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Indus. Geographic Location Along the Indus River unpredictable floods Relatively unprotected Cities Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, Kalibangen. Specialized Workers Artisans, Iron workers, Merchants and traders Complex Institutions Strong central government Early form of Hinduism. Record Keeping
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Geographic Location • Along the Indus River • unpredictable floods • Relatively unprotected Cities • Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, Kalibangen
Specialized Workers • Artisans, Iron workers, Merchants and traders Complex Institutions • Strong central government • Early form of Hinduism
Record Keeping • Stamps and seals of carved stone used by merchants to identify goods. • Written language- hasn’t been deciphered Advanced Technology • Cities in precise grid system. • Used standard-sized bricks. • Sophisticated plumbing and sewage systems. • Used iron tools
What is Hinduism? • One of the oldest religions in the world • The religion of the Indian people • Many deities but a single, impersonal Ultimate Reality • A philosophy and a way of life – focused both on this world and beyond
How did Hinduism begin? • No particular founder • Indus River Valley Civilization >5000 years ago • Aryans enter 4000 - 3500 years ago • Aryans introduced the Caste System to India
Caste System-Four Major Castes • Brahmin : priests • Kshatriya: warriors and administrators • Vaistrya: farmers, merchants, teachers, artisans • Sudras: servants, laborers
Caste System • Caste system is validated by Karma • If born into a higher caste then a person had good karma from a past life and vice versa
The Vedas • Vedic Tradition 3500 – 2500 years ago: • sacred texts (Vedas) • Vedic Tradition develops into Hinduism • The Vedas would be equivalent to the Bible for Christianity or the Qur'an (Koran) for Islam
Upanishads • Hindu teachers tried to interpret the hidden meaning of the Vedas • After meditation, the teachers thoughts were recorded and became the Upanishads
Brahma - the Creator Vishnu - the Preserver Shiva - the Destroyer Three Main Hindu Gods
Basic Beliefs • Karma - the law of cause and effect; “you reap what you sow” • Dharma – one’s virtuous duty, governs peoples ideas about a proper way of living • Moksha – a state of perfect understanding of all things (once you have reached Moksha your journey through life is complete)
Three Paths to Moksha • The path of right thinking • The path of right action • The path of religious devotion
Reincarnation • eternal soul is reborn in different bodies till it finds liberation, or Moksha • People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower level of existence depending on their karma from their present life.
Four Goals of Life • Kama – fulfillment of desires • Artha – accumulation of wealth • Dharma – performance of social and religious duties • Moksha – freedom from want
The Ganges River Falling from its source of Vishnu’s feet onto Shiva’s head and out from his hair, the water of the Ganges is sacred enough to purify all sins.