History 251 - City&Econ Life Mod South Asia

One-third of South Asia's population, or approximately 500 million people, currently live and work in cities. This course explores the history of urban life in the subcontinent from the mid-eighteenth century to the present. Cities have long been sites of economic opportunity, but also of profound inequality. They offer a unique spatial perspective on large-scale transformations such as industrialization and globalization. The course addresses the ongoing challenges of mass urbanization, especially the negotiation of ethnic, class, gender, and religious differences. Readings drawn from history, anthropology, and urban studies accompany literary and visual primary sources.