HIST 1110

FWS: Paper Politics: Writing in India, 1700-Present

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2014-2015.

The Indian subcontinent poses a paradox in histories of the written word. Despite high rates of illiteracy, it has produced vibrant textual traditions in over a dozen vernacular and a few "global" languages. Yet what institutional and social contexts have informed the cultures of writing in South Asia? We address this question through historical and anthropological perspectives. Readings and discussions will focus on the worlds of the Mughal scribe, the colonial book printer, and the bazaar public sphere. We shall learn of the written labor of subordinate clerks and peons, and follow the paper trail to the halls of postcolonial bureaucratic offices. Our aim will thus be to understand the dynamics of writing and power that have historically constituted state and popular politics in South Asia.

When Offered Spring.

Satisfies Requirement First-Year Writing Seminar.

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