Transcript APWH CH. 9 State, Society and the Quest for Salvation in India

State, Society and
the Quest for
Salvation
CH. 9
The Fortunes of Empire in Classical India
The Mauryan Dynasty and the Temporary Unification of
India
Kingdom of
Magdha
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Most significant
remaining kingdom
after Alexander’s
departure
Central Ganges plain
Economic strength
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Agriculture
Trade in
Ganges valley,
Bay of Bengal
Dominated
surrounding regions in
north-eastern India
Chandragupta
Maurya
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Took advantage of
power vacuum left
by Alexander
Overthrew
Magadha rulers
Expanded kingdom
to create 1st unified
Indian empire
• Mauryan
Dynasty
Chandragupta’s
Government
• Chandragupta’s advisor
• Wrote Arthashastra.
A guide for the king and
his ministers
• Like Persia & China,
built a bureaucratic
administrative system.
• Domestic policies
• Network of spies
• Legend:
Chandragupta retires
to become a monk,
starves himself to
death
Ashoka Maurya
• Grandson of
Chandragupta
• Represents high point of
Mauryan Empire, r. 268-232
BCE
• Expanded empire to
include all of Indian
subcontinent except for
south
• Much better known as a
governor than conqueror
• Religious conversion
after the gruesome
battle of Kalinga in
262 BCE.
• Dedicated his life to
Buddhism.
• Built extensive roads.
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Provided laws through
edicts that he put on
stone
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Encouraged Buddhist
values
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Agriculture integral to
wealth
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How did the Persian conquest set the stage for the
emergence of Maurya empire?
2. What were the five major accomplishments of the emperor
Ashoka?
The Maurya Empire
The Mauryan Dynasty and the Temporary Unification of
India
Decline of the Mauryan Empire
• Economic crisis follows death of Ashoka
• High costs of bureaucracy, military not supported
by tax revenue
• Frequent devaluations of currency to pay salaries
• Regions begin to abandon Mauryan Empire
• Disappears by 185 BCE
The Emergence of Regional Kingdoms and the revival of
Empire
Bactrian Rule in NW
India
• Local rulers form
series of kingdoms
• Helps maintain
stability
• India in NW falls
under Alexander’s
Greek speaking
heirs
• Thriving
commercial center
linking China and
Meditterranean
• Cross cultural
interaction
Kushan Empire
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2nd c. nomadic
raiders end Bactrian
rule
Notable conqueror
Kanishka
Ruled empire which
included modern day
Iraq, Pakistan and
Afghanistan and N
India
Also facilitated
commerce
Allowed safe travel
across the Silk Road
Served as cultural
intermediaries
Pro-Buddhism
The Gupta Dynasty
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Based state in
Magdha
Dynasty started
thanks to Chandra
Gupta’s prior alliance
building
Successors: Samudra
Gupta and Chandra
Gupta II
Est. tributary alliances
Left local ruling to
allies of various
regions
Led to a reason for
decline
GUPTA DYNASTY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
3. How did the Gupta administrative practices differ from those
of Maurya?
4.
How did India fit in to the trade along the Silk
Road?
The Emergence of Regional Kingdoms and the
revival of Empire
Science and
Mathematics
• Plastic surgery techniques
• Earth sphere that rotates on
its axis
• Included a symbol for zero
• Calculated the value of pi
• Created Arabic numerals
Gupta Decline
• Gupta declines in the 5th
century due to invasion by the
White Huns this cost resources
and weakened them
• Gupta dynasty remained only in
name
• Rulers came in and out
Economic Development and Social Distinctions
Towns and Trade
Towns and
Manufacturing
• Many towns in NW India
• Addressed the needs of
those living in an
agricultural society
• Also provided for the
wealthy decorative items
• Trade was active esp.
along the Ganges river
• Roads also facilitated
trade
Long Distance
Trade
• India helped to link China, SW
Asia, and Meditterranean
• Persia and India also traded
due to the roads that were
created
Trade on the Indian
Ocean
• Sea trade benefitted
from the rhythms of
the monsoon winds
• Recognition of winds
was important
• Traveled to Indonesia
and SE Asian
mainland
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
5.
In what ways did the development of trade
and manufacturing impact the caste system?
Family Life and the Caste System
Gender
Relations
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Strong
patriarchal
families
Several
generations
often lived
together
Mahabharata &
Ramayanaportrayed
women as weak
and devoted to
their husbands
Gupta dynasty
child marriage
was common
Women
dominated
domestic affairs
Social
Order
• Still maintained
caste
• Brahmins very
much enforced
this
Castes and
Guilds
• Guilds formed- Guilds
were groups of people
working in the same field
• Lived in the same area,
socialized and cared for
each other
• Jati-subcastes
• Jati served to organize
over themselves
• Could be expelled from
jati community
Wealth and Social
Order
• Although the caste
recognized the
brahmins and
kashitriyas as at the
top of the social
structure the wealth
gained by the
vaishyas and sudras
gave them more
influence and
prominence as that
seen in the former
two
• The idea of caste
seemed to conflict
with this new wealth
Religions of Salvation in Classical
India
Jainism and the Challenge to the Established Social Order
Vardhamana
Mahavira
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First appeared in 7th c.
Semi-legend Mahavira
left home at age of 12
to seek out escaping
the cycle of incarnation
Jains-those who
followed Jina/Mahavira.
Inspirations came from
Upanishads
Believed everything
possesses a soul
In terrestrial state they
experience physical
and psychological
suffereing
Purification of selfish
behavior then you have
release of incarnation
Jainist Ethics
• Jainists practiced ahisma, nonviolence
• Very demanding
• Believed all occupations
involved killing
• Jainism not a practical religion
Appeal of Jainism
• Appeal was there due to a
contradiction to the classes
• Did not recognize social
hierarchies
• Always appealed to a small
minority
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
6.
What are the fundamental beliefs of
Jainism? What has been its long term impact? Why
did it never become as popular as other major
religions?
Early Buddhism
Siddhartha
Gautama
• Live a good life
• Parents did not want
him to experience
suffering
• Went out and saw an
old seek man and was
informed that all men
grow “old and weak”
• Seeing misery and a
monk he saw the monk
as noble
• Became a monk
wanted to seek the
phenomena and end
of suffering
Gautama’s Search for Enlightenment
• Left everything to find spiritual
enlightenment
• Practice meditation and asceticism to
no avail
• Sat under a tree, 49 days and
received enlightenment
• He learned how to end suffering
The Buddha and his Follow
• Turning of the Wheel of
Law
• Wore yellow robes
• Begged for food
Early Buddhism
Buddhist Doctrine:
The Dharma
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Four Noble Truths-all life
involves suffering, desire
is the cause of suffering,
elimination of desire is
the elimination of
suffering
Noble Eightfold Pathlead balanced
moderate lives, rejecting
devotion to luxury
Moderate lifestyle,
reflection,
contemplation,
discipline
This would lead to
salvation and attain
nirvana (spiritual
independence)
Dharma-basic doctrine
Appeal of
Buddhism
• Did not recognize caste
or jati
• Appealed to lower
classes and merchants
• Language more
recognizable
• Holy sites that were also
well known
• Stupa sites also popular
• Lay people helped
provide for them
financially
Ashoka’s
Support
• Ashoka joined after
seeing the violence of
Kalinga
• More probable sought it
as a key to unity in a
large emire
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
7.
What was the popular appeal of Buddhism?
How does it compare and contrast to Hinduism?
Mahayana Buddhism
Development of
Buddhism
• Followers began to
see Buddha as divine
• Bodhisattvas-reached
nirvana but delayed it
to help others
• Example of spiritual
excellence
• Began to accept gifts
from the wealthy
The Spread of
Mahayan
Buddhism
• Because of this more
accessible Buddhism
followers called it
Mahayana
• More appealing
Nalanda
• The most well known of
the Buddhist
educational facilities
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
8.
How did early Buddhism evolve to
Mahayana Buddhism? How did that help spread the
religion?
The Emergence of Popular Hinduism
The Epics
Hindu
Ethics
The
Bhagavad
Gita
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• Story of a
civil war for
control of N
India by two
grps of
cousins
• Vishnupreserver of
the world
• Poetry work that sets
the expectation of
Hinduism and the
promise of salvation
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Salvation existed to
those who met the
responsibilities of their
caste
Should not be
materialistic
Concentrate on actions
4 Principle aims:
dharma-obedience to
religion and laws, arthaeconomic well being,
kama-enjoyment of
pleasures, & mokshasalvation of the soul
All 3 help attain moksha
Popularity
of Hinduism
• Hinduism will be
more popular than
Buddhism in India.
• Buddhism will not
spread their faith as
much as Hindus did
• Hindus were
supported by those
in political positions
such as the Guptas
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
9.
How did Hinduism evolve in India during this
period
10.
Why did Buddhism eventually lose popularity
in India?