1. Which books are at the heart of the 8.

Which of these is not one of the Five

Confucian canon? Classics

a. The I Ching and the Five Classics a. The Book of History

b. The Five Classics and the Four b. The Book of Piety
Books c. The Book of Poetry
c. The I Ching and the Four Books d. The Book of Changes
d. The Five Classics and the Analects
9. Which of these denotes the dark,
feminine, yielding, or cloudy aspects of
2. The ideal of life for Confucians is to be the world?
________ or “superior person.”
a. Shiri a. Yin
b. Yin-Yang b. Yin and Yang together
c. Ren c. Yang
d. Junzi d. I Ching

3. When did Confucianism become a state 10. Which of tehse is not a relationship
religion? stressed in Confucianism?
a. Fourth Century CE
b. Second Century BCE a. State and Subject
c. Tenth Century CE b. Brother and Brother
d. Sixteenth Century CE c. Parents and Children
d. Friend and Friend
4. Ramayana is a song
a. True 11. Mahabharata is all about a story of
b. False power play

5. Which of these is not one of the a. True

meanings of li? b. False
a. Propriety
b. Etiquette 12. Ravana, the ten headed demon
c. Virtue abducted Sita.
d. Ritual
a. False
6. Capital of Kosala b. True

a. Ayodya
b. Sri Lanka
c. Lanka
d. Mithila

7. The doll theather is made up of

beautifully stringed puppets and are
realistically manipulated
a. False
b. True
 13. Never give a sword to a man who can’t 18. Through Confucianism human _______
dance means are arranged so they harmonize with the
workings of the cosmos so the cosmos
a. In fighting, rhythm is nonsense harmonizes society, so society returns
without a sword harmony to the cosmos
b. Before a man handles a weapon, he
must have learned to use it a. Dwellings
c. Never accept a responsibility b. Politics
without first knowing how to c. Relationships
handle it; like in a combat, it shall d. Beings
be futile to join without enough
knowledge 19. Avatars are reincarnation of the Vishnu

14. How many years did Confucius spend going a. True

to various Chinese states to persuade the b. False
rulers to implement his philosophy of wise
government? 20. A haiku is a free verse
a. True
a. Thirteen b. False
b. Seventeen
c. Ten 21. Which of tehse is not one of the names
d. Thirty-three used to refer too Confucius?

15. Contrary to hisory and custom a. Master Quix

Confucius idea of true ______ comes b. K’ung Ch’iu
from virtues and wisom and these c. K’ung Fu-tzu
anyone can acquire d. Master K’ung

a. Relations 22. The Wife of Rama

b. Nobility
c. Humanity a. Kaekeyi
d. Filial Piety b. Sita
c. Lakshmana
16. The main idea of Confucianism is the d. Eharat
importance of having a good moral
character, which can then affect the 23. Which of these is not a place other than
world around that person China where Confucian ethics and
ideals have remodeled society,
a. False providing moral underpinning and
b. True guidance to social relationships at all
levels
17. Kabuki is a type of Japanese drama a. Japan
b. Indonesia
a. False c. Vietnamm
b. True d. Korea
 24. A man who was unfamiliar with Analects
is considered
a. Benevolent
b. Rectified
c. Religious
d. Uneducated
Asian Literature
China Literature
 Chinese civilization Is the oldest
civilizations in the world that dates back
to the shang dynasty in 1765 b. c
 It is also known as the “ the red dragon”
The chou dynasty that followed the shang
dynasty of great intellectual activity and was in
this period when the philosophies of the
Confucianism Taoism and legalism originated.
It is the longest dynasty in Chinese history
which lasted from 1122 b.c to 256 b.c.
The han dynasty which succeeded after the
collapse of the chou strengthened the unity
within the bureaucracy but Confucianism was
substituted legalism.
THE FIVE CLASSICS
 The book of changes
 The book of history
 The book of rites
 The book of odes
 The spring And autumn annals
CONFUCIUS
 The greatest philosopher of the world
has known, one of truly great men that
china has produced.
 The word Confucius is the westernized
form of his name, which is kung fu-ize.
Kung being his proper name , fu
signifying revered, and IZE SIGNFYING
TEACHER.
LI-PO OR LAI PO (701-761)
 One of the leading Chinese poets of the
eight century. His writings deal with the
good things of life and with the pathos of
human destiny. With a striking vividness
they treat of love, friendship, nature and
simple village living
PO-CHU I (722-846)
 A well known chinese poet who
represented the classical tradition in
chinese literature: politics and morality.
INDIAN LITERATURE
 India is the vast land in southern asia,
extending from the himalayan mountains
south to the tip of a great peninsula that
reaches from out into the indian ocean.
 It is known as “ land of prayer”
DRAVIDIANS
 Earliest People In India Dating Back To
3000 -2500 B.C. Towards 2000b.C.
SANSKRIT
 Literature Of India. The Word Sanskrit
Means Cultivated Or Perfected
 Vedas – The Bible Of The Indians
RAMAYANA AND MAHABRATTA
• The Most Important Epics Of India
• Ramayana – Is About Reincarnation Of
The Creator God Vishnu In The Person
Of Rama, Who Is Hero Of The Epic.
• Mahabratta – Deasl With The Other
Reincarnation Of Vishnu In The Person
Of Krishma It Is Considered As The
Greatest Epic Of India,
ROOTS OF INDIAN LITERATURE
• Rig – Veda – Made Up Of Hymns In
Praise Of The Gods. The Hymns Are
Strong, Energetic Religious Expressions
Cpmparable To The Old Testatment
Psalms.
 • Uphanishads - consists of a group of
sketches, iluustrations, explanations and
critical comments on the religious
suggested by the poetic hymns of rig-
veda.
INDIAN DRAMA
 The first great name in indian drama is
bhasa. ( 13 plyas are attributed to him).
 Kalidasa - the greatest writer of plays.
He is the author of shakantula. He is
called the brightest of the “ nine gems of
genius”.
 Shakantula - it is a story of a king who
goes hunting in the woods and meets a
beautiful maiden named shakantula with
whom he falls in love
 Panchantra (Five Headings) - a book
that said to contain the first fables ever
written. Fables are stories of animals
who behave like human beings.
 Rabindranath Tagore - a great indian
poet and dramatist. He was awarded the
nobel prize for literature in 1913 and
was knighted by the british government
in 1915.
JAPAN
 Also known as “ the land of the rising
stars”
 The earliest writings from ancient japan
are:
 The records of ancient matters in kojiko
(a.d. 712)
 The chronicles of japan or nihongi ( a.d.
720)
JAPANESE LITERATURE
 It is one of the major oriental literatures.
 Katakana – basic alphabet in japan
which consists 47 chracters.
EARLIEST JAPAN LITERARY WORKS
 Kojiki ( records of ancient matters)
 Nihongi ( chronicles of japan)
JAPANESE DRAMA
 Drama – favorite form of amusement
Three types of Japanese drama:
 Noh play
 Joruri or puppet play
 Kabuki play
 NOH PLAY - It is the national theater of
japan
 THE PUPPET PLAY (DOLL THEATER)
- The puppets are beautifully made and
life like in size. The strings are expertly
manipulated and the dialogue reastically
interpreted
 KABUKI PLAY - The play of the
masses. It is less intellectual, more
realistic, even sensational.
 JAPANESE POETRY - Manyo shu
collection of myriad leaves – oldest
collection of poetry. It was complied in
800 a.d. the collection tired one
hundred persons was compiled much
later.
 HAIKU - Shortest form of Japanese
poetry but most popular. It has
seventeen syllable poem in three lines
of five, seven, and five syllables.
ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS
CHINESE LITERATURE
The Analects,  Analects of Confucius,
the Sayings of Confucius, or the Lun Yu, is an
ancient Chinese book composed of a large
collection of sayings and ideas attributed to
the Chinese philosopher Confucius and his
contemporaries, traditionally believed to have
been compiled and written by Confucius's
followers. It is believed to have been written
during the Warring States period (475–221
BC), and it achieved its final form during the
mid-Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). By the
early Han dynasty the Analects was considered
merely a "commentary" on the Five Classics,
but the status of the Analects grew to be one of
the central texts of Confucianism by the end of
that dynasty. During the late Song
dynasty (960–1279 AD) the importance of
the Analects as a Chinese philosophy work
was raised above that of the older Five
Classics, and it was recognized as one of the
"Four Books". The Analects has been one of
the most widely-read and studied books in
China for the last 2,000 years, and continues to
have a substantial influence on Chinese
and East Asian thought and values today
Confucius believed that the welfare of a
country depended on the moral cultivation of its
people, beginning from the nation's leadership.
He believed that individuals could begin to
cultivate an all-encompassing sense of virtue
through ren, and that the most basic step to
cultivating ren was devotion to one's
parents and older siblings. He taught that one's
individual desires do not need to be
suppressed, but that people should be
educated to reconcile their desires via rituals
and forms of propriety, through which people
could demonstrate their respect for others and
their responsible roles in society.
Confucius taught that a ruler's sense
of virtue was his primary prerequisite for
leadership. His primary goal in educating his
students was to produce ethically well-
cultivated men who would carry themselves
with gravity, speak correctly, and demonstrate
consummate integrity in all things.
During most of the Han period
the Analects was not considered one of the
principal texts of Confucianism. During the
reign of Han Wudi (141–87 BC), when the
Chinese government began promoting
Confucian studies, only the Five Classics were
considered by the government to be canonical
(jing). They were considered Confucian
because Confucius was assumed to have
partially written, edited, and/or transmitted
them. The Analects was considered secondary
as it was thought to be merely a collection of
Confucius's oral "commentary" (zhuan) on the
Five Classics.
The political importance and popularity of
Confucius and Confucianism grew throughout
the Han dynasty, and by the Eastern
Han the Analects was widely read by
schoolchildren and anyone aspiring to literacy,
and often read before the Five Classics
themselves. During the Eastern Han, the heir
apparent was provided a tutor specifically to
teach him the Analects. The growing
importance of the Analects was recognized
when the Five Classics was expanded to the
"Seven Classics": the Five Classics plus
the Analects and the Classic of Filial Piety, and
its status as one of the central texts of
Confucianism continued to grow until the
late Song dynasty (960–1279), when it was
identified and promoted as one of the Four
Books by Zhu Xi and generally accepted as
being more insightful than the older Five
Classics.
Better known in China as “Master Meng”
(Chinese: Mengzi), Mencius was a fourth-
century BCE Chinese thinker whose
importance in the Confucian tradition is second
only to that of Confucius himself. In many
ways, he played the role of St. Paul to
Confucius’ Jesus, interpreting the thought of
the master for subsequent ages while
simultaneously impressing Confucius’ ideas
with his own philosophical stamp. He is most
famous for his theory of human nature,
according to which all human beings share an
innate goodness that either can be cultivated
through education and self-discipline or
squandered through neglect and negative
influences, but never lost altogether. While it is
not clear that Mencius’ views prevailed in early
Chinese philosophical circles, they eventually
won out after gaining the support of influential
medieval commentators and thinkers such as
Zhu Xi (Chu Hsi, 1130-1200 CE) and Wang
Yangming (1472-1529 CE). (See Romanization
systems for Chinese terms.) Today
contemporary philosophical interest in
evolutionary psychology and sociobiology has
inspired fresh appraisals of Mencius, while
recent philological studies question the
coherence and authenticity of the text that
bears his name. Mencius remains a perennially
attractive figure for those intrigued by moral
psychology, of which he was the foremost
practitioner in early China.
SETTINGS
The Analects Confucius written in the old
Eastern Han dynasty capital of Luoyang
Compiled by disciples of Confucius in the
centuries following his death in 479 B.C.E., The
Analects of Confucius is a collection of
aphorisms and historical anecdotes embodying
the basic values of the Confucian tradition:
learning, morality, ritual decorum, and filial
piety.
The Analects of Confucius is an anthology of
brief passages that present the words of
Confucius and his disciples, describe
Confucius as a man, and recount some of the
events of his life. The book may have begun as
a collection by Confucius’s immediate disciples
soon after their Master's death in 479 BCE.
THEME
The main idea of Confucianism is the
importance of having a good moral character,
which can then affect the world around that
person through the idea of “cosmic harmony.” If
the emperor has moral perfection, his rule will
be peaceful and benevolent.
THE FIVE RELATIONSHIPS BY THE
ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS
1. Ruler and Subject
2. Father and Son
3. Elder Brother and Younger Brother
4. Husband and Wife
5. Friend and Friend
5 ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS
1.“Respect yourself and others will respect
you.”
2.“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first
principles.’’
3.“To be wealthy and honored in an unjust
society is a disgrace.”
4.“Never give a sword to a man who can't
dance.”
5.“The noble-minded are calm and steady.’’
ARABIAN LITERATURE
ARABIAN GEOGRAPHY
LOCATION:
Found in the Middle East between the Persian
Gulf and the Red Sea. It boarders Jordan, Iraq,
and Kuwait to the nort, Yemen to the South,
and Oman, the United Arab Emirates(UAE),
and Qator to the East. The country, which is
dividend into 13 Province, is composed
primarily of desert. Each region has agovernor
appointed by the King. With a land area of
about 1. 96,Million kilometers( 756, 981 square
miles), Saudi Arabia is about one-fourth the
size of the Continental United States. Riyadh,
the capital is located in the centrál eastern part
of the country
HISTORY
• ARABS originated on the descendants
of indigenous tribes and lived along the
Persian Gulf cost
• ARABIAN PENINSULA is also the
homeland of Islám, the world's second-
largest religion.
• MUHAMMAD founded Islam and it is
the location of the two holy pilgrimage
cities of Mecca and Medina.
• A succession of invaders attempted to
control the peninsula, but by 1517 the
OTTOMAN EMPIRE dominated, and in
the Middle of the 18th centry, it was
dividend into separate principalities.
• In 1745 Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab
began calling for the purification and
reforem of Islám, and the Wahhabi
movement swept across Arabia.
Wahabbis has been driven out of power
again by the OTTOMAN and teir
Egyptian allies.
 • THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA is
almost entirely the creation of King Ibn
Saud (1882-1953). A descendants of
Wahhabi leader, he seized Riyadh in
1901 and set himself up as leader of the
Arab nationalist movement. The Hejaz
and Neid reqions were merged to form
the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932,
which was an absolutně monarcha ruled
by Sharia.
CULTURE AND TRADITIONS
• PORK is considered uncleaned and is
prohibited. Lunch is traditionally the
day's main meal.
• ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND
NIGHTLIFE are forbidden.
• SAUDI ARABIAN WOMEN are
required, according to Islamic law, to
cover their bodies in ABAYA (balak
robes and face coverings) as a sign of
respect for Muslim modesty law.
• LARGE, EXTENDED FAMILIES live
together, and nepotism is encourages.
• STORYTELLING is an other favorite
form of artistic expression, but in
keeping with Islamic law, guideliness
goevrn public performances, and artist
can't make "graven images". Hand-
lettered Qurans are considered sacred
art that's to be respected and kept safe
for generations.
TWO CATEGORIES OF MUSLIM
1. Secularist - do not have knowlwdge
of the contents of the Quran and only
know a verse or two to justify njoying
their life such as: "Wealth and children
are the adorment of the life of this world"
(Surat Al-Kahf 18:46)
2. Fundamentalist - who wants to apply
the more extreme verses of the Quran to
the letter. These verses came to
Muhammad after he was a strong
military and after he realize that the
Christianand Jews were not becoming
followers of his new religion.
PROPHET MUHAMAD
THE KORAN OR QUR’AN (THE READING)
It is the sacred scripture of Islam. Muslims
really acknowledge it as the actual words of
god revealed by Muhammad. Contains 114
chapters or suras, arranged, except for the
opening approximately according to length,
beginning with the longer chapters. Termed as
the glorious and wonderful, describes the
absolute truth healing mercy, light and
guidance of God to people's everyday lives.
Has a great contribution with the Arabian
literature.
ARABIAN LITERATURE
A written Arabic literature began to be known
with thecollect of Koran, the sacred book of
Islam, in Arabia in 17th century A.D. with the
spread of the Islamic faith into Asia, Africa and
Europe, the Arabian language soon became a
major world language. Today it is read or
understood by hundreds of millions of People.
Even before the revelations of Muhammad
were collected in the Koran, however, the
Arabs possessed a highly developed poetry,
composed of recitation and transmitted from
generation to generation. The most famous
examples are the elaborated odes, or qasdahs,
of Mu'allagat ("the suspended odes"),
beginning with those of Imru' Alqais. These
poems reflected and praised the customs and
values of the desert environment in which they
arose.
PRE-ISLAMIC
• The structure of the Arabic language is
well-suited to harmonious word-patterns,
with elaborate rhymes and rhythms. The
earliest known literature emerged in
northern Arabia around 500 AD and took
the form of poetry which was recited
aloud, memorised and handed down
from one generation to another. It began
 to be written down towards the end of
the seventh century.
• The most celebrated poems of the pre-
Islamic period were known as the
Mu'allgqat ("the suspended"), reputedly
because they were considered
sufficiently outstanding to be hung on
the walls of the ka'ba in Makkah.
• The typical poem of this period is the
Qasidah (ode), which normally consists
of 70-80 pairs of half-lines. Traditionally,
they describe the nomadic life, open Ing
with a lament at an abandoned camp for
a lost love. The second part praises the
poet's horse or camel and describes a
journey, with the hardships it entails.
The third section contains the main
theme of the poem.
HISTORIC PERIOD
The history of Arabic literature is usually
divided into period making the dynastic
changes and divisions that took place within
the Islamic world.
A. Umayyad Period (A.D. 661-750)
• Arabic prose literature was limited
primarily to grammatical
treatise,commentaries on the Koran,
and compiling of stories about
Muhammad and his companions.
• The Umayyad poets, chief of whom
were Al-Akhtal and Al-Farazdaq, favored
poetic forms such as love lyrics called
(Ghazals), wine songs and hunting
poems. These forms the conditions of
life and manners found in territories
conquered by Islam.
B. Abbasid Empire (750-1258)
• In the early years of this empire, many
forms were invented for Arabic literature,
which then entered what is generally
regarded it's greatest period of
development and achievement. It is
certain that the Persian influences
contributed significantly to this
development. For example, translations
from Persian, such as those of Ibn al-
Muqaff', led to a new refinement in
Arabic prose called adab, often
sprinkled with poetry and utilizing rhyme
prose (saj'), the style of KORAN. The
greatest masters of adab were Al jahiz
and Al Hariri.
• An inventive type of folk
literature,exemplified in "The Thousand
and One Nights" (popularly known as
The Arabian Nights), drew upon the
recitations of wandering storytellers
called rawis.
• Abu Nuwas was acknowledged as the
foremost among the new poets who
used the Arabic language with greater
freedom and imagination. An
expiremental tradition now vied with
classical traditions, some poets excelled
in both traditions ; al-Maarri and al-
Mtanabi are regarded as the greatest
among them. In Spain an independent
poetic tradition culminated in the
exquisitive lyrics of Ibn Zaydun and Ibn
Quzman. The Romance Of Antar,
closest work to an epic in Arabic, was
also written about this time.
C. Modern Period
• During the centuries of Ottoman Turkish
domination, Arabic literature fall into
decline. Not until the mid-19th century
was it revived by it's intellectual
movement known as Nahdah
("reawakening"), which originated in
Syria and spread to Egypt. From being
imitative to Europeans, Modern Arabic
literature, both prose and poetry, has
gradually freed itself from centuries of
neglect and has assumed it's former
place among the world's greatest
literatures.
Outstanding among the recent Arabic
novelists, dramatists, and essayists
• Tawfig al-Hakim,
• Nobelist Ngaguib Mahfouz, Taha
Husayn
• Poets, Ihiya Abu Madi, Adonis, Ahmad
• Shawqi, Abu Shadi and Abbas al Aqqad
Many other works have been translated and
are enjoyed by non-Arab connoisseurs of
literature everywhere.
ARABIC PROSE
• Saj or "rhymed prose" is most striking
characteristics feature of the Arabic
prose. Consists of succession of pairs of
short rhyming expression with rhetorical
and antithetical balance of sense of
sense between the pairs of expressions
with a certain loose of rhythmical
balance not bound by strict metre.
• The Khutbah or "formal written in
rhymed prose style" is of great antiquity.
Turned out to be religious verses in the
earliest time of Islam.
• Most famous : Ibn Nubatah at-Farigi.
• Arabic prose began in the latter days of
the Umayyad Empire.
• It exhibits use of the Khutbah style and
more sophisticated and fluent style
derived from the literary traditions of
Sasanian Persian. The most celebrated
work of Ibn Mugaffa, "Klila wa Dimna" is
translation from a Pahlavi version of the
Indian fable, Pachantantra.
ARABIC POETRY
• There is not much evidence of written
literature among the Arabs before the
Islamic period. Oral traditions, the poetry
of the North Arabs, particularly the
Bedouin tribes of the fifth and sixth
centuries, are the most outstanding in
artistry and sensuousness of feelings.
• Poetry was constructed in elaborate
meters of which sixteen are universally
recognized.
All verses are divided into types:
- Occasional Poems
- Collection or Anthologies
1. OCCASIONAL POEMS
• Occasional Poems - Consisting 2 to 20
lines whose themes are usually war and
revenge and praise
• of one's own tribe.
Various genres fall to this are:
• Elegies
• Praising the dead; the most famous type
was Kansa.
• The Odes or Quasida
• Was an elaborate ode usually of 60 to
100 lines
• Themes were usually about exploits of
narrator, his old passion, and
descriptions of camp life in honor of his
patron. The oral transmition of poems
lasted fot 350 yrs.
COLLECTION OR ANTHOLOGIES
• Collection or Anthologies - Al-Mu'allgqat,
a group of pre-Islamic Odes.
• "3 KINDS OF COLLECTION"
• AI-Mu-Allkat means "suspended"
because these poems were supposed to
have been displayed by the Arabs on
the Kaaba at Mecca. These collections
are ascribed to Hammed-al-Ravisya in
8th century A.D. by Amru Ul Kais "most
illustrious of Arabian poets". Showed the
nomadic life, views and philosophies,
visions and their dreams arising from
such condition.
• Al hamasa is an anthology compiled by
poets ABRETAMMAN about 836 A.D.
 Derive its's name from the beginning of
books and poems. Themes were usually
about valor and constant battles,
patience when comforted reality ,
seeking vengeance ,pagan rituals,
myths, temptations, treasure and Arab
traditions.
• Mujaddiyat is a collection of poems
named after MUFADDALIBN YA'LA who
compiled them for the future caliph
Mahdt between 762 and 784. Showed
hospitality, charity, valor, faithfulness,
lavish entertainment, love for wine and
love for chance.
NON-FICTION LITERATURE
 Biography, history, and geography
 Diaries
 Literary theory and criticism
 Magama
FICTION LITERATURE
• Epic literature -
• Romantic literature
• Murder mystery
• Satire and comedy
• Theatre
• Philosophical novels
• Science fiction
MODERN NOVELS
• Neo-classical movement - which
sought to rediscover the literary
traditions of the past, and was
influenced by traditional literary genres-
such as the magama- and works like
One Thousand and One Nights. In
contrast, a modernist movement began
by translating Western modernist works-
primarily novels- into Arabic.
• Modern Arabic novel - the study of
family life with obvious resonances of
the wider family of the Arabic world.
According to whom? Many of the novels
have been unable to avoid the politics
and conflicts of the region with war often
acting as background to intimate family
dramas
HISTORY OF INDIAN LITERATURE
INDIAN LITERATURE
 One of the world’s oldest and richest
 Oral traditions – storytellers present
traditional Indian text
 Literature is influenced by:
 A religious doctrine karma – the chain of
good and bad action and their inevitable
consequences, which result to the
repeated birth and death of the soul.
 Mythology of the dominant Hindu deities
Sanskrit Literature
• Literature is written in Sanskrit language
• Text were produced about 16th century
BC by people known as Aryans (were
cattle herders who were originally
nomadic) who established kingdoms in
north India
I. RELIGIOUS TEXT
VEDAS “BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE”
 Composed in Old Sanskrit by Aryan
poets
 Constitute the fundamental scripture of
the Hindu religion and used as
sacramental rites of Hinduism
 Compilation of two major literary forms:
– Hymns of praise to nature deities
– Ritual chants to accompany
Aryan religious rituals
THE FOUR VEDAS
 Rig-Veda – anthology of 1080 hymns to
various gods
 ex. “Creation Hymn”
 Sama-Veda – “Book of Chants” consists
of liturgies.
 Yajur-Veda – “Prayer Book” which
consists of liturgies and repetition of II. HEROIC TEXT
Rig-Veda but contains many original
MAHABHARATA
prose formulas
 Atharva-Veda – “Book of Spells” which  “The Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty)
contains some hymns, spells,
 Written by the poet Vyasal
incantations, and notions about
demonology and witchcraft.  A tale of dispute between two branches
of the Bharata clans over the right to
BRAHMANAS
rule the kingdom.
 prose text that discuss the solemn
RAMAYANA
sacrificial rituals as well as the
commitment on their meaning,  “The Way of Rama”
composed by Hindu priest
 Written by the poet Valkimi
ARANYAKAS
 Tells the story of the hero Rama, prince
 “wilderness texts” or “forest treaties”, of Ayodhya and incarnation of the god
composed by people who meditated in Vishnu
the woods
CLASSICAL LITERATURE
 Discussion and interpretation of the
 Started with the flowering of the Gupta
dangerous rituals
dynasty
UPANISHADS
 Great achievements in philosophy,
 Composed by a group of sages who sciences and arts
questioned the usefulness of ritual
 Reflected values of Hinduism
religion
 Literature was nurtured by the caste
 Consists of 108 dialogues between
system:
teachers and their students about the
individual soul’s unity Brahman – scholars and priest
 India’s oldest philosophical treaties and Kshatriya – the warriors
form the foundation of major schools of
Hindu philosophy Vaisya – merchants

TIPITAKA “THE THREE BASKETS” Sudra – laborers

 Major religious text of Buddhism
 Written in the Pali language
 Includes the teachings of Buddha
JATAKAS “STORIES OF THE BIRTHS OF
THE BUDDHA”
 Tells 547 stories of Buddha’s former
births
 Kavya was the major form of classical
literature in Sanskrit.
KALIDASA “INDIA’S PREEMINENT
CLASSICAL POET”
Raghuvamsa (Dynasty of Raghu)
- Epic poem
Meghaduta (The Cloud Messenger)
 - Lyric poem about separated lovers
SHAKUNTALA
(Shakuntala and the Ring of Recollection)
- poetic drama, tells the story of a love
affair between a king and a woodland maiden
Shakuntala
- a universal drama of the passion,
separation, suffering and reunion of lovers.
SANSKRIT DRAMA - A rich pageant of mime,
dance, music, and lyrical texts set in the court
of kings and aristocrats
 Mrichchhakatika
(The Little Clay Cart)
by Shudraka
 Malati-Madhava
(Malati and Madhava) a romance
by Bhavabhuti
PANCHATANTRA “THE FIVE STRATEGIES”
BY VISHNUSHARMAN
 A collection of stories in prose and
verse, which feature animals as the
characters, teach lessons about human
conduct
 Use the technique of telling stories
within the framework of the main story
PURANAS
 A genre of mythological narratives
 Five topics of Puranas:
1. The creation of the universe
2. The destruction and re-creation of
the universe
3. The genealogy of the gods and
holy sages
4. The reign of the
Manus )legendary Hindu figures)
5. The histories of the kings who
trace their ancestry the sun and
the moon
MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
 Different regions began to develop its
own distinctive culture
 Islamic dynasties conquered many
territories
 Indian languages were influenced by
Islamic religion, Persian and Arabic
languages
 Unique version of local myths, legends,
romances and epics emerged
BHAKTI: DEVOTIONAL LITERATURE
 Authors who belong to Hindu
movement, who wrote lyric poetry
 Bhakti: was an aspect of religion that
involved passionate, emotional devotion
to a particular god.
 They addressed devotional poems to
the major Hindu gods and goddesses;
Shiva, Vishnu, Bhrama, Krishna, Rama,
Lakhsmi, Ganesha,
 Some major Bhatik poets were women
and men of the lower caste
COLONIAL PERIOD TO INDEPENDENCE
 British became a colonial power
 The colonial government introduced
English education for upper-class
Indians so that they can serve the
colony
 Introduction of the printing press, which
made possible the establishment of
newspapers and journals
 Bengal Renaissance
Rabindranath Tagore
• An innovative poet of the Bengali
language
 • Drew on traditional forms of poetry and
performance
• The first non-European winner of the
Nobel Prize award for literature
GITANJALI
 (Song Offerings, 1910)
 His best known work, which is a
collection of poems
INDEPENDENT ONWARDS
- Indian independence from Britain in
1947 marked the start of modern Indian
literature
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
CHARACTERS
Shahryar - a "Sasanian king" ruler in "India
and China."
Shah Zaman – King of Samarcand
Ifrit / Jinni - shape-shifting spirit made of fire
and air with origins in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Wazir - a high-ranking political advisor or
minister
Shahrazad - the heroine of The Tales of the
1001 Nights, saved her world through stories.
Dunyazad - the younger sister of Queen
Scheherazade.
ALADDIN AND THE MAGIC LAMP
Aladdin - a poor boy who finds a magical
Genie. He wishes to be a prince so he can
marry Princess Jasmine.
Jasmine - a Princess who wants to see the
world outside the palace. She meets Aladdin
in the market and falls in love.
Genie - lives in a lamp and wishes for freedom.
Aladdin discovers Genie in the Cave of
Wonders.
The sultan - the ruler of the kingdom. Princess
Jasmine is the Sultan’s daughter.
Jafar - the Sultan’s advisor. The Sultan trusts
Jafar, but Jafar is evil. He wants to become
the Sultan and marry Princess Jasmine.
Iago - Jafar’s helper. He does what Jafar tells
him to do. In the movie Iago is a bird, Abu -a
monkey and aladdin’s side kick
CHARACTERS OF THE RAMAYANA
Rama is the hero of the Ramayana epic, an
incarnation of the God Vishnu. The eldest and
favourite son of Dasaratha, King of Ayodhya,
he is a virtuous prince and is much loved by
the people. He is exiled from Ayodhya due to
the plotting of his stepmother, Kaikeyi.
Sita is Rama's wife and daughter of King
Janaka of Mithila. Sita is the epitome of
womanly purity and virtue.
Laksmana (seen here) is Rama's younger
brother. Completely loyal to Rama, he
chooses to go with Rama and Sita when they
are exiled from Ayodhya.
Ravana is the king of Lanka and has 10 heads
and 20 arms. He received a boon from the God
Brahma that he cannot be killed by gods,
demons or by spirits, after performing a severe
penance for 10,000 years. After receiving his
reward from Brahma, Ravana began to lay
waste to the earth and disturbed the deeds of
the good Hindu sages. Vishnu incarnates as
the human Rama to defeat him, assisted by an
army of monkeys and bears, thus
circumventing the boon given by Brahma.
Dasaratha is the King of Ayodhya, Rama's
father.
Kausalya is Rama's mother, Dasaratha's chief
wife.
Kaikeyi is Dasaratha's wife and Rama's
stepmother. She demands that Rama be
banished to the forest and that her son Bharata
be awarded the kingdom instead.
Bharata is the second son of Dasaratha. When
he learns that his mother Kaikeyi had forced
Rama into exile, causing Dasaratha to die
broken hearted, he storms out of the palace
and goes in search of Rama. When Rama
refuses to return from his exile to assume the
throne, Bharata obtains Rama's sandals and
places them on the throne as a gesture that
Rama is the true king.
Sumitra is Dasharatha's wife and mother of
the twins Lakshmana and Satrughna.
Hanuman is the wise and resourceful monkey
who helps Rama in his quest to defeat Ravana
and rescue Sita.
Sugriva is the ruler of the monkey kingdom.
His throne was taken by his brother Bali, but
Rama helps him to defeat the usurper in return
for his assistance in finding Sita.
STORY OF RUTH
Mahlon and Chilion
Elimelech’s two sons also don’t really deserve
the title of “main characters” (they even have to
share a section in this article!). Both sons die
right at the beginning of the story as well, and
their names indicate that this is all that is
significant about them, from the story’s
perspective: Mahlon means “weakness” or
“sickness” and Chilion means “annihilation” or
“consumption.” Their names say it as it is:
these men aren’t sticking around for long.  I will lodge; your people shall be my people,
Naomi
Finally someone who doesn’t kick the bucket!
Naomi, Elimelech’s wife (then widow) is one of
the two most important characters in the Book
of Ruth. Naomi’s life is a real struggle for most
of  the Book of Ruth. First, she flees from her
homeland due to famine, then her husband
dies, and as if that isn’t enough, soon after,
both of her sons die as well. Totally
impoverished and bereft of her husband and
sons, Naomi decides to return home to
Bethlehem and warns her daughters-in-law that
she cannot provide for them and they should
return to their fathers’ homes. Naomi’s name
means “pleasantness,” but when she
eventually returns to Bethlehem in grief, she
rejects the name Naomi and asks to be called
Mara, which means “bitter.” But don’t worry,
her story does have a happy ending. 
Orpah
Orpah is one of Naomi’s two daughters-in-law;
married to Naomi’s son Chilion before he
passes away. After her husband dies, Orpah
begs to travel with Naomi to Bethlehem,
however, once she learns how tough the
journey will be, she pretty quickly decides to
stay in Moab. This move is pretty telling of her
character. She doesn’t stand much of a chance
of being a great character anyway: her name
means “back of the neck,” as in what you see
when someone turns and walks away. The
author of the Book of Ruth clearly didn’t like
Orpah. But here is a fun fact: The famous talk
show host, Oprah Winfrey, is named for this
minor biblical character. 
Ruth
Ruth, our titular character, is the other
daughter-in-law of Naomi. Originally a
housewife in Moab, married Naomi’s son
Mahlon, she loses her husband before they
have any children. Unlike Orpah, Ruth is
completely loyal to Naomi and follows her to
Bethlehem once their husbands have died,
becoming part of the people of Israel. Her
declaration to Naomi — “Do not urge me to
leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For
wherever you go, I will go; wherever you lodge,
and your God my God. Where you die, I will
die, and there I will be buried. Thus and more
may the LORD do to me if anything but death
parts me from you.” — is considered the
paradigmatic biblical expression of loyalty and
Jewish tradition looks upon her as the model
convert. Ruth’s name means “friend” or
“companion,” which clearly fits her perfectly. 
Boaz
Thought there were no significant men in this
story? Meet Boaz, described as “a prominent
wealthy man” and “a kinsman.” Boaz meets
Ruth when she gleans in his field and he is in
awe of Ruth’s generosity toward Naomi. He
falls for her quickly. Conveniently, as a relative
of Elimelech, (Naomi’s dead husband) due to
the biblical laws of levirate marriage it is
actually Boaz’s duty to marry Ruth and raise up
children in the stead of her deceased husband
… if there isn’t a closer relative alive. After a
short, honest confrontation with a closer
“redeeming kinsman,” Boaz ends up marrying
Ruth to Naomi’s delight, the two have a son
together, and he becomes the grandfather of
Israel’s greatest king — David. Boaz means “in
him there is strength.” This may refer to Boaz’s
qualities or to the fact that the “discovery” of
Boaz brings strength back to Naomi’s
character. 

Peloni Almoni
Remember the “brief confrontation” mentioned
between Boaz and another of Ruth’s relatives?
That relative is this guy. “Peloni Almoni”
basically means “so-and-so.” He never gets a
name in the story which matches his laissez-
faire attitude about Ruth. 

Baby Obed 
Obed is the son of Ruth and Boaz. This baby
brings a sense of security back into Naomi’s
life, a feeling she had not known since her
husband was alive. The name Obed, which
means “one who serves” is fitting for the role
which he has: nourishing and comforting
Naomi, his grandma. He will eventually have a
son named Jesse who will become the father
of King David.