Course Fudan University 2012

Economic and Political Geography of South Asia

Teacher: Ambrish Dhaka
Contact hrs:
Credits :
Assessment: Semester Exams, Term paper & Session work
Instruction method: Lectures, Seminars/Tutorials

The course aims at providing the framework for the case-based understanding of the regional issues that are sourced in the economic and political geography of these countries. The geography background helps in exploring the transient economic-political factors in the neighbourhood and at the regional level that define the unique characteristics of South Asian region. The political geography section of the course is designed to generate a cohesive understanding of the region from the Indian perspective. There is focus on emergence of federalism as the strong basis for nation-state formation in South Asia. The political units and geographic features of state territory help understand the organisation of the South Asian societies.

1. The South Asia as a region- (2 lectures)
   1. Major physiographic and climatic features,
   2. Common elements in structures of South Asian economies, converging and diverging factors.
2. Elements of economic geography- (3 lectures)
   1. Agriculture systems- agro-climatic regions of South Asia, major commercial crops- production, efficiency, growth, irrigation, major crops- wheat, rice and sugarcane, cotton; plantations- rubber, tea and timber activity, fishing industry in south Asia.
   2. Biotic and abiotic resources- Iron, coal, aluminium, natural gas & oil, forest and vegetation- patterns and change, patterns of resource trade.
   3. Industrial systems- iron & steel, textile, petroleum, cement and chemical industries. Major industrial regions of South Asia, Service sector- growth of IT sector and outsourcing industry.
3. Political and Administrative Geography- (3 lectures)
   1. South Asia as an Indo-centric region; geo-cultural identities of the nations in south Asia.
   2. Federalism in India; electoral systems and geography of political representation.
   3. Energy geopolitics in South Asia, Resource geopolitics in South Asia.

Suggested Readings:-

A) Main Reading list

1. Ahmed, Ishtiaq. State, Nation and Ethnicity in Contemporary South Asia, 1998, London. Ch. 2, 3, 4 & 5.
2. Bradnock, RW & Williams, G. South Asia in a globalising world: a reconstructed regional geography , 2002, Prentice-Hall.
3. Chapman, Graham. The geopolitics of South Asia: from early empires to the nuclear age, 2003, Ashgate. Ch. 5, 6, 12, 13, & 14.
4. Dutt, AK & Geib, MM. Atlas of South Asia, 1998, Oxford & IBH, new Delhi. Full Book.
5. East, W. Gordon. The Changing Map Of Asia - A Political Geography, 2007. Full book.
6. Fraser, Neil et al. Geography of a Himalayan kingdom : Bhutan, 2001, New Delhi. Full book.
7. Geddes, A. & Learmonth, ATA.. Man and land in South Asia, 1982, New Delhi.
8. Gopalkrishen, R. Geography and politics of Afghanistan, 1982, New Delhi. Full book.
9. Gordon, EW. Changing map of Asia, 1971, London.
10. Karan, PP. Nepal: a cultural and physical geography, 1960, Bombay.
11. Phadnis, Urmila and Ganguly, Rajat. Ethnicity, Nation-building in South Asia, 2001, New Delhi. Ch. 1, 2, 3 & 7.
12. Rashid, HE. New Economic geography of Bangladesh, 1981, Dhaka.
13. Shafi, Mohammad. Agricultural geography of South Asia, 2000, New Delhi.
14. Stamp, LD. Asia: A regional and economic geography, 1967, London. Full book.
15. Tayyeb, A. Pakistan:a political geography, 1966, London. Ch. 1, 2, 4, 8 & 9.

B) Supplementary Reading list

1. Ahmed, Kaji S. A Geography of Pakistan, 1966, Karachi.
2. Abbasi, BA. Geography of South Asia, 1992, New Delhi.
3. Ahmad, Nafis. A new economic geography of Bangladesh, 1976, New Delhi.
4. Ahmed, Nafis. Economic geography of East Pakistan, 1958, London.
5. Atkinson, ET, Kumaun hills: its history geography and anthropology with reference to Garhwal and Nepal, 1980, New Delhi.
6. Bari, SA. Textbook of economic geography (with special reference to India and Pakistan), 1965, Bombay.
7. Basham, AL. Civilizations of Monsoon Asia, 1974, New Delhi.
8. Brammer, Hugh. The geography of the soils of Bangladesh, 1996, Dhaka.
9. Chibber, HL. Advanced economic geography of India and Pakistan, 1949, Banaras.
10. Cornish, WB. Modern Geography Series V- Asia, 1969, London.
11. Dichter, David. The North-West frontier of West Pakistan: a study in regional geography, 1967, Oxford.
12. Dobby, EHG. Monsoon Asia, 1970, London.
13. Fujiwara, Kenjo. Recent trends and perspectives in regional geography of South Asia: the First International Seminar of Research Center for Regional Geography, 1989, Hiroshima.
14. Huke, RE. Human Geography of rice in soils of south Asia, 1988, Philippines.
15. Jalalzai, Musa Khan, A New Hope for Peace in South Asia, 2005, Michigan.
16. Johnson, BLC, Selective studies of the essential geography of India, Pakistan, and Ceylon, 1969, London.
17. Karan, PP. Bhutan:a physical and cultural geography, 1967, Lexington.
18. Lytle, EE. Bibliography of the geography of Afghanistan : Background for planning, 1976, Monticello.
19. Rashid, Haroun E. East Pakistan : A systematic regional geography and its development planning aspects, 1967, Lahore.
20. Rawson, RR. Monsoon Lands of Asia, 1968, London.
21. Schmidt, KJ. Atlas and survey of South Asian history, 1999, New Delhi.
22. Schwartzberg, JE. A Historical Atlas of South Asia, 1993, OUP-USA.
23. Thapa & Thapa. Geography of Nepal (Physical, economic cultural regional), 1969, Bombay.
24. Tirtha, Ranjit. Geography of Asia, 2001, Jaipur.
25. Verma, HC. Medieval routes to India, 1978, Calcutta.