Chapter 9: State, Society, and the Quest for Salvation in India

Vocabulary

• Maurya: The man that laid the foundation for the Mauryan Empire during the late 320s (B.C.E.). He did this by taking control of small regions and gradually increasing the territory under his control. His full name was Maurya Chandragupta. 

• Ashoka: The grandson of Maurya, who was perhaps the most influential ruler of the Mauryan Empire. He began ruling in 268 (B.C.E.) and continued until 232 (B.C.E.). Ruled via a tightly organized bureaucracy, and stretched his control to almost the entire subcontinent.. Ashoka recognized Buddhist values, and encouraged his people to follow them. 

• Guptas: A people who rose out of the same area as the Mauryan Empire to conquer the subcontinent. Their form of government was more decentralized than the Mauryan Empire, however, and they left control of smaller regions up to the local governments. 

• Mahabharata: One of the great two Indian epics. Portrayed women as weak-willed and emotional beings who praised wives who were subservient and loyal to their husbands. 

• Ramayana: One of the great two Indian epics. Portrayed women as weak-willed and emotional beings who praised wives who were subservient and loyal to their husbands. In this epic in particular, it tells of the woman Sita, who stayed loyal to her husband Rama through many years of hardship, and even some of separation. 

• Caste System: The social stratification system that took place in India. There were four main classes of people within this system. At top were the Brahmins, or the priests and holy men. The next class was known as the Kshatriyas, or the warriors and aristocrats. Second to lowest, were the Vaishyas, or also known as the peasants and the merchants. And the lowest class in the caste system was known as the Shudras, or the serfs. 

• Jati: Jati was part of the caste system, and were in basic principle, the subcastes. These were also known as guilds and were formed when new kinds of aristocrats and merchants came to be. Ironically, the jati were responsible for maintaining much of the social order in India. 

• Jainism: An influential religion that gained in popularity when the great teacher Vardhamana Mahavira converted to it in the late sixth century (B.C.E.). This religion believed that all living beings and non-living objects possessed a soul, and as long as they were trapped in their earthly bodies, they were in constant suffering. 

• Siddhartha Gautama: The founder of Buddhism, born about 563 (B.C.E.). He lived a sheltered, spoiled life and was being raised so that he would replace his father as governor. When his eyes were opened to the real world, however, he decided to leave his family and possessions, to go on a search for spiritual enlightenment, living as a hermit. When he became “enlightened”, or became the Buddha, he began to preach his doctrine. The core of this being the Four Noble Truths. 

• Four Noble Truths: The core of Buddhism’s doctrine states four things. One, “that all life involves suffering”. The second being, “that desire is the cause of suffering”. The third is “that elimination of desire brings an end to suffering”. And lastly, “that a disciplined life conducted in accordance with the Noble Eightfold Path brings the elimination of desire”.

• Nirvana: Simply said, Nirvana was “a state of perfect spiritual independence”. In Buddhism, people believe in reincarnation, but when you reach nirvana, you escape from the cycle of incarnation and reach personal salvation. Nirvana is comparable to Christianity’s heaven.

• Bhagavid Gita: A short poetic work, that literally translates into “song of ` the lord”. This is a part of the religion of Hinduism. This was the work of many people, and its composition date is not known for sure. The Bhagavid Gita is a vital document in Hinduism. 

Focus Question #1

            In what ways did Buddhism “offer revolutionary challenges to the long-established brahminic order?”

            Buddhism challenged the brahminic order because in Buddhism, Brahmins were not recognized as holy men, and Buddhists did not recognize the caste system. Since the Buddhists believe in salvation through meditation and living your life a certain way, Brahmins were not needed to be saved, as they are in Hinduism. Buddhism gained in popularity as well, causing less and less people to recognize Brahmins and offer them food and shelter. This made it harder for Brahmins to get by.

            Buddhism gained in popularity for many reasons, such as the religion’s organization, the support of the Mauryan dynasty, and many other factors. The religion’s organization was important because it allowed the most enthusiastic followers to join in Buddhist communities and searched for enlightenment and salvation. After searching for many years, these monks would go out and preach and explain the Dharma (Buddhism’s holy book) and how to live life as a Buddhist. The Mauryan dynasty was obviously a large factor in Buddhism gaining popularity because the rulers recognized Buddhism and encouraged their people to do so as well through the erection of temples, shrines, and statues. Another factor of the popularity boost in Buddhism was the fact that Buddhist monasteries became important institutions to India and its society because they began to serve as banks for their respective communities, and helped with the organization of land development and land distribution.

Focus Question #2

            The Gupta Empire saw an intensification of the caste system. Describe the caste system in detail and the ways in which it intensified. (social and state)

            The caste system is a system of social stratification in which people are born into different social classes and stuck there for their whole lives. The Indian caste system had four main groups. At the top of this social order were known as the Brahmins, or the priests (Hinduism). The next below the Brahmins, were known as the Kshatriyas, or the warriors and the aristocrats. After the Kshatriyas, it went to the Vaishyas, the peasants and the merchants. And at the bottom of the Indian caste system were the Shudras, also known as the serfs.

            During the Gupta Empire, the caste system was made more complex through the creation of jati, also known as subcastes or more simply put, the division of each caste into further classes. This came about because of India’s trade and industrial activity increased, which in turn caused “new groups of artisans, craftsmen, and merchants” (page 215) to appear. These individuals that took part in these new fields, normally developed into groups called guilds. So the way in which castes were defined were intensified.