AP World History Traditions & Encounters Notes
Chapter 9 – State, Society and the Quest for Salvation in India
The Mauryan Dynasty
? Indian unification came mostly because of invasions
? 520BCE – Persian Emperor, Darius conquered part of India
o Made it a province of Achaemenid Empire
o Used Persian techniques of administration/governing
? 327BCE – Alexander the Great conquered the northern part, but departed after two years
o His departure created a vacuum when he destroyed the states and then withdrew, leaving room for others to come in and take over
? By 500BCE, the kingdom of Magadha had taken over the area
o Within 2 centuries took surrounding regions
o Took control of all trade passing through the Ganges Valley
? By 321BCE, Chandragupta Maurya began taking over small regions of Magadha and worked his way to the center
o Brought most of India under his control – centralized government
o The Arthashastra (manual on instructions for administering an empire) helped Chandragupta set up his government
§ Told how to oversee trade and agriculture, collect taxes, keep order work with other empires and wage war
o Traditions says he gave up his throne to his son – became a monk – possibly starved himself to death
o The highpoint of the Mauryan empire came under Ashoka
§ Conquered most of the rest of the subcontinent
§ Much better governor than conqueror
§ Ruled through tightly organized bureaucracy
§ Built capital of Pataliputra
§ Committee looked after foreigners in the city (spied on them)
§ Efficiently collected taxes
§ Inscribed his edicts on natural stone formations or stone pillars
· Had imperial decrees, urged people to observe Buddhist values & expressed his intention to rule fairly
§ As a result, regions of India became fairly integrated
§ He encouraged the development of agriculture
§ Built extensive irrigation systems
§ Built extensive roads – 1,000 miles
· Inns, wells and shade trees for travelers
§ Died in 232BCE – decline started quickly
· Leaders spent too much money on salaries for large army and huge bureaucracy
· Eventually, they spent more than they took in
· Because of financial problems, the empire couldn’t hold on
§ By 185BCE, it was gone
Gupta Dynasty
? Also based in Magadha (like the Mauryan)
? Dominated the Ganges valley
? Founder was Chandra Gupta
o Established c. 320CE
o Pataliputra would remain the center of administration and commerce
o Later leaders conquered surrounding areas
o Established tributary alliances with regions that did not put up a fight
o Guptas left local governments and policy making in the hands of allies in the region
o Became a prosperous, stable land with little crime
o However, they couldn’t stand up under the attacks from the White Huns (nomads from the steppes of Asia)
§ By end of 5th century, the Huns had established several kingdoms in north and west India
o Gupta dynasty continued in name only
§ Regional governors began to take over their regions
? India would remain fragmented until the 16th century when the Mughals took over
Economic Development and Social Distinctions
? spread thru subcontinent – Aryans turned to agriculture
? after 1000BCE – learned iron metallurgy – used the tools to move into new areas – specifically the jungles
? sent shudras to clear the land – grow crops – agricultural surpluses
o supported the Mauryan and Gupta dynasties
? encouraged growth of towns, trade and caste system
Towns and Trade
? after 600BCE – towns in India – esp. NW corner
? towns provided manufactured products - utensils and tools
o also luxury goods for the elite
? demand was high and some entrepreneurs had large businesses
o towns had marketplaces
? trade very active along Ganges River – also over to Burma and down thru S. India
? other places with growing stable political foundations began to trade with India
o direct political and military bonds with foreign countries
? Persia loved to trade with India b/c of its wealth
? Alex’s conquests help est. more networks b/w India and Med basin by way of Persia, Bactria, and Anatolia
? two ways of trade – over the Hindu Kush and the Taxila to Persia and along the silk roads to China
o cotton, aromatics, black pepper, pearls, and gems traded for horses, bullion and silk
? during Mauryan times – also used sea for transport
o used the rhythms of the monsoon winds
§ spring and summer – wind blows from SW
§ during fall and winter – from the NE
? by 5th cent. BCE – traveled to Indonesia – SE Asia mainland
o brought back spices and exotic local goods – usually traded on to Med basin
? Indian pepper so popular the Romans ext. trading settlements in S. India – tons of Roman coins found in India
Family Life and the Caste System
? tried to promote stability by encouraging strong patriarch family and social order with defined roles
? most were nuclear families – some of the aristocrats lived with several generations in large compounds
? the Mahabharata and Ramayana showed women are weak and emotional and devoted to their husbands.
? early CE centuries – male dominance even more pronounced
? by Gupta era – child marriage common
o girls of 8-9 to men in 20’s – marriage took place after puberty
o this put them under control of older men and devote themselves to family matters
? four main classes: Brahmins – priests; kshatriyas, warriors and aristocrats; vaishyas - merchants; shudras – peasants and serfs
? growth of trade encouraged deeper development of castes
o new groups – artisans, craftsmen, and merchants – did not fit easily into established structure
? those in the same craft banded together to form a guild (corporate body that supervises prices and wages in a given industry and provides for the welfare of members and their families)
o guilds lived in same part of town, socialized, intermarried and took care of the needy.
§ they were sub castes (jati) – usually organized their own courts – discipline, resolve differences, regulate affairs
§ could be expelled from the community
o guilds and jati performed services that central gov’ts provided in other lands.
? economic development brought huge wealth
o also challenged the social order
? tradition said that special honor was for Brahmins and kshatriyas b/c of the worthy lives they had led during previous incarnations and their responsibilities of their current lives
? the other two castes did not get any special respect and were obligated to work as the higher classes told them to.
o however trade and industry brought wealth and influence to vaishyas and even shudras
? beliefs, values and rituals were beginning to change and that brought new religions
Religions of Salvation in Classical India
? during ancient times the Brahmins did ritual sacrifices
o crucial for survival of society
o were exempt from taxes
o received other gifts
o as society became wealthier, their services were less meaningful
? 6th and 5th centuries – new religions that rejected the Brahmins’ cults and appealed to the new social classes
Jainism and the Challenge to the Established Cultural Order
? one of the most influential new religions
? became popular when great teacher Vardhamana Mahavira turned to Jainism – he was “the great hero” born into prominent kshatriya family
o legend says he left home at 30 to seek salvation by escaping the cycle of incarnation
o wandered 12 yrs. living an ascetic life in the Ganges valley where he gained enlightenment
o gave up all his worldly goods and clothes – taught detachment from the world.
o next thirty years – taught a group of disciples who formed a monastic order to spread his message
o they called him Jina (the conqueror) and refered to themselves as Jains.
? much of the doctrine comes from the Upanishads
? they believed that everything in the universe – people, animals, plants, air, water, rocks, etc. possess a soul
o as long as they are in their earthly bodies – they experience suffering
o only by purification of selfish behavior would souls get release and gain eternal bliss
o to do this they had to observe ahimsa – nonviolence to other living things or their souls
? monks would sweep the walkways to keep from hurting insects – strain water, etc.
? believed that all occupations were violent in some way
o farmers killed pests – harvested live plants
o leather tanners killed animals
? this was not a practical religion for most people
? it did appeal to many people and they adapted it to suit their needs
? they liked the idea that all things had souls
? also Jains did not like social classes
o this was popular with the lower classes who did not get respect in the traditional order
o these classes did not do much violence to other creatures or souls
? there are 2 million Jainists today
? many Buddhists and Hindus believe in ahimsa – reformers like Gandhi and MLK, JR.
? however, Jainism is too difficult for most people to take part in
? a more practical alternative to Jainism was Buddhism
Early Buddhism
? Siddhartha Gautama b. about 563BCE – in small state gov’n by father –foothills of Himalayas
o lived sheltered life – only saw good things – father never wanted him to know suffering.
o one day he saw an old man, later a sick man, then a corpse
o learned that all of what he had seen was inevitable and it greatly disturbed him
o saw a monk and learned that some people give up active life to live ascetic lives– he admired him.
? 534BCE – left wife and family to be holy man – wandered looking for explanation of suffering
o looked for enlightenment by meditation, then extreme asceticism – still didn’t work
o finally sat under large bo tree and said he would stay there until he understood suffering.
o 49 days – meditated – demons tempted him with pleasures and terrors – finally, he understood
? he became Buddha – “the enlightened one.”
o delivered doctrine about 528BCE to friends who had been ascetic also – called the “Turning of the Wheel of the Law” – represented the beginning of his quest to righteousness
o gathered many followers – organized some monks who traveled on foot, begged for food & preached
o led his disciples throughout N. India for 40 years – died in 483BCE
? Four Noble Truths
o all life involves suffering
o desire is the cause of suffering
o elimination of desire brings an end to suffering
o a disciplined life conducted in accordance with the Noble Eightfold Path brings the elimination of desire
§ right belief, right resolve, right speech, right behavior, right occupation, right effort, right contemplation, right meditation
? a moderate life with quiet contemplation, thoughtful desire, and self-control would help people reduce desire for material things
? would lead to personal salvation – escape from cycle of incarnation and attain nirvana
o state of perfect spiritual independence
? the 4 Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path make up dharma –doctrine shared by all Buddhists
? reasons it appealed to regular Indians
o did not depend on Brahmins – not believe in the caste system – message appealed to members of lower castes
o used vernacular languages that reached more people
o had holy sites that served as focal point for devotion
o Stupas – shrines that had artifacts of Buddha and first disciples
o organization – joined monastic communities where they dedicated life to search for enlightenment
§ great at spreading the faith – taught, explained and preached
? Ashoka converted to Buddhism after defeating the Kalingans and seeing them suffer
o said he would pursue his goals humanely rather than fighting
o probably thought it would unify the diverse nation
o he banned animal sacrifices in Pataliputra, stopped hunting and stopped eating most meat
o gave land grants to Buddhists, encouraged them to spread Buddhism
o sent missionaries into central Asia to spread Buddhist beliefs
Mahayana Buddhism
? Buddhism attracted merchants, artisans, other low rungs on the social class
? liked the idea b/c it did not have complicated ceremonies that seemed to not matter
? true existence involved giving up everything including social standing, family and material goods.
? early Buddhist thought it might take many incarnations over 1000’s of years to reach nirvana
? b/w 3rd BCE and 1st centuries CE – three new developments changed Buddhism
o one, Buddha didn’t consider himself divine, but followers began to worship him as a god
o two, began to believe in boddhisatva – people who had reached nirvana but were staying on earth to help others attain nirvana
o third, monasteries began to accept gifts from wealthy and see the gifts as act of generosity that warranted salvation – so wealthy could still have comfort, avoid sacrifices and still have salvation
? followers of these three ideas called their faith Mahayana “the greater vehicle”
o could “carry” more people to salvation
? as opposed to Hinayana “the lesser vehicle” aka Theravada Buddhism
? Mahayana attracted followers in central Asia, China, Japan and Korea – will flourish more than the other will
? monasteries began to offer basic education
Emergence of Popular Hinduism
? Hinduism underwent transformation to gather more followers
? departed from older traditions of Brahmins
? changes in doctrine and observances to attract ordinary people
? two poems show values of Hinduism
o Mahabharata – huge war for control of N. India b/w two groups of cousins – secular work that Brahmins stressed the god Vishnu – preserver of the world who intervened on behalf of the virtuous
o Ramayana – Prince Rama rescued wife Sita after demon king of Ceylon kidnapped her
§ Brahmin editors later made Rama an incarnation of Vishnu
§ they portrayed Rama and Sita as perfect Hindu husband and wife
? the Bhagavad Gita underwent several edits until it ended up with Krishna (charioteer of Arjuna – a warrior) stressing the importance of caste system and responsibilities to fulfill it and failure was a great sin.
o in the Gita – it showed that life was easier for regular people because they could get salvation by participating actively in world and meet their caste responsibilities
? only perform duties faithfully, think only of their actions, and no thought to the consequences
? four aims of human life:
o dharma – obedience to religious and moral laws
o artha – pursuit of economic well-being and honest prosperity
o kama – enjoyment of social, physical, and sexual pleasure
o a proper balance of these three would help a person achieve moksha – salvation of the soul
? gradually took over as dominant religion in India
? Hinduism attracted the Gupta emperors – gave many land grants and supported educational system that promoted Hindu values
? by 1000CE – Buddhism had noticeably declined
? w/I few centuries Hinduism and new faith of Islam had diminished Buddhism’s appeal in India