142157 SE Disaster History of Modern South Asia from the 19th to the 21st Century (2021S)

Disasters are collective stress situations or mass emergencies, which can be created by ‘natural hazards, technological accidents, violent intergroup conflicts, shortages of vital resources, and other major hazards to life, health, property, well-being, and everyday routines.’ (Lindell: 2013). The people of South Asia have experienced many disasters: From pandemics, such as the Influenza of 1918, various cholera pandemics or the current Covid-19 pandemic; floods or droughts resulting in large-scale famines and millions of deaths; to the on-going climate crisis, which threatens the livelihood of both farmers and those living in port cities.

In this course we learn about various disasters in the history of modern South Asia, from the 19th century to the present. We address both the natural and human causes of these events and discuss the impact they had on the people and the economy of South Asia. Also, we deal with the responses to such disasters, by households, communities and the government.