HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION

• Civilization first appeared in the Indus River Valley

• Centered on twin cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro

• Known as Harappan Civilization

• 2500-1500 BC

CHARACTERISTICS

• Encompassed most of modern-day Pakistan

• Produced barley and wheat

• Used copper, and then bronze, tools

• Traded with places as far away as Egypt

• Developed a writing system

MOHENJODARO• Streets laid out on grid

pattern– Indicated planning

• Elaborate underground sewer system– Used both for

carrying off storm water and waste

• Clay brick architecture– Some buildings four

stories tall

ARYANS

• Invaders from southern Russia• Entered region around 1500 BC• Destroyed Harappa and

Mohenjodaro and massacred their inhabitants

• Plunged region into “Dark Age”– Cities abandoned, writing

forgotten, and people reverted to Neolithic lifestyle

– Lasted 500 years (1500-1000 BC)

REVIVAL OF CIVILIZATION

• Urban life revived in villages in the Ganges River Valley around 1000 BC– Inhabited by hybrid people

(part Harappan/part Aryan)– Evolved into city-states– Caste system also evolved

at the same time• Became unique Indian

social phenomenon

CASTE SYSTEM I• Society was at first divided

into four castes– Warriors– Priests– Merchants/landowners– Small farmers/laborers– System was not

especially rigid and there was a great deal of mobility in both directions

CASTE SYSTEM II

• System grew more complicated and rigid with time– Ultimately there would be hundreds

of castes• Each was forbidden from having

any social contact with the others– At the very bottom were the

“untouchables”• The mere accidental touch of one

was considered to be polluting

MAURYAN EMPIRE

• 16 small city-states existed in the Ganges River Valley by 600 BC– Each ruled by an individual

with the title of raja• One city-state grew in power at

the expense of the others– Magada • Conquered entire

Ganges Valley and beyond• Created Mauryan Empire

ASHOKA

Mauryan Empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya

Most famous ruler was his grandson, Ashoka

Began reign as a military conqueror but, following a battle in southern India, he decided to rule in a different,

more gentle, way

Chandragupta Maurya Ashoka

MORE ASHOKA

• Promised to be mild with his subjects, always place their welfare before his own ambitions, and to refrain from offensive military operations

• Kept his word– Engaged in numerous public works

construction projects– Dug thousands of wells– Constructed thousands of hospitals– Built rest areas along roads– Encouraged economic activity

• Reign was a true “golden age” for India

END OF THE MAURYAN EMPIRE

• Within 50 years of Ashoka’s death, the Mauryan Empire collapsed– Due to a series of invasions

from barbarians to the north

– Shattered unity and plunged region into anarchy• Characterized by a

constantly-shifting mosaiac of warring city-states

– Lasted 500 years

THE GUPTA EMPIRE

• Around 300 BC, the ruler of Magada (again) gradually conquered the entire Ganges River Valley– Chandra Gupta I

• Process would be continued by his son and grandson– Result in the creation

of the Gupta Empire

END OF THE GUPTA EMPIRE

• First century of Gupta Empire was a time of expanding power, growing prosperity, and cultural achievement

• But after the death of Chandra Gupta III, the empire was invaded by the White Huns– From Central Asia– India disintegrated into

numerous petty kingdoms again

INDIAN ACHIEVEMENTS

• Invented several writing systems• Developed an elaborate literature– Mostly religious in content

• Developed our modern number system– Called “Arabic numerals”

• Invented the decimal system• Created the foundation for algebra• Discovered that the earth was a

rotating sphere

HINDUISM

• In Aryan times, Indians were polytheistic– But, over time, three of

their more important gods merged together into a three-part monotheistic deity called Brahman• Brahma (creator)• Vishnu (preserver)• Shiva (destroyer)

• Brahman permeated everything in the universe

REINCARNATION

• Doctrine of reincarnation came from belief that all living things were related and had souls– Belief that each soul is reborn in

the body of another creature over and over again

• The form that one is reborn into is determined by one’s actions during their lifetime– Known as karma– Good Karma=reborn into higher

caste– Bad Karma=reborn into lower caste

or even lower life form

WHEEL OF SUFFERING

• Also believed that human existence was basically an endless round of suffering– We are all trapped on the

“Wheel of Suffering” with no permanent way off

– The only escape is through meditation• Merging oneself with

Braham• But this was only a

temporary escape

GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA

• As Hinduism became the dominant religion in India, it also became more worldly and materialistic– Prompted appearance of “gurus”

around 600 BC• Wanted to put Hinduism back on

track by making it more spiritual• Most notable guru was Gautama

the Buddha (Enlightened One)–Would create a new religion in

his quest for a more spiritual life

BUDDHA AND THE WHEEL OF SUFFERING

• Buddha was especially concerned to find permanent escape from the Wheel of Suffering

• Taught that the basic cause of human suffering was desire– The fruitless quest to acquire

more and more material things• Argued that this never made a

person happy because they always wanted more

• Did think meditation was the complete answer either– Since it only provided temporary

escape

NIRVANA• Only way off the Wheel of Suffering

was to go through an eight-step process that involved changing your entire life– Included rejection of selfish worldly

desires. the cultivation of honesty and compassion, rejection of violence, and cleansing your mind of all evil thoughts

– Successful result was the attainment of “nirvana”• Permanent escape from the

Wheel of Suffering and the attainment of permanent peace and tranquility

BUDDHA IN ACTION• Buddha practiced what he

preached– Only possession were the

robe on his back, a walking stick, and wooden bowl

– Always travelled on foot and slept outdoors

– Presented his creed in simple language

– Accepted persons from all castes and treated them equally

• Attracted millions of converts across Asia

DIVISION

• Hinayana Tradition (“Little Vehicle”)– Buddha was just a man

• Mahayana Tradition (“Big Vehicle”)– Buddha was a god, the human

incarnation of Brahman– Led to construction of temples

and creation of statues devoted to his worship

– By far the most popular of the two traditions today

SHANG DYNASTY

• Civilization emerged from Neolithic settlements along the Huang-ho River around 1500 BC

• Shang rulers were primarily military leaders– Also acted as chief

priests in times of peace

ANCESTOR WORSHIP• Shang Chinese were polytheistic– Chief god was Shang-ti

• Chinese believed that Shang-ti was too powerful to be approached directly by human beings through prayer– Began praying instead to dead

relatives who had entered the spirit world where Shang-ti lived to intercede with the god• This practice of praying to

dead relatives for aid and support continued even after belief in Shang-ti had faded away

ZHOU DYNASTY• According to legend, the last

king of the Shang Dynasty committed unspeakable crimes against the gods and his people– Prompted two aristocrats

from the region of Zhou to lead a rebellion against him

– Replaced his dynasty with one of their own• Zhou Dynasty• 1000-221 BC

MANDATE OF HEAVEN• Chinese believed that Shang rulers had

been picked by the gods to rule– Therefore it might look as though the

Zhous had defied the wishes of the gods by overthrowing the Shangs

• Zhous therefore developed concept of the Mandate of Heaven– Dynasties had the right to rule

because they had special permission from the gods

– But this permission could be revoked if they abused their power and given to another dynasty

Shang-ti

QIN DYNASTY• By the last 200 years of the Zhou

Dynasty, the kingdom had disintegrated into a collection of small, independent states, continually at war with each other– A new power emerged out of

this mess around 300BC• The state of Qin began

conquering its neighbors and, by 221 BC, it had taken over all of northern China• Ruler of Qin, Shihuangdi,

takes title of “First Emperor” and founds Qin Dynasty

QIN ACHIEVEMENTS• Shihuangdi’s armies then

conquered most of the rest of China– Set up centralized administrative

system• Divided realm in 36 districts,

each administered by an appointed governor

– Established a standard system of weights and measures, uniform coinage system, and a standard alphabet

– Built numerous roads and canals– Began work on the “Great Wall”

BIG DOWNSIDE

• Shihuangdi drove his people mercilessly– Imposed heavy taxes– Imposed forced labor– Brutally crushed all

dissent• Even burnt books

• Became obsessed with finding magic potion that would give him immortality– Died in 210 BC while

searching for potion

HAN DYNASTY

• Death of Shihuangdi was followed by civil war– All Qin family members were

killed– Ultimate victor was Lui Bang• Former bandit leader• Founded the Han Dynasty– 202 BC-220 AD– So beloved by Chinese

that they call themselves the “People of Han” today

HAN HISTORY• Lui Bang continued centralizing policies of

Shihuangdi– But had the common sense to go easier

on his people• Greatest Han ruler was Han Wudi– Extended Han power into Tibet, Korea,

and Mongolia– Established relations with Japan– Created the “Silk Road”• Trade route that stretched from

China, through India, and into Europe

• Han Dynasty collapsed in 250 AD due to civil war, rebellions, and invasions

SILK ROAD

WRITING• Writing first appeared during

Shang Dynasty– Oracle Bones

• First books appeared during Zhou Dynasty– Made from sheets of bamboo

• Alphabet was standardized under Shihuangdi– Has changed little since

• Paper invented during Han dynasty– Used to produce a rich and

varied literature

CONFUCIUS• Best known Chinese “sage”

was Confucius– Lived during anarchy of

the late Zhou Dynasty– Teachings were written

down after his death by his students in a book called the Analects

– Primarily concerned with the issue of how human beings could live together harmoniously in society

HIERARCHY

• Advocated a society where everyone had a specific place and performed all the obligations associated with that place– Called this “Hierarchy”– A rigid system but it did

help to preserve harmony and order in an increasingly overcrowded country for a long time

GENTLEMAN• Originally, the term “gentleman” meant a

person of high status by virtue of their birth

• Confucius gave the term a moral meaning– Gentleman was a person who

behaved in a virtuous manner• Since anyone could do this, anyone

(regardless of their social status) could be considered a gentleman

• Confucius argued that one’s place in society should be determined by their behavior and personal qualities, not by their wealth or birth

DAOISM

• Allegedly founded by Laozi– Author of Daodejing

(“The Way”)– May or may not

have been a real person

– Allegedly lived during the last years of the Zhou Dynasty

DAOIST THEOLOGY I• The Dao is the unseen root of all things– It provides balance and harmony to

the universe– Everything, including human

beings, is a part of it• Because human beings have free will

and desires, they are capable of acting “unnaturally” and thereby upsetting the natural balance within the Dao– Purpose of Daoism is to teach

people to return to their natural state of behavior, to behave in such a way as to restore the balance of the Dao

DAOIST THEOLOGY II• Human beings should engage in wu wei– Means “acting spontaneously” and

“flowing with the moment”• If human beings want to be in harmony

with the universe, with the Dao, they should simply do what feels good and right to them at the moment– Should act in a simple, unselfish, and

humble manner• Without artifice• No role-playing, game-playing, or

dishonesty– Just be yourself