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The Aryan “Invasion”• Aryans, lighter-skinned invaders from the north• Dravidians, darker-skinned sedentary inhabitants of

Harappa• Color Bias• Socio-Economic Implications• Difficulty of theory: no evidence of large-scale military

conquest

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The Early Aryans

• Pastoral economy: sheep, goats, horses, cattle– Vegetarianism not widespread until many centuries

later

• Religious and Literary works: The Vedas– Sanskrit: sacred tongue– Prakrit: everyday language, evolved into Hindi,

Urdu, Bengali– Four Vedas, most important Rig Veda• 1,028 hymms to gods

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The Vedic Age

• Conflicts between Aryans and indigenous dasas (“enemies,” “subjects”)– Aryans fighting Dravidians– Also Aryans fighting each other

• Chiefdoms: Rajas• Early concentration in Punjab, migrations further south

– Development of iron metallurgy– Increasing reliance on agriculture

• Tribal connections evolve into political structures

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Varna: The Caste System

• Origins in Aryan domination of Dravidians– Brahmin, Priest– Kshatriya, Warrior– Vaishya, Merchant– Sudra, Commoner– Harijan: “Untouchables; Pariahs”

• Jati subsystem of castes– Related to urbanization, increasing social and

economic complexity

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Brahmins from Bengal

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Patriarchy in Ancient Indian Society

• “rule of the father”• Enforced in the The Lawbook of Manu• Overwhelmed Harappan matriarchy?• Caste, Jati, inheritance through male line

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Sati (“Suttee”)

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Aryan Religion

• Major deity of Rig Veda: Indra, war god• Elaborate ritual sacrifices to gods– Role of Brahmins important

• C. 800 BCE some movement away from sacrificial cults–Mystical thought, influenced by Dravidians

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Teachings of the Upanishads

• Texts that represent blending of Aryan and Dravidian traditions

• Composed 800-400 BCE, some later collections until 13th century CE

• Brahman: the Universal Soul• Samsara: reincarnation• Karma: accounting for incarnations• Moksha: mystical ecstacy• Relationship to system of Varna

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Hinduism• Reincarnation• Karma – The Force generated by

a person’s actions that determine how the person will be reborn in the next life.• Dharma – Divine Law

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Buddhism• Siddhartha

Gautama – The Enlightened One• Born 563BC• Today in Southern

Nepal

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Who was the Buddha?• Born Siddhartha Gautama – of noble

caste in India, 563 B.C.E.• Raised in great luxury to be a king• Empathy for the suffering of others; at

age 29 rejected the life of luxury to seek enlightenment and the solution to suffering

• Followed a strict ascetic lifestyle for six years

• Rejected this extreme, sat in meditation, achieved Nirvana – an awakening to the truth about life, becoming a Buddha, the “Awakened One”at the age of 35

• Spent the remaining 45 years of his life teaching others how to achieve the peace of mind he had achieved

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Principles of Buddhism• Attachment to worldly things

causes sorrow• Stop wanting worldly things and

your pain and sorrow will end• Nirvana – Want of nothing, end of

suffering

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What did the Buddha teach?The Four Noble Truths:

• To live is to suffer• The cause of suffering is self-

centered desire & attachments• The solution is to eliminate

desire and attachment, thus achieving Nirvana (“extinction”)

• The way to Nirvana is through the “Eight-Fold Path”

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What is the Eight-Fold Path?

Wisdom:•Right understanding

•Right motivation

Moral discipline:•Right speech

•Right action

•Right livelihood

Mental discipline:•Right effort

•Right mindfulness

•Right meditation

551 – 479 B.C.E.

Born in the feudal state of Liu.

Became a teacher and editor of books.

Li --> Rite, rules, ritual decorum (Binding force of an enduring stable society)

Ren --> humaneness, benevolence, humanity

Shu --> Reciprocity, empathy Do not do unto others what you would

not want others to do unto you. Yi --> Righteousness Xiao --> Filial Piety (Respect your elders!)

1. Ruler Subject

2. Father Son

3. Husband Wife

4. Older Brother

YoungerBrother

5. Older Friend

YoungerFriend

Status

Age

Gender

The single most important Confucian work.

In Chinese, it means “conversation.”

Focus on practicalities of interpersonal relationships and the relationship of the role of rulers and ministers to the conduct of government.

Knowing what he knows and knowing what he doesn’t know, is characteristics of the person who knows.

Making a mistake and not correcting it, is making another mistake.

The superior man blames himself; the inferior man blames others.

To go too far is as wrong as to fall short.

372 - 289 B.C.E.

Disciple of Confucius.

Starts off with the assumption that “people are basically good.”

If someone does something bad, education, not punishment, is the answer. Good people will mend their ways in

accordance to their inherent goodness.

The emperor is the example of proper behavior --> “big daddy”

Social relationships are based on “rites” or “rituals.”

Even religious rituals are important for SOCIAL, not religious reasons, acc. to Confucius.

INDIA 1. Brahmin

CHINA 1. Scholar-Gentry

2. Kshatriyas 2. Peasants 3. Vaishyas 4. Shudras

3. Artisans 4. Merchants

Untouchables Soldiers Imperial Nobility Domestic Slaves

280? - 233 B.C.E.

Han Fe Zi.

Lived during the late Warring States period.

Legalism became the political philosophy of the Qin [Ch’in] Dynasty.

1. Human nature is naturally selfish. 2. Intellectualism and literacy is

discouraged. 3. Law is the supreme authority and

replaces morality. 4. The ruler must rule with a strong,

punishing hand.

5. War is the means of strengthening a ruler’s power.

One who favors the principle that individuals should obey a powerful authority rather than exercise individual freedom.

The ruler, therefore, “cracks his whip” on the backs of his subjects!

Not sure when he died. [604 B.C.E. - ?]

His name means “Old Master”

Was he Confucius’ teacher?

The basic text of Daoism.

In Chinese, it means The Classic in the Way and Its Power.

“Those who speak know nothing: Those who know are silent.”

1. Dao [Tao] is the first-cause of the universe. It is a force that flows through all life.

2. A believer’s goal is to become one with Dao; one with nature. [“The butterfly or the man?” story.]

3. Wu wei --> “Let nature take its course.” --> “The art of doing nothing.” --> “Go with the flow!”

4. Man is unhappy because he lives acc. to man-made laws, customs, & traditions that are contrary to the ways of nature.

1. Rejecting formal knowledge and learning.

2. Relying on the senses and instincts. 3. Discovering the nature and

“rhythm” of the universe. 4. Ignoring political and social laws.

To escape the “social, political, & cultural traps” of life, one must escape by:

Masculine Active Light Warmth Strong Heaven; Sun

Feminine Passive Darkness Cold Weak Earth; Moon

How is a man to live in a world dominated by chaos, suffering, and absurdity??

Confucianism --> Moral order in society.

Legalism --> Rule by harsh law & order.

Daoism --> Freedom for individuals and less govt. to avoid uniformity and conformity.