The second installment of Michael Wood's journey through Indian history covers the Age of Buddha, the incursions of the ancient Greeks, and the rule of Emperor Ashoka as they relate to the enduring power of Indian ideas. Drawing upon archaeology, living traditions, legends, and India's "Rosetta stone," Wood explores the imperishable principle of nonviolence and the tenets of Buddhism as he tells the story of the first great Indian state. Footage of a Jain festival, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the first great Indian capital at Patna, and more is featured.

Classroom Video On Demand is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware. Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on December 12, 2009.

In Search of Ancient India (1:59) -- Varanasi: Religious Center (3:43) -- Great Thinkers: Buddha (3:31) -- Buddhist Shrine (1:59) -- Buddha's Four Noble Truths (3:01) -- Sacred Places of Buddha (3:28) -- Buddhism (4:41) -- Catalyst of War (4:05) -- Alexander the Great in India (2:56) -- Royal City of Patna (3:01) -- End of King Chandragupta Maurya (3:09) -- India's Rosetta Stone (3:06) -- Ashoka the Cruel (5:21) -- Ashoka's Declaration of Human Rights (2:40) -- India: Empire of the Spirit (5:42).