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Chapter 3
Ancient India and China
2600 B.C.- 550 A.D.
Section 1- Early Civilizations of
India and Pakistan
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Geography
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Subcontinent- a large landmass that juts out from a
continent
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal Bhutan
Mountains- Hindu Kush and Himalayas
Three zones- Gangetic Plain, Deccan plateau and the
coastal plains
Monsoons- seasonal winds
• October- blow from northeast
• June- blow from southwest
Indus Civilization
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Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
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Well planned cities
3 miles in circumference
Well planned plumbing systems
Farmers and traders
Contact with Sumer
Writing is not related to Cuneiform
Polytheistic
Veneration for buffalo and bull
Sacred Cow
Decline 1900 B.C.
 Cities
abandoned
 No more writing
 Crude pottery
 Flood?
 Earthquake?
 Attack?
Aryan Civilization
 2000
B.C.-1500 B.C. the Aryans migrated
into India from southern Russia
 Most of what we know about them comes
from the Vedas
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The Vedas are a collection of hymns, chants,
ritual instructions, and other religious
teachings
1500-500 B.C. called the Vedic Age
From Nomads to Farming
 The Aryans
mixed with the people they
conquered
 Learned how to farm from them
 Developed iron axes and weapons
 Rulers called Rajahs
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Depended on a council of elders
Fought with other rajahs
Societal Structure
 People
divided into groups depending on
their occupation
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1. Brahmins- priests
2. Kshatriyas- warriors
3. Vaisyas- herders, farmers, artisans and
merchants
4. Sudras- people with little or no Aryan blood.
Included farmers, servants and laborers.
Lowest place in society.
Religious Beliefs
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Polytheistic
Gods and goddesses embodied natural forces
Chief god was Indra, god of war
Brahmins offered sacrifices or food and drink to
the gods for their good favor
Brahman- a single spiritual power that exists in
everything
Mystics- people who seek direct communion
with divine forces
Epic Literature
 Written
in Sanskrit
 Mahabharata and the Ramayana
 Inside the Mahabharata is the BhagavadGita
 Dharma- devotion to one’s duty
Hinduism
(quiz material starts here)
Characteristics of Hinduism
 Very
complex
 Countless gods and goddesses
 “God is one, but wise people know it by
many names.”
 All god and goddesses are a part of the
brahman and make it more tangible
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Brahma- creator
Vishnu- preserver
Shiva- destroyer
Sacred Texts
 Vedas
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Upanishads- one section of the Vedas that
deals with mystical questions
Who is the Knower?
What makes my mind think?
Does life have a purpose, or is it governed by
chance?
What is the cause of the Cosmos?
– Upanishads
Bhagavad-Gita
 “song
of the divine one”
 Told by Krishna- and avatar of Vishnu
 Concise guide to Hindu philosophy and a
guide to life
Achieving Moksha
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Atman- essential self
Moksha- uniting with brahman
Reincarnation- rebirth of the soul into another
bodily form
 Karma- actions in this life that affect your fate in
the next life
 All existence is ranked, humans are closest to
brahman
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Live a good life, create good karma, reborn into a
higher existence
Live a bad life, create bad karma, suffer at a lower
level of existence
Achieving Moksha continued…
 Dharma-
religious and moral duty of an
individual
 Ahimsa- non-violence
Jainism
 Mahavira
develops Jainism around 500
B.C.
 Rejected the authority of Brahmin priests
 Emphasized meditation, self-denial, and
extreme forms of ahimsa
Buddhism
Buddhism Spreads Beyond India
 Buddhist
monasteries become centers of
learning
 Spreads to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Nepal,
Bhutan, Korea, Japan
Dalai Lama
 Tibetan
Buddhism
 Called Gelug Buddhism
Tripitaka
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“Three Baskets of Wisdom”
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Basket of Discipline- rules for monastic life
Basket of Discourse- contains sermons and
discussion of ethics and doctrine attributed to the
Buddha or his disciples
Basket of Special Doctrine- additional doctrine
All contain legends and other narratives as well
Total canon of Theravada Buddhism
 Preliminary body of teachings for Mahayana
Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
 Easier
for ordinary people to follow
 Picture the Buddha and other holy beings
as compassionate gods
 Afterlife filled with many heavens and hells
 Spread to China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan
Theravada Buddhism
 Follows
Buddha’s original teachings
 Life devoted to hard spiritual work
 Only monks and nuns could hope to
achieve nirvana
 Spread to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia