Ch 2: Major Approaches To The History Of Modern India Flashcards
What are the major approaches to the history of modern India?
Colonial approach
Nationalistic approach
Marxist approach
Subaltern approach
Communalist approach Cambridge School
Liberal and Neo liberal interpretations
Feminist historiography
What are the features of colonial approach to the history of modern India?
Domination and justification of the Colonial rule.
Criticism of Indian society and culture.
Praise for western culture and values.
Orientalist representation of India.
British bringing Unity to India.
The idea of social Darwinism with English being superior to the natives.
India as a stagnant society needing guidance from the British (white man’s burden).
Establishment of Pax Britannica to bring law and order and peace to a bickering Indian society.
Who are the proponents of colonial approach to the history of modern India?
James Mill
Mountstuart Elphinstone
Vincent Smith
What are the features of Nationalist approach to the history of modern India?
Contributes to the growth of Nationalist feelings.
Unifies people in the face of religious, caste, or linguistic differences or class differentiation.
Views the national movement as a movement of the Indian people.
Before 1947, Nationalist historiography mainly dealt with the ancient and medieval periods of Indian history.
Who are the proponents of Nationalist approach to the history of modern India?
Nationalist Writers: Dadabhai Naoroji, M.G. Ranade, G.V. Joshi, R.C. Dutt, K.T. Telang, G.K. Gokhale, D.E. Wacha, Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar (Desher Katha, 1904, Bengali).
Nationalist Leaders: R.G. Pradhan, A.C. Mazumdar, J.L. Nehru, and Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
Nationalist Historians: R.C. Majumdar, and Tara Chand.
What are the features of the Marxist approach to the history of modern India?
Clearly sees the primary contradiction between the interest of the colonial Masters and the subject people.
Takes full note of the inner contradictions between the different sections of the people of the Indian society.
Who are the main proponents of the Marxist approach to the history of modern India?
Rajni Palme Dutt: originally wrote for the famous left book club in England, the book India Today, first published in 1940 in England, later published in India in 1947.
A.R. Desai: Social Background of Indian Nationalism, was first published in 1948.
What are the features of the Subaltern approach to the history of modern India?
Takes the position that the entire tradition of Indian historiography had an elitist bias.
The basic contradiction in Indian society was between the elite, both Indian and foreign, on the one hand, and the Subaltern groups on the other.
Unlike the Marxist theory, they point out that the Indian Society of the time could not be seen in terms of class alone, as capitalism in the country was just nacent at the time.
Who is the main proponent of the subaltern approach to the history of modern India?
Beginning in the 1980s under the editorship of Ranjit Guha as a critique of the existing historiography.
What are the main features of the communalist approach to the history of modern India?
It viewed Hindu’s and Muslims as permanent hostile groups whose interest were mutually different and antagonistic to each other.
It took a more virulent form in the hands of the communal political leaders.
In there view India’s medieval history was won long story of Hindu Muslim conflict.
What are the main features of the Cambridge School approach to the history of modern India?
That the Indian nationalism was not the product of a struggle of the Indian people against colonial approach, but what arose from conflict amongs the Indians for getting the benefits given to them by the British rulers.
That the leaders of the National Movement were inspired by the quest for power and material benefits.
What are the features of the Liberal and Neoliberal approach to the history of modern India?
That the availability of markets for British industrial goods in the Colonial world and capital investment in overseas markets might have actually discouraged domestic investment and delayed the development of the new industries and Britain.
Who are the proponents of the liberal and neoliberal approach to the history of modern India?
Patrick O’Brian, Hopkins, and Cain.
What are the features of the feminist approach to the history of modern India?
Began with the women’s movement of the 1970s which provided the context and impetus for the emergence of women’s studies in India.
An important area of research has been analysis of the way in which, for example, the legal colonial structures affected women’s lives.
Focus on women’s vulnerability due to the denial of ownership of productive resources.
Who were the main proponents of the feminist approach to the history of modern India?
The High Caste Hindu Woman (1887) by Pandita Ramabai.
Mother India (1927) by Katherine Mayo.
