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Classical India

Classical India . 600 B.C . – A.D. 600. Early Indians – Aryans . Vedic Aryans entered India between 1,500 and 1,200 B.C. (Indo-European Migrants) They conquered the native Dravidian culture by virtue of their superiority due to their horses & iron weapons . Aryan Varnas (Social Classes).

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Classical India

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  1. Classical India 600 B.C. – A.D. 600

  2. Early Indians – Aryans • Vedic Aryans entered India between 1,500 and 1,200 B.C. (Indo-European Migrants) • They conquered the native Dravidian culture by virtue of their superiority due to their horses & iron weapons

  3. Aryan Varnas (Social Classes) • Brahmans – Priests – study and teach the Vedas, perform religious ceremonies to please Aryan deities & ensure welfare of people • Kshatriyas – Warriors – study the Vedas, lead gov’t & head the army • Vaisyas – Common people: merchants, artisans, farmers – tend herds, care for land; make & sell useful products • Sudras – Unskilled laborers, servants – serve other varnas • Pariahs – Slaves – perform tasks considered unclean (also called “Untouchables”)

  4. The Caste System • Varnas were divided into smaller groups known as jati (formed according to occupations) • Europeans named this system of social classes the caste system • Born into group & cannot change • Marry within group • Dharma – duties of the males who belong to each varna (societal roles)

  5. Hinduism • "Ekam sat viprah bahudah vadanti" (Truth, or God, is one, but wise men call Him/It by different names) • Most important gods: Brahma (the Creator); Vishnu (the Preserver); Siva (the Destroyer) • Every person has an essential self (atman), which is part of one eternal spirit Brahman Nerguna • Moksha - goal (reunited w/ Brahman Nerguna) • Reincarnation continues through cycles of rebirth until a soul reaches spiritual perfection • Karma (how a person lives his/her life) determines the form of the next life • Ahimsa – nonviolence towards all living things

  6. What do you think happens when people do not perform their dharma? How did the caste system provide a sense of order in society?

  7. New Religions • During the 6th & 5th centuries B.C., new religions and philosophies emerged that rejected the brahmins’ superiority and appealed to the interests of new social classes. • Hinduism goes through an evolution that transforms it into a popular religion of salvation seen through the great epics.

  8. Jainism • Mahavira (Nataputra Vardhamana) – teacher/founder who placed a special emphasis on ahimsa (about 500 B.C.) • Rejected Brahmin domination, sacrifices & the caste system • Refused to farm (for fear of plowing under living things) & turned to commerce • Use a broom to sweep aside insects

  9. Buddhism (Intro) Siddhartha Gautama was born about 563 B.C. into a high ranking family of the Kshatriya caste. A prophet predicted that the boy would someday become a wandering holy man. To stop that from happening, Gautama’s father kept him in the palace, surrounded by comfort and luxury. He married a beautiful woman and had a son who filled his hours with joy.

  10. Buddhism (Intro 2) Then one day, he rode beyond the palace gardens and saw for the first time a sick person, an old person & a dead body. The new awareness of human suffering disturbed him. He left his sleeping wife and child never to return. He set out to discover “the realm of life where there is neither suffering nor death.”

  11. Buddhism • After meditating under a giant tree for 48 days, he believed that he understood the cause and cure for suffering & sorrow. He now became the Buddha, the “Enlightened One.” • Four Noble Truths • All life is full of suffering, pain & sorrow. • The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power & long life. • The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire. • The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path

  12. Buddhism (cont.) • The Eightfold Path: the right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right contemplation. • Through meditation, a person might achieve nirvana (union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth) • Accept the laws of karma, dharma & nonviolence • Rejected priests, formal rituals, the existence of many gods and the caste system Compare and contrast Hinduism & Buddhism

  13. Buddhism (cont. 2) • Buddhist monasteries grew into centers of learning • After his death, followers wrote down his teachings into a sacred text, the Tripitaka or “Three Baskets of Wisdom” • “Let no one forget his own duty for the sake of another’s, however great. Let a man, after he has discerned his own duty, be always attentive to his duty.” • “Overcome anger by not growing angry. Overcome evil with good. Overcome the liar by truth.”

  14. Mahayana Buddhism: “the greater vehicle” • Changes from original Buddhism: • Buddha viewed as devine • Bodhisattvas (individuals who reached spiritual perfection, but intentionally delayed nirvana to help others • Monasteries accepted gifts from wealthy individuals • Nalanda became famous as an educational center * The older, stricter faith survives as Theravada Buddhism.

  15. Hindu literature • Vedas – “Books of Knowledge” which formed the basis of Aryan religious practices (oldest is the Rig Veda) • Upanishads – a section that addresses mystical questions • Mahabharata – epic poem (100,000 verses) • Bhagavad Gita – “Song of the Lord” • Ramayana – epic poem (24,000 verses) (These pieces of literature are written in Sanskrit)

  16. Mauryan Empire( - B.C.) • Founder - _____________________________ • Area: ____________________________________ • Achievements/Key Facts: • _____________________________________________ • _____________________________________________

  17. Mauryan Empire (cont.) • Asoka (r. - B.C.) • Known for: ________________________ • Changes: • (1)__________________________________________ • (2) Rock Edicts: _________ ____________________________________________ • (3) (public works) ________ ______________________ ______________________ Evaluate Asoka’s impact on India.

  18. Gupta Empire (A.D. - ) • Founder - _________________________ • Area: __________________________________ • Achievements/Key Facts: • ___________________________________________ • ___________________________________________

  19. Gupta as Golden Age Golden Age - ___________________________ ______________________________________ • (Med.)______________________________ • (Astr.)______________________________ • (Astr.)______________________________ • (Math)______________________________ • (Math)______________________________ • (Trade)________________________________________________________________

  20. Mathematical Achievements • Symbols “1-9” or “Arabic Numerals” • “Zero” as a numerical value & a place marker • The concept of infinity • The theorem bearing the name of the Greek mathematician Pythagorus is found in the Shatapatha Brahmana as well as the Sulba Sutra, the Indian mathematical treatise, written centuries before Pythagorus was born • The Binary number system, essential for computers, was used in Vedic verse meters Write a paragraph on the contributions of the Gupta.

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