This course will lead students to consolidate their knowledge of Sanskrit grammar and increase their familiarity with Sanskrit literature of all kinds, including epic, literary, philosophical, and narrative genres of texts. It will also introduce students to the study and reading of inscriptional materials.

This course focuses on the key themes of protest and resistance in contemporary South Asian literarure. Most South Asian countries have been witnessing an endless wave of protests and resistance from various sections of public life for the last three decades. In India, for example, protest literature emerges not only from traditionally marginalized groups (the poor, religious and ethnic minorities, depressed castes and tribal communities), but also from upper-caste groups, whose protest literature expresses concerns over economic oppression, violence and the denial of fundamental rights. Literature is becoming an immediate tool to articualte acts of resistance and anger, as many writers and poets are also taking on new roles as poitical activists. In this class, we will read various contemporary works of short fiction, poetry and memoirs to comprehend shifts in public life toward political and social activism in South Asia. We will also watch two or three documentaries that focus on public protests and resistance. No pre-requisites or South Asian language requirements. All literary works will be read in English translations.

This course aims to provide students with the methodological tools and disciplinary perspectives necessary for the contemporary study of South Asia, while situating that study in the larger history of Area Studies as an interdisciplinary field of study. The course will include both in-depth discussion of the theory and history of Area Studies in the United States and the relation of area-specific study to nineteenth-century fields of philology and orientalism, as well as orientations and case studies in the major fields associated with South Asian Studies. Alongside these thematic concerns, studies will practice skills necessary for further study, including working with sources and archives, field-standard citation practices, and developing familiarity with new methodologies in the digital humanities. Relatedly, this course will deal with the major genres of academic writing associated with South Asian studies, including both departmental milestones such as the proposal and the dissertation, as well as journal articles and grant applications. The course will culminate in a student project which will work with one of these genres to present their own research interests. Completion of this course will prepare students to engage in the diverse conversations that make up contemporary South Asian Studies.

Seeing is Believing engages in a historical, theoretical, and cross-cultural analysis of the place of visuality in religion and of religion in visual culture. We will examine images, buildings, places, objects, performances and events. The geographical, cultural and historical scope of the material is broad, including subjects from Europe, the Islamic World, non-Muslim South Asia, the US and Latin America from the medieval period until the present. Theoretical works will be read in conjunction with representative examples to invite intellectual engagement in a socially and historically grounded way. Important issues to be covered include the relationship of visual to material culture; visual theories versus theories of vision; locating religion in human sensory experience; perception at individual and collective levels; authentics, fakes and simulacra; iconoclasm and image veneration; aesthetics, use and utility; and things.

Comprehensive study in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension to gain advanced knowledge of Gujarati. Instructor may use poetry and/or prose as tools to engage students while having them create their own written works. Contact instructor for details.

During the first year of Gujarati, major emphasis is placed on acquiring phonetics, grammatical patterns, and basic vocabulary. These goals are accomplished through guided drills and conversations accompanied by formal instruction on Gujarati grammar. From the outset, students are also taught the Gujarati writing system, which is used for all materials. By the end of the first year of instruction, student should be able to carry on coherent conversations on selected topics, read simple texts and compose short pieces in Gujarati.