The Class:

This class, part of the Nitze Scholars Program, will introduce students to the history and culture(s) of India during the colonial and postcolonial eras.

Through the study of a wide variety of texts—novels, critical and theoretical essays, travelogues, colonial administrators' accounts, films—we will explore the growth of national identities in the Indian subcontinent from the arrival of the East India Company onwards, with particular attention paid to the period between1857 and 1947.

The Movies

Class readings and discussions will be supplemented by a weekly film series. Every Monday night, at either 7:00 or 8:00 p.m., a film from and/or about India will be shown in Library 321. Several of these films are required viewing; others are recommended.

The Texts:

Indian Tales of the Raj, Masani
A Concise History of India, Metcalf & Metcalf
The God of Small Things, Roy
Midnight's Children, Rushdie
Cracking India, Sidhwa
Train to Pakistan, Singh

+ A large photocopied packet, to be purchased in class

The Study Tour:

Students taking this course are encouraged, although not required, to participate in the 2-week study tour in India taking place over winter break. A provisional itinerary may be found below: