South Asia to 1500

Catalog description

This course will introduce students to major themes in the history of ancient and medieval South Asia, a region that is now made up of the nation-states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Students will gain a firm understanding of the key political, economic and socio-cultural traditions and practices that shaped the formation of diverse social groups, sectarian and religious communities and political institutions in the region. While developing a chronological perspective on the history of pre-modern South Asia, this course will encourage students to look beyond the modern nation-state boundaries in order to gain a firm understanding of the region's shared political and cultural past in the period up to 1500. Students will learn to critically read primary sources and secondary literature, to identify historical arguments and take a position in a scholarly conversation in written assignments.