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Aryan Civilization

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Page 1: Aryan Civilization Aryan Migration  pastoral  depended on their cattle.  warriors  horse-drawn chariots

Aryan Civilization

Page 2: Aryan Civilization Aryan Migration  pastoral  depended on their cattle.  warriors  horse-drawn chariots

Aryan Migration

pastoral depended on their cattle.

warriors horse-drawn chariots.

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Indus River Valley: A Conquered People

• Aryans; warrior nomads, migrated into the Indus valley around 2,000 B.C.

• Introduced a caste system that ranked people in society

• Aryans were able to conquer the Indus Valley due to natural disasters in form the of famines, devastating floods and over usage of topsoil

• These events allowed the Aryans to sweep across the valley region

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• Around 1500 BCE, a group of nomadic warrior-

herders crossed the narrow Khyber Pass in the Hindu Kush Mountains and invaded the Indus Valley culture.

• These people, the Aryans, came from Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, probably looking for pastures for their animals.

• Flooding and earthquakes had weakened the Indus Valley culture and they were unable to withstand the newcomers.

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The route of the Aryans into India.

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Aryan Migration to India and Europe

Why did the Aryans Migrate?

• Why do people migrate?• Basic Needs

• Food • Shelter• Population Pressure

• Pursuit of Happiness

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Hints of Reasons of Migration

• Indian Mythological Stories– Gods leaving the heaven because of the Asuras– Aryans in Iran (Aryan) worshipped Ahuras

• The River Indus was originally known as Sindhu– Sindhu means – a large body of water

• Sindhu > Hindu > Hindi > Indus > India

• The word Hindu was used by Iranians/Aryans to just distinguish themselves and refer to the tribe that were lost.

• The Indian Aryans – did not call themselves as Hindu-s.• The Iranian – Aryans called them Hindu-s and the name got stuck

H S

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Ancient India

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

What were the Aryans Like?What were the Aryans Like?• They were nomads• They did not have farms• They did not know how to write• They did not know how to build brick

houses or cities• They were great thinkers/inventors• They knew how to make iron

– That means they mined for coal and iron

• They learned how to use horse in war and hunting

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Holt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York EditionHolt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York Edition

Main Idea 3:The Ayran invasion changed India’s

civilization.

Arrival and Spread

• First arrived in India in the 2000s BC

• Originally from the area around the Caspian Sea in Central Asia

• Spread east and south into central India

• Most of what we know about Aryan society comes from the Vedas

Government and Society

• Nomads who

eventually settled in villages and began to farm

• Lived in small communities based on family ties

• Villages were governed by rajas.

• Groups often fought each other

Language

• Did not read or write

• Memorized poems and hymns that were important to their culture

• Sanskrit was the most important language in ancient India.

• Sanskrit is no longer spoken today.

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Aryan

• Aryan invaders ended the civilization of the Indus River valley by conquering the Harappans.

• The Aryans were a nomadic Indo-European people living in central Asia.

• Around 1500 B.C. they moved south across the Hindu Kush mountain range into northern India.

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Aryan

• The Aryans created a new Indian society.

• Like other nomadic people, the Aryans excelled at war.

• By 1000 B.C. they had extended their control throughout India.

• In India these nomadic warriors gave up the pastoral life for regular farming.

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o The Aryans brought with them their own language, called Sanskrit and religious and cultural beliefs.

o The Indus Valley people eventually became intermixed with the Aryan people and the two cultures together make up what is now much of the culture of modern India.

o Hinduism, the major religion of India, was a mixture of Aryan and Indus Valley beliefs.

o The caste system, which keeps people in strict social classes, was brought to India by the Aryans.

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Aryan invaders

• Below: an illustration of a scene from the Rig-Veda

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The Aryan “Invasion” Aryans, lighter-skinned invaders from the north

not to be confused with Hitler’s “Aryans” Dravidians, darker-skinned sedentary inhabitants of Harappa and

lower India Color Bias

tall, blue-eyed, fair-skinned describe the indigenous population as short, “black”, noseless, and

slaves Difficulty of theory: no evidence of large-scale military conquest

Continuous flow of Aryans over a long period of time gradual infiltration more primitive than the earlier culture Used chariots, raised forward w/bows and arrows, rearmed and

returned Seems to be key to ‘invasion’

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Aryans Transform India

• The Aryan People– Indo-European people, enter

Indus River Valley before 2000 B.C.E.

– Sacred writings, the Vedas, reveal much of their culture

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

The Spread of Aryans in IndiaThe Spread of Aryans in India

Aryavarta – Land of Aryans

Dakshinapath – The way of the South

• The Aryans moved along the river Ganges

• Their spread came to Bengal last

• Their spread was limited by Himalyas on the North, Vindhya on the South and Ganges+Bramhaputra on the East

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

The Spread of the AryansThe Spread of the AryansGandhara, Madra, Bahika:Afghanistan/ Punjub

Kuru: Delhi and surrounding places

Kosala: Bihar Uttar Pradesh

Panchala: Uttarpradesh

Videha, Anga: Bihar

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Possible route of the Aryan invasions

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Aryans Transform India

• Aryan Kingdoms Arise– Aryans extend settlements

to other river valleys

– Small Kingdoms arise

– Magadha kingdom unites all and spreads across India by 100 B.C.

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

The Spread of AryansThe Spread of Aryans• The spread was along the Ganges Plains• As they spread they also fought and interacted

with people who were already in India:– Danavas – Big People (Indus Valley People ??)– Rakshashas – Demons (Native Hunter Gatherers)

• They learned farming• They learned to build cities • They learned to build states and empires

– Will be covered in the next lecture

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Aryan

• The introduction of iron helped make this change, especially the introduction of the iron plow, which could be used to clear the dense jungle growth along the Ganges.

• Irrigation systems turned the area into productive farmland.

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Aryan• Rice was grown in

the fertile river valleys.

• Vegetables, grains, cotton, and spices such as cinnamon and pepper were grown in the south.

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Aryan

• Wheat, barley, and millet were grown in the north.

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The Aryans Emphasis on warfare

restless, warlike people leaders chosen for military prowess Courage highest ideal Villages and kingdoms constantly fighting

Pastoral economy: sheep, goats, horses, cattle Vegetarianism not widespread until many

centuries later Wealth from cattle and victories won

Hunting, gambling, and rustling cattle Fighting, drinking, chariot racing Take soma – psychotropic mushroom?

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The Aryans, con’t These Aryans speak an Indo-European dialect

related to other languages like Greek and Latin English father, Latin pater, Celtic athir, Sanskrit pitar

they called themselves “Aryans” their land: “Aryavarta”

land of the Aryans By 1200 B.C. still no cites (300 yrs)

Not literate (no written language) No record system, little evidence

No central authority, tribes small villages, mobile, wooden

Class system Chiefs and kings Religious leaders

Memorize ‘formulas’ for worship and sacrifice Aristocrats and freemen

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

Aryan ReligionAryan Religion• They worshipped natural forces

– Indra – God of rain and thunder on a horse– Varuna – God of water– Agni – God of fire– Pavana – God of the wind– Ashwinis – God of the herbs– Surya – The Sun God– Soma – The Moon God– Bramhana – The God that created everything

• As they migrated they also adapted the gods of the natives– Durga, Shiva, Vishnu

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Alien gods and values

• Below: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva

• Right: the monkey god

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Aryan

• As nomads, the Aryans had no written language.

• They developed their first written language, Sanskrit, around 1000 B.C.

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Sanskrit

writing

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Aryan

• They wrote down the religious rituals, legends, and chants that previously had been passed down orally.

• Early Aryan writings also reveal that between 1500 B.C. and 400 B.C., Aryan leaders

known as rajas (princes) dominated India. • Each carved out a small state and fought

other Aryan chieftains.

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Aryans Transform India

• Aryan Kingdoms Arise– Epic Mahabharata reflects

struggles in India as Aryan kings worked to control Indian lands

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Aryans and Hindus

Aryans give rise to Hindu society but different characteristics

cows: they ate them classes, but no castes priests subordinate to the nobility

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Holt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York EditionHolt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York Edition

Main Idea 3:Hinduism developed out of Brahmanism and

influences from other cultures.

• The Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Vedic texts remained the basis of Indian religion for centuries.

• Eventually, the ideas began to blend with ideas from other cultures.

• This blending created a religion called Hinduism, the largest religion in India today.

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Hindu Religion

The Aryans and the Indus Valley culture eventually produced what is known today as Hinduism. This religion is polytheistic, which means believing in many gods. We know about this ancient religion because of Aryan books called “Vedas” that record the beliefs of the Aryans. Pictured here is one of the many gods of Hinduism, Krishna.

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Hinduism differs from other religions like Christianity, Judaism and Islam in that there is no one single founder or one set of beliefs that must be followed. There are thousands of Hindu gods and goddesses in Hinduism. Most of the beliefs of Hinduism came from the oral traditions of the Aryans which became the Vedas—or holy writings—of the Hindus.

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Hinduism

• Originated with the Aryans

• Vedas were the scriptures

– Oldest scriptures still in active use

• Beliefs

– Brahman was the ultimate reality or god

• Reveals itself in millions of earthly shapes

• Ties everything in nature together (e.g. humans and insects)

– Focused on achieving oneness with Brahman

• Yoga was supposed to help lead to the union by leaving behind earthly life and having a mind at rest

– Reincarnation

• Soul is reborn after death

– Karma

• Person’s actions determine how he will be reborn in the next life

– Dharma

• Divine law that rules karma

• Requires all people to do their duty (e.g. a woman’s dharma says she has to obey her father, her husband, and her sons when widowed)

Carving showing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva

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Reincarnation

• Central to Hinduism is the belief in reincarnation. Hindus believe that after a person dies, they will be re-born as some other creature or thing. What you are re-born as depends on your “Karma” or the deeds you did in your previous life. If you did good deeds, you will reborn into a higher, better life. If you had bad Karma, you may be re-born as an insect or even a tree.

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India’s Classical Period

Primary gods Indra – god of war Agni – gave fire Varuna – directed cosmic order Vishnu – incarnated to help humans Brahman – highest deity, omnipotent

All other deities are reflections of him

Most ceremonies performed outdoors

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Vishnu Matsya, the fish, appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents

beginning of life. Kurma, the tortoise, appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents

a human embryo just growing tiny legs, with a huge belly. Varaha, the boar, appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents a

human embryo which is almost ready. Its features are visible.

Narasimha, the Man-Lion (Nara = man, simha = lion), appeared in the Satya Yuga. Represents a newborn baby, hairy and cranky, bawling and full of blood.

Vamana, the Dwarf, appeared in the Treta Yuga. Represents an young child.

Parashurama, Rama with the axe, appeared in the Treta Yuga. Represents both an angry young man and a grumpy old man simultaneously.

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Vishnu Rama, Sri Ramachandra, the prince and king of Ayodhya,

appeared in the Treta Yuga. Represents a married man with children in a very ideological society

Krishna (meaning dark or black; see also other meanings in the article about him.), appeared in the Dwapara Yuga. Represents a person in more practical society, where there is one good or bad. Good or bad depends on society you live in.

Gautama Buddha is considered an avatar that returned pure dharma to the world.

Kalki ("Eternity", or "time", or "The Destroyer of foulness"), who is expected to appear at the end of Kali Yuga, the time period in which we currently exist, which will end in the year 428899 CE.

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Hindu god statues

Ganesh – remover of obstacles

Shiva – the destroyer

Parvati – aspect of Devi

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Hindu god statues

Dancing Lord Shiva – as Nataraia

Lakshmi – goddess of wealth Durga the

unconquerable

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Hindu god statues

Vishnu the Preserver

Sarawati – goddess of wisedom

Shakti – feminine creation

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

Quest for LearningQuest for Learning

• First wide spread public school system– They did not know how to

write – Spread knowledge from

the teacher to the student by learning

• First Literature – not written– Vedas– Upanishads

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Literature• Sanskrit- written language that priests used to write down sacred texts

• Mahabharata- India’s greatest epic, 100,000 verses. Aryan tribes fighting for Ganges. 5 royal brothers, Pandavas, lose area to cousins but take back after huge battle. Discusses Indian religious beliefs, immortality of the soul, and importance of duty

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• Ramayana- Rama’s bride Sita is kidnapped by demon-king Ravana and story it all about Rama getting his bride back

• Stories evolved over time and different morals come from them like role models and loyalty

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

Aryan - LiteratureAryan - Literature

• Vedas: A collection of verses describing everything in life– Scientific process – how to lit a fire, proper

way of farming– How to lead a disciplined life

• Upanishadas: A more filtered version of Vedas dealing with more esoteric and spiritual quests

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The Vedas 1200 BCE-600 BCE.

written in SANSKRIT.

Hindu core of beliefs:

hymns and poems.

religious prayers.

magical spells.

lists of the gods and goddesses.

Rig Veda oldest work.Rig Veda oldest work.

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

In the beginning there was neither existence nor non- existence; there was no atmosphere, no sky, and no realm beyond the sky. What power was there? Where was that power? Who was that power? Was it finite or infinite?There was neither death nor immortality. There was nothing to distinguish night from day. There was no wind or breath. God alone breathed by his own energy. Other than God there was... nothing.In the beginning darkness was swathed in darkness. All was liquid and formless. God was clothed in emptiness.Then fire arose within God; and in the fire arose love. This was the seed of the soul. Sages have found this seed within their hearts; they have discovered that it is the bond between existence and non-existence.Who really knows what happened? Who can describe it? How were things produced? Where was creation born? When the universe was created, the one became many. Who knows how this occurred?Did creation happen at God's command, or did it happen without his command? He looks down upon creation from the highest heaven. Only he knows the answer -or perhaps he does not know.Rig Veda 10:129.1-7

A quote from the VedasA quote from the Vedas

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The Early Aryans Religious and Literary works: The Vedas

Sanskrit: sacred tongue Prakrit: everyday language, evolved into Hindi, Urdu,

Bengali Four Vedas, most important, oldest Rig Veda

“Veda” means “knowledge” 1,028 hymns (oral poetry) to gods passed down orally from priests and singers comes to have a sacred character written down in the 500’s our primary source

early Aryan tradition, later Hindu religion provides some historical information

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India’s Classical Period Mahabharata and Ramayana

Epic poems, supplements the Vedas Major literary works Added to by later authors over the ages Mahabharata = longest poem in world

The Bhagavad-Gita section = main tenants of Hinduism

Arjuna, a warrior prepares himself for battle, doubts (family), charioteer – Lord Krishna/Vishnu – body is only one part of a person

Ramayana = story of Rama, displaced prince’s fight for his wife and throne

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Krishna reveals himself to Arjuna in his manifold aspects

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Krishna with Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksketra

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India’s Classical Age

Aryans began to expand territories Took over smaller, weaker areas Chief’s villages became cities Cotton farming and cloth making provided

funding Almost constant war/conflict By 600 BC 16 nations in N. India

Dravidians in Deccan were still isolated

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India’s Classical Age

Aryan rulers became raja Extensive wooden palaces Advisers for war and peace Scribes wrote down sacred literature (rather

than recording conquests) Brahman Religion grows

Commonly called Hinduism Reinforced class system

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• Daily life– Life centered around the family

• Three generations often lived under one roof

– Males were superior• Patriarchal• Usually, only males were educated• Suttee – Required a wife to throw herself on her dead

husband’s funeral pyre– Marriage

• Upper-class young men were not supposed to marry until they had completed education

• Arranged marriages were common for young girls• Divorce usually wasn’t allowed

– Children• Expected to take care of parents when they got old

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Family in Ancient IndiaPrimary Unit of Society

- extended family

1. three generations

-Patriarchal

- Superiority of men

1. no women priests

2. men only ones educated

Education

1. Guru

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Family

• The family was the basic unit of ancient Indian society.

• The ideal was to have an extended family of three generations under one roof.

• The oldest male had legal authority over the entire family, which made the family unit patriarchal.

• Generally, only males could inherit property and were educated.

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Family

• Women could not be priests. • Divorce was forbidden, but men

could take a second wife if the first was not able to bear children.

• Children were important primarily because they were to take care of their aging and elderly parents.

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Family in Ancient India Marriage

- marriages arranged

- women considered a minor

- divorce

1. women almost never

2. take second wife (if first wife

could not have children)

- children important

Sati (STOPPED IN 1800s)

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Family

• Marriages were arranged. • Men married after 12 years of study. • Girls married young because they

were an economic drain on the family.• Perhaps the strongest instance of

male domination in India is suttee.

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Family

• In India the dead were burned on funeral pyres.

• Suttee required a wife to throw herself on her dead husband’s funeral pyre and die herself.

• Those who refused were disgraced.

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Funeral Pyre

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India’s Classical Period

Aryan class system All men/women born unequal Highest – priestly class or Brahmans

Monopoly on religious practices Memorized religious texts Indra – god of war – most popular

After 600BC, some vedas written To train young Brahmans? Earliest copy from about 100 AD Used to address the gods

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The Iron Age: new sources

the Upanishads: interpretations and symbolic studies Form 700-500BC, philosopher’s

interpretation of Vedas From Sanskrit – ‘sit near’ the guru forerunners of later dissenting literature

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Strain of change

Iron Age change causes strain on the class system

blurring of lines between Aryans and Daas answered with the caste system

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Holt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York EditionHolt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York Edition

Main Idea 1:Indian society divided into distinct groups.

• These groups were largely organized by people’s occupations.

• Strict rules developed about how people of different groups could interact.

• Over time, these rules became stricter and became central to Indian society.

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Caste System• One social custom brought to

India by the Aryans was the caste system. This system put every person in society into a certain class from which they could never advance. The caste system was very effective in keeping social order but it was rigid and strict. Those in the lowest caste were looked down on by upper caste members and could never change castes.

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Holt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York EditionHolt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York Edition

Social Divisions in Aryan societyThe Varnas

• Brahmins – priests

• Kshatriyas – rulers and warriors

• Vaisyas – farmers, craftspeople, and traders

• Sudras – laborers and non-Aryans

The Caste System

• Divided Indian society into groups based on a person’s birth, wealth, or occupation

• Determined his or her place in society

• On rare occasions, people could change caste.

• Untouchables were considered unclean and were the outcasts of society.

Caste Rules

• Aryans wanted to keep the classes distinct.

• Sutras, or guides, which listed the rules of the caste system

• People spent almost all of their time with others in their same class.

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Caste System

• The caste system was one of the most important Indian social creations.

• It set up a rigid hierarchy of classes that determines a person’s occupation, economic potential, and social status.

• In part it was based on skin color.

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Top Caste Brahmins * ruling elites in Aryan society * priests and warriors

Second Caste Kshatriyas * were warriors

Third Caste Vaisyas * commoners * usually engaged in commerce

Forth Caste Sudras * not Aryan * great part of the Indian population * peasants artisans / manual labor

The Untouchables

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Caste System, 1000 BC

Puts Aryans above indigenous Dravidians Racial purity and control

ritual purity Different wells Violations = punishment, even death

“Us--Them” feelings divine order of four castes or “Varnas”

Brahmins: the priests Kshatriyas: the warriors Vaisyas: merchants and peasants Sudras: non-Aryans Harijans: Untouchables

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Castes

define a person’s social universe define a person’s standard of conduct define a person’s expectations define a person’s future define how a person deals with others

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Caste system in practice

warrior class did not always accept it nor the other classes the process of evolution is still going on the most powerful organizer of Indian society

thousand of castes today Define

person’s social universe person’s standard of conduct person’s expectations person’s future how a person deals with others

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Caste System

• There were five major classes, or castes.

• The top two castes were the Aryan ruling elites, the priests and warriors.

• The highest were members of the priestly class, or Brahmans.

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Main Idea 2:Aryans formed a religion known as Brahmanism.

• Aryan priests were called Brahmins, and their religion is often called Brahmanism.

• Aryan religion was based on the Vedas.

• Aryans wrote down their thoughts about the Vedas in collections called Vedic texts.– One collection of Vedic texts describes Aryan religious rituals.

– A second collection describes secret rituals that only certain people could perform.

– The final group of Vedic texts are the Upanishads. These writings are reflections on the Vedas by religious students and teachers.

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Caste System

• India’s caste system is divided into many different classes, each with its own job. The highest class is the Brahmans, or priests. They have great authority and respect.

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Caste System

• The warriors were called Kshatriyas.

• The third caste was made up of commoners, who for the most part were merchants.

• Members of this caste were called the Vaisyas.

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Caste System

• The next level are the warriors, or land-owners. They are often in the wealthy, ruling class. In early times, they were the armies for the many princes of India. They are called Kshatriya

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Caste System

• The Vaishya are the merchants and artisans. They are the people who sell products. They, like all members of each caste, cannot ever change their caste.

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Caste System

• Below this were the Sudras, who made up most of the Indian population.

• They were the darker-skinned natives the Aryans had conquered.

• Most were peasants who did manual labor, and their rights were limited.

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Caste System

• The lowest level are the artisans and farmers. They are called Shudra. They are very important because they provide food and goods for society. Like members of every caste, they must marry within their own caste.

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Caste SystemThe lowest group in India are the Harijan. They are also called the “untouchables” or “outcasts” because they are not even considered part of the caste system. Their job is to do all the worst jobs in the community such as cleaning latrines and sewers

and sweeping the streets. Members of the caste system were not even supposed to have the shadow of an untouchable touch them. These people believed that the only way to get out of their lot in life was to perform their jobs without complaint so they could be born into a higher caste in the next life.

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Caste System

• The Untouchables made up the lowest rung of Indian society.

• They performed jobs considered degrading by Indian society, like collecting trash and handling the dead.

• They made up about 5 percent of ancient India’s population.

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Caste System

• The life of an Untouchable was difficult. • They were not considered human and

their presence was considered harmful. • They lived in ghettos. • When they traveled they had to tap

sticks together so others would know they were coming and could avoid them.

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Caste system, con’t

enforced by Brahmins literature emphasized the divine order

Position determined by dharma from pervious life Can earn good karma to move up in the next life (bad

karma moves down) Try to achieve Moshka, beyond personal existence

hierarchical relationship Influenced inheritance and marriage

Family more important than the individual Arranged marriages, mother-in-law Multiple generations within one household

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© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee

Division of Labor (Barna)Division of Labor (Barna)

• Four Categories or Barnas:– Brahmins – Educators, Thinkers, Experts,

Priests– Kshatriyas – Soldiers, Rulers, Kings, Knights, – Baishyas – Traders, Business People,

Bankers, – Shudras – Farmers, Workers, Laborers

• People outside the Barnas – Untouchables– Mainly non-Aryans

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The Caste System

The mouth?

The arms?

The legs?

The feet?

WHO IS…

What is a JATI?

BrahminsBrahmins

KshatriyasKshatriyas

VaishyasVaishyas

ShudrasShudras

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Challenges to the Aryans

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Main Idea 4:The Jains reacted to Hinduism by breaking away.

• Mahariva did not like the control of religion by the Brahmins and founded a new religion called Jainism.

– Jains try to live by four principals: injure no life, tell the truth, do not steal, and own no property.

– Jains practice nonviolence, or the avoidance of violent action.

– Jains believe that everything is alive and part of the cycle of rebirth.

– Jains are vegetarians. They do not eat any food that comes from animals.

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Challenges to Brahmans

Mahariva (“Great Hero”) 6th Cen BC Nobel birth, life of luxury, troubled

12 years as a beggar, wanderer Understood desire are root of problem, causes

clutter 2nd insight – must preserve all life at all costs Rejects rules, rituals of brahmans

Followers become Jains Vegitarians Tried to imitate Mahariva’s life, reject worldly

possesions

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Siddharta Gautama• Around 566 BC, Siddharta Guatama was born into the warrior

or Kshatriya caste.

• He was a prince who was kept isolated inside a beautiful palace and not allowed to see the real world.

• One day he left the walls of his palace and saw the pain and misery of life.

• He decided from then on that he needed to find a way of living that would allow people to find peace in life.

• He spent many years trying different ways of life, following different philosophies.

• Finally he came up with his own way, which is now called Buddhism.

• Gautama became known as Buddha, which means “enlightened one”

• He developed the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path.

• These are rules to live by that help people live morally and find the “middle path,” without too much pain, or too much pleasure.

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Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama, 7th Cen BC

Grew up a rich prince Prophecy said he’d never be king father tried to

protect him, isolate him from pain/suffering Siddhartha saw an old man, then saw sick, hungry,

dead person overwhelmed Abandoned family, became an ascetic (extreme

rejection of luxury) Sat beneath a bodhi tree, waiting/meditated for 49

days Enlightenment Buddha

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Holt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York EditionHolt McDougal Social Studies EASTERN HEMISPHERE, New York Edition

The Buddha Finds Enlightenment

• He discovered that human suffering comes from three things:– wanting what we like but do not have,– wanting to keep what we like and already have, and – not wanting what we dislike but have.

• Siddhartha spent six years wandering throughout India.

– He started fasting, or went without food.

– He spent time in meditation, the focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas.

• Siddhartha is said to have found “enlightenment” under the tree. From that point on, he would be called the Buddha, or “Enlightened One.”

• After seven weeks of deep meditation under a tree in the town of Gaya, Siddhartha suddenly had the answers that he had been looking for.

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Buddha

Believed in 4 noble truths Acknowledge suffering People suffer because of ambition and desire To remove suffering, remove ambition and desire Do this by following the 8-fold path

Correct: understanding, wishes, speech, conduct, employment, effort, kindness, meditation

When accomplished Enlightenment or Nirvana

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The Four Noble Truths

People can overcome their desires and ignorance and reach nirvana, a state of perfect peace. Reaching nirvana would free a person’s soul from suffering and from the need for further reincarnation.

Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human life. No one can escape sorrow.

• People can overcome ignorance and desire by following an eightfold path that leads to wisdom, enlightenment, and salvation.

• Suffering comes from our desires for pleasure and material goods. People cause their own misery because they want things they cannot have.

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The Eightfold Path

1. Right Thought

2. Right Intent

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

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Buddha

Nirvana – similar to Moshka Achieved with out Brahmans, personal achievement Rejected idea only male Brahmans could read Vedas Disciples shaved heads, wore yellow garments, traveled

w/begging bowl Buddhism divides; some follow personal example

of Buddha, some believe he has divine qualities Develop ideas about heaven and hell later

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Buddhist Teachings Challenged Hindu Ideas

• The Buddha rejected many of the ideas contained in the Vedas and told people that they did not have to follow these texts.

• The Buddha challenged the authority of the Hindu priests, the Brahmins. He taught that each person was responsible for their own salvation.

• The Buddha was opposed to the caste system.

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Main Idea 3:Buddhism spread far from where it began in India.

In India• After his death,

500 of the Buddha’s followers spread his teachings throughout India after the Buddha died.

• Buddhist teachings were popular and easy to understand.

• Within 200 years of the Buddha’s death, Buddhism had spread throughout most of India.

Beyond India

• The Indian king Asoka helped to spread Buddhism both within India and outside of India.

• He built Buddhist temples and schools throughout India.

• Asoka sent missionaries to other kingdoms in Asia.

• Buddhism spread via the Silk Road into China, then Korea and Japan.

Buddhism Splits• As Buddhism

spread, not all Buddhists could agree on their beliefs and practices.

• Buddhism split into two major branches: Theravada and Mahayana.

• Both branches have millions of followers today, but Mahayana is by far the larger branch.