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

Chapter 9
State, Society, and the
Quest for Salvation in India
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The Mauryan and Gupta Empires
321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.
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India Before the Mauryan Dynasty
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520 B.C.E., Persian emperor Darius conquers
northwest India
Introduces Persian ruling pattern
327 B.C.E., Alexander of Macedon destroys
Persian empire in India
Troops mutiny, depart after two years
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Political power vacuum
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Kingdom of Magadha
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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 northeastern
India
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The Mauryan and Gupta Empires
321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.
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Chandragupta Maurya
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Took advantage of power
vacuum left by Alexander
Overthrew Magadha rulers
Expanded kingdom to create
first unified Indian empire
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Mauryan dynasty
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Chandragupta’s Government
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Advisor Kautalya
Recorded in Arthashastra,
manual of political statecraft
Foreign policies, economics
Domestic policies
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Network of spies
Legend: Chandragupta retires to
become a monk, starves himself to death
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Ashoka Maurya
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Grandson of Chandragupta
Represents high point of Mauryan
empire, r. 268-232 B.C.E.
Expanded empire to include all of
Indian subcontinent except for
south
Positive ruler-ship integrated
Indian society
Much better known as a ruler than
conqueror
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Ashoka the Great
As a symbol of his rule,
Ashoka has this sculpture of
four lions mounted atop a
column about 66 feet high.
The lion capital is the official
symbol of the Modern
Republic of India.
Why might this sculpture,
more than two thousand years
old, be an attractive symbol for
modern India?
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Decline of the Mauryan Empire
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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
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Disappears by 185 B.C.E.
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Regional Kingdom: Bactria
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Northwestern India
Ruled by Greek-speaking descendants of
Alexander’s campaigns
Intense cultural activity accompanies active trade
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Regional Kingdom: Kush
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Northern India/central Asia
Ca. 1-300 C.E.
Maintained silk road trade network
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The Mauryan and Gupta Empires
321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.
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The Gupta Dynasty
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Based in Magadha
Founded by Chandra Gupta (no
relation to Chandragupta Maurya),
ca. 320 C.E.
Slightly smaller than Mauryan
empire
Highly decentralized leadership
Foundations for studies in natural
sciences and mathematics
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Gupta Decline
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Frequent invasions of White Huns, fifth century
C.E.
Gupta dynasty disintegrates along regional fault
lines
Smaller local kingdoms dominate until Mughal
empire founded in sixteenth century
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Economy: Towns and Manufacturing
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Manufactured goods in big demand
Developed in dense network of small workshops
Trade intense, capitalizes on trade routes across
India
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Long-Distance Trade
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Persian connection since Cyrus, Darius
Massive road-building projects under Persian rule
Alexander extends trade west to Macedon
Trade routes through Kush mountains, the silk
roads
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Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin
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Seasonal sea trade expands
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Spring/winter winds blow from southwest, fall/winter
winds blow from northwest
Trade from Asia to Persian Gulf and Red Sea,
Mediterranean
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Society: Gender Relations
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Patriarchy entrenched
Child marriage common (eight-year-old girls
married to men in twenties)
Women encouraged to remain in private sphere
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Social Order
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Caste system from Aryan times
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Brahmins (priests)
Kshatriyas (warriors, aristocrats)
Vaishyas (peasants, merchants)
Shudras (serfs)
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Castes and Guilds
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Increasing economic diversification challenges
simplistic caste system
Jati formed: guilds that acted as subcastes
Enforced social order
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“Out-castes” forced into low-status employment
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Wealth and the Social Order
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Upward social mobility possible for vaishyas,
shudras
Wealth challenges varna for status
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Religions of Salvation in Classical
India
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Social change generated resentment of caste
privilege
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e.g. brahmins free from taxation
Sixth-fifth century B.C.E., new religions and
philosophies challenge status quo
Charvakas: atheists
Jainists, Buddhists, Hindus
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Jainism
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Vardhamana Mahavira,
540-468 B.C.E.
Abandons privileged
family to lead ascetic life
Promotes seventh
century movement based
on Upanishads
Emphasis on selfless
living, concern for all
beings
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Ahimsa
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Principle of extreme nonviolence
Jainists sweep earth, strain water, use slow
movements to avoid killing insects
Ahimsa continues to inspire modern movements
(Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr.)
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Appeal of Jainism
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Rejected caste, jati distinctions
Obvious appeal to underprivileged groups
But asceticism too extreme to become a mass
movement
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Early Buddhism
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Siddhartha Gautama, ca.
563-483 B.C.E.
Encountered age,
sickness, death, then
monastic life
Abandoned comfortable
life to become a monk
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Gautama’s Search for Enlightenment
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Intense meditation,
extreme asceticism
Forty-nine days of
meditation under bo
tree to finally achieve
enlightenment
Attained title of
Buddha: “the
enlightened one”
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The Buddha and His Followers
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Begins teaching new doctrine ca. 528 B.C.E.
Followers owned only robes, food bowls
Life of wandering, begging, meditation
Establishment of monastic communities
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Buddha and His Disciples
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Buddhist Doctrine: The Dharma
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The Four Noble Truths
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All life is suffering
There is an end to suffering
Removing desire removes suffering
This may be done through the eight-fold path
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Right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood,
effort, mindfulness, concentration
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Appeal of Buddhism
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Less dependence on brahmins for ritual activities
No recognition of caste, jati status
Philosophy of moderate consumption
Public service through lay teaching
Use of vernacular, not Sanskrit
Monasteries become important institutions in
Indian society
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A Buddhist Monastery
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Ashoka’s Support of Buddhism
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Personal conversion to
Buddhism
Saddened after violent
war with Kalinga
Banned animal
sacrifices, mandated
vegetarianism in court
Material support for
Buddhist institutions,
missionary activities
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Changes in Buddhist Thought
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Third century B.C.E. to first century C.E.
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Buddha considered divine
Institution of boddhisatvas (“saints”)
Charitable donations to monasteries regarded as pious
activity
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Spread of Mahayana Buddhism
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Mahayana (“greater vehicle”), newer
development
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India, China, Japan, Korea, central Asia
Hinayana (“lesser vehicle,” also Theravada),
earlier version
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Ceylon, Burma, Thailand
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Nalanda
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Buddhist monastery
Quasi-university: Buddhism, Hindu texts,
philosophy, astronomy, medicine
Peak at end of Gupta dynasty
Helped spread Indian thought
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e.g. mathematical number zero
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Nalanda
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Emergence of Popular Hinduism
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Composition of epics
from older oral
traditions
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Mahabharata
Ramayana
Emphasis on god
Vishnu and his
incarnations
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The Bhagavad Gita
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“Song of the lord”
Centuries of revisions,
final form ca. 400 C.E.
Dialogue between
Arjuna and Krishna
during civil war
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Hindu Ethics
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Obedience to religious and moral laws (dharma)
Pursuit of economic well-being and honesty
(artha)
Enjoyment of social, physical, and sexual
pleasure (kama)
Salvation of the soul (moksha)
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Popularity of Hinduism
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Gradually replaced Buddhism in India
Gupta dynastic leaders extend considerable
support
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