ANCIENT INDIA

GEOGRAPHY• Great size and diverse landscapes = cultural

diversity and hard to unite• Indian subcontinent = a large landmass that is

part of a continent• Monsoons = seasonal winds in India that bring

rain in the summer

.

The Aryans and the Vedic Period• Between 2000-1500 BC a group of nomadic

Indo-European people formed a new civilization along the Ganges river–A warlike people who went from being

nomads to farmers• Developed Sanskrit, their writing system

around 1000 BC–Sacred writings called the Vedas – a

collection of hymns, prayers, and other religious teachings

• People settled in smaller villages, which banded together under regional leaders called rajas

• The social structure was based on the caste system–Caste system = a set rigid categories in

ancient India that determined a person’s occupation and position in society–Caste = social class

• Society was divided into four social classes called varnas– Brahmans = priestly class in charge of religious

ceremonies, is the highest ranking– Kshatriyas = warriors and rulers– Vaisyas = commoners, mostly farmers & merchants– Sudras = people who were not Aryans, mostly

peasants with limited rights in society, servants• The four varnas are also subdivided into hundreds of

smaller castes• Untouchables = people who are not part of the caste

system, lowest part of society– Are given menial, degrading tasks that other Indians

would not accept (trash collecting, handling dead bodies)

• Valued Cattle – Cows were sacred• Women had less rights and were not equal– Job was to have children and obey and respect their

husbands at all times• Sati– Virtuous woman who joined her husband on his funeral

pyre– In ancient India the dead were burned in a funeral pyre– Suttee required a wife to throw herself on her dead

husband’s flaming body to join him in death– Women who refused were considered disrespectful

• The Aryans were polytheistic• The Aryans practiced the religion of Hinduism

Hinduism• One of the world’s oldest religions– Practiced in ancient India by the Aryans

• Religious beliefs of the Hindus are found in the Vedas, a collection of hymns and religious ceremonies

• Beliefs– Polytheistic, belief in the caste system– Brahman – single force, external being that created

and preserves the world, a form of ultimate reality

–Every person has an atman, or soul, that is an aspect of Brahman• A person’s atman shapes their personality

and cannot be destroyed by death• The duty of the atman is to seek to know

this ultimate reality called Brahman–Devas = various manifestations of Brahman,

are active in the world

– Continual pattern of birth, death, and rebirth• At death the atman is released from the body

and later reborn in another– Called reincarnation = belief that the individual

soul is reborn into a new form after death– The nature of the person’s new life will be shaped

by their karma• Karma = force generated by a person’s actions

that determines how the person will be reborn in the next life– good karma = reborn into a higher caste– bad karma = reborn into a lower caste

• Gave religious basis for the rigid caste system and hope to the lower castes

– The ultimate goal of human existence is achieve moksha, or union with Brahman• Moksha = escape or release from the cycle of

rebirth• Atman leaves the world and reunites with

Brahman – Hindus work toward achieving this– The way to achieve moksha is to fulfill one’s

dharma• Dharma = (divine law) a person’s spiritual

duties and obligations which they must follow to achieve liberation• Various depending on status and caste• Fulfilling dharma allows a person to create

good karma

–Make a pilgrimage to a holy location• Pilgrimage = religious journey• For Hindus one of the most holy places

they want to visit in their lifetime is the Ganges river, believe that the water is holy• Believe that bathing in the Ganges will

purify and remove some bad karma

Buddhism• Founded in the 6th century BC by Siddartha

Gautama– Later took the name of Buddha, which means

“Enlightened One”• His goal was to seek the cure for human

suffering–Resolved to find a way to overcome age and

sickness to keep people from having to suffer

• Decided one must deny the reality of the material world– Pain, poverty, and sorrow are caused by attachments

to things of this world– Once you let go of worldly cares, pain and sorrow can

be forgotten and wisdom can be achieved (bodhi)• Achieving wisdom is a key step to achieving nirvana– Nirvana = end of self and reunion with the Great

World Soul– A state of perfect peace in which the soul will be free

from suffering• Four Noble Truths– Ordinary life is full of suffering– This suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy

ourselves with pleasure and material goods

– Overcoming these desires during life eventually brings suffering to an end

– The way to end desire is to follow the Eightfold Path

• Eightfold Path = a series of steps that leads to Enlightenment• Can also be expressed as the Middle Way, which

advises people to live in moderation in the search for nirvana

– Right view Right livelihood – Right attitude Right effort– Right speech Right mindfulness– Right action Right concentration

• Other beliefs–Believe in reincarnation–Do not believe in the caste system–Do not worship any gods, Buddha forbade

followers to worship his image• Spread of Buddhism– Starts out in India, but loses popularity to

Islam– Spreads to Southeast Asia

HINDUISM BUDDHISM

Founded By

Major Goal

Main Religious Teachings

Polytheistic or Monotheistic

Belief in Reincarnation?

Belief in Caste System?

Started Where