Course Content

Though a large part of the world today exists independent of the direct political domination of the European imperial nations, it still suffers from the consequences. The civilizational, sociological, and psychological consequences of colonization are numerous, and they do not go away just because the political dominance or domination has ended. These consequences must be studied deeply if a civilization, like the one of Hindus, must advance without carrying the baggage or shadows of the colonial past. Colonial intervention creates a civilizational and cultural trauma, which the erstwhile colonized and their progenies try to forget or shove under the carpet. The trauma, however, is like a festering wound which must be tended to and healed, which can only happen if it is examined comprehensively and treated. Given that the European colonization was a world-wide phenomenon, thinkers from around the world have studied its consequences. Their insights or theories are extremely helpful in analyzing the current postcolonial Hindu condition, which will in the future be beneficial in connecting the Hindu civilization and society to its yogic paradigm.  

This course provides an overview of anticolonial and postcolonial theorists from around the world, which sets the stage for studying colonial consequences in greater detail. Along with Anticolonialism and Postcolonialism, it will give methodological tools to study and investigate the postcolonial Hindu condition.