Hinduism and Buddhism & India's Caste System

Caste System

A system dividing people into social ranks. Each rank receives a set of strict rules that must be followed or will result in punishment and/or banishment.

Untouchables

Are the outcasts of the caste system, they have no official place in it. This group takes care of the jobs no one wants to do, such as getting rid of dead animals and cleaning sewers, and is seen as so impure that a single glance could stain the purity of others (namely the Brahmans). This rank may be brought upon one by the disobeying of rules or marriage between different castes.

Varna

Four classes into which the Aryans divided people: Brahmans (priests); Kshatriyas (warriors); Vaisyas (landowners, merchants and herders); Sudras (servants and peasants)

Rajah

Hereditary Aryan chiefs who ruled the villages in India

Why were caste rules stricter for higher castes?

Higher castes were thought to be purer than lower castes and caste rules or dharma were meant to help people remain spiritually pure. Therefore, higher castes had stricter rules.

What is the chief religion of India?

Hinduism

Vedas

Oral religious traditions of the Aryans that are still used in religious ceremonies in India

Upanishads

Sacred Hindu texts

Why is our knowledge of the Indus Valley limited?

Scholars have not been able to decipher the writing on early Indus Valley artifacts

Therevada Buddhism

Thought of the Buddha as a teacher

Decipher

To determine the meaning of something, such as writing

Why did the Buddha seek enlightenment

To find out what the cause of suffering was

Mahayana Buddhism

Worshiped the Buddha as a god

Brahmans

[BRAW-muns) Are seen as the highest, purest caste and produce priests, scholars and teachers. Males belonging to this caste must study a collection of ancient texts, (the Vedas) and may teach religiously-based subjects to other twice-born caste members. Because of their high social rank, this caste is faced with a harsh set of rules that assist in the maintaining of their purity. (EX: They can't obtain food or defend themselves)

Kshatriyas

[Shaw-DREE-uz] Are seen as the second highest caste and produce leaders and soldiers. Both the Brahmans and this caste are considered as the upper class, and people in this caste have the option to follow many of the same practices of the Brahmans and have to study the Vedas as well.

Sudras

[Suu-DRA-s) for Izzy shoe rush! >:^) Are seen as the lowest caste and produce servants and slaves. Their only purpose in life (or so was decided) is to serve the twice-born castes, but this caste could also grow wealthy and rise into a higher sub-caste.

Vaishyas

[Vuh-SHY-uh-s) Are considered the middle, third caste and produce merchants, farmers, and other employments related to agriculture and trade.

monsoon

a 'strong wind that blows one dit;ection in winter and the oppoSite direction in summer

monk

a man who devotes his Life to a religious group

social structure

a pattern of organized relationships among groups of people within a society

nirvana

a state of wisdom and freedom from the cycle of rebirth (Buddhism)

Middle Way

a way of life, neither too strict nor too easy (Buddhism)

Harappa

ancient city in the Indus River Valley in present-day Pakistan

Mohenjo-daro

ancient settlement in the Indus Valley

Hinduism

common religion of India, based upon the religion of the original Aryan settlers and evolved in the Vedas, the Upanishads and Bhagavad-Git

Rajas

fought ehaech rother and took cattle, women and treasue.

Aryans

nomadic herders who eventually controlled much of India

system

organizing people into different levels that determine a person's job, marriage, and social. group

reincarnation

rebirth of the soul or spirit in different bodies over time

caste (Varna)

social group that a person is born into and cannot change

theocracy

system of government headed by one or more religious leaders who claim to rule by divine authority

Vedas

the ancient books of sacred songs on which much of its religious beliefs are based (Hinduism)

dharma

the divine law that requires people to perform the duties of their caste (Hinduism)

Siddhartha Gautama

the founder of Buddhism

karma

the good or bad energy a person builds up based upon whether he or she lives a good or bad life (Hinduism)

Brahman

the universal spirit of which all deities are different parts (Hinduism)

Sanskrit

written language developed by the Aryans

List two ways Hinduism and Buddhism are different

Hindus believe in gods but Buddhists don't, Buddhists reject the caste system

How do Hindu beliefs support the caste system?

Hindus believe that a person's caste is a result of karma, that it is a result of that person's deeds in past lives. Hindus believe that people can improve their caste in the next life by carrying out their dharma (obligations) in this life.

How is the spread of Buddhism an example of cultural diffusion

It spread from India to China where it is highly practiced

Sanskrit

The language of the Aryans in India developed to write down their oral religious traditions

Describe three basic Hindu beliefs

1. Each of the Hindu Gods is part of a single supreme force called Brahman; 2. Hindus believe in the unity of all life; 3. People undergo reincarnation

Nirvana

A Buddhist term for the freedom from the cycle of birth and death

Karma

A Hindu belief that every deed (mental or physical) in this life affects a person's fate in a future life

Dharma

A Hindu term for the duties and obligations of each caste

Brahman

A Hindu term for the single supreme force; it is nameless, formless and unlimited

Dravidians

A group of people who live in southern India today who may be descended from the early Indus Valley settlers

Aryans

A nomadic and warlike people that swept into India from the region of the Caucasus Mountains over the course of hundreds of years

Noble Eightfold Path

A practical guide to right conduct

What areas of life did the caste system regulate?

Cooking, eating, marriage and employment

What did the Buddha believe was the cause of suffering

Desire

Four Noble Truths

Suffering is universal, The cause of suffering is desire, The way to end suffering is to crush desire, The only way to end desire is to follow the Eight Fold Path

How was Aryan society organized?

The Aryans settled into villages, each ruled by a rajah. Aryan society was organized into the four varna.

Reincarnation

The Hindu belief in the rebirth of the soul in various forms

Caste

The Indian system of social groups based on birth, which originated with the Aryan varna

Buddhism

The belief that everyone is equal, and that this was found under a Bodhi tree (fig)

What do the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro reveal about the Indus Valley civilization?

The high level of urban planning in these cities suggest that the government was well organized. The size of the cities suggest that the government exacted taxes in the form of food from surrounding farmers.

List two ways Hinduism and Buddhism are similar

They are both religions started in India, They both believe in reincartation