This course explores the complex history of South Asia upon which the modern states of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are founded. The course examines cultural roots, religious developments, and traditions of power and authority in the multiplicity of states before the introduction of Islam. It goes on to consider the impact of later Muslim control much of South Asia. It covers British rule of South Asia and focuses particularly on the violent partition at independence in 1947 into India and Pakistan. It will examine the legacies of Gandhi, Jinnah as the founder of Pakistan, and Winston Churchill as a figure in British India policy. Lastly the course studies the development of states since independence, including the transition of East Pakistan into Bangladesh, with particular attention to ongoing struggles over religious and secular identities.
