Ancient India 5.2 Origins of Hinduism Essential Question: How do India s rich history and culture affect the world today? Big Idea: Hinduism, the largest religion in India today, developed out of ancient Indian beliefs and practices. Key Word Definition Memory Clue varnas Aryan/Indian social divisions similar to other social hierarchies Brahmins priests Kshatriyas rulers/warriors Vaisyas farmers, traders, craftspeople Sudras laborers, nonaryans caste system When the varnas became further divided, the result was more groups, or castes. The caste system divided Indian society into groups based on a person s birth, wealth, or occupation. untouchables sutras Vedas Hinduism A group within Indian society that did not belong to any caste. They could only hold certain, often unpleasant jobs. The guides that listed the rules for the caste system Aryan religion was based on the four Vedas, which are religious writings containing sacred hymns & poems. The oldest is the Rigveda, which includes hymns of praise to many gods. The largest religion in India today, based on the blending of the Vedas, Vedic texts, and other religious ideas from different cultures Some important Hindu beliefs include polytheism, reincarnation, and karma. atman This is the Hindu word for soul. It should be reunited with Brahman, the universal spirit.
Key Word Definition Memory Clue reincarnation The process of rebirth where a soul is born and reborn into different physical forms until it can see through the illusion of life and reach salvation The effects that good or bad actions have on a person s soul karma moksha dharma Jainism nonviolence/ ahimsa Sikhism guru monotheism Evil actions cause bad karma, which results in being reborn into a lower caste in a person s next life. Good actions build up good karma and result in being born into a higher caste, eventually leading to salvation. Hinduism s salvation, or freedom from life s worries and the cycle of rebirth A set of spiritual duties that each person has to fulfill, according to Hinduism A religion based on four principles: injure no life (nonviolence) tell the truth do not steal own no property The avoidance of violent actions Hindus and Jains practice this. A monotheistic religion based on achieving enlightenment through meditation. Sanskrit word for teacher Belief in only one God Sikhism is a monotheistic religion.
5.1 Origins of Hinduism Essential Question: How do India s rich history and culture affect the world today? Big Idea: Hinduism, the largest religion in India today, developed out of ancient Indian beliefs and practices. A. Indian Society Divides As Aryan society became more complex, their society became divided into groups, mostly organized by people s occupation. Strict rules developed about how people of different groups could interact. According to the Vedas, there were four main varnas, or social divisions. They were: Brahmins priests Kshatriyas rulers and warriors Vaisyas farmers, craftspeople, and traders Sudras laborers and nonaryans Brahmins were the highest rank because they performed rituals for the gods. Rules became stricter, and each varna was divided into even more castes, or groups. This caste system divided Indian society into groups based on a person s birth, wealth, or occupation. A person s caste determined where they belonged/ranked in society, but a caste s value could change depending on wealth or power. On rare occasions, people could change their caste. Over time, women s rights were limited. Later, a group that did not belong to any caste developed. They were called untouchables, and they could only hold certain, often unpleasant, jobs. To keep the groups separate, the Aryans developed sutras, or guides, which listed all the rules for the caste system. People who broke the rules could be banned from their homes and castes, which would make them untouchables. Because of these rules, people spent almost all of their time with others in their same caste.
B. Brahmanism Because Aryan priests were called Brahmins, their religion is often called Brahmanism. Aryan religion was based on the Vedas. There are four Vedas, each containing sacred hymns and poems. The oldest of the Vedas, the Rigveda, includes hymns of praise to many gods. Over the centuries, Aryan Brahmins wrote down their thoughts about the Vedas, creating writings called the Vedic texts. One collection of Vedic texts describes Aryan religious rituals. A second collection describes secret rituals that only certain people could perform. The final collection of Vedic texts, the Upanishads, are reflections on the Vedas by religious students and teachers. C. Hinduism Develops The Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Vedic texts began to blend with ideas from other cultures, creating a religion called Hinduism, the largest religion in India today. Hindus believe in many gods, but they believe that all gods are aspects of a single universal spirit called Brahman. Three aspects of Brahman are particularly important to Hinduism Brahma, the Creator, Siva, the Destroyer, and Vishnu, the Preserver. Hindus believe that each person has a soul, or atman, that holds their personality. Hindus also believe a person s ultimate goal should be to reunite that soul with Brahman, the universal spirit, by seeing through the illusion of the world. In order to do this successfully, Hindus believe that souls are born and reborn many times, each time in a new body. This process of rebirth is called reincarnation. The type of form a person is reborn into depends on his/her karma, the effects that good or bad actions have on a person s soul. Evil actions built bad karma, and good actions built good karma. Depending on your karma, you were either reborn into a higher or lower caste. In time, good karma brings salvation, or freedom from life s worries and the cycle of rebirth. This salvation is called moksha. Hinduism taught that each person had a dharma, or set of spiritual duties, to fulfill. Fulfilling one s dharma required accepting one s position in life. By teaching people to accept their positions, Hinduism helped preserve the caste system.
D. Groups React to Hinduism Although it was widely followed, not everyone in India agreed with the beliefs of Hinduism. One religion that developed from Hinduism is known as Jainism, which is based on the teachings of a man named Mahavira. Mahavira thought Hindus put too much emphasis on rituals. Instead, he came up with four principles to live life by: Injure no life Tell the truth Do not steal Own no property Jains believe that everything is alive and part of the cycle of rebirth. Because of this, Jains practice nonviolence, (ahimsa) the avoidance of violent actions. Hindus also practice nonviolence, or ahimsa. Since they don t want to hurt living things, Jains do not make animal sacrifices, nor do they eat any food that comes from animals. Centuries later, a religion called Sikhism was founded by the Guru Nanak. This man and teacher was raised a Hindu, but was not satisfied with the religion s teachings. He blended Hinduism with ideas from other religions to create Sikhism, a monotheistic religion. Being monotheistic, Sikhs only believe in one God, who has no physical form, but can be sensed in the creation. Their ultimate goal is to reunite with God after death by meditating and trying to achieve enlightenment over many lifetimes. Therefore, Sikhs also believe in reincarnation. Sikhism teaches that people should live truthfully, treating all people equally, regardless of gender, social class, or any other factor. Sikhs pray several times a day. They re expected to wear five items at all times as signs of their religion: long hair a small comb a steel bracelet a sword
Main Idea #1: Indian society divided into distinct groups under the Aryans. Q: What were the four varnas? A: The four varnas are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras. Q: What were some rules described in the sutras? A: People couldn t marry, or eat with anyone from a different class. Q: What could happen to someone who broke caste rules? A: Someone who broke the caste rules could be banned from their home and caste, which would make them an untouchable. Main Idea #2: The Aryans practiced a religion called Brahmanism. Q: What is the Rigveda? A: The Rigveda is the oldest of the Vedas and contains a collections of hymns and praises to many gods. Q: When was Rigveda probably written? A: The Rigveda was probably written before 1000 BC. Q: How did the Upanishads differ from other Vedic texts? A: The Upanishads were reflections on the Vedas written by religious students and teachers. Q: Why did priests place sacrifices into a fire? A: Priests believed that fire would carry the sacrifice to the gods.
Main Idea #3: Hinduism developed out of Brahmanism and influences from other cultures. Q: According to Hindu belief, what are the three major forms of Brahman? A: The three forms of Brahman are Brahman, the Creator, Siva, the Destroyer, and Vishnu, the Preserver. Q: What led to the development of Hinduism? A: The blending of Brahmanism and religious ideas from other cultures. Q: How may believing that this world is merely an illusion affect one s behavior? A: Answers will vary. Q: What is karma? A: Karma is the effects that good or bad actions have on a person s soul. Q: How may the role of women in traditional Hinduism be connected to the history of Aryan varnas? A: N/A Q: Do you think a wealthy Brahmin would want his or her servants to believe in dharma? Why or why not? A: Answers may vary, although servants would be more likely to accept their fate in life if they believed in dharma. Main Idea #4: The Jains and Sikhs reacted to Hinduism by breaking away to form their own religions. Q: On whose teachings were Jainism and Sikhism based? A: Jainism was created by Mahavira, and Sikhism was created by Guru Nanak. Q: How did Jainism differ from Hinduism? A: The Hindus put an emphasis on religious rituals, but Jains put an emphasis on nonviolence. Q: Why do Sikhs carry special objects with them at all times? A: Sikhs carry special objects with them as symbols of their religious faith.
Reading Checks Q #1: How did a person become a member of a caste? A: A person became a member of a caste through birth, wealth, or occupation. Q #2: What are the Vedic texts? A: The Vedic texts are sacred hymns and poems, collections of writings by Aryan Brahmins. Q #3: What determined how a person would be reborn? A: A person s karma determined how he/she would be reborn. Q #4: Why do Jains avoid eating meat? A: Jains avoid eating meat because they don t want to hurt living creatures.