AP World History Chapter 3 Classical Civilization India

AP World History Chapter 3 Classical Civilization India

Aryan Civilization • Indo European people who migrated across Europe and Asia. • No Archeological record of early Aryans. • Priests called Vedas kept oral stories that were passed down for generations. • The Vedas oral histories were written down around 1500 B. C. E

Aryan Society • Aryans loved fighting, drinking, and playing dice. • They broke their society into four groups. – Brahmins or Priests. – Kshatriyas or Warriors. – Vaisyas or merchants, artists, farmers and herders. – Sudras or natives conquered by Aryans. • Later the for groups were divided by economic status. • Slowly castes developed subdividing the people.

Aryan Religious Beliefs • Aryans were polytheistic. • • • Indra = God of Thunder, War= Weapon Thunderbolt. Varuna = God of Order. Agni = God of Fire = Messenger. Brahman = God of all things. Mystics = People who seek spiritual things. Rajahs = Elected warrior leaders.

Nomads to Farmers • The Aryans began to settle in villages then cities. • Rajahs became hereditary monarchs. • By 500 B. C. E many Rajahs controlled a new civilization of both Aryans and natives. • Written language of Sanskrit began to appear.

Mahabharata • India’s greatest epic poem. • Story of Aryans fighting each other. • Five royal brothers fight one battle that lasts 18 days.

Ramayana • The hero Rama must rescue Sita his beautiful bride from the demon king Ravana. • The monkey general Hanuman helps Rama rescue Sita. • Rama = ideal king. • Sita = ideal women.

Classical Age India • Alexander the Great. • We learn about the Maurya empire from a Greek diplomat.

Chandragupta, Maurya Empire • The first leader who conquered northern India. • The empire was maintained by a well organized Bureaucracy. • The government built roads, harbors, collected taxes, and had royal courts.

Asoka • The most honored Maurya emperor. • He conquered the Deccan region at the cost of 100, 000 dead. • He then converted to Buddhism. • He stopped all conquest and became a vegetarian. • He built stone pillars announcing peace and prosperity and helped unite a divided people.

Advances • Literature. – Fables, and folk tales in the Sanskrit language – Most famous play was Shakuntala. • Art. – Murals or wall paintings, Sexually vivid. • Architecture, stone temples, stupa’s or domes. – Lots of carvings. • Physicians. – Plastic surgery. – Vaccination of people against small pox. • Math. – Concept of Zero. – Decimal system based on 10.

Kushan Empire • Nomadic Empire that spread rapidly across the northern empire. • The Kushans adopted elements of the Hellenistic culture of Bactria. • They adopted the Greek alphabet to suit their own language

Gupta Destroyed • About the time of the Roman Empires collapse the White Huns overran the Gupta empire. • India split into many kingdoms for almost a 1000 years.

Many Gods or One • Hinduism has no founder but grew out of many cultures and people. • One of the worlds most complex religions. “God is one, but wise people know it by many names. ” • Brahman is the one god but people worship him as thousands of different gods.

Hindu Beliefs • Reincarnation – Rebirth of the soul. – Can be reborn up or down in the cast system. • Gurus – Great knowledge leads people as a teacher. • Mystics – Religious leaders

Varuna God of the Sky

Hindu Sacred Texts • Bhagavad-Gita. – Teaches duty over personal desires and ambitions.

The Goal of Life • Every person on earth has a atman or Brahman. • The goal is to achieve moksha or union with your Brahman. – You must free yourself of selfish desires. – It may take several lives to obtain. – Reincarnation is the rebirth of the soul.

Karma and Dharma • Karma deals with all actions in this life that affect his or her status in the next life. • All existence is ranked. Humans are at the top then comes animals, plants, and rocks. • Dharma is the duties that each class of people must accomplish to progress.

Opposition to the Brahmins • Some people rejected traditional Hinduism for a more extreme form.

Early Life • The early life of Gautama was spent in a palace surrounded by luxury. • Prince Gautama married and had a son. • Gautama was sheltered by his father who did not want him to become a traveling holy man.

The Search • Gautama was riding one day and came across a dead man, a sick person, and an old man. • He left his family to find a place without suffering. “why is their so much suffering in life? ” • He sat under a tree for 48 days pondering the mystery of life. • he answered the question, his name changed to Buddha. “the enlightened one. ” • Nirvana and Moksha.

Four Noble Truths • All life is filled with pain and suffering. • The cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions, such as riches, power, and long life. • The cure for suffering is to overcome desire. • Overcome desire by following the Eightfold Path.

Buddhism and Hinduism Compared • Both Buddhism and Hinduism believe in the cycle of rebirth. • Buddhism grew out of Hinduism. • Both stress non-violence.

Buddhist Sacred Texts • The Tripitaka or “Three Baskets of Wisdom” – “Overcome evil with good. ” – “Overcome the liar with truth. ”

Two Sects of Buddhism • Theravada: Followed the original teachings of Buddha closely. • Mahayana: Worship Buddha even though Buddha taught the people not to worship him. • Afterlife with many heavens and hells.

Decline of Buddhism in India • Hinduism eventually absorbed some Buddhist ideas. • Hinduism added Buddha to their long list of Gods. • Muslim armies destroyed the few remaining Buddhist centers of learning in the North.

Priest Morning Rituals

The Upanishads • The Upanishads are philosophical texts considered to be an early source of Hindu religion. More than 200 are known. • All Upanishads have been passed down in oral tradition.

Kamasutra • It presents itself as a guide to a virtuous and gracious living. • A book on practical advice on sex.

Stupa’s • A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship.

Economy and Society Patriarchal • arranged marriages • companionate Textiles • Iron working • Steel • Long-distance trade Indian Influence • Spread Via trade • Buddhism

China and India • Contrasts • Indian sensuality v. Chinese restraint in art • India more rigid socially • Similarities • large peasant classes • patriarchy