Classical India 600 BCE-600 CE

I. Analyze how the further development of Hinduism continued to provide a bond among the people of India and an ethical code to live by

-Describe core beliefs of Hinduism-Analyze how Hinduism affected India’s society and political system-Analyze how Hinduism affected gender I.Analyze how Buddhism emerged and how it asserted universal truths.-Describe the origins and main ideas of Buddhism-Analyze how Buddhism affected gender roles and the caste system-Describe how Buddhism spread throughout Asia-Analyze how Buddhism changed during this spreadI.Describe how India became an empire and how it politically unified the territory of modern day India. II.Analyze the methods of political control that the emperors in India developed. How did these build on earlier efforts of the Vedic Age?-Describe the administrative institutions that helped the Maurya and Gupta emperors organize their subjects.-Describe the role of the military and efforts by the Maurya and Gupta emperors to increase its effectiveness through road buildings, defensive walls, fortifications, and building supply lines-Describe how the Maurya and Gupta recruited soldiers-Describe how economic policies helped maintain the empire (roads, currencies, promotion of trade)I.Analyze social and economic developments in classical India-Describe the role of cities in government, religion, trade-Analyze social hierarchies and the role of each social class-Describe how agriculture was organized and how the elites were rewarded for their loyalty to the state-Analyze gender relations and how patriarchy continued to influence gender relationsI.Describe Indian architecture and scientific contributions of classical IndiaII.Describe literature in India and how it influenced later time periods and neighboring regions.

Aryan Migration

pastoral depended on their cattle.

warriors horse-drawn chariots.

We know that they were related to OTHER Indo-European people because of their language and religious beliefs that show

similarities to ancient Greek and Latin ideologies

Sanskrit

writing

The Vedas 1200 BCE-600 BCE.

written in SANSKRIT.

Hindu core of beliefs:

hymns and poems.

religious prayers.

magical spells.

lists of the gods and goddesses.

Classical Indian literature:

Mahabharta, Baghavad-Gita,

Vedas

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

ShudrasShudras

VaishyasVaishyas

Kshatriyas Kshatriyas

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

BrahminsBrahmins

The Caste System

The mouth?

The arms?

The legs?

The feet?

WHO IS…

What is a JATI?

BrahminsBrahmins

KshatriyasKshatriyas

VaishyasVaishyas

ShudrasShudras

The Vedic Age

The foundations for Hinduism were established.

•How do Hindus worship?

• Meditation, pilgrimage to sacred places (Ganges river)

• Pray to different gods, either at shrines or in temples

• Following rituals (bathing, sacrifice to a god, taking care of the statue of a god)

• Worship in nature• Worship depends on jati, gender, and

stage in life

• Om in Sanskrit – Mantra. Om is a sound.

HINDUS AND NATURE

Man co-exists with other forms fo beings. FLOW OF

ENERGY

Pancha Rathas monolith rock-cut temple, late 7th century

Classical India

600 BCE – 600 CE

• What empires were there in classical India? When did they rule? How much of India did they rule? What was the government structure like? How did they unify their diverse empire?

Maurya Empire• Chandragupta Maurya founds Maurya empire around 320 320

BCEBCE• Capital Pataliputra in Ganges Valley• Asoka (269-232) conquers subcontinent, converts to

Buddhism• Improvements in infrastructure: building of roads, postal

service, irrigation systems, common currency• Relies on centralized bureaucracy, large army, system of

spies• taxation system relies on taxing farming (1/4th of harvest)• Collapse of Mauryan dynasty around 180 BCE due to too

high expenses for large standing army• Jati important in keeping public order

The Maurya rule ALL of India. •COMMON CURRENCY •CHARGE FEES TO USE IRRIGATION SYSTEM •GOV. CONTROL MAKING WEAPONSThey are going to unite much of India after the death of

Alexander the great

Kushan Empire

• Kushan – Indo-Europeans, invade India late second century BCE

• Control modern day Afghanistan and northern India

• Control trade routes to Central Asia and Middle East

• Collapses 220 CE• They are going to strongly promote the

spread of the Buddhist religion.

• The Kushan Empire (30-375)

Gupta Empire

• Founded by Chandra Gupta in 320 CE• They are going to rule the north (a much smaller area than

their Mauryan predecessors.) • Gupta: taxation system, bureaucracy, road building, law

codes similar to Maurya dynasty• Relies more on alliances with local rulers, tribute payments

from rulers who opt not to fight Guptas• They develop the decimal system and the concept of zero. • Jati important in keeping public order• Overrun by White Huns around 550 CE

What was society like in classical India?

• Hierarchical: varna, jati• Cut across political boundaries• Many different languages and cultures, organized

by caste and jati• Not many contacts between different jati• Hardly any slavery, but not many rights for lower

caste people• Land owned by villages, peasants not as

dependent on land lords as in China• Influential merchant class

What religious changes took place in classical India ?

• Asoka converts to Buddhism after bloody military campaign

• Kushan rulers promote Buddhism

• Promote spread of Buddhism to Central Asia, from there to East Asia

• Gupta Hindu, claim to have been appointed by Hindu gods

• Leads to decline of Buddhism in India

How did Buddhism and Hinduism change?

• Early Buddhism stresses asceticism, community of monks, Buddha seen as human being, not a god

• Mahayana Buddhism- Becomes popular during early centuries CE- Begins to worship Buddha as god- Boddhisatvas (enlightened beings) as examples of

spiritual excellence- Spreads from India to Central Asia and East Asia- Spread assisted by Buddhist monasteries teaching the

new faith, for example Nalanda near Pataliputra• Popular Hinduism- Promises salvation to everyone who follows the dharma

of his/her caste- Replaces Buddhism in India

SPREAD OF BUDDHISM

• Gandhara Buddha, northern India

• Buddha at Suzhou, China

• What does Buddhist art and architecture look like?

Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

• Shewdagon Pagoda in Yangon, Burma

• 6th to 10th century

Great Stupa at Sanchi, India established by King Asoka

What was the status of women in India?

• Patriarchal society• Women excluded from holding official political or

religious functions• Arranged marriage, limited property rights• Sati• Less rights for women under Gupta (child

marriage common)• Buddhism allows women life outside family

(nuns), but still patriarchal

What scientific advances were made under the Gupta?

• Astronomy: length of solar year (Aryabhatta), identified seven planets, understood rotation of the earth

• Mathematics: decimal system, concept of zero, negative numbers, square roots, value of pi

• Medicine: inoculation against small pox, sterilization of wounds, hospitals

What economic role did India play in the “world economy”? Who was responsible for trade?

• Merchants have high social status

• Merchants run governments in some coastal towns

• Export of spices (pepper), steel, cotton cloth

• Trading connections with Mediterranean (metals, wine, gold), China (silk), South East Asia (spices)

• Asokan Pillar at Vaishali.

Asokan Pillar next to stupa from 2nd cent. BCE

• Gold coin of Kushan emperor Kanishka I. with a depiction of the Buddha and inscription in Greek script.

Examples of Greco-Buddhist Art

• Buddhist Gods Panchika and Hariti 3rd century CE (Kushan Period)

• Standing Buddha, 1st century CE

• Statue of Hermes, a Greek god

Pancha Rathas monolith rock-cut temple, late 7th century

Ajanta Caves

Shrine with Statue of Buddha

Court Scene