Indian Religions and Civilization
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
The course aims to present the historical outlines of the most relevant cultural phenomena and movements of South Asian civilizations, from Antiquity to the Middle Ages; the main currents of thought, conceptions of reality, mythological imagery, literary expressions of the Indian civilization will be especially implied, in order to provide a critical perspective, for the understanding of the cultural complexity.
Expected learning outcomes
The course aims to provide students with knowledge, understanding and ability as follows:
- Knowledge of historical, geographical and cultural contextualization of the main currents of thought, and mythological and literary representations of the Indian civilization; understanding of the complex relationships between manifold aspects of the cultural heritage of South Asia.
- Knowledge and appropriate use of analytic means for the understanding of the cultural complexity and the development of critical perspective.
- Knowledge of specific lexicon and linguistic elements of correlated textual sources;
- Ability to critically consult the reference texts and their bibliography, understanding their main arguments, and applying diverse interpretative theories.
- Ability to critically evaluate sources on the internet and other media.
- Knowledge of historical, geographical and cultural contextualization of the main currents of thought, and mythological and literary representations of the Indian civilization; understanding of the complex relationships between manifold aspects of the cultural heritage of South Asia.
- Knowledge and appropriate use of analytic means for the understanding of the cultural complexity and the development of critical perspective.
- Knowledge of specific lexicon and linguistic elements of correlated textual sources;
- Ability to critically consult the reference texts and their bibliography, understanding their main arguments, and applying diverse interpretative theories.
- Ability to critically evaluate sources on the internet and other media.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
Course title: Violence and non-violence in Indian culture: ahiṃsā
The course aims to explore the historical and cultural complexity of ancient Indian civilisation by examining the many facets of one of its key concepts: non-violence (ahiṃsā). The course will offer a comprehensive examination, ranging from the ritual and cosmogonic conception of Vedic origin, through the speculative approach of the ascetic tradition - with its heterodox developments - to the Hindu normative tradition, up to the devotional and mystical traditions, concluding with the charismatic figure of Gandhi.
Running through these cultural phenomena is the dialectical tension between cosmic systematisation—suspended between the control and negation of violence—and irreducible chaos.
To address these topics, the course will draw on the principal literary, epigraphic and iconographic sources of ancient India.
The main topics of the course will be structured as follows:
Section A (20 hours)
- Elements of ancient Vedic cultural history: violence and non-violence between ritual orthopraxy and cosmogony.
- Elements of the later Vedic cultural history: knowledge between speculation and ascetic renunciation: violence and non-violence in the Vedic Upaniṣads.
- Elements of Hindu cultural history: socio-cosmic order and non-violence.
- The Bhagavadgītā: yoga between violence and non-violence.
Section B (20 hours)
- Non-violence in heterodox movements: Jainism and Buddhism
- Elements of Hindu cultural history: Tantric Śaktism and violence
- Bhakti and non-violence
- Gandhi and non-violence
The course aims to explore the historical and cultural complexity of ancient Indian civilisation by examining the many facets of one of its key concepts: non-violence (ahiṃsā). The course will offer a comprehensive examination, ranging from the ritual and cosmogonic conception of Vedic origin, through the speculative approach of the ascetic tradition - with its heterodox developments - to the Hindu normative tradition, up to the devotional and mystical traditions, concluding with the charismatic figure of Gandhi.
Running through these cultural phenomena is the dialectical tension between cosmic systematisation—suspended between the control and negation of violence—and irreducible chaos.
To address these topics, the course will draw on the principal literary, epigraphic and iconographic sources of ancient India.
The main topics of the course will be structured as follows:
Section A (20 hours)
- Elements of ancient Vedic cultural history: violence and non-violence between ritual orthopraxy and cosmogony.
- Elements of the later Vedic cultural history: knowledge between speculation and ascetic renunciation: violence and non-violence in the Vedic Upaniṣads.
- Elements of Hindu cultural history: socio-cosmic order and non-violence.
- The Bhagavadgītā: yoga between violence and non-violence.
Section B (20 hours)
- Non-violence in heterodox movements: Jainism and Buddhism
- Elements of Hindu cultural history: Tantric Śaktism and violence
- Bhakti and non-violence
- Gandhi and non-violence
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisites for admission
Teaching methods
The course follows the 'Type Alfa' teaching model: it consists of both taught and participatory sessions. The former are adopted for the theoretical presentation of topics and involve the use of PowerPoint slides; the latter are dedicated to the analysis of textual sources - particularly literary ones - and to the discussion of teaching materials assigned in advance. In addition, there will be in-depth thematic studies proposed by students, as well as by expert scholars from other universities, including those abroad, where possible.
For supplementary activities and announcements, please refer regularly to the 'Civilisations and Religions of India' page on myAriel, and to our university's Indology website (https://sites.unimi.it/india/).
For supplementary activities and announcements, please refer regularly to the 'Civilisations and Religions of India' page on myAriel, and to our university's Indology website (https://sites.unimi.it/india/).
Teaching Resources
6 cfu: Sections A e B
- G. Flood, L'induismo. Temi, tradizioni, prospettive, Torino: Einaudi, 2006, pp. 3-172; 237-269; 317-342; 343-359.
- P.M. Rossi, Incantesimi d'amore, Milano: Unicopli, 2024, pp. 27-54.
- M. K. Gandhi, Teoria e pratica della non violenza, Torino, Einaudi, whatever edition since 1973 onward.
- M. L. Tornotti, La non-violenza nella cultura indiana dai Veda a Gandhi, ed. Cittadella, 1994
- P. Magnone, L'eresia di Yājñavalkya. Ahiṁsā, vegetarismo e zoofagia nell'India antica, in Declinazioni di Umanesimo, tra Etica, Natura e Scienza, a cura di M. Taddei, Milano, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, 2023, pp. 193-208: https://www.academia.edu/100393502/L_eresia_di_Y%C4%81j%C3%B1avalkya_Ahi%E1%B9%81s%C4%81_vegetarismo_e_zoofagia_nell_India_antica_Y%C4%81j%C3%B1avalkya_s_Heresy_Ahi%E1%B9%81s%C4%81_Vegetarianism_and_Zoofagy_in_Ancient_India_
- C. Della Casa, M.K. Gandhi, idealista e pragmatico, in Scritti Scelti di Carlo Della Casa, a cura di Agata Pellegrini Sannino, Palermo, 1998, pp. 279-283. Uploaded in myAriel
- C. Della Casa, Ahiṁsā. Significato e ambito originari della non-violenza, in Scritti Scelti di Carlo Della Casa, a cura di Agata Pellegrini Sannino, Palermo, 1998, pp. 223-231. Uploaded in myAriel
- G. Pasqualotto, Dieci lezioni sul Buddhismo, Venezia: Marsilio Editori, 2017.
- C. Della Casa, Il giainismo, in Hinduismo, a cura di G. Filoramo, Bari, Laterza, 2018, pp. 287-318.
- Bhagavadgītā. Traduzione di Bianca Candian. A cura di Anne-Marie Esnoul, Milano, Adelphi.
- C. Della Casa, Upaniṣad vediche. A selection of texts covered in class.
- A selection of passages covered in class from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata.
- NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS: Replace 'Selected passages from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata covered in class' with the following readings, taken from a single volume which will be uploaded on myAriel.
- J.D. Long, War and Nonviolence in the Bhagavad Gītā, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 23-36.
- R. Sebastian, Reconciling Kṣatriya Dharma with Ahiṃsā in the Mahābhārata The Journey of King Yudhiṣṭhira, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 53-67.
-J.D. Long, Ahiṃsā in the Thought of Swami Vivekananda, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 145-155.
C. Bohanec, Bhaktivedānta, Gandhi, and the Social Implications of Nonviolence, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 157-177.
- G. Flood, L'induismo. Temi, tradizioni, prospettive, Torino: Einaudi, 2006, pp. 3-172; 237-269; 317-342; 343-359.
- P.M. Rossi, Incantesimi d'amore, Milano: Unicopli, 2024, pp. 27-54.
- M. K. Gandhi, Teoria e pratica della non violenza, Torino, Einaudi, whatever edition since 1973 onward.
- M. L. Tornotti, La non-violenza nella cultura indiana dai Veda a Gandhi, ed. Cittadella, 1994
- P. Magnone, L'eresia di Yājñavalkya. Ahiṁsā, vegetarismo e zoofagia nell'India antica, in Declinazioni di Umanesimo, tra Etica, Natura e Scienza, a cura di M. Taddei, Milano, Biblioteca Ambrosiana, 2023, pp. 193-208: https://www.academia.edu/100393502/L_eresia_di_Y%C4%81j%C3%B1avalkya_Ahi%E1%B9%81s%C4%81_vegetarismo_e_zoofagia_nell_India_antica_Y%C4%81j%C3%B1avalkya_s_Heresy_Ahi%E1%B9%81s%C4%81_Vegetarianism_and_Zoofagy_in_Ancient_India_
- C. Della Casa, M.K. Gandhi, idealista e pragmatico, in Scritti Scelti di Carlo Della Casa, a cura di Agata Pellegrini Sannino, Palermo, 1998, pp. 279-283. Uploaded in myAriel
- C. Della Casa, Ahiṁsā. Significato e ambito originari della non-violenza, in Scritti Scelti di Carlo Della Casa, a cura di Agata Pellegrini Sannino, Palermo, 1998, pp. 223-231. Uploaded in myAriel
- G. Pasqualotto, Dieci lezioni sul Buddhismo, Venezia: Marsilio Editori, 2017.
- C. Della Casa, Il giainismo, in Hinduismo, a cura di G. Filoramo, Bari, Laterza, 2018, pp. 287-318.
- Bhagavadgītā. Traduzione di Bianca Candian. A cura di Anne-Marie Esnoul, Milano, Adelphi.
- C. Della Casa, Upaniṣad vediche. A selection of texts covered in class.
- A selection of passages covered in class from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata.
- NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS: Replace 'Selected passages from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata covered in class' with the following readings, taken from a single volume which will be uploaded on myAriel.
- J.D. Long, War and Nonviolence in the Bhagavad Gītā, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 23-36.
- R. Sebastian, Reconciling Kṣatriya Dharma with Ahiṃsā in the Mahābhārata The Journey of King Yudhiṣṭhira, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 53-67.
-J.D. Long, Ahiṃsā in the Thought of Swami Vivekananda, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 145-155.
C. Bohanec, Bhaktivedānta, Gandhi, and the Social Implications of Nonviolence, in Ahiṃsā in the Indic Traditions. Explorations and Reflections, ed. by J. D. Long and S. J. Rose, London-New York, 2024, pp. 157-177.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination is oral and lasts approximately 30 minutes. It aims to assess the knowledge acquired, as well as the student's understanding and ability to apply that knowledge, in three main areas: general knowledge of Indian civilisation and its religious phenomena, based on the texts specified in the syllabus; the historical and literary context of the cultural phenomena covered during the course; and textual analysis, specialist vocabulary and linguistic issues concerning the literary sources specified in the syllabus. The mark, expressed out of 30 (the pass mark is 18), will take into account: overall preparation and familiarity with the course bibliography in terms of knowledge, understanding and application; the ability to analyse literary texts, understanding and mastery of fundamental historical and cultural issues, and the ability to synthetise and critically evaluate them; the use of appropriate vocabulary; and accuracy and clarity of presentation.
International or Erasmus incoming students are kindly requested to contact the teacher of the course. Also, students with disabilities should contact the teacher of the course, in order to discuss alternative examination methods, in agreement with the competent Office.
International or Erasmus incoming students are kindly requested to contact the teacher of the course. Also, students with disabilities should contact the teacher of the course, in order to discuss alternative examination methods, in agreement with the competent Office.
ASIA-01/C - Indology and Tibetology - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professor:
Rossi Paola Maria Antonietta
Professor(s)