HIS101 | History I

History I is designed as a core course for 1st Year BA LLB students to introduce them to the world of historical methodologies. Critical historical analyses of any event or phenomenon is key to understanding our present realities. This course offers a study of different methods and practices adopted by historians as a way to challenge the “objective”, “value-neutral”, and “factual” ways of approaching history. The course is divided into four modules. In the first module, we will be discussing the ways in which historical enquiry may aid and facilitate critical thought and reasoning, including the art of legal reasoning. In the second module, we shall explore the range of sources and materials that can be used towards the development of historical arguments. The third module focuses on the ways in which multiple historical methods and perspectives enrich our understanding of people, things, cultures, and events across time and space. In the final module, we turn to India to enquire if there is a “universal” format to history writing. This exercise will help us unpack the field of “Indian History” and launch us into discussions around how history is also a powerful tool in the forging of identity, legitimacy, and authority.