AFBarnett

HISA 200110/3/13

The Rise of Buddhism (continued) Social Organization

o Monastic orders organized o Bodh Gaya sacred centero Sacred centers developed all over India under patrons

who would build monuments to Buddha Monuments= Stupa

Stupa= masonry structure typically surrounded by fence

Housed in small space, inside that room a tiny silver canister, relics of Buddha himself

o Considered to have spiritual power

Iconic and unique to south Asiao Covered Upper India and occasionally Southo Converts galore centered on teachings of monks that he

trained and left behind These monks= Bhikku

Bhikku= biks (alms) Bhikkus could ask for charity

o Monasteries founded for all year meditation and some economic activity- keeping tabs on home garden

Vihara= Monasteryo Monks sent out as missionaries

Abstemious but spiritualo Buddhist monasteries in competition with Brahmanical

seminarieso Discipline that had not existed beforeo Became popularo Monks and nun came from all social groups

Women welcomed- members of sanghao Governments of monasteries mimicked tribal

governments Rivals to vedic kingdoms

o Buddha has democratic model Not dictator

o Council of Elders Republic assemblies prevented aggrandizement of

power Meetings every 2 weeks Public meetings held

o Incorporated popular beliefso Sacred groves, trees

Worship areas on sacred spots that preexisted Buddhism

o Wheel, footprint, lotus= sacred items Lotus= beautiful, fragrant, arises out of muck

Out of any stress, comes enlightenment Cult objects not Aryan

Declineo Viharas where Turks would plunder—12th Century

Resistance futile Robbery, not missionary mission

o Main reason for decline Plasticity of Buddhism Hinduism absorbed Buddhism No effect on caste system Goal- same as goal of Hinduism

Emancipation from reincarnation o Not actively persecuted for 500 years

Various denominations would occupy Buddhist shrines and adopt for own purposes

o No strong laity o Monks and Nuns did not reproduceo No Buddhist equivalent of

Biggest mistake- no following Jainism vs Buddhism

o Origins of founders identical- elite, warrior, ruling houses, well-established tribes

Explain success of teachings

o Anti-casteo Mocked animal sacrificeso Used popular languages in lectureso No monopolistic control o Teachings could be read- languageo Accepted the Senshar* doctrineo Statuaryo Both has cult objectso Both celebrated power of Great Man- Mahao Missionary program- Buddhist more successfulo Neither monks nor nuns could marryo Differences

Buddhism disappeared Jainism had lay support Buddhism spread well beyond India Jain is a ponderable element, not a process Jina (life in objects)- Buddhism does not accept

No distinction between voluntary and involuntary sin in Jain Alexander in India

Macedonian Campaigns through the Achaemenid Empire, Bactra, Soghdiana, Taxila

o Background

Money Center moved in SE direction- Punjab is barbaric

area Lands beyond Sutlej dirty Tribes in Punjab maintained contact with West

Asia- beyond Khiber pass Achaemenid Empire

Cyrus= ruler Conquered Bactria Tobias= successor

Annexed Punjab Scylax= Greek explorer

o Down the Indus River to take notes

Brought India into direct contact with Western world

Headquarters= Persepolis Indians called Hindus by Greek Greeks= Yavanas

Ionians Greeks known- rumor

Herodotus- gold mines of India guarded by gigantic ants

Linguistic knot- level of inventiveness between every stage of translation

Marmans- large burrowing rodents near gold mines

Luvial gold= ant gold= because first see in water so looks like ants

Tons of gold that Persians wanted Greeks= India place of untapped wealth (gold) Gold excites aggression 300 Talents of Gold Greek imaginary- greenery, forests, of gold in

Indiao Invaded Persian empire in 334 BC, 330 BC destroyed

Persepoliso Opposition after campaigning for 5 years in Asia minor,

greatest in India, took him 2 years to annex Bactriao 327 BC turned to India, met hard fighting in

mountainous regiono Showed up in Taxila

Economic crossroads of S and SW Asia Hard fight against King Omphis Terrain between Taxila and Gangetic Valley is flat Difficult to understand philosophy

o Kalyana- Brahman priest that befriended Alexander Burned himself to death

o Greeks saw Bride market Reflection of girls=commodities

o Zoroastrian practice of exposing dead to vultureso And custom of widow burningo Battle with King Porus on the Jhelum River

King of Pauravas

India army- four wings Chaturanga- original name for chess

Calvary Infantry Elephants Chariots

Battle lasted all day Hard fought Greek and Persian Calvary encircling tactics 200 Elephants panicked trampled own infantry Army too large Greek army had slightly better armor and longer

lances Fight in groups

Porus didn’t die Brought into Alexander’s tent and

interrogated Demanded to be treated like an equal Alexander impressed Vice-man of Punjab

o Now what for Greek? Only part of much larger mercenary army at this

part United and powerful kingdom to East- Magadha

Alexander’s army said we’re not going farther Greeks built three towers to commemorate

advance Mutiny; return to Babylon

o Decided to build boats and follow route of Scylaxo One went by Sea, Alexander went West through

Baluchistan, another group went Northern routeo Didn’t make it homeo Nearchus

Images of Indiao British loved- they took over whole countryo Exotic

Elephants were tamed! Grasses and weeds so big and strong

Bamboo White soft wool grew on bushes

Cotton White crystal sweet

Sugar Three crops in one year! Rivers of amazing length, width, depth Society also fascinating

Didn’t own slaves Honest- verbal No Indian is ever known to lie

o Reports exaggerated splendor of India /supernatural, mythological

Political Results of Campaign after his death in 321 BCEo Empire of Alexander broke aparto Pockets of power vacuumso India ruler from Mauryan annexed Punjab

Fighting deputy of Alexander- Seleukos Nikator Married Greek wife

oo New Historical Sources