Ancient Indian Society

History 381: Asian Experience

Development of caste system

With trade and commerce new social groups of artisans, craftsmen, and merchants appeared

These social groups functioned as subcastes, or jati

Vaishyas and shudras saw unprecedented wealth

Old beliefs and values of early Aryan society became increasingly irrelevant

Religions of Salvation in Classical India

Jain ascetic (perhaps Mahavira)

Vardhamana Mahavira

Jina was the son of a local raja who held sway over a small district in the neighbourhood of Benares.

As a youth he felt the emptiness of a life of pleasure

He gave up his home and princely station

Became a follower of the Brahmin ascetics.

Adopted principle of self-mortification: – He went about naked – Ate only plants and often

fasted Taught that salvation is by

personal effort alone Rejected the Vedas and the

Vedic rites as useless

Jainist doctrine and ethics

Inspired by the Upanishads: everything in universe has a soul

Striving to purify one's selfish behavior to attain a state of bliss

Principle of ahimsa, nonviolence toward all living things

Too demanding, not a practical alternative to the cult of the brahmins

Appeal of Jainism

Social implication:

individual souls equally

participated in ultimate

reality

Jains did not recognize

social hierarchies of caste

and jati

Sidaika is the goddess of generosity

Magadha kingdom

Ancient Indian kingdom, situated within the Gangetic plain

Capital was Pataliputra – decentralized Kingdom rose to prominence in the mid-7th

cent. BC and rapidly extended its frontiers, especially under the rule of Bimbisara (c.540-c.490).

Buddhism and Jainism first developed in Magadha, and the Buddha used the Magadhi dialect of Sanskrit.

Alexander the Great

Crosses Hindu Kush into the Indus Valley in 327 BCE

Conquers kingdom of Gandhara 326

Leaves in 325 Gandhara becomes a Seleucid

province

Maurya Kings 321-180 BCE

321-297 Chandragupta Maurya 297-272 Bindusara 268-232 Ashoka 232-224 Dasaratha 224-215 Samprati 215-202 Salisuka 202-195 Devavarman 195-187 Satadhanvan 187-180 Brihadratha

322 BC: Chandragupta Maurya captures Magadha

Establishes First Indian Empire

Chandragupta Maurya

Met Alexander in India Inspired by the ideal of a

unified state Founded Maurya dynasty

stretching from Bactria to Ganges by first defeating Magadha

Kautala's advice manual, Arthashastra, outlined administrative methods

Arthashastra “Science of Polity”

Work of multiple authors ascribed to Kautila

Ruler should use any means to attain his goal

Actions required no moral sanction

Problems discussed are of the most practical kind.

Kings allowed a free rein Citizens were subject to a rigid

set of rules. Kautila

Arthashastra

Espionage and the liberal use of provocative agents is recommended on a large scale.

Murder and false accusations were to be used by a king's secret agents without any thoughts to morals or ethics.

Chapters for kings to help them keep in check the premature ambitions of their sons

Chapters intended to help princes to thwart their fathers' domineering authority.

The Nalanda University once housed 9 million books.

It was the center of education for Scholars from all over Asia.

Many Greek, Persian and Chinese students studied here.

The university was burnt down by pillaging invaders who overran India in the 11th century

                   

        

Chandragupta and Seleucus

In 312 BCE Seleukos Nikator, Alexander's General in Persia, declares independence and founds Seleucid Empire

In 305, he crosses into the Punjab, where Chandragupta meets him with a huge army and defeats him.

Seleucus I.

Chandragupta and Seleucus

In their peace treaty, Chandragupta gains everything east of Kabul, along with Baluchistan. Seleukos gains 500 war elephants, which he uses successfully the following year against his rival Antigonos.

Seleukos puts an Indian elephant on some of his coins

Early Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE)

Gave up his comfortable life to search for cause of suffering

Received enlightenment under the Bodhi tree

First sermon about 528 BCE at the Deer Park of Sarnatha

Organized followers into a community of monks

1st Cent. Buddha

The Four Noble Truths

1. Life means suffering2. The origin of suffering is

desire3. The cessation of suffering is

attainable4. The path to the end of

suffering is avoiding desire

Buddhist doctrine: the dharma

The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path are the way to end suffering

Suffering is caused by desire

Religious goal: personal salvation, or nirvana, a state of perfect spiritual independence

Eightfold path to Enlightenment

1. Right ViewWisdom

2. Right Intention

3. Right Speech

Ethical Conduct4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

Mental Development7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

Appeal of Buddhism Appealed strongly to members of lower castes

because it did not recognize social hierarchies of castes and jati

Was less demanding than Jainism, which made it more popular

Texts and ritual used vernacular tongues, not Sanskrit

Holy sites venerated by pilgrims

The monastic organizations--extremely efficient at spreading the Buddhist message and winning converts to the faith

Ashoka Maurya

Reigned 268-232 BCE—peak of Mauryan empire

Conquered the kingdom of Kalinga, 260 B.C.E.

Ruled through tightly organized bureaucracy

Established capital at Pataliputra Policies were written on rocks or

pillars Empire declined after his death

because of financial problems

Ashoka’s Empire

Ashoka’s Early Life

Ashoka was the grandson of the first Mauryan leader Chandragupta Maurya

Grew up with 101 brothers who were constantly fighting for the favor of their father, King Bindusara

Ashoka was appointed governor of two troublesome regions of India, Ujjain and Taxila, that were frequently in rebellion

Ashoka gained the right to take over the throne at the death of his father

Some sources that say that he killed all of his brothers to gain power

Ashoka

Ashoka expanded his empire through wars of conquest

Showed little mercy to the conquered people Following the Arthasastra, Ashoka felt a ruler

should rule with an iron fist  Ashoka's rule extended throughout the

subcontinent except for the south and the Kingdom of Kalinga. in the southeast

The war with Kalinga marked a turning point in the reign of Ashoka

100, 000 people were killed, 150,000 were wounded and thousands were taken as slaves.

Ashoka was so disgusted by the carnage that he turned away from war and accepted Buddhism.

The Empire of Asoka

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Stupa at Sarnatha, where Siddhartha Gautama preached his first sermon

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Maurya Art

Mural painting Sculpture Dance Music Literature

Durga stands with left hand on hip, right hand in a boon-bestowing gesture pointing to a bowl held by a supplicant.

Durga is associated with prosperity and in later plaques, coins fall from her hand.

Female attendants shield her with a parasol, hold fans of peacock feathers(?), and support a large standard(?).

End of Mauryan era

Brihadratha, last Mauryan king, assassinated by one of his soldiers

Local kingdoms developed throughout the old Mauryan state

Literature, art, and Buddhism continue to flourish

The revival of empire under the Guptas

Greek-speaking Bactrians ruled in northwest India for two

centuries Diodotus, another leader,

broke away from Seleucids about 250 BCE

Greek rulers controlled the area which is now Afghanistan until about 100 BCE

Crucial role in Silk Road trading network

Bactria destroyed by steppe nomads

Han thought them poor soldiers

Kanishka 78–144 CE Greatest Kushan king of

Bactria

Devout Buddhist but tolerant of other faiths

Convened the fourth great Buddhist council in Kashmir that marked the beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism

Buddhist sacred texts edited and engraved on copper plates.

Survive only in Chinese translations

Hellenistic Buddha Images

The Gupta dynasty

Founded by Chandra Gupta (375-415 CE)

Smaller and more decentralized than Maurya

Invasion of Huns weakened the empire

After the fifth century C.E., Gupta dynasty continued in name only

Large regional kingdoms dominated political life in India

Mahayana Buddhism

Development of Buddhism between Third Century BCE and First Century CE

Buddha became a god . The notion of boddhisatva— “an enlightened being”

Monasteries began to accept gifts from wealthy individuals

These changes became known as Mahayana Buddhism

Educational institutions promoted new faith

http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Library/Suttas/suttas.html