Persian through South Asia Texts

Service Description

This course explores the "Long 18th Century" and the preceding eras of Indo-Persian excellence through a lens of social and spiritual history. While the Mughal throne provided the patronage, the soul of South Asian Persian resided in the khanqahs (Sufi lodges), the libraries of regional governors, and the translation bureaus where Persian met Sanskrit, Hindavi, and Pashto. Learners will move beyond the "official" history of the Akbarnama to look at how ordinary and extraordinary people lived, prayed, and wrote. We will examine how Persian functioned not just as a language of power, but as a language of "Universal Civility" (akhlaq) and deep mystical yearning. ​​Prerequisites & Language of Instruction Intermediate reading knowledge of Persian is recommended. Urdu/Hindi is not required. The language of instruction is English; Persian is used in textual work. ​Required & Recommended Materials (provided as excerpts): First week: The Etiquette of War and Bravery, Fakhr-i Mudabbir Second week: Lives of the Saints, Amir Khwurd Third week: The Epistles of Mahru, 'Ain al-Din 'Ain al-Mulk Multani Fourth week: The Memoirs of Babur (Persian Translation), Mirza 'Abdur Rahim Khan-i Khanan Fifth week: The Confidant of Spirits, Jahanara Begum Sixth week: The Epistle of Victory, Guru Gobind Singh Seventh week: The Four Elements, Mirza 'Abdul-Qadir Bedil Dehlavi Eighth week: The Spring of Persia, Tek Chand Bahar Ninth week: The Wonder-Book of Europe, Mirza I'tisam-ud-Din Tenth week: Five Melodies, Mirza Ghalib * The course starts during the first week of October and concludes in the second week of December, spanning 10 weeks (10 sessions). The exact days and times will be scheduled based on the availability of both the instructor and the learners. * Once learners enroll, Silk Road Academy will coordinate the class schedule, process payments, and manage administrative details. * Silk Road Academy can issue invoices so learners can request reimbursement from their affiliated universities or institutions. * Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees. * Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials.