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INDIA’S HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, AND HINDUISM
By Arthur H Tafero
SUMMARY: An overview of Indian History and Culture from ancient times to
present
Areas covered will include: origins of Indian religions and philosophies.
Economic
development, social development, Indus Valley civilizations and modern India.
Also
covered will be trade and religious exchange between India and China.
TEXTS:
PRIMARY
ï‚· History of India - Thapar
ï‚· Ancient Cities of the Indus Valley Civilization - Kenoyer
SECONDARY
ï‚· Ancient India and Ancient China - Liu
ï‚· India Modern - Ypma
Lesson 1 - THE GEOGRAPHIC AND
ECOLOGICAL SETTING OF INDIA
A. India is named for the Indus River that spawned a great urban civilization
more
than four thousand years ago.
B. The subcontinent of South Asia encompasses an area of more than one and a
half
million square miles, from the Hindu Kush and Baluchi Hills on the west and
the
Great Himalayas on the north, to the Burmese mountains on the east and the
Indian Ocean on the south.
C. Geographically, the subcontinent may most simply be divided into three
major
horizontal zones; the northern mountain belt; its neighboring offspring of
Indo-
Gangetic alluvial plains; and the peninsular massif of the south, which may
originally have been part of Africa.
D. The earliest traces of human habitation in South Asia survive as flakes of
stone
found scattered around the valley of the Soan River in what is now the
northern
part of Pakistan.
E. Denied the north's bounty of perennially snow-fed streams, South India has
always depended on rain for its water.
F. The winds that annually bring revitalizing rain to the south also probably
brought
the first humans to peninsular India by sea from East Africa, possibly at
about the
time East Asian migrants first wandered into the northern Soan River valley.
G. Dravidian, the linguistic family still dominant in South India, is a
unique mode of
communication, quite distinct from the Indo-European, Indo-Aryan languages of
North India.
H. In Mesopotamia, Egypt and Persia, India's western neigbors made the
transition
from primitive hunting and food gathering to crop raising; a transition that
marks
the dawn of the New Stone Age and the advent of civilization, between the
ninth
and fifth Millenia B
I. That Neolithic revolution seems to have occurred in South Asia only after
4000
BC, the approximate date of the earliest Neolithic settlements found thus far
in
the hills of Baluchistan on the northwest frontier.
J. The tough, monsoon-nourished Sal forests of the Yamuna-Ganga plain east of
the
Rajaasthan desert, however, poised more formidable barriers to human
settlement;
not to be overcome until iron ploughs drawn by oxen were developed well after
1000 BC.
Critical Questions
1. How would you describe India geographically?
2. Why are India's rivers important to its history?
3. Why are monsoons important to India?
4. Why is the transition from hunting and gathering to cultivation important
to all
ancient cultures?
5. How did the glacial age affect India?
6. Why are nature's barriers an impediment to culture development?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. Why do many cultures throughout the world differ according to their
physical
locations?
B. Why do many cultures have animistic and shamanistic practices in common?
C. Why do most river-valley civilizations have much in common?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Indian Film
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Indian Geography
http://www.encyclopedia.com/searchpool.asp?
Monsoons
http://www.usda.gov/oce/waob/jawf/profiles/specials/monsoon/monsoon.htm
Lesson 2 - THE INDUS CULTURE
A. The monumental excavations of the ancient Punjab city of Harappa (Hara is
one
B. of Shiva's names), begun in 1921, and other excavations occurred at its
reflection
south along the Indus at Mohenjo-daro (Mound of the Dead) a year later.
C. The dig at Mohenjo-daro yielded a much clearer map of that ancient city on
the
west bank of the Indus, 250 miles north of the Arabian Sea.
D. There were, in fact, no fewer than ten cities, constructed one on top of
the other
over a period of many centuries.
E. Wheel-made pottery, much of it redware or buffware painted black, at times
designed with animal as well as geometric motifs, has been found in profusion
in
all major Indus sites.
F. The heavy brick walls and unadorned streets of Mohnjo-daro, Harappa, and
the
more recently discovered Indus sites of Kot Diji, Lothal and Kalibaqngan
leave an
overall impression of ponderous utilitarianism.
G. Indus ciivilzation, now represented by no fewer than seventy unearthed
sites,
extended over almost half a million square miles of the Punjab and Sind, from
the borderlands of Baluchistan to the desert wastes of Rajasthan, from the
Himalayan foothills to the tip of Gujarat, probing the limits of its
ecosystem during
the millenium of its mature survival.
H. By this time (2000 BC), the Indus people had begun to spin cotton into
yarn and
weave it into cloth, dyed fragment of which has been found in Mohnjo-daro.
I. By the time of Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, the nomadic hunting, food-
gathering
and fishing subsistence economy of later Stone Age peoples and the marginal
small-village agricultural economy of the Baluchi Hills had been clearly
displaced by a sophisticated inundation-and-irrigation agricultural and
commercial
economy capable of supporting a large surplus urban population.
J. Sometime shortly after 1750 BC, a number of factors began to transform the
character of Harappan civilization; impairing its quality of life and
disrupting its
hitherto orderly urban environment to the extent that streets no longer
followed any
careful grid pattern, homes diminished in size, and pottery as well as
drainage
deteriorated or disappeared.
K. The Jhukar people's use of faience beads may, as Piggot suggests, be
explained by
the "conscription" of "local craftsmen" who learned the art at Chanhu-daro
and
were forced by their "new rulers" to continue producing their ware; or it
might
simply reflect the fragmented and disjointed continuity of tradition
maintained
by a remnant of the earlier urban culture who had somehow escaped natural
catastrophe.
L. The chaos that characterized the last days of Mohenjo-daro apparently
spread to
M. Harappa in the north and may have reverberated as far as Lothal in the
south as
well, though evidence from these sites is less clearly defined and Lothal at
least
seems to have prospered long after the core of Indus civilization decayed.
Critical Questions
1. Why was the excavation at Harappa in 1921 important?
2. Why is radio-carbon dating important in establishing the existence of a
culture?
3. How did the dig at Mohenjo-daro affect Indian research?
4. How do we know that ancient Indians were artistic?
5. Why is Shiva significant?
6. Discuss the scope of Indus civilization.
7. Why was the invention of cotton important to India?
8. How did the Harappan civilization change after 1750 BC?
9. Why were the Jhukar important?
Supplemental Material
A. What are some reasons that one culture falls and another arises?
B. How do digs contribute to historical research?
C. How can influences of new cultures on old ones be good or bad?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Harrappa
http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Thread/184045
Mohenjo-daro
http://www.mrdowling.com/612-mohenjodaro.html
Lesson 3 - THE ARYAN AGE (1500 BC –
1000 BC)
A. By 1500 BC the Aryans had advanced east over the Hindu Kush Mountains into
India.
B. There is no archeological evidence for the first centuries of India's
Aryan age
(1500 - 1000BC, but The Book of Knowledge or Vedas were preserved through
oral tradition; particularly the Rig Veda (Verses of Knowledge). Also the
Aryans
lived in tribal villages with their migrant herds unlike the pre-Aryan
peoples of
Harrapa.
C. The Rig Veda was not written down before 600 BC, but Vedic hymns had been
composed as early as 1500 BC.
D. Each Aryan tribe was ruled by an autocratic male raja and each family was
controlled by the father whose dominant role over his wife and children was
to
become the standard pattern for subsequent Indian familial relationships, in
which
male supremacy and hierarchy dictated by age were to remain the rule.
E. The simple tribal structure grew more complex during this period as
warfare and
conquest brought new peoples and problems under the ruling rajas, who
required
assistance from noble "warriors" (kshatriyas) and the advice of "councils"
(sabha and samiti) of household elders to govern their burgeoning tribes.
F. By the time the Rig Veda was written, the Aryans had made the transition
from a
nomadic pastoral economy to a combined agricultural and pastoral one, for
they
reaped some variety of "grain" (yava) which must have been barely or wheat.
G. The game of dice, like chess, was invented in India and many dice carved
of nuts
were found at Mohenjo-daro; proof that Aryans were avid gamblers.
H. The Sanskrit word that came to mean "class" (varna) and that is still used
with the
modifiers brahman, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra to identify the four
broadest
categories of Hindu caste society originally meant "covering" as in skin
covering
of various colors. Each varna had a distinguishing color: white for brahmans,
red
for kshatriyas, brown for vaishnas and black for shudras.
I. After Indra's victory, Varuna, The King of Universal Order came forward to
take
the central position of Aryan religious authority.
J. The seeming simplicity of the Aryan nature-worshipping religion was soon
obscured by the Vedic quest for an understanding of cosmic origins and
control
over cosmic forces.
K. The Rig Veda, when completed, resembled a monotheistic model more than a
pantheistic one.
Critical Questions
1. How did the Aryan Civilization change India?
2. How did the Aryans differ from the Harrappa?
3. Why is the Rig Veda crucial to understanding Indian History?
4. Why would Aryan rule be classified as patriarchal?
5. How was the warrior class formed during the Aryan age?
6. How did the Aryan economy evolve?
7. How did gambling evolve in India?
8. How is the Hindu caste system divided?
9. How did Aryan religion evolve?
Supplemental Material
A. How can one civilization's rise cause revisionism in the civilization that
is falling?
B. How are the Aryan cultural developments in India similar to other cultures
overtaking a native culture?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Indian Film
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Aryan Civilization
http://www.atributetohinduism.com/articles_hinduism/13.htm
Rig Veda
http://www.indiansaga.info/languages/vedas_lang.html
Lesson 4 - NORTH INDIAN CONQUEST
and UNIFICATION (1000-450BC)
A. The Aryan conquest of North India was a process of gradual institutional
assimilation and sociocultural integration between invading barbaric hordes
and their more civilized pre-Aryan slaves
B. The Mahabharata, whose epic core probably reflects Indian life at around
1000
BC, starts with King Santanu's love for the beautiful goddess Ganga, whom he
marries. This symbolizes the Aryan advance east of the Doab into the Gangetic
plain.
C. Several elaborate sacrifices, designed to consecrate royalty, appear in
Bramana
commentaries on the Vedas, composed from about 1000 BC to 700 BC, attested
to the growth of significance for kingship.
D. The Satapatha Brahman allegorically relates the eastward expansion of the
Aryans
as the spread of Agni's divine fire.
E. Religious law called dharma dictated proper behavior for all within the
kingdom.
F. The entire Ramayana may be read as an allegory of Aryan and pre-Aryan
conflict,
culminating in the conquest of the south.
G. Such a process of expansion, settled agricultural production and
pluralistic
integration of new peoples led to the development of India's uniquely complex
system of social organization, which was labeled the caste system by the
Portuguese.
H. Plough and irrigation agriculture greatly increased the food supply
available to
Aryan settlers, permitting rapid expansion of India's population as a whole
and the
growth of extended family units within villages as well as towns.
I. Upanishadic mystics, masters of revealed Vedic scripture, represented the
orthodox intellectual revolt against brahmanism that emerged in the eastern
Gangetic plain in the 8th century BC. Upanishads( which means "to sit down in
front of") had a three-fold quest; (1) From the unreal lead me to the real,
(2) From
darkness lead me to light, (3) From death lead me to immortality.
J. Upanishads may be ancient links to Taoist beliefs practiced in Mesopotamia.
K. Their belief system includes references to the cosmic soul equating with
the
individual soul. This is identical to the Taoist belief system and one of the
few,
if any major belief systems that mirror the Taoist system. Also the concept
of
controlling ourselves through understanding these cosmic forces is also very
Taoist.
L. In a deer park at Sarnath, on the outskirts of Kasi, the Buddha was
believed to
have set his "wheel of the law" (dharma) in motion in 527 BC by preaching his
first sermon (which included the four noble truths)`` after achieving
enlightenment.
M. The Buddha spent the next 45 years of his life teaching these four noble
truths to
disciples who gathered around him in such numbers he was able to establish a
monastic "order" (sangha).
N. Members of the sangha pursued a rigorous course of "right discipline"
(sila),
yogic concentration and thoughtful study in their search for nirvana.
O. The various sects of the sangha would lead to schisms within Buddhism that
are
prevalent to this day.
P. Buddha's final message was to be yourself and trust yourself. He did not
set up
his sangha to be "official" priests to distribute "canon law" or to assemble
in
"official temples". This is an obvious rebuff to later institutionalization
of
Buddhism and more in line with the Taoist model of the individual having to
find
his own way without being told what to do.
Critical Questions
1. Why did the Sangha inevitably have schisms within its ranks?
2. How did the Upanishads contribute to the Aryan period?
3. How are Upanishadic and Taoist belief systems similar?
4. How are Buddha's final preachings similar to Taoism?
5. How did agriculture advance during the Aryan period?
6. How did the caste system develop?
7. Why was dharma important?
8. How did kings develop during this period?
9. How is the Mahabharata an allegory for Aryan conquest?
10. How did the Aryans conquer Northern India?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE BUDDHA AS A TAOIST OR A BUDDHIST?
B. WHY DID BUDDHISM SPLIT INTO SO MANY SECTS AFTER THE
BUDDHA'S DEATH?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Sangha
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/India/Society
Upanishads
http://www.indianchild.com/great___indian_epics.htm
Lesson 5 - India's First Imperial
Unification (326-184BC)
A. By the sixth century BC, Magadha had emerged as first among many competing
kingdoms within the Gangetic plain, but it took two centuries to gain control
over India.
B. At this time Alexander the great made his entrance into India.
C. The Maurya became India's first imperial family.
D. The army, spies, soldiers and civil bureaucrats of the Maurya totaled over
one
million men. This required the monarchy to assess a tax of 1/2 of all crops
raised
for maintenance.
E. The Mauryan Empire was divided into janapada (districts) which reflected
earlier
tribal boundries and were administered by the emperor's closest relatives
and/or
most trusted generals.
F. The "Arthashastra" expounded India's classic mandala (circle) theory of
foreign
policy. The king was at the center of the circle surrounded by 12 concentric
circles around him. Anything outside the circles was "the enemy".
G. The greatest of the Mauryan rulers was Ashoka.
H. Although ruthless in his initial conquest, Ashoka preached compassion for
all his
subjects later in his rule and after his death.
I. Ashoka contributed greatly to the institutionalization of Buddhism by
building
over 80000 temples or stupas dedicated to Buddha. After his death, Mauryan
rule
lost its vitality and went into spiritual and economic decline.
Critical Questions
1. How did Ashoka''s association with Buddhism affect India?
2. How did Ashoka's reign affect India?
3. How was the Mauryan Empire divided into janapada?
4. How did the Mauryan bureaucracy function?
5. Why is the Arthashastra text important in this period?
6. How did Alexander the Great influence this time period?
7. How did "The Persian Wars" by Herodotus shed light on this time period in
India?
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS
A. How does the principle of separation of Church and State fit into this
period of
Indian History?
B. Why is Ashoka considered one of the greatest Indian leaders of all time?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Ashoka
http://www.indianchild.com/great___indian_epics.htm
Mauryan Empire
http://www.archaeolink.com/ancient_indus
Lesson 6 - Political Fragmentation and Economic
and Cultural Enrichment (184BC-320AD)
A. The period of 184 BC to 320 AD was politically fragmented until the rise
of the
imperial Guptas.
B. Eucratides dominated the region of Gandhara for more than a century.
C. The Bacatrian bridge between east and west, erected and maintained during
the
crucial centuries prior to the dawn of the Christian eera, may have been a
vital
catalyst in the emergence of Christianity.
D. Hermaeus, last of the Greco-Bactrian kings, sought in vain to defend his
land from
a two-pronged attack; Scythian invaders moving down from the north and
Parthians moving in from the west.
E. The Kushan invasions of India began about the middle of the first century
of the
Christian era, when the last of the Pahlava kings was defeated by these more
powerful Central Asian nomads, while the Shakas were driven deeper into India,
settling in the region of Malwa around Ujjain.
F. A scroll found in 78 AD mentions "Maharaja Rajatriaja Devaputra Kushana",
which indicated the Kushan kings modeled themselves after the Chinese model
of "son of heaven".
G. At the hub of trade routes linking India, China and the West, Kanishka's
Kushan
Empire prospered.
H. Wave after wave of Central Asian and Persian invasions dismantled India's
northwest from indigenous control.
I. South of the Andhras and Kalingas were three ancient Tamil "kingdoms", the
Cheras in the west, the Pandyas in the center and the Cholas in the east.
J. The increased use of coins and the growth of commerce and wealth led to
the
emergence of Indian bankers and financiers, who helped support failing guilds
as well as lesser monarchs and minor landowners.
K. The obscure Vedic rain god Rudra emerged now as the Lord Shiva, Hinduism's
L. "Great God" (Maheshvara), no less exalted in the primacy of his divine
status
by sectarian followers than was Vishnu by his devotees.
Critical Questions
1. How did India's culture flourish during the fragmented period?
2. How did Christianity affect India?
3. Why is Lord Shiva important to Hindus?
4. Why is Krishna important in India?
5. How did coins affect the growth of commerce in India?
6. Discuss the Tamil kingdoms.
7. What factors contributed to continued fragmentation in India?
8. How were trade routes established in India and why were they important?
9. How did the Greeks influence India?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DID THE GREEK INFLUENCE HELP TO FRAGMENT INDIA
DURING THIS AGE?
B. HOW DID RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AFFECT INDIA'S POLITICAL
STRUCTURE DURING THIS PERIOD?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Shiva
http://reference.allrefer.com/country-guide-study/india/india53.html
Krishna
http://www.aryabhatt.com/fast_fair_festival/Festivals/Krishha%20Janmashtami.h
tm
Lesson 7 - The Classical Age (320-700AD)
A. The reunification of North India under the imperial Guptas in 320 AD and
the
reign of Harsha Vardana of Kanauj may be studied as classical prototypes of
the Hindu state and comprised India's classical age.
B. The Guptas, like the Mauryas, established thier base of imperial power in
Magadha, where they controlled rich veins of iron form the Barabar Hills.
C. The peak of Guptan power and cultural glory was attained during the reign
of
Samudra's son and successor, Chandra Gupta II (375-415AD).
D. Numismatic evidnece attests to the final defeat of the Shakas by the
Guptas in 409,
after which Chandras's Gupta's empire had direct control over the ports of
the
Arabian Sea and the riches of Western trade.
E. "Shakuntala" was a major literary work created at this time by Kalidasa.
F. During the Gupta era, royal support was lavished on Hindu, Buddhist and
Jain
faiths. The Hindu temple was considered the classical Indian architecture.
G. The Guptan era also marked the apogee of cave art and sculpture.
H. Commerce as well as Buddhism stimulated Indian intercourse with China and
Southeast Asia at this time.
I. The Guptan Empire, like every other Indian empire, was supported primarily
by
the land revenue "share" (tax) that India's peasant villages provided from
every
harvest to the royal treasury.
J. For a half a centur following the collapse of the Guptan Empire, North
India
reverted to the political fragmentation before the Guptas.
K. Yoga was the only one of the six schools of classical Hindu philosophy
that
emerged in this era that continue to be studied throughout India to this day.
L. The political system of South India should not be thought of as a group of
M. competing, centrally developed bureaucratic states, as was the case in the
north.
Critical Questions
1. How did the northern and southern Indian political systems differ during
the
Gupta period?
2. Why was Yoga prominent in Hindu Philosophy?
3. How did India fare after the fall of the Guptan Empire?
4. How was the Guptan Empire supported financially?
5. How did the Guptas treat various religious groups?
6. Why was "Shakuntala" important to Indian literature?
7. How did the Guptas control India economically?
8. How was India reunified during the Classical age?
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS
A. HOW DID GUPTAN INDIA DIFFER FROM PRE-GUPTAN INDIA?
B. WHAT USUALLY CAUSES THE DOWNFALL OF MOST KINGDOMS?
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Gupta Period
http://reference.allrefer.com/country-guide-study/india/india16.html
Shakuntala
http://www.edunetconnect.com/TimeMachine/india-1500.php
Lesson 8 - The Impact of Islam (711-1556AD)
A. The birth of Islam in the sands of Saudi Arabia in the year 622 was
destined to
divert the course of Indian history in the most fundamental way.
B. By the tenth century, Islam had changed in many ways, transformed since
the
founding of the Abbasid caliphate in the mid-eighth century, when it was
ruled
from Baghdad rather than Damascus or Medina, into an empire embellished by
Persian civilization, protected by Turkish armed slaves.
C. Mahmud of Ghazni began his raids in 997 AD, smashing countless Hindu
temple
idols, which he viewed as abominations to Allah while looting India's cities
of
jewels, spices and lower on the scale of importance; women.
D. Ali Baba and the forty thieves was actually a king and his advisors in
Delhi during
this period.
E. Harihara I, founder of Vijayanagar, had converted to Islam in order to
save the
Tughluqs as a governor in his southern homeland, but he reconverted to
Hinduism
and quickly became an overlord of the southern Deccan.
F. Bengal declared its independence from Delhi in 1338.
G. By the dawn of the 16th century, India was thus not only fragmented
politically,
but divided spiritually into many religious and philosophic camps.
Critical Questions
1. How fragmented did India become by the 16th century?
2. How did some Hindus resist Islamic control?
3. Why do we have the wrong impression in the West of Ali Baba and the 40
thieves?
4. Why was Mahmud called the Sword of Islam?
5. How did Islam develop during the 10th century within India?
6. How did Islamic and Hindu cultures clash?
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS
A. IS RELIGIOUS TOLERENCE OR RELIGIOUS SUPPRESSION A WISER
POLICY FOR RULING A COUNTRY?
B. WHAT MODERN COUNTRIES PRACTICE RELIGIOUS INTOLERENCE
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Indian Film
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Mahmud
http://28.1911encyclopedia.org/M/MA/MAHMUD_OF_GHAZNI.htm
Ali Baba and the 40 thieves
http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/oldarchives/alibaba.html
Lesson 9 - Mughal Imperial Unification
(1556-1605)
A. For the first five years of his reign, Akbar remained subservient to
Bayram Khan,
until the regent was deposed at the instigation of Akbar's nurse, who hoped
to run
the empire herself.
B. The picture of Akbar preserved by a number of contemporary historians is
that of
an energetic and powerful, yet singularly sensitive, melancholy man whose
fits of
depression were as prolonged and profound as his flights of manic celebration
were frequent.
C. The mansabdari (officeholders) system of administration developed by Akbar
divided the higher echelons of Mughal officialdom into thirty-three ranks
(similar
to the US civil service GS system).
D. Akbar's empire was divided into twelve provinces (subas) and subdivided
into
districts (sarkars) which were further broken down into subdistricts
(parganas).
E. Not only did Akbar's efficient administrative system help stimulate and
expand
India's economic development and trade, but it also resurrected Ashoka's
imperial
idea of bringing the entire subcontinent under a single "white umbrella".
F. Orthodox Muslim leaders like the Mulla of Jaunpur came to fear that the
emperor
had abandoned Islam entirely and called upon their congregations of the
faithful
to rise in revolt (jihad).
G. The importance of Persian cultural influence on the Mughal Empire and
court can
hardly be exaggerate
H. It was found in Akbar's Sufism and in the reintroduction of Persian as the
official
language of the Mughal administration and law.
I. Akbar's era reflected a blend of Perso-Islamic and Raiput-Hindu
architecture and
painting.
Critical Questions
1. How did Akbar's reign come to a tragic end?
2. How did Akbar's reign affect Indian architecture?
3. How did Islam react to Akbar?
4. How did Akbar's efficient administration unite India?
5. How was Indian bureaucracy organized under Akbar?
6. How did Akbar come to rule India?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
A. HOW DID AKBAR CHANGE INDIA?
B. HOW DID HINDUISM AND ISLAM COEXIST DURING AKBAR'S REIGN?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Akbar
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/tajmahal/mughal.html
Indian Islam
http://www.hvk.org/articles/0100/23.html
Lesson 10 - Western Europe's Vanguard
(1498-1669)
A. The transition from the initial "fleet" to the more permanent and
potentially
profitable "factory" stage of Western European enterprise in India proved
disastrous, and the era of friendly Indo-Portuguese collaboration was
followed
by a longer period of bitter conflict and hatred.
B. Dom Affonso d'Alburquerque, vicetroy of Portugal in the East from 1509 to
1515,
was master architect of Portugal's Indian empire; a strategist of no mean
vision
and a religious fanatic whose hatred of Islam was almost as great as his
knowledge of the Indian Ocean.
C. As Portugal's wealth and power in Asia grew, however, Jesuits back home
feared
that the mire of "Eastern sin" might undermine the empire built in such great
measure by the zealous spirit of Christian crusading.
D. After 1588, when the Spanish Armada fought its way to the bottom of the
English
Channel, there was less risk involved in the trip to India by all other
foreign
investors.
E. The British gained the upper hand in India for the first time when Admiral
Best
bested the Portuguese fleet in the Indian Ocean and effectively neutralized
the
influence of the Portuguese Jesuits at Agra's court.
F. From ports in southeastern India, British merchants soon sought more
immediate
access to the mainstream of produce flowing down from the Gangetic plain to
the Bay of Bengal.
G. Under Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth, the East India company finally
received the national support it had earlier sought in vain to do business in
India.
Critical Questions
1. How did England's East India Company get national support in England?
2. How did the English merchants take advantage of English naval superiority?
3. How did the English take power from the Portuguese in India?
4. Why were the English and the Dutch able to make inroads to India after
1588?
5. How did Portugal's trade supremacy affect Christianity's stance toward
India?
6. How did European trade shift in India by 1500?
7. How did Portuguese exploration affect India?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DID EUROPE MAKE INROADS INTO INDIA DURING THE 16TH AND
17TH CENTURIES?
B. HOW DID EUROPEAN INTERVENTION INTO INDIA AFFECT BOTH
ENGLISH AND INDIAN CULTURE?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Indian Film
http://www.askmrmovies.com
East India Company
http://www.gwhs.phila.k12.pa.us
European Intercourse in India
http://www.rc.umd.edu/praxis/containment/ahmed/ahmed.html
Lesson 11 - Great Mughal Glory (1605-1707)
A. The Great Mughals, whose reigns span the entire 17th century, have with
good
reason become universal symbols of power and affluence, of tenderness and
cruelty, of ferocity and sensitivity and many other emotional extremes
characteristic of the Indian life-style known as Mughlai. (Some researchers
feel this type of behavior was initiated by Akbar and became a "traditional"
type of behavior for rulers to emulate).
B. Akbar had hoped to win control over all of India by his enlightened policy
of
"love" - forging a multi-religious alliance, reducing taxes, and encouraging
tolerance for all sects and ideas.
C. Since the founding of the Sikh faith by its saintly guru, Nanak, in the
early 16th
century, this popular new liberal community flourished in the Punjab, drawing
its recruits mostly from hard-working peasantry of Hindu as well as Muslim
birth.
D. In Maharashtra a fierce Hindu opposition to Mughal rule emerged under the
leadership of Shivaji Bhonsle, who was hailed by his followers as the
founding
father of the Maratha "nation" but reviled by the Mughals as a Deccan
(mountain rat).
E. Shivaji clearly used an intimate knowledge of his homeland to considerable
martial advantage and is highly deserving to be called one of the founding
fathers
of modern guerrilla warfare, a method he learned in part from his father.
F. Although the mughals conquered the Deccan, it cost them 26 years and was a
Pyrrhic victory, costing about 100,000 lives a year in which Maratha
fortresses
would be taken one week and lost the next with the cycle being endlessly
repeated until the fall of the mughals.
Critical Questions
1. How were the Hindus able to resist Mughal domination?
2. Why was Shivaji 's resistance important to India's history?
3. Why did the Hindus clash with Mughal rule?
4. How did the Sikh faith emerge and affect India?
5. How did Akbar plan to administer India?
6. How did the Mughals impact on Indian history?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DID THE SIKHS CHANGE THE BALANCE OF POWER WITHIN
INDIA?
B. HOW DID THE SIKHS BECOME ISOLATED IN INDIA?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Indian Film
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Mughal
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/tajmahal/mughal.html
Shivaji
http://www.aryabhatt.com/fast_fair_festival/Festivals
Lesson 12 - Twilight of the Mughal
Empire - (1707-1764)
A. The last decades of Alamgir's reign imposed too heavy a drain upon
imperial
Mughal resources to permit the dynasty to continue after its master's demise.
B. The four sons of the last effective Mughal did not bury their father for a
month
because they were scurrying around trying to consolidate power.
C. While south India emerged independent of Mughal power, the Safadid dynasty
was attacked by Afghan invaders.
D. While India's Great Mughal unity was thus destroyed by a combination of
interregional religious wars, court incompetence, greedy factionalism and
traditional invasions in the northwest for plunder, European commercial
enterprise quietly prospered on the fringes of the subcontinent.
E. The French under Dupleix were able to make inroads to Indian trade because
after living on the subcontinent for two decades, Dupleix was able to
understand
Indian attitudes and politics better than any other contemporary European.
F. Dupleix's advantage diminished as the British navy became more dominant in
India and paved the way for the East India Company.
G. Clive took control of the East India Company and overcame Dupleix through
England's superior military forces.
H. When Clive returned to govern Bengal in 1765, he wisely recognized that
though
his company might have the power to conquer India immediately, it would not
reap the financial benefits of a "peaceful" takeover of the economy.
Critical Questions
1. How was Clive wise in administering the East India Co. in India?
2. How did Clive impact on India?
3. Why were the French eventually unsuccessful in their attempts to penetrate
India?
4. How did the French try to make inroads to India?
5. How did the Europeans take advantage of Mughal decline?
6. How did south India react to Mughal decline?
7. Why did infighting contribute to Mughal decline?
8. Why did the Mughal empire decline?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DO MOST DYNASTIES IN MOST CULTURES DECLINE?
B. HOW CAN A PRIVATE ENTERPRISE LIKE THE EAST INDIA COMPANY
DOMINATE A COUNTRY?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Clive
http://www.aryabhatt.com/fast_fair_festival/Festivals
Mughal Empire
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/tajmahal/mughal.html
Lesson 13 - Midterm Exam
Areas of Concern
1. Discuss the early development of India.
2. Discuss the early religious development of India.
3. Discuss European involvement in India?
Lesson 14 – E John Company Raj - (1765
- 1793)
A. After 1765 John Company sought to establish it raj (rule) over Bengal,
Bihar and
Orissa on as sound and permanent a basis as possible.
B. The aggressive and greedy Clive was replaced by Hastings who was more
academic and low-key and also provide the company with a greater profit.
C. Hastings redesigned the revenue-collecting system of Bengal so that more
money
actually reached the coffers of the company rather than sticking to the
fingers of
its Indian agents and their English supervisors, who robbed peasant and
company
alike with equal impunity.
D. Hastings supported Oudh with British arms and undermined Maratha power.
The
stunning defeat suffered by the Maratha at Panipat dashed their hopes of
continued native Indian imperial power.
E. The Treaty of Salbai brought the English 20 years of time to undermine
Maratha
power and give superiority to the enterprise efforts within the country by
the British.
F. William Pitt was able to brilliantly gain power within India with a
minimum of
armed intervention under the guise of free enterprise.
G. Cornwallis replaced Hastings when Pitt felt that a man with military as
well as
business experience would be best for leading Britain's exploits within India
H. Before leaving India, Cornwallis implemented his Code of 48 regulations,
which
became known as the Cornwallis Code which affected India for many years to
come.
Critical Questions
1. Why was John Company dominant in India?
2. How did the John Company change direction after Clive?
3. How did Maratha power decline during the John Company's raj?
4. How did William Pitt affect Indian policy in Britain?
5. How did Cornwallis impact on Indian relations?
6. What was Cornwallis' legacy in India?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. WHY DID THE JOHN COMPANY SUCCEED IN INDIA?
B. HOW DID CORNWALLIS ESTABLISH ENGLAND AS A PERMANENT
POWER IN INDIA?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
John Company
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_East_India_Company
William Pitt
http://www.britannia.com/gov/primes/prime5.html
Lesson 15 - The New Mughals (1793-1848)
A. Wellesley became the first English Mughal
B. Cornwallis had left the mechanism for complete British control with his
code.
C. Assisted by his younger brother, the Iron Duke of Wellington, Wellesley
added
more territory directly to British India and brought more princely real
estate
under the "protection" of Britain.
D. Wellesley continued to increase England's domination of India while the
Maratha faction continued to diminish in power.
E. With the New Mughals, other Englishmen flocked to India; not as officials
or
merchants in the service of companies or the crown, but as missionary
reformers
seeking the salvation of heathen souls.
F. The struggle between British officials, whose primary concern was survival
through stability, and British preachers or lay reformers, who were
preoccupied
with salvation through conversion or reform, was to be a source of tension in
the superstructure of the new ray for the 19th century.
G. Ram Mohun Roy was considered the father of Hindu Renaissance made an
interesting impact on Indian society. He was trained by the English and
completely
ingested Western culture while still remaining an Indian Brahman. This led
native
Indians to believe that they too could become part of the new superstructure
of
British rule.
H. The Indians studied the English and the English embarked upon studying
"orientals".
I. England used India's fear of Russia and Russian borders to place more of a
military presence in India.
J. The revolt of the Sikhs at the edges of the British influence also allowed
the
British to bring in more of a military presence in India.
K. After the revolt was put down, the armies remained as a deterrent to any
other
uprising.
Critical Questions
1. How did the English maintain dominance in India after the departure of
Cornwallis?
2. How did Wellesley add to England's empire in India?
3. Who was Wellesley's main competition in India?
4. How did British dominance in India open the door to Christianity in India?
5. Why were the English military and the missionary population at odds with
each
other?
6. Why was Ram Mohan Roy considered a tremendous influence on Indian culture?
7. How did Englishmen and Indians exchange cultural backgrounds?
8. How did India's phobia of Russia allow England to have a greater military
presence in India?
9. How did Afghans affect English policy in India?
10. Why did the Sikhs and the English have conflicts in India?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
A. HOW DID SIKHS AND AFGHANS UNDERMINE BRITISH AUTHORITY
IN INDIA?
B. HOW DID MISSIONARIES MAKE THE MILITARY'S JOB MORE
DIFFICULT IN INDIA?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Wellesley
http://www.malaysia.net/lists/sangkancil/2000-03/msg00159.html
Ram Mohun Roy
http://www.mkgandhi.org/edugandhi/education.htm
Lesson 16 - Unification, Modernization
and Revolt - (1848-1858)
A. The policy of government in India, pursued under Dalhousie's direction
from 1848
to 1856, was primarily one of internal unification and modernization.
B. Dalhousie"s more significant contribution to the government's coffers,
however
came not as a result of costly martial conquest, but rather through the
direct
annexation of lands still owned by the company's princely allies who were
stripped one by one of the their possessions.
C. Commercially, the railroad was perceived as a way to facilitate
distribution and
sale of British-made imports to India's still "unopened" interior and to
bring
back from that interior, on the reverse run, such raw materials as coal and
cotton.
D. India's first electric telegraph line was laid by 1856.
E. Calcutta, Agra, Lahore. Bombay and Madras were linked by wire.
F. The British sowed the seeds of Hindu revolt themselves by stupidly
smearing
the cartridges of their new breech loading rifle with animal fat and lard
thereby
infuriating the religious beliefs of the Hindus.
G. The rifle incident led to mass mutinies among Hindus in the British forces
and
this in turn led to other mutinies throughout India.
H. The mutinies lasted for 10 years until 1858 until peace was declared.
Critical Questions
1. How did India progress under Dalhousie?
2. How did England treat her princely allies?
3. What were the commercial effects of trains in India?
4. How did the telegraph affect India?
5. Why did Indian soldiers mutiny over a rifle?
6. What was the effect of the Indian soldier mutinies?.
7. How did the mutinies end?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW CAN A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT A CULTURE HAVE
DISASTROUS REPERCUSSIONS?
B. HOW DO MODERN INVENTIONS IMPACT ON TRADITIONAL
CULTURES?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Indian Film
Http://www.askmrmovies.com
Dalhousie
http://www.dalhousie.net/
Sepoy Rebellion
http://www.regiments.org/milhist/wars/19thcent/57india.htm
Lesson 17 - Crown Rule and a New Order
(1858-1877)
A. The legacy of the mutiny was a fundamental and far-reaching import to
British
Indies. In 1858 the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act
transferring "all rights" that the company had in India directly to the crown.
B. Fears concerning "native" sensitivities to social and religious changes of
any sort
inaugurated an era of socio-religious laissez faire that put an end to
further reform
legislation in India for more than three decades.
C. The one institution in which dramatic positive reforms were made after
1858 was
the army. The company's presidential armies were reorganized as a martially
coordinated royal machine destined to prevent any recurrence of rebellion.
D. Railroad construction advanced so rapidly that track laid by 1859
increased by
tenfold by the 1870's and by the end of the century increased to 25000 miles
of
track.
E. The most pervasive impact of the mutiny was the psychological wall of
racial
distrust it raised between Britain's "white" and India's native "black"
populations.
F. By 1877 Britain was firmly in control in India and convinced Queen
Victoria to
add India to her regalia.
Critical Questions
1. How did the "New Order" mark the beginning of the end of British rule in
India?
2. How did the mutiny affect race relations during this period.
3. How was the railroad affected by the mutiny?
4. How was the British army affected by the mutiny?
5. How were missionaries affected by the mutiny?
6. What was the effect of the mutiny on the John Company and England?
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS
A. HOW DID THE MUTINY MARK THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF
BRITISH RULE IN INDIA?
B. WHY WAS BRITISH RULE IN INDIA DESTINED TO FAIL AT SOME
POINT?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Http://www.askmrmovies.com
British Missionaries in India
http://www.indianchild.com/british_empire_in_india.htm
British Railroad in India
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/special/williams/abstracts
Lesson - 18 - Indian Nationalism - The
First Movement (1885-1905)
A. Indian nationalism has always been a theme scored with religious, class,
caste
and regional variations.
B. The clearest indicator of the ambivalent role played by British rule in
the growth
of India's first nationalist movement was that all fo the major leaders of
that
movement had received some English education.
C. Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Ranade's foremost disciple, sought with the same
forbearance of his mentor to win the hearts and minds of British governors,
vicetroys, secretaries of state and other cabinet members on behalf of
India's
many appeals for political justice and economic equity.
D. It soon became painfully clear to more and more middle-class Indians that
no
matter how well-intentioned or powerful individual Englishmen like Ripon
might
be, the system they served was fundamentally unresponsive and hostile to many
basic Indian needs, aspirations and desires; it was cold, imperious, paternal
and
foreign.
E. Most of the first Congress representatives were high-caste Hindus and
Parsi, all of
whom spoke English and had attended college, mostly to study law, though some
were journalists, teachers and businessmen.
F. The Arya Samaj, founded by Daynanda Sarawati in Bombay proved an important
stimulus to the development of nationalist political activism in the Punjab
after
1905, but was initially created as a society for Hindu revival and Vedic
proselytizing.
Critical Questions
1. How is Indian nationalism defined?
2. How did the English play a role in the Indian nationalist movement?
3. How was Gopal Krishna Gokhale involved with the Indian nationalist
movement?
4. How was British rule perceived by native Indians?
5. Who composed India's elite?
6. How did Arya Samaj help Indian nationalism?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DO MANY COUNTRIES WITH COLONIES HAVE MUCH IN
COMMON?
B. HOW DO THE COLONIZED VIEW THEIR PLACE IN SOCIETY AS
OPPOSED TO THE COLONIZERS?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
http://www.indiannationalcongress.com/history/
Arya Samaj
http://www.aryasamaj.com/intro.htm
Lesson - 19 - The Machine Solidifies; Faces
Revolt, Repression and Reform (1885-1912)
A. George Nathaniel Curzon, Baron of Kedleston, was a colossal failure in
India
and showed the inherent impossibility of sustaining British rule for too much
longer.
B. In foreign policy, Curzon viewed India as the spear point of British
dominance
over all of Asia.
C. Curzon added Tibet to Britain's sphere of influence, claiming that the
Dalai Lama
was seeking Russian military support, thereby justifying his unprovoked
invasion
of that peaceful hermit kingdom beyond the Himalayas.
D. Curzon's final year in India was also marked by the first eruptions of an
earthquake of nationalist protest generated by the 1905 partition of Bengal.
E. The first partition of Bengal inaugurated a half decade of intense
revolutionary
nationalist activity.
F. The boycott of British goods, especially cotton, proved so successful that
by 1908
imports were down by more than 25%.
G. As anti-partition passions grew bolder and svadeshi sales boomed in the
wake of
the boycott, the government attempted to crack the movement with wholesale
prosecutions against its advocated and through instructions to educational
institutions to prevent students from being politically active or they would
lose
their grants-in-aid or assistance.
H. While Bengal's partition served at once to catapult Congress to a new
plateau of
national popularity and internal division, it also proved a catalyst for
separatist
Muslim political consciousness and demands.
I. Impassioned youth now turned to the cult of terrorism seeking to win by
terror
that which had been denied them.
J. Morley's parliamentary undersecretary of state during his last year at the
India
Office was Edwin Samuel Montagu who tried to pilot the next great Act of
Reform, but in the end in would not be enough to maintain British rule.
Critical Questions
1. Why was the failure of Curzon a precursor to British demise.
2. How did Curzon view India in relation to foreign policy?
3. Why did Britain invade Tibet?
4. Why did the partition of Bengal hasten British demise in India?
5. What were the results of the partition of Bengal?
6. How did native Indians use boycotts as a weapon against the British?
7. How did the British react to the boycotts?
8. How was the Muslim population affected by the partition?
9. Why did the Muslim population use terrorism against the British?
10. Why was Montagu important to Indian reform?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. How did the British machine solidify in India during this period?
B. How did Indians revolt during this period?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Curzon
http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Nathaniel_Curzon
Bengal
http://www.mbeaw.org/resources/countries/indiabengal.html
Lesson 20 - The Impact of World War
One (1914-1919)
A. Council reforms and the reunification of Bengal gave heart to the moderate
leadership of the old Congress and to most Bengal Hindus, but jolted the
Muslim
League from its moderate loyalist stand.
B. When Britain declared war against Germany, India was immediately notified
by
Lord Hardinge that she too, was at war.
C. Disillusion set in early. As soon as the first casualties were returning
from the
western front, it became apparent to India that the war would bring death in
distant lands for many of her sons long before fulfilling and dreams of
freedom.
D. An even greater source of wartime disillusionment and growing tension
between
India and Britain was the Ottoman's Empire's decision to join the Central
Powers.
Muslims were much closer to the Ottoman Empire culturally than England.
E. Gandhi's victory over the Indigo planters of Champaran in 1917 brought him
F. popular acclaim as the champion of India's peasants.
G. Immediately after he returned home in 1918, Montagu hammered out his
"Report on Indian Constitutional Reform" which embodied the principles of
"complete popular control" as much as possible in India.
H. The Armistice did not bring peace to India.
I. It brought continued repression and a catastrophic epidemic.
J. Millions of less famous Indians turned at this time from loyal supporters
of the
British raj to nationalists who were no longer content to follow its orders
or to
trust in the "fair play" of its officials.
Critical Questions
1. How did the reunification of Bengal affect Hindus and Muslims?
2. How did Britain's involvement in WW 1 affect India?
3. How quickly did the Indians become disillusioned with WW 1?
4. How did WW 1 affect Muslim loyalties?
5. How did Gandhi become recognized in India?
6. How did Montague progress with Indian constitutional reform?
7. How did the Armistice affect India?
8. What was the result of British martial law?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DID WW1 IMPACT ON INDIA?
B. WHY WAS THE ISLAMIC POPULATION OF INDIA CONTINUALLY
DISENFRANCHISED?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
India during WW 1
http://www.ku.edu/carrie/archives/wwi-l/2000/05/msg00307.html
Gandhi
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/India/Society_and_Culture/
Lesson 21 - Toward Independence (1920-1939)
A. The aftermath of WW 1 brought such widespread disillusionment to India
that Congress abandoned its policy of cooperation with the British Raj to
follow Gandhi's revolutionary call for nonviolent non-cooperation.
B. As a true Mahatma, Gandhi sought to pit his yogic powers of self-control,
abstinence, suffering and meditation against the awesome might of the world's
greatest empire.
C. Young men like Subhas Chandra Bose of Bengal were so excited by Gandhi's
revolutionary call that they gave up possible careers in the coveted ICS to
devote full time to the national struggle.
D. The non-cooperation movement gathered momentum throughout the early 20's
and the British attempt to immobilize it failed.
E. When repression mounted, Gandhi consoled his followers by redefining
svaraj as "abandonment of the fear of death" and was the most inspirational
message the Indian masses had ever taken to heart in their history.
F. Under Lord Reading, India's only Jewish vicetroy, the government pursued a
policy of trying to win middle-class Indian support by granting many of the
liberal reforms Congress had demanded from its inception, but Gandhi and
masses of Indians read this simply as a faltering English position.
G. Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, an untouchable leader of the Mahars of
Maharashtra, had just returned from abroad from Columbia U. to help form the
Depressed Classes Institute in the Deccan.
H. Nehru proposed a "commonwealth of India" with all powers to be derived
"from the people" and with all the freedoms enjoyed by other dominions of the
empire, within which it was to remain.
I. Gandhi led the salt revolt in India.
J. The Muslim League, under Muhammad Iqbal, proposed the formation of a
consolidated Northwest Indian-Muslim state in 1930.
K. Gandhi began to use fasting as a nonviolent method of non-cooperation.
L. Jinnah, Gandhi, Nehru, Iqbal and Bose began to attempt to unify for an
Indian state in 1938.
Critical Questions
1. What was the aftermath of WW1 in India?
2. What yogic powers did Gandhi use against the English?
3. How did Bose differ from Gandhi?
4. How did Indians illustrate their non-cooperation movement?
5. Why was the principle of svaras important?
6. How did Lord Reading try to placate the Indians?
7. How did untouchables progress in India during this period?
8. How did Nehru affect Indian statehood?
9. How did Iqbal lead the Muslim community?
10. Why was salt an issue in India?
11. How was fasting used by Gandhi?
12. Why was the temporary dialogue between Gandhi, Jinnah, Bose, Nehru and
Iqbal so crucial to India's future?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
A. WHAT DID GANDHI, JINNAH, BOSE, NEHRU AND IQBAL HAVE IN COMMON?
B. WHY IS IT NECESSARY FOR DIFFERENT FACTIONS WITHIN A COUNTRY TO UNITE FOR A
SHORT PERIOD OF TIME?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Svaras
http://www.vedamsbooks.com/no13795.htm
Iqbal
http://www.muslim.org/allegs/iqbal2.html
Lesson 22 - The Impact of WW 2 - (1939-1946)
A. Gandhi was deeply affected by the Lahore Resolution, denouncing it as a
"vivisection of India".
B. Throughout the war, Jinnah proved to be superior to either Gandhi or Nehru
in dealing with the British.
C. Despite widespread opposition to British rule and to the war, most Indians
supported the British in WW 2.
D. In the spring of 1943, Bose went on a submarine voyage from Hamburg to
Singapore and around the Cape of Good Hope and initiated an armed revolt
against England.
E. Captured soldiers from Bose's revolt became national heroes as did Bose
after his death.
F. In 1947, the House of Commons proclaimed that "two independent dominions"
would be established in India " to be known as India and Pakistan".
G. At midnight on August 14, 1947, Nehru proclaimed India a free country.
Critical Questions
1. How did Gandhi and the Muslim minority disagree?
2. Why was Jinnah an important Indian leader during WW 2?
3. Why was the Indian Independence movement difficult to succeed during WW 2?
4. How did Bose use WW 2 to further Indian independence?
5. How did Bose and his followers become heroes in India?
6. How was the issue of Hinduism and Islam finally resolved in India?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DID WW 2 PREVENT INDIA FROM GAINING INDEPENDENCE?
B. WHY IS BOSE SUCH AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN INDIAN HISTORY?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Jinnah
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761573455/Jinnah_Mohammed_Ali.html
Bose
http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Bose.html
Lesson 23 - The Nehru Era (1947- 1964)
A. Nehru was the architect of India's foreign policy and its five-year plans.
B. Kashmir posed a different sort of problem because 3/4 of its population
was Muslim, but its political leader was Hindu.
C. Jinnah threatened to send the Pakistanian army into Kashmir.
D. Gandhi protested poor treatment of Muslims in Delhi by fasting and then
was assassinate
E. India voted to partition Bengal.
F. The central government was charged with defense, atomic energy, foreign
affairs, railways, airways, shipping, communications, currency and many
lesser items.
G. Most of India's budget went to feeding its population.
H. India made some progress with their third five-year-plan (1961-1966) with
a large increase in industrialization.
I. India officially ended its neutrality by becoming aligned with the United
States in 1962.
J. Women's rights in India continued to lag under Nehru.
K. Hindi was made the official language of India in the early 60's
Critical Questions
1. What were some of Nehru's accomplishments?
2. Why was Kashmir a problem for Nehru?
3. How did the British keep the Pakistinians out of Kashmir?
4. How did Gandhi react to Indian-Pakistinian problems?
5. How did India model its federal structure?
6. What duties did the central government have during this period?
7. What were some of India's problems under Nehru?
8. What problems did the farmers of India have during this time?
9. Why did India go from neutrality to armed support from the United States?
10. Why is Sati important?
11. How does an official language affect political power?
SUPPLEMENATAL MATERIAL
A. HOW DID BRITAIN CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE INDIA AFTER IT LEFT?
B. HOW DID OTHER DIFFERENCES BESIDE RELIGION SPLIT HINDUS AND MUSLIMS?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Nehru
http://www.cncw.com/india/nehru.htm
Sati
http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/hindu/sati.htm
Lesson 24 - From Collective Leadership to Indira Raj - (1964-1977)
A. Indira Gandhi (no relation to the Mahatma) became Premier of India in 1964.
B. For Pakistan, the first decade and a half of freedom had been turbulent
and unstable.
C. The Indian-Pakistani war drew attention away from India's domestic
problems.
D. In June, 1966 Gandhi announced the devaluation of the Indian rupee by
almost 75%.
E. Fortunately for India and Gandhi, India made great agricultural
breakthroughs while the rupee was devalued, thereby softening the economic
blow.
F. Gandhi increased government controls using the agricultural success as a
rationale.
G. Gandhi tried to induce economic reforms unsuccessfully and then imposed a
national emergency and martial law.v
H. Gandhi then banned political opposition.
I. Despite all the mechanisms to prevent opposition, Gandhi was ousted in
1977.
Critical Questions
1. How did Indira Gandhi emerge in India?
2. Why did Pakistan continue to have discord in Kashmir?
3. How did Gandhi's success against Pakistan affect domestic policy?
4. How did the United States affect Indian economy?
5. How did India make agricultural gains under Indira Gandhi?
6. How did India's victory in Bangladesh shift the balance of power to India
in the Asian subcontinent?
7. How did Indira Gandhi try to alleviate poverty?
8. How did inflation almost end the reign of Gandhi early?
9. How did Gandhi's government become repressive?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. HOW CAN A BENEVOLENT LEADER TURN INTO A DESPOT?
B. WHAT PROBLEMS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BRING DOWN A GOVERNMENT?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Pakistan and Kashmir
http://www.newsaustralia.com/Kashmir.htm
Bangladesh
http://www.hcidhaka.org/indbangla/
Lesson 25 - Shifting Coalition Sands
A. Moraji Desai's Janata government remained so faction-ridden from its
inception in 1977 that it could reach no consensus on how to resolve India's
most compelling problems, dissolving its precious mandate in the acid of
cabinet squabbles.
B. India viewed Pakistan and its rigged elections for Bhutt
C. In addition many opponents "disappeared, got ill or suddenly died"
D. As a result of these developments, India's seventh general elections
brought Indira Gandhi back to the center of Delhi power in January of 1980.
E. India worried about Russia's intervention into Afghanistan
F. India thought they could be next.
G. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan under Zia ul-Haq moved diplomatically
closer to its fellow Islamic nations of the Middle East rather than toward
possible reunification with India in 1980 as a result of the Russian activity.
H. Prospering Punjab represented the best chance for India to unite its Hindu
and Sikh populations peacefully.
I. Incredibly, Gandhi invaded Punjab and destroyed religious temples of the
Sikhs in 1984.
J. Justifiably, the Sikhs were responsible for the assassination of Gandhi in
Oct of 1984. Unfortunately, rampaging mobs of Hindus in Delhi killed many
Sikhs in revenge for the assassination as violence begat violence. Rajiv
Gandhi, Indira's son was sworn in as the new king er....prime minister of
India.
K. So the trilogy of Nehru, his daughter Indira and her son Rajiv was now
complete. More of a royal line than a democratic process.
L. Armed with a clear mandate, Rajiv reached several accords with Punjab,
Assam and Mizora. It appeared as if the young Raj had better negotiation
skills than either his mother or grandfather.
M. Unfortunately, Sikh terrorism increased in Punjab and other places.
N. By 1986, fighting in Sri Lanka had escalated in intensity.
O. Pollution in Dehli increased dramatically. The air was fouled in Calcutta,
Bombay and Madras, also.
P. In 1991 Rao replaced Gandhi as premier.
Q. In 1992 India's faltering economy suffered another blow from the Gulf War
due to its spiraling oil prices and the return of thousands of Indian
laborers from the the Middle East.
R. In 1996 Gowda replaced Rao and lasted less than a year; he was replaced by
Gujral.
S. Kashmir, with over one half million garrisoned Indian troops, remained in
a state of undeclared war between India and Pakistan.
Critical Questions
1. Why did Moraji Desai inherit many problems in India in 1971?
2. How did Pakistinian elections differ from Indian elections during this
period?
3. How did Indira Gandhi return to power?
4. Why was India worried about Russia's invasion of Afghanistan?
5. How did India-Pakistan relations evovle by 1980?
6. Why did Punjab continue to be economically important to India?
7. Why was Indira Gandhi assassinated?
8. How did Indira's Gandhi's assassination precipitate widespread rioting in
Delhi?
9. Why was Rajiv Gandhi successful early in his regime?
10. How did continued Sikh violence affect Punjab?
11. How did fighting in Sri Lanka affect India?
12. Why is pollution a problem in modern-day India?
13. How did the Gulf War affect India?
14. Why do problems continue to exist in Kashmir to this day?
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL
A. WHY HAS INDIA CONTINIUED TO HAVE FRAGMENTED ELEMENTS WITHIN ITS SOCIETY
SINCE ITS INDEPENDENCE?
B. HOW DO SOME WESTERN COUNTRIES DIFFER FROM INDIA IN RELIGIOUS TOLERENCE?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Indira Gandhi
http://www.cncw.com/india/indira.htm
Rajiv Gandhi
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Independent/Rajiv.html
Lesson 26 - Final Exam and Final Papers Due Areas of Concern
1. Discuss How India broke away from British rule?
2. How has India developed since Independence?
3. In your opinion, how do you think modern India will proceed in the 21st
century?
Hinduism
SUMMARY: This is an overview course on the history, development and modern
status of Hinduism in today's world. Areas covered in this course will
include the
origins of Hinduism, Hindu scripture and philosophy, ethics and current
status of
Hindus in the world today.
ï‚· Primary Text: Hinduism - Kanitkar and Cole
 Secondary Text: Hinduism – Ellinger
Lesson 1 - Diversity and Unity
1. In Northern India, a person’s name very often has two parts; the first
is his/her
personal name, the second is the family name.
2. In Western India a person has three names; the first identifies the
individual,
the second his father’s name and the third his family name.
3. In the South a person has four names; the first initial denotes the
village of
origin, second is the father’s name, third is the person’s given name and
fourth signifies caste.
4. Vishnu is the premier manifestation of God for the Hindus.
5. Brahmin are Indian priests.
6. Gurus give spiritual guidance.
7. Offerings are called prasad.
Critical Questions
1. How do names differ from region to region in India?
2. Why is Vishnu important to Hindus?
3. Why is Krishna important to Hindus?
4. Why are Brahmin important?
5. What are the roles of gurus in Hinduism?
6. Why do Hindus make offerings called Prasad?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Prasad
http://www.indiaoz.com.au/hinduism/articles/prasad.shtml
Krishna
http://www.hinduism-links.com/Gods_and_Goddesses_Krishna.html
Lesson 2 - The Temple
1. The temple is the home of the murtis(images or statues), the material
representatives of the divine spirit.
2. Visitors must remove their shoes before entering temples because leather
is
spiritually impure.
3. dharma is one’s social or moral duty.
4. The arati is the singing of prayers and the receiving of spiritual
purification and
the deity’s blessing.
5. The arati contains the viewing of the deity and the receiving of grace at
its sight.
6. The mukti or moksha (liberation) occurs when the worshipper achieves
spiritual
liberation.
7. Ganesha is the maker of happiness.
8. Vishnu is the Lord of the Universe.
9. Durga is the protector.
Critical Questions
1. Why are temples important to Hindus?
2. Why must visitors remove their shoes before entering Hindu temples?
3. Why is dharma important?
4. Why is the arati important?
5. How do we achieve mukti?
6. Who is Ganesha?
7. Who is Vishnu?
8. Who is Durga?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Vishnu
http://www.indiaoz.com.au/hinduism/god/vishnu.shtml
Arati
http://www.boloji.com/hinduism/047.htm
Lesson 3 - Murtis and Mythology
1. The three great gods of Hinduism are Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva.
2. Avatars are reincarnations of an original deity.
3. Vishnu is represented in painting and sculpture with a dark bluish
complexion
and four hands.
4. Vishnu holds a padma (lotus) and gada (mace).
5. Vishnu also holds a shankha (counch) and chakra (discus).
6. Vishnu’s Vahana (vehicle) is an eagle (Garuda).
7. Lakshmi is a woman of good fortune, sometimes portrayed as the wife of
Vishnu
or an aviatar.
8. Shiva represents the destroyer and regenerator aspect of Brahman in
Hinduism.
9. Durga represents the Mother Goddess and creation.
10. Ganesha is a god of good luck and wisdom.
Critical Questions
1. Why are avitars important?
2. Why is Lakshmi important?
3. Why is Shiva important?
4. Why is Durga important?
5. Why is Ganesha important?
6. Why are all the avitars of Vishnu important?
7.
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Durga
http://www.hinduism-links.com/Gods_and_Goddesses_Durga.html
Ganesha
http://hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/ganesha.htm
Lesson 4 - Gods and Priests
1. The samkhya system of Hinduism and Buddhism do not accept the existence of
a
Divine being.
2. The Rig-Veda are hymns of prayer.
3. All truth is one (Indra)
4. Brahman is God.
5. Brahmin is a priest.
6. Brahma is the Hindu creator god (one who works for Brahman).
7. Upanishads are discussions between teachers and pupils about the meaning
of life.
8. The Isha Upanishad says that the whole universe is pervaded by Brahman.
9. The Chandogyu Upanishad says that Brahman created the universe.
Critical Questions
1. Why are some branches of Hinduism different than others?
2. Why is the Rig-Veda important?
3. Why is Indra importrant?
4. Why are Brahman, Brahmin, and Brahma sometimes confusing to Westerners?
5. Why are the Upanishads of great interest?
6. What differentiates the Isha Upanishad from the Chandogu Upanishad?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Rig-Veda
http://www.siamese-dream.com/reference/rig_veda.html
Indra
http://www.themystica.org/mythical-folk/articles/indra.html
Lesson 5 - Shakti, the Mother Goddess
1. Brahman is nirakara (without form) and niguna (without attributes).
2. Tat tvam asi means that you are part of Brahman.
3. The origin of the Mother Goddess used by the Vedic Aryans supposedly comes
from the Indus valley.
4. Shakti represents the female energy in creation, although usually referred
to as the
consort of Shiva.
5. Ishta-devata means your own personal deity chosen from the pantheon of
Hindu
gods.
6. The higher gods of Brahminical Hinduism are called deva, while lowly
village
gods are called grama-devata.
Critical Questions
1. Describe Brahman.
2. How are we part of Brahman?
3. What is the origin of the Mother Goddess in Hinduism?
4. What does Shakti represent?
5. Why is Ishta-devata important?
6. How do deva differ from grama-devata?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Shakti
http://www.goddess.ws/
Ishta-devata
http://www.himalayanacademy.com/books/dws/lexicon/i.html
Lesson 6 - Priests (Brahmin)
1. Theologians would say that the all deities of Hinduism are different
aspects of the
Saguna Brahman or Absolute Reality.
2. To put it in its simplest terms, Hindus have One Divinity which is
worshipped
under various appearences and names.
3. Some Hindus believe in Rta, not God, but a cosmic force, similar to the
Tao in
China.The god Varuna guards this force.
4. There are no centrally trained or ordained priests in Hinduism.
5. The vedas are the primary scriptures of Hinduism.
6. Dharma shastras are law books that are studied in conjunction with the
vedas.
7. Other writings in Hinduism include the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the
Pruanas.
8. Religious rituals for children are called samskaras.
9. Other rituals and ceremonies are covered in the Grihya-sutras.
10. The earliest scriptures of the vedas are called Brahmanas.
Critical Questions
1. How would describe the Saguna Brahman?
2. How would you describe the concept of Rta?
3. What are vedas?
4. How do Dharma-shastras differ from vedas?
5. What are some other writings in Hinduism?
6. How are rituals and ceremonies in Hinduism interpreted?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
Saguna Brahman
http://anand.itismylife.com/nucleus/plugins/print/print.php?itemid=28
Rta
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/r/rta.html
Lesson 7 - The Four Stages of Life
1. The four stages of life in Hinduism are called ashramas and are
patriarchal.
2. The first ashrama is brahmacharya and is for boys only which introduces
them to
the vedas and the upanayana.
3. The second ashrama is that of a married householder or grihastha.
4. The third ashrama is that of retirement called vanaprastha, where he hands
most
of the responsibilities to the eldest son.
5. The fourth ashrama is called sannyasa or wandering pilgrim for moksha.
6. Arranged marriages are the most common in India.
Critical Questions
1. How do Hindus divide their lives?
2. How is the first ashrama defined?
3. How is the second ashrama defined?
4. How is the third ashrama defined?
5. How is the fourth ashrama defined?
6. Why are arranged marriages important in India?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Ashrama
http://www.geocities.com/dipalsarvesh/ashram.html
moksha
http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/beliefs.html
Lesson 8 - Food in Hinduism
1. Dalits are untouchable and may be polluting to higher castes if they
handle their
food.
2. Swastikas are common Indian insignias and are far older than the ones used
by
Hitler in Germany. Indians are greatly offended at any mention of the
swastika
as anything but holy.
3. Vegetarianism is not universal among Hindus.
4. English is the language taught in India to children as their first
language.
5. Almost all Hindus marry other Hindus.
6. Cricket is the national sport of India.
Critical Questions
1. Why are dalits avoided by most Hindus?
2. Why are swastikas a sensitive subject in India?
3. Discuss vegetarianism.
4. Why do Indians have English as their first language?
5. Why do Hindus mostly marry other Hindus?
6. Why do Indians prefer cricket over all other sports?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Dalits
http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/nov/14inter.htm
Indian Cricket
http://www.allofindia.net/articles/Sports_cricket_1.asp
Lesson 9 – Dharmas
1. Most Hindu rituals take place in the home and they called pujas.
2. The sva-dharma or personal code of religious practice in a family is
determined
by their varna (social category) and jati (caste).
3. Most ritual is divide between sanatana-dharma or ancient way of life or
varna-
ashrama-dharma (life based on varna and jati.
4. The highest varna is Brahmin (priests and professionals).
5. After Bramin come Kshatriyas who are soldiers and administrators.
6. Vaishyas are after Kshatriyas and are business people.
7. The lowest varna is Artisan called Sudra.
Critical Questions
1. What is the difference between varna and caste?
2. Why are pujas important?
3. How are most household rituals divided?
4. What is the highest varna?
5. Who come after the Brahmin?
6. What is the third lowest varna?
7. What is the lowest varna?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Varna
http://www.nvcc.edu/home/lshulman/Rel231/lectures/hindu/varna.htm
pujas
http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Hinduism/
Lesson 10 - Mid-Term Exams and Paper
Areas of Concern
1. How did early Hinduism develop?
2. Discuss varna and caste.
3. Discuss the pantheon of Hinduism.
Lesson 11 - Family Ritual
1. Jati (caste) is the single most important element of a Hindu’s life; it
pervades all
other aspects of one’s behavior.
2. The naming of a baby is called Namakarana and is performed twelve days
after the birth.
3. Boy’s names are an even number of syllables and girl’s names are an
odd
number of syllables.
4. Artha is the earning of money.
5. kama is the moderate enjoyment of the good things in life.
6. The seven steps ritual include : food, strength, wealth, happiness,
children,
seasonal pleasures, and a lifelong friendship.
Critical Questions
1. Why is caste so important in Hinduism.
2. How does naming a Hindu baby occur?
3. How do naming boys and girls differ in Hinduism?
4. Why is artha important in Hinduism?
5. How does one practice kama?
6. What is the seven steps ritual?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Caste System
http://www.friesian.com/caste.htm
Kama
http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths
Lesson 12 – Scriptures
RIG VEDA
1. The Vedas are divided into: Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda and the
Atharva
-Veda.
2. Each Veda has four parts: Samhita, the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads.
3. The Samhitas are hymns praising God.
4. The Brahmanas are prose rituals for prayers for priests.
5. The Aranyakas are forest meditations.
6. The Upanishads are tutorials of mystical teachings of Hindu philosophy.
7. Some of the most important Hindu philosophical concepts are:
a. the individual soul (atman) and the universal soul (Brahman) are identical.
b. Brahman is without form and eternal (similar to the Chinese Tao).
c. The visible world is an illusion (maya).
d. reincarnation is determined by karma (actions in current life)
e. The soul is capable of achieving liberation (moksha).
f. There is a unity in all things in the universe.
Critical Questions
1. How are the Vedas divided?
2. How is each individual Veda divided?
3. What are Samhitas?
4. What are Bramanas?
5. What are Aranyakas?
6. What are Upanishads?
7. What are some of the primary Hindu philosophical concepts?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Samhitas
http://www.atributetohinduism.com/articles_hinduism/209.htm
Bramanas
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Hinduism+Bramanas&e
Lesson 13 - Smriti Texts
1. Smriti texts include educational texts composed after the Vedas.
2. These texts explain the six orthodox systems of philosophy.
3. It also includes the epic, Bhagavad Gita.
4. Texts in Hindu mythology are called Puranas.
5. These texts worship Vishnu, Shiva, and the Mother Goddess.
6. The epic Ramayana by Valmiki is included in this group.
Critical Questions
1. What are Smriti texts?
2. What do Smriti texts explain?
3. What is Bhagavad Gita?
4. What are Puranas?
5. Who do these texts worship?
6. What is Ramayana?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Smriti Texts
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~sasiasoc/slate/fall2003/religion.html
Bhagavad Gita
http://www.hinduism-links.com/Sacred_Texts_Bhagavad_Gita.html
Lesson 14 – Pilgrimage
1. Pilgrimages are called Yatras.
2. Yatras are made to cleanse the spirit of sinful thoughts or actions.
3. The Mother Goddess is called Kali. Other shrines are for Vishnu and Shiva.
4. In Hinduism materialism is unreality.
5. Liberation of the soul (atman) is called moksha.
6. For the word guru, gu means darkness and ru means light.
Critical Questions
1. Why do Hindus make Yatras?
2. Why is the Mother Goddess important?
3. Why are Vishnu and Shiva important?
4. Why is materialism unreal to a Hindu?
5. Why is the liberation of atman important?
6. How does a guru represent both lightness and darkness.
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Vishnu
http://www.hinduism-links.com/Gods_and_Goddesses_Vishnu.html
Shiva
http://www.hinduism-links.com/Gods_and_Goddesses_Shiva.html
Lesson 15 - Hindu Philosophy
1. Hindus believe in one ultimate reality.
2. Hindus believe in the authority of the Vedas (which include the Upanishads)
3. Hindus also believe in karma, samsara, moksha and dharma.
4. Many Hindus practice abstention of various types.
5. Many Hindus practice observance.
6. Most Hindus practice posture for the purposes of meditation.
7. Most Hindus practice breath control for meditation.
8. Many Hindus try to obtain sense withdrawal.
9. Concentration and contemplation are two other common activities for most
10. Hindus besides meditation.
Critical Questions
1. Why do Hindus believe in one ultimate reality?
2. Why are the Vedas and the Upanishads important to Hindus?
3. What is the difference between karma, samsara, moksha and dharma?
4. How do Hindus practice abstention?
5. How do Hindus practice observance?
6. Why do Hindus practice posture and breath control?
7. How are sense withdrawal and meditation related?
8. Why are contemplation and concentration important to Hindus?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Vedas
http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Religion_and_Upanishads/
Karma
http://www.saranam.com/Hinduism/Karma.asp
Lesson 16 - Hindu Ethics
1. Suicide has never been considered wrong in Hindu society.
2. Alcohol and most drugs are also acceptable in Hindu society; speed, crack
and
heroin are not approved.
3. Among the worst evils one can commit is to kill a Brahmin.
4. Among spiritual Hindus, alcohol is not approved as well as drugs of any
type.
5. Stealing gold is a serious offense (money also)
6. Disrespect for one’s guru and his wife is a serious offense.
7. Permitting willful abortion is a serious offense among spiritual Hindus.
Critical Questions
1. Why is suicide not acceptable in the West?
2. Why are Hindus split on the use of alcohol and drugs?
3. Why is killing a Brahmin such a serious offense?
4. Why is stealing gold or money a serious offense?
5. Why is disrespect of a guru or his wife a serious offense?
6. Why is abortion considered a serious offense?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Hindu Ethics
http://wrc.lingnet.org/hindueth.htm
Brahmin
http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/X/X-Brahmin.html
Lesson 17 - Hinduism Since 1757
1. Vasco Da Gama sailed into Calcutta in 1498.
2. Britain eventually became the dominant European force in India in 1757.
3. A prominent figure in India was Ram Mohan Roy.
4. Sahajanand was another prominent figure in India in the early 19th century.
5. Sri Ramakrishna was a major figure in the later 19th century.
6. Bhimrao Ranji Ambedkar was an important early 20th century personage.
7. Satya Sai Baba has been influential in the later part of the 20th century.
Critical Questions
1. Why was Vasco Da Gama’s voyage to Calcutta important?
2. How did Britain come to power in India?
3. Why was Ram Mohan Roy important?
4. Why was Sahajanand important?
5. Why was Sri Ramakrishna important?
6. Why was Bhimrao Ranji Ambedkar important?
7. Why was Satya Sai Baba important?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Calcutta
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/India/States
Ram Mohan Roy
http://www.chanda.freeserve.co.uk/rmroy1.htm
Lesson 18 – Gandhi
1. Gandhi captured the popular imagination of India.
2. He was assassinated in Delhi in 1948.
3. Gandhi’s popular name was Bapu.
4. The Isa Upanishad was his favorite Hindu text.
5. Gandhi practiced Ahimsa, or non-violence.
6. Gandhi was an advaitist, one who believed in an ultimate unity between God
and the universe.
7. Gandhi felt caste had nothing to do with religion.
8. Gandhi believed in equal rights for women.
Critical Questions
1. How did Gandhi capture the popular imagination of India?
2. Why was Gandhi assassinated?
3. Why did Gandhi prefer the name Bapu over Mahatma?
4. Why were the Upanishads Gandhi’s favorite texts?
5. Why is Ahimsa important in any discussion of Gandhi?
6. What is an advaitist?
7. What were Gandhi’s view on caste and women?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Gandhi
http://www.hindugateway.com/library/av/
Upanishads
http://www.digiserve.com/mystic/Hindu/Upanishads/devotion.html
Lesson 19 - Some Aspects of Hinduism Today
1. ISKCON is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare
Krishna).
2. TM or Transcendental Medication is a major Hindu practice today.
3. Vegetarianism is very popular among Hindus in recent years.
4. Indians still have a great love of cricket.
5. Strict orthodox Hindus never cross the Kala Pani, or oceans that surround
India.
6. Hinduism has no central authority.
Critical Questions
1. Why is ISKCON important?
2. Why is TM important?
3. Why do Hindus practice vegetarianism?
4. Why do Indians love cricket?
5. Why do orthodox Hindus fear to cross Kala Pani?
6. Why do you think Hindus have no central religious authority?
Additional Internet Research Links For This Lesson:
http://www.askmrmovies.com
Transcendental Meditation
http://www.digiserve.com/mystic/Hindu/Upanishads/devotion.html
Hare Krishna
http://www.academicinfo.net/hinduismkrishna.html
Lesson 20 - Final Exam and Papers due
Final Exam
Areas of Concern:
1. How did colonialism affect Hinduism?
2. How did Gandhi impact on Hinduism?
3. What are current trends in Hinduism today?