HIST 799 HINDUS AND MUSLIMS IN INDIA

FINAL PORTFOLIO & ESSAY (UG 45%; MA 30%)

I. ESSAY (UG 25%; MA 20%)

Answer One of the Following Questions
1. Lord Ram, the Emperor Akbar, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, V. D. Savarkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, and
Narendra Modi (or your choice of six other historic figures covered in this course)
materialize one by one amid the rubble of the Babri Masjid. They peer around, dusting
themselves off and trying to figure out where they’ve so suddenly and rudely been
transported to. Realizing they aren’t alone, they start eyeing one another suspiciously.
What happens next?
- or -

2. The Republic of India has decided to expand their ballistic missile arsenal and is soliciting
the public for help in naming the new models. Amir Khusrau, Aurangzeb, M. S. Golwalkar,
Ibn Battuta, a woman abducted during Partition, and the brothers Harihara & Bukka (or
your choice of six other historic figures covered in this course; Harihara & Bukka count as
one), all show up to present their petitions. What happens next?

Recommendations
Plan to spend no more than one traditional class session (3 hours) on your midterm. In a
traditional class setting, I would expect most students (around 75%) to be done by the 2 hour
mark; but with the open book situation you will be working in, the 3 hour mark may be closer to
the average. If you finish in dramatically less time (say around the 1 hour mark), consider
carefully whether you’ve really done enough to earn the grade you are aiming for.
There is no minimum or maximum length. Rather than worrying about length, focus on content.
Aim to quote evidence from a minimum of three primary or secondary sources to support your
arguments.
▪ Note that the collected writings of each author included in the SOIT or Jaffrelot readings
will count as a single source.
▪ Also note that meeting this minimum does not guarantee an “A” (nor do you necessarily
need to go over the minimum to earn a high grade). As always, quality matters most:
how well do you analyze your evidence; how well chosen is your evidence.
▪ Lecture notes may be counted as a source.
Note that I am looking for comprehensive coverage of course content: you are reflecting on the
different points of view of these figures. You do not need to present a unified thesis, but rather
a series of smaller arguments about how each individual would respond to the situation.
Due Date and Submission
Your Reflective Essay is due on Wednesday, June 30, by 5:00pm. Please submit it as a .pdf file
(other formats will not be accepted) by email to Julie.Hughes@qc.cuny.edu.

Formatting & Citations

Double-spaced with reasonable margins and font size (around an inch for margins, around the
size of Times New Roman 12 for the font). Include citations (parentheticals with just author and
page are fine; you won’t be graded on style).

II. FINAL PORTFOLIO (UG 20%; MA 10%)

Instructions
Using content made after you submitted your Second Week Portfolio, compile a portfolio of
your six best contributions to the “First Takes” blog, “Thesis in Brevis” wiki, “Indipedia”
discussion forum, and “Thesis Workshop” wiki. Three must be responses to your peers.
Your best contributions will have at least two of the following three characteristics:
a. your response is on topic, thoughtful, and analytical
b. you give evidence from assigned primary and secondary sources to support your points
c. you practice good online etiquette while helping your classmates to improve the quality
of their own work
Along with your portfolio, include a brief paragraph explaining the strengths and weaknesses as
you see them of your contributions.
If a contribution requires additional context to be understood outside its original environment,
please include that and mark it clearly as “Context.” This may mean including a post someone
else wrote that you were responding to. If so, make it clear who authored what.

Due Date and Submission

Your Final Portfolio is due on Wednesday, June 30, by 5:00pm. Please submit it as a .pdf file
(other formats will not be accepted) by email to Julie.Hughes@qc.cuny.edu.

Formatting
Double-spaced with reasonable margins and font size (around an inch for margins, around the
size of Times New Roman 12 for the font).
Portfolio Grading Rubric

Points Interpretation Grading Criteria

4 Excellent (A) The comment or entry is accurate, original, relevant, teaches
us something new, and is well written. Four point comments
and entries add substantial teaching presence to the course,
and stimulate additional thought about the issue under
discussion.
3 Above Average (B) The comment or entry lacks at least one of the above qualities,
but is above average in quality. A three point comment or
entry makes a significant contribution to our understanding of
the issue being discussed.
2 Average (C) The comment or entry lacks two or three of the required
qualities. Comments and entries which are based upon
personal opinion or personal experience often fall within this
category.
1 Minimal (D) The comment or entry presents little or no new information.
However, one point comments and entries may provide
important social presence and contribute to a collegial
atmosphere
0 Unacceptable (F) The comment or entry adds no value to the discussion