Introduction
With nearly one-sixth of the world's population, South Asia is a vast, complicated area, rich in history and culture and blessed with an enormously varied landscape. Shaped like a giant pear, with its tapering end dipping into the Indian Ocean, South Asia has been a bridge across which ideas and values have spread and a long procession of invaders have marched. It gave Buddhism to Asia, while to the West it gave a system of "Arabic" numerals. Its own traditions go back 5,000 years, and any list of its contributions to the civilizations of the world would be long and impressive.
Chapter Readings and Topics
Ancient History
Chapter 3: India Sec. 1: Early Civilization in India Sec. 2: New Empires in India Religion in South Asia - Hinduism - Buddhism - Dalaism Chapter 8: The Asian World Sec. 4: India After the Guptas Chapter 15: The Muslims Empires Sec. 3: The Grandeur of the Moguls |
Modern History
Chapter 21: The Height of Imperialism Sec. 3: British Rule in India South Asia after Independence India and Pakistan |