Assigned Article
S. Subrahmanyam, “ ‘Of Imarat and Tijarat’, Asian Merchants and State Power in the Western Indian Ocean, 1400-1750”, Comparative Studies in Society and History, October 1995, Vol. 37, No. 5, pp. 750-780,
http://www.jstor.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/stable/pdfplus/179208.pdf?acceptTC=true
Aim of Assignment
In this assignment, you are required to discuss this scholarly article relating to trade (tijarat) and state-formation (imarat) in the Indian Ocean before British rule. Through his analysis, Sanjay Subrahmanyam rejects scholarly interpretations stressing the singularity of European economic dynamism and expansion and the contrasting ‘economic backwardness’ of South Asia in the early modern period. His important thesis contributes to scholarly debates on empires, trade and society in the region between 1400 and 1750 and the nature and impact of the growing European presence in South Asia under the Mughal imperium. You are required to critically analyse Subrahmanyam’s argument and highlight how the author intervenes in key historical debates. Your 4-5-page article interpretation must analyse the author’s key thesis by answering the following question.
QUESTION
What is Sanjay Subrahmanyam’s argument about merchant diasporas and states in the Indian Ocean ‘rim’ and what are its implications for understanding the early modern period in South Asia?
II. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
When analysing the article, the general expectations from you are the following:
o You are required to highlight, and assess Subrahmanyam’s analytical objectives and main argument/thesis.
o You must foreground the major scholarly perspectives from which Subrahmanyam distinguishes his analysis and how his thesis is different
o It is vital that your article interpretation has a critical approach. You should not present a mere summary of the author’s argument, or state whether you like it or not.
o You must support your argument with evidence from the article. However, do not get lost in detail and forget the larger argument
Your grade will reflect the extent to which your essay fulfils these expectations.
THESIS AND WRITING STYLE
This assignment requires a clearly stated argument and thesis with the stated goal of interpreting the article, making explicit its thesis and demarcating it from other scholarly frameworks. Please make sure that you spend some time reflecting on the article before you begin writing. You might find it helpful to write a thesis statement, or a one-page outline before you draft your essay. Futhermore, I will not only assess what you write, but also the way you write! So, focus on good grammar, style and clarity in order to present your thesis in the best possible light.
REFERENCING AND PLAGIARISM
Needless to say, plagiarism will be treated as a grave offence and will be penalised accordingly. To avoid plagiarism, make sure to cite your primary and secondary sources properly in the footnotes and bibliography. Please remember, you must
• Footnote your essay assignment as and when needed when quoting from the essay or referencing page numbers and examples in the main text.
• acknowledge page numbers from the article and other references used to write the essay in the footnotes and in the bibliography. Essays without footnotes and citations will receive an extremely poor grade.
• include a bibliography at the end of the essay. There must be a clear connection between the works cited in the footnotes and bibliography (e.g., the article and Talbot and Asher).
• Keep all rough notes (handwritten/typed) in case it asked for.
Reference your paper, citing the text and page number of the article to which you are referring to support your larger argument. When, you quote the author verbatim, you also have to insert quotation marks before and after the quotation. All references must be in the form of footnotes at the bottom of the page. If you have any doubts or questions on how to shape your footnotes, please feel free to ask.
CONSULTATION
Maryna (your teaching assistant) and I are both available to help you with writing the essay. You can see me during my office hours (10-11 a.m. on Thursdays) or e-mail me or Maryna to discuss any issues pertinent to the assignment. Also, if needed, please take the help of the Academic Skills Centre at UTM for issues relating to writing.
READINGS
No extra research is necessary to write this assignment. What is required is a close analysis of the assigned article to frame and bring out its main argument. Should you need help with the general context, please refer to the following readings, which are also on reserve in the UTM library and available electronically. These books are
C. Asher and C. Talbot, India Before Europe, Austin, 2006
https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1017/CBO9780511808586.005
S. Bose and A. Jalal S. Bose and A. Jalal, Modern South Asia, History, Politics, Economy, New York, 2002, pp. 1-15 (PDF).
http://go.utlib.ca/cat/7997721
FORMAL REQUIREMENTS
Due: 18 October at the beginning of class
• The page limit is 4-5 pages, exclusive of the bibliography.
• Hand in papers in double space, 12-size font and with 1-inch margins. Put your name, student number, name of the class, and the date at the top of the first page of your paper. All papers must be stapled and numbered.
• The late policy applies as outlined in the syllabus.
• This assignment is worth 20% of the total grade.
