Modern South Asia

MW 2:30-4, 56-191

Explores the political, social, and economic history of South Asia from the 18th century to the present day. Presents South Asia as a region defined by its diversity — of peoples, languages, histories, and states. Topics covered include: colonialism, nationalism, and the creation of modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh; decolonization and economic, scientific, and technological development; social and cultural change; and South Asia’s interactions with the wider world.

Related Subjects

Offered Fall 2025

Catalog	Subject	Faculty	Level	HASS	Category
21H.143 21G.056	The Making of Modern Europe: 1789 – Present MW 11-12:30, 56-191	Elena Kempf	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.151	Dynastic China	Tristan Brown	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.155	Modern Japan: 1600 to Present TR 9:30-11, 56-180	Hiromu Nagahara	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.165	A Survey of Modern African History TR 11-12:30, E51-390	Kenda Mutongi	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.181 17.035	Libertarianism TR 11-12:30, E51-285	Malick W. Ghachem	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.227	History of the US Supreme Court MW 2:30-4, 66-156	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.245 21G.086 17.57	20th Century Ukraine and Russia: Entangled Histories and Identity Politics TR 1-2:30, 56-164	Elizabeth A. Wood	Intermediate	HASS-S	CI-H
21H.276 U	Medicine, Health, and Healing in the Global South (NEW) MW 2:30-4, E51-390	Tanalís Padilla	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.315	History of Consumerism T 3-5, E51-393	Caley Horan	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.352 21G.042	Three Kingdoms: From History to Fiction, Comic, Film, and Game TR 11-12:30, 14E-310	Emma Teng	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.363 WGS.330	Abortion: Global and Historical Perspectives (NEW) WR 11-12:30, 2-103	Lerna Ekmekcioglu	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.370 U 21H.970 G	The Laws of War in Global History (NEW) M 2-5, E51-285	Elena Kempf	Graduate Seminar	HASS-H
21H.385 11.152	The Ghetto: From Venice to Harlem MW 11-12:30, 66-148	Craig Steven Wilder	Seminar	HASS-S

Not Offered This Term

Catalog	Subject	Faculty	Level	HASS	Category
21H.001	How to Stage a Revolution	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.009	World History and Its Fault Lines Since 1800	Sana Aiyar Hiromu Nagahara	Introductory	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.061	The History of American Presidential Elections Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate		Half term subject
21H.090	Digital Humanities Laboratory Not offered regularly; consult department	Catherine Clark	Introductory		LAB
21H.101	American History to 1865 Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.102	American History since 1865	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.106 24.912 21L.008 21W.741 CMS.150 WGS.190	Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies	Michel DeGraff D. Fox Harrell Danielle Wood	Introductory	HASS-H HASS-A	CI-H
21H.107 21G.043	From Yellow Peril to Model Minority: Asian American History to 1968	Emma Teng	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.135	J.R.R. Tolkien: Scholar, Author, and Thinker	Eric J. Goldberg	Introductory	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.141	Renaissance to Revolution: Europe, 1300-1800 Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.144 21G.087	Introduction to Russian Studies	Elizabeth A. Wood Maria Khotimsky	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.145 21G.049 4.674	French Photography	Catherine Clark	Introductory	HASS-A	CI-H
21H.152	Modern China	Tristan Brown	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.154	Inventing the Samurai	Hiromu Nagahara	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.156 21G.045	Global Chinese Food: A Historical Overview Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.170 17.55 21A.130 21G.084	Introduction to Latin American Studies	Tanalís Padilla	Introductory	HASS-S	CI-H
21H.172 21G.078	Latin America Through Film Not offered regularly; consult department	Tanalís Padilla	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.173	Socialism in Latin America, from Che Guevara to Hugo Chavez	Tanalís Padilla	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.186	Nature and Environment in China	Tristan Brown	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.187	US Environmental Governance: from National Parks to the Green New Deal	Megan A. Black	Introductory	HASS-H
21H.201	The American Revolution	Marjoleine Kars	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.203	The History of American Presidential Elections Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.205 STS.427	The Civil War and the Emergence of Modern America: 1861-1890	Merritt Roe Smith	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.211	The United States in the Cold War Era Not offered regularly; consult department	Caley Horan	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.213 17.28	The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime	Christopher Capozzola Adam Berinsky	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.214	War and American Society Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.217 11.013	American Urban History	Ezra Glenn	Seminar	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.220 11.150	Metropolis: A Comparative History of New York City	Craig Steven Wilder	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.225	History of American Capitalism	Caley Horan	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.226 11.015	Riots, Strikes, and Conspiracies in American History	Staff	Intermediate	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.228	American Classics Not offered regularly; consult department	Craig Steven Wilder	Intermediate	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.229	The Black Radical Tradition in America Not offered regularly; consult department	Craig Steven Wilder	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.241 21G.054	France and Haiti: Enlightenment, Slavery, and Revolution	Malick W. Ghachem	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.242 21G.322	Frenchness in and Era of Globalization Not offered regularly; consult department	Catherine Clark	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.247	Looking East/Looking West	Catherine Clark Hiromu Nagahara	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.253 21G.075	Global Chinese Migration, 1567- Present Not offered regularly; consult department	Emma Teng	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.260	Cities in the Middle East: History, Politics and Society Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Intermediate	HASS-S
21H.262	Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict	Pouya Alimagham	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.263 WGS.220	Women and Gender in the Middle East and North Africa	Lerna Ekmekcioglu	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.266	South Africa and Apartheid	Kenda Mutongi	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.267	Atlantic Slave Revolts	Marjoleine Kars	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.268	Urban History in Africa	Kenda Mutongi	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.281	MIT and Slavery: Research	Craig Steven Wilder	Intermediate	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.282	MIT and Slavery: Publication Not offered regularly; consult department	Craig Steven Wilder	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.283	The Indigenous History of MIT Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.284	South Asia, the United States, and MIT: Transformative Connections	Sana Aiyar	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.285 STS.025	Making the Modern World: The Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective	Merritt Roe Smith	Intermediate	HASS-H
21H.289	History Near and Dear: Writing Yourself into History	Marjoleine Kars	Intermediate	HASS-H	CI-H
21H.319	Race, Crime, and Citizenship in American Law	Malick W. Ghachem	Seminar	HASS-S
21H.320	Gender and the Law in US History Not offered regularly; consult department	Christopher Capozzola	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.322	Christianity in America Not offered regularly; consult department	Craig Steven Wilder	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.350	Business in China Since 1800 Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.351 11.153	Shanghai and China’s Modernization Not offered regularly; consult department	Staff	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.354	World War II in Asia	Hiromu Nagahara	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.357	South Asian Migrations	Sana Aiyar	Seminar	HASS-H
21H.358 U 21H.958 G WGS.315 G	Colonialism in South Asia and Africa: Race, Gender, Resistance	Sana Aiyar	Graduate Seminar	HASS-H
21H.381 WGS.222	Women and War	Lerna Ekmekcioglu	Seminar	HASS-S
21H.388 U 21H.988 G	Global Commodities, American Dreams	Megan A. Black	Graduate Seminar	HASS-H
21H.984 STS.414	Risk, Fortune, and Futurity	Caley Horan Will Deringer	Graduate
21H.990 STS.432	Narrating the Anthropocene: Understanding a Multi-Species Universe	Megan A. Black Kate Brown	Graduate
21H.S02	Special Subject		Intermediate