Asian History Courses
Stretching from what we now call the Middle East over South Asia to Southeast and East Asia, Asia is as vast as its histories are rich. It is also key to understanding not only the global past but also today’s world.
And there is much to explore: from the first agricultures and the inland trade routes over medieval and early modern empires to modern European and Japanese empire-building, and from independence and decolonisation processes to the Cold War conflicts. And that is without highlighting the connected histories of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as several other oceans and waterways!
Central to the numerous histories of Asia are connectivity, trade, exchanges, expansion, conflict, resilience, and variety, aspects still being reinterpreted by historians and archaeologists.
Join us to learn about and engage with the different histories of the part(s) of Asia that interest you. Our Asian history section offers both short and long courses, online and face-to-face designed to build your understanding and interest.
- The Rise and Fall of the Mughal Empire
Course start date: Sat 4 Jul 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: T HussainFollow the fortunes of the Mughal Emperors, rulers of Northern India from the 1500s to the 1800s. What were their contributions to the religious, political and cultural life of northern India and how can we explain the decline of their powers in the 1700s and 1800s? Tutor: T Hussain.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Partition in India and Pakistan Course start date: Sat 11 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: T HussainIn 1947 British India was partitioned. This resulted in an estimated one million deaths, the largest migration of people in modern history and the formation of India and Pakistan. What were the forces which led to Partition? When did the political and cultural factors that precipitated Partition emerge and accordingly, when did partition begin?
Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - South Asian Heritage Month at City Lit - Key figures in Indian historyCourse start date: Sat 15 Aug 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ketan VariaWant to know more about Indian history but not sure where to start? Join us in this course to learn about key figures in Indian history from different eras and areas of society.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - The East India Company & India Course start date: Sat 12 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: T HussainChart the rise and fall of the East India Company in India on this one-day workshop, from 1600 to 1858.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - History taster: India Post Independence (1947-2004)Course start date: Tue 15 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Reshmi BanerjeeA lively introduction to the key turning points in India’s social and political history from independence in 1947 to the early 2000s, exploring how the world’s largest democracy evolved.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - India Post Independence: Exploring Social and Political HistoryCourse start date: Tue 29 Sep 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Reshmi BanerjeeThe course will look at India’s social and political history for nearly six decades after independence (1947 to 2004). It will explore the interesting path traversed by India/Bharat by unravelling history around six watershed/landmark years, thereby providing a rich narrative of not just the politico-economic terrain but also the trajectory followed in the social realm. It will give everyone a glimpse into India’s unique, complex and fascinating journey.
Dr Reshmi Banerjee is a political scientist with specialization in food security, agricultural policies and cross-border studies on North East India/Myanmar. She was previously a visiting research fellow in the King’s India Institute (KII), King’s College, London, an academic visitor in the Asian Studies Centre (Programme on Modern Burmese Studies) in St Antony’s College, University of Oxford, a research associate in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, a post-doctoral fellow in the department of international relations, University of Indonesia (UI) and a researcher in the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Jakarta. Reshmi has been a Visiting Professor in Jamia Millia Islamia, a fellow in the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (RGICS) and a visiting research fellow in the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. She has taught in Delhi University and in the University of Indonesia (UI). She has a Masters, M.Phil and Ph.D from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and a Masters in Museum Cultures from Birkbeck, University of London. She is the author/editor of several books and journal articles. Her research focus areas are: conflict, identity politics and institutional interventions.
Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Chinese History Friday Lates: The Opium WarsCourse start date: Fri 2 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Qiuyang ChenWhat is the significance of opium in Chinese History why were wars fought over it in the 1800's? Join Dr Chen to discover the history of opium in China in this Friday Late session.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - China in the World Wars and the World Wars in China Course start date: Sat 21 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Qiuyang ChenUncover the complex role of China in the World Wars, explore the profound transformations within its society, and delve into the enduring effects of these conflicts on modern China. This course guides you through these turbulent times, revealing overlooked events and evolving gender dynamics.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Burma and the end of the British Empire Course start date: Fri 4 Dec 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Barnaby PhillipsExplore how the campaign in Burma accelerated the end of the British Empire.
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
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