Global South Asia

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This seminar examines the role and impact of South Asia on processes of globalization, old and new. We shall focus on the transregional movement of people, commodities, faiths, and ideas across time and space. Starting with the ancient political and economic ties between the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia, we will proceed to examine the spread of Indic religions, most notably Buddhism, across Asia, as well as the domestication of Islam and Christianity in distinctive South Asian vernacular idioms. Closer to our times, we will delve into the critical role played by South Asians in the British Empire, dwelling on coolies, curry, and tea as pivots in a new capitalist world economy, to dispel the idea that they were hapless victims of foreign conquest. Finally, we will study the transformative impact of South Asian diasporas, drawing on case studies from the GCC, US, and UK, as well as the global popularity of yoga, cricket, and Bollywood far beyond contemporary South Asia.