Part 1 / Ancient India On Unit 2 Test
The Caste System
- A social hierarchy from the Aryans and formalized with laws - "caste" - Portuguese for lineage or race
The Caste System in Belief
- Actually 2 concepts - Varna and Jati. 4 Varnas (class level based on temperament) and hundreds of Jatis (based on occupation)
Gods
- All gods are concrete forms of the Brahman (big) - Important gods: - Brahma - creator - Vishnu - preserver - Shiva - destroyer Possibly up to 33 million gods, or only 1
Inside The Caste System
- In society, varna (caste) = social caste or level - Varna - "color" in Sanskrit - Varnas decide marriage, job, neighborhood, etc.
Karma = how you live this life determines what you will be in the next life
- Live a good life - Fulfill your dharma
Outside The Caste System
- Pariahs - outside varnas, or caste - "untouchables" given "Impure" jobs (grave diggers, trash collectors)
Dharma = duty
- Purpose in life is to follow dharma and perform duty - Include ethical values and obligations
Vedas
- They are books of prayer, song, stories, etc. - Tried to explain how a person could achieve liberation from desire and suffering
The Caste System
- This hierarchy develops into Hindu Caste System - Establishes the basis for Hindu society
Major Cites
-Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were major cities, they disappeared suddenly and no one knows what happened to the cities
Major Cities
-They both had well planned grid -Built with standard size bricks and with extensive plumbing system
Economy
-They farmed wheat, barley, melons, and dates -They used irrigation systems and canals -They traded cotton cloth, grain, copper, bronze pearls, and ivory in cities
Aryans
-They were an Indo-European people -Migrate into India through Khyber Pass around 1750 BC -Begins the Vedic Age based on the Vedas
1. The society ends around __________. 2. Theories include ______________ (tsunami, earthquake) 3. Possible invasion by the ___________.
1. 1500 BC 2. Natural disasters 3. Aryans
Varanas In Belief
1. Brahmins (priests) 2. Kshatriyas (warrior) 3. Vaisyas (merchants) 4. Sudras (laborers)
Caste System In Society
1. Brahmins (priests) 2. Kshatriyas (warrior) 3. Vaisyas (merchants) 4. Sudras (laborers) --------------------------- 5. Pariahs (untouchables)
1. The Religion was __________. 2. It included a _________________ of creation. 3. Used images of sacred animals such as the ______________.
1. Polytheistic 2. Mother goddess 3. Bull and tiger
Hinduism
A way to liberate its followers from illusions and mistakes of everyday life
____________ and ___________ discovered in 1922
Artifacts; buildings
Reincarnation
In Hinduism, the process by which a soul is reborn continuously until it achieves perfect understanding.
Aryans invade __________, bring sacred ____________ that are first sung than later written in Sanskrit.
India; scriptures
Monsoon
Major winds in the Indian Ocean that blew into India for half the year, and blew away from India for the other half. Helped facilitate trade in the Indian Ocean.
The goal is to reach ______________
Moksha
The Indus River Valley is ___________ to the _________ by the massive _____________ Mountains.
Protected; north; Himalayan
Samsara (reincarnation)
Rebirth of the soul - until one reaches Moksha
The Indus River Valley had predictable __________ flooding.
River
The Vedas were written in ___________. The oldest ______________ of Hinduism. Include poems, prayers, and the Hindu ___________________.
Sanskrit; scriptures; gods and goddesses
The Indus River Valley had _________ and ___________.
Strong winds; monsoons (a giant, seasonal rainstorm)
Khyber Pass
The Khyber Pass is the only route into the Indian Subcontinent from the north, which lies the Himalayan Mountains, which has been the invasion route of conquerors throughout South Asia's history.
Aryan Society
They were divided by occupation: - Brahmins - priests - Kshatriyas - warriors - Vaisyas - herders, farmers, artisans, and merchants - Sudras - Non-Aryans, laborers, servants
Moksha = (the state of perfect ______________ of all things - may take several __________) = __________ breaks free of material world and unites with ____________.
Understanding; lifetimes; souls; Brahman
The Caste System in Belief
Varnas - Brahmin: study/teach Kshatriya: power/protect Vaisya: earn/give Sudra: serve Jati - born into, no mobility. Farmer, barber, shepherd, etc. (occupation)
______________ is discovered but still not ___________.
Writing; translated
