S1 - Early India Terms to Know Flashcards
Harappans
**Harappan civilization **
* Location - Indus River Valley
* Symbols of communication had not been decoded
* Cultural uniformity
* Traded with Mesopotamia
* Mohenjo Daro and Harappa were largest cities (30-40,000 people)
Archeological Evidence (or lack of)
the physical remains of past human activities which archaeologists seek out and record in an attempt to analyze and reconstruct the past.
Aryans
- The Aryans migrated from Greece, Sumer, and Anatolia (1500 BCE-500 BCE) and dominated North India
- Replaced the Vedic age with the caste system, the Brahmanic religion, and early forms of Sanskrit
Sanskrit
early form of writing in India (still exists - oldest)
Brahmins
priests (Brahmanism)
Caste System
- The caste system: divided society into strictly defined hereditary groups → your fate is already determined
- Four hierarchical levels - varnas (they did not eat or marry with each other)
- Brahmin (priests)
- Kshatriya (warriors/officials)
- Vaishya (merchants
- Shudra (peasants/laborers)
- Untouchables - people who lost their caste status
- Were often depicted as latrine cleaners/street sweepers
- If they “sucked it up” and make it through this life, they could be rewarded in the next life
- Slavery was important
- Aryans were patrilineal and patriarchal
- Women were treated somewhat more favorably than in later indian society
Jainism
- Vardhamana Mahavira founder
- Son of small state chief-warrior
- Traveled through Ganges valley to become enlightened
- Accepted doctrines of Karma and Dharma
- New directions for the concepts
- All objects and things have souls enmeshed in matter accumulated through the workings of Karma
- Ascetic who lives in suffering dissipates karma to liberate one’s soul so it may become light and float to the top of the universe.
- Jainists avoid evil thoughts and actions
- Lived in asceticism
- All life sacred
- No killing animals
- Vegetarian
- Influential part of Indian culture
- Not as large an impact as Buddhism
Hinduism
- Developed from brahmanic beliefs
- Began to evolve with Buddhism and Jainsim in South Asia
- Became more devotional with less focus on the priest being intermediary
- The Vedas is supreme and supports caste system
- Polytheistic
- Carrying out one’s dharma is central to religion
- Karma and reincarnation
- Moksha
- Dominant religion in india
- Has not spread much from region
Bhagavad Gita
A Hindu scripture part of the epic Mahabartha.
Buddhism
- Siddharth Guatama - Buddha
- Contemporary of Mahavira
- Same warrior social class
- Took on extreme asceticism(extreme selflessness) after studying yoga in Magadha
- Reached enlightenment by meditating under a tree at Bodh Gaya
- Urged middle way between asceticism and worldly life
- Refused to recognize divine authorities of vedas
- Dismissed caste system and allowed equality between ppl
- Not dogmatic and open to other religious practices.
The Four Noble Truths
- pain and suffering, frustration, and anxiety are ugly but inescapable parts of human life
- suffering and anxiety are caused by human desires and attachments
- people can understand these weaknesses and triumph over them
- This triumph is made possible by following a simple code of conduct, the Eightfold Path
Eight Fold Path
(Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.)
* Insight of Buddhism is phycological
* Deepest human longings never satisfied
* Attachment to people and things causes sorrow at loss
* Things that cause pleasure bring anxiety as we fear their loss
Samsara
reincarnation by continual process of rebirth
Karma
the tally of good + bad deeds that determined the status of an individual’s next life
Moksha
After becoming Moksha - highest position (they can’t become any better) they leave the reincarnation cycle
