Early Societies in S.

AsiaChapter 4

Harappan Society Name after Harappa, a chief city

Developed near the Indus river, waters used for irrigation of crops

Hard to follow Harappan Society for two reasons: physical remains are inaccessible & lack of written records

However understanding Harappan Society still depends physical remains above water table

Dravidian Language

Harappan Society

I. Harappan Society cont’d

A. Foundations of Harappan Society

1. The Indus River

a. water from rain and melting mountain snow

b. agriculture possible in N. India

c. most important food crops and domesticated animals came from Mesopotamia (wheat, barley

& meat from herds)

d. cultivated cotton

e. Agriculture surplus fed two large cities, Harappa & Mohenjo-daro

Mohenjo Daro Excavation (aerial view)

I. Harappan Society cont’d

2. Political Organization

a. no evidence of Harappan political system, still prominent though

3. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

a. city walls, fortified citadel

b. Large granary, suggesting center of political authority and site for collection and redistribution of taxes paid in

grain

c. marketplaces, temples, public buildings, residential districts & broad streets w/carefully planned grid

d. large pool

I. Harappan Society cont’d

e. high degree of standardization possible because of Indus river facilitating trade, travel &

communication among far regions of Harappa. (all corners of society)

4. Specialized Labor and Trade

a. Depended on agricultural economy

b. engaged in trade both foreign and domestic

c. pottery, tools, decorative items came to Harappa

d. Traded w/Mesopotamia: copper, ivory, beads & semi-precious stones for wool, leather & olive oil.

Bronze Statuette Produced atMohenjo-DaroDepicts littleDancing girl

Carving on a seal discovered at Mohenjo-DaroDepicts a man wearing cattle horns and Meditating. May represent Harappan deity.

I. Harappan Society cont’d

B. Harappan Society and Culture

Generated considerable wealth

Thriving economically with 40000 population

1. Social Distinctions

a. wealth=social distinctions

b. no pyramids, tombs, or palaces but functioned through citadels.

c. rich and poor lived different lifestyles

d. many lived in one-room barrack-like structures , but there was also individual houses of two/three stories

I. Harappan Society cont’d

e. almost all houses had private bathrooms, and drainage/sewage system

f. not enough info to understand discovered texts

g. variety of statues, figurines, and illustrations reflect representational art.

h. experts in gold, copper & bronze metallurgy

2. Fertility Cults

a. Strong concern for fertility, evident with similarities in Harappan deities and Hindu fertility sculptures

b. Venerated gods and goddesses that were associated with creation and procreation

c. trees & animals associated w/vital forces

I. Harappan Society cont’d

d. scholars noticed similarities between Harappan and Hindu deities.

3. Harappan Decline

a. after 1900 bce Harappa entered a state of decline

b. theories: ecological degradation, deforestation

c. eventually lost agricultural benefits and became a desert

d. other theories: natural catastrophes: flooding, earth quakes

e. by 1700 bce population began to abandon Mohenjo-Daro because of difficulties to sustain complex urban societies.

I. Harappan Society cont’d

f. peoples from other societies adopted Harappan ways for their own purposes.

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India Foreigners came in and began to settle in the

Indus valley and beyond

Most prominent Indo-Europeans settlers were the Aryans

Est. small herding and agricultural communities

Aryans did not invade militarily

1500 bce Aryans & Dravidians interacted, intermarried and laid social & cultural foundations that still influence present day India

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’dA. The Aryans and India

1. The Early Aryans

a. practiced limited amount of agriculture

b. relied on pastoral economy (sheep, goats)

c. Horses a commodity and often imported

d. Horses harnessed to carts and wagons to facilitate transportation and chariots

e. cattle=wealth

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’d 2. The Vedas

a. did not use writing but composed songs and poems.

b. preserved religious and literary works through memorization and oral transmission

c. they used Sanskrit language to do this

d. Vedas were a collection of hymns, songs, prayers and rituals honoring the various gods of the Aryans

e. Rig Veda-1028 hymns addressed to Aryan gods

f. Vedas represent a priestly perspective on affairs

g. Veda means “wisdom”/ “knowledge”; priests needed this knowledge to carry out their functions

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’d 3. Vedic Age

a. Vedas reflect the clash between Dravidians and others living in India.

b. Vedas call indigenous people dasas “enemies” or “subject people”

c. Indra=Aryan war god

d. Relatively peaceful w/Dravidians there were intermittent conflicts

e. Aryans fought amongst themselves, no state or common gov’t but many chiefdoms

f. Rajas=chiefdom leaders

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’d 4. Aryan Migrations in India

a. Aryans settled in Punjab (modern day N border of India and Pakistan)

b. est. communities through east sub-continent

c. learned how to make iron tools, est. agricultural communities.

d. iron implements allowed them to cultivate more land, produce more food, support larger

communities which pushed them deeper into the Ganges river valley.

e. cultivated rice

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’dB. Origins of the Caste System

Aryans constructed a well defined social order

Hereditary distinctions between individuals and groups according to their roles and occupation in society

Distinctions became foundation of caste system

Caste means social class of heredity and usually unchangeable status (Portuguese derivative).

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’d 1. Caste and Varna

a. caste developed slowly and gradually

b. as they settled in India interactions w/Dravidians led to refine social distinctions

c. varna=color, major social classes, eludes to the first 4 major social classes

d. social distinctions arose partly from complexion between the Aryan “wheat colored” & Dravidians “darker-skinned”

e. Aryans & Dravidians mixed, mingled, intermarried, became difficult to distinguish

f. Based social distinction on Ancestry

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’d 2. Social Distinctions in the Vedic Age

a. 1000bce Aryans recognize 4 main varnas: 1) brahmins (priests), 2)kshatriyas (warriors & aristocrats), 3)vaishyas (cultivators, artisans & merchants), 4) sudras (landless peasants & serfs)

b. untouchables later added, those whom performed dirty or unpleasant tasks

c. the Rig Veda has hymns about varnas as a part of the creation of the early days

d. the four castes emanated from the four parts of Purusha when the gods sacrificed him.

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’d 3. Subcastes and Jati

a. elaborate scheme of social classification emerged

b. jati=people working at the same or similar tasks in a given area belonged to the same subcaste and their offspring joined them in both occupation and jati membership

d. jati members ate with one another and intermarried, cared for those who became ill or were struggling

e. had rules and specific behavior, specific communication with members of different castes and subcastes

f. Breaking jati rules could result in expulsion from the larger group

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’d 4. Castes and Social Mobility

a. caste system accommodated social change

b. higher caste members could lose their social positions of honor and move down in social hierarchy

c. mobility was based more on groups than individuals

d. mobility in social heirarchy led to an ease of tensions

e. caste systems also allowed foreigners a place in the system

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’dC. Development of Patriarchal Society

Social order based on gender distinctions

Aryans recognized descent through male lineage

Only males inherit property, preside over rituals for ancestors

Formal education in Sanskrit almost only for men

1. The Law Book of Manu

a. Women under authority of man

b. Law Book dealt w/moral behavior & social relationships

c. respect & honor women, but women subject to guidance of man

II. The Indo-European Migrations & Early Aryan

India cont’dd. woman’s duty according to the book

was to bear children and maintain their homes.

2. Sati

a. widows voluntarily throw themselves on the funeral pyre of deceased husband to join him in death

b. this ritual esp. for socially prominent women to show devotion to husbands

III. Religion in the Vedic Age

Fusion of Aryan traditions w/Dravidian values laid the foundation for Hinduism (popular in India & SE Asia)

A. Aryan Religion

1. Aryan Gods

a. Indra=war deity, but also chief deity

b. associated him also with weather, coming of rain to water the crops

c. other deities also existed, but Indra represents instability in early Vedic Age

d. Varuna-another god who presided over the sky, oversaw behavior of mortal and preserved cosmic order

III. Religion in the Vedic Age cont’d

2. Ritual Sacrifices

a. performances of ritual sacrifices were more important than ethical concerns

b. believed their gods came down to earth to join them in rituals

c. felt that sacrificing & pleasing the gods would lead to military success, large families, long life & abundant herds

3. Spirituality

a. Aryans eventually became tired of the sacrificial rituals (felt no real communication w/gods)

b. 800bce individual begin to leave villages, go into forests, reflect on relationships between humans, the world and gods

III. Religion in the Vedic Age cont’d

c. inspired by Dravidian people connections w/natural spirits related to fertility

d. Dravidians believed that human souls took on new physical forms after death (transmigration and reincarnation)

e. idea that you could come back as a plant or animal or associate w/another body through a new birth

B. The Blending of Aryan and Dravidian Values

1. The Upanishads

a. a body of work (800-400bce) that refers to the practice of disciples gathering before a sage for discussion of religious issues

III. Religion in the Vedic Age cont’d

2. Brahman, the Universal Soul

a. Upanishads taught that appearances are deceiving and that we are not separate autonomous creatures

b. we are a part of a larger cosmic order a part of a universal soul, Brahman

c. Brahman is eternal, unchanging, permanent foundations for all things

d. Upanishads believed individuals souls were born into the physical world several times

e. highest goal of the soul was to escape the cycle of birth & rebirth enter into union with Brahman

f. In the Chandogya Upanishad, a man explained to his son how the subtle essence of Brahman pervades everything.

III. Religion in the Vedic Age cont’d

3. Teaching of the Upanishads

a. samsara-at death souls go to the World of the fathers then return to earth in new incarnation

b. karma-live virtuous lives & fulfill their duties expect rebirth into a purer and more honorable existence, however, if you did not fulfill duties your rebirth would be of a harsher existence

c. Moskha-deep, dreamless sleep that came w/permanent liberation from physical incarnation

d. yoga helps to concentrate on the nature of Brahman and its relationship w/the soul

III. Religion in the Vedic Age cont’d

4. Religion and Vedic Society

a. samsara and karma reinforced the Vedic Social order it helped explain why individual were born into social groups

b. Upanishads discourage greed, envy, gluttony and all manner of vice that indicated attachment to the material world

c. encourage personal integrity and respect for all living things