INDIAN CIVILIZATION: LOOKING AHEAD (Week 5)


I have opened up some space in the course so that you can read as much of DK's Illustrated Mahabharata as possible.  You should be aware that the writing demands in the course are about to intensify.  You will also be responsible for reading three books in the second half of the semester.

Here are some important course details to help you plan ahead:

1)  Your First-Half Note-Taking Assignment is due on February 14 (12% of the course grade).  It is ok to take a few extra days to complete that if that is helpful.  Instructions are included on the Assignment page.  You should demonstrate that you have spent several hours absorbing core content from the first half of the course.  Although I do not expect you to include notes from all of the week-by-week Reading and Viewing Assignments, materials from at least three of the first five weeks of the semester should be represented to do a solid job on this assignment.

2)  We will discuss the second half of DK's Illustrated Mahabharata on Thursday, February 25 and then a seminar note on that book is due on February 28.  There are several extra Mahabharata resources on-line, including a number of videos I have listed near the bottom of my Indian Civilization Video -- Mythology Page.  One good overview is provided in the 2-hour animated feature Mahabharat.  Those of you who understand Hindi may want to consider watching some episodes from the 2013 television series.  Although I expect everyone to substantially engage with the Mahabharata, I am open to having you substitute several videos for the DK volume.  Those who want to consider that option, however, should arrange this in advance with me.

3)  You should purchase  the Rig Veda, Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha, and the Autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi now if you have not already done so.  These are all required books that will be at the heart of the second-half curriculum.  Each of those volumes is available now at the NIC Bookstore but will be returned to the publishers on February 24. These books are also available in e-text editions (Rig Veda -- Kindle, $11; the Buddha -- A Download Is Available Here; Autobiography Of Mahatma Gandhi  -- Kindle, $1).


 

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