140234 UE History through the eyes of Amitav Ghosh (2019W)

In this course we primarily deal with two novels by the Bengali author Amativ Ghosh: Sea of Poppies (2008) and River of Smoke (2011). They are part of Ghosh’s famous Ibis Trilogy, set in India, the Indian Ocean and China in the early nineteenth century. The novels evoke the era of India’s notorious opium industry and the First Opium War and they depict a range of interesting characters, including indentured labourers, Parsi traders, Bihari peasants and British officials. Ghosh’s novels in general, and the Ibis Trilogy in particular, are regarded as ‘on of the most significant works of historical fiction of our times’. (American Historical Review, 2016). Ghosh, himself a trained social anthropologist, is well known for his masterly integration of research and fiction. We use his novels as a window into the history of nineteenth-century South Asia. In addition to Ghosh’s novels we will read academic texts (book chapters and papers) and primary sources, which complement his historical fiction. The aim of this course is to offer you various approaches to reading, writing and researching about South Asia’s history.