1. Ancient India Microlecture 2 Vedic India

2. The Beginning of the Vedic Period • Sometime between 2500 and 1800 BCE • Aryans began moving into India • Apparently NOT the cause of the fall of Indus Civilization • Farmers without written language • Used Khyber Pass

3. Vedic India • Whoever the post-Indus civilization was: • Brought with them an oral tradition known as the Vedas (truth) • Oldest and best known is Rigveda • Collection of stories including beginning of world, Vedic people’s victory over others in India, drinking songs • Reveres Indra • Monistic Creation

4. Rigveda

5. How do we get along? • Upanishads, Ramayana • salt in water & the cycle of Samsara • Dharma & Caste • Punishments & Rewards in the Vedic/Hindu system of thought • Karma, Dharma, Caste, & Samsara • The Ramayana - Vishnu’s take on death

6. Mahavira & the Jain Answer • Asceticism in Hinduism • keeping karma pure • Jains & extreme asceticism • Wandering the world without harming it

7. “The Middle Path:” Buddhism • Siddartha Gautama • Life is suffering • Suffering is caused by desire • Suffering can be ended by eliminating desire • 8-fold path • Success eliminating suffering allows escape from Samsara

8. Indian Mathematics • By 100CE, Indian Mathematicians had developed what has now become the world standard numerical system. • Base 10 • Place-holder system • Use of “0” in unoccupied places • Single digit numerical symbols

9. Indian Impact on Ancient World • A unique view of human relationship to nature that solved the problems of civilization in terms of mind and spirit, rather than technology. • Trade of goods and ideas • Maritime technology • Mathematics that would assist other cutures in building technology