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Foundations of Indian Civilization Jasmine Ellis AP World History Period 2 Geography North – The Himalayas East, South, & West – Indian Ocean India’s most permeable frontier lies in the North West, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Thar Desert east of the Indus River. Geography The Indian Subcontinent can be divided into three topographical zones Mountainous Northern Zone – heavily forested foothills and high meadows at the edge of the Hindu Kush and Himalaya ranges Basins of the Indus and Ganges Rivers – the rivers repeatedly overflow depositing layers of silt which create alluvial plains The peninsula proper – separate by the Vindhya range and the Deccan Plateau, it is arid and rocky The rim of the northern mountains shelters it from cold arctic winds & gives it a subtropical climate The subcontinent is frequented by seasonal monsoons Economic The great basins of the Indus and Ganges Rivers as well as the monsoons, allow for India’s agricultural economy. In some places there are three harvests per year. The Southwest monsoon begins in June, bring moisture to the Ganges Basin. On the Ganges Delta rice is grown, wheat, barley and millet are grown elsewhere. Agriculture in the Indus Valley relies on extensive irrigation due to its lack of rain The ocean surrounding the peninsula was no barrier to travel & trade. Mariners learned to ride the seasonal monsoon winds. Political There was bitter rivalry and warfare between two groups of people: The Aryas – relatively light-skinned & spoke IndoEuropean languages The Dasas – dark-skinned speakers of Dravidian languages The Aryas pushed the Dasas south into central and southern India. Social India was a patriarchal society where the father was the head of the family There is little known of the role of women however they did participate in sacrificial rituals and had the right to own property. Skin color has consistently been a concern of Indian society and is, historically the basis social divisions. Vedic Age System of Varna (meaning color, came to mean class) Brahmin – priests and scholars Kshatriya – warriors and officials Vaishya – merchants, artisans, and landowners Shudra – peasants and laborers (may have initially been reserved for Dasas who often had the most basic jobs, the term Dasa came to mean slave ) A 5th class known as the untouchables evolved, these people held demeaning jobs involving physical contact with dead animals/humans Social The population was further subdivided into numerous jati (birth groups a.k.a caste system), each with its own proper occupation, duties, and rituals. Individuals who belonged to a given jati could not intermingle with others outside of that jati. Members of higher status groups feared pollution from contact with lower-class individuals and practiced complex rituals of purification to remove any taint This system was connected and justified by the belief in reincarnation based on karma of the atman or internal essence. Religion Vedic Religion emphasized the worship of male deities through sacrifices Sacrifices invigorated gods, sustained creative powers, promote stability & were preformed by Brahmin priests only which gave them great political power Sharp internal division with complex hierarchical groups, where roles of each individual were specific The stringency of the social hierarchy and religious control of the Brahmin priests contributed to the rise of Jainism and Buddhism Jainism Jainism was one of the most serious threats to the Vedic religion Mahavira, Jina “the conqueror” to followers, established Jainism Emphasizes the holiness of the life force within & strict nonviolence Those who were very committed, practiced extreme asceticism and nudity, ate only what they were given by others, and eventually starved to death Less zealous Jainists, didn’t do agriculture work as they were against killing. These people usually lived and worked in the cities, engaging in commerce and banking. Religion Buddhism Posed a more significant threat to the Vedic religion & later spread through Central, Southeast & East Asia Founded by Siddhartha Gautama known as the Buddha “Enlightened One” “Four Noble Truths” Life is suffering Suffering arises from desire The solution to suffering lies in curbing desire Desire can be curbed if a person follows the “Eightfold Path” of views i.e. aspirations, speech, conduct, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and meditation Buddhism centered on the individual, however it did not quite reject the existence of gods, rather denied their usefulness to a person seeking enlightenment. Emphasized living with moderation in order to minimize desire and suffering, and searching for spiritual truth through self discipline and meditation The ultimate reward was nirvana, with which came the release from reincarnation and achievement of a state of perpetual tranquility Religion Hinduism Vedic religion evolved into Hinduism after being challenged by new spiritually gratifying and liberating movements, practiced today by millions in Southeast Asia Although based on the Aryas Vedic religion, it incorporates elements of the Dravidian cultures such as the emphasis on intense devotion to the deity and the prominence of fertility rituals and symbolism Brahmin priests maintained their high social status and influence, sacrifice became less central, and more opportunity for direct contact between gods and individuals arose Gods were altered in identity and relationship with humanity Hinduism emphasizes personal devotion to a specific deity usually Vishnu, Shiva, or Devi, these gods can appear in many guises Offers the worshipper multiple approaches to God and obtaining divine favor. Knowledge of sacred truths, mental and physical discipline, or extraordinary devotion to one deity. Hinduism responded to the need of people for personal deities with whom they could establish direct connections, this is one element relating to its success. Intellectual Teachings of Mahavira – the creator of the belief system Jainism Siddhartha Gautama – the creator of Buddhism Artistic Buddhist worshippers built stupas, large earthen mounds that symbolize the universe Buddhists also made sculptures of the Buddha Hindus built temples representing the celestial mountain of gods
