Classical+India

__Classical India Summary:__

Classical India was an era of many technological, religious, trade, and political successes. India became really powerful due to their caste system, which was split up into 5 different levels. On the frist level, were the Kshatriyas (government officials, brahmans, and priests), on the second leverl,were the warriors, the third level was made up of the Vaisayas (farmers and traders), the fourth level consisted of Sudras (common laborers). The fifth and final level of the caste system were the untouchables (people who were so low in the system that their jobs usually consisited of haluing refuse or dead bodies.) The only way to move up in this system was after you died; if you did a good job and succeeded in your previous caste, when you were incarcerated you would be moved up a caste. Thier were two major religions practiced in classical india: Buddhism and Hinduism. Buddhism was based on the thoughts of Buddha who was born a prince and believed that the enlightenment of people could only be achieved by abandoning desires for all earthly things. While Buddha was alive he acquired many disciple who then continued his beliefs after he died. Hinduism was different from Buddhism because Buddhism was founded by one man, Buddha, while Hinduism had no single founder and no holy figure that they would worship by itself. India was a patriarchal society, which meant that men were supireor to women. It was said that women were required to "worship" their husbands as if they were gods. This could also be an example of male supremecy which was bing used in China during the same period. India was also famous for arranged marriages as a way to help with both trade and they figured that if they arranged their women with princes of other nations at the time, it would be a way to peacefully unite their nations without involving any kind of warfare.India created the spin wheel to spin together cotton collected in the cotton fields, and when it was spun it became thread, for use of making goods. India was also creating some technological advancements that would help out other nations and themselves, because many of their inventions would help to speed up the process of trade. One technological advancement India created the spin wheel to spin together cotton collected in the cotton fields, and when it was spun it became thread, for use of making goods. They also, invented a oven that could smelt down iron into different uses then just tools and weapons. This advancement would help because people would have to handmelt it, a machine would instead. Even though India had no set government system, they were still able to be politically successful.


 * Aryans || A nomadic military people who tried from 1600-1000 B.C.E. to invade and successfully take over India. ||
 * Ashoka

(269-232 B.C.E.) || He was the grandson of Chandragupta. He first served as the governor of two provinces. He was known to enjoy lavish lifestyles, which included 1.) Frequent horseback riding and 2.) Feasting. He gained control of the whole southern tip of India using his bloodthirsty methods. He converted everybody under his rule to Buddhism after he recognized the belief of dharma. After converting to Buddhism he changed. Instead of always using bloody tactics, he would urge humane behavior on the officials and insisted that they oversee the moral welfare of the people in his kingdom. Also, like his grandfather he worked really hard to work on the improvement of trade and communications. ||
 * Gupta

320 C.E.-535 C.E. || A new line of kings after the collapse of the Kushan state in 220 C.E. They established a large empire by 320 C.E. Even though they produced no individual leader, they had a great impact on India, due to negotiating with local princes and they were known to intermarry which expanded their influence peacefully, with no fighting. The Guptas rule eventually ended in 535 C.E. due to invasions from the nomadic Huns. || 1.) Brahmins 2.) Warriors 3.) Skilled merchants 4.) Ordinary workers 5.) untouchables If you were lucky enough, or worked really hard you could be moved up a class when you incarcerated after death. ||
 * Caste system || India has 5 levels in Caste System
 * Hinduism || The religion that was followed by the Gupta’s and is still used in present day India. Hinduism reaffirmed the position of the Brahmans as high priests, and led to an age of great achievements in architecture, painting, sculpture, philosophy, literature, and the sciences. ||
 * Sanskrit || Became the first literacy language in India’s new culture. This led to creating sacred books, which they called Vedas. ||
 * Upanishads || Epic poems, that usually included a powerful and mystical religious flow. ||
 * Dharma || The law of moral consequences, which Ashoka hoped would help to unite and discipline the many diverse people under his rule. ||
 * Buddhism || Buddhist teachings helped to create the most powerful established first empire of India. Buddhism is still practiced in many present day Indian city states. ||
 * Tamils || Indians who lived in the Southern parts of India. They traded dyes, cotton, silks, drugs, gold and ivory with the Middle East and in return brought back, pottery, wines, metals, some slaves, and gold. ||
 * Chandragupta Maurya || In 322 B.C.E., he was a young soldier who had seized power along the Ganges River. Chandragupta and his successors always maintained very large armies filled with thousands of elephant-borne troops, and chariots. He became the first ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. He developed a society with bureaucracy. Before he died at an advanced age he left the throne to his son. ||
 * Gurus || The mystics of India, which helped to spread the beliefs, and readings of Upanishshads. They gathered many disciples with them, as Hinduism became an increasingly formal religion. ||
 * Bhagavad Gita || A classic sacred hymn, where a warrior is sent to battle and kill his own relatives. This Hindu ethics explains how Hindu’s could be both aggressive warriors but also skilled merchants. ||

** ESPIRIT Chart ** You must include main ideas and details in each category

Civilization/Nation/Group___India__

Time Period_1000 BCE-500 C.E.___


 * E || * India produced many different items that would be able to be traded to other civilizations along the Silk Road.
 * The servants produced the items that would be traded.
 * Manufacturing was done by artisans who formed guilds and sold their goods from their shops
 * Indian merchants were usually pretty high up on the caste system
 * The traveled all over the Middle East and east Asia.
 * The Tamils, which were a southern Indian tribe, traded cotton cloth, calico, and cashemere, which would be able to make a really good profit for India ||
 * S || * India had a caste system, which separated the different levels of society. At the top, were the warriors, the priests, and important government officials. Below were traders, and farmers, and below them were the common laborers.
 * Eventually a 5th class evolved. The people in this class became known as the untouchables, who were confined to a few jobs, which consisted of hauling dead bodies, or hauling refuse.
 * It was believed that by touching someone from the “untouchable” class, they would define themselves from the superior class(es).
 * There was only way to move up in the caste system. After you died, and you did a good job in your previous caste you could be incarcerated up a level caste.
 * Were a patriarchal society
 * Practiced male supremecy. ||
 * P || * India had a powerful gov. that was able to tax people(they taxed 1/6 of total gains) The Guptas were in political power from 320 C.E.- 535 C.E.
 * India’s governemt was not centralized. The political system though having some structure it had one of the least structured political systems of the classical world.
 * Ruled by regionalism(each ruler had a set land, local rulers)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Their political system was based off of the focuses of Alexander the Great, who successfully conquered the Persion Empire before his death in 323 BCE. ||
 * I || * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">India did not seek to take over other regions.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">When they traded, they spread their philosophies to all other different regions of the world.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The Silk Road (began in China) allowed the Indian merchants to travel easily and more effeciently to the other nations where it would be beneficial to trade.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">They allowed intermarriages which meant that someone from their society (usually a woman) would marry a man from another society in order to try to keep some peace. ||
 * R || * Religion was highly based off of the evolving Hindu religion, which was gaining ground based by Buddhism.
 * Hinduism had no specific founder, or central idol of worship. Hinduism was a religion that gradually progressed. (Example of a religion with a central idol of worship is Buddhism, where Buddha was the central idol)
 * Hinduism encouraged children to indulge themselves in their religion, and were confronted less, with outside reality
 * Hinduism encouraged political and economic goals, which were known as karma
 * Hinduism rebellion eventually led to Buddhism. Buddha fasted and tortured his body for six long years, then before his death he passed along the message to his disciples (followers) to spread his beliefs.
 * Gods presided over fire, death, the sun, and so-on. This system resembled the system of the Greeks, where they had not one God, but many gods, who were each in control of something different.
 * The Brahman priests enforced the rituals, prayers, and ceremonies which the people of India were required to follow.
 * During the epic period the Aryans offered hymns and sacrifices to the gods. Certain animals were considered as sacred and embodied the divine spirit. It was these animals which were sacrificed to the gods during the ceremonies.
 * Ahoka (269-232 B.C.E.) converted the people to Buddhism which they called “dharma” at the time. This belief meant that the people, would believe in moral consequences and would use the beliefs of Buddha to guide and unite the people under his rule.
 * Gurus were the mystics of India, which helped to spread the beliefs, and readings of Upanishshads. They gathered many disciples with them, as Hinduism became an increasingly formal religion. ||
 * I || * Sanskrits became the first literacy language in India’s new culture. This led to creating sacred books, which they called Vedas.
 * Upanishads, were epic poems, which were published for the people’s entertainment
 * They calculated the circumference of the earth
 * They also improved mathematics by finding square numbers and the absolute value of 0. ||  ||


 * T || * India created the spin wheel, which was able to more efficiently weave and spin cotton together.
 * Invented boats which were called Mohenjadors which helped the fishermen to catch fish to benefit the society as a whole.
 * Invented the Pythagorean Theorem and Triple
 * They produced new ways to make iron. ||