Beginning Hindi-Urdu II is the second part of the first-year Hindi-Urdu sequence. In this course, students continue to learn the fundamentals of Hindi-Urdu through hands-on practice using the language. Classes are interactive and there is a strong emphasis on the acquisition of speaking skills; students also continue to improve literacy skills in the script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu – all materials are provided in both scripts). New topics include but are not limited to: future plans, recounting past events, traveling in South Asia, and navigating shopping and travel-related situations. Students will also engage with level-appropriate authentic materials from the Hindi-Urdu speaking world. After completing this course, students will be able to interact successfully with native speakers in a variety of everyday communication contexts. Beginning Hindi-Urdu II assumes one prior semester of classroom study or the equivalent proficiency. Students with some speaking ability but no reading-writing abilities may place into the course but should contact the instructor a few weeks before the beginning of the semester to ensure that this is the appropriate level.

Advanced Hindi aims at systematically developing higher level linguistic functions and cultural nuances. Students learn to describe, narrate and support opinions in informal and formal styles. The objective of the course is to promote a meaningful interaction with written literature and with native speakers in a socially acceptable manner in a variety of simple and complicated situations. A variety of authentic materials are used, such as short stories, plays, newspapers, magazines, videos, television and radio broadcasts, and interviews. Every semester the course materials and foci vary depending on the needs and interests of students in the class.

This introductory course core proficiency in Hindi-Urdu up to the intermediate level. It is designed for students with little or no prior exposure to Hindi or Urdu. The course covers all four language skills (speaking, lsitening, reading, and writing) and all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, interpretive). Students will develop literacy skills in the primary script of their choice (Hindi or Urdu script). All written materials will be provided in both scripts. All meetings are interactive and students acquire the language by using it in realistic contexts. Culture is embedded in the activities and is also introduced through various authentic materials.

This is an advanced course designed to expand students’ language abilities while also deepening their understanding of the Hindi-speaking world. The course is organized around the following three areas of focus: 1) Surveying Hindi – We survey a range of Hindi sources – literary, journalistic, contemporary, historical, print, video – that provide diverse viewpoints on the social and cultural life of South Asia and Hindi-speaking communities. 2) Situating Hindi – The course places course materials in historical context and explores Hindi's place in the language politics of South Asia. 3) Using Hindi – We devote time to understanding the linguistic structure of Hindi and its vocabulary to enable students to speak and write Hindi with greater confidence and precision. Classes are interactive. Prerequisite: Intermediate Hindi II or the equivalent proficiency. Please contact the instructor for placement. This course fulfills the College’s cross-cultural analysis requirement. Topics vary by semester and the course may be repeated for credit. Students who complete two semesters may earn a Hindi Language Certificate, which will be noted on their transcript.

Intermediate Hindi II is the second part of the second-year Hindi sequence. The course refines and expands students’ incoming language skills. It provides students with the tools needed to engage confidently and substantively with other Hindi speakers and with authentic materials in Hindi. Course materials include Bollywood film clips, folk tales and mythology, news media, and additional materials addressing topics of relevance in current north Indian society. The materials are carefully selected for students of this level, they engage a mix of reading and listening skills, and they present core vocabulary which students will find useful in real-world communication contexts. In-class activities emphasize speaking through structured, form-focused practice; pair and group discussions based on assigned materials; and a variety of additional engaging topics. The course assumes the prior successful completion of Intermediate Hindi I. Students who have not previously taken Hindi should contact the instructor for placement into the appropriate level. This course fulfills the College’s language requirement.

Beginning with the classical times until now, Indian religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity have a connected history with various literary forms such as poetry and prose narrative. Why and how Indian literatures and religious share a similar history of such an influential narrative tradition? Focusing on this primary question, we study the intersections of religions and literartures of India in classical, pre-modern and contemporary times. Throughout the course, we read several literary texts and learn to interpret and compare diverse literary practices that define the religions of India. Most importantly, we try to capture the contours of the Indian religious writing articulated in multiple settings and many variations that include hymns, chants, epic verses, bhajans and prose narratives along with contemporary literary practices that deal with class, caste, and gender discourses.

Although Asians have lived in the Americas for centuries, the Asian American community and experience tends to be defined by the post-1965 wave of immigration to the United States. In an effort to correct this narrative this course will explore the histories, experiences, and contributions of some of the forgotten Asians of the Americas. In particular, we will focus on the earlier labor migrations of Chinese and South Asian individuals to the Caribbean and the United States. The experiences of these individuals, who built railroads, cut sugarcane, and replaced African slave labor, complicate our understandings of race today. By examining the legal and social debates surrounding their labor in the 19th century and exploring how their experiences are forgotten and their descendants are rendered invisible today, we will complicate what is Asian America and consider how this history shapes immigration policies today.

Premodern India produced some of the world's greatest myths and stories: tales of gods, goddesses, heroes, princesses, kings and lovers that continue to capture the imaginations of millions of readers and hearers. In this course, we will look closely at some of these stories especially as found in Purana-s, great compendia composed in Sanskrit, including the chief stories of the central gods of Hinduism: Visnu, Siva, and the Goddess. We will also consider the relationship between these texts and the earlier myths of the Vedas and the Indian Epics, the diversity of the narrative and mythic materials within and across different texts, and the re-imagining of these stories in the modern world.

This course will provide a wide-ranging introduction to the literatures of South Asia from roughly 1500 to the present, as well as an exploration of their histories and impact on South Asian society today. How are literary movements and individual works - along with the attitudes towards religion, society, and culture associated with them - still influential in literature, film, and popular culture? How have writers across time and language engaged with questions of caste, gender, and identity? We will read from the rich archive of South Asian writing in translation - from languages that include Braj, Urdu, Bangla, and Tamil - to consider how these literatures depict their own society while continuing to resonate across time and space. Topics of dicussion will include the Bhakti poetries of personal devotion, the literature of Dalits - formerly referred to as the Untouchables - and the ways in which literature addresses contemporary political and social problems. Students will leave this course with a sense of the contours of the literatures of South Asia as well as ways of exploring the role of these literatures in the larger world. No prior knowledge of South Asia is required; this course fulfills the cross-cultural analysis requirement, and the Arts and Letters sector requirement.

Yoga is a classical school of Indian philosophy that consists of a unique metaphysics epistemology, and ethics. Yoga in the contemporary context usually refers to a system of physical and spiritual exercises that draw from this philosophy. In this course, we will read the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in English translation from the original Sanskrit, with commentary. We will go over all central concepts, technical terms, and historical developments in the philosophy of Yoga. We will also discuss the philosophy of Hatha Yoga in the context of its historical and practical developments. No prior knowledge of Indian philosophy is required for this course. Alongside this, we will also look at the philosophy, religious significance, and history of the Bhagavad Gita -- a major conspective statement of Indian philosophy which draws together the insights of the early Vedic tradition (including Yoga), Buddhism, Jainism, and effectively becomes a foundational work of classical Hinduism.