ASIA 152: Survey of South Asian Cultural History

This course offers a serendipitous journey through South Asian cultural history from approximately 1500 BCE to the present. To fruitfully engage with such a huge topic, we will focus on a handful of representative texts, figures, and movements, with particular attention to the sixteenth century onwards. The organization of the course is largely historical, while the main subjects are literature, theater, film, and art. We will consider major developments and ideas within different cultural and religious contexts, and note sites of intercultural contact and synthesis. LA, BN, WB.