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Jan 05, 2016
HAPPY HAPPY TUESDAYTUESDAY
Vedic Age ~1500-Vedic Age ~1500-800 B.C.E.800 B.C.E.
Vedic Age ~1500-Vedic Age ~1500-800 B.C.E.800 B.C.E.
BackgrounBackgrounddIndo-Aryans among Indo-Aryans among
many groups who many groups who migrated across migrated across Europe and AsiaEurope and Asia
arrived in India to arrived in India to find water and find water and horse pastureshorse pastures
built no cities and built no cities and left few artifactsleft few artifacts
Aryan tribes led by rajahs or chiefs
warlike people, warriors were praised as heroes
people divided by occupations and eventually into a more complex system of four castes
Brahmins (priests): mouth
claimed that they alone could conduct ceremonies that won the favor of the gods
Kshatriyas (warriors): arms
Vaisya (farmers, artisans, merchants): legs/thighs
Sudras (farmworkers and servants): feet
CultureCulture
ReligionReligion
The Vedas were their ‘holy books’
deities represented natural forces
IndraIndra, god of war, was the chief god
Religion
as the lives of Aryans changed, so did their beliefs
some began to think that there was a single spiritual power
called brahmanbrahman
force residing in all things
others became mystics
AchievementAchievementss
1.1. first to travel to India through the first to travel to India through the Hindu Kush mountainsHindu Kush mountains
2.2. modern religions developed from the modern religions developed from the Aryan beliefsAryan beliefs
3.3. Indus Valley cities had a well-Indus Valley cities had a well-organized governmentorganized government
4.4. developed a framework for what developed a framework for what would become Indian civilizationwould become Indian civilization
5.5. preserved a strong oral tradition: preserved a strong oral tradition: memorized and recited hymns and memorized and recited hymns and epic poemsepic poems
Mauryan Beginnings• Chandragupta Chandragupta
Maurya Maurya (top 3 classes) gained control of the MagadhaMagadha (influential area) and eventually expanded into India’s 1st empire
• After fall of Greek Empire (death of Alex Gr8) – Mauryan able to extend control over most of the subcontinent
•ArthashastraArthashastra – – guide to political guide to political success, written by success, written by Brahmin guide of Brahmin guide of Chandragupta – Chandragupta – advocates advocates mandalamandala or foreign policy or foreign policy theorytheory
• ¼ of value of ¼ of value of
harvest given to harvest given to king/gov’t – king king/gov’t – king used family & used family & friends to manage friends to manage admin districtsadmin districts
Ashoka & Beyond• ChaGu grandson –
greatly extended the empire but @ high human cost, upset by this so he converted to Buddhism and strict nonviolence & morality
• 1st deciphered Indian writing = Edicts of Edicts of Ashoka Ashoka
• Mauryan collapsed 184 BCE – next 500 yrs characterized by fragmentation
Next Next 500 500
Years…Years…
• Foreigners dominated the NW & Foreigners dominated the NW & even extended into the E & S @ even extended into the E & S @ times – Greeks, Iranians and Chinese times – Greeks, Iranians and Chinese
• Although fragmented, still signs of Although fragmented, still signs of social, intellectual and economic social, intellectual and economic developmentdevelopment last BCE gr8est last BCE gr8est Indian epics (Indian epics (RamayanaRamayana & & MahabharataMahabharata) finalized – reflect ) finalized – reflect Vedic AgeVedic Age
• Bhagavad-GitaBhagavad-Gita resolve issue B/T resolve issue B/T duty to society and to yourself duty to society and to yourself
• Science = herbal remedies, Writing Science = herbal remedies, Writing system = Sanskrit system = Sanskrit
THE GUPTA EMPIRETHE GUPTA EMPIRE
Gupta Empire 320-550 CE
• Similar to/modeled after Mauryan grew out of Magadha, founder named Chandra Gupta (but he stole it), capital PataliaputraPataliaputra
• Never controlled as much land as Mauryan but able to rack up some serious territory
• EconomicEconomic navigated important trade routes, agriculture, control of iron deposits, required 25% tax (like Maur)
Gupta Government
• Not as effective as a Not as effective as a centralized government centralized government outside the core – outside the core – governors (often times governors (often times corrupt and greedy) corrupt and greedy) were pretty much were pretty much allowed free reign on allowed free reign on how they administered how they administered their regionstheir regions
• Kings/rulers not Kings/rulers not interested in day-to-day interested in day-to-day stuff stuff
• Theatre –StateTheatre –State tried to persuade outside areas to follow their lead by having elaborate ceremonies and rituals, wanted to attract with the allure of court life
Gupta StuffGupta Stuff•IntellectualIntellectual math & math & astronomy astronomy developmentdevelopments, most s, most importantly – importantly – the concept the concept of zeroof zero
• declining status B/C of urbanization and complex social & political organizations –
• essentially treated as Shudras (lowest class)
• Lost right to inherit property
• Married @ uber young age, like 6-7
• Expected to cremate themselves upon death of hubby, if not basically died a social death and were outcasted
• Some hope for women joined with Buddhists or Jainist, upper class women could study
WomenWomen
Stuff to Remember about the Stuff to Remember about the GuptaGupta
• Gupta = Hindus – reemergence of the Caste system
• Era of religious tolerance
• Continued thriving commercial connections – used coined money, traded with SE & E Asia (India heavily influenced these areas)
Gupta Collapse
• Theatre-stateTheatre-state++ upkeep upkeep
of big empire of big empire == $$$$$$ $$$$$$$$
• Late 5Late 5thth century – century – pressure from the Huns pressure from the Huns of Central Asia of Central Asia
• Defense campaigns cost Defense campaigns cost a lot of money and a lot of money and eventually bled the eventually bled the treasury drytreasury dry
• Empire collapsed 550 CEEmpire collapsed 550 CE