Premodern Islamic Worlds

This course introduces the Islamic world from the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (d. 632) to 1500 CE. The Islamic world stretches across a remarkable geographical expanse from modern Spain and Senegal in the west to the north of modern India in the east. Telling one cohesive story out of many histories is therefore challenging, even if we had a full lifetime to devote to it. We cannot include everything and, as with every complicated story worth knowing, what we choose to exclude is important. This semester, we bypass some of the traditional narratives of political and military history, which privilege the rise and fall of dynasties, the rule of great men, and the clashes of armies. We will still organize along political lines, but the focus of our conversations will be the incredible diversity of the various communities in the Islamic world. We approach these histories through primary sources— poems, coins, buildings, etc.—that we will read together in every class meeting. Our goal will be to situate each source in the political, cultural, and religious contexts of its production. This approach will allow us to appreciate premodern Islamic worlds through the centuries.

Through the assignments and conversations in class and section, students will


Explore the diversity of premodern Islam;

Analyze primary sources produced in the Islamic world before 1500, both individually and as a class;

Engage with modern scholarship about Islam in India and Central Asia; the Middle East; North, West, and East Africa; and Southern Europe;

Construct a source-based argument about the Islamic world before 1500.

• MW 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Elaine Van Dalen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 4 points

Game of Thrones : On Epics and Emp

Game of Thrones: Epics/Em

This undergraduate course offered in the context of the Global Core component of the Core Curriculum is an examination of the globally popular HBO series “Game of Thrones” as a prototype for a comparative understanding of the larger question of epics and empires.  In this course we expand the domains of our interests and inquiries far wider and divide our syllabus into four parts: (1) Westeros: The Mythic Empire; (2) Persia:  The First Empire, (3) America: The Last Empire; and (4) On Epics and Empires.  Our objective will be to examine the main themes and overall arch of “Game of Thrones” into wider mythic, heroic, and transhistorical dimensions of our contemporary history.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Hamid Dabashi
  CULPA: 30 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY TAMIL I

This course constitutes the first half of a year-long introduction to Tamil, the official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well as an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore. In addition to being spoken by almost 80 million people worldwide, Tamil also has an impressive classical past, having served as a language of religious, intellectual, and literary life in South India for nearly two millennia. Assuming no prior experience with the language, this introductory sequence provides students with the grammar, language skills, and cultural context necessary for achieving their individual Tamil language goals, whether they be conducting fieldwork or scholarly research, chatting with relatives back home, or simply waxing poetic over an artful 
dosai
. In order to cultivate students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening comprehension skills, this course draws upon a wide variety of teaching materials, including the core textbook, oral drills, audio recordings, short films, music videos, memes, and more. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Jay Ramesh
  Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY SWAHILI I

Essentials of grammar, basic vocabulary, practice in speaking and reading Swahili the most widely used indigenous language of East Africa. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Instructor: Abdul Nanji
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY WOLOF I

Introduction to the basic grammatical structures of Wolof, a major language of West Africa spoken in Senegal and Gambia. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 12:10 p.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Mariame S Sy
  Info
• 4 points

FIRST YEAR ARABIC I

An introduction to the language of classical and modern Arabic literature. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• MTWR 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• MTWR 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Nasr Abdo
  Info
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 Info
• Instructor: May Ahmar
  CULPA: 9 Info
• 5 points

FIRST YEAR ARABIC II

Prerequisites: First Year Arabic I or instructor permission. An introduction to the language of classical and modern Arabic literature. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY ARMENIAN I

In Elementary Armenian I, students learn the Armenian script and the basic grammar that will enable them to communicate about topics relating to themselves and their immediate surroundings: family, school, daily occupations, describing people, expressing likes and dislikes, requesting and giving information about themselves and others, proper forms of greetings, etc. They also begin to read signs, advertisements, and develop the skills to read texts like short stories and Armenian fables. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 4 points

COLLOQUIUM ON MAJOR TEXTS

Readings in translation and discussion of texts of Middle Eastern and Indian origin. Readings may include the Quran, Islamic philosophy, Sufi poetry, the Upanishads, Buddhist sutras, the Bhagavad Gita, Indian epics and drama, and Gandhis Autobiography.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Wael Hallaq
  CULPA: 9 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY SANSKRIT I

This course constitutes the first half of a year-long introduction to Classical Sanskrit, the translocal language of religious, intellectual, and literary life in South Asia for nearly two millennia. Assuming no prior experience with the language, this introductory sequence provides students with the grammar, reading strategies, and cultural context necessary to begin accessing the language’s many rich textual traditions, including scripture (sruti), epic (itihasa), poetry (kavya), drama (na?aka), systematic thought (sastra), and more.

• MTWR 9:10 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Instructor: Jay Ramesh
  Info
• 4 points

1ST YR MOD HEBREW:ELEM I

This is an introductory course for which no prior knowledge is required. Equal emphasis is given to listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or paragraph writing. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 8:50 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• Instructor: Illan Gonen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY HINDI-URDU I

This Fall semester introductory Hindi course is the first part of a year-long sequence (Fall and
Spring semesters) designed for true beginners with no prior proficiency in the language. It offers
a comprehensive foundation, starting with the introduction to the Hindi script. The course focuses
on developing proficiency in all key language skills—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—
while cultivating an appreciation for cultural awareness. Through engaging lessons and activities,
students will acquire practical vocabulary and basic sentence structures, enabling meaningful
communication in everyday personal and social contexts. The course also incorporates audiovisual
materials, such as short films and songs, to deepen cultural understanding and enhance
student engagement.

• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Aftab Ahmad
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 5 points

HINDI FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

This is a fast-paced course that compresses two years of Hindi into one year. It is for students of South Asian background who already possess limited speaking and listening skills in Hindi or Urdu. Non-heritage students who have some exposure to Hindi or Urdu and South Asian cultures may also take this course.

It begins with an introduction to the Devanagari Script, which enables students to acquire basic reading and writing skills. They then build on their listening and speaking skills. To achieve these goals, students are introduced to a variety of materials, including literature, newspapers, folk tales, jokes, magazine articles, films, songs, commercials, and other kinds of audiovisual materials. These texts are related to language functions in daily personal and social life situations.

It focuses on vocabulary enrichment by exposing students to a variety of cultural topics and developing knowledge of basic Hindi grammar. By the end of the semester, students will develop productive skills in reading, writing, and speaking and will be able to:

• speak about themselves and their environment, and initiate conversations on topics of general interest.

• Understand most of the basic sentence structures of Hindi in formal and informal registers.

• Write correspondence related to daily life, letters, short essays, and compositions on various topics.

• Learn some basic vocabulary related to aspects of Indian life, such as family life, social traditions, and education.

• Initiate and sustain conversations on a range of topics related to different aspects of Indian culture, social, and family life.

On the first day of classes, there will be an interview/placemat test to establish the proficiency level. Please come directly to class. If accepted, the department will register you internally.

• MTWR 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Rakesh Ranjan
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

URDU FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

This intensive, fast-paced course condenses two years of Urdu instruction into one year. It is tailored for students of South Asian heritage who possess basic speaking and listening skills in Urdu or Hindi. Non-heritage students with prior exposure to Urdu or Hindi, as well as South Asian cultures, are also encouraged to enroll.

An interview will be conducted on the first day of class to assess speaking and listening comprehension proficiency levels. 

The course begins with an introduction to the Urdu script, enabling students to develop essential reading and writing skills. It then enhances listening and speaking abilities using a diverse range of materials, including literature, newspapers, folk tales, jokes, magazine articles, films, songs, commercials, and other audio-visual resources. These materials are thoughtfully selected to support language development in everyday personal and social contexts.

The curriculum places a strong emphasis on vocabulary expansion, cultural understanding, and a foundational grasp of Urdu grammar. By the end of the first semester, students will have developed practical skills in reading, writing, and speaking. Specifically, they will be able to:


Speak about themselves, their surroundings, and engage in conversations on general topics.

Understand and use basic sentence structures in both formal and informal Urdu.

Write letters, short essays, and compositions on a variety of everyday topics.

Acquire vocabulary related to key aspects of South Asian life, including family dynamics, social traditions, and education.

Initiate and sustain conversations about South Asian culture, social life, and family traditions.

• MTWR 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Aftab Ahmad
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 5 points

ELEMENTARY PERSIAN I

An introduction to the spoken and written language of contemporary Iran. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Saeed Honarmand
  Info
• 4 points

ELEMENTARY MODERN TURKISH I

An introduction to the written and spoken language of Turkey. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Zuleyha M Fikret
  Info
• 4 points

South Asia at the Crossroads of Empires

S. Asia Crossroads of Emp

In this course we will study the late colonial and early post-colonial periods of South Asian history together. Some of the events we will cover include: the climax of anti-colonial movements in South Asia, WWII as it developed in South and Southeast Asia, the partition of British India, the two Indo-Pakistan wars, and the 1971 Bangladesh War. While we will read selected secondary literature, we will focus on a range of primary sources, including original radio broadcasts and oral history interviews. We will also study artistic interpretations of historical developments, including short stories and films. In this course, we will strive to remain attentive to the important changes engendered by colonialism, while simultaneously recognizing the agency of South Asians in formulating their own modernities during this critical period. We will also seek to develop a narrative of modern South Asian history, which is attentive to parallel and/or connected events in other regions.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Isabel Huacuja Alonso
  Info
• 3 points

INTERMEDIATE SWAHILI I

Prerequisites: SWHL W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission. A review of the essentials of Swahili grammar; detailed analysis of Swahili texts; practice in conversation. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11 a.m.
• Instructor: Abdul Nanji
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE WOLOF I

Prerequisites: WLOF W1101-W1102 or the instructor's permission. Further develops a student's knowledge of Wolof, a major language of West Africa spoken primarily in Senegal and Gambia. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Mariame S Sy
  Info
• 4 points

SECOND YEAR ARABIC I

Prerequisites: MDES W1210-W1211 or the equivalent. A continuation of the study of the language of contemporary writing. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• MTWR 8:50 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• MTWR 4:10 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Rym Bettaieb
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Nasr Abdo
  Info
• Instructor: May Ahmar
  CULPA: 9 Info
• 5 points

SECOND YEAR ARABIC II

Prerequisites: MDES W1210-W1211 or the equivalent. A continuation of the study of the language of contemporary writing. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Nasr Abdo
  Info
• 5 points

ARABIC FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

Prerequisites: Instructor permission. This is an intensive course that combines the curriculum of both First and Second Year Arabic in two semesters instead of four, and focuses on the productive skills (speaking and writing) in Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha). Students are exposed intensively to grammar and vocabulary of a high register. After successful completion of this course, students will be able to move on to Third Year Arabic. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 4:10 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Reem Faraj
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 5 points

INTERMEDIATE ARMENIAN I

Prerequisites: MDES UN1301 and MDES UN1302 or the equivalent. A continuation of the study of reading, writing and speaking of Armenian. In Intermediate Armenian I, students learn to communicate about a wide range of topics. Such topics include biographical narration, cooking and recipes, health and well-being, holidays and celebrations, travel and geography, etc. At this level, students continue to develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening while perfecting the grammatical concepts to which they were introduced in the first year. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE SANSKRIT I

Prerequisites: Elementary Sanskrit II or instructor permission. This course constitutes the first half of a year-long reading course designed to give students the tools necessary for advanced study in Classical Sanskrit. Readings in epic (itihasa), poetry (kavya), systematic thought (sastra), and commentary (vyakhyana) will introduce students to a variety of important genres and their distinctive conventions. A focus upon the Sanskrit tradition’s own categories of analysis—grammatical, commentarial, and prosodic—will enable students to begin to make sense of original Sanskrit texts as generations of the tradition’s own readers have. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Jay Ramesh
  Info
• 4 points

2ND YR MOD HEBREW:INTER I

Prerequisites: 1st Year Modern Hebrew II or the equivalent and instructor's permission. Equal emphasis is given to listening, speaking, reading and writing. Regular categories of the Hebrew verb, prepositions, and basic syntax are taught systematically. Vocabulary building. Daily homework includes grammar exercises, short answers, reading, or short compositions. Frequent vocabulary and grammar quizzes. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 10:10 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
• Instructor: Yael Flusser
  Info
• 5 points

INT HEBREW:INTENSVE GRAMMAR REV

This course focuses on Modern Hebrew grammar, and verb conjugation in particular. It is designed for students with substantial knowledge of Modern Hebrew. Over the semester, students will systematically review the grammatical patterns of regular verbs (shlemim), and learn the grammatical patterns of the irregular verbs (gzarot), as well as several other grammatical topics. After successful completion of this course, the foreign language requirement will be fulfilled (for students of Columbia College and other academic units that require a 4th-semester proficiency). Successful completion of this course also allows students to register in third-year Modern Hebrew.

• MWR 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Illan Gonen
  CULPA: 3 Info
• 4 points

HEBREW FOR HERITAGE SPEAKERS I

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. Hebrew for Heritage Speakers I forms part of a year-long sequence with Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II. The course is intended for those who have developed basic speaking and listening skills through exposure to Hebrew at home or in day-school programs but do not use Hebrew as their dominant language and have not reached the level required for exemption from the Columbia language requirement. Heritage speakers differ in the degree of their fluency, but their vocabulary is often limited to topics in daily life and many lack skills in reading and writing to match their ability to converse. The course focuses on grammar and vocabulary enrichment, exposing students to a variety of cultural and social topics in daily life and beyond. By the end of the semester students are able to read and discuss simple texts and write about a variety of topics. Successful completion of the year-long sequence prepares students to enroll in third-year modern Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Yael Flusser
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE HINDI-URDU I

This course will prepare you for effective and meaningful communication in all modes. It will consolidate your already acquired listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and help you acquire higher proficiency in Hindi. You will continue learning common Urdu words in Hindi in the Devanagari Script. The Urdu Script is not taught in this course.
Students will expand their knowledge base of the society and culture of the target languages in this course. They will be introduced to new grammatical structures and will be taught a broad range of vocabulary. They will also be exposed to a variety of authentic materials, including Hindi literature, newspapers, folk tales, films, songs, and other kinds of written and audio-visual materials. This material will be related to language functions in daily personal and social life situations. At the completion of this course, students will be well-equipped to initiate and sustain general conversations. They will successfully handle most of the uncomplicated communications in personal and social situations. Students will also be able to write letters and compositions. The course is based on national standards and proficiency guidelines as set by the American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

• MTWR 1:10 p.m.-2:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Rakesh Ranjan
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

INTERMEDIATE PERSIAN I

Prerequisites: Elementary Persian II or the equivalent. This course involves reading, writing, translating, conversation and grammatical foundations for Persian Language (PL). The materials are selected from two books: Āmuzesh-e Fārsi: Intermediate Level (required) and English-Persian Dictionary, plus verb system and charts (recommended). These books are assigned and have to be available to every student. There are also handouts, which will be provided throughout the course. This course serves as intermediate and makes students able to read and compose proper Persian language as well as the colloquial one. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Saeed Honarmand
  Info
• 4 points

INTERMEDIATE MODERN TURKISH I

A continuation of the study of the written and spoken language of Turkey, with readings of literary, historical, and other texts. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Zuleyha M Fikret
  Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED SWAHILI I

Prerequisites: SWHL UN2101-UN2102 or the instructor's permission. An introduction to the advanced syntactical, morphological, and grammatical structures of Swahili grammar; detailed analysis of Swahili texts; practice in conversation. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Abdul Nanji
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED WOLOF I

Prerequisites: Two years of Wolof or instructor permission. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class

• TR 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Mariame S Sy
  Info
• 4 points

Introduction to Armenian Studies

Intro to Armenian Studies

Historians frequently situate Armenia between two powers: between Rome and Persia, then Byzantium and Islam. This class will shake up the usual “between-two-worlds” paradigm, which places Armenia and Armenians in the crosshairs of world powers. Instead, we will study Armenians as active participants in world dramas, at the center of global developments. Our main goal will be to draw upon a variety of sources to tell the story of Armenia and Armenians: histories, poems, art, coins, buildings, etc.  

Goals


Critically assess what it means to study history. Why are we learning this?

Analyze primary sources, whether written or material. How can we study this?

Engage with modern scholarship on Armenian experiences. How have other people studied this?

• T 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Alison Vacca
  Info
• 3 points

ARABIC PRISON WRITING

This course studies the genealogy of the prison in Arab culture as manifested in memoirs, narratives, and poems. These cut across a vast temporal and spatial swathe, covering selections from the Quran, Sufi narratives from al-Halllaj oeuvre, poetry by prisoners of war: classical, medieval, and modern. It also studies modern narratives by women prisoners and political prisoners, and narratives that engage with these issues. Arabic prison writing is studied against other genealogies of this prism, especially in the West, to map out the birth of prison, its institutionalization, mechanism, and role. All readings for the course are in English translations.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Muhsin Al-Musawi
  CULPA: 8 Info
• 3 points

HONORS THESIS SEMINAR PART 1

Prerequisites: minimum GPA of 3.5 in MESAAS courses. The MESAAS honors seminar offers students the opportunity to undertake a sustained research project under close faculty supervision. The DUS advises on general issues of project design, format, approach, general research methodologies, and timetable. In addition, students work with an individual advisor who has expertise in the area of the thesis and can advise on the specifics of method and content. The thesis will be jointly evaluated by the adviser, the DUS, and the honors thesis TA. The DUS will lead students through a variety of exercises that are directly geared to facilitating the thesis. Students build their research, interpretive, and writing skills; discuss methodological approaches; write an annotated bibliography; learn to give constructive feedback to peers and respond to feedback effectively. The final product is a polished research paper in the range of 40-60 pages. Please note: This is a one-year course that begins in the fall semester (1 point) and continues through the spring semester (3 points). Only students who have completed both semesters will receive the full 4 points of credit.

• 1 points

THE NOVEL IN AFRICA

The main task of this course will be to read novels by African writers. But the novel in Africa also involves connections between the literary genre of the novel and the historical processes of colonialism, decolonization, and globalization in Africa. One important question we'll consider is how African novels depict those historical experiences in their themes and plots—we'll read novels that are about colonialism, etc. A more complex question is how these historical processes relate to the emergence of the novel as an important genre for African writers. Edward Said went so far as to say that without imperialism, there would be no European novel as we know it. How can we understand the novel in Africa (whether read or written) as a product of the colonial encounter? How did it shape the process of decolonization? What contribution to history, whether literary or political, does the novel in Africa make? We'll undertake a historical survey of African novels from the 1930s to the present, with attention to various subgenres (village novel, war novel, urbanization novel, novel of postcolonial disillusion, Bildungsroman). We'll attend to how African novelists blend literate and oral storytelling traditions, how they address their work to local and global audiences, and how they use scenes of characters reading novels (whether African or European) in order to position their writing within national, continental, and world literary space.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Jennifer Wenzel
  CULPA: 3 h-index: 15 Info
• 4 points

THIRD YEAR ARABIC I

NOTE: There are 2 sections of Third Year Arabic I. Section 001 follows the standard curriculum building all 4 language skills, as described below. Section 002 follows a reading-intensive curriculum, with less emphasis on listening and writing while still conducted in Arabic, and is intended for those preparing for advanced research in modern or classical Arabic texts. Students in the regular third-year Arabic track improve reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through close reading, compositions, class discussions, and presentations in Arabic on topics such as cultures of the Arab world, classical and modern Arabic literature, and contemporary Arabic media. Review of grammatical and syntactic rules as needed. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MTWR 11:40 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Ouijdane Absi
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

FOURTH YEAR MODERN ARABIC I

Through reading articles and essays by Arab thinkers and intellectuals, students will be able to increase their fluency and accuracy in Arabic while working on reading text and being exposed to the main themes in Arab thought The course works with all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Arabic is the language of instruction. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Youssef Nouhi
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 4 points

SPOKEN ARABIC I

Prerequisites: (MDES UN2201) and (MDES UN2202) $10 Arabic Materials Fee; $15 Language Resource Fee. This is an introductory course to Levantine Arabic for students who have completed two years of Standard Arabic studies, at the Intermediate level. The course is designed to further develop fluency in oral communication, through building students’ familiarity with a less formal register of Arabic, namely the Levantine dialect. The course will convert and recycle some of the previous Standard Arabic knowledge to the dialect, by comparing their prior knowledge to its dialectal counterpart; while at the same time developing students’ new communicative skills in a diverse range of contexts that are essential in any conversational interaction. The course will build students abilities to interact effectively in various areas where Levantine Arabic is spoken. In addition to varied thematic topics, the course exposes students to cultural aspects specific to the region. Additionally, the course will work on both constructing students’ knowledge of dialectal diction as well as other grammatical features of the dialects. Even though the course is designed for communication in the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking), the emphasis will be mostly on speaking and listening. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Reem Faraj
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 4 points

Readings in the Qur an and Hadith

Readings in Qur an and

This is not a class in Theology. It is a class dealing with the
Qur’an
as a text and its linguistic and cultural significance. The readings will cover various
Suwar
(chapters) and excerpts dealing with a logical sequence of themes, starting with how the
Qur’an
defines itself, addresses its audiences, depicts and dialogues with other religions and religious groups, refers to itself as a historical source, especially through storytelling, and ending with how it legislates. They will also cover a choice of Hadiths. By being exposed to such a range of texts, students will gain a basic knowledge of types and structure of Hadith and a general sense of Qur’anic styles, textual arrangements, terminology and concepts. Specifically, the assignments will guide students toward an ability to read these texts in detail by expanding their vocabulary, deepening their understanding of advanced grammar points, and by providing an opportunity to discuss the texts and write about them. Student will also acquire research skills by identifying and working with sources and references.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Youssef Nouhi
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 3 points

COLD WAR ARAB CULTURE

This course studies the effects and strategies of the cold war on Arab writing, education, arts and translation, and the counter movement in Arab culture to have its own identities. As the cold war functioned and still functions on a global scale, thematic and methodological comparisons are drawn with Latin America, India and Africa.

• W 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Muhsin Al-Musawi
  CULPA: 8 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED ARMENIAN I

Advanced instruction in the Armenian dialect. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• F 11:10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Charry Karamanoukian
  Info
• 3 points

READINGS IN HEBREW TEXTS I

Prerequisites: (MDES GU4510) and (MDES GU4511) 3RD Year Modern Hebrew or the instructor's permission. This course focuses on central identities shaping Israeli society and is designed to give students extensive experience in reading Hebrew. Through selected readings of contemporary literary works and media texts, students will increase their proficiency in Hebrew and enhance their understanding of Israeli culture and society. All readings, written assignments, and class discussions are in Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Naama Harel
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

3RD YR MODERN HEBREW I

Prerequisites: 2nd Year Modern Hebrew II, Hebrew for Heritage Speakers II, or the instructor's permission. This course is designed to take students from the intermediate to advanced level. Students will further develop their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Hebrew through an examination of a wide range of sources, including short stories, poems, visual arts, popular music, television shows and films. All readings, written assignments, and class discussions are in Hebrew. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Naama Harel
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 4 points

POLITICS IN INDIA

This course will combine study of long-term historical sociology with more short term understanding of policies and their possible effects. Though its main purpose will be to provide students with an understanding of politics after independence, it will argue, methodologically, that this understanding should be based on a study of historical sociology – plotting long-terms shifts in the structure of social power. The course will start with analyses of the structures of power and ideas about political legitimacy in pre-modern India, and the transformations brought by colonialism into that order. After a brief study of the nature of political order under the colonial state, the courses will focus primarily on the history of the democratic state after independence.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Sudipta Kaviraj
  Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED HINDI I

This third year (or fifth semester) course in the Hindi-Urdu program aims to continue building upon the existing listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural skills in Hindi.Students will be exposed to a variety of authentic materials, such as stories, plays, newspapers, magazines, videos, and film clips. They will be expected to expand their vocabulary, enhance their grammatical accuracy, and develop their cultural appropriateness through enthusiastic participation in classroom activities and immersion in the speech community outside.

The objective of the course is to promote meaningful interaction with literary texts and strengthen students’ language skills to understand and describe situations and people in diverse academic settings of modern Hindi. Writing in the target language will be emphasized throughout the semester to enable students to use their diverse vocabulary and grammatical structures. This course will prepare students for “Advanced Hindi-II.”

• TR 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Rakesh Ranjan
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 5 points

Significant Others

What is the relationship between homoeroticism and homosociality? How does this relationship form conceptions of gender and sexuality in ways that might be historically unfamiliar and culturally or regionally specific? We pursue these questions through the lens of friendship and its relationship to ideas and expressions of desire, love, and loyalty in pre-modern times. We begin by considering the intellectual basis of the modern idea of friendship as a private, personal relationship, and trace it back to earlier times when it was often a public relationship of social and political significance. Some of these relationships were between social equals, while many were unequal forms (like patronage) that could bridge social, political or parochial differences.

Thinking through the relationships and possible distinctions between erotic love, romantic love and amity (love between friends), we will draw on scholarly works from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, particularly philosophy, sociology, political theory, literature, history, and art history. We will attend to friendship’s work in constituting, maintaining and challenging various social and political orders in a variety of Asian contexts (West, Central, South and East Asian), with comparative reference to scholarship on European and East Asian contexts. Primary source materials will include philosophy, religious manuals, autobiographies, popular love stories, heroic epics, mystical poetry, mirror for princes, paintings, material objects of exchange, and architectural monuments, largely from Islamic and Asian contexts.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Mana Kia
  CULPA: 2 h-index: 11 Info
• 4 points

Advanced Urdu

ADVANCED URDU

Prerequisites: Two years of prior study in Urdu or one year of Urdu for Heritage Speakers I&II courses at Columbia University, or approval of the professor. This is a one-semester course in advanced Urdu language. It will be taught in the fall semester. The goal of the course is to develop students’ linguistic skills i.e. listening, speaking, reading, writing and cultural skills in Urdu, and give students in-depth exposure to some of the finest works of classical and modern Urdu prose. Special emphasis will be given to developing a high-register vocabulary. Necessary grammar points will also be explained for developing an accurate and nuanced understanding of the Urdu language. After completing this course, students will be able to read and enjoy Urdu classics and critical academic texts related to various disciplines i.e. old tales, short stories, essays, history, satire, criticism, politics, current issues etc. along with effective speaking skills suited to active interaction in the speech community and a more advanced academic discussion for undergraduate and graduate students. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of South Asian society and culture as well. This course will prepare students to take MDES GU4635 Readings in Urdu Literature I.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Aftab Ahmad
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED PERSIAN I

While helping students advance their levels of oral and written expression, this course focuses on literature of the modern and medieval periods, with particular emphasis on the development of the modern novella and traditional and new forms of poetry. In addition to literature, students are introduced to a wide variety of genres from political and cultural essays and blogs to newspaper translations of the early 20th century. They will be further exposed to ta´rof in reference to a wide variety of socio-cultural contexts and be expected to use ta´rof in class conversations. Students will be exposed to popular artists and their works and satirical websites for insight into contemporary Iranian culture and politics. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• MW 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Saeed Honarmand
  Info
• 3 points

ADVANCED SANSKRIT I

This course constitutes the first half of a year-long advanced reading course in Classical Sanskrit. In 2021-2022, the focus of Advanced Sanskrit will be the genres of literary theory (alaṅkāraśāstra) and belles-lettres (kāvya). Lending equal attention to literary theory and literary practice, this course will introduce students to iconic works of Sanskrit literature along with the interpretive frameworks whereby they were analyzed, relished, and appraised. Literary excerpts may be drawn from an array of subgenres, including courtly epic (mahākāvya), epic drama (nāṭaka), literary prose (gadya), and individual verses (muktaka). Rigorous analysis of primary texts will be supplemented by occasional discussions about what implications the disciplined reading of kāvya may hold for practices such as translation, comparative literature, and transdisciplinarity. Prerequisites: Intermediate Sanskrit II or instructor’s permission.

• MW 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Jonathan Peterson
  Info
• 4 points

Indo-Islamic Culture in Literature

This course will focus on the Indo-Islamic literary traditions in South Asia, and particularly in what is now India and Pakistan, focusing on Urdu literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The course will emphasize the rhetorical and performative history of poetic forms in the subcontinent (including the forms of the
Ghazal
and
Nauha
, among others) and will consider how classical poetic tropes continue to inform contemporary mass culture in India and Pakistan—particularly in the song lyrics of Hindi/Bollywood cinema. The course will also consider more contemporary prose genres of Urdu-language writing (in English translation), including the literature of the Partition and the works of contemporary authors such as Naiyer Masud and Saima Iram.

Through a comparative study of texts in different genres and at different moments in history, students will consider questions such as: What aspects of contemporary literary culture in India and Pakistan can be traced to early establishment of Islamic culture in the region? How have the poetic conventions of Indo-Islamic poetry continued to resonate? How did the interaction of Hindu and Muslim literary, musical, visual, and religious cultures in the Mughal era help to generate the rich profusion of literature and music and cultural tolerance in this period?

Most of our readings in this course will Urdu literature in English translation. We will also, however, read some secondary sources in order to help us better understand the primary sources.

• R 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Timsal Masud
  Info
• 4 points

ADVANCED TURKISH I

Advanced Turkish I is designed to use authentic Turkish materials around projects that are chosen by the student in a research seminar format where students conduct their own research and share it in class in a friendly atmosphere. No P/D/F or R credit is allowed for this class.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Zuleyha M Fikret
  Info
• 3 points

READINGS IN OTTOMAN TEXTS I

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Dilek Oztoprak
  Info
• 3 points

The Ottoman Empire: History and Legacies

This 4000-level seminar explores the Ottoman Empire with emphasis on the long nineteenth century, while also tracing how the century that followed remained profoundly marked by the afterlives of its institutions, ideas, and the disruptions it set in motion. After an overview Ottoman history and historiography, and an exploration of recent digital humanities trends in Ottoman Studies, the course proceeds in three sections: 1) imperial reconfiguration and crisis, 2) revolution, war, and genocide, and 3) afterlives of empire. Case studies spotlight the empire’s ethno-religious communities, including Arabs, Armenians, Assyrians, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, and Muslim refugees from the Balkans and the Russian Empire. Anchored in
The I.B. Tauris Handbook of the Late Ottoman Empire: History and Legacy
, the course aims to equip students with the conceptual and historiographical tools needed to critically analyze the Ottoman past and its enduring legacies across the modern Middle East.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Khatchig Mouradian
  Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

THEORY AND METHODS I

This course will be the first part of a two part introduction to theoretical approaches to modern social science and cultural studies in Asian and African contexts. The first course will focus primarily on methodological and theoretical problems in the fields broadly described as historical social sciences - which study historical trends, and political, economic and social institutions and processes. The course will start with discussions regarding the origins of the modern social sciences and the disputes about the nature of social science knowledge. In the next section it will focus on definitions and debates about the concept of modernity. It will go on to analyses of some fundamental concepts used in modern social and historical analyses: concepts of social action, political concepts like state, power, hegemony, democracy, nationalism; economic concepts like the economy, labor, market, capitalism, and related concepts of secularity/secularism, representation, and identity. The teaching will be primarily through close reading of set texts, followed by a discussion. A primary concern of the course will be to think about problems specific to the societies studied by scholars of Asia and Africa: how to use a conceptual language originally stemming from reflection on European modernity in thinking about societies which have quite different historical and cultural characteristics.

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Wael Hallaq
  CULPA: 9 Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

MESAAS RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM

This course provides a structured setting for stand-alone M.A. students in their final year and Ph.D. students in their second and third years to develop their research trajectories in a way that complements normal coursework. The seminar meets approximately biweekly and focuses on topics such as research methodology; project design; literature review, including bibliographies and citation practices; grant writing. Required for MESAAS graduate students in their second and third year.

• Instructor: Alison Vacca
  Info
• 2 points

Settlers and Natives

This course is designed to introduce the student to key debates in the study of societies marked by the centrality of settler-native relations: We shall focus on four key debates: (a) how to conceptualize extreme violence, as criminal or political; (b) the relationship of perpetrators to beneficiaries; (c) the significance of human rights institutions, from the Nuremberg Court to the International Criminal Court to the question of decolonization: and (d) the making of a political community of survivors after catastrophe. The class will be organized around several case studies: (a) Ireland; (b) the Americas; (c) Haiti; (d) Australia; (e) the Nuremberg Court; (f) South Africa; and (g) Israel / Palestine.

• R 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Mahmood Mamdani
  CULPA: 21 Wikipedia h-index: 57 Info
• 4 points

Theories of Secularity

This course will try to study the development of various aspects of theorization of the secular and the transformations of religion under modernity. It will be mainly based on close textual reading of important theoretical arguments representing important stages in the development of these arguments from the time of the Enlightenment to present day academic debates.

The first section will focus on the emergence of theories of a secular state in European philosophy starting with texts from Spinoza, Hobbes, and Hume. We shall also range over some ancillary texts that illustrate the nature of secularist arguments against religious beliefs and practices. The second section will concentrate on the development of the sociological tradition with focus on the works of Fustel de Coulanges, Max Weber and Ernst Troletsch. A short third section will focus on the establishment of religious studies as an academic discipline by looking at the works of a pioneer of this discipline: Wilfred Cantwell Smith. The fourth section will take up for reading and critical examination four different academic discussions in recent years: stemming from the work of Indian debates on secularism, from academic debates about the anthropology of religion, and especially studies of Islam started by the work of Talal Asad and responses it attracted. Finally, we shall take up critical works which revisit arguments from Weber by Charles Taylor and Hans Joas. The final weeks of the course will be devoted to conclusions drawn from these intersecting readings across historical time and space.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Sudipta Kaviraj
  Wikipedia Info
• 4 points

DISSERTATION COLLOQUIUM

The dissertation colloquium is a non-credit course open to MESAAS doctoral students who have completed the M.Phil. degree. It provides a forum in which the entire community of dissertation writers meets, bridging the departments different fields and regions of research. It complements workshops outside the department focused on one area or theme. Through an encounter with the diversity of research underway in MESAAS, participants learn to engage with work anchored in different regions and disciplines and discover or develop what is common in the departments post-disciplinary methods of inquiry. Since the community is relatively small, it is expected that all post-M.Phil. students in residence will join the colloquium. Post M.Phil. students from other departments may request permission to join the colloquium, but places for non-MESAAS students will be limited. The colloquium convenes every semester, meeting once every two weeks. Each meeting is devoted to the discussion of one or two pre-circulated pieces of work (a draft prospectus or dissertation chapter). Every participant contributes at least one piece of work each year.

• Instructor: Timothy Mitchell
  Wikipedia h-index: 34 Info
• 0 points