This course introduces students to the diverse cultures and histories of South Asia, a key region of the world that today includes the modern nation-states of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. We will investigate some of the events, people, cultures, trends, and controversies that have made the region one of the most important and exciting in the world. Our canvas will be broad: from exploring one of the earliest urban civilizations, to engaging contemporary debates in the region over ecological sustainability, caste conflict, and the gendered dimensions of daily life. Our sources will include ancient treatises, contemporary scholarship, film, fiction, and award-winning journalism. The course will emphasize critical historical skills, including reading for key ideas, asking historical questions, drawing connections between different times and places, evaluating the reliability of sources, constructing sound arguments, assessing change over time, and determining the limits of what can be known about the past. And we will try to have some fun.

Class Format:

Lecture