Lecture 2/4/08
•
Veda does not equal Hinduism
•
1000-500 BC is the later Vedic period
•
Mahabharata/ Ramajana both are texts that give us historical information on this time… but
difficult because they are both literary texts (known as epics because describe things that
happened on earth, not entirely religious texts). Also help describe wars, battles, heroic
feats… most likely some form of these events actually occurred though are considered
mostly mythic.
•
Most important event is that Aryan civilization moved from northwest Punjab/Indus
Delhi
and Ganges plane characterized by monsoon and fertile soil, but needed stronger plows
discovery of iron in Bihar
clearing of jungle and Doab.
•
Pastoral society usually poorer where agriculture has been ecologically excluded. But
agricultural development of N. India lead to great wealth ect thanks ultimately to Iron
almost all of S Asia becoming an agricultural economy.
•
Caste system in simple terms:
o
Caste is a Portuguese word (15
th
/16
th
century) encountered system which they found
interesting/exotic and seen as a hierarchy, something the Indians had never heard
before they spoke of it as a Varna system as being the 4 great classes of Indian
society
Brahmans: priestly and highest class
Vshatriyas: Noble/fighting class (wealthiest and having power) but not highest
class, Brahmans on top
Vaishyas: Merchants/business class
Sudras: Peasants agricultural wealth and most vital from economic point of
view
Untouchables: below the caste system, without caste. And don’t have
anything equivalent to that in any other culture. A category of their own and
by Ghandi’s time 1/5 of Indian population belonged to this caste. They are so
impure that they are not put into caste order, they exist below it as
outcast(e)s; cast out of society and outside caste system! People who did
dirty work of Indians, sweepers, garbage collectors, animal skinners,
undertakers, (removal of waste or implied physical contact with waste/dead)
was considered impure and wouldn’t be caught dead doing it themselves.
NOT SLAVES though some did exist in this period. Mentioned with certain
regularity within 3
rd
and 4
th
century. Untouchables had gongs so that they
would bang on approach so people could move away.
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Sri Lanka and Buddhists don’t seem to have this system. 1940 Mumbai dude
converted a ton of untouchables to Buddhism so that they would not be seen
as pariahs
o
Divinely ordained, born into one of these Varnas and you are supposed to stick to
your varna and do your caste duty.

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- Spring '08
- Wink
- History, Buddhism, Islam, Mauryan Empire, EMPIRE Mauryan Empire
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