Asia Flashcards
Han China
(206 BCE - 220 CE)
During this time period paper was invented (PAPYRUS: made out of animal skin, sheep or cow)
The Han dynasty
- PARCHMENT (Made out of leaves etc) (Used in Europe) - They had easy access to cheap writing materials - They move eastward through the islamic world towards europe, this helps the islamic world in terms of writing early - After 300 years of the Han dynasty, China broke into 3 different regions. Goes into disunity for 300 ears
Confuciusm
Confucianism
Confucius (551-479 BCE) -His ideas were made relevant throughout the time of China - The painting of Confucious, is not perfect, bc the clothing - Not a technically a religion, more a philosophy. About how society should would paint what people and fashion was like at the time - Human beings are fundamentally good, and then we mess up at times. - The goal of Confucianism is to perfect humanism. Perfect human virtue - Humans are improvable - Also teaching on how to worship the gods - Ancestral: Worship the ancestors, and the family members that came before you - But Confuciusm is more concerned with THIS WORLD, and what is currently happening. How we relate with each other. How to be a good son. And how to be a good father. How to be a good loser. How to be a good citizen. Harmony with other human beings
SOTERIOLOGICAL: Religions that are more focused on the afterlife.
Analects
-Official state philosophy for the Han Dynasty, but when that dynasty ended in 220. The door was open to more religions.
Taoism
Laozi (500s BCE)
- Lived the same time around Confucius - Conf. is based on harmony w other humans and society - Taoism is based on harmony w the Tao (The way, the path, the road, the route) - Taoism is a religion, but does not have a god. Human like god figure or what ever - Its based on the writing of Laozi, called the TAO TE CHING Safe: A wise man -Leozi tried to leave, but then the border guard recognized that he was a SAGE. He was leaving because no one was getting his preaching. The border guard asked him to write down his wisdom before he left. And the few sheets of paper he wrote ended up being the TAO TE CHING. He was on his water buffalo when he was fleeing China.
WU WEI: Action through in-action (no action)
- If people are doing Taoism right. Then they naturally are good, and don't need to try. - Never comes as quite popular as Confucianism, but it persists
Buddihsm
Begins in india; enters China c100 CE
Very Soteriological religion
It was more popular in China, but began in India
GUATAMA BUDDHA (500s BCE) His father never let him experienced any suffering
Never witnessed someone dying
When he was 29. left the palace walls, and then he found people dying. People sick. People starving etc.
Buddhism, in his writings. Suffering comes from a LACK OF HAVING
Buddhism, aims to teach people how to overcome that suffering
through meditation, you can become enlightened. Released from suffering
Buddhism does believe in reincarnation (re-birth)
Idea is that you will be re born over again. As you progress towards enlightened
In buddhism, being born again means you SUFFER again and you DIE again. But once you reached enlightenment. Then the cycle of re-birth will end. And your suffering will end
Four Noble Truths
Four Noble Truths
1: The things in this world are not satisfying
2: Clinging to the unsatisfying things of this world, will lead to suffering, rebirth, re-death
3: Letting go of the things of this world, will help end the cycle
4: The way to achieve, is through the way of meditation and enlightenment
In the Buddhist monasteries, they pray for the end of cycles etc.
The Buddhist monasteries in china had about 300,000 monks and nuns in China around the 8th century
The Buddhist ends up being portrayed as the early manifestation of a god that is beyond human understanding
What is an Avatar?
A representation of a god seen on earth
Overtime the Buddha shifts from being the first human to be enlightened to the avatar of a god on earth
Bodhisattvas
BODHISATTVAS
Anyone who has reached enlightenment. Ending the cycle of rebirth etc. BUT, they choose to remain on earth to help other people reach enlightenment
They had special powers to allow them to do their “Helping”
In a way they’re KIND of like christian saints. But they have powers of their own, unlike Christian saints represent power, but their power comes from christ
AVALOKITESVARA
Comes from India
Would take on different forms to help people
Budhisattvas of passion, he is willing to go great lengths and change forms to change people. But if necessary, even though he was a boy, he could turn into a female
Overtime in China, he became known and popular solely based on that female form. This leads to a name change. The name changes to GUANSHIYIN
GUANSHIYIN
When Buddhism reaches China (100)
Guanshiyin: Comes to mean that perceiving the sounds of the world
The sounds that are being perceived are the cries of the world, the cries for help
Guanshiyin would take on whatever form is necessary to help, is known as a female
Her head breaks from all the cries that she was listening to, the Buddha came and provides her with 8 extra heads.
Then her arms break from helping all of the people, and the buddha comes and provides her with 1000 more arms
She is then reintroduced back into India in this female form and the male form, Avalokitesuora gets replaced and fades away
Sui Dynasty (589-618 CE)
(589-618 CE)
- The Han dynasty collapsed in 220, people are ruled by local lords and governors.
- In 581, Sui reunites China and the Emperor used Buddhism as a source for cultural unity
- The Sui Dynasty reunites China (after the Han Dynasty)
- The Sui emperor embraces Buddhism
- An attempt to invade Korea utterly failed and he is overthrown by a General which leads to the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
TANG DYNASTY 618 - 907 CE
Chang’an (Capital) (Largest that China will be for about 1000 years)
Rule about 50 million people
8 years after the overthrow, in 626, the general’s son seizes power as Emperor TAIZONG.
Taizong created the Tang Code (Taken from the Han Dynasty) (Based on confuciusm)
EQUAL-FIELD SYSTEM (tax system)
-Every 3 years, there was a census. All the citizens in the Tang empire, it asked questions like how many children, land, cavalry, average crop produced etc.
- They were divided into 9 categories based on their wealth
- Those 9 categories, depending which you were in (income brackets), you were given a certain amount of land and owed a certain amount of tax
- Taizong also made confuciusm the basis of the educational system
- The top 5% of gov systems were reserved for men who passed the civil service exams. You had to know confucius really well, and you had to be able to give the facts regarding passages by confucious.
- You also had to demonstrate your poetry skills
- How you would control flooding, what you would do if there was a food shortage, and how you would control a rebellious army
Emperor Wu (r 685-705)
Emp Wu was a female, and rejected the title the “Emperess”
Only woman to rule China in its 2000 plus history
Originally, she was the concubine of the Emp
(Was one of the concubine but was the previous’ emps favourite, she married the emp, had children, when the emp died she acted as the regent)
REGENT: She ruled in place of her son until he grows up
She exiled her son so she could rule China, and she was now the sole emperor of China. And no longer the “Regent”
She emphasized Buddhism
SUTRA: The type of buddhism she emphasized, this buddhist predicted that a kingdom ruled by a woman would turn into a paradise
in 690, she established the ZHOU DYNASTY (690-705)
(This dynasty does not continue after is no longer the emp) Her son changed it back to TANG
She was overthrown by a coup in the palace (She was killed, 80 yrs old)
After the coup, everything goes back to the TANG DYNASTY
Wu expanded the Civil service exams to a broader class of people
Wu also provided a lot of food and economic relief for the poor
She was criticized for the way she obtained power
She also requently eliminated her rivals
She had 12 branches of the imperial family massacred
Wu’s actions to expand the civil service, and helping the poor allows her to maintain her power. So people are loyal to her because of these actions
Decline of the Tang
751: defeated by the Abbasids at the Talas River
755: Mutiny by the army
- First period from 618-755, they have a great deal of success
- But starting from 755-907, it takes about 150 yrs for the Dynasty to fall
- In 751, in modern day Kazakhstan, the Tang dynasty went there to fight the Abbasid empire. And they lose (At TALAS)
- Even though they lost, the people didnt pay much attention to it. The people were paying more attention to a palace dilemma. The General was having an affair with the emperors favourite concubine, YANG (Consort Yang)
- In 755, the General leads a MUTINY. Not very successfully, but the Tang empire never really recovers after this mutiny (Mutiny : Uprising)
- The equal field tax system fails
- As a result higher taxes were instilled
- But when they did that, this lead to the population being very unhappy
- Eventhough the Tang China empire was struggling, it was still stronger than most of it neighbours
- about 90yrs later in 841, the new emperor WUZONG. He tried to collect tax from the 300,000 Buddhist and nun exempts. Monks under the age of 50, had to return to society and get normal paying jobs. However this doesnt last because he died in 846 (5 yrs later)
- After this, no emp was able to solve the Tang Dynasty tax revenue crisis
- 907, the last Tang emp is deposed
- in 960 (53 yr period of disunity) its finished
Woodblock Printing
- First printing in the world
- 8th century Buddhist monks
- Used painted wooden blocks
- Essentially carved around shapes and it was stamped
- Overtime, monks used glue to combine sheets of paper to create BOOKS
- In 868, the DIAMON SUTRA. This type of sermon, a spiritual text. Is the earliest surviving text. It is buddhist
- During the Tang dynasty, almost everything that was printed was religious
Five Dynasties Period
907-960
- China broke up into many different regional centres
- 5 of them end up being the largest and most important
- in 960, a dynasty takes over and reunites China again (Song)
Song Dynasty
960-1276
- Capital was KAIFENG
- Northern China
- Througout this 300 yr period, this is a period of civlillian rule
- Was a MERITOCRACY (Power by who are capable, not heredity) Power not in hands of Generals, but governmental officials
Northern Song and Jurchens
960-1127
- Khitan
- This empire had trouble keeping peace with Nomads called the Khitan
- The Khitan have always reigned in the Song territory, farm land, trade routes etc.
- To fight this Khitans threat, the song formed an alliance with the JURCHENS 1125
JURCHENS
The Jin Dynasty
- THis is a more friendlier group of Nomads, and had a better relationship w the song empire
- The Jurchens had originally been a subject of the Khitan
- 1125, the Jin Dynasty and the Song Empire defeat the Khitan Enemy
- In 1127, the Jin dynasty, however, attack the Song Dynasty. And they capture the song capital of KAIFENG
- The Jurchens had a supererior cavalry
- People on horses tend to win over people fighting on foot
- Song had very large walled cities, the jurchens used GUNPOWDER
Gunpowder
- Invented in China
- The Jurchens used this againts the CHinese
- Primarily the Chinese have been using gunpowder for fireworks
- But then they realized that they can use it for weaponry
- The most basic use was putting bags of powder on the end of arrows ant it will blow upon impact
- The jurchens actually used flamethrowers powered by gunpowder
- Potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur
- PORCELIN would spray
Southern Song
1127-1276
- Wheat does not grow well in the south
- The end of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the beginning of the Southern Song dynasty
- Same family, they just ruled over different areas
- This occurs when the JURCHENS take over the north (Former northern song dynasty)
- One of the largest migrations in human history, new capital was HAUNZHOU
- 20,000 gov officials fled, 100,000 clerks, and 400,000 soldiers and their families. 500,000 migrate w emp to south
- The effect of this are, people int he north China had traditionally eaten WHEAT, in a form of noodles and bread. But people in the southern china ate RICE. this is due to the DIFFERENCE IN CLIMATE
- Spoken dialects between the north and south, were not always mutually comprehensible (North and south could not always understand each-other)
- The south had always been considered as the “BACKWATER”
- The north where the capital used to be where the most educated people were previously
- When the emp and its people fled to the south, this were huge cultural stereotype conflicts
- There were about ONE MILLION Jurchens who rule over 40 MILLION chinese people in the North
- in 1142, 15 yrs later. The JURCHENS and the Song SIGN A PEACE TREATY
- The peace treaty is really humiliating for the Song, the Song are labeled as an insignificant state.
- The Jurchens would call themselves a SIGNIFICANT STATE
- 7000 KG (15000 pounds), 250,000 bolts of silk (unit of cloth), the song had to send this to the Jurchens. This actually enhanced the economy of the south unintentionally. This was the Song TRIBUTING the north
This leads to the Chinese Commercial Revolution.
Commercial Revolution
Was triggered by the TRIBUTES that the Southern Song had to pay to the SIGNIFICANT STATE Jurchins
When the jurchens start wanting to buy all the Songs (Chinese) products, it leads to this.
Salt is important because it was a preservative (farmers traded for this)
CASH CROPS: things that can sell and get money for. Things like tangerines, they’re nice but you cant live off of them. They grow silk, (silkworms eat Mulberry trees)
HANDICRAFTS: Baskets textiles, cloths, things you cant eat. but people spent time making these so you can sell
-When they brought over rice that had more YIELD, from VIETNAM. It created more SURPLUS. You could purchase rice now due to the surplus
PAPER MONEY, the southern song dynasty is the FIRST DYANSTY in the world to use paper money
- Currency was round, bronze coins. With squares in the middle used for putting them on a string. However they wouldnt cheap to make and they were heavy so paper currenty was better
- Iron, they learn how to make steel
- 1078, aroundt he area of KAIFENG, 125,000 tons of Iron was being produced (This amount was only matched by Europe in the 1700’s)
- They had an industrial revolution 700yrs before England. In England they needed the Iron for machinery to replace labour, unlike Song China
- China has 100,000,000 people
Effect on Society after the Commercial Evolution
- 500,000 mig to south w emp
- Merchants cont. to be at the bottom of the social heirachy
ARTISAN: someone who makes things
-Merchants want a better social class to they become an ARTISAN
SOCIAL PRESTIGE: one way to show this was by supporting a big family
- Wealthy men sought out Concubines (who would give them more children)
- Some Merchants specializedi n kidnapping and selling concubines (women w/ small feet were most attractive and desirable)
FOOTBINDING
- When a females foot is wrapped with cloth to prevent growth
- Starts in 10th cent
- Popular in 1200’s
- Widrespread in 1300’s
- Toes get curled under
- mothers would break daughters feet (get close relatives to do it for them) to prevent growth
- In 1800’s this practice stops
- Women did not have to work bc they couldnt walk
- Ideal foot was 8cm long
- Foot transforms into sexual object that only the husband had access to
- LOTUS WALK (toes curled under like a lotus flower)
- A way for mothers to keep their daughters at home
- It continues under mongol rule bc/ its part of chinese identity
Civil Service Exams
- Increaed wealth = increased access to books and educations since it wasnt cheap
- In the tang dynasty, 5% of the top gov positions are reserved for those who passed the civil service exams
- 90% of gov officials passed the exams for the Southern Song
- Every three years, two rounds of exams were held.
- The first was the regional (provincial/state), 2nd: capital
- The exams were not anonomous at this time, which lead to bribery etc
- After year 1000 the exams became anonomous
- If you passed you received the “ADVANCED SCHOLAR” title
- Passing DID NOT guarantee a job
- If you did really well you got a low gov potition.
- If you just passed, you would have to wait yrs for a gov position.
- But you could become a teacher
- Print lead to more people being able to take part of these exams
- Since the exams were anonomous now, a new form of cheating arose for the wealthy
SHADOW PRIVELEDGE: different versions of the exams, easier ones for the rich
WAY TO CHEAT
- Paying others to take it for you, purchasing study guides, tiny books (cheat sheets)
- In the 1200’s the wealthy ppl just began to send their kids to private academy’s and kept them at home to run the families estates
Mongola
Largest empire in history
Pre-Imperial Mongols
- They were Nomadic
- Lived in the STEPPE REGION (Poor soil and little rain)
- Not able to have sustained agriculture, thats why they’re nomadic and herd sheep and cattle (horses)
- They did trade with China in the south
- They traded for things that they couldn’t produce themselves
- They’re polytheistic (more than one god
- Mongols were syncretic people. SYNCRETISM is the mixing and blending of religions. UNIVERSALIZING
- In eastern Asian belief systems, you can be christian AND another. Instead of christian OR another. This is because CONFUCIUS is based on the belief of harmony.
- Mongols are split up into different tribes, theres the leaders and their families. Then the rest of the tribes. For everyone else in the tribe there are no social divisions, there are only two classes, the leaders and the rest.
- They lived in FELT camps because they could be built and taken down easily and quickly
- Mongol women had more political power than women in other places during this time period, because while their husbands were away looking for new grasslands, or at war. The women ran the households
- William of Rubruck (Francisian Monk) it was the womens responsibility to pack. Make KHUMIES (Fermented beverage made from horses milk)
Shamans
Pre-Imperial Mongols
SHAMANS: Holy men, priests. They were the ones in charge of talking to the gods themselves. They traveled the mountains where they believed that the gods lived. They would light bows on fire, and interpret the cracks int he bows as a message from god.
Chinggis Khan (Genghis Khan)
1167-1227
- Born as a TEMUJIN
- They have 9 horses as a kid, and eat wild plants after his father was murdered.
- United the Mongol tribes in 1206 (Like mohammad did in Mecca)
- Khan means ruler, Chinggis means Oceanic. OCEANIC RULER
- He weakened he old tribal loyalties.
-Each soldier belonged to 4 units 10,000 (10 leaders 1000 (10 leaders 100 (10 leaders 10
- All able bodied men aged from 15-70 had to serve. And women could serve if necessary.
- All done in a population of about a million people
- Mongols had a much smaller population than most of their rivals. Their advantage was their CAVALRY AND ARCHERS
- They also put dummies on their horses to give a perception that they’re bigger
- Mongols go undefeated for a long time
- Goal was to conquer territory as quickly as possible because its easier and cheaper than to lay long seiges
- Soldiers had to be completely obedient to Chinggis Khan during wartime (So it was his best interest to keep them at war) (They didnt need to be obeident during peace time)
- This worked out for the soldiers because they would also get a portion of the stuff that was stollen and invaded
- in 1215, Khan captures the capital of Modern day china, Beijing. In northern China Jin Dynasty
Mongol Governance
There was a great deal of freedom in the provinces, cultures kept doing what they’d always done
There was a governor - Darughachi - whose role was solely to collect taxes.
Darughachi could collect taxes however they wished as long as they reached their goals. Common examples were a 5% tax on sales or 1% tax on animals (not a heavy tax burden overall)
People continued their own local government and religion and this made Mongol provinces quite stable and non-revolty
Choosing a new leader traditionally involved the TANISTRY. Used for tribal chiefs and adapted to the Emperor.
In theory the most qualified member of the chief’s family takes over.
In practice, everyone who wanted to be chief fought each other until one was left and in charge.
At this point the Mongols would gather in an assembly (KURILTAI), and proclaim him to be the new leader
Chenggis specifically named his third son OGOEDEI as heir and the tanistry didn’t happen when Chenggis died
Unified Mongol Empire (Ogoedai and Mongke)
OGOEDAI 1229-1241
1230s the mongols conquered what is today RUSSIA
Now there is nothing left between the mongols and Europe (geographically)
Europeans suddenly realized their vulnerability, most of their armies were in Palestine fighting a crusade. They had been preoccupied W/ holy land. And they assumed that the Mongols were enemies of Islam so they would be an ALLY
Mongols said no and they just want the land. They said if the europeans submit to us and pay tribute of one tenth of everything you own, itll be ok.
Europe declines and it sucked to be Polish
1241 Mongols are in the city of Vienna. On the bring over overunning Western Europe, the mongols reveived word that Ogoedei has died and the warriors return to join the Tanistry and the Kuriltai
There was no clear succession for Ogoedei and it took 9 years to chose one. By this time Europes armies are stronger and the mongols never quite get around to coming back
MONGKE 1251-1259 (Chinggis’ grandson, Ogodei’s nephew)
Postal Relay System
The message travels from Mongolia to Austria very quickly thanks to the postal relay system.
Each province had its own TAC and each region its own culture, but everyone had the post
Fixed routes are established with stops every 50KM. The messengers could eat and get a new horse and continue quickly as possible. Official messengers carried SILVER or BRONZE tablets giving them priority on the route and access to the horses
PAX MONGOLIA refers to the internal peace of the Empire, for the 60-odd years it lasts. Used to describe the Empire as an entity
Pax Mongolia
refers to the internal peace of the Empire (Mongols) for the 60-odd years it lasts. Used to descibe the empire as an entity
Decline of the Empire (Mongol)
Over time the first 3 Great Khans appoint relatives to rule, creating some sort of “mini-kingdoms”.
1263 a mongol ruler near egypt allies with Mamluks againts ANOTHER Mongol ruler. (End of the unified empire. First time a mongol has fought a mongol since CHINGGIS unified the tribes)
Mongols still control the areas but it breaks up into regions governed by MINI rulers and so no longer subject to the GREAT KHAN. Rulers in the Western provinces largely end up converting to ISLAM. They are absorbed into the local culture (Western empire is the middle east).
By 1500, the mongols have either been absorbed into local cultures or conquered by other groups in the Middle east and Central asia
Back east, closer to the heartland, the Great Khan has more control.
Kubilai Khan (r. 1260-1294)
Controls Mongolia and Northern China.
His capital was KARAKORUM has a large, permanent place.
He suspends the civil service exams, but continued to appoint on Merit (just based on his evaluation, not exam)
Tried to pair a Chinese and Mongol official in the same position. Builds a blend of the two cultures. Adopt a Chinese dynasty name - YUAN
His most significant accomplishment is to conquer South China in 1276. First time Southern China has been conquered by a non-Chinese ruler.
Reunites NORTH and SOUTH CHINA under one ruler after 150 years split.
After he dies, the dynasty continues but the new generation grows up in Chinese practive and culture and had little connection to Monoglian homelands or Steppe culture.
Yuan declines over the 1330’s40’s, probably by the Black Death.
In 1368 the Yuan are replaced by the MING. Who last till the 1600’s.
Classical India
India is full of varied terrain and climates. Difficult to unite all of India under one ruler and it doesn’t actually happen until the British do it in the 20th century. Lots and lots and lots of governments
Gupta Empire, 320-550
CHANDRAGUPTA I. The empire is named after the first ruler
Begins in the North East of India and between conquest of marriage alliances takes control of Northern and Eastern India.
Under the Guptas most of the subcontinent is united, and the peace and prosperity this generates leads to an INDIAN GOLDEN AGE
Indian Golden Age
Same time period as advancements in Islamic age (Islamic Golden Age) Science as well
The number “0”
- This develops when merchants write a 0 with a cross through to indicate an empty spot
- Then it comes to stand for the number ZERO
- This leads to the DECIMAL SYSTEM being developed during the GOLDEN AGE
ARYBHATA (476-550)
- One of the first major mathematicians and astronomers from Indias golden age
- In the Islamic Golden Age it was ALGEBRA, in the Indian it was TRIGEOMETRY
- He calculated the SINE and COSINE of a lot of angles
- He calculated PI to find decimal places
- He determined that ECLIPSES were determined by shadows
- And the moon was light reflected by the sun, as well as the planets
- This period is marked by religious tolerance
- They support Buddhism
- Sri Lanka, trade ties are developed on that island, Thailand, and Asia
Hinduism Vedic Poems
VEDIC POEMS (DATE to 500 BCE) -Composed 1000 years prior (15000 BCE) -They were since then altered, developed, and expanded -RIG VEDA, the most IMPORTANT vedic poem -Most euro languages go back to INDO-EUROPean -FOUNDATIONAL text of HINDUISM Hinduism is incredibly POLYTHEISTIC -THOUSANDS of gods
Hinduism 5 Concepts
BASED ON 5 CONCEPTS
- DHARMA
- Idea of the ethics. Each person must perform depending on their station and role in life. Ones duties - MOKSHA
- LIBERATION from reincarnation. LIBERATION from SAMSARA. Because you have done your DHARMA excellently, and you have demonstrated DHARMA. Brahma: Spirit of the universe - YOGA
- The means by which you do your duties correctly, and the gods are worshipped properly. The path, the practice, that you do your DHARMA and duties correctly - SAMSARA
- Reincarnation in Hinduism. continued cycle of life, deal, reincarnation - KARMA
- Action, intent, and consequences. Sum total of all of your deeds in THIS life, and previous. Karma can influence your position in life when you reincarnate
Hinduism Caste System
BRAHMINS (Head) (Bc they chant rituals)
-The priests. Name related with BRAHMA. The ones who conduct the rituals related w hinduism. They know the poems, the rituals, and chants before they were written down
WARRIORS (Arms) (Arms bc they fight)
KSHTRIYA - These are th epeople like soldiers. King is part of the WARRIOR class
the PEOPLE (Theighs) (Theighs because they support) VAISYA - farmers, merchants, people who tended the herds, farmed the land
DEPENDENT LABOURERS (Feet) (Feet bc hardest work) SUDRAS - Sermons and the slaves who do the manual labour
- As you do DHARMA you move up this scale. The BRAHIMS are the PURIST
- The BRAHIMS are the closest to reaching purification with BRAHMA
- THere isnt direct contact between the BRAHMINS and the DEPENDENT LABOURERS due to the fact that theyre not pure
BHAKTI: Personal relationship between the believer and the specific god
-Buddhism was initially extremely popular, but by the 8th century, the 700’s. BUDDHISM begins to decline in india. Because the attractions of HINDUISM become more popular
Chalukya Dynasty
6th and 12th Centuries
Not actually a single dynasty, but they are three related dynasties that tend to overlap during times of succession
North and South India culture began to merge, even though the individual kingdoms CONTINUED to excist
JAINISM arises about the same time as HINDUISM and BUDDHISM, but never as popular
- NON-Violence to everything
- Correct faith, knowledge, and correct conduct
- Never lie, never steal, and never cheat, never have attachments to this world, and never to perform violence
- They are vegetarians and apologize to the vegetables before they eat
- At they dont eat or drink at night to avoid accidently killing insects
- Kings wouldnt do it, but they would support it to avoid rebellions etc
Chola Kingdom
Built the SHIVA TEMPLE, of the indian god SHIVA. in TANJORE
WOMB ROOM: Inside the room there is a LIGNAM STONE
Early Islamic Raids
c. 800 - 1100
Islam is monotheistic, and Hindu is Poly
They attacked temples and religious institutions
They raiders came, raided, then went back home (like the vikings)
The kingdoms in India continue to exist
These raids did not really interfere
The raids were sometimes a result of bribes from HINDU leaders to attack other indian kingdoms
Initially there were no HINDU combined resistance.
After the year 1000, gradually, they started staying in India following the raids (Mamlukes for example)
In the year 1192, the Hindu rulers FINALLY put together a coalition to fight the MAMLUK soldier slaves that came down from the North and they LOST
1206, Mohammad of GHUR starts the DELHI SULTANATE
Delhi Sultanate
1206-1526
Islamic state
Moslty controlled by the ISLAMIC EMPIRE
Muhammad of Ghur is the man who beat the Indian Hindu rulers when they tried to team up
5 dynasties ruled over the Delhi Sultanate
Theyre different (mamluks) than the Hindu society that theyre ruling in TWO ways
- Theyre nomads
- And theyre Islamic
Converting to Muslim from Hinduism did not help people in this society if they wanted to get higher government positions
Eventhough it made the MAMLUKS comfortable, it made it difficult for them to govern society. And rule effectively. THey had to constantly ship in MAMLUK slave soldiers from the NORTH
THey implemented HIGH taxes, they gave away land, IQTA grants, to those leaders that guarantee tax revenue
RAZIYA (r. 1236 - 1240)
Only women who was in charge of the DELHI SULTANATE
Her father, named her as the successor
The nobility did not listen, so they placed her brother on the throne
But her brother participated in pleasure, sex etc. Then he was assassinated after 6 months
SULTAN vs SULTANA, people tried to call RAZIYA the SULTANA. But that means “wife or the mother of the Sultan” so she REFUSED
She forced everyone to call her the SULTAN
She wore mens clothing
She refused to wear the religious veil
She lead her own armies into battle by standing on top of an elephant
Shes very good at putting her rivals againts eachother instead of fighting her
She ruled for ONLY 4 years
She had an affair, with one of her servants
The thing that was not ok, ws the fact that he was a NON-MAMLUK slave
The the other thing that was not ok was that she appointed him to a KEY GOVERNMENT position
Nobility rebelled and jailed her
She was released, tried to regain power, then was killed
She believed that the spirit behind religion was more important than its practioners
She TOOK AWAY the law that required women to wear VEILS
In prison, she sill commited to FRIDAY prayers
Fall of the Delhi Sultanate
TIMUR (r. 1370 - 1405) Dates that he ruled over his own people
In year 1398, he moved SOUTH and entered into INDIA. Shows up in DELHI
He conquers the DELHI SULTANATE
TIMURE THE LAME was more with a problem with his legs, and couldnt walk well. In accents, when you say “Timur the LAme” people sometimes thought you said TAMERLANE
MUGHALS
1526, they take over the DELHI sultanate and bring it to an end
Gender and Daily Life in Classical India
DAILY LIFE
Classical India was still one of the richest civilization in the world at the time despite all the wars, their rise and fall, and all the different kingdoms
Its economy fueled by productive agriculture and lucrative trade in fragrant woods, pepper, and other tropical spices, India’s only real economic rival was CHINA
Despite the chaotic political scene, Indias prosperous economy provided a bit of stablization.
The heirachy of the CASTE SYSTEM also tended to maintain continuity during times of political turmoil.
Buddhism and Jainism did not recognize the Caste System. Their appearance did not alter the system. By the 8th century, Buddhism was on the decline in India while HINDUISM (caste system) was growing
WOMEN
The idea of female dependence was central to the Hindu conception of the family
Women without the support and protect of a web of family relations (their own and husbands) were viewed as NONPERSONS in society
Obedience to senior female AND male authourity was the keystone of a womans DHARMA, regardless of her caste
SATI: a controversial practice where the devotion and obedience can be seen. Is when the female demonstrated her ultimate devotion to her dead husband by throwing herself onto her husbands funeral pyre, allowing herself to be burned alive instead of continuing life without him
Indian women had less power compared Mongol women, but they did have control over household accounts, and women from richer families supervised the servants
Richer women also tended to have a knowledge of poetry and literature, in order to perform well as a hostess
Vast majority of men and women were united through marriages that were arranged. Usually within the same caste
MEN
Men who were not from the dependent laborer caste were expected to have FOUR stages in their lives. The stages were IDEAL, so not every man would have participated in every stage
1: STUDENT: men who were members of the priestly and warrior castes were taken into the household of a guru, a teacher, for at least twelve years where they studied the VEDIC POEMS
2. HOUSEHOLDER: men with sufficient savings were supposed to marry young women of good character and appropriate caste membership. In addition to proving for his household, servants, and relatives, a man was directed to get up before dawn, offer the appropriate sacrifices to the gods throughout the days, and continue to study the vedic poems
3. HERMIT: as old age approached, the man was supposed to retreat to the forest, living on the roots and berries he could gather and working to master the self in preparation for dying and for potential rebirth
4. WANDERER: at the end of a mans life, he was supposed to move beyond the desire for life or death, wandering with a home or possessions. The goal was to attain moksha, the release from the cycle of reincarnation
GENDER RELATIONS
Women were treated as subservient members of the patriarchal society
Seen as both real and imaginary temptations and impediments for the mans ultimate relase from the cycle of reincarnation; they were viewed as temptresses who anchored men to the sensual, material world
Women were also seen as complementary opposited to the men, as symbols of harmony and balance.
Unlike medival christianity, Hinduism does not view sex negatively, and some HINDU temples, such as the SHIVA, temple of TANJORE, had obvious celebrations of sexuality (the lignam stone in the womb room that looks like a penis)
Legalism
View that humans are basically bad and need to be controlled. Harmony with the laws rather than harmony with other people
