INDIA LECTURE ANSWER AND QUESTION FORMAT

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Q: Who were the Harappans and what do we have evidence of (Indus River Valley Civilization)?

A: They were the first known Indian civilization, located in the Indus River Valley. We have evidence that they traded with the Akkadians and Sumeria.

Q: What characterizes Harappan cities and planning?

A: They are known for advanced city planning (grid patterns) in major cities like Mohenjo-daro and Harappa.

Q: What is known about Harappan writing and their civilization's disappearance?

A: Their writing is unreadable, and the civilization disappeared in the late Bronze Age for unclear reasons.

Q: Who were the Dravidians?

A: An Indian civilization of the Bronze Age, eventually conquered and enslaved by the Aryans, becoming the lowest class in Aryan society.

Q: Who were the Aryans and how did they establish dominance?

A: They were Indo-European tribes who arrived in India and established themselves as a dominant power, possibly using chariot warfare.

Q: What was the Aryan impact on India?

A: By the end of the Bronze Age, Aryans governed most of India, introducing Sanskrit and the Vedas, and instituting the Caste System.

Q: What is Sanskrit?

A: It is the earliest Indo-European written language in India, often found in religious writings such as the Vedas.

Q: What are the Vedas?

A: They are written compositions of a religious nature, typically hymns or chants, providing information about Aryan society and containing flood/origin stories.

Q: What is the Rigveda?

A: It is the most famous of the Vedas, containing stories of the world’s origins and still used in some Hindu prayers today.

Q: What is the Caste System?

A: It is a rigid social division in Indian culture instituted by the Aryans, based on racial purity and skin color.

Q: What are the Four Main Castes in the Caste System?

A: The four main castes are: Brahmans (clergy), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishayas (commoners), and Shudras (non-Aryans).

Q: Who are The Untouchables in the Caste System? DON’T NEED TO KNOW

A: They are the lowest class (a fifth class), originally composed of Dravidians.

Q: Who are the Brahmans?

A: They are the clergy or priest caste within the Caste System.

Q: Who are the Kshatriyas?

A: They are the warriors or warrior elite, considered the most powerful caste in the Caste System.

Q: Who are the Vaishayas?

A: They are the commoners' caste, including farmers, merchants, and artisans in the Caste System.

Q: Who are the Shudras?

A: They are non-Aryans, considered beneath commoners in the Caste System because they were not Aryan.

Q: What is Hinduism?

A: It is a long-lasting polytheistic religion in India introduced by Aryans, with some European roots.

Q: Who are some key deities in Hinduism?

A: Prominent gods include Vishnu (solar deity), Shiva (destruction and rebirth), and Kali (mother goddess/goddess of death).

Q: Who is Brahma in Hinduism?

A: Brahma is the being believed in Hinduism to have created the universe.

Q: What is Samsara in Hinduism?

A: It is the Hindu belief in reincarnation; being repeatedly reborn until achieving moksha.

Q: What is Moksha?

A: It is liberation from the cycle of reincarnation according to Hindu belief, achieved by following one's dharma and karma.

Q: What is Atman?

A: It is the eternal self or soul in some aspects of Hindu belief.

Q: What is dharma (in Hinduism)?

A: (lowercase 'd' dharma) It represents duty, virtue, and morality in Hinduism, varying by social standing, occupation, and gender.

Q: What is dharma's role in Hinduism?

A: Based on Karma, it leads to spiritual evolution towards moksha.

Q: What is Karma?

A: It is a Sanskrit word meaning action; the belief that every action has an equal reaction, good or bad, in the future. It functions in harmony with dharma.

Q: Who is Vishnu?

A: He is the solar deity in Hinduism, a benign patron god who protects humans and is among the most important Hindu gods.

Q: Who is Shiva?

A: He is the Hindu god of destruction and rebirth, always represented as dancing, and believed to occasionally take human form.

Q: Who is Kali?

A: She is the Hindu mother goddess and goddess of death, embodying both creative and destructive aspects.

Q: What is Jainism?

A: It is a derivative of Hinduism, founded on Mahavira's philosophy, centering on achieving self-consciousness to free the soul from perpetual reincarnation. Believed that they could skip the line of reincarnation by following strict rules.

Q: What are Jainist practices and their ultimate goal?

A: It is often achieved through ascetic practices and non-violence (Ahimsa). Its goal is to attain nirvana, a state of eternal peace.

Q: Who was Mahavira?

A: He was the founder of Jainism (c. 5th century BC), who abandoned comforts to achieve self-consciousness, believing it eliminated reincarnation. He practiced extreme asceticism and non-violence.

Q: What is Ahimsa?

A: It is the basic core belief of Jainism, advocating for non-violence.

Q: What is Buddhism?

A: It is a religion founded by Siddhartha (the Buddha), emphasizing a moderate path between hedonism and asceticism.

Q: What are the core Buddhist teachings?

A: It teaches that the cause of all suffering is desire and aims for nirvana by following the Dharma, the 4 Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path.

Q: Who was Siddhartha (The Buddha)?

A: He was the founder of Buddhism, known as 'the awakened one.' He adopted a moderate path after witnessing suffering and training in asceticism.

Q: What is Dharma (in Buddhism)?

A: (capital 'D' Dharma) It refers to the collected teachings of Buddha that form a body of religious law. Central themes include that the cause of all suffering is desire and the importance of achieving nirvana.

Q: What is Nirvana (in Buddhism)?

A: It is a state of blissful idleness, achievable on earth as a state of mind, by following the Dharma, contemplation, and meditation.

Q: What is Nirvana's ultimate goal?

A: It represents eternal peace without pain or suffering, and is the goal to avoid countless cycles of rebirth.

Q: What are the Four Noble Truths in Buddhism?

A: They are fundamental teachings in Buddhism that outline the nature of suffering and the path to liberation, leading to nirvana.

Q: What is the Eightfold Path in Buddhism?

A: It consists of eight aspects of life to be integrated daily in Buddhism (not sequential) to move closer to the Buddhist path and achieve nirvana.

Q: What is Reincarnation (in Hinduism)?

A: It is the Hindu belief of passing through cycles of rebirths to achieve moksha (liberation).

Q: What is Rebirth (in Buddhism)?

A: It is the Buddhist belief of being reborn in different forms according to karma, with the aim to avoid countless cycles by achieving nirvana.

Q: What was Alexander the Great's impact on India?

A: He inadvertently contributed to the creation of the first Indian empires by allowing local leaders to rule on his behalf, leading them to conquer other kingdoms.

Q: Who was Chandragupta I (Maurya)?

A: He was the founder of the Mauryan Dynasty, the first major Indian empire, after overthrowing Alexander's successors. He was a patron of Jainism.

Q: What was the Mauryan Dynasty?

A: It was the first major Indian empire, founded by Chandragupta I, representing the first real attempt to unify India.

Q: Who was Kautilya?

A: He was an adviser to Chandragupta who wrote Arthashastra, a text offering ruling advice that emphasized expediency in statecraft.

Q: What is the Arthashastra?

A: It is a text written by Kautilya offering ruling advice to kings, emphasizing pragmatic and often ruthless expediency in governance.

Q: What are "Mirrors for Princes"?

A: It is a genre of literature that provides advice to kings on how to rule, exemplified by Kautilya's Arthashastra.

Q: Who was Ashoka and how did he rule?

A: He was the grandson of Chandragupta, whose 40-year reign showed hegemonic, not centralized, power. He spread propaganda through pillars and edicts.

Q: How did Ashoka influence religion?

A: He converted to Buddhism and spread the religion throughout India and beyond through missionary activities and stupa construction.

Q: What are the Edicts of Ashoka?

A: They are inscriptions found on 19 pillars throughout Ashoka's kingdom, written in the Prakrit language, claiming Ashoka as a paternalistic ruler and containing Buddhist thoughts and prayers.

Q: What are Stupas?

A: They are domed Buddhist temples, often built by Ashoka to support Buddhist missionary activities, like the one at Sanchi.

Q: What was the Kushan Dynasty?

A: It was an empire that controlled northwest India and adjoining regions, participating in seagoing trade and commerce along the Silk Road to China. It was led by Indo-European Yuezhi.

Q: What cultural adaptations did the Kushans make, and who was a key ruler?

A: They adopted a Greek-related alphabet, struck gold coins, and flourished under King Kanishka I.

Q: Who was Kanishka I?

A: He was a Kushan king (c. AD 128–151) who fully adopted Indian culture, including Buddhism, under whom Mahayana Buddhism flourished.

Q: What is Mahayana Buddhism?

A: It is the modern form of Buddhism that flourished under Kanishka I and was spread by Kushan missionaries.

Q: What was the Gupta Dynasty?

A: It was an Indian empire ruled by Indian leaders, showing favoritism to traditional Hinduism but supporting other religions. It had a longer reign than some previous empires.

Q: What was the cultural significance of the Gupta Dynasty?

A: It was important for creating a classical style of art, architecture, and literature within Indian culture.

What is the difference between the two types of dharma?

The difference between the two dharma are one is for Buddhism and the other is for Hinduism, addressing their unique principles and practices. Also the difference on the test is that Hinduism is tiny d dharma and Buddhism is big D Dharma

What were the three kings during the Gupta dynasty?

• Flourished, militarily and culturally, during the reign of Emperor Chandragupta II.

• Succeeding rulers, Kumaragupta I and Skandagupta, oversaw its end through military defeats, devalued currency, and withering leadership.

What were the order of the dynasties?

Mauryan, Kushan, Gupta

What are the main take away of the Maharashtra and Ramayana?

Both include religious and moral lessons. One should only be aware of the moral rightness of the act itself.

What is the main theme of India stories?

Theme we could do would be oaths, keeping your word, promises.

What are Upanishads?

Written by priests to organize religious ideas. Upanishads are less about the gods themselves than about religious philosophy such as the soul as part of a universal energy. They contain the highest spiritual and moral truths which all of us can practice today.

Who was Kalidasa?

Poet of Gupta era. Wrote “The Cloud Messenger”: exiled male spirit shares grief & longing for his wifey.

What was the Bhagavad Gita?

An important chapter within the Mahabharata. King Arjuna questions the appropriateness of war and violence against opponents (some cousins). His charioteer (Vishnu in disguise) tells him that considering these things credits him but reminds him it is his duty to fight, reinforcing the sense of duty inherent in this society.

What was asceticism and hedonism?

Asceticism is the denial of worldly pleasures. Hedonism is the only intrinsic good.

How can Nirvana be achieved and who usually achieved it

Nirvana can be achieved by following the 4 Noble Truths. While technically nirvana can be achieved by anyone at any time, it can only be realistically achieved by monastics.

what part did the yuezhi move into and where did they establish their capital? Also describe what they were able to do

Gradually wresting control of the area from the Scytho-Parthians, the Yuezhi moved south into the northwest Indian region traditionally known as Gandhara (now parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan) and established a capital near Kabul. They had learned to use a form of the Greek alphabet, and were the first Indian rulers to strike gold coins in imitation of the Roman aureus exchanged along the caravan route

What are the yuezhi and what is their relation to the kushans?

They are the ancestors of the Kushans who were a loose confederation of Indo-Eurpoean people. 

Who were the Xiongnu?

They drove out the yuezhi

What were jatis?

They were castes that were subdivided into hundreds of other smaller castes.

Who invaded India and ended the Gupta Dynasty?

White Huns invaded the Gupta Empire during the reign of Kumaragupta. They caused great damage to the failing Gupta Empire. The White Huns broke through the Gupta military defenses in the northwest in the 480s, during the reign of Budhagupta, and by 500 CE much of the empire in northwest was overrun by the Huna.

What happened after the fall of the Gupta Dynasty?

After the breakup of the Gupta Dynasty, individual local kingdoms reemerge. One consequence of the addition of more kingdoms is the addition of more local royal courts. Each individual local royal court sponsors the patronage of artists, leading to an increase in the amount of cultural activities, temples, palaces, art, literature, etc. This was because everybody wanted to be like the Guptas.