In today’s world, identities are based on binaries, where one is either this or that: Indian or foreign; South Asian or Western; religious or not. Our notions of ourselves are based on narrowly defined, immutable definitions of one community or culture. Yet, this has never been the case in South Asia. From the past, down to the present, history reveals a much more layered, composite story of how one culture interacts with another; creating a new one. Unlike the idea of ‘cultural differences’ or ‘diversity’ which nod to other cultures while maintaining the supremacy of one, cultural exchange is far more intricate, creating what Homi Bhabha called a ‘third space’ - and it is from this third space that most of South Asia has drawn its progress across art, economy, architecture, and civilisation. 

Over four modules in June and July 2024, we will explore the historical instances of culture coming together in South Asia, and what can come of those encounters. Through this series, we hope to probe more deeply into how these cultural encounters have shaped and contributed to our understanding of South Asia today. We hope to put together a series that will reveal the joy and wonder that is to be gained from cultural encounters, as well as the fundamental contribution these encounters have to our understanding of South Asia today.

Chapter 1: What is Colonial, What is Local? 

This introductory session will cover the colonial and local interactions, as well as resistance in South Asia. Colonial interactions with ‘local’ populations were two-way, whether in the form of language, politics, employment, or marriage, making the colonial ‘local,’ and the local ‘colonial,’ in more complex ways than simply a one-to-one exchange. As we explore cultural history in South Asia, we want to begin by asking the difficult question: what is ‘colonial,’ what is ‘local’? Can those two clearly be defined? What are various forms of resistance, interaction, and knowledge exchange, and today, how can we look back on a more complex history than we have been given to understand? 
 

Chapter 2: Food Histories of South Asia

A study of the countries of South Asia reveals a closely linked set of histories concerning food as people have moved, lands have shifted, and new ingredients have been discovered and put to use. What then, do the histories and origins of food reveal about the confluence and interaction of communities in south Asia? Week three will look at how migration, exploration and change impacts what we eat today - and, most importantly, can a region so diverse, and multicultural ever be defined by a particular type of food?  

Chapter 3: Religious Histories of South Asia 

South Asia is teeming with religions, each with its own practices, customs, and traditions. Each religion has also left its imprint on the architecture, art, edifices, and material reality of everyday life in ways that involve overlaps between religion, culture, and identity: making it difficult, even impossible, to separate one religion from another neatly. This week, we want to investigate what religion and pluralism in South Asia signifies. How can we understand religious confluences, and how does one religion change or impact another?  

Chapter 4: Freedom and Citizenship Histories

The final session of our series uncovers the political thought that has driven independence, democracy, citizenship, protest, nation-building, and rights in South Asia. A study of South Asian nations, national imagination, and political movements shows that interaction between cultures and people shape thought and life. What are the some surprising interchanges and exchanges that formed how nation-states in South Asia were formed? What thoughts about freedom, expression and citizenship travelled to create the social movements that have existed in South Asia for years?  

Artwork: Nilima Sheikh, Chenab 5 (detail) from Terrain: Carrying Across, Leaving Behind, 2017, 213 x 81 cm, Tempera on Sanganer Paper.

REGISTER NOW 

This event is by pre-registration only, and has a limited number of seats available. We will encourage participants to attend the series as a whole and to keep their cameras on for maximum engagement. 

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