Chapter 3 India and China

Geography of Indian subcontinent

The Monsoon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8E-s5QTQOg

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

• Centered in Indus R. valley 3000 – 1500 BC

• Circa 35,000 inhabitants

• Show high level of organization– Water– Plumbing– Garbage disposal

• Agrarian• Trade (Esp. by Sea

with Mesopotamia)

Aryan Invasions

• Harappan culture weakened by natural disasters / effect flow of Indus R.

• 1500 BC Indo-European nomadic people cross into Indus valley

• Excellent warriors• Develop Sanskrit circa

1000 BC• Raja is name for ruler

Society in Ancient India

• India was a conquered state– Relatively light skinned Aryans conquer relatively dark-

skinned inhabitants Indus R. valley• Caste System

– Brahmans – priestly class– Kshatriyas – warrior class– Vaisyas – merchants and farmers– Sudras – peasants with limited rights– Untouchables – outside of the system did menial and

degrading tasks (5%)• Patriarchcal

– Suttee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMPGakW08r4&feature=related

Hinduism

• Origins in religious beliefs of Aryan people– Vedas (collections of hymns and religious

rites initially passed down orally, later written down)

• Brahman – ultimate reality• Atman – individual self• Reincarnation (circa 6th century BC)• Karma – force generated by a person’s life• Dharma – divine law or your duty• Yoga – (union) method of training designed to help

individual reach oneness with God

Buddhism (Religion or Philosophy)

• Siddhartha Gautama (6th century BC)– Born to great wealth– Ascetics– Meditation enlightenment bodhi nirvana– Accepts reincarnation but rejects caste system – anyone can reach

nirvana as a result of behavior in this life– Rejects multiple gods of Hinduism and forbade followers from

worshipping him or his image

• The Four Noble Truths– Ordinary life is full of suffering– This suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy ourselves– If you want to end suffering you must end your desire – The way to end desire is to seek the Middle Path

The Eightfold Path (Middle Path)

• Right view• Right intention• Right speech• Right action• Right livelihood• Right effort• Right mindfulness• Right concentration

The Eightfold Path

Right_____ Right_____ Right_____

Right_____Right_____Right_____Right_____

Right_____

Buddhism and Hinduism

Complete the Venn Diagram using the following words: Worships many gods, reincarnation, Four Noble Truths, associated with Aryans, karma, Brahman, yoga, Siddhartha Gautama, nirvana, bodhi, Eightfold Path, atman, believes in rigidly defined castes, most common religion in India today, all people can reach nirvana as a result of their actions in their current life

BuddhismHinduism

Later Indian Empires• Mauryan circa 300 BC – 180 BC

– Chandragupta Maurya• “It is power and power alone, which, only when exercised by the

king with impartiality, over his son or his enemy, maintains both this world and the next.”

– Asoka (268 – 232 BC)• India’s “greatest ruler• Buddhist approach

• Kushan (circa 200 BC – 200 AD– Primarily a trade empire – Silk Road

• Gupta (320 AD – circa 650 AD)– Founded by Chandragupta in central Ganges– Trade is important as pilgrims come to visit major religious

centers under Gupta control

The Silk Road

Cultural Contributions of India• Without military expansion, India’s culture

has spread throughout the world– Literature

• Vedas• Mahabharata - 90,000 stanzas (longest poem)

– Includes the Bhagvad Gita (sermon by god Krishna emphasizing centrality of moral rightness as guide to action

• Ramayana – Rama as ideal Aryan hero – Architecture

• Pillar• Stupa• Rock Chamber

– Science• Astronomy• Mathematics - Indians developed concept of zero and

used (0) as its symbol– Aryabhata one of first to use algebra

China• Huang He (Yellow)

• Chang Jiang (Yangtze)

Early Dynasties in China• Xia (circa. 2000 BC)

– Traditionally marked as the origin of Chinese civilization

– Little known about them, semi-mythical

• Shang (1750 – 1122 BC)– Agrarian society with dominant aristocracy

• Pyramidal social structure

• Belief in supernatural (oracle bones) and in afterlife (veneration of ancestors)

– Extraordinarily skilled in bronze casting • Taotie mask

Early Dynasties in China

• Zhou (1045 – 256 BC)– King becomes increasingly important and

creates a large bureaucracy • Seen as link between Heaven and Earth

– Mandate of Heaven• Zhou king takes authority from ruling in

accordance to the Dao • Ineffective kings could be replaced• “He who wins is the king; he who loses is the

rebel”

Dynastic Cycle

New dynasty established

Dynasty collapses

Rebellions or invasions

Central government’s power declines

Chinese PhilosophiesConfucianism Daoism Legalism

Chinese PhilosophiesConfucianism“Kongfuzi” b. 551 BC –his ideas are studied up till 20th century written down in Analects

Lived at time when China was at war with itself – addressed question “How do we restore order to society?”

His answer is political and ethical – assumes that there is “an order” and that following Dao would lead to prosperity. Duty and humanity are key elements

Five constant relationships:

Parent / child

Husband / wife

Older sibling / younger

Older friend / younger

Ruler / subject

Mutual obligations however, “The duty of children to their parents is the foundation from which all virtues spring”

Daoism

Associated with Laozi (Old Master) (perhaps a mythical amalgam)

Tao Te Ching (The Way of the Dao)

Concerned with behavior rather than meaning

Inaction rather than action Not like Pooh, the most effortless Bear we've ever seen." "Just How do you do it, Pooh?""Do What?" asked Pooh."Become so Effortless.""I don't do much of anything," he said."But all those things of yours get done.""They just sort of happen," he said

While Eeyore frets ... ... and Piglet hesitates... and Rabbit calculates ... and Owl pontificates...Pooh just is.

Legalism

Not associated with any one person

Humans are evil by nature

Harsh laws and strict punishment necessary to control people

Reject Confucian view that compassion was a desirable trait among rulers and believed instead that a strong ruler was needed to control people.

Chinese PhilosophiesConfucianismIf everyone fulfills their duties then society will prosper

Humanity - takes “Golden Rule” and states it as “Do not do unto others as you would not wish to have done to yourself”

Confucius believed Zhou dynasty was a “Golden Age”

Believed in rule by “meritocracy”

Died in 479 BC

His ideas spread widely after his death

Daoism Legalism

Confucianism

Confucianism - Five Constant Relationships

Ruler / subject

Older friend / younger friend

Older sibling / younger sibling

Husband/Wife

ParentChild

Qin and Han Dynasties

• Qin (Chin) 221- 206 BC– Qin Shihuangdi

• Adopted Legalism as regime’s official ideology• State is highly centralized with 3 major divisions “strengthens

the trunk and weakens the branches”– Civil– Military– Censorate (the watchers)

» Provincial & County level officials appointed by emperor based on merit

– Qin reforms• Single monetary system• Roads & canals• “Great Wall”

– Terra Cotta army

Great Wall

• Linked smaller sections of wall that already existed

The workers will work on the wall – or

die!

Han (202 BC – 220 AD)• Liu Bang

– Peasant origin– Adopts Confucian principles rather than legalism– Retains 3 branches of government and structure

• Introduces civil service exams and schools to train

• Wudi– Liu Bang’s great grandson

• Han Technology• Paper• Collar harness for livestock• Wheelbarrow• Fishing reel• Rudder• Two bladed plow• Watermills