2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
HIST3746 War on Tribe or War on Terror? Historicizing Afghanistan and Pakistan
40 creditsClass Size: 15
Module manager: Dr Elisabeth Leake
Email: E.Leake@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2019/20
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Module summary
The histories of Afghanistan and Pakistan (or 'AfPak', as the area is commonly known) have been fraught. Each country has had a tenuous history of state- and nation-building, while time and again, their relations with each other, and their local populations, have brought international attention and diplomatic efforts to the area. This module engages students to reflect on the specific twentieth-century history of this region, while more broadly re-evaluating the methodological and thematic relationships between local, national, regional, and international histories. The module ultimately asks the question of why some areas of the world remain ‘ungovernable’ in the twenty-first century - or whether the international states system we commonly associate with international relations and history does not fit all regions of the world.Objectives
On completion of this module, students should be able to ...a) have a deeper understanding of twentieth-century international history, especially in the 'Global South'
b) demonstrate an ability to analyse the links between local, national, regional, and international histories of Afghanistan and Pakistan
c) reflect on the impact of decolonization on the international states system
d) have a deeper understanding of why some regions, such as the Afghan-Pakistan borderlands, remain 'ungovernable' in the twenty-first century
e) demonstrate an ability to recognize and understand different modes of state control
Learning outcomes
Through this module students will:
a) recognize the methodological differences between local, national, regional, and international history
b) demonstrate an ability to make thematic comparisons across a variety of historical situations
c) have a firm grasp of the historiographic debates surrounding this topic as well as of relevant primary sources
d) demonstrate an ability to pursue independent research and study
Syllabus
Semester 1 - key concepts and themes
1. Introduction: 'Afghan', 'Pakistani', 'Pashtun'
2. The 'discovery' of Afghanistan in the nineteenth century
3. Anglo-Afghan relations
4. Empire and 'tribe' on the northwest frontier - civil law
5. Empire and 'tribe' on the northwest frontier - martial law
6. Religious politics in early 20th century South Asia
7. Ethno-nationalism in South and Central Asia
8. The partition of India and frontier politics
9. State-building versus nation-building
10. What is a border?
11. Independent research presentations
Semester 2 - Student-led sessions:
1. The demand for 'Pashtunistan'
2. Pakistani state-building and regional relations
3. Afghan ethnic politics and regional relations
4. The United States, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in the early Cold War
5. The war in Baluchistan and transborder autonomy movements
6. The rise of communism in Afghanistan
7. Soviet state-building in Afghanistan
8. The refugee and the mujahidin: Understanding local impacts of the Soviet invasion
9. The rise of the Taliban and fundamentalist Islam
10. The War on Terror
11. Review
Teaching methods
Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
Seminar | 22 | 2.00 | 44.00 |
Private study hours | 356.00 | ||
Total Contact hours | 44.00 | ||
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400.00 |
Private study
Exam preparation; researching, preparing and writing assessments; undertaking set reading; self-directed reading around the topic; preparation for oral presentation.Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Weekly seminar discussions; one-to-one dissertation discussion; oral presentation of students' research in class.Methods of assessment
Coursework
Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
Essay | 4,000 word essay due in semester 1, Monday of Exam Week 2 | 40.00 |
Presentation | Vebal presentation | 10.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 50.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Exams
Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
Unseen exam | 3 hr 00 mins | 50.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 50.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 30/04/2019
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