View
242
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION
• Civilization first appeared in the Indus River Valley
• Centered on twin cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro
• Known as Harappan Civilization
• 2500-1500 BC
CHARACTERISTICS
• Encompassed most of modern-day Pakistan
• Produced barley and wheat
• Used copper, and then bronze, tools
• Traded with places as far away as Egypt
• Developed a writing system
MOHENJODARO• Streets laid out on grid
pattern– Indicated planning
• Elaborate underground sewer system– Used both for
carrying off storm water and waste
• Clay brick architecture– Some buildings four
stories tall
ARYANS
• Invaders from southern Russia• Entered region around 1500 BC• Destroyed Harappa and
Mohenjodaro and massacred their inhabitants
• Plunged region into “Dark Age”– Cities abandoned, writing
forgotten, and people reverted to Neolithic lifestyle
– Lasted 500 years (1500-1000 BC)
REVIVAL OF CIVILIZATION
• Urban life revived in villages in the Ganges River Valley around 1000 BC– Inhabited by hybrid people
(part Harappan/part Aryan)– Evolved into city-states– Caste system also evolved
at the same time• Became unique Indian
social phenomenon
CASTE SYSTEM I• Society was at first divided
into four castes– Warriors– Priests– Merchants/landowners– Small farmers/laborers– System was not
especially rigid and there was a great deal of mobility in both directions
CASTE SYSTEM II
• System grew more complicated and rigid with time– Ultimately there would be hundreds
of castes• Each was forbidden from having
any social contact with the others– At the very bottom were the
“untouchables”• The mere accidental touch of one
was considered to be polluting
MAURYAN EMPIRE
• 16 small city-states existed in the Ganges River Valley by 600 BC– Each ruled by an individual
with the title of raja• One city-state grew in power at
the expense of the others– Magada • Conquered entire
Ganges Valley and beyond• Created Mauryan Empire
ASHOKA
Mauryan Empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya
Most famous ruler was his grandson, Ashoka
Began reign as a military conqueror but, following a battle in southern India, he decided to rule in a different,
more gentle, way
Chandragupta Maurya Ashoka
MORE ASHOKA
• Promised to be mild with his subjects, always place their welfare before his own ambitions, and to refrain from offensive military operations
• Kept his word– Engaged in numerous public works
construction projects– Dug thousands of wells– Constructed thousands of hospitals– Built rest areas along roads– Encouraged economic activity
• Reign was a true “golden age” for India
END OF THE MAURYAN EMPIRE
• Within 50 years of Ashoka’s death, the Mauryan Empire collapsed– Due to a series of invasions
from barbarians to the north
– Shattered unity and plunged region into anarchy• Characterized by a
constantly-shifting mosaiac of warring city-states
– Lasted 500 years
THE GUPTA EMPIRE
• Around 300 BC, the ruler of Magada (again) gradually conquered the entire Ganges River Valley– Chandra Gupta I
• Process would be continued by his son and grandson– Result in the creation
of the Gupta Empire
END OF THE GUPTA EMPIRE
• First century of Gupta Empire was a time of expanding power, growing prosperity, and cultural achievement
• But after the death of Chandra Gupta III, the empire was invaded by the White Huns– From Central Asia– India disintegrated into
numerous petty kingdoms again
INDIAN ACHIEVEMENTS
• Invented several writing systems• Developed an elaborate literature– Mostly religious in content
• Developed our modern number system– Called “Arabic numerals”
• Invented the decimal system• Created the foundation for algebra• Discovered that the earth was a
rotating sphere
HINDUISM
• In Aryan times, Indians were polytheistic– But, over time, three of
their more important gods merged together into a three-part monotheistic deity called Brahman• Brahma (creator)• Vishnu (preserver)• Shiva (destroyer)
• Brahman permeated everything in the universe
REINCARNATION
• Doctrine of reincarnation came from belief that all living things were related and had souls– Belief that each soul is reborn in
the body of another creature over and over again
• The form that one is reborn into is determined by one’s actions during their lifetime– Known as karma– Good Karma=reborn into higher
caste– Bad Karma=reborn into lower caste
or even lower life form
WHEEL OF SUFFERING
• Also believed that human existence was basically an endless round of suffering– We are all trapped on the
“Wheel of Suffering” with no permanent way off
– The only escape is through meditation• Merging oneself with
Braham• But this was only a
temporary escape
GAUTAMA THE BUDDHA
• As Hinduism became the dominant religion in India, it also became more worldly and materialistic– Prompted appearance of “gurus”
around 600 BC• Wanted to put Hinduism back on
track by making it more spiritual• Most notable guru was Gautama
the Buddha (Enlightened One)–Would create a new religion in
his quest for a more spiritual life
BUDDHA AND THE WHEEL OF SUFFERING
• Buddha was especially concerned to find permanent escape from the Wheel of Suffering
• Taught that the basic cause of human suffering was desire– The fruitless quest to acquire
more and more material things• Argued that this never made a
person happy because they always wanted more
• Did think meditation was the complete answer either– Since it only provided temporary
escape
NIRVANA• Only way off the Wheel of Suffering
was to go through an eight-step process that involved changing your entire life– Included rejection of selfish worldly
desires. the cultivation of honesty and compassion, rejection of violence, and cleansing your mind of all evil thoughts
– Successful result was the attainment of “nirvana”• Permanent escape from the
Wheel of Suffering and the attainment of permanent peace and tranquility
BUDDHA IN ACTION• Buddha practiced what he
preached– Only possession were the
robe on his back, a walking stick, and wooden bowl
– Always travelled on foot and slept outdoors
– Presented his creed in simple language
– Accepted persons from all castes and treated them equally
• Attracted millions of converts across Asia
DIVISION
• Hinayana Tradition (“Little Vehicle”)– Buddha was just a man
• Mahayana Tradition (“Big Vehicle”)– Buddha was a god, the human
incarnation of Brahman– Led to construction of temples
and creation of statues devoted to his worship
– By far the most popular of the two traditions today
SHANG DYNASTY
• Civilization emerged from Neolithic settlements along the Huang-ho River around 1500 BC
• Shang rulers were primarily military leaders– Also acted as chief
priests in times of peace
ANCESTOR WORSHIP• Shang Chinese were polytheistic– Chief god was Shang-ti
• Chinese believed that Shang-ti was too powerful to be approached directly by human beings through prayer– Began praying instead to dead
relatives who had entered the spirit world where Shang-ti lived to intercede with the god• This practice of praying to
dead relatives for aid and support continued even after belief in Shang-ti had faded away
ZHOU DYNASTY• According to legend, the last
king of the Shang Dynasty committed unspeakable crimes against the gods and his people– Prompted two aristocrats
from the region of Zhou to lead a rebellion against him
– Replaced his dynasty with one of their own• Zhou Dynasty• 1000-221 BC
MANDATE OF HEAVEN• Chinese believed that Shang rulers had
been picked by the gods to rule– Therefore it might look as though the
Zhous had defied the wishes of the gods by overthrowing the Shangs
• Zhous therefore developed concept of the Mandate of Heaven– Dynasties had the right to rule
because they had special permission from the gods
– But this permission could be revoked if they abused their power and given to another dynasty
Shang-ti
QIN DYNASTY• By the last 200 years of the Zhou
Dynasty, the kingdom had disintegrated into a collection of small, independent states, continually at war with each other– A new power emerged out of
this mess around 300BC• The state of Qin began
conquering its neighbors and, by 221 BC, it had taken over all of northern China• Ruler of Qin, Shihuangdi,
takes title of “First Emperor” and founds Qin Dynasty
QIN ACHIEVEMENTS• Shihuangdi’s armies then
conquered most of the rest of China– Set up centralized administrative
system• Divided realm in 36 districts,
each administered by an appointed governor
– Established a standard system of weights and measures, uniform coinage system, and a standard alphabet
– Built numerous roads and canals– Began work on the “Great Wall”
BIG DOWNSIDE
• Shihuangdi drove his people mercilessly– Imposed heavy taxes– Imposed forced labor– Brutally crushed all
dissent• Even burnt books
• Became obsessed with finding magic potion that would give him immortality– Died in 210 BC while
searching for potion
HAN DYNASTY
• Death of Shihuangdi was followed by civil war– All Qin family members were
killed– Ultimate victor was Lui Bang• Former bandit leader• Founded the Han Dynasty– 202 BC-220 AD– So beloved by Chinese
that they call themselves the “People of Han” today
HAN HISTORY• Lui Bang continued centralizing policies of
Shihuangdi– But had the common sense to go easier
on his people• Greatest Han ruler was Han Wudi– Extended Han power into Tibet, Korea,
and Mongolia– Established relations with Japan– Created the “Silk Road”• Trade route that stretched from
China, through India, and into Europe
• Han Dynasty collapsed in 250 AD due to civil war, rebellions, and invasions
SILK ROAD
WRITING• Writing first appeared during
Shang Dynasty– Oracle Bones
• First books appeared during Zhou Dynasty– Made from sheets of bamboo
• Alphabet was standardized under Shihuangdi– Has changed little since
• Paper invented during Han dynasty– Used to produce a rich and
varied literature
CONFUCIUS• Best known Chinese “sage”
was Confucius– Lived during anarchy of
the late Zhou Dynasty– Teachings were written
down after his death by his students in a book called the Analects
– Primarily concerned with the issue of how human beings could live together harmoniously in society
HIERARCHY
• Advocated a society where everyone had a specific place and performed all the obligations associated with that place– Called this “Hierarchy”– A rigid system but it did
help to preserve harmony and order in an increasingly overcrowded country for a long time
GENTLEMAN• Originally, the term “gentleman” meant a
person of high status by virtue of their birth
• Confucius gave the term a moral meaning– Gentleman was a person who
behaved in a virtuous manner• Since anyone could do this, anyone
(regardless of their social status) could be considered a gentleman
• Confucius argued that one’s place in society should be determined by their behavior and personal qualities, not by their wealth or birth
DAOISM
• Allegedly founded by Laozi– Author of Daodejing
(“The Way”)– May or may not
have been a real person
– Allegedly lived during the last years of the Zhou Dynasty
DAOIST THEOLOGY I• The Dao is the unseen root of all things– It provides balance and harmony to
the universe– Everything, including human
beings, is a part of it• Because human beings have free will
and desires, they are capable of acting “unnaturally” and thereby upsetting the natural balance within the Dao– Purpose of Daoism is to teach
people to return to their natural state of behavior, to behave in such a way as to restore the balance of the Dao
DAOIST THEOLOGY II• Human beings should engage in wu wei– Means “acting spontaneously” and
“flowing with the moment”• If human beings want to be in harmony
with the universe, with the Dao, they should simply do what feels good and right to them at the moment– Should act in a simple, unselfish, and
humble manner• Without artifice• No role-playing, game-playing, or
dishonesty– Just be yourself
Recommended