Survey History of India

“Does the caste system still exist in India?” “Why are there so many songs and dances in Bollywood films?” “Why do Indian women wear a red dot on their heads?” Questions such as these and many more still dominate the image that some people have of India. This course will address these questions from a historical lens as well as look at the intersectionality of philosophies, religions, exchanges, and encounters that have shaped the history of India from antiquity to the present. We will explore the social, political, and cultural developments that helped shape the country “India” that it is today.