Download If YOU lived there

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If YOU lived there ...
Main Ideas
1. Indian society divided into
distinct groups.
2. The Aryans formed a religion
known as Brahmanism.
3. Hinduism developed out of
Brahmanism and influences
from other cultures.
4. The Jains reacted to Hinduism by breaking away.
Your family are skillful weavers who make beautiful cotton cloth.
You belong to the class in Aryan society who are traders, farmers,
and craftspeople. Often the raja of your town leads the warriors
into battle. You .adrnre their bravery but know you can never be
one of them. To be an Aryan warrior, you must be born into that
noble class. Instead, you have your own duty to carry out.
How do you feel about remaining a weave
The Big Idea
Hinduism, the largest religion in
India, developed out of ancient
Indian beliefs and practices.
BUILDING BACKGROUND As the Aryans migrated into India, they
developed a strict system of social classes. As the Aryans' influence
spread through India, so did their class system. Before long, this
class system was a key part of Indian society.
Key Terms
caste system, p. 479
reincarnatien, p. 481
karma, p. 482
nonviolence, p. 483
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•••••••
Indian Society Divides
As you read, take notes
iiitIJ on Hinduism using a
diagram like the one below. Pay
attention to its origins, teachings,
and other religions that developed
alongside it.
Other
Religions
As Aryan society became more complex, their society becarn
divided into groups. These groups were largely organized _
people's occupations. Strict rules developed about how p •
of different groups could interact. As time passed, these
became stricter and became central to Indian society.
The Varnas
According to the Vedas, there were four main vamas, or
divisions, in Aryan society. These vamas were
•
•
•
•
Brahmins (BRAH-muhns), or priests,
Kshatriyas (KSHA-tree-uhs),or rulers and warriors,
Vaisyas (VYSH-yuhs),or farmers, craftspeople, and traders
Sudras (soo-drahs), or laborers and non-Aryans.
The Brahmins were seen as the highest ranking because performed rituals for the gods. This gave the Brahmins :.
influence over the other vamas.
78
CHAPTER 19
--------------------------------------------------------.---Caste System
The Varnas
e rules of interaction between vamas
stricter, the Aryan sodal order became
complex. In time, each of the vamas
an society was further divided into
y castes, or groups. This caste system
ed Indian society into groups based
person's birth, wealth, or occupation.
ne time, some 3,000 separate castes
ed in India.
The caste to which a person belonged
ined his or her place in society.
ever, this ordering was by no means
anent. Over time, individual castes
or lost favor in society as caste
bers gained wealth or power. On rare
ions, people could change caste.
People in the lowest class, the Sudra
, had hard lives. But there was a
of people who were even worse off,
p who didn't belong to any caste at
They were called untouchables because
Ie from the castes were not supposed
ve contact with them. The only jobs
to them were unpleasant ones, such
ing animal hides and disposing of
animals. As a result, they were seen as
and were the outcasts of society.
p their classes distinct, the Aryans
oped sutras, or guides, which listed
es for the caste system. For example,
e could not marry someone from a
nt class. It was even forbidden for
e from one class to eat with people
another. People who broke the caste
could be banned from their homes
their castes, which would make them
chables. Because of these strict rules,
spent almost all of their time with
in their same class.
Drawing Inferences
Brahmins
Brahmins
were India's
priests and
were seen as
the highest
varna.
Kshatriyas
Kshatriyas
were rulers
and warriors.
Yaisyas
Vaisyas were
farmers,
craftspeople,
and traders.
Sudras
Sudraswere
workers and
servants.
How
rson become a member of a caste?
Why do you think priests were at the top of Indian society?
HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA
479
• A universal spirit called Brahman created the
universe and everything in it. Everything in the
world is just a part of Brahman.
• Every person has a soul or atman that will
eventually join with Brahman.
• People's souls are reincarnated many times
before they can join with Brahman.
• A person's karma affects how he or she will be
reincarnated.
Brahmanism
Later Vedic Texts
Religion had been an important part of
Aryan life even before the Aryans moved
to India. Eventually in India, religion took
on even more meaning. Because Aryan
priests were called Brahmins, their religion
is often called Brahmanism.
Over the centuries, Aryan Brahmins v ~
down their thoughts about the Vedas...
time these thoughts were compiled collections called Vedic texts.
One collection of Vedic texts des
Aryan, religious rituals. For ex
it describes-now __to perform sacri
Priests prepared ani;nalS,·~foo.p../.or
to be sacrificed in a fire. The
believed that the fire would carry ,
offerings to the gods.
A second collection of Vedic
describes secret rituals that only c
people could perform. In fact, the rt::
were so secret that they had to be do the forest, far from other people.
The final group of Vedic texts are
Upanishads (oo-PAHN-ee-shads), mas:
which were written by about 600
These writings are reflections on the
by religious students and teachers.
The Vedas
Focus ON
READING
Which were
written first, the
Vedas orthe
Vedic texts?
Aryan religion was based on the Vedas.
There are four Vedas, each containing sacred
hymns and poems. The oldest of the Vedas,
the Rigveda, was probably written before
1000 BC It includes hymns of praise to
many gods. This passage, for example, is
the opening of a hymn praising Indra, a
god of the sky and war.
II The one who is first and possessed of wisdom
when born; the god who strove to protect the
gods with strength; the one before whose force
the two worlds-were afraid because of the greatness of his virility [powel-]: he.O people, is Indra."
-from the Rigveda, in Read;~g aooat t-he World,
Volume I, edited by Paul Brians, et al
480
The god Brahma
represents the creator
aspect of Brahman. His
four faces symbolize
the four Vedas.
CHAPTER 19
~
Finding Main Ideas
are the Vedic texts?
Siva, the destroyer
aspect of Brahman,
is usually shown
with four arms and
three eyes. Here he
is shown dancing on
the back of a demon
he has defeated.
induism Develops
e Vedas, the Upanishads, and the other
edic texts remained the basis of Indian
----.'
lgion-Iof centuries. Eventually, though,
e ideas of these sacred texts began to
end with ideas from other cultures.
ple from Persia and other kingdoms in
tral Asia, for example, brought their
as to India. In time, this blending of
as created a religion called Hinduism,]
e largest religion in India today.
ndu Beliefs
e Hindus believe in many gods. Among
m are three major gods: Brahma the
ator, Siva the Destroyer, and Vishnu
Preserver. At the same time , however ,
dus believe that each god is part of a
gle universal spirit called Brahman. They
'eve that Brahman created the world and
erves it. Gods such as Brahma, Siva, and
hnu are different aspects of Brahman. In
, HiIidus believe that everything in the
rld is part of Brahman.
Vishnu is the preserver aspect
of Brahman. In his four arms,
he carries a conch shell, a
mace, and a discus, symbols
of his power and greatness.
Life and Rebirth
According to Hindu teachings, everyone
has a soul, or atman. This soul holds the
person's personality, those qualities that
make a person who he or she is. Hindus
believe that a person's ultimate goal should
be to reunite that soul with Brahman, the
universal spirit.
Hindus believe that their souls will
eventually join Brahman because the world
we live in is an illusion. Brahman is the
only reality. The Upanishads taught that
people must try to see through the illusion
of the world. Since it is hard to see through
illusions, it can take several lifetimes. That
is why Hindus believe that souls are born
and reborn many times, each time in a
new body. This process of rebirth is called
.~
More than 800
million people in
India practice
Hinduismtoday.
reincarnation.
Hinduism and the Caste System
According to the traditional
Hindu
view of reincarnation, a person who has
died is reborn in a new physical form.
HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA
481
The type of form depends
upon his or her
was popular
karma, the effects that good or bad actions
have on a person's soul. Evil actions during
Hindu
one's life will build bad karma. A person
with bad karma will be reborn into a lower
life, Hinduism
helped
system in India.
caste or as a lesser creature,
an ant.
In contrast,
people
all four vamas.
to accept
their places
preserve
the c
Hinduism and Women
good
rebirth. This salvation
Hinduism
teaching
society, through
at all levels
such as a pig or
actions
build
good
karma. People with good karma are born
into a higher caste in their next lives. In
time, good karma will bring salvation, or
freedom from life's worries and the cycle of
is called moksha.
taught that each person had
Early Hinduism
taught
that both men
women
could gain salvation.
Howe
Hinduism
also taught that women w
inferior to men. Women were not allows
to study the Vedas or other sacred texts.
Over the centuries, Hindu women ha
gained
more rights. This change
has b
a duty to accept his or her place in the world
without complaint. This is called obeying
one's dharma.
People could build good
karma by fulfilling the duties required of
leaders like Mohandas
Gandhi, who 1
the movement
for Indian independen
"As a result, many of the restrictions on
their specific caste. Through
placed on Hindu women
reincarnation,
Hinduism
offered rewards to those who
lived good lives. Even untouchables
could
be reborn into a higher caste.
The Sacred Ganges
Hindus believe that there are many sacred places in India.
Making a pilgrimage to one of these places, they believe,
will help improve their karma and increase their chance for
salvation. The most sacred of all the pilgrimage sites in India
is the Ganges River in the northeast.
Known to Hindus as Mother Ganga,-the Ganges flows
out of the Himalayas. In traditional Hindu teachings, however,
the river flows from the feet of Vishnu and over the head
of Siva before it makes its way across the land. Through this
contact with the gods, the river's water is made holy. Hindus
believe that bathing in the Ganges willpurify them and
remove some of their bad karma.
Although the entire Ganges is considered sacred, a few
cities along its path are seen as especially holy.At these
sites, pilgrims gather to bathe and celebrate Hindu festivals.
Steps lead down from the cities right to the edge of the
water so people can more easily reach the river.
Summarizing Why is the Ganges a pilgrimagesite?
482
Hinduism
CHAPTER 19
the result of efforts by influential
Hin
have been lift
~
Summarizing What facto
determined how a person would be reborn?
Jains React to Hinduism
Although Hinduism was widely followed in
India, not everyone agreed with its beliefs.
Some unsatisfied people and groups looked
for new religious ideas. One such group
as the Iains (]YNz), believers in a religion
called jainism (jv-ni-zuhm).
J ainism was based on the teachings
of a man named Mahavira. Born into the
hatriya varna around 599 Be, he was
appywith the control of religion by
e Brahmins, whom he thought put too
uch emphasis on rituals. Mahavira gave
his life of luxury, became a monk, and
blished the principles of J ainism.
The J ains try to live by four principles:
jure no life, tell the truth, do not steal,
d own no property. In their efforts not
injure anyone or anything, the Iains
ctice nonviolence,
or the avoidance of
. lent actions. The Sanskrit word for this
nviolence is ahimsa (uh-HIM-sah). Many
. dus also practice ahimsa.
The Iains' emphasis on nonviolence
mes from their belief that everything is
. e and part of the cycle of rebirth. J ains
very serious about not injuring or killing
y creature-humans,
animals, insects,
plants. They do not believe in animal
ifice, such as the ones the ancient
mins performed. Because they do not
t to hurt any living creatures, Iains are
etarians. They do not eat any food that
es from animals.
Identifying Points of View
y do Jains avoid eating meat?
You have
learned about two religions that grew in
ancient India-Hinduism
and Iainism.
Section 3, you will learn about a third
religion that began there-Buddhism.
UMMARY AND PREVIEW
These Jain women are wearing
masks to make sure they don't
accidentally inhale and kill
insects.
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and Places
1. a. Identify What is the caste system?
b. Explain Why did strict caste rules develop?
2. a.ldentify
What does the Rigveda include?
b. Analyze What role did sacrifice play in Aryan society?_
3. a. Define What is karma?
b. Sequence How did Brahmanism develop into
Hinduism?
c. Elaborate How does Hinduism reinforce followers'
willingness to remain within their castes?
4. a. Recall What are the four main teachings of Jainism?
b. Predict How do you think the idea of nonviolence
affected the daily lives of Jains in ancient India?
Critical Thinking
5. Analyzing Causes
Brahmanism
Jainism
Draw a graphic
organizer like this
one. Using your notes,
explain how Hinduism developed from Brahmanism and
how Jainism developed from Hinduism.
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Illustrating Hinduism Now you have another possible
topic for your poster. How might you illustrate a complex
religion like Hinduism? What pictures would work?
HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA
483