Subject Area: Asian Studies
This course can also be studied in the following specialisations: Development Studies, History

India has risen to attract international importance in recent years as a rising power and a major player in the Asian Century. If earlier people thought of India as a nation plunged in poverty and constrained by a rigid caste system, they are now quick to point out its IT credentials, its impressive reserves of soft power and the consumer potential of its new middle classes. How can we explain this dramatic reversal? And how accurate are these images?

This course answers these questions by introducing you to key debates in the recent history, politics, anthropology and sociology of India, with a particular attention to contemporary developments in political, material and popular culture. The course examines India's post-colonial trajectory, with special focus on its contemporary political and anthropological landscape, as well as on its role in global dynamics and the changing international order. Powerful India aims to introduce you to a balanced assessment of India in the 21st century, with special reference to its economic, environmental, cultural, and social capital. You will be encouraged to tailor your writing assessments to align with your major and/or your particular interests.