Classical India

1. The Vedic Age (1500 BCE – 500 BCE) a. Vedas: Religious texts from this period b. Two groups struggled for control of the subcontinent i. Aryans: Relatively light skinned, spoke Indo-European languages ii. Dasas: Darker skinned, spoke the Dravidian language c. Aryans successfully pushed the Dasas to the southern part of the country

Aryans and Dasas

d. Caste system developed based on skin color i. Brahmin: Priests and scholars ii. Kshatriya: Warriors and officials iii. Vaishya: Merchants, artists, and landowners iv. Shudra: Peasants and laborers e. Dasas were typically in the Shudra class

f. Eventually a 5th caste was added, “The Untouchables” i. Excluded from the system, other classes avoided touching them due to the demeaning work they did (dealing with dead animals, people, etc.) g. Caste system connected with reincarnation Those who lived good lives (karma) were reborn in higher caste

2. Challenges to the Old Order: Jainism and Buddhism a. People began to challenge the Brahmins i. Upanishads: Collection of dialogues questioning the Vedas b. Jainism i. Emphasized the holiness of all life, wore masks to avoid eating bugs c. Buddhism i. Buddha: Siddhartha Gautama ii. Realized that happiness came from following the “middle path” between wealth and poverty iii. Four Noble Truths: Life is suffering, suffering comes from desire, suffering stops when we stop desiring things, desire can be stopped by following the “Eightfold Path” iv. Eightfold path: Right views, aspirations, speech, conduct, livehood, effort, mindfulness, and meditation v. Nirvana: A release from the cycles of reincarnation vi. Eventually driven out of India as Hinduism became dominant

3. The Rise of Hinduism a. Vedic religion, because it was threatened by new beliefs, became Hinduism b. Less emphasis on sacrifices, gods changed roles and were more accessible c. A combination of Aryan and Dravidian gods and beliefs

The Mauryan Empire (324 BCE – 184 BCE) a. Controlled all of the Indian subcontinent except for the southern tip b. Heavy taxes, a large army, and government control of industries gave the empire considerable power

c. Ashoka: The most important Mauryan king i. After achieving great military victories, he was overwhelmed by the brutality of war and converted to Buddhism ii. He then began to preach nonviolence and moderation

2. Commerce and Culture in an Era of Political Fragmentation a. Mauryan Empire collapses due to attacks from outsiders b. Foreign leaders adopted Buddhism, easier than converting to Hinduism and dealing with caste system c. India became center of trade for many regions

Gupta Empire

3. The Gupta Empire a. Modeled after Mauryan empire b 3. The Gupta Empire a. Modeled after Mauryan empire b. Like Mauryans, also located in good place for trade and agriculture c. Demanded a number of days for citizens to work on public works d. Theater-State: Central area is luxurious for show while others are not

e. Invented the concept of “zero” f. Status of women is lessened, cannot own property Similar to Confucian China: Had to obey father, husband, sons Sati: Ritual where women were expected to jump on husband’s funeral pyre g. Women could escape this treatment by joining Buddhist communities h. Gupta empire = Hinduism, back to caste system