Chapter 7 Quizlet
http://quizlet.com/3234446/china-chapter-7-flash-cards/
Chapter 7 Summary
Chapter 7
· The Qin defeated other regional states over the course of perhaps a century, until by 221 B.C.E. they could rightfully claim to have established a unified empire, the first in China’s History.
· The Great Wall of China begun in 214 B.C.E
-Administrative Power:
-Qin Shi Huangdi ruled through a bureaucracy.
· Confucius and his disciples canonized five of China’s earliest historical texts:
- The Book of Documents
- The Book of Changes
- The Book of Songs
- The Spring and Autumn Annals
- Rites and Rituals
· Rejecting Confucianism, the Qin favored a philosophy of government known as LEGALISM.
· The second, in 124 B.C.E. the most powerful and longest lived of the Han rulers, Wudi or Emperor Wu, the Martial Emperor, established an elite imperial academy to teach specially selected scholar-bureaucrats the Wisdom of Confucius.
· Confucian scholars, both male and female, began to establish principles of conduct for women.
-Buddhism reaches China
· Merchants sponsored Buddhist monasteries, convents, and cave temples along the silk routes between India and China.
Qin Dynasty
· Qin Dynasty- ended centuries of fighting among the warring dynasties of north China that began with the decline of the Zhou Dynasty and lasted through the period of the Warring States
· 221 B.C.E- rightfully established a unified empire (1st in China’s history)
Military Power and Mobilization
· Book of Songs- suggests the constant nature of warfare in early China
· Qin Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu
· 1st Qin emperor- Qin Shi Huangdi
· Qin mobilized tens of thousands of men for enormous public works projects
· After conquering other states in northern China, they fortified and linked the defensive walls that had been constructed by local rulers into the 1500-mile Great Wall of China in 7 years with a work force of one million laborers
· 1974- archaeologists digging near Qin’s mausoleum discovered a ceramic army of some 700 life-sized soldiers and horses, arranged in military formation and armed with bronze weapons, spears, longbows, and crossbows
· 1976- a second excavation uncovered an additional 1400 chariots and cavalrymen
Summary Paragraph on Qin
Qin Dynasty was the first unified empire. The Qin Dynasty taking over china ended many years of constant wars that were going on. The first ruler was Qin Shi Huangdi. He is well known for being the first, and also his tomb discovered in 1974. A tomb which comprised of 7000 life sized ceramic soldiers and horses in military formation well armed with many weapons. The Qin started irrigation for the first time in china. The Qin ruled through a bureaucracy. The Qin are best known for starting the build of the Great Wall. Legalism and Confucianism collided during the Qin Dynasty. Many Confucian books were burned, and 460 scholars were buried alive. The Mandate of Heaven philosophy started during this period. During the Qin Shi Huangdi ruling period, many people were sent to fight the Xiongnu over the years.
Qin Dynasty
· Qin Dynasty- ended centuries of fighting among the warring dynasties of north China that began with the decline of the Zhou Dynasty and lasted through the period of the Warring States
· 221 B.C.E- rightfully established a unified empire (1st in China’s history)
Military Power and Mobilization
· Book of Songs- suggests the constant nature of warfare in early China
· Qin Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu
· 1st Qin emperor- Qin Shi Huangdi
· Qin mobilized tens of thousands of men for enormous public works projects
· After conquering other states in northern China, they fortified and linked the defensive walls that had been constructed by local rulers into the 1500-mile Great Wall of China in 7 years with a work force of one million laborers
· 1974- archaeologists digging near Qin’s mausoleum discovered a ceramic army of some 700 life-sized soldiers and horses, arranged in military formation and armed with bronze weapons, spears, longbows, and crossbows
· 1976- a second excavation uncovered an additional 1400 chariots and cavalrymen
Economic Power
· Qin- Built canals and river transport system (Wei River system & Min River system)
· Qin also captured the richest sources of iron ore and two of China’s best ironworking facilities
Administrative Power
· Qin divided empire into 40 administrative units-commanderies
· Each commanderies was staffed with 3 leading officials: a civil authority, a military authority, and an inspector representing the emperor
Competing Ideologies of Empire
· China’s history reflects a profound concern with the conflicts over the philosophy and ideology of empire
· these ideologies and philosophies emerged in the late Zhou period “Period of Warring States
· 3 schools of thought- Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism
· Confucianist principles- peace, dignity, and personal cultural development
· Confucian belief- good officials(men of jen(humanity, benevolence, virtue, culture)= good government
· Book of Documents- collection of various statements of early kings and their ministers
· Book of Changes- the 1 Ching, which details methods of predicting the future through casting sticks
· Book of Songs- 305 poems relating to everyday life
· Spring and Autumn Annals- contains brief chronologies from Lu, Confucius’ home state
· Rites and Rituals- combines both philosophies and rituals of the court
· Analects- large body of interpretation and commentary grew up around each of these texts
· Qin Dynasty did not accept Confucius’ teachings
· accepted in the Han Dynasty
· No record that Confucius wrote down his own teachings
· Legalism(rejected Confucianism) characterized be strict laws and strict enforcement
· Daoism(Taoism)- philosophy of spontaneity in the face of nature and the cosmos
· Laozi- founder of Daoism and author of Daodejing(“The Way and the Power”)
· “Let the state be small, and the people be few”- diminishes the need for government
· Daoism can be viewed as a rejection of Confucian principles
· many Chinese embraced both Confucianism and Daoism, allowing the former the shape their public lives, while gaining solace from the latter in their private lives
· prime minister, Li Si- argued that the administration of the Qin was far superior to the government of any earlier time
· Li Si recommended that the Confucian classics be collected and burned so that the past could no longer be held up as an alternative to present policies in 213 B.C.E. the Qin burned the books
· as Confucian scholars continued to oppose Qin Shi Huangdi, the emperor had 460 scholars buried alive
Mandate of Heaven
· Throughout Chinese history, rebels against an emperor would claim evidence of his having lost the “mandate”
Fall of the Qin Dynasty
· 210 B.C.E- Qin Shi Huangdi died
· The Qin had oppressed to its breaking point the nation and its peasantry, 90% of population who were tax payers served in the armies, built the public works projects, and the women who supported all these projects through their work at home
· the final crisis began when the emperor sent several hundreds of thousands of these peasants to fight the Xiongnu in the far north and northwest on both sides of the Great Wall
· the fight over the succession to Qin Shi Huangdi’s throne destroyed the dynasty
· 206 B.C.E- rebel leader Liu Bang emerged victorious and established the Han dynasty
Confucian Bureaucracy
· Confucian notion of the importance of tradition and continuity prevailed over Legalist idea of discounting the past
· 124 B.C.E- Emperor Wu established an elite imperial academy to teach specially selected scholar-bureaucrats the wisdom of Confucius and its applicability to problems of governance
· Confucian scholars, both male and female, began to establish principles of conduct for women
Military Power and Diplomacy
· Han emperors were less militaristic than the Qin
· government did not dispense with formal legal systems nor did it forsake offensive or defensive warfare
Chapter 7
China
200 BCE-900 CE
Key Topics
· The Qin Dynasty
· The Han Dynasty
· Disintergration and Reunification
· Imperial China
· warring states c. 481-221 BCE
· ended centuries of fighting among the warring dynasties in 221 BCE
· first unified empire in Chinese history
· lasted only a few years
· armed force fundamental in the Qin's conquest
· Qin conquered North China
· defeated the Xiongnu (Hsiungna)
· defeated some Yue tribes in the south
· first Qin ruler-Qin Shi Huangdi (r.221-210) had terra cotta army in his tomb
· Great Wall of China-25 ft high and wide, 1500 mile long, served as signaling stations, warning of the approach of mobile enemies
· 3000 BCE-war chariot invented
· 2000-first armor
· c.700-warships powered by oars
· 500-crossbows and catapults
· 200-hand held crossbow
· 300 CE-stirrups
· 950-Gunpowder used for signaling and fireworks
· 1250-1300-bronze and iron cannon
· ruled through a bureaucracy
· three schools of thought-Confucianism, Daoism(Taoism), Legalism
· Kong Fuzi (551-479 BCE)- a philosopher and political advisor from Lu in modern Shangdong, sought to reform China by redefining Chinese political and ethical thought
· Book of Documents, Book of Changes, Book of Songs, Spring and Autum Annals, Rites and Rituals
· The Analects-497 verses in twenty chapters
· Mencius(Mengzi) c.371-289 BCE, had an optimistic view od human nature and believed that education would function to bring out the best in people
· Xunzi(Hsun-Tzu) 312-235 BCE, believed that human nature was inherently bad and only through education and participation in rituals would people learn to put needs of society ahead of their private desires.
· legalism-charcterized by strict laws and strict enforcement with rewards for those who observed the laws and swift and appropiate punishmetn for those who broke them
· Qin Shi Huangdi set up inscriptions on stone in various parts of his empire proclaiming his values and policies
· followed many policies of the political philosopher Han Fei Tzu (d.233 BCE)(student of Xunzi)
· Daoism(Taoism) philosophy of spontaneity in the face of nature and the cosmos, a metaphysical philosophy
· Daodejing(the way and it's power)
· Laozi c.604-c.517 BCE
· Daoists believed that untutored simplicity was powering, followed a natural path or order(Dao)
· legalism and Confucianism collided during the Qin Dynasty
· Li Si (Li Ssu) c. 280-208 BCE,argued that the administration of the Qin was far superior to the government of any other time
· Liu Bang(r.206-195 BCE) established the Han Dynasty
· commoner, soldier, perhaps illiterate, died in battle in 195 BCE
· new social and political hierarchy with scholars at the top, followed by farmers, artisans and merchants
· appointment of Sima Tan and then his son Sima Qian as court historians established the tradition of imperial record keeping
· in 124 BCE Wudi(Emperor Wu(r.141-87 BCE) established an elite imperial academy to teach specially selected scholar-bureaucrats the wisdom of Confucious and its applicability to problems of goverance
· Confucian classics basis for promotion in the imperial civil service
· Confucian classes established during the Tang Dynasty(618-907 CE)
· imperial conference of confucian legal scholars at the imperial palace in 51 BCE to codify and establish the principals for applying case law
· this established and consolidated the Chinese legal system
· Ban Zhao (45-116 CE) wrote Admonitions for Women
· Confucious spoke about five important relationships in society: ruler-subject, father-son, husband-wife, older brother-younger brother, friend-friend
· Confucian scholars urged women to be self-sacrificing
· Han standing army numbered between 300,000 and 1,000,000
· the Han were in constant warfare with Xiongnu and other tribes along the Great Wall
· forced open a corridor through Gansu in the direction of Xinjiang(Turkestan)
· resaon to open markets for silk in the west, secure a supply of horses for military
· for regulating foreign affairs they created "tributary system"
· the Han emperor Wu(r.141-87 BCE) created the new official position of Grand Historian od the Han Court
· Sima Tan(d.110 BCE) father of Sima Qian
· Sima Qian(145-85 BCE) one of the greatest of all historians
· Both son and father transformed their task from one of writing dynastic chronoligies to one of evaluating the quality of governments and rulers
· they created the art of Chinese history
· Shi Qi, 130 chapters recounting the history of China from mythological times almost to his own
· Ban Biao(3-54 CE)added tens of chapters of "Supplementary Chronicles" and his son Ban Gu (32-92 CE) wrote the Han Shu ("History of the Han Dynasty")
· Gansu corridor served as an access rout and emperor Wu garrisoned it with 700,000 soldiers.
· rebellions against the Chinese settlers erupted in 86,83, and 28-25 BCE
· earliest preserved census taken in China in 2 CE
· second preserved census taken 138 years later in 140 CE showed decline of 10 million people from about 58 million to about 48 million
· Xiongnu and Tibetan massacres and floods from the Yellow River contributed to losses
· Chinese strength-crossbow
· Mongol and Tibetan strength-calvary
· Han rulers encouraged the expansion of China's iron industry
· developed technique of liquefying iron and pouring it into molds to produce cast iron and later steel
· new inventions in mining
· tapping of natural gas increased wealth and productivity
· 57 BCE Chinese silk had reached Rome
· Emperor Wu altered coinage, confiscated the land of the nobility,sold offices and titles, and increased taxes. Established government monopolies and took over part of the grain trade
· Confucianists opposed the policy of costly military expansion and the government plan to take over businesses in order to finance it
· they distrusted businessmen as self-seeking and corrupt
· 9 CE the Han temporarily fell from power because there was no clear successor
· 1 BCE the eight-year old Emperor Ping inherited the throne
· Wang Mang appointed to run the government while the boy was a minority
· Ping died in 9 CE
· Wang Mang became the de facto ruler declaring himself founder of a new dynasty
· the later Han dynasty 23-220 CE made alliances with the barbarians
· sinicization-adoption and absorbtion by foreign peoples of the Chinese language, customs, and cultures
· moved the capital from Chang'an eastward to the less exposed city of Luoyang
· Zhang Jue, a Doaist healer proclaimed that a new era would begin with the fall of the Han, launched a rebellion, called the Yellow Turban
· On the fall of the han Dynasty, China divided into three seperate states: the Wei in the north, the Wu in the south, and the Shu in the west
· Sui Dynasty(581-618) founded by Emperor Wen (Yang Chien)(r.581-604)
· Sui fell after overextending itself militarily and economically
· Tang Dynasty (618-907)
· extended China's reign to truely imperial dimensions
· 754 Imperial Academy, the Han-Lin Yuan(the Forest of Pens)
· first block printing
· first true porcelain
· development of both water and windmills
· 659 first pharmacopoeia
· Three most famous Tang Poets: Wang Wei (701-762) connected to Buddhism, Li Bai(Li Bo) (701-761) connected to Daoism, Du Fu(Tu Fu) (712-770) connected to Confucianism
· China stood united for a continuous period of more than 14 centuries
· Qin Dynasty- ended centuries of fighting among the warring dynasties of north China that began with the decline of the Zhou Dynasty and lasted through the period of the Warring States
· 221 B.C.E- rightfully established a unified empire (1st in China’s history)
Military Power and Mobilization
· Book of Songs- suggests the constant nature of warfare in early China
· Qin Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu
· 1st Qin emperor- Qin Shi Huangdi
· Qin mobilized tens of thousands of men for enormous public works projects
· After conquering other states in northern China, they fortified and linked the defensive walls that had been constructed by local rulers into the 1500-mile Great Wall of China in 7 years with a work force of one million laborers
· 1974- archaeologists digging near Qin’s mausoleum discovered a ceramic army of some 700 life-sized soldiers and horses, arranged in military formation and armed with bronze weapons, spears, longbows, and crossbows
· 1976- a second excavation uncovered an additional 1400 chariots and cavalrymen
Summary Paragraph on Qin
Qin Dynasty was the first unified empire. The Qin Dynasty taking over china ended many years of constant wars that were going on. The first ruler was Qin Shi Huangdi. He is well known for being the first, and also his tomb discovered in 1974. A tomb which comprised of 7000 life sized ceramic soldiers and horses in military formation well armed with many weapons. The Qin started irrigation for the first time in china. The Qin ruled through a bureaucracy. The Qin are best known for starting the build of the Great Wall. Legalism and Confucianism collided during the Qin Dynasty. Many Confucian books were burned, and 460 scholars were buried alive. The Mandate of Heaven philosophy started during this period. During the Qin Shi Huangdi ruling period, many people were sent to fight the Xiongnu over the years.
Qin Dynasty
· Qin Dynasty- ended centuries of fighting among the warring dynasties of north China that began with the decline of the Zhou Dynasty and lasted through the period of the Warring States
· 221 B.C.E- rightfully established a unified empire (1st in China’s history)
Military Power and Mobilization
· Book of Songs- suggests the constant nature of warfare in early China
· Qin Dynasty defeated the Xiongnu
· 1st Qin emperor- Qin Shi Huangdi
· Qin mobilized tens of thousands of men for enormous public works projects
· After conquering other states in northern China, they fortified and linked the defensive walls that had been constructed by local rulers into the 1500-mile Great Wall of China in 7 years with a work force of one million laborers
· 1974- archaeologists digging near Qin’s mausoleum discovered a ceramic army of some 700 life-sized soldiers and horses, arranged in military formation and armed with bronze weapons, spears, longbows, and crossbows
· 1976- a second excavation uncovered an additional 1400 chariots and cavalrymen
Economic Power
· Qin- Built canals and river transport system (Wei River system & Min River system)
· Qin also captured the richest sources of iron ore and two of China’s best ironworking facilities
Administrative Power
· Qin divided empire into 40 administrative units-commanderies
· Each commanderies was staffed with 3 leading officials: a civil authority, a military authority, and an inspector representing the emperor
Competing Ideologies of Empire
· China’s history reflects a profound concern with the conflicts over the philosophy and ideology of empire
· these ideologies and philosophies emerged in the late Zhou period “Period of Warring States
· 3 schools of thought- Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism
· Confucianist principles- peace, dignity, and personal cultural development
· Confucian belief- good officials(men of jen(humanity, benevolence, virtue, culture)= good government
· Book of Documents- collection of various statements of early kings and their ministers
· Book of Changes- the 1 Ching, which details methods of predicting the future through casting sticks
· Book of Songs- 305 poems relating to everyday life
· Spring and Autumn Annals- contains brief chronologies from Lu, Confucius’ home state
· Rites and Rituals- combines both philosophies and rituals of the court
· Analects- large body of interpretation and commentary grew up around each of these texts
· Qin Dynasty did not accept Confucius’ teachings
· accepted in the Han Dynasty
· No record that Confucius wrote down his own teachings
· Legalism(rejected Confucianism) characterized be strict laws and strict enforcement
· Daoism(Taoism)- philosophy of spontaneity in the face of nature and the cosmos
· Laozi- founder of Daoism and author of Daodejing(“The Way and the Power”)
· “Let the state be small, and the people be few”- diminishes the need for government
· Daoism can be viewed as a rejection of Confucian principles
· many Chinese embraced both Confucianism and Daoism, allowing the former the shape their public lives, while gaining solace from the latter in their private lives
· prime minister, Li Si- argued that the administration of the Qin was far superior to the government of any earlier time
· Li Si recommended that the Confucian classics be collected and burned so that the past could no longer be held up as an alternative to present policies in 213 B.C.E. the Qin burned the books
· as Confucian scholars continued to oppose Qin Shi Huangdi, the emperor had 460 scholars buried alive
Mandate of Heaven
· Throughout Chinese history, rebels against an emperor would claim evidence of his having lost the “mandate”
Fall of the Qin Dynasty
· 210 B.C.E- Qin Shi Huangdi died
· The Qin had oppressed to its breaking point the nation and its peasantry, 90% of population who were tax payers served in the armies, built the public works projects, and the women who supported all these projects through their work at home
· the final crisis began when the emperor sent several hundreds of thousands of these peasants to fight the Xiongnu in the far north and northwest on both sides of the Great Wall
· the fight over the succession to Qin Shi Huangdi’s throne destroyed the dynasty
· 206 B.C.E- rebel leader Liu Bang emerged victorious and established the Han dynasty
Confucian Bureaucracy
· Confucian notion of the importance of tradition and continuity prevailed over Legalist idea of discounting the past
· 124 B.C.E- Emperor Wu established an elite imperial academy to teach specially selected scholar-bureaucrats the wisdom of Confucius and its applicability to problems of governance
· Confucian scholars, both male and female, began to establish principles of conduct for women
Military Power and Diplomacy
· Han emperors were less militaristic than the Qin
· government did not dispense with formal legal systems nor did it forsake offensive or defensive warfare
Chapter 7
China
200 BCE-900 CE
Key Topics
· The Qin Dynasty
· The Han Dynasty
· Disintergration and Reunification
· Imperial China
· warring states c. 481-221 BCE
· ended centuries of fighting among the warring dynasties in 221 BCE
· first unified empire in Chinese history
· lasted only a few years
· armed force fundamental in the Qin's conquest
· Qin conquered North China
· defeated the Xiongnu (Hsiungna)
· defeated some Yue tribes in the south
· first Qin ruler-Qin Shi Huangdi (r.221-210) had terra cotta army in his tomb
· Great Wall of China-25 ft high and wide, 1500 mile long, served as signaling stations, warning of the approach of mobile enemies
· 3000 BCE-war chariot invented
· 2000-first armor
· c.700-warships powered by oars
· 500-crossbows and catapults
· 200-hand held crossbow
· 300 CE-stirrups
· 950-Gunpowder used for signaling and fireworks
· 1250-1300-bronze and iron cannon
· ruled through a bureaucracy
· three schools of thought-Confucianism, Daoism(Taoism), Legalism
· Kong Fuzi (551-479 BCE)- a philosopher and political advisor from Lu in modern Shangdong, sought to reform China by redefining Chinese political and ethical thought
· Book of Documents, Book of Changes, Book of Songs, Spring and Autum Annals, Rites and Rituals
· The Analects-497 verses in twenty chapters
· Mencius(Mengzi) c.371-289 BCE, had an optimistic view od human nature and believed that education would function to bring out the best in people
· Xunzi(Hsun-Tzu) 312-235 BCE, believed that human nature was inherently bad and only through education and participation in rituals would people learn to put needs of society ahead of their private desires.
· legalism-charcterized by strict laws and strict enforcement with rewards for those who observed the laws and swift and appropiate punishmetn for those who broke them
· Qin Shi Huangdi set up inscriptions on stone in various parts of his empire proclaiming his values and policies
· followed many policies of the political philosopher Han Fei Tzu (d.233 BCE)(student of Xunzi)
· Daoism(Taoism) philosophy of spontaneity in the face of nature and the cosmos, a metaphysical philosophy
· Daodejing(the way and it's power)
· Laozi c.604-c.517 BCE
· Daoists believed that untutored simplicity was powering, followed a natural path or order(Dao)
· legalism and Confucianism collided during the Qin Dynasty
· Li Si (Li Ssu) c. 280-208 BCE,argued that the administration of the Qin was far superior to the government of any other time
· Liu Bang(r.206-195 BCE) established the Han Dynasty
· commoner, soldier, perhaps illiterate, died in battle in 195 BCE
· new social and political hierarchy with scholars at the top, followed by farmers, artisans and merchants
· appointment of Sima Tan and then his son Sima Qian as court historians established the tradition of imperial record keeping
· in 124 BCE Wudi(Emperor Wu(r.141-87 BCE) established an elite imperial academy to teach specially selected scholar-bureaucrats the wisdom of Confucious and its applicability to problems of goverance
· Confucian classics basis for promotion in the imperial civil service
· Confucian classes established during the Tang Dynasty(618-907 CE)
· imperial conference of confucian legal scholars at the imperial palace in 51 BCE to codify and establish the principals for applying case law
· this established and consolidated the Chinese legal system
· Ban Zhao (45-116 CE) wrote Admonitions for Women
· Confucious spoke about five important relationships in society: ruler-subject, father-son, husband-wife, older brother-younger brother, friend-friend
· Confucian scholars urged women to be self-sacrificing
· Han standing army numbered between 300,000 and 1,000,000
· the Han were in constant warfare with Xiongnu and other tribes along the Great Wall
· forced open a corridor through Gansu in the direction of Xinjiang(Turkestan)
· resaon to open markets for silk in the west, secure a supply of horses for military
· for regulating foreign affairs they created "tributary system"
· the Han emperor Wu(r.141-87 BCE) created the new official position of Grand Historian od the Han Court
· Sima Tan(d.110 BCE) father of Sima Qian
· Sima Qian(145-85 BCE) one of the greatest of all historians
· Both son and father transformed their task from one of writing dynastic chronoligies to one of evaluating the quality of governments and rulers
· they created the art of Chinese history
· Shi Qi, 130 chapters recounting the history of China from mythological times almost to his own
· Ban Biao(3-54 CE)added tens of chapters of "Supplementary Chronicles" and his son Ban Gu (32-92 CE) wrote the Han Shu ("History of the Han Dynasty")
· Gansu corridor served as an access rout and emperor Wu garrisoned it with 700,000 soldiers.
· rebellions against the Chinese settlers erupted in 86,83, and 28-25 BCE
· earliest preserved census taken in China in 2 CE
· second preserved census taken 138 years later in 140 CE showed decline of 10 million people from about 58 million to about 48 million
· Xiongnu and Tibetan massacres and floods from the Yellow River contributed to losses
· Chinese strength-crossbow
· Mongol and Tibetan strength-calvary
· Han rulers encouraged the expansion of China's iron industry
· developed technique of liquefying iron and pouring it into molds to produce cast iron and later steel
· new inventions in mining
· tapping of natural gas increased wealth and productivity
· 57 BCE Chinese silk had reached Rome
· Emperor Wu altered coinage, confiscated the land of the nobility,sold offices and titles, and increased taxes. Established government monopolies and took over part of the grain trade
· Confucianists opposed the policy of costly military expansion and the government plan to take over businesses in order to finance it
· they distrusted businessmen as self-seeking and corrupt
· 9 CE the Han temporarily fell from power because there was no clear successor
· 1 BCE the eight-year old Emperor Ping inherited the throne
· Wang Mang appointed to run the government while the boy was a minority
· Ping died in 9 CE
· Wang Mang became the de facto ruler declaring himself founder of a new dynasty
· the later Han dynasty 23-220 CE made alliances with the barbarians
· sinicization-adoption and absorbtion by foreign peoples of the Chinese language, customs, and cultures
· moved the capital from Chang'an eastward to the less exposed city of Luoyang
· Zhang Jue, a Doaist healer proclaimed that a new era would begin with the fall of the Han, launched a rebellion, called the Yellow Turban
· On the fall of the han Dynasty, China divided into three seperate states: the Wei in the north, the Wu in the south, and the Shu in the west
· Sui Dynasty(581-618) founded by Emperor Wen (Yang Chien)(r.581-604)
· Sui fell after overextending itself militarily and economically
· Tang Dynasty (618-907)
· extended China's reign to truely imperial dimensions
· 754 Imperial Academy, the Han-Lin Yuan(the Forest of Pens)
· first block printing
· first true porcelain
· development of both water and windmills
· 659 first pharmacopoeia
· Three most famous Tang Poets: Wang Wei (701-762) connected to Buddhism, Li Bai(Li Bo) (701-761) connected to Daoism, Du Fu(Tu Fu) (712-770) connected to Confucianism
· China stood united for a continuous period of more than 14 centuries
Chapter 8 Summary
In chpter 8, the India subcontinent, written texts, Indian empire, the leaders, the Hunas and the decline of the empire.
India Subcontinent
-Considered to be a subcontinent because of its large amount of space and nautural borders.
-No historical record of the people who came to India before 3000 BCE. Though we know they arrived from a variety of approaches
-British traders and ruler had an important impact on the subcontinent, but they did not stay
-The British were the only ones to rule the whole region as a unified empire in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
Aryans
-The harappan civilization started in the Indus Valley at about 2500 BCE
--Started to fade in 1500 BCE
-Immigrants known as Aryans began to arrive
--The Aryans spoke Indo-Aryan languages
--Speculated to be from central Asia, the Iranian plateau, and even Europe
--The Aryans migrated slowly eastward, eventually making it to the Ganges valley in 1000 BCE
Written Texts
-Vedas
--Rigveda
Samaveda
yajurveda
Atharva Veda
-Brahmanas-composed during the Vedic Period (1500-500 BCE)
--Gave instructions on rituals and sacrifices
-Upanishads-composed during the Vedic Period (1500-500 BCE)
--Deals with mystical speculation
-Puranas - also known as legends or folk tales
--From the earliest times that were collected and written down between 500 BCE and 500 CE
--Contains genealogical lists of rules from before the first humans were born
-Mahabharata and the Ramayana- Two great epics of India
--Provides valuable information on social structures, the ways of life, and the time they were written
--The Mahabharata is the longest single poem in the world
--The story is centered on a great civil war fought between two branches of the same family
--The Ramayana has many versions and the story tells of a mythical god-king Rama's victory over Ravana, the demon king of Sri Lanka, who had kidnapped Rama's wife
--There are no purely historical written records in Indian history
States
-The Aryans built a new urban civilization and formed new states
-By 700-600 BCE political groupings known as Janapadas began to emerge
-The leadership was centered in specific family lineage
Indian Empires
-Maurya Empire - Maurya family succeeded the throne of Magadha in 324 BCE
-Rulers
--Chandragupta Maurya (r. c. 321-297 BCE) - the founder, conquered much of Northern India
--Bindusara (r.c. 297-c. 272 BCE) - the son of Chandragupta, expanded the empire further
--Asoka (r. c. 265-238 BCE) Son of Bindusara, brought the empire to its greatest extent
-Asoka converted to Buddhism because he could not take the killing and chaos
-Gupta Empire- Acquired power in the Ganges valley in 320 BCE through a fortunate marriage
-Rulers
--Chandra Gupta I (r. 320-c. 330)-came from a dynasty of no historical fame. he named himself after the founder of the Maurya Empire
--Samudra Gupta (r. c. 330-c.380)- One of India's greatest military conquerors.
--Chandra Gupta II (r. c. 380-c. 415) - The son of Samudra, conquered Shakas and annexed western India
--Kamara Gupta (r. c. 415-455)- The fourth emperor who ruled over an empire at peace
-The Gupta rule and influence are considered to be India's "golden age"
-In the fifth century CE, the empires power began to decline
The Hunas
-Huna presence disrupted intenational trade and reduced Gupta's wealth
-Turkic and Persian armies defeated the main Huna in Bactria.
-The Huna invasions were short lived but had a considerable impact on India
-The Hunas weakened the Gupta Empire
-The Hunas indirectly enriched India's population pool.
India Subcontinent
-Considered to be a subcontinent because of its large amount of space and nautural borders.
-No historical record of the people who came to India before 3000 BCE. Though we know they arrived from a variety of approaches
-British traders and ruler had an important impact on the subcontinent, but they did not stay
-The British were the only ones to rule the whole region as a unified empire in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
Aryans
-The harappan civilization started in the Indus Valley at about 2500 BCE
--Started to fade in 1500 BCE
-Immigrants known as Aryans began to arrive
--The Aryans spoke Indo-Aryan languages
--Speculated to be from central Asia, the Iranian plateau, and even Europe
--The Aryans migrated slowly eastward, eventually making it to the Ganges valley in 1000 BCE
Written Texts
-Vedas
--Rigveda
Samaveda
yajurveda
Atharva Veda
-Brahmanas-composed during the Vedic Period (1500-500 BCE)
--Gave instructions on rituals and sacrifices
-Upanishads-composed during the Vedic Period (1500-500 BCE)
--Deals with mystical speculation
-Puranas - also known as legends or folk tales
--From the earliest times that were collected and written down between 500 BCE and 500 CE
--Contains genealogical lists of rules from before the first humans were born
-Mahabharata and the Ramayana- Two great epics of India
--Provides valuable information on social structures, the ways of life, and the time they were written
--The Mahabharata is the longest single poem in the world
--The story is centered on a great civil war fought between two branches of the same family
--The Ramayana has many versions and the story tells of a mythical god-king Rama's victory over Ravana, the demon king of Sri Lanka, who had kidnapped Rama's wife
--There are no purely historical written records in Indian history
States
-The Aryans built a new urban civilization and formed new states
-By 700-600 BCE political groupings known as Janapadas began to emerge
-The leadership was centered in specific family lineage
Indian Empires
-Maurya Empire - Maurya family succeeded the throne of Magadha in 324 BCE
-Rulers
--Chandragupta Maurya (r. c. 321-297 BCE) - the founder, conquered much of Northern India
--Bindusara (r.c. 297-c. 272 BCE) - the son of Chandragupta, expanded the empire further
--Asoka (r. c. 265-238 BCE) Son of Bindusara, brought the empire to its greatest extent
-Asoka converted to Buddhism because he could not take the killing and chaos
-Gupta Empire- Acquired power in the Ganges valley in 320 BCE through a fortunate marriage
-Rulers
--Chandra Gupta I (r. 320-c. 330)-came from a dynasty of no historical fame. he named himself after the founder of the Maurya Empire
--Samudra Gupta (r. c. 330-c.380)- One of India's greatest military conquerors.
--Chandra Gupta II (r. c. 380-c. 415) - The son of Samudra, conquered Shakas and annexed western India
--Kamara Gupta (r. c. 415-455)- The fourth emperor who ruled over an empire at peace
-The Gupta rule and influence are considered to be India's "golden age"
-In the fifth century CE, the empires power began to decline
The Hunas
-Huna presence disrupted intenational trade and reduced Gupta's wealth
-Turkic and Persian armies defeated the main Huna in Bactria.
-The Huna invasions were short lived but had a considerable impact on India
-The Hunas weakened the Gupta Empire
-The Hunas indirectly enriched India's population pool.
Chapter 8 Summary
Aryan Settlers come into India and from there settled into the Ganges valley around 1,000B.C.E.
How do we know this
Vedas
The Vedas (earliest existing source is one of the four Vedas Rigveda (written in Sanskrit in 1500 B.C.E) The three others are the Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharva Veda
Nahabharata and the Ramayana were written in about 1000 B.C.E this tells us about their social structures and traditions
Organized Governments
The first forms of organized government came along in about 700 B.C.E. and were organized into small states called janapadas
These were controlled by family groups and extended family groups
By 500 B.C.E. the four strongest groups (Magadha
Magadha was beginning to emerge over all of the imperial states around 300 B.C.E. and ruled from the Bay of Bengal to the Deccan peninsula in the south
They ruled over their lands with family lineage
Asoka
He was India’s first Buddhist priest who expanded his empire through military conquestHe dies in 238 B.C.E. and after this no one was able to hold the empire after him. After years of conquest and intertribal warfare they were invaded by an outside force.
How do we know this
Vedas
The Vedas (earliest existing source is one of the four Vedas Rigveda (written in Sanskrit in 1500 B.C.E) The three others are the Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharva Veda
Nahabharata and the Ramayana were written in about 1000 B.C.E this tells us about their social structures and traditions
Organized Governments
The first forms of organized government came along in about 700 B.C.E. and were organized into small states called janapadas
These were controlled by family groups and extended family groups
By 500 B.C.E. the four strongest groups (Magadha
Magadha was beginning to emerge over all of the imperial states around 300 B.C.E. and ruled from the Bay of Bengal to the Deccan peninsula in the south
They ruled over their lands with family lineage
Asoka
He was India’s first Buddhist priest who expanded his empire through military conquestHe dies in 238 B.C.E. and after this no one was able to hold the empire after him. After years of conquest and intertribal warfare they were invaded by an outside force.
Chapter 9 Summary
SPODEK Chapter 9
Summary
Spodek Chapter 9 discusses two important and major beliefs: Hinduism and Buddhism.
Hinduism began in the Indus Valley.
Common beliefs include: reincarnation, Puja (prayer), dharma, and karma.
The Veda is the most sacred Hindu scriptures. Others include the Upanishads, Brahamanas, and the Great Epics.
Hinduism has attained several temples or shrines usually with a symbolic god, where prayer and worship takes place. A main goal of the belief if to break Samsara, (reincarnation) so your soul may find its place.
Buddhism originated in India and was founded by Siddartha Gautama.
Buddhism follows the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths.
The main goal in Buddhism is to reach Nirvana or enlightenment.
Buddhism teaches that life is suffering, and in order to reach Nirvana, all attachments and desires must be let go within you.
Summary
Spodek Chapter 9 discusses two important and major beliefs: Hinduism and Buddhism.
Hinduism began in the Indus Valley.
Common beliefs include: reincarnation, Puja (prayer), dharma, and karma.
The Veda is the most sacred Hindu scriptures. Others include the Upanishads, Brahamanas, and the Great Epics.
Hinduism has attained several temples or shrines usually with a symbolic god, where prayer and worship takes place. A main goal of the belief if to break Samsara, (reincarnation) so your soul may find its place.
Buddhism originated in India and was founded by Siddartha Gautama.
Buddhism follows the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths.
The main goal in Buddhism is to reach Nirvana or enlightenment.
Buddhism teaches that life is suffering, and in order to reach Nirvana, all attachments and desires must be let go within you.
CHAPTER 9 Summary
Chapter 9 – Hinduism and Buddhism
EXAMINING RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
― religions rise from the experiences told about by their founders or early teachers
∙ experiences = miracles
― when religion is combined with politics, group boundaries occur
∙ “them” vs. “us”
― religion makes sacred . . .
∙ time – calendar, life cycle
∙ space – where people were born and died, shrines, centers, origins of the religion
∙ language & literature – sacred texts and tongues
∙ art & cultural creativity – music and art are used to convey religion’s message
∙ family & ancestors – family, both members dead and alive, are important and respected
∙ organization – ranges from strict hierarchy to loose association
HINDUISM
― began before recorded time
― no specific founder
― evolved from experiences of the peoples of India
Origins of Hinduism
― Indus River Valley civilizations
― Hindu gods adopted from tribal traditions
― Hinduism easily absorbed by invading Aryans in 1700 – 1200 BCE
Sacred Geography
― India
― most important shrines:
∙ Somnath
∙ Haridwar and Rishikesh on Ganges River
∙ Puri
∙ Kanya Kumare (Cape Comorin)
― pilgrimage to all shrines provides “Bharat Darshan” – a view of all India
∙ helps unify Hinduism
∙ helps unify India
Central Beliefs
― flexible
― generally up to individual to decide who and how to worship
― sacred texts provide set of beliefs that are widely accepted
∙ The Rigveda: 1500 and 1200 BCE – collection of 1028 verses of Sanskrit poetry that speculate on creation and meaning of life, introduces caste system
∙ The Brahmanas: 900 to 500 BCE – sets out rules for Brahmins (priests), including procedures for worship
∙ The Upanishads: 800 to 500 BCE – mystical speculation on life, introduced life cycle
› atman = the soul of each individual
› Brahman (not to be confused with the Brahmin caste) = the universal spirit
› samsara = endless cycle of reincarnation
› Dharma = religious & ethical duties (different according to caste status)
› karma = set of activities of everyone’s status and their affects on one’s atman
› Basically: follow the Dharma, and your karma will be good. Once you have good karma, you will be released from samsara and your atman will be released to join with the Brahman
› life cycle:
~ brahmacharya – youth, for studying and celibacy
~ gruhasta – householder, for raising a family
~ vanaprastha – forest-wandering, for reflection on life
~ sannyasin – mediator, for preparing for death
~ moksha – the union of one’s atman with Brahman
Caste System
― introduced in the Rigveda
― a mythical creature named Purusha was divided
∙ his mouth became the Brahmin (priest) caste
∙ his arms became the Rajanya or Kshatriya (warrior) caste
∙ his thighs became the Vaishyas (the upper working class)
∙ his feet became the Shudra (lower working class)
― caste status is hereditary
― each caste had different legal laws
― castes did not mix
Gods & Goddesses
―
These are the Trinity, the great forces of life
Bhahma – creator god, 4 heads and arms
― Vishnu – preserving god, 9 incarnates
― Shiva – destroyer god
― Ganesh – god of luck, elephant head
― Kali – goddess of death, Shiva’s consort, black and 4-armed
― Krishna – god of war and love, Vishnu’s 8 incarnate, blue
― Rama – god of virtue, reason, and chivalry
― Sitala – goddess of mothers and children
The Great Epics
― Ramayana – story of the god Rama and the civil war between the branches of the Bharatas family
― Mahabharata – includes Bhagavad-Gita, presents moral conflict and the choices one must take
BUDDHISM
― stemmed from Hinduism, in India
― differences from Hinduism:
∙ had a founder: Siddartha Gautama (born 563 BCE), known as the Buddha after his enlightenment
∙ has set of originating scriptures:
› Tripitaka – describes proper conduct of Buddhist monks and nuns, and describes the Buddha
› The Mahayanas
› Milindapanha – describes the philosophy of Buddhism
∙ Buddha’s Four Noble Truths
― Four Noble Truths:
∙ suffering is always present in life
∙ desire is the cause of suffering
∙ freedom from suffering can be achieved in nirvana (enlightenment)
∙ the Eightfold Path leads to nirvana
― 2 sects of Buddhism:
∙ Theravada Buddhism – original, believes in only the Buddha
∙ Mahayana Buddhism – split from Theravada, believes that there are many different Buddhas, called bodhisattvas, each with their own separate heavens
― Buddhism began to lose power in India around the decline of Gupta Empire in 550 CE: the decline meant drastic economical and social change, and Indians wanted the security of the caste system (because although one cannot move up the system, one also cannot move down)
Buddhism in China
― arrived by 65 CE on the Silk Route
― flourished during middle of Tang Dynasty (which lasted from 618 to 907)
― declined drastically under the temple destruction of Emperor Wuzong (r. 840 – 846)
― never regained former glory, and still remains a small percentage of Chinese religions
Buddhism in Japan
― arrived from China in 552 CE
― became popular when accepted by Prince Shotoku Taishi (r. 573 – 621)
― mixed with Japanese nature-worship and Shintoism
― remains popular today
Buddhism Study guide for Chapter 9
Origins and Core beliefs
Originated in India with Siddhartha Gautama in 563 B.C. Short version: Siddhartha lives a sheltered life because his father hears a prophecy that he will become a great emperor or a religious leader and is hoping that Siddhartha will become the former. Upon his first contact with the outside world Siddhartha sees great pain and suffering so he abandons his family and wealth to go after a solution to suffering. He meditates under a tree in Bodh Gaya for 49 days until reaching enlightenment and becoming Buddha (He who has awakened)
After this enlightenment Buddha develops the principles for enlightenment and reaching nirvana (state of blissful nothingness [their version of heaven]) Four noble truths and the eightfold path
Truths: 1) Life is full of sorrow
2) Our desires and wants fuel the rise of sorrow
3) Passions and want must be eliminated to stop sorrow
4) The eightfold path leads to the stopping of sorrow
Eightfold path
1) Right Views
2) Right Resolve
3) Right Speech
4) Right Conduct
5) Right Livelihood
6) Right Effort
7) Right Recollection
8) Right Meditation
583 B.C. Buddha dies
Buddhism rejected the caste system, did not acknowledge any kind of God, but was consistent with Hindu ideals of maya, samsara, moksha
Gained strength in India because of the support of the kings of Magadha and Koshala
Sangha (order of monks) excepted men from all castes (this was the major conflict with Hindus and Brahmins) wore saffron robes and had shaved heads.
Mahayana Buddhism
Series of councils takes place every so often after the death of Buddha. Split formed over the argument of whether Buddha was a man or a God
Counter to Mahayana was Theravada (Doctrine of the elders)
Mahayana means The Greater Vehicle and has bodhisattvas (those on the verge of nirvana who stay behind to give advice) to help.
Religious merit can be given from one person to another.
Amitabha Buddha resides in heaven as something of a father figure
Maitreya Buddha is a messianic figure, a suffering servant who will come to redeem humanity.
Mahayana Buddhists use Sanskrit (language of the Brahmins and elites) Theravadas use Pali a more common dialect
Failure in India
Most of the support for Buddhism comes from Kshatriya rulers and vaishya business men, which dried up with the fall of the Gupta empire in 320-550 B.C. as well as with the shift of the basic population back to Hinduism.
Buddhism then moves to China along the Silk Road in 65 B.C. where it butts heads with Doaists and Confucians. It does not rise to power in China until the fall of the Han dynasty and see tremendous growth with the Tang Dynasty. Both Daoism and Buddhism grow to support each other as Buddhism later does in Japan with Shintoism. A later resurgence in Confucian ideals and government leads to an immense purge of Buddhists in China under the Tang Emperor Wuzong who kills or exiles nearly 250,000. Buddhism never recovers its numbers in China after that and then moves on to Japan in 552 A.D. Under the Japanese emperor Shotoku who writes a new constitution that aides it. Later Buddhism helps unify Japan in 710. Later evolves into Zen Buddhism with the arrival of the priest Saicho who helps construct thousands of monasteries in Japan SPODEK Chapter 9
Summary
Spodek Chapter 9 discusses two important and major beliefs: Hinduism and Buddhism.
Hinduism began in the Indus Valley.
Common beliefs include: reincarnation, Puja (prayer), dharma, and karma.
The Veda is the most sacred Hindu scriptures. Others include the Upanishads, Brahamanas, and the Great Epics.
Hinduism has attained several temples or shrines usually with a symbolic god, where prayer and worship takes place. A main goal of the belief if to break Samsara, (reincarnation) so your soul may find its place.
Buddhism originated in India and was founded by Siddartha Gautama.
Buddhism follows the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths.
The main goal in Buddhism is to reach Nirvana or enlightenment.
Buddhism teaches that life is suffering, and in order to reach Nirvana, all attachments and desires must be let go within you.
EXAMINING RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
― religions rise from the experiences told about by their founders or early teachers
∙ experiences = miracles
― when religion is combined with politics, group boundaries occur
∙ “them” vs. “us”
― religion makes sacred . . .
∙ time – calendar, life cycle
∙ space – where people were born and died, shrines, centers, origins of the religion
∙ language & literature – sacred texts and tongues
∙ art & cultural creativity – music and art are used to convey religion’s message
∙ family & ancestors – family, both members dead and alive, are important and respected
∙ organization – ranges from strict hierarchy to loose association
HINDUISM
― began before recorded time
― no specific founder
― evolved from experiences of the peoples of India
Origins of Hinduism
― Indus River Valley civilizations
― Hindu gods adopted from tribal traditions
― Hinduism easily absorbed by invading Aryans in 1700 – 1200 BCE
Sacred Geography
― India
― most important shrines:
∙ Somnath
∙ Haridwar and Rishikesh on Ganges River
∙ Puri
∙ Kanya Kumare (Cape Comorin)
― pilgrimage to all shrines provides “Bharat Darshan” – a view of all India
∙ helps unify Hinduism
∙ helps unify India
Central Beliefs
― flexible
― generally up to individual to decide who and how to worship
― sacred texts provide set of beliefs that are widely accepted
∙ The Rigveda: 1500 and 1200 BCE – collection of 1028 verses of Sanskrit poetry that speculate on creation and meaning of life, introduces caste system
∙ The Brahmanas: 900 to 500 BCE – sets out rules for Brahmins (priests), including procedures for worship
∙ The Upanishads: 800 to 500 BCE – mystical speculation on life, introduced life cycle
› atman = the soul of each individual
› Brahman (not to be confused with the Brahmin caste) = the universal spirit
› samsara = endless cycle of reincarnation
› Dharma = religious & ethical duties (different according to caste status)
› karma = set of activities of everyone’s status and their affects on one’s atman
› Basically: follow the Dharma, and your karma will be good. Once you have good karma, you will be released from samsara and your atman will be released to join with the Brahman
› life cycle:
~ brahmacharya – youth, for studying and celibacy
~ gruhasta – householder, for raising a family
~ vanaprastha – forest-wandering, for reflection on life
~ sannyasin – mediator, for preparing for death
~ moksha – the union of one’s atman with Brahman
Caste System
― introduced in the Rigveda
― a mythical creature named Purusha was divided
∙ his mouth became the Brahmin (priest) caste
∙ his arms became the Rajanya or Kshatriya (warrior) caste
∙ his thighs became the Vaishyas (the upper working class)
∙ his feet became the Shudra (lower working class)
― caste status is hereditary
― each caste had different legal laws
― castes did not mix
Gods & Goddesses
―
These are the Trinity, the great forces of life
Bhahma – creator god, 4 heads and arms
― Vishnu – preserving god, 9 incarnates
― Shiva – destroyer god
― Ganesh – god of luck, elephant head
― Kali – goddess of death, Shiva’s consort, black and 4-armed
― Krishna – god of war and love, Vishnu’s 8 incarnate, blue
― Rama – god of virtue, reason, and chivalry
― Sitala – goddess of mothers and children
The Great Epics
― Ramayana – story of the god Rama and the civil war between the branches of the Bharatas family
― Mahabharata – includes Bhagavad-Gita, presents moral conflict and the choices one must take
BUDDHISM
― stemmed from Hinduism, in India
― differences from Hinduism:
∙ had a founder: Siddartha Gautama (born 563 BCE), known as the Buddha after his enlightenment
∙ has set of originating scriptures:
› Tripitaka – describes proper conduct of Buddhist monks and nuns, and describes the Buddha
› The Mahayanas
› Milindapanha – describes the philosophy of Buddhism
∙ Buddha’s Four Noble Truths
― Four Noble Truths:
∙ suffering is always present in life
∙ desire is the cause of suffering
∙ freedom from suffering can be achieved in nirvana (enlightenment)
∙ the Eightfold Path leads to nirvana
― 2 sects of Buddhism:
∙ Theravada Buddhism – original, believes in only the Buddha
∙ Mahayana Buddhism – split from Theravada, believes that there are many different Buddhas, called bodhisattvas, each with their own separate heavens
― Buddhism began to lose power in India around the decline of Gupta Empire in 550 CE: the decline meant drastic economical and social change, and Indians wanted the security of the caste system (because although one cannot move up the system, one also cannot move down)
Buddhism in China
― arrived by 65 CE on the Silk Route
― flourished during middle of Tang Dynasty (which lasted from 618 to 907)
― declined drastically under the temple destruction of Emperor Wuzong (r. 840 – 846)
― never regained former glory, and still remains a small percentage of Chinese religions
Buddhism in Japan
― arrived from China in 552 CE
― became popular when accepted by Prince Shotoku Taishi (r. 573 – 621)
― mixed with Japanese nature-worship and Shintoism
― remains popular today
Buddhism Study guide for Chapter 9
Origins and Core beliefs
Originated in India with Siddhartha Gautama in 563 B.C. Short version: Siddhartha lives a sheltered life because his father hears a prophecy that he will become a great emperor or a religious leader and is hoping that Siddhartha will become the former. Upon his first contact with the outside world Siddhartha sees great pain and suffering so he abandons his family and wealth to go after a solution to suffering. He meditates under a tree in Bodh Gaya for 49 days until reaching enlightenment and becoming Buddha (He who has awakened)
After this enlightenment Buddha develops the principles for enlightenment and reaching nirvana (state of blissful nothingness [their version of heaven]) Four noble truths and the eightfold path
Truths: 1) Life is full of sorrow
2) Our desires and wants fuel the rise of sorrow
3) Passions and want must be eliminated to stop sorrow
4) The eightfold path leads to the stopping of sorrow
Eightfold path
1) Right Views
2) Right Resolve
3) Right Speech
4) Right Conduct
5) Right Livelihood
6) Right Effort
7) Right Recollection
8) Right Meditation
583 B.C. Buddha dies
Buddhism rejected the caste system, did not acknowledge any kind of God, but was consistent with Hindu ideals of maya, samsara, moksha
Gained strength in India because of the support of the kings of Magadha and Koshala
Sangha (order of monks) excepted men from all castes (this was the major conflict with Hindus and Brahmins) wore saffron robes and had shaved heads.
Mahayana Buddhism
Series of councils takes place every so often after the death of Buddha. Split formed over the argument of whether Buddha was a man or a God
Counter to Mahayana was Theravada (Doctrine of the elders)
Mahayana means The Greater Vehicle and has bodhisattvas (those on the verge of nirvana who stay behind to give advice) to help.
Religious merit can be given from one person to another.
Amitabha Buddha resides in heaven as something of a father figure
Maitreya Buddha is a messianic figure, a suffering servant who will come to redeem humanity.
Mahayana Buddhists use Sanskrit (language of the Brahmins and elites) Theravadas use Pali a more common dialect
Failure in India
Most of the support for Buddhism comes from Kshatriya rulers and vaishya business men, which dried up with the fall of the Gupta empire in 320-550 B.C. as well as with the shift of the basic population back to Hinduism.
Buddhism then moves to China along the Silk Road in 65 B.C. where it butts heads with Doaists and Confucians. It does not rise to power in China until the fall of the Han dynasty and see tremendous growth with the Tang Dynasty. Both Daoism and Buddhism grow to support each other as Buddhism later does in Japan with Shintoism. A later resurgence in Confucian ideals and government leads to an immense purge of Buddhists in China under the Tang Emperor Wuzong who kills or exiles nearly 250,000. Buddhism never recovers its numbers in China after that and then moves on to Japan in 552 A.D. Under the Japanese emperor Shotoku who writes a new constitution that aides it. Later Buddhism helps unify Japan in 710. Later evolves into Zen Buddhism with the arrival of the priest Saicho who helps construct thousands of monasteries in Japan SPODEK Chapter 9
Summary
Spodek Chapter 9 discusses two important and major beliefs: Hinduism and Buddhism.
Hinduism began in the Indus Valley.
Common beliefs include: reincarnation, Puja (prayer), dharma, and karma.
The Veda is the most sacred Hindu scriptures. Others include the Upanishads, Brahamanas, and the Great Epics.
Hinduism has attained several temples or shrines usually with a symbolic god, where prayer and worship takes place. A main goal of the belief if to break Samsara, (reincarnation) so your soul may find its place.
Buddhism originated in India and was founded by Siddartha Gautama.
Buddhism follows the Eightfold Path and Four Noble Truths.
The main goal in Buddhism is to reach Nirvana or enlightenment.
Buddhism teaches that life is suffering, and in order to reach Nirvana, all attachments and desires must be let go within you.