Chapter 04: India's Beginnings

Question 1

What were the main two cities on the Indus River?

Answer 1

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa

Question 2

Describe Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa

Answer 2

Fired brick structures
Streets at right angles
Buildings 2 to 3 stories high – unusual
Sewage canals from houses to the larger canal

Question 3

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa had what type of government?

Answer 3

Theocracy

Question 4

The Mystery about Dravidians still remains because:

Answer 4

writing not yet been deciphered
the long period when this civilization was forgotten
Know almost nothing about religion, government, society, scientific and intellectual accomplishments

Question 5

Describe the Aryans:

Answer 5

Early nomadic, horse-breeding people of ancient Asia

Aggressive ways terrorized agrarian Indian civilizations

Question 6

______ ancient oral epics, written after invasion describe Aryans as Indo-European speakers, worshipped gods of sky and storm, used bronze weaponry and horse-drawn chariots

Answer 6

Vedas

Question 7

_________ says raja (warrior king) led his war-loving, violent folk, and magic-working priests

Answer 7

Rigveda (oldest Vedas)

Question 8

In time, ruled all northern India with a center on _____. Gradually settled down as farmers, townspeople. New iron technology and introduction of rice cultivation

Answer 8

Ganges River

Question 9

How many classes are there in the caste system?

Answer 9

Four

Question 10

Who were the Shudras?

Answer 10

non-free serfs

Question 11

Who were the Brahmins

Answer 11

priests, highest rank

Question 12

Who were the Kshatrijas

Answer 12

warriors

Question 13

Who were the Vaishyas

Answer 13

freemen, farmers, traders

Question 14

Universe works as a ___________ with events and lives repeating themselves never endingly, (samsara) individual dies, but soul is immaterial and undying

Answer 14

Great Wheel (Circle of life)

Question 15

_______determines the next caste into which it will pass– tally of good and bad then ‘justice’ is rendered

Answer 15

Karma

Question 16

What is Dharma?

Answer 16

code of morals for one’s caste

Question 17

________ Final release from reincarnation when one has lived a perfect life. End of individuality, soul is submerged into a world-soul

Answer 17

Moksha

Question 18

Describe Jainism

Answer 18

Philosophy emphasizes the sacredness of all life

Practiced by 2% of high-caste people

Question 19

Describe Buddhism

Answer 19

One of the great religions of the world
3rd largest membership
Democratic nature: anyone who seeks the divine can experience it in the nirvana

Question 20

Describe Bhakti Hinduism

Answer 20

gods have more personal attributes, more approachable

Individual seek spiritual fulfillment by devoting to individual gods

Question 21

Describe the Daily Life in Ancient India

Answer 21

Self-governing Indian villagers controlled by seasons, caste, local tradition, with feast days of the deities
Rural misery today is recent phenomenon
Until last 2-3 centuries, food shortages uncommon
Plenty of suitable agricultural land
When shortages occurred, people emigrated to new areas

Question 22

Describe the woman’s role in Indian society

Answer 22

Indian tradition suggests near equality of genders initially
Matriarchy until Aryans
Female prestige declined in Vedic Hindu era
Laws of Manu established “proper relations” between sexes:

Question 23

Describe Buddhism:

Answer 23

Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE)
The Enlightened One
His life is well documented
Indian aristocrat
A long period of wandering in search of answers to riddle of life
Became teacher of large group of disciples after extensive meditation
His teachings eventually were more important in China and Japan
In India, ______ was practically extinct by 1000 CE

Question 24

Describe the basic principles of Buddhism:

Answer 24

Everyone can attain nirvana (release from earthly woes)
Release comes from self-taught mastery of oneself
Gods have nothing to do with it
Way to self-mastery is through Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path

Question 25

Describe the Four Noble Truths:

Answer 25

All life is permeated by suffering
All suffering is caused by desire
Desire can only be overcome by attaining nirvana
Way to nirvana is guided by eight principles

Question 26

Describe the Eightfold Path

Answer 26

Right (righteousness) ideas, Right thought, Right speech, Right action, Right living, Right effort, Right consciousness, Right meditation
Anyone who follows these steps will conquer desire, be released from suffering
Suffering and loss are caused by the desire for illusory power and happiness Once one sees these are not desirable, the temptation will vanish Then will find serenity of the soul, harmony with nature and people

Question 27

Describe the Mauryan Dynasty

Answer 27

Political vacuum with retreat of Alexander the Great
Founded by Chandragupta Maurya - political unity
Arthsastra – hard-bitten government policies emphasizing “the end justifies the means”
Ashoka (ruled 269-232 BCE) – 3rd emperor
Founding spirit of Indian unity and nationhood
Spread Buddhism in India, encouraged religious tolerance
Period of internal prosperity, external peace
Became a devout Buddhist and pacifist
Decline:
Successors were weak, conquered by invaders
New peoples became sedentary
Political unity disintegrated

Question 28

Describe how Buddhism spread:

Answer 28

Land routes from northwest made invasion possible
Most intruders adopted Indian culture and Buddhism
Little cultural exchange with China
Extremely difficult to cross Himalayas or Burma’s jungles
Exception was export to China in 1st century CE