Department of History

This course will provide an advanced introduction to South Asian history and historiography from the early modern period to the present. We will cover major works on key themes, including precolonial cultural relations, colonialism and imperialism, the politics of religious identity, anti-colonialism and nationalism, decolonization and partition, and postcolonial developments. Readings of classics of the field – drawn from various schools of historiography – will be supplemented with selections from relevant primary sources. This is not a survey course, and does not attempt to be comprehensive. No prior knowledge of the field is prerequisite, and the course will begin with a rapid thematic survey of South Asian history. This course is designed for MAT students who intend to teach South Asian and global history at the advanced secondary level, but will also provide a solid foundation for MA/PhD students for whose research and teaching a knowledge of South Asian history will be useful. Requirements include preparation and participation, teaching practicum, a series of short response or feedback papers, and a final essay surveying scholarship and source materials on a topic of their choice.