South Asia is the world’s most populous region and home to the world’s largest democracy. But it is also a region which is beset by problems of democratic decline, socio-economic inequalities, and ethnic conflict. How does one understand politics within such a region? This course provides an overview of the major political themes and concepts that help us understand the politics of the South Asian region: colonialism, democracy and authoritarianism, state-society relations, political economy, violence and conflict, and social difference.