SESSION I A. Indus Valley Civilization

• Time Scale – Youngest and Largest of the Three Great Civilizations
  
  
• Strengths of the Civilization from Archeological digs
  
  
• Sophistication of Art Forms
  
  
• Comparison with other World Civilizations of that era

• Demographic break up of population and racial types
  
  
• The undeciphered scripts posing unanswered questions

SESSION I B. 3 Milestones

• Mauryan India ( 320 BCE) and Asoka.
  
  
  • Dharma. Kingship that combines politics and ethics.
    
    
  • Asoka’s ability to have a holistic idea of India with due respect to all the diversity.
    
    
  • Asoka’s edicts with special emphasis on his “ Green edicts”. The first environment protective ruler.
    

• The Imperial Guptas and the conception of Classical India. ( 300 – 700 CE).
  
  
  • Revival of Brahmanical Hinduism. Shifting of emphasis to devotion from ritual and sacrifice. Impact of religion on art and sculpture.
    
    
  • The spread of Indian culture to S.E. Asia.
    
    
  • Kingship and the balance of center and the regions.
    
    
• Akbar the great Mughal ( 1542 CE).
  
  
  • Qualities of leadership.
    
    
  • Ideological experiments such as Sulh I Kul and Din I Ilahi.
    How relevant are they to 21st century India? His ability to merge with the complex dimensions of Indian society.

SESSION II A. Viewing the National Museum for Artifacts and representation of Art and Sculpture of The Indus Valley Civilization

SESSION II  B. History of Religions in India

• Early tribal religions
  
  
• Hinduism
  
  
  • Monotheistic
    
    
  • Pantheistic
    
    
  • Shankara
    
    
  • 19th Century Reformation
    
    
• Christianity
  
  
  • St.Thomas and Kerala. The first Christian base outside Judea.
    
    
  • Catholicism
    
    
  • Protestantism
    
    
• Buddhism
  
  
  • Gautam Buddha, his life and teachings
    
    
  • Spread of Buddhism to rest of Asia.
    
    
• Jainism
  
  
  • Mahavir, his life & teachings
    
    
  • Jains in Modern India.
    
    
• Sikhism
  
  
  • Guru Nanak and the founding of Sikhism
    
    
  • Sikhs in Modern India.
    
    
• Islam
  
  
  • The 3 waves that came to India
    
    
  • The Indian Muslim – how is he different from the rest of the Muslim world ?
    
    
  • Challenges facing Muslims in Modern India.