Lesson 3 Ancient India

Ancient India is geographically defined as the present-day South Asian subcontinent. Ancient India was the first civilization to emerge from the Indus Valley. The Indus River originated on the Tibetan Plateau, flowed through the territory of present-day Pakistan, and entered the Arabian Sea with abundant water. Early civilizations such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were found there, dating from the 23rd to 18th centuries BCE. These civilizations flourished for a time, but then fell into obscurity for a long time for unknown reasons.

Around 1500 B.C., a nomadic tribe from Central Asia invaded India. They called themselves Aryans and settled in the Indus and Ganges valleys one after another, engaging in agricultural production, and many small states gradually appeared in northern India.

The reign of the Peacock Dynasty (324-187 B.C.) was the heyday of ancient Indian civilization. Except for the southernmost part of the peninsula, India was basically unified. Agriculture and commerce and industry were relatively prosperous, and many central cities of industry and commerce appeared. The capital city of Fahrenheit was one of the most prosperous and populous big cities in the world at that time.

Strict Caste System

After the Aryans entered India, a strict social hierarchy was gradually established, which was called the "caste system". In this system, the highest rank was Brahmin, who was in charge of rituals; the second rank was Kshatriya, who was in charge of military and administrative power; the third rank was Vaishya, who was engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and commerce; and the fourth rank was Shudra, who was mainly composed of conquered inhabitants, engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing and handicrafts, and had to serve the first three ranks. In addition to these four classes, there was the lowest "untouchables", the untouchables, who were discriminated against and humiliated in society.

The caste system had a clear distinction between the classes, which were inherited from generation to generation. People of lower classes were not allowed to engage in occupations of higher classes, and people of different classes were not allowed to intermarry.

Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama

Buddhism was founded in the 6th century BC. The founder, Jodharma Siddhartha, later known as "Siddhartha Gautama," was a prince of the Siddhartha clan in the city of Kāśvara in northern India. It is said that he became a monk at the age of 29, founded Buddhism at the age of 35, and then preached for more than 40 years at the age of 80.

Early Buddhism opposed the caste system and the privileges of the first class of Brahmins, and was thus supported by kings and some rich people. Buddhism proposed that "all beings are equal" and did not reject people of lower castes to join the religion.

After the 3rd century B.C., Buddhism began to spread to other countries. In the 1st century B.C., Buddhism spread through Central Asia to Xinjiang, China, and then to the mainland. Later, it spread to Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Buddhism spread southward through Ceylon to Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia.

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