Transcript classical india - AP World History (WHAP)

CLASSICAL INDIA
Chapter 3
Geography
- set apart from Asia
agriculture
– Indus & Ganges
Aryan
conquerors
caste system
Sanskrit
beginnings of Hinduism
Why do we know & understand more
about early China than we do about
early India?
• writing came earlier to Chinese (Shang
dynasty)
• Epic & Vedic times in India – no writing
• Zhou dynasty – records (1029-258
BCE)
• Han strong (202BCE – 220 CE)
• India not strong culture until Gupta – 319
CE
• No ethnic consistency in India
political eras un-clear
empires or small kingdoms
invasions from northwest
Maurya Dynasty – 322 BCE
unifies
Persian political models
large army
bureaucracy
autocratic
roads
Gupta Empire– 320 CE
political stability
intermarry with local princes
Sanskrit
overturned by Huns
Politically
- regionalized
diverse political forms
1. Kings with full power
2. assemblies with power
3. mix
A. The Indus Valley Civilisation, 2000 BC
B. The Maurya Empire, 250 BC
C. The Gupta Empire, AD 400
Caste System
social bond across diverse country
social order
rules to regulate life
did what a government might do
Why did the caste system develop &
how was it perpetuated? How did it
differ from the organization of Chinese
society?
• Aryans invade – differentiate from indigenous
• regulated social relationships & promote public
order (government didn’t have to)
• could not move between castes
• only way to change through re-incarnation
• loyalty to caste
• China – government promote public order
• could move up class wise (education)
• loyalty to father, ancestors, government
Hinduism
develops over time
polytheistic
no single founder or central holy figure
more compatibility with more people
Upanishads
– Hindu epic poems
Dharma
- guide to living
- moral consequences of action
- need to act
Compare the political implications of Hinduism
& Confucianism. How does each belief system
help explain the political history of its native
society in the classical period?
•
•
•
•
Hinduism – caste system
regional landlords
religion flexible, individual
no elaborate political system
• Confucianism – strong central government
• big on political system
• not really a religion – loyalty to government
Buddhism
563 BCE
Siddhartha Gautama
why is there suffering?
4 Noble Truths
attacks caste system
8 Fold Path
SE Asia & East Asia
What were the chief differences between
Buddhism & the developing Hindu
tradition?
•
•
•
•
Buddhism – attacked caste system
emphasize rewards of afterlife
less emphasis on ceremony
re-birth
• Hinduism – allowed to carry out daily life &
duties without worrying about Nirvana as much
• re-incarnation
• Buddhism comes from Hinduism
• Similarities, wheel of life , lotus, meditation,
yoga, ohm
Economy & Society
caste system
strong economy
technology
chemistry
steel
strong merchant class