Chapter 7 India and Southeast Asia - Mr. Farshteymrfarshtey.net/classes/India-Hinduism.pdf ·...
Transcript of Chapter 7 India and Southeast Asia - Mr. Farshteymrfarshtey.net/classes/India-Hinduism.pdf ·...
Chapter 7India and Southeast Asia1500 B.C.E – 600 C.E.
The Indian Subcontinent India has three topographical zones (1) the northern mountainous zone
(2) the Indus and Ganges Basins
(3) the peninsula
Peninsular India and the Ganges Valley have a subtropical climate and plentiful rainfall
The Indus Valley is dry and agriculture there relies on irrigation
The staple crop of the Ganges Delta is rice; elsewhere, the staple crops are wheat, millet, and barley.
KEY This geographical diversity has made it very difficult for any political power to unify all of India for any great length of time
Hinduism
Origins Developed over thousands of years combining
the beliefs of the Aryans & Indus peoples
NO single founder
The word Hindu is derived from the river Sindhu or Indus
Indo-Europeans begin migrating Migrated from mid Europe to all over Europe
Hittites attack Mesopotamia
Aryans invade Indus River Valley Aryans change everything about Indus society
The Aryans The Aryans invaded India around 1500 B.C.E.
When the Aryans invaded India, they brought their religious beliefs.
Hinduism is a religion largely based on the beliefs of the Aryans.
India goes from classless to caste system
Caste system - rigid social classes associated with religion
Aryans expected non-Aryans to do worst jobs
3 main social classes Brahmin- priests
Warriors
Peasants Social classes based on color - known as varnas
The four varna were subdivided into hereditary occupational groups called jati(also known by the Portuguese word caste)
Jati were also arranged in order of hierarchy; complex rules governed the appropriate occupation, duties, and rituals of each jati and laid forth regulations concerning interaction between people of different jati.
The systems of varna and jati were rationalized by belief in reincarnation
According to this belief, each individual has an immortal spirit (atman) that will be reborn in another body after death.
One’s station in the next life depends on one’s actions (karma) in this and previous lives.
The Caste System Caste Social groups into which people are born in & out
of
You cannot move into a different caste during your life time
The Caste System
Brahmins (Priests)Brahmins (Priests)
KshatriyasKshatriyas (Rulers & Warriors)(Rulers & Warriors)
VaisyasVaisyas (merchants, farmers, & artisans)(merchants, farmers, & artisans)
SudrasSudras (non(non--Aryan farmers & servants)Aryan farmers & servants)
Untouchable (butchers, gravediggers, trash collectors)Untouchable (butchers, gravediggers, trash collectors)
No Single Holy Book Unlike Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,
Hinduism has no single holy book.
However, there are many significant Hindu writings.
The Bhagavad-Gita, the Upanishads, and the Vedas are important Hindu writings.
The Bhagavad-Gita is a conversationbetween a warrior and a god.
Many gods, One Force Hindus believe in many gods. As such,
Hinduism can be considered polytheistic.
However, Hindus believe that every god is a manifestation of one Supreme Being.
Brahman is the Supreme Being.
The Universal Spirit Hindus believe in one unifying spirit called
Brahman
Brahman is too complex for humans to understand
Hindus worship many gods to give a more concrete form to Brahman
The Three Main Hindu Gods Brahman The creator
Vishnu The preserver
Shiva The destroyer
Moksha The main goal of life is to achieve union with
Brahman
Moksha can only occur when you free yourself from all your selfish desires
Most people cannot achieve moksha in one lifetime
Reincarnation Reincarnation the soul is reborn in a new
body
Each new lifetime allows you to get closer to moksha
Hindus get closer to this union by being born into higher levels of existence
Karma & Dharma Karma the deeds & actions (both good &
bad) of a person’s life that affects his/her existence in the next life
Dharma The moral & religious duties that are expected of an individual A person’s gender, class/caste, age, & occupation
can affect his/her dharma
Dharma Every caste has its rules.
Dharma is the Sanskrit word for the rules of caste.
Marrying in your caste is an example of dharma.
Other Facts The Ganges River is sacred Bathing in it can purify, cleanse, and cure the sick
Upon death many Hindus are cremated & have some of their ashes spread in the Ganges
Religion affects everything in life
Connects with caste system to tell people how to live depending on caste
Harsh life leads to new religions - Jainism and Buddhism