Can mythology be considered history, and if so, under what conditions? What are the criteria according to which society defines writing as historical and are these universal criteria? In this course, we will discuss such questions while considering a set of contrasting claims: the first, a claim that developed during the colonial period according to which in early India there was no historical writing at all and the second claim, presented by contemporary Indian scholars, that in certain literary forms (such as the Puranas) there are historiographic elements.

Grading components: Final exam – 100%

No prerequisites