HIST 318L - Drug Trade in Asia

3 Credit(s)

Liberal Arts
This class examines the establishment of the drug trade in Asia, the historical questions that arise from it, and how specifically opium developed into a commodity fetish. It is geographically organized to mirror the progress of drug trafficking in China and South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. Major issues that propel the course are: the role of empire in establishing early drug trade routes, how global capitalism fueled the spread of the Asian drug trade, the economic significance of drug profits to revolutionary movements and established governments, and what current efforts exist to address contemporary drug trafficking in the regions under consideration.

Prerequisite(s): Six credits in history