Topics in History (492-0-20)

Topic

Caste, Race, Religion

Instructors

Ashish Koul
847/467-3879
Harris 212

Meeting Info

Harris Hall room 101: Thurs 9:30AM - 12:30PM

Overview of class

For generations, scholars understood caste as a quintessentially ‘Hindu' phenomenon resting on cosmological notions of ritual purity and pollution. This seminar is an opportunity to interrogate this perception. We will examine historical forces that have undergirded caste hierarchies and caste consciousness, and how caste-ist prisms of understanding human lifeworlds travelled across the world, roughly from the eighteenth century to the present. We will venture into theological explanations of caste, historical entanglements of caste with state power, the political economy of caste orders across regions, and the insidious persistence of caste-based prejudice and discrimination in our own time.

Registration Requirements

Graduate students only.

Learning Objectives

develop a historicist understanding of caste orders; examine primary and secondary sources

Evaluation Method

papers, oral presentations

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: REASON: Pre-registration is not allowed for this class. Please try again during regular registration. Prerequisite: MA or PhD History student