110 likes | 285 Views
India Lesson 2. Hinduism & the Caste System. Identify basic Hindu beliefs. Explain relationship between Hinduism and the caste system in India. Describe religions that arose in protest of Hindu practices. Objectives. Do you believe in karma?. Warm Up. Religions of Region.
E N D
India Lesson 2 Hinduism & the Caste System
Identify basic Hindu beliefs. Explain relationship between Hinduism and the caste system in India. Describe religions that arose in protest of Hindu practices. Objectives
Do you believe in karma? Warm Up
Religions of Region • Hinduism (701 m) • Islam (93m) • Christianity (25m) • Sikhism (17m) • Buddhism (8m) • Why are conflicts over religion more heated than those over mere differences of opinion?
Origins • No founder, formal church. • Sacred Texts • Vedas – eternal truths • Upanishads – explains • Epic Poems • Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita • Brahman - supreme universal soul • Assumes 3 forms • Brahma – creator • Vishnu – preserver • Shiva – destroyer • Goal = Moksha. Union with spirit through pure soul.
The Trimurti Gods
Beliefs • Reincarnation - Rebirth of soul. • Karma – Every action rewarded/punished • Dharma – duties & obligations • All to achieve Moksha!
Festivals • Diwali – Festival of Lights…arrival of winter, • Holi – purify fields for good crop yield
Origins Caste System • 3,000 + yrs old • Aryans (invaded India) took desirable work, left less desirable to original peoples. • Divided population into varnas –social groups • Born into, stay in • Segregation of castes • Restricted • Brahmins – scholars & priests • Kashatriya – rulers & soldiers • Vaishya – merchants & landowners • Sudras – laborers & artisans • Untouchables – menial jobs, outcasts • (Gandhi called “harijan”)
Caste System Today • Indian Constitution outlawed concept of “untouchability” • Problem for modernization • Rural – Very much alive • Urban – Mix castes, may even reject system. Vestiges seen in slums.
Buddhism Jainism & Sikhism • Siddhartha Gautama • Left privileged life to find cause human misery • Achieved enlightenment became Buddha • 4 Noble Truths • Noble Eightfold Path • 3 Baskets of Wisdom • Jainism – emphasize ahimsa (nonviolence). • Sikhism – blend Hinduism & Islam Other Religions