320 A.D.
Today I time traveled to the Gupta Empire. The Gupta Empire is located in India; on the Indian subcontinent. The capital during the Gupta Empire was Pataliputra. Surrounding the Gupta Empire were the Himalayan Mountains and the Hindu Kush Mountains. Bodies of water neighboring India during this time period were the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The Gupta Empire was between Burma and Pakistan. The climate was mostly tropical and humid. The people of the Gupta Empire built high houses to accommodate floods. Hindu temples and shrines were built throughout the lands ruled by the Guptas. 410 A.D During this visit, culture was one of my favorite things I learned about. Guptas culture was based on peace and prosperity. The main religion which spread all over India was Hinduism. Although the Gupta rulers practiced Hindu rituals and traditions, it is clear from discoveries that the empire was characterized by religious freedom. Evidence of a Buddhist university within the region is proof of the peaceful coexistence between
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When I traveled to the empire I learned a lot of things about their history. There is so much I could tell you, but I’ll just share some highlights. Peace and prosperity in the Gupta Empire created the period known as the Golden Age of India because it was marked by great inventions and discoveries in science, technology, engineering, art, religion, and mathematics (Wolpert). The main religion in India was Hinduism. Philosophers proposed that the Earth was not flat, but was instead round and rotated on an axis by viewing a lunar eclipses and discoveries about gravity and the planets of the solar system, which they used to tell the horoscopes. The philosophers were influenced by Greeks and Romans. Also the people of the Gupta Empire succeeded in mathematics. Ayodhya, Nasik and Pataliputra became famous for their educational centers. Wars of succession and invasions from the Hunas resulted in the gradual decline of the Gupta
During the time of (31 B.C.E-476 C.E) the Roman Empire had been ruled by a series of Roman emperors who had been increasingly dependent for the highly structured state of bureaucracy. The Gupta/Mauryan during the time of (320 B.C.E-520 C.E.) was by way of imperial power based on family lineage. The roman heartland was centered in Italy even after Italy had been conquered it still stayed at that single peninsula that had been bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Alp Mountains. As for the Mauryan Empire had been located in India but the empire was brought to its greatest extent in the northwest of Afghanistan and to the east for the Bay of Bengal, also for sometime the Deccan peninsula toward the south. The Gupta first began in the Ganges Valley because of a marriage that had proceeded. Rome had more detailed evidence left behind then the Gupta/Mauryan Empires had for personal records. Each of these Empires were able to establish military power, administrative centers, and currency during their time of ruling. A similarity between Rome and the Gupta/Mauryan Empires is they had regulated the language for everyone in their Empires, while a difference is the Roman Empire had centralized power that had caused rebellions to take place, as for the Gupta/Mauryan Empires, it gave more of their power to the local government needs.
Firstly, religion and philosophy greatly affected life in Ancient India. Document A states, “India has been an important part of three major world religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.” These religions change people’s day-to-day lives, because of their beliefs. For example, Hindus life their lives based on their dharma, or their spiritual duties they have to fulfill in their lifetime. Hindus believe that by following their dharma and being a good person, they will establish good karma, which is the effect(s) that good or bad actions have on the soul. By establishing good karma, Hindus believe that they will be born into a better caste, or social division. This will definitely change the way people act, since they will want to be born into a better life in
In the Chinese dynasties; Song and Tang, advancements resulted in improved trade, economy, and art. With inventions such as the compass, paper money, movable parts, and porcelain. In India, the Gupta empire had advancements in math, science, astronomy, and medicine. With inventions like the concept of zero and new innovations in inoculation, metallurgy. Astronomers from India discovered seven planets, along with solar eclipses and the rotation of earth. Along with different developments the two cultures had different religions. In India, depending on the time period, Buddhism and Hinduism were the main religions. In China most people liked confucianism, a system of certain morals. However, these morals often intertwined with morals from Buddhism; like following the middle
For centuries, India was a country of separate dynasties and kingdoms, which often led to a wide variety of cultural and ethnic tensions and continuous change of power for many of the kingdoms. They viewed each other as enemies, which created an opportunity for countries, such as England, to invade and eventually rule much of the country. Britain colonized the Indian subcontinent (present-day countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) from 1757 until 1947 (Iyer 2). Not all areas were directly under British control, in other cases Indian rulers governed them, and power was split between the two (Iyer 2). For the British, India was strategically placed in terms of geography, manpower, natural resources, and land, as well as many other sectors (Maddison 1).
There are many cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated. Hinduism can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization that took place in 4000 BC to 2200 BC. India was a land of diverse cultures, religions, races and ethnicities. Hinduism was the unifying umbrella that brought peace to the land. The belief in Ahimsa or non-violence reduced warfare. In Ancient India, the caste system brought about social order but later this system decayed and gave rise to social ills. Many other cultures and invaders of the region influenced the development of Hinduism over the centuries. When the Indo-Europeans invaded India during 1500 to 500 BC, their religion of Vedas also greatly influenced the indigenous beliefs of Hinduism. Over 80% of Indians still practice Hinduism in modern India. The Hindus brought up in Hindu families are so steeped in the various Hindu traditions from infancy that they are totally imbibed into the Hindu religious system. The sages and seers over the ages held a prominent place in the religious beliefs of the region and their teachings of non-violence, unity, prayers and a life of righteousness have greatly influenced Hinduism.
The Mauryan Empire was a very intriguing empire, with rulers of different beliefs and ways of ruling, as well as antithetical ways that the rulers gained and maintained their power. Important events occurred during this period of time that affected future generations. The Empire’s people mainly had a Buddhist religion. The people of the Mauryan Empire contributed greatly to the fields of art, and architecture. The Mauryan Empire was very important to India’s way of life.
During the era known as the time of the classical civilizations, there were numerous noticeable changes occurring in many civilizations and city-states around the world. In India, China, and Persia in particular, one could see the influence of religion and philosophy on the political and social structure of the time.
I really appreciate how Bilhartz discussed the complexity of the Hindu culture and religion. The first part of the chapter broadened my understanding of Hinduism. I found a couple of things intriguing and one of them was the term the Hindus used to call their religion. The term that many Hindus use to call their religion is Sanatana Dharma, which means Eternal Religion (Bilhartz, 2006, p. 151). The term is significant because the Hindus claim that Sanatana Dharma is "the timeless, eternal truth that is without human origins", which separates it from other world religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam ( Bilhartz, 2006, p. 151).
Buddhism, like most other religions, originated in a particular place at a particular time, and its roots are in forms and ideas that were part of the environment in which it developed. The most important of these areas at the time of the Buddha was the valley of the Ganges river which flows from west to east across most of northern India. It was here that the great religions of India first arose and flourished. Only later did they spread to the south. In the time of the Buddha, about 500 B.C.E., this area was undergoing a period of vigorous religious development.
2 Stein, Burton (2001), A History of India, New Delhi and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pp. xiv, 432,
The Indus Valley Civilization best exemplifies the relationship between the rivers and the development of ancient civilizations. Evidence suggests that the origin of the Indus civilization was intimately tied with the rivers and fertile soil the Valley provided. Archeologists believe that somewhere between 90 and 96 Indus Valley settlements were formed along the rivers such as the Indus. Both Mohenjodaro and Harappa, the civilizations largest settlements, were built along the rivers. With such a close relationship with the cities of the Indus Valley civilization, could a natural disaster have led to the sudden collapse of the civilization?
Faith can be just a definition, and a word, but can it be something more? Is it more than just “confidence or trust in a person or thing?” Does it mean more to the characters and the book of Savitri? Is it important at all to the book? Well, read to find out. In the short story Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India, faith has driven characters’ actions, displayed an important religion, and has taught people lessons. Without faith, impacting decisions the characters make wouldn’t occur, which would make the story completely different! Also, when faith was shown, it taught about Hinduism, which was an impacting part of ancient India. Last, but not least, in the book, faith has taught the main character lessons, which teaches her to be a better person. These are some of the reasons why faith is important, and read on to learn more.
When in 1978 Edward W. Said published his book Orientalism, it presented a turning point in post-colonial criticism. He introduced the term Orientalism, and talked about 2 of its aspects: the way the West sees the Orient and the way the West controls the Orient. Said gave three definitions of Orientalism, and it is through these definitions that I will try to demonstrate how A Passage to India by E. M. Forster is an Orientalist text. First, Said defined Orientalism as an academic discipline, which flourished in 18th and 19th century.
Today, Hinduism stands as India’s primary religion. In fact, India houses 90% of the world’s Hindi population and 79.8% of India’s population follows the Hindu religion, according to the 2011 census. It is thought by some to be the oldest religion in the world and the “eternal law” (Fowler). This culture is truly one as defined by Edward Taylor: “A complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capability and habit acquired by man as a member of society.” In order to have somewhat of an understanding about what the Hindu religion entails, one must study the Hindu conception of God, its basic concepts and key beliefs, as well as symbolism.
The Mughal era, that of an empire filled with incredible wealth and prosperity. Generous patron of the arts, through its influence a huge and diverse culture sprang forth, the product of Indo-Islamic relations throughout the kingdom this culture remains the Mughals legacy. To this day the unique influence of the Mughals on North Indian culture remains present in every aspect of life, from religion, dance, music, art to science and the practices of everyday life.