(Duiker 40-47, 51; Brians 142-145)
Questions about Duiker: *What were the traditional five major castes and what were their functions? *What disadvantages were there in being an untouchable? Why did the caste system survive for so many centuries? *Describe the roles of women in ancient India.
Questions about The Arthashastra: What is one way in which Kautilya advises the king to spy on his subjects? *What practical argument does Kautilya offer the king for supporting poor farmers (“cultivators”)? *In what ways did caste affect the way slaves were to be treated?
Lecture topics:
Arians and Dravidians
Historical background
Caste system
Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Sudras
Hinduism
Major values
The Vedas
Chandragupta Maurya and Kautalya’s Arthashastra
The Guptas
Greek influence
Chart for today’s lecture:
General outline of Indian history:
c. 3000-1500 BCE: | Indus civilization |
c. 1500-500 BCE: | Aryan invasions |
c. 500 BCE-CE 647 | Age of empires |
647-1206 | Hindu principalities and Muslim (Turkic) incursions |
c. 712 | Arab conquest of Sind (present.day SE Pakistan) |
1206-1526 | Delhi sultanate |
1526-1707 | The Great Mughals |
Supplementary materials: