Democracy, Diversity, and Development in South Asia

This course explores major political and economic developments in South Asia, with a special focus on India and Pakistan. Since the partition and independence of British India in 1947, these two nations have followed divergent trajectories while grappling with shared challenges. India is famously known as the world's largest democracy—even as some worry about contemporary democratic backsliding—while Pakistan has alternated between military and civilian governments since its inception. Religion and ethnic diversity have profoundly shaped the political and social landscapes of both nations. Through the lens of nearly eight decades of post-colonial politics, this course introduces students to various social scientific theories concerned with the interplay of democracy, diversity, and development. Drawing on interdisciplinary materials from the social sciences, alongside journalistic nonfiction, and fiction, students engage critically with the historical and contemporary dynamics that define South Asia.