Ancient India Overview: Notes PDF
Document Details
Uploaded by LuxuriantCornflower
Tags
Summary
This document provides an overview of ancient India, covering geographical features, climate, the people, and their religions, including Hinduism. The document also features some basic information on the origins of Hinduism.
Full Transcript
Ancient India Overview: Notes Geography of Ancient India Where is India? India is located inSouth Asiaand covers a massive area of land called a subcontinent. ○ Subcontinent:alargesection of...
Ancient India Overview: Notes Geography of Ancient India Where is India? India is located inSouth Asiaand covers a massive area of land called a subcontinent. ○ Subcontinent:alargesection of acontinentthat issmallerthan the continent itself Severallandformsandbodies of water surround the Indian subcontinent. These natural barriersseparatethe Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia. What is the climate like in India? India usually haswarmertemperatures, similar to Egypt and Mesopotamia, but it receives much morerainfalleach year due to winds calledmonsoons. ○ Monsoon:windpattern that influences the climate and leads towetanddry seasons Monsoon winds from theArabian Seabring heavy amounts of rainfall to the Indian subcontinent during thesummer. The rain is an important water source foragriculture, especiallyduring ancient times, but also results in destructivefloods. Monsoon winds from theHimalayasbring dry weatherto the Indian subcontinent during thewinter. Who were the people of ancient India? India was home totwodifferentcivilizationsduringancient history. ○ TheIndus Valley Civilization, or theHarappans, livedalong theIndus Riverin the modern-day country of Pakistan. ○ TheIndo-Aryan Civilization, or theAryans, migratedfrom Central Asia and settled along the Indus River andGanges RiverinNortheast India. Theoriginsof several ideas andcultural valuesinmodern-day India can be traced back to theIndo-AryanCivilization. It is important to note that the people of India are not the same as theIndigenous people of theUnited States, whoChristopher Columbusincorrectly labeled “Indians” because he falsely thought he had arrived inIndiaduring his first voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Religion of Ancient India What were the religions in ancient India? Historians cannot read thewritingfrom theIndusValley Civilization, so we do not know theirreligious beliefs. The Indo-Aryans followed a religion calledBrahmanismand recorded their ideas in a group of texts called theVedas. India was responsible for developing severalworldreligionsthat are still practiced today. Hinduism Buddhism Jainism Sikhism What were the origins of Hinduism? The origins of Hinduism date back to at least 1500 BCE, and it is one of theoldest world religions that is still practiced today. Hinduism does not follow a single holy book, such as theBiblein Christianity or the Quranin Islam, but includes multiple texts that werewritten across several centuries. ○ Vedas:a collection ofhymns,rituals, and other textsthat were written in a languagecalledSanskritand influenced early Hinduism ○ Upanishads:series oftextsin which Hinduscholarspresent their interpretations and explanations about theVedasandthe main ideas of Hinduism Unlike other modern religions, there is no singlefounderof Hinduism. ○ TheVedasare the oldest textual evidence about Hinduism,but the Indo-Aryansonly started recording their ideas hundredsof years after migrating toIndia. ○ Some Indo-Aryan beliefs were likely influenced by theIndus Valley Civilization, which created anadvanced societybeforeits disappearance. What are the major beliefs in Hinduism? Hindus, people who practice Hinduism, believe in a singlegodcalledBrahman. Brahman is an invisibleenergy,force, orspiritthatcreated the universe and exists throughout it. Brahman does not have a single physicalbody, butit appears as a variety of Hindu gods in bothhumanandanimalforms. Everyone andeverythingin the world is thought tobe a part ofBrahman. Who are some of the major Hindu gods? Brahma Vishnu Shiva Creator God Preserver God Destroyer and Rama:a version ofVishnuin the TransformerGod Ramayana Krishna:a version ofVishnuin the MahabharataandBhagavad Gita Who are some of the other Hindu gods? Durga:Goddess of War andStrength anesha:God ofNew Beginningsand G Remover of Obstacles Kartikeya:God ofWar akshmi:Goddess ofWealthand L Good Fortune Parvati:Goddess ofLoveand Devotion araswati:Goddess ofKnowledge, Music, S and the Arts Surya:God of theSun What are the major religious beliefs of Hinduism? According to Hinduism, humans’ perception of the world is anillusion, including the idea that people areindividualbeings who areunique. Each person has anatman, which is the part of theself that is also part of Brahman. Since each person is a part of Brahman, thismeans that all people are actually thesame. ○ One way to think about this idea is to imagine tworivers, such as the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia or the Blue Nile and White Nile in Egypt. ○ The rivers appeardifferentwhen flowing on theirseparate paths, but once theymerge, they are part of thesamelarger bodyof water. The ultimate goal of Hinduism is to recognize this reality and live a life according to this truth, which would reunite theatmanwithBrahmanafterdeath. What happens if theatmandoes not reunite with Brahman? If a person does not recognize the reality of Brahman during their lifetime, then theiratmanwill come back in the body of a differentperson, which is known as reincarnation. ○ Reincarnation:rebirthof one’ssoul(atman) Hindus ultimately want toescapethe cycle ofreincarnation. ○ While the idea of being reborn might seem interesting to others, rebirth in another life would be aroadblockto reuniting one’satmanwith Brahman. Thefateof a person’satmanafter death, whetherit was reunification or reincarnation, was determined by theirkarma. ○ Karma:the effect a person’sactionshave on theirsoul(atman) A person who hasgoodkarma will seepositivebenefitsin their current life or future life, whilebadkarma will lead tonegativeconsequences during their current or future life. How does someone get good karma? Hindus believe that all people areborninto the worldwith a specificdharma. ○ Dharma:one’s spiritualduties A person follows their dharma by playing their role in life, such as faithfully performing theirjobto the best of their ability.Dharma also requireshonesty, self-control, and following the rule ofahimsa. ○ Ahimsa:nonviolenceandrespectfor living things If a person follows theirdharma, then their actionswill be rewarded with good karma. What happens with enough good karma? Once a person has earned enough good karma, then they will be freed from reincarnation, which Hindus callsamsara, and reacha new state of being known as moksha. ○ Moksha:achieved when one isreleasedfrom the cycleofrebirth A Hindu who achieves moksha has successfullyreunitedtheiratmanwith Brahman. How does Hinduism affect the world today? Hinduism is thethird-largest religion in theworldafter Christianity and Islam. The majority of Hindus are located inIndiatoday,while others live throughout South Asiaand other countries across the globe, includingFiji, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States. Hinduism is an extremely flexible religion, as its followers can choose to worship differentgods, as well as attend services at atempleor practiceindependentlyat home. Some ideas in Hinduism are included in the other religions that began in India: Buddhism,Jainism, andSikhism. What is Buddhism? Buddhism was developed around 530 BCE by a man namedSiddhartha Gautama, who reached a state of wisdom calledenlightenmentand became known as the Buddha. Buddhists practicenontheism, which does not involvethe worship of any gods. ○ While theBuddhacreated the religion, he did notclaim to be agodor believe in the gods that are a part ofHinduism. How did Siddhartha become the Buddha? (3 slides) According to Buddhist beliefs, Siddhartha was born as a wealthyprincein the modern-day country ofNepal. A prophet predicted that Siddhartha would become a greatking, but he would become aspiritual leaderinstead if he saw humansuffering. Siddhartha’s father did not want this outcome, so he shielded his son from seeing anypainand prevented him from leaving the palace grounds. When Siddhartha was 29, he snuck out of the palace and saw anolderman, asick man, and adeadman. He was frightened by the realizationthat he and his loved ones would eventually suffer for the same reasons. Siddhartha also met anascetic, a person who doesnot own any possessions, content with havingnothingbecause he would eventuallyloseit anyway. Siddhartha was motivated by these events to give up his life as a prince. He left his family,wealth, andpossessionsbehind so he coulddiscover how to endhuman suffering. Siddhartha spent the next six yearstravelingaroundIndia and studying with severalteachersandasceticsso he could learn howto end suffering. He tried multiple methods during this time, such asfastingandmeditation. ○ Fastingis when a person does not havefoodordrinkfor an extended time. ○ Meditationinvolvesfocusingone’s mind onspiritualideas. Eventually, Siddhartha concluded that this extreme lifestyle ofdenialand starvationdid not lead tohappinessor end suffering. Siddhartha went to the town ofBodh Gayanear theGanges River and is said to havemeditatedunder a fig tree for several weeks,which became known as the Bodhi Tree. During this time of intense reflection, Siddhartha discovered thecausesof suffering and how to end it. He gainedenlightenment,or perfect knowledge about the subject, and became the Buddha or “EnlightenedOne.” The Buddha traveled acrossIndiaover the next forty-fiveyears andtaughtothers how they could also overcomesuffering. What are the major religious beliefs of Buddhism? Buddhists followthreesets of teachings that theBuddha presented. The Middle Way Four Noble Truths Eightfold Path What is the Middle Way? The Buddha grew up as a prince with a lot ofwealthand materialpossessions, but he did not find happiness fromluxury. The Buddha also lived as anasceticfor many years,butdenyinghimself food and living inpovertydid not lead to happiness either. TheMiddle Wayis an approach that encourages Buddhiststo find abalance between these two extreme lifestyles, which will lead to inner peace and avoid suffering. What are the Four Noble Truths? First Noble Truth: Suffering is a part of life, and no one can escapeaging,sickness, death, and other painful experiences. Second Noble Truth: Suffering is caused by cravingpleasure, seekingwealth, and otherselfishdesires. Third Noble Truth: Suffering can be avoided bylettinggoof selfishcravingsand desires. Fourth Noble Truth: TheEightfold Pathis the wayto stop cravings, end suffering, and reachnirvana. ○ Nirvana:a state ofpeacethat is free fromsufferinganddesire What is the Eightfold Path? RightView: accepting the Four Noble Truths RightIntention: living a spiritual life with kindnessand compassion for others RightSpeech: not lying, gossiping, or speaking poorlyabout others RightAction: not stealing or hurting others RightLivelihood: working in a job that does not causeharm to other humans or animals RightEffort: trying to avoid negative or evil thoughtsand having only positive thoughts RightMindfulness: being conscious and in controlof thoughts and feelings RightConcentration: practicing meditation to helpreach enlightenment How does Buddhism compare to Hinduism? The Buddha agreed with the Hindu ideas ofkarmaandreincarnation. The Buddha did not believe in the existence ofBrahmanor theHindu gods. The Buddhist idea ofnirvanaissimilarto the Hinduidea ofmoksha, as both are escapes fromreincarnation. However, Buddhists thinkthey can live in nirvana during theirlife, while Hindus believe they can onlyreach moksha afterdeath. ○ According to Buddhists, thesoulof a person who reachednirvana would simplydisappearinto the emptiness after death. The Buddha believed thatanyonecould achieve nirvana,while a person’ssocial classwould become important to reaching moksha inHinduism. How does Buddhism affect the world today? Buddhism is thefourth-largest religion in theworldafter Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Missionaries, people who spreadreligious ideas, traveledacrossAsiato share the Buddha’steachingsfor several centuries after hisdeath. ○ The majority of Buddhists today are located inSoutheastAsia, including the countries of Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. ○ Buddhism also spread to China, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia duringancient times. Many Buddhists live in other parts of the world, such as the United States. What is Jainism? Jainism is anontheisticreligion that spread duringthe 500s BCE due to the teachings of asagenamedMahavira. ○ The history of the religion is believed to be nearly as old asHinduism. Jains, people who practice Jainism, follow a set of rules called theFive Vows: ○ Vow 1: Do notinjureorhurtothers ○ Vow 2: Do not telllies ○ Vow 3: Do notsteal ○ Vow 4: Do not actunfaithfullytoward yourfamily ○ Vow 5: Do not becomeattachedtopossessions Many Jains practicevegetarianismbecause of theircommitment tononviolence. What is Sikhism? Sikhism is a religion that practicesmonotheism, thebelief in a single god, and a man namedGuru Nanakestablished the faith around1500 CE. The religion began a thousand years after ancient history ended in India, but it borrows some ideas fromHinduism, as well as anothermajor world religion called Islam. ○ Sikhs, people who practice Sikhism, believe that the world is anillusionand want to escapereincarnationlike Hindus. However,their goal is to unite with theirone godafter death. The major beliefs of Sikhism are known as theThreePillars. ○ First Pillar: Sikhs practicemeditationto build theirrelationshipwith their god. ○ Second Pillar: Sikhs live a life ofhonestyandtruth. ○ Third Pillar: Sikhs treat all peopleequallyand sharetheirresources. Achievements of Ancient India What was a major achievement of ancient India? (2 slides) Ancient India was famous for its advancedurban planning,which dates back to the Indus ValleyCivilization. Indus Valley cities, such asHarappaandMohenjo-Daro, were intentionally organized into agridpattern, with streets meetingatright anglesto create blocks. Each city included large structures, such as acitadelfor defense against invasion and agranaryfor extra food storage. Many buildings used an early form ofair conditioning. The Indus Valley also had a state-of-the-artdrainagesystem for the times. ○ Many homes were equipped withbathsandflush toiletsthat were connected to an advanced drainage system. ○ Numerous drinking waterwellswere also availablethroughout the city. ○ Mohenjo-Daro featured theGreat Bath, which was oneof the firstpublic pools. The Harappans’ accomplishments are important because they developed larger citiesandtechnologythat did not exist in otherancient civilizations like Mesopotamia and Egypt. What other advancements were invented or developed in ancient India? Architecture:Elaborate Hindu and Mathematics:Indian mathematicians Buddhist temples and monuments were invented the concept ofzero, created the built in India, such as theAjanta Caves, decimal system, and influenced Arabic which feature detailed rock carvings. mathematicians, who made thenumeric symbolswe use today. Religion:Hinduism,Jainism,Buddhism, Medicine:Indian doctors were some of the andSikhismall began in India. first to performsurgeryand protect people against diseases using early forms of vaccines. Yoga and Meditation:These practices Literature:One famous Hindu epic is the were initially created as part of Hinduism Ramayana, a story about an Indian king and Buddhism but are now practiced named Rama that deals with ideas of duty worldwide for theirhealthbenefits. and ethics. Another is theMahabharata, a story about two families battling for a kingdom that highlights the conflict between loyalty and duty. TheMahabharata also includes the famousBhagavad Gita, which outlines how to follow one’s dharma. Metallurgy:Indians were skilled metalworkers whocreated metal tools, weapons, coins, and even decorative items like theIron PillarinDelhi. Politics of Ancient India Indus Valley Civilization / Vedic Period Historians do not know what type ofgovernmentororganization existed in the Indus Valley Civilization because we cannot read theirwrittenlanguage. ○ However, one can assume that a strong government was in place to complete the impressive building projects atHarappaandMohenjo-Daro. The Indo-Aryansmigratedinto the Indiansubcontinentaround the same time as the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization. The introduction and popularity ofHinduismhad amajor influence on the governmentandsociety. Governments became stronger and morecentralizedduringthis time, rather than beingdividedup into a larger number of smaller kingdoms. The growth of cities and wealth led toPersian invasions, which resulted in the end of the Vedic period. How did the government change under the Mauryan Empire? (2 slides) Chandragupta Mauryafounded theMauryan Empireinthe 320s BCE when he overthrew theMagadha Kingdomand pushed out theGreeks. ○ This was the first time thatonegroup ruled overnorthernIndia. Chandragupta divided the empire into fourprovincesand governed with an army of over 600,000soldiers. He also had numerousspies,war elephants, and chariots. Ashoka, who was Chandragupta’sgrandson, becameemperoraround 270 BCE and expanded the empire over most of India. ○ Ashoka’smilitarycampaigns brought wealth and powerto the Mauryan Empire but also led to over 100,000 people’sdeaths. ○ The emperor eventually realized the negative impact of his actions, converted toBuddhism, and focused onimprovingsociety. ○ Ashoka planted trees and builtroads,hospitals, anduniversitiesthroughout the empire. He also actively encouraged the spread ofBuddhismacross India and other parts of Asia while respecting the practice of other religions. After Ashoka died in 233 BCE,conflictamong India’sleaders andinvasionsfrom outside groups led to the end of the Mauryan Empire. How did the government change under the Gupta Empire? The Gupta Dynasty, after roughly 500 years of division,unitedthe Indian subcontinentunder the rule of Chandra Gupta I, SamudraGupta, and Chandra Gupta II. The Guptas primarily leftlocal leadersin chargeofdecision-makingacross the empire. Hinduism became India’s most popularreligion, andtheeconomywas strong. ○ Advancements were made inscience, math,medicine,art,metallurgy, and literature. The Gupta Empire fell in the 500s CE afterinvasionsfrom theHunsinCentral Asia and other outside groups. Economics of Ancient India What was the economy like in ancient India? The Indus Valley Civilization developed afarming-basedeconomy once they learned how to control the annual flooding of the Indus and Sarasvati rivers. ○ More towns were formed once there was asurplusofextra food. ○ The crops grown includedcotton, wheat, and barley. Trade was common inMohenjo-Darobecause some of theirartifacts, such as their seals, were found inMesopotamiaand other areas. ○ They traded goods like cottonclothing, jewelry, andpottery. ○ Hinduism spread to other areas aroundSouth Asiadueto trade. Under Mauryan rule, a singlecurrencyof silver andcopper coins was used for businessandtradethroughout the entire empire. ○ Taxes were collected to fund thearmy. Accountantsmade sure that everyone paid their taxes. Society of Ancient India How was society organized in ancient India? The origins of India’s social hierarchy come from theVedas, in which all people fall into one of four groups calledvarnas. ○ Brahmins:priestsand intellectuals ○ Kshatriyas:warriorsand rulers ○ Vaisyas:merchants, craftspeople, and landowners ○ Sudras:laborersand servants The purpose of thevarnaswas to maintain anorganizedsociety and avoid conflict among the groups, as each person would be motivated to complete their assigned duties(dharma) in order to escapereincarnationandreachmoksha. Historians believe that thevarnaswere only usedto divideresponsibilities amongst the ancient Indians and did not necessarily representstatusorpower. How did thevarnasevolve into a social hierarchy? (3 slides) The influence of thevarnasgraduallydeclinedassome members of each group tried to take advantage of each other due togreedandpower. Another type of grouping calledjatiemerged overthe next several centuries, which refers to thejobassigned to a person atbirthbased on their family’s line of work. ○ Thousands of jatis based on different jobs arose in local communities around India. Over time,familieswould be identified withjatis that were considered eithergoodorbad. The fourvarnasbecamelabelsfor people in differentjatisbased on theirbirthand thewealthof their family. Over several centuries, thevarnasandjatistransformedinto thecaste system, which is asocial orderthat determines one’s placein Indian society based on family lineage,wealth, andjob. ○ Caste is the term most commonly used forjatitoday. Thevarnasbecame therankingsin the caste system,withBrahminsat the top and Sudrasat the bottom of the social hierarchy. Allof the castes were assigned to one of the levels. ○ The higher castes considered themselves to be “morepure” than the lower castes and often restricted theircontactwith eachother. A fifth group, theDalits, existed outside of thecaste system starting around 500 CE. ○ Dalits were forced to dojobsthe other castes considereddirtyandimpure: collecting garbage, sweeping streets, cleaning bathrooms, and disposing of dead animals. ○ Dalits were often called “untouchables” by the higher castes, who literally refused to touch them due to the wrongful claim that Dalits weresinfulin their previouslives. How did the caste system work? The social hierarchy in ancient India often allowed formovementacross thevarnas, but the caste system became much morerestrictivelater in Indian history. ○ Indians were often not allowed to marry, befriend, work, attend school, or eat meals with peopleoutsidetheircaste. ○ People wereborninto theircasteand wereforcedto work in the jobs associated with it, even if they wished to do something else. While the caste system usesHinduismto support itsexistence, it should be noted that the original Hindu writings in theVedasdo notpropose a rigidsocial hierarchy. The Indian governmentoutlawedmistreatment basedon caste and untouchability in 1950 CE, but many Dalits still facediscriminationtoday.
