Aryans & The Vedic Age (1500-500 BC) Goal  How did the Aryans change early Indian society & culture?

What is being described in the passage? “When they divided Purusha, in how many different portions did they arrange him? What became of his mouth, what of his two arms? What were his two thighs and his two feet called? His mouth became the Brahman [priests]; his two arms were made into the rajanya (or kshatriya) [warriors]; his two thighs the vaishyas [business people]; from his two feet the shudra [person of the lower working class] was born.”

Aryans & The Vedic Age (1500-500 BC) Aryan Migration – Indo-Europeans - Pastoral  cattle, sheep - Agriculture - Wheels, carts, chariots

Indo-European Migrations The Indo-Europeans - nomadic peoples who came from the steppes

Indo-European Languages English, Spanish, Persian, and Hindi all have origins linked to Indo-European languages We can tell where certain tribes settled through their different languages Numerous similarities among languages

Sanskrit writing

The Vedas Sacred literature – four collections of prayers, spells, & instructions Rig Veda  hymns to Aryan gods

The Caste System Develops Aryan means “noble” (Sanskrit) Viewed themselves as superior to native “dasas”

Varna (Social Hierarchy) Pariahs [Dalits]  Untouchables Brahmins Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudras Pariahs [Dalits]  Untouchables

The Caste System WHO IS… Brahmins The mouth? The arms? Kshatriyas The legs? The feet? Kshatriyas Vaishyas What is a JATI? Shudras

Aryan Kingdoms Arise At first, Aryan chiefs were elected by the entire tribe Minor kings struggled for land & power As a result, the major kingdom of Magadha developed & expanded

One of the great epics of India, “Mahabharata” - Reflects the struggles that took place in India as the Aryans expanded south This epic indicates that a blending of cultures between Aryans & non-Aryans was taking place

Krishna was a semi-divine hero described as “dark-faced”, and therefore non-Aryan Goals of Life = “purusharthas” Dharma (right action) Artha (Purpose) Kama (pleasure) Moksha (liberation) Statue of Krishna

Excerpt from Mahabharata in which Krishna instructs a young warrior on the proper way to live, fight, and die: “He who thinks this Self [eternal spirit] to be a slayer, and he who thinks this Self to be slain, are both without discernment; the Soul slays not, neither is it slain…

…But if you will not wage this lawful battle, then will you fail your own [caste] law and your honor, and incur sin…The people will name you with dishonor; and to a man of fame dishonor is worse than death”

How did the Aryans Transform Society in India?