Chapter 7India and Southeast Asia1500 B.C.E – 600 C.E.

The Indian Subcontinent India has three topographical zones (1) the northern mountainous zone

(2) the Indus and Ganges Basins

(3) the peninsula

Peninsular India and the Ganges Valley have a subtropical climate and plentiful rainfall

The Indus Valley is dry and agriculture there relies on irrigation

The staple crop of the Ganges Delta is rice; elsewhere, the staple crops are wheat, millet, and barley.

KEY This geographical diversity has made it very difficult for any political power to unify all of India for any great length of time

Hinduism

Origins Developed over thousands of years combining

the beliefs of the Aryans & Indus peoples

NO single founder

The word Hindu is derived from the river Sindhu or Indus

Indo-Europeans begin migrating Migrated from mid Europe to all over Europe

Hittites attack Mesopotamia

Aryans invade Indus River Valley Aryans change everything about Indus society

The Aryans The Aryans invaded India around 1500 B.C.E.

When the Aryans invaded India, they brought their religious beliefs.

Hinduism is a religion largely based on the beliefs of the Aryans.

India goes from classless to caste system

Caste system - rigid social classes associated with religion

Aryans expected non-Aryans to do worst jobs

3 main social classes Brahmin- priests

Warriors

Peasants Social classes based on color - known as varnas

The four varna were subdivided into hereditary occupational groups called jati(also known by the Portuguese word caste)

Jati were also arranged in order of hierarchy; complex rules governed the appropriate occupation, duties, and rituals of each jati and laid forth regulations concerning interaction between people of different jati.

The systems of varna and jati were rationalized by belief in reincarnation

According to this belief, each individual has an immortal spirit (atman) that will be reborn in another body after death.

One’s station in the next life depends on one’s actions (karma) in this and previous lives.

The Caste System Caste Social groups into which people are born in & out

of

You cannot move into a different caste during your life time

The Caste System

Brahmins (Priests)Brahmins (Priests)

KshatriyasKshatriyas (Rulers & Warriors)(Rulers & Warriors)

VaisyasVaisyas (merchants, farmers, & artisans)(merchants, farmers, & artisans)

SudrasSudras (non(non--Aryan farmers & servants)Aryan farmers & servants)

Untouchable (butchers, gravediggers, trash collectors)Untouchable (butchers, gravediggers, trash collectors)

No Single Holy Book Unlike Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,

Hinduism has no single holy book.

However, there are many significant Hindu writings.

The Bhagavad-Gita, the Upanishads, and the Vedas are important Hindu writings.

The Bhagavad-Gita is a conversationbetween a warrior and a god.

Many gods, One Force Hindus believe in many gods. As such,

Hinduism can be considered polytheistic.

However, Hindus believe that every god is a manifestation of one Supreme Being.

Brahman is the Supreme Being.

The Universal Spirit Hindus believe in one unifying spirit called

Brahman

Brahman is too complex for humans to understand

Hindus worship many gods to give a more concrete form to Brahman

The Three Main Hindu Gods Brahman The creator

Vishnu The preserver

Shiva The destroyer

Moksha The main goal of life is to achieve union with

Brahman

Moksha can only occur when you free yourself from all your selfish desires

Most people cannot achieve moksha in one lifetime

Reincarnation Reincarnation the soul is reborn in a new

body

Each new lifetime allows you to get closer to moksha

Hindus get closer to this union by being born into higher levels of existence

Karma & Dharma Karma the deeds & actions (both good &

bad) of a person’s life that affects his/her existence in the next life

Dharma The moral & religious duties that are expected of an individual A person’s gender, class/caste, age, & occupation

can affect his/her dharma

Dharma Every caste has its rules.

Dharma is the Sanskrit word for the rules of caste.

Marrying in your caste is an example of dharma.

Other Facts The Ganges River is sacred Bathing in it can purify, cleanse, and cure the sick

Upon death many Hindus are cremated & have some of their ashes spread in the Ganges

Religion affects everything in life

Connects with caste system to tell people how to live depending on caste

Harsh life leads to new religions - Jainism and Buddhism