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