26 – Printing to Instruct and Instructing to Print in Early Modern and Colonial South Asia

This panel proposes to examine how printing technologies transformed modes of instruction in early modern and colonial South Asia. Prior to the rise of European-styled printing presses in South Asia, instruction in academic, religious and other social settings was undertaken with the aid of a range of oral and inscribed materials. In what ways did new printing technologies continue and/or transform the means and scope of instruction among dedicated pupils and lay communities? Were didactic and pedagogical genres reimagined in light of the new printing technologies? Did print give rise to new genres that would fulfill the instructional and educational needs of specific communities? How were printing technologies, in turn, reliant upon and transformed by the preexisting cultures of instruction? Although recent scholarship has substantially improved our understanding of the transition from predominantly handcrafted manuscript cultures to technologically sophisticated print cultures, the realm of instruction strangely remains severely underexplored. It is generally assumed that the growth of print media and literacy were concurrent and mutually reinforcing. Precisely how do printing technologies give impetus to instructional, didactic and pedagogical methods so as to enhance the state of literacy and knowledge production remains to be examined. Our panelists grapple with this issue by exploring the transregional and interconnected history of print and instructional materials in diverse communities of South Asia. Their research seeks to make original contributions to multiple disciplines; most notably, history, religious studies, and area studies, among others.

Convenors

Dr. Martina Palladino
- Dr. Pranav Prakash -