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Rutgers University History 21: 510: 308: 01 History of India and
South Asia Since 1750 Spring 2012
Instructor: Amita Satyal Class times: M-W, 10:00-11:20 am
Office: 317 Conklin Hall Class room: 211 Engelhard HallOffice
Hours: M, 08:30-09:30 am; W, 11:30 am-12:30 pmEmail:
[email protected]
About 19 miles long and up to 2 miles wide, the Gangotri Glacier
in the Upper Himalaya is the source of the River Ganga that has
been the lifeline of South Asias history and civilization for more
than 3000 years. This huge glacier has been melting since 1780,
which is regarded as a tell-tale sign of regional and global
climate change, a change induced by both natural fluctuations and
human activities causing widespread environmental degradation
notably through: shifting energy use since the onset of the
Industrial Revolution and the subsequent colonization of large
parts of the world since the mid-18th century; globalization of
economic and political power; and new habits of thought that push
continuous, unsustainable consumption.
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Physical Map of South Asia(EROS Data Center Distributed Active
Archive Center (EDC-DAAC), located at the U.S. Geological Survey's
EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD)
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A WARM WELCOME TO ALL!
Course DescriptionThis course surveys the history of South Asia,
or the Indian sub-continent, a vast and diverselandmass that
includes the modern states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka from about 1750 C.E. to 1971 C.E. The
time period starts with the foundations of British colonial rule in
South Asia and ends with the second partition of Bengal leading to
the formation of Bangladesh. At the outset, we briefly survey the
subcontinents long dynamic precolonial past -- from its first
civilizations, a central place in world history, up to the Mughal
decline leading to its colonization -- followed by a study of the
commercial and political ascendancy of the British in the
subcontinent. The purpose of this course is three-fold: to examine
the roots of colonialism in the subcontinent; to relate those to
events, processes, and discourses during the colonial period that
deeply and irrevocably changed the regions society, its economy,
environment, and political culture, ending with a look into the
distinctive nature of postcoloniality following the colossal
tragedy of the subcontinents violent partition; and, retelling the
subcontinents history with fresh perspectives on power, voice, and
resistance. The course closes with a brief discussion on
contemporary South Asia in light of what has been learnt over the
semester. The course format will be a combination of lecture and
discussion. Lectures will complement readings, using both written
materials and visual aids, and bring additional inputs. Any
previous acquaintance with South Asian history would be an asset,
but is neither required nor assumed for this course.
Course ReadingsAll the course readings are available on
blackboard http://blackboard.rutgers.edu and can be accessed by
students registered for the course. Class lectures and
presentations will not be uploaded to blackboard. All course
materials are proprietary, and should be accessed/used by students
registered for the course for course purposes only. Violations will
invite appropriate action.
Course Policies Academic Integrity & ConductAll students who
register for this course and wish to remain registered MUST
electronically sign an Agreement Concerning Cheating and Plagiarism
available on http://blackboard.rutgers.edu. Further, Students must
acquaint themselves with university policies on student conduct,
academic
integrity and ethics at the outset. Also read interim university
policies on student conduct and academic integrity on
http://policies.rutgers.edu
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As per the university policy on academic integrity, students are
responsible for understanding the principles of academic integrity
fully and abiding by them in all their work at the University.
Registration for this course assumes the students agreement to sign
the above mentioned agreement and to abide by the said university
policies.
The various ways in which academic integrity can be violated,
but not limited to, are: cheating, fabrication and plagiarism in
academic work; copying on quizzes and exams; denying others access
to information or material that also includes giving other students
false or misleading information and altering someone elses computer
files; and, knowingly or negligently facilitating violations of
academic integrity even if the facilitating student does not
benefit from the violation.
Any violation of academic integrity is an offense and subject to
appropriate penalty and/ or sanction. All violations in this
category will be reported to the university office overseeing the
academic integrity policy.
Attendance An attendance sheet will be kept near the entrance
door for the FIRST 5 MINUTES of each
class after which it will be collected by the Instructor. It is
the students responsibility to ensure that she/he has signed the
sheet in each class attended prior to its removal.
A student is required to be present for every class session
unless excused by the instructor for a valid reason. The final
decision on determining a valid reason will rest with the
instructor. Keep all the relevant medical documentation ready.
Unexcused absence for more than 2 classes will lower the grade
by one half (e.g., from B plus to B); Unexcused absence for more
than 3 classes will lower the grade by one and a half grades (e.g.,
B plus to C plus); Unexcused absence for more than 4 classes will
lower the grade by 2 (e.g., B plus to C); Unexcused absence for
more than 5 classes will lower the grade by 3 (e.g., B plus to
D).
A student who misses seven or more sessions -- through any
combination of excused and unexcused absences -- will not earn
credit in this class. Such a student should withdraw from the
class.
Late Arrivals/Early DeparturesA late arrival (i.e., after the
5-minutes attendance slot is over) will be counted as an absent
unless a valid reason has been provided beforehand to the
Instructor. Note that leaving class early without the instructors
prior permission will also fetch an absent for that particular
class. The only exemption will be a medical emergency causing a
late arrival, or an early departure, in which case, it must be
brought to the Instructors attention on email as soon as possible.
Keep all the relevant medical documentation ready.
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Reading AssignmentsStudents must finish all assigned readings
before each class and must come prepared to class with their
observations, suggestions and questions. Reading assignments will
vary each week. Refer to the syllabus for more information.
Class Discussion & PreparationUnder this category, you will
be graded for the following: (a) overall conduct and behavior over
the semester;(b) questions and observations brought to class/office
hours; (c) level of preparedness for the class on the basis of
assigned readings;(d) sincere attempts to answer questions that
will be asked in class.Class discussion/preparation is not
optional. Note that our classroom will provide a safe environment
with zero tolerance policy for discrimination of any sort, which
includes but is not limited to discrimination on grounds of color,
race, religion, gender, ethnicity and nationality. Violations will
invite appropriate action and also be reported to the
university.
PapersPlagiarismBlackboard will automatically scan all papers
for plagiarism. Thus, the student will make sure that all course
assignments are strictly in accordance with the university policy
on academic integrity. Plagiarized papers will fetch a straight F
on the paper and course. Refer back to Academic Integrity and
Conduct (pp. 3-4) for more details. SubmissionPapers must be
submitted via Assignments on Blackboard by the due date and time
(See Paper Schedule given below). NO PAPERS ON EMAIL. Blackboard
can verify student submissions; it is the students responsibility
to ensure that the paper has been successfully submitted.FormatUp
to 5 pages each (anything beyond 5 pages will not be read); MS Word
document; US letter size; Double-space typed; Times New Roman 12
point font; All-sided one-inch margins; Page numbers & student
name in the header; Paper title = students Last name, First name:
SA Paper #. No non-course readings permitted. Papers outside the
format specified here will invite grade cuts.TopicsPaper topics
will be posted to blackboard well in advance.WritingSee Tips on
Writing an History Essay on blackboard..Late PapersPapers submitted
after the deadline will be considered late. All late papers will
invite a straight deduction of 4 points. Papers more than 24 hours
late will not be accepted unless a valid reason is provided to the
Instructor prior to the deadline. Keep relevant documentation, if
applicable, ready.
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QuizzesClosed book quizzes of exactly 10-minutes each will be
given at the end of the class. All quizzes are scheduled for
Wednesdays. Exception: Quiz 1, Monday, Jan 30, 10 minutes at the
beginning of the class. The syllabus covered on each quiz will be
the yellow highlighted portions of the CURRENT WEEKS READING. The
lowest two quiz scores will be counted out of the final quiz grade.
Make-ups are not permitted; medical emergencies are exempt (upon
documentation). The first quiz is exclusively a map quiz.
Recording Lectures & Capturing Slide ImagesFor students with
special needs, challenges, and disability, recording lectures or
capturing slide images of lecture presentations will be allowed
with the Instructors prior permission.
Classroom EtiquetteStudents will switch off all cell phones,
messaging equipment, recording devices, and pagers in class. All
such behavior will be considered inappropriate and disruptive.
Violators will be asked to leave immediately and marked absent for
that class. Violations in this category will also impact your Class
Participation grade. No resting your feet on seats. No sleeping,
eating, or drinking in class. Students with medical conditions and
special needs requiring exemption must see the Instructor at the
outset.Students with prior permission to arrive late, or leave
early must occupy seats nearest to the entrance door so as to cause
minimal disturbance to the rest of the class.
Students With DisabilityStudents with disability will contact
the Paul Robeson Campus Center Office of Student Life and
Leadership, Services for Students with Disabilities for requesting
academic accommodations, approvals, and related documentation. For
further information see
http://robeson.rutgers.edu/studentlife/disability.html. If a Letter
of Accommodation is granted, the student must provide the
Instructor with a copy of this letter and discuss how the listed
accommodations would be implemented. The Instructor will make every
effort to implement such accommodations to the extent permitted by
the university.
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Course Requirements Class Attendance Class Participation:
Students will be graded for the following:(a) overall conduct and
behavior;(b) level of preparedness for the class; (c)
participation, including sincere attempts to answer questions asked
of the class;(d) questions and observations brought to class/office
hours. In-class Quizzes: In-class, closed book; 10 minutes each.
Lowest two quiz scores counted out
of total quiz grade. Quizzes will have a varying combination of
objective type questions, filling the blanks, short/one-line
answers, and matching entries (Quiz 1 will be a map quiz).
Papers: Two papers up to 5 pages each (anything beyond 5 pages
will NOT be read); MS Word document; US letter size; Double-space
typed; Times New Roman 12 point font; All-sided one-inch margins;
Page numbers & Student name in the header; Paper title =
students Last name, First name: SA Paper # . Submissions only via
Assignments on Blackboard. No non-course readings permitted. Papers
outside the format specified will invite grade cuts.
Course Grading (see also Grading Policies)Class Attendance
10%Class Participation 20%Quizzes 35%Papers 35%
Schedules and Deadlines: Papers (Up to 5 pages each, submission
via Assignments on Blackboard)Paper 1: Fri, Mar 9, 3:00 PMPaper 2:
Mon, May 7, 11:30 AM
Quizzes Quiz 1: Mon, Jan 30 (Map quiz; at the beginning of the
class)Quiz 2: Wed, Feb 1Quiz 3: Wed, Feb 8Quiz 4: Wed, Feb 15Quiz
5: Wed, Feb 22Quiz 6: Wed, Feb 29Quiz 7: Wed, Mar 7Quiz 8: Wed, Mar
21Quiz 9: Wed, Mar 28Quiz 10: Wed, Apr 4Quiz 11: Wed, Apr 11Quiz
12: Wed, Apr 18Quiz 13: Wed, Apr 25
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WEEKLY READINGS & TOPIC SCHEDULE (1) All quizzes scheduled
for Wednesdays (except Quiz 1) (2) All papers due via Assignments
on blackboard by the due date/time. (3) Syllabus subject to
unscheduled changes. Class will be immediately notified via
Announcements on blackboard in that event. (4) All course readings
are available on and downloadable from blackboard.
Jan 18 Introduction to the course and syllabus Jan 23, 25
Geographical Context: Rivers, Mountains, Languages, Cultures Karl
J. Schmidt, An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History, 2-9 Burton
Stein, A History of India, 6-13 Maps on blackboard (a) Physiography
of South Asia (b) Practice map
Jan 30, Feb 1 Precolonial South Asia, 3300 B.C.E. to 1526 C.E.
Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, Modern South Asia, 1-26 Schmidt, An
Atlas and Survey of South Asian History, 98-99; 122-123 Feb 6, 8
Precolonial South Asia, 1526-1750 C.E. Bose and Jalal, Modern South
Asia, 27-44 Schmidt, An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History,
100-101 Feb 13, 15 The Transition to Colonialism Barbara Metcalf
and Thomas Metcalf, A Concise History of Modern India, 29-55 Feb
20, 22 From Traders to Rulers: Company Raj, 1757-1857 Metcalf and
Metcalf, A Concise History of Modern India, 56-91 Feb 27, 29 Revolt
and the Modern State, 1857-1885 Metcalf and Metcalf, A Concise
History of Modern India, 92-122 Bose and Jalal, Modern South Asia,
70-77 Schmidt, An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History,
72-73
Mar 5, 7 Civil Society, Nationalism and the Indian National
Congress, 1858-1919 Metcalf and Metcalf, A Concise History of
Modern India, 123-166
Fri, Mar 9 First Paper Due via Blackboard Assignments, 3:00
PM
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MAR 10-18 ***SPRING RECESS - NO CLASSES***
Mar 19, 21 India, the Jewel in the Crown: Colonial Economy,
1858-1905 Bose and Jalal, Modern South Asia, 78-85 Schmidt, An
Atlas and Survey of South Asian History, 104-111 Sumit Sarkar,
Modern India, 1885-1947, 24-42 Mar 26, 28 The First World War
Sarkar, Modern India, 153-178 Apr 2, 4 Mahatama Gandhi, Ideas and
Appeal Sarkar, Modern India, 178-198 Bose and Jalal, Modern South
Asia, 109-119
Apr 9, 11 Crisis of the Colonial Order and Prelude to
Liberation, 1919-1947 Metcalf and Metcalf, A Concise History of
Modern India, 190-217 Apr 16, 18 Partition of India and Pakistan,
1947 Bose and Jalal, Modern South Asia, 135-166 Apr 23, 25
Postcolonial polities and the creation of Bangladesh, 1947-1971
Bose and Jalal, Modern South Asia, 167-181
Apr 30 Wrap-up Discussion; In-class Film (TBA)
Mon, May 7 Second/Final Paper Due via Blackboard Assignments,
11:30 AM
The course ends!!
******************************************************************************P.S.:
SYLLABUS MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGES. THE CLASS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF
THE CHANGE(S), IF ANY, AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE!******************************************************************************
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