Chapter 3 – Classical Civilization: India
I. Introduction – difference vs. China a. China focus on politics/related philosophies vs. India focus on religion/social structure b. Less cohesive political structure c. Both were agricultural societies, localist flavor, male ownership, patriarchal, trade
II. The Framework for Indian History: Geography and a Formative Period
a. Closer to other civilizations
1. Influenced by Middle East/Mediterranean
2. Persian Empires spilled over/Alexander also
3. . Forced to react and adapt
b. Topography
1. Passes through Himalayas linked India
2. Somewhat set apart
3. Political unity difficult – greater diversity than middle kingdom
c. River civilizations – Indus and Ganges
d. Mountainous north – herding society
e. Separate regions contributed to:
1. economic diversity
2. racial differences
3. language differences
f. Unstable, monsoon climate – but helped with agriculture
1. Harvest two crops in a year, help support large population
g. Formative period – Vedic and Epic ages – Aryan migrants – hunting and herding peoples
1. Knowledge passed down through epics written in Sanskrit – Vedas
a. Mahabharata
b. Ramayana
c. Upanishads
2. Aryans settled, made tight-knit villages
a. Families patriarchal, connected across generation
b. Aryans created social classes
a. Warrior/governing – Kshatriyas
b. Priests – Brahmins
c. Traders/farmers – Vaisyas
d. Common laborers – Sudras
e. Untouchables – refuse, transporting dead bodies, other lovely jobs
c. Social groups became hereditary
1. Can’t marry between castes – punishable by death
2. Broken into smaller subgroups
d. Aryans brought polytheistic religion – similar to Greek myth, Scandinavians
a. One of few polytheistic religions to survive
1. Hymns/sacrifice
e. Upanishads – epic poems
a. Sacred animals – monkeys/cattle
b. Rituals and sacrifice
c. Brahmin class enforced rituals
d. Unifying divine force, seek union with