In this course, we will attempt to situate our understanding of Partition as a feature of the history of decolonization in the twentieth century. We will use a comparative lens to examine Partitions within the British Empire, including India, Ireland and Palestine. We will attempt to situate the politics of post- partitioned nation-states within the broader canvas of international history. While doing so, we will examine the decision making processes of a variety of actors: politicians and bureaucrats, refugees, citizens of the 'minority' community, novelists, poets and survivors. The course will attempt to examine the role of history and memory in the context of the political aftermath of partition, and analyze how History writing is subsequently deployed in the shaping of legitimizing claims of successor states.
pallavi.raghavan@ashoka.edu.in