Preamble:
This course will focus on both the political movements led by Mahatma Gandhi and also the texts
and ideas authored by him. The purpose is to consider events and ideas as partially autonomous
and yet mutually interacting aspects of Gandhi’s life. The course will bring into relief Gandhi’s role
as an original thinker by considering his exchanges with other iconic historical figures like B.R.
Ambedkar and Rabindranath Tagore. The course will also shed light on the effect of Gandhian
ideas on politics outside the Indian subcontinent. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of Gandhian ideas
in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s will be discussed as a crucial instance of
Gandhi’s international appeal.
Course Content:
Gandhi in South Africa; Gandhi and the early 20th century Indian National Congress; Hind Swaraj
and Gandhi’s early theorization of nationalism; Movements before the non-cooperation; The
Khilafat; The non-cooperation movement and ensuing controversies; Gandhi and subalternity;
Gandhi’s autobiography; the civil disobedience; Gandhi and Ambedkar; Gandhi, Tagore, and the
debates on nationalism; The Quit India movement; The partition and the assassination; Gandhi
and the women’s question; Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Books
1. Sumit Sarkar, Modern India: 1885-1947, Pearson, 2014.
2. Bipan Chandra, India's Struggle for Independence, 1857-1947, Penguin, 1989.
3. Judith Brown, Gandhi's Rise to Power: Indian Politics 1915-1922, Cambridge U., 1972.
References:
1. Ramachandra Guha, Gandhi Before India, Penguin, 2013.
2. Bhikhu Parekh, Gandhi's Political Philosophy: A critical examination, Springer, 1989.
