Ancient India Flashcards
Ancient India definition
bigger than the actual country India- made up of 6 modern countries
Subcontinent
Own plate, diverse climate, and separate regions, reason for no unity
Mountain region
Himalayas and Hindu Kush
Gave protection and a natural barrier
Cold
Himalayas > Hindu Kush
Two great river valleys
Indus (1st civ.) and Ganges (religious)
Great agriculture
Warm and high population
Farming in northern area
Deccan plateau
Upside down triangle on southern area
Dry
Decent agriculture
Low population
Coasts
Southwest and southeast
Rainforest ish
Low population (least out of all)
Monsoon
Seasonal winds, weather pattern built off of it, made going places easier (helped trade), very important to agriculture, two different ones (south is wet and north is dry)
Natural barriers
Mountains, well isolated and well protected, good but not worrisome at first, there is a mountain pass through the Hindu Kush mountains
Natural resources
Limited, trade>, cotton and spices and tea, silk road
Unity
Hard because diverse regions and amount of religions
Not unified whatsoever (excluding during a couple eras)
Synthesis:
Blending of the invaders (Aryans) to Dravidians
During Vedic Age
About blending of cultures
Caste system:
Started in Vedic Age
Determines life
Very Very Very rigid
Aryans started it, somewhat “apartide” ish
4 major levels: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warrior rulers), Vaisyas (merchants, farmers, artisans), and Shudras (bulk of population, conquered people)
Vedas:
In Vedic Age
Set of sacred religious texts (Hindu, 4 texts) which was first oral then written
Sanskrit:
Started in Vedic Age, a language which has been deciphered
Raja:
Tribal chief during Vedic Age
Indus Valley writing system
Not deciphered
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Cities in Indus Valley
Had citadels, great baths (ritual bathing), wells, granary (stored grains), drainage system, baked bricks (took 3 months to bake) which were all identical
Indus Valley economy
Long distance trade and agriculture
Staples: wheat and barley
Indus Valley religion
Polytheistic and not much known
“Mother culture”
Not Indus Valley, but Vedic Age
End of Indus Valley
Weakening before Aryans arrived
Aryans were physically different then Indians
Aryans weren’t civilized, pastoral, or warriors
Vedic Age Political System
Localized rule by Raja (tribal chief)
Maharaja: great ruler (bigger than Raja)
Villages
Vedic Age family
Very important Included extended family (3 generations) Male oriented (patriarchy)
Vedic Age agriculture
Very strong because iron plow
Vedic Age trade
Not very strong because less interaction
This was caused because Aryans don’t trade and no big cities
Why to follow Caste System
Tradition, reincarnation, Gods “created” caste system
Mauryan Dynasty beginning
India coming in contact with Persia and Greece and Macedonia (influences india)
Was believed that those civilizations were going to take over India
Chandragupta Maurya
Controlled northern India during Mauryan Dynasty, defeated Greeks, afraid of assassination, not liked, cruel
Asoka
At the beginning ruled like Chandragupta Maurya, then became kind after being “enlightened”
Became enlightened by a life changing battle, Battle of Kalinga, in which he converted to Buddhism
Promoted non-violence, human and animal hospitals
Expanded dynasty by being nice- people wanted to be with him
Reasons: First mean, life changing Battle of Kalinga, converted to Buddhism, expanded dynasty
Golden Ages
Indus Valley, Mauryan Dynasty, Gupta Dynasty
Mauryan Dynasty trade
Strong, exports- cotton and spices
Flourishing trade and industry
Post-Mauryan (Gupta) Dynasty
Politically falling apart, trade going up (spices), disunified
Chandra Gupta I
Founder of Gupta Dynasty
Made name Chandra Gupta because Chandragupta Maurya was so amazing
Gupta Dynasty area
Northern, smaller than Asoka’s, expansion into north
Gupta Dynasty reputation
Golden Age and cultural
Gupta Dynasty accomplishments
Literature, poetry, drama, astrology (calendar was only 3 hours off), found out earth was round, art, hospitals, universities, medicine (amazing, had plastic surgery), math (decimals, 0, and pi)
Gupta Dynasty religion
Buddhism vs Hinduism, religious freedom, no one went towards Buddhism because reincarnation and caste system (not believed in Buddhism) and Buddha was from Nepal so he was seen foreign
Very Hindu based Dynasty
Summary: there as religious freedom, but most people were Hindu and few were Buddhists
Gupta Dynasty Decline
“The last great Hindu Empire”
Huns invasion weakened
Zoroastrianism basics
Founder: Zoroaster, born in Iran but when to India to find more followers Books: Avesta Main gods: devil and good (Dualistic) Idea of good vs evil Rebirth to clean soul Ceremonies are very important
Jainism basics
Started in Indus River Valley Founder: Mahavira Many symbols Conquer your karma Non-violence, idea of always telling truth Different sects Multiple lives, reincarnation "endless cycle" Code of conduct No main god No priests
Buddhism basics
Sufferings in world, dissatisfaction, which you are trying to avoid but you have to confront
Enlightenment- a goal to reach
No belief in supreme god (but there are deities)
No way to convert
Four noble truths
Eightfold path- steps you follow to achieve Nirvana
Middle path- reach an unabridged way and to be centered and moderation
Nirvana- end of suffering to be eternally happy for soul
Hinduism basics
Not an organized system and no founder
Origin- Aryan migration, combination of other religions
No specific dates
Reinforces the caste system
Dharma- good in the world which runs out
Karma, non-violence, vegeterians, never kill cows, reincarnation, succumbing to god,
Samsara- lifes a cycle
Brahman- supreme force, goal is to unite soul with him
Goal is to be respectful and good
Buddha
Siddhartha Gatama From Nepal and grew up in Hinduism Father was a tribal king Means "the awakened one" Early life was luxurious till he came out of palace and realized suffering/selfishness in world
Which religion has nirvana
Buddhism
Which religions have karma
Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism
Karma:
What goes around comes around & what happens in this life affects next life
Which civilizations pressured India in the years before the founding of the Mauryan Empire
Persia, Greece, and Macedonia
The founder of the Mauryan Empire was named…
Chandragupta Maurya
The government set up during the Mauryan Empire
Provinces were ruled by governors or military figures, and then there were district in the provinces which were ruled by people chosen by provence rule. And then villages in the districts
Which ruler converted to Buddhism
Asoka
Did the economy flourish during Asoka’s ruling
Yes
How did Asoka communicate his ideas to his subjects
His political texts were written on pillars and stone
Who is Chandragupta Mauryas grandson
Asoka
Enlightenment:
In Buddhism and Hinduism when you finally reach peace with the universe
Key imports:
Indus Valley - unknown
Vedic Age- trade declined
Mauryan Empire- unknown but better than Vedic
Gupta Dynasty- gold, ivory, horses, silk
Key exports:
Spices, cotton, wheat, rice
Decline of Buddhism:
Buddhism out in Sultanate of Delhi, but up in China
Didn’t believe in caste system so was minor in India
Reincarnation:
An endless cycle
All studied believe in it
Music basics:
s
Women:
Women: viewed horribly, had to be married off, not educated, Sati (widows threw themselves husbands cremation and she dies), can’t own property, couldn’t become priests, significantly worse than other civilizations
Sikhism basics:
Founder: Guru Nonak, was a Hindu and Muslim but saw flaws in both Eight gurus after founder Wasn't as successful as thought would be One god Doesn't believe in caste system Reincarnation Volunteer to purify soul 5 k's which say what should wear/do Northern India
Densest populated regions:
Coast and river because of resources
Era order
Indus Valley, Vedic Age, Mauryan Dynasty, Gupta Dynasty, Sultanate of Delhi
Indus Valley basics
Very urban, sophisticated, considered Golden Age
Vedic Age basics
“Motherhood” Age
Influential, but not a Golden Age
Started off as a Dark Age but got better after Sanskrit started and the Vedas
Mauryan Dynasty basics
High point of Buddhism
Citadels:
Fortresses found in Indus Valley
Who could become priests
Only men
Untouchables
Below everyone were the untouchables/pariahs, about 5%, not considered a formal caste, people couldn’t do anything with them, had to tap sticks when entered a room
Impact of Caste system
No rebellion, put people into their place
Unity caused by Caste system
Brings a caste together, but splits up all of India
Sultanate of Delhi arrival of Islam
Spread the religion and trade
Sultanate of Delhi not united
Separate little kingdoms
Sultanate of Delhi Hinduism vs Islam
Caste system (Hindus believed in it but Muslims didn’t), amount of Gods (Islam had only one but Hinduism is polytheistic), priests and merchants places in caste system, diet, art
Sultanate of Delhi decline
Mongols weakened, no unity, no accomplishments, religion problems
Sultanate of Delhi Islam
People switched from Hinduism to Islam to become 1st class citizens again
Hinduism is still #1 but Islam is #2
Rulers were Islam, ruling as a minority and stayed powerful because strong military
Staple Crops
Wheat, barley, millet
Gupta Dynasty trade
Went up, spices were important, land and sea, international
Mauryan Dynasty capital city
Pataliputra
Singing
Nasally and is most important instrument
What are the instruments like?
Imitate voice
Nasally
Most important element of voice
Melody
Guru
Master teacher- connected to the divines
Raga
That which colors the mind (connected to god)
Tala
Rhythmic organization consisting of a repeated cycle of beats
Music basics (religious, process to become musician, improvisation)
Very religious
Long process
A lot of improvisation
