India

Pre-Classical Age of India from 3700-3100 B.C.E

What you're about to view is collection of information from pre-classical age showing India’s strong past evidence through figures and the Harappan scripts has well has city of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. Also you’re about to see the beginning of Mathematics in India.

Anthropomorphic

This Anthropomorphic Figure was found in the Indus Valley and dates from 1500-1300 B.C, according to the Cleveland Museum of Art website. The people of the Indus valley may have used this artifact for farming or as a weapon. This artifact shows us the metal work of the Bronze Age of ancient India. The people of Indus Valley traded their metal work and food with Egypt and Mesopotamia. The People of the Indus Valley did not spend much of their time on public art. They were also known for their engineering and planning for their cities. we may not know what it was used for, but it shows their metal working skills.

Anthropomorphic Figure c. 1500-1300 B.C.Cleveland Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2017.

http://www.clevelandart.org/art/2004.31?collection_search_query=ancient+India&op=search&form_build_id=form-lXihn7GGeYOyNKYRsXrpXJABXYB_d6yDX2E16ISiE48&form_id=clevelandart_collection_search_form

                          Stamp seal and modern impression 

unicorn and incense burner

This image is called Stamp Seal and modern impression unicorn and incense burner (?)(question mark in original). According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it was used as a mark of ownership during 2600-1900 B.C. The scripts on the stones are still untranslated. This artifact was created by the people of Harappan and Mohenjo Daro. The artifact was first carved out of soft stone and after firing, it became hard stone. This was an early example of written script of ancient India, which was invented around 2600 B.C.

"Stamp Seal and Modern Impression: Unicorn and Incense Burner (?) | Work of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Met's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
< http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/49.40.1/>

Mohenjo-daro

This is an image of the great ancient city of Mohenjo Daro; according to Mark, it was built during 2600B.C. The original name of the city is still unknown. Various possibilities have been suggested by the finds in Mohenjo Daro. The city is in present day Pakistan. This was one of the biggest cities of the Pre-classical age, and it covered 620 acres of land. The city streets were laid out as a right angle, and it also had drainage system. Mohenjo Daro is one of the greatest examples of ancient Indian architecture and engineering.

 Grjatoi. Mohenjo Daro[photo]. The Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited 08 Nov 2013. web. 24 Mar 2017.
<http://www.ancient.eu/image/2130/>

   Primary source 1

The Rig Veda: Sacrifice as Creation

          The Rig Veda is probably written by someone from Brahman caste during 1500-500 B.C.E. The Rig Veda was the first written readable writing. In Rig Veda, they talk about the creation of life by talking about the sacrifice of God Purusha. The God Purusha is never going to die part of him is in all creatures is and his three parts are in heaven. The God Purusha represents 1000 humans in one god. For example, in Rig Veda it says “Thousands-headed Purusha, thousands-footed—he, having pervaded the earth on all sides, still extended ten fingers beyond it”(Reilly 89).

   

          The God Purusha sacrificed his body for caste and God. His body was divided into four different castes, “His mouth became the Brahman; his two arms were made into the Rajanya; his two thighs the Vaishyas; from his two feet, the Shudra was born”(Reilly 89). The caste was also ranked from top to bottom. On the top it was Brahman and at the bottom it was “untouchable castes” like Vaishyas and Shudra. The Brahman means priest and scholars, Rajanya means warriors and nobles, Vaishyas means herders, farmers, merchants, craftspeople, and Shudra means farm workers, servants, laborers.

          From the other parts of his body different gods and the universe were created. In Rig Veda it says, “The moon was born from the mind, from the eye the sun was born; from the mouth Indra [warrior god] and Agni [fire], from the prana [breath] vāyu [the wind] was born.” The atmosphere and earth was also created by his body, “From the navel was the atmosphere created, from the head the heaven issued forth; from the two feet was born the earth and the quarters (the cardinal direction) from the ear.” 

       Kevin, Reilly. The Rig Veda. 5th ed. Vol. 1. Boston: St.Martin's, 2013. Print.

Primary Source 2

The Upanishads: Karma and Reincarnation

       Brahman and Atman 

           In the Upanishads first they talk about Karma and reincarnation. It means that whatever you do on this earth good or bad you'll face that vibration(Karma) before you die. In the reading they say "As is his desires, such is his resolve; as is his resolve, such the action he performs; what action (Karma) he performs, that he procures for himself."

     In the second Upanishads they talk about Brahman and Atman. The Brahman means place beyond the earth where god and goddess live and Atman is the spirit inside every human being. In the reading they talks about Brahman "All this universe is in the truth Brahman. He is the beginning and end and life of all." They mention the Spirit in reading by saying that "An invisible and subtle essence is the spirit of the whole universe."
       

                Kevin, Reilly. The Upanishads. 5th ed. Vol. 1. Boston: St.Martin's, 2013. Print.

 Secondary source 1

Harappans

The Harappans article was written by Dr. Karen Carr. The website states “She is Associate Professor Emerita, Department of History Portland State University. She holds a doctorate in classical Art and Archaeology.” People lived before Mohenjo Daro and Harappan were called “Mehrgahr people.” She explains that they were the first people to arrive in India around 4000 B.C. The Mehragahr people lived during the Stone Age era. They could have been hunters and gatherers, the same as the different cultures around the world. For example, Carr says in the article “At first they probably got most of their food from fishing and gathering shellfish, like other people around the world.”

     During 4500 B.C. the West Asia people moved into the Indus Valley and mixed with the people living there. They brought seeds with them to grow food like lentils, chickpeas and flax. By 2500 B.C. the Bronze Age had started in Mohenjo Daro and Harappan. The cities were about 250 miles away from each other. The author Carr says that, “They may have learned to make bronze from the Sumerians; they probably traded gold to Iran and Iraq, possibly in exchange for wool cloth.”

• Carr, K.E. Harappans. Quatr.us Study Guides, May 2016. Web. 05 April, 2017

<http://quatr.us/india/history/harappa.htm>

Secondary source 2

The History of Ancient India

The History of Ancient India was published by the Library of Congress. During 2000 B.C. Indo-European people migrated to India and they were known as Aryans. The Aryans spoke an early form of Sanskrit. It had similarities with other cultures during this time period. For example in the reading it says that, “these preliterate pastoralists spoke an early form of Sanskrit, which has close philological similarities to other Indo-European languages, such as Avestan in Iran and ancient Greek and Latin.”

According to the Library of Congress, the word Aryans means “pure and implied the invaders' conscious attempts at retaining their tribal identity and roots while maintaining a social distance from earlier inhabitants.” The archaeologists still don’t have any evidence that Aryans helped with agriculture but the Aryans’ knowledge is the early scripts, which are the texts that form the basics of Hindu religion. The Aryans were known for their skill of riding horses and their knowledge in mathematics and astronomy, which gave them good advantages in the military and technology.
The Aryans brought the new family system in which man holds all the family power. The caste system came from the Aryan age. During the Aryan time period child marriage and exchanging dowry was in practice.  

"The History of Ancient India." Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Ancient History Encyclopedia, 15

Dec. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.

<http://www.ancient.eu/article/294/>

     Secondary source 3

History of Mathematics in India

According to Archaeology Online, mathematics was in India during the Harrapan time as a form of ratio. The people of Harappan may have used ratio to measure thing like fruits and vegetables. But they have used it for building houses and roads also for measuring bronze. For example it says in the article, “Such scales were particularly important in ensuring proper implementation of town planning rules that required roads of fixed widths to run at right angles to each other, for drains to be constructed of precise measurements, and for homes to be constructed according to specified guidelines.”  Harppan people had basic  knowledge of geometry because they used shapes and combined the  shapes.

The mathematics was one of the important part of ancient India. Archaeology Online states from  Vedang Jyotish that, "Just as the feathers of a peacock and the jewel-stone of a snake are placed at the highest point of the body (at the forehead), similarly, the position of Ganit [mathematics] is the highest amongst all branches of the Vedas and the Shastras." The mathematics is on top of our head because it’s everywhere around us. For example in Harrapan society they used draining system and it uses pipes. To make pipes they needed basic knowledge of geometry.

"History of Mathematics in India." Archaeology Online. Archaeology Online, n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2017.
<http://archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/history-mathematics>

The classical age (800 B.C.E.-500 C.E.)

The classical period of Indians past is when literature flourished particularly regarding women as evident through artwork and books like Kamasutra and further development in mathematics and Astronomy. In addition Buddhism flourished during the Mauryan empire giving rise to greco-buddhist art in India.

Fertility Ring figure

The Fertility Ring figure was made during the Maurya Period in 200B.C. After 1,500 years no stone art work  survived in India but during the 3rd century people of Ancient times again stated to make the artwork on stone. This Fertility Ring is one of the earliest works of  art to survive from the ancient time period. If you look closely then you can see, “running animals and imagery pertaining to birth, fertility, and abundance”.

Fertility Ring 200s B.C.Cleveland Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 April. 2017.<http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1977.36?collection_search_query=ancient+India&op=search&form_build_id=form-lXihn7GGeYOyNKYRsXrpXJABXYB_d6yDX2E16ISiE48&form_id=clevelandart_collection_search_form>

Gateway Bracket

This image is of a Gateway Bracket  from Mathura, Kushan period during 200-150B.C. They were found in doorways of religious places. This image shows the role of a woman during this time period, to take care of children and family. As people walk through the doorway, she would clean and nourish them with her mother’s milk.  

Fertility Ring 200s B.C.Cleveland Museum of Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 April. 2017
<http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1977.36?collection_search_query=ancient+India&op=search&form_build_id=form-lXihn7GGeYOyNKYRsXrpXJABXYB_d6yDX2E16ISiE48&form_id=clevelandart_collection_search_form

Krishna killing the horse demon

According to Carr, Krishna killing the horse demon image was made during the Guptan Empire in 400s AD. The god Krishna appears in Indian stories around 300 BC.  Krishna was another form of god Vishnu . There are many stories written on him but one of the imported story is called Mahabharata. In the story he becomes charioteer for Prince Arjun and guides him during the battle. In the story he shows Arjun good and bad according to the dharma.

Carr, K.E. Who is Krishna?. Quatr.us Study Guides, January 2017. Web. 07 April, 2017   <http://quatr.us/india/religion/krishna.htm>

Primary Source

About a Wife

According to the Index the Kama Sutra was written by Mallanaga Vatsyayana during the 2nd CE. This article was published by Burton and translated by “ an Indian archaeologist, Bhagvanlal Indraji and civil servant, Foster Fitzgerald Arbuthnot, with the assistance of a student, Shivaram Pashuram Bhide.” Part 4 “ About a Wife,” chapter I talks about the duties of the wife. In the book, Vatsyayana talks about “virtuous” women and their duties to the husband. One of the requirements of perfect wife is,” The wife should always avoid the company of female beggars, female Buddhist mendicants, unchaste and roguish women, female fortune tellers and witches.” She shouldn’t do anything without her husband's permission so it’s like a prisoner living in a good jail but the officer has all the control over her. In the book the author also talks about how a wife can’t tell her husband if he did something wrong, instead she should take all the blame on her. For example author says, “ In the event of any misconduct on the part of her husband, she should not blame him excessively, though she be a little displeased.” Also she should always use respective language for him and never say anything in front of friends, family or alone. She should always been smiling and can’t express her mood. She should be presentable in her routine. She has to buy things like vegetables and fruits seeds and grow them during specific season of the year also medicine but when they’re cheap(sale). She shouldn’t tell the things that her husband told her to the other people.     In the absences of her husband she should sleep with the elder female of the family and she should do fasts for god. She should wear simple clothes with little ornaments also she should take care of the things that her husband likes. Finally, “And when her husband returns from his journey, she should receive him at first in her ordinary clothes, so that he may know in what way she has lived during his absence, and should bring to him some presents, as also materials for the worship of the Deity.” India was controlled by man and women didn’t had any respect. The women were there to give birth and to take of the house(family). The treatment of women was same during that time period in every cultural.

Vatsyayana, Mallanaga. "The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana." The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana    Index. Richard Burton, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2017.      

 <http://www.sacred-texts.com/sex/kama/index.htm>

Secondary Source 1

History of Mathematics in India

Mathematics also led to Astronomy to understand stars’ positions. Astronomy was important for people traveling for trading because they used stars’ positions to guide them in right direction. Also astronomy helped farmers through building calendar that tells them when to grow which crop. According to Archaeology online it says that, “One of the greatest scientists of the Gupta period - Aryabhatta (born in 476 AD, Kusumpura, Bihar) provided a systematic treatment of the position of the planets in space.” His contributions included an explanation of  how stars’ and the moon shine, as well as lunar and solar eclipses.

According to Archeology Online, “Aryabhatta had a profound influence on the astronomers and mathematicians who followed him, particularly on those from the Asmaka school.” He played extraordinary rule in our understanding of solar system. For example, “his calculations on pi, the circumferance of the earth (62832 miles) and the length of the solar year (within about 13 minutes of the modern calculation) were remarkably close approximations.” To figure out everything he needed a high level of math and calculations that have never been done before.

"History of Mathematics in India." Archaeology Online. Archaeology Online, n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2017. <http://archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/history-mathematics>.

Secondary Source 2

Ashoka

The “Ashoka” article was written by Cristian Violatti and it was published on the Ancient History Encyclopedia website. The website states that “He is a freelance writer, currently studying Archaeology at the University of Leicester, England. He is a regular contributor and one of the editors of Ancient History Encyclopedia.” Ashoka was grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. He lived from 304 to 232 BCE and ruled from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. He was the third king to rule India from Mauryan Empire. The Mauryan Empire was one of the biggest empire in the world during the Classical age. Ashoka was believer of Buddhism and also a role model for other kings. Ashoka ruled a really big population; for example Violatti says, “Under Ashoka India had an estimated population of 30 million, much higher than any of the contemporary Hellenistic kingdoms.”

Violatti further talks about Ashoka’s government. The beginning of Ashoka’s leadership was hard and bad but very effective. He used his miltary power to futher his leadership and harsh punishment for criminals. The place in the kingdom where criminals were sent was called “Ashoka hell,” and no one can come out alive from the prison (Violatti). As time goes he became favorite king of people because he let everyone follow their own religion also respected their religion. He told his office to write the government history on rocks. In the article Cristian Violatti says, “He instructs his officials to help the poor and the elderly, establishes medical facilities for humans and animals, commands obedience to parents, respect for elders, generosity for all priests and ascetic orders no matter their creed, orders fruit and shade trees to be planted and also wells to be dug along the roads so travellers can benefit from them.” Also there were some people who didn’t like what he did. There were four groups of people who didn’t like Ashoka’s rule for not killing animals. The four groups are Brahman, peasants, fisherman and hunters. Whatever the leader does to make the people of a kingdom happy he can’t make everyone happy. After the death of Ashoka the Mauryan empire disappeared.

 Violatti, Cristian “Ashoka,” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified September 02, 2013.

<http://www.ancient.eu/Ashoka/>

The post-classical age (500 C.E.-1300 C.E.)

The post-classical age of India is when Islam and Bhakti started to rise. what you’re about to view is some of the famous temples and mosque images. Also how or in which ways Hindus and Muslims differ from each other. In addition you’re about to view background of poet and their poems. Also some background on famous Delhi Sultanate during post-classical age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfO852OVUqY

This video is about the Somnath temple in Gujarat, India. Some parts of the temple are made from gold. This temple is the first temple of Shiva out of twelve. Lord Shiva is being worshiped in the form of jyothirlinga(rock). Behind the temple is the sea where three different rivers intersect. The carving around the temple has different messages about the history of temple and life.

The story of Somnath temple has been passed from generation to generation from people of Gujarat. This temple has been destroyed many times by different people with the intention of destroying the identity of Hindus and for gold. The current temple was rebuilt seven times. People considered that first Somnath temple was fully built from gold by the moon god. In the current time it’s still in danger because of the value it holds in history and for gold.

Halebid Temple

According to Carr, this is an image of Halebid temple in south India. Halebid temple was built around 1100 AD. The god Shiva was worshipped in this temple. Carr mentions that during ancient time temples had one room and they were rectangular shape. But this temple had five rooms arranged in the shape of stars. Also the whole temple was star shaped rather than rectangular. This temple has only one mandapa (balcony). The carving around the temple represents the Hoysala Kings and stories of Hindu gods(Carr).

• Carr, K.E. Delhi Sultanate Architecture. Quatr.us Study Guides, n.d.. Web. 04 May, 2017.
• <http://quatr.us/india/architecture/muslim.htm>

Quwat ul-Islam

As Carr explains this is an image of Quwat ul-Islam in Delhi, India. Quwat ul-Islam was built during 1196 AD. This was created during the time when Abbasid Empire took over northern India. The Abbasid people were Muslims so they needed mosques(muslim temple) to pray. They destroyed Indian temples and used temple stones to build their mosques(Carr).

• Carr, K.E. Delhi Sultanate Architecture. Quatr.us Study Guides, n.d.. Web. 04 May, 2017.
• <http://quatr.us/india/architecture/muslim.htm>
• 
  

  Primary source 1

How the Hindus Differ from the Muslims

The written “How the Hindus Differ from the Muslims” was written by  Al-Biruni. This written was taken from book called The Heritage of World Civilizations. Al-Biruni was born in northeast Iran. He was famous scientist during the post classical age of India and rise of Islam. During his work in science he also learned Sanskrit and researched on Hindus. He wrote everything that he found about the Hindus in book called History of India. Al-Biruni talks about three differences between Hindus and Muslims that he thinks were the most important topics.

First, Al-Biruni says “they differ from us in everything which other nations have in common.” He says Hindus were different from every cultural during that time period. He first talks about the differences between the languages. The author talks about how difficult it is to learn about Sanskrit because of it is high level of grammar and one word had so many different meanings. His second topic was difference of religion. Al-Biruni says that Muslims believed in nothing and Hindus were completely opposite because they believed in everything. He says that Hindus fight on normal topics with words but they never fought on religious topics. The author also says that Hindus were devoted to their belief and against foreigners who didn’t believe. He says “They consider as impure anything which touches the fire and the water of a foreigner.” This means that anything that was made from fire or water from a foreign country then they shouldn’t accept as a gift but if they do then the person would become impure.

Lastly, Al-Biruni talks about the hate between Hindus and Muslims. He also says that Hindus taught their children that Muslims were bad people and they shouldn’t have any connection with them. The author said that, “with our dress, and our ways and customs, and as to declare us to be devil’s breed.” He also says that the difference was not only between Muslims and Hindus but in every culture during the post-classical time period. The author doesn’t talk about Muslims in the article. He mostly talks about Hindus. But he says in the topic that the article is about the differences between Hindus and Muslims.

Al-Biruni. “How the Hindus Differ from Muslims.” The Heritage of World Civilizations, Ninth ed. Edited by  Albert M. Gaig, William A. Graham, Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment and Frank M. Turner. Pearson Education, 2011. p. 383.   

 Secondary source 1

Mirabai

The article “Mirabai” is written by Lyn Reese. According to the Lyn Reese’s website “She has a BA in history from Mount Holyoke College and masters in history from Stanford University. At the University of California, Berkeley, she completed a year of coursework in social studies methodology.”

According to Lyn Reese  Mirabai or Meera lived during the 16th century. Mirabai was a princess and she belonged from the Rajput family. Mirabai had started worshipping the image of Krishna when she was young. Reese talks about how Mirabai started worshipping Krishna, she says “Her form of worship was influenced by a number of her male relatives who were devotees of a mystical form of Hinduism called Bhakti.” During the time of Mirabai, the phisohephy of Bhakti began to increase. The author gives the definition of Bhakti: "one approached one's god through pure love, without any restrictions of caste, color, or gender. Many Bhakti followers gave up their worldly life and left their families to became wandering teachers or live together in like-minded communities."

Spiritual people used poems to describe their feelings for their chosen god. Mirabai was one of the most famous women in Indian history because of her worship for Lord Krishna.

One of Mirabai’s poem is Meera to Girdhar Gopal. Some of the lines of the poem is

In the poem, Mirabai said that Krishna was the only one who she belongs too and she doesn’t belong to anyone else, not even her parents. She says everyone calls Krishna with different names but for her, it’s only Krishna.  She left her worldly attraction for Krishna. Krishna was everything for Mirabai.

Mirabai got married to prince Bhoj Raj because her family forced her but after her husband's death. Mirabai’s in-laws told her to die with her husband but she refused and said that now she was free to worship her Krishna. Mirabai was the time period when sati practice was used to take place after husband death. Bhakti was the way for women's to escape the world and live a peaceful life.

Reese, Lyn. "Mirabai." Female Hero: Mirabai (Women in World History Curriculum). Women in World History Curriculum, n.d. Web. Apr.-May 2017.

<http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine12.html>.

Life11BlogAdmin. "Meerabai - The 16th Century Saint Poetess of India." Scribble and Scrawl. N.p., 24 Apr. 2017. Web. 07 May 2017.

<http://life11.org/2015/09/04/meerabai-the-16th-century-saint-poetess-of-india/>.

Secondary source 2

Delhi Sultanate in India

The “Delhi Sultanate in India” article was written by Karen Carr. The websites state that “Karen Carr is Associate Professor Emerita, Department of History, Portland State University. She holds a doctorate in Classical Art and Archaeology from the University of Michigan.”

Carr states that that Mamluks had conquered most of northern India. They also conquered the important states of Silk Road. Carr says that “In 1192 AD, the Muslim general Muhammad Ghor finally captured Delhi from the Rajput kings of India and started a dynasty of rulers which, together with some later dynasties, we call the Delhi Sultanate.”  The first dynasty in Delhi after the Rajput Kings was called slave dynasty(Mamluks). During this time period, many northern people were converting to Islam because it was the religion of their new king. In 1290 during the civil war, the Slave Dynasty ended.

According to Carr, after the end of Slave Dynasty new Dynasty came in the northern part of India and they were called Khalji Dynasty. The Khalji Dynasty pushed Mamluks out of the northern India with there some victorious. This was also the time of Delhi Sultanate. Carr says that “when the Sultans in Delhi could reach even the most southern part of India, at least some of the time.” The Delhi Sultanate were a mean and rude king who didn’t care about their kingdom people. Carr mentions “In 1311, a successful plundering invasion captured the Pandya king, Sundara Pandyan, and destroyed several Hindu temples.” The people of Pandyan Kingdom had to pay so much gold and pearls to get back Sundara Pandyan.

Carr, Karen. "Delhi Sultanate." Delhi Sultanate. Quatr.us, 01 July 2016. Web. Apr.-May 2017.

<http://quatr.us/india/history/delhi.htm>.

Conclusion

The information on this blog is paraphrased and quoted from different sources. I also added my knowledge of India.

I learned so many new things while doing this project. Some things were completely new for me to learn. During the Pre-classical and classical age of India, almost every culture blended in because of Indian mathematics, Astronomy, textile and their architecture knowledge. In post-classical age, the Islam conquered India and destroyed many temples. They made their mosque with the rocks of Hindu temples. We learned that during classical age it was not only happening in one country but it was all over the world. During the pre-classical age of India, they don’t mention anything about kings. But during the classical and post-classical period the kings becomes the important figures of India.

The Classical age was most about the Buddhism and less about Hindu god. But during post-classical age, Buddhism disappeared and worship of Hindu God increased in India. Also, the treatment of women changed over time. In Pre-classical and classical age women were used to leaving under male she didn’t have any right to do things. But in the post-classical age, Women’s started to refuse to die with their husband. Also, women started to live by themselves and worship one particular god. Also, pre-classical age was most about caste and sacrifices but the far you get from pre-classical it becomes less in India.

In the West, people adopted yoga and Mediation. They also started becoming vegan because of the eastern influence. They also started believing in Atma and Karma. The Western people started believing in homeopathy medicine(nature medicine) and started to go to east and stayed there for homeopathy medicine.