(PRE) Classical India Lesson

Classical India Lesson

By 600 b.c.e., India had passed through its formative stage. Indian development during its classical era did not take on the structure of rising and falling dynasties as in China. Patterns in Indian history were irregular and often consisted of invasions through the subcontinent's northwestern mountain passes. As a result, classical India alternated between widespread empires and a network of smaller kingdoms. Even during the era of the smaller kingdoms, both economic and cultural life advanced. The Maurya and Gupta dynasties were the most successful in India, run entirely by Indians and not by outside rulers. The greatest of the Mauryan emperors was Ashoka (269-232 b.c.e.). The Guptas did not produce as dynamic a leader as Ashoka, but they did provide classical India with its greatest period of stability.

 

The Framework for Indian History: Geography and a Formative Period

Important reasons for India's distinctive path lay in geography and early historical experience. India's topography shaped a number of vital features of its civilization. The vast Indian subcontinent is partially separated from the rest of Asia (and particularly from East Asia) by northern mountain ranges. Mountain passes linked India to civilizations in the Middle East. Though it was not as isolated as China, the subcontinent was nevertheless set apart within Asia. The most important agricultural regions are along the two great rivers, the Ganges and the Indus. During its formative period called the Vedic and Epic ages the Aryans, originally from central Asia, impressed their own stamp on Indian culture. During these periods the caste system, Sanskrit and various belief systems were introduced.

 

Political Institutions

Classical India did not develop the solid political and cultural institutions the Chinese experienced, nor the high level of political interest of Greece and Rome. Its greatest features, still observable today, were political diversity and regionalism. The Guptas for example did not require a single language for all their subjects. The development of a rigid caste system lies at the heart of this characteristic. In its own way, the caste system promoted tolerance and allowed widely different social classes to live next to each other, separated by social strictures. Loyalty to caste superseded loyalty to any overall ruler. Religion, particularly Hinduism, was the only uniting influence in Indian culture. 

 

Religion and Culture

Two major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, marked classical India. Hinduism, the religion of India's majority, was unique among world religions in that no central figure is credited for developing it. Hinduism encouraged both worldly and mystical pursuits and was highly adaptable to varying groups. Buddhism was founded on the teachings of an Indian prince, Gautama, later called Buddha, or "enlightened one." Buddha accepted many Hindu beliefs but rejected its priests and the caste system it supported. Buddhism spread through missionaries into Sri Lanka, China, Korea and Japan. Classical India also produced important work in science and mathematics. The Gupta-supported university at Nalanda taught religion, medicine and architecture as well as other disciplines. Indian scientists borrowed ideas from Greek learning provided by Alexander the Great and made important discoveries. The mathematical advancements, including the concept of zero, "Arabic" numerals and the decimal system, were even more important than the scientific advances. Indian artists created shrines to Buddha called stupas and painted in lively colors.

 

Economy and Society

India developed extensive trade both within the subcontinent and on the ocean to its south. The caste system described many key features of Indian society and its economy. The rights of women became increasingly limited as Indian civilization developed; however, male dominance over women was usually greater in theory than in practice. The economy in this era was extremely vigorous, especially in trade, and surpassed that in China and the Mediterranean world. Merchants traded from the Roman Empire to Indonesia and China.

 

In Depth: Inequality as a Social Norm

The Indian caste system, like the Egyptian division between noble and commoner and the Greco-Roman division between free and slave, rests on the assumption that humans are inherently unequal. All classical social systems (with the partial exception of Athens' democracy) played down the importance of the individual and emphasized obligations to family, group, and government. This runs counter to modern Western notions about equality. Classical China and Greece probably came closest to modern views about individuality, but in both civilizations, it was largely expected that rulers should come from society's elites. In nearly all societies throughout most human history, few challenged the "natural order" of social hierarchy and fewer still proposed alternatives.

 

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