New Lectures in History (300-0-20)
Topic
South Asians in the World
Instructors
Ashish Koul
847/467-3879
Harris 212
Meeting Info
Kresge Cent. Hall 2-380 Kaplan: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM
Overview of class
Why did South Asians migrate and settle outside South Asia? What are the historical origins of South Asian diasporic communities in Africa, South-east Asia, Europe, and North America? How did South Asia's encounter with colonialism affect the migration of South Asians elsewhere? In this thematic survey, we will learn about the history of South Asians' migration from the nineteenth century to the present, with special emphasis on the historical inter-relatedness of migration, colonialism, and decolonization. Our cast of characters will range from soldiers and exiles to laborers and merchants. We will traverse a diverse array of geographies, ranging from Singapore and Fiji to Uganda and Britain. We will discover how South Asian communities in various parts of the world were made and unmade by colonial economic imperatives, often exploitative trans-oceanic labor networks, and colonial categories of social identification. Instead of being erased by mid-twentieth century decolonization, South Asians' migration was reshaped by national imperatives of the ‘home' country on the one hand, and the new political and economic order of the post-World War II world on the other.
The course is divided into two parts. In Part I, we walk through the history of South Asian migration, paying attention to the changing historical contexts and causes of this phenomenon. In Part II, we dive deeper into socio-religious characteristics of South Asian migrants, such as caste hierarchies and gender relations, and examine why these features have persisted, and been reinvented in some instances, despite centuries of habitation outside South Asia.
Learning Objectives
In this course, students will learn to 1. Read, think, and write critically. 2. Make cohesive, evidence-based, historical arguments verbally and in writing. 3. Examine how and why causes of migration have changed for South Asians from the 19th century to the present. 4. Analyze the role of colonialism and post-colonial politics in generating and maintaining migration out of South Asia. 5. Understand how diasporic communities reshape, and in turn are reshaped by, both their ‘home' and their ‘host' societies.
Evaluation Method
3 papers
Class Notes
Concentration: Asia/Middle East
Class Attributes
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area