230167 Introduction to India (S) (WiSe 2004/2005)

India celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence in 1997. It had been a British colony since the 17th century, run at first by a trading company, the British East India Company, and was considered the "jewel" of the British Empire. Independence began with the trauma of a civil war between Moslems and Hindus, which led to the setting up of the Moslem state of Pakistan. India has since become an atomic power, lives in conflict with Pakistan and in an uneasy peace with China. It has achieved a great deal; it is one of the few democracies in Asia, it has thriving high-tech industries. But it must also contend with serious problems: a huge population, poverty, corruption and mismanagement.
We will study colonial India, the struggle for independence under Mahatma Gandhi, the Moslem/Hindu conflict after independence, and how India has fared since. In the latter section the emphasis will lie on the country's economy, on the caste system, on the situation of women, on attempts to alleviate poverty.
You would need to have an interest in history and in the Third World, and have the time to get yourselves a general overview of the history of India by the beginning of the semester. In class we will be studying documents from various periods of the country?s history: to make sense of them you must already have a general knowledge of India?s development.
This is a Profile Module BA course; you may also do the Zwischenprüfung here, or obtain a credit for the Teacher Training course of studies.

TO KEEP YOUR PLACE, YOU MUST ATTEND FROM THE FIRST SESSION.

Requirements for participation, required level

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND THIS COURSE, YOU HAVE TO REGISTER FOR IT VIA THE DEPARTMENT?S NEWSLETTER, WHICH EXPLAINS THE PROCEDURE
(www.uni-bielefeld.de/bielefelder-modell/newsletter/index.html)