Final 2 Flashcards
When did the international trade merchants raise to a significant power factor in India?
Days of Pallavas
Which region of international trade was controlled by the Ayyavole?
west Asia
What was the regional base of the Manigramam trade guild?
Tamil Nadu
What evidence is there that the “negation of the world” philosophy was not as prevalent in the late Middle Ages as it was in the early period of India?
Passages by GUILD of Ayyavole merchants (lengthy inscription)
What effect did the constant raise and fall of dynasties in the Middle Ages have on the culture of India?
Different areas flourish at some time & developed their regional culture.
What difference in structure of the government is found in comparing Harsha’s Empire with the Gupta Empire?
- Harsha’s internal structure diff.
- organization decentralized
- diff. control w/in central core
- Mahasamanta at top NOT governor/prince
What was a distinctive structural feature on the Medieval realms?
Rise of Samanta’s
why was the Medieval political structure inherently weak?
as soon as power of central ruler declined, mahasamanta strives for independence (or dream stepping in centre of samatachakra)
What was the first stage of “development from below” in South India?
Tribal chief to local Hindu princeling
What role did the tributary princes play in administration of the nuclear areas of a realm in Medieval India?
NOT yet play any significant role but attended court of victorious king
What event would mark the beginning of the third phase in the “development from below” in South India?
Conquest & annexation of one kingdom and principalities (intermediate regions)
What was one type of development Orissa had before the decline of Kharavela’s realm?
Imposed from above or imported from other regions
When did the second phasae of development in Orissa began?
After Gupta empire decline (7th century) when Shailodbhava Dynasty Emerged
What areas were brought together by the Somavamshis?
Dakshina Koshala and Khinjali Mandala
Which group of government officials is not mentioned in the Mahanadi delta inscription?
No governors and district officers
Who can the mandala lords of the Bhaumakara dynasty’s realm be compared to?
Allodial lords (medieval Europe)
How was the king’s prestige measured in Medieval India?
Number of tributary princes attending court
What was Amoghavarsha’s cleaver way to control the tributary princes?
Sent 1000s of dancers/courtesans as spies to Samanta court. These ladies had to be maintained by the Samantas but reported to royal ambassador to Samanta court who would pass on to Amoghavarsha.
In the Gupta dynasty why did the king give land grants to Brahmins in distant lands?
- Brahmins instrumental for legitimacy of kinship (enhance king’s personal power)
- act as missionaries of Hindu culture
What was the name of the large temple build in Paramaras around 1059-80?
Udayeshvara temple
The close connecgtions between the king and the large temple allowed him do do what to unruly samantas?
Threaten w/ wrath of royal god
What is one religious factor that characterizes medieval India?
Brahaminsim to new popular Hinduism (TRANSFORMATION)
What was one non-religious factor that characterizes medieval India?
Regional kingdoms/languages/cultures
In medieval India why was infrastructure and agrarian extension under financed?
Brahmins and the temples (resources were diverted to)
What two contradictory tendencies when synthesized led to Hinduism of today?
1) ‘Brahmin counter-reformation’ (Bud-Jain constant debates) VS
2) popular Bhakti cult mvmt (rejected the Brahmin orthodoxy & monist philosophy; devotion to personal god
Which of the Hindu schools of philosophy is considered the “essence of Indian philosophy”?
Vedanta (anta of Vedas)
When did Shankara life?
788-820 AD
According to Shankara why do people believe the world is real?
From ignorance (avidya); prevents soul (atman) from realizing identity w/ divine spirit (Brahman).
How did Shankara accommodate popular Hinduism?
Allowed ‘lower truth’ (embodying manifold appearance of world & existence of divine creator (ishvara).
-He reflected similar ideas of the Upanishads and of Mahayana Buddhism and was able to combine popular Hinduism with orthodox Brahminism. Everyone could find his own level in this synthesis of lower or higher truth.
Bhakti emphasizes which of the following?
Love of god and child-like devotion to him
Where did the Bhakti movement begin?
Tamil Nadu
What was one group of Vaishnavite bhakti saints called?
alwars
What constitutes the “Tamil Veda”?
Sundaramurti, Mankkavasagar and Sambandar (saints) writings
What groups of people made up the early Shaivite bhakti movement?
Nayanar