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WOMEN IN ANCIENT INDIA 2500-250 B.C.E. I. HISTORY OF INDIA A. GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA 1. HIMALAYAS IN NORTH - HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN WORLD 2. NUMEROUS RIVERS COMING FROM MOUNTAINS 3. MOST IMPORTANT a. INDUS - FATHER OF INDIA b. GANGES - MOTHER OF INDIA 4. NORTHERN RIVER BASINS WATERED BY SEASONAL MONSOONS 5. OTHER DISTINCT GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES a. THAR DESERT IN NORTHWEST b. PUNJAB AREA OF MORE MODERATE CLIMATE c. DECCAN - DESERT d. WESTERN & EASTER GHATS (1) HEAVY FORESTED COAST LINES e. MALABAR COAST (1) RAINFALL HEAVY (2) WHERE SPICES FROM f. SURROUNDED BY 3 MAJOR BODIES OF WATER (1) INDIAN OCEAN (2) ARABIAN SEA (3) BAY OF BENGAL B. RECONSTRUCTION OF HISTORY 1. PRESENTS FORMIDABLE PROBLEMS AS NO WRITTEN LANGUAGE FOR EARLIEST CENTURIES LIKE NEAR EAST & CHINA 2. EARLIEST WRITTEN SOURCES RELIGIOUS IN NATURE a. WHETHER PRESCRIPTIVE OR DESCRIPTIVE PROBLEMATIC 3. INDIA NOT BROUGHT UNDER 1 RULER UNTIL ASHOKA IN MAURYAN EMPIRE C. 3RD. C. B.C.E. 4. AFTER BREAKDOWN OF THIS EMPIRE IN NEXT GENERATION, NO EQUALLY STRONG CENTRAL GOVT ESTABLISHED UNTIL 4TH C. A.C.E. 5. INDIA THEREFORE HAS MANY LANGUAGES, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY & HISTORY II. WOMEN IN INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION 2500-1500 B.C.E. A. INTRODUCTION TO CIVILIZATION 1. EARLIEST CIVILIZATION IN INDUS RIVER VALLEYS a. IN PUNJAB AREA (1) NOW NW INDIA & PAKISTAN b. IN SIND AREA (1) NOW GUJARAT IN INDIA 2. DARK-SKINNED INDIGNEOUS PEOPLE 3. SITES ONLY DISCOVERED THIS LAST CENTURY 4. YET CIVILIZATION LASTED 1000 YEARS 5. WRITING NOT YET DECIPHERED B. STRUCTURE OF CIVILIZATION 2 APPEARS TO BE SOPHISTICATED & HIGHLY ORGANIZED a. AGRICULTURE & TRADING CULTURE b. KNOWN TO HAVE TRADED WITH MESOPOTAMIA c. WIDE NETWORK OF IMPORTS & EXPORTS 2. IRRIGATION SYSTEM 3. STANDARD WEIGHTS & MEASURES 4. STANDARIZED BRICKS FOR BUILDING 5. SEWER SYSTEMS UNDERGROUND EVEN WITH MANHOLE COVERS 6. RITUAL BATHING AREAS 7. OBSESSION WITH CLEANLINESS & PURIFICATION a. STILL IMPORTANT PART OF HINDU CULTURE 8. EACH HOME HAD BATHROOM 9. OVER 70 CITIES a. MANY MORE TOWNS & VILLAGES b. ABANDONED NOW 10. MAJOR CITIES a. MOHENJO-DARO (1) TRADED DIRECTLY WITH SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION b. HARAPPAN (1) BY 2300 B.C.E. HAD 35,000 PEOPLE c. LOTHAL RELIGION OF INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION 1. WORSHIPPED FORMS OF MOTHER-GODDESS DEVI 2. WORSHIPPED SHIVA a. LORD OF THE DANCE b. HE BOTH GIVER & DESTROYER OF LIFE IN LATER HINDU PANTHEON 3. ART FORM OF SOMEONE IN YOGI POSITION 4. IMAGES OF GODDESSES PROVIDED MODEL FOR FIGURES RECURRING FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS DOWNFALL OF INDUS CIVILIZATION 1. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT DUE TO INVASION OF INDOEUROPEANS ARYANS 2. BUT NOW THOUGHT DUE TO NATURAL CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKES & SILTING UP OF RIVERS & HEAVY FLOODING 3. COURSE OF INDUS & GHAGGER & HAKRA RIVERS CHANGED DRASTICALLY & SUDDENLY 1. C. D. III. WOMEN IN ARYAN CULTURE OR VEDIC AGE 1500-500 B.C.E A. INTRODUCTION 1. AS FEW ARTIFACTUAL EVIDENCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF ARYANS COMES PRIMARILY FROM THEIR RELIGIOUS WRITINGS a. THE VEDAS 2. THEY LEFT NO CITIES LIKE HARAPPA IV. WOMEN IN VEDIC AGE OR ARYAN AGE A. ARYANS 1. CAME TO INDIAN IN C 1500 B.C.E. 3 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. B. INDO-EUROPEAN SPEAKING (SANSCRIT) ENTERED INDIA VIA HINDU KUSH NOMADIC, CATTLE-RAISING PEOPLE EVENTUALLY WILL SETTLE GANGIC PLAINS THEIR RELIGION WILL DEVELOP INTO HINDUISM a. BUT PROBABLY AMALGAMATION OF INDIGNEOUS BELIEFS & THEIR OWN b. WHEN MALE GODS TOOK OVER SUPREMACY FROM FEMALE GODDESSES SOURCES FOR WOMEN 1. RELIGIOUS WRITINGS a. VEDAS - RIG VEDA, UPANISHADS, 2. LAW CODES - LAW OF MANU 3. EPICS - MAHABHARATA, RAMAYANA 4. VEDAS FORM EARLIEST & MOST AUTHORITATIVE SCRIPTURAL CORPUS FOR HINDUS a. DATING FROM 1500-500 B.C.E 5. BROUGHT WITH THEM INDO-EUROPEAN TRADITION OF a. PATRILINEAL & PATRILOCAL FAMILY 6. GOALS OF LIFE a. PRESERVATION OF MALE DOMINANCE & ARYAN IDENTITY b. DESIRE FOR PROGENY, PROSPERITY & LONGEVITY 7. RELIGIOUS RITUALS TO ACHIEVE ABOVE GOALS a. BASED PRIMARILY ON FAMILY 8. WOMEN AS WIFE & MOTHER IMPORTANT TO THOSE GOALS V. ROLE OF HINDUISM IN ESTABLISHING WOMEN'S ROLE IN ANCIENT INDIA A. FACETS OF HINDUISM 1. KARMA 2. DHARMA 3. REINCARNATION 4. CASTE SYSTEM B. SPECIFIC ROLE OF WIVES IN RITUALS 1. HUSBAND AS PATRIARCHAL HEAD WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CHARGE OF RITUALS 2. SOME SAY WOMEN SILENT PARTNERS IN VEDIC RITUALS 3. BUT OTHERS THINK OTHERWISE 4. FOR UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES COULD GODS BE LEFT UNATTENDED & IGNORED 5. SO IF WIFE ALONE IN HOUSE SHE ASSUMED RITUAL ROLE OF HOST TO GODS 6. HER USUAL JOB TO TEND HOUSEHOLD FIRE a. NEVER ALLOWED TO GO OUT VI. GODDESSES A. GENERAL REMARKS 1. NUMEROUS GODDESSES B. SARASWATI 1. CONSORT TO BRAHMA a. ONCE MIGHTIEST OF HINDU GODS C. D. E. F. G. 4 (1) SET WORLD IN MOTION (2) LOST NB WITH EMERGENCE OF SHIVA & VISNUA 2. SHE RIDES WHITE SWAN 3. GODDESS OF LEARNING, ELOQUENCE, KNOWLEDGE 4. HELD IN SPECIAL ESTEEM BY STUDENTS, WRITERS, MUSICIANS 5. SHE CREATED FRUITS OF CIVILIZATION a. 1ST ALPHABET b. ARTS c. MATHEMATICS d. MUSIC e. MAGIC 6. MANY CONSIDER HER MOTHER OF ALL LIFE SINCE IT WAS HER DIVINE ENERGY UNITED WITH AWARENESS OF BRAHMA PARVATI 1. SHIVA'S WIFE 2. IN HER INCARNATIONS SHE IS a. DURA - 10 ARMED GODDESS OF BATTLE b. OR KALI - MORE LATER LAKSMI 1. WIFE OF VISHNU (THE PRESERVER, ALSO KRISHNA & RAMA, (SITA'S HUSBAND) 2. OFTEN SHOWN SEATED ON LOTUS 3. GODDESS OF GOOD FORTUNE, PROSPERITY, WEALTH & BEAUTY 4. SHE REPRESENTS ALL THAT IS FEMININE 5. WHILE HER CONSORT VISHNU a. REPRESENTS ALL THAT IS MASCULINE 6. ALSO WORSHIPED AS SITA a. INCARNATION OF PERFECT WIFE DURGA 1. WARRIOR GODDESS 2. ONE OF AVATARS OF DEVI 3. SHE IS INVINCIBLE IN BATTLE GODDESS DEVI AS SHAKTI 1. LIKE HER PALEOLITHIC ANCESTOR DEVI-SHAKTI a. LESS ANTHROPOMORPHIC THAN CONCEPTUAL 2. ESSENCE OF BEING 3. ENERGY OF COSMOS THAT GIVES ETERNITY 4. VERYTHING COMES FROM HER 5. SHE IS SINGLE SOURCE OF ENERGY OF ALL THAT HAPPENS & EVER WILL HAPPEN 6. ONE GREAT MOTHER KALI 1. MOST TERRIBLE ASPECT OF DEVI 2. KALI SENT TO EARTH TO DESTROY RACE OF DEMONS a. BUT CAUSED SUCH DEVASTATION MANY DIED 3. TO BRING END TO SLAUGHTER HER HUSBAND SHIVA THREW HIMSELF UPON DEAD BODIES 4. ONLY WHEN KALI REALIZED SHE TRAMPLING ON SHIVA'S CORPSE DID SHE COME TO HER SENSES 5 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. KALI OFTEN DEPICTED AS BLACK GODDESS HER TEETH ARE BLOOD-STAINED FANGS RIVERS OF BLOOD FLOW FROM HER SHE IS CREATIVE & DESTRUCTIVE FORCE IN INDIA TODAY BLOODY SACRIFICES STILL MADE TO a. b. VII. HER KALIGHAT TEMPLE IN CALCUTTA CALCUTTA NAMED FOR HER MARRIAGE & FAMILY CUSTOMS A. ROLES OF MAIDEN & BRIDE 1. MUCH OF IDEAL ROLE OF WOMAN a. CAN BE LEARNED FROM IMAGES OF MAIDEN & BRIDE 2. IN RIG VEDA DAUGHTER & MAIDEN PRAISED FOR THEIR a. BEAUTY b. APPEALING ADORNMENT c. AMPLE HIPS 3. THIS DESCRIPTION SUGGESTS a. INTEREST IN FEMININE SENSUALITY b. CHILD-BEARING CAPACITY OF GIRL 4. AT FESTIVAL GATHERINGS a. YOUNG VIRGINS MET ELIGIBLE MEN b. FLIRTATIOUS COUPLED AFTER INITIATING RELATIONSHIP c. TURNED TO PARENTS FOR APPROVAL d. & MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENTS 5. BUT GIRL WATCHED AS SHE TO BE VIRGIN BRIDE 6. IN ADDITION PRACTICAL ADVICE GIVEN TO BRIDE a. SHE NOT TO BE ANGRY OR HOSTILE TO HUSBAND b. WIFE TO BE (1) TENDER (2) AMIABLE (3) GLORIOUS (4) MOTHER OF MALES (a) MAY YOU BE THE MOTHER OF A HUNDRED SONS 7. BOTH DOMESTIC & PUBLIC RITUALS EMPHASIZED COPRESENCE OF HUSBAND & WIFE B. INDIA TANTRIC CULT 1. BASED ON POWER OF FEMALE SEXUALITY 2. TANTRIC CULTS WORSHIPPING GODDESSES WITH MAGICAL CEREMONIES a. APPEARED AMONG BOTH HINDUS & BUDDHISTS 3. ORIGINS OF THESE CULTS OBSCURE a. SINCE FOLLOWERS ENJOINED TO SECRECY WHEN INITATED 4. AFTER INITIATION ONE HAD RIGHT TO PRACTICE & TEACH TANTRA 5. SOME SCHOLARS BELIEVE ITS SEXUAL SYMBOLISM TREACEABLE TO PHALLIC SYMBOLS FOUND IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN INDUS VALLEY CULTURE C. D. 6 SATI 1. TALE OF DISMEMBERMENT OF GREAT GODDESS IN HER FORM AS SATI a. WIFE OF SIVA 2. SATI STORY ECHOES ELEMENTS OF EGYPTIAN STORY OF ISIS & OSIRIS 3. & IS PERHAPS RELATED TO INDIAN STORY OF RAMA'S WIFE SITA a. WHO CALLED THE FURROW b. BECAUSE SHE WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN BORN IN A PLOWED FIELD DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION FOR MALES & INFERIORITY FOR FEMALES 1. AS MORE & MORE RITUALS DEVELOPED 2. IT BECAME NECESSARY FOR BRAHMAN MALES TO DEVOTE MORE TIME TO LEARNING 3. AT THIS TIME YOUNG GIRLS OR WOMEN NOT ALLOWED TO BE EDUCATED 4. SOON IT WAS NECESSARY FOR UNEDUCATED WOMEN TO BE MORE CHASTE AS a. MEN CONTROLLED MORE & MORE OF HINDU RITUALS