The Harappan Civilization

3300 BCE - 2400 BCE

Aerial View of Mohenjo-Daro

A Male Head, Mohenjo-Daro

Dravidian

A Priest-King, Mohenjo-Daro

Female Figures, Harappa

Harappan Writing

Undecipherable to date.

Aryan Migration

pastoral depended on their cattle.

warriors horse-drawn chariots.

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.

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

Shudras

Vaishyas

Kshatriyas

Pariahs [Harijan] UntouchablesPariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

Brahmins

The Caste System

The mouth?

The arms?

The legs?

The feet?

WHO IS… BrahminsBrahmins

KshatriyasKshatriyas

VaishyasVaishyas

ShudrasShudras

The Vedic Age

The foundations for Hinduism were

established!

Hinduism• Basic Beliefs

– Dharma: duties that must be followed to achieve liberation

– Karma: sum effect of one’s actions– Moksha: Liberation – release from

reincarnation– Samsara: reincarnation (birth, death,

rebirth)• Sacred texts

– Vedas (sacred hymns of knowledge)– Upanishads (philosophocal

reflecetions on Vedas)

Jainism• Vardhamana Mahavira, 540-468 BCE• Abandoned privileged family to lead

ascetic life• Promotes 7th c. movement based on Upanishads

• Emphasis on selfless living, concern for all beings

• Ahimsa– Principle of extreme non-violence– Jainists sweep earth, strain water, use slow

movements to avoid killing insects– Ahimsa continues to inspire modern

movements (Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr.)

Religions of South Asia

Religions of South Asia

Buddhism in the Subcontinent

Buddhism in the Subcontinent

The essence of Buddhism

The essence of Buddhism

The “middle way of wisdom and compassion.”

2,500 year old tradition. The 3 jewels of

Buddhism: Buddha, the teacher. Dharma, the

teachings. Sangha, the

community.

Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE)

Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE) Born in NE India

(Nepal). Raised in great luxury

to be a king. At 29 he rejected

his luxurious life toseek enlightenmentand the source ofsuffering.

Lived a strict,ascetic life for 6 yrs.

Rejecting this extreme, sat in meditation, and found nirvana.

Became “The Enlightened One,” at 35.

What is the fundamental cause

of all suffering?

What is the fundamental cause

of all suffering?

Desire!Desire! Therefore, extinguish the

self, don’t obsess about oneself.

Four Noble TruthsFour Noble Truths

1. There is suffering in the world. To live is to suffer. (Dukkha) The Buddha found

this out when he was young and experienced suffering and death in others.

Four Noble TruthsFour Noble Truths

2. The cause of suffering is self-centered desire and attachments. (Tanha)

Four Noble TruthsFour Noble Truths

3. The solution is to eliminate desire and attachments. (Nirvana = “extinction”)

Four Noble TruthsFour Noble Truths4. To reach nirvana, one

must follow the Eightfold Path.

Eightfold PathEightfold Path

NirvanaNirvana The union with the ultimate spiritual reality.

Escape from the cycle of

rebirth.

Buddha – 19c Thailand

Buddha – 19c Thailand

Buddha’s

head :

2c Pakist

an

Buddha’s

head :

2c Pakist

an

Mandala: Wheel of Life Motif

Mandala: Wheel of Life Motif

Mandala: Wheel of Life Motif

Mandala: Wheel of Life Motif

Buddhist AltarBuddhist Altar

Types of BuddhismTypes of

Buddhism Therevada Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism

Zen Buddhism

Theravada BuddhismTheravada Buddhism The oldest school of Buddhism.

The “Way of the Elders” or the “Small Vehicle.”

Found in southern Asia. The monastic life is the best

way to achieve nirvana.

Focus on wisdom and meditation.

Goal is to become a “Buddha,” or “Enlightened One.”

Over 100,000,000 followers today.

Theravada BuddhismTheravada Buddhism

Mahayana BuddhismMahayana Buddhism The “Great Vehicle.”

Founded in northern Asia (China, Japan).

Buddhism “for the masses.” Seek guidance from

Boddhisatvas, wise beings. Goal: Not just individual

escape from the wheel, but the salvation of all humanity through self-sacrifice of those enlightened few.

Mahayana BuddhismMahayana Buddhism

Seated Boddhisatva – 16c

Seated Boddhisatva – 16c

boddhisatvaboddhisatva

Tibetan BuddhismTibetan

BuddhismThe “Diamond Vehicle.” [Vajrayana]

Developed in Tibet in the 7c CE.

A mix of Theravada and Mahayana.

Boddhisatvas include Lamas, like the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead[Bardo Thodol].

The Dala

iLam

a

The Dala

iLam

a

zen Buddhismzen BuddhismThe “Meditation School.”Seeks sudden enlightenment

[satori] through meditation, arriving at emptiness [sunyata].

Use of meditation masters [Roshi].

Beauty, art, and aesthetics: Gardens. Archery. Tea ceremony. Calligraphy.

Buddhism in America (1999)

Buddhism in America (1999)

Distribution of Buddhism Centers

in the US, 2001

Distribution of Buddhism Centers

in the US, 2001

Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE

Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE Unified northern India.

Defeated the Persian general Seleucus.

Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement.

He feared assassination [like Saddam Hussein] food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc.

301 BCE gave up his throne & became a Jain.

The Maurya Empire

The Maurya Empire

321 BCE – 185 BCE

KautilyaKautilya Chandragupta’s advisor.

Brahmin caste.

Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or the Arthashastra.

A guide for the king and his ministers:

Supports royal power.

The great evil in society is anarchy.

Therefore, a single authority is needed to employ force when necessary!

Asoka (304 – 232 BCE)

Asoka (304 – 232 BCE) Religious conversion

after the gruesome battle of Kalinga in 262 BCE.

Dedicated his life to Buddhism.

Built extensive roads.

Conflict how to balance Kautilya’s methods of keeping power and Buddha’s demands to become a selfless person?

Asoka’s

Empire

Asoka’s

Empire

Asoka’s law code

Asoka’s law code Edicts scattered in

more than 30 places in India, Nepal, Pakistan, & Afghanistan.

Written mostly in Sanskrit, but one was in Greek and Aramaic.

10 rock edicts.

Each pillar [stupa] is 40’-50’ high.

Buddhist principles dominate his laws.

One of

Asoka’sStupas

One of

Asoka’sStupas

WomenUnder

anAsokatree

WomenUnder

anAsokatree

Turmoil & a power Vacuum:

220 BCE – 320 CE

Turmoil & a power Vacuum:

220 BCE – 320 CE

Tamils

The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.

Gupta Empire: 320 CE – 647 CE

Gupta Empire: 320 CE – 647 CE

Gupta RulersGupta Rulers Chandra Gupta I

r. 320 – 335 CE

“Great King of Kings”

Chandra Gupta II r. 375 - 415 CE

Profitable trade with the Mediterranean world!

Hindu revival.

Huns invade – 450 CE

Fa-Hsien: Life in Gupta India

Fa-Hsien: Life in Gupta India Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along

the Silk Road and visited India in the 5c.

He was following the path of the Buddha.

He reported the people to be happy, relatively free of government oppression, and inclined towards courtesy and charity. Other references in the journal, however, indicate that the caste system was rapidly assuming its basic features, including "untouchability," the social isolation of a lowest class that is doomed to menial labor.

Chandra Gupta 11

Chandra Gupta 11

International Trade Routes during the

Guptas

International Trade Routes during the

Guptas

Extensive Trade:4c

Extensive Trade:4c

spices

spices

gold &

ivory

gold & ivory

rice & wheathorses

cotton goods

cotton goodssilks

KalidasaKalidasa

The greatest of Indian poets.

His most famous play was Shakuntala.

During the reign of Chandra Gupta II.

Gupta

Art

Gupta

Art

Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art &

architecture.

Medicine Literature

MathematicsAstronomy

Printedmedicinal

guides

1000 diseasesclassified

PlasticSurgery

C-sectionsperforme

d

Inoculations

500 healingplants

identified

DecimalSystem

Conceptof Zero

PI = 3.1416

Kalidasa

SolarCalendar

The earth

is round

GuptaIndia

Gupta Achieveme

nts

Gupta Achieveme

nts

The Decline of the Guptas

The Decline of the Guptas Invasion of the White Huns in the 4c

signaled the end of the Gupta Golden Age, even though at first, the Guptas defeated them.

After the decline of the Gupta empire, north India broke into a number of separate Hindu kingdoms and was not really unified again until the coming of the Muslims in the 7c.

QUESTION: Is the best literature and art written as the civilization is on the rise, at its height, or in its decline?

BhartrhariBhartrhari 5c India court poet and

philosopher.

Knowledge is man's crowning mark,A treasure secretly buried,The source of luxury, fame, and bliss,A guru most venerable,A friend on foreign journeys,The pinnacle of divinity.Knowledge is valued by kings beyond wealth---When he lacks it, a man is a brute.