Download INDIA`S GREAT CIVILIZATION

INDIA’S GREAT
CIVILIZATION
1500 B.C – A.D 500
By Anisha Kapoor
The Aryans
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Indo European group from north of the Black and Caspian Seas
Conquered the people of the Indus River Valley and moved into the Ganges
Plains
Developed a new civilization that spread over much of South Asia
Form of government; had a rajah as the chief of each tribe.
Nomadic herders
Legends and hymns describe them as people who liked singing, dancing,
gambling on chariot races and waging war and were often at war
Herds were the basis of their diet and economy and served as money.
They soon settled down into an agricultural way of life and also they banned
meat as they started to consider their herds sacred.
Men dominated the Aryan world.
Women had say in choosing their husband and took part in religious
ceremonies and social affairs. Also allowed to remarry if widowed.
Both girls and boys of high ranked families attended school where they were
taught about the Aryan traditions.
Aryan Language and Traditions
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No written language since they were nomadic.
Sanskrit, their spoken language evolved slowly and became
one of the major languages of India.
Sanskrit had many of the same root words as English, Spanish,
French, and German. It also has many words from the
languages of the people living in India from before the Aryan
invasion.
Aryans sang hymns and recited epics (long poems celebrating
deeds of legendary heroes)
Passed on the hymns and epics from generation to generation
for centuries. Then finally developed a written from of Sanskrit
and priests put the hymns, poems, legends and religious rituals
into holy books known as Vedas a.k.a “Books of Knowledge”,
which formed basis of Aryan religious practices.
Aryans left no artifacts or structures behind so all that we know
about them is from the Vedas that explain their way of life.
Oldest of four Vedas is the Rig-Veda which is also the worlds
oldest religious texts still in use.
Picture of a page
from the “RigVeda”, in Sanskrit
Aryan Social Structure
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Brahmans were the priests. They studied and
taught the Vedas, performed religious
ceremonies to please Aryans deities and ensure
welfare of people
Kshatriyas were warriors and rulers. They
studies the Vedas and lead government and head
armies.
Vasisya were the common people like the
merchants, the artisans, and the farmers. They
tended herds, cared for land, and made and sold
useful products
The Sudras were unskilled laborers and
servants. They served other varnas.
The Pariahs were slaves who preformed the
tasks that were considered unclean and were
often shunned by people.
Each varna had its own duty and took pride in
doing them.
By 500 B.C the varnas were divided into smaller
groups called jati which was formed according to
occupations.
Jati had their own rules for diet, marriage and
social customs. The groups lived separately and
did not mix socially with others.
Centuries later the Europeans named the varna
and jati to the caste system where there was no
way for one to change their social status. It all
depended on which class you were born into.
The Concept of Duty
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The Vedas outlined the dharma or duties of the males who belonged
to each varna. Members of each varna were encouraged to do their
own duty.
The epic “Mahabharata” depicts this. In this poem Arjuna (the
prince/warrior) did not want to take part in a battle because the
people he was fighting against were his relatives. The god Krishna
told him the he needed to complete his dharma by fighting in the
battle. In this story/poem Arjuna symbolizes every man and the
battle symbolizes life.
The concept of dharma included doing what was proper for one’s
age. For example, a male student would follow an occupation
appropriate for his class then continue living a life appropriate for
himself. The same went for the women. This concept affected every
member of society.
India’s Two Epics
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Both epics addressed the concept of good and evil.
Mahabharata-100,000 verses long and as long as the fist
five books of the Bible. The Bhagavad Gita, the tale of
Arjuna is part of this epic.
Ramayana- 24,000 verses, tale of Rama and Sita. Rama
was ideal king and Sita was his faithful wife. This epic
describes the struggle between good and evil. The story
tells how the demon Ravana captures Sita. In the end
she is saved and both Rama and Sita are reunited.
Most epics end in good winning over evil.
Universal Spirit of Hinduism
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Hinduism is based on different beliefs and practices, many of
which had their roots in the Vedas and the Indian epics.
Hinduism became a complex religion of many deities.
Three gods prevail: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver),
Siva (destroyer)
The Upanishads (religious writings) tell of a universal spirit
present within all life. According to these writings, gods, humans,
and animals—have souls.
The Upanishads say that all souls are part of one eternal spirit
and to know true freedom, a soul must be separated from the
material world.
The authors of the Upanishads encouraged the practice of yoga,
which is a discipline that combines physical and mental exercises
designed to help one achieve a state of tranquility.
Cycle of Rebirth
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The idea of reincarnation (rebirth of the soul) came from
the Upanishads.
Hindus believe the soul passes through many lifetimes
before if finally reaches tranquility.
Reincarnation is determined by karma. Karma is the idea
that how a person lives his or her life determines what
form the person will take in the next life. To move forward
to becoming one with the universal sprit one must
perform good deeds and complete their dharma. Union
with Brahman/the universal spirir is moksha which ends
the cycle of life, death and rebirth. If one does not fulfill
their dharma they will reincarnate to a lower varna.
Jainism
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Teacher & founder was Mahavira. He placed a special
emphasis on the practice of ahimsa.
Jainism was a new religion that rejected sacrifices and
ridge Hindu social divisions.
It believed in the sacredness of all life.
They were to the extent that they used to carry brooms
and swept away insects so they wouldn’t step on them.
They never farmed and did plow under living things.
Soon they became wealthy and influenced many people.
The Buddha
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Siddhartha Gautama was the founder of Buddhism and began his
life as a Kshatryia prince.
When Gautama’s charioteer drove him around his estates he
became aware of human misery, sickness and death.
He left his wife and newborn son to find out why people suffered and
how it could be prevented.
For 7 years he lived as a solitary person trying to find truth through
self-denial and fasting.
One day he gained a flash of insight that gave him an answer to the
problem of suffering.
He preached his message to people and started to gain followers.
Soon people started calling him Buddha or “The Enlightened One”.
BUDDHA!
Four Noble Truths
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Buddha outlined his main ideas into the “Four
Noble Truths”.
First was that all people suffer and know sorrow.
Second was that people suffer because their
desires bind them to the cycle of rebirth.
Third was that people could end their suffering
by letting go of their desires.
Fourth was that one could eliminate desire by
following the Eightfold Path.
The Eightfold Path
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Buddha urged his disciples to do eight things: 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 and practice meditation.
He said that if u avoid extremes and following his Eightfold Path
you could attain nirvana (state of extinction)
He rejected the varna system and taught that a persons place in
the world depended on the person not on which class he was
born into.
Hi didn’t believe in Hindu deities.
He didn’t not believe in reincarnation but taught that if one
reached nirvana then they were free of the cycle of suffering
(reincarnation).
Architecture and the Arts of
Buddhism
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Buddhist architects built stupas (large stone
mounds over the bones of holy people) Known
for their elaborately carved stone gateways.
Paintings and statues of Buddha, carved of
polished stone or wood covered with gilt,
adorned stupas and cave temples.
Books about the Buddha’s life and teachings
were often beautifully illustrated.
Divisions of Buddhism
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Buddhism spread as disagreements grew.
Two distinct branches of Buddhism developed.
Theravada Buddhism was established in South
Asia and Southeast Asia. It remained fairly close
in practice to the original teachings of Buddha,
regarding him as a teacher.
Mahayana Buddhism became dominant in
China, Korea, and Japan. These followers
worship the Buddha as a divine being and
savior.
The Mauryan Empire
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A military officer, Chandragupta Maurya, united the
independent Indian states and proclaimed himself as
ruler of the Mauryan empire.
Magadha, one of many small independent states in
northern India became the capital of the empire.
Chandragupta Maurya was a skilled administrator who
united his empire.
He created a postal system, maintained a strong army
and developed an extensive spy network.
Asoka’s Enlightened Rule
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Asoka (Chandragupta’s grandson) was a fierce warrior.
He expanded the empire that eventually covered 2/3 of
the Indian subcontinent.
In the aftermath of a brutal battle Asoka became
horrified by the smell of blood and the cries of human
suffering. An enlightened Asoka became a Buddhist
and spread its teaching throughout India.
Laws based on Buddhist principles were carved on rock
in Sanskrit-known as the Rock Edicts.
Asoka provided free hospitals and veterinary clinics.
Build roads & rest houses.
Allowed his non-Buddhist subjects to remain Hindu.
Collapse Of Mauryan Empire
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Mauryan Empire declined after Asoka’s death in
232 B.C
His successors were not as enlightened as he
was. They levied heavy taxes on the goods sold
by merchants and seized large portions of crops
grown by peasants.
These policies caused the people to turn against
the Mauryas.
When the last Mauryan king died, northern India
split into many smaller kingdoms.
The Gupta Empire
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Around A.D 310 Chandragupta I (not related to
Chandragupta Mayura) founded the Gupta
dynasty which ruled northern India for more than
200 years.
Gupta period=“Indian Golden Ages”
Controlled a smaller area than the Mauryas.
Did not gain control of the Indus Valley or the
Deccan plateau.
Gupta Religion
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The Gupta rulers encouraged learning based on
the ideas found in the Upanishads.
Made Hinduism the religion on the empire
Hindu temples were built . They were elaborate
structured with brightly painted sculptures
depicting tales in the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana.
Each temple had its presiding god or goddess
as the Hindus viewed many deities as different
ways of worshiping the “eternal spirit”.
Gupta Life and Achievements
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Reached height under Chandragupta II
Chandragupta II eased taxes and gave the people more freedom.
Status of women declined.
Poets, playwrights, philosophers, and scientists.
Stories – collection of tales called Panchatantra taught lessons
through animals who acted like humans.
Math was very significant then. Advances in algebra. Concept of
infinity and invented the concept of zero. Devised symbols for
numbers 1-9.
Astronomers used math to advance understanding of the universe.
Realized earth was round and had little knowledge of gravity.
In medicine doctors were able to set bones, perform operations and
invented many medical instruments.
The Gupta Age Ends
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After Chandragupta II died the empire began to
fail.
Government weakened.
Gupta Empire faced many external invasions
By A.D 600 the Gupta Empire had become a
collection of small independent states.