Vedic Age and Hinduism

Where did they migrate to around 1500 BCE?

Around 1500 B.C.E. they began to migrate south into the Indus Valley and India, replacing the Indus Valley civilization that already fallen into a state of extreme decay. It was these Aryans who would create the core and essence of Indian civilization while being transformed by elements of the older Indus River culture they had replaced.

3 features of the powerful kingdom they established in the Ganges River Valley

First they were heavily populated, thanks to the rice agriculture. Secondly, they were highly centralized under the rule of powerful kings who were needed to supervise the irrigation systems vital to the cultivation of rice. And third, there was a thriving urban culture with a large middle class involved in trade.

Around 1000 B.C.E. the Aryans started expanding into the Ganges River valley to the east. Several factors aided them:

iron to cut through thick rain forest and clear the way for settlements cultivation of rice (highest caloric content of grain --> Supports large population)

how was each class supposed to behave

Brahmins; they are the priest and teacher who perform the religious ritual and obliged to serve the sacrament. Kshatriyas; they were the ruler and warrior in the society. Manu laid down that it was the duties of the king and warrior to protect the kingdom and his people. Vaishyas; they are the merchant and peasant classes in the society. They were expected to tend catle, offer sacrifices, trade, and lending money and cultivate the land. Shutras; they were the lowest class among the four caste divided in the society. There were not allowed to study vedas or event hear the sacred chants. There duties is to serve the other three caste. Chandalas, Dalit and Adivasis; the lowest of the shudras and other class outside from the four varnas were treated as impure ones. They are treated as untouchables because of their gory religious practice, penchant for sacrifices, magical rites and unclean habits.

Aryan religion and

33 gods in human form who were divided into three groups (heavens, sky, earth)

jati

As the varna system evolved over the years, distinctions arose within each varna, largely based on occupation. Just like in other civilizations, this is an example of specialization of labor in urban settings. Members of an occupation organized in guilds that regulated their affairs in a given region. These occupational based groups, or *jati*, blended with the varna to create classical India's caste system.

most distinguishing feature (hint: its about religion)

Possibly the most distinguishing feature of Aryan society was its powerful priesthood, the Brahmins. Although the Aryans had no temples or images of their gods, just open air sacrificial altars, their priests were the only ones who could perform the highly ritualized and elaborate sacrifices that their religion demanded.

Who were the Aryans? Way of life prior to entering the Indus River Valley? Where did they come from?

The Aryans were a nomadic group of Indo-European peoples whose homeland was probably in the northern part of modern-day Iran.

why was the caste system established

The more complex Aryan society that was evolving led to mounting concerns among ordinary Aryans about what losing their superior status over the non-Aryans. Meanwhile, as time passed, the Vedas, which had been composed in an archaic form of Sanskrit, became increasingly vague in their meaning to the majority of people. This left the Brahmins as the only ones who could read and interpret them and properly perform the elaborate rituals needed to influence the gods. And that gave the Brahmins an even higher status in society.

who composed the vedas? When were they written and what language? What are the vedas?

They composed the Vedas, which remained an oral tradition until around 600 B.C.E., at which point it was finally written into Sanskrit. The Vedas were hymns and poems, religious prayers, magical spells, lists of deities, and beliefs that form the core of what would evolved into Hinduism.

Why did the Upanishads form?

Whereas in most cultures such nobles would stage a rebellion, in India it was common for such men to seek higher knowledge as hermits. Taking a cue from the Brahmins themselves, these hermits also engaged in philosophical speculations. From these speculations came another series of treatises, the Upanishads.

varna

color --> caste

Justification for the caste system came from

commentaries on the Vedas known as the Brahmanas which defined four divinely ordained castes corresponding to various parts of the Purusha

what was one's identity defined by

jati

Four divinely ordained castes corresponding to various parts of the Purusha

the Brahmins (mouths), Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers) who were the arms, Vaisyas (productive members) who were the thighs, and the Sudras (feet) who performed the humblest tasks, especially those carrying some sort of religious stigma. The first three castes were composed of Aryans, while the non-Aryan Sudras were, according to the Brahmanas, "fit to be beaten" and could be "slain at will".

Several things distinguished early Aryan Society? What is proof of this?

the series of four sacred texts, the Vedas, our main source of information on this period.

Characteristics of Aryan (behavior and relations with other groups, how society is organized, how did they measure wealth, men-women relation)

they were a warlike society of nomadic herders closely associated with the Persians until the two peoples parted ways around 2000 B.C.E. They were organized into tribes ruled by a king and a priest. The Aryans measured their wealth in cattle, which was a standard unit of trade in the absence of coinage and the primary cause of wars and raids. Even today, the cow is still highly revered in Indian society. Aryan society was strongly patriarchal, giving women an inferior status.

What do the Upanishads suggest about Indian Philosophy

universal and spiritual entitiy Hinduism = monistic atman, reincarnation, samsara, karma, dharma direct contact between gods and indiv through Bhakti and puja