4. India and Religion Flashcards
TWhat were the 4 indian social groups called? (not individual)
Varnas
What was the name of the top varna? What were they known for?
Brahmins - they were priests and teachers
2nd highest varna
Kshatriyas - warriors, kings, etc
Third highest varna
Vaisyas - most of the people - artisans, farmers, herdsmen
4th highest varna name
Sudras - serve the other classes
T or F: The caste system was meritocratic
Not even slightly. Birth = everything
T or F: Caste system has a lot of effects to this day
True (I feel like i’ve made this exact card before???)
T or F: It was ok for ppl of different castes to be friends but not marry
False - no socializing out of caste
What was the purest caste?
Brahmins
What was the least pure caste? (in or out of the system)
Untouchables/dalit - they had to walk with brooms behind them to erase their steps, do nasty jobs, and lived outside the cities
Hindu religious text
Vedas, used by aryas (noble ppl)
Where did the term Caste system come from?
Portuguese Casta
T or F The Vedas originated as a written text
False - it started out as orally passed down stuff and was then written down (indian scholars think it originated within indian subcontinent and Aryas are somewhat fraud-y)(DO NOT PUT THAT ON A TEST)(the oral transmission to written text is not disputed)
What was the single force of the universe/ultimate reality in Hinduism?
Brahman - individual self (atman) seeks to know this and merges with it after death
How would someone achieve oneness with Brahman?
Yoga - 4 types - Path of knowledge, path of love, path of work, path of meditation
What does yoga mean?
Union
T or F: Activating the mind, opening up your senses, and feeling alive will let you merge with Brahman
False, you gotta still the mind
T or F: Hinduism was monotheistic with Brahman as the only god
Trick question - there were a lot of anthropomorphic gods and goddesses (Brahma creator, Vishnu preserver, Shiva destroyer) but many regard these as representations of Brahman
T or F Hindus had temples but not really anymore
False, they did and still do
T or F: Reincarnation wasn’t always part of hinduism
True, introduced by 6th century (this seems like a control mechanism to me)
What was the Bhagavad Gita?
India’s great religious poem
What is Karma?
Force of a person’s actions in this life determining how the person will be reborn into the next life (this is deffo a control mechanism)
T or F A sudra could escape reincarnation
False, you gotta climb the ladder and become a more advanced soul (where do the new souls come from? I have not a clue)
T or F: Cow is a sacred hindu animal
True
What is Dharma?
Divine law requiring all ppl to do their duty in their caste
T or F All brahmins gotta be vegetarian
True so they don’t interrupt another animal’s karma
T or F: Dharma comes above family and friendship
True, look at Bhagavad Gita text abt Arjuna fighting his besties
T or F: Dharma was looked upon as making everything that’s good possible on earth
True
T or F: No reincarnation is chance, you deserve whatever your situation is
True (if that’s not a control mechanism I don’t know what is)
When was Siddhartha Gautama born? What kind of family did he have?
563 BC (overlapped hinduism), he had a princely family that sheltered him