Professor Chester
Hellems 225
Office Hours: Tue 2-3:30, Wed 1-2 and by appointment
chester[at]colorado.edu (preferred) or (303) 492-0310
<www.colorado.edu/history/chester/ModernIndia.htm>
This course traces modern South Asian history from the beginnings of British influence to independence in 1947. Beginning with a brief introduction to ancient, medieval, and Moghul history, it focuses on British rule in the subcontinent. Themes include relations between religious groups, the economic impact of British colonialism, political development, the role of indigenous nationalist movements, and the shape of independence. The recommended prerequisite is at least six hours of history credit. An understanding of basic historical methods is required.
Lectures topics, indicated below, are organized chronologically and will include discussion of major theories of South Asian history. The reading load will approach 100 pages during most weeks. Course requirements include three in-class quizzes, two midterm exams, a primary source presentation, an argument exercise, a research paper, and a take-home final exam. Please note that only paper copies, not electronic submissions, will be accepted for written assignments.
Required Reading:
Susan Bayly, Caste, Society, and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age (Cambridge, Cambridge UP, 1999) (excerpt)
Geraldine Forbes, Women in Modern India (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 1996)
Patrick French, Liberty or Death (London: HarperCollins, 1997)
Stephen Hay, ed. Sources of Indian Tradition, vol. 2 (New York: Columbia UP, 1988)
Burton Stein, A History of India (Oxford: Blackwell, 1998)
Assignments:
In-class Quzzes—Weeks Three, Seven, and Twelve
Format will be announced in class. You may drop your lowest quiz grade.
Midterm Exams—Weeks Five and Ten
The midterms will include identification questions and one essay selected from two choices.
Argument Exercise—Week Twelve
Primary Source Presentation—Week Thirteen
Final Paper—Week Fifteen
Final Exam
For the take-home final exam, you will have a choice of essay questions, to be distributed in class.
Grading
Student grades will be determined on the basis of in-class quizzes (10%); midterm exams (40%); argument exercise and primary source presentation (5%); final paper (25%); and final exam (20%). Makeup exams will not be offered except in cases of documented medical or family emergency. If you need an extension on written work, you must discuss it with me in advance, except in cases of documented medical or family emergency. Late work will be penalized one third of a grade for each day late (e.g. an A paper submitted two days late will received a B+). Grades will be posted at webct.colorado.edu.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. As a violation of academic policy, it is punishable by dismissal from the university. We will discuss proper citation in class, but you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the meanings of plagiarism; I strongly suggest you read “Sources: Their Use and Acknowledgement,” published by Dartmouth College and available online at <http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources>.
Please note that your work will be evaluated through TurnItIn.com, a plagiarism screening service. This service retains a copy of the submitted work for future comparisons. Final papers not submitted to TurnItIn.com will be penalized heavily.
CU Disability Services
If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services as soon as possible so that your needs can be addressed. You can reach Disability Services at (303) 492-8671, at Willard 322, or through their website <www.colorado.edu/disabilityservices>; they determine accommodations based on documented disabilities.
Classroom Behavior
In this class, we will all treat each other with respect. Civil discussion of differing viewpoints is an essential part of the study of history. Appropriate classroom behavior includes arriving on time and remaining for the entire class; let me know before class if you will need to leave early. Do not eat, sleep, read the newspaper, email, instant/text message, play games, have private conversations, etc. during class. Turn cell phones off!
Drop/Add Deadlines
The deadline to add a course or to add your name to a course waitlist is January 21. The deadline to drop a course is January 28. For more information, see the registration handbook and schedule of courses.
Week One: Introduction to the Study of South Asian History
Reading: History Department Guidelines on “Referencing” and “Papers”
▪ Jan 13: introduction
▪ Jan 15: South Asia today
Week Two: Ancient and Medieval India
Stein 5-36, 52-104, 111-134
▪ Jan 20: ancient India
▪ Jan 22: medieval India
Week Three: The Moghul Empire
Stein 134-176
Hay 3-15
▪ Jan 27: the rise of the Moghul Empire
▪ Jan 29: QUIZ ONE; early European penetration
Week Four: British Inroads
Stein 176-228
Gyan Pandey, “Encounters and Calamities,” SSS 89-128
▪ Feb 3: Moghul decline?, the Battle of Plassey
▪ Feb 5: Collaboration: “Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste”
Week Five: Resistance
Gautam Bhadra, “Four Rebels of Eighteen Fifty-Seven,” SSS 129-175
Hay 15-34
▪ Feb 10: Mutiny or rebellion?
▪ Feb 12: MIDTERM ONE
Week Six: Crown Control
Stein 239-258
David Arnold, “Touching the Body,” SSS 391-426
▪ Feb 17: British systems of control
▪ Feb 19: Muslims after the Mutiny/Rebellion
Week Seven: Collaboration and Resistance
Bayly excerpt (available on reserve and e-reserve)
Hay 36-83
▪ Feb 24: Caste and Class in Br India
▪ Feb 26: QUIZ TWO; Revival and reform
Week Eight: Colonialism and the Raj
Hay 84-172
Optional: Forbes 10-63
▪ Mar 2: The Indian National Congress
▪ Mar 4: The Partition of Bengal
Week Nine: Early Nationalist Movements
Forbes 64-91; Optional 92-120
Stein 259-283
Hay 173-204
▪ Mar 9: Morley-Minto Reforms
▪ Mar 11: WWI and Nationalist Resistance
Week Ten: Mohandas Gandhi’s Rise to Power
Stein 284-349
Forbes 121-156
Hay 243-256
▪ Mar 16: MIDTERM TWO
▪ Mar 18: Gandhi’s Rise to Power
March 22-26: Spring Break
Optional Reading: French 1-126, Forbes 156-188
Week Eleven: Gandhi as Mahatma
Shahid Amin, “Gandhi as Mahatma,” SSS 288-342
Hay 256-274
▪ Mar 30: Film Screening: “Gandhi”
▪ Apr 1: Film Screening: “Gandhi”
Week Twelve: Indian Nationalisms in the 1920s and 1930s
Argument exercise due
Stein 349-366
Forbes 189-222
Hay 205-222, 304-324
▪ Apr 6: Film Screening: “Gandhi;” discussion
▪ Apr 8: QUIZ THREE; 1930s: Growing Resistance, British Concessions
Week thirteen: The Decisive Decade: The 1940s
In-class primary source presentation
French 126-212
Hay 222-233
▪ Apr 13: Primary source presentation
▪ Apr 15: WWII, Negotiations for Independence
Week Fourteen: Partition
French 213-318
▪ Apr 20: Prelude to Partition
▪ Apr 22: The Aftermath of Partition
Week Fifteen: Kashmir, Afghanistan, and the Future of Indo-Pakistani Relations
Final paper due at the beginning of the final lecture
French 319-413
Optional: French 414-431, Forbes 223-254
Read a South Asian newspaper this week, considering current events in light of the region’s history. Many newspapers are accessible online; see course website for a list.
▪ Apr 27: Independent South Asia
▪ Apr 29: South Asia today; FCQs