NEW DELHI : The University of Delhi has removed the Delhi Sultanate paper from its newly notified postgraduate History syllabus. The course, titled “The Delhi Sultanate: Structures of Authority in Medieval North India (13th–14th Centuries),” was previously offered in Semester III.
The paper explained how the medieval state was formed and how power functioned during that era. It examined not only political power but also the religious and cultural changes of that period.
According to a history professor at DU, this was a significant and specialised paper on medieval India that had been taught for several decades.
What was taught in the Delhi Sultanate paper?
The paper included the history of medieval North India in the 13th and 14th centuries; formation and evolution of the medieval state; and how power and administration functioned at that time. It also included the relationship between rulers and power; and the political, religious, and cultural changes of the era. In other words, it was not merely a history of events; rather, it emphasised understanding the political system and the mechanisms of power at the time.
Difference between PG and UG papers
According to a DU history professor, the Delhi Sultanate paper taught at the PG level is not the same as the paper related to the UG level paper. The PG paper involved an in-depth study of a specific subject within medieval India while the UG paper provides a broad survey of Indian history. According to the professor, the PG paper was more specialised and subject-focused.
Similarly, the PG paper “History of North India, c. 1400–1550″ was also based on a specific topic, whereas the corresponding paper at the UG level is taught within the context of broader Indian history.
Out of the 38 DSE papers, only 16 notified
DU’s Department of History had proposed 38 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) papers for the third semester. However, only 16 of these were included in the final syllabus. This means 22 of the 38 proposed papers did not make it into the final syllabus.
The new third-semester syllabus also excludes “History of North India, c. 1400–1550″ along with the removal of Delhi Sultanate chapter. Additionally, several other older papers do not appear in the final syllabus. These include:
- “Gender and Women in Early India: 1500 BCE to 1000 CE.”
- “Political Processes and Structure of Polities in Ancient India” is also missing from the final syllabus.
- “Religion and Society in Ancient Indian Literature” has not been included either.
This implies that the changes are not limited to the Delhi Sultanate or medieval history. The dropped papers cover topics related to ancient, medieval, and North Indian history.
According to university records, several of the dropped papers had already gone through various stages of the syllabus approval process. Despite this, the papers were not included in the final syllabus notification issued on August 7. Some other proposed papers are still listed in university records as “Under Discussion.”
DU teachers question move
A few DU professors have questioned that why some papers remain in an “undiscussed” status — meaning they were never deliberated upon. They also questioned why were papers that had been taught for decades removed from the final syllabus and only 16 out of the 38 proposed DSE papers included in the final syllabus.
They also asked why were papers that had completed various approval processes excluded from the final notification and if there is a reason for dropping these papers related to syllabus restructuring, seat constraints, paper limits, or other academic factors.
