Paper I: Museums and Archives in India

Objective:
It is an introductory course and aims to familiarize students with various aspects of museums
and archives. The purpose of this course is to introduce, examine and understand the major
concepts, principles, functions and operations in the field of museums and archives. It will
enable students to understand its overall development as well as theoretical issues and
principles of their management, administration and practical application. The course will help
students to gain practical experience and will be project based.

Unit-1 1.01: Definitions of Museum and Archive- Meaning of
 Key Concepts.
1.02: Scope of Museology and Archival Studies.

Unit-2 2.01: Origin of Museums and Aarchives in Global and
 Indian Context; Introduction to some major
 Museums and Archives of India
2.02: Development of Museums and Archives in Northeast India.

Unit-3 3.01: Different types of Museums and Archives and their
 Management and Administration and Staffing
3.02: Legislations and Conventions related to Museums
 and Archives

Unit-4 4.01: Storage- Presentation and Exhibition of Museum
 Objects and Archival Materials
4.02: Methods of Collection and Conservation: Scientific
 Examination and Documentation

Suggested References:

Agarwal O.P., Essentials of Conservation & Museology
Biswas T.K., Museum & Education, New Age International
Brooks, Philip C., Research in Archives
Burcaw G, Ellis, Introduction to Museum Work
Caulton, T., Hands –On Exhibitions : Managing Interactive Museums and Science Centres
Choudhary, R.D., Museums of India and Their Maladies
Edson, G. & Dean., The Handbook for Museum
Ghose, Sailen, Archives in India
Guha Thakurta, Tapati,Monuments, Objects, Histories: Institution of Art in Colonial and
Post-Colonial India
Hein, H.S., The Museum in Transition.
Kathpalia, Y.P., Conservation and Restoration of Archive Materials
Jeyaraj, V. Museology: Heritage Management, Government Museum
Knell, S., MacLoed, S.& Watson, S., Museum Revolutions: How museums change and are
changed
Nair,S.M. , Bio- Deterioration of Museum Materials
Sengupta, S., Experiencing History through Archives
Tripathi, Alok, Museum Studies

PAPER II: HISTORY OF INDIA FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO 1526

Objective:
The objective of this paper is to acquaint the students with the general outline of the history
of India from the known earliest times to the coming of the Mughals to India in the first
quarter of the 16th century. It is aimed at giving them a comprehensive idea of the
developments in all spheres of life during this period.

Unit-1 1.01: Sources –a Survey
1.02: Harappan Civilization –Origin and Extent, Morphology of the Major sites,
Salient features, End of the civilization.
1.03: Vedic Civilization Society, Economy, Polity and Culture of the Rig-Vedic
and the later-Vedic Periods

Unit-2 2.01: Rise of the Territorial States –the Mahajanapadas, Geographical Extent,
2.02: Ascendancy of Magadha-Alexander’s Invasion of India.
2.03: Rise of the Mauryan Empire under Asoka -His Inscriptions –the Dhamma –
External Relations
2.04: Mauryan System of Administration
2.04: Decline and Fall of the Mauryan Empire6

Unit-3 3.01: Political Developments in the Post-Mauryna period - the Sungas, Kanvas,
Kushanas and Satavahanas- Society, Economy and Culture
3.02: The Tamils and Sangam Age.
3.03: The Sakas and the Indo-Greeks in India- their Contributions
3.04: India in the Gupta and the Post-Gupta period- Polity, Society, Economy and
Culture

Unit-4 4.01: Political development in the South –the Pallavas, the Imperial Cholas, the
Rashtrakutas and the Chalukyas
4.02: The Arabs and the Turks in Indian politics –Ghaznivides and the Ghorid
Invasions
4.03: Indian Society during 650 –1200 A.D.-Literature and Language, Temple
Architecture and Sculpture

Unit-5 5.01: The Delhi Sultanate- (a) the Slave dynasty (b) the Khalijis- Alauddin
Khaliji’s Administration (c) the Tughlaqs –Experiments of Muhammad Bin
47
Tughlaq.
5.02: Disintegration of the Delhi Sultanate and Rise of Provincial KingdomsVijayanagar and Bahmani kingdom
5.03: Polity, Society, Economy, Religion and Culture of the Sultanate Period,
Bhakti Movement and Sufism and Neo-Vaishnavism in Assam

Suggested Readings:
Barua, P.K : Bharat Bhuranji
Begum, Senehi : Bharat Buranji, (Dillir Sultan Sakal)
Banerjee, A.C. : History of India
Chandra, Satish : Medieval India
Majumdar, Dutta & Raychoudhury : Advanced History of India
Nath, D. : Bharatar Rajnoitik Aru Sanskritik Buranji.
Sinha & Ray : History of India
Spear Percival : History of India
Singh, Upindar : A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India
Thapar, Romila : Ancient India