Crash Course #6

Name: __________________________________ Date: __________ Period: ________
Key Concept 2.1. The Development & Codification of Religious & Cultural Traditions

I. Codifications and further developments of existing religious traditions provided a bond among the people and an ethical code to live by.
B. The core beliefs outlined in the Sanskrit scriptures formed the basis of the Vedic religions—often known as Hinduisms— which contributed to the development of the social and political roles of a caste system and in the importance of multiple manifestations of Brahma to promote teachings about reincarnation.

II: New belief systems and cultural traditions emerged and spread, often asserting universal truths.
A. The core beliefs about desire, suffering, and the search for enlightenment preached by the historic Buddha and recorded by his followers into sutras and other scriptures were, in part, a reaction to the Vedic beliefs and rituals dominant in South Asia. Buddhism changed over time as it spread throughout Asia, first through the support of the Mauryan Emperor Asoka, and then through the efforts of missionaries and merchants and the establishment of educational institutions to promote its core teachings.

Key Concept 2.2. The Development of States & Empires

IV. The Roman, Han, Persian, Mauryan, and Gupta empires created political, cultural, and administrative difficulties that they could not manage, which eventually led to their decline, collapse and transformation into successor empires or states.

Key Concept 2.3. Emergence of Trans-regional Networks of Communication & Exchange

III. Alongside the trade in goods, exchanges of people, technology, religious and cultural beliefs, food crops, domesticated animals and disease pathogens developed across far-flung networks of communication and exchange.
C. Religious and cultural traditions were transformed as they spread including Chinese culture, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Crash Course World History: Buddha & Ashoka #6

Directions:

1. Read Key Concepts that will be discussed in today’s video.
2. Preview the video viewing questions.
3. Watch “Crash Couse in World History: Buddha & Ashoka” without taking any notes.
4. Watch “Crash Couse in World History: Buddha & Ashoka” a second time; pause the video as needed so that you can answer the questions.

Questions: 1. How was the caste system different from other systems of social order, like class systems?

The caste system was different because it was based on the separation of Purisha into four different parts.

2. How might the belief in dharma lead to social and political stability?
Dharma and the caste system combine for excellent social cohesion. The cycle of rebirth called samsara says if you fulfill your dharma in that life, you could be born as a person with a higher social status and finally achieve moksha, the release from the cycle of birth.

3. Why did the Brahmin caste not function well as a ruling group of priests, like those seen in other civilizations?
Everyone’s path to salvation is individual and when Brahmin tried to become political leaders, no one listened to them.

4. Give two similarities and two differences between Hinduism and Buddhism:
Hinduism is based of the Vedas written by the Aryans. Buddhism is based of the four noble truths and the eightfold path. Hinduism took Buddha and made him part of the religion as the ninth reincarnation of Vishnu. Both religion were about trying to reach nirvana in Buddhism and achieving moksha in Hinduism which were both about individual people. 5. Why was Buddhism appealing to low-caste Indians and Indian women? In Buddhism, there was no caste system so as long as you denounce all your desires, you could maybe even reach nirvana in this life time.

6. In what ways did Ashoka’s empire both epitomize and depart from Buddhist values?
Ashoka ruled by what he called dama which is proper behavior to servants, respect to parents, generosity to friends, and not killing living beings which is somewhat Buddhism but, Buddhism isn’t concerned of the order of the world. The fulfillment of the self will lead to the order of the world.

7. Why is Buddhism viewed favorably by Hindus (rather than being viewed as a competing religion)?
Hinduism is a polytheistic religion so it is easier to take in other religious traditions because of the variety and flexibility of this religion.

8. Christian missionaries may have arrived in India as early as the 4th century CE. Predict how these missionaries would likely have been received and support your answer.

The missionaries would have been a different religion to begin with but after the course of time, would had been enveloped into Hinduism. Since Hinduism is such a flexible religion, anything is possible when Christian missionaries were in the presence and surrounded by Hinduism.