movement
Lesson 1: 23.1. Revival of revolutionary movement across India
Lesson 2: 23.2. Revolutionary activities in Bengal
Lesson 3: 23.3. Revolutionary activities happening outside of Bengal – the HSRA, Lahore Conspiracy Case and other activities
Lesson 4: 23.4. Repercussion of these activities on the National Movement.
24. Indian Politics (1934-1939) and World War 2
Lesson 1: 24.1. Face of Indian Politics during the period between 1934-1939
Lesson 2: 24.2. Framing of the Constitution, Revival of Swarajya Party
Lesson 3: 24.3. The Congress Program and the Formation of Forward Bloc
Lesson 4: 24.4. Events leading to the World War 2, the Indian position and the opportunities that the war opened up for Indian liberation
Lesson 5: 24.5. Quit India Movement of 1942 and the British Attitude after 1942
25. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army
Lesson 1: 25.1. Campaign of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in different theaters of the World during World War 2
Lesson 2: 25.2. Links that existed between Netaji’s campaign and the early revolutionary movements
Lesson 3: 25.3. The INA and its Campaigns
Lesson 4: 25.4. Red Fort Trials
Lesson 5: 25.5. Revolt of 1946 and the impact of these revolts on the British Decision to quit India
26. Attainment of Freedom
Lesson 1: 26.1. Changing attitude of the British towards the question of Indian Freedom
Lesson 2: 26.2. Cabinet Mission
Lesson 3: 26.3. Negotiations for an Interim Government
Lesson 4: 26.4. The Constituent Assembly
Lesson 5: 26.5. Circumstances leading to Partition
Lesson 6: 26.6. Transfer of Power and the Indian Independence Act of 1947
Lesson 7: 26.7. Subsequent attainment of Dominion status on 15 August 1947
Lesson 8: 26.8. Official documentation of the History of Freedom Movement in India
Course Content
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