South Asian

Languages and Civilizations

Departmental Adviser: Clinton Seely, F 213, 702-8645,

c-seely@uchicago.edu

Departmental Secretary: Katherine Mosely, F 212, 702-8373,

k-mosely@uchicago.edu

World Wide Web: http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/sasian/

Program of Study

The Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations offers a Bachelor of Arts concentration for students whose primary interests lie in language and literature. Students whose interest in South Asia is more general should consult the concentration listing under South Asian Studies.

Program Requirements

Prior to starting the concentration program, students must take South Asian Civilization 200-201-202 and the first year of a South Asian language, both of which should be taken to satisfy the Common Core civilization and language requirements. Students may take an examination to place out of the Common Core foreign language requirement. However, if those Common Core requirements are fulfilled in other ways, these courses must still be taken as prerequisites for the concentration.

The concentration program consists of at least three courses in a South Asian language at or above the intermediate level and six additional courses on South Asia. Students currently may concentrate in Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Urdu. Any courses offered in the department may be used to fulfill the requirement of six additional courses on South Asia, although only three of the six may be language courses; courses offered in other departments may also be used in this respect, upon prior approval of the departmental adviser.

Summary of Requirements

General South Asian Civilization

Education (SoAsia 200-201-202)

one year (or equivalent) of a South Asian language

Concentration 3 quarters of a single South Asian language, intermediate level or higher (with possible substitutions as noted above)

6 quarters of courses on South Asia

9

Honors. The decision of the award of honors is not made on the basis of any formal program. Students who wish to compete for honors should consult the departmental adviser at the beginning of their fourth year.

Faculty

ARJUN APPADURAI, Barbara E. and Richard J. Franke Professor, Departments of South Asian Languages & Civilizations and Anthropology

CAROL BRECKENRIDGE, Senior Lecturer, Division of the Humanities

DIPESH CHAKRABARTY, Professor, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations and the College

STEVEN COLLINS, Associate Professor, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations and the College

NORMAN J. CUTLER, Associate Professor, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations

WENDY DONIGER, Mircea Eliade Professor, the Divinity School, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations, Committee on Social Thought, and the College

PAUL J. GRIFFITHS, Associate Professor, the Divinity School and Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations

RONALD B. INDEN, Professor, Departments of History and South Asian Languages & Civilizations, and the College

MITHILESH MISHRA, Lecturer, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations

C. M. NAIM, Associate Professor, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations

SHELDON POLLOCK, George V. Bobrinskoy Professor, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations and the College; Chairman, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations

FRANK E. REYNOLDS, Professor, the Divinity School, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations, and the College

CLINTON BOOTH SEELY, Associate Professor, Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations; Chairman, Committee on Southern Asian Studies

Courses

200-201-202. Introduction to the Civilization of South Asia I, II, III (=Anthro 308-1,-2,-3; SoAsia 200-201-202; SocSci 230-231-232). PQ: Must be taken in sequence. This course fulfills the Common Core requirement in civilizational studies. Using a variety of disciplinary approaches, this sequence seeks to familiarize students with some of the important textual, institutional, and historical ideas and experiences that have constituted "civilization" in South Asia. Topics in the autumn quarter include European and American representations of South Asia; its place in world history as a "Third World" or "underdeveloped" country; Gandhi and Nehru's visions of modernity; India's recent repositioning in the global economy as a consumer society; and its popular village movements. Topics in the winter quarter include urban and rural ways of life and the place of film and television in cultural life. The spring quarter looks at politics and gender in the postcolonial period. R. Inden, Staff, Autumn, Winter; C. Breckenridge, Staff, Spring.

214. Muslim South Asia: Readings. We study selected readings in political and cultural histories, autobiographies, novels, short stories, and poetry, focusing on the issues of identity, assimilation, and particularism. C. M. Naim. Winter.

220-221-222. Introductory Bengali I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. The basic grammar of Bengali is presented; students are expected to be able to read simple graded texts and to speak at the "low intermediate" level by the end of the spring quarter. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

223-224-225. Intermediate Bengali I, II, III. PQ: SoAsia 222 or equivalent. Selected texts from modern Bengali prose and poetry are read in class. Students are expected to be able to read, with the aid of a dictionary, modern Bengali literature and to speak at the "high intermediate" level by the end of the spring quarter. C. Seely. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

226/326. Literature of Bengal: M. M. Dutt and Nineteenth-Century Bengali Identity. In Calcutta during the nineteenth century, various forces shaped (or tried to shape) identities, such as what it meant to be Bengali. Thomas Babington Macaulay, in his "Minute on Education of 1835" was probably the most straightforward in his expressed goals: to create "a class of person, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect." What does it mean to be Indian in blood? Does hemoglobin carry cultural traits? Clearly not. What does it mean to be English in taste and morals? Did those incarcerated in the Clink epitomize Macaulayan English morals? Clearly not. The course considers what were Bengali identities during the nineteenth century in Calcutta, focusing on Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1834 to 1873). All readings in English. C. Seely. Spring.

230-231-232. First-Year Hindi I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This course presents basic grammar of Hindi, the Nagari writing system, conversation practice, oral drill, written exercises, lab work, and simple reading. In the spring quarter, the Urdu writing system is introduced. M. Mishra. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

233-234-235. Second-Year Hindi I, II, III. PQ: SoAsia 232 or equivalent. The intermediate Hindi course presupposes a knowledge of the basic grammar of Hindi and requires a fair amount of reading and translating Hindi prose, along with discussion of advanced topics in Hindi grammar. Regular attention is given to conversation and composition. The class meets for about five hours a week. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

250-251-252. Introductory Sanskrit I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. The first half (about fifteen weeks) of the course sequence is spent mastering the reading and writing of the Devanagari script and studying the grammar of the classical Sanskrit language. The remainder of the course sequence is devoted to close analytical reading of simple Sanskrit texts, which are used to reinforce the grammatical study done in the first half of the course. The aim is to bring students to the point where they are comfortably able, with the help of a dictionary, to read simple, narrative Sanskrit. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

253-254-255. Intermediate Sanskrit I, II, III. PQ: SoAsia 252 or equivalent. The course begins with a rapid review and consolidation of grammar learned in the introductory course. Reading selections introduce major Sanskrit genres, including verse and prose narrative, lyric poetry, drama, and the intellectual discourse of religion, philosophy, and the sciences. Analysis of the language and style employed in commentatorial texts and practice in reading such texts is also emphasized. W. Doniger, Autumn; Staff, Winter, Spring.

257. Selected Topics: The Kamasutra and The Laws of Manu (=DivHR 321, Fndmtl 236, SoAsia 257). We discuss religion, sex, and politics in ancient India based on readings in the Kamasutra and The Laws of Manu. All readings in English. W. Doniger. Winter.

260-261-262. Introductory Tamil I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. The grammar of modern Tamil and a large amount of basic vocabulary are acquired through emphasis on both the reading and aural comprehension of graded texts (largely tales, myths, and fictional and historical anecdotes) that provide constant contextual reinforcement of the major aspects of grammar and vocabulary. Written, oral, and language lab exercises focus on ensuring accurate conceptual understanding and efficient functional control of these basics. The course also emphasizes development of basic conversational skills. N. Cutler, Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

263-264-265. Intermediate Tamil I, II, III. PQ: SoAsia 262 or equivalent. Students engage in the following activities that collectively are designed to promote development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking proficiency: (1) use texts such as folk tales, religious narratives, short stories, and newspaper articles to develop efficient reading comprehension and to learn about conceptual areas of cultural importance; (2) work with audiotapes, films, and free conversation to develop listening and conversational skills; and (3) complete composition assignments. N. Cutler, Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

270-271-272. Introductory Urdu I, II, III. This course sequence fulfills the Common Core foreign language requirement. This three-quarter sequence presents the basic grammar and essential vocabulary of Urdu, a language spoken by thirty-five million people in South Asia and one of the official languages of Pakistan. The text used is C. M. Naim's Introductory Urdu and the emphasis is on the written language. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

273-274-275. Intermediate Urdu I, II, III. PQ: SoAsia 272 or equivalent. A continuation of SoAsia 270-271-272. Staff, Autumn; C. M. Naim, Winter, Spring.

287. Contemporary Postcolonial Criticism and Theory. This course discusses theoretical aspects of postcolonial criticism and history and attends to some of the critiques they have received in literary theory and the social sciences. D. Chakrabarty. Autumn.

290. Introduction to the Study of Tibetan Civilization. Tibetan civilization, with a continuous history of more than a millennium, has enjoyed a unique position in the cultural life of Inner Asia. The course surveys current knowledge of Tibet, focusing on Tibetan history, literature, and religion. The Tibetan cultural situation in contemporary China is among the topics considered. Readings include recent scholarly writings and Tibetan works in translation. M. Kapstein. Winter.

299. Informal Course. PQ: Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This individual reading course with faculty may be used for topics not requiring use of a South Asian language, for independent study, and by nonconcentrators wishing to explore a South Asian topic. Staff. Autumn, Winter, Spring.

College students are encouraged to register for 300-level courses in South Asian Languages and Civilizations. Consult the quarterly Time Schedules for additional course listings.

383. Studies in Hinduism: Hindu Mythology (=DivHR 347, SocTht 347). This course surveys the great mythological themes of Hinduism, starting with the Rg Veda, continuing through the Epics and Puranas, and ending with contemporary folk tellings. All readings in English. W. Doniger. Winter.