South Asia Institute The University of Texas at Austin NEWSLETTER FALL 2014 Letter from the Director Dear Colleagues, Students and Friends, from Karachi’s National Academy of Performing Arts This has been an exciting and hectic (NAPA) in the Spring semester. The latter visits were part year of academic and cultural activity at of a three-year exchange program between NAPA and UT’s the South Asia Institute (SAI). We started Butler School of Music, facilitated by a $1 million federal the year with the Fall 2013 Seminar grant. While NAPA students learned various aspects of the Series, ‘Muslims from the Margins,’ Western classical tradition during their stay, FJWU scholars inviting scholars of history and religion attended classes and conferences and worked with individual to discuss intra-communal challenges UT mentors to produce research papers and new course to Muslim hegemonies in South designs. We look forward to continuing both exchange Asia. Also in Fall 2013, we hosted the programs in 2014-15. Our outreach officers, meanwhile, biennial Texas Asia Conference for graduate students, with conducted workshops to encourage the study of India and participants coming from as far as Norway and China. These South Asia at K-12 schools during the year. were followed by the Spring 2014 Seminar Series, ‘Conflict Unfortunately, we had to bid goodbye to Prof. Gail and Recovery in South Asia,’ joined by speakers from the Minault, one of the foremost scholars of South Asian history, worlds of public policy, academia and the media. Another who decided to call it a day at the end of the 2013-14 year. major conference in Spring 2014, Buddhism’s Boundaries, She leaves behind very large shoes to fill and will be missed saw scholars discuss the interactions between Buddhism and sorely by her colleagues and friends. In the 2014-15 academic other major religions of South Asia. These conferences and year, however, we are fortunate to welcome three new faculty seminars were interspersed with film screenings, talks and into our community: Prof. A. Azfar Moin in Religious lectures by UT-Austin faculty and guests from around the Studies, Prof. Jason Cons in Public Affairs and Malayalam country and abroad. The year ended with the colorful and Lecturer Darsana Sasi in Asian Studies. highly popular Music and Dances of India Festival, which Our active engagement with the academic community provided a unique opportunity for musicians, dance teachers and the public, our faculty and students publishing books and students to showcase their talents to the public. and papers and delivering invited presentations around the In collaboration with the Quetta-based Balochistan world, and of course the hard work and dedication of the Archives and the British Library, SAI embarked on a project staff at SAI helped us secure the NRC and FLAS grant for the to catalog, digitize and make publicly available rare and next four year cycle. We look forward to using the awards for endangered manuscripts in Balochi, Pashto and Persian from expanding our academic and cultural activities in the coming the Pakistani province of Balochistan. The year was also very years and deepening our ties with the community at large. successful in terms of outreach. We hosted eight faculty from Thank you. the Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU) in Rawalpindi, Regards, Pakistan – four each in the two semesters – and four students

In this Issue... SAI Welcomes New Faculty...... 1 In Honor of Professor Gail Minault...... 13 Photo Gallery...... 2 Austin to Karachi: A Melodious Journey...... 15 Faculty, Student & Alumni News...... 3 Reception and Screening with Sadia Shepard...... 16 South Asia Book Awards...... 6 Reflections on the FJWU Exchange...... 17 Spring 2014 Seminar Series...... 7 2013 Texas Asia Conference...... 19 Fall 2013 Seminar Series...... 7 SAI collaborates with Huston-Tillotson...... 20 HUF undergrad wins Yale Hindi Debate...... 8 Project to digitize Balochistan manuscripts...... 21 K-12 Outreach ...... 9 SAGAR – Call for Papers...... 21 The Very Old is Very New...... 11 Seminar Series: Fall 2014...... 22 SAI Welcomes New Faculty

Jason Cons Darsana M. Sasi Research Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Asian Studies LBJ School of Public Affairs Dr. Darsana M. Sasi takes Prof. Jason Cons’ research over as Malayalam instructor lies at the intersection from her mentor Dr. M.R. of history, politics, and Unnithan, who retired in geography. He has published Spring 2014. She joins the several ethnographic studies UT faculty after teaching for on life along the India- two years under Malayalam Bangladesh border in journals such as Ethnography, Mission, a Kerala government Political Geography, and Modern Asian Studies, project, and an earlier guest lecturership at NSS following his 2011 doctoral dissertation titled ‘The College, Thiruvananthapuram. She was also working Fragments and their Nation(s): Sensitive Space Along for the last seven years as a Malayalam presenter for the India-Bangladesh Border.’ He has also presented India’s national television (Doordarshan) and radio his research at annual conferences of the Association (All India Radio) broadcasters. for Asian Studies, American Anthropological Sasi is teaching both first-year and second-year Association, American Sociological Association and Malayalam courses in Fall 2014. “The first-year course other academic bodies. will focus on the Malayalam alphabet and grammar, He is now working on a study of postcolonial but I will make it more interactive with video territory, looking at a series of enclaves along the presentations and plenty of class conversations,” she India-Bangladesh border. “It’s a historical and told SAI. “Second-year students will learn more about ethnographic study of the ways these enclaves have Kerala itself as well as formal and informal uses of been caught up in debates about the border and how the Malayalam language.” In addition, she is teaching people living in them navigate precarious border a seminar on social and religious performing arts of arrangements on a daily basis,” he told SAI. Other South India, with special emphasis on Kerala. current projects include how climate change and Sasi received her doctoral degree in Malayalam practices such as shrimp aquaculture in Bangladesh literature from University of Kerala in December influence the lives of its displaced and landless 2013. In January 2014, her book Padayani, based on populations. “I am also working on a collaborative her M.Phil. thesis on a popular folk art in central project on the overlap between resource frontiers and Kerala, was published by Paridhi Publications, political boundaries in Southern Asia,” he said. Thiruvananthapuram. Her research focuses on Cons received his doctorate in 2011 from comparative literary analysis, and she has published Cornell’s Department of Development Sociology. He articles such as ‘Thina Sankalpam Leelakaavyathil,’ a arrives at UT after two years as assistant professor of comparative study of the styles of ancient and modern international relations at Bucknell University, where poetry; ‘Pennezhuthu Kadavile Mattathy,’ a feminist he taught courses on human security; borders, traffic, view of the Malayalam novel Mattathy; and ‘GODOT and statelessness; sovereignty; and globalization. He Inekathirikkunna Malayalanadakam,’ a study of the won’t be teaching in Fall 2014. “But I’m likely in the English play Waiting for Godot. She has also presented long run to teach courses on climate, agrarian change, several research papers at seminars and conferences and borders in South Asia and beyond,” he said. across Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Cons is keen to be a part of SAI’s work focusing Austin is offering Sasi her first opportunity of on the history and future of Bangladesh. “I would living abroad. “It is a daunting experience to come to also be interested in working to facilitate a broader Texas from Kerala, but I am very happy to be here,” discussion of postcolonial territory in South Asia she said. “UT is one of the world’s best universities that cuts across geographic (and possibly regional) and SAI has plenty of resources for teachers and boundaries,” he said. students. I am thrilled to be a part of an exciting t e am .”

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A. Azfar Moin Photo Gallery Assistant Professor, Religious Studies

Dr. A. Azfar Moin’s research explores the interrelations between politics and religion in early modern and modern South Asia, especially the practices and performance of sovereignty in Islam. His book, The Millennial Sovereign: Sacred Kingship and Sainthood in Islam (Columbia University Press, New York), was published in 2012 and has won prestigious awards from the American Historical Association, American Academy of Religion, and Association of Asian Studies. “I am now working on the rituals of Muslim kingship in the early modern era, specifically on the role of Sufi shrines as sources of sovereignty,” he told SAI. Moin’s research is closely tied with his teaching. In Fall 2014, he is teaching ‘What is Religion?’, an undergraduate theory and methods seminar. He will also lecture upper division undergraduates on ‘Islam in the Early Modern World’ in Spring 2015, besides teaching a graduate seminar on ‘Sovereignty in Islam.’ He joins the UT faculty after four years as assistant professor at Southern Methodist University, Dallas. He completed his doctorate in history at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor following undergraduate and graduate degrees in history and Asian cultures and languages at UT-Austin. He also received a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from UT-Austin in 1994. “When I studied engineering, there used to be food stands near the ECJ selling $1-calzones and fried rice, and one could still find free parking,” he reminisced. “I miss both. But it is absolutely wonderful to be back on campus.” The transition to studying history and religion after working as an engineer was not easy. “Even as an engineering student, I felt that we couldn’t understand the world and our place in it without a critical engagement with the humanities,” Moin said. “One day, after seven years into a good career, I decided to return to UT for a year and earn a BA in history. I had so much fun that I didn’t want to go back.” He has returned once again to his alma mater– this time as a professor, and is keen to be actively involved with SAI. “I look forward to participating in the South Asia seminar series in the Fall,” he said.

South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia Institute Newsletter 2 Faculty, Student & Alumni News

Faculty is due to appear in 2015. Guha, a weeks in Burma, split over two stays at professor of History, presented a a Buddhist monastery. The fellowships paper on ‘The ecological impact of enabled him to complete drafts of

Prof. Kamran A. Ali’s horse warfare in peninsular India c. three book manuscripts: a monograph book, Communism in Pakistan: 1200-1900’ at the annual South Asia concerning hierarchy, gender, and self Politics and Activism 1947-1972 (I.B. conference in Madison in October in Buddhist Burma; a memoir based Tauris, London) will be published in 2013. He also gave invited talks at on his participation in two 10-day Spring 2015. Another volume co- Nehru Memorial Museum and Library meditation retreats in Burma; and edited with Sheema Kirmani and Asif in Delhi, Centre for Studies in Social a language text book for English- Aslam, Performance Art, Politics and Sciences in Kolkata, and Department speakers wishing to learn Burmese. Gender (Oxford University Press, of Anthropology, Yale University. An article he wrote about transgender Karachi) is scheduled to be published people in Mandalay, ‘Shifting the by early 2015. Ali published an article, Transverse: Trans Women’s Move “Progressive, Punjab and Pakistan: The Prof. Heather from Spirit Mediumship to the Beauty Early Years,” in the Journal of South Hindman, of the Department of Business in Mandalay,’ has been Asian History and Culture and wrote Asian Studies and Anthropology, accepted for publication in the journal the epilogue, titled “Adab, Authority authored a book, Mediating the Ethnos. and Ashraf” in the book Muslim Global: Expatria’s Forms and Voices (Yoda Press, New Delhi). He Consequences in Kathmandu delivered a talk, “Karachi and 1960s (Stanford University Press) in 2013. Prof. Madhavi Cinema” at the Conference at MIT on She also published three journal Mallapragada’s book, Virtual the Legacy of the Orangi Pilot Project articles and two book chapters in Homelands: Indian Immigrants and and the Architect Parveen Rehman 2013-14. ‘Lines of Labor and Desire: Online Cultures in the United States in April 2014 , and was the Annual “Korean Quality” in Contemporary (University of Illinois Press), was Lecturer for the Center for the Study Kathmandu’ (co-authored with published in August 2014. The book of Pakistan, SOAS (University of Robert Oppenheim) was published analyzes home pages and other online London) in May 2014. in Anthropological Quarterly; ‘Social communities organized by diasporic Service Provider Perception of and immigrant Indians from the late Prof. Don Davis, of the “Nepali-ness” of asylum and refugees 1990s through the social media period. Department of Asian Studies, and in Austin, Texas’ in European Bulletin Mallapragada is an assistant professor co-editor Kesavan Veluthat published of Himalayan Research; and ‘Post- in the department of Radio-Television- Irreverent History: Essays for M.G.S. Political in the Post-Conflict: DIY Film. Narayanan (Primus Books, Delhi). Capitalism, Grassroots Neoliberalism In April 2014, he delivered a public and Urban, Elite Zomia’ was published Prof. Gail Minault, lecture, ‘Big and Little Histories: The in Cultural Anthropology. Her book of the Department of Asian Studies, Kollam Plates in the Medieval Indian chapters were published in Migrant presented four guest lectures at the Ocean,’ at UT’s Perry-Castañeda Professional in the City: Local University of Oslo in September Library as part of a large collaborative Encounters, Identities, and Inequalities 2014, focusing on Indian women project (see http://849ce.org.uk/). (Routledge, New York) and Moral in modern times. They were titled Along with emeritus professor Patrick Encounters in Tourism (Ashgate Press, ‘Indian Women: Women of Paradox’ Olivelle, former UT student Mark Honolulu), respectively. (September 10), ‘Indian Social and McClish (now assistant professor Religious Reform Movements and at Birmingham Southern College), Prof. Ward Keeler, of the Status of Women’ (September and Tim Lubin (Washington & Lee the Department of Anthropology, took 11), ‘Women’s Education and Social University), Davis also represented up a series of fellowships in 2013- Reform among Indian Muslims’ ancient India at the third meeting of 14 in support of writing his recent (September 17), and ‘Women’s Roles in the Cambridge Comparative History anthropological research in Burma. the Indian Nationalist Movement and of Ancient law project held at Yale He spent three months at the Asia the Post-Colonial Women’s Movement’ University in July 2014. Research Institute, part of the National (September 18). University of Singapore; six months Prof. Sumit Guha’s at the International Institute for Asian Prof. A. Azfar Moin, of book, Beyond Caste: Identity and Studies in Leiden, the Netherlands; the Department of Religious Studies, Power in South Asia, Past and Present and two months at the Department of won a series of awards for his 2012 (E.J. Brill, Leiden), was published in Anthropology, Stockholm University, book, The Millennial Sovereign: September 2013. An Indian edition in Sweden. He also spent a total of nine Sacred Kingship and Sainthood

3 South Asia Institute Newsletter Fall 2014

in Islam (Columbia University His article “The Changing India: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Press, New York). He won the John Dynamism of Ancient Indian Culture” Study of Ancient and Medieval Pasts. F. Richards Prize in South Asian was published in Culture, People and Dr. Wojciehowski’s 2011 book, Group History from the American Historical Power: India and Globalized World, a Identity in the Renaissance World Association, the Best First Book in publication of the Indian Council for (Cambridge University Press), is now the History of Religions Award from Cultural Relations. Another article, available in paperback. Two chapters the American Academy of Religion, “Talking Animals: Explorations in an discuss exchanges between Europe and an Honorable Mention for the Indian Literary Genre” is included and South Asia in the 16th and 17th Bernard S. Cohn Book Prize from in the volume Charming Beauties centuries. the Association for Asian Studies. His and Frightful Beasts: Non-Human article “Akbar’s ‘Jesus’ and Marlowe’s Animals in South Asian Myth, Ritual ‘Tamburlaine’: Strange Parallels and Folklore. The volume is edited of Early Modern Sacredness” will by Fabrizio M. Ferrari and Thomas Students appear in the journal Fragments: Dahnhardt, and published in Sheffield Interdisciplinary Approaches to the by Equinoz Publishing. Study of Ancient and Medieval Pasts, Isabel Huacuja Alonso, along with commentaries by Dr. Prof. Martha Ann a Ph.D. candidate in History, won Hannah C. Wojciehowski (UT Austin), Selby, chair of the Department the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Dr. Tamara Chin (Brown University), of Asian Studies, was awarded the Completion Fellowship for 2014- and Dr. Giancarlo Casale (McGill 2014 A.K. Ramanujan Book Prize 15. Her dissertation, ‘Radio for the University). Prof. Moin also presented for Translation for her book Tamil Millions: Hindi-Urdu Broadcasting his research on shrine desecration Love Poetry: The Five Hundred Short at the Crossroads of Empire,’ is a at the Burdick-Vary Symposium on Poems of the Ainkurunuru (Columbia transnational historical study of radio “Was There a Reformation in India?” University Press). The award broadcasting in Hindi and Urdu from in Madison, and at the symposium was conferred at the AAS annual the late colonial period through the on “Emotion and Subjectivity in the conference in Philadelphia in March immediate post-independence era. It Art and Architecture of Early Modern 2014. challenges the existing literature that Muslim Empires” at Yale. associates the rise of radio with the Prof. Snehal Shingavi’s solidification of national identities Prof. Paula Newberg, book Angaaray (Embers), the first throughout the world. of the Department of Government, English translation of a banned Urdu piloted a new program to mentor 15 short story collection by the same Manomohini Dutta, a young Pakistani faculty members name, was published by Penguin Ph.D. candidate in the Department teaching social sciences at Pakistani Books Ltd. in May 2014. The original of Asian Studies, presented papers universities. With funds from the volume, published in 1932, was met out of her doctoral research in two American Institute for Pakistan with outrage for attacking conservative conferences this year: “(In)Visible Studies and in collaboration with the Islam as well as British colonialism. It Women: A Study on Women’s Property US Institute of Peace, she designed and was burned by protesters and banned in Precolonial Bengal,” Association led the first of a three-part intensive by British authorities. Shingavi’s for Asian Studies, Philadelphia, workshop on conflict studies. The first volume also provides an account of Pennsylvania, March 2014 and session was held at Lahore in March the furor sparked by the collection. “Women’s Proprietary Rights in the 2014, and the next two are scheduled He is an assistant professor in the Dāyabhāga,” 224th Annual Meeting to be held in early and mid-2015. Department of English. of the American Oriental Society, Phoenix, Arizona, March 2014. Prof. Patrick Olivelle Prof. Hannah C. Manomohini has also received the presented papers at conferences Asian Studies Continuing Fellowship on “Maritime Trade and Cultural Wojciehowski’s essay, ‘East- West Swerves: Materialist Philosophy, from the Graduate School for Fall Exchanges in the Indian Ocean” in 2014. Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, on “ Genealogies Skeptical Inquiry, and Akbar’s Debates at Fatehpur Sikri,’ will appear of Religion and Politics in India” in Emily Ernst, a graduate Kyoto, Japan, and on “Encountering in summer 2015 in a special issue of Genre: Forms of Discourse and student in the Department of Asian Normative Justice and the Realities of Studies, won a Boren Fellowship for (In)Justice in South Asia” in Erfurt, Culture. Prof. Wojciehowski teaches in the Department of English. Her the 2013-2014 academic year. She Germany. He also presented lectures used the money to study Urdu at the at the University of Vienna, University commentary on Prof. A. Azfar Moin’s essay ‘Akbar’s “Jesus” and American Institute of Indian Studies in of Heidelberg, and the Central Lucknow. European University of Budapest. Marlowe’s “Tamburlaine”’ will appear with that essay in Fragments:

South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia Institute Newsletter 4 Andrea Gutiérrez, a Saif Shahin, a Ph.D. student Aniruddhan graduate student in the Department of in the School of Journalism, won two Vasudevan, a graduate student Asian Studies, presented a paper titled awards in the field of communication in the Department of Anthropology, ‘Too Much to Chew? Ambivalence studies. He received the Markham won the 2013 Best Translation Award toward Betel Leaf Consumption in Student Paper Award at the AEJMC sponsored by the Tamil Literary Early Indian Sources’ at the Donner annual conference, Montreal in August Garden. Vasudevan’s book, One Part Institute’s Symposium on Food and 2014 for his article on nationhood Woman, describes a relationship Religion at Åbo Akademi University in and national identity construction caught between the expectations and Turku, Finland in June 2014. in Indian and Pakistani media dictates of society and personal fears (co-authored with Paromita Pain). and anxieties. Amy Hyne, a Ph.D. A solo-authored paper exploring candidate in Asian Studies, won the the interplay of religious and racial Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral identities in the American-Muslim Dissertation Fellowship Award in press won a Top Student Paper Award Alumni 2014. Her dissertation, ‘Pathologizing at the ICA annual conference, Seattle Deviance in India: Constructions of in May 2014. Another article by Dr. Monica Chadha, a “Madness” in Classical Sanskrit Texts Shahin, ‘Unveiling the American- graduate of the School of Journalism, and Contemporary Debates,’ explores Muslim press: News agendas, frames, was appointed assistant professor of the social, religious, and political and functions,’ is due to appear in the digital media at the Walter Cronkite motivations behind ascriptions of refereed journal Journalism: Theory, School of Journalism and Mass “madness” in classical Sanskrit texts Practice & Criticism. Communication, Arizona State and contemporary discussions in University. She will teach multimedia India. Aaron Sherraden journalism to introductory and and Prof. M.R. Unnithan advanced-level students and also Paromita Pain, a Ph.D. have co-written a trilingual textbook conduct research in digital media. student in the School of Journalism, for Malayalam beginners, entitled Chadha’s dissertation, completed won the Markham Student Paper Pathana-sahayi: Learn Malayalam in Spring 2014, assessed the rise of Award at the AEJMC annual through English & Hindi. It provides ‘hyperlocal’ news sites. conference, Montreal in August an overview of basic Malayalam 2014 for her article on nationhood grammar through exercises and Dr. Elliott McCarter, and national identity construction explanations in both English and a 2013 Asian Studies graduate in Indian and Pakistani media (co- Hindi. DC Books of Kerala, India will and instructor of Hindi at Emory authored with Saif Shahin). She also publish the textbook. The teaching University, delivered a talk titled presented a solo-authored paper at technique is based on Unnithan’s ‘Making the Land of the Gita’ at the the conference, comparing the use of research. The authors have also Conference for the Study of Religion in mobile telephony for participatory prepared an audio supplement, India at Butler University in June 2014. journalism among underprivileged Shravya Malayalam: Material to This talk focused on the interpretation communities in India and the Accompany Pathana-sahayi, with of Kurukshetra by government entities United States. In summer 2014, she additional exercises and recordings since 1947 and associated development completed a project with Microsoft of a native speaker. Sherraden is a activities in the region. India examining how voice-activated graduate student in Asian Studies; technologies help empower resource Unnithan taught Malayalam in the poor populations in India. same department until the 2013-14 academic year. Suzanne L. Schulz, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department Sundar Vadlamudi, of Radio-Television-Film, received a Ph.D. student in the Department an ACLS/Mellon Dissertation of History, presented a paper titled Completion Fellowship in 2013- ‘European wars in the Indian Ocean: 2014. Her dissertation is titled Indian maritime trade during the ‘Lucknow Screens: Cinema, State Napoleonic wars’ at the 43rd annual and Everyday in Postcolonial India.’ conference on South Asia, hosted at She also published a translation of University of Wisconsin-Madison in Amritlal Nagar’s ‘Seven Years of Film October 2013. Experience’ in Synoptique.

5 South Asia Institute Newsletter Fall 2014

Congratulations to the 2014-2015 FLAS Awardees!

Academic Year 2014-2015 Awardees Summer 2014 Awardees • Emily Ernst, Asian Studies, Urdu/Hindi • Annika Lekven, Natural Sciences, Hindi • Nina Gat, Asian Studies, Hindi • Charlotte Giles, Asian Studies, Persian • Madiha Haque, Asian Studies, Urdu • Farhana Maredia, Asian Studies, Persian • Katie Lazarowicz, Asian Studies, Urdu/Hindi • Hillary Langberg, Asian Studies, Hindi • Kathleen Longwaters, Asian Studies, Urdu • Hugh Weise, English, Tibetan • Farhana Maredia, Asian Studies, Urdu • Kathleen Longwaters, Asian Studies, Urdu • Saleha Parvaiz, Asian Studies, Urdu (spring award) • Roushon Talcott, Asian Cultures and Languages, • Aaron Sherraden, Asian Studies, Malayalam Hindi • Daniel Shouse, Asian Studies, Tamil • Taylor Foody, International Relations and Global • Hillary Langberg, Asian Studies, Hindi Studies, Hindi • Zach Schlachter, Hindi

South Asia Book Award

The South Asia Book Award, administered by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium, is given annually for up to two outstanding works of literature, from early childhood to secondary reading levels, which accurately and skillfully portrays South Asia or South Asians in the diasporas, that is the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world. Up to five Honor Books and Highly Commended Books are also recognized by the award committee for their contribution to this body of literature on the region. The 2014 winners are:

A Moment Comes by Jennifer Bradbury (Atheneum Book, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2013) Before India was divided, three teens, each from wildly different backgrounds, cross paths. And then, in one moment, their futures become irrevocably intertwined. Tariq, Anupreet, Margaret are as different as their Muslim, Sikh, and British names. But in that one moment, their futures become entirely dependent on one another (Grades 8 and up).

Razia’s Ray of Hope One Girl’s Dream of an Education by Elizabeth Suneby, illustrated by Suana Verelst (Kids Can Press, 2013) Razia dreams of getting an education, but in her small village in Afghanistan, girls haven’t been allowed to attend school for many years. When a new girls’ school opens in the village, a determined Razia must convince her father and oldest brother that educating her would be best for her, their family and their community. Based on the true stories of the students of the Zabuli Education Center for Girls just outside of Kabul (Grades 3-8).

The Honors winners were Bye, Bye, Motabhai! by Kala Sambasivan illustrations by Ambika Sambasivan (Yali Books, 2013); Gandhi: A March to the Sea by Alice B. McGinty, illustrations by Thomas Gonzalez (Amazon Publishing, 2013); The Garden of My Imaan by Farhana Zia (Peachtree, 2013); and Mother Teresa: Angel of the Slums by Lewis Helfand, art by Sachin Nagar (Campfire, an imprint of Kalyani Navyug Media, 2013). For more information, please go to the SABA website: http://southasiabookaward.org/

South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia Institute Newsletter 6 Fall 2013 Seminar Series: Muslims from the Margins

regionalism interfaced with broader aesthetic orientations. A recurring theme in the series concerned the rich imaginative modes in which diverse Muslim thinkers and artists empower their communities, especially when they are hailed as “minorities” or “outsiders”. By Akbar Hyder

South Asia Institute Fall 2013 Seminar Series The secret that lies hidden in the breast is not a sermon The seminar series will offer a wide-ranging account of the intra-communal challenges It can be divulged from the gallows, not from the pulpit to various forms of Muslim hegemonies in South Asia. In the process, we will facilitate a more interdisciplinary Thus spoke the great Perso-Urdu poet discussion about aesthetics, reform, piety, and justice. Mirza Ghalib. Inspired by the Ghalibian spirit, the fall

2013 seminar series explored the spatial and ideological All seminars take place on Thursdays in the Meyerson relationship between the gallows (margins) and the Conference Room (WCH 4.118) from 3:30 pm- 5:00 pm pulpit (center). In offering a healthy discussion towards with a reception preceding at 3:00 pm. an interdisciplinary understanding of South Asian Islam, September 12: October 24: Lamia Karim, University of Oregon Sajjad Rizvi, University of Exeter our speakers highlighted intra-communal challenges Politics of the Margins? Contextualizing Shii Islam as Imperial Faith: Sayyid Dildar Shahbagh Uprising and Hefazat-e-Islam in Ali and the Avadh Dispensation Bangladesh to various forms of Muslim hegemonies, from the October 31: September 19: Asad Ahmed, UC Berkeley Shahbagh uprising in Bangladesh (Lamia Karim) to the Shahzad Bashir, Stanford University The Equivalent of the Prophet: Fadl-i Reading Sufi Hagiography as Social Haqq Khayrabadi and Muslim Rationalism identity formation of the Ahmadiyya community in Critique in Early Modern India September 26: November 7: Gail Minault, UT Austin Sadia Saeed, Yale University Pakistan (Sadia Saeed). Shahzad Bashir and Gail Minault “I am a Ruby Wrapped in a Rag” - Zay Hailing the ‘Muslim’ Citizen: National Khay Sheen and the Possibility of Poetry as Identity, State and the Ahmadiyya brought into focus the dilemmas that historians face Autobiography Community in Pakistan October 3: November 21: Sean Pue, Michigan State University Afsar Mohammed, UT Austin vis-à-vis literary genres when representing the margins. A ‘Punjabi’ Critique of Sufi Idioms: N. M. Jihad, Local Modernity and Reformism: Rashed and Urdu Literary Tradition The Story of a Sufi Master from the Below Sajjad Rizvi and Asad Ahmed highlighted sectarian and philosophical currents in nineteenth-century South Asia Muslims from the Margins Muslims from that resonate in the world of our own times. Sean Pue and Convenor: Syed Akbar Hyder, Associate Professor, Department of Asian Studies Afsar Muhammad drew our attention to the imaginative backdrop of the Punjab and the Deccan against which South Asia Institute • voice: 512-471-3550 • fax: 512-471-3336 • [email protected] • http://www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/southasia/ Spring 2014 Seminar Series: Conflict and Recovery in South Asia

Wars have been a pervasive element of politics Paula Newberg of UT-Austin’s Government Department. in contemporary South and Central Asia. South Asia Four speakers tackled Pakistan’s intersecting Institute’s Spring 2014 seminar series, titled ‘Conflict domestic conflicts and foreign preoccupations. Dr. and Recovery in South Asia,’ brought seven speakers to Frederic Grare, of the Carnegie Endowment for Austin–two political scientists, two anthropologists, one International Peace, offered a nuanced analysis of legal scholar, one historian and one journalist–for robust Baluchistan’s bitter battles with the Pakistani state and discussions on civil strife, cross-border and international the consequences of its ongoing strife for Pakistan, conflict, and prospects for recovery. It was led by Prof. Afghanistan, and the wider region. Dr. Tayyab Mahmud,

6: 10: 12: 6: 26: Obama and the Egyptian Talk by Dr. Kamala South Asia Seminar Series: Lamia Obama and the Egyptian South Asia Seminar Coup: Talk by Chris Toensing, Visweswaran, UT Karim, University of Oregon; Coup: Talk by Chris Toensing, Series: Dr. Gail Minault, Editor, Middle East Report Department of Anthroplogy Constructing the Muslim Enemy: Editor, Middle East Report UT-Austin Talk by Dr. Deepa Kumar

S E P T E M B E R

9: 11: 19: 27: Health and Gender in Pakistan: Memorial tribute to South Asia Seminar Series: Engels’ Misses: Talk by Lectures by Dr. Shershah Syed Prof. Shama Gamkhar Shahzad Bashir, Stanford Dr. Indrani Chatterjee and Sheema Kirmani University 20137 South Asia Institute Newsletter 20132014 Fall 2014 of Seattle University Law School, engaged both of these issues by dissecting the intersections of Pakistan’s HUF undergrad wins Yale geography with the inheritances of colonial cartography. Zahid Hussain, one of Pakistan’s foremost journalists, Hindi Debate discussed the ways in which Pakistan’s persistent, if often Carson Carruth, a second-year interrupted, efforts to strengthen democracy affect its student from UT’s Hindi-Urdu Flagship (HUF) national security; and Dr. Cabieri Robinson offered a program, won the Best Speaker award in the “national careful reading of the roots and effects of militancy in round” of the Yale Hindi Debate, in the Non-Native Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Non-Heritage Undergraduate category. Two speakers looked closely at Afghanistan’s The debate was organized and hosted by Yale domestic politics and foreign relations. In advance of University on April 18, 2014. Carruth spoke for the Afghanistan’s spring 2014 elections, Dr. Andrew Wilder, motion – “Globalization Diminishes the Significance of the United States Institute of Peace, discussed the of Ethnicity.” complexities of Afghan politics and anticipated many of “Audience and judges were thoroughly and the serious difficulties that the April elections ultimately visibly impressed by Carson’s speech. His winning the encountered. Dr. Alexander Evans, currently with the first place seemed almost obvious and natural,” said United Nations, offered an expansive account of the Vidhu Shekhar Chaturvedi, a Hindi lecturer from UT’s evolution of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and across the Department of Asian Studies and one of Carruth’s region, and the ways the Al Qaeda portfolio is handled by mentors. the UN. “His achievement is remarkable considering the Finally, Dr. William Fisher, of Clark University, fact that Carson began learning Hindi in the Fall of offered a detailed account of the ways that political, 2011 as an ab-initio learner,” Chaturvedi added. “We economic and ethnic differences in Nepal’s society have are proud of him.” affected the country’s recovery from years of civil war. Yale University instituted the Hindi Debate in By Paula Newberg 2008 to promote intellectual discourse among students South Asia Institute of Hindi in the university and around the country. Spring 2014 Seminar Series Each debater presents his or her speech in Hindi for a 1/23 Andrew Wilder, United States Institute of Peace Afghanistan’s Uncertain Future: Transitioning to War or Peace? maximum of three minutes and then takes a question 2/6 Frederic Grare, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Balochistan: The State Versus the Nation 2/13 Tayyab Mahmud, Seattle University School of Law from the audience, also in Hindi. Caught Between the Lines: Geopolitics, Colonial Cartography, and Pakistan Debaters are judged on criteria including 2/27 William Fisher, Clark University The Politics of Difference and the Reach of Modernity in Post-Conflict Nepal knowledge of the topic; originality of interpretation; 3/27 Alexander Evans, United Nations Understanding -- and Combating -- Evolving Threats from Al-Qaida and its Affiliates logical presentation; 4/10 Zahid Hussain, Author and Journalist Democracy in Pakistan: National Security Challenges elocution, diction and 4/17 Cabeiri Robinson, University of Washington Refugees, Militants, and the Politics of ‘Post-Conflict’ in Azad Kashmir fluency; address and

All seminars take place in the Meyerson Conference Room (WCH4.118) from 3:30-5pm format; stance and with a reception preceding at 3pm Convenor: Dr. Paula Newberg gestures; sticking to the time limit; rebuttal of opposition’s ideas; rebuttal of interjection; and overall impression. Debaters also lose marks for reading all or most of the debate. conflict & recovery in south asia South Asia Institute • voice: 512-471-3550 • fax: 512-471-3336 • [email protected] • http://www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/southasia

3: 13: 15: 24: 27: South Asia Seminar Series: Bangladesh: Contested Narrative Images and South Asia Seminar Series: Colloquium on Islam Sean Pue, Michigan State Pasts, Competing Futures Tangible Texts: Talk by Sajjad Rizvi, Univeristy of Exeter University – A workshop Dr. Padma Kaimal

O C T O B E R

5: 14: 18: 25 31 An Homage to Pandit Ravi Shankar A Nation of Immigrants? 20th Annual Gender The Cultural Work of South Asia Seminar Series: Concert: Abhishek Raghuraman Talk by Dr. Mae Ngai and Sexuality Lecture by Recovering Palestine: Talk by Asad Ahmed, UC Berkeley Pratibha Parmar Prof. Joseph Massad 2013South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia20132014 Institute Newsletter 8 K-12 Outreach

In 2013-2014 SAI received a private donation A Hindu Tradition,” while PhD Candidate Keely Sutton to focus on the inclusion of curriculum on India for shared her expertise in “The Basics of Buddhism” and the lower grades. Although not all of this year’s K-12 “Jataka Tales: Stories of the Buddha.” Presenters covered Outreach events were funded by this infusion of private the historical emergence of both religions, as well as funds, the request gave SAI an opportunity to focus on important ideas and practices that grew from them, this topic in a variety of ways. including the concepts of karma, dharma, and samsara. SAI sponsored two one-day workshops at UT Particular emphasis was given to how these religious during 2013-2014. In September, SAI brought together traditions formed in conversation and changed over time. 14 educators from seven local school districts, including those in Austin, Huffman, Round Rock, Navarro, Lake “The books and resources are phenomenal. I Travis, Bastrop, and Cedars International Academy. “Bringing India into the Classroom: Strategies and will be able to easily bring India into my lessons Resources for K-6 Educators” covered a range of topics, so the culture can be accurately represented...I including highlights of India’s geography, culture and would love to include all of the activities that history; celebrations, holidays and festivals; and children’s were presented (artifacts, currency, festivals folktales and literature. SAI presenters guided participants through hands-on activities and materials (books, newspaper). I also can apply these activities artifacts, films, lesson plans) to use with younger students. to other countries we teach for comparative Asian Studies PhD Candidate Amy Hyne presented on lessons.” the early history of India and curriculum she developed, “Celebrations: Lesson Plan on Holidays and Festivals in India.” History PhD Graduate Aarti Bhalodia provided a As both presenters contextualized terms and ideas within second overview of Indian History, focusing on the early traditions, they also guided educators through active to post-colonial period. She also led teachers through a learning exercises and primary source materials to use lesson on how to analyze the ten-rupee note, focusing with their students. As with all its K-12 educator trainings, on national symbols and currency as SAI took care to make the materials and an expression of national identity. SAI’s information relevant by aligning the Outreach Coordinator Neha Mohan and activities and presentations with Texas and Assistant Director Rachel Meyer shared national teaching standards. additional lessons and materials with SAI received positive comments educators including how to use SAI culture from teachers who attended both training boxes and a discussion on implementing days. According to feedback surveys, the what they learned in their teaching. workshops were very beneficial to the In January, 23 teachers attended a attendees with the overwhelming majority second workshop hosted by SAI. “The of participants reporting that the workshops Emergence of Hinduism and Buddhism in India” again significantly increased their knowledge of India and drew on the knowledge of Asian Studies graduate students presented materials that were very relevant to their to share information and resources on two of the worlds’ teaching. After the January workshop one high school major religious traditions that emerged from the Indian geography teacher shared, “We already teach about world subcontinent. MA student Aaron Sherraden presented religions at our school, but everything provided makes on “Hinduism through the Ages” and “The Ramayana: me more knowledgeable in my teaching about religions

1-2: 9: 14: 19: 22: Texas Asia Conference: Jhalak 2013: A National A Panel Discussion on Gender Indian Chintz to Japanese Ramayana Colloquium Tradition and Transition Bollywood Fusion Dance Violence in India; Wa Sarasa: Talk by Dr. Competition The Place of Israel in Asia: Talk by Padmini Tolat Balaram Magid Shihade, Birzeit University

N O V E M B E R

7: 11: 17: 21: 25: South Asia Seminar Series: Cinema and the City: Deva Nruthya: Performance South Asia Seminar Series: Videoconferencing session on Case Sadia Saeed, Yale Universityi Dr. Kamran Ali by ‘Nadanamamani’ Lavanya Afsar Mohammad, UT-Austin Study in Quran Interpretation; Ananth Performance by Riyaaz Qawwali 201320139 South Asia Institute Newsletter 20132014 Fall 2014 in India and answered some questions that I had, so Keely Sutton, Andrea Gutierrez, Kathleen Longwaters and now I can give my students accurate information.” Many Hillary Langberg—graciously volunteered to help with the attendees at both workshops expressed enthusiasm in Hinduism and Buddhism tables. They presented concise developing the presentations and materials into lessons to introductions to the basic tenets, common practices and use with their students as part of their regular teaching. history of each religion, and fielded follow-up questions. One participant at the September Presenters used visual aids to event shared her enthusiasm by illuminate concepts and practices. saying, “The books and resources For the Buddhism table, artifacts are phenomenal. I will be able to helped to illustrate major concepts easily bring India into my lessons and meaningful events in the life so the culture can be accurately of the Buddha, whereas materials represented... I would love to on the Hinduism table helped include all of the activities that illuminate important iconography were presented (artifacts, currency, and deeper meanings in stories of festivals, newspapers). I also can deities. Seeing the tremendous value apply these activities to other in using material objects and visual countries we teach for comparative lessons.” Overall, the aids in teaching about South Asian religions inspired workshops provided teachers with tools and information SAI to develop four new cultural enrichment trunks (on to strengthen global awareness and multicultural Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism) that are now education for students by providing educators with available for teachers to borrow through SAI’s lending concrete ways to guide young students toward deeper library. Volunteers received great feedback from students understandings of similarities and differences among and teachers. “Students found it an enriching experience people from diverse cultural backgrounds. and many have begun individual research into each of the Other productive outcomes further extended the religions discussed, due to having their curiosity sparked,” impact of these workshops. At the recommendation of shared Emily Ward. a Zilker Elementary teacher, SAI’s Outreach Program Based on the curriculum materials and presentations met with school librarians at five Austin ISD elementary developed through our outreach initiatives, SAI worked schools to donate picture books and other works of fiction with other UT area studies centers. SAI outreach staff for young readers that focus on India. SAI also worked worked with counterparts at the Teresa Lozano Long with the librarians on strategies for integrating children’s Institute of Latin American Studies on a training session literature on India into the social and emotional learning “Festivals of India and Latin America” as part of Leander lessons they lead on ISD’s Continuous library days. Due “The training was very informative and helpful. I Improvement to the success of the received a lot of ideas to use with my students. It is Conference in religions training day, February. The training World Geography great to be immersed in content for World Cultures explored important teacher Emily Ward and to attend an in-service that is specific to my festivals in India invited SAI to present content area. I hope to attend more sessions like this!” and Latin America to 9th grade students and revealed the at Round Rock High history, mythology, School’s World Religions Fair. Over two days the school and cultural practices associated with each. On a larger gym transformed into a learning landscape where each level, the presentation explored universal themes of religion had its own table with a knowledgeable expert. festivals, regardless of geographic location, along with Graduate students in UT’s Asian Studies—Amy Hyne, distinguishing elements that make each festival unique. continued on p. 14

3: Presentations by Visiting Scholars from Fatima Jinnah Women University

D E C E M B E R

20132013South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia20132014 Institute Newsletter 10 The Very Old is Very New South Asia Research, a publication series of the University of Texas and Oxford University Press, releases a new English translation of India’s oldest text, the Rigveda.

We are delighted to announce the difficulties. Our hope is that the reader can then read publication of The Rigveda: The Earliest Poetry of Ancient and understand the hymn as a whole. In connection India, translated by Stephanie W. Jamison of UCLA and with that, my appreciation for what the Rigvedic poets Joel Brereton of the University of Texas. Prof. Brereton accomplished and how difficult the poems are has recently sat down with us to discuss the culmination increased. Maybe because you start out by reading the of this massive scholarly project Prof. Jamison and he standard hymns that we more or less understand you recently completed. This three-volume translation, which don’t realize how much there is that we don’t understand. also includes introductions to each of the 1028 poems or “hymns” of the Rigveda, is a AG: This translation of the complete collection of the earliest Rigveda is the first English one literature of ancient South Asia. in over 115 years. What novelties does it offer that previous ones AG: Having spent at least fifteen didn’t or couldn’t? years on this translation and many more years on the Veda, how has JB: Its primary novelty is its focus your understanding of this body of on the hymn as the essential poems grown? unit of composition and the lack of footnotes in the translation. JB: When you’re first studying the But we also wanted to produce a text, you concentrate on translating translation that reflected recent from word to word and verse by scholarship on the Rigveda. The verse. It’s natural: the language scholarly standard has been Karl is difficult and you have to move Geldner’s German translation, but slowly through each phrase and that was completed in the 1920s. each line. But as we worked on the Many scholarly waters have flowed translation, we began to see that since then and we wanted to the real key to the text is how each capture and to consolidate some of hymn was constructed and how it these. We also wanted a translation unfolded. This focus on the hymn is that’s readable. Presented with the main reason that we don’t have the Victorian English of R.T. H. any footnotes in the three volumes, Griffith’s 19th century translation, not a single one. However, since it’s no wonder people turned away withdrawing the usual lifelines of from the Rigveda. footnotes and verse commentary would leave many readers adrift in the Rigveda, we have provided an AG: What’s your perspective on poetic composition from introduction to each hymn in which we discuss the well over 3,000 years ago in comparison with more recent particular characteristics of the hymn and its particular poetry? I’m thinking in particular of poetry slams….

10: India – Country at the Cross Roads: Seminar at the UT Forum

J A N U A R Y

23: South Asia Seminar Series: Andrew Wilder, USIP 2013112014South Asia Institute Newsletter 20142014 Fall 2014

JB: First of all I think that a great many conventions of high poetry in India can be traced back to the Rigveda, including features of alańkāra (ornamentation) and kāvya poetic conventions. I don’t think it’s right to isolate the Rigvedic poetry as if it stood by itself in the history of Indian literature. I also believe that contemporary readers may be in a better position to appreciate the poetry of the Rigveda than older scholars. The characteristics of some modern poetry—grammatical and lexical twisting, condensed phrasing, and lack of resolution— echo techniques of the Rigveda poets and give us better entry into Rigvedic poetry. Poetry slams? We don’t know exactly how Rigvedic poems were composed, but I don’t think these poems were composed on the spot. The intricacy of their construction is just too great. They were composed orally—that’s true—and there were poetic contests. Perhaps in the contests themselves a sophisticated linguistic and poetic culture? And sustain poets may have had to compose at the moment. But I it? think most of the hymns we have were more deliberate than spontaneous. The poets draw on poetic turns and AG: Lots of free time in the evenings? familiar conventions, but rarely recapitulate them, as you might find in Mahābhārata or Homer. They put a twist JB: Yep. And there had to be some sort of specializations. on these conventions, rearranging the order or changing These poets undoubtably did other things, but they had one word for another, so the educated listener would to have been trained, professional poets. We know they both recognize the standard phrasing and appreciate the sought and had patrons; you just couldn’t have been a clever way that the poet has altered it. Rigvedic poet just in your spare time.

AG: What still remains a mystery to you regarding the AG: What’s next for you? minds and lives of those who composed and first listened to these hymns? JB: Several years ago Stephanie and I said that we would do a website that would contain the “missing” JB: Almost everything. First, when we talk about the notes. Stephanie has already started on that and I’m participants in the ritual and poetic traditions of the intending to do so as well. Since these notes will be Rigveda, we’re not dealing with the whole population. published online, they will be freely available. Beyond We’re talking about an elite tradition; we’re talking that, I would still like to go back to the Brhadāranyaka mostly about men. To a degree you can infer what was Upanisad, a text on which I had been working when going on in the rest of society and population, and we began the Rigveda project. As if that weren’t enough you can learn something about women, but there was for two lifetimes—and I owe this to you and other grad undoubtedly much more to the life and culture of the students—I would really like to pursue Middle Indic people of the Rigveda that we can’t recover. Also, how in languages and texts, such as Ardha Māgadhī and Jain heaven’s name did a semi-nomadic people who engaged texts. But who knows where this might go? in animal husbandry and some agriculture develop such -Interview by Andrea Gutiérrez

6: 10: 17: 27: South Asia Seminar Series: Talk by Morton Meyerson Book Discussion by South Asia Seminar Series: Frederic Grare, CEIP Dr. Indrani Chatterjee William Fisher, Clark University

F E B R U A R Y

7: 13: 25: Transcultural Lenses on South Asia Seminar Series: Tayyab Panel Discussion: Is Intolerance Islam symposium Mahmud, Seattle University on the Rise in India? School of Law 20132014South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia20142014 Institute Newsletter 12 In Honor of Professor Gail Minault By Aarti Bhalodia and Amber Abbas

Gail Minault, Professor of History, literary studies experts on Asia and the Middle East. retired in August 2014. Minault came to Austin in 1972 Under her guidance graduate students have researched and spent forty-two years at the University of Texas. and published on diverse topics such as social reform, She received her B.A. in History from Smith College in education, environmental history, intellectual history of 1961. She then joined the U.S. Foreign Service and was Indian Islam, and many more. Her current and former posted with the American Embassies in Beirut, Lebanon students remember Minault as a mentor who encouraged and Dacca, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Time spent them to pursue a topic of their interest with her in South Asia and the Middle East ignited a long term willingness to supervise work of a broad nature. For over interest in studying the history and culture of those four decades she has taught courses on Indian history, regions. Minault went on to earn her M.A. and Ph.D. Islam in South Asia, and women in Asia, thereby sharing in South Asia Regional Studies from the University of her knowledge and appreciation for the region with Pennsylvania in 1966 and 1972. generations of young minds. During her time at UT, Minault authored numerous books and various Gail Minault’s profession in History articles, and went is nearly as exciting as her personal history, as many of on to become one of her students learned as she opened each new semester the most prominent with the high points of her biography. Even before she historians of South joined the Foreign Service, even before her adventures Asia. Her first in Beirut, Afghanistan and East Pakistan in the early book, The Khilafat 60s, even before she began her Ph.D. at the University Movement: Religious of Pennsylvania, it seems she was destined for a life of Symbolism and Political scholarship and adventure. She was raised surrounded Mobilization in India by teachers and students: her father taught French in a (1982), remains college, an all-boys prep school and a summer camp. Her of importance for family’s heritage spanned the continents: her mother’s students of modern family was Scottish, her father’s French, but for three South Asian history for generations they had been world travelers, and these an understanding of experiences shaped her worldview and ambition. Her the role of religion in linguistic training began in French, but she added Italian, the creation of a pan- Arabic, Bengali; it was ultimately the Urdu-Hindi- Indian political movement. Secluded Scholars: Women’s Persian nexus that she acquired starting in graduate Education and Muslim Reform in Colonial India (1997) is school that defined her professional work. This fluency a must read for all interested in nineteenth and twentieth in language opened the world up to her, and through century intellectual and social history. Her latest work, her, to her many students whose research has ranged Gender, Language and Learning: Essays in Indo-Muslim from intellectual history, to gender history to history of Cultural History (2009), is a collection of essays on education to diplomatic history to histories of political reform, education, and family law during the colonial era. movements to studies of borders and of poets, traders Minault has mentored students across various and kings, Mughals and Generals, women and children, disciplines and regional focus, including historians Muslims and Hindus all across the Indian subcontinent, of South Asia and the British Empire, religion and and even sometimes the Middle East. Her colleagues the

1: 20: 27: Buddhism’s Boundaries: A Talk by US Ambassador to South Asia Seminar Series: conference Bangladesh, Dan Mozena Alexander Evans, United Nations; Gateway to the Orient: Talk by Dr. Shelley Lee

M A R C H

15: 21: SXSW Sho:wcase Ašoka and the Beginning of the Underbaby Maháyána: Talk by Jens Braavig, University of Oslo 201413 South Asia Institute Newsletter 2014 Fall 2014 world over know her as a scholar and a fellow traveler; to use with my students. It is great to be immersed in at Texas she could always be found in the second row at content for World Cultures and to attend an in-service the weekly South Asia Seminar; her students know her as that is specific to my content area. I hope to attend more a dedicated teacher and guide. She has commanded the sessions like this!” Another educator from Harlandale respect of thousands of undergraduates (I once overheard said “Everything was wonderful! This is only my second an undergrad tell his friend, “She knows everything!”), year teaching and it’s my 1st time in 6th grade so I am and supervised dozens of graduate students. Many of us hungry for any and all resources. I especially enjoyed the found, when in India or Pakistan, that merely mentioning materials and information her name would get us invited in for tea, conversation, on world religions and research support. The University of Texas has been holidays. Who doesn’t like lucky to have a scholar of her erudition and dedication holidays? I also plan to use on its faculty since 1972, and, if we can look to history currency to gain student’s to understand the future, I expect her retirement to be interest. I love tactile another great adventure. learning! I can build off of what I already know with hands-on activities to keep them motivated.” Through these four Hemispheres’ events SAI worked directly with 83 additional 6th grade World Cultures teachers. A special highlight of the year was bringing a group of 12 teachers to India over Spring Break. SAI worked with the non-profit Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO). Teacher travellers completed more than 40 hours of professional development contact hours through an itinerary designed to maximize learning through personal exploration, guided tours and lectures on the subjects of history, culture, education and the environment. The seven-day trip focused on the popular “Golden Triangle” circuit with stops in Delhi, Agra and continued from page 10 Jaipur. Highlights for educators included learning about At the end of the presentation, teachers broke into the Moghul period in Indian History with trips to the groups and completed activities they could adapt or Jama Masjid, the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatepur Sikri. re-use in their classrooms. Through Hemispheres, Teachers also appreciated learning firsthand about the the international outreach consortium at UT, SAI religious plurality and diversity of contemporary India collaborated on three additional training events on by going to mosques, gurudwaras and temples. Trips to “Bringing the World to your Classroom: Resources schools in Rajasthani villages and the Salam Balaak Trust, and Strategies for 6th Grade” as part of professional a non-governmental organization that provides support development days in collaboration with Harlandale ISD, for street and working children in New Delhi, provided held at Terrell Wells Middle School in San Antonio, and opportunities for teachers to think about the needs and Plano ISDs at Plano West High School (both in mid- concerns of children and the educational system in India. August), as well as the Texas Education Agency Education SAI continues to work with trip participants to share Service Center for Region 13 (in Austin in May). Teachers what they learned with their students through GEEO’s who attended these events were very enthusiastic. One education travel program. teacher from Region 13 commented “the training was very informative and helpful. I received a lot of ideas

4: 7: 17: 23: 26: Interdisciplinary Graduate Journeys in Urdu Seminar South Asia Seminar Series: The Copper Plates from Music and Dances of India Student Conference on Series Cabeiri Robinson, University Kollam: Talk and Exhibition Festival Religions of Washington

A P R I L

24: 5: 10: 22: ‘Fandry’ movie screening and discussion with The Ultimate Frisbee Tournament South Asia Seminar Series: Anthropocene in the Longue filmmaker Nagraj Manjule; Zahid Hussain, author and Duree workshop Roundtable Discussion: Censorship vs. Freedom journalist of Expression 2014South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia2014 Institute Newsletter 14 were well-attended and the students appeared respectful Austin to Karachi: and appreciative. Sometimes it was difficult to gauge their A Melodious Journey understanding of what I taught and I wish I had more time to apply the theoretical concepts I introduced in It may be a cliché to say that music transcends practical performance. But I think all students found the borders, but being part of a musical performance that lectures useful and helpful. I also enjoyed practicing on defies both artistic and political boundaries is probably the NAPA roof in the mornings. a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for most musicians. I had In between these lectures on August 14, I this unique opportunity this year when I, an American participated with the saxophone in an enthralling musical national, was invited to participate in Pakistan’s concert at NAPA to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day, Independence Day celebrations. titled ‘Jashn Ka Din’ or ‘Day of Celebration.’ I performed It all happened because of a three-year partnership ‘Sohni Dharti,’ a Pakistani composition, followed by initiated between UT’s Butler School of Music (BSM), alto saxophonist Arthut Blythe’s ‘Odessa.’ Ustad Nafees where I teach, and the National Academy of Performing Ahmed Khan, who heads NAPA’s music department, Arts (NAPA) in Karachi. We work with a group of young accompanied me on the sitar and we later collaborated musicians from NAPA every semester under the program, on a rendition of the ‘Raag Kalavati.’ Arsalan Pervez, and NAPA hosts some UT faculty members afterwards. I one of the NAPA graduates who visited BSM during the was fortunate to be one of them this year. Spring semester, performed his own composition at the During my visit to NAPA in August, I held a three- concert—aptly titled ‘Karachi to Austin.’ day workshop for its faculty and students. Although I The event was very well received in the local received some suggestions on what I should teach, I was musical community. Commenting on the concert, Dawn, given plenty of space to focus on what I thought would Pakistan’s biggest English-language newspaper, wrote: serve the students best. The two lectures on the first day, “NAPA, in partnership with The Butler School of Music, August 11, dealt with pentatonics and the history of blues. University of Texas, has encouraged cultural exchanges… The next day I lectured on quartal harmony and triad The evening was a rare treat that focused a lot on fusion pairs and finally, on August 15, on the performance of music and pushed the boundaries of conventions of arrangements. music, with multiple instruments working together in The workshop was quite successful. The lectures h ar m ony.” I also managed to spend some time taking in the sights and sounds of Karachi, an extremely beautiful and well-developed city. Security restrictions greatly limited my travel and security briefings sometimes made it difficult for me to relax. It is unfortunate that the political situation makes these measures appear necessary. But friends made it a point to take me out to dinner and to the markets as often as our busy schedules would allow. I felt it was an honor and a privilege for me to be a part of the exchange program. If I had one complaint, it was that I couldn’t spend more time than I did working with NAPA’s faculty and students and exploring the city of Karachi. I can only hope that I will visit again someday. By Lee Redfield

18 13: Screening of documentary Talk by Swami Prasannatmananda, ‘Gulabibang’ and Q&A with Assistant Minister, Vedanta Society director Nishtha Jain of Berkeley

M A Y / J U L Y

201415 South Asia Institute Newsletter Fall 2014 The partnership between National Academy students for the final exams. The professors also helped us of Performing Arts (NAPA), Karachi, Pakistan and individually during their office hours. They also helped us University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music in making courses. Now we have a better understanding (BSM) came as a fresh wave of hope for the faculty and of music and its pedagogy thanks to the professors. students at NAPA, who were anxious to learn, collaborate We found musicians at BSOM with whom we and explore the infinite possibilities that music itself collaborated. They rehearsed with us, notated our original provides. songs and played with us at SAI’s annual reception and at Ahsan Shabbir (Junior faculty / Coordinator at Sahara Lounge. Our Pakistani friends in Austin welcomed NAPA), Arsalan Pareyal (Junior Faculty at NAPA), us all graciously. Nigel Bobby (3rd year Vocal student at NAPA) and Hafi Arsalan composed an original composition “Karachi Mustafa (3rd year Vocal student at NAPA) formed the to Austin” and with Nigel collaborated with musicians at first group of exchange visitors to audit and observe Sahara Lounge. Together they made four new tracks that various classes of the Spring 2014 semester at UT’s Butler will feature on an album produced by Ibrahim, the owner School of Music. of Sahara Lounge. Nigel also performed with the UT Each of us was provided with a mentor at the Butler Men’s Chorus at Bates Recital Hall and in a San Antonio School who guided us throughout the semester and Church. provided any necessary help that was needed. South Asia Hafi took Recording class with Gary Powell and also Institute facilitated in many ways to build connections toured a music school in Miami, meeting with professors between the mentors and us, they made sure that we had to discuss curriculum development for NAPA. all the necessities available. Ahsan conducted a lecture/recital at UT Recital We got to learn a lot from professors at Hall, rewriting a traditional Raag by harmonizing it. He Butler School of Music, from the way they visited Moore’s School of Music at University of Houston prepare lessons, to how they gradually prepare and Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He got recommendations from BSM senior professors like Dr. Grantham, and he attended Orchestration and Instrumentation, Beginning Composition and Music theory classes at UT BSOM. The SAI staff really helped us all the way from Karachi to Austin and made sure that we got through the process smoothly. They provided all the necessary support and created a friendly atmosphere. By Muhammad Ahsan Shabbir

Charlie Wilson Chair in Pakistan Studies Hosts Reception and Screening with Filmmaker Sadia Shepard On September 18th, writer and artist Samina Quraeshi.. national women’s cricket team–and the Wilson Chair in Pakistan The film, a group of seven short films more generally, of the country’s Studies, together with the Dean that follows the stories of women culture and politics. Andreas of the College, the Department of and girls in contemporary Pakistan, Burgess, the cinematographer, also Government, the South Asia Institute premiered in 2012 at the Margaret participated. On the same day, the and the Schusterman Center for Mead Film Festival. After showing Schusterman Center hosted a showing Jewish Studies welcomed award- the film, Ms. Shepard, with Professor of Ms. Shepard’s “In Search of the winning filmmaker Sadia Shepard Paula Newberg (Wilson Chair Fellow) Bene Israel,” a film she produced to Austin for a one-day residency engaged the audience of University and directed about the 2000 year old at the University. To help celebrate and community members in a robust Jewish community on India’s west the University’s Wilson Chair, Ms. discussion of the film’s finely honed coast from which Ms. Shepard is Shepard screened “The Other Half of portraits – ranging from rural women descended. Tomorrow”, which she produced and confronting religious prejudice to By Paula Newberg co-directed with her mother, the late young urban entreprenuers to the South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia Institute Newsletter 16 UT-FJWU Partnership Exchange - Fall 2013

Visiting Scholar: Adeela Rehman (Gender Studies) Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sharmila Rudrappa (Sociology)

UT Courses Attended: • “Gender, Health and Society” by Professor Jacqueline Angel in Department of Women and Gender Studies • “Human Fertility” by Professor Joseph Potter in Department of Sociology • “Anthropological Theory” by Dr. Kamran Ali in Department of Anthropology New and Revised FJWU Courses: • Gender and Sports • Women in Folk and Popular Culture of Pakistan • Technical and Creative Writing

Reflection on visit: “The four-month program for young faculty members of higher education institutions in Pakistan is one of the milestones toward building international networks for achieving high- quality education in Pakistan. It was my immense pleasure and prestige to be a part of this program. I attended a number of courses, seminars, lectures and conferences during my stay at UT, as well as met many intellectuals from different parts of the world. The graduate courses that I attended expanded my knowledge and skills and were designed to generate curiosity and interest among the students. The reading materials, teaching strategies, learning resources and compatibility of modules were specialized to effectively meet learning outcomes of the course and to situate true learning in ourselves. It was also my immense pleasure to have Dr. Sharmila Rudrappa as my mentor. She was very professional and experienced in her field. I am very thankful to her for providing me the chance to work under her kind supervision and extend her valuable help and encouragement to complete my tasks. I would like to express my hearty gratitude for her outstanding guidance.” Reflections on the FJWU Exchange

Although I am not a specialist on South assumptions that frame US media coverage, I looked Asia, I have become very fond of the region during forward to getting Sarah’s Pakistani perspective on four previous trips to India and Pakistan over the past such a crucial issue. Because she had methodological decade. Through relationships with journalists and questions that went beyond my expertise, I enlisted academics there, I have been shedding stereotypes and colleagues in Communication Studies, Radio-TV- learning about the complexity of the subcontinent. So, Film, and Journalism (all part of the UT College of when Kamran Ali inquired about my interest in a South Communication) to help out. In various groupings, Asia Institute-sponsored exchange program with Fatima Sarah and I shared lunch and conversation with these Jinnah Women University (FJWU), I answered “yes” professors, who followed up with additional help. Then, before he could finish his pitch. in what seemed like I was matched with Sarah Akhtar Hashmi, a the blink of an eye, lecturer in the Communication and Media Department, it was December and one of the four FJWU instructors in residence at UT I was sitting in the for Fall 2013. Our correspondence started over email SAI conference room before the semester as we sorted out the various research for the FJWU faculty projects Sarah had been developing. For her focus members’ final while at UT, she settled on a study of Islamophobia presentation. It was in Western newspapers. As a critic of the ideological sad to see them go.

17 South Asia Institute Newsletter Fall 2014

UT-FJWU Partnership Exchange - Spring 2014 Visiting Scholar: Muhammad Ali Rana, (Communications) Faculty Mentor: Dr. Karin Wilkins (Radio-Television-Film)

UT Courses Attended: • “Politics and Internet” by Professor Jennifer Brundidge in Department of Radio-Television-Film • “Sports Journalism and Feature Writing” by Senior Lecturer Kevin Robbins in School of Journalism New and Revised FJWU Courses: • Media and Social Change • Sports Journalism • Documentary Production Techniques • Communication and Technologies Reflection on visit: “To visit UT as exchange scholar was a great learning experience. Knowledge comes from diversity, and that was one thing this place has in abundance. Me and my other colleagues experienced instruction in a very different learning environment. We acquired exposure to the best teaching techniques, and had access to the latest materials for research. My colleagues and I used the UT library system frequently during our stay. The virtually endless resources available to students are unique for enhancing creativity, critical thinking, and diversified exposure. We not only developed and modified courses but also attended workshops and seminars. We all got the opportunity to work under seasoned and widely experienced mentors. They listened to our ideas carefully and helped us implement them in the form of research and course development. I was very lucky to work under Professor Karin Wilkins. She was very welcoming to all my new ideas and very generous to guide me in materializing those ideas. The Radio-Television-Film (RTF) School and Radio Kutx 98.8 also broadened my perspective and provided new ideas for my institute and students. I am very impressed with the teaching methodology of Senior Lecturer Mr. Kevin Robinson and Professor Jennifer Brundidge. Both inspired me in various ways and this inspiration will definitely help me to enhance my pedagogical skill one step further.” Reflections on the FJWU Exchange

But for me the best part of the program was the public understand and evaluate press freedom, and coming up—the trip to FJWU in January. For five days, what conceptions of freedom are most appropriate for I led a two-hour mini-course on freedom, media and Pakistan. politics with a dozen FJWU students. Each day, we I learned quickly I didn’t need to give long lectures; focused on a different aspect of the subject. We began the students jumped in with provocative questions and by looking at how philosophers have understood the insightful observations. When not in the classroom, I idea of freedom through centuries, beginning with met with other faculty and administrators, including a John Stuart Mill and his classic On Liberty. The next lively exchange on globalization with Dr. Naheed Zia day, we discussed the arguments for and challenges to Khan, an economics professor. The highlight of the visit the realization of basic freedoms—such as freedom of was on my final day, when Sarah and I met with Dr. speech, press, assembly, and association—in different Khan for farewells. In that meeting, Dr. Khan let me systems of modern representative governance. On the know that in addition to her talents in the classroom, third day, we talked about the best way to organize an Sarah was an exceptional singer, and I had a private economy to maximize human freedom. The last two concert in which Sarah demonstrated how accurate days focused on freedom as it relates to journalism, Dr. Khan was. My positive memories of FJWU had a especially in Pakistan. We looked at the pros and cons of soundtrack. different models of journalistic practice and institutional By Robert Jensen structures, how governments, corporations, military and

South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia Institute Newsletter 18 2013 Texas Asia Conference By Hillary Langberg

The 2013 Texas Asia Film), Sheela Jane Menon (English); Comparative Literature. Conference (TAC), a biennial UT- and Mung Ting Chung, Andrea This support allowed conference Austin Department of Asian Studies Gutierrez, and Erin Newton (Asian planners to provide panelists and Graduate Student Conference, was Studies). Our faculty keynote speaker faculty speakers with various forms held on November 1-2 in the new on East Asia, Professor Daniel of hospitality including delicious Student Activity Center. It featured Stevenson, Chair of the Dept. of catered lunches from Al Borz and two faculty keynote speakers and Religious Studies at the University Thai Spice as well as two very special 30 graduate student participants of Kansas, Lawrence, presented a evening events: a buffet dinner for from three continents, including riveting panelists, faculty, and University of Oslo, Norway; Shanghai paper, “The volunteers at Clay Pit University, China; and various US Essentials Indian Restaurant as campuses. Coordinated by and for of the Eight well as a wine and graduate students, the Texas Asia Sects of the cheese reception Conference provides a dynamic Japanese at Professor Janice forum for original research from Monk Leoshko’s home across traditional academic divisions Gyōnen at the close of the of Asia. The goal of the conference (1240- conference. We is to encourage transregional, 1321) and sincerely thank all transtemporal, and interdisciplinary Modernist of our sponsors, dialogues in the study of Asia, and the Chinese Remappings of Buddhism panelists, keynote speakers, and 2013 conference was no exception: as a ‘World Religion.’” Finally, volunteers. Special thanks to the staff eight panels integrated student papers Department of Asian Studies of the South Asia Institute and the from a variety of fields and areas. Professor Emeritus Dr. Patrick UT Department of Asian Studies, The theme, Tradition and Transition, Olivelle closed Day 2 of the particularly Jeannie Cortez and explored various definitions of and conference with his keynote speech, Saleha Parvaiz, for all of their efforts approaches to the term “tradition” “On Fakes and Forgeries: Grafting in making this conference a success, as well as the ways in which change New Scions onto Old Stock.” as well as to Professor Janice Leoshko has been enacted and negotiated In addition to the high quality for her generosity. We also wish to within and across traditions. The of the panelists’ presentations, the thank Professor Ute Hüsken and panelists addressed a wide range of success of the 2013 conference was Professor Oliver Freiberger for their issues including diasporic identity, due to the graduate students from truly visionary work in establishing colonialism and post-colonial several departments who volunteered the ongoing Academic and Scientific capitalist culture, tourism and to help with the event. Further, Cooperation and Exchange nationalism, art history, broadcast the 2013 TAC planning committee Agreement between UT-Austin and media and film, Hindu and Buddhist co-chairs, Vibha Shetiya, Kathleen the University of Oslo that so enriches religious traditions, and poetic Longwaters, and Hillary Langberg the Texas Asia Conference experience literature. coordinated all of the details of the by bringing conference presenters A number of UT graduate event and raised all funding for the from Oslo to UT (and vice-versa). students presented papers, including conference. We received generous Based on the fabulous success of Roanne Cantor (Comparative financial and practical support from last year’s conference, the next Texas Literature); Tupur Chatterjee and South Asia Institute as well as the Asia Conference, set to take place Kyung Sun Lee (Radio-Television- Department of Asian Studies, Center in 2015, promises to carry on the for East Asian Studies, China tradition of creating a productive and Endowment, Mitsubishi Japan fruitful forum for graduate students Studies Endowment, POSCO to present and discuss their original Korean Studies Endowment, research on Asia at UT Austin. Any Chao Center for Asian Studies Asian Studies graduate students at Rice University, UT-Austin interested in co-chairing next year’s College of Liberal Arts, UT- event should contact Jennifer Tipton Austin Department of History, at [email protected]. and UT-Austin Department of

19 South Asia Institute Newsletter Fall 2014 SAI collaborates with Huston-Tillotson to teach Religions of India

This year I was very statement. This was a different kind of others that they had previously lucky to be a part of South Asia of teaching environment than I am thought were very foreign. Many Institute’s collaboration with Huston- used to and it was a great learning students, for example, had not Tillotson University. HT, which lies experience for me as well. previously considered the shared just across I-35 from the University SAI made many resources history of the Abrahamic religions of Texas, is the oldest university in available to me for this course and I in terms of texts, beliefs, practices, Austin (founded in 1881), offers four- think the students benefitted from and sacred geography. Also, students year degrees in a variety of disciplines, this immensely. We borrowed a were familiar with certain aspects and is also one of the country’s 106 number of books, some film clips, and of Christian belief at the start of Historically Black Colleges and also a number of cultural trunks with the course, but were interested to Universities. various artifacts from Pakistan, India, learn more about the history of this As part of its mission to Tibet, and Bangladesh. When SAI religion, about the formation of the provide resources on South Asia to participated in Explore UT, we had Bible, and about Catholicism and the the greater Austin community, SAI the opportunity to bring the students Protestant Reformation in particular. offers yearly funding for a course on of UT and HT together for some All students identified as Christian South Asia taught at HT. The content volunteerism and fun. A number and liked learning about some of the of the course and the department in of my students showed up to help historical developments that often which it is offered varies according kids make Tibetan prayer flags and get glossed over or ignored in church to the needs of HT and the teaching also stayed late to help the Eurasian services. Additionally, considering competencies of the hired instructor. studies folks take down their yurt. concepts like atman in comparison Luckily for me, HT was interested Since the students responded with soul, for example, or the concept in having a course offered through really well to the course, I was offered of rebirth in samsara in comparison its Religion department and so I was another adjunct position teaching with the idea of rebirth in heaven, hired to teach Religions of India for their Adult Degree Program. In this gave students the opportunity to the Spring 2014 semester. intensive evening program, students reflect on how humans have answered This was an introductory class have five-week courses and take one questions of ultimate concern in in which we covered Hinduism, class at a time for four hours each varying ways over the course of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and week, with an additional four hours of history. Sikhism. A few of my students had group work outside of class. I taught This unique collaboration learned a little about Islam in previous a course on Comparative Religion, between SAI and HT has helped me courses and one student was familiar covering approaches to the study gain invaluable teaching experience with some basic tenets of Buddhism. of religious diversity, Hinduism, and has made it possible for students But like most undergraduate students Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and at HT to have access to courses that who come directly out of the US Islam. It was quite a challenge, for are otherwise not available to them. public school system, they had very both the students and myself, to cover Hopefully we can continue to grow little exposure to Asian religions or so much material over the course this program in the future. religion as an academic subject. Much of five weeks, but it was an exciting By Amy Hyne of the course material was new to challenge and we had them, although many of the practices, fun with it. beliefs, and key figures associated with Perhaps one of the religions covered resonated with the most rewarding the students. Many of them constantly aspects of teaching compared the new traditions about this course was which they were learning to their own seeing how the religious and ethical foundations. students began to This is a practice encouraged at see and understand HT, a church-affiliated university, the similarities as fostering spiritual and ethical between their own development is a part of its mission traditions and those

South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia Institute Newsletter 20 Archival project to digitize Balochistan manuscripts

South Asia Institute is helping catalog, A collaboration between scholars, the staff of the digitize and make publicly available rare and endangered Balochistan Archives and the University of Texas at manuscripts from the Pakistani province of Balochistan, Austin Libraries will create catalogues of and strategies especially those that are written in native languages for digitally preserving these materials for dissemination such as Balochi, Pashto and Persian. In collaboration to the broader scholarly community. Noted Balochistan with Quetta-based Balochistan Archives and the British scholars such as Dr. Abdul Rehman Brahui, Prof. (retd) Library, SAI has embarked on a pilot project that also aims Siyal Kakar, Prof. Aziz Mengal, and Dr. Abdul Rauf to preserve these manuscripts and train local archival staff Rafiqi have been contacted to help identify collections in professional digitizing protocols. of manuscripts in Persian and other languages. As most Balochistan is the largest of Pakistan’s four provinces, individuals and families are unwilling to permanently part located at the intersection of South Asia, Central Asia, with their family heirlooms, an alternative to acquiring and the Middle East. As a cultural crossroads, it is rich in manuscripts is borrowing and digitizing these documents antiquities, archaeological sites, and historical archives. for wider dissemination – a form of “post-custodial Contemporary historical research on Balochistan relies archiving” of which the UT Libraries have extensive heavily on manuscripts and printed materials in English experience. that were written by colonial officials and reflect the The first phase will consist of creating a detailed priorities and concerns of the British Raj and colonial catalog of holdings of rare manuscripts residing with bureaucracy. These sources are largely silent on the pre- individuals and families in different parts of Balochistan. colonial history and cultural formations of Balochistan Through the assistance of the Balochistan Archives and and its neighboring regions. Anti-colonial movements its director, Hafeez Jamali, SAI has obtained hand-lists of that used local languages, either in written or oral form, manuscripts that are in possession of some notable private become invisible in the official archives. collectors and bibliophiles. Using these hand-lists as well The pilot project seeks to address this situation as field reports, it plans to verify holdings and to create by identifying, documenting and preserving historical formal metadata records for the manuscripts resulting in source materials in native languages. The vast majority an online, publicly accessible catalog that will be made of these source materials are in the form of handwritten available through the websites of the British Library, the manuscripts held by individuals or families in Balochistan. Balochistan Archive and the University of Texas. These include histories (Tawarikh), exegetical texts Alongside, SAI will train archival staff in Balochistan (Shariah and Tafasir), proclamations (Sanads/ Farmans), on international standards for digitally capturing and letters (Maktubat). These are extremely vulnerable manuscripts in the field rather than moving them and perishable documents and they may be lost forever temporarily for digitization and preservation work. All if timely intervention is not made for identification and images created through this process will be transferred to preservation. servers at the Balochistan Archives in Quetta and shared with the British Library and the University of Texas. SAGAR – Call for Papers

SAGAR: A South Asia Research Journal publishes innovative academic writing in the humanities and social sciences of South Asia, as well as critical translations of texts from South Asian languages to English. It was established in 1993 and is published annually by The South Asia Institute at the University of Texas at Austin. Two years ago, we transitioned to a peer-reviewed evaluation process for our annual print volumes.

We are now accepting full-length research articles and translations for our next print volume, to be published in Spring 2015. The deadline for submission is November 25, 2014. Submissions for our print issue are blindly evaluated by an editorial board of advanced scholars in the field.

Beginning with this volume, SAGAR will also be listed on EBSCO databases, which are used for academic research by tens of thousands of institutions worldwide. This will substantially enhance the visibility of articles published in the journal.

21 South Asia Institute Newsletter Fall 2014

Besides our annual print volume, we also publish online essays all through the year. Online essays are blindly evaluated by an editorial collective of UT graduate students in consultation with our faculty board. The editorial collective coordinates all submissions.

Manuscripts are expected to follow the 16th edition of Seminar Series: Fall 2014 the Chicago Manual of Style. Full citation information Southern Asia has witnessed millennia of royal should be included in footnotes. The entire articles, rule. Refined and elaborate codes of behavior, norms including block quotations and notes, should be double- of dress and styles of artistic production flourished in spaced. Please remove any identifying information so that these times. The British empire was fascinated by these submission is suitable for anonymous review. and both drew upon and added to them in extravagant rituals of power. It is not surprising that even the Submission types: republican regimes that succeeded imperial rule in the subcontinent have retained many elements of the (1) Full-length research articles: These should be between Darbar tradition. This seminar series explores various 8,000 and 10,000 words and should include a one- aspects of the latter. paragraph abstract. - Sumit Guha

(2) Original translations: These should be between South Asia Instit�te ~ Fall 2014 Seminar Series 3,000 and 6,000 words, preceded by a 1,300-1,600-word Darbar: The Cour�ly St�le in South Asian Life 9/18 Ramya Sreenivasan, University of Pennsylvania introduction that contextualizes the text or excerpt. Please 3:30-5:30p Households and Courts in Northern India, c. 1350 – 1550 Allison Busch, Columbia University send a scanned copy of the original source text along with History Off Center: The Mughal Empire from the Hindi Periphery 10/2 Janice Leoshko, UT Austin your submission. If your submission is accepted, you will 3:30-5p Codes of (Visual) Conduct and the Significance of Darbar Representations 10/9 Syed Akbar Hyder, UT Austin be asked to type the original source text for publication on 3:30-5p Contempt of Court in Perso-Urdu Memories 10/30 Richard Eaton, University of Arizona our website. 3:30-5:30p Dueling Gateways: Architectural warfare in 16th century Bijapur and Vijayanagara A. Azfar Moin, UT Austin From ‘Confessional Ambiguity’ to the ‘Imperial Shrines’ of Safavid Iran and Mughal India

11/6 Carla Petievich, UT Austin 3:30-5p From Court to Public Sphere: How Urdu Poetry’s Language of Romance (3) Online essays: Online essays should be 1,500 words Shaped the Language of Protest

11/13 S. Akbar Zaidi, Columbia University or less and should include citations. Submissions with 3:30-5p Still Feudal After All These Years? Pakistani Political Culture Today

11/20 Anastasia Piliavsky, Cambridge University images, video and/or audio are encouraged. 3:30-5p Elective Aristocracy, or Representative Democracy the Indian Way All seminars take place in the Meyerson Conference Room (WCH 4.118) with a reception preceding at 3pm. Convenor: Dr. Sumit Guha (4) Reviews of archives: Our archive reviews are published throughout the year. We encourage contributions from scholars who have recently consulted particular archives. Contributors should include information about archive holdings, accessibility and fees, working hours, duplication, and food and lodging.

Please submit electronic copies of papers saved as a Microsoft Word file and include a 150-word biography and publishable images with credits, where applicable.

Submissions of articles and translations received after South Asia Institute • voice: 512-471-3550 • fax: 512-471-3336 • [email protected] • http://www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/southasia November 25, 2014 will be considered for the following year’s issue of Sagar. Send all electronic manuscripts and questions to [email protected].

Saif Shahin and Jeff Wilson Co-editors, SAGAR [email protected] sagarjournal.org

South Asia Institute Newsletter South Asia Institute Newsletter 22 The University of Texas at Austin South Asia Institute 120 Inner Campus Drive, Stop G9300 Austin, TX 78712-0587 USA

Giving to the South Asia Institute We invite all individuals who are interested in South Asian Studies to support our institute. Our goal is to facilitate multidisciplinary education and research. Your tax-deductible gift to the South Asia Institute will help us fulfill a number of objectives, including: • Sponsoring special guest lecturers, conferences and symposia on campus • Creating student study abroad and summer internship opportunities • Funding graduate student fellowships • Supporting the South Asia Research Journal • Expanding the Institute’s public engagement Visit http://www.utexas.edu/cola/insts/southasia/Giving.php to donate online or return the donation card below.

Yes, I would like to contribute. Please find enclosed my Name on card: contribution of $______. Card number: I wish for my gift to go toward: ___ Faculty and Student Research Expiration Date: ____ /____ / ______Public Engagement ___ Language Programs Signature: ___ I have enclosed a check (payable to the The University of Texas at Austin) ___ I would like to receive the SAI eBulletin ___ Please charge my credit card: Email address: ___ Visa ___ Mastercard ___ American Express ___ Discover

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