Course Syllabus

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Gautama Buddha (563 BCE-463 BCE), Colombo, Sri Lanka

 

Syllabus

Spring/2018

 

Instructor Contact

Instructor

Dr. Deepa Nair

Office

Colbourn Hall 411S

Office

Hours

Tu-Thu: 10:30 AM-11:30 AM

( by appointment)

Phone

407-823-5246

E-mail

Deepa.Nair@ucf.edu

Course Information

Course Name

History and Culture of South Asia
Course ID & Section

ASH 4324
Credit Hours

3
Semester/Year

Spring/2018
Class Mode

Online 

Course Description

The South Asian region is a distinct geographical entity; for 5000 years it has been one of the main centers of civilization continually enriching societies beyond its borders and in turn being enriched from outside. This survey of history covers the part of the world that now includes the nation states of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. It offers an introduction to the history and culture of the people inhabiting this region from prehistory to the present times.

 The central focus of this course is the historical process of social change, including cultural, social, economic and political aspects.  We will focus on major innovations in society, culture, religion, politics, in each period of time that most clearly indicate how change occurred in social conditions that ordinary South Asians experienced in everyday life. The focus of this course is to develop an understanding and appreciation for the divergent people and cultures of South Asia, as well as to acquaint the students to the craft of history by providing a basic understanding of primary and secondary sources, chronological and spatial thinking, historical interpretation and content and comparative analysis.

Course Objectives

Main objectives of this course is to 

  • introduce students to the very long history of social and cultural change and continuity in South Asia; 
  • help students in understanding the important historical events of the region;

  • and to improve their skills in several areas including historiographical knowledge, critical thinking, and analytical writing.

Required Texts

Supplemental Texts

  • Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006, ISBN: 9780312446734 
  • Ainslie T. Embree, Sources of Indian Tradition, From the Beginning to 1800, Second Edition (Vol 1), Columbia University Press, New York, 1988. (Sections from this book will be posted on web courses/canvas)

Course Requirements

This course may count as a GEP Humanities requirement and a Diversity requirement towards some majors. It may also count for Asian studies minor.

 Evaluation and Grading

Letter Grade

Points

A

93 – 100 points

A-

90 – 92 points

B+

87 – 89 points

B

83 – 86 points

B-

80 – 82 points

C+

77 – 79 points

C

73 – 76 points

C-

70 – 72 points

D+

67 – 69 points

D

63 – 66 points

D-

60 – 62 points

F

59 and below

 

Letter Grade

Points

A

90-100

B

80-89

C

70-79

D

60-69

F

59 or below

 

Assignment

Percentage of Grade

Participation in class discussions

10%
Assignments  10%

Mid-terms

40%

Final exam

40%

Total

100%

 

Participation in class discussions

Please be aware that this course is based on your active participation. Students are expected to come prepared for the class by having read the weekly readings and engage in meaningful class discussions. Students are always encouraged to ask questions in the lectures and during my office hours, and to go beyond the minimum course requirements as their imagination and intellect lead them. This course relies on student participation, if you do not like reading or engaging in class discussion, you are probably in the wrong course. 

 In general, the class participation grade will be assigned according to the following criteria:

A – Consistently attentive to class discussion; consistent and enthusiastic participation in discussions throughout semester, and submitting online assignments on time.

B – Consistently attentive to class discussion; occasional and/or inconsistent participation, and timely submission of online assignments

C – Mostly attentive to class discussion; infrequent or negligible participation in discussions, and delayed submission of online assignments.

D & F – Consistently inattentive to discussions; lack of participation in discussions and/or disruptive behavior, and no submission of online assignments.

Missed Assignments/Make-Ups/Extra Credit

Each essay assignment is due at 5 p.m. on its due date. Each day late equals a penalty of 1 entire letter grade. If you have a documented excuse that lets you to turn the paper in late, please approach me as soon as possible and we will negotiate a deal. Medical and family emergencies as well as religious holidays will be accommodated; students are expected to inform the instructor as soon as possible if assignment submission will be affected.  Extensions will not be granted except for documented medical, family, and/or religious reasons.

Notes on writing assignments

A successful essay will be proofread, revised, and edited for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style. For all of your assignments, use a formal writing style (no slang, abbreviations, or colloquialisms). All assignments will be assessed according to the clarity of the argument, substantial evidence supporting claims presented, and a clear introduction and conclusion. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style  will be considered. Please use Chicago style:

 The Chicago Manual of Style. 16th Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. Here is a quick guide - http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html 

Mid-terms

The course calendar lists the days on which midterms will be held. These tests will be based on the primary and secondary sources listed in the reading list. I will post the study-guide a week in advance. (Week Five and Ten)

Virtual Classroom Behavior

 In this virtual class, we will all treat each other with respect.  Civil discussion of differing viewpoints is an essential part of the study of history. In this course we will be discussing cultures and civilizations that are bound to be different than your own. However no student will be allowed to disrespect any culture, religion, philosophical thought, customs and mores, of any society. Students are expected to be civil during class discussions. Any student found guilty of using offensive language or text will be punished by a deduction of 20% from the final grade.

Academic Honesty

Plagiarism and cheating of any kind on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result at least in an "F" for that assignment (and may, depending on the severity of the case, lead to an "F" for the entire course) and may be subject to appropriate referral to the Office of Student Conduct for further action. See the UCF Golden Rule for further information. I will assume for this course that you will adhere to the academic creed of this University and will maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. In other words, don't cheat by giving answers to others or taking them from anyone else. I will also adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity, so please do not ask me to change (or expect me to change) your grade illegitimately or to bend or break rules for one person that will not apply to everyone.

Disability Statement

The University of Central Florida is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course must contact the professor at the beginning of the semester to discuss needed accommodations. No accommodations will be provided until the student has met with the professor to request accommodations. Students who need accommodations must be registered with Student Disability Services, Student Resource Center Room 132, phone (407) 823-2371, TTY/TDD only phone (407) 823-2116, before requesting accommodations from the professor.

Copyright

This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.

Third-Party Software and FERPA

During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive   information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor.

Financial Aid Requirement 

As of Fall 2014, all faculty are required to document students’ academic activity at the beginning of each course. In order to document that you began this course, please complete the following academic activity by the end of the first week of classes or as soon as possible after adding the course, but no later than 5:00 PM, January, 12th. Failure to do so may result in a delay in the disbursement of your financial aid. You must  complete the syllabus quiz before the end of the first week.

Note: This syllabus statement is tentative; the instructor is free to change the schedule/readings / submission deadline for assignments. 

Class Calendar

(Readings can be changed or supplemented by additional articles during the semester)

Week One (January 9-11) :  South Asia: an introduction 

 Readings

  •  Bose: 1-7
  • Nair: 5-18

 Additional resources:

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/timelines/southasia_timeline.htm 

http://www.ushistory.org/civ/8.asp 

Internet Indian History Sourcebook: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/indiasbook.html 

 Video resource: BBC Documentary: The Story of India (2007)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZVVFSiSl1s&list=PLLyVseyiBWfwIrAFkAH045zjfMq4g9Jy5 (Links to an external site

Confirmation of Academic Activity - Friday, January 12, 2018

Drop/swap deadline : Thursday, January 11, 2018

Week Two (January 16-18) and Week Three (January 23-25): Inventing Ancient Civilization

 Readings:

  •  Bose: 8-17
  • Nair: 23-42

 Additional Resources:

 Indus Civilization: http://www.harappa.com/indus/indus1.html 

 Week Four (January 30-February 1) and Week Five ( February 6-8):  : Religions of South Asia – Vedic Age and Hinduism   

 Readings:

  •  Bose: 18-27
  • Nair: 49-68; 71-87

  • Embree: 7-21, 24-39 ( will be posted on webcourses) 

    Additional Resources:

     Hymns from the Rig Veda: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/indiasbook.html#The Vedic Age

February 8: First Mid-term based on class lectures and The Mahabharata

Week Six : (February 13-16) Rise of the Mauryan Empire and Buddhism 

Readings:

  • Nair: 87-91;115-132

Video Resource: BBC's Story of Buddha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEe8hI6G0GY 

Week Seven: ( February 20-22)   Classical South Asia - The Guptas 

Readings:

  • Nair: 137-160

Week Eight (February 27-March 1): Rise of Islam in South Asia - The Mughal Empire

Readings:

  • Nair: 165-174; 179-201

 Week Nine (March 6-8):   Religions of South Asia - Sikhism and Jainism

Readings:

  • Embree: 49-92; 493-510

Additional sources: Sikhism : BBC Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLQ_QrTVvYE

Jainism: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/india/indiasbook.html#The Vedic Age

Jainism - Part I and II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgEnk9UnKXM

March 5: History department's annual Phi Alpha Theta lecture ( time / location - TBA)

March 6: Phi Alpha Theta's brown bag lunch with the speaker ( time / location - TBA)

Week Ten ( March 13-15) : Spring Break

Week Eleven ( March 20-22) : Rise of European Imperialism in South Asia

Readings:

  • Nair: 203-221

March 22: Second mid-term on readings and The God of Small Things

Week Twelve (March 27-29) : Colonial Rule and Its Aftermath 

Readings:

Week Thirteen (April 3-5) and Week Fourteen (April 10-12): Impact of World Wars  and the Partition of the Indian Subcontinent 

Readings:

  • Nair: 271-284; 289-295; 299-320

April 9: History Department's Annual Pauley Lecture - time/location -TBA

Week Fifteen (April 17-19) : Post-colonial South Asia 

  • Readings: 
    Nair: 341-363

April 19:  Last day of class 

Final exam: Wednesday, April 25, 2018.

 

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due