History Unit I - Ancient India

Describe Aryan religion.

A big component of Aryan religion was sacrificial fires, and cows. The Aryans had gods for many things in the natural world including the sun, moon, etc. Their main deity who led them to India was named Indra, the god of war. He is countered by Varuna, a peaceful sky god. A lot of Aryan religion was in collections of songs, and stories called Vedas. These Vedas were written in a sacred language called Sanskrit which was only taught to the Brahmins so most of the population relied on oral transmission of these Vedas. The most famous Veda is called the Rig-Veda which is largely about Indra. Cows were seen as sacred and became a form of currency, and commodities of war.

What are some Aryan and Dravidian Gods?

Aryan Gods: Indra, Agni, Kali, cows, Vayu, and Varuna Dravidian Gods: Hanuman, Ganesh, Naga, Deri, Durga, Lakshmi, Garnud, and Kama

Brahma, Brahman, Brahmin, Atman?

Brahma- a god Brahman- God Brahmin- priest Varna Atman- self

Why were cows so important for Aryans?

Cows were super important for Aryans because they were the symbol for wealth. Cows, not houses, represented wealth because the Aryans were nomadic and couldn't bring their houses with them, but they could bring their cows. Cows became a religious symbol, it is debated whether they were a symbol of wealth or religion first.

What is dharma?

Dharma is one's God given duty in life. Usually one's dharma is simply to perform in their Caste. Every Caste's dharma is different, and every person's dharma is different. If you fulfill you dharma, you have good karma. This idea stems from the Aryan Caste System.

Who were the Dravidians?

Dravidians were the native Indians, who made up Harappan Society. They showed up in India in 3000 B.C.E.

How did the Aryan and Dravidian religion combine to form Hinduism?

Each religion contributed key factors in the formation of Hinduism. The Aryans contributed their honor of cows, karma, the Caste System, and their Vedas. The Dravidians contributed their bathing in the Ganges practices, their reincarnation ideas, and their belief in asceticism. These factors formed a Vedic religion which gradually morphed into Hinduism. The big push towards Hinduism was from the Upanishads, which were highly intellectual analyzations of Vedas. Upanishads claimed that Brahman and Atman were the same. This initiated a movement away from the sacrificing and fire religion of the Aryans but a highly intellectual and conceptual religion. Upanishads began the movement in 800 B.C.E.

How did Harappan society fall?

Harappan Society is said to have fallen in 1600 B.C.E. as a result of environmental problems. The Harappan's heavily reliance on agriculture led to deforestation which eventually led to the erosion of topsoil. The erosion of the topsoil in the Indus River Valley led to the formation of a desert. Another devastating blow to Harappan society was a natural disaster, or a series of natural disasters. It could have been a flood, or an earthquake that ended the Harappan society. It is important to know that military action did not end Harappan society.

Characterize Harappan Society.

Harappan Society was India's first urban society and it brought wealth and power to the Indus River Valley. Harappan Society was named after one of its major cities, Harappa. Another governing city of Harappan Society was Mohenjo-Daro. These cities were built in Western India/Pakistan along the Indus River and kept political order in Harappan Society. Harappa Society was largely agricultural, they cultivated wheat, barley, cattle, sheep, goats, chicken,and cotton. Living along the Indus River not only allowed the Harappans to produce wheat, barley, cattle, sheep, goats, chicken, and cotton, but a surplus of those products. Once they had a surplus of food, everyone was fed so they did not need to put everyone into cultivating crops, job specialization occurred, job specialization allowed them to begin to trade with the Egyptians and Mesopotamians. The Harappans did not have an explicit social pyramid (as the Aryans would later establish) but there was an obvious difference between the rich and the poor. The wealthier people lived in houses whereas the poorer people lived in barrack like structures. The Harappan Society was based around agriculture, animals, and a religion based around natural gods and "The Goddess" who was a fertility God. But it is though to learn about these societies because much of the evidence regarding these cities are underwater and Harappan language was never deciphered.

How has India's environment contributed to its history?

India's natural environment has played a very important role in its history. Just speaking from a geographic stand point, the Himalayan Mountains to the North of India serve as a very good natural barrier. The North is fertile while the South is dry. India has many rivers which derive from the melted snowfall from the Himalayas. India is pretty rural and has many villages , but has fertile soil in the North as a result of the Indus and the Ganges. The Indus Valley Civilization built there society around the Indus River, using it for agricultural and well as religious purposes. India was actually named after the Indus River. Between March and November, India is extremely hot and dry but between June and September it is monsoon season, these monsoons are a big contribution to India's agriculture. The people of the Indus Valley believed that God and nature were very closely related. They believed that God was everywhere, especially in the environment. One story tells that the Ganges (magical river) flows through God's hair. The environment contributed to the fall of the Indus Valley Civilization. It is not certain but earthquakes, floods, erosion, and deforestation contributed to the fall of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Who is Indra?

Indra is a key figure in Aryan religion. Indra is the chief deity in the Aryan religion and was their god of war. He was also the chief deity who gets featured in the Rig-Veda. Indra helped the Aryans migrate to India in 1500 B.C.E. Indra was an Aryan hero as he brought rain and helped win a war, for the Aryans, against the Dravidians in Southeast Asia. As trans-culturation between the Aryans and Dravidians occurred, Indra was slowly forgotten in everyday practice but Indra will always remain a source of inspiration for the Aryans.

What is karma?

Karma is the idea that if you fulfill you dharma, and live life according to moral code, your soul will be reincarnated into a body which is of a higher rank than the body your soul was in for its previous life. Karma is not binding. Through karma, you build your future and self-responsibility. Karma came from the Aryans.

What is Maya?

Maya is all the material things in your life, such as money, clothes, etc, and the idea that you should not depend on your Maya because your Maya is not what you'll bring to the next life with you. But also do not ignore your Maya because your Maya will help you in your current life.

What is Moksha?

Moksha is the state you enter when you are done with the reincarnation process. When you get to Moksha, you have been reincarnated into something higher than ordinary life. When you achieve Moksha, you become part of Atman (Brahman, according to Upanishads)

How have animals been a part of India's history?

Native Indians were among the first people to domesticate animals. Many animals are associated with God, so it is common to see animals roaming around in the streets of Indian villages. Birds and lizards lived in households. A cobra living in a house was good luck for a pregnant mother, and a lot of times you would see water buffalo in the front rooms of houses. Horses helped the Aryans get to the Indus River Valley, and helped them establish a sense of dominance over the native Dravidians. The Aryans' symbol of wealth, the cow, became sacred in India.

What is reincarnation?

Reincarnation is the idea that one's soul never dies. Reincarnation is the process of one organisms' soul transferring from one body to another. The new life you take is dependent on your actions in your previous life. Your actions are called karma, if you have good karma, in your next life you will become something better than you were in your previous life, for example you could move up in social class. If you had bad karma then in your next life your soul may enter a body which is lower than your previous life. Moksha is the cycle of reincarnation, and people hope to get out of that cycle by becoming Atman, part of the universal soul.

What was the Aryan Caste System?

The Aryan Caste System was called the Varna System and consisted of five main classes. It was based on occupation and race. At the top, were Brahmins (are not supposed to sacrifice) - the priests who could read and interpret the Vedas. Second from the top were the Kshatriyas - the warriors who helped the Aryans migrate to India. Third from the top were the Vaishyas - the artisans and merchants. Fourth from the top were the Shudras - who were comparable to serfs. And last but not least were the Untouchables (Dalits) - who were people who did the dirty jobs of the community (butchers/janitors) and were looked down upon by the rest of society. Sometimes Brahmins/Kshatriyas flip flopped, depending on times of war or peace. Each of the Castes were referred to as Varnas. The Caste System was built to put the needs of society before the needs of an individual. The Caste System instilled the idea that if you performed you dharma (your God assigned duty) of your social class, then you would have good karma, and thus be reincarnated into a better life. This made society run fairly smoothly. The Caste System also brought order to Aryan society and by everyone being born into a cast it helped the individuals by not having to compete for their spot in the world. Another important component of the Aryan Caste system is that when a lower class talked to a higher class, the higher class got "polluted", and often times castes lived in separate areas and intermarriage was considered ultimate pollution. So it was mainly endogamous. The Caste System was less rigid in the city than in the country because in the city people were closer together and there were too many people in the city to know everyone's caste so you would subconsciously start talking to someone from a lower class. In the country the caste system was much easier to enforce because there were less people and everyone knew each other and what caste they belonged to.

What is Sanskrit?

The Aryan religion was based on Vedas, which were religious texts. Vedas were written in the sacred language called Sanskrit. Only Brahmins, priests, were able to read Sanskrit. The Brahmins wrote and explained the Vedas to people, then those people would pass the stories of the Vedas orally.

How did the Aryans impose their power on the Dravidians?

The Aryans imposed their power on the Dravidians by establishing a Caste System. The Caste System was a system named by Portuguese mariners who called their different social classes, castes. In Portugal castes were based on race, and it is fair to make the assumption that the people who had whiter skin were closer to the top of the social pyramid. The Aryans came in on their horses, which must have been intimidating to the native Dravidians, and to reassemble the crumbled Harappan society, establish a Caste System. Then the Aryans inserted themselves in the top two classes of the social pyramid, the priest and warrior classes, and pushing the Dravidians down into the merchant and serf classes.

Describe Aryan politics.

The Aryans migrated into India through the Khyber Pass in the Hindu Kush in around 1500 B.C.E and took over the Harappan land after their civilization fell at around the same time, 1500 B.C.E. Upon their arrived they clashed with the Dravidians, and themselves. After a couple of centuries the two seemingly separate Aryan and Dravidian cultures mixed through intermarriage. Aryan society did not necessarily have a capital or co-capitals, it was run in a chiefdom system which originated from pre-existing farmlands from Harappan Society. Aryan society was connected to nomadic culture.

Describe Aryan culture.

The Aryans spoke an Indo-European language, and created farming villages in Northern India, along the Indus and Ganges. Aryans were able to travel around ad beyond India for transporting military equipment, and goods for trade. Although somewhat settling down in Northern India for agricultural purposes they still relied on their sheep and cattle more than their agricultural products. Cows were extremely important for the Aryans because they symbolized wealth. Cows symbolized wealth instead of houses because the Aryans were generally a nomadic people, and they couldn't take their houses with them but they could take their cows with them. There was a very firm Caste System based on skin color, the whiter you were the higher up the pyramid you were, basically the white Aryans were powerful and the dark Dravidians were less powerful. It was a very patriarchal society. For example; only males could inherit property, only men could take care of family rituals, and only men were allowed to learn Sanskrit. The Aryans mainly populated Northern India, Punjab, and the valleys near the Indus.

Who were the Aryans?

The Aryans were a group of (white) Indo-European warrior people who migrated to India starting in 1500 B.C.E, and basically picked up the ruins of the collapsed Harappan society. The Aryans spoke an Indo-European language, a language that was remarkably similar to languages spoken in Europe, Persia, and India. The Aryans had a very patriarchal society. The similarity of languages led people to believe that all of the people who spoke similar languages had stemmed from a common ancestor from Ukraine. The Aryans came into India on their horses through the Khyber Pass into the Hindu Kush Mountains. The Aryans were a nomadic society, so their society did not revolve around agriculture but raising livestock, especially cows. "Aryan" stems from the word "Aryo" which means "lord or noblemen". The Aryan religion involved sacrifice and orally transmitting religious values from generation to generation. The religion was based around religious texts called Vedas, which only the Brahmins could read. The Aryans came into India and implemented the Caste System as a way to establish dominance over the native Dravidians. The Aryans also fought with the Dravidians to assert their power. Over time, the Aryans and Dravidians merged into one society and in the process formed one of the great religions in the world, Hinduism.

What was the Bhakti movement?

The Bhakti movement was a movement by Hindis in the Middle Ages to worship a more personal God, rather than the vague concept of Brahman. This ties back to image worshipping, people wanted to have something tangible to worship. In this case, they want a more personal God rather than the vague idea of Brahman. Educated Hindis believe in one God, while most Hindis believe in multiple gods. "The worship of different sects, which are like so many small streams, move together to meet God, who is like the ocean."

Describe Dravidian religion.

The Dravidian Religion was centered around "The Goddess" a fertility god, and they had gods for many natural things. A big part of Dravidian religion involved bathing in the magical Ganges River. Other significant branches of Dravidian religion included asceticism and reincarnation. Some of the Dravidian gods included Hanuman, Ganesh, Naga, Devi, Durga, Lakshmi, Garuda, and Kama.

What is the Hindu Kush?

The Hindu Kush is a mountain range just beyond the northern border of India. The Aryans crossed the Hindu Kush to get into India in 1500 B.C.E, specifically the Khyber Pass.

Which groups of people made up the Indus River Valley Civilization?

The Indus River Valley Civilization was made up of a people called Dravidians, and whose society was called Harappan Society. In 6000 B.C.E agricultural settlements had popped up along Indian rivers. These river settlements successfully domesticated animals. By 4000 B.C.E. farming villages spread and became more popular in Western India. In 3000 B.C.E. bronze tools and pottery appeared in the Indus River Valley. In 2600 B.C.E. the Harappan Society is in full swing.

Characterize Hinduism.

The fusion of Aryan and Dravidian religions into Hinduism is often described as a shift away from fire and sacrifice to a religion based on the duties of life. The main ideas of Hinduism include, knowledge, duty, moral code, and karma. One goal of Hinduism was to find Truth and Reality, and a huge idea that branches off of that is there are infinite ways to find Truth and Reality, this idea is called Ista Devanta. The three main ways of reaching God are, Jhana (knowledge), Karma (action), and Bhakti (devotion). Hinduism is in theory, monotheistic, and all of the gods that people honor are simply manifestations of God (Brahman). Three important manifestations of God in Hinduism are Vishnu (the preserver), Shiva (the destroyer), and Brahma (the creator. Another huge part of Hinduism is that Hinduism is an extremely acceptable religion, none better exemplified by the number of manifestations of God people accept. Hinduism is not a religion, it is a way of life.

What were the two main cities of the Harappan Society?

The two main cities in Harappan Society were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Harappa was a little smaller with 30,000 people as opposed to Mohenjo-Daro's 40,000.mMohenjo-Daro was further south along the Indus River than the Harappa. Although there is not overwhelming evidence, these two cities were believed to be co-capitals of Harappan Society. They most likely gained power by being located directly on the Indus River, which gave them a strong agriculture, which led to specialization and then trade and from trade comes wealth. Some evidence we do have supporting the dual capital is that, both Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had fortresses surrounding their cities. Within the cities they both had granaries, which was a tax paying center because Harappan Society had a grain based money system. The fortresses and granaries imply that these cities needed to be protected and they collected taxes, two indications of a capital city. Also the type of brick used in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa are the same type of brick, which could mean it was a sort of government standardized brick. And the fact that the two cities had the same type of money system (grain) and weight systems suggest that they co-ruled Harappan society. Other corresponding parts of these cities include; broad streets, market-places (for trading), temples, public buildings, residential districts, and sewage systems.

What are the two variations of the Caste System in Hinduism?

The two variations of the Caste System in Hinduism are the Varna and Jati systems. The Varna System is basically a simple social pyramid with five levels, or varnas. The first Varna is the Brahmins (the priests), the second Varna is the Kshatriyas (the warriors), the third varna is the Vaishyas (merchants), the fourth was Shudras (serfs), and a fifth one the Untouchables (people who did dirty job and were disrespected by society) was added in later. Basically everyone's job was to support the Brahmins at the top, so that they could communicate with the gods through Vedic rituals. The Jati system is basically the Varna system but on a smaller scale, at the town level. Jati means birth, and is the proper term for caste. Jati has similar groups as the Varna system, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and Untouchables. The difference is that the Jati system is represented in circles, and that while you may belong to a certain Jati, you may belong to a different Varna, because Varna is more general and Castes vary over regions. People try to prove that they are in certain Jati by saying their ancestors were in that Jati.

What is Rig-Veda?

The word "Veda" means knowledge. A Veda is a collection of hymns, songs, prayers, and rituals that honor the Aryan gods. The ideas in the Vedas got passed down orally from generation to generation. The main Veda in the Aryan religion is called the Rig-Veda. The Rig-Veda contains 1.028 hymns addressed towards Aryan gods. The collection of hymns was compiled during the years of 1400-9000 B.C.E, and it was finalized/written in 600 B.C.E.