Home of 3 modern nations

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh

India Subcontinent

Geography
Mountains
Himalayas
World tallest mountain range

Hindu Kush

Rivers
Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra

Monsoons
Seasonal winds- twice a year
1

Harappan Civilization
Harappa Mohenjo-Daro Excellent example of urban planning
Streets laid out in grid pattern Streets cross each other at right angles

Uniformity in cities suggest that a strong central government existed.

2

 Very advanced
Indoor bathrooms Sewer systems Advanced farming techniques

Trade establish with areas as far as Mesopotamia Lack of surviving written records
Only clues from artifacts
3

Religion
Polytheism Religious beliefs center on strong concern for fertility

Disappearance

1500 BCE Harappan civilization vanished Reason why unknown Possibly from
floods Invaders Overgrazing of land

In Mohenjo-Daro ruing give signs of violence

Found remains of 38 people who had never been buried
5

Aryans Led by rajah Economy based on cattle No written language

Aryans

Epics passed down in native language called Sanskrit

Vedas
Holy books books of Knowledge
Poems, legends and religious rituals collected by priest. basis of Aryan religious practices Since few artifacts or structures left by Aryans, Vedas are very important

Rig-Veda
Oldest of Vedas World oldest religious text still used today
7

Four main classes called varnas

Brahmans Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudras

Priest Warriors Merchants Artisan Farmers Unskilled laborers Servants

Perform elaborate rituals

Charge or army and government

Led council of elders

Tended cattle
Lend money

Serve other varnas

Worked in the fields

Study Vedas

Teach Vedas

Could study Vedas but not teach them

Trade goods
Carry for the land

Acted as servants

 500 BC varnas divided into smaller groups called jati

Formed according to occupations.
Examples shoemakers, potters, farmers etc.

Each jati had own rules for diet, marriage and social class.
Lived in separate neighborhoods Did not mix socially with others

 Europeans would later name varna and jati the caste system
Within system people are ranked Born into a group and could not change Only marry within the group Rules not the same for all groups

10

 Pariahs
Later group outside the varna and jati Did work that was considered unclean
Example skinning animals and tanning hides

Sometimes called outcastes or untouchables Lived outside villages and shunned by most

11

 Vedas outlined the dharma

Duties of the males in each varna Members were urged to do their duty

12

 One of the oldest religions

About 1500 B.C.E. Began in India
Not based on teachings of one person Does not have a holy book Based on different beliefs and practices found in Vedas and epics

Hinduism

Gave birth to Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism Tolerance and diversity

"Truth is one, paths are many There is only one God, but endless are his aspects and endless are his names We are not human beings having spiritual experiences; We are spiritual beings having a human experience!

13

Hindu Scriptures
Upanishads 900-950 BCE
Essay and poems that outline Hindu spirituality
Emphasize simplicity Inner development of individual Methods for spiritual improvement
Yoga

Puranas
Popular tales about gods and heroes

Sutras
Moral teachings

Laws of Manu
Support caste system
14

Religious and Literary Text

Mahabharata
Grand epic 90,000 stanzas Longest poem in world? About great war between 2 royal houses Bhagavad-Gita
Song of the Lord Lectures on moral duty

Ramayana
15

Complex religion of many gods Three most important are Brahma ( the Creator) Vishnu (the Preserver) Siva (the destroyer)
16

 Believed in reincarnation
Rebirth of the soul Cycle of rebirth determine by Karma
How a person lives their lives determine what form the person will take in the next life

17

 Cycle of reincarnation continues until person has reached spiritual perfection. Ultimate aim is moksha
Release from pain and suffering of rebirth To achieve moksha you must:
Be committed to prayer Religious rituals Strict self denial Rejection of all worldly possessions

18

 Out of this develop the practice of nonviolence toward all living things called ahimsa

Requires believers to protect humans, animals (even insects) and plants

19

What are the spiritual practices of Hinduism?

Yogaseeking union with the divine: Gurua spiritual teacher, especially helpful for Jnana and Raja yoga Bhakti Yogaworship, seeking union with the divine through loving devotion to manifest deities In the home (household shrines) In the temples (priests officiate)

20

Why did Hinduism spread?

Satisfy rules of conduct of life Incorporated previous religion Caste system- hope for better life next time

21

How does Hinduism direct life in this world?

Respect for all life vegetarian Human life as supreme: Four stations of life (Caste)
priests & teachers, nobles & warriors, merchant class, servant class

Four stages of life

student, householder, retired, wandering philosopher

Four duties of life

pleasure, success, social responsibilities, religious responsibilities (moksha)
22

Impact of Hinduism
Religion as well as a social system
Born into caste If unhappy because you had not follow the dharma and you will have it worse in the next life Explains why most quietly accept their station in life. Social mobility not possible in this life but maybe the next.

23

 Hinduism close identification with caste system and its customs have prevent the acceptance of Hinduism in other parts of the world In recent years modern Hindu are beginning to rebel against the structure of the caste system

24

Jainism
Based on Hinduism but rejected
sacrifices rigid Hindu social divisions Great believers of ahimsa
Became involved in commerce rather than farming Commerce led to great wealth and influence

25

Buddhism
Originated in India Similar to Judaism and Hinduism
All are tied to culture Not evangelical movement trying to change civilizations

Challenges the social hierarchy of India

No caste system

One of several religious movements in 500 BCE Early form was less a religion than a philosophy
26

 Founded by Siddhartha Gautama

Raised in luxury but question why people suffered and how suffering could be ended

Begin to share his enlightenment with others. Friends called him Buddha or Enlightened One

Buddhism
27

 Four Noble Truths

All people suffer and know sorrow People suffer because their desires bind them to the cycle of rebirth That people could end their suffering by eliminating their desires Could eliminate desire by following the Eightfold Path
28

Eight-fold Path
Know the truth Resist evil Say nothing to hurt others Respect life Work for the good of others Free their minds of evil Control their thoughts Practice meditation
29

 By avoiding extremes of following Eightfold Path a person could attain Nirvana.

A state of freedom from the cycle of rebirth Not a place, like heaven but a state of extinction A person would be in a state of oneness with universal 30

 Buddha rejected the varna system

Taught that a persons place in life depended on the person, not on the persons birth. Regardless of caste, anyone could attain enlightenment

31

The essence of Buddhism

The middle way of wisdom and compassion. The 3 jewels of Buddhism: Buddha, the teacher. Dharma, the teachings. Sangha, the community.

32

Division of Buddhism
Theravada
Established in Southeast Asia and South Asia Remains fairly close in practices to original teachings of Buddha Focus on wisdom and meditation Regard Buddha as simply a teacher Goal: is to become a Buddha or Enlightened One
33

 Mahayana
Dominant in China, Korea, and Japan Encourage worship of Buddha as a divine being and savior Buddhism for the masses Goal: Not just individual escape from the wheel, but the salvation of all humanity through selfsacrifice of those enlightened few Today only a few in India are Buddhist. Most of the population are Hindus followed by Muslims, Jains and Christians
34

 Zen Buddhism
Seeks sudden enlightenment through

meditation, arriving at emptiness Use of meditation masters Beauty, art, and aesthetics, such as gardens & calligraphy

Tibetan Buddhism
Developed in Tibet in the 7c CE. A mix of Theravada and Mahayana Include Lamas, like the Dalai Lama
35

Why did Buddhism spread?

Acceptance of men and women from all ranks of society Religious communities of monks and nuns
Located along trade routes provide lodging for traders Merchants carried doctrines along Silk Road

Blended with Confucianism Belief of bodhisattvas

Ordinary people reach nirvana through mediation

Asoka
36

Growth of Buddhism

37

Impact of Buddhism
Because Buddhism reject caste system, it strongly appealed to members of lower rank Because Buddhism is not attached to underlying social structure it can apply to almost anyone, anywhere. As consequence it spread rapidly to other cultures through Asia Spread via trade routes as Asia cultures interwine
38

Hinduism

Buddhism

Caste system
Animal sacrifice The Middle Way (Eightfold Path)

Both
Reincarnation Cyclical view of history Belief in a state of enlightenment (Hindu moksha, Buddhist nirvana

Four Noble Truths

39

Maurya Empire
321- 185 BCE Founder Chandragupta Maurya
Will united Aryan kingdoms into a civilization after depart of Alexander the Great

Strong centralizedefficient bureaucracy Promoted trade and communication

Roads connect with Silk road
40

Asoka
First followed philosophy of waging war to expand his power Will decided to follow the Buddha teachings of nonviolence and peace to all beings. Will issued Rock Edicts
Stone pillars that were inscribe with new policies throughout the empire

Urged religious tolerance

41

 Empire will be very powerful because

Trade
Silk, cotton, elephants Mesopotamia and eastern Roman Empire

Military

With Asoka death, the empire will decline rapidly due to economic problems and pressure of attacks in the Northeast.
42

Gupta Empire
320-550 CE United North India for the first time
Rule not centralized as much as Mauryan Allowed local rulers to maintain authority if submit to Gupta leaders

Known as Indias Golden Age

43

 Firm supporters of Hinduism Enforcement of Caste system

Women lost rights
Under total control of men Sati- practice of widow throwing herself on the funeral pyre

Buddhism tolerated Increasing urban society

44

Chandragupta II
Gupta will reach its height during his rule
Came to power through marriage not war

Considered to be the greatest of Gupta emperors

Remember for
Heroic conquest Reducing taxes Giving people more freedom Increasing size of empire Increasing trade between India and Mesopotamia

45

Learning
Major advancements as Gupta empire welcome scholars into the empire Mathematics
Major advances in developing principles of algebra Explain concept of infinity Invented concept of zero Invented decimal system Arabic numerals Value of pi to the 4th place
developed by Aryabhata

46

 Astronomy
Proved earth round 1,000 years before Columbus Calculated the length of solar year

Medicine
Set bones, performed operations, inoculation of smallpoxs and invented hundreds of medical instruments Medical guides
Classified more than 1,000 diseases Describe more than 500 medical plants

47

500 Healing plants Id Printed medical Guides

1000 Disease Classified

Kalidasa

Literature

Plastic surgery

Medicine

Gupta
C- sections inoculations

Solar Calendar

Decimal System

Mathematics

Astronomy

Concept of Zero

Pi = 3.1416

Earth is Round
48

Trade
Will spread Gupta advancements with extensive trade with other civilizations
Caravan route called Silk Road
Will act as the middleman in the silk trade

Effects of trade
Rise of banking in India Spread of culture Spread of Hinduism and Buddhism
49

Items Traded
Spices
Rice & wheat Horses Spices Silk

Cotton Goods

Gold & Ivory

Cotton Goods

Gold & Ivory

50

Gupta Art

Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art & architecture

51

Global Connection of India

No civilization more open to others None more central to cultural exchanges New Civilizations
Trade influence grew Religion, epics, art, architecture led to new civilizations
Angkor Wat/ Majapahit

Trading network
Coveted cotton textiles and bronze statuaries Epic literature
52