ANCIENT INDIA AND CHINA

I.) INDIA: UNIFORMITY IN MANY AREAS, BUT NOT POLITICAL

  1. Geography of the Indus and Ganges; the Monsoon
  2. Aristocratic Chariot Warfare of the Nomadic Aryan invaders: Mahabharata
  3. 800 B.C. ff: Aryan Kingdoms, e.g., Magadha, of the Ganges Valley
  4. Vedic Period, 1500-600: Brahminism & cultic sacrifice/devotion
  5. Political and Linguistic Disunity overlay Religious and Cultural Similarities
  6. Caste: Hereditary exclusion based on skin/job/karma; Corporate nature of Caste-Life
    • Transmigration of Individual toward Moksha, e.g., Arjuna's Dilemma in Battle
    • Hindu Worldview(s):: "Life is but a dream" -- Ascetic Mysticism (Upanishads) vs Priestly Powers (Brahmanas) or 'a Drop returns to the Sea' vs Paid Sacrifices; Snippet of the Bagavad Gita

  7. Gautama Buddha, d.485: Message, Teachings, Four Noble Truths/Eightfold Path
    • From Problems of Physical Desires to Solutions to ending Suffering in 8 steps
    • Nature of Buddhist Enlightenment: Another version of Buddha's First Sermon
    • To Do for next class: Buddha's First Sermon (Theory/Practice): Karma as Cause, Consequence & Meaning for Isidasi along with
    • Riley & online: What is life, trouble, future, past, others, and, oh...what is the universe all about?
    • Mahayana Buddhism & the Bodhisattvas; Theraveda Buddhism, and Today
    • Zen Buddhism & a Resource;
    • Jainism, founded by Mahavira, d.468
  • Chandragupta Maurya (324-301): Following Alexander the Great's Conquests
  • Nature of the Dynasty
  • Bindusari, and the Heights of Ashoka, 269-232
  • Later Gupta Empire

II.) CHINA: CONTINUOUS CULTURAL UNIFORMITY

  1. Zhou Dynasty, ca. 1028-221 B.C. (China the Beautiful: Online Resource)
  2. The Mandate of Heaven: One, Virtuous, Universal Emperor
    • Education for Noble sons occured at Court, tying provinces to the throne
  3. 771: Steppe Barbarians sacked W. Chou capital, Wei Valley: E. Chou to 221: Map
  4. Weakened, provinces revolted, Merit over Family: Warring States, 403-221
  5. Ruthless Ch'in, Shi Huang Ti, defeated rival states, Unified China, 230-221
  6. Facilitated long-distance trade; Standardized weights, measures, axle-length roads
  7. The Legalists: Legitimized the Ch'in as a Total Autocrat, no Checks/Balances
  8. Duty of all was to obey the Emperor, no Questions asked; State=All
    • Military Power the main Goal: Coercion the main Method: Great Wall
  9. K'ung Ch'iu (551-479) & a Snippet of the Analects; Hierarchy facilitates social harmony
  10. "To learn and then to apply it -- is that not a profound pleasure?"
    • Life now is the point; striving for and keeping virtue the goal
  11. Taoists & Lao-tzu, ca.500: Return to the uncarved block; 1000 mile-trip begins with 1 step
  12. Actionless Action: No need to sharpen knife if one knows to cut at joints
    • Problem of the Good Ruler inspiring Good actions from the Ruled
  13. The Han Dynasty
  14. Revolt against harsh use of peasants brought Ch'in down, 206
    • Eclectic Confucianism supports government
    • Yin and Yang integrated into Confucian doctrine
    • Han Society: Scholars rated higher than merchants!