Fall 2026 - HIST 438W D100
Problems in the History of the British Empire (4)
Class Number: 2836
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 7, 2026: Fri, 12:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Bidisha Ray
bray@sfu.ca
1 778 782-9604
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Prerequisites:
45 units including 9 units of lower division history.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An investigation of advanced concepts and methodologies in the history of the British empire. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 438W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Writing.
COURSE DETAILS:
This writing-intensive course is designed to introduce students to key institutions and experiments in the history of international development as experienced in South Asia, and to introduce students to interdisciplinary critiques of non–western development through one of its most remarkable examples: India. From the mid 20th century, institutions, practices and ideas associated with ‘development’ have accounted for some of the most ambitious experiments in social engineering. In this course we will investigate key experiments in the history of development—from attempts to transform farming and end hunger via the industrial miracle of the Green Revolution in India to attempts to transform sexual practices and stave off poverty via state-dictated population control. The first half of the course will focus on the colonial history of development in its embodiment as colonial projects of ‘improvement’ and ‘civilisation’ during the latter decades of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. In the second half of the course, we will address how formal political independence in South Asia as well as World War II and decolonisation impacted the atmosphere on which developmental programmes could be constructed and executed. Some of the key questions the course will address are - To what degree was development in 20th century South Asia the liberating product of a post-war and postcolonial world order, and to what degree was it merely an heir to British colonialism? What is the relationship between modernisation and colonialism? Why didn’t Five Year Plans work in India? Is it accurate to describe postcolonial Indian development as a ‘suspended revolution’? Academic sources and popular cultural material will be used to explore a wide range of historical issues in development studies.
Grading
- Class Participation 20%
- 2 Book Reviews 30%
- Portfolio 20%
- Final Group Project 30%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, Modern South Asia, Routledge,2003 (free e-book)
Ramachandra Guha, India after Gandhi: the history of the world’s largest democracy , Pan, 2008. (paperback)
Department Undergraduate Notes:
Learn more about studing History at SFU:
History areas of study
Why study History?
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.