New Delhi, August 14: A controversy has erupted over the new postgraduate syllabus of the History Department at Delhi University (DU). The revised syllabus has excluded significant topics related to medieval Indian history, notably the paper titled “The Delhi Sultanate: Structures of Authority in Medieval North India.” This paper was previously part of the MA History curriculum for the third semester.
The Delhi Sultanate, which ruled India during the 13th and 14th centuries, is a crucial period that precedes the Mughal era. The final syllabus notification was released on August 7, revealing that this key paper, along with several others, would not be included in the upcoming 2026-27 PG History program.
This paper has historically aided students in understanding power structures, governance, and social changes in medieval North India, covering topics such as the development of state systems and political transformations during that era.
Additionally, another important paper related to the history of North India has also been removed from the final syllabus for the third semester. Out of 38 proposed Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) papers, only 16 have been included in the final list, raising concerns among students and faculty alike.
Among the five major papers excluded from the third semester are:
1. The Delhi Sultanate: Structures of Authority in Medieval North India (13th–14th Centuries)
2. History of North India, c. 1400–1550
3. Gender and Women in Early India: 1500 BCE–1000 CE
4. Political Processes and Structure of Polities in Ancient India
5. Religion and Society in Ancient Indian Literature
The new syllabus not only omits key topics from medieval history but also excludes several papers on ancient India, including those focusing on gender and women’s history, political systems, and the relationship between religion and society in ancient literature.
Reports indicate that while the History Department proposed a total of 38 DSE papers, only 16 made it to the final syllabus. Some subjects that had passed the approval process were not included in the final notification, which has left many in the academic community questioning the decision.
The university administration has stated that these changes align with the Postgraduate Curriculum Framework (PGCF 2024) and the National Education Policy (NEP). Earlier this year, the university also revised several papers in the undergraduate syllabus.