Full bibliography

This paper presupposes no prior knowledge of Indian history. But a serious commitment to some preliminary background reading (see below) is required for those who have not studied South Asia at a less advanced stage. Its purpose is to explore aspects of social change on the South Asian subcontinent since the later part of the nineteenth century, when a range of different forces for change were impinging on society, for example:

• government-engineered legislation for social change (particularly after 1947 and the independence of the subcontinent from colonial rule)
• new forms of education
• indigenous movements for social reform
• missionary activity from abroad and indigenous religious change
• major economic change, as the subcontinent began to industrialize and be more deeply enmeshed in a world economy
• urbanization.

We look at a range of issues, including the successes and failures of government-induced attempts to change the position of women and those at the base of the caste system; patterns of change in town and countryside; the meanings of caste and class; religious transformations; issues of gender and the position of women; and the aspirations and activities of striking individuals such as M. K. Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who believed that political independence must be accompanied by radical socio-economic reconstruction.

Teaching is by small seminars when students are asked to read in advance and lead the discussion. There is a class each week, and it should be considered compulsory. Normally two or three major essays are written for the course. [In the case of the M.St. in S. Asian history these are assessed.]

Background reading

• P. J. Cain & A. G. Hopkins, British Imperialism: Innovation and Expansion 1688–1914
• P. J. Cain & A. G. Hopkins, British Imperialism: Crisis and Deconstruction 1914–1990
• B. Stein, A History of India
• J. M. Brown, India. The Origins of an Asian Democracy (2nd ed.)
• F. G. Hutchins, The Illusion of Permanence. British Imperialism in India
• T. R. Metcalf, Ideologies of the Raj
• B. H. Farmer, An Introduction to South Asia
• B. L. C. Johnson, Development in South Asia
• C. A. Bayly, Indian Society and the Making of British India
• D. Washbrook, 'Economic Depression and the Making of "Traditional" Society in Colonial India', T.R.H.S., 1993
• J. R. McLane, Indian Nationalism and the early Congress
• B. R. Tomlinson, The Indian National Congress and the Raj
• J. M. Brown, Gandhi. Prisoner of Hope
• J. Nehru, An Autobiography
• J. Nehru, The Discovery of India
• J. M. Brown, Nehru
• R. Hardgrave, India. Government and Politics in a Developing Nation
• R. Stern, Changing India. Bourgeois revolution on the subcontinent
• P. Brass, The politics of India since independence
• A. Kohli, The State and Poverty in India
• S, Khilnani, The Idea of India
• A. Jalal, Democracy and Authoritarianism in South Asia
• B. S. Cohn, India. The Social Anthropology of a Civilization
• K. M. Sen, Hinduism
• J. L. Lipner, Hindus. Their Religious Beliefs and Practices
• W. & C. Wiser, Behind Mud Walls
• G. M. Carstairs, Death of a Witch. A Village in North India 1950–1981
• P. Tandon, Punjabi Century 1857–1947
• P. Tandon, Beyond Punjab

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