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