IHUM 243 - Topic 1-6
Why was the oral tradition so important to ancient South Asians? All of the statements are true The Vedas—the religious foundation of the culture—were transmitted through the oral tradition High levels of illiteracy required oral practices in cultural transmission Traditions like making Ralli quilts depended on the oral transmission of techniques passed down from mother to daughter throughout the generations
All of the statements are true
The Ramayana is told and performed in India All of these locations Indonesia Spanish Fork, Utah Thailand
All of these locations
Which of the following statements regarding bodhisattvas is true? They could enter Nirvana but have chosen to stay behind and help others They are similar to Hindu avatars and Catholic saints They bring divinity within the reach of everyday people All the statements are true
All the statements are true
The Noble Eightfold Path
Calls for individuals to lead balanced and moderate lives, rejecting both the devotion to luxury and the regimes of extreme asceticism. (Buddhist Belief).
Ajanta Caves
Caves in India that have frescos inspired by the Buddha upon their walls. 200-500 CE
Fa Xian
Chinese monk who visited India and recorded much of what he saw in a Diary that later become a main source of information about the Gupta Dynasty
Vedas
Collections of hymns, songs, prayers, and rituals honoring the various gods of the Aryans.
Why were the sounds of the orally transmitted Vedas so important?
Correct pronunciation was essential to coerce the gods to provide for the people
The Hindu religion is the only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to the idea that the ...
Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths.
Deserts of Rajasthan
Desert located in northwestern India.
The main principle taught in the performance of the Bhagavad-Gita is
Dharma
Trimurti
Divine Trinity of the three high gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
When in her warrior persona, Shiva's wife, Parvati, is referred to as:
Durga
Durga's Story
During the time of the gods, a terrifying buffalo-demon, Mahisha, was destroying everything in his path. All 33 gods came together and breathed out their power in flames. The flames came together and fashioned a new deity, the goddess Durga. She was given all the powers of all the gods and went to attack the demon. She cut off his head with the sword of Vishnu, but the blood spurted out in all directions, each drop becoming a new demon. Durga called upon the Sapta-matrikas (Seven mothers) and they lapped up the blood before it could reach the ground. In this way, Durga destroyed the demon and put the universe back in order.
Kushans
Dynasty that succeeded the Mauryas in northwestern India
The Theravada sect
Each person must work out his/her own salvation
Ganesh
Elephant god, remover of obstacles
What types of scholars typically study oral traditions? Ethnographers and Folklorists Psychologists and Sociologists Literary and Art Historians
Ethnographers and Folklorists
one of the best sources for information about life in India during the rule of Chandragupta II comes from the diary of a Chinese Buddhist monk named ___
Fa Xian
Panchatantra
Fables from the Gupta period of ancient india
According to Foley, Hip Hop and Slam Poetry are not examples of oral traditions. True/False
False
According to Thapar, Indian historians should emulate Western historical traditions when engaging in historical research. True/False
False
The presence of bodhisattvas may be seen as an influence from Catholicism. T/F
False
According to Richman, Female perspectives have been communicated through song traditions females are often able to cross dress as males in public performance Male dominance has been prescribed through song traditions
Female perspectives have been communicated through song traditions
Gandhara Style Buddha
First representation of Buddha in human form with Hellenistic traits due to Alexander's expeditions and colonies
Chandragupta I
Founder of the Gupta Empire
Hinduism was reinstated as the state religion in India during the ______ period and the Brahmins regained political control
Gupta
In the same way the grandson, Ashoka, became the most important of the first three rulers of the Maurya Dynasty, so Chandragupta II--the grandson--was the most important ruler of the ____________
Gupta Dynasty
Head of Buddha
Gupta Period, 474 CE
The Seated Buddha at Sarnath
Gupta Period, 474 CE
Chandragupta II
Gupta emperor, he ruled India during the height of Gupta power.
Mudras
Hand positions with meaning
What did Siddhartha Gautama do in order to attain enlightenment?
He forsook his family and fortune
According to Palmer, which of the following statements about Shiva is false?
He is often painted blue
According to Palmer, which of the following statements about Vishnu is false? He rides the bull mount known as Nandi He has 9 incarnations, with one yet to come He is likened to a white horse Is the most popular of the divine figures
He rides the bull mount known as Nandi
Hindu temples embody sacred space as dwelling places for deity, ranging from wayside shrines to _________
magnificent complex structures found throughout the subcontinent
the story about the transformed mouse
marry within your own caste fools
Vaisya
merchants, petty landowners
The _____ became a way of communicating doctrine without having to rely on either spoken or written language
mudras
[ Mamallapuram ] Note the ...
multiple structures
When the White Nuns conquered the Guptas,
north India was divided into a number of warring kingdoms
Urdu
official language of Pakistan
Ramayana
one of two classical Hindu epics telling of the banishment of Rama from his kingdom and the abduction of his wife by a demon and Rama's restoration to the throne
In Hinduism it is believed that the god Brahma cannot be reached directly...
only through other gods who are avatars of Brahma's divine essence
Sudras
peasants, artisans
Darshana
philosophical system
In the Gupta period, poetry was so much a part of court life that ____
poetic competitions were held, at the request of the emperor himself
The Buddhist structures demonstrate an important Buddhist concept: living rock is the matrix that contains the _______
potential for all forms even though the rock itself is unformed
Even with only two caves retaining much of their original decoration, the paintings we have are ________________.
priceless depictions of life among the wealthy during the Gupta period.
gurus
revered teachers in Hinduism
Brahmin/Brahman
scholars, religious leaders (most distinguished of all the castes
Even though all the arts were required for worship in Hindu temples, ________ was considered the central art associated with these great edifices.
sculpture
[ The Kandariya Mahadev Temple at Khajurajo ] The movement from ___________________ reflects a fundamental concept in Hindu religion and therefore in art.
sensual to abstract and spiritual
Brahmins still held control of _______________ and they reasserted themselves politically as Kushan rule ended
social organization
Bindusara
son of Chandragupta Maurya and his successor
To be is to _____
suffer
Siddhartha called upon ______ to vow that he did give alms
the Earth
Brahman
the Hindu concept of the cosmos
[ The Kandariya Mahadev Temple at Khajurajo ] Using fractals in the construction of these roofs preserves unity amid an otherwise overwhelming variety of detail and alludes to ...
the Hindu idea of the time wheel—that time and life repeat.
Varna
the caste system—the Hindu social arrangement that is the living embodiment of the Hindu ideas of difference
Sanskrit
the classical language of South Asia
Atman
the concept of the individual self
Brahma
the creator of the universe
Gupta scientists knew ______________
the earth was round and rotated on its axis
As holistic, all-inclusive embodiments of Hindu culture, temples are thought to be replicas of ____________
the entire universe in stone
Perhaps the most scientifically provocative idea in Hindu thought, however, is the Vedic assertion that ...
the entire universe is infinitely cyclic and self-similar in structure.
According to Richman,
the first and last books are "late" additions
Varanasi
the holiest city of Hinduism that is found on the Ganges River. Also known as Benares.
Mahabharata
the longest single poem in the world, about a war fought between two branches of the same family. One of India's greatest epics written between 1000 and 700 BC
Kali
the mother goddess
[ The Kandariya Mahadev Temple at Khajurajo ] The multiple spires that increase/decrease in size are an example of fractals, which, as explained, is ...
the repeating in miniature the form of the whole.
Buddha preached until he was 80 in the Ganges Valley. At that point he entered Nirvana, _____
the state where he would be released from Samsara, the Wheel of Life, or reincarnation, and would not be born again.
this idea, which holds within itself all potential of form, is realized and celebrated in Hindu temples.
the stone matrix
Fractals
the type of geometry that creates broken patterns out of a smaller version of a design
The one area where Buddhism made a lasting impression on Hindu culture was in _______
the visual arts
The ancient Dravidians had a female fertility god whom the Aryans suppressed. In the post-Kushan Hindu revival in north India, ...
there was ample evidence of a renewed interest in a female deity.
[ The Diagram of the Temple at Elura ] Because of the presence of Nandi, we know that ____________.
this temple is devoted to Lord Shiva.
[ The Kandariya Mahadev Temple at Khajurajo ] The roofs, like the foothills, move us up ...
to the peak.
Ralli Quilt
traditional quilts made by women in the areas of Sindh, Pakistan, western India, and in surrounding areas
In addition to the rich tradition of Buddhist sculpture that influenced Hindu artists, another Buddhist artistic tradition also emerged during the Gupta period, _____
wall paintings
yogi
wanderer in search of truth
Kshatriya
warriors, rulers
_____________________ also originated in India and traveled later to the West, introduced—but not created— by Arabian mathematicians
"Arabic numbers"
Shiva
A Hindu god considered the destroyer
Vishnu
A Hindu god considered the preserver of the world
Sanskrit is an example of
A classical language
Rajasthani
A group of Indo-Aryan languages and dialects spoken primarily in the state of Rajasthan and adjacent areas of Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh in India.
Benares
A holy city to Hindus, buddhists, and Jains, located in India on the banks of the River Ganges.
Gopura
A monumental entrance or gateway to an Indian temple complex.
Who was Valmiki?
A poet who transcribed the Ramayana in the first century BCE
Daoism
A religion in China which emphasizes the removal from society and to become one with nature.
Which of the following statements about the 1987 Hindi television version of the Ramayana is false? Viewers bathed before watching, garlanding the tv as though it were a shrine It became the most popular television ever shown on Indian television American viewers became enamored with the Ramayana Sanitation workers went on strike because the program ended prematurely
American viewers became enamored with the Ramayana
In the earliest period of Buddhist art, Buddha is represented by which of the following?
An empty throne
Pakharu
An example of oral tradition, this is a song sung in Northwestern India to contemplate/comment on hardships in married life.
The Nambudiri sect of Brahmins in Kerala are known for which of the following?
An unusual form of communication that is not like ordinary language
Durga
Another sculpted panel at Mammalapuram, highlighting Shiva's wife, Parvati, in her warrior's costume.
Reincarnation, Transmigration, or Rebirth
As part of the concept of karma, this idea means that the individual transmigrates from one body to another in the next life.
Krishna
Avatar of Vishnu
Entering Nirvana means
Becoming released from Samsara—the Wheel of Life
Bodhisattvas
Beings who have earned the right to enter Nirvana but have given up this goal to stay behind and help others; intermediary figures who bridge the gap between mortal believers and Buddha.
Buddhism
Belief system that started in India in the 500s BC. Happiness can be achieved through removal of one's desires. Believers seek enlightenment and the overcoming of suffering.
Buddhism/Hinduism? A requirement of self-discipline and self-awakening
Both
Which of the following statements about Hindi and Urdu is false? They are mutually intelligible Both languages are written in the Devanagari script Urdu speakers are found primarily in Pakistan and Hindi speakers are found primarily in India
Both languages are written in the Devanagari script
According to Foley, how is oral technology similar to internet technology?
Both operate through webs of options and depend on multiple, distributed authorship
Buddhism/Hinduism? Achieving enlightenment is available to all, which removes some of the challenges associated with the caste system
Buddhism
Buddhism/Hinduism? One can achieve enlightenment/release from rebirth in this life
Buddhism
the stupa
Buddhist shrine that is shaped like a dome or mound
Why are the wall paintings at Ajanta so important in studying the Gupta period?
Hindu South Asia lacks funerary objects because the dead are cremated, leaving no tombs that would yield examples of material culture
truth
Hindus believe in many different types of _______, different for every age, occupation, and class.
Dharma
In Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties
Sinbad the Sailor and A Thousand and One Nights
Influential stories that originated from the Gupta period in India.
Which of the following statements about the Ramayana is false? It exemplifies Lord Shiva's prominence It is an example of being faithful to one's dharma It is a story about Prince Rama and his wife Sita It begins with a council among the Hindu gods about how to vanquish Ravana
It exemplifies Lord Shiva's prominence
Which of the following statements about enculturation is true? It is an activity or process that promotes socialization or the teaching of social values It is the same as cultural syncretism All statements are true It is only relevant for children and non-literate people
It is an activity or process that promotes socialization or the teaching of social values
According to Foley, which of the following statements about the oral tradition is false? It is used primarily with non-literate people It is the most widespread mode of human communication It is often contrasted with literacy It is a means for transmitting knowledge, art and ideas
It is used primarily with non-literate people
According to the information contained in Topic 2, which of the following statements about cultural syncretism is true?
It often occurs when there is some level of congruence between the different ideas or elements
Which of the following statements about the recitation of the Vedas is true? It represents the longest continuous oral tradition in the world It was practiced by the earliest inhabitants in the Indus Valley It was recorded on the Dravidian animal seals It ended with the Aryan invasion
It represents the longest continuous oral tradition in the world
The first images of Buddha were made during the _______________.
Kushan period
Buddhism lost its state support after the fall of the _______
Kushans
Tamil
Language of southern India; also the people who speak that language
Ashoka
Leader of the Mauryan dynasty of India who conquered most of India but eventually gave up violence and converted to Buddhism.
Which of the following elements of Kushan art was influenced by the Roman empire?
Long, straight noses
______ evil influence was conquered and Siddhartha became enlightened
Mara's
Mathura Style Buddha
Mathura Buddhas are generally unadorned and closely resemble traditional representations of Indian gods.
[ The Diagram of the Temple at Elura ] The diagram of the inside of this temple shows the centrality of _______
Nandi, Shiva's bull mount.
Bengali
Official language of Bangladesh
Hindi
Official language of India
Stoddard argues that visual patterns found on modern Ralli quilts are similar to
Patterns on ancient pottery from the Indus Valley period
The Vedic Age
Period of India's history from 1500 B.C. to 1000 B.C.
According to Richman, Rama is banished because Queen Kaikeyi becomes convinced that her fortune will be adversely affected Rama does not want to be the king's heir and successor Ravana has convinced him to relinquish his birthright
Queen Kaikeyi becomes convinced that her fortune will be adversely affected
Following the fall of the Guptas, which group was the only one to maintain some level of cultural continuity for the next millennium?
Rajputs
The Buddhist concept of "living rock" refers to which of the following ideas?
Rock contains the potential for forming all things even though rock itself is unformed
Samudragupta
Second ruler of the Gupta Empire. Expanded the Gupta Empire and was ruler from 330 to 380. He forced the conquered kings to pay tribute to him and allowed them to remain rulers.
Many scholars believe that Dravidian natives migrated to which part of the subcontinent?
The Deccan Plateau
The cultural syncretism of Aryan and Dravidian beliefs and cultural artifacts took place during the millennium known as
The Dravidian Age
moksha
The Hindu concept of the spirit's 'liberation' from the endless cycle of rebirths.
During which period did Ashoka adopt Buddhism as the state religion?
The Mauryan Dynasty
The way to eliminate desire is to follow _______
The Noble Eightfold Path
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are similar to which ancient epics?
The Odyssey and the Iliad
Speculative questions regarding the nature of the universe and the human soul are found in which of the following?
The Upanishads
Karma
The belief that actions in this life, whether good or bad, will decide your place in the next life. To the Hindus, this is a natural, inexorable law similar to gravity.
Which of the following is the best example of cultural syncretism? The blending of Aryan and Dravidian beliefs in the emergence of Hinduism Learning the pronunciation of the Vedas from Brahmin priests The council in Heaven where Vishnu agreed to come to the earth to vanquish Ravana The development of Aryan visual arts
The blending of Aryan and Dravidian beliefs in the emergence of Hinduism
Pataliputra
The captial of both Muryan and Gupta empires
Considering the important developments during the Gupta period, which of the following is false? The use of iron and steel The emergence of cotton as a textile The introduction of Arabic numbers The discovery of the Silk Route
The discovery of the Silk Route
The Mahayana sect
The divinity of Buddha was sufficient to save people from the cycle of rebirths
Harappan
The first Indian civilization; also known as the Indus Valley civilization
How was the Gupta dynasty connected with the older Mauryan dynasty?
The first emperor of both dynasties had the name of Chandragupta
time
The hindu concept of __________ is a revolving circle without beginning or end.
Dravidians
The indigenous inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilization, an agricultural people who dwelt in cities along the Indus River.
Which of the following statements about the Hindu concept of reincarnation is false? The soul gathers the good or evil fruits based on acts of previous lifetimes The desire of all Hindus is to attain Moksha and stop the cycle of reincarnation The individual transmigrates from one body to another in the next life The individual will always be reborn into the same caste in every reincarnation
The individual will always be reborn into the same caste in every reincarnation
What is the Panchatantra?
The name for a collection of fables
Which of the following is evident in the Ajanta paintings?
The opulence of the Gupta court
Siddhartha Gautama
The prince who is said to have founded Buddhism.
Enculturation
The social process by which culture is learned and transmitted across generations
Why were the Brahmins anxious to regain political control?
The state-sponsored Buddhism promoted by the Kushans undermined the social and religious superiority of the Brahmin caste.
Confucianism
The system of ethics, education, and statesmanship taught by Confucius and his disciples, stressing love for humanity, ancestor worship, reverence for parents, and harmony in thought and conduct.
The Mahabharata is
The true epic of India, representing the mythology and religion of the Hindu people
Nandi
The white bull Shiva sometimes rides upon, who also makes music to which his master dances.
[ Mamallapuram ] Descent of the Ganges Myth
These figures—animal and human—are rejoicing at the prospect of having water.
According to Thapar, which of the following statements about historical traditions in South Asia is false? They depend on Western historical methodologies They often rely on oral forms They reflect the social and intellectual background of the various compilers They vary according to the preferences of different generations
They depend on Western historical methodologies
Which of the following is one of the ironies implied by the Ajanta Cave paintings?
They depict the flamboyance of the Gupta court, yet the stories behind the paintings are Buddhist
Bejeweled Man
This figure is decked out with precious jewels—an ironic depiction of a person in a Buddhist morality tale.
Diagram of the Temple at Elura
This is the ground plan for the temple at Elura in Central India, just south of Ajanta
The Kandariya Mahadev Temple at Khajurajo
This temple in the north/central part of continent is built on a high platform and is considered the World Mountain in temple form.
Kathakali
Traditional dance drama of India
Ayurvedic medicine
Treatments include herbs, nutrition, toxin cleansing, meditation, massage, and yoga.
According to the Richman reading, Ramanujan argues that the many renditions of the Ramayana are different "crystallizations" based on a pool of signifiers that include plot, characters, names, geography, incidents, and relations. True False
True
Gupta India was the most advanced civilization on the earth at the time. T/F
True
Milman Parry and Albert Lord discovered how oral poets in the former Yugoslavia used formulaic phrases, scenes, and story patterns to enable their memories in performance. True/False
True
T/F: Similar to Christianity, Buddhism became more popular outside its country of origin than it did within its country of origin.
True
Pariahs
Untouchables, outcasts
What is the primary language spoken in Pakistan?
Urdu
cultural syncretism
When an aspect of two or more distinct cultures blend together to create a new custom, idea, practice, or philosophy.
The _____________ from Central Asia eventually toppled the Guptas
White Huns
Vihara
a Buddhist monastery or dwelling place for mocks
chaitya-hall
a building with a barrel-vaulted roof; a Buddhist shrine or prayer hall with a stupa at one end
What makes the use of fractals unique in the building of Hindu temples is that recursive elements represent ...
a fundamental creative principle of Hindu cosmology
Rajputs
a group of military-minded aristocrats from Rajasthan
Hindu Kush
a mountain range extending west of the Himalayas
The visual patterns evident in modern Ralli quilts demonstrate
a reliance on the oral tradition from mother to daughter
The Indo-Gangetic Plain
a rich, fertile and ancient land encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, and virtually all of Bangladesh.
Bhagavad-Gita
a section of the Indian epic the Mahabharata; The most important work of Indian sacred literature, a dialogue between the great warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna on duty and the fate of the spirit.
Hinduism maintains that ____________________ since everything in the universe is one
all art is religious, and yet it is secular, too,
Mara told him that he (Siddhartha) had refused to give
alms in a former incarnation
rasa
an isolated emotion
According to Palmer, bodhisattvas
are Buddhas-to-be
According to La Plante, female figures on Indus Valley pottery are believed to represent a mother goddess came with the Aryan conquerors represented the first artisans responsible for the Ralli designs are believed to have been ancient rulers
are believed to represent a mother goddess
Stupas
are pilgrimage sites for followers
Yet, Buddhist ____ continued to be highly influential during the Gupta period
art
The Four Noble Truths
as taught by the Buddha, the four basic beliefs that form the foundation of Buddhism
The idea of the bodhisattva may be seen as the influence of a Hindu concept—the role of _______
avatars
After 49 days, Mara (an evil being), tried to stop Siddhartha by tempting him with his
beautiful but evil daughters
Bodhisattva Padmapani
c. 475 CE.South Asian Art [Gupta period]
Pataliputra
capital city in both the Mauryan and Gupta empires
India was probably the most ________ region in the world from the fourth through the sixth centuries.
civilized and happiest
Upanishads
collection of speculative questions regarding the Vedas
Unlike Western drama, there were no tragedies or tragic heroes—a play was supposed to __________
convey peace and serenity
[ Mamallapuram ] The roofs on the rectangular buildings are not straight-sided but _______________________________. These buildings go back to the Buddhist chaitya halls for their inspiration.
curved to reflect the exterior shape of the barrel-vaulted interiors
The cause of suffering is ________
desire
[ The Diagram of the Temple at Elura ] The paths and courtyards on the periphery allow ...
devotees to circumambulate while meditating.
According to La Plante, the Aryan invaders.
did not make images or embody their deities in visual form
There were also 33 other rasa—subtle refinements or sidelights of the 8 basic ones, including _________
discouragement, weakness, dreaming, etc
The bodhisattva in Buddhism and the avatar in Hinduism were expressions of a humanism that brought ______
divinity within the reach of everyday people!
[ Mamallapuram ] This complexity is one of the ____________________ that continued for centuries to come.
earliest expressions of a style of temple building
To eliminate suffering one must __________ _______
eliminate desire
According to Parry and Lord, The Iliad and the Odyssey exhibit many of the principles of oral performance that they discovered in their work with Yugoslavian bards were written by Homer are examples of literary epics and not oral performances are Yugoslavian in origin
exhibit many of the principles of oral performance that they discovered in their work with Yugoslavian bards
Chandragupta Maurya
founder of the Mauryan Empire
One of the most obvious artistic embodiments on the notion of a recursive, self-similar universe is the presence of _________ in the architecture of the Hindu temples
fractals
Examples of Hindu imagery include depictions of ...
gods, animals from folk myths, and human figures
Chandragupta II is recognized as an even greater ruler than his __________.
grandfather
In addition to the spectacular Ajanta frescoes produced by skilled painters, Gupta authors also produced __________
great literature in the Sanskrit language, including fables, fairy tales, lyric poetry, and drama
Large temples throughout the subcontinent became multi-chambered complexes where the inner sanctum ...
housed the replica of the temple's deity
[ Mamallapuram ] This temple was created from ....
huge boulders on the southeastern coast
[ The Kandariya Mahadev Temple at Khajurajo ] The sides of the spires expand in the four directions ...
in a repetition of the form of the whole spire.
Even though Buddhism was not a major religious or social force at the time of the Guptas, the Mahayana sect (that had been practiced by the Kushans) continued to ...
influence the visual arts and created many artworks of Buddha.
Sanskrit
influenced the development of the Devanagari script
Deccan Plateau
large plateau in southern India
Moksha
liberation; to reunite with Brahman or the cosmos, the goal of all Hindus
Hindu artists infused their work with a combination of ...
lofty spirituality and earthy exuberance.
Traditionally there were 8 basic rasa:
love, laughter, anger, sadness, pride, fear, loathing and wonder
The Kushans had converted to the Mahayana sect of Buddhism and _______________ after taking over north India, even though the majority of South Asians were Hindu
made Buddhism the state religion