How Hinduism Spread during the Mauryan Empire - Essay Example

262238 Write a full complete essay in response to each question Discuss and describe the basic terms and concepts of Hinduism and the relevant castes at it was defined under the Law of Manu during the Mauryan Empire: karma, dharma, Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Sudras, Untouchables, jati, and reincarnation (Brahma). Explain how Hinduism spread during the Mauryan Empire. What are the sacred texts associated with Hinduism? As the civilisation based around the Indus developed so the Hindu religion began and started to evolve. Hinduism developed as a religion in Ancient India, and from that time until the present it has fundamental terms as well as concepts that emphasise the best for its followers to live. It was some time before the terms and concepts fundamental to Hinduism was defined under the Law of Manu during the Mauryan Empire. The Law of Manu made the concepts of karma, dharma, Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Sudras, the Untouchables, jati, as well as Brahma central elements of the Hindu civilisation within Ancient India. When added altogether these concepts and the Law of Manu effectively formed Hindu culture, morality, and religious practices, as well as been the basis of the caste system. At that foundation stage Hinduism, was not linked with any attempt to tightly control the social and economic relationships between everybody within Indian society.1 The Indus civilisation lasted for around a thousand years before it was overrun by the successful incursions of the Aryans. With the Aryans came the caste system that was adopted as part of Hinduism. It was widely believed that this system delayed the development of large cities and meant that the pace of technological developments was slowed down.2 The caste system affected Indian both the social and economic development due to it being used to determine the economic, social, employment, and legal status of all Hindus within the country. The operation of the Hindu caste system did not prevent India from enjoying extensive and lucrative trading links during the Mauriyan Empire. Those trading links stretched as far west as Rome and as far east as China.3 Another reason the caste system has had such a strong influence upon Indian social and economic development was because the ownership of land, as well as the means of production, and the work that people could perform was chiefly determined by the position they were born into. This rigidly adhered to caste system allowed for the concentration of wealth as well as leading to a highly regulated social and economic order. It also arguably meant that people had very little incentive to work harder or increase the rate of production, as they would not be able to improve the social and economic position they had been born into. Without the incentive of being able to improve their social status or economic wealth. The caste system itself was fully developed and put into place during the Mauryan Empire. The main scriptures of Hinduism are the Raymayana and also the Mahabharata.4 2. In the aftermath of Alexander the Greats death, his empire was divided into several successor kingdoms. Briefly describe these states. One of these, Ptolematic Egypt pursued a series of military and bureaucratic policies to enforce state control following initial resistance. Describe this initial Egyptian resistance. Describe the relative degrees of success of these policies. Provide examples and details. The Ptolemaic Period began with the invasion of Ancient Egypt by the Macedonian King Alexander the Great in 333 BC. It is called the Ptolemaic Period as the first Pharaoh of the dynasty was Ptolemy, whom was one of Alexander the Greats most trusted and senior generals. The premature death of Alexander the Great meant that the massive empire that he had conquered so swiftly was divided up between his generals, with Ptolemy apparently quickly securing his control over Egypt. The Egyptians were not all content to have Greek / Macedonian rulers, regarding the death of Alexander the Great as an opportunity to regain their independence. A ruler and a general less astute than the experienced Ptolemy might have in fact lost control of Egypt. Ptolemy managed to convince enough people in Egypt to back his regime not to worry about losing power.5 The Egyptians or at least those in the lower classes and strata of their society were resistant to the spread of the Greek culture, language, and religion. The Egyptian upper classes were apparently less resistant to the Greek ways of their new Macedonian rulers. In reality for Ptolemy the greatest threat to his position in Egypt came from other Macedonians competing to rule as much of Alexander the Great’s empire as possible.6 At first the emergence of the Ptolemaic Period seemed to renew the vitality of Ancient Egypt, as demonstrated by the construction of the new city and port of Alexandra, named after Alexander the Great himself. Alexandra quickly became an extremely busy port and centre for international trade.7 The onset of the Ptolemaic period for a time apparently restored the military standing and status of Ancient Egypt, with the Egyptian armies being based on the weapons, tactics, and strategies of the Macedonians. The problem was that the many wars and conflicts between Alexander the Greats former generals and the territories that they controlled weakened them all in the long-term.8 Ancient Egypt during the Ptolemaic Period managed to maintain its formal independence for longer than Greece, Macedonia, as well as other former parts of the empire built up by Alexander the Great. The Macedonian hegemony over the Middle East and parts of North Africa did not last for long, and the new dominant power would eventually prove to be Rome.9 Inside Ancient Egypt itself the Ptolemaic Period witnessed the Hellenisation of society, or at least the royal and the aristocratic sections of it. For the royal family and the richest sections of ancient Egypt the Greek language, cultural customs, as well as religious practices replaced the long-standing Egyptian language, culture, and religions. However the lower sections of Ancient Egyptian society clung on to their traditional language, cultural customs, and their old religious practices.10 3.) Describe the basic structure what Hellenism was and its impact in the Seleucid Empire how "Greek" was the empire? What resistance and issues did the Greek Seleucid rules confront? What policies did they pursue? How successful were they? Describe the mixing of Greek and local language and practices in the Seleucid Empire? Hellenism was the practice by which the Greeks left Ancient Greeks and established or took over cities and states to run them in the same way as Greek city-states like Athens and Sparta. Hellenism was also a process by which the Ancient Greeks and the Macedonians spread Greek culture, language, and religion across the Middle East, Asia Minor, and the Mediterranean.11 The Selecuid Empire was established by Selecus I Nicator, yet another one of Alexander the Great’s former Macedonian generals. Selecus I Nicator competed with other Macedonian generals to grab territory after the death of Alexander the Great. These Macedonians all fought, governed, and thought in very similar ways. Whenever rulers like Selecus I Nicator and Ptolemy I gained power they set about the Hellenisation of their territories. The territory that Selecus I Nicator gained control of was that of the former Babylonian Empire.12 The Selecuid Empire for many decades had a fierce rivalry with Ptolemaic Egypt, and indeed there were actually six major conflicts between the two states. These conflicts were called the Syrian Wars. The Selecuid Empire was weakened by these conflicts, and was absorbed into the Roman Empire before Ptolemaic Egypt was.13 4.) Discuss the relations between Christians and Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula and the policies of the Umayyad court. What were points of tension and controversy? What were the areas where there was co-existence and tolerance? What was the role of trade in these relations? Provide examples to support your points. The relationship between Christians and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula varied throughout time. Generally the Muslims proved to be more tolerant towards the Christians than the Christians were towards the Muslims. When the Muslims controlled the Iberian Peninsula they allowed their Christian and Jewish subjects’ freedom of religion. When the Christians gained control of Portugal and Spain from the Twelfth century onwards they showed no toleration at all towards Muslims and Jews.14 The Christians had been in the region for nearly four centuries, and Christianity was the dominant religion despite the Muslims arrival in the Iberian Peninsula in the early Eighth century AD. The Muslim invaders of the Iberian Peninsula were not concerned about converting the Christian majority population and the much smaller Jewish population to their Islamic faith.15 Rather the Muslims had a relatively relaxed political regime in the Iberian Peninsula and their period of rule has been generally considered to have a positive impact upon the cultural development of Portugal as well as Spain.16 Read More