The Culture and Belief Systems of

India

The Kingdoms of the Ganges and the Aryans

1500BC, the Indus Valley civilization collapses Herding nomads from the north, called the Aryans, invade the

Indus Valley, destroying the civilization found there. Aryan Civilization

The Aryans glorified warfare. They were herders, following a nomadic life to find water and

grazing land for their cattle and horses. The earliest Aryans have no cities. Most of our knowledge comes from a collections of prayers,

hymns, religious teachings and history called the Vedas. The Vedas

Aryan priests would memorize the Vedas and recite them as part of Aryan religious practices.

The Vedas show the Aryans as a warrior culture that value chariot racing, eating, drinking and dice games.

The Aryans relied heavily upon cattle as a source of food and leather for clothing.

Aryan families would measure their wealth in the amount of cattle they owned.

Social Classes of the Aryans

Brahmins/priests

Kshatriyas/warriors

Vaisyas

(herders, farmers, artisans and merchants)

Sudras

(laborers,servants)

-The Aryans ordered their society into a strict social order.

-This develops into a caste system

- A caste is a social group you are born into and cannot change.

The following are the castes of the Aryan social system.

- The lowest group, the Sudras, were originally only those who were the descendants of the Indus Valley people that the Aryans conquered.

-Another group – outcast untouchables, were considered outside of the caste system and below even the Sudras.

From Nomads to Farmers

Eventually, the Aryans developed into a settled society The spread east, taking over the lands around the Ganges

River. Aryan war chiefs, called rajahs, became rulers and kings. A written language, Sanskrit, is developed, allowing for the

Vedas to be written down for the first time. New kingdoms emerge, led by rajahs, who pass their rule

down their line to their sons. Epic Literature

Like the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Aryans have their great stories.

In the Mahabharata, tells the tale of how the Aryans conquered and set up the Kingdoms of the Ganges River.

In the Ramayana, a demon kidnaps a woman and her husband must save her with the help of a monkey.

Belief System – Hinduism---------------------------------------------------------- Founder: None/ It is the result of a cultural blend

based mostly on the Aryan Vedas.

It remains one of the most complex religion in the world.

Core Beliefs Brahman (not to be confused with Brahmin)

It is an all-powerful spiritual force that all things are a part of.

To make sense of it, Hindu’s worship many gods. This puts a face on the different parts of Brahman.

Important Writings The Vedas are a core part of Hindu tradition. Also the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita

The Hindu Cycle of Life The ultimate goal of life for a Hindu is to achieve

moksha (union with Brahman). To achieve moksha, a Hindu must obey the law

of karma. Karma is all the actions of a person’s life and

how they affect his/her placement in the next life (see below).

If a person lives a good life, their atman(soul), is reincarnated (samsara) into a higher level of existence.

If a person lived an evil life, they are reincarnated as a lower form of life.

The Hindu Cycle of Life What determines whether you are earning good or bad

karma is your adherence to your dharma. Dharma is the duties and responsibilities you are born with.

They are determined by caste, occupation, gender and age.

By adhering to your dharma, you accumulate karma. Hindus are also pacifists, which they adhere to as the

concept of ahmisa.