Course Description
The major literary works of ancient India up to the medieval period, with special emphasis on the relevance of these works, however old, to contemporary society around the world.
Athena Title
Masterpieces Indian Tradition
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
- to familiarize students with the richness of the literary output of the Indian subcontinent, with special emphasis on the relevance of these texts, however old, to the contemporary global scene; - to help students situate those works within larger historical and cultural contexts; - to provide students with an understanding of the conventions of literary composition and reception that inform their creation, such as conventions of genre, metrics, style; - to improve students' communication skills through oral presentations in class and expository writing assignments, including in-class and out-of-class essays. Students' performances will be evaluated through a variety of means, including assessment of oral presentations, objective tests, essays, and the final examination.
Topical Outline
Texts to be read will be culled from the various religious and secular traditions. The topics considered are generated by the specific work under analysis. The works treated will vary with the instructor. A typical reading list might look as follows: Week 1 The Vedic Tradition Week 2 The Upanishads Week 3 Jataka Tales Week 4 The Shastric Tradition, Manava Dharma Shastra Week 5 Kautilya, Arthashastra Week 6 Bharatamuni, Natyashastra Week 7 Kamashastra Week 8 The Bhagavad Gita Week 9 Valmiki, Ramayana Week 10 Mahabharata Week 11 kavya Week 12 Kalidasa, Sakuntala Week 13 Bhartrhari Week 14 Tukaram Week 15 Mirabai
Syllabus