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India in Historical Perspective History 344; Spring 2008 Dr India in Historical Perspective History 344; Spring 2008 Dr. Beth Vanlandingham Hist/PSC # 5; [email protected] X3323 Office Hours: M 11‐12; 2‐4; WF 11‐1;Tuesday by appt all day The Nature of this Course: This course is an introduction to the history and culture of India. India is now the second most populous country on earth and its historical tradition is one of the longest, richest, and most varied. India’s geography, history and religious traditions have produced a unique culture and a people who have had a wide‐ranging impact on the world. India is a country of extremes and overwhelming diversity. Today it is the world’s largest democracy; dozens of languages are spoken, and is it home to several major religious traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam. India is home to both tremendous wealth and some of the worst poverty in the world. It also has the fastest‐growing middle class in the world. Indians have migrated all over the globe and taken their varied culture with them. Large communities of Indians can be found in almost every region of the world. India is a nuclear power and an important member of the international community. India is both very progressive and very traditional. This course is designed to help you understand some of the variety that makes up India’s history and culture. There is not “one story” but many stories. Our overall goal is to help you get past the many stereotypes that exist about India, to understand what Indian culture has contributed to the world, and how India has evolved to its present state. We will cover: I. Ancient India: Prehistory and the world of the Traditional Texts of the Vedic Tradition II. Mauryan Era: Buddhism and the Expansion of Trade/Contacts III. Gupta Era: Classical Hindu Civilization IV. Islam in India: Invasion, Conquest, Compromise in the Mogul Empire V. India and the Wider World: 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries VI. British Empire in India VII. India in the Twentieth Century: Gandhi, the Independence Movement, the Challenges of Democracy, Contemporary Issues and Culture Required Texts: The Ramayana: A Shortened Prose Version, R. K. Narayan, Penguin paperbacks A Concise History of Modern India, Barbara Metcalf and Thomas Metcalf, Cambridge Indian Art, Partha Mitter Sources of Indian Tradition: Volume 2, 2nd ed, Hay (ed), Columbia The God of Small Things, A. Roy (contemporary novel, won the Booker Prize for Literature) EXAMS, PROJECTS, AND GRADES There will be two in‐class exams and a final exam. These will be of the common but often dreaded essay variety although there will also be some map work and a section of identifications. The course also has a discussion component built into it. We will have discussion classes weekly and you are responsible for coming to class prepared to engage in intelligent discussion of the assigned materials. There is no use complaining that you “don’t like to talk.” I’ve seen most of you outside of class and I know you know how to talk and carry on a discussion. If you are not accustomed to participating in intellectual conversations this will be a good place to give it a try and practice articulating questions and opinions. It can’t hurt you. Throughout the semester you will be asked to write a series of ‘thought papers” or “reflections” on selected readings from the textbooks. Together these are a substantial part of your grade and will take the place of a research project for the course. You should put substantive effort into them. Exams: 2 in‐class exams (2 x 75) 150 Final Exam 100 Attendance/Discussion 50 Thought Papers 150 ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 450 pts possible Grading is on a simple 10 point scale: 90‐100 A; 80‐89 B; 70‐79 C; 60‐69 D If you have a documented disability which requires special accommodation you must contact me within the first 2 weeks of the course. You must also talk with Dr. Wadlington to fill out the necessary paperwork. If you begin to have trouble in this course you should talk with me immediately—don’t wait until the day of the final to tell me that you’ve been getting behind because your life has fallen apart. If your life is falling apart and you need help get help early on—otherwise you may not be able to salvage your grade. Key Questions Another way to try and get a handle on such a sweeping range of history is to isolate a few key questions that scholars pose about the various eras of Indian history. Francis Pritchett has suggested the following; there are in chronological order: 1. “Mapping India”: What is India and can we really map it? 2. Indus Valley Civilization: How well can we know a culture through physical evidence alone? 3. The Vedic People: How well can we know a culture through its religious texts alone? 4. The Upanishads: Why were the Vedic sacrificial rituals not enough? 5. Buddhism and Jainism emerge: Can human escape from violence, desire and rebirth? 6. Ashoka, the Beloved of the gods: did his empire really rest on pillars? 7. The Story of Rama: Should he be considered an ideal king? 8. The “Brahminical synthesis”” how did it all come together? 9. The Bhagavad Gita: How did Krishna persuade Arjuna to fight in a fratricidal war? 10. Bhakti: Can a person really have God for a lover? 11. The Great Medieval Temple Complexes: How can we understand these medieval temples? 12. Advent of Islam: How did Muslims become a presence in South Asia? 13. Mystical paths and prophetic voices: How close to God is too close? 14. Akbar, the great assimilator: What did he mean when he said “Allahu Akbar”? 15. The Mughal Empire: Was it really a Mughal‐Rajput Empire? 16. Aurangzeb and the long slide downhill: Was it his fault that regional powers began to take over? 17. The British presence expands: did the westerners bring “modernity”? 18. The Growth of (Hindu) nationalism: How did Hindu/Indian threads intertwine? 19. 1857 and Beyond: What did the rebellion mean? 20. In the Muslim community: How were the issues of separatism argued? 21. Gandhi’s “big tent”: Could even a Mahatma hold it all together? 22. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: How does a Dalit with a Columbia PhD fight the caste system? 23. The independence movement: Was it bound to turn out the way it did? 24. Aftermath: How did the reshaping of South Asia continue? 25. The Lawless Frontier: Must there always be trouble in the mountains? 26. Nowadays: ??? To this I would add something about the emergence of India as a major player in the world market and in the global entertainment and technology industry. Think Bollywood and call centers! We won’t get to all of these but they might help you put the whole thing into perspective. .
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