Classical India 600 B.C. – A.D. 600

Early Indians – Aryans • Vedic Aryans entered India between 1,500

and 1,200 B.C. (Indo-European Migrants)• They conquered the native Dravidian culture

by virtue of their superiority due to their horses & iron weapons

Aryan Varnas (Social Classes)

• Brahmans – Priests – study and teach the Vedas, perform religious ceremonies to please Aryan deities & ensure welfare of people

• Kshatriyas – Warriors – study the Vedas, lead gov’t & head the army

• Vaisyas – Common people: merchants, artisans, farmers – tend herds, care for land; make & sell useful products

• Sudras – Unskilled laborers, servants – serve other varnas

• Pariahs – Slaves – perform tasks considered unclean (also called “Untouchables”)

The Caste System• Varnas were divided into smaller groups known

as jati (formed according to occupations)• Europeans named this system of social classes

the caste system – Born into group & cannot change– Marry within group

• Dharma – duties of the males who belong to each varna (societal roles)

Hinduism• "Ekam sat viprah bahudah vadanti" (Truth, or God,

is one, but wise men call Him/It by different names)• Most important gods: Brahma (the Creator);

Vishnu (the Preserver); Siva (the Destroyer)• Every person has an essential self (atman), which

is part of one eternal spirit Brahman Nerguna• Moksha - goal (reunited w/ Brahman Nerguna)• Reincarnation continues through cycles of rebirth

until a soul reaches spiritual perfection• Karma (how a person lives his/her life) determines

the form of the next life• Ahimsa – nonviolence towards all living things

What do you think happens

when people do not perform their

dharma?How did the caste system

provide a sense of order in society?

New Religions• During the 6th & 5th centuries B.C., new

religions and philosophies emerged that rejected the brahmins’ superiority and appealed to the interests of new social classes.

• Hinduism goes through an evolution that transforms it into a popular religion of salvation seen through the great epics.

Jainism• Mahavira (Nataputra

Vardhamana) – teacher/founder who placed a special emphasis on ahimsa (about 500 B.C.)

• Rejected Brahmin domination, sacrifices & the caste system

• Refused to farm (for fear of plowing under living things) & turned to commerce

• Use a broom to sweep aside insects

Buddhism (Intro)

Siddhartha Gautama was born about 563 B.C. into a high ranking family of the

Kshatriya caste. A prophet predicted that the

boy would someday become a wandering holy

man. To stop that from happening, Gautama’s father kept him in the

palace, surrounded by comfort and luxury. He

married a beautiful woman and had a son who filled

his hours with joy.

Buddhism (Intro

2)

Then one day, he rode beyond the palace gardens and saw for the first time a sick person, an old person & a dead body. The new awareness of

human suffering disturbed him. He left his sleeping wife and child never to return. He set out to discover “the realm of life where there is neither

suffering nor death.”

Buddhism• After meditating under a giant tree for 48 days,

he believed that he understood the cause and cure for suffering & sorrow. He now became the Buddha, the “Enlightened One.”

• Four Noble Truths1. All life is full of suffering, pain & sorrow.2. The cause of suffering is the desire for things that

are really illusions, such as riches, power & long life.

3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire.4. The way to overcome desire is to follow the

Eightfold Path

Buddhism (cont.)• The Eightfold Path: the right views, right

aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right contemplation.

• Through meditation, a person might achieve nirvana (union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth)

• Accept the laws of karma, dharma & nonviolence

• Rejected priests, formal rituals, the existence of many gods and the caste system

Compare and contrast Hinduism & Buddhism

Buddhism (cont. 2)• Buddhist monasteries grew into centers of

learning• After his death, followers wrote down his

teachings into a sacred text, the Tripitaka or “Three Baskets of Wisdom”– “Let no one forget his own duty for the sake of

another’s, however great. Let a man, after he has discerned his own duty, be always attentive to his duty.”

– “Overcome anger by not growing angry. Overcome evil with good. Overcome the liar by truth.”

Mahayana Buddhism: “the greater vehicle”

• Changes from original Buddhism:– Buddha viewed as devine– Bodhisattvas (individuals who reached spiritual

perfection, but intentionally delayed nirvana to help others

– Monasteries accepted gifts from wealthy individuals

• Nalanda became famous as an educational center

* The older, stricter faith survives as Theravada Buddhism.

Theravada Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism

Reaching Nirvana is the ultimate goal of the Theravada Buddhist.

Vow to be reborn in order to help all other sentient beings reach Nirvana first.

Strives for wisdom first . Compassion is the highest virtue.

Centers on meditation, and requires major personal dedication such as being a monk or nun.

Encourages practice in the world and among the general community.

Followed as a teaching or Philosophy.

Followed with reference to higher beings, more like a religion.

Moved primarily South and West covering Indochina and Ceylon (Sri-Lanka).

Moved Primarily North and West, covering China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet.

Early work written in Pali (e.g. kamma, dhamma).

Early texts are in Sanskrit (e.g. karma, dharma)

Emphasizes rules and education Emphasizes intuition and practice

Politically conservative Politically liberal

Hindu literature• Vedas – “Books of Knowledge” which

formed the basis of Aryan religious practices (oldest is the Rig Veda)–Upanishads – a section that addresses

mystical questions• Mahabharata – epic poem (100,000

verses)–Bhagavad Gita – “Song of the Lord”

• Ramayana – epic poem (24,000 verses)(These pieces of literature are written in Sanskrit)

Mauryan Empire

( - B.C.)

• Founder - _____________________________– Area: ____________________________________– Achievements/Key Facts:

• _____________________________________________• _____________________________________________

Mauryan Empire (cont.)• Asoka (r. - B.C.)

– Known for: ________________________

– Changes: • (1)____________________

______________________• (2) Rock Edicts: _________

____________________________________________

• (3) (public works) ____________________________________________________

Evaluate Asoka’s impact on India.

Gupta Empire (A.D. - )

• Founder - _________________________– Area: __________________________________– Achievements/Key Facts:

• ___________________________________________• ___________________________________________

Gupta as Golden Age

Golden Age - _________________________________________________________________1. (Med.)______________________________2. (Astr.)______________________________3. (Astr.)______________________________4. (Math)______________________________5. (Math)______________________________6. (Trade)_____________________________

___________________________________

Mathematical Achievements• Symbols “1-9” or “Arabic Numerals”

• “Zero” as a numerical value & a place marker• The concept of infinity• The theorem bearing the name of the Greek

mathematician Pythagorus is found in the Shatapatha Brahmana as well as the Sulba Sutra, the Indian mathematical treatise, written centuries before Pythagorus was born

• The Binary number system, essential for computers, was used in Vedic verse meters

Write a paragraph on the contributions of the Gupta.