Module manager: To be confirmed
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Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
This module is not approved as a discovery module
In 1600, the East India Company was granted a royal charter to trade with the countries of the eastern hemisphere. In 1858, in the wake of the bloody Indian Uprising of 1857, it handed control of a subcontinent to the British crown. This module explores how a trading company was able to gain direct control of three fifths of the Indian subcontinent and indirect influence over the remainder. It will introduce you to precolonial Indian society and the Mughal Empire, before going on to look at the causes of the fragmentation and regionalisation in existing political authority that allowed the East India Company first to trade with and then to expand its administrative and political control over India. It will explore the nature and functioning of the early colonial state in India, shifting colonial ideologies and the processes by which British traders and administrators sought to understand, represent, control and reshape their new Indian possessions. You will be encouraged to explore both British and Indian experiences of colonialism in this period and to apply subaltern and postcolonial theoretical perspectives to the study of India's pre-colonial and early colonial history. Content note: this module deals with themes relating to the expansion of and attitudes to empire in India and touches on a range of issues relating to race, gender, and colonial violence that you may find difficult. These include eighteenth and nineteenth-century ideas about race, including racist language and ideas, slavery, gendered and sexual violence, colonial violence, and mortality. This content will be flagged to you as the module progresses, and the tutor can provide more information if required. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The aim of this module is to enable students to gain a detailed understanding of pre-colonial Indian society, including its people, institutions and politics, as well as the principal events, causes and consequences of the decline of Mughal power in India and the rise of British colonial rule. By assessing the nature of colonial rule in India and its impact on Indian society, it encourages you to explore changing colonial ideologies, the place of India in the emerging British Empire and the impact of colonialism in Indian and Britain.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Critically analyse the history of Mughal decline and British expansion in India for the period 1600-1857.
2. Effectively apply subaltern, postcolonial and other relevant theoretical and methodological perspectives to the study of early colonial Indian history.
3. Analyse and interpret primary evidence and historiography.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Evaluate evidence and a range of interpretations to construct well-supported arguments.
5. Effectively communicate complex historical ideas in written form.
6. Locate significant historical themes and present them in an accessible way for a non-academic audience.
7. Present work in a professional way, appropriate to the format of the exercise and considering the needs of different audiences.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 179.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
You will have the opportunity to submit practice blog posts for written formative feedback, and to attend a one-to-one essay planning meeting, with the option to submit a one-page essay plan for verbal feedback. We will be discussing what makes a good blog, and the set essay questions as part of our activities during tutorials.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Blog | 50 |
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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