Cover page, Adab-e Latif 50:1 (1962), Lahore.
The History of the Book in South Asia
Asian 541/TXTDS 501B
T 2:30-4:20 PM
F 1:30-3:20 PM
097 Mary Gates Hall
Link to Course Schedule
Professor Jennifer Dubrow
Office: M212 Gowen Hall (note: on mezzanine level, above 2nd floor)
Office hours: W 4:30-5 in M212 Gowen Hall; Th 3:30-4 on Zoom (https://washington.zoom.us/j/94656939734)
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 Gandhāran manuscripts; join TXTDS 501A to work with digitized Islamic Manuscripts; and delve into an important early 20th-century Urdu literary journal, Zamanah.
This course is intended for 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