Transcript Chapter Five - Gordon State College

Chapter Five:
Ancient Civilizations
of India and China
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Map 5.1
Indian Civilization
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The Indus River Valley Civilization
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Mohenjo-daro
Agriculture-based society (cotton)
Centralization
Ecological disasters
Aryan invasions
The Aryans
Indus Valley settlements c. 1500 B.C.E.
 Uncertain origins
 Sanskrit
 Caste System
 Agricultural / Pastoral Culture
 Tribal structure
 Epics: Ramayana, Mahabharata
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Hinduism
Complex, precise ceremonies and rituals
 Upanishads
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– Philosophical focus
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The Vedas (Rig Veda)
– Core text of Hindu temple worship
– Brahman and Atman: “Tat tvam asi.”
Hinduism
Priest and temple + meditation and study
 Path to ultimate reality, Brahman
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– Path of Asceticism
– Path of Karma
– Path of Devotion (bhakti)
Buddha
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Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 B.C.E.)
– Inescapability of suffering and death
– “Enlightened One”
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Four Noble Truths
– Eightfold Path
– Emphasis on ethical, moderate living
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Liberation through knowledge
– Truth lies within
Emperor Ashoka
Unified all of India
 Buddhism as state religion
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– Doctrine of Non-violence
Rock Edicts
 Buddhist monks as missionaries
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5.7 Lion capital,
from a column
erected by King
Ashoka, 242–232
bce. Polished
sandstone, 84”
(213cm). Sarnath
Museum, Uttar
Pradesh, India
Hindu and Buddhist Art
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Hindu Art
Religious in spirit
Eroticism
Naturalism
Unity in all life forms
– Avatars
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Buddhist Art
Focus on spirituality
Calm, transcendent
images
– Buddha, Bodhisattvas
– Renunciation of
worldly pleasures
5.10 Wooden figures representing the first four avatars
(incarnations) of the god Vishnu (from left): the fish Matsya,
the tortoise Kurma, the boar Varaha, and the lion Narasimha
5.11 Krishna
and Radha on a
canopy, 1825.
Indian miniature,
gouache on
paper, 9” x 7”
(22.8 x 18.0 cm).
Musee national
des arts
asiatiques
Guimet, Paris,
France.
5.13 Buddha calling on earth to witness, 9th century ce (Pala period, 7501197 cd). Bihar, India. Basalt, 18 7/8” (48 cm) high. Musee national des
arts asiatiques Guimet, Paris, France
The Gupta Empire and Its Aftermath
Chandra Gupta I (C.E. 320)
 Chandra Gupta II (ruled 380-415)
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– “The Sun of Power”
– Decline of Buddhism, rise of Hinduism
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Gupta Literature
– Kalidasa’s Sakuntala
– Sudraka’s The Little Clay Cart
The Gupta Empire and Its Aftermath
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Gupta Science
– Foundation of large universities
– Mechanics, medicine, mathematics
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Collapse of Gupta Rule
– The White Huns
– Religion vs. Secular Politics
Map 5.2
Origins of Civilization in China
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Shang Dynasty (1520-1027 B.C.E.)
– Bronze craftsmanship
– Trade, commerce
– Metalworking
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Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 B.C.E.)
– Emperors coordinated separate kingdoms
– Period of the Warring States (475-221 B.C.E.)
Origins of Civilization in China
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Confucianism
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Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)
Creating a new, virtuous social order
Five inner virtues, two outer virtues
Purpose of the State
Authority and discipline
Origins of Civilization in China
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Daoism
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Laozi
Limitations of human perceptions
“the Way” (dao)
Passivity and resignation
“the soft yield of water cleaves the obstinate
stone”
The Unification of China
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Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.E.)
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Shihuangdi, “First Emperor”
Xianyang, capital city
Centralization
Burning of the Books
The Great Wall
The Emperor’s tomb
5.21 The Great Wall of China, Qin dynasty. Roughly 5,500 miles (8,850
km) long, averaging 16-20’ (4.9-6.1 m) wide x 16-26’ (4.9-7.9 m) high,
plus 13’ (3.9 m) at the watchtowers.
5.22 Army of Shihuangdi (First Emperor) in pits next to his burial
mound, ca 210 B.C.E. (Qin dynasty). Painted terracotta, average figure
height: 71” (180.34 cm). Lintong, China
The Unification of China
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The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E. - C.E. 20)
– Gaozu (256-195 B.C.E.)
– Elaborate central bureaucracy
– Reconstruction of philosophical texts
Aristocratic feuds / civil war
 Tang Dynasty (C.E. 618-906)
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– China’s Golden Age
Classical Chinese
Literature
The Five Classics
 Popularity of poetry
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– Li Bai (C.E. 701-762)
– Li Qingzhao (C.E. 1084-1155)
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Philosophical writing
– Mahayana, Hinayana Buddhism
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Short story
Visual Arts
Blend of new and traditional styles
 Direct impressions of daily life
 Shrines, monumental carvings
 Emphasis on craftsmanship
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– Precision and clarity of design
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Calligraphy
– Emphasis on beauty of line
5.23 Pendant in the form of dragon, 403-221 B.C.E. (Warring States
period). China. Perforated, green jade, 7 ¼” x 3 ½” (18.5 x 9.0 cm).
Musee national des arts asiatiques Guimet, Paris, France
5.24 Flying horse, from the tomb of Governor-General Zhang, late 2nd
century ce (Han dynasty). Wuwei, China. Bronze, 13 ½” x 1 ½” (34.5 z
3.8 cm). Gansu Provincial Museum, Lanzhou, China.
5.27 Fengxian Temple. Longmen grottoes, Luoyang, Henan, China. Limestone
grotto, 136’ (41 m) long x 118’ (36 m) deep
Chapter 5: Discussion Questions
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In what ways does the classical art of China reflect the
values of the major philosophical schools of the time?
Explain, citing specific examples of art.
To what extent does literature serve as both an impediment
of and a vehicle for reigning governments? Consider the
use of literature during the various Chinese dynasties in
comparison with the role of literature in the early Greek
and Roman cultures.
Explain the difference between Buddhism as it first
emerged in India from the Hindu tradition versus the
Buddhism practiced in China. To what can we attribute
these differences?