Vocab: Nirvana: enlightenment, oneness with all Dharma: duty Ahimsa: nonviolence Karuna: compassion Atman: essential self

Rajahs: chiefs of early Aryan tribes Early Aryan Castes: Brahmin: high priests Kshatriyas: warriors Vaisyas: artisans, farmers, merchants Sudras: servants, manual labor Religions: Jainism: religion founded by Mahavira, based on extreme self-denial Origins: Mahavira left his home to find salvation, and became a kevalin (complete soul) and a jina (conquerer). Mahavira did not found Jainism, he was the 24th tirthankara (enlightened teacher) and accumulated thousands of years of teachings into one. Beliefs: extreme nonviolence (ahimsa) and ascetism, having many points-of-views, rejected Castes, value all life, monks should not feel emotion, and should detach oneself, time is cyclical Three Jewels (Guiding Principles): Right Faith, Right Knowledge (pursuit of all kinds), and Right Conduct (Five Abstinences: nonviolence, candor, not stealing, few possessions, celibacy) Teachings: Jainism promoted finding the truth, in both religious and secular learnings. Practices: Know ones binds and break free. Want/desire will cause suffering. Do not care for others; they will come back, and it makes one look like a fool. Wealth is useless. One should get rid of karma.

Hinduism: polytheistic religion integrating gods of all Indian cultures Gods: The three main gods are: Brahma: creator of the world Vishnu: the preserver, reincarnated 9 times, famously as Krishna. Often seen as blue with 4 arms. Shiva: destroyed the world to start anew Goals/Beliefs: Hindus shared some basic beliefs: Four goals: Kama: pleasure Artha: wealth Dharma: fulfill duty Moksha: to liberate one from reincarnation and become one with Brahman (the universe, or one with all). Reincarnation/Samsara: to be born again There were 3 ways to reach moksha: Karma: the net value of ones good and bad deeds. The higher the karma, the higher the position you are born with next life. This only lead to partial moksha. Jnana: meditation/contemplation on the universe until reaching enlightenment/realizing Brahman was part of everything, including onself Bhakti: complete devotion to a god Castes: social rank that one is born into and cannot leave Dalits/untouchables: those of the lowest ranks. Rang a bell to aware others of their presence. Vedic age castes were determined by economic status.

Buddhism: religion founded by Siddhartha Guatama, based on the Middle Way Siddhartha Guatama/Buddha: born in 563 BCE Origins: A dream came to his mother, and she went to a priest who interpreted that Siddhartha would either become a great king or a great religious leader. His father, the king, gave a sheltered life to Siddhartha to prepare him for kinghood. Siddhartha married a woman and had a child. One day, however, he rode out of his home and saw an aging man. He rode out again and saw a sick man. Next, he saw a dead man. On the last ride out, Siddhartha saw an ascetic. Determined to find the answers to life, Siddhartha left home. Siddhartha wandered for 6 years as an ascetic and still lacked the truth, so he meditated under a bodhi tree until he found enlightenment. When he woke up, Siddhartha had reached enlightenment, or nirvana, and had become Buddha. He started to teach how to reach nirvana. At age 80, Buddha ate spoiled food. On his deathbed, he told his followers to seek salvation with diligence. After his death, his followers distributed his teachings into the Tripitaka (Three Baskets of Wisdom). The Four Noble Truths: 1. 2. 3. 4. Life is Suffering Suffering is caused by desire and non-virtue It is possible to overcome suffering. One must follow the Eight-Fold Path to overcome suffering and reach nirvana.

The Eight-Fold Path: Right Views, Aspirations, Speech, Conduct, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Contemplation The first five paths deal with earthly goals, while the last three are spiritual. Beliefs: Middle Way: path between the two extremes of Jainism and Hinduism. Moderate lifestyle: eat enough to sustain oneself, but not to gorge. Try to hurt as little as possible, but not to be blameless. Compassion (karuna) for others. Complete Equality. Therevada Buddhism: no gods, rejected castes. Spread to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Mahayana Buddhism: made it easier for common citizens to follow. Made Buddha and other holy beings gods to help with menial/daily problems. Also depicted heaven and hell. Spread to Tibet, China, Japan, and Korea. Still believed in the cycle of reincarnation and karma. Buddhism eventually declined in India, and was integrated into Hinduism.

Empires: Aryans: nomads from Russia who came into India through the Hindu Kush. They settled down and took over Dravidians and other local cultures. Beliefs: Indra - chief Aryan deity, the god of war. His weapon was the thunderbolt which was used to destroy demons and to announce the arrival of rain. Vedas: sacred text, holding hymns, prayers, and legends, written in Sanskrit Vedic Age: we know about the Aryans through the Vedas, so the period from 1500-500 BCE is called the Vedic age. Epic Age: the Vedic age was largely defined by the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Mahabharata: epic about two related families who fight for the throne and involve countless states and villages. Similar to situations in real life. (over 100,000 verses) Ramayana: The prince Rama fulfills his dharma by leaving his country and rescuing his wife Sita by defeating the demon king Ravana with the help of the monkey king, Hama.

Maurya Empire: strict and efficient empire from 321-185 BCE. Origins: Chandragupta took over the Ganges Valley, then Northern India, while his grandsons took over the Deccan. Policies: secret police force, bureaucracy, taxes, roads, court system Megasthenes, a Greek ambassadors wrote reports that contributed to knowledge about the Maurya. Asoka: He was the grandson of Chandragupta. When he saw the manslaughter of 100,000 men in a bloody war, he converted to Buddhism. New Policies: He spread missionaries for Buddhism but did not force his people to follow Buddhism. He built roads for travelers and stone pillars offering advice. Gupta Empire: less restrictive empire, 320-540 AD, its entire lifespan was a Golden Age Origins: A group of rulers came together to form the Gupta Empire. They were less restrictive. Advancements: zero, decimals, numbers, famous plays

Social Life: Family: patriarchal structure: Women were believed to have shakti, a creative energy, that had to be harnessed by men but was also dangerous. Upper Class: Men: made decisions and worked Women: had more power in the Aryan times, but were stripped of power and designated to housewife roles. Lower Class: Men and women worked and were not socially restricted. Events/ Dates: 1500-500 BCE: Vedic/Epic Age 563 BCE: Siddhartha Guatama/Buddha is born 321-185 BCE: Maurya Empire 320-540 AD: Gupta Empire Geography/geographic terms: Monsoons: seasonal winds bringing rain, determines crop harvest/flooding Subcontinent: large landmass jutting out of a continent Indian subcontinent: a huge peninsula in the Indian ocean, divided into the Gangetic Plains, the Deccan Plateau, and the coastal plains.\ Plateau: raised flat land