HIST4400AS Topic Studies in Asian History:Introduction to the History of Modern South Asia

Aim: To introduce the modern political history of South Asia in national and international contexts.  To be aware of the historiography of modern India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, as it is informed by nationalism, colonialism and partitions.  

Outline:

The focus of the course will be the political history of twentieth century South Asia.  We will examine the intellectual and ideological trends as well as the associated administrative and political structures as they evolved from the imperial to the post-colonial period.  The course aims to provide the background necessary to follow contemporary issues and politics of modern south Asia.  

The course will proceed chronologically, first, examining the various strands of political and cultural developments to 1947.  Then it will look at partition and its impact on culture, politics and international relations.  The post-colonial period from independence to the 1970s will be examined by looking at the broad themes of inter-state relations and the growth of democratic and authoritarian challenges in each state.  The early challenges faced by both the new states will be examined in their internal ideological and cold-war international contexts.  

Expected Outcomes:

Students will have a good understanding of the complexities of the political history of south Asia – primarily India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  They will be able to identify the complex themes in any discussion of South Asian politics, understand on-going issues in the global and local contexts.

In addition, students will acquire important transferrable skills of reading primary materials, locating them in a context of politics and power thus enhancing their critical faculties.  Having presented and written well-argued essays, they should be able to speak clearly and with confidence amongst their peers.

Week 1 – Introduction to the course – short film  – Dastaan episode 1 / Pyaasa

Representation of history/ historiography

Week 2 – Brief history of Empire – feudalism and orientalism

Exploitation and Development

Week 3 – The All India Muslim League

Nation or minority rights

Week 4 –The Indian National Congress and mass nationalism

Dominance and hegemony

Week 5 – The history of Communist and Socialist organisation

Labour and peasants

Week 6 – The Fragments of the nations

Emancipatory ideologies – women and lower castes

Week 7 – Partition and aftermath

Security concerns and closing minds

Week 8 – Trajectories of religious nationalism in south Asia

Hindu and Muslim 1920s to 1960s

Week 9 – Beginning a post-colonial relationship

Kashmir and River waters

Week 10 – Democracy and Authoritarianism – India to 1970

Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi

Week 11 – Democracy and Authoritarianism – Pakistan to 1970

Liaqat Ali to Ayyub

Week 12 – Democratic demands 1970-177 India, Bangladesh, Pakistan

Language, democratic demands, emergency

Week 13 – Consequences for the present

The course will meet once a week for two hours.  This time will be split between a lecture and a longer seminar with a short break in-between.  The seminar will consist of a discussion around the topic of the week, you are expected to participate actively and productively having read all essential assigned texts.

There will be four tutorials focusing on reading and analysing primary texts.  

In addition students will have to submit THREE pieces of work

A book review submitted digitally, in week 4 – 2000 words counting for 20% of the grade,

A presentation in the tutorial (to be confirmed individually) – counting for 20% of the grade (submit a power-point or word notes, and an oral presentation in class/ or zoom or other socially distanced presentation)

A final essay – submitted digitally, in week 13 – 5000 words counting for 60% of the total grade. This essay may be presented early to allow comments and feedback to improve the essay before final submission.

Please note Late essays and plagiarism will be handled strictly in line with University policy.

Tutorial 1. – The Idea of India and Pakistan – popular perceptions

In film and literature

Tutorial 2  – The Idea of India and Pakistan – Political statements

Nehru, Jinnah, Ambedkar

Tutorial 3 The Kashmir tangle

UN resolutions, Sheikh Abdullah, Amanullah Khan

Tutorial 4  Pakistan/Bangladesh/India at 1971 

Indira Gandhi, Mujibur Rahman, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto

General Reading for the Course:

Ian Talbot A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2016.

Jalal, Ayesha and Sugata Bose, Modern South Asia: history, culture, political economy, London: Routlege, 1998 or later – 2004, 2010 multiple eds available. Online versions are available on the blackboard.

Jalal, A. (1995). Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and Historical Perspective (Contemporary South Asia). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511559372

Films like Mother India – 1957;  or tv drama Dastaan –2010 (both available on YouTube.

請注意大學有關學術著作誠信的政策和規則，及適用於犯規事例的紀律指引和程序。詳情可瀏覽網址：http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/。

學生遞交作業時，必須連同已簽署的聲明一併提交，表示他們知道有關政策、規則、指引及程序。

• 如屬小組習作，則所有組員均須簽署聲明；所有組員（不論有否簽署聲明及不論有否直接或間接撰寫有問題的內容）均須負上集體責任及受到懲處。
• 如作業以電腦製作、內容以文字為主，並經由大學「維誠」系統 (VeriGuide) 提交者，學生將作業的電子檔案上載到系統後，便會獲得收據，收據上已列明有關聲明。

未有夾附簽署妥當的聲明的作業，老師將不予批閱。

學生只須提交作業的最終版本。

學生將作業或作業的一部份用於超過一個用途（例如：同時符合兩科的要求）而沒有作出聲明會被視為未有聲明重覆使用作業。學生重覆使用其著作的措辭或某一、二句句子很常見，並可以接受，惟重覆使用全部內容則構成問題。在任何情況下，須先獲得相關老師同意方可提交作業。