`HST 329/ 615.009

The Making of Modern India

Spring 2007 

Subho Basu

Office:  117 Eggers Hall

Telephone: 443-3802

Email: subasu@maxwell.syr.edu

Office Hours: 10-11 a.m.(MWF/By Appointment) 

Course Description:

This course surveys some major themes and events in the history of Indian subcontinent since the sixteenth century. Thematically, it explores the making of modern Indian subcontinent in the course of interaction with colonial modernity and the birth of organized nationalist movement. Chronologically, it surveys the history of Indian subcontinent from the inception of colonial rule in the late eighteenth century to the establishment of independent nation states of India and Pakistan in the middle of the twentieth century.

 The course is necessarily selective as to the subject, period and region, but hopes to provide a good understanding of modern South Asian history as basis for more advanced study, and as a training in historical methods. Students will be asked to consider a range of historical controversies, demonstrating the perpetual disagreements of historians, but also the need to understand historical techniques and to develop skills of historical judgments.

The reading is illustrative but not exhaustive. It is not a list of set readings. The list of introductory works gives students a choice of books to study (and possibly buy) so as to obtain an overview and to follow lectures and contribute to class discussions. The reading assignments are an initial guide to help in the search for materials related to the topics within the course which individuals will study in detail- such research develops some of the important historical skills. Additional advice will be given in discussion classes and lectures.

Course Requirements:

Exams: The final course grade will be determined on the basis of three exams and seminar presentation. The third exam will be the final exam. The final exam marks will take into account analytical skills, awareness of historiographical issues and evidence of in-depth knowledge of the subject.  Dead lines for exams are following:

First Take Home  Exam: Thursday  Feb 21

Second Take Home Exam Thursday  Day March 20.

Third Take Home  Exam Thursday     April 24

This is a tightly scheduled course. There will be little opportunities for make-up exams. Students will have to inform me before if they miss an exam.

 Attendance and Class Participation: Attendance is mandatory for this course as you will be unfamiliar with the subject area in general. I shall take attendance regularly. It is essential that students will take an active part in class, assuming responsibility for their own learning. We will devote several class meetings to the discussion of common course reading. There will also be special discussion days for this purpose. Students who cannot attend regularly, for what ever reason, should drop the course. Students are encouraged to ask questions and to raise points of interest, when appropriate! Please do not use cell phones during the class and be warned that any form of disruptive behavior may result in expulsion from class.

Text Books:

 Following text books are necessary for the course.

A.     A Jalal and S Bose Modern South Asia, History, Culture and Political Economy. New York: Routledge, 2002.

B.     Judith Brown Modern India: The origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

C.     Sumit Sarkar Modern India, 1885-1947 Macmillan : New Delhi, 2002.

5. Cheating:

Any evidence of plagiarism and cheating will result in automatic failure and may even lead towards expulsion from the university. All cases will be referred to the Student Judicial Office.

Guideline for reading assignment:

This reading list provides a detailed background and context on matters covered in class lecture. It is meant to complement and reinforce lectures. Students who fail to keep up with reading will find lectures confusing and difficult. At the same time, be aware that not all of the reading will be discussed or reviewed in class. Class time is limited and requires difficult choices about what to cover. However, students are responsible for all reading, even that not touched in the class. Students are expected to complete their reading assignment before the next class in order to follow the lectures adequately.

Lecture Topics. Reading Assignments and Class Schedule

I  Background

T-Jan.15                                            Introduction to the Syllabus.

Th-Jan. 17                                           Interpreting India.

T-Jan. 22                                             Themes in Modern Indian History.

Th Jan 24                                           Interpreting Maps in Modern Indian History

Reading Assignment:

‘South Asian History: An Introduction’ (Chap 1, Pp.1-li) in S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia, History, Culture and Political Economy. New York: Routledge.

‘Indian Subcontinent: Land People and Power’ (Chap 1. Pp. 4-45) in J. Brown (1994) Modern India: The origins of an Asian Democracy.

Karl J Schimdt An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History

II Origins of Colonial Rule and Early Colonial Policies

T-Jan. 29                                      European Companies: The Beginning of Maritime Empires.

Reading Assignments:

‘Indian Subcontinent: Land People and Power’ ( Chap 1, Pp. 4--45) in J. Brown (1994) Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy.

Th-Jan. 31                                  The Eighteenth century: India in the Era of Transition.

Reading Assignments:

‘Indian Between Empires’’. Decline or Decentralization’ (Chap 5. Pp. 48-56) In S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

T Feb 5   The Advent of Colonial Rule: Colonial Army and the Wars of Conquests.

Reading Assignments:

‘The Transition to Colonialism: Resistance and Collaboration” Chap 6. Pp. 57-75). ) In S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

Th Feb 7 Seminar Discussion: Why and how were British so successful in establishing their empire in South Asia?

T-Feb 12                                                           Colonial Changes: Economy and Government.

Reading Assignments:

‘The Consolidation of Dominion: Illusion and Reality’ in (Chap II. pp.46-94) in J. Brown (1994) Modern India:            The Origins of an Asian Democracy.

The First Century of British Rule, 1757-1857: State and Economy’ in (Chap 7. pp.67-75) in S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

Th-Feb. 14                                                          European Prejudices and the Interpretation of India.

Reading Assigments:

“Company Raj and Indian Society, 1757 to 1857: Reinvention and Reform of ‘Tradition’ “ (Chap 8, pp.76-87) in S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

T  Feb 19 Seminar Discussion: Was colonial domination an illusion?

III     Indian Classes and Communities and their Response to Early Colonial Rule.

Th-Feb. 21                              Indian Intellectual Response: ‘Bengal Renaissance’.

Reading Assignments:

“Company Raj and lndian Society. 1757 to 1857: Reinvention and Reform of ‘Tradition’ “(Chap 8, pp.76-87) in S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

David Kopf (1969) British Orientalism and Bengal renaissance : the dynamics of Indian

Modernization, 1773-1835. pp.’ 78-21 3.& 253- 2. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1969.

T-Feb. 26                                 Agrarian Change and Rural Protests.

Reading Assignments:

‘The Transition to Colonialism: Resistance and Collaboration” ( Chap 6, pp. 5 7-75), ) in S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

F. T Stokes, ‘The first century of British colonial rule: social revolution or social stagnation?’ Past and Present 58 (1973)

Th Feb 28                                           The Great Rebellion of 1857.

Reading Assignments:

‘The Consolidation of Dominion: Illusion and Reality’ in (Chap II, pp.46-94 particularly pp. 85-94) in J, Brown (1994) Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

‘Eighteen Fifty-seven Rebellion. Collaboration and the Transition to Crown Raj’( Chap 9, pp. 88-96.) in S. Bose and A, Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

Manifesto of Rebels Reader

T March 4 Discussion: Was the rebellion of 1857 India’s first war of independence?

IV The Era of High Imperialism: Transformation in Society, Polity and Economy. 

T March 18 Imperial Administration and Changing Nature of Governance.

Reading Assignments:

‘High Noon of Colonialism, 1858 to 1914: State and Political Economy’ in S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

The Dilemmas of Dominion’ in J. Brown (1994) Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Reader ‘Introduction’ C. A. Bayly, (1988) Indian society and the making of the British Empire Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Th Mar 20 Railways, Famines and Economic Change

Reading Assignments:

‘High Noon of Colonialism, 1858          to 1914: State and Political Economy’ in S. Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia.

Ian Derbyshire ‘Economic change and the railways in north India, 1860-19 14’ Modern Asian Studies.

T Mar 25                                  Women and Colonial Rule.

Reading Assignments:

Partha Cahterjee, (1994) The nation and its fragments : colonial and postcolonial histories.  Princeton: Princeton University Press. Library

Th-Mar 27                                 Politics of Public Associations and the Emergence of the Congress.

Reading Assignments:

Chap 3, Chap 4 and Chap 5 (pp 3 8-92) in Jim Masselos (1985) Indian Nationalism.

T-April. 1                               Muslim Social Reform Movement and the Debates among Indian Muslims.

Reading Assignments:

Sumit Sarkar (1983) Modern India 1885-1947. Delhi : Macmillan. Sections on Trends in Indian Islam and Aligarh Movement,

‘Introduction’ in Robinson, Francis. (1974) Separatism among Indian Muslims: the politics of the United Provinces’ Muslims, 1860-1923. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1974 [i.e. 1975]

Th April 3  Discussion: Was the moderate Congress a representative body of Indian society?

V The Era of Dc-colonization: Mass Nationalist Movements and the Retreat of the Colonial State

T- April 8.                       Mass Nationalism and Gandhi.

Reading Assignments:

‘M. K. Gandhi and the Enterprise of Swaraj’ and ‘Patterns of Adjustments’ [[Section in Chapter IV pp.209-231] J. Brown (1994) Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Shahid Amin(l988) ‘Gandhi as Mahatma : Gorakhpur District, Eastern UP 1921-22’ in R. Guha and Gayatri Chakraborty Spivak (eds) Selected Subaltern Studies (Vol 1) New York: Oxford University Press. Reader

Sumit Sarkar (1983) Modern India 1885-194 7. Delhi: Macmillan. Sections on the non-co-operation and Civil Disobedience movement.

 Th-Apr. 10                                                           Peasant and Workers’ Movements and the Rise of Indian Socialism.

Reading Assignments:

Sumit Sarkar (1983) Modern India 1885-1947. Delhi : Macmillan . Sections on Peasant and Workers’ Party. Congress Socialist Party.

T-Apr.15        Nationalism Reconsidered Caste Religion and community

Reading Assignments:

Reader B. R. Ambedkar Annihilation of Caste Library Self DS422.C3 A67 1990

Th-Apr. 17  Nationalism Reconsidered The Place of  Women

Reading Assignments:

Radha Kumar The History of Doing An illustrated Account of Movement for Women’s Rights and Feminism in India 1800-1990

T-Apr. 22                                     The Pakistan Movement.

Reading Assignments:

‘The Partition of India and the creation of Pakistan’(Chap 16, pp.165-189) in S, Bose and A. Jalal (2002) Modern South Asia .

Sumit Sarkar Modern India : 1885-1947 p. 414-454.

Th-Apr. 24                                       Colonial State, Partition and the Transfer of Power.

Reading Assignments:

S. H Manto Toba Tek Singh

‘India in 1940s : A Great Divide’ ( Chapter VI. pp. 3 17-359) Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

G. Pandey, ( 2001) Remembering partition: violence, nationalism, and history in India / Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 2001.

T -Apr. 29 Seminar Discussion Was Partition inevitable?

 Th May 1 Nation Reconsidered

Reading Assignments:

‘Epilogue India’s Democratic Experience’ (Chap VII, pp 3 63-398) in Modern India: The Origins of an Asian Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Partha Chatterjee Nation and its Fragments, Chapter 1 Reader

Benedict Anderson Imagined Communities  Chapter 1-3.

Group 1

Why and how were British so successful in establishing their empire in South Asia?

(02/09/06 Thursday)

Root, Will P

Horowitz, Aaron M

Furth, Alan S

Dolan, Nicholas J

Group 2

Was colonial domination an illusion?

(02/19/08 Thursday)

Spencer, Christopher Daniel

Worst, Justin Richard

Squires Andrew R

Janeka,Marri A

Teng, Kanika Ky

Wilson, Eric M

 Ferrandino,Jacqueline Robin

Peluse,Stephanie Marie

McA'Nulty,Lynsey Marie

Ganapathy,Akhila

Lundblad,Amanda K

Group 3

Was the rebellion of 1857 India’s first war of independence?

(03/04/008 Tuesday)

Bossman Allie Jenna

Miller Meghan E

Dawson Robert C

Patel, Aashi

Masand, Ravi Kamal

Golin,Benjamin Roger

Greenwood,Sarah E

Ahn,Joo Hee

Group 4

Was moderate Congress a Representative Body of Society?

(04/03/08 Thursday)

D' Arpino, Adam Joseph

Hannan, Andrew W

Rodriguez, Yaxary

Destino,Joel F

Group 5

Was Partition inevitable?

(Tuesday 04/29/08)

Philipose, Simon

Peres,Jonathan T

Vachon, Mallory C

Brown, Abram Daniel

Chandok, Ishan-Shawn

Worstell,Matthew Wilcox

Making of Modern India

Questions for Exam 1 ( February 22, 2007)

1.   In what ways the very idea of India is a historically contested process?

2.   How did the British cartographic construction of Indian map inform the process of making of Indian Identity?

3.   Was foreign trade the origin of colonial empire?

4.   In what ways and how did former political system transform in the 18th century India?

5.   In what way and how could we characterize colonial army as the first modern political institution in India?

6.   Can we use resistance and collaboration as a fruitful model of historical enquiry?

7.   How did India transform under the first century of the British rule?

Questions for essay exam on March 22, 2007.

(Those who presented their seminars on the rebellion of 1857 are not allowed to answer question3)

1. Did colonial rule spark a renaissance in India in the nineteenth century?
2. Why did agrarian discontent occur repeatedly in the period between 1757 and 1857?
3.  “ The rebellion of 1857 was a mere sepoy mutiny”. Discuss.
4. Did railways usher in an era of famine in India?
5. “Deindustrialization and drain of wealth theories were nationalist myths”. Discuss.

The Final Exam

May 4, 2007

Total Marks 200

1. In what ways did Gandhi revolutionize Indian politics? Was non violence a successful strategy of nationalist revolution?

2. How did the untouchability issue define the limits of Indian nationalist movement?

3. How did the nationalist movement impact women’s movement in India?

4. Was the birth of Pakistan an inevitable consequence of Hindu domination over the Congress?