History of Pakistan This course is a political and cultural history of Pakistan. Topics to be discussed include: the pre-independence demand for Pakistan; the partitioning of India in 1947; literary and cultural traditions; the power of the army in politics; the civil war that created Bangladesh; the wars with India; the wars in Afghanistan; the rise of Islamist parties and militant groups; the significance of the Taliban and al Qaeda; and Pakistan's relations with the US, China and India. Readings will include histories, autobiographies, novels, and newspaper and magazine accounts. Several documentary films will also be shown.

Modern South Asia This course is an introduction to the history of South Asia. We will examine such events as the remarkable rise and fall of the Mughal empire (1526-1700s), the transformation of the once-humble English East India Company into a formidable colonial state (1700s-1858), the emergence of nationalist and anti-imperialist movements led by people such as Mahatma Gandhi and M.A. Jinnah (1858-1947), and the establishment and recent histories of the new nations of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Readings will include primary sources, history textbooks, historical novels, and newspaper articles. We will also watch at least one historical film. Pre-1800.

The 1940s The 1940s saw enormous and often violent change: a global, destructive war; ongoing privation after the formal end of hostilities; the intensification of national liberation movements; the founding of the United Nations and the establishment of a new global economic order; the beginnings of the Cold War; new artistic expressions; and the reconfiguration of sexual and cultural mores. In this course we will begin with an overview of the global scale of the second world war and, using a comparative approach, focus on examples of individual suffering. We will then study the war’s effects in select countries around the world.

South Asian Migrations In this course we will learn about the history of migration from, within, and to South Asia. Topics to be discussed include colonial-era migrations of indentured laborers, traders, and soldiers; the refugee crisis at the partitioning of India in 1947; the return of Indians from Burma; the flight of Indians from Uganda; and the large-scale migrations of South Asians to Britain, the Gulf states, and the US. In addition to reading compelling histories, novels, and memoirs, students will write essays, deliver a presentation, learn digital humanities skills, and complete a public-facing research project. This course is part of the Axinn Center for the Humanities’ Mellon Foundation Public Humanities Initiative.

Science and Empire In this course we will examine how science, medicine, and technology were used to create, manage, and justify empire. We will focus on the British empire of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, although the course will include comparisons to other European empires. We will also read critiques of colonial science and medicine, and learn how anti-colonial leaders and movements adapted and engineered technologies to help their efforts.

The East India Company In this course you will be introduced to the English East India Company, from the 17th-century until its dissolution in 1858. Much of our focus will be on the Company’s presence in India, and we will pay particular attention to its transformation from a maritime trading company into a territorial colonial state. We will read a number of controversial texts from the period, immerse ourselves in the worlds of Company and Indian politics, and do guided research using holdings in Middlebury’s Special Collections. Topics will include the rise of the Company as a trading concern, its aggressive competition with other European trading monopolies and South Asian kingdoms, and the importance of opium in its dealings with China. We will end with a discussion of the Indian rebellion of 1857. (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1308 or HIST 1009) Pre-1800

Writing History In this course students discuss historical methods and writing strategies to create convincing historical narratives. With the approval and guidance of the professor, students complete a 20-25-page research paper based on primary and secondary sources. Students take this course in the fall of their junior year or with permission in the spring.  If students are away for the entire junior year, they can take the course in the fall of their senior year. 3 hr. sem. Restricted to HIST, ESHI, HSMT majors and HIST minors.

Agatha Christie In this course we will explore the work and life of Agatha Christie, one of the world’s best mystery writers. We will read several of her novels published between the 1920s and 1950s, and place them in their social and political contexts. We will learn about prevailing class, race, and gender relations in Britain, imperial archaeology in the Middle East (Christie participated in, and wrote about, digs organized by her second husband), and the impacts of the two world wars. We will also explore the craft of mystery writing by presenting our own outline to a mystery.

Ian Barrow

Reviews and ratings for Ian Barrow at Middlebury College.Ian Barrow teaches History of Pakistan, Modern South Asia, The 1940s and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Ian Barrow good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

I really loved this course, the professor is very nice and does not grade harshly. He clearly cares a lot about the topic but his lectures are not super engaging unless you really try to participate and listen carefully.

I enjoyed this course. It's a big, lecture-based history class, and Professor Barrow's lectures are very data/fact-heavy. He is a kind teacher, and the blue-book in-class essays and final essay are fair and well-suited for the material. In the first half, it felt more like an East India Co. course at times since that's his specialty. I did find the lectures a bit overburdened and, at times, like reading off a Wikipedia page.  

This was a great class with a great professor. We had 4 papers and 2 presentations, which worked out well. Definitely reading heavy, with a book a week assigned for homework. In-class discussions were exciting and Professor Barrow facilitated very well.