Instructor: SANJAY JOSHI
Office Hours: Wed. and Fri. 10.15- 12.15 Office: LA 206
Phone: 523-6216 or 523 4378
E-mail: Sanjay.Joshi@nau.edu
Class Meetings: MWF 9.10 - 10.00,
Web Page: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/
Location: LA 321
IMPORTANT: Please look at the "Northern Arizona University Policy Statements" and the "Classroom Management Statement" along with this syllabus.
Course Description
This course examines the history of Indian nationalism. In order to understand the nature of nationalism we need to go back to understand the nature of the British imperial presence against which this nationalism was created. The period we look at therefore stretches from the mid 1700s to 1947. In this period the British established a trading base in India, acquired political control over the region, and were finally compelled to relinquish political power over the Indian subcontinent. The course examines the material as well as ideological structures of British imperialism, and then seeks to understand the many strands that went into the making of Indian nationalism. We will pay particular attention to the events that led towards decolonization, and created in 1947 not one, but two independent nation-states of India and Pakistan. Much of the course will examine the nature of the mainstream leadership of the anti-colonial movements, especially the movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. Equally important however, will be the history of many groups at the margins of mainstream politics. Here, the course explores ways in which marginalized groups differed from the elite leadership, and the extent to which Gandhi's leadership worked to represent the interests of less powerful social groups. Looking at this history will not only afford insight into the life and work of Gandhi, but really allow us to better evaluate the nature of the transition that took place in India in 1947.
Course Objectives
Our central objective is to gain a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the history of British colonialism and Indian nationalism circa. 1700 - 1947. This study of British colonialism and Indian nationalism involves engaging with a variety of ideas. We will explore the links between capitalism and imperialism, between these two and ideas about race. Rather than accept Indian nationalism at face value, we try to understand nationalism as a social construct, and examine the power relations that are concealed by ideologies of nationalism in India. Understanding this history and exploring these ideas will lead us to debates about and, hopefully, a better understanding of colonialism and nationalism across the world.
Readings
We use one textbook, by Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, along with a small set of extra readings included in a course packet. In order for you to get a better sense of social life and attitudes of the times, as well as to provide more entertaining reading, I have also included three other readings as part of the course. Gandhi's Hind Swaraj outlines many of the central tenets of the beliefs and philosophy of one of the most remarkable personalities of the millennium. Prakash Tandon's Punjabi Century affords insight into ways in which the Indian middle class came into being under colonial rule. As a social group the middle classes were to play a crucial role in the nationalist movement. Indian nationalism would have been just an elite phenomenon had it only been limited to the Gandhis and Tandons. Premchand's Godan is a fictional but still realistic account of the way in which the majority of the population, India's peasants, lived their lives. It is to understand this perspective, and to realize the ways in which nationalism came to mean so many different things to different people, that we read this novel. There is a deliberate effort to provide you with many different points of views of Indian history in these readings, in the hope that you will be able to make your informed arguments and hypotheses about the important questions we discuss in the course.
The following REQUIRED texts have been ordered at the NAU Bookstore for this course.
1. Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal. Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy.
2. M. K. Gandhi. Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule.
3. Prakash Tandon. Punjabi Century.
4. Premchand. Godan (Gift of a Cow).
5. A Course Packet of required readings.
Course Requirements and Evaluation
Students will be expected to write two papers and take a mid term and a final exam. In addition you need to write and submit notes for scheduled discussions.
Discussions
The class will be divided into small groups to facilitate discussion. You will be given specific questions or topics around which to frame your discussion notes a few days in advance of the discussion day. On the day of the discussion you need to come prepared with TWO copies of your notes on the discussion topics. You will hand one copy of that to me, and use the other to participate in the discussion. The best THREE of the FOUR sets of discussion notes will count towards 15% of the total course grade. Attendance and participation in all discussions is mandatory; there is no possibility of make-ups in this regard. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will discussion notes be accepted after the discussion has already taken place.
Papers
Both papers need to be about 1500-2000 words in length. The first paper
will be based on Tandon's
Punjab Century, and the second will be
based on Gandhi's Hind Swaraj and Premchand's Godan. The
papers need to incorporate a HISTORICAL reading of the texts and should
reflect not only a close reading of the novels and books in question, but
also of other related course material. Detailed instructions for writing
the papers will be provided a few weeks before they are due.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE IN CLASS UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED.
Grades
The grades for the course will be determined according to the following criteria:
Paper One 40 points
Paper Two 50 points
Final Exam 40 points
Mid-Term Exam 30 points
Discussion Notes 30 points
Class and Discussion Participation 10 points
TOTAL FOR COURSE 200 points
The grading scale for the course will be as follows:
180-200 = A; 160-179 = B; 140-159 = C; 120-139= D; below 120 = F.
Attendance and Course Policy
I expect regular class attendance of course, without which there is no point in your being enrolled in this class, but I do not demand it. Missing too many classes will undoubtedly and negatively impact on your class performance. Absence from discussion groups will certainly bring your grade down as there is no possibility of make-ups for that part of the class.
If you miss a class, whatever your reasons for doing so, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to arrange to meet or call a classmate and find out what happened in that class. I also expect you to come to class having done all the required reading, and prepared to engage in discussion. Finally, I expect you to be motivated to learn about the subject, and to improve your skills as a historian.
PLEASE NOTE: I do not give extensions, incompletes, or make-up
exams, except in cases required by University policy. Full documentation
of reasons for absence will be required in such cases. Plagiarism or other
forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in failing
the course. Please consult the NAU Student Handbook's sections on
academic dishonesty (particularly Appendix F) if you are not certain of
the meaning of any of these terms. IT IS THE STUDENTS' RESPONSIBILITY TO
FAMILIARIZE HERSELF/HIMSELF WITH THESE MATTERS AS DEFINED BY THE UNIVERSITY.
Provisional Course Schedule (Subject to modification)
August 30 Course Introduction.
September 1 An Introduction to India.
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Modern South Asia, Chapter One.
September 3 Introduction to the Books
Reading
Tandon, Punjabi Century, Foreword and Back Cover .
Gandhi, Hind Swaraj, pp. 4-17.
September 6 Labor Day: No Class
September 8 India Before the Raj
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapters Two and Three.
September 10 India Before the Raj II
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapters Four and Five.
September 13 Coming of British Rule
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Six.
September 15 Economic Logic of Colonialism
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Seven.
September 17 Culture of Colonialism
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Eight: Part One.
September 20 Responses to Colonialism: Resistance and Appropriation
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Eight: Part Two.
September 22 Revolt!
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Nine.
September 24 Colonial Attitudes after the Revolt
Reading
Francis Hutchins, "Concepts of Indian Character." (Course Packet, henceforth
CP)
September 27 Indian Perceptions of the Raj
Reading
Tandon, Chapters One through Five.
Karen Leonard, "Caste." (CP)
Assignment
PAPER ONE ASSIGNED.
September 29 Life Under the Raj
Reading
Tandon, Chapters Six through Twelve.
Please read Tandon, chapters Thirteen through Fifteen on your own over the next few weeks! We will not discuss these directly in class.
Assignment
Discussion #1 Questions Assigned.
October 1 DISCUSSION #1: The Raj and Life in Nineteenth
Century India
October 4 Catching up
We will go over questions and issues that come from Discussion One.
October 6 High Noon of the Raj
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Ten.
October 8 Cultural Nationalism in India
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Eleven, part one.
October 11 Problems of Early Nationalism
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Eleven, part two.
October 13 Questions of Gender in early Indian Nationalism
Reading
Tanika Sarkar, "Hindu Wife and Hindu Nation." (CP)
Assignment
Questions for Discussion #1: Gender, Class, and Early Indian Nationalism.
October 15 Gender and Indian Nationalism II
Screening of first part of film, "Home and the World" by Satyajit Ray.
Assignment
Viewing the rest of the film in your own time is part of your assignment for this class.
October 18 Discussion #2: Nation, Class, and Gender in the
early Twentieth Century.
October 20 Mid Term Review
October 22 Mid Semester Break: No Class
October 25 MID TERM EXAM
October 27 Colonialism Under Pressure
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Twelve.
I will arrange for a special screening of Richard Attenborough's feature film, "Gandhi" through the Media Center, Cline Library. I urge all students to attend the screening or to see the film independently during this week.
October 29 The Gandhian Era : An Introduction
Screening of a documentary film on Gandhi.
PAPER ONE DUE: IN CLASS
Please begin Reading Premchand's Godan on your own by this
time for a class discussion on 11. 10.99.
November 1 Nationalist Politics Ascendant
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Thirteen.
November 3-5 Gandhi's India
Reading
M.K. Gandhi, Hind Swaraj. (entire text)
Assignment
PAPER TWO ASSIGNED
November 8 Gandhi and the Peasantry
Reading
Gyan Pandey, "Peasant Revolt and Indian Nationalism." (CP)
November 10-12 A Peasant Perspective?
Reading
Premchand, Godan.
Assignment
Questions for Discussion #3: Gandhi and India in the 1920s.
November 15 Discussion #3: Gandhi and India in the 1920s
November 17 The Congress and the Raj
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Fourteen.
November 19 The Congress AS the Raj?
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Fifteen.
November 22 Towards Freedom and Partition
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Sixteen.
Tandon, Chapters Sixteen, Seventeen.
PAPER TWO DUE
November 24 The High Politics of Partition
Reading
Asim Roy, "The High Politics of India's Partition." (CP)
Possible Screening of Sugata Bose's film on partition.
November 26 Thanksgiving Break: No Class
November 29 The Human Tragedy of the Partition
Reading
Short stories on the partition in the course packet.
Tandon, Epilogue.
December 1 Partition Reconsidered
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapter Seventeen.
Assignment
Questions for Discussion #4: Why Partition? Who Benefits?
December 3 Discussion #4: Why Partition? Who Benefits?
December 6 New Beginnings or An Epilogue? South Asia Since 1947
Reading
Bose and Jalal, Chapters Eighteen to Twenty. (Skim)
December 8 End of Term Review
December 10 Reserve Day: In case of unforseen delays in class schedule.
No Class if we remain on schedule!
THE FINAL EXAM FOR THIS COURSE WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY,
DECEMBER 15, 7:30 TO 9:30 A.M..