South Asian Studies (second major only)

Language and Literature Courses

* HNDI 110a, Elementary Hindi I  Staff

An in-depth introduction to modern Hindi, including the Devanagari script. A combination of graded texts, written assignments, audiovisual material, and computer-based exercises provides cultural insights and increases proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Hindi. Emphasis on spontaneous self-expression in the language. No prior background in Hindi assumed.  L1  1½ Course cr
HTBA

HNDI 120b, Elementary Hindi II  Staff

Continuation of HNDI 110. After HNDI 110 or equivalent.  L2  1½ Course cr
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HNDI 130a, Intermediate Hindi I  Swapna Sharma and Seema Khurana

The first half of a two-term sequence designed to develop proficiency in the four language skills. Extensive use of cultural documents including feature films, radio broadcasts, and literary and nonliterary texts to increase proficiency in understanding, speaking, reading, and writing Hindi. Focus on cultural nuances and Hindi literary traditions. Emphasis on spontaneous self-expression in the language. After HNDI 120 or equivalent.  L3  1½ Course cr
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* HNDI 132a, Accelerated Hindi I  Swapna Sharma

A fast-paced course designed for students who are able to understand basic conversational Hindi but who have minimal or no literacy skills. Introduction to the Devanagari script; development of listening and speaking skills; vocabulary enrichment; attention to sociocultural rules that affect language use. Students learn to read simple texts and to converse on a variety of everyday personal and social topics.  L3
TTh 4pm-5:15pm

HNDI 140b, Intermediate Hindi II  Seema Khurana and Swapna Sharma

Continuation of HNDI 130. After HNDI 130 or equivalent.  L4  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 11:35am-12:25pm

* HNDI 142b, Accelerated Hindi II  Swapna Sharma

Continuation of HNDI 132. Development of increased proficiency in the four language skills. Focus on reading and higher language functions such as narration, description, and comparison. Reading strategies for parsing paragraph-length sentences in Hindi newspapers. Discussion of political, social, and cultural dimensions of Hindi culture as well as contemporary global issues.  L4
TTh 4pm-5:15pm

HNDI 150a, Advanced Hindi  Seema Khurana

An advanced language course aimed at enabling students to engage in fluent discourse in Hindi and to achieve a comprehensive knowledge of formal grammar. Introduction to a variety of styles and levels of discourse and usage. Emphasis on the written language, with readings on general topics from newspapers, books, and magazines. Prerequisite: HNDI 140 or permission of instructor.  L5
TTh 4pm-5:15pm

* HNDI 160a, Modern Hindi Literature  Swapna Sharma

An advanced language course designed to develop overall language skills and to enrich cultural insight through the literature of different genres. Literature is the cultural canvas of a society. Reading modern Hindi literature and translations of vernacular literature from various states in India enhance the understanding of Indian culture and society. Prerequisite: HNDI 150 or instructor permission.  L5
MW 4pm-5:15pm

* HNDI 198a or b, Advanced Tutorial  Staff

For students with advanced Hindi language skills who wish to engage in concentrated reading and research on material not otherwise offered by the department. Work must be supervised by an adviser and must terminate in a term paper or the equivalent. Permission to enroll requires submission of a detailed project proposal and its approval by the language studies coordinator. Prerequisite: HNDI 150 or equivalent.
HTBA

* PNJB 130a, Intermediate Punjabi I  Staff

The important target of this course is to develop basic Punjabi Language skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking). This is approached through the theme-based syllabus, discussion in small groups and paired activities on the cultural background of Punjab or Punjabi culture. As well as, the listening and speaking skills would be developed by using the media such as educational material, Punjabi movies, music and computer lab sessions. The usage of the textbooks would lead us to learn grammatical rules of the Punjabi language. The students are approached individually, since the class typically consists of students in the various backgrounds. Prerequisite: PNJB 120 or equivalent. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
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* SKRT 110a / LING 115a, Introductory Sanskrit I  Aleksandar Uskokov

An introduction to Sanskrit language and grammar. Focus on learning to read and translate basic Sanskrit sentences in Devanagari script. No prior background in Sanskrit assumed.  L1  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 9:25am-10:15am

SKRT 120b / LING 125b, Introductory Sanskrit II  Aleksandar Uskokov

Continuation of SKRT 110. Focus on the basics of Sanskrit grammar; readings from classical Sanskrit texts written in Devanagari script. After SKRT 110.  L2  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 9:25am-10:15am

SKRT 130a / LING 138a, Intermediate Sanskrit I  Aleksandar Uskokov

The first half of a two-term sequence aimed at helping students develop the skills necessary to read texts written in Sanskrit. Readings include selections from the Hitopadesa, Kathasaritsagara, Mahabharata, and Bhagavadgita. After SKRT 120 or equivalent.  L3
MWF 10:30am-11:20am

SKRT 140b / LING 148b, Intermediate Sanskrit II  Aleksandar Uskokov

Continuation of SKRT 130, focusing on Sanskrit literature from the kavya genre. Readings include selections from the Jatakamala of Aryasura and the opening verses of Kalidasa's Kumarasambhava. After SKRT 130 or equivalent.  L4
MWF 8:20am-9:10am

* SKRT 150b, Advanced Sanskrit: Readings in Indian Philosophy and Aesthetics  Aleksandar Uskokov

This advanced language course introduces the jargon of the philosophical disciplines (theory of knowledge, metaphysics, philosophy of mind and language, philosophical theology, hermeneutics) and aesthetics in the several systems of learning in ancient and classical India, across the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Additionally, the course introduces topics of philosophical significance in foundational texts such as the Upaniṣads, portions of the Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas, and the Buddhist sūtra literature. Special attention is given to matters of style, scholastic techniques, and advanced morphology and syntax. The course, thus, combines advanced language instruction with learning intellectual and cultural content, and it facilitates training in primary research in one of the classical languages of South Asia. Prerequisite: SKRT 140 or equivalent, or instructor permission.  L5
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

* SNHL 110a, Elementary Sinhala I  Staff

First half of a two-term sequence focusing on all four language skills. Basic grammar, sentence construction, simple reading materials, and use of everyday expressions. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Cornell University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L1  RP  1½ Course cr
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* SNHL 130a, Intermediate Sinhala I  Staff

Further development of speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in Sinhala. Communicative approach to the exchange of ideas and information, with early emphasis on oral skills and reading comprehension. Prerequisite: SNHL 120 or equivalent. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
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* TAML 130a, Intermediate Tamil I  Staff

The first half of a two-term sequence designed to develop proficiency in comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing through the use of visual media, newspapers and magazines, modern fiction and poetry, and public communications such as pamphlets, advertisements, and government announcements. Prerequisite: TAML 120 or equivalent. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
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* TBTN 110a, Elementary Classical Tibetan I  Staff

First half of a two-term introduction to classical Tibetan. The script and its Romanization, pronunciation, normative dictionary order, and basic grammar. Readings from Tibetan literature and philosophy. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L1
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* TBTN 130a, Intermediate Classical Tibetan I  Staff

Continuation of TBTN 120. Introduction to more complex grammatical constructions. Further development of reading ability in various genres of Tibetan literature written prior to 1959. Prerequisite: TBTN 120 or equivalent. Course taught through distance learning using videoconferencing technology from Columbia University. Enrollment limited; interested students should e-mail for more information.  L3  RP  1½ Course cr
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* SAST 057a / RLST 015a, Gods and Heroes in Indian Religions  Phyllis Granoff

The basic doctrines and practices of India's three classical religions, Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, explored through close reading of texts in translation. Lives of the founders, great monks, nuns, and lay followers of Buddhism and Jainism; myths of the major Hindu gods; heroines and goddesses in the three traditions. Enrollment limited to first-year students. Preregistration required; see under First-Year Seminar Program.  HU
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm

* SAST 058a / RLST 018a, Yoga in South Asia and Beyond  Supriya Gandhi

The history of yoga practice and thought from the earliest textual discussions of yoga until the present day. Topics include the body, cosmology, cross-cultural interactions, colonialism, and orientalism. Enrollment limited to freshmen. Preregistration required; see under Freshman Seminar Program.  HU
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

* SAST 059a / ENGL 025a / LITR 023a, Modern South Asian Literature, 1857-2017  Priyasha Mukhopadhyay

Exploration of literary texts from South Asia, 1857 to the present. Close reading of literary texts from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, alongside political speeches, autobiographies, and oral narratives. Topics include colonialism, history writing, migration, language, caste, gender and desire, translation, politics and the novel. Enrollment limited to first-year students. Preregistration is required; see under First-Year Seminar Program.  WR, HU
MW 9am-10:15am

* SAST 060a / HSAR 015a, Ten Indian Objects  Subhashini Kaligotla

A 5000-year-old stone seal, a 20th century comic book, an emperor’s painted portrait, a processional bronze god, a miniature temple, an inscribed pillar, a rock crystal reliquary, a serene Buddha, an animated film, and a towering female figure. Through rigorous explorations of these ten objects from South Asia this seminar teaches close looking, vivid writing, and narrating history through things. It considers both the biographies of the objects and their involvement in the wider social, political, artistic, and cultural histories of the Indian subcontinent. Students engage some of the most exciting scholarship in the field of South Asian art, and observe, draw, and write about things in museums and art collections on a weekly basis. Enrollment limited to first-year students. Preregistration required; see under First-Year Seminar Program.  HU
TTh 1pm-2:15pm

SAST 219b / ANTH 276b, South Asian Social Worlds  Staff

Study of a series of texts that introduce anthropological and critical approaches to South Asia's peoples and cultures while questioning the historical and political possibility of understanding such a diverse region.  WR, SO
HTBA

SAST 260a / HSAR 143a / RLST 188a, Introduction to the History of Art: Buddhist Art and Architecture, 900 to 1600  Mimi Yiengpruksawan

Buddhist art and architecture of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Tibet from the tenth century to the early modern period. Emphasis on cross-regional engagements including the impact of Islam.  HU
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

SAST 281b / ECON 325b / EP&E 321b, Economics of Developing Countries: Focus on South Asia  Zachary Barnett-Howell

Analysis of current problems of developing countries. Emphasis on the role of economic theory in informing public policies to achieve improvements in poverty and inequality, and on empirical analysis to understand markets and responses to poverty. Topics include microfinance, education, health, agriculture, intrahousehold allocations, gender, and corruption. Prerequisites: introductory microeconomics and introductory econometrics.  SO
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm

* SAST 306a / ANTH 322a / EVST 324a, Environmental Justice in South Asia  Staff

Study of South Asia’s nation building and economic development in the aftermath of war and decolonization in the 20th century. How it generated unprecedented stress on natural environments; increased social disparity; and exposure of the poor and minorities to environmental risks and loss of homes, livelihoods, and cultural resources. Discussion of the rise of environmental justice movements and policies in the region as the world comes to grips with living in the Anthropocene.  SO
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* SAST 323a / HIST 313Ja, British Raj and the Indian Nation (1757-1947)  Rohit De

Drawing on a wide genre of primary sources, this seminar explores the consolidation of British rule over the Indian subcontinent; the transformations brought about by colonial policies; the subsequent rise of resistance movements; the growth of mass nationalism and partition and independence.  WR, HU
M 1:30pm-3:20pm

* SAST 362a / RLST 321a, Hindus and Muslims in South Asia  Supriya Gandhi

Study of engagements between Hindu and Muslim traditions in South Asia from medieval to modern times. Exploration of historical case studies of Hindu-Muslim relations and the formation of religious identities, as well as how memories of the past intersect with modern discourses on religion and politics.  HU
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

* SAST 486a, Directed Study  Staff

A one-credit, single-term course on topics not covered in regular offerings. To apply for admission, a student should present a course description and syllabus to the director of undergraduate studies, along with written approval from the faculty member who will direct the study.
HTBA

* SAST 491a and SAST 492b, Senior Essay  Staff

A yearlong research project completed under faculty supervision and resulting in a substantial paper. Credit for SAST 491 only on completion of SAST 492.  ½ Course cr per term
HTBA