Rigveda

the earliest collection of hyms, ritual texts, and philosophical treaties, it is the central source of information on early Aryans.

Sanskrit

• an Indo-European language which was spoken by the Aryans. 

• raja "ruler"

Aruan "noble" or "pure"

• sugested that the Harappan perhaps even spoke this language early on.

raja 

(pg 34)

• in sanskrit it means "to rule"
• related to the modern English "royal"
• it refers to an Aryan tribal chieftain who led his people into battle and governed them during peacetime.
• (selected chief for their military skills)

Brahmans

Caste system

• the indian system of dividing society into hereditary groups that limited interaction with each other, especially marriage to each other
• Early Aryan society

 Untouchables

• In times some of the outcaste's became "untouchables" because they were "impure"
• Scorned b/c they earned thir living by performing such  "polluting" jobs as slaughtering animals and dressings skins
• early indian society

Varna

•  four strata into which indian society was divided under the caste system. 
• (priests, warriors and officials, merchants artisans, peasants and laborers.) these members cant marry each other

outcastes

• people not belonging to a caste; can be called "untouchables"

Jainism

• founder- Mahavira
• he taught his followers to live ascetic lives, avoid doing harm to any living thing, and renounce evil thoughts and actions.
• monks
• even rocks had souls
• vegetarians and nudity
• Influenced Gandi's mother èmartin Luther King jr.

   

Four Noble Truths

• the buddha's message that pain and suffering are inescapable parts of life; suffering and anxiety are caused by human desires and attachhments; people can understand and triumph over these weaknesses; and the triumph is made possible by following a simple code of conduct.

Eightfold Path

• the code of conduct, set forth by the Buddha in his first sermon, which began with "right conduct"and eventually reached "right contemplation."

Buddha

• "the enlightened one"
• he reached enlightenment--that is, he gained perfect insight into the processes of the universe.
• preached his first sermon of the Four Noble Truths Eightfold Path