There are very few names of prominent individuals included in this chapter. Why is this so? What is it about the nature of the society and the available historical sources that makes it difficult to discern individuals?
- I think there are very few names of important individuals in this chapter, because they only talked about the different categories everyone fits in. They talked about the people as a whole and not indviduals, because everyone was in classified in groups and not individually. The reason it is so hard for them to discern individuals is because during this time everyone was classified in the caste system. So no one came up with new ideas that made them stand out. They just stuck to their caste class, no one even tried to explore outside of their “people” so no one was remembered very much.
What were the advantages of the caste system to the development of Indian societies during this time period? Why do you believe this system managed to persist for millennia?
- The advantages were that it divided up the work between the people. For example, farmers, priests, warriors, etc. Since the labor was divided they had a smooth-running society. Also since they believed that if they did good in their jobs in this life that when they were re-born they could be in a higher position, like a farmer to a priest. So I think that means that they all did 110% in their jobs. Overall, I thin the caste system helped to maintain social discipline in India. I think it was because it worked, I mean it wasn’t perfect, but it did work and it kept their society running smoothly.
3. The religious beliefs of this period emerged as a result of the blending of Aryan and Dravidian traditions and significant developments in the later Vedic age. These