Origins of Indian

Civilizations

Indus Valley Civilization

Centered on the Indus River in modern-day Pakistan

One of the known cradles of farming

Also known as the Harappan civilization

Mysterious—language not translated

Scholars must speculate about their society based on archaeology

Surplus food, fortresses

Central government?

Religious symbols—the bull

Indo-European (Indo-Aryan)

Migrations Question: Why are there so many

similarities between the languages

of Europe, Persia, and northern

India?

Theory—There must have been a

group which spoke the mother

language of all these

Must have migrated and settled

across northern India, the Middle

East, and Europe

Based on writing, we also know

that ancient Indians, Persians,

Celts, Greeks, etc. shared certain

cultural and religious features

Where did they migrate from?

Ancient Indo-Aryan Culture

Based on linguistics, there must

have been some kind of migration

into Northern India

Once thought of as an invasion—

now imagined as a series of

migrations

Encountered an already

advanced civilization—Indus

Valley

Borrowed from Indus Valley and

merged with local population

New group had an influence on

later Indian history

Strong religious and cultural

influence

The Vedas

The Sanskrit language

Social hierarchy

Southern India

Indo-European migrations only

affected Northern India

Southern India isolated by Vindhya

Mountains and Deccan Plateau

Culturally distinct

Dravidian languages

Tamil culture

Reading on Indo-Aryan Language

As you read through the article,

be sure to highlight words or

sentences that appear unclear.

There is some scholarly vocab –

recognize what you don’t know!

Once you finish we will discuss the

article as a class.

HW for tonight: Chapter 3.2, 1, 2,

and 4.

Anatolia

Historical Vedic

religion The Vedic religion is the belief system

of the Indo-Aryans once they arrive in

the Indus Valley

Predecessor to modern Hinduism

Based on the four vedas, or sacred texts, of Hinduism.

Texts written in Sanskrit.

We now understand the traditional

Vedic religion as a composite of

Indo-Aryans and Harappan

civilizations.

From Vedism to Hinduism

Between 500-200 BCE, Classical Hinduism begins to emerge as a synthesis of Buddhism and traditional Hindu thought.

Religion continues to evolve through the 19th century until the arrival of the British, during which time it undergoes a renaissance, and becomes the Hinduism we recognize today.

One of the most important texts of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita, is only a portion of a much larger epic, the Mahabharata.

Hinduism Believes in a supreme being – Brahman.

Gods and goddesses are fulfillments of,

or various aspects of Brahman.

Gods

Brahma, the Creator

Vishnu, the Preserver

Shiva, the Destroyer

Ganapati, the Remover of Obstacles

Krishna from the Bhagavad Gita

Lakshmi

Buddhism! Wrap up Michael Woods video

Discuss

“Hinduism/Buddhism” Crash Course

Intro. to Buddhism

What is Buddhism? Based on the “Four Noble Truths.” These are:

The truth of dukkha (suffering and anxiety)

The truth of the origin of dukkha.

The truth of the cessation of dukkha.

The truth of the path leading to cessation of

dukkha.

The basis of Buddhism is the practical

acknowledgement of suffering in everyday life.

Siddhartha Gautama founds Buddhism

sometime between 600 and 450 BCE.

Formerly a prince

Renounces lavish lifestyle for asceticism.

Buddhist Principles

Karma: A person’s good actions (or

lack of bad actions) will bring about

happiness in the long run. Everything one does carries good, bad, or

neutral karma.

Rebirth: One can be reborn in to one of six realms – three fortunate,

three unfortunate – including that of

gods, men, demigods, animals,

ghosts, and hell. One’s position

following rebirth is determined by

their karma.

Intro. to Ashoka

Ashoka the Great was an Indian

emperor who ruled from 269 BCE

to 232 BCE.

After witnessing the death and

destruction of his wars of conquest,

he converts to Buddhism after only

7 years as emperor.

He saw Buddhism as a great

unifying force for the Indian

people.

Confucianism Life of Confucius

Kung Fu-Tzu (Confucius the Westernized version)

Born 551 B.C.: a “gentleman” but not from a wealthy family

Wandered and worked for various lords during the Warring States period

Gathered disciples—only after his death in 479 did his ideas become influential

Confucian Teachings

Interested in the organization of society—like Plato

Strong relationships (jen) will maintain order and prevent chaos

People should have the goal of becoming chun tzu (“gentleman”)

The Five Constant Relationships

Parent and Child

Husband and Wife

Elder Sibling and Younger Sibling

Senior Friend and Younger Friend

Ruler and Subject

People with power should be generous and considerate—people being led should be obedient and loyal

Common good—obligations, not rights

Confucianism (cont.) Confucian Legacy

Ideas became extremely important in Chinese history

Writings (The Analects) became textbook for Chinese civil service

Ideas affect everyday life in China, Korea, Japan, and SE Asia

Emphasis on order, community, tradition, the family, and the value of

education

Taoism Taoism

If Confucianism is about a person’s public role, Taoism is about the inner,

spiritual life

Based on the idea of the Tao (the Way)—mysterious force connecting

everything in the universe

Based on the teachings of the legendary holy man Lao Tzu (“the Old

Boy”)

Teachings collected in the Tao Te Ching

Humility and harmony with nature