All Electronic Readings for HIS 249

MYSTERIES OF THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

Readings:

1. Selections from The web-site on Harappa http://www.harappa.com

COMING OF THE ARYAS

Readings:

1. Selections from the site on the VEDAS http://public.wsu.edu/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/rig_veda.html

2. and UPANISHADS http://members.aol.com/Heraklit1/upanish.htm

3. Madhav Gadgill and Ramachandra Guha “Forest and Fire” Chapter Two of their This Fissured Land: An Ecological History of India. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/gadgilforest&fire.pdf

AGE OF THE EPICS

Readings:

1. Selections from the site on the Mahabharata http://web.utk.edu/~jftzgrld/MBh1Home.html

AGE OF EMPIRES

Readings:

1. Selections from The Arthshastra http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/kautilya1.html#Book I, Chapter 19

2. Kumkum Roy, “ The King’s Household: Structure and Space in the Sastric Tradition.” In Kumkum Sangari and Uma Chakravarti eds. From Myths to Markets: Essays on Gender. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/roykingshousehold.pdf

Illustrations:

Map of the Mauryan Empire http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/mauryanEmpire.jpg

Recommended: Edicts of Ashoka http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html

AGE OF THE HETERODOXIES: FOCUS ON BUDDHISM

Readings:

1. Romila Thapar “Religions and Ideologies: Questions and Responses” pp. 164-173 of her Penguin History of Early India from the Origins to AD 1300 (Delhi: Penguin, 2002) http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/ThaparReligions&Ideologies.pdf

2. The Origins of Buddhism (Asia Society) The Origins of Buddhism | Asia Society

3. Buddhism basics: An Introduction to Buddhism

4. Stories from Jataka sources:

a. The Gang of Drunkards http://www.buddhanet.net/bt_3.htm

             b. The phony holy man http://www.buddhanet.net/bt_conts.htm

             c. The holy man who tried to be too holy http://www.buddhanet.net/bt_46.htm

             d. Wisdom of Queen Tenderhearted http://www.buddhanet.net/bt_14.htm

Illustrations

Buddha image: http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/images/guptbudd.gif

Recommended:

For Jainism basics:

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Religions/gurus/Mahavir.html

and http://arham.com/abt_jain_index.htm

and http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/jainhlinks.html#Introduction

More Buddhist texts at: http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/bud-ser1.html

A CLASSICAL AGE?

Illustrations: Gupta Map Map of India: The Gupta Empire

REWRITING HER STORY

Readings:

Romila Thapar, "Sakuntala: Histories of a Narrative." http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/ThaparShakuntala.pdf

EMERGENCE OF “HINDU” SOCIETY

Readings:

1. Excerpts from the “Laws of Manu” internet location to be handed out in class

2. Joe Elder “Understanding India’s Caste System” http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/elderunderstandingcaste.pdf

Recommended : Chapter Three of the Laws of Manu at http://oaks.nvg.org/pv6bk4.html#3

Or chapter three from the entire text of the Laws of Manu at: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/manu-full.html

AN INDO-ISLAMIC WORLD

Readings:

1. Richard Eaton, “Approaches to the Study of Conversion to Islam in India,” in Richard M. Martin ed. Approaches to Islam in Religious Studies. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/eatonapproachconversion.pdf

2. Sultanate chronology http://www.itihaas.com/medieval/delhi-sultanate.html

3. Selections from the Amir Khusro web site http://www.angelfire.com/sd/urdumedia/

4. Romila Thapar, "Somnatha: Narratives of a History." http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/thaparsomnathalecture.pdf