1. India
Chapter 5

2. Aryans and the Vedic Age
India’s first civilization emerged from the Indus River Valley
Historians found that Indus River covered largest land area of any ancient civilization
Two major cities: Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
Aryan warriors: Europeans and Asians, invaded India

4. Aryans and Vedic Age Vedas- great Aryan epic poem
Examples: Mahabharata and Ramayana
Indian epic poems mix history, mythology, adventure, and religion together
Writing system: Sanskrit

6. Hinduism Oldest and most complex religion of the world
No single founder, no single text, or hierarchy
Has changed over 3,500 years it has been in existence
Religion began when Aryan people added the gods of the Indus civilization to their own
Hinduism has countless gods and goddesses

7. Hinduism
Great flexibility and variety of beliefs exist under the general term of “Hindu”
No core dogma that people must affirm
The belief of Hinduism is up to the individual
There are about 750 million followers, most live in India

8. Hinduism Beliefs
Universal spirit “God is one, but wise people know it by many names.”
Brahman:
Unifying spirit
Hindus believe that everything is part of the unchanging, all-powerful spiritual force called Brahman
Hindus worship a variety of gods who give concrete form to Brahman

9. Three Most Important Gods
Each of the three can take many forms- animal or human- or represent aspects of Brahman
Brahma the Creator:
Four heads and arms represent the four Vedas (scripture)
Vishnu the Preserver
A kind god who protects those who worship him
Banishes bad luck, restores good health
Comes to earth as an avatar to help humankind in times of crisis
Shiva the Destroyer

10. Reincarnation (Samsara)
To Hindus, every person had an essential self- atman
Ultimate goal of existence is to achieve moksha- union with Brahman
Individuals must free themselves from selfish desires that separate them from Brahman
Most people cannot achieve this union in one lifetime
Reincarnation- rebirth of the soul into a new body

12. Reincarnation (Samsara)
Reincarnation allows people to continue working towards moksha through several lifetimes
Through reincarnation, people get closer to this union by being born into higher and higher levels of existence
Goal: achieve moksha- an end to the cycle of rebirth when one’s atman unites with Brahman- universal soul
Belief in reincarnation provided a religious basis for the rigid class systems of the caste system

13. Karma
Karma- all the actions of a person’s life that affect his or her fate in the next life
Set of activities of each person and the effects it has on the atman (soul)
People who live virtuously earn good karma and are reborn at a higher level of existence, closer to Brahman
In Indian art, this cycle of death and rebirth is symbolized by the image of a wheel

15. Dharma Dharma- religious and moral duties of an individual
Hindus stress dharma to escape the wheel of fate
Duties vary according to social class, occupation, gender, and age
Moral principle: ahimsa- nonviolence

16. Caste System
Socioeconomic groups into which people are born and out of which they cannot move during a lifetime
Have a socially rigid society
People, through reincarnation, can be born into higher castes if they had good karma in the past
Caste system began with the Aryans
Aryan people divided society into 4 groups: Varna's
Evolved into castes defined by occupation and family lineage
Non-Aryans were in the lowest caste

18. Caste System Brahmins: Priests who performed ceremonies
Kshatriyas: Warriors
Vaisyas: Herders, farmers, artisans, and merchants
Sudras: Farm workers and servants
Untouchables: People outside of the caste system because of “polluting” work they do. Work with deal animals and people

19. Caste System Effects: The general castes are not the same ones today
India has thousands of localized castes called jatis
Caste relationships are defined locally
Government in India presently has worked to eliminate the discrimination of castes
Castes determine the conditions of life of most people
Personal identity and group loyalty are formed more by local castes than remote governments

20. Women Men controlled women
Women were responsible for running the home in accordance with the man’s wishes
Women were not allowed to do anything independently
Limited property rights

21. Sacred Texts Vedas: Collection of prayers and sacred verses
Most sacred of Hindu scripture
Means “divine knowledge”
Originally compiled by the Aryans

22. Sacred Texts Upanishads Section of the Vedas
Philosophical dialogues about Hindu beliefs
Centers on the doctrine of Brahman
Addresses the mystical questions related to Hinduism

23. Sacred Texts Brahmanas: Mahabharata:
Instructions on ritual and sacrifice
Mahabharata:
Includes the Bhagavad-Gita (“Song of God”)
Epic poem of civil war- emphasized the struggles to do one’s duty faithfully

24. Religious Practices Do not eat beef or pork (cow is sacred) No alcohol
Priests also serve as spiritual leaders called gurus
No higher or central religious authority
Nearly every Hindu home has a shrine with pictures or small statues
Diwali
Festival of Lights
October/November
Begins their new year

25. Geographic Connection
Ganges River
People went on pilgrimages to wash away their sins
Throw ashes of the dead
Named after Ganga, “goddess of purification”
Himalayas
Means “abode of the gods”
Source of water for both Ganges and Indus Rivers
Mount Everest: “Summit of Heaven”
Yeti- abominable snowmen

27. Buddhism
Religion that developed in 6th century in India and rivaled Hinduism
Founder: Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha
Siddhartha was a man of wealth, good family
Father sheltered him from pain
Left palace and encountered pain
Quest/mission: remedy for sorrow
Meditation: wanted to reach enlightenment

28. Basic Principles of Buddhism
Four Noble Truths
Ordinary life is full of suffering
Suffering is caused by selfish desires
The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves
The way to end desire is to follow the Eightfold Path

29. Eightfold Path
Ultimate goal: nirvana- union with the universe and release from the cycle of death and rebirth
Right View: We need t know the Four Noble Truths
Right Intention: We need to decide what we really want
Right Speech: We must seek to speak the truth and to speak well of others.
Right Action: Do not kill, steal, lie, be unchaste, take drugs or alcohol
Right Livelihood: We must do work the uplifts our being
Right Effort: We must follow the Way
Right Mindfulness: We must keep our minds in control of our senses
Right Concentration: We must mediate to see the world in a new way
Question: Are is the Eightfold Path like our Ten Commandments? How are they different?

30. Sacred Texts
After Buddha died, his teaching were collected and written into the Tripitaka or “Three Baskets of Wisdom”
Tripitaka- consists of rules for Buddhist monks, sermons, and discussions of Buddhist beliefs

31. Sections (Sects) of Buddhism
Theravada Buddhism
Closely follows Buddha’s original teachings
Followers were to devote lives to hard spiritual work
Only most dedicated could hope to reach nirvana
Spread to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia

32. Sections (Sects) of Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Made Buddhism easier for ordinary people to follow
Believed Theravada was too strict
Showed images of Buddha
Followers viewed Buddhism as a religion rather than a philosophy

33. Decline of Buddhism in India
Under Mauryan Empire, especially under Asoka, Buddhism reached its peak
Gupta Empire- Indians went back to their Hindu roots

34. Prior to Mauryan Empire
Aryan people occupied India
There was no peace in India
Kingdoms fought and invaders came through
Alexander the Great made an impact

36. Mauryan Empire ( BCE)
Maurya’s would be the only civilization able to unite India under one rule
Mountains helped to protect their civilization from invaders
Indus and Ganges Rivers flowed through the north, provided water and fertile soil

37. Candragupta Maurya
Gained power in Ganges Valley and then conquered most of northern India
Forged first Indian empire
Later, son and grandson added Deccan Plateau to empire
Maintained order through bureaucracy
Collected taxes
Harsh rule- brutal secret police reported on crime, corruption, and dissent
Maintained rules on the caste system

38. Asoka Candragupta’s grandson, Asoka, took over
Considered to be the most honored Mauryan emperor
Was horrified by brutality
Rejected conquests to expand his borders
Sent Buddhist missionaries across India
Tolerant of other beliefs
United the diverse people of empire and brought peace and prosperity
Capital: Pataliputra

39. Asoka Promised a justice government Built hospitals
Set up Buddhist shrines
Built roads to aid in transportation
Came the closest to uniting the entire subcontinent
After his death, empire declined and rival kingdoms competed for power

40. Kushan Empire Came at the end of the Mauryan Empire
Included Northern India and Ganges Valley (modern day Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia)
Link for Silk Road- trade route between Mediterranean region and easternmost Asia
Traded with Greece- developed Greek alphabet and Persian Zorostranianism
Calendar based on sun and moon
Persians took over kingdom

42. Gupta Empire Under Gupta rule, India experienced peace and prosperity
Strong government
Hindu ideas
Had a Golden Age

43. Chandra Gupta I Local prince- married into an influential family
Began to consolidate power
Took name Chandra Gupta I- named himself after Mauryan Dynasty

44. Gupta Society Government Efficient central government
Capital is Pataliputra- same as Mauryan
Looser form of government than Mauryan
Shared power with local leaders and councils
Provided stability for economy and culture

45. Gupta Economy
Extensive trade with Southeast Asia, China, and Mediterranean
Rulers lived in luxury- had gold and silver mines
Fertile land
Promoted farming and trade

46. Gupta Women Returned to Hinduism Greater restrictions on women
Women could not be on councils
Lower class women had to work on the fields

47. Gupta’s Golden Age Golden Age- time of great cultural achievement
Emphasis on learning, achievements in arts and sciences, booming economy, peace and prosperity
Mathematics
Concept of zero and decimal system
Medicine
Used herbs to treat illnesses; set bones; first vaccination for Smallpox
Architecture
Hindu temple
Stupas
Pillars