Analyse the consequences of different ways of representing the past Critically engage with multiple perspectives on the past

This assignment is designed to encourage you to use the sources and reading we have done so far to inform a critical analysis of global history and the politics of representing it in different ways. The questions each ask you to engage with a different kind of media (children’s books, databases, music, human remains, statues) which relates to a piece of global history we have studied and to assess the political controversies it provokes. We do not expect extensive additional reading for this assignment, but we would expect to see clear evidence that you have read the assigned texts and materials carefully and reflected on them. Of course, it will also benefit you if you do read beyond the required reading, but it is not essential for doing well on this task. Reflect on the way the past resonates in the present Analyse the consequences of different ways of representing the past Critically engage with multiple perspectives on the past Demonstrate an awareness of the political significance of different perspectives on the past Talk in detail about the legacy and memory of the historical events Discuss of the value of different media or different choices about how to frame the past Discuss why people with different political views think about the past in different ways Research and Readings: In 1857 the British Empire was on the brink of becoming the largest and most powerful empire the world had ever seen. Yet in this year the Empire was rocked by an enormous rebellion of soldiers, elites, and peasants in India (also often referred to as The Indian Mutiny). The British East India Company lost control of large areas of the country and took months to suppress the uprising. The rebellion prompted a major shift in British colonial administration, not only in India but across the world. Studying the rebellion will give us insights into the changing nature of British imperialism during the nineteenth century, as well as into the resistance of colonised peoples. Key questions How was the British Empire organised in the nineteenth century and how was this changing? What prompted the Indian Rebellion and why did it prove so strong? What was the impact of the Rebellion on the British imperial system? How should we remember British imperialism today? Required readings: Darwin, John. The Empire Project: The Rise and Fall of the British World System, 1830-1970, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009, pp. 49-63. [the end of chapter 1, after the heading “Bridgeheads of Empire”] Wagner, Kim. The Skull of Alum Bheg: The Life and Death of a Rebel of 1857. London: Hurst, 2017, pp. xix-xxii, 1-9. [prologue and introduction] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/08/india-britain-empire-railways-myths-gifts