A survey of Sanskrit inscriptions of Indonesia and the Malay peninsula as introduction to epigraphy as a discipline; to the writing systems of Indian origin used in Southeast Asia; to the ancient history and art history of Indonesia.
Timetable
See website of the department www.indonesisch.leidenuniv.nl
Method of Instruction
Tutorial.
Course objectives
Ability to decipher inscriptions in the so-called ‘Pre-Nagari’, ‘Pallava’ and ‘Kawi’ scripts that were in use in ancient Indonesia (and the Malay peninsula); knowledge of the development of ancient Indonesian (art) history; ability to interpret the information contained in the inscriptions within their (art) historical context. For students of Sanskrit: ability to translate epigraphical Sanskrit.
Required reading
The literature will be made available for xeroxing at the desk in the library of the Kern Institute. Handbooks that will be used include:
*Sarkar, H.B., 1971-1972, Corpus of the inscriptions of Java (Corpus inscriptionum Javanicarum), (up to 928 A.D.). Calcutta: Mudhopadhyay. 2 vols. *Casparis, J.G. de, 1950, Inscripties uit de Çailendra-tijd. Bandung: Nix. (Prasasti Indonesia 1) *Casparis, J.G. de, 1956, Selected inscriptions from the 7th to the 9th century A.D. Bandung: Masa Baru. (Prasasti Indonesia 2) *Casparis, J.J. de, 1975, Indonesian palaeography: a history of writing in Indonesia from the beginnings to c. A.D. 1500. Leiden [etc.]: Brill. (Handbuch der Orientalistik 3/4).
Examination
Half of the grade will be determined on the basis of the students’ weekly participation and preparation, esp. for the palaeographical part of the course; the other half will be determined by term papers (to be written individually or in small groups).
Information
Required background: the course is open to students from the departments of Indology, Indonesian Studies, Asian archaeology, and art history. Knowledge of Sanskrit is not necessary.
Arlo Griffiths (arlo.griffiths@let.leidenuniv.nl) and Marijke Klokke (m.j.klokke@let.leidenuniv.nl)
Blackboard/webpage
Yes.
Overview
Each weekly meeting consists of three one-hour blocks, the first devoted to problems of translation in the selected inscriptions; the second to deciphering the script of next week’s selection; the third to the (art) historical context of the selected document.