HIS 111 Unit 5

HIS 111
Unit 5: Classical South Asia

Buddha! Forget those short, fat guys sitting cross-legged with a protruding stomach to be rubbed for good luck. That is a modern invention. This sandstone sculpture dates to the fifth century ce. Image courtesy the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What you must do in this unit

Read chapters 3 and 12 in the textbook (chapter 3 in the Edgar text).
Read my notes on Classical South Asia and also Buddha.
Study the Questions to Consider and the Key Terms for the unit.
Post (or respond) your thoughts/ideas about this unit's reading and assignment in the Blackboard online discussion forum. Do not post your assignment there.

What you can do in this unit

Read the Ramayana (if you are going to submit the optional Ramayana paper). You can also read my notes on Rama's Bridge.
Submit the Optional Ramayana paper. If you don't understand why I call this an optional paper, take a look at the Explanation of Assignments and Grading
Listen to some further information about this unit as a mp3 file. You can also read the information as a txt file.

Some videos that you can watch for this unit

Lost Treasures of Ancient India Documentary 1 of 5
What the Ancients Did for Us - The Indians
Indus Valley Civilization: Crash Course World History #2
Buddha and Ashoka: Crash Course World History #6
For extra credit please suggest to your instructor a relevant video for this unit of the course. Send the title of the video, the url and a brief explanation of why you find the video interesting and applicable to the material that is being studied in this unit.

Extra Credit Options

Take the short 5-point quizzes for chapters 3 and 12. Log into Blackboard and look under "Chapter Quizzes." You have five minutes to complete each quiz (multiple-choice questions).
For extra credit, consider a comparison of the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus of Nazareth and the Sermon at Benares of Siddhartha Buddha. (One-page paper worth a maximum of 50 points. Please be sure to cite your sources.)
For a maximum of 25 points extra credit, read some excerpts from Kautilya's Arthashastra and write a paragraph in which you analyze his conception of kingship.
For a maximum of 25 points extra credit, read some of the Edicts of King Ashoka and write a long paragraph in which you examine Ashoka's conception of political leadership.
For a maximum of 25 points extra credit, read The Laws of Manu, c. 1500 BCE, and write a paragraph explaining the worldview of Manu.
For extra credit of a maximum of 10 points, you can submit the answers to the Ramayana study questions. Please write in formal, complete sentences.
For extra credit, please suggest a relevant website for this unit of the course. Send the title of the site, the url and a brief explanation why you find the information interesting and applicable to the material being studied this unit.