Ancient India

Ancient India

Geography• The highest

mountains in the world, the Himalayas, are in the north.

• Two rivers:– Ganges– Indus

• The rest of India is the Deccan Plateau.– Hilly and Dry interior– Lush coastal plains

Climate• India’s climate is

dominated by the monsoon cycle.– Seasonal winds that

bring heavy rains.

• Farmers depend on the monsoons.– If they come too

early or late, or bring too much or too little rain, crops are destroyed and thousands starve.

Indus Valley Civilization• There were thousands of settlements

in the Indus Valley.– Two major cities:

• Harrapa• Mohenjo Daro

• Between 3000BC and 1500BC– Sumer?– Egypt?– China?

Harappa and Mohenjo Daro• Populations:

– Harappa – 35,000– Mohenjo Daro –

40,000

• Cities were highly organized:– Built in a grid pattern– Public wells supplied

water for all– Wastewater and

garbage systems took water and garbage out to the streets.

Public Well in Harappa

Sewer System in Harappa

Mohenjo Daro

Rendition of Mohenjo Daro

Government

• Theocracy - A government ruled by or subject to religious authority.– Royal palace and holy

temple were combined in the same fortress

• Economy was based on farming and trade.– Traded with Sumer

Citadel in Mohenjo Daro

Disappearance and Immigration• Indus Valley cities

began to gradually decay around 1800 B.C.– Floods– An earthquake– Course of the Indus

River changes.• Final blow was an

influx of new people called Aryans.– Bring major changes

to India’s culture

A New Way of Life• Indus Valley had no

written language.– Aryans develop

Sanskrit in around 1000BC.

• Record all oral legends and traditions in the Vedas.– Holy text of

Hinduism• Indus Valley and

Aryan religions blended together.

Aryan Government and Life• India was broken

into many small kingdoms.– Led by rajas

(maharajas).

• Society was centered around the family.– Extended family all

under the same roof.

• Patriarchal- Arranged marriage

Social Structure in India• The Social

Structure reflected the Aryan ideas of an ideal society.– Caste System

• Every Indian is born into a caste.

– Determines…• What job people

could have.• Whom they could

marry.• What groups they

could socialize with.

Social Structure in India• A person’s caste is based

on beliefs about religious purity.– Greater religious purity =

higher caste.– Bottom castes = impure– Connects to beliefs about

reincarnation

• Lowest level – “untouchables”– So impure, they are outside

the caste system completely.

– Were given degrading tasks like collecting trash and handling dead bodies.

Social Structure in India

Hinduism

Introduction to Hinduism• Origins

– Hinduism was a blend of Aryan and Dravidian (Indus Valley Civ.) religions.

• The Basics– Vedas (“knowledge” in

Sanskrit)• Religious text

– Brahma• God, all-knowing

universal force of the universe.

• Monotheistic– Yet, Brahman takes

many forms…

Vishnu

• Preserver of the universe.

Shiva

• Destroyer of the universe.

Durga

• Mother, Warrior.

Ganesh

• Wise and all knowing.

Principles of Hinduism

• Samsara (Sansar)– Cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.– Karma

• The force generated by a person’s actions determines how the person will be reborn into the next life.

• Moksha– The ultimate goal of samsara.– “Breaking the cycle,” uniting with Brahman

How does one achieve good Karma?

• Dharma = Divine law, or “virtuous path.”– Make morally sound

judgments.– Do your social duty.

• (Castes?)

• Yoga (“union”)– Meditation to become

closer to Brahma.

Comparing Religions…

• The outward differences between Hinduism and the religions of the West are obvious. In groups, contemplate the following question…– How are the belief system and practices of

Hinduism similar to that of Judeo-Christian (“Western”) religions?

• In groups, come up with at least 3 similarities.

Cultural Traditions of Hinduism

Why do women wear dots on their foreheads?

• Its symbolizes the “third eye,” the one focused inwards towards your atma or soul.

I’ve heard that Hindus don’t eat beef. Is that true?

• Yes. Hindus revere cows for their gentle nature and their life sustaining abilities. Also, cows commonly roam free in India. Much like it would be socially unacceptable to eat a horse or a dog in the United States, so to is it unacceptable to eat a cow in India.

Reviewing Hinduism

1. What is the goal of life for Hindus?

2. How do you achieve that goal?

3. How does Hinduism reinforce the Caste System? How does it reinforce the Ritual of Suttee?

Buddhism

BuddhismSiddhartha Gautama• A prince with every “everything”,

discovers a great deal of human suffering outside “his world.”

• Gives up “everything” to seek the cure for human suffering.

• Goal: To seek NirvanaMeans end of the self and a reunion in life with the Great Soul

Four Noble Truths1. Ordinary life is suffering2. This suffering is caused by our

desire to satisfy ourselves3. The way to end suffering is to end

desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves

4. The way to end desire is to follow the middle path

“The Middle Path”

Next Page

1. Stupas and temples were built to honor the death of Gautama.

Stupas are stone towers that house relics of the Buddha

The Middle PathThe Middle Path• Right View:Right View: We need to know the Four Noble Truths

• Right Intention:Right Intention: We need to decide what we really want

• Right Speech:Right Speech:We must seek to speak truth and to speak well of others

• Right Action:Right Action: The Buddha gave five precepts: “Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not be unchaste. Do not take drugs or alcohol.”

• Right livelihood:Right livelihood:We must do work that uplifts our being.

• Right effort:Right effort: The Buddha said, “Those who follow the Way might well follow the example of an ox that arches through the deep mud carrying a heavy load. He is tired, but his steady, forward-looking gaze will not relax until he is out of the mud.”

• Right mindfulness:Right mindfulness: We must keep our minds in control of our senses: “All we are is the result of what we have thought.”

• Right concentration:Right concentration: We must meditate to see the world in a new way.

Two Religions

Why Fat Buddha Statues?• The "Fat Buddha" is not THE Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama• The statue is not an idol.• Rubbing the belly of a fat Buddha Statue is not a prayer of any sort… it's just

a more or less superstitious habit• Buddha means "one who has achieved a state of perfect

enlightenment" and there are several people who have been given the title.

• Siddhartha lived from around B.C. 560 to B.C. 480, it was not until around 127 BC that statues actually depicting him became prevalent.

• Nobody knew what he really looked like, he was from a noble family and had been described as tall, slender, and of "manly build", but that may have been just because that is what people expected "Nobles" to look like.

• The image of a fat overfed Buddha didn't fit with his teachings, and an "enlightened one" might be so enlightened as to disregard material needs like eating…

• Buddhism reached China around 100AD, and was wide spread there by 600AD.

• We get three theories on Fat Buddha.

• And finally the theory held by most Buddhist scholars. A sagely Zen monk appeared in China around 850 A.D. and died in 916A.D. He said his name was "Knowing This" (ChiChe). No one knew where he came from, he carried a big fat bag and was famous for his fat belly. When asked how to obtain nirvana he would lay down the bag and not said a word. When asked about what happened after reaching nirvana he would pick up the bag and walk away, still not a word. It is pretty much accepted that such a monk existed. He is probably the inspiration for Fat Buddha, as the statues began appearing in the late 800's, 1200 years after the Gautama's death. If you'll look at an authentic Fat buddha, you'll see he has a sack on his back.

• First the physical image of a Noble was not athletic or a warrior, but a well fed person of leisure. People tried to rub a fat man's belly in hopes of luck and ample meals.

• Then there is the story of a Chinese Buddhist monk in the 6th century, who just happened to have a belly that shook like jelly, he was a kind fellow who dedicated himself to helping others, and was regarded as the incarnation of the Boddhisatva Metteya, who had reached nirvana but stayed around just to help people.