Chapter 6: India And Southeast Asia

Question 1

What are the 3 topographical zones of the Indian subcontinent?

Answer 1

Mountains, rivers, and peninsula/ desert

Question 2

What is a monsoon and what does it allow for?

Answer 2

A monsoon is a seasonal wind that helps with harvest and allows for 2-3 crops/ year

Question 3

How have geographical features influenced the development of India?

Answer 3

They have allowed for fertile soil and separated India, making it hard for invaders to come in.

Question 4

What is the Vedas?

Answer 4

Religious texts that are our main source of knowledge about the period. They were sacred “knowledge”/ religious texts preserved and communicated by Brahmin priests.

Question 5

Who are the Aryans?

Answer 5

“Noble people” in the Sanskrit language. These Indo-Aryans were a branch of the Indo-Iranians, who originated in present-day northern Afghanistan. By 1500 BCE, the Indo-Aryans had created small herding and agricultural communities across northern India. (https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/the-indo-aryan-migration-and-the-vedic-period/)

Light- skinned people speaking Indo-European language

Question 6

Who are the Dasas?

Answer 6

Dasyu, an aboriginal people in India who were encountered by the Indo-European-speaking peoples who entered northern India about 1500 BCE. They were described by the Indo-Europeans as a dark-skinned, harsh-spoken people (https://www.britannica.com/topic/dasyu)

Dark- skinned people speaking Dravidian language

Question 7

What is the Varna?

Answer 7

A class system based on color. The Aryans were on top, and the Non- Aryans were the Shudras and Untouchables.

Question 8

What is the Jati?

Answer 8

A caste system of birth group with proper occupation, duties, and rituals

Question 9

What is reincarnation in Hinduism?

Answer 9

The belief that every living creature has an atman or “breath” that is later reborn in another body, depending on karma, or the deeds of the atman in the previous life

Question 10

How was the varna and jati system rationalized? What social needs did they serve? What overarching principle made sense of this system?

Answer 10

You are who you deserve to be because of your past actions. There were people for every position, and everyone knew their place.

Question 11

What is moksha?

Answer 11

“Moksha, in Indian philosophy and religion, liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara). Derived from the Sanskrit word muc (‘to free’), the term moksha literally means freedom from samsara. This concept of liberation or release is shared by a wide spectrum of religious traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/moksha-Indian-religion)

Reached through yoga, dietary practices, and meditation.

Question 12

What led many Indians to reject the Old Order?

Answer 12

The cycle of reincarnation and rigid hierarchy

Question 13

Who is Mahavira?

Answer 13

Also known as Jaina, the founder of Jainism.

Question 14

What is Jainism?

Answer 14

A religion practicing non-violence and self-control, with the belief that there is a life force for everything.

Question 15

What did Jainists practice?

Answer 15

Nudity, masks, only ate what others gave them, and brushing off seats before sitting

Question 16

Who was Siddhartha Guatama?

Answer 16

The Buddha. He was a prince in the warrior class who lived from ~550-500 BC-450-400 BC, who “a prophecy was given at [his] birth that he would become either a powerful king or great spiritual leader. His father, fearing he would become the latter if he were exposed to the suffering of the world, protected him from seeing or experiencing anything unpleasant or upsetting for the first 29 years of his life. One day (or over the course of a few) he slipped through his father’s defenses and saw what Buddhists refer to as the Four Signs” of suffering, prompting him to pursue spirituality as a Hindu ascetic. His experiences as a Hindu ascetic would prompt him to go on and develop Buddhism. (https://www.worldhistory.org/Siddhartha_Gautama/)

Question 17

What 2 guides did Buddha create?

Answer 17

The “Four Noble Truths” and the “Eightfold Path.”

Question 18

What is nirvana?

Answer 18

Nirvana signifies the end of the cycle of death and rebirth. Nirvana is believed to be attainable only with the elimination of all greed, hatred, and ignorance within a person.

Question 19

What is the difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism?

Answer 19

• Mahayana: help free others from suffering; adapted Buddhism after its spread (spread to Korea, Japan, etc.)
• Theravada: free oneself from suffering; original teachings (spread to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, etc.)

Question 20

Who was Vishnu?

Answer 20

He was the preserver Hindu deity, devoted time to help those in need.

“His role is to return to the earth in troubled times and restore the balance of good and evil. So far, he has been incarnated nine times, but Hindus believe that he will be reincarnated one last time close to the end of this world.” (https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/deities/vishnu.shtml)

Question 21

Who was Shiva?

Answer 21

The Hindu deity of destruction

“Hindus believe his powers of destruction and recreation are used even now to destroy the illusions and imperfections of this world, paving the way for beneficial change. According to Hindu belief, this destruction is not arbitrary, but constructive. Shiva is therefore seen as the source of both good and evil and is regarded as the one who combines many contradictory elements.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/deities/shiva.shtml

Question 22

Who was Devi?

Answer 22

The Hindu mother- goddess of fertility and procreation

Question 23

What was pilgrimage?

Answer 23

Religious travel to connect with the gods.

Question 24

What was more attractive about Hinduism than Buddhism?

Answer 24

There was a direct connection with the gods. This led to Vedic tradition evolving into Hinduism.

Question 25

Why was Indian history initially not written down?

Answer 25

They believed that time was cyclical, not linear, and thus had no reason to preserve history.

Question 26

What is asceticism?

Answer 26

The absence of worldly pleasures for spiritual goals.

Question 27

What factors have contributed to India’s habitual political fragmentation?

Answer 27

The 3 topographical zones/ geography, different ethnic groups and languages, as well as the varna (class system), as people were more concerned with their class than politics.

Question 28

Describe the rise of the Mauryan Empire.

Answer 28

In 600 BCE there were separate kinship groups and independent states in north India. The kingdom of Magadha gained wealth from agriculture, iron, and location near trade routes. Chandragupta Maurya gained control and expanded it into the Mauryan Empire, possibly inspired by Alexander the Great. This was India’s first centralized empire.

Question 29

Who was Faxian and what did he do?

Answer 29

He was a Chinese monk who described his journey through Gupta.

Question 30

Describe commerce and culture in an era of political fragmentation.

Answer 30

Greek influence is evident in art and coin design.

There were some foreign powers, such as the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, the Shakas, and the Kushans, who fostered trade and connected the silk road and Arabian seaports.

There was economic, cultural, and intellectual development. Epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabarata were written.

There were significant advances in science and technology, such as herbal remedies and linguistics, which led to the standardization of Sanskrit.

There was a rise of states in central India: the Andhra dynasty and 3 Tamil kingdoms. It was a “classical” period of literature and art.

Question 31

Describe what the Gupta “theater-state” was.

Answer 31

Constant cultural events to persuade others they didn’t have the ability to enforce.

Question 32

What was the reason communicated for the hierarchy of the Varna caste system?

Answer 32

A creation myth in which Purusha, “the primordial being,” let itself be sacrificed, and all of its body parts were the different classes–“Brahmins constitute its mouth, Kshatriyas its arms, Vaishyas its thighs, and Shudras its feet.”

Question 33

What religion were the Mauryan rulers? The Gupta? How did this play a role in their respective societies?

Answer 33

Ashoka, a ruler of the Mauryan Empire converted to Buddhism. This allowed for the people in his empire to have religious freedom. Gupta monarchs were Hindus, which gave an aura of sanctity to their position. There was caste, class, and Brahmin priests, but there was also religious freedom

Question 34

Why did Southeast Asia first come to prominence?

Answer 34

It is located between China and India, and rose to prosperity because of the role in trade between south and east Asia.

Question 35

How did the Malay peoples navigate the Pacific and Indian Oceans?

Answer 35

They rode monsoon winds, and interpreted patterns of swells, winds, clouds, and bird and sea life.

Question 36

As Buddhism spread, what happened as its beliefs and organizations changed?

Answer 36

The original values began to be undermined. There became a hierarchy of Buddhist monks and nuns, they made stupas, and started to worship Buddha as a god.

Question 37

What caused the reform of Vedic religion? What did Vedic religion evolve into?

Answer 37

The development of new movements. It evolved into Hinduism, incorporating Vedic religion, Dravidian cultures, and Buddhism.

Question 38

What were multiple ways to get divine favor from the Hindu gods?

Answer 38

Special knowledge of sacred truths, mental and physical discipline, and extrodinary devotion. A common form of worship was puja, which involved bathing, clothing, or feeding the statue.

Question 39

Who were Chandragupta’s successors and what did they do?

Answer 39

Bindusara and Ashoka extended Mauryan control over almost the whole subcontinent.

Question 40

Who was Kautilya and what did he do?

Answer 40

Kautilya was Chandragupta’s mentor. He wrote a treatise on government called the Arthashastra. He advocated the mandala theory of foreign policy- “My enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

Question 41

What characterized the Mauryan Empire?

Answer 41

They had a 25% agricultural tax, a large imperial army, royal control of mines, shipbuilding and armaments manufacture. They also had standard coinage.

Question 42

Who was Ashoka?

Answer 42

Chandragupta’s grandson. He engaged in military campaigns and then converted to Buddhism. He practiced non-violence, religious tolerance, morality, and moderation.

Question 43

What mathematical advancements were made in the Gupta Empire?

Answer 43

The concept of zero, the “Arabic” numerals, and the system of place value notation were invented.

Question 44

What happened to the status of women during the Gupta period?

Answer 44

There was a decline in the status of women. They lost the right to own and inherit property, and couldn’t study sacred texts and do rituals. They were treated like the Shudra (lowest class). They were expected to obey their father, husband, and sons, and were married around the age of 6 or 7.

Question 45

What was sati and how could women escape it?

Answer 45

A woman was expected to cremate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. To escape, she could join a Jainist of Buddhist religious community.

Question 46

How did the Gupta Empire collapse?

Answer 46

Financial burden of defense from the Huns/ the Huns invaded.

Question 47

Who were the Malay peoples?

Answer 47

The dominant population of Southeast Asia, and the product of several waves of migration from China.

Question 48

Why did streams of people leave Southeast Asia?

Answer 48

Rising population and dispute between communities. It is the longest lasting colonization movement in human history.

Question 49

What were the first political units in SE Asia?

Answer 49

water resource “boards” that allocated and scheduled the use of water

Question 50

SE Asia was along what trade route?

Answer 50

A new silk trade route between China and westward. IT expanded to include goods from SE Asia such as woods, resins, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and other spices.

Question 51

What was Fu-nan?

Answer 51

The first major SE Asian Buddhist center.

Question 52

What did the Gupta trade?

Answer 52

They traded cotton, cloth, ivory, and metalwork.

Question 53

What were the varna classes?

Answer 53

• Brahmin- priests and scholars
• Kshatriya- warriors and officials
• Vaishya- merchants, artisans, and landowners
• Shudra- peasants and laborers, originally for the Dasas
• Untouchables- excluded from class system and avoided because of demeaning and polluting work

Question 54

What are the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism?

Answer 54

1.Suffering exists
2. Suffering has a cause
3. Suffering has an end
4. Suffering has a cause (the Eightfold Path) to bring about its end.

(https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm)

Question 55

What is the Eightfold Path of Buddhism?

Answer 55

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration.

Moreover, there are three themes into which the Path is divided: good moral conduct (Understanding, Thought, Speech); meditation and mental development (Action, Livelihood, Effort), and wisdom or insight (Mindfulness and Concentration).

(https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm)

Question 56

What are the Four Signs of Buddhism?

Answer 56

• An aged man
• A sick man
• A dead man
• A religious ascetic

The first 3 let Siddharta know suffering existed. The last gave him an idea of how to investigate its cause and how to end it.