The Great Courses:
The Great Courses:Lesson 3:Early India and ChinaPart I.Ancient
India1. What evidence exists of well-developed Indian
Cities?Harappa and Mohenjo Daro provide evidence that Indian cities
were well developed and efficiently designed.Complex/
sophisicatedIndoor bathroomsWarehouses on outskirts of cities#2.
What were the 2 sources of prosperity in the early Indian
cities?FarmingTrade #3. Who were the Aryans, and what were their
contributions to indian culture?AryansNomads from central Asia who
entered India through the Khyber Pass and conquered parts of the
country. invadersImpact/ ContributionsAdded their own myths, gods,
and legends to those of the existing Indus peoples. As a result of
the mixing of cultures and religions of the two peoples, Hinduism
was created.HinduismThe worlds oldest living
religionPolytheisticMillions of Gods yet all represent the supreme
being: BrahmanBrahma: The CreatorVishnu: The PreserverShiva: The
Destroyer*Some scholars equate to Christianitys Holy Trinity God
the Father, God the Son, God the Holy SpiritBelief in reincarnation
aka samsaraGoal: MokshaKey concepts: dharma and karmaIf you fulfill
your dharma, you will have good karma#4. What are the upanishads,
and what are the basic ideas they contain?UpanishadsCollection of
essays that discuss the meaning of Vedic hymns.Address such
questions as: What is the reality of nature?What is morality?What
is the soul?Is there eternal life?#5. Explain the caste
system.Rooted in Hindu society (*NOT Indian society, not all
Indians are Hindu)The social grouping of individuals that is based
on a births group.Identity is decided by what group, or caste, his
or her parents are from
Caste System: visuals
#6. How did Buddhism begin, & what are its basic
beliefs?Buddhism began c. 530 BCE when Siddhartha Gautama, a young
man of about 29, left his wife to seek enlightenment.Was born a
Hindu princeLived in palatial luxuryRaised in Hindu tradition but
questioned his faith, didnt agree with all of itWent on his own
spiritual journeyHe tried many ways to find enlightenment, and one
day, while meditating under a bodhi tree, he felt that the truth
had become clear to him. He then set out to teach others what he
had learned and became known as the Buddha which means enlightened
one. Buddhism teaches that by following the Four Noble Truths and
the Eightfold Path, anyone can achieve nirvana the release from
pain and selfishness. Buddhism also teaches that ALL living things
are to be treated with loving kindness.
Time out for a Geography angleGeography can protect!Review of
EgyptReview of IndiaCataracts along riverDesertsHindu Kush
Mts.Himalaya Mts.Western Ghats Mts.Eastern Ghats Mts.
Part II.China#7. What geography isolated China?China was
isolated from the rest of the world by the Pacific Ocean to its
east, the Gobi Desert and Tibet to the west, the Himalayas to the
southwest, and Mongolia to the north.
#8. What is the mandate of heaven?Divine approval given to a
just rulerAn unjust or foolish ruler would lose the Mandate of
Heaven and be replaced (via rebellion) by one who had the
Mandate.
Mandate of heaven dynastic cycle
#9. What did confucius teach?Taught that social order and good
government should be organized around 5 key relationships. (*filial
piety)Ruler and subjectFather and sonHusband and wifeOlder brother
younger brotherFriend and Friend#10. Explain the concept of yin and
yang?Ancient Chinese considered yin and yang to be fundamental
forces of nature that influenced the cosmic world and every aspect
of mans life on earth. Yin is interpreted as negative, cold, dark,
and female.Yang is interpreted as positive, warm, light, and
male.Opposites but inseparable.
Compare & contrast the religiouns of hinduism &
buddhism.Both religions are a means to escape the woes of this
world, and both teach a specific path to follow to achieve that
escape. In contrast to Buddhism, Hinduism teaches that by doing
good works, a person can come back as a member of a higher caste in
the next life, while Buddhism teaches that enlightenment is an end
in itself. Buddha taught in the everyday language of the people,
without the use of complex rituals, while Hindi teachings are often
in ancient Sanskrit, which most Indians could NOT understand after
500 BCE.Finally, Buddhism is concerned with the welfare of ALL
humans, men and women, while Hinduism teaches that duty to ones
caste is of more importance than following ones dreams or
talents.Different sacred teachings:Hinduism: Rig Veda/ Vedas and
UpanishadsBuddhism: Three Baskets of Wisdom - TripitadaExplain the
effects of the Mandate of heaven on chinese government.The Chinese
believed that the royal authority of a ruler came directly from
heaven and that a just ruler had divine approval to rule.A wicked
ruler, or one who was foolish, could lose his Mandate of
Heaven.Ancestral spirits might show their displeasure with the
current ruler by causing floods, riots, droughts, or any number of
other disasters.Rebellions, civil war, and assassination were the
result of a ruler losing the Mandate of Heaven. Connection to
Europe: Divine Right of Kings during the Age of Absolutism (1600s -
1700s)
