Ancient India: A Journey Back in Time (Lost Treasures of the Ancient World)

Quite informative for a 50 minute program, but it helps to have a little background knowledge on the subject matter. As with other DVD's from this series, the subject is too broad to be adequately covered in that amount of time. So topics such as the Sikh and Jain religions are not really discussed. I found this DVD is a good reference to be used in conjunction with other sources of information.commentary by:Rakesh Dayaz (historian)Derek Kennet (research fellow, Archaeology, Durham University)Sunil Kumar (cultural historian)Dr Vivek Nanda (Institute of Archaeology, University College, London)Dr David Hardiman (history lecturer, Warwick University)Chapters:1. Opening2. Origins of Indian Civilization3. Cities of the Indus Valley4. Indus Valley Beliefs5. The Vedic Period6. The Caste System7. The Mauryan Empire8. Rise of Buddhism9. The Ajanta Caves10. The Gupta Dynasty11. The Rajput Empire12. Rise of Islam13. Islamic Architecture14. The Mogul Empire15. The Taj Mahal

This 50-minute documentary is a good overview of the history of India through the 17th century, with special attention to archaeology and architecture. Topics include the Indus Valley civilization, the Aryans, the Vedic period, karma and reincarnation, the caste system, the Mauryan Empire, Ashoka and the rise of Buddhism, the Gupta Dynasty and the resurgence of Hinduism, the Rajput Empire, the rise of Islam, the Mughal Empire, and the Taj Mahal.If you're considering using this video in the classroom or watching it with children, note that one of the architectural treasures from the Rajput Empire is a temple covered with explicitly sexual sculptures.Also recommended: " The Soul of India ," a 90-minute guided tour of India.

This is a very quick introduction to the history of India prior to the British becoming involved. If you know little or nothing about India, it is a good start. After you view the film, go and find a Great Courses series on India, go to the library or bookstore and start reading.

It's a very good overview of Indian history in a short video. The title made me think it would focus more on the ancient times but it breezes through them straight into Mogul times where it dwells for the longest span. The much announced 3D animation of the ancient city is the kind of thing your kid can make in a lazy afternoon in Minecraft. Impressive for the 1980's, maybe. Not today.It's not a bad video. Just not what it offers.

A beautiful documentary on ancient India. However, I was very disappointed to see that one of the best scenes in the documentary was chopped off, that of a magnificently sculptured temple at Khajuraho dedicated to Vishny. It may have been cut because it contains sculptures from the 10th century which some teachers may consider unsuitable for their students, what the unedited version calls "the most magnificent temple in all of ancient India".

Interesting history of India. A good attempt given the time frame, considering the magnitude of Indian history, to cover such an expansive topic. Worth it though.

The film covers Indian history from the Indus Valley civilization (Harappa) through the Mughals. It hits all the major points needed for a good review of Indian history prior to the AP World History exam. It is also good for discussions on change-over-time in India. The film can also be shown in segments to reinforce instruction as you go along.

This DVD tells you many things about Indias history. Without revieling the contents I would say it is worth the money. I give it 4 out of 5 because i wish it had longer chapters as I found my self wanting more. Probably the best documentary about Indian history that I have seen and great 3D re-creations.

The DVD's focus is on the northern half of the Indian civilization and only mentions (5 seconds on a map) of the southern Indian civilization (Dravidian). At least it does cover Mohenjo-Daro the predecessor to the Indus Valley Civilization. Computer Graphics (CG) is well used with Mohenjo-Daro as the structures are mostly in ruins. However the CG is way over used with structures that are well intact such as the Taj-mahal, Making the documentary more of an illusion with lots of hurried talk. A far better DVD for the price is BBC - around the world in 80 treasures which spends a whole episode on India - Sri Lanka with actual footage.

The facts recounted in this video are all true and to the point, however I was looking for a more in depth look into the history of India. For the most part, this short video didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.