World History to 1500 A.D.-Ch2-ANCIENT_IN

7/29/2019 World History to 1500 A.D.-Ch2-ANCIENT_IN

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ANCIENT INDIAQuestions of Myth and Reality


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India: A Land of Rich Diversity

Geography Bordered on the north by theHimalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges whichdrain into the Ganges River, Indias holy riverand one of the more densely populated regions of

India. To the Northwest is the lush plateau andIndus River valley (now modern day Pakistan andan area much more arid than in the past). Muchof the central region of India, south of the rivervalleys, occupies the great Deccan Plateau. To

the southwest is the low laying plain of theMalabar coast and to the south and south eastone finds a more equatorial tropical rain forestand dense jungle regions.


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Population Dravidians comprise the majority of the

population and possibly descended from the Indus Riverculture. Aryans, a minority, are descended from Indo-European peoples who invaded the sub-continentapproximately 3500 years ago. Hill tribes make up thesmallest minority and are probably descendents of theoriginal inhabitants. In modern times a mix of other ethnic

groups; Chinese, Filipino, and Malayans have made Indiatheir home.

Two main religions are to be found in India, Hindu andMuslim, but one can also find Buddhists, Christians, andJews

There are 17 spoken languages with numerous mutuallyunintelligible dialects (approximately 900) to be found inIndia


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The Aryan Invasion History or

a Myth? The Bhagavadgita One of Indias greatest

literary works, written in the second centuryB.C.E., discusses the Aryan invasion which tookplace between 1500 1000 B.C.E.

One of Indias most sacred classical writings reflects keytenets of Indian philosophy (or cosmology)

To be born is certain death, to the dead, birth is certain.It is not right that you should sorrow for what cannot beavoided. . . . If you do not fight this just battle you will fail

in your law and in your honor, and you will incur sin. Reincarnation, duty, class, and good versus evil


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Your textbook describes the Aryans as an Indo-European peoples who descend upon India from thenorthwest through the Khyber Pass and destroy the

then existent Harappan culture occupying the IndusRiver valley. The resulting population then became amix of the Aryan and Dravidian peoples.

There are those scholars who claim that theory isunsupported in the archaeological record and by thetraditional literature. They state that the Aryan

invasion is nothing more than a 19th Centurypropagandist myth to justify subjugation of the Indianpeoples see Archaeology Onlinehttp://www.archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/aryan-invasion-

history.html Friedrich Max Muller first

introduced the term Aryan referring to a common

language in 1853, then he used the term in contextof an Aryan Race. The archaeological record suggests the Rigvedic

peoples were well established in India by 4000 B.C.E. How does myth-making help create or sustain a

national identity?
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The Harappan Civilization

The Harappan civilization emerges approximately 6000years ago. They are known to us today largely by theexcavations of its two major cities Harappa and Mahenjo-Daro (literally meaning the city of the dead)

The Harappans settle the Indus River Valley, a lush fertilevalley suitable for agriculture and little need for extensiveirrigation projects, as early as 7000 - 6500 B.C.E.Settlements tend to be scattered and lightly populated (lessthan 3000 people). By 1500B.C.E., a few larger cities withpopulations of 80,000 people do exist. They grow wheat,barley , rice, peas, and cotton. A regional trade network

develops in which they exchange foodstuffs, pottery, andtextiles for metals, lumber, precious stones by both landand sea. See reference:http://www.pagosa.k12.co.us/psis/Pages/AncientCul/india.html


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The Aryans: Who are they?

Aryans a nomadic, warrior tribe from the Central Asiansteppes in modern day Turkestan

Sacred texts written in Sanskritincludes the Rig Veda orHymnal embodies the mythology and beliefs of the firstVedicreligion with at least 33 gods (divided among gods of theearth, gods of heaven, and gods of intermediate space or the

atmosphere)

Varuna the god of cosmic and moral laws, the observer ofthe guilty

Indra the victorious hero of a thousand battles, defeater ofthe demon Vita, who freed the waters from heaven to floodand fertilize the earth

Aryan gods mixed with humans demanding sacrifices: milk,wheat, meat, and soma, a drink from a now unidentifiableplant


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As a people, Aryans are described as taller and of lighterskin than the Dravidian population whom they conquer.They have a more rigid social structure and introduce the

concept of Bharat a social caste system named after theAryan Bharata tribe.

The caste system allows for the Aryans to become:Brahman, or the priests; Kshatria, or the aristocracy; and,Vaisia, or the merchant class. The lower social classes

formed the Sudras a class ofworking poor or slaves.Later codification of laws forbade inter-marriage amongclass groups and further defined class differences

Religious texts Brahmanas (commentaries) and theUpanishads (Treatise on Approaches) are amongst the

earliest extant publications

Ritual sacrifice and self-perfection give rise to yoga and thebeginnings ofHinduism
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Aryan India: A Synopsis The destruction of Harappan civilization occurred abruptly approximately

1500 B.C.E. coinciding with the arrival of the Aryans. How the two are

related has been difficult to assess from the archaeological record.

The Aryans successfully ruled over much, but not all of northern India fornearly 900 years under the leadership of their chieftains, or rajas (laterevolve into kings or maharajas). Assisted by priests, brahmans, andmembers of the warrior class, kshatriyas, maharajas transformed theirnomadic warrior tribes into a successful agricultural society. Theintroduction ofthe iron plow (imported from the Hittites) helped develop

the Ganges valley into the richest agricultural region

The Brahmans were very powerful, they created or attacked gods as theysaw fit. Among the people, two deities became very popular, the peasantscelebrated Siva Rudra and the aristocrats venerated Vishnu, particularly inhis human form ofKrishna Vasudeva. The gods of the Aryans wereanthropomorphic. Changes in philosophical thought helped to establishtwo new religions in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C.E.: Jainism andBuddhism

The Aryans never united in their rule of India. Internal squabbles andpower plays among competing groups led to the downfall of the Aryansand India being conquered by the Persians in the 6th Century B.C.E.(under Cyrus the Great).
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n.org/HotTopics/htimages/A013_Lord%2520Siva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a013htMotherTeresa.htm&h=335&w=250&sz=44&tbnid=4fm6k4mUF1kJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/htimages/A013_Lord%2520Siva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a013htMotherTeresa.htm&h=335&w=250&sz=44&tbnid=4fm6k4mUF1kJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/htimages/A013_Lord%2520Siva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a013htMotherTeresa.htm&h=335&w=250&sz=44&tbnid=4fm6k4mUF1kJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/htimages/A013_Lord%2520Siva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a013htMotherTeresa.htm&h=335&w=250&sz=44&tbnid=4fm6k4mUF1kJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/htimages/A013_Lord%2520Siva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a013htMotherTeresa.htm&h=335&w=250&sz=44&tbnid=4fm6k4mUF1kJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/htimages/A013_Lord%2520Siva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a013htMotherTeresa.htm&h=335&w=250&sz=44&tbnid=4fm6k4mUF1kJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.historylink102.com/india-pic/siva-temple-madras.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.historylink102.com/india/c-siva.htm&h=324&w=216&sz=21&tbnid=jV7jIPBkXqUJ:&tbnh=114&tbnw=76&hl=en&start=33&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26start%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DNhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/htimages/A013_Lord%2520Siva.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a013htMotherTeresa.htm&h=335&w=250&sz=44&tbnid=4fm6k4mUF1kJ:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSiva%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D


10/25

The Mauryan Empire

The Greeks, after almost two centuries of sporadic rivalryand open warfare, briefly conquered India in the 4thCentury under Alexander the Great in 326 B.C.E., but theArmy mutinied and they left as quickly as they cameleaving administrators and a thin veneer of Greek culture intheir wake.

Following the Greek departure, much of India was unitedunder the rule ofChandragupta Maurya during whatbecame the first dynastic period

Although little is known of Chandragupta Mauryas origins,tradition states that he arrived with the invading Greeks,

but Alexander, angered by Mauryas outspoken advice,dismissed him from his service. With alliances and warfare,Maurya drives the Greeks out of India by 324 B.C.E.
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Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan court inabout 302 B.C.E. provided a written account of his experienceswhich has been the sole account historians have relied upon

Kautilya, a brilliant court official, advised Chandragupta Mauryaand his name has been associated with a treatise on politics called

Arthasastra. Often compared to the 16th century political writingsof Machiavelli, theArthasastra emphasizes the ends rather thanthe means whenever sacred law (the dharma) conflicts withrational law, then reason shall be held authoritative.

The Mauryan government was highly centralized and verydespotic. The king reigned supreme, commanded a large armyand employed a secret police force. To assist the king, governorswere appointed over the various provinces. The governors,responsible to the king, eventually were in competition with the

king when their positions became hereditary. Provinces werefurther divided into districts and districts into local villages ruledby tribal elders, a hereditary position often shared by thewealthiest families


12/25

Escaping the wheel of life: Hinduism

Hinduism evolved from early Aryan beliefs in a pantheon ofgods and the emerging idea of reincarnation theindividual soul is reborn in a different form after death andprogresses through several existences on the wheel of lifeuntil it reaches its final destination, a union with the Great

World Soul, Brahman.

A key element in this process is the idea ofkarma thatones rebirth in a next life is determined by ones karma (oractions) in the present life

Hinduism places all living species on a scale of existence the current status of an individual soul, then, is not just acosmic accident but an inevitable result of actions that soulhas committed in past a existence.


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The political and social dimensions of Hinduism

Hinduism reinforced the existing social caste structure by rigidlyplacing all living species on the vast scale of life

The cow has risen to be one of Hinduisms sacred animals, theorigin of which is unclear but may have been a result of thepastoral nature of early Aryans or the Dravidian belief in a sacred

bull because the world of beasts also occupies a position on thevast scale of life, many Indians are vegetarians and do not eatmeat.

The concept of karma is governed by dharma, or the law, whichimposes different forms of punishment upon the various socialcastes. Those higher up the social scale are held to a more strict

code of behavior

The concept of reincarnation, the origins of which are unclear,tended to provide religious sanction to a system of rigid classdivision and the moral and political justification for the privilegesenjoyed by the classes at the higher end of the social scale. Italso provides hope to the poor that they may escape their

desperation in a future life by proper behavior in their current one


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Hinduism provided the means for ethnic minorities to find a placewithin Indian society and still maintain their identity

The average Indian often found the concepts of Hinduism to

ethereal and sought to find a more concrete form of heavenlysalvation, a place of beauty and bliss after a life of poverty anddisease

Eventually, Hinduism became associated with a pantheon of over33,000 gods and goddesses of varying power and purpose. Thereare 3 primary gods a trinity

Brahman the Creator, originally established by the brahmans as thehighest god, but never gaining in popular support

Vishnu the Preserver, often found in the incarnate form of KrishnaVaruna, lord of justice and part of Aryan mythology

Siva (originally the Vedic god Rudra) the Destroyer who has threedistinct personalities: the angry destroyer struggling against death,time, and the negative forces of life; the totally serene personalityenveloped in absolute knowledge; the loving feminine side, usuallydepicted in the guise of his wife, Parvau


15/25

The Philosophy of Buddhism: the Middle Path

Siddartha Gautama (560 480 B.C.E.), the son of a rulingkshatriya family, is considered to be the historical founder ofBuddhism

Trained in the traditional manner ofthe warrior class, Siddarthamarried and raised a family

At 29 years of age he witnessed first-hand the ravages of death,disease, poverty, and old age that produced within him a life changingtransformation resulting in his search to end human suffering

He left his home and family becoming an abstinent or renouncer(sannyasi), followed the model of ascetics, but decided that self-mortification did not lead to a greater understanding of life and

abandoned the practice. After a period of lengthy meditation under atree, he finally achieved enlightenment into the meaning of life andspent the remainder of his life preaching it.
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Whether Buddhism is a philosophy or religion may be debatable according to legend, the Devil (in Indian, Mara) once temptedSiddartha with political power and the company of women todissuade him from his teachings

Original texts of Gautamas ideas and philosophy no longer exist it can not be determined with any certainty that he intended tostart either a new philosophy or religion

It is quite possible that he intended to reform Hinduism or wasseeking to achieve his personal salvation and was less concerned

with reforming society (then why teach?)

Buddhism accepts the concept of reincarnation and the role ofkarmain moving individual souls up or down the scale of life

Gautama followed Hindu teachings on non-violence and borrowed theidea of living a simple and chaste life from Hindu ascetics

Gautamas vision of metaphysical reality, Nirvana, more closelyresembles the Hindu concept ofBrahman than it does the Christianconcept of Heaven the extinction of self-hood and the final unionwith the Great World Soul


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Siddartha denied the existence of the individual soul (theHindu concept ofAtman) as the idea of rebirth meant thatthe soul never achieved a complete liberation from worldlycares and concern

Siddartha denied the ultimate reality of the material world(similar to the The Matrix), teaching that it was an illusionthat had to be transcended the concept of transcendentalmeditation

He taught that pain, poverty, and sorrow were caused bythe attachments that one has to the material things of thisworld. Once worldly concepts and attachments could beabandoned the individual attains the knowledge or bodhi,that enables one to achieve Nirvana

When consciousness no longer exists, all the elements ofthe universe will be totally destroyed.


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The Four Noble Truths

Life is suffering

Suffering is caused by desire

The way to end suffering is to enddesire

The way to end desire is to avoid theextremes of a life of vulgar

materialism (self-indulgence) and a-


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The Middle Path or the

Eightfold Way

Right Knowledge

Right Purpose

Right Speech

Right Conduct

Right Occupation

Right Effort

Right Awareness

Right Meditation


20/25

The Appeal and Spread of Buddhism

Following Gautamas death in 480 B.C.E., his disciples helpedcarry his message across India. Throughout the sub-continentthey constructed monasteries to teach, temples to worship, andstone stupas housing Buddhist relics for veneration

Women were allowed to join the order, but in inferior positions.The Buddha thought women to be to full of passion, to soon

angered, and to stupid. [W] omen have no place in publicassemblies . . . And do not earn their living by any profession.

The rejection by Buddha of the panoply of gods made worshipsimple for many individuals.

Indias expanding international trade, growing middle-class, andthe unofficial support of Buddhism (as well as Jainism) by themerchant class, all factored into the spread of the religionthroughout both India and the adjoining states as far east as theKorean Peninsula, China and Southeast Asia, and as far west toBactria (Afghanistan)


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Jainism

A contemporary of Siddartha Gautama, Vardhamana

Mahavira (540? 468B.C.E.), founded the religion ofJainism which worshippedJina, the Conqueror of the world

Like Buddhism, Jainism also rejected the material culturebut in a more extreme form of simplicity. Followers ofJainism kept no possessions and relied upon begging to

survive. In some cases, practitioners of Jainism abandonedthe wearing of clothes and traveled naked

Very likely this practice of extreme poverty failed to arousea large following and Jainism never had many adherents, itnever become a major doctrine, nor did it ever enjoy official

sanction

According to tradition, however, Chandragupta Mauryabecame an avid follower of Jainism, abdicating his throneand eventually fasting to death in a Jain monastery


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Asoka: a Buddhist monarch

Asoka (269 232 B.C.E.), Chandragupta Mauryasgrandson became the third and most influential of theMauryan rulers. He began his reign by conquering,pillaging, and killing but soon converted to Buddhism,regretting his blood-thirsty past and attempted to rulebenevolently.

He directed banyan trees and shelters be placed alongroads to provide shade and rest for weary travelers. Hesent Buddhist monks throughout India to erect stone pillarswith Buddhist inscriptions and official edicts to instructpeople in the proper way

According to tradition, he sent his son to the island of SriLanka where he converted the people there to Buddhismand established a system whereby the inhabitants of SriLanka paid a tribute to Asoka
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The Rule of Fishes The Mauryan Empire declined following the death of Asoka

in 232 B.C.E. and by 183 B.C.E. the last Mauryan emperorwas overthrown in a military coup. The political instabilitythat ensued allowed a number of kingdoms to form on thefringes of the empire

In Bactria (modern-day Afghanistan), a kingdom arose

similar to that which the Greeks had established followingthe conquests of Alexander the Great

In the 1st century C.E., Indo-Europeans fleeing nomadicXiongnu warriors in Central Asia seized power in the areaand proclaimed the Kushan Kingdom that held politicalpower in northern India for nearly two centuries

India would not be unified again for over five hundred years


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The Hindu Renaissance

Occurs during the Empire period, from 321 BCE 535 CE.

A period in a strict social hierarchy took shape andhardened

Allows India to spread beyond its traditional borders ofnorthern India into Nepal, Tibet, Siam, and Indonesia

Marked by a dramatic growth cultural artistic expression invisual art forms as well as architecture such as the Hindutemple (the sikhara, literally its dominant spire) whichrepresented Mount Meru, home of the gods.

The reign of Chandragupta II (386 414 CE) marked aperiod of great literary works by the nine precious stone the outstanding poets and thinkers of the day. One in

particular, Kalidasa, who wrote the drama Sakuntala, whichwas translated into English in 1789 and German in 1791,had a profound impact on the German writers Herder andGoethe who based his own great literary work BeowulfonKalidasas work


25/25

Take Home Quiz

Map the development of the socialcaste system from the Aryans to the5th century B.C.E. (hand-drawn)

Examine the impact of the rigid castesystem on the development ofIndias economy from the 15th

through the 2nd

centuries B.C.E.(type-written long essay format)

Due a week from today

Documents

World History to 1500 A.D.-Ch2-ANCIENT_IN