Religious
Studies 162E
Indian Civilization
Office hours TW 10.30-12.00
Description: The course is designed to introduce
you to Indian civilization. It begins with Indus culture, and goes on to trace
the developments associated with the rise of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist
traditions, the arrival of Muslims and the British, and the challenges of
modernity and globalization presently faced by the Indians. Attention is paid
to the evolution of religious beliefs, socio-political institutions, and
literary and artistic achievements.
Requirements:
1. Class attendance
2. A quiz on the readings of
week 1 to 2 on January 23 (10%)
3. In class mid-term test on February 11 (30%)
4. Visit to the Sikh temple, 3076 Loma Vista,
Report (2-pages) due in class
on February 27 (10%)
5. A quiz on the readings of
week 6-8 on March 3 (10%)
6. A
research paper (10 pages) due in class on March
12 (40%)
The topic of the paper is to
be decided in consultation with the instructor
The class reader available at
the Alternative Copy Shop (Tel.
968-1055)
Recommended: A.T. Embree, ed.,
Sources of Indian Civilization (Columbia UP, 1988)
Hermann Kulke and D.
Rothermund, A History of
Barbara D Metcalf and T.R.
Metcalf, A Concise History of
Schedule of Classes and
Week 1
(January 7-9)
1.
Introduction to the course
A. T. Embree, “South Asian
History: A Cursory Review,” in his ed.,
Western and World History (M. E. Sharpe, 1997), 631-662
R. Thapar, “Landscapes and
Peoples,” Early
“The Kumbh Mela,” a
documentary about a Hindu religious gathering
Rec. G. Johnson, Cultural
Atlas of
2.
J.M.Kenoyer, http://www.harappa.com/indus/indus0.html
Week 2 (January 14-16)
1. Early Aryan culture
A. T. Embree, Sources of
Indian Civilization, Chap. 1
H. Kulke and D. Rothermund, A
History of
2. Classical period
A. T. Embree, Sources of
Indian Civilization, Part II, 43-48
H. Kulke and D. Rothermund, A
History of
Week 3 (January 21-23)
1. Monday: Martin Luther King Jr Day
2. Buddhism
Peter Harvey, Buddhism
(
Tessa
Bartholomeusz, “Bauddha Dhamma,” in Sushil Mittal et al., eds.,
Religions
of South Asia (
Quiz on the readings of weeks 1 to 2
(10%)
Week 4 (January
28-30)
1. Jainism
Kendall W. Folkert, “Jainism,”
in J. R. Hinnells, A Handbook of Living Religions
(Penguins:
1984), 256-277
Anne
Vallely, “Jaina Dharma,” in Sushil Mittal et al., eds., Religions of
2. The Hindu way of life
A. T. Embree, Sources of
Indian Civilization, Chapters 8
Romila Thapar, Early
Week 5 (February 4-6)
1. Arrival of Muslims
Andre Wink, Al Hind
(Delhi: OUP, 1999), Chapter iv. b
R. Thapar, A History of
2. Rise and fall of the Mughals
Metcalfs, A Concise History
of
C. Markovitz, “Society and
Culture,” in
Week 6 (February 11-13)
1. Mid-term Test
(30%)
2. Arrival of the Europeans
Metcalfs, A Concise History
of
“Shatranj ke Khiladi,” a film by Satyajit Ray
Week 7 (February 18-20)
1. President’s Day
2. 1857 and its aftermath
A.T. Embree, Imagining
R. Guha. . ., eds., Selected
Subaltern Studies (New York: OUP, 1988), Chap.II.2
Sunday, February 24th. Visit to the Sikh temple, 3076 Loma Vista,
Week 8 (February 25-27)
1.
Cultural engagements
A.T. Embree, Sources of
Indian Civilization, Chapters 2 & 5
S. Bose and A. Jalal, Modern
2. Rise of Indian nationalism
A.T. Embree, India’s Search
for National Unity (Delhi: Chanakya,
1980), Chap. 4
S. Bose and A. Jalal, Modern
The Sikh temple visit report (2-pages) due in class on
February 27 (10%)
Week 9 (March 3-5)
1. Partition of
A. Jalal, The Sole
Spokesman (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1985), chapter 7
Sumit Sarkar, Modern
Recommended: U. Butalia, The
Other Side of Silence (Delhi: Penguin, 1999)
“Earth,” a film by Deepa Mehta
Quiz on the readings of weeks 6 to 8 (10%)
2. Post-Independence
S. Walpert, A New History
of
Paul
Brass, The Politics of
“Indira Gandhi,” a BBC film
Week 10 (March 10-12)
1. Post-Independence
A.T. Embree, Utopias in
Conflict (Berkeley: U C Press, 1990), Chapter 1
Mark Juergensmeyer, The New
Cold War? (Berkeley: UCP, 1993), Chapter 4
“In the Name of God,”
a film by Anand Patwardan
2. Looking to the future
A. W. Helweg and U. M. Helweg,
An Immigrant Success Story (
THE RESEARCH PAPER DUE IN CALSS (40%)
