Spring 2014
TTH 11-12:30pm
Cynthia Talbot
GAR 0.132
Mughal India in History & Memory
HIS 350L (39945)/ANS 361 (32145) /ISL 372 (42155)
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course carries the Writing flag.
This undergraduate course focuses on South Asia during the era of the Mughal empire.
Much of the Indian subcontinent came under the control of the Mughal dynasty, ushering
in a period of peace and prosperity during which long-lasting economic and cultural
linkages were formed between the various regions of the subcontinent. Aside from its
cultural splendor, political might, and booming economy, Mughal India is also important
for the many ways in which it shaped South Asia's development in subsequent centuries.
We will therefore look not only at Mughal India at the height of imperial power between
approximately 1550 to 1750, but also at the continuing legacies and symbolic relevance of
the Mughal dynasty in British India and in India today.
The basic political history of the period will be covered in the course, through occasional
lectures by the instructor and readings drawn from recent secondary scholarship on the
Mughal empire. Students will also be exposed students first-hand to original sources
from the Mughal period such as court chronicles and European travel accounts, as well as
material from more recent eras such as films, art, and comic books. By the end of the
semester, students should be familiar with the main developments of the Mughal era and
understand how the Mughal dynasty has been remembered by later generations.
REQUIREMENTS:
Since the success of this course will depend heavily on student attendance and
participation, it is essential that students come to class sessions prepared to discuss the
readings. Each student will take a leading role in one discussion session during the
semester, which will entail not only vigorous participation but also the submission of a set
of discussion questions. In addition, written responses to the readings (400-500 words
apiece) will be required on five occasions. There will be two longer written assignments,
beginning with drafts of a film-critique paper (1500 words) on a recent Bollywood movie,
Jodhaa Akbar, with revisions based on peer review and instructor feedback. Toward the
end of the semester, students will submit drafts of a paper evaluating an original source
(2500 words) from the Mughal era, along with at least one relevant article from the
secondary scholarship, also to be revised after instructor feedback.
Various aspects of student performance will be weighted as listed below in determining
the final grade for the course:
5 reading responses (400-500 words each)
film critique paper, 2 drafts (1500 words)
Mughal-era source paper, 2 drafts (2500 words)
performance as discussion leader
attendance & participation
25%
25%
30%
5%
15%
Please note that pluses and minuses to the final letter grade will be applied.
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REQUIRED TEXTS (purchase textbook, other readings available through Blackboard):
1) Catherine B. Asher & Cynthia Talbot, India Before Europe [textbook]
2) excerpts from Babur-nama & Humayun-nama
3) excerpts from M. Fisher, Visions of Mughal India: An Anthology of European
Travel Writing
4) excerpts from Simon Digby, Sufis and Soldiers in Awrangzeb’s Deccan
5) excerpt from Banarsidas, Ardhakathanak: A Half Story, trans. Rohini Chowdhury
ADDITIONAL REQUIRED READINGS (available on course Blackboard site):
§
John F. Richards, "The Formulation of Imperial Authority under Akbar and
Jahangir,” in Authority and Kingship in South Asia, edited by J. F.
Richards (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1998), pp. 285-326.
§
Frances Taft, “Honor & Alliance: Reconsidering Mughal-Rajput Marriages,” in
Idea of Rajasthan, Vol. 2: Institutions, edited by K. Schomer et al., (New
Delhi: Manohar Publishers & American Institute of Indian Studies, 1994),
pp. 217-41.
§
Shahnaz Khan, “Recovering the Past in Jodhaa Akbar: Masculinities,
Femininities, and Cultural Politics in Bombay Cinema,” Feminist Review,
no. 99 (2011): 131-46.
§
Satish Chandra, “Akbar in Modern Indian Historiography,” in State, Society, and
Culture in Indian History (New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2012).
§
François Bernier, "Letter to Monseigneur Colbert," in Travels in the Mogul
Empire AD 1656-1668, trans. Archibald Constable, 2nd ed. (Delhi:
Munshiram Manoharlal, 1992), pp. 200-38.
§
Cynthia Talbot, “The Mewar Court’s Construction of History;” in The Kingdom of
the Sun: Indian Court and Village Art from the Princely State of Mewar,
ed.by Joanna Williams (San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2007), pp. 12-33.
§
Meenakshi Mukherjee, “Tod’s Rajasthan and the Bengali Imagination,” in Elusive
Terrain: Culture and Literary Memory (New Delhi: Oxford University
Press, 2008), pp. 154-68.
§
Allison Busch, "Portrait of a Raja in a Badshah's World: Amrit Rai's Biography of
Man Singh," Journal of Economic and Social History of the Orient 55, no.
2/3 (2012): 287-328.
§
M. N. Pearson, "Shivaji and the Decline of the Mughal Empire,"
Journal of Asian Studies 35, no. 2 (1976): 221-35.
§
M. Athar Ali, “The Passing of Empire: The Mughal Case."
Modern Asian Studies 9, no. 3 (1975): 385-96.
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COURSE POLICIES:
-- Religious holy days sometimes conflict with class schedules. It is the policy of UTAustin that you must notify each of your instructors at least fourteen days prior to the
classes scheduled on dates you will be absent to observe a religious holy day.
-- Student attendance and participation is critical to the success of this course. Students
will therefore be allowed no more than two absences without documented proof of good
reason (such as severe illness or death in the family). However, please note that
attendance is mandatory on February 13th , when we will conduct peer critiques of paper
drafts. Any additional absences will adversely affect the final grade for the course.
-- The use of smartphones will NOT be allowed in the classroom, nor the reading or
composition of email and text messages. Smartphones should be kept out of sight, and
any laptops should be used only for taking notes or consulting reading assignments. Your
attention should be fixed on what is going on in the classroom at all times.
-- We will use the course web site on Blackboard for various purposes, so please check the
site regularly for announcments etc. It is your responsibility to maintain a functioning
email account linked to Blackboard.
-- There are numerous written assignments spaced throughout the semester and it is vital
that you do not fall behind. Late assignments will be subject to a grade penalty, to be
applied at the instructor's discretion.
-- Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to
disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal
from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the
integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.
Please note that plagiarism means not only the verbatim quoting of another's work
without attribution but also the presentation of another's ideas as one's own. Be
advised that I will refer all instances of plagiarism (even a paragraph long!)
to the Dean of Students, along with a grade of zero for the assignment, at the
minimum.
-- Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should notify the
instructor by presenting a letter prepared by the Services for Students with Disabilities
Office. To ensure that the most appropriate accommodations can be provided, students
should contact the SSD Office at 471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office Hours
Tuesdays 3:30-5 & by appointment
Office
GAR 3.406, tel. no. 475-7229
E-Mail Address
<[email protected]>
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
WK 1 – INTRODUCTION TO MUGHAL INDIA
Tues. 1/14
Thurs. 1/16
Introduction to Course
Romance of the Taj Mahal
WK 2 – ESTABLISHING THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
Tues. 1/21
Thurs. 1/23
Overview of 16th-Century India
Film: Jodhaa Akbar Pt. 1
reading: Asher & Talbot chap. 5
Wk 3 – REPRESENTATIONS OF AKBAR
Tues. 1/28
Thurs. 1/30
Film: Jodhaa Akbar Pt.2
Discussion: The Illustrated Akbar-Nama
//reading response 1 due
reading: J. F. Richards, "The Formulation of Imperial Authority;"
Frances Taft, “Honor & Alliance: Reconsidering Mughal-Rajput Marriages.”
Issue: What kind of image did Akbar seek to promote, and by what means?
Wk 4 – REMEMBERING THE MUGHAL EMPERORS
Tues. 2/4
Thurs. 2/6
From Jahangir to Aurangzeb, 1605-1707 AD
Discussion (w/leaders): Akbar in History vs. Memory
//reading response 2 due
reading: Shahnaz Khan, "Recovering the Past in Jodhaa Akbar";
Satish Chandra, “Akbar in Modern Indian Historiography;”
Asher & Talbot chap. 6;
view rest of Jodhaa Akbar on your own
Issue: How has Akbar’s memory served political purposes in modern times?
Wk. 5 – RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY IN MUGHAL INDIA
Tues. 2/11
Thurs. 2/13
Mosques, Shrines, and Temples
// paper 1 draft (electronic) due Wed. 3 pm
Peer Review Session
reading: Asher & Talbot chap 7; mosque & temple websites on BB.
Wk. 6 – INDIA IN THE EARLY MODERN WORLD
Tues. 2/18
Thurs. 2/20
Situating Mughal India// revised paper 1 (hard copy) due
Discussion: Images of the Oriental in Bernier
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reading: Asher & Talbot chap 8;
François Bernier, "Letter to Monseigneur Colbert."
Wk. 7 – RAJPUT PERSPECTIVES ON MUGHAL INDIA
Tues. 2/25
Thurs. 2/27
Rajputs: Partners in Empire
Discussion (w/leaders): Construction of Rajput Identity
//reading response 3 due
reading: Cynthia Talbot, “The Mewar Court’s Construction of History;”
Meenakshi Mukherjee, “Tod’s Rajasthan and the Bengali Imagination;”
Allison Busch, "Portrait of a Raja in a Badshah's World.”
Issue: How have Mughal-era Rajputs been represented and remembered?
Wk. 8 – DECLINE OF EMPIRE
Tues. 3/4
Thurs. 3/6
Reassessing Aurangzeb
Discussion: Explaining Mughal Decline
reading: Asher & Talbot chap 9 ;
M. N. Pearson, “Shivaji and the Decline of the Mughal Empire;"
M. Athar Ali, “The Passing of Empire.”
SPRING BREAK
Wk. 9 – ORIGINAL SOURCES: COURT MEMOIRS & CHRONICLES
Tues. 3/18
Thurs. 3/20
Baburnama & Humayunnama in Context
Discussion (w/leaders): Comparing Mughal Memoirs
//reading response 4 due
reading: Thackston trans., Baburnama, pp. 310-93; OR
Thackston trans., Humayunnama, pp. 15-35
Issue: What surprised you the most about the memoir you chose?
Wk.10 – ORIGINAL SOURCES: FOREIGN TRAVEL ACCOUNTS
Tues. 3/25
Thurs. 3/27
European Travellers in Mughal India
Discussion (w/leaders): European Perceptions of India
//reading response 5 due
reading: accounts of Monserrate (pp. 38-58), Hawkins (pp. 59-76),
Manrique (pp. 101-15); & Tavernier (pp. 164-191)
in Michael H. Fisher, ed., Visions of Mughal India
Issue: How does the author’s occupation & audience shape his narrative?
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Wk. 11– ORIGINAL SOURCES: PERSPECTIVES FROM OUTSIDE THE COURT
Tues. 4/1
Thurs. 4/3
Hagiography & Historiography in Mughal India
Discussion (w/leaders): Life outside the Court
// reading response 6 due
reading: Simon Digby, Sufis & Soldiers in Awrangzeb’s Deccan, 1-38 & 73-98;
OR Banarsidas, Ardhakathanak: A Half Story, pp. 1-119.
Issue: What new perspectives on Mughal India does this reading provide?
Wk. 12– ANALYZING MUGHAL-ERA ORIGINAL SOURCES
Tues. 4/8
Thurs. 4/10
Preparation for Assignment
Individual Work (no class)
Wk. 13 – INDIVIDUAL READING & ANALYSIS
Tues. 4/15
Thurs. 4/17
Individual Work// notify instructor of topic by email
Individual Work
Wk. 14 – PRESENTING WORK IN PROGRESS
Tues. 4/22
Thurs. 4/24
Student Presentations
Student Presentations
// paper 2 draft (electronic) due Fri. noon
Wk. 15 – LEGACIES OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
Tues. 4/29
Thurs. 5/1
Mughal Legacies in British India
The Mughals in Postcolonial Popular Culture
revised paper 2 (hard copy) due Wed. May 8th at 3 pm
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