The Making of South Asia

This course will introduce students to the myriad visions of South Asia that have been expressed through historical, social, economic, political, religious and cultural movements and debates over the past three centuries. It will focus on the crucial question: what is South Asia? In the multiplicity of dynamic and often ephemeral answers, the course will offer glimpses of the many Indias, Pakistans, Sri Lankas, and so on that reside in peoples imaginations. It will begin during a critical period of the British Raj and survey the complex processes, events and ideologies that went into the shaping of the nations and regions of South Asia. It will follow the progression of colonialism and the emergence of anticolonial and national movements as well as struggles that slipped under the radar of popular national movements. The course will explore the violent moments of Independence and the contending aspirations of the newly minted nation-states. Apart from opening up the world of South Asia to students, this course will also foray into questions of what it means to study Asia in the contemporary world. It will explore ways to understand the transformations the region has been undergoing.