Islam in South Asia

3 credits · Divinity School

Islam has been present in South Asia for well over a thousand years, and contemporary South Asia is home to the largest Muslim population in the world. Yet South Asia is marked by its absence in most introductory courses on Islam, which focus largely on the Middle East. This course introduces students to the rich history and religious particularities of Islam in South Asia, where Islam, from its arrival, has been present in a landscape of astonishing religious diversity. We will look at histories of both conflict and co-operation: the popular memory of the Turkish conquest of north India, as well as the history of dialogue between Islamic and Hindu religious figures. This course traces the emergence of Mughal traditions of cosmopolitanism, the Islamic roots of shared popular culture (including Bombay cinema), and the impact of Sufi Islam on contemporary ethical life in the subcontinent. We also look at the impact of colonialism, colonial forms of knowledge, and sectarian violence on the reshaping of Muslim identity and the growth of Muslim separatism. [3] Mr. Taneja