Introduction to South Asian History and Culture

This course surveys the culture, religion and history of India from 1500 BCE to 1700 CE. Focusing primarily on the Indian subcontinent, the course examines the major social, religious, and material factors that shaped the history and culture of this region. We will explore the following themes: the emergence of a Vedic-Aryan culture, the rise of cities, states and the religions of Buddhism and Jainism, the growth of classical Hinduism, the makings of an Indo-Islamic culture, and rise and fall of the Mughal empire. Major objectives of the course will be to draw attention to the pre-colonial pasts of India, learn to examine primary and secondary material, and assess how contemporary concerns influence our understandings of the past. (Gen. Ed. HS, DG)