India has over a billion people(2nd largest country in terms of population)

The capital is New Delhi

There is no single founder of Hinduism Hindus believe in Brahman which is the belief that everything is a part of unchanging, all powerful spiritual forceThey also believe in Moksha which is ultimately, the goal of life. It is the union with BrahmanHindus also believe in reincarnation, the rebirth of the soul into another bodily formYou can be reborn as another human, or an animalMoksha may take many lifetimesKarma is the belief that all the actions of a persons life affects his or her fate in the next life

Dharma is the religious and moral duties of an individualThese duties vary according to class, occupation, gender, or merit for the next lifeAhimsa is the principle of nonviolenceJainism is a branch of Hinduism that takes Ahimsa to an extreme.They practice meditation and try to avoid killing anything. Some Jainists even carry around brooms so they won’t step on bugs in front of them.

The Maurya Empire 321 B.C. – 185 B.C.

The Maurya Empire was built by Chandragupta

It started in the Ganges Valley and grew into the rest of India

The capital was Pataliputra

It was the largest and most prosperous city at the time

This empire consisted of schools, libraries, palaces, and temples

There was a huge wall surrounding the entire city

This empire was 500 years after the Maurya empireThe Gupta dynasty united much of IndiaA.D. 320 – 550 was the golden age of IndiaMost of the people were vegetarian BuddhistsTrading & Farming flourished

Wheat, Rice, Sugar CainArtisans used materials such as cotton cloth, pottery, and metal wareMathematicians of India created the “Arabic Numerals” we use today

Concept of ZeroDecimal system based on 10

Physicians used herbs and other remedies for various things To treat illnessSetting bonesSimple plastic surgery

Buddhists built Stupas, large dome shaped shrinesBuddhists and Hindu temples were covered in carvings of Gods & GoddessesThe Guptas were eventually weakened by Civil war

Weak rulersForeign invadersThe Huns overran the Gupta, & destroyed it’s cities & tradeAgain India split into many kingdoms

Asoka is the emperor grandson of ChandraguptaAsoka’s reign started from 268 B.C. He eventually converted to BuddhismHe rejected violence & resolved to rule by moral exampleAsoka’s rule brought peace & prosperityHe built roads, houses, & hospitalsIndia was divided into the Deccan (south) and the Aryan (north)After Asoka died, India divided again & different princes regained ruleThe Deccan was divided into many kingdomsEach kingdom had their own capital with temples & workshopsMany outside people wanted to trade with IndiaRome was their main trading partner

Complex system of rulesGoverned every aspect of a person’s life

Where people livedWhat they ateHow they dressedHow they earned a living

To Hindus people from different castes were like different species of beingRules forbade marrying out of caste or eating with someone out of your casteIf you were an “Untouchable", a member of the lowest caste, life was rough and restricted They include:

Grave diggersStreet cleanersTurning animal skin to leatherOther castes feared even the shadow of an untouchableThey had to live apart and wear a wooden clapper to warn of their approachLife was full of inequalities

Most Indians lived in small villagesVillages included homes in clusters made of earth or stoneBeyond the home were farms which grew wheat, rice, cotton, & sugar caneFarming usually depended on the monsoonsToo much or too little rain meant famineA village headman & council made decisions & dealt with outside authoritiesHe was respected by people in the village

Basic Indian families were joint familiesJoint Families were families in which the parents, children, grandchildren, and their offspring shared a common dwellingThe family was patriarchal which mean that the father or eldest male headed the householdHe was thought to have wisdom and experienceUsually he consulted the wife and other family members before they make a decision

Brahma is the first God represented in the Hindu triad, or Hindu trinityHe is the creator of the universe All living beings are said to have evolved from himThe four Vedas (texts) are said to have originated from his headThe four castes are also believed to have originated from BrahmaAlthough Brahma is considered equal to Vishnu and Shiva, he is currently not widely worshippedThere are several reasons for thisOne is that he is the creator, so his work is done

Vishnu is the second God of the Hindu triadVishnu is regarded as a major god in Hinduism and Indian mythologyHe is thought as the preserver of the universeHe represents mercy and goodnessVishnu is a very popular deity and is widely worshippedHe has over 1,000 names

The third deity of the Hindu trinityShiva is known as the DestroyerHowever, even though He represents destruction, He is viewed as a positive forceHe is viewed as the Destroyer of EvilShiva literally means “auspicious, welfare”He has 1,008 namesShiva is believed to have many formsAccording to the Shiva Purana, Shiva is said to have 5 heads corresponding to his 5 tasksHis tasks are

CreationEstablishmentDestructionOblivionGrace

At an early age they had children & family duties

Children worked with other relatives

A young girl would learn that as a wife she would be expected to serve and obey her husband and his family

Parents are responsible to arrange a good marriage

The parents also finance costly wedding festivities

In northern India, a brides family commonly provides a dowry or payment to the bridegroom

After marriage, the daughter leaves her home and joins her husbands family

A Hindu holy book where the god Krishna teaches the importance of

SelfishnessPerforming religious dutiesDevotion to God

It consists of 700 verses arranged in 18 chapters

Tradition takes it back to 3000 BCE

Spoken by Lord Krishna

Contains the song of the Lord

Gautama Buddha was born in 566 BC

Grew up in a palace as a rich person

Became aware of human suffering and left his lifestyle

Wandered for years looking for the answers to life's secrets

Became sick so he sat down to meditate until he understood the mystery of life

48 days went by until he finally figured out what is the cause and cure of suffering and sorrow

When he rose he was no longer Gautama

He was Buddha

He spent the rest of his life teaching what he had learned

Key part of BuddhismAll life is full of suffering, pain , and sorrowThe cause of suffering is desire for things that are really illusionsThe only cure for suffering is to overcome desireThe way to overcome desire is to follow the Eight Fold Path

Right viewsRight aspirationsRight speech Right conductRight livelihoodRight mindfulnessRight contemplations

Eventually Buddhism split up into Theravada – complex - for monks and nunsMahayana – simple and easy – for the ordinary person

Confucianism Daoism Legalism

Created

By

Confucius Laozi

“Old Master”

Hanfeizi

When 500 BC 300 BC 221 BC

Teaching

Emphasized orderly personal and public conduct

Strict Laws & Harsh Punishment

Living in harmony with nature

Great philosopher of 500 BC who was an advisor to Chinese rulersBelieved rulers should set a good exampleNever wrote down his ideas so after he died his students didThe book is called “The Analects”Stressed 5 key relationships

Father to SonElder brother to Younger brotherHusband to Wife Ruler to SubjectFriend to Friend

Older people were superior to younger peopleMen were superior to womenMothers of Sons should be respectedHe taught Filial Piety which is the respect for your parents“While a father or mother is alive, a son should not travel far”“Do not do to others what you do not wish yourself”“People are naturally good”“The best ruler is a virtuous man who led by example”After Confucius died, his ideas spreadConfucianism NEVER became a religion

Legalism was created by HanfeiziHe taught that

“The nature of man is evil”“His good is acquired”.

Greed was the motive for most actions and causes of most conflictsHis philosophy consists of Strict Laws and Harsh punishmentBecause of the emphasis on Law, Hanfeizi teachings were known as Legalism

Daoism differed from Confucianism and LegalismSought to live in harmony with natureLaozi was the founder “Old Master”He is credited with writing The Way Of VirtueDaoism evolved into a popular religion with Gods, and Goddesses Taoist priests experimented with Alchemy trying to transform ordinary metal into goldTaoists are thought to have invented gunpowder which they first used in firecrackers to scare away ghosts

By AD 100 missionaries and merchants spread Buddhism from India to China

Buddhism became popular

Offered personal salvation unlike Daoism or Confucianism

The three beliefs mixed

By 400 AD Buddhism spread throughout China