Political, Religious, Economic, Social - India Flashcards
(9 cards)
political
- no solid political or cultural institution
- went away with fragmentation
- regionalism
- diverse political forms
- shaky empires
- claims of Gods favored to rule
- taxation
- no extensive bureaucracy
- no single language
- power of the priests (real source of authority)
- caste system
caste system
- allowed for conquerors and conquered to live without conflict
- loyalty to their caste
religion
- Hinduism (under the Gupta)
- a lot of fragmentation
- Hinduism was cultural glue that held society together
- no central founder
- no central holy figure
- Artha: political and economic goals
- karma: worldly pleasures
- Dharma
- gentle, generous behavior
- tolerance
- helped promote continuity and cultural cohesiveness without political unity
Upanishads
- stressed shallowness of worldly concerns
- riches, health
- attacked Brahmans view of ceremonies
- advanced the idea of contact with divine spirit
- reincarnation reinforces the caste system
Dharma
- inter study
- meditation (concentrate of divine spirit)
- adheres to set of rules
Buddhism
- buddha siddhartha gautama
- taught Buddhism around India
- accepted a lot of Hindu beliefs, but not the caste system
- world beyond earthly existence (nirvana)
karma sutra
- loving relations and sexual pleasures
- support between husband and wife
golden age
- gravity
- planets
- set bones
- plastic surgery
- zero and negative number, pi, square roots
economy
- dominance of husbands (as agriculture became more advanced) (women’s status declines more)
- men were worshiped as gods?
- under Gupta, cotton, cloth, cashmere