Ancient India

1. Chapter 2 Ancient India

2. I. The Emergence of Civilization in India: Harappan Society • A. A Land of Diversity • Reflected in Language, culture, & Religion (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism & Islam) • Earliest peoples • Hill people • Aryans – Pastoral peoples migrated 2 BCE • Speakers of Dravidian Family Languages

3. Figure 2-1 p39

4. I. The Emergence of Civilization in India: Harappan Society • B. Harappan Civilization: A Fascinating Enigma • 1. Political and Social Structures • Collection of 1,500 cities connected by trade and alliances • Ruled by a coalition of landlords & merchants • Agricultural economy • Trade with Sumer

5. Mohenjo-Daro p39

6. 2. Harrappan Culture • Painted pottery • Sculpture • Writing – 3rd BCE

7. Indus Script - undeciphered p42

8. Figure 2-2 p42

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10. Mother Goddess 2600 – 1900 BCE p40

11. Women’s Status • No Decline in Economic power is evident • Women & men made pottery • No gender division • Female olive pressers in Mesopotamia made 50 ltrs of barley as opposed to the 300 ltrs that men made per month • A wage gap that developed with the decline in women’s status in Mesopotamia not evident in Mohenjo Daro

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14. Economy • Agriculture • Wheat, barley, rice, peas, cotton • Today’s Bahrain was the meeting place of Sumerian and Indus civilizations • Imported Textiles and foodstuffs • Exported copper, lumber, precious stones, luxury goods

15. 3. The Collapse of Harappan Civilization • Gradual Decay & Sudden Destruction, C. 1500 BCE • Skeletons, running & hiding • Mohenjo-Daro – City of the Dead • Aryan Theory

16. Rise of Empire • From Harrapan and Aryan to the establishment of states:  • Populated territories - Janapadas began to emerge • became republics & monarchies • by 300 BCE one of four large states, Magadha was becoming an imperial power.

17. II. The Aryans in India • A. From Chieftans to Kings • Raja – Chieftans/rule by merit • Kshatriya – Warrior class • Maharajas – Great Rajas /power not absolute • Dharma - laws governing morals

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19. Greek Impact & India’s First Dynasty • Alexander the Great of Macedonia invaded in 330BCE • Chandragupta Maurya (324-301 BCE) • Pataliputra • Kautilya • Arthasastra

20. Theory of Politics • Arthasastra or manual of politics and economics. • Danda niti – Policy of Scepter or of the big stick • Cut throat view of interstate competition • “Justice of the Fish” • Larger states swallowed smaller ones • “The enemy of my enemy is my friend

21. 4 Internal regulatory functionsof the State • Setting in which people had the opportunity to seek the four major goals of life (Hindu) • Artha (wealth) • Kama (sensual pleasure) • dharma (fulfillment of social and religious duties) • moksha (the release from earthly existence and union with the infinite power of the universe)

22. The Family • Social Unit – extended family (3 generations) • Patriarchal • State helped reinforce gender rules • Men had power over women and responsibility for protecting them • Women expected to run the household in accordance with the wishes of the men and to be available for the pleasure of men. • Sati • Divorce prohibited/some polygamy

23. The Mauryan Empire •  Racial Hierarchy – 5 Varna “colors” • 3 twice-born classes • Brahmin – priestly class • Kshatriya – Warriors • Vaisya – Merchants/pastoralists • Sudras- peasants, artisans, manual laborers • Pariahs – out castes or untouchables • Originated as a slave class • Collect trash, handled the dead, butchers & tanners

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25. The Jati • Kin group • System of extended families that originated in ancient india • Developed into a system in which each jati is identified with a kinship group in a specific area carrying out a specific function • Each jati identified with a particular Varna • Governed by a council of elders

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27. Economy • Agriculture • With Aryan rule and the invention of the iron plow, the center of Indian civilization shifted from the Indus to the Ganges • Individual farmers paid taxes • Sharecroppers and landless laborers • Trade • Expanded to include the pacific rim. Middle east and the Mediterranean Sea • 2BCE money economy developed along with banking

28. 4 regulated religious establishments • Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries developed considerable economic and political power • They also influenced a wide range of public and private decisions made by their devotees and the state attempted to regulate the use of this wealth and power

29. III. Escaping the Wheel of Life: The Religious World of Ancient India • Brahmansim • Reincarnation • Karma • Dharma • Popular Religion • Hindu Pantheon - 33, 000 deities • Trinity of primary gods • Brahman – the Creator • Vishnu – the Preserver • Shiva – the Destroyer

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31. Buddhism: The Middle Path6th Century BCE • The Life of Siddhartha Gautama • 2. Buddism and Brahmanism • Nirvana • Bodhi • Middle Path • Stupas

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33. Asoka – Indias Buddhist emperor • 260 BCE  • He converted to Buddhism a religion firmly committed to non violence • Conversion was a result of the carnage he had created • 150,000 people were deported • 100,000 killed and many times that perished

34. Figure 2-3 p57

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36. Welfare programs • Founding of hospitals • Planting of medicinal plants and trees • Building of some 84,000 stupas or Buddha burial mounds and monasteries • Freedom of Religion • respect the beliefs and practices of other sects  • Following his death, no emperor was strong enough to maintain centralized power

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39. V. The Exuberant World of Indian Culture • A. Literature • Sanskrit • Prakrit • Vedas • Upanishads • Mahabharata • Ramayana

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44. India after the Mauryas • 183 BCE last Maurya ruler overthrown • 1 CE Kushan Kingdom

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