Ancient India Flashcards
Brahmins
- Priests
- highest caste
- could not be sentenced to death, receive torture or physical punishments
- didn’t have to pay taxes
Kshatriyas
Nobles, warriors, kings
Vaishyas
Farmers and merchants
Economically most productive and wealthy
Originally meant to earn money to support higher casts
Sometimes had roles in religious rituals
Shudras
Couldn’t be born twice
Slaves
We’re protected by laws
Untouchables
Very bottom or the society
Dalits
They were poor I one would go need them
Live in seperate hours from other castes
Order of castes
Brahmins Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudra Untouchables
Karma
What goes around comes around
If you do good good will come to you and if you do bad bad will come to you
Women
Married young Daughters weren't valued Men had more than one wife Widows were treated as social outcastes Sati- widows were burnt alive with their dead husbands
Rights of slaves
Could be paid for their work
Could occasionally have a break
Protected by laws
Could buy back their freedom
Could be volantarily released by their master
If a women was made pregnant by a her master she could go free but if she had a boy it legally belongs to the master.
Jainism
Offshoot of Hinduism
They don’t harm any living thing
Believe in karma
Buddhism
Founded by siddhartja Gautama (bhudda)
Don’t worship deities ( gods)
Don’t believe in harming others
Hinduism
Split in 4 castes Worship deites Burn rather than burro the dead Oldest major religion Follow the Vedas Believe in reincarnation
Food and diet
Don’t eat cows
Brahmins- vegetarians
Kshatriyas- usually drank wine
Vaishyas- ate honey milk fruit and vegetables- they thought it brought them wisdom
India was made of
Pakistan bangladesh and India
