The interdisciplinary study of South Asian Religions moves from antiquity to the present and covers the major traditions of the subcontinent (Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, etc.), as well as placing these traditions in social and political context. Current faculty strengths include Sanskrit literature and philosophy, Tamil religion and literature, South Asian Shi’ism, Himalayan and Tibetan religions, modern and contemporary Hinduism, and visual and material culture. Students in the field include textualists, ethnographers, historians, and philosophers working on religion in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar/Burma, and Sri Lanka, as well as in various diaspora and global-comparative settings.
The University of Toronto is one of the premiere places globally to study South Asia, and our students are encouraged to make full use of the faculty strengths of the university as a whole, as well as the programming and resources of the Centre for South Asian Critical Humanities (CSACH) and the Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS). Students are expected to pursue advanced study of languages relevant to their research. U of T offers regular or semi-regular courses in Hindi, Newar, Pali, Panjabi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tamil, Tibetan, and Urdu, well as occasional courses in Burmese and other languages.
With research interests in South Asian Religions