UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

FACULTY OF ORIENTAL STUDIES

M.PHIL. IN MODERN SOUTH ASIAN STUDIES

HANDBOOK

2016-2017

1 CONTENTS

1. Course objectives 3

2. Teaching staff 4

3. Admission to the course 5

4. Structure of the course 6

5. Teaching and academic support 9

6. Examination and assessment 11

7. Library resources 12

8. Collections for the study of material culture 14

2 1. COURSE OBJECTIVES

The course aims:

(i) to provide intensive training in one or more of the languages of South Asia, and to develop reading skills to attain a research proficiency;

(ii) to develop an in-depth understanding of the histories, societies and cultures of South Asia and neighbouring regions and a broad expertise in the intellectual disciplines through which these may be studied;

(iii) to enable students to pursue particular areas of specialisation through a wide range of optional courses;

(iv) to foster skills in research, writing, analysis and interpretation, through a combination of lectures, tutorials, essay-writing and supervision of a thesis on a subject of the student’s choice.

In Year 1 of the course, students will take a Core Language Course, in one of the following languages: Elementary Hindi, Literary Hindi, Brajbhasha and Old Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian or Tibetan. In addition, students will take a Core Course, ‘Themes in the History and Culture of South Asia’, and two optional subjects chosen from the list on pp. 7-8.

In Year 2, students will continue with their Core Language Course, and choose in addition a third optional subject. The main focus of this second year will be the preparation of a 20,000 word dissertation.

The programme is designed either to be taken in preparation for doctoral work, or to offer a terminal degree in preparation for professional work in which knowledge of the societies and languages of South Asia and their associated intellectual disciplines may be an advantage.

3 2. TEACHING STAFF

Course Director Prof. Polly O'Hanlon The Oriental Institute Pusey Lane, Oxford OX1 2LE Tel. 01865 288215 Email: [email protected]

Language Teaching staff in the Faculty of Oriental Studies Professor Edmund Herzig Soudavar Professor in Persian Mr Sahba Shayani Language Teaching Officer in Persian Dr Dominic Brookshaw Associate Professor of Persian Dr Imre Bangha Associate Professor of Hindi Dr Ulrike Roesler Associate Professor of Tibetan Dr James Benson Associate Professor of Sanskrit Professor Christopher Minkowski Boden Professor of Sanskrit

Additional Hindi Teaching Mrs Kalpana Pant

4 3. ADMISSION TO THE COURSE

(i) Competition for places on graduate courses in Oxford, and for membership of Colleges, is strong. Applicants are therefore advised to apply as early as possible. For admissions deadlines, please consult the Faculty’s admissions website. (ii) It is expected that applicants to this course will come from a wide range of academic backgrounds. Normally, applicants will be expected to have a good honours degree in a humanities or social science subject (an upper second or above) or an equivalent degree from an overseas university, together with excellent academic references. Previous experience in a South Asian language is not essential, but applicants will be expected to be able to demonstrate strong experience and aptitude in language learning in other languages. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the course directors if they are uncertain as to whether their previous experience is appropriate to the course.

(iii) Applicants are also asked to submit with their application two recent samples of their written work.

Application Materials and further information on applications for admission are available from the University Graduate Admissions Office or its website:

Graduate Admissions Office University of Oxford Wellington Square Oxford OX1 2JD http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/

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4. STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE

Overview1

In the first term, students will begin intensive language learning, and in addition attend a weekly seminar for the Core Course, ‘Themes in the History and Culture of South Asia’. These seminars will involve both reading preparation and written assignments.

In the second term, students will continue intensive language learning. Weekly seminars for the Core Course will continue up until the fourth week of the term. In this term, students will take the first of their three Optional Subjects.

In the third term, students will continue intensive language learning, will take the second of their three Optional Subjects, and will decide on the topic for the second year thesis, in consultation with supervisors. At the end of this term, students will sit the Qualifying Examination in their core language and in the Core Course.

During the summer, students will be expected to continue with their language learning, and where possible to conduct some of the primary research towards the thesis and to consolidate their language skills in India.

In the fourth term, students will continue language learning, and will take the third of their three Optional Subjects.

In the fifth term, students will focus on the writing of the thesis. Towards the end of this term, all students will make a preliminary 20 minute presentation of their thesis topic to the weekly seminar in the History of South Asia held at St Antony’s College.

In the sixth term, students will submit the thesis in the second week of the term, and then spend the remainder of the term preparing for the final examinations.

Students are in addition expected to attend the weekly seminar in the History of South Asia, held on Tuesdays at 2.00pm during Full Term in St Antony’s College.

YEAR 1

1. Core Language Course2 Teaching: through small classes. Course Teacher: Dr Imre Bangha and others

1 There may be minor changes in this schedule where the teaching of the Optional Subjects is concerned. Formal teaching for some Optional Subjects may extend over more than one term. 2 To be chosen from the following: Elementary Hindi, Literary Hindi, Brajbhasha and Old Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan as mentioned on p. 3. Students taking Hindi will be assigned to the elementary or the advanced course after consultation with Dr Bangha.

6 Assessment: Qualifying examination at the end of the third term, and final written examination at the end of Year 2.

2. Core Course: Themes in the History and Culture of South Asia Teaching: lectures/seminars and tutorials Course teachers: Prof Polly O'Hanlon and Dr Faisal Devj (Faculty of History). Assessment: three hour written examination at the end of the third term.

3. Optional Subjects 1 and 2: topics selected from the list on p. 8 Teaching: lectures/seminars and tutorials

Assessment: two submitted essays of 5000 words each, or a three-hour examination at the end of Year 2, as specified by the course tutor.

4. Thesis. All students are required to submit a thesis of no more than 20,000 words on a subject approved by the Faculty Board. The thesis should be based on extensive research in primary and secondary sources and include a full scholarly apparatus of references and bibliography.

Research and writing for the thesis is carried out over the second year, but the title needs to be approved by the Faculty Board, and should be submitted, via the Graduate Administrator, to the Faculty Board by the Monday of noughth week of the second (Hilary) term in Year 2.

YEAR 2

1. Optional Subject 3, topic selected from the list on p. 8 Teaching: lectures/seminars and tutorials

Assessment: Two submitted essays of 5000 words each, or a three hour examination, as specified by the course tutor.

2. Core Language Courses (continued)

Assessment: written examination at the end of Year 2.

3. Thesis. The main focus of the second year will be the preparation of the thesis, to be submitted in third term of Year 2. The thesis must be submitted to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, by 12 noon on the Friday of Second Week of the third (Trinity) term in Year 2.

OPTIONAL SUBJECTS3

(i) Brajbhasha and Old Hindi *

3 Courses are subject to availability.

7 (ii) Modern Hindi Texts* (iii) Urdu Literary Texts* (iv) History and Civilisation of Tibet and the Himalayas (From MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies) (v) The Social Anthropology of a Selected Region: South Asia (From MPhil in Social Anthropology, Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology) (vi) Societies and Economies in India, 1600-1800 (vii) Islamic History in South Asia (viii) Scientific knowledge systems and their history in India (ix) History and Politics of South Asia (set by MPhil in Politics, Department of Politics and International Relations) (x) Gender and Society in India, c. 1800 to the present. (xi) Approaches to the History of Hinduism in India (xii) Gender and Experience in Hindi Literature (xiii) Material and Visual Culture of South Asia (xiv) Any other subject approved by the Faculty Board

Courses marked with an asterisk are assessed by three-hour examination at the end of the second year. Others may be assessed either by three-hour examination at the end of the second year, or on the basis of two essays of not more than 5,000 words each, excluding footnotes and references, on topics selected by the candidate from a list offered by the course tutor. The essays must be submitted to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, by 12 noon on the Friday of Noughth Week of the term following that in which formal teaching for the Optional Subject is completed. The list of essay topics will be issued from the Oriental Studies Faculty Office on the Friday of Eighth Week of the term in which the Optional Subject is taught, or, if formal teaching extends over more than one term, on the Friday of the week in which formal teaching is completed. Submitted essays will be marked as part of the final examinations at the end of Year 2.

Further courses may be offered by university academic staff.

In addition to these options, students may propose an option of their own choice not on this list. Students with skills in another South Asian language, for example, might wish to devise an option based on sources in that language. Alternatively, students may have an interest in a field not covered by this list, for which a significant body of literature exists. Students should consult with their University Supervisor on the feasibility of such a special subject, and will need to find a tutor willing to teach the option. University supervisors will suggest tutors for various subjects. All such special subjects need to be approved by the Faculty Board. Students should apply to the Faculty Board giving a full description of the special subject, the name of the tutor(s), and confirming their University Supervisor’s approval.

8 5. TEACHING AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT

Teaching for the M.Phil. in Modern South Asian Studies takes a variety of forms.

Tutorials are a distinctive part of graduate education in Oxford, and form an important element in the teaching for the M.Phil. Typically, the tutor is a member of the teaching staff who meets with students in the tutor’s office individually or in pairs for a teaching session of up to one hour’s duration. The student is required to present an essay based on a set of readings and an essay question arranged with the tutor in advance.

Classes are interactive groups in which a member of the teaching staff instructs between 3-12 students. Most language training is done in classes, where students initially take part in the elementary language classes developing their reading, writing and oral skills. Later, study takes the form of set text classes, where set texts are interpreted and discussed in their cultural and social context. Regular attendance and preparation are mandatory. All assignments are to be handed in to the instructor by the stipulated deadline.

Lectures are presented as part of the provision of different faculties and departments in the university. Some lecture courses will be of relevance to core parts of the MPhil, and some to particular Optional Subjects. Students will be given help in determining which lecture courses are most appropriate for their interests. Attendance is optional, and there are no required readings or assignments. However, students are strongly encouraged to attend all of the lectures in a series to broaden their general knowledge of the subject.

Seminars take two forms. Some are closer to classes, in the sense of being an interactive group with required attendance and assignments. Others may be more like lectures, in the sense of being open to the public and organised around a theme. What both forms share in common is that they are organised by a convenor and tend to bring a different speaker each week.

Two seminars in particular are relevant to this course: the South Asian History seminar held in St Antony’s College every Tuesday afternoon at 2 pm during full term, and the Contemporary South Asia seminar held in Queen Elizabeth House, Department of International Development, 3, Mansfield Road, Oxford, every Thursday afternoon at 2 pm during full term. Check the websites of these two institutions for any changes. You will derive maximum benefit from your course if you attend one or other of these seminars – depending on your interests – on a regular basis.

In addition to these teaching forms, two individuals play a central role during the course:

The University Supervisor offers overall academic advice and support, and each student is assigned a university supervisor before their arrival in Oxford. For this course, the University Supervisor is the Course Director, Professor Polly O’Hanlon. Students should discuss their choice of optional subjects and of the thesis topic with

9 their university supervisor, who is also responsible for helping students to arrange meetings with potential tutors. University supervisors follow students’ progress closely, obtain reports on their performance from their instructors at the end of each term, and are required to submit a brief report on their progress at the end of each term. Each student should meet with their supervisor before each term to discuss what the student is expected to accomplish, and should arrange a meeting at the end of the term for a progress report. Of course students are encouraged to meet with their university supervisor during the term as necessary. University supervisors are often required to sign forms for students, and are available to write references.

The Thesis Advisor is the member of academic staff best able to oversee the research and writing of the student’s chosen thesis topic. Students are advised to consult with their university supervisor and meet with a number of members of staff to discuss their interests before deciding on a topic and thesis supervisor. Students are entitled to eight tutorials with their thesis advisor on the research and writing of their thesis. Generally, thesis advisors read one draft of each chapter for comments and then read a completed draft of the thesis, with revisions incorporating the thesis supervisor’s comments. It is not reasonable to expect your thesis advisor to read several drafts of the same chapter.

10 6. EXAMINATION AND ASSESSMENT

Qualifying Examination (Year 1, end of third term)4 This examination is composed of two parts:

(i) Core Language Course. A three-hour written examination. This will be based on knowledge of the grammar, elementary reading comprehension, translation and, in the case of some languages, composition. The corpus of set texts for the course is published on Weblearn. Students will read and discuss some of these texts in class, and others through independent study. All of these texts will count as ‘seen’ texts in the examination. The use of a dictionary is not permitted in the examination. (In the case of Sanskrit, candidates will be required to sit two separate papers.)

(ii) Core Course: Themes in the History and Culture of South Asia A three-hour written examination.

Thus, the Qualifying Examination corresponds directly to the material covered in the first three terms of the course (excluding the optional courses). The examination serves to demonstrate the student’s ability to learn a language and to write essays – the two fundamental skills required by the course.

Final Examinations These examinations held at the end of Year 2 are composed of the following parts:

(iii) Core Language Course A three-hour written examination, based on knowledge of grammar, translation and reading comprehension. The use of a dictionary is not permitted. (For some language choices, candidates may be required to sit two papers).

(iv) Optional Subjects 1-3 Two submitted essays of 5000 words each, or a three hour examination, as specified by the course tutor.

(v) Thesis. A thesis of 20,000 words, inclusive of footnotes but exclusive of bibliography, to be submitted to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, not later than noon on Friday of the Second Week of the third (Trinity) term in Year 2.

The work must bear the candidate’s examination number (but not the candidate’s name). Candidates must include a signed declaration sealed in an envelope addressed to the Chair of Examiners that the work is the candidate’s own.

4 Students who fail the Qualifying Examination may at the discretion of the Faculty Board be allowed to retake at the end of the summer before the start of the second year. All students must ultimately pass the Qualifying Examination.

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Marking scheme The minimum pass mark for the M.Phil. Final Examination is 50% or above. This is the standard level of attainment required in a graduate course. Each of the 5 elements of the final examination are equally weighted in the marking scheme.

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7. LIBRARY RESOURCES

There are many library collections in Oxford containing materials that will be useful for students on the course.

(i) The Bodleian Libraries. Under this heading come most of Oxford’s libraries. See the main Bodleian website for further information: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. The main search engine for books, periodicals and online resources right across Oxford is the SOLO (Search Oxford Libraries Online) service, which can be accessed through the Bodleian website.

(ii) The Oriental Institute Library (Pusey Lane) houses a useful, compendious South Asian collection, being especially strong in reference works and secondary language sources for the study of classical India (some 10,000 volumes). There are also books and periodicals in modern Southern, Eastern, and Western Asian languages, and materials for the history of Islam and other Asian religions. The books from this library are available for borrowing.

(iii) The Eastern Art Library, housed in the Sackler Library (George Street), contains materials relating to Indian art and art history. The collection (25,000 volumes) covers all aspects of oriental art, architecture and archaeology. The library serves as the University's research library for this field as well as being the working library for the staff and graduate students of the Eastern Art Department of the Ashmolean Museum. Books in this library do not circulate.

(iv) Duke Humfrey’s Library and the Modern Manuscripts Reading Room of the New Bodleian Library offer access to the Bodleian’s collections of western manuscripts and documents relating to South Asia. These documents and manuscripts date from the C16th and include materials relating to the East India Company and also the papers of figures such as Max Muller.

(v) The Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House (commonly known as the Rhodes House Library) is the part of the Bodleian Library that specialises in history and current affairs of the Commonwealth and sub- Saharan Africa. It contains books and official publications on and from Ceylon (Sri Lankan publications are in the Indian Institute Library) and a number of important archival collections, including the papers of the United society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Books in this library cannot be borrowed.

Other libraries in Oxford with some South Asia holdings include:

The Radcliffe Science Library collection includes works on the history of science and medicine of all parts of the world

The Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine contains material on the history of medicine in South Asia

13 In addition, the Bodleian Law Library contains materials on Indian legislation, Indian law reports and textbooks on Indian law, and a basic collection of law reports for Pakistan.

Some colleges (Wolfson, St. Antony’s, Wadham, Balliol) have collections that include South Asian material. St Antony’s College Library specialises in the modern history and politics of various regions of the world, including South Asia, while the Wolfson College Library has an extensive collection of books on ancient and medieval India. Ordinarily these libraries are available only to students in these colleges. However, should a college library hold something that is not available in the University’s libraries, it will normally admit readers who are not members of its college. Such admittance is only by prior arrangement with the college librarian.

14 8. COLLECTIONS FOR THE STUDY OF MATERIAL CULTURE

For students interested in material culture, art and art history, the following collections contain materials of interest:

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford The Department of Eastern Art of the Ashmolean Museum (Beaumont Street) is a centre for research on the art and archaeology of Asia. The collections encompass art from the Islamic world, the Indian subcontinent, South-east Asia, China, Japan and Korea, and include ceramics, sculpture, metalwork, paintings, prints, textiles and other arts. The collections as a whole outstrip those of any other university museum, and in the United Kingdom are surpassed only by those of the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The Indian (including Tibetan and South-east Asian) collections are of international importance and are particularly strong in sculpture, Mughal imperial painting and objects from the Indian subcontinent. Formed around the nucleus of the old Indian Institute collection (1897-1962), they have grown steadily with the help of many benefactors.

Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford The Pitt Rivers Museum (entrance through the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on Parks Road) holds important collections of ethnographic material from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tibet, Nepal and Sri Lanka which can be seen on display in the Museum as well as in the reserve collection. The museum is exceptional in that it holds everyday items now rarely found in museums. An engraved coconut shell with silver stopper used for holding pills and a set of amulet boxes owned by a Tibetan pilgrim are two such examples. In keeping with the Museum’s typological arrangement, South Asian objects are displayed in categories such as textiles, jewellery, baskets, lighting, games and religion.

South Asian material was part of the Museum’s founding collection donated by General Pitt Rivers to Oxford University in 1884. Since that date the Museum has continued to collect from this area. One significant addition came in the 1930s when the Oxford Indian Institute museum collections were dispersed and the ethnographic examples transferred to the Pitt Rivers Museum. These included some sixty musical instruments and over a hundred pieces of arms and armour ranging from decorated Sikh quoits to fine swords and Nepali kukri. A series of complete sets of tools used by a goldsmith, a carpenter and a metal worker also formed part of this transfer of over four hundred artifacts.

The depth, range and exceptional documentation of the Museum’s Naga collections place them among those pre-eminent in the world. As in other areas, the Naga collections have been enhanced over the past few years through contemporary collecting and research by Oxford doctoral students.

The photograph and manuscript collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum include significant examples of photography from South Asia. The exceptional photograph collections from Tibet have recently been the subject of research and web publication available at http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk

15 For further information on the Museum and all its collections visit http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk

Museum of the History of Science, Oxford The Museum of the History of Science (Broad Street) houses an unrivalled collection of historic scientific instruments, including astrolabes and other instruments, with Persian, Arabic, or Sanskrit inscriptions, that were manufactured by artisans in India.

NOTE: the examination regulations relating to all Oriental Studies courses are available at https://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/examregs/ . If there is a conflict between information in any of the faculty handbooks and the exam regulations, you should always follow the exam regulations. If you have any concerns please contact [email protected]. The information in this handbook is accurate as at 1st October 2016, however it may be necessary for changes to be made in certain circumstances, as explained at www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/coursechanges . If such changes are made the department will publish a new version of this handbook together with a list of the changes. Students will also be informed.

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