Department Of History

Course Details

COURSE TITLE: Gandhian Political Thoughts
Semester	IV
Course Type	VAC
Course Level	300-399
Course Code	KU4VACHIS301
Credits	3
Total Hours	45

Learning Approach & Marks Distribution

Lecture	Practical / Internship	Tutorial	CE	ESE	Total	Duration of ESE
3	-	1	25	50	75	2 Hours

Course Summary

This course familiarizes students with Gandhian ideology and practices in India. It gives students an insight into the importance of Gandhian thoughts in the present world. The values and principles acquired through this course will help students become responsible and useful citizens.

Course Outcomes

Sl. No.	Course Outcome
1	Acquire knowledge and understand the nonviolent experiments undertaken by Gandhiji.
2	Understand and assimilate the core concepts and ideals of Gandhian Political Thought.
3	Understand the various forms of Satyagraha, Swaraj, Sarvodaya and other political ideas.
4	Learn Gandhian Philosophy of Truth, Sarvodaya and Satyagraha and its significance.
5	Realize the relevance of Gandhian Political Thought in the contemporary world.

Course Contents

Module	Unit	Content	Hours
I	Foundations of Gandhi's Political Thought	Non-Violence: Concepts, Meaning and Contemporary Relevance. Doctrine of Means and Ends. Satyagraha: Meaning, Methods and Significance; Satyagraha and Passive Resistance.	15
II	Views on Sovereignty and Freedom	Spiritualization of Politics. Swaraj, Self-rule and Sarvodaya.	15
III	State and Democracy	State and Ideal Society: The Concept of Ram Rajya. Democratic Decentralization, Parliamentary Democracy and Party System. Relevance and Assessment of Gandhi's Political Thought.	15
IV	Teacher Specific Module	Conduct classroom presentations, discussions, debates, book reviews, etc., for developing students' interest in the course.	5

Essential Readings

Sl. No.	Essential Reading
1	Bhattacharyya, Buddhadeva (1969). Evolution of the Political Philosophy of Gandhi. Calcutta: Calcutta Book House.
2	Gandhi, M.K. (1992). Satyagraha in South Africa. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House.
3	Gandhi, M.K. (1995). India of My Dreams (Compiled by R.K. Prabhu). Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House.
4	Gandhi, M.K. (1959). Panchayati Raj. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House.
5	Mishra, Usha (2008). The Multi-dimensional Thought of Mahatma Gandhi. Mumbai: Mani Bhavan.
6	Parekh, Bhikhu (1989). Gandhi's Political Philosophy: A Critical Examination. Delhi: Ajanta.
7	Verma, V.P. (1980–81, 4th Revised & Enlarged Edition). Political Philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and Sarvodaya. Agra: Laxmi Narayan Aggarwal.
8	Bondurant, Joan V. (1959). Conquest of Violence: The Gandhian Philosophy of Conflict. Bombay: Oxford University Press.
9	Gandhi, M.K. (1999). Hind Swaraj. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House.
10	Huxley, Aldous (1937). Ends and Means. New York: Harper.
11	Kumar, Ravinder (Ed.) (2003). Essays on Gandhian Politics: The Rowlatt Satyagraha of 1919. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Nanda, B.R. (1998). Making of a Nation: India's Road to Independence. New Delhi: Harper Collins.
12	Singh, Ramjee (1993). The Relevance of Gandhian Thought. New Delhi: Classical Publishing Co.

Assessment Rubrics

Evaluation Type	Marks
End Semester Evaluation	50
Continuous Evaluation a) Test Paper - 1 b) Test Paper - 2 c) Assignment d) Seminar e) Book / Article Review	25
Total	75