B5863 - International Relations of India

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students with the tools and basic knowledge to understand and critically interpret the main political, economic and social developments of contemporary India and South Asia. These developments will be analyzed from a historical perspective, tracing the long-term processes that began in the late colonial period and their impact on today's India. the course will also delve into four complex and interrelated themes with systemic characteristics crucial to India's political development: the system of international relations, the economic system, and the caste system,the ethnic-majoritarian system.

The course will help students understand the interdependence among these systems and trace their long-term origins and consequences.The central objective of the course is, therefore, to understand the historical evolution of India to understand India today. Attention will also be paid to India's relations with other South Asian states (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal).

Course contents

The course is divided into two parts. In the first part, the course will cover major historical-political events from the mid-18th century (the advent of colonial rule) to the present day (Modi's India).

The second part will be seminar-based. This part will analyze the most significant political and social processes of independent India. Seminars will cover mainly: the colonialism and Indian nationalist movements; the Indian foreign policy; the strategic role of India in the South Asia and other elements of South Asian geopolitics; the economic and political crisis of the 80s and 90s and the opening of markets; religious fundamentalism; the Indian diaspora; the environmental issue, resources, sustainability; the tribal issue, castes and disadvantaged classes (e.g. “adivasi studies” and “indigeneity”).

 

 

Part 1 - India from British rule to Narendra Modi

1. British India before 1857
2. British India after 1857
3.  Nationalisms and the road to independence
4.  The Nehurvian system (1947-1966)
5.  The decline and dismantling of the Nehruvian System (1967-1989)
6.  India after 1989: Mandal, Mandir, Market (and globalization)
7.  Narendra Modi’s India

Part 2 (seminars) - Themes and systems of Contemporary India

1. The partition and its social, political and international consequences
2. India’s foreign policy and its role in the international system
3.  The economic system: a very poor great power
4.  Hindu Nationalism and extremism: the construction of a Hindu state
5.  The caste system, the tribes and the disadvantaged classes

 

Readings/Bibliography

All students will have to study the following textbook

Reference Texts on Indian History:

• Micheguglielmo Torri, "Storia dell’India," Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2007.
  
  
• Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, "Modern South Asia: History, Culture, Political Economy," Routledge, Oxon, 2011.
  
  

The educational materials (in English) for the seminar part will be provided by the lecturer during the course.

Supplementary in-depth readings (optional): (provisional list being updated)

The texts listed below can be used to write the final paper, but it is possible to choose other texts. In any case, it is recommended to base the paper also on academic articles from specialized journals of Asian history (for example, Modern Asian Studies or the Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient), or from generalist historical journals (for ex. the American Historical Review or Past and Present). The lecturer is available for further bibliographical advice.

• Adduci Matilde. L'India contemporanea. Dall'indipendenza all'era della globalizzazione. Carocci, 2009.
• Bandyopadhyay, Sekhar. From Plassey to Partition. Orient BlackSwan, 2008.
• Bayly Christopher. Origins of Nationality in South Asia: Patriotism and Ethical Government in the Making of Modern India. Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Bayly Susan. Caste, Society, and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
•  Brass P. The Politics of India since Independence. Cambridge University Press, 2001.
•  Brown, Judith M.Modern India: the origins of an Asian democracy. Oxford University Press, 1994.
•  Casolari, Marzia. L’Asia agli asiatici. Mondadori, 2023.
•  Chakrabarty, Dipesh. Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference. Princeton University Press, 2007.
•  Cohen, Stephen P.India: Emerging Power. Rowman & Littlefield, 2004
•  Drèze, Jean, and Amartya Sen.An uncertain glory: India and its contradictions. Princeton University Press, 2013.
•  Ganguly, Sumit. Storia dell'India e del Pakistan. Due paesi in conflitto. Bruno Mondadori, 2004
•  Ganguly, Sumit R. Mukherji. India since 1980. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
•  Guha, Ramachandra. India After Gandhi. Harper Perennial, 2007.
•  Guha, R., Spivak, G. C., Said, E. W., & Mezzadra, S. Subaltern studies: modernità e (post) colonialismo. Ombre corte(2002).
•  Hall, Ian.Modi and the reinvention of Indian foreign policy. Bristol: Bristol University Press, 2019.
•  Jaffrelot, Christophe.India's silent revolution: the rise of the lower castes in North India. Orient Blackswan, 2003.
•  Ludden, David. Storia dell’India e dell’Asia del Sud. Einaudi, 2011.
•  Malone, David M.Does the elephant dance? contemporary Indian foreign policy. Oxford University Press, 2011.
•  Metcalf Barbara D. and Thomas R. Metcalf. A Concise History of Modern India. Cambridge University Press, 2002
•  Nussbaum, Martha C. Lo scontro dentro le civiltà. Democrazia, radicalismo religioso e futuro dell'India. Il Mulino, Bologna 2009.
•  Ogden Chris.Indian foreign policy. John Wiley & Sons, 2014.
•  Oldenburg, Philip.India, Pakistan, and democracy: Solving the puzzle of divergent paths. Routledge, 2010.
•  Schofield, Victoria.Kashmir. India, Pakistan e la guerra infinita. Fazi Editore, 2004.
•  Subrahmanyam, Sanjay. Mondi Connessi: la storia oltre l’eurocentrismo. Carocci, 2014.
•  Talbot, Ian e Gurharpal Singh. Laspartizione. 1947: alle origini di India e Pakistan. Il Mulino, 2012.

Further and additional readings, not included in the exam (Attending and non-attending students) will be provided by the lecturer during the course and will be uploaded on Moodle.

Teaching methods

The course will consist of a combination of Frontal lectures and seminar-based discussion class related to the different readings. During frontal lectures, students will be strongly encouraged to interact with the teacher and each other.

The seminar-based discussion class will analyze the most significant political and social processes of independent India. Students will be given the texts that must be read and analyzed during class discussion students will be strongly encouraged to interact with the teacher and each other.

Assessment methods

The assessment will be based on a final paper and a written exam. The final grade will be an average of these two components.

The final grade will be expressed in thirtieths.

 

Final Written exam (for both attending and non-attending students)

The exam will be in written form and will last 60 minutes. The exam will consist of answering 6 open questions. The questions will require detailed answers. The written exam will be evaluated in thirtieths, the exam will be passed with a score of 18/30. Students (attending and non-attending) will study the texts indicated (see “Reference texts” section), the lessons/seminars and the materials that will be provided on Moodle. The final written exam will assess knowledge of the fundamental events and processes of contemporary Indian history discussed in lectures and seminars.

The written exam will count for 50% of the final grade of the course. The written test will take place during the regular exam sessions.

Marks are given based on:

• ability to identify and contextualize historical processes and events;
• knowing the subject matter;
• ability to approach themes and issues both analytically and synthetically.
• ability to use adequate language.

Achieving the above abilities fully will lead to excellent marks.

Achieving the above qualities partially will lead to medium to good marks.

Failure in some of the abilities will lead to only sufficient marks.

Failure in most or all the above abilities will lead to negative marks.

 

Final paper (ATTENDING AND NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS)

Students will write a 3,500-4,500-word long paper (including notes but excluding bibliography) on a topic that they will choose. The topic will be agreed in advance with the teacher.

Students will send the teacher an abstract in advance with (a) a brief description of the chosen topic (three lines may be enough); (b) one or more research questions to be answered in the paper; and (c) a preliminary list of five works (academic articles and/or monographs). The abstract must be sent at least one month (preferably two) before the written exam. The paper must be sent to the instructor by e-mail at least one daybefore the exam session.

Working on primary sources (including translations) is encouraged but not mandatory. In your paper, please use the Chicago Manual of Style:

https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html).

The final grade of the paper will be expressed in thirtieths. The final grade of the paper will count for 50% of the final grade of the course.

Specific details and guidelines for the written paper will be provided on the first day of classes.

Teaching tools

Slides,  documents and short clips

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Leone