BiA-SCE-Class Assignment 1

Date: 17 February 17, 2012

Teachers: Mr sharma & Ms Tang

Minor: Business in Asia, Socio-Cultural Environment

Students: Trudy Danso 09087273Namrata Lal 09063471Prashant Jain 08058504Qiao SchuQijia ShiQi Zhang Tarik Abdelmoula

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ContentsBiA-SCE-Class Assignment 1......................................................................................................1

Episode 1 – The beginning of India..............................................................................................................3

Episode 2 – The power of Ideas...................................................................................................................4

Episode 3 – Spice routes and silk roads.......................................................................................................5

Episode 4 – Ages of Gold.............................................................................................................................6

Episode 5- meeting of two oceans...............................................................................................................7

Episode 6 – Freedom...................................................................................................................................8

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Episode 1 – The beginning of IndiaIn this episode we go back to the roots of India, the beginning where everything started. During this episode it is said that the first humans, that walked out to India, arrived 70.000/80.000 years ago. Another interesting thing that was mentioned was that; all the non-Africans on the planet can trace their descent from those early migrations into India. The rest of the world was populated from here. Even if you now go to Kerala, India you can find the clues of the first Indians who left their traces, clues of Indian history. And also clues that till recently were completely unsuspected.

Furthermore languages and religions were elaborated during the episode. The experience of the ancestors is faithfully handed down from generation to generation. Also the rituals for example organizing an event for 12 days for the God of fire.

Indus civilization was also mentioned during the episode. It is said that the process of civilization began in 7000 B.C. even earlier than Egypt. In the stone age great arch from the Mediterranean to India changes in technology led to the invention of agriculture. The rise of cities. In the year of 2007, first time in history most of us will live in the cities rather than the countryside. For the historians and archaeologists civilizations means living in cities large scale, highly organized societies, monumental architecture, law and writing. The Europeans saw India as primitive and very backwards. They believed that civilization was the product of classical world for whom they were the modern standard barriers.

Like the other great ancient civilization in Iraq, Egypt and China, India’s first cities had grown up on a river. Harrapa was far old known than anything in India. Even before pyramids they already had cities in India. High period for Indus civilization was around 2900 B.C. to 1900 B.C. during this period there was a population of 200.000 people. In year 1922 British and Indian archeologist targeted an untouched sight; Mohenjo Daro It was more or less an urban giant. With up to 5 million people it was the world’s biggest population.

At the end Micheal Wood talks about the language Sanskrit. The language Sanskrit is the answers to all modern dialects. The root of languages spoken by a billion people. The Veda’s have been orally transmitted down the ages accurately as recording. This is because it is perfectly preserved, the linguist can date them. The oldest is the collection of 1000 hymns called the Rig

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Veda, started 1500 B.C. There was found out that there are many similarities between Sanskrit, Latin and Greek and even to English. 1500 B.C after the death of Indus cities Aryan tribes began to enter India with new gods and language.

All of this was not known to me at the beginning except for the Sanskrit part. And everything which is mentioned shapes the norms and values of Indians because Indians are very traditional.

Episode 2 – The power of IdeasThis video is about the origin and development of religion in India, especially Buddhism. There are several major events should be mention. The first is the origin of Buddhism and spread in the 5th century BC, the royal and nobles Gautam left his homes, and started the first step on the road of seeking truth. He is the later Buddhist legend, Shakyamuni Buddha. Gautam traveled around India, bring the truth of life and Buddhism theory to countless Indian people, helped them to have religious beliefs. Such beliefs have gradually spread to all over the world later on.

The second event occurred in 326 BC, when Alexander the Great led the Greek army swept through India, One man called Chandragupta Maurya found out that power of violence can unit people together. By Chandragupta Maurya’s lead, the Indian armies fight away the Greek invaders and established the greatest Indian empire. Like the rest of the great Indian kings, After Chandragupta Maurya achieved the rights and power; he started his own way to finding truth. The last event is about King Ashoka, after comprehend the true meaning of life, the man who used to be a very violent people became a legend of the Buddhist also.

Everybody knows India is the origin of Buddhism, but with this video, people started to know how hardly these India legends tried to find the balance of peace and war. Because of these legends, India people started to have a unit belief. Even thousand years past, these culture and belief keep affect people not only in India, also among the world. After people have belief, they have a guide to find the truth of life and the world, these affects not only on people’s lives, also is on business and economy.

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Episode 3 – Spice routes and silk roadsIn the fifty-four minutes’ episode, it briefly demonstrates the history and evolvement of the Spice Routes and Silk Road of India. Just because of the spice routes and silk roads, which accelerates the contact and exchange between India and the rest of the world, India civilization grew.

Starting from Kerala, Michael Wood narrates his journey on an old wooden sailing boat from South India to Gulf and tells how to trade spice with Rome. And India opened up to the outside since then. In addition, a recipe of dormouse stuffed with peppercorn is provided as well. During the trade, he discovers the lost site of the greatest Roman trading port, formulates the earliest cuisine of India and journeys to the ancient capital city of South India, which is named Madurai. After that, the episode presents how the northern part of India was opened up to the world during the same period since the merchant’s caravans commerce to use the Silk Route between the West and China.

Then the video leads us to the Merv in the deserts of Turkmenistan and reminds us of the forgotten empire of the Kushans that ruled India in the first centuries CE. Kushan used to destroy the earliest city of South Asia, in Peshawar. Travelling down the Khyber to Peshawar in Pakistan, Michael Wood takes us to see what remains of the greatest building in the world. Following by that, Mathura illustrates how one of the India’s greatest ruler opened the door of India to the rest of the world, which lays foundations of medieval India.

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Episode 4 – Ages of GoldIn this video episode, the Indian empire and culture is discussed from the 15th century till today’s India. This video shows us how and where the culture and the traditions in the daily lives of Indian people comes from and how it’s still done today.India’s first poet is the one of Rama(yana), which stands for the God that came to earth to destroy evil. This poet has become the most loved and is available in 300 versions and in many different languages that are spoken in India. Rama was seen as the reincarnation of God on earth. Many pilgrims told his story. In the 15th century, Ayodhya city was formed which is now an ancient city. This is seen as the city where the God Shi ram was born.

Kamasutra it is also a big part of the Indian culture. This book is not only a book that portrays positions but it means more than that. It’s actually about how to have fun; it’s about the idea of how to love. It also tells a man how he should be righteous and how to gather wealth. This book encourages women to seek their own level of satisfaction. The Kamasutra tells that a relationship is mutual, so a man is not necessarily above a woman; it is from both ways; give and take. It’s obvious that the Gupta Empire has shaped the civilization in the northern part of India in the middle ages.There are different ways how the civilization in the southern part of India has been shaped otherwise than in the northern part. The Chola Empire ruled over the southern part of India. One of the great emperors was Raja Raja. There is a temple built for the God Shiva in Thanjavur. The God is celebrated in any way possible, for example in movies, novels and many more. The Cholen age is the biggest period when it comes to Indian Art. During that time, many sculptures were made portraying the Gods. For example there is one sculpture that is portraying the God Shiva. This masterpiece is one of the greatest sculptures in the world. Crafting images has become a part of the Indian culture. Most of the Indians are vegetarians. This is something that has been there since 500 BC. This is when India saw the rise of Buddhism and Jainism. These religions preached the principle of ahimsa which means ‘’non-violence’’.

I found it very interesting to see how the traditions and the Empire from many many years ago still exist in the way Indians live today. It’s also very interesting to see how religion has been a very important aspect of their culture from ages ago till now. I wasn’t aware that the Kamasutra contained

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more than the sexual aspects of love. This Indian history has a big effect on the business environment. A western company that wants to start a company in India should adapt a lot of things if it wants to succeed and achieve many customers. It has to keep their religion in mind, the traditions in the house. For example, promoting a new hamburger with beef meat wouldn’t be successful as promoting a very healthy veggie burger for example because the majorities in India are vegetarians. These things should all be kept in mind while doing business in India.

Episode 5- meeting of two oceans

The 5th episode is about the Muslim Invasion in India. Earlier in 11 th century Mohammed Sultan Gajini a fanatic emperor came to India. His intentions were not noble as he has the vision of looting the gold and resources from India. He attacked the one of the most prestigious temple called “Somnath” temple of Hindu religion in order to loot the gold. He even destroyed the Somnath temple.

Later in 1692, Muslims invaders which came from afghan and Turks conquered the Delhi and even build the symbol of Muslim invasion called “ Qutab Minar” . This was the era of Muslim rule in India. Muslims leaders not only rule India but also did forced conversion of Islam, and brutal attacks on Hindu religion and their followers.

On the other hand, they were some people like Sufi Saints who didn’t choose the sword to spread the word of Islam instead they believed in enlighten the religion Islam in peaceful manner.

In 1925, new Muslim invaders came to India like king Barbar. He fought the battle with jhangez khan and beats him in order to take the hold of India in his hand. Later his son Akbar became one the greatest king of India. Akbar was considered as one the finest emperor of his times. His advisor Birbal knows as the finest political advisor and smartest man of his times.

Muslim emperors ruled India more than 350 years. After the death of the king Akbar his son Aurangzeb took over. Aurangzeb was more busy living a luxurious lifestyle and spending money and resources to build monument like Taj Mahal instead of taking care of his empire. Aurangzeb considered as

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weak leader. This started the downfall of Mughal Empire in India and gave open doors to British rule.

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Episode 6 – Freedom

This episode examines the British Raj and India’s struggle for freedom. Mr. Wood reveals how in South India a global corporation came to control much of the subcontinent, and explores the magical culture of Lucknow, discovering the enigmatic Briton who helped found the freedom movement. He traces the Amritsar massacre, the rise of Gandhi and Nehru, and the events that led to the Partition of India in 1947.

When I studied in the high school of China, history is one of major studies of mine. I was fascinated by those old civilizations in the world. As we know, India is one of the four countries with an ancient civilization. Therefore, I read and watch some books and films about it. I found it is really hard to find records of Indian history before 7 century. I call it the time of ancient India. From 700 A.D to 18 century, North India was ruled by Muslim. Islamism and Hinduism were colliding drastically here in a long period. However, everything was changed from the late 18 century. The armies of a private multinational, the British East India Company, imposed their rule on this vast land. In this colonial process, events that need never have happened in the way, giving birth to the modern world.

Now, we can see India got many value from its long-standing history. First of all, India has been the biggest democracy. People began freeing the creative energies from 1947. Such as the successful transformation in the economy, by 2030, it is predicted that India’s GDP will overtake America. Furthermore, India also has a capability to conserve their own genius but to bring in the discoveries of other civilizations and incorporate them. Such as Bollywood. If someone want to do business with Indians, the first thing of first, please respecting their religion, and do not ignoring the influence of religion in business.

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