The University of Toronto Mississauga is pleased to announce the 2020 Summer School in South Asian Epigraphy from May 28^th to June 1^st. The theme of this year’s 5-day summer school is the Sanskrit Epigraphical Ecumene. The Post-Gupta explosion of epigraphic evidence demonstrates two tendencies: one toward an increasing standardization of idiom and one toward a diversification of scripts. To trace the evolution of this important archive, we will examine inscriptions, their paleographical, historical, and cultural importance, and their contexts within the larger fields of art history, religion, literature, and history. Each day will consist of two reading sessions concentrating on primary epigraphical sources, and one discussion session of a topic salient to South Asian epigraphy.

The Summer School will be led by scholars in the field of South Asian epigraphy, religion, and history. Scheduled facilitators include:

Daud Ali (University of Pennsylvania)

Elizabeth Cecil (Florida State University, Tallahassee)

Ranabir Chakravarti (Jawaharlal Nehru University)

Mekhola Gomes (University of Toronto)

Jason Neelis (Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo)

Luther Obrock (University of Toronto)

Annette Schmiedchen (Humboldt University, Berlin)

The Summer School will host a keynote speech by the renowned historian of medieval South Asia, Brajadulal Chattopadhyaya (Prof. Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi). This public lecture will bring together the themes of the workshop and present them to a wider audience. 

Room and board will be provided for the five days of the workshop to a limited number of scholars and graduate students coming from outside of the Greater Toronto Area. To apply for the summer school or for further information, please contact Luther Obrock at luther.obrock@utoronto.ca