This course will bring together various disciplines -- Genetics, Pre-history, Archeology, Linguistics,
Philosophy, Cultural Study and Literature-- in order to provide a comprehensive picture of 'who we are and
how we have evolved through the millennia as a people of many origins, many languages, many worldviews
and many cultural identities.

The course is based on a recent book that is due to be published in March-April 2023, which I have edited
and in which 80 outstanding scholars from all parts of the world have contributed short essays.
The course will be spread over 8 weeks, with 2 hours of teaching per week ( 16 lectures ) and 2 hours of
course work ( 16 hours), ending with a written assignment by those who have registered.
It will be open for students, young faculty at NCBS and the non-NCBS scholars/students ( as observers).
I shall use the material from my book as study material.

Week One-- The pre-historic Migrations of Homo Sapiens & Climate changes around the Holocene
Week Two-- Hunter-Gatherers to Agricultural society
Week Three- Emergence of civilizations in Asia & the rise and the fall of the Indus civilisation
Week Four-- The Language Mix-- Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Dravidian languages
Week Five-- Indian Philosophies --Buddhism, Jainism, Upanishads, other Schools of thought
Week Six-- Regions in the sub-continent and their cultures
Week Seven -- Medieval society, its philosophies and knowledge forms
Week Eight-- Colonialism, resistance and the freedom movement
Assignments will be related to a) Diversity, b) Evolution, c) Ethnography, d) Philosophy, e) Languages, f)
Cultural expression  g) Sociobiology, h) modernity