This course introduces students to the government and politics of South Asia. It focuses on questions of long term effects of colonialism, state formation, democracy, ethnicity and insurgency, rise of lower caste and religious parties, and ethnic riots and lynching. South Asia is home to a quarter of the world’s population, and the largest number of its poor. It is also the region which is home to a large number of insurgencies, like the Kashmir insurgency and Sikh insurgency in India, and the Taliban insurgency in Pakistan. The region has seen a large variation in terms of democratic experience, with India being able to continue on its path of electoral democracy along with Sri Lanka, while other countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh often succumbing to military dictatorships and then swinging back to democratic politics. The course will introduce the broader themes in comparative politics, and the debates on these issues like democratization, insurgency, ethnic conflict and violence, rise of Hindutva and other types of political parties in south Asia. It will provide the context within which to examine and make sense of the experiences of countries in South Asia. The unique experience of the South Asian countries will challenge students to think of how to modify or problematize the larger theories of comparative politics on democracy, development and ethnic conflict. The course will mostly focus on India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, since this allows us a deeper dive into theories.

Students are expected to attend lectures and complete assigned readings before the start of class every week. Course evaluation includes a mid term exam, a research proposal and research paper at the end of the semester, and a memo on one of the documentaries, as well as active class participation. The research paper will allow students to develop their research and writing skills, and the examination will allow students to master the course materials overall. The lectures will be mixed with discussions in class, and such discussions will help teach public speaking skills as well as allow students to learn from each other. It is expected that students are willing to actively engage during class discussions, which is a large part of student evaluation.