Transcript India – Emergence of Civilization

Early Societies of the
Indian Subcontinent
Comparisons between India,
Egypt, Mesopotamia
Similarities
 Founded in river valleys –
Indus and Ganges/Tigris,
Euphrates/Nile
 Hierarchical
 Polytheistic
 Belief in afterlife
 Conquered or overrun many
times (India/Mesopotamia)
= cultural mixture AND
search for stability
Differences
 India politically fragmented –
hard to unite
 Indian caste system – much
more rigid social
classes/groups
 Indian beliefs in
reincarnation after death
 Indian beliefs in religious
contemplation, self-denial,
and nonviolence
Harappan Society in the
Indus River Valley (7000-1700 BCE)
Harappan India
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Early agricultural farming villages by 7000 BCE
Towns and cities by 3000 BCE
Large cosmopolitan cities – 2800 to 1700 BCE
Two main cities: Harappa (north) and
Mohenjo-Daro (south)
Population of @30,000 each
Harappan Granary
Mohenjo-Daro: Ancient City on the
Indus
© Borromeo/Art Resource, NY
Great Bath, Mohenjo-Daro
Note: Harappans
were great cityplanners with welllaid-out linear streets
5000 year old Harappan
figure – possibly Maha
Devi or the Great
Mother Goddess
Harappan
Priest-King,
c. 2000 BCE
The Harappan peoples, like their contemporaries in Mesopotamia, developed a writing
system to record their spoken language. Unfortunately, it has not yet been deciphered.
Most extant examples of Harappan writing are found on fired clay seals depicting
human figures and animals. These seals have been found in houses and were probably
used to identify the owners of goods for sale. Other seals may have been used as
amulets or have had other religious significance. Several depict religious figures or
ritualistic scenes of sacrifice.
© Scala/Art Resource, NY
Harappan Dancing
Girl Bronze Figure,
c. 2000 BCE
Vedic India &
Arrival of the Aryans
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Who are the Aryans? (1500-1000BCE) –
pastoral nomads, sheep and cattle, horses
Moved into Indian subcontinent from north
Conflict and connections with Harappan
descendents
Formed many small warring kingdoms led by
warrior king rajahs
Vedas were sacred hymns of priests, finally
written down by 800 BCE
Aryans Invade from North
Info in Vedas
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Focused on war and battle
Patriarchal
Polytheistic
Animal sacrifice
Life after death
Wine, food, gambling
Beginning of caste system: difference between
Aryans (“noble”) and defeated people (“Dasa” –
meaning slave or subject)
Persian and Greek Influences
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Invasions of northwest India by Persians (518
BCE) and Greeks (326 BCE)
Brought wider connections with other cultures
Increased trade
Affected political alignments within continent
Caused rise of Mauryan Empire out of many
different states/kingdoms
Indian Political Consolidation,
4th Century BCE
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Mauryan Empire (342-301 BC)
Led by Chandragupta Maurya
 United various kingdoms into first Indian empire
 321-184 BCE
 Combined govt., military, religions of Persia,
Macedonia, and India
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First Dynasty in India
Ashoka, Chandragupta’s grandson
 Converted to Buddhism and led paternalist state
 Spread religion and control
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The Empire of
Ashoka
Ashoka, the greatest
Indian monarch, reigned
over the Mauryan dynasty
in the third century
B.C.E. This map shows
the extent of his empire,
with the location of the
pillar edicts that were
erected along major trade
routes.
Carved
Chapels
Carved out of solid rock cliffs
during the Mauryan dynasty,
rock chambers served as
meditation halls for traveling
Buddhist monks. Initially,
they resembled freestanding
shrines of wood and thatch
from the Vedic period but
evolved into magnificent
chapels carved deep into the
mountainside, such as this one
at Karli.
© age fotostock/SuperStock
Caste and Class
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1. Priestly Class (Brahmins)
2. Warrior Class (Kshatriya)
3. Commoner Class (Vaisya)
4. Peasant Class (Sudras)
5. Untouchables (Pariahs)
Reasons for Survival of Caste System:
1. provided an identity for individuals in a highly hierarchical society
2. means for new groups to achieve recognizable place in broader
community
3. primitive welfare system
4. provided an element of stability in society that was in a state of political
anarchy
Escaping the Wheel of Life:
Religions of India
Group Work
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Break up into groups of 3 people
Wait to be assigned an Indian religion
Assignment:
Using your textbook, what are the major beliefs of
your assigned religion?
 What is the relationship between your religion and
the caste system?
 Your information should be synthesized and
organized to fit on one or two Powerpoint slides
 Designate one person from your group to send me
your information in an email; I will add to the PP.
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Vedic Religion or Brahminism
(page 55)
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Based on sacred text known as the Vedas
Originated by Indo-European pastoral nomads known as the “Aryans;” who were also
well trained warriors.
They were polytheistic but also monotheistic worshipping Brahmins.
The Vedic system used 4 different class divisions or castes (Varna), which labeled
people by their inherited occupations and ways of living.
Vedic originated in 1500 B.C.E and slowly faded around 500 B.C.E.
Up until 800 B.C.E the religion was ALL oral, there was no written language until 800
B.C.E.
Vedic followers believed in three primary aspects in their religion. Samsara, which is
reincarnation; Dharma which was faithful performance of duties pertaining to ones
caste; Karma which was ones fate based upon the current dharma in one’s life. For
example, a warrior who fought poorly would be reincarnated into a lower caste.
By Spencer Green’s group
Jainism
(pages 55-56)
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Preserve all living things (ahimsa)
Purify Spirits and Reincarnation (moksha)
Set aside worldly desires (asceticism)
Did not follow the caste system and therefore
were admired by the lower class
But few people practiced Jainism.
By Alexandra Mendoza, Nathan Lane,Ratania
Guin,Brandon Sessoms
Buddhism (Middle Path)(pg 56)
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--Siddhartha Guatama was a prince (saw much suffering, and wanted to find a solution
for this); he became known as “The Buddha” meaning “Enlightened One”
--widely popular religion in the world
”ascetic”--a person who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals
and practices extreme self-denial or self-mortification for religious reasons.
(dictionary.com)
--Came from enlightenment (sitting under a tree for 6 days)
--After his enlightenment, he established “Four Noble Truths”
1) Life consists of pain and suffering
2) Pain and suffering are caused by desire
3) to escape from suffering one must curb desire
4) desire can be curbed by righteous living
“To live righteously one must follow the “Eightfold Path” which entails right
thinking, right purpose, right conduct, right speech, right livelihood, right effort, right
awareness, and right contemplation.” (pg 56)
-- Their salvation “Nirvana” consisted of “a state of infinite tranquility” (pg 56).
By Jeremy Hein, Jenna Ferrazzo, Abigail Saintil
Mahayana Buddhism
(pages 62-63)
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1 Buddha is considered a god
2 Mahayana stands for “the greater vehicle”
3 You do not have to give up worldly desires through leaving your property
4 They worshiped other saintly figures that achieved nirvana but chose to stay
on the earth to aid in teaching salvation
5 This sect of Buddhism later spread to central and east Asia and became the
predominant discipline of Buddhism practiced in the world
6 Focuses on devotions to divinities
By Jasmine Gilliam, Rosa Yataco-Uribe, Sean Finnigan
How Mahayana Buddhism relates to the Caste System
Buddhism is a religion that offers a way to escape the cycle of
death and rebirth inherent in Hinduism. Following the path
of the Buddha allows the follower to reach nirvana thus
freeing them from the burden of rebirth. Mahayana
Buddhism is a melding of Buddhist teachings with Hindu
traditions that worship idols and pay penance, as well the
following of the caste system could be seen as a way to
achieve enlightenment and escape rebirth into the caste
system.
Jasmine Gilliam, Rosa Yataco-Uribe, Sean Finnigan
Theravada Buddhism
(page 63)
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Buddhism split between Mahayana and Theravada
Theravada Buddhists asserted they were following the traditional form of
Buddhism.
“Theravada” translates to “The way of the Elders” = strict adherence to
Buddha’s original principles.
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“Life is suffering”
“Suffering is caused by desire”
“To escape from suffering, one must curb desire”
“Desire can be curbed by righteous living”
Focus on righteous living and enlightenment through meditation and selfawareness rather than devotion to divine and deities.
Flourished in Sri Lanka and southeast Asia where it is still dominant today.
Group members:
Seokyoung Jeong, Colleen Sholiton, Szeting Hung, Hli Lor.
Hinduism
(pages 56-57, 63-64)
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Hindus were both polytheistic and monotheistic
The Hindus believed in many different gods but their prominent was
Brahman who was the supreme creator and universal being.
Some examples of the gods they believed in are Shiva the mighty destroyer
and lord of dance, Vishnu the preserver, Rama the ideal man and model of
virtue, Krishma who is benevolent, getting involved in human affairs,
Lakshmi identified with wealth and good fortune, Kali linked with violence
and death, Durga a multiarmed warrior often pictured riding a lion or tiger.
Hindus believed that an honorable life meant fulfilling one’s caste functions
and believed by doing so they could achieve moksha.
Hindus sought to secure salvation by doing their caste duties and by their
devotion to the gods, meditation and reverence for life.
By Sammy McCauley, Tiffany Winchester, Vy Cao, and Arezou Eslamlou
Hinduism
(pages 56-57, 63-64)
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Hinduism- worshiped a multitude of
deities, most prominent was Brahman(the
supreme creator and universal being).
Very flexible faith, with a wide array of
divinities, doctrines, and devotions.
Hindus revered all forms of life , but
developed special veneration for certain
places and beings.
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They considered the Ganges a source
of life-giving waters, such as sacred
rivers, which were also used as
bathing spiritual purification.
Treated cows as source of
nourishment.
Hindus were polytheistic and
monotheistic.
Polytheistic: a rich array of divinities(many gods)
Monotheistic: seeing the rich array of divinities as
expressions of Brahman( the single, unifying,
universal force). Brahman was the main, single god
overall.
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Hindus accepted the caste system. Hindu
society was dominated by the caste system.
Believed that an honorable life meant
fulfilling one’s caste functions.
Each caste had its own dharma, with
specific rights, obligations and restrictions.
General dharma: Submit and respect the
Brahmins, be devoted to the gods, have
respect for the Ganges and sacred cattle.
By Nathan Kazadi,
Zykeemah Jones, William
Kennedy
Dancing Shiva
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Hindu deity Shiva is often
presented in the form of a bronze statue
performing a cosmic dance in which he
simultaneously creates and destroys the
universe. While his upper right hand
creates the cosmos, his upper left hand
reduces it in flames, and the lower two
hands offer eternal blessing. Shiva’s
dancing statues visually convey to his
followers the message of his power and
compassion.
© William J. Duiker
The Three Faces of Shiva
In the first centuries C.E., Hindus began to adopt Buddhist rock art. One outstanding example is at the Elephanta
Caves, near the modern city of Mumbai (Bombay). Dominating the cave is this 18-foot-high triple-headed statue
of Shiva, representing the Hindu deity in all his various aspects. The central figure shows him in total serenity,
enveloped in absolute knowledge. The angry profile on the left portrays him as the destroyer, struggling against
time, death, and other negative forces. The right-hand profile shows his loving and feminine side in the guise of
his beautiful wife, Parvati.
© Charles & Josette Lenars/CORBIS.
Buddha in Indonesia & Thailand
Female Earth
Spirit
This earth spirit, sculpted on a gatepost
of the Buddhist stupa at Sanchi 2,200
years ago, illustrates how earlier
representations of the fertility goddess
were incorporated into Buddhist art.
Women were revered as powerful
fertility symbols and considered
dangerous when menstruating or
immediately after giving birth.
Voluptuous and idealized, the earth
spirit could allegedly cause a tree to
blossom if she merely touched a branch
with her arm or wrapped a leg around
the tree’s trunk.
© Atlantide Phototravel (Massimo Borchi)/CORBIS