Introduces the history and culture of India and South Asia--including present-day India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka--from the area's earliest inhabitants to yesterday. Students learn about the peoples and cultures of South Asia through investigations of prehistoric and historic origins, caste, religion, family life, colonialism and independence, communal violence, popular culture, and the South Asian diaspora. The course content is interdisciplinary, involving both the humanities and social sciences. Attention is given to both unity and diversity across the South Asian subcontinent.