Major Changes to DU History Syllabus; Several Papers, Including One on the Delhi Sultanate, Dropped

The new syllabus released by Delhi University has dropped the paper titled “The Delhi Sultanate: Structure of Authority in Medieval North India (13th–14th Century).”

Significant changes have been made to Delhi University’s postgraduate history syllabus. The paper focusing on the Delhi Sultanate—previously taught in the third semester—has been removed. It is not just the Delhi Sultanate paper that has been dropped; several other papers covering ancient, medieval, and modern India have also been excluded. Although the university’s Department of History had proposed a total of 38 ‘Discipline Specific Elective’ papers, only 16 of them were included in the final syllabus released for the third semester.

What was taught about the Delhi Sultanate at the PG level?

The postgraduate history paper “The Delhi Sultanate: Structure of Authority in Medieval North India (13th–14th Century)” covered the political systems established in North India during the 13th and 14th centuries. It explained the formation of the medieval state, the nature of rulers’ authority, and administrative structures, alongside the shifts in political, religious, and cultural life during that era.

Several other old papers also dropped from the syllabus

Along with the Delhi Sultanate paper, other courses have also been removed from the new third-semester syllabus. These include papers such as “History of North India, c. 1400–1550,” “Gender and Women in Early India (1500 BCE to 1000 CE),” “Political Processes and Structure of Polities in Ancient India,” and “Religion and Society in Ancient India (Literature).” According to university records, some of these courses had cleared various stages of the approval process but were ultimately excluded from the final notification issued on August 7. Some other proposed papers remain marked as ‘under discussion’ or ‘undiscussed’ in the university’s records.

What DU said regarding the syllabus changes

Ratnabali, Dean of Academic Affairs at Delhi University, stated that no paper was deliberately withheld. According to her, all proposed courses were placed before the Academic Council. Subsequently, the Vice-Chancellor was authorized to constitute an expert committee to review these courses. She explained that after certain papers were approved by the Standing Committee, the departments made modifications to some of the accepted syllabi. These changes included adding or removing papers, altering units, and removing or replacing reading materials. Consequently, some syllabi underwent a fresh review. After examining the revised syllabi, the expert committee approved those courses deemed appropriate for notification. According to the university, additional papers may also be notified once the committee completes its review.

Syllabus changes following NEP 2020

The process of revising the syllabus at Delhi University has been ongoing since the restructuring of programs under NEP 2020. These changes at the postgraduate level follow the revisions previously implemented for undergraduate programs. Modifications to DU’s undergraduate programs in alignment with NEP 2020 began in the 2022-23 academic session. While a paper related to the Delhi Sultanate is also taught at the undergraduate level, the two courses are distinct. According to some reports, the postgraduate-level paper had long served as a crucial core paper on medieval India, whereas the corresponding undergraduate course offers a broad survey of Indian history. Similarly, the paper ‘History of North India, c. 1400–1550’ was taught at the postgraduate level as a specialized subject and historical study, while the undergraduate course has a broader scope.