Ancient Indian Civilization and Society No Quiz

IndiaStandard GS-1.4

Explain the impact of religion in classical Indian civilization, including Hinduism and the effects of its beliefs and practices on

daily life, changes that occurred as a result of Buddhist teachings, and the influence of

religion on culture and politics.

Essential Question:What were the effects of Hinduism and Buddhism on the daily life, culture, and politics, of classical Indian civilizations?

Chapter 3 Key TermsTerm Definition

monsoon Seasonal wind pattern in southern

Sanskrit Writing system developed by the Aryans

raja Aryan prince or leader

Hinduism Religion of the majority of ; originated with the Aryans

ascetics People who practiced self-denial to achieve understanding of ultimate reality

Buddhism Philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama in in the 6th century

Silk Road Trade route that linked China to Western Civilizations like Greece and Rome

pilgrim Person who travels for religious reasons

I. The Land of IndiaThe summer monsoons bring heavy rains, which farmers depend on to grow their crops. If the rains come too early or too late, or if there is too much or too little rain, crops are ruined and many people starve.

• Indus River• Ganges River• Harappa• Mohenjo-Darro• Nepal• Pakistan• Indian Ocean

• Sri Lanka• China• Himalaya Mountains

Label the following on the India map provided:

II. ANCIENT INDIAN CIVILIZATION AND SOCIETY

The three pillars of Indian life are the Village, the Family, and the Caste System

1. Both cities were carefully planneda. Buildings were made of mud bricksb. walled neighborhoodsc. public wellsd. Bathrooms w/ advanced drainage systems

and sewage pitse. garbage bins.

2. Power given to the rulers by the gods or through divine assistance

3. Economy based on farming and extensive trade.

4. Polytheistic Religious beliefsa. Worshiped many gods and goddesses

connected to nature and their environment

A. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro 3000-1500 BC

1. a group of nomadic (people that move around to follow their food)

2. Indo-Europeans (referring to their language group not race)

3. settled along the Ganges River4. Pastoral (farmers and herders)

with a strong warrior tradition5. the iron plow and irrigation,

helped to clear the dense jungle and turn it into farms.

6. Governed by Aryan princes called rajas

7. Developed their first writing system, known as Sanskrit, around 1000 BC

B. Arrival of the Aryans 1500 BC

Caste System Role PlayEach group should research their assigned caste and answer the following questions.– What is your job?– What is your income level? – What is your daily life like?– What kinds of food do you eat and clothes do you

wear?

Use the information you have gathered to create a short skit to share with the class.– Everyone in your group must participate through

movement and/or speech.– You may bring in items from home to help you with

your skit.

1. Aryans created the Caste system a) a rigid set of social classes

b) Determined one’s occupation, economic potential, and position in society from birth

c) Based, in part, on skin color

Brahmanspriests

Kshatriyaswarriors

Vaisyascommoners

Sudraspeasants with limited rights

UNTOUCHABLES

C. Society in Ancient India

2. Untouchablesa) 5% of India’s population

b) not treated as humans and were separated from the rest of society

c) Given menial and degrading tasks such as handling trash and collecting dead bodies

1. Familya) Extended families: multiple

generations living togetherb) Patriarchal: Father or the oldest

male is the head of the household2. Villages

a) The center of Indian Lifeb) run by a headman (like a chief)

and council of elders3. Men

a) inherit propertyb) Educated c) priestsd) Could take a second wife if first

was infertile4. Women

a) Marriages arranged by parentsb) Dowries made women were an

economic burden on their parentsc) Suttee required a wife to throw

herself onto her dead husband’s flaming funeral pyre.

D. Family in Ancient India

III. Hinduism and Buddhism

B = Hinduism Unique

Characteristics

A = Similarities

C = Buddhism

Unique Characteri

stics

1 = Origins and

Founders

2 = Major Beliefs and

Sacred Texts

3= Rituals, Practices, Effects on

Society

Hinduism and/or Buddhism

Reincarnation is the belief that the individual soul is reborn in a different form after death.

Karma is the force generated by a person’s actions that determines how the person will be reborn in the next life.

Dharma is the divine law in Hinduism that requires all people to do their duty.

Hinduism: Origins

No single founder– Developed from the

overlapping beliefs of Indus and Aryans as well as others

– Hinduism is one of the most complex religions

Hinduism: Major BeliefsEverything in the universe is part of the unchanging, all powerful spiritual force called Brahman.

Hindus worship many gods that are part of the Brahman

– Brahma: the creator– Vishnu: the preserver– Shiva: the destroyer

Hinduism: Major Beliefs

The ultimate goal is moksha, or union with the Brahman, thus reincarnation makes this possible

Yoga is a method of training designed to lead to union with Brahman.

Hinduism: Sacred Texts

No single sacred text– Vedas, Bhagavad Gita,

Upanishads, Ramayana, and Mahabharata

Vedas and Upanishads recorded Hindu teachings

The Bhagavad-Gita spells out many ethical ideas central to Hinduism such as ahimsa, or nonviolence.

Think Real HardGet back together with your caste system group and answer the following questions now that you know about the Aryan’s Hindu beliefs.– Do people in your caste believe they are

being punished for their past life? Do they think they are being rewarded? Explain why.

– What do people in your caste hope will happen in their next life?

– Do you think that their belief in reincarnation, karma, etc helped reinforce the caste system or undermine it? Explain your answer.

Hinduism

Caste System

The caste system supports the belief in reincarnation

It is so difficult to reach moksha that it takes many lifetimes

Dharma

Everyone knows their role in society and what their religious and social duties are which led to social order and stability.

Buddhism: Origins

Prince Siddhartha Gautama enjoyed a happy life, married and had a sonOne day he left the palace and he saw suffering for the first time and set out to discover “the realm of life where there is no suffering or deathOne day he sat down to meditate for 48 days until he became enlightened and understood the cause and cure for suffering and pain he then became the BuddhaSome of his followers collected his teachings into the Tipitaka or “Three Baskets of Wisdom”

FYI Buddha passed away at the age of 80 from an illness possibly related to something he ate in his final days.

Buddhism

Siddhartha accepted the idea of reincarnation, but rejected the Hindu division of human beings into rigidly defined castes, based on previous reincarnations. – He taught that all human beings could reach

nirvana as a result of their behavior in this life. Siddhartha rejected the multitude of gods that has become identified with Hinduism.

– He forbade his followers to worship either his person or his image after his death.

Buddhism

Achieving wisdom is a key step to achieving nirvana, or ultimate reality – the end of the self and a reunion with the Great World Soul.

 List the Four Noble Truths.– Ordinary life is full of suffering.– This suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy

ourselves.– The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish

goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves.– The way to end desire is to follow the Middle Path.

Four Noble Truths

All life is full of

suffering, pain, and sorrow

The cause of suffering is

the desire for things that are really illusions

The only cure for suffering is to overcome desire

The way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path

Through meditation a person might

achieve enlightenment or

Nirvana: the union with the universe and

release from the cycle of rebirth.

Other Differences

Buddhism rejected the priests, formal rituals, and existence of many gods

Buddhists rejected the caste system offering hope of nirvana to all

Buddhism Spreads

It split into two major schools of thought…

– Theravada: more like Buddha’s original teachings, main scriptures Tripitaka

– Mahayana: easier for everyday people to follow, and worshiped Buddha as god, main scriptures Sutaras

Think Hard

What would make Buddhism an attractive religion to some people?

Which beliefs/practices would make it an unattractive religion for others?

How do you think Buddhism would effect the way a king would rule?

Religions of India SongTo the tune of “Mary had a Little Lamb”

India has 2 religions

Hinduism and Buddhism

Both believe in karma, dharma,

ahimsa, and reincarnation

Hinduism is the oldest one

with thousands of gods but no founder

3 of the most important are

Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva

Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism rejects the caste system

They offer hope to all who want to achieve nirvana

India has 2 religions

Hinduism and Buddhism

Both believe in karma, dharma,

ahimsa, and reincarnation

IV. ANCIENT INDIAN EMPIRES

Mauryan Empire Gupta EmpireDates

GovernmentWho governed?

EconomyHow did they gain wealth?

Cultural DevelopmentsLiterature, architecture, science, math?

IV. ANCIENT INDIAN EMPIRES

A. Maurya Empire1. Chandragupta Maurya was the founder

and ruled from 324-301BC.a) Created a highly centralized state, divided

the empire into provinces, maintained order through secret police.

b) He feared assassination so much that he had secret passageways, taste-testers, and women warriors for protection.

2. Asoka Maurya, Chadragupta’s grandson, conquered most of the Indian subcontinent through war and violence.

a) Eventually he converted to Buddhism and is considered the greatest Indian emperor.

i. He built hospitals, shelters for travelers, and treated his people as his own children.

ii. Elephant Army Video

B. Kushan Kingdom1. Silk Road = trade route that linked China to

Mesopotamia and Rome.2. The Silk road helped the Kushan kingdom of

India become very prosperous in the first couple of hundred years AD.

C. Gupta Empire

1. 320 AD a new Empire emerged at the site of the old Maurya capital, Pataliputra.

a. Golden Age of Indian civilization

b. Trade led to prosperous cities.

c. Religious pilgrims brought wealth.

2. Eventually the Huns invaded in the 5th century AD and the empire collapsed.

D. Achievements

and Culture

1. Literature 2. Architecture 3. Science

Vedas, earliest known literature from Aryans, Ramayana= world’s

longest poem

Rock Chambers, Pillars, and Stupas: Dome

shaped Buddhist Shrines

Earth=Sphere, Concept

of Zero, Algebra

SummarizingHow did religion influence the following areas of Indian life?– Political – Buddhism influenced politics when Asoka

converted to the religion and rejected warfare for peace. He treated the people with compassion, as if they were his own children. Hinduism influenced politics through the caste system which encouraged social stability and order.

– Economic- Pilgrims traveled throughout India to visit holy Buddhist sites bringing in great wealth. Traders along the silk road learned about Hinduism and Buddhism and spread the beliefs.

– Cultural – Buddhism effected architecture through the building of rock chambers, pillars, and stupas. Hinduism was responsible for many of the great works of literature in India like the Mahabharata.

India Review Word Bank

Animism

Theravada

Hinduism

Buddhism

Silk Road

Reincarnation

Caste System

Enlightenment

Aryans

Brahman

Indus Valley