PAPER TOPICS-- *1*; *2*

Papers are to be 6-7 solid pages long; 8 pages is acceptable, 5 pages is not. They are to be entirely your own work, with any quotations (including any from web sources) clearly identified as such. Control of the mechanics of style (spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, word choice, etc.) will definitely be considered in the over-all paper grade. Paper topics are to be chosen from the list given below. I have given online sites for the necessary texts, but you can also easily find them in book form if you prefer. If you want to use any edition about which you have doubts, check with your TA.

If you have a great desire to write about something other than one of the recommended topics, email your TA well in advance with your proposed topic and source(s). With your TA's written permission, you may write on that topic. Topics relying on primary sources have more chance of being approved than proposals for broad or complex research papers.

The second paper will be due ON THE LAST DAY OF CLASS, IN CLASS. Late papers (without a good reason) will be penalized; very late ones may not be accepted.

 PAPER ONE TOPICS

1. Ashoka's edicts:
Read "The Edicts of King Asoka," by Ven. S. Dhammika, on the *accesstoinsight* website. Considering them as a whole set, how Buddhist are they really? What are some of the more notable contradictions that appear in them? How much information do they seem to convey about Ashoka's empire, and/or his personal religious views? Back up your conclusions with closely analyzed examples.

2. Kautilya's "Artha-shastra": 
Consider Books I, II, and III of Kautilya's Artha-shastra in the classic *Shamasastry translation* (1923). Choose some important topic discussed in these books, and thoughtfully analyze Kautilya's view of it. Do there seem to be any internal contradictions in the text? Are there any obscurities that make interpretation difficult? If there are, what kind of additional information would be needed to help clarify them?

3. Kalidasa's "Shakuntala":
Read the whole of Sir William Jones's translation of *Shakuntala*; or you can use  Barbara Stoler Miller's (in Theater of Memory), or *Arthur Ryder's* if you prefer. (If you want to use any other, clear it with your TA first.) If you wanted to show that caste is extremely important in the world of the play, what evidence would you offer? And if you wanted to show some "escape hatches" provided in the play's caste system, which ones would you point to? How important do you conclude that caste really is, in the world of the play? Can the gods be considered just one more superior "caste"?

PAPER TWO TOPICS

1. Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan on 1857
Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan's *Causes of the Indian Revolt* was composed shortly after the rebellion, but became famous only when an English translation was published in 1873. His claim is that "an honest exposition of Native ideas is all that our Government requires to enable it to hold the country with the full concurrence of its inhabitants and not merely by the sword." What exactly does he mean by this claim? Based on the detailed inventory of causes of disaffection that he provides, do you think his claim is plausible? Discuss the problem, giving an analysis of his argument.

2. Gandhi's Autobiography
*The Story of My Experiments with Truth* (1925) is one of the great autobiographies of the twentieth (or any) century. Read Part One, about his childhood and youth. In it, Gandhi constantly presents his interactions with other people as sources of moral instruction. Consider the whole set of people whom he presents as important in his development. What are their similarities and differences? Into what groups or categories would you divide them? What kinds of contradictory advice do they give him?

3. Ambedkar's "Annihilation of Caste"
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar's *Annihilation of Caste* (1936) became an immediately (in)famous best-seller. In it he presents a number of arguments against the caste system, and announces that he intends to leave Hinduism. Which of his arguments do you find to be the most compelling? Are any of them completely implausible or unpersuasive? If you could give him advice about reorganizing his essay for maximum impact in today's world, what would you suggest? (Under "Resources," the site will let you print out the whole text if you like.)