Download File - Mr. Williams

Caste System
• The caste system (outlined in the
Vedas) divided Indian society into
groups or social classes based on birth,
wealth, or occupation.
• Strict rules – For example, couldn’t
marry or even eat with someone from a
different social class.
• If broke rules, you could be banned
from your home and caste and became
an outcast.
• Seldom could change castes.
• Four main groups, though at one time,
3,000 separate castes existed.
• Provided social stability and strength.
Siddhartha Gautama
• Indian prince, lived in luxury, married with
kids, left home at age 30 to answer questions
about human suffering and the meaning of
human life.
• Spent 6 years wandering India.
• Wanted to free mind from daily concerns
through fasting (going without food) and
meditation (focusing of the mind on spiritual
ideas).
• The Buddha, or “Enlightened One” – found
enlightenment while meditating under a tree
for 7 weeks.
• Spent rest of life traveling and teaching what
he had learned.
Siddhartha Gautama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9AoZj_FP
zU
Buddhism
4 Noble Truths
1. Sorrow part of life and can’t be
escaped.
2. Suffering comes from our desire for
pleasure and material goods.
3. Nirvana – overcome desires and reach
state of perfect peace.
4. Following Eightfold Path helps
overcome desires and leads to
wisdom, enlightenment, and
salvation.
Buddhism
The Eightfold Path
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Right Thought
Right Intent
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
Spread of Buddhism
• After the Buddha’s death, his followers
continued to spread his teachings, and
within 200 years, Buddhism had spread
through most of India.
• King Asoka became Buddhist and built
temples, schools, and sent missionaries
(people who work to spread their
religious beliefs) throughout Asia).
• 360 million Buddhists today (one million
in America).
• 4th largest religion in the world
Buddhism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxq-RiLb-6M
Mauryan Empire
• Candragupta Maurya – military leader. In 320s BC
used an army of mercenaries, or hired soldiers, to
seize all of northern India. Had war elephants.
• He decided to become a Jainist monk, so gave up his
throne to his son.
• Monks – Community of religious men. Vows of
poverty, chastity, and obedience. Live in a
monastery.
Monks
Left – Jainist
Middle – Buddhist
Right - Christian
Asoka
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•
•
•
Grandson of Candragupta Maurya
Came to power around 270 BC
Considered to be the greatest of all Indian Emperors.
Conquered rest of India then decided to convert to
Buddhism, so no more wars of conquest.
• Improved lives of his people by digging wells, building
roads, temples, schools, rest houses, hospitals, and
planting shade trees.
• Strong ruler, but kindness was considered to be
legendary.
• Raised large stone pillars carved with Buddhist edicts,
or laws.
(Ashoka)
Gupta Empire
• After Asoka died, his sons fought for power,
invaders came, the empire collapsed and split up
for 500 years.
• Around 320 AD, the Gupta Empire reunited parts of
India.
• Leaders were Hindu, but supported Buddhism and
Jainism.
• Empire became wealthy, people prospered, created
a university.
• Golden Age of India
• Caste system flourished, women had arranged
marriages and few rights as their role was to marry,
have children, and serve husbands.
• Eventually the Huns invaded and broke the empire
up again.
Indian Art
Temples
• Detailed carving; many
carved entire temples out
of mountainsides.
• Cave temples contained
beautiful paintings and
sculptures.
Ajanta cave temple (bottom left).
Pictures to the right show paintings
and carvings inside.
Indian Achievements
• Metalwork
• Pioneers of metallurgy, the science of working with
metals.
• Created alloys, mixtures of 2 or more metals.
• Mathematics
• Invented Hindu-Arabic numerals, the numbers we
use today.
• Created the zero.
• Medicine
• Made medicines from plants and animals.
• Inoculation – injecting a person with a small dose of
a virus to help build a defense to a disease.
• Surgery – repair broken bones, remove tonsils,
reattach torn earlobes, treat wounds.
• Astronomy - study of stars and planets
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•
•
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Knew of 7 of the planets.
Knew earth was a sphere and spun on its axis
Knew sun was a star and planets revolved around it.
Could predict eclipses of the sun and moon.