Current Undergraduate Courses

Introductory Courses

“A Poem in Every House”: An Introduction to Premodern South Asian Literatures (1 and 2)

SALC 22603, SALC 22604. Tue Thu. 2:00-3:20pm. gehe gehe kalau kāvyaṃ … In the Kali age, there is a poem in every house … (Vidyāpati [ca. 1370-1460, Mithila], Kīrtilatā). The Indian subcontinent was home to some of the most vibrant literary traditions in world history. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the main trends in the premodern (/pre-nineteenth century) literatures of South Asia through a selection of poetic and theoretical texts translated from a variety of languages. We will discuss issues of literary historiography, the relations between orality and writing, literary and visual representations, poetry and music. Over two quarters, we will review the basic principles of Sanskrit, Dravidian, and Perso-Arabic poetics through a selection of representative theoretical treatises and poems. We will also explore the linguistic ecology of the Subcontinent, the formation of vernacular literary traditions, multilingual literacy, and the role of literature in social interactions and community building in premodern South Asia. Every week the first class will be devoted to the historical context and conceptual background of the texts we will read in the following class. Attention will be given to the original languages in which those texts were composed as well as the modes of performance of the poems and songs we will read together. One session titled “Poetry Carved in Stones” will bring us to the Art Institute to study the relation between poetic and visual representations of gods and episodes drawn from the rich narrative tradition of South Asia. The first part of this sequence is devoted to Sanskrit, Middle Indic (Prakrit, Apabhramsha), and Dravidian (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam) literary traditions. Perso-Arabic (Persian, Dakani, Urdu) and northern vernacular literary traditions (Hindi, Panjabi, Maithili, Bengali) will be discussed in the Autumn Quarter of the following year. Students may take the courses in any order. No prior knowledge of South Asian languages is required.
The course is the perfect complement to the Introduction to South Asian Civilizations sequence (SALC 20100-20200). Beyond its focus on South Asia, students interested in classics, poetics, rhetoric, musicology, theater studies, and comparative literature will find plenty of food for thought in the readings, lectures, and class discussions. For students interested in languages, it is an ideal way to have a lively introduction to the linguistic variety of South Asia. Thibaut d’Hubert (dhubert@uchicago.edu), Autumn. Autumn 2017: Sanskrit and Dravidian poetry and poetics (SALC 22603); Autumn 2018: Perso-Arabic and northern vernacular traditions (SALC 22604). 

Inequality: Gender, Violence, Citizenship

SALC 20509 (GNSE 11006, HIST 17203) This course analyzes inequality and the overt and covert violence that results from it.  The inequalities under consideration are often grounded in gender and sex but also, and more importantly, ones that result from a complex intersection of gender, sex, and other identities. Inequality is what produces the experience of differential citizenship, a topic that exercises scholars the world over.  In particular, those interested in issues of feminism, community, and ethnicity have studied why women (and then some women more than others) or particular social groups such as gay or trans groups, experience disenfranchisement more than their counterparts.  This is so even when, officially, many cultures/ nation states grant their members/citizens formal equality before the law. While many of the specific examples around which this course is framed emerge out of South Asia, our analyses will be structured through an engagement with critical theoretical texts that address issues of gendered oppression and discrimination in other parts of the world.  Readings will include historical, anthropological, literary texts. Key themes of the course include: debates on parité in France and differential citizenship for religious minorities in India; caste based violence in India studied comparatively with debates on violence against aboriginal in Australia and Canada; rape and human rights; the politics of homosexuality; violence around popular and high culture; the panic around "family values" as recently evidenced in the surrogacy debates in India. Rochona Majumdar, Autumn 2017.

Colonizations III

SALC 20702/1 [82766] - SEM Open. Mon Wed : 03:00 PM-04:20 PM. The third quarter considers the processes and consequences of decolonization both in the newly independent nations and the former colonial powers. Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 24003,HIST 18303,SALC 20702,SOSC 24003. (Contact CRES for further information about the sequence and the instructors). Autumn 2017.

Introduction to South Asian Civilizations I-II

SALC 20100-20200 (=ANTH 24101-24102, HIST 10800-10900, SOSC 23000-23100) This sequence introduces core themes in the formation of culture and society in South Asia from the early modern period until the present. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. These courses must be taken in sequence. The first quarter focuses on Islam in South Asia, Hindu-Muslim interaction, Mughal political and literary traditions, and South Asia’s early encounters with Europe. The second quarter analyzes the colonial period (i.e., reform movements, the rise of nationalism, communalism, caste, and other identity movements) up to the independence and partition of India. Muzaffar Alam, Winter 2018; Dipesh Chakrabarty, Spring 2018.

Extinction, Disaster, Dystopias: Environment and Ecology in the Indian Subcontinent

SALC 25310 (CRES 25310, ENGL 22434, ENST 25310, GLST 25310, HIST 26806)  This course aims to provide students an overview of key environmental and ecological issues in the Indian subcontinent. How have the unique precolonial, colonial, regional and national histories of this region shaped the peculiar nature of environmental issues? We will consider three major concepts—“extinction”, “disaster” and “dystopia” to see how they can be used to frame issues of environmental and ecological concern. Each concept will act as a framing device for issues such as conservation and preservation of wildlife, erasure of adivasi (first dwellers) ways of life, environmental justice, water scarcity and climate change. The course will aim to develop students’ ability to assess the specificity of these concepts in different disciplines. For example: What methods and sources will an environmental historian use to write about wildlife? How does this differ from the approach an ecologist or literary writer might take? Students will analyze various media: both literary and visual, such as autobiographies of shikaris (hunters), graphic novels, photographs, documentary films, ethnographic accounts and environmental history.  Joya John.  Spring 2018.

The Harem: Gender, Family and Power in Early Modern and Modern South Asia

SALC 25311 (GNSE 25311, HIST 26612) Even today, the word “harem” evokes orientalist imaginings of an exotic east. Popular images drawn from colonial-era representations continue to define our understanding of this complex institution. In this course we will work to complicate this understanding through considering the harem as a site of interplay between gender, family ties, and power. Taking into account influences from the larger Islamicate world as well as more local, Indic practices, we will historicize the harem, tracking its changes over the course of this long period, and critiquing its various (mis)representations. We will explore how the harem constituted a diverse space including not only elite women and their male relatives, but also other figures such as slave girls, eunuchs and guards. We will furthermore look at how this space was transformed in the era of European expansionism and colonial rule in the subcontinent, becoming a flash point over questions of social reform and Indian nationalism. Materials will include not just secondary literature but also excerpts from contemporary historical accounts, paintings, short stories, photographs, and films. No prior knowledge of South Asian history required.  Emma Kalb. Winter 2018

Intro to Buddhism

SALC 29700 (=SALC 39700, HREL 39700, RLST 26150, CHDV 39701, CHDV 29701) This course, which is intended for both undergraduates and graduates, introduces students to some aspects of the philosophy, psychology, and meditation practice of the Theravada Buddhist tradition in premodern and modern South and Southeast Asia, and also in the modern west. It looks first at basic Buddhist ideas and practices, , and then and the relationship(s) between Buddhism and psychology, in two ways: in relation to the indigenous psychology of the Shan in contemporary Northern Thailand, and then in the ways elements from Buddhist meditation have been taken up in recent years by western scientific psychologists. The course ends with an ethnography of a Buddhist meditation monastery in Thailand. Throughout the course attention is paid to the role(s) of gender. Justin Henry, Spring 2018

Many Ramayanas 

SALC TBD (=HR 628-4250). Suitable for MA students and undergraduates. No prerequisites. Requirement: Essay at the end of the quarter. Limit to 30. Swift 208. Monday/Wednesday 3 to 4:20. A close reading of the great Hindu Epic, the story of Rama's recovery of his wife, Sita, from the demon Ravana on the island of Lanka, with special attention to changes in the telling of the story throughout Indian history, up to its present use as a political weapon against Muslims and a rallying point for Hindu fundamentalists.  Readings in Paula Richman, Many Ramayanas and Questioning Ramayanas; in translations of the Ramayanas of Valmiki, Kampan , Tulsi, and Michael Dutta, as well as the Ramajataka; Rama the Steadfast, trans. Brockington; the Yogavasistha-Maharamayana; and contemporary comic books and films. Wendy Doniger, Spring 2018.

Knowledge on a Platter: Comparative Perspectives on Knowledge Texts in the Ancient World

SALC TBA. MW 9:30-12:20.   Foster 305. Enrollment limited to 20 students; permission of the instructors required. In various ancient cultures, sages created the new ways of systematizing what was known in fields as diverse as medicine, politics, sex, dreams, and mathematics. These texts did more than present what was known; they exemplified what it means to know -- and also why reflective, systematic knowledge should be valued more highly than the knowledge gained from common sense or experience. Drawing on texts from ancient India, Greece, Rome, and the Near East, this course will explore these early templates for the highest form of knowledge and compare their ways of creating fields of inquiry: the first disciplines. Texts include the Arthashastra, the Hippocratic corpus, Deuteronomy, the Kama Sutra, and Aristotle's Parva naturalia. N.B. This seminar will meet from March 26-April 30, 2018, twice a week. Lorraine Daston and Wendy Doniger, Spring 2018.

Theoretical Approaches to Literature and Colonialism

SALC TBD European imperialism and colonialism have shaped the modern world as we know it today. During the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, literary critics, theorists, historians and philosophers have examined the interdependence of imperialism/colonialism and literature from a variety of perspectives, most notably in a body of thought generally referred to as postcolonial theory, but also from several other vantage points. The present course provides a basic introduction to theoretical thought on the question of colonialism(s) and literary works, to its key thinkers, concepts and methods.
We will explore key terms, such as “otherness”, “hybridity”, “agency”, “modernity”, “nationalism” as well as larger themes, such as empire and gender and sexuality or colonial knowledge formation. We will attempt to strike a balance between examining the arguments of different theorists and developing our own critical vocabulary in a systematic way. Thinkers will include Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Roland Barthes, Aimé Césaire, Édouard Glissant, Gayatri Spivak, Homi Bhabha, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Patrick Colm Hogan, and others. The course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students (no prior knowledge of the topic is assumed). Sascha Ebeling, Spring 2018.

South Asian Aesthetics: Rasa to Rap, Kamasutra to Kant

SALC 29300 (=SALC 49300).  This course introduces students to the rich traditions of aesthetic thought in South Asia, a region that includes (among others) the modern-day states of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. By engaging with theories of art, literature and music from the Indic and Indo-Persian traditions, we will attempt to better understand what happens in an aesthetic experience. A central concern will be thinking about how much any aesthetic tradition, be it South Asian or other, is rooted in the particular epistemic and cultural values of the society that produced it; we will therefore explore how ideas from the South Asian tradition can help us to understand not only South Asian material, but art in other societies as well, and to re-think the boundaries of 'aesthetic' thought.  Class discussion, small group work, and individual presentations will be regular features of the class. Two sessions will include performances by, and discussions with, performing artists (dancers and musicians). We will also make one visit to the Art Institute Chicago.  Tyler Williams, Spring 2018.

Wives, Widows, Prostitutes: North Indian Literature and the “Women’s Question”

SALC 27904/43800 (=GNSE 27902/47900) From the early 19th century onward, the debate on the status of Indian women was an integral part of the discourse on the state of civilization, Hindu tradition, and social reform in colonial India. This course will explore how Indian authors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries engaged with the so-called “women’s question.” Caught between middle-class conservatism and the urge for social reform, Hindi and Urdu writers addressed controversial issues such as female education, child marriage, widow remarriage, and prostitution in their fictional and discursive writings. We will explore the tensions of a literary and social agenda that advocated the ‘uplift’ of women as a necessary precondition for the progress of the nation, while also expressing patriarchal fears about women’s rights and freedom. The course is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Basic knowledge of Hindi and/or Urdu is preferable, but not required. We will read works by Nazir Ahmad, Premcand, Jainendra Kumar, Mirza Hadi Ruswa, and Mahadevi Varma in English translation, and also look at texts used in Indian female education at the time. Ulrike Stark, Spring 2018.

Advanced Courses

Mughal India: Tradition and Transition

SALC 27701 (=SALC 37701, HIST 26602, HIST 36602) The course will focus on Mughal rule and culture during the late sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, especially on selected issues that have been at the center of historiographical debate in the past decades.  This is a reading course open to graduate students and advanced undergraduate students.  Muzaffar Alam, Autumn 2018,

Jainism: An Indian Religion and its Contributions to Philosophy

SALC 30904 (=HREL 32401, RLST 23903) The course will introduce the history and doctrines of the Jaina religion and, in the second half of the quarter,  turn to consider a selection of recent writings on Jaina philosophy in particular.  Though there is no formal prerequisite, the course will presuppose a basic background in the study of Indian religions and philosophies, as is given, for instance, in Indian Philosophy I and II (DVPR 30201, DVPR 30302).   Please contact the instructor (m-kapstein@uchicago.edu) if you are uncertain as to your prior preparation. Matthew Kapstein, Winter 2018.

Talking Birds and Cunning Jackals: A Survey of Indo-Persian Prose

SALC 48603 (=PERS 48603, NEHC 48603) Prerequisites: intermediate level of Persian. This course features a selection of Persian prose texts such as tales, premodern translations of romance and epic texts on Indian themes (Mahābhārata, Rāmāyaṇa, Pañcatantra, etc…), letters, models of elegant prose writings, and anecdotes from chronicles, tadhkira literature, and autobiographical writings. We will first read easy, plain prose texts, such as Naqīb Khān’s translation of the Mahābhārata commissioned by Akbar, which will allow the students to familiarize themselves with the cultural context of South Asia. Then, toward the middle of the quarter we will shift to increasingly difficult texts to reach the characteristically ornate prose of the Mughal period, such as ʿInāyat Allāh Kambūh’s Bahār-i dānish or Bedil’s Chahār ʿunṣur. Students with an intermediate level of Persian will thus be able to take this class and then, the following year, be ready to attend the more challenging course titled “Persian Philology and Poetry in South Asia” offered every other year, alternately with the present survey of Indo-Persian prose. Thibaut d'Hubert and Muzaffar Alam, Spring 2021

Persian Philology and Poetry in South Asia

SALC 48602 (=NEHC 48602, PERS 48602) Prerequisites: intermediate level of Persian. This course offers an introduction to Persian philology as it developed in South Asia during the late Mughal period. Our aim is to observe how Persian was studied as a literary idiom and how poems were read taking grammar as a point of entry. The first sessions will provide an introduction to some fundamental methods and basic terminology of Indo-Persian philology. We will read the short prefaces of two traditional grammars: Anṣārī Jaunpūrī (d. 1225/1810, Murshidabad)’s Qawāʿid-i fārsī and ʿAbd al-Wāsiʿ Hānsawī (fl. 2nd half 17th)’s Risala-yi ʿAbd al-Wāsiʿ. Then, we will look at a selection of examples to see how this grammatical knowledge was used to analyze the language of classical mathnawīs by closely reading the comments made on some verses taken from Jāmī’s Yūsuf o Zulaykhā. After these introductory classes, will focus on Akbar (r. 1556-1605)’s poet laureate (malik al-shuʿarā) Faiḍī’s Nal Daman. Nal Daman is a mathnawī that is part of an unfinished project of khamsa. The poem is the adaptation of a very popular story found in the Sanskrit Mahābhārata and in several South Asian vernacular versions. In class we will use a 19th-c. lithographed edition of Nal Daman that contains a marginal commentary (ḥāshiya). We will also discuss topics related to the model, the context of the composition and afterlife of Nal Daman, the genre of the mathnawī-i ʿāshiqāna in the multilingual context of South Asia, and the style of Faiḍī’s poetry. Instructors' consent required. Thibaut d'Hubert and Muzaffar Alam, Spring 2020.