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| Hindi | |
| HIND 1010 | Elementary Hindi-Urdu (4) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Introductory training in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing Hindi and Urdu. |
| HIND 1020 | Elementary Hindi-Urdu (4) |
| Prerequisite: HIND 1010. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Summer 2010, Spring 2010 | |
| HIND 1060 | Accelerated Elementary Hindi (4) |
| This course is designed for heritage students who have some prior, informal proficiency in Hindi. Students work on their listening and speaking skills and achieve basic reading and writing skills so that they can handle simple written texts and converse appropriately on day-to-day situations with grammatical accuracy and suitable vocabulary. | |
| HIND 1310 | Intensive Hindi Script and Grammar Review for Heritage Students (3) |
| This class is designed to introduce and improve all aspects of the Hindi language. We learn the script in detail and learn enough grammar for students to move on to Intermediate or Advanced Hindi. Most course material will be handouts specially designed for this class and online listening materials. Course was offered Spring 2024 | |
| HIND 1559 | New Course in Hindi (3) |
| One-time course offerings in Hindi at the 1000 (first and second semester) level. Course was offered Spring 2023 | |
| HIND 2010 | Intermediate Hindi (4) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Introduction to various types of written and spoken Hindi; vocabulary building, idioms and problems of syntax; and conversation in Hindi. Prerequisite: HIND 1020 or equivalent. |
| HIND 2020 | Intermediate Hindi (4) |
| Prerequisite: HIND 2010 or equivalent. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| HIND 2060 | Accelerated Intermediate Hindi (4) |
| This course is designed for heritage students who have some prior, informal proficiency in Hindi. Students work on their listening and speaking skills and achieve basic reading and writing skills so that they can handle simple written texts and converse appropriately on day-to-day situations with grammatical accuracy and suitable vocabulary. Course was offered Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| HIND 3010 | Advanced Hindi Readings I (3) |
| Readings are drawn from areas of particular interest to the students involved, and include readings from various disciplines. Prerequisite: HIND 2020 or equivalent or instructor permission. | |
| HIND 3011 | Hindi in Contemporary Media (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Language is a dynamic entity, and it keeps on changing. In HIND-3011, we will learn and build upon our knowledge of Hindi through social media, TV commercials, News, legendary Bollywood dialogues and songs that never lose their charm, and podcasts. The efforts to excel in Hindi reading, writing, speaking, and listening will remain the pivot for the course to improve your confidence in Hindi. Course was offered Fall 2023 |
| HIND 3012 | Learn Hindi via Bollywood (3) |
| This course uses Bollywood cinema as course material to learn more about the culture related to Hindi, expand your Hindi language skills, and make you competent to use Hindi even more efficiently. This course emphasizes individual learning styles and preferences and advances all the aspects of the Hindi Language. We explore how language and culture are interrelated with the help of some Bollywood movies. Course was offered Spring 2024 | |
| HIND 3019 | Language House Conversation (1) |
| For students residing in the Hindu group in Shea House. Prerequisite: instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| HIND 3020 | Advanced Hindi II (3) |
| Prerequisite: HIND 2020 or equivalent or instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| HIND 3230 | Readings in Hindi (3) |
| Advanced readings in modern standard Hindi and possibly in medieval Hindi, depending on the interests of the students. Prerequisite: HIND 3020/5020 or equivalent, or instructor permission. | |
| HIND 3240 | Readings in Hindi (3) |
| Advanced readings in modern standard Hindi and possibly in medieval Hindi, depending on the interests of the students. Prerequisite: HIND 3020/5020 or equivalent, or instructor permission. | |
| HIND 3559 | New Course in Hindi (3) |
| This course is to allow 3000-level new courses in HIndi to be taught for one semester. Course was offered Spring 2023, Fall 2022 | |
| HIND 4993 | Independent Study in Hindi (1 - 3) |
| Independent Study in Hindi Course was offered Spring 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| HIND 5010 | Advanced Hindi I (3) |
| Readings are drawn from areas of student interest and include readings from various disciplines. Restricted to area studies majors and minors. Prerequisite: HIND 2020 or equivalent or instructor permission. | |
| HIND 8993 | Independent Study in Hindi (1 - 3) |
| Restricted to area studies majors and minors. | |
| History-South Asian History | |
| HISA 1501 | Introductory Seminar in South Asia (3) |
| Introduction to the study of history intended for first- or second-year students. Seminars involve reading, discussion, and writing about different historical topics and periods, and emphasize the enhancement of critical and communication skills. Several seminars are offered each term. Not more than two Introductory Seminars may be counted toward the major in history. Course was offered Fall 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| HISA 1559 | New Course in South Asian History (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian History | |
| HISA 2001 | History and Civilization of Classical India (3) |
| Studies the major elements of South Asian civilization, from the Stone Age to 1200, including the Indus Valley, Vedic literatures, Buddhism, Jainism, Epic traditions, the caste system, Mauryan and Guptan Empires, and devotional Hinduism. | |
| HISA 2002 | History and Civilization of Medieval India (3) |
| Studies the social, political, economic and cultural history of South Asia from 1200 to 1800, from the Turkic invasions through the major Islamic dynasties, especially the Mughal Empire, to the establishment of English hegemony in the maritime provinces. | |
| HISA 2003 | History of Modern India (3) |
| Surveys 200 years of Indian history from the mid-18th century to the present, focusing on the imperial/colonial encounter with the British Raj before Independence, and the social and political permutations of freedom in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka since. | |
| HISA 2559 | New Course in South Asian History (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history. Course was offered Spring 2021 | |
| HISA 3002 | India From Akbar to Victoria (3) |
| Studies the society and politics in the Mughal Empire, the Empire's decline and the rise of successor states, the English as a regional power and their expansion, and social, economic and political change under British paramountcy, including the 1857 Revolt. Course was offered Summer 2024, Fall 2021 | |
| HISA 3003 | Twentieth-Century South Asia (3) |
| Surveys 100 years of Indian history, defining the qualities of the world's first major anti-colonial movement of nationalism and the changes and cultural continuities of India's democratic policy in the decades since 1947. Course was offered Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Summer 2019, Spring 2019, Summer 2018, Summer 2017, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| HISA 3004 | India's Partition: Literature, Culture, Politics (3) |
| India's Partition and its far-reaching consequences may be productively studied from several different perspectives. This course juxtaposes select novels, films, contemporary writings, and some secondary sources to reflect on a few of the big questions thrown up by this event. These include the place of minorities in the subcontinent and the changing nature of center-state relations in the subcontinent after 1947. | |
| HISA 3111 | Social and Political Movements in Twentieth-Century India (3) |
| Considers the relationships between land, people, and politics in modern South Asia. | |
| HISA 3121 | History of Women in South Asia (3) |
| Surveys the evolving definitions and roles of women in the major social and cultural traditions of South Asia, i.e., India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Course was offered Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Summer 2012, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Summer 2010, Spring 2010 | |
| HISA 3501 | Introductory History Workshop (3) |
| Required for history majors, to be completed before enrollment in the Major Seminar. Introduces a variety of approaches to the study of history, methods for finding and analyzing primary and secondary sources, and the construction of historical arguments. Workshops are offered on a variety of topics each term. Course was offered Spring 2024 | |
| HISA 3559 | New Course in South Asian History (1 - 4) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history. |
| HISA 4501 | Seminar in South Asia (4) |
| The major seminar is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the seminar. The work of the seminar results primarily in the preparation of a substantial (ca. 25 pages in standard format) research paper. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies. Course was offered Fall 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| HISA 4511 | Colloquium in South Asia (4) |
| The major colloquium is a small class (not more than 15 students) intended primarily but not exclusively for history majors who have completed two or more courses relevant to the topic of the colloquium. Colloquia are most frequently offered in areas of history where access to source materials or linguistic demands make seminars especially difficult. Students in colloquia prepare about 25 pages of written work distributed among various assignments. Some restrictions and prerequisites apply to enrollment. See a history advisor or the director of undergraduate studies. Course was offered Spring 2021 | |
| HISA 4559 | New Course in South Asian History (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history. | |
| HISA 4591 | Topics in South Asian History (3) |
| Topics courses are small, discussion-oriented classes available to any student with sufficient background and interest in a particular field of historical study. Offered irregularly, they are open to majors or non-majors on an equal basis. | |
| HISA 4993 | Independent Study in South Asia (1 - 3) |
| In exceptional circumstances and with the permission of a faculty member any student may undertake a rigorous program of independent study designed to explore a subject not currently being taught or to expand upon regular offerings. Independent Study projects may not be used to replace regularly scheduled classes. Enrollment is open to majors or non-majors. Course was offered Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| HISA 5021 | Historiography of Early Modern South Asia (3) |
| Analyzes historical sources and historians of political systems in Muslim India until the rise of British power. Course was offered Fall 2014, Spring 2012 | |
| HISA 5101 | Economic History of India (3) |
| Studies regional economic systems prior to European penetration; the establishment and growth of European trading companies in the 17th and 18th centuries; commercialization of agriculture; the emergence of a unified Indian economy in the 19th century; and industrialization and economic development in the 20th. | |
| HISA 5559 | New Course in South Asian History (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history. Course was offered Fall 2014 | |
| HISA 7111 | Peasant Movements in Modern India (3) |
| Considers agrarian relationships and the economic conflict in those relations that give rise to peasant movements in the 19th and 20th centuries. Discussions are based on texts concerned with peasant societies. | |
| HISA 7559 | New Course in South Asian Studies (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history. Course was offered Fall 2018 | |
| HISA 8061 | Social History of Modern India (3) |
| Research and writing utilizing gazetteers, settlement reports, censuses, and other sources. Course was offered Spring 2023 | |
| HISA 8111 | Peasant Movements in Modern Indian History (3) |
| A workshop seminar on peasant movements in modern India, Bengla Desh, and Pakistan utilizing original documents. | |
| HISA 8559 | New Course in South Asian History (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian history. | |
| HISA 9021 | Readings on Twentieth-century South Asia (3) |
| This tutorial is designed to help graduate students take qualifying exams on the field of twentieth-century South Asian history. Some themes we study include changes in the domains of religion and law in late colonial India, on the events and consequences of the partition of India, and on the possibilities of a comparative history of post-colonial South Asia. | |
| HISA 9022 | Tutorial in Modern South Asian History (3) |
| In this tutorial we will read and discuss a wide range of texts about South Asia's rich and contentious past. Major topics include change and continuity under colonial rule; law and colonialism; debates over nationalism and the Partition of the subcontinent; and developments in post-colonial South Asia. | |
| HISA 9028 | Tutorial: Crime, Punishment and Gender (3) |
| This tutorial comprises a list of guided readings for graduate students of the History department who are working in histories of convict labor and their uses in domestic and global contexts. It works at the intersections of gender, legal and imperial labor histories. Course was offered Spring 2024 | |
| Religion-Buddhism | |
| RELB 1559 | New Course in Buddhism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. | |
| RELB 2054 | Tibetan Buddhism Introduction (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Provides a systematic introduction to Tibetan Buddhism with a strong emphasis on tantric traditions of Buddhism - philosophy, contemplation, ritual, monastic life, pilgrimage, deities & demons, ethics, society, history, and art. The course aims to understand how these various aspects of Tibetan religious life mutually shape each other to form the unique religious traditions that have pertained on the Tibetan plateau for over a thousand years. Course was offered Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Janiuary 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| RELB 2067 | Buddhism and Environmental Thought and Practice (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | An introduction to environmental ideas, texts and practices of Buddhism in broad historical and geographical context. Engages Buddhist "environmental imagination" through readings of primary texts, considers the ways that contemporary Buddhists around the world have interpreted environmental problems, and the ways that Buddhist modernist movements draw upon Buddhist ideologies in the service of social-environmental change. Course was offered Spring 2023 |
| RELB 2100 | Buddhism (3) |
| Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantrayana Buddhist developments in India. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2021, Summer 2021, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Summer 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Summer 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Summer 2014, Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Summer 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Summer 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| RELB 2120 | Buddhist Literature (3) |
| Introduces Buddhist literature in translation, from India, Tibet, and East and South East Asia. Course was offered Spring 2018 | |
| RELB 2130 | Taoism and Confucianism (3) |
| Surveys the major religions of Chinese Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. | |
| RELB 2135 | Chinese Buddhism (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course examines the ways in which Chinese Buddhism differs from the Buddhisms of other countries. The first half of the course introduces Buddhism with a focus on the historical development of the tradition.The second half of the course surveys several philosophical schools and forms of practice including Huayan, Chan, Pure Land, and Tantric Buddhism. Course was offered Spring 2018, Spring 2012 |
| RELB 2165 | Buddhist Meditation and the Modern Secular World (3) |
| This course focuses on meditation from three overlapping perspectives: traditional Buddhist practices, contemporary scientific research, and modern secular adaptations; students also learn secular meditative practices firsthand. Each day we will explore a major type of meditation that relates to a variety of topics and practices - attention, insight, compassion, aesthetics, somatic work, visualization, open awareness, and so forth. | |
| RELB 2200 | Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy (3) |
| This is a lecture-based course--an idiosyncratic but hopefully helpful introduction to Buddhist philosophy. A few aspects of Buddhist philosophy, at any rate. The subject is potentially endless and can be grabbed from several different ends. Note: this course emphasizes the history of Buddhist concepts and arguments in premodern South Asia. But we will explore what are hopefully ideas of interest: in philosophy of mind; metaphysics; gender. | |
| RELB 2252 | Buddhism in Film (3) |
| This course is an introduction to Buddhism and an exploration of the place of Buddhism within contemporary Asian, European, and North American cultures through film. The goals are 1) to identify longstanding Buddhist narrative themes in contemporary films, 2) to consider how Buddhism is employed in films to address contemporary issues, and 3) to gain through film a vivid sense of Buddhism as a complex social and cultural phenomenon. | |
| RELB 2450 | Zen (3) |
| Studies the development and history of the thought, practice, and goals of Zen Buddhism. | |
| RELB 2559 | New Course in Buddhism (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. | |
| RELB 2715 | Introduction to Chinese Religion (3) |
| This course serves as an introduction to the religious beliefs and practices of China, Taiwan, and the Chinese diaspora. The course covers several broad themes in Chinese religion, including ritual, self-cultivation, means of communicating with the gods, and the intersection of political authority and religion. We will engage with textual, material, and visual traditions. | |
| RELB 2770 | Daoism (3) |
| Studies Daoist philosophy and religion within the context of Chinese society and history. | |
| RELB 2900 | Buddhist Meditation Traditions (3) |
| The goal of this course will be to examine different conceptions of Buddhist meditation and how these different conceptions affect the nature of practice and the understanding of the ideal life within a variety of Buddhist traditions. Thus, the study of Buddhist meditation traditions reveals not just intricate forms of practice, but reveals the nature of the good life and how one lives it. | |
| RELB 3000 | Buddhist Mysticism and Modernity (3) |
| Buddhist Mysticism and Modernity | |
| RELB 3030 | Mindfulness and Compassion: Living Fully Personally and Professionally (3) |
| This course provides an in-depth experience in contemplative practices to prepare students to live more fully, be more engaged & compassionate citizens & professionals, & navigate life's stressors with greater clarity, peace of mind, & healthy behaviors. Besides mindfulness training, this course will also foster the cultivation of compassion and prosocial qualities. For more info: http://pages.shanti.virginia.edu/Mindfulness__Compassion/. Course was offered Spring 2018, Spring 2017 | |
| RELB 3150 | Seminar in Buddhism and Gender (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This seminar takes as its point of departure Carolyn Bynum's statements: "No scholar studying religion, no participant in ritual, is ever neuter. Religious experience is the experience of men and women, and in no known society is this experience the same." The unifying theme is gender and Buddhism, exploring historical, textual and social questions relevant to the status of women and men in the Buddhist world from its origins to the present day. Course was offered Fall 2023, Fall 2021, Fall 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Fall 2010 |
| RELB 3160 | The Religions of Japan (3) |
| This course is a survey of religions in Japan as well as their roles in Japanese culture and society. The topics that will be discussed are syncretism between Buddhism and Shinto, the development of uniquely Japanese forms of Buddhism, the spontaneous emergence of Pure Land Buddhism, the use of Shinto as a nationalistic ideology, and the role of Christianity. No prerequisites; but a basic knowledge of Buddhism or Japanese history is useful. | |
| RELB 3190 | Buddhist Nirvana (3) |
| This seminar will examine what Buddhists mean when they talk about Nirvana. We'll begin with how the concept of Nirvana develops in the culture in which Sakyamuni Buddha lived and taught, explore how different forms of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Tibet, China, Japan, and in the west developed new ideas about what Nirvana is and how it can be experienced. We'll read classic sutras on the topic, as well as books and essays by contemporary Zen Masters. | |
| RELB 3408 | Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy (3) |
| Tibet possesses one of the great Buddhist philosophical traditions in the world. Tibetan Buddhist thinkers composed comprehensive and philosophically rigorous works on human growth according to classical Buddhism, works that surveyed ethics, meditation practice, the nature of personal identity, and enlightenment itself. In this seminar we will read and discuss famous Tibetan overviews of Buddhist philosophy. Pre-Requisites: One prior course in religion or philosophy recommended | |
| RELB 3422 | Anthropology of Global Buddhism (3) |
| This course examines social and cultural dynamics of Buddhism in relation to its rapid and recent transmutation into a global religion. Drawing upon anthropological theory on globalization, and ethnographic and historical studies, it addresses topics such as processes of transmission and adaptation, encounters with modernity, and the role of mass migration and electronic media in the process of transnationalization of Buddhist traditions. Course was offered Spring 2018 | |
| RELB 3495 | Early Buddhism in South Asia (3) |
| This course explores the origins and development of Buddhism in South Asia. It assumes students have no prior knowledge of Buddhism. The goal is to understand the complex of teachings, practices, and relationships that would become known later as Buddhism and, simultaneously, how such a complex has developed within specific cultural contexts. | |
| RELB 3559 | New Course in Buddhism (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. Course was offered Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 3655 | Buddhism in America (3) |
| This course is a seminar that examines the development of Buddhism in America going from its earliest appearance to contemporary developments. Course was offered Fall 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2019, Fall 2017, Fall 2015, Fall 2012, Spring 2012 | |
| RELB 4520 | Advanced Topics in Buddhism (3) |
| This topical course provides upper level undergraduate students in Religious Studies an opportunity for advanced coursework in Buddhism Course was offered Spring 2021 | |
| RELB 4559 | New Course in Buddhism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism | |
| RELB 5011 | Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts I, II (3) |
| Instruction in the reading and interpretation of Chinese Buddhist texts and the use of reference tools such as Chinese language dictionaries, bibliographies, encyclopedias, and indices. Course was offered Fall 2009 | |
| RELB 5012 | Readings in Chinese Buddhist Texts I, II (3) |
| Instruction in the reading and interpretation of Chinese Buddhist texts and the use of reference tools such as Chinese language dictionaries, bibliographies, encyclopedias, and indices. | |
| RELB 5027 | Buddhism and Orientalism (3) |
| This course will explore how scholars have understood the concept of Orientalism to describe processes in which Westerners have distorted (and even constructed wholesale) understandings of what Buddhism can be to serve their own interests. We will begin with Edward Said's foundational work, Orientalism, then consider how his ideas have been used to develop critiques of Western understandings of Buddhism up to the present day. Course was offered Spring 2023 | |
| RELB 5047 | The History of Tibetan Buddhist Literature (3) |
| A history of Tibetan Buddhist literature from the origins in the 7th century to the early 20th century, focused on literature produced in Tibet, covering major genres and styles from all the major schools, traditions, eras and regions. Weekly readings of excerpts and short pieces. Course is entirely in English translation. Knowledge of Tibetan language encouraged but not required. Seminar format, active discussion required. Course was offered Fall 2022 | |
| RELB 5055 | Buddhist Philosophy (3) |
| Study of the Pali and Sanskritic Buddhist philosophical traditions. Course was offered Spring 2024, Fall 2019, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2014, Spring 2012, Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 5170 | The Dalai Lamas of Tibet (3) |
| A seminar on the history, mythology, and Buddhist doctrinal basis of the Dalai Lamas, the most important religious and political leaders of traditional Tibet. Prerequisite: one course on Buddhism or Tibet Course was offered Spring 2012 | |
| RELB 5250 | Seminar in Japanese Buddhism (3) |
| Examines selected topics in the major schools of Japanese Buddhism, Tendai, Shingon, Pure Land, Nichiren, and Zen. Prerequisite: RELB 2130 or 3160, or instructor permission. | |
| RELB 5390 | Tibetan Buddhist Tantra Dzokchen (3) |
| Examines the Dzokchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhist Tantra focusing on its philosophical and contemplative systems and its historical and social contexts. | |
| RELB 5430 | Sanskrit Religious Texts (3) |
| Readings in Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts, their syntax, grammar, and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020, or equivalent and instructor permission. | |
| RELB 5435 | Formations of Buddhist Modernity (3) |
| This class explores the issue of modernities as they take shape in relation to Buddhist cultures. As part of this, the class will also explore notions of the secular, as secular ideas often coincide with forms of modernity. Such explorations will require sustained side-glances at developments in Western countries and in some non-Buddhist contexts (particularly Hindu South Asia). | |
| RELB 5440 | Sanskrit Religious Texts (3) |
| Readings in Sanskrit religious and philosophical texts, their syntax, grammar, and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020, or equivalent and instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2015, Spring 2013 | |
| RELB 5460 | Seminar in Mahayana Buddhism (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Studies the Middle Way School of Madhyamika, including Nagarjuna's reasoning and its intent and place in the spiritual path. Course was offered Spring 2015 |
| RELB 5470 | Literary Tibetan V (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Advanced study in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, or equivalent. |
| RELB 5480 | Literary Tibetan VI (3) |
| Advanced study in the philosophical and spiritual language of Tibet, past and present. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, or equivalent. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Summer 2020, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 5490 | Religious History of Tibet (3) |
| Surveys political, social, religious, and intellectual issues in Tibetan history from the fifth to fifteenth centuries, emphasizing the formation of the classical categories, practices, and ideals of Tibetan Buddhism. Course was offered Fall 2018, Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 5495 | The Buddhist Canon: An Introduction (3) |
| This course introduces the structure, scope, and contents of the Tibetan-language Buddhist canonical collections. We will read and discuss selections in both English and Tibetan from the 5000 works in the Scripture (Bka' 'gyur) and Treatise (Bstan 'gyur) collections, as well as reference aids and current research on the canons. The course goal is to develop a firm basis for all research involving Tibetan-language canonical literature. | |
| RELB 5520 | Seminar in Daoism (3) |
| Topics on the history, scripture, thought, and practice of religious Daoism, with an emphasis on the formative period (2nd-10th c.). | |
| RELB 5559 | New Course in Buddhism (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. Course was offered Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2020, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2010, Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 5600 | Elementary Pali (3) |
| Studies Pali religious and philosophical works, including grammar and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020, or equivalent. Course was offered Spring 2013, Fall 2010 | |
| RELB 5610 | Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (1 - 3) |
| Studies Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit works and their grammar and translation. Prerequisite: SANS 5010, 5020 or equivalent. | |
| RELB 5655 | Buddhism in America (3) |
| Over the fourteen weeks of the semester, we will explore the following question: How did we go from Buddhism as a highly marginal and even overtly marginalized phenomenon at the end of WWII to a highly influential and culturally powerful force? We will move toward one part of the answer by looking at the genealogy of insight meditation in America. Course was offered Spring 2021 | |
| RELB 5660 | Seminar on Indian Buddhism (3) |
| Investigates the techniques and presuppositions involved in the methods used to study Buddhism, including textual, historical, philosophical, and social scientific methods. | |
| RELB 5715 | Seminar on Chinese Religion and Society (3) |
| Studies Chinese religion and society within the context of a specific period of Chinese history, or in terms of a specific theme. Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and popular religion will be covered (along with other forms of religion, as appropriate). | |
| RELB 5800 | Literary Tibetan VII (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Examines the Yogachara-Svatantrika system as presented in Jang-kya's Presentation of Tenets, oral debate, and exercises in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, 5470, 5480 or equivalent. |
| RELB 5810 | Literary Tibetan VIII (3) |
| Examines the Yogachara-Svatantrika system as presented in Jang-kya's Presentation of Tenets, oral debate, and exercises in spoken Tibetan. Prerequisite: RELB 5000, 5010, 5350, 5360, 5470, 5480 or equivalent Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012 | |
| RELB 5991 | Seminar in Chinese Buddhism (3) |
| Examines the major schools of Chinese Buddhism: T'ien-t'ai, Hua-yen, Pure Land, and Ch'an. Course was offered Spring 2017 | |
| RELB 7559 | New Course in Buddhism (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. Course was offered Spring 2018, Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 8200 | Literary Tibetan VII (4) |
| Literary Tibetan VII | |
| RELB 8210 | Literary Tibetan VIII (4) |
| Literary Tibetan VIII Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELB 8230 | Advanced Literary and Spoken Tibetan (3) |
| Readings in various genres, including philosophy, poetry, ritual, narrative, and so forth. Course was offered Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 8310 | Advanced Sanskrit/Pali I (1 - 3) |
| Advanced readings in poetry, psychology, or philosophy. Course was offered Spring 2014, Spring 2010 | |
| RELB 8559 | New Course in Buddhism (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Buddhism. | |
| RELB 8706 | Tutorial in the Buddhist Canon in Tibet (3) |
| This tutorial introduces the structure, scope, and contents of the Tibetan-language Buddhist canonical collections. We will read and discuss selections in both English and Tibetan from the 5000 works in the Scripture (Bka' 'gyur) and Treatise (Bstan 'gyur) collections, as well as reference aids and current research on the canons. The course goal is to develop a firm basis for all research involving Tibetan-language canonical literature. | |
| RELB 8718 | Tutorial in Thalgyur Tantra and Commentary (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course is exploring one of the most important scriptures in the history of esoteric Buddhism, the Thalgyur, and its extensive commentary attributed to Vimalamitra. The two texts are over a thousand pages in length, only existent in Tibetan, and extremely difficult to understand. This course explores the texts through detailed philological and interpretative analysis. Course was offered Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2018, Spring 2018 |
| RELB 8721 | Tutorial in Sanskrit: Buddhist Tantra (3) |
| This tutorial constitutes a reading course in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. Students will read the original texts and translate them into English, analyzing and interpreting the materials in light of the Indian tradition of commentary and exegesis and in light of contemporary scholarly and other analyses of the relevant subject matter: Buddhist esoteric literature, a.k.a. Buddhist Tantra. | |
| RELB 8724 | Tutorial in Classical Tibetan Literature and Religion (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course explores classical Tibetan literature and religious systems through a variety of genres in the original Tibetan texts. Course was offered Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2019, Fall 2018 |
| RELB 8728 | Tutorial in Theravada Buddhism (3) |
| This tutorial explores key recent works on the Buddhism of South and Southeast Asia. It includes the study of pre-modern and modern forms of what comes to be called Theravada Buddhism. Course was offered Spring 2019 | |
| RELB 8733 | Tutorial in Buddhist Philosophy (3) |
| This tutorial will train students to read Buddhist Philosophical texts in Sanskrit at an advanced level. Course was offered Fall 2019, Spring 2019 | |
| RELB 8735 | Tutorial - Pali Reading (3) |
| In this course students will read a selection of Pali canonical and commentarial texts. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2019 | |
| RELB 8738 | Tutorial in Chinese Buddhist Texts (3) |
| This tutorial will focus on the translation of Chinese Buddhist texts into English. Texts will be drawn from a variety of time periods, traditions, and genres. Students will gain familiarity with Buddhist Chinese, and the themes and conventions of Buddhist texts. | |
| Religion-Hinduism | |
| RELH 1559 | New Course in Hinduism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism | |
| RELH 2090 | Hinduism (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Surveys the Hindu religious heritage from pre-history to the 17th century; includes the Jain and Sikh protestant movements. Course was offered Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Summer 2015, Fall 2014, Summer 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2010, Summer 2010 |
| RELH 2095 | Contemporary Hinduism (3) |
| Introduces Hinduism through the examination of the religious lives, practices, and experiences of ordinary Hindus in the modern world. | |
| RELH 2195 | Theory and Practice of Yoga (3) |
| An investigation of yoga practice throughout history from multiple disciplinary perspectives. Topics include yoga's origins in ancient India, systematic yoga theories in Buddhism and Hinduism, Tantric Yoga, and the medicalization and globalization of Yoga in the modern period. Students' readings and writing assignments are supplemented throughout with practical instruction in yoga. Course was offered Summer 2022, Summer 2019, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Summer 2014, Spring 2014 | |
| RELH 2300 | Philosopher Queens of Hinduism (3) |
| This course revisits the lives and conceptual legacies of notable female philosophers in Hinduism. In particular, we track a historiographical problem, a question of genre, and a conceptual question: how shall we recover women's voices? What link between certain genres of thought and the role of female philosophers in history? What relationships between gender, embodiment, subjectivity and experience? | |
| RELH 2559 | New Course in Hinduism (3) |
| his course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism | |
| RELH 3105 | Hinduism and Ecology (3) |
| This course will explore Hindu views of the relationship between human, natural, and divine worlds, as well as the work of contemporary environmentalists in India. We will read texts both classical and modern (from the Bhagavad Gita to the writings of Gandhi), and will consider case studies of Hindu responses to issues such as wildlife conservation, pollution, deforestation, and industrial agriculture. | |
| RELH 3140 | The Jain Tradition (3) |
| Examines Jain history, belief, and practice. Prerequisite: RELG 1040, RELH 2090, 2110, or instructor permission. | |
| RELH 3426 | The History of Yoga (3) |
| Yoga is practiced by millions of people across the world and comes in an astonishing variety of forms. Historically, yoga has roots in ancient Indian practices of asceticism and meditation. But how are these practices related to yoga as it practiced today? This seminar will trace the history of yoga from its earliest origins to the present. Readings will include both primary sources (in translation) and works of contemporary scholarship. Course was offered Spring 2022 | |
| RELH 3440 | Religion and Violence in Modern India (3) |
| The purpose of this course is to study the phenomenon of religious violence in one geographic and cultural context. We will examine the roles of religion and violence in Indian political life from the British period until contemporary times, and through the Indian example, we will explore current questions and problems regarding the relationship between religion and politics. | |
| RELH 3559 | New Course in Hinduism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism. Course was offered Janiuary 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2020, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, January 2015, Fall 2012, Spring 2010 | |
| RELH 3710 | Hindu Traditions of Devotion (3) |
| Examines the history of Hindu devotionalism in three distinct geographical and cultural regions of India, focusing on the rise of vernacular literature and local traditions of worship. Prerequisite: Any course in Asian religions or instructor permission. | |
| RELH 3725 | Travel Writing and India (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course examines western encounters with India by reading the fiction and travel writing of Europeans, expatriate Indians, and Americans in India. In reading such works, the course will explore the place of India in the European and American literary and cultural imagination. |
| RELH 3740 | Hinduism Through its Narrative Literatures (3) |
| Examines a major genre of Hindu religious narrative. Genre varies but may include the epics; the mythology of the Puranas; the 'didactic' Kathasaritsagara and Pancatantra; the hagiographies of the great Hindu saints; and the modern novel. Prerequisite: RELG 1040, RELH 2090, RELH 2110, or instructor permission. | |
| RELH 3745 | The Hindu Epics (3) |
| This course involves the close reading of selected passages of the Hindu Epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Students will read the primary sources in translation (from one or both epics), along with relevant secondary scholarly works. An advanced knowledge of Indian religions and/or Hinduism is presumed of students wishing to enroll in this course. | |
| RELH 4550 | Advanced Topics in Hinduism (3) |
| This topical course provides upper level undergraduate students in Religious Studies an opportunity for advanced coursework in Hinduism | |
| RELH 4559 | New Course in Hinduism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism | |
| RELH 5053 | Hindu Philosophical Systems (3) |
| This course offers an advanced survey of the "six schools" of Indian philosophy. The purpose of the course is to develop a strong familiarity with the major schools of Hindu thought and the major philosophical concerns they addressed, and students will be asked to develop an historical understanding of the relevant authors and traditions. We will read primary texts in translation, along with selected secondary sources. Course was offered Spring 2023 | |
| RELH 5173 | The History of Yoga (3) |
| As yoga has risen to global prominence, the scholarly study of yoga has flourished. This course offers an introduction to this scholarship, as well as an overview of the theory and practice of yoga from its ancient past to the present day. The course will focus primarily on historically Hindu traditions, though some attention will devoted to parallel traditions from Buddhism and Jainism. Course was offered Fall 2023, Spring 2020 | |
| RELH 5221 | Hindu-Muslim Encounters (3) |
| This course examines Hindu-Muslim interactions in South Asia, bridging the long-standing gap between Hindu and Islamic studies while introducing critical issues currently facing the historiography of Hindu-Muslim relations. Special topics within the ambit of Hindu-Muslim encounters will be explored in depth, with a particular emphasis on intellectual interactions between traditions of Hindu and Islamic philosophy. Course was offered Spring 2024 | |
| RELH 5340 | Ritual and Renunciation (3) |
| This course examines the place for ritual practice and world-renunciation in Hinduism by examining two pivotal Hindu philosophical traditions: the M'm''s', a hermeneutical tradition that interprets the Vedas and the ritual actions they prescribe; and the Ved'nta, which offers a world-renouncing path to spiritual liberation (mok'a). We ask how Hinduism conceives of ritual, of renunciation, and, most importantly, of how the one informs the other. | |
| RELH 5450 | Hindu-Buddhist Debates (3) |
| This course examines philosophical debates of Hindu and Buddhist authors from the time of the founding of Buddhism to the medieval period. Primary sources in translation and secondary, scholarly sources are examined in this course.
Prerequisite: Significant prior exposure to Hinduism and/or Buddhism. | |
| RELH 5465 | Shaiva Tantra (3) |
| The purpose of this course is to provide a comprehensive introduction to Indian tantric Saivism, beginning with the proto-tantric traditions of the "Outer Way" (atiarga) and including the increasingly goddess orientated and increasingly non-dualistic developments evidenced by the myriad traditions of the "Way of Mantras" (mantramarga). Students who wish to take this course are expected to have a deep familiarity with Hindu traditions. Course was offered Fall 2014 | |
| RELH 5475 | Social Vision in Hinduism (3) |
| This course will examine the public and social dimensions of Hinduism. Topics will include the role of religion in shaping social institutions (e.g.: caste, the law), cultural attitudes toward sexual and other personal relationships, and the relationship between religion and government. Put in emic terms, we will explore the nature of the first three of the four Hindu goals of life (purusarthas): dharma, artha, and kama. Prerequisite: Basic Knowledge of Hindu Traditions Course was offered Spring 2016 | |
| RELH 5495 | Aesthetics (3) |
| The purpose of this course is to offer a thorough and systematic survey of Indian aesthetic theory in Sanskrit, what is referred to as the alamkarasastra. Major works and authors, as well as key contributions from the secondary literature, will be surveyed. | |
| RELH 5559 | New Course in Hinduism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism. Course was offered Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010 | |
| RELH 5723 | The Rise of Vedanta (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course will explore the intellectual and social history of Vedanta, one of the most influential schools of Indian philosophy. We will trace its rise to prominence from the early classical period, when it was one of several competing schools, to the colonial period, when it came to be identified by many as the essence of Hinduism. |
| RELH 7045 | Panini and the Sanskrit Grammarians (3) |
| This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the system of the great Sanskrit grammarian, Panini. The purpose of the course is to cultivate familiarity and facility with Panini's generative grammar. Students will learn the principles of the grammar and how to apply them in addressing a range of technical and grammatical issues. Key commentators on the grammar will also be read, as will relevant secondary sources. Course was offered Fall 2020, Spring 2018 | |
| RELH 7559 | New Course in Hinduism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism. | |
| RELH 8559 | New Course in Hinduism (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new course in the subject of Hinduism. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| RELH 8702 | Tutorial in Sanskrit: Aesthetics (3) |
| This tutorial constitutes a reading course in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. Students will read the original texts and translate them into English, analyzing and interpreting the materials in light of the Indian tradition of commentary and exegesis and in light of contemporary scholarly and other analyses of the relevant subject matter: aesthetics, or the alamkarasastra. Course was offered Fall 2017 | |
| RELH 8722 | Tutorial in Sanskrit: Devotional Poetry (3) |
| This tutorial constitutes a reading course in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. Students will read the original texts and translate them into English, analyzing and interpreting the materials in light of the Indian tradition of commentary and exegesis and in light of contemporary scholarly and other analyses of the relevant subject matter: the stotra genre or that of Indian devotional poetry. | |
| RELH 8725 | Tutorial in Sanskrit: Hindu Law (3) |
| This tutorial constitutes a reading course in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. Students will read in Sanskrit the primary sources associated with "Hindu Law," the Dharmasutras, Dharmasastras, and the literature on Artha or Statecraft. Advanced Knowledge of Sanskrit required. Course was offered Fall 2018 | |
| RELH 8743 | Tutorial in Sanskrit: Philosophy (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This tutorial constitutes a reading course in Sanskrit, the classical language of India. Students will read the original texts and translate them into English, analyzing and interpreting the materials in light of the Indian tradition of commentary and exegesis and in light of contemporary scholarly and other analyses of the relevant subject matter: philosophical literature. Course was offered Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021, Spring 2020 |
| RELH 8744 | Hinduism and Ecology (3) |
| This tutorial offers an advanced introduction to Hinduism and ecology for graduate students working on religion and environment. The course will explore Hindu views of the relationship between human, natural, and divine worlds, as well as the work of contemporary environmentalists in India. At the end of the course, students will submit an original research project contributing to existing scholarship in the field. Course was offered Spring 2021, Spring 2020 | |
| RELH 8753 | Tutorial in Sanskrit: Yoga (3) |
| This course is an advanced tutorial focusing on yogic literature in Sanskrit. We will focus primarily on the Yogasutras of Patañjali (with commentaries), with additional readings from the Bhagavadgita (with commentaries) and the Hathayogapradipika. The tutorial is intended as a complement to RELH 5173: The History of Yoga, which covers secondary scholarship on the Sanskrit texts we will read for the tutorial. | |
| Sanskrit | |
| SANS 1010 | Elementary Sanskrit I (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Studies Sanskrit sounds, the Devanagari script, and basic grammar. |
| SANS 1020 | Elementary Sanskrit II (3) |
| A continuation of SANS 1010. Prerequisite: SANS 1010. Note: The following six courses are all intermediate level Sanskrit courses. They are offered two-by-two in a three-year rotation. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| SANS 3000T | Non-UVa Transfer/Test Credit (1 - 10) |
| SANS 3012 | Selections from the Mahabharata (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce students' knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020, to expand vocabulary and to introduce the Mahabharata, one of ancient India's major epics. Prerequisite: SANS 1020. | |
| SANS 3014 | Selections from the Ramayana of Valmiki (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Ramayana of Valmiki, one of two major epics of ancient India, and the 'first poem' in Sanskrit. Prerequisite: SANS 1020. | |
| SANS 3016 | Selections from the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva, the most important collection of story literature in Sanskrit. Prerequisite: SANS 1020. | |
| SANS 3018 | Jataka Tales (3) |
| This course centers on the Jataka tales. Class time will be devoted primarily to translation and grammatical analysis and secondarily to discussion of the content. This course has three objectives: 1. to shore up and expand your knowledge of grammar, 2. to expand your reading vocabulary and increase the speed of your reading comprehension, and 3. to introduce you to the Jataka tales in Sanskrit. | |
| SANS 3022 | The Bhagavadgita (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce students' knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020, to expand vocabulary and to introduce the Bhagavadgita, a major religious text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 1020. |
| SANS 3024 | Selections from the Upanisads (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 1020/5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Upanisads, a major spiritual text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 1020. | |
| SANS 3026 | Selections from the Puranas (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the huge corpus of Puranic texts. Prerequisite: SANS 1020. Course was offered Spring 2017, Spring 2016 | |
| SANS 3028 | Buddhacarita of Asvaghosa (3) |
| This course centers on selected passages from the Buddhacarita of Asvaghosa. Class time will be devoted primarily to translation and grammatical analysis and secondarily to discussion of the content. This course has three objectives: 1. to shore up and expand your knowledge of grammar, 2. to expand your reading vocabulary and increase the speed of your reading comprehension, and 3. to introduce you to the story of the Buddha in Sanskrit. Course was offered Spring 2023 | |
| SANS 3559 | New Course in Sanskrit (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies. Course was offered Spring 2020 | |
| SANS 4010 | Classical Plays and Poetry (3) |
| A close reading of theatrical and poetic works from the classical period of Sanskrit literature, approximately 150 BCE to 1200 CE. | |
| SANS 4020 | Literary Theory (3) |
| A close reading of texts in South Asia's long history of literary theory. Texts readings include, but are not limited to, the Natyasastra, the Kavyalamkara of Bhamaha, the Kavyadarsa, the Kavyalamkara of Rudrata, the Sarasvatikanthabharana, the Kavyanusasana, the Kavyaprakasa, the Kavyalamakarasutravrtti, the Rasagangadhara, and the Dhvanyaloka. | |
| SANS 4030 | Philosophical Texts I (3) |
| A close reading of texts in these philosophical traditions of South Asia: Nyaya, Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga and Vaisesika. | |
| SANS 4040 | Philosophical Texts II (3) |
| A close reading of texts in these philosophical traditions of South Asia: Nyaya, Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga and Vaisesika. | |
| SANS 4051 | Vedic Texts I (3) |
| A close reading of Vedic texts. Readings may come from the four Samhita texts, the Brahmanas, or the Aranyakas. | |
| SANS 4052 | Vedic Texts II (3) |
| A close reading of Vedic texts. Readings may come from the four Samhita texts, the Brahmanas, or the Aranyakas. | |
| SANS 4053 | Texts in the Science and Philosophy of Grammar I (3) |
| A close reading of texts in the linguistic tradition of Panini. Text readings include, but are not limited to, the Mahabhasya, the Kasika, the Paribhasendusekhara, and the Siddhantakaumudi, each with its many commentaries. | |
| SANS 4054 | Texts in the Science and Philosophy of Grammar II (3) |
| A close reading of texts in the linguistic tradition of Panini. Text readings include, but are not limited to, the Mahabhasya, the Kasika, the Paribhasendusekhara, and the Siddhantakaumudi, each with its many commentaries. | |
| SANS 4993 | Independent Study In Sanskrit (1 - 3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course is meant to give students training in advanced Sanskrit Course was offered Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014 |
| SANS 6014 | Selections from the Ramayana of Valmiki (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Ramayana of Valmiki, one of two major epics of ancient India, and the 'first poem' in Sanskrit. Prerequisite: SANS 5020 and graduate standing. | |
| SANS 6016 | Selections from the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Kathasaritsagara of Somadeva, the most important collection of story literature in Sanskrit. Prerequisite: SANS 5020 and graduate standing. Course was offered Fall 2014 | |
| SANS 6022 | The Bhagavadgita (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce students' knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary and to introduce the Bhagavadgita, a major religious text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 5020 and graduate standing. Course was offered Fall 2015, Spring 2013 | |
| SANS 6024 | Selections from the Upanisads (3) |
| A second-year course focusing on developing reading fluency in Sanskrit. Selections are chosen to reinforce student's knowledge of grammar from SANS 5020, to expand vocabulary, and to introduce the Upanisads, a major spiritual text of ancient India. Prerequisite: SANS 5020. | |
| SANS 7030 | Philosophical Texts I (3) |
| A close reading of texts in these philosophical traditions of South Asia: Nyaya, Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga and Vaisesika. | |
| SANS 7040 | Philosophical Texts II (3) |
| A close reading of texts in these philosophical traditions of South Asia: Nyaya, Mimamsa, Vedanta, Sankhya, Yoga and Vaisesika. | |
| SANS 7051 | Vedic Texts I (3) |
| A close reading of Vedic texts. Readings may come from the four Samhita texts, the Brahmanas, or the Aranyakas. Prerequisite: At least two courses from SANS 5012-5026. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| SANS 7052 | Vedic Texts II (3) |
| A close reading of Vedic texts. Readings may come from the four Samhita texts, the Brahmanas, or the Aranyakas. Prerequisite: SANS 7051, a Sanskrit reading course in Religious Studies, or at least three courses from SANS 5012-5026. | |
| SANS 7053 | Texts in the Science and Philosophy of Grammar I (3) |
| A close reading of texts in the linguistic tradition of Panini. Text readings include, but are not limited to, the Mahabhasya, the Kasika, the Paribhasendusekhara, and the Siddhantakaumudi, each with its many commentaries. Prerequisite: at least two courses from SANS 5012-5026. | |
| SANS 7054 | Texts in the Science and Philosophy of Grammar II (3) |
| A close reading of texts in the linguistic tradition of Panini. Text readings include, but are not limited to, the Mahabhasya, the Kasika, the Paribhasendusekhara, and the Siddhantakaumudi, each with its many commentaries. Prerequisite: SANS 7053, a Sanskrit reading course in Religious Studies, or at least three courses from SANS 5012-5026. | |
| SANS 7559 | New Course in Sanskrit (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies. Course was offered Spring 2020 | |
| SANS 8993 | Independent Study in Sanskrit (1 - 3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Independent Study in Sanskrit. Course was offered Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2020, Spring 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Fall 2017, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015, Fall 2014, Spring 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 |
| South Asian Studies | |
| SAST 1559 | New Course in South Asian Studies (3) |
| The course will focus in on the period since 1990, when India took dramatic steps to reform its economic policies and re-set its relationships with other world powers. Students will be introduced to a wide range of initiatives taking place in a variety of public and privates sectors, and be encouraged through focused case studies to learn about opportunities for them to discover their own interests, possibly by studying in India with the UVa. Course was offered Spring 2015 | |
| SAST 1600 | India in Global Perspective (3) |
| The course will not be a conventional "introduction" to India which customarily emphasizes cultural history. Though there will be a short section at the beginning of the course that provides an overview of India's history, we will quickly move, after 6 class meetings, to the post-independence era, and focus in on the period since 1990, when India took steps to reform its economic policies and re-set its relationships with other world powers | |
| SAST 2050 | Classics of Indian Literature (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | A survey of the foundational, formative and paradigmatic classic texts of the Indian Vedic, Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, Islamic and Sikh religio-literary-cultural traditions. Course was offered Fall 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2014, Fall 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 |
| SAST 2280 | Introduction to the Literature, Culture, and Arts of the Indian Subcontinent (3) |
| This course is an overview of the cultural dynamics as evident in the languages, literature and the arts from 2500BCE to the present. Drawing on a selection from the literary as well as writings on cultural history, miniature painting, music and cinema, the course will guide the students through the landmarks in the development of literature and the arts within a historical-cultural backdrop. Course was offered Spring 2023, Spring 2022 | |
| SAST 2559 | New Course in South Asian Studies (3) |
| New course in South Asian studies. | |
| SAST 2800 | The World According to South Asia (3) |
| This course approaches South Asia and its cultural diversity from the inside out, rather than from an `other' centered, western viewpoint. This course is not about the history of South Asia. It is about understanding the contemporary cultural milieu 'the world as seen reflexively and reflectively through a South Asian lens. We will be reading and discussing almost exclusively South Asian voices' opinions and perceptions. Course was offered Spring 2015 | |
| SAST 3300 | The Pleasures of Bollywood: Melodrama, Realism, Mythos (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This class will focus on cinema produced by the industry in Mumbai, popularly called Bollywood. Topics will include the relationship between fiction and documentation, between melodrama and realism, music and affect. Students will be taught the tools of film analysis and will be expected to watch and unpack films each week. They will also be expected to consider films in the social, political and economic contexts in which they were made. Course was offered Spring 2023, Spring 2021, Fall 2019, Fall 2017, Spring 2015, Fall 2012, Fall 2010 |
| SAST 3450 | The Languages of South Asia (3) |
| An examination of the phonological, morphological, and syntactic structures of South Asian languages from typological, social, and historical perspectives. No knowledge of a South Asian language or linguistics is required. | |
| SAST 3490 | Knowing South Asia: The Forms of Apprehension (3) |
| In this class we will examine how South Asia (primarily India, Pakistan, and Bangla Desh) came to be a legitimate area of academic investigation within the modern American and European university. How did the various disciplinary discourses pertaining to South Asia (anthropology, religious studies, art history, literature, etc.) get their starts? A close look at the history of British colonialism will serve as our point of departure. Course was offered Spring 2022 | |
| SAST 3559 | New Course in South Asian Studies (1 - 4) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies. | |
| SAST 3650 | India in Global History (3) |
| Students will be exposed to alternative historiographical perspectives, using the longue duree view of the Indian Ocean world, embracing 2,000 years of cultural and economic interactions between the Middle East, East African Swahili coast, Europe and the coastal region of the present-day Indian state of Kerala. This learning experience will de-center the student's Euro-centric presuppositions of primacy. | |
| SAST 3701 | Business and Banking in South Asia (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | South Asia, the region which stretches from Afghanistan to Burma and down to Sri Lanka, has been the center of thousands of years of trade and finance. In this course we will investigate the early history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance from about 1500 B.C to the early European merchant adventurers , the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history. |
| SAST 3702 | Business and Banking in South Asia II: Gold, Cotton, Rice, Debt (3) |
| In this course we will investigate the history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance that include the early European merchant adventurers, joint stock companies and other collectives, the beginnings of share markets, the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history, and some of the theoretical questions that help us understand how business and banking worked. Course was offered Fall 2022 | |
| SAST 4559 | New Course in South Asian Studies (3) |
| New Course in South Asian Studies Course was offered Spring 2015, Spring 2010 | |
| SAST 4991 | South Asian Studies Capstone Seminar (3) |
| This is the fourth-year capstone seminar for students majoring in South Asian Studies. This course will draw on the multidisciplinary interests of the students who participate to create a collaborative and collegial environment in which to investigate some of the foundational concepts and categories involved in the construction of "South Asia" as unified area of academic discourse. Course was offered Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 | |
| SAST 4993 | Independent Study (1 - 3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Independent Study course Course was offered Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Fall 2020, Fall 2019, Spring 2019, Fall 2018, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016 |
| SAST 5300 | The Pleasures of Bollywood: Melodrama, Realism, Mythos (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This class will focus on cinema produced by the industry in Mumbai, popularly called Bollywood. Topics will include the relationship between fiction and documentation, between melodrama and realism, music and affect. Students will be taught the tools of film analysis and will be expected to watch and unpack films each week. They will also be expected to consider films in the social, political and economic contexts in which they were made. |
| SAST 5400 | Popular culture in South Asia: Advertising, visual aesthetic, posters (3) |
| The course will look at the aesthetics of visual culture from the 19 th to the contemporary period. Students will be trained to consider popular culture, to think about the relationship between high art forms such as painting, photography and multi-media and the more seemingly mundane aesthetics of press photography, posters and billboards, teaching posters, commercial art and advertising, and the new spate of financial advertising. Course was offered Spring 2011 | |
| SAST 5559 | New Course in South Asian Studies (3) |
| This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of South Asian studies. | |
| SAST 6701 | Business and Banking in South Asia (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | South Asia, the region which stretches from Afghanistan to Burma and down to Sri Lanka, has been the center of thousands of years of trade and finance. In this course we will investigate the early history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance from about 1500 B.C to the early European merchant adventurers , the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history. |
| SAST 6702 | Business and Banking in South Asia II: Gold, Cotton, Rice, Debt (3) |
| In this course we will investigate the history of this vast flow through the following: the highlights of the history of business and banking, trade and finance that include the early European merchant adventurers, joint stock companies and other collectives, the beginnings of share markets, the worlds and cultures that were implicated in that history, and some of the theoretical questions that help us understand how business and banking worked. Course was offered Fall 2022 | |
| SAST 7450 | The Languages of South Asia (3) |
| An examination of the phonological, morphological, and syntactic structures of South Asian languages from typological, social, and historical perspectives. No knowledge of a South Asian language or linguistics is required. | |
| South Asian Literature in Translation | |
| SATR 2110 | Cultural Translation: Travel Writing in South Asia (3) |
| Travel writing is among the oldest forms of literature, especially in Asia. This course explores depictions of the Indian sub-continent by travel writers from Buddhist pilgrims to Arab geographers to colonial and post-colonial writers. | |
| SATR 3000 | Women Writing in India & Pakistan: 1947-Present (3) |
| We will read and critique the fiction and poetry of culturally specific regions while reflecting on the assumption that experiences and identities are fundamentally gendered. We will explore issues associated with women writing in regional languages to writing in mainstream languages like Hindi, Urdu and English. We will also examine how the publication and dissemination of women's texts are related to the women movements in India and Pakistan. Prerequisite: Completion of First Writing Requirement Course was offered Fall 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2013, Fall 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| SATR 3110 | Modern Urdu-Hindi Literature (3) |
| This upper level course will comprise readings that will cover a broad spectrum of what constitutes the "modern" in Urdu and Hindi Literature. The course will track the historical beginning of Urdu-Hindi as a language, its development as a literary language and the complexities of the divide form one to two distinct languages: modern Hindi and modern Urdu. | |
| SATR 3300 | Literature & Society in South Asia: Breaking the Cast(e) (3) |
| Dalit literature is perhaps the most remarkable literary movement to emerge in post-independence India. It is the voice of the most marginalized section of India's population, those formerly known as untouchables. Until the advent of Dalit literature, the lives of Dalits had seldom been recorded in Indian literature. We will read fictional and non-fictional narratives of Dalit writers, and watch films to visualize and comprehend their lives. | |
| SATR 3350 | Languages of Love in South Asia: Bhakti and Beyond (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | The course explores some of the most influential literatures of love and devotion to emerge from the Indian subcontinent. Starting with the Bhagavad-Gita -- the first South Asian text to dwell upon the idea of bhakti or "devotion" -- then to various other "classics" of South Asian love literature, spanning the Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi-Urdu, Tamil, Punjabi, Kashmiri, and other languages. Emphasis will be placed on Hindu and Islamic literature. Course was offered Fall 2023 |
| SATR 3559 | New Course in South Asian Literature in Translation (3) |
| New Course in South Asian Literature in Translation Course was offered Spring 2018, Spring 2010 | |
| SATR 5110 | Modern Urdu-Hindi Literature (3) |
| This upper level course will comprise readings that will cover a broad spectrum of what constitutes the "modern" in Urdu and Hindi Literature. The course will track the historical beginning of Urdu-Hindi as a language, its development as a literary language and the complexities of the divide form one to two distinct languages: modern Hindi and modern Urdu. | |
| SATR 5559 | New Course in South Asian Literature in Translation (3) |
| New Course in South Asian Literature in Translation Course was offered Fall 2023, Spring 2018 | |
| SATR 7300 | Literature & Society in South Asia: Breaking the Cast(e) (3) |
| Dalit literature is perhaps the most remarkable literary movement to emerge in post-independence India. It is the voice of the most marginalized section of India's population, those formerly known as untouchables. Until the advent of Dalit literature, the lives of Dalits had seldom been recorded in Indian literature. We will read fictional and non-fictional narratives of Dalit writers, and watch films to visualize and comprehend their lives. | |
| Urdu | |
| URDU 1310 | Intensive Urdu Script & Grammar Review for Heritage Students (4) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | In this class we will conduct an intensive review of the Nastaliq script and the basic grammar of the Urdu language.This is not a class for students with no prior knowledge of Urdu. Rather it is designed to take advantage of the familiarity you already have with Urdu by virtue of growing up in a family where Urdu is frequently spoken. The pace will be quick, with an eye to enabling you to proceed directly to a 2000- or 3000-level Urdu class. Course was offered Fall 2023 |
| URDU 1559 | New Course in Urdu (3) |
| This course is to allow 1000-level new courses in Urdu to be taught for one semester. | |
| URDU 2010 | Intermediate Urdu (4) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | Introduces various types of written and spoken Urdu; vocabulary building, idioms, and problems of syntax; and conversation. Prerequisite: for URDU 2010: HIND 1020 or equivalent. |
| URDU 2020 | Intermediate Urdu (4) |
| Prerequisite: for URDU 2020: URDU 2010 or equivalent. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 | |
| URDU 3010 | Advanced Urdu I (3) |
| Offered Fall 2024 | This course is designed to expand and to consolidate the structures the student has learned through URDU 2020 by reading original Urdu texts, ranging from literary prose fiction to news media excerpts to poetry (both classical and modern). We will discuss these texts in Urdu in class, and the students will be responsible for a series of short essays throughout the semester in Urdu pertaining both to the texts and to other topics. Pre-requisites: URDU 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission. |
| URDU 3020 | Advanced Urdu II (3) |
| This course is designed to expand and to consolidate the structures the student has learned through URDU 2020 by reading original Urdu texts, ranging from literary prose fiction to news media excerpts to poetry (both classical and modern). We will discuss these texts in Urdu in class, and the students will be responsible for a series of short essays throughout the semester in Urdu pertaining both to the texts and to other topics. Pre-requisites: URDU 2020 or equivalent, or instructor permission. Course was offered Spring 2024, Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2019, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012, Spring 2011, Spring 2010 | |
| URDU 3300 | Readings in Urdu Poetry: An Ongoing Mahfil (3) |
| This course will introduce advanced Urdu and Hindi students to some of the finest poetry in Urdu. Those who cannot read the Urdu script will have the option of reading the texts in Devanagari (the Hindi script). Some of the poets we will read are Mir, Ghalib, Dagh and Faiz. Course work will include brief analytical papers, as well as in-class presentations.
Prerequisites: URDU 3010 or 3020; or HIND 3010 or 3020; or instructor permission. | |
| URDU 3559 | New Course in Urdu (3) |
| This course is to allow 3000-level new courses in Urdu to be taught for one semester. | |
| URDU 4993 | Independent Study in Urdu (1 - 3) |
| Independent Study in Urdu Course was offered Spring 2021, Spring 2020, Spring 2018, Spring 2017, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013, Spring 2013, Fall 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2009 | |
| URDU 6559 | New Course in Urdu (3) |
| This course is to allow 6000-level new courses in Urdu to be taught for one semester. Course was offered Fall 2011 | |
| URDU 7300 | Readings in Urdu Poetry: An Ongoing Mahfil (3) |
| This course will introduce advanced Urdu and Hindi students to some of the finest poetry in Urdu. Those who cannot read the Urdu script will have the option of reading the texts in Devanagari (the Hindi script). Some of the poets we will read are Mir, Ghalib, Dagh and Faiz. Course work will include brief analytical papers, as well as in-class presentations.
Prerequisites: URDU 3010 or 3020; or HIND 3010 or 3020; or instructor permission. | |
| URDU 8993 | Independent Study in Urdu (1 - 3) |
| Independent study in Urdu language and/or literature.
Prerequisite: URDU 5010 or 5020 or equivalent, or instructor permission. Course was offered Summer 2020, Summer 2019, Summer 2018, Spring 2018, Summer 2017, Spring 2017, Summer 2016, Summer 2015, Summer 2014, Summer 2013, Summer 2012, Summer 2011 | |