DRAFT SYLLABUS
Cover page, Adab-e Latif 50:1 (1962), Lahore.
The History of the Book in South Asia
Asian 541/TXTDS 501A/TXTDS 401B
TTh 2:30-4:20 PM
038 School of Social Work
Link to Course Schedule
Professor Jennifer Dubrow
Office: M212 Gowen Hall (note: on mezzanine level, above 2nd floor)
Office hours:
Course description:
This course introduces the history of the book in South Asia, from the 3rd century BCE to the present, with hands-on training in dealing with non-Western book cultures. It provides a survey of South Asian book cultures, with special focus on 3 areas: ancient Buddhist manuscripts from the Gandhāran region (of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, 1st c BCE-3rd c CE); Islamic manuscripts; and early 20th-century Urdu print periodicals. We will cover materials and tools used to produce books in South Asia; illuminated manuscript culture in Mughal South Asia; non-movable type print technologies, notably lithography; and readers and libraries, among other topics. The course emphasizes hands-on work with materials. We will visit Special Collections to view images of Gandhāran manuscripts and discuss manuscript culture; work with digitized Islamic Manuscripts; and delve into 20th-century women’s craft journals in Urdu.
This course is intended for advanced undergraduate students pursuing the Textual and Digital Studies minor, and graduate students in South Asian studies, Textual and Digital Studies, and Humanities students seeking training in non-Anglophone book history. No background in South Asian cultures or languages is required.
Course Objectives:
- To become familiar with tools, techniques, and materials used in production of the book in South Asia
- To develop semi-advanced familiarity with 3 important examples of South Asian textual production: ancient Gandhāran manuscripts; early modern Islamic manuscripts; and modern Urdu periodicals
- To gain perspective on the field of book history and how it applies to South Asian texts
- To apply theories and methodologies learned in this class to primary texts related to your main area of study