india
(CHAP 11) Civilization in India
INDIA
Early river valley civilizations developed in the Indus Valley of South Asia; Peninsula called India.
About 1500 B.C; Aryan invaders from the northwest overran South Asia. Their culture blended with Indus Valley traditions to create a distinctive civilization.
RELIGION; Hinduism
Although they had many Kingdoms, no ruler succeeded in uniting the area politically.
the arrival of the Muslims, however, introduced ideas and customs so different that the two civilizations remained somewhat separate from each other.
triangular peninsula of South Asia; Indian subcontinent.
Although cut off from eastern Asia by the Himalayas, the subcontinent experienced many waves of invasion and migration through the mountain passes on the northwest frontier.
cities of the Indus Valley
1920's, archeologists found the remains of two great cities on the Indus River.
cities Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
2500 B.c. The territory of the Indus Valey civilization was much larger than ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia.
northwest corner of the subcontinent, where Pakistan is located today.
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
Buildings were square, with windowless brick walls facing the street.
Central fortress contained rooms for storing grain, an assembly hall, and public baths
Most homes were spacious; some were two stories high. They had indoor bath- rooms, with the earliest known sewer systems for drainage.
Drainage.
Harrapans: as the ancient Indus Valley people are now called.
Archeological excavations; information about the Harappans (ancient Indus Valley people)
grew grain and fruit on irrigated farmlands and domesticated many animals, including elephants, sheep, goats, cats, and dogs.
grow cotton and make cotton cloth,
The Harappans devised a standardized system of weights and measures for weighing grain and gold
Harappan artisans worked with copper, bronze, and gold.
They- baked building bricks and pottery in large ovens on the edge of the city.
Statues found in the two Harappan cities
show women and men with long hair and men with beards.
Patterned or embroidered robes,probably of cotton cloth, left one shoulder bare.
jewelry included necklaces, earrings. and bracelets of gold and semiprecious stones.
Children played with toys of baked clay - whistles, small carts, and animals.
The Harappans engage in trade.
merchants used stone or clay seals to mark goods and sign contracts; flat seals, used like modern rubber stamps carved animal designs and a few pictographs, represented the merchant's name. (only surviving examples of Indus Valley writ- ing.)
built seaports on the Arabian Sea. Traders sailed along the coast and into the Persian Gulf,
trading in cotton cloth, grain, turquoise, and probably timber and ivory.
early as 2300 bc they have been trading with Sumer
Invaders end the Indus Valley civilization
(after 1,000 yrs) the Indus Valley civilization began to decline.
Mohenjo-Daro was abandoned- feared roving tribes who were atack- ing border territories.
Harappa- 350 miles to the north; destroyed in a sudden massive attack by invading Aryans.
The Aryans; from the steppes of Asia, west of the Hindu Kush, and entered South Asia by way of the mountain passes(taller and lighter-skinned)
built no cities and had no art, architecture, or written language. They were nomadic herders who measured their wealth in livestock.
word for war meant "a desire for more cattle."
fierce Aryans, who wielded bronze axes and attacked swiftly in horse- drawn war chariots.
Many Harappans fled south to the region called the Deccanor to southern India.
rest became slaves of the conquerors.
Yet many elements of their civilization survived and were absorbed into the Aryan way of life.
The Aryans bring a new language to India.
Aryans migrated west to Europe as well as southeast to Persia and India.
Indo-European; The Indo-European language that the Aryans brought to India became Sanskrit(language of classical Indian literature. )
Modern Hindi, Bengali; also Indo-European ni origin.
Early Indian history is unwritten.
Indian concept of a constant cycle of death and rebirth; Indians believed everything had happened before and would happen again. they did not find it important to record the reigns of monarchs, the dates of battles, and the like.
fall of the Indus Valley civilization, about 1500 B.c., until the third century B.C., no written records or inscriptions were kept in India.
great literature of that time was passed down orally; information we have comes from archeological studies or from reports written by foreign travelers(Greek, Persian, and Chinese.)
Religious literature gives a picture of the Vedic Age.
four religious books known as the Vedas
rhythmic poetry, the Vedas are a huge collection of battle hymns, religious rituals, wise sayings, chants, and tales.
Aryan life changed between 1500 and 500 B.C., the period that is called the Vedic Age.
The Vedas
were carefully memorized and passed from generation to generation by telling and retelling.
Learning the Vedas part of the education of every upper-class boy and a few upper-class girls.
The Aryan priests were responsible for transmitting these holy books word-for-word. Nothing was to be changed in their recital - not even an accent or syllable.
Rig-Veda; Oldest and most important of the Vedas
Thousands of hymns, prayers, and songs.
These portray the early Aryans as a proud people who enjoyed fighting, singing, and chariot racing.
Aryans worshiped natural forces, such as the sun, moon, rain, and fire.
Gods; They thought of these forces as divine beings who had human qualities
IIndra Leading God in the rig veda: ruled the skies, rain, and thunder. The Aryans pictured him as a military leader who liked fighting and feasting.
They made offerings of food and drink
Three-level class system
Dharma [ BKVS]
certain rightsandduties. a certain place in society. An ancient book of laws summed these up
class distinctions as an important and unchangeable part of the universal order. All class had roles to play
The best occupations are: teaching the Veda for à Brahmin,
protecting the people for a Kshatriya,
trade for a Vaisya.
The Lord [Brahman] gave only one occupation to the Sudra: to serve these oth- ers with meekness."
Religious Thought Shapes Indian Society
HINDUISM AND HINDU SOCIETY
Upanishads: set basic ideas of hinduism
Origin: Religious thinkers commented on these (from vedas)hymns and speculated on the ideas in them.
800 B.c. to 600 B.c. They discuss basic ideas about right and wrong, the universal order, and human destiny.
describe a "world spirit" or "supreme principle," called Brahman.
his spirit is present in every living creature and that, at the same time, everything is a part of the world spirit.
goal of a Hindu is to return to returntoBrahmanand be absorbed back into the universal spirit.
human soul must progress and become purer.
Cannot achieve in this lifetime: soul is reborn over and over in different bodies until it is purified.
Samsara- purification process/ being reborn over and over
Moksha- to reunite wtith brahman
Karma: where purification depends on
accumulated good and bad acts of all one's. previous lives.
Good Karma: assures person to be reborn into a better life
Bad Karma : may not be reborn into a human body but into a snake or an insect
Class(system) and Dharma(DUTY)
Performing the correct dharma for one's class and status is essential to achieving good karma
Many Gods and Goddesses which are symbols and expressions of Brahman
Brahma the creator, Shiva the destroyer, and Vishnu the preserver.
Hindu epics
two great epics from the Vedic Age. These tales of war, love, and adventure,
Ramayana: Prince Rama and Princess Sita represent the ideal Hindu couple - the perfect hero and his devoted wife.
Mahabharta: brings together hundreds of ancient myths and legends in the story of a great war in which mortals and gods fight side by side to control a kingdom.
Four classes was considered part of the divine order
Aryan and early hindu society
Caste Systems: rigid social groupings
Based in part on people's work/occupation
The most important caste rules concerned sharing meals, marrying within one's caste,, and choosing appropriate occupations.
contact with someone of a lower caste would bring spiritual "pollution" or uncleanliness.
Outcasts
outcastes, also known as Untouchables: casteless, classless persons were regarded as the lowest of all human beings
street-sweeping, the cremation of corpses, and the execution of criminals.
Not allowed to live in villages or take water from a well
Hindu Women
Ideal couple: Rama and Sita
Expected qualities of a married woman: unquestioningly loyal, obedient, and devoted
Responsibilities: run their households smoothly, look after their children, and obey their hus- bands without question.
UPPER CLASS WOMEN: honored and respected
Husbands are expected to give gifts and luxuries.
Rights: own property(e.g jewelry)
business property,
Education for upper class women: arts, music, and dance. Drama and poetry
Women's Public Life
a daughter could inherit the throne and rule as rani (queen)
Rudramma: ruled in her own right, she referred to herself as "he" in official documents.
Women Warriors
Widows
Widows excluded from society
Women from upper-class family, could not remarry or return to her own family.
only hope was to be reunited with her husband in her next life, responsible for the welfare of his soul
She had to live plainly and frugally, spending her time in prayer. She could not wear bright clothes or perfume, attend festivals, or enjoy such foods as honey and meat.
CUSTOM for wives of warriors/ kings: to commit suicide or SATI and be cremated with him.
Death by burning
BUDDHISM
Buddhism appeals to those unhappy with the caste system
Gautama becomes "the Enlightened One." Siddhartha Gautama
son of a Kshatriya noble. He grew up rich
Four signs that changes his life: He saw a
very old man(age),
one painfully ill man(pain),
and one dead man(death).
Last: a wandering religious beggar —and realized that this was the way of life he must follow.
(1) traditional Hindu ways of finding understanding.(solitary life)(fasting made him not think clearly)
(2) meditation under a fig tree for 49days.(this one made him the enlightened one.
The Buddha taught the way to enlightenment.
presented in a sermon that the Buddha gave shortly after this experience.
FOUR NOBLE TRUTH
(1) Sorrow(suffering) is a part of life
(2) Constantly wanting: people suffer because of this– always trying to get things they cannot have
(3)Overcome frustrating desires: only way to escape suffering- reach the stage of “not wanting”
(4) NIRVANA: path of enlightenment. Middle way: avoid extremes
avoided the extremes of too much pleasure and too much self-denial.
Gave more importance on how one should life, than one's caste
it was possible for a person to gain enlightenment in one lifetime
Buddhist monasteries
Community of monks and (requested by his aunt) nuns
wore yellow robes, lived simply. owned little, and usually begged their food from flowers.
became centers of learning and education.
Rulers and nobles donated land and money to Buddhist com- munities,
They taught not only Buddhist doctrine but also logic, grammar, medicine, and the Vedas. Stu- dents of all faiths were welcomed.
Noble Eightfold Path
Right= harmony with Dharma + Middle Path that comes from a clear and open mind
Teaching that guides us for mindful living: purifies thoughts words and deeds
Right view
To abandon self centered
Right Thought
Beyond self centered attitude= Buddha mind
Greediness
Resentment
Evil mindedness
Right Speech- avoid evils of the mouth
Lying
Gossip
Ill speaking
Improper Language
Right Action: avoiding immoral actions
Killing
Stealing
Sex
Right Livelihood- gain necessities of life thru a job that beneficial to u and others
Right Effort- engage in right conduct and avoiding evils mentioned above
Right Mindfulness - remain in the present and open minded
Right Concentration - practice quieting the mind to not be agitated in changes
Evolution of Buddhist beliefs
Originally the Buddha had presented a system of ethics and guidelines for living.
Hinayana school of Buddhism: remained close to these original teachings.
His followers considered him only a teacher.
well established in Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), Burma, and Southeast Asia.
Mahayana school of Buddhism: came to look upon the Buddha as a god ruling over lesser gods.
They developed a ritualized religion with temples, saints, and statues of the Buddha.
spread into China, Japan, and Korea.
Some Hindus accepted the Buddha as another incarnation of the god Vishnu(preserver)
JAINISM
devote themselves to self-denial.
FOUNDER: Mahavira ("Great Hero")
described karma as an actual substance that clung to the soul and diminished its original purity and brightness.
strict self. denial and life in a monastery were the only way to purify the soul and rid it of karma.
AHIMSA OR NON VIOLENCE: did not pray or worship gods. took vows to not steal, lie or desire. Not kill any living being
Jains did not go to war or fight back if attacked. They would not eat meat or even do farm work, because working the soil would kill plant and animal life.
To avoid stepping on insects as they walked, strict Jains hired people to sweep the ground in front of them.
They strained the water they drank, and some even wore masks to filter the air they breathed.
Never spread outside india