HIS 111 Ramayana Paper Assignment
Traditionally, the Ramayana has been ascribed to a single author, Vālmiki (circa 300 bce), but it is also likely that other oral traditions were cobbled together into the epic. The Rāmāyaṇa in its long version consists of about twenty-four thousand verses in seven cantos, or books. Fortunately for you, we are reading a reduced version! I have always thought it pretty interesting that the monkey clan played such an important role in this epic, and so I settled on this image of Hanuman, the monkey king and Rama's devoted servant for this assignment's instruction. A copper alloy figurine from the eleventh century (Chola period) in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Photo credit petrozo. |
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Answer the following question in a one-page paper: Citing specific evidence from the Ramayana (not from the textbook), explain some of the characteristics of the ideal ruler in ancient South Asian society.
Before proceeding, you might wish to read the short notes and review the study questions on the Ramayana. The Ramayana Paper is worth a maximum of 100 points. |
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