ASIAN 3328 - Buddhism in Ancient Gandhara

(crosslisted) RELST 3328
(GHB) (CA-AS)

Spring. 4 credits. Letter grades only.

Co-meets with ASIAN 6628/RELST 6628.

J. Marino.

Ancient Gandhara, modern northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, has long captivated the imagination of scholars with its great cultural diversity and haunting Hellenistic Buddhist art. This course explores the history, religion, and culture of Gandhara from the 4th century BCE to the 4th century CE, with a focus on the region’s unique expression of Buddhism, especially as it is demonstrated in recently discovered Buddhist manuscripts. We take up the themes of syncretism and hybridity to better understand the encounter between Indian, Iranian, Greek, and Central Asian cultural forms. Students will read Buddhist texts in translation, interpret sculptures, coins, and other visual and material culture, and study trends in secondary scholarship on the region.

(RL)