HIST 200/3.0: India and the World

This course is available to both Queen’s and non-Queen’s students. Non-Queen’s students (including interest students, visiting students, and new online degree students) must first apply for admission. The following is presented for informational purposes only and is subject to change.

Instructor

Aditi Sen-Chowdhury Learn more about the instructor...
E-mail: aditi.sen@queensu.ca
Phone: extension 74381

Course Description

This course examines the history of India as a series of contacts with the rest of the world. Topics include Roman trade in ancient India, the Portuguese, Turkish, and Mughal empires, Ghandi in South Africa, and South Asian diasporas in Europe and North America. Course materials include histories, travel accounts, court chronicles, medical treatises, literature, and film.

Course Objectives

In our modern globalized world it is very important to understand the current political situation of South Asia. It is impossible to comprehend the complexities and nuances of the region without an understanding of the history.

The first part of this survey course traces India’s connection with the rest of the world starting with the Indus Civilization, the Greek invasions followed by the early Greek, Bactrian and Scythian empires. After that we look at the rise of Buddhism and its spread to South East Asia, Sri Lanka but then its complete disappearance from its homeland. We then move to the Early Medieval India and look at some of the regional kingdoms to get an overview of the socio-political condition of India before the coming of Islam.

The next section of the course focuses on Vasco Da Gama’s arrival in the western coast of India that eventually paved the way for British Colonialism in India. We then move to the struggle for India’s independence and India’s relation with different parts of the world namely Ireland, Nazi Germany and Japan. After India’s independence we focus on the creation of Pakistan and the roots of Kashmir dispute. We then move to non-alignment, India’s relation with Soviet Russia, the Panchsheel agreement with China followed by the Indo Chinese war, the creation of Bangladesh.  Finally, we look at India’s problems with Sri Lanka and finally India’s very unique stand on Israel.

Course Topics

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More information:

• Computer Requirements and Internet Access
• Moodle, Our Online Learning Environment 
• Academic Integrity
• Evaluation
• Suggested Time Commitment
• Required Material