Spring 2006

ANS 302K • Introduction to India

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the history, religion, and culture of the subcontinent of South Asia, that is, India. This course will provide a basis for further study of India, whether modern or classical, linguistic or literary, or other disciplines. No prior knowledge of India is assumed. This course surveys the history and culture of the Indian subcontinent from prehistoric times to the mid twentieth century. The first section of the course will outline Indiaës vast history from 2500 BCE to modern day. The second section of the course will present the dominant religious expressions and traditions of India. The third section will consider modern Indian life and culture. Because of the long time span covered, the emphasis will be on tracing important patterns of social, political, and cultural change rather than on specific details, with particular attention paid to the ways in which the past continues to influence the present.

Texts

Ludden, India & South Asia: A Short History Dimmit, Classical Hindu Mythology Narayan, Ramayana Hawley & Juergensmeyer, Songs of the Saints of India Mines & Lamb, Everyday Life in South Asia

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