In this course, we will explore the vibrant global history of modern South Asia from 1750 to the present. Through an in-depth exploration of the histories, cultures, and global connections of South Asia, a region encompassing the modern nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, we will trace the region's history from its early modern periods to the period of decolonization. Although anchored in the modern chronology of South Asia, the aim is to explore the subcontinent's global connections with Eastern and Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean World, the Middle East, East and Southeast Asia, and Western Europe. This means that students will acquire tools to understand themes such as colonization, modernization, democracy, and social change more broadly and apply
them to other geographic regions. Themes include the early modern global economy, the rise and influence of Indo-Persianate culture, colonial encounters, the complex process of decolonization, and nation-building in the 20th century. Through the circulation of peoples, ideas, and objects we will explore the region's oceanic, subterranean, and "peripheral" connections that help us understand how South Asians experienced and historicized their history.
Course Attributes: AS HUM; AS LCD; AS SC; BU Hum; BU BA; BU IS
