indian civilizations. paleolithic and neolithic cultures § diverse paleolithic cultures on indian...
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Indian Civilizations
Paleolithic and Neolithic Cultures
Diverse Paleolithic Cultures on Indian subcontinent
Neolithic pottery and hunting tools from c. 5500 bc. in present-day Pakistan
Although a bit later than Near East, cultures, Indian cultures are generally considered of independent origin on most, if not all of Indian subcontinent.
Indus Valley Civilizationc. 2500-1750 bc
Fertile floodplains of Indus River
2 major cities: Harappa and Mohenjo Dara
More are currently being found by archaeologists
Civilization flourished for about 500 years
Indus Valley Civilization
Vast territory – up to 5 million peopleunited in homogeneous culture suggests strong
centralized government, integrated economy and good internal communications
City Layout in Harappa and Mohenjo-daro
N-S, E-W grid of avenues
walled citadel on western edge of city
cemeteries on periphery
private houses built around central courtyard
strong evidence of urban planning
Egalitarianism: all houses had access to water and drainage – a vast middle-class society
Building Construction of Burnt Brick
Harappa
large granary for food storage
Mohenjo-daro
Elaborate plumbing facilities unequalled until Roman times
Private baths Household wells
Standard Weights and Measures
Writing
Indus inscriptions are found only on small objects, mostly stone seals and on pottery.
About 3700 inscriptions are presently known.
The inscriptions are all extremely brief, averaging not more than about five signs in a text. Longer inscriptions might have been written on palm leaves or cloth which have perished.
Sanskrit or Dravidian language?
Seals
Unicorn Sealmost common motif on Indus seals
Bison
Seals
Bull
Material Culture Fine bronze and stone statues Copper and bronze tools and
vessels Black-on-red painted pottery Silver and gold vessels and jewelry Dyed woven fabric Flat stamp stone seals
Statue of Priest-King
Stone and Terra-cotta Sculptures
Gold and Agate Ornaments
Painted Burial Pottery
Cooking Pots and Vessels
Terra-cotta
Copper/bronze
Toys
Ox-carts
Whistles
Economy Thriving agriculture: wheat, barley,
peas, lentils, sesame, cotton Cattle, dogs, sheep, fowl, water
buffalo Cotton weaving, metalworking,
wheel-driven pottery Trade contacts in Mesopotamia,
central Asia, possibly Arabia and prehistoric Greek cultures
Religion Elaborate bathing facilities
suggest ritual bathing and purification rites
Recurrent images: Pipal tree Swastika Humped bull -- animal
worship? Tiger, snake, unicorn “Lord of All Creatures” --
merges with Shiva Mother Goddess: pregnant
& madonna female figures
Elaborate Public Baths
Libation Vessels
Three-headed Totemic Animal
Bull
UnicornAntelope
Male Deity: Shivafigure
Gods and Goddesses
Miniature mask from Mohenjo-daro of bearded
horned deity
Religious Ritual
End of Indus Civilization
Began to decline during early 2nd millenium bce
Possible causes: abnormal flooding of
Indus River ecological destruction --
baked bricks of construction led to deforestation
no firm evidence that invading Aryans destroyed civilization
Dravidan Hero Stone
Aryan Invasions
c.2000 bce-1500 bcemyth or
misconception?
19th c. European scholars claimed a migration by a light-skinned group they called ARYAS came from the steppelands between Eastern Europe and Central Asia into Europe, Greece, Anatolia, the Iranian plateau and India in the 2nd and 1st millennia bc.
Warlike peoples with horse-drawn chariots conquered the darker-skinned Dravidians of central India
“Aryan” -- 19th c. term used to describe language
group now called Indo-European.
Counter-evidence
Sanskrit word Aryan refers to one who is righteous and noble – it has nothing to do with race.
Horses had been domesticated and used for battle by the Harappans.
No evidence of a significant influx of migrants into India during 4500-800 bce.
Rig Vedas describe Aryans as urban dwellers with hundreds of cities, numerous professions and seafaring capabilities.
Discovery of the Sarasvati River
River Sarasvati is mentioned in the Rig Veda 60 times (Ganges only mentioned once)Now a dry river, the Sarasvati once flowed from the Himalayas to the ocean across the desert of Rajasthan
Sindhu-Sarasvati
Civilization:Vedic
Civilization
Over 2500 settlements have been found.
More than 75% of these sites are on the banks of the dried up river Sarasvati.
The catastrophic drying up of the river led to a massive exodus of people ca. 2000-1900 bce.
Some went to Middle-eastern countries such as Iran and Mesopotamia.
Dynasties and rulers with Indian names appear and disappear all over west Asia confirming the migration of people from East to West.
Vedic Texts
Texts date from 1700 bc - 500 bc
Veda means “Knowledge” -- the eternal wisdom realized by ancient seers and preserved over thousands of years by professional reciters in unbroken oral transmission
4 main texts: Rig Veda -- 1028 hymns --
c.1700 bce-1000 bce Upanishads -- philosophical
poems -- c.700 bce Valmiki’s Ramayana -- epic
-- 6th c. bc The Mahabharata -- epic --
400 bc-400 ce Rama and Sita
VedicSociety
Patrilineal descent and inheritance
Patriarchal family -- monogamous, widows could remarry
Language: Vedic Sanskrit > Sanskrit
Kinship groups -- tribes ruled by rajas/ kings (cf. Latin rex), warrior leader
Brahman -- chief priest. Powers of priestly class increased with those of king
Two classes -- noble and common --evolved into four castes
Vedic Caste SystemFour classes:
Brahmans – priests/scholars
Kshatriyas -- warriors/nobles
Vaishyas --traders Shudras -- servants Caste is divinely ordained;
one cannot migrate from one caste to another based on talent or accomplishment.
Vedic Material Culture Gray painted pottery Wood and thatch, mud-
walled houses Measured wealth in cattle Gold ornamentation Wool Alcoholic drink and soma Highly developed music --
singing and dancingGambling -- especially dice
games Writing -- c. 700 bc-500 bc
-- scorned for sacred texts
Rama and his allies begin the attack on Lanka, by Sahib Din. From a manuscript of the
Ramayana, Udaipur, 1652
Vedic Deities Indra -- god of war and
storms: atmospheric Varuna -- guarded
cosmic order: oceanic Agni -- god of fire --
sacrifices, hearth, home: terrestial
Vishnu or Surya -- god of the sun: celestial
Soma or Chandra -- god of hallucinogenic soma plant
Ushas -- goddess of dawn -- one of few female divinities
Evolution of Hinduism:Indus Influences
Mother goddess Bull figure: Nandi – still the symbol
of Congress Party Shiva cult:
seals with Shiva figure lingam stones -- emblem of Shiva Shiva cult may be world’s oldest
surviving cult
Evolution of Hinduism:Vedic Influences
Vishnu – preserver god Sanskrit as language of religious learning Vedic hymns -- nucleus for more abstract
religious thought Notions of Hell (House of Clay) and
Heaven (World of the Fathers) Karma: action determines destiny Upanishads: through philosophical
interpretation -- inner meaning of traditional truths, ascetic teachings
Mahabharata battle
HinduismSanatana Dharma
“The Everlasting Way”
OMthat which hath no beginning or end
Hinduism:all-embracing structure of thought
All creation linked in huge web of being
Transmigration of souls through various life forms
Proper behavior linked to purgation and renewal
Dharma: the duty of the believer
Monotheism God is Infinite. Although one cannot divide or subtract from the Infinite,
the Infinite can be represented in different ways. The Infinite also manifests in billions of ways. Hinduism believes not only in One God, but also in His
Supreme Personality. This personality is manifested in different forms around us and within us perpetually. Therefore, the Infinite manifests in billions of ways to help mankind visualize the Divine Being. This belief of Hinduism is often confused with polytheism.
That the Supreme can be worshipped in any form is a unique concept in Hinduism.
Hinduism worships multiple forms of the one God.
Hindu Concep
t of Time
The transcendence of time is the aim of every Indian spiritual tradition.
Time is often presented as an eternal wheel that binds the soul to a mortal existence of ignorance and suffering.
"Release" from time's fateful wheel is termed moksha.
Hindus believe that the universe is without a beginning (anadi= beginning-less) or an end (ananta = end-less).
The universe is projected in cycles. Each cycle is divided into four yugas
(ages of the world). Time is conceived as a wheel turning
through vast cycles of creation and destruction.
Shiva dancing
Major Hindu Manifestation
s BRAHMAN: divine
source of all being Brahma/Sarasvati, the
creator Vishnu/Lakshmi, the
preserver: benevolence, forgiveness, love
Shiva/Kali, the destroyer: disease, death, the dance
Ganesha, god of wisdom, writing, elephant-headed
BrahmaThe Creator His 4 heads represent
the four Yugas or cycles of time.
One of the earliest iconographic descriptions of Brahma is that of the four-faced god seated on a lotus.
The Lord has in his four hands a water-pot (kamandalu), a manuscript (Vedas), a sacrificial implement (sruva) and a rosary (mala).
Sarasvati She presides over and protects wisdom and the arts, and sheinvented writing.
Her four hands represent four aspects of human personality in learning:
MindIntellectAlertnessEgo
Vishnuthe
Preserver
Protector of dharma (righteousness) and the guardian of humanity. His particular task is the conservation or preservation of the Divine Order in the world.
Vishnu has 10 avatars or incarnations. He assumes these and
comes down to earth in order to help humanity. He carries his
symbols of: a white conch shell with which he is victor over the demonsa rotating disc, a weapon to oppose every enemy of the Divine ordera golden mace, symbol of his royal power in the realm of gods and men. a lotus flower, symbol of purity and original creation.
Lakshmi
The goddess of beauty, of good luck and wealth. She is
generally depicted seated or
standing on a lotus flower.
Lakshmi sprang from the primeval ocean.
Lakshmi always accompanies Vishnu in his incarnations on
earth.
Shiva the
Destroyer
Lord of the Dance
He performs the dance of destruction
so that the world can be recreated.
Shiva is the acknowledgment that
everything that comes to birth comes ultimately to
death and from death comes new life.
He is cruel and yet tender, wrathful and merciful,
unpredictable and yet ever the same.
Parvathi-UmaParvathi is the very expression of femininity, the woman par excellence, daughter of the Himalayas. She is beautiful, sweet, tender, and is always portrayed as Shiva's erotic partner.
The Great Goddess: Devi Parvathi and Uma are the benign aspects
of the goddess; the destroyer goddesses Kali and Durga are in turn all aspects of the Devi, or the Great Goddess.
Kali is the negative aspect of the Goddess and symbolizes death. In this form she is sometimes considered the presiding deity of famine and disease. This is the negative aspect and symbolizes death. In this form she is sometimes considered the presiding deity of famine and disease.
Kali
Durga
Ganesha God of knowledge and
the remover of obstacles He has four hands,
elephant's head and a big belly.
His vehicle is a tiny mouse.
The combination of his elephant-like head and a quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents tremendous wisdom, intelligence, and presence of mind.
GaneshaIn his hands he carries
a rope -- to carry devotees to the truth
an axe -- to cut devotees' attachments
a sweet dessert ball –laddoo -- to reward devotees for spiritual activity
His fourth hand's palm is always extended to bless people.
Rama and Sita
Rama is the 7th avatar of Vishnu.
Lord Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, is one of the most adored gods.
He always holds a bow and arrow indicating his readiness to destroy evils.
More commonly he is pictured in a family style with his wife Sita, his brother Lakshmana and his devotee Hanumana sitting near Lord Rama's feet.
Ramayana5th-4th c. bce
First poem in Sanskrit outside a religious context
Attributed to Valmiki
Society of small villages and republics
Purpose is to preserve the divine order through the practice of dharma
Battle of Lakmana from the Ramayana
Krishna
Krishna is the 8th avatar of Vishnu. The mythology around Krishna is the most colorful and the
richest in lyricism, adventure and in love in all its forms, from the sensuous to the worship of the divine.
Krishna is central to the Mahabharata, the Sanskrit epic that is eight times longer than the Iliad and the Odyssey put together.
Krishna, the most accessible of the major Hindu deities, is a loyal ally of humans and always helps his friends. His worship is popular all over India and there are many sacred shines to him.
Bhakti is the emotional attachment and love of a devotee for his or her personal god. This is common in the worship of Krishna.
Krishna
Mahābhāratac. 4th c. bce- 4th c. ce Epic narrative of
the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandava princes
Attributed to Vyasa Reflects events of
9th-8th c. bce Society of powerful
monarchs and kingdoms Explores polygamy Complex views on
interaction of karma and dharma
Draupadi after the Game of Dice
The Bhagavad-Gitain The Mahabharata
Krishna and Arjuna
Challenges to Hinduism
The strongest criticism and rejection of Hindu theology of Brahman and atman came from two near contemporaries of Valmiki:
Mahavira, the last of Janism’s founders Siddhartha-Guatama Buddha, who
launched Buddhism.
Siddhartha Gautama Sakya: Buddha ca. 563-483 bce
Prophesied to be king or world redeemer at birth
A prince who gave up his wealth to find escape from human suffering
Studied with Hindu masters Became an ascetic Meditated under Bo tree for
49 days and nights until he experienced enlightenment
Became a wandering preacher and teacher dedicated to help others achieve Nirvana
Buddhism A religion without a
god Each individual must
find his/her own way to enlightenment
Four Noble Truths: Life consists of suffering,
impermanence, imperfection, incompleteness
The cause of suffering is selfishness
Suffering and selfishness can be brought to an end
The answer to the problem of suffering is the Eight-fold Path
Mahavira (540 BC - 467
BC)
Vardhamana Mahavira was born in a village near Vaishali in north Bihar.
His father was a ruler of that area and his mother a princess.
At the age of thirty. he left home and started practicing penances in search of knowledge.
After twelve years, he attained the state called Nirvana (enlightenment).
Jainism Jainism does not recognize caste, deities or sacrifices
and is pledged to the non-taking of life. All Jains are strict vegetarians. Jainism stresses that there was no need for any Vedic
ceremonies and invoking the gods for help. Deeds should be based on the three jewels (Ratnas) -
Right faith, Right knowledge, and Right action. The five vows of Jainism are:
non-violence truthfulness non-stealing non- possession chastity
Invasion of Alexander the Great327-325 bce
Spring of 327 bce, Alexander and his army marched into India His goal was to reach the Ocean on the southern edge of the world Alexander sought out, the Brahmins, and debated them on
philosophical issues.
Maurya Empire332-185 bce
Response to power-vacuum created by Alexander the Great’s conquest of northern India c. 326 bce
First emperor Chandragupta Maurya (r.324-301 bce) – defeated the satraps left by Alexander and encouraged the spread of Jainism
One of the world’s largest empires in its time and the largest ever on the Indian peninsula.
Maurya Dynasty 332-185 bce Central administration Diplomatic and trade links
with Greece, Rome, Egypt, Syria and Central Asia
Emperor Aśoka (269–232 B.C.E.) –the king turns the “wheel of dharma”
Standardized Brahmin script used in rock inscriptions
Multilingual pluralism Buddhism and ahimsa
(non-violence) as state policy
Asoka Maurya273-232
Renounced violence after the devastating battle for Kalinga in which over 100,000 were killed
Built thousands of stupas and viharas (monasteries)
Sponsored 3rd Buddhist Council in 250 bce
Sent forth of monks, well versed in the Buddhist teachings, to teach in nine different countries
A collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave
The edicts describe the first wide expansion of Buddhism.
Buddhist proselytism during this period reached as far as the Mediterranean
The inscriptions revolve around a few themes: Asoka's conversion to Buddhism, his efforts to spread Buddhism, his moral and religious precepts, and his social and animal welfare program.
Pillar of Asoka at Vaishali, Bihar, India
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