THE GREAT COURSES: Lesson 3: Early India and China

PART I. Ancient India

1. WHAT EVIDENCE EXISTS OF WELL- DEVELOPED INDIAN CITIES?  Harappa and Mohenjo Daro provide evidence that Indian cities were well – developed and efficiently designed.  Complex/ sophisicated  Indoor bathrooms  Warehouses on outskirts of cities

#2. WHAT WERE THE 2 SOURCES OF PROSPERITY IN THE EARLY INDIAN CITIES?  Farming  Trade

#3. WHO WERE THE ARYANS, AND WHAT WERE THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO INDIAN CULTURE?  Aryans  Nomads from central Asia who entered India through the Khyber Pass and conquered parts of the country. “invaders”  Impact/ Contributions  Added their own myths, gods, and legends to those of the existing Indus peoples.  As a result of the mixing of cultures and religions of the two peoples, Hinduism was created.

HINDUISM  The world’s oldest living religion  Polytheistic  Millions of Gods – yet all represent the supreme being: Brahman  Brahma: The Creator  Vishnu: The Preserver  Shiva: The Destroyer  *Some scholars equate to Christianity’s Holy Trinity  God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit  Belief in reincarnation – aka “samsara”  Goal: Moksha  Key concepts: dharma and karma  “If you fulfill your dharma, you will have good karma”

#4. WHAT ARE THE UPANISHADS, AND WHAT ARE THE BASIC IDEAS THEY CONTAIN?  Upanishads  Collection of essays that discuss the meaning of Vedic hymns.  Address such questions as:  What is the reality of nature?  What is morality?  What is the soul?  Is there eternal life?

#5. EXPLAIN THE CASTE SYSTEM.  Rooted in Hindu society (*NOT Indian society, not all Indians are Hindu)  The social grouping of individuals that is based on a birth’s group.  Identity is decided by what group, or caste, his or her parents are from…

CASTE SYSTEM: VISUALS…

#6. HOW DID BUDDHISM BEGIN, & WHAT ARE ITS BASIC BELIEFS?  Buddhism began c. 530 BCE when Siddhartha Gautama, a young man of about 29, left his wife to seek enlightenment.  Was born a Hindu prince  Lived in palatial luxury  Raised in Hindu tradition but questioned his faith, didn’t agree with all of it  Went on his own spiritual journey  He tried many ways to find enlightenment, and one day, while meditating under a bodhi tree, he felt that the truth had become clear to him. He then set out to teach others what he had learned and became known as “the Buddha” which means “enlightened one.”  Buddhism teaches that by following the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, anyone can achieve nirvana – the release from pain and selfishness.  Buddhism also teaches that ALL living things are to be treated with loving kindness.

TIME OUT FOR A GEOGRAPHY ANGLE… GEOGRAPHY CAN PROTECT! Review of Egypt…Review of India…  Cataracts along river  Deserts  Hindu Kush Mts.  Himalaya Mts.  Western Ghats Mts.  Eastern Ghats Mts.

PART II. China

#7. WHAT GEOGRAPHY ISOLATED CHINA?  China was isolated from the rest of the world by the Pacific Ocean to its east, the Gobi Desert and Tibet to the west, the Himalayas to the southwest, and Mongolia to the north.

#8. WHAT IS THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN?  Divine approval given to a just ruler  An unjust or foolish ruler would lose the Mandate of Heaven and be replaced (via rebellion) by one who had the Mandate.

MANDATE OF HEAVEN  DYNASTIC CYCLE

#9. WHAT DID CONFUCIUS TEACH?  Taught that social order and good government should be organized around 5 key relationships. (*filial piety)  Ruler and subject  Father and son  Husband and wife  Older brother – younger brother  Friend and Friend

#10. EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF YIN AND YANG?  Ancient Chinese considered yin and yang to be fundamental forces of nature that influenced the cosmic world and every aspect of man’s life on earth.  Yin is interpreted as negative, cold, dark, and female.  Yang is interpreted as positive, warm, light, and male.  Opposites but inseparable.

COMPARE & CONTRAST THE RELIGIOUNS OF HINDUISM & BUDDHISM.  Both religions are a means to escape the woes of this world, and both teach a specific path to follow to achieve that escape.  In contrast to Buddhism, Hinduism teaches that by doing good works, a person can come back as a member of a higher caste in the next life, while Buddhism teaches that enlightenment is an end in itself.  Buddha taught in the everyday language of the people, without the use of complex rituals, while Hindi teachings are often in ancient Sanskrit, which most Indians could NOT understand after 500 BCE.  Finally, Buddhism is concerned with the welfare of ALL humans, men and women, while Hinduism teaches that duty to one’s caste is of more importance than following one’s dreams or talents.  Different sacred teachings:  Hinduism: Rig Veda/ Vedas and Upanishads  Buddhism: Three Baskets of Wisdom - Tripitada

EXPLAIN THE EFFECTS OF THE MANDATE OF HEAVEN ON CHINESE GOVERNMENT.  The Chinese believed that the royal authority of a ruler came directly from heaven and that a just ruler had divine approval to rule.  A wicked ruler, or one who was foolish, could lose his Mandate of Heaven.  Ancestral spirits might show their displeasure with the current ruler by causing floods, riots, droughts, or any number of other disasters.  Rebellions, civil war, and assassination were the result of a ruler losing the Mandate of Heaven.  Connection to Europe:  Divine Right of Kings during the Age of Absolutism (1600s s)