1. AGENDA 4.1 Reading Quiz Early India & Hinduism Notes 4.2 (?) Homework:
Sacred Religious Texts Worksheet
4.2 (?)
Homework:
Read “Hindu Beliefs” Handout and answer questions #1-4

2. Early India
September 2015

3. Main Ideas
Early civilization arose in the Indus River Valley, flourished, and then died out
The Indus River Valley civilization thrived from 2500 BCE – 2000 BCE
Later, India’s Vedic civilization developed a culture based on old and new beliefs.

4. Note!
BCE  Before Common Era
Like “BC”
CE  Common Era
Like “AD”

5. Snapshot of India India is a country in South Asia
2nd largest population in the world
Capital: New Delhi
Languages: Hindi & English
Religions: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity
Hinduism = 80% of population

6. Geography Subcontinent 3 Geographical Zones Monsoons
Large landmass that juts out from a larger continent
3 Geographical Zones
Mountains
Hindu Kush & Himalayas
Deccan Plateau
Dry
Northern Plains
Fertile soil
Monsoons
Heavy winds and heavy rains
Both helped and hurt early peoples

7. Indus Valley Civilizations
First civilization along Indus River
Guessed to be about 2500 BCE
Remains show complex cities and villages
Well planned and designed
Suggests a functioning government
Economy focused on agriculture and trade
Traded both locally and great distances
Little is known about Indian culture and civilization
Believed to be a single society vs. many states

8. Decline… Thrived from about 2500 BCE – 2000 BCE
Best guesses for decline…
Floods
Famine
Over-farming
Other natural causes
Aryans moved into the Indus Valley around BCE – not sure if they caused the collapse or if they followed it

9. Aryans
A group of Indo-Europeans that migrated into the Indus River Valley from the Caucasus Mountain Region
Aryan = Sanskrit world meaning noble
Little known about them
Sacred literature, the Vedas is all the archeologists have on them
Hence the name “Vedic Period”

10. Vedic Period Society: Smaller villages than IRV civilization
Some villages grouped together under regional leaders known as rajas
Rajas were also war leaders
Society was divided into four varnas (caste system)

11. Caste System Divided into 3 classes or castes:
Priests (Brahmins) – highest ranking, fewest in number
Warriors (Kshatriyas)
Peasants (Vaisyas)
Non Aryans made up a fourth class (Sudras)

12. Caste System People treated according to position in caste system
Born into caste for life
People outside caste system = “untouchables”
Gravediggers, butchers, trash collectors
Considered “impure”

15. Hinduism

16. Hinduism – Quick Facts
80% of the population in India practice Hinduism
World’s 3rd largest religion
Called “one of the oldest living religions”
No single founder

17. Where did Hinduism come from?
Named after the people on the southern side of the Sindu (Indus) River, as described in the Vedas, an ancient text
Ultimately spread through out the subcontinent, absorbing cultural and religious practices, but continuing to claim the Vedic tradition

18. Hindu Scriptures
Vedas: hymns of praise dating from second millennium BCE; contain information gods, riturals, varnas (castes), duties of priests
Upanishads: reflections on the Vedas
Epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata
Bhagavad-Gita is a 700 verse scripture that is part of the Mahabharata

19. Hindu Scriptures Using the textbook, fill in the scriptures chart
Explain what each scripture is how it is important to Hinduism

20. God - Brahman The Universal Soul or Supreme power
To access and understand the workings of God in the world, people worship and pray to other manifestations of God
God is also trinity of
Brahma – creator
Shiva – destroyer
Vishnu – preserver

21. Beliefs
Dharma
Karma
Samsara
Moksha

22. Dharma “Law of being” Principle or law that orders the universe
Individual conduct in conformity with this principle
Sacred duty
Both spiritual and practical
Dictated by
Caste
Age
Station in life (single, married, parent, child)

23. Karma
All deeds (even small ones) have an effect (negative or positive)
The state of one’s soul (atman)
Cumulative impact of one’s actions
Your actions now impact your next life

24. Samsara The continuing cycle of the soul’s birth, death, and rebirth
Reincarnation: the rebirth into another living form
Whether one achieves rebirth into a higher or lower station is result of karma

25. Moksha The release from samsara (release from the cycle of rebirth)
Reaching moksha is THE goal of spiritual Hindus
The merging of the individual soul (atman) with the Universal Soul (Brahman)

26. In Short… The way to achieve moksha is to fill one’s dharma (duties)
Fulfilling one’s dharma allows a person to create good karma