India has several unique geographical regions that helped to shape Indian culture and society. Aryan Warriors who spoke an Indo-European language invaded India, conquered the Dravidian people that lived in the river valleys, stayed for good, and the two cultures assimilated with one another.
Northern Plain -Himalaya Mountains in the Northeast -Hindu Kush mountains in the Northwest -Two sacred rivers: Indus & Ganges -Fertile Land Deccan Plateau -Triangular shaped -No major rivers -Land too dry to farm well -Small population Coastal Plains -East and West Coastal Plains -Flat land along coast -fishing and trading -Rain and rivers provide water for farming
A. Winter Monsoons winds from Northeast during October; hot and dry, kills crops B. Summer Monsoons winds from Southwest beginning in May or June; wet weather from blowing over ocean
Imperial India INDUS VALLEY CIV: 3500 TO 1750 BCE ARYAN INVASION: 1500 TO 500 BCE MAURYAN EMPIRE: 350 TO 150 BCE GUPTA EMPIRE: 375 TO 550 CE
A. mysterious ; much is B. co-capitals of and C. By 1750 BCE 1. damage to local environment 2. Volcanic eruption 3. earthquakes 4. 1500 BCE invasion of nomadic and war-like Aryans D. Were and cattle To regard with respect or reverence
III. Kingdoms of the Ganges moved into the Indian subcontinent and began dominating the previous Dravidian culture
B. the Vedas 1. a collection of prayers, hymns and other religious teachings 2. oral tradition, not written down for hundreds of years 3. teach us about the early Aryan people
B. the Vedas 3. teach us about the early Aryan people a. nomadic people seeking pasture land b warriors who fought in chariots with bows and arrows c. loved eating, drinking, music, chariot racing, and dice games bulls and cows venerated
C. Aryans divided society into distinct castes, or groups 1. social groups into which people are born and which they cannot change in one lifetime
Brahmins Priests Kshartriyas Warriors Vaisyas Herders, farmers, merchants, craftspeople Sudras Farm workers, servants, laborers
social groups into which people are born and which they cannot change in one lifetime
IV. Hinduism A. Hinduism: different than most major religions 1. Hinduism had no single founder and no single sacred text 2. one of most complex world religions a. not rigid b. has slowly and continually changed over thousands of years
B. Is Hinduism monotheistic or polytheistic? 1. God is one, but wise people know it by many names 2. all the universe is part of the unchanging, all-powerful spiritual force called Brahman 3. idea of Brahman is too complex for some people, so a. worship many gods and goddesses which represents aspects of Brahman b. ex: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer
Atman (essential self/soul) Dharma (religious and moral duties) Karma (all the actions of a person s life) Determines next life s fate Reincarnation (rebirth of the atman/soul into another body Brahman (god/the universal force) Moksha (union with Brahman) When one s atman finally returns to god
social groups into which people are born and which they cannot change in one lifetime
. The teachings of Mahavira 1. founder of Jainism in 500 BCE 2. rejected superiority of Brahman priests 3. emphasized meditation, selfdenial and extreme ahimsa
A. Born in 566 BCE in India Ran away and saw the three sights B. Looked for a way to remove human suffering and death C. Buddha = the Enlightened One D. His answer, the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
E. The Four Noble Truths 1. All life is full of suffering, pain and sorrow
2. The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power and long life
3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire 4. The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path right views right aspirations right speech right conduct right livelihood right effort right mindfulness right contemplation F. the goal is to reach Nirvana union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth
What are the historical origins of the Indian caste system? What is the mythical explanation? Why did it persist for millennia? What if someone was to say, to hell with your caste distinctions, peace out! Was there social mobility in India like there was in China, Greece or Rome? If so, same or different?
III. Class and Caste in India A. Caste as Varna 1. caste Portuguese word for race or purity of blood 2. caste may reflect Aryan / Dravidian conflict (ethnically) Remember India s unparalleled cultural diversity Economic and social variations too 3. by c. 500 BCE clear belief that there were four major classes (Varna) Top 3 segments were pure Aryans (the twice-borns ) Sudras the native peoples 4. Varna Theory: the four groups were formed from the body of the god Purusha and were immutable Frequent conflict between Brahmins and Kshatriya groups Absorption of tribal peoples into Aryan groups Vaisya varna evolves to include the business class Sudra varna becomes peasant farmers (notice less valued than herders) creation of untouchable class below Sudras Society and Inequality in Eurasia and N. Africa
III. Class and Caste in India B. Caste as Jati 1. Social distinctions based on specific occupations, organized as guilds (jatis) Blends with varna system to create the FULL CASTE system So each of major four varnas subdivided into thousands of jatis 2. creates clearly defined social positions Marriage, eating rituals, duties, rules, obligations, norms 3. ideas of ritual purity and pollution applied to caste groups 4. inherent inequalities supported by idea of Karma, Dharma and rebirth 5. threat of social ostracism for violating rules of the jati 6. individuals could not improve social status, but entire jatis could Society and Inequality in Eurasia and N. Africa
III. Class and Caste in India C. The Functions of Caste 1. caste was very local, so it focused loyalties on a restricted territory Made empire building very difficult Caste becomes a substitute for the state 2. Caste does supply social security and support 3. Allows for the incorporation of migrants and invaders 4. made it easier for the wealthy and powerful to exploit the poor Society and Inequality in Eurasia and N. Africa
Decentralization under the Indo- Aryans Kshatriya kingdoms Decentralized form of government: feudalism Peasants (sudras) had hard lives; princes (Rajas) lived in luxury Constant warfare
Invasion by Alexander the Great 326 BCE cataclysmic invasion of Indus valley area Troops turned back Small-pox Inspired the Maghada rulers to create an empire
The Mauryan Empire King of Magadha conquered other nearby kingdoms and became a Maharaja Spies, soldiers, and bureaucrats numbered over 1 million (combined)
Economy Took large tax: 25 50% of all output Built massive capital at Pataliputra
Imperial Organization Divided into districts reflecting existing tribal boundaries Each district run by close relative or friend of Chandragupta Maurya Gigantic Army
Chandragupta s end 301 BCE stepped down to become a monk (!) Son Bindusara took rule Bindusara s son ASHOKA more famous Ashoka
Ashoka (r. 269-232) First eight years typical Invaded frontier area of Kalinga; bloodiest war of era Renounced violence & became Buddhist Ruled according to Buddhist principles, tried to spread Buddhism Read from STRAYER text The Buddha
Ashoka (cont) Laid out edicts on 18 rocks and 30 pillars across the empire Sent out Buddhist missionaries to Central Asia, SE Asia, Parthia (Greeks in Afghanistan)
Ashoka (cont) Pilgrimages, roads with shade trees Vegetarianism Hosted Great Council of Buddhism Created 84,000 Buddhist stupas around India
Gupta Rule 375 to 550 CE Established Hinduism as religion of state Heavily influenced by caste system e.g. (ksyatriya as warriors, Brahmans as bureaucrats) Code of Manu codified Hindu beliefs into detailed rules Hinduism absorbed Buddhism (the Buddha as avatar of Vishnu) Refocus on devotion to one of the gods, ritual Preferred diplomacy to war, esp. intermarriage Did not have a well-developed bureaucracy Ultimately fell to the Huns
Bhagavad-Gita from the Hindu epic The Mahabharata
Bhagavad-Gita from the Hindu epic The Mahabharata
Bhagavad-Gita from the Hindu epic The Mahabharata 1. What Hindu belief is Sri Krishna referring to when he says 2. What Hindu concept is Sri Krishna referring to when he says? ( )