UNIT 2 – SOUTH, NORTH, CENTRAL ASIA

Chapter 7 – Indian Civilization

South, North, and Central Asia share histories of a dominant cultures like the
Aryans, Mongols, and religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam.
The Indian Subcontinent are:
 India
 Pakistan
 Bangladesh
 Sri Lanka
 Himalayan Kingdoms
 Indian Ocean Islands
South Asia
Land and People
South Asia is the southern peninsula of the Asian continent or the Indian
Subcontinent. The subcontinent is a huge triangular peninsula in South Asia,
surrounded by China and Himalayan mountain range on the north, Indian Ocean on
the south, Middle East to the west, and Southeast Asia in the east. The Indian
Subcontinent got its name from the Indus valley civilization, one of the world’s
oldest civilization.
Geography and climate have influenced the rise and fall of civilization in Southern
Asia. The three geographical factors are Himalayas, the rivers (Indus and
Ganges), and the Khyber Pass. Himalayas isolate the Indian subcontinent from
the rest of Asia, keeping hostile forces. Indus and Ganges rivers shaped the
foundations of early Indian civilization and make their land livable. Khyber Pass
and Indian Ocean are the passages for contact with the outside world.
Moonsoon winds & rains are life-giving or life threatening part of life in South

and Southeast Asia. The moonsoon marks the seasons, wet or dry, hot or cold,
planting and harvesting, feast or famine.
South Asia is the home to over one-fourth if the world population (1.6 million
people). Making the most densely populated region in the world. It has the highest
child malnutrition rate, half of child deaths every year. According to the Global
Hunger Index Report, the low status of women results in the prevalence of
malnourished children and child deaths. Huge gaps between rich and poor condemn
most (70%) of the people to poverty, yet it has 4th largest economic market, due to
a huge population.

South Asia and East Asia

 But before we carry on, it might be worth asking, why the East Asian
civilizations of China and Japan, especially the continuing empire of China, had little
or no contact with the Indian civilization, considering the antiquity of both. The
Maurya dynasty welded the first subcontinental empire in India close to the time
that the Qin empire unified China, yet both players in the Asian world did not know
about the other.
Why did India, China, and Japan not know each other in antiquity?
1. It is because of the isolation of the Indian peninsula by the Himalayas
mountain range and expanse of the Indian Ocean.
2. The Indian civilization was not notable for maritime adventures, unlike the
Chinese and Japanese.
3. ancient India existed a strange belief that if Hindu crossed the seas, he
would lose his religion or his soul.
Early History
From 5500 to 1300 BC an early Neolithic to bronze age civilization developed
around the Indus River in what is now Pakistan, west India, and parts of
Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The ruins of ancient cities such as Mohendro -
Daro and Harappa show that these ancient people built brick homes, with sewers
and drainage. They have also developed art, writing, counting and irrigation for
their crops.
The Indus Valley people were among the first to develop a system of time
and uniform weights and measures. Early clay seals show the swastika, a symbol
as iconic in later religions such as Hinduism and Jainism, and German Nazi myths.
Along with neighboring areas of Asia, they abandoned their cities around
1700 BC due to climate change. Weakening of monsoon rains brought drier, hotter
climate that dried up their rivers. It is believed that Dravidians today are the
descendants of the Indus Valley. About 200 million dark -skinned Dravidians live in
Tamil areas of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Indus Valley civilization lived on
throughout the region in some form or other, yet they are not well regarded, as
seen in the three-decade civil war in Sri Lanka.
Aryan Vedic Era
The collapse of the bronze age Indus Valley was followed by the Aryan Vedic iron
age period (1500-500 BC), which extended over much of the north Ganges.
 They spoke Sanskrit and founded kingdoms in the fertile plains of North India.
 They gave the Vedas, Sanskirt language and caste system.
 Prewar Germany Nazis, adapted the cult of superiority of the Aryan race to
suit them but with tragic consequences.
This era laid the foundation of three religions;
• Hinduism,
 • Jainism,
• Buddhism
• As well as cultural traits of early Indian peninsula
Hinduism
India’s main religion, Hinduism is one of the world’s oldest religion. Hindus
believed that 300 million Gods represent natural forces and personified Gods, with
chief god being Brahma.
• Lesser gods are Vishnu (preserver) and Shiva (destroyer).
• There are nine version of divine mother. This are;
 Elephant god, Sun god, earth god, rat god, monkey god, etc.
Other beliefs concern herbal medicine (ayurveda) yoga (physical exercise),
meditation, karma (destiny), reincarnation (a cycle of births and deaths): with the
perfect soul being absorbed into Bhrama, the sources of happiness. They have a
modern civilization “new age” practices by a guru (teacher), yogi (holy sage) swami,
self-motivational speaker. The Rug Veda, the most ancient of Hindu scripture say
this: “Truth is one, but sages speak of its by many name.” By contrast,
Christians and Muslims believe that their religion is true, and others are false.
The Vedas
Vedic literature reflects the life and culture of ancient Aryans of India, but it
greatly affected Indian life.
The Vedas is consisting of four literary works:
 Vedas
 Brahmas
 Aranyakas
 Upanishads
Handing down hymns, prayer, rituals, poetry and stories. Written around
1000 BC, the Vedas are the earliest sacred books of Hinduism, and they are to
the Hindu as the Bible is to the Christian.

Sanskrit Epics
The two Sanskrit epics were the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
 The Mahabharata (ca. 500 BC) is the longest epic poem in the world. It tells
the story of five brothers’ battle to recover the kingdom, with the help of god,
Krishna. The Hindu god Krishna helps them win the bloody battle. The epic
also contains the lofty philosophical poem, Bhagavad Gita (god’s song)
between Krishna and Arjuna.
  The Ramayana is shorter and tells the story of Prince Rama, the seventh
reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. When his beautiful wife Siva is
abducted by the demon god of Ceylon, Rama invades Ceylon with an army of
monkeys and rescues his wife.
Caste System
Caste system divided people into caste or a class system, as follows:
 Brahmana or Brahmin, the highest
 class of priests, scholars, lawmakers,
 aristocrats, educators;
 Soldiers, merchants, artists, farmers;
 Workers and slaves;
 “Untouchables,” inferior to others and condemned to do the dirtiest
work; also called dalit, from which the Filipino word for “poor” comes
from.
 The Dravidians suffered untouchability in early India, due to Aryan
feelings of superiority.
Jainism and Buddhism
These two religions have similarities and shared traditions. But Jainism is
largely limited within India, and Buddhism has flourished outside India. The founders
of these religions, Shri Mahavira and Gautama Buddha, lived around the same
era.
Jainism started around the 6th century BC, with many ascetics, notable Shri
Mahavira. Its beliefs were spread by Buddhism, namely non-violence, truth,

honesty, piety, detachment, vegetarianism. They have 4 million of believers, they

maintain a tradition of scholarship, discipline, and influence. Gandhi adopted to
bring down the mighty British in India.
Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of Nepal. He said to have
attained enlightenment in 537 BC, and preached his beliefs as the first “Buddha”
(enlightened one).
Buddha taught four “Noble Truths”, as follows:
1. Man’s life is filled with suffering
2. Man’s suffering is caused by his selfish desires
3. Man can end his suffering by conquering his selfish desires.
4. Holy man may attain a state of Nirvana.
 To reach Nirvana, a person must follow the “Eight-Fold Path,” namely:
right belief, right aspiration, right speech, right conduct, right
livelihood, right effort, right thought, and right meditation.
 Buddha taught these to the aristocracy and masses, and won converts. After
death he was buried in Nepal around 486 BC. Like Confucius, Buddha intended his
teachings to be a code of life to improve human relations. Mainly, he wanted to
reform Hinduism, with its cruel divisions in to castes and human sacrifices. His
followers worshiped him and built monasteries, temples and statues in his honour.
Buddhist nuns and monks spread the religion to Afghanistan, Central Asia, East
Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Buddhism briefly became the state of
religion of the subcontinent during the Maurya empire, until it was driven out by
Islam and Hinduism.
Persian and Greek Invasion
 Darius the Great
 Alexander the Great
At the end of the 6th century BC, Darius I of Persia conquered the Aryan Kingdom of
Indus Valley.
The following are introduced by Persians:
- Persian administration to the next empire
- Aramaic Writing
- Purdah
- Zoroastrianism
In 326 BC, another invader Alexander the great of Macedonia, reached the
northwest frontiers of the subcontinent unto present day Pakistan. But his army was
frightened by the Indian Armies, especially the elephants and refused to fight on.
So, Alexander returned to Persia. When he left in 324 BC, Alexander the great made
a deep impression on Indian History, and vice versa. Trade opened to the west
through the Khyber Pass, and alexander, indirectly paved the way for Indian unity.
Maurya Empire
The first truly subcontinental empire was the Maurya Empire in 322-185 BC,
founded by Chandragupta Maurya. He united the whole Indian subcontinent except
south India.
Asoka, his grandson, became the greatest Maurya emperor (273-232
BC). Tired of Military conquest, he turned to religion and briefly made Buddhism the
state religion. He sent missionaries to other Asian countries, built inns, orphanages,
and hospitals, and led an exemplary life. However, his reign was followed by five
centuries of foreign invasions and internal disunity.
Gupta Empire, The Golden Age
During the Gupta Empire (320-647 AD), the subcontinent returned to Hinduism
and glowed with cultural achievements; hence it was called the “Golden Age of
Hindu Renaissance.”
 Extensions:
 Pakistan to Afghanistan;
 Southern Tajikistan; and
 As far as the Bay Bengal in South India.
Chandragupta
 Founder of Gupta Empire
 Reintroduced Hinduism
Kalidasa
 Greatest Sanskrit Poet and Dramatist
 The Equal European Playwright like Shakespeare
 Masterpiece: Sakuntala
About the middle of the 6 th century AD, the Gupta empire declined, the
subcontinent was plunged into anarchy and foreign invasion. At this time, Southern
India Kingdoms in the subcontinent expanded their influence as far as Indonesia,
controlling vast empires in Southeast Asia. The ports of South India became busy
with Indian Ocean made chiefly in spices, with Roman Empire west, and Southeast
Asia east.
Islam and The Mughal (Mogul) Empire
Coveted the subcontinents richest classical civilization and only known as
diamond mines in the world at the time. In 1526, Babur, a descendant of
Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, swept across the Khyber Pass and established the
Mughal (Mogul) empire. Babur took Islam into the heart of India up to Delhi.
By the 14th century, Islamic kings ruled over a kingdom as large as Asoka’s
Maurya Empire. The Mughal ruled most of the subcontinent for 200 years until its
defeat during the War of Independence (Indian Rebellion) of 1857.
The Mughal rulers introduced Islam as the religion of modern Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Iran. The interaction between Islam and Hindi brought
a new language (Hindustani) and Literature, and new religion – Sikhism. Male
Sikhs believers are identified by their cloth turban and hairy beards. The Golden
Temple of Amritsar is their holy place.
Akbar the Great (1556-1605)
 Grandson of Babur
 Showed the political genius by adopting a policy of reconciliation towards the
Hindus. Promoted arts and literature and encouraged industries and trade
and tolerated all religions.
Shah Jahan
 Grandson of Akbar
 Build the Taj Mahal in 1653
British Empire in South Asia
 Britain became the most powerful empire in the 19 th century. British had the
largest empire in history, and made Britain the foremost world power for over a
century.
 “Rule Britannia rules the waves”
“Rule Britannia!
Britannia rule the waves
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.
Rule Britannia
Britannia rule the waves.
Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.”
 “The sun never set on the British empire”
In Southern Asia, the British “raj” (rulers) extended over all of present day India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Sikkim, Maldives, Burma, Malaya, Aden
and the Persian Gulf.
Until today, six small islands in the Indian Ocean remain British territory,
including the important military base at Diego Garcia.
Today, Southern Indians in Britain’s comprise one of the largest minority
groups in Europe, and the British carry many Indian influences in their culture, not
to mention that the biggest jewel in the British monarch’s crown is the Kohinoor
diamond from India. Vice Versa, the British influence on all-India pervades to this
day, especially among the elites.
 Jawaharlal Nehru said, “I know why the sun never set on British soil
– God doesn’t trust an Englishman in the dark!”
The West Goes to the Indies
In the 15th century, European explorers came in search of the riches of the
East, which they called “Indies”. When Columbus, landed in the New World of
America, he thought he had reached the Indies, and called the natives “Indios”
(Indians).
The first Europeans to arrive in India were the Portuguese. In 1948, Vasco de
Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope and reached India.
In 1503, the Portuguese empire builder Albuquerque captured Goa in 1503.
He made it the capital of the Portuguese empire in Asia.
British Rajs
Through agents in the British East India Company they obtained concessions
from Mughal Kings to trade in Agra and other cities. In 1639 Francis day, a company
agent developed Madras, and eventually acquired more ports.
 “Divide-and –rule”
 After the loss of the American colonies in 1777, the British looked elsewhere for
“the second empire.”
The British under Sir Robert Clive ousted the French and other powers to take
over most of the subcontinent in 1793. The era produced the infamous atrocity of
the “Black Hole of Kolkata”. At first, Britain ruled the subcontinent through the
British East India Company, but this proved to be failure. Adam Smith, the British
economist, admitted that the East Indies had the misfortune of being ruled by a
government in search of commercial riches only. The officials of the British East
India Company were merchants.
The British empire’s glory however began to end when native Indian (“sepoy”)
soldiers in the British Army mutinied in 1857. The “Sepoy Mutiny” was put down,
but the British East India was blamed for it. In 1858, India was placed under direct
rule from London. Direct rule by Britain brought many improvements which
contributed to the making of modern India, as follows.
 The Indian subcontinent was unified under a centralized government.
 Transportation and communications were modernized.
 Introduction of printed books and newspaper, better farming methods,
irrigation systems, sanitation and medical care.
 Finally, Western style of education produced a new middle class, trained in
the English language and familiar with Western values and practices.
Gandhi and Indian Nationalism
Indians resented the loss of their independence and the arrogance of the
British, who treated them as an inferior race in their own country. The best jobs,
railway seats, hotels and clubs were off-limits to native Indians.
In 1885 educated Indians formed the Indian National Congress as a forum to
express their grievances and demands. During the First World War, a great
patriot-lawyer named Mohandas K. Gandhi (“father of Indian Independence”)
emerged as leader of the subcontinent struggle for freedom.
 Came from an affluent Hindu family and trained as a lawyer in London and
South Africa.
 He abandoned Western habits and dressed in simple robe, eating frugal
vegetarian meals and weaving his own cloth.
 “Mahatma” (great soul)
From 1920 until his death in 1948, Gandhi was the undisputed leader of Indian
Nationalism. The doctrine he championed was satyagraha – civil disobedience
through nonviolence resistance. During World war II, Gandhi and some followers
were jailed, but were released after riots, particularly the bloody massacre of
protesters at Atmisar.
Indian Independence
 A new British government agreed to grant independence to the Indian
subcontinent and other colonies. The unity of Hindus and Muslims in the
independence movement began to unravel where Mohammed Ali Jinnah of the
Muslim League made it clear that the Indian Muslims desired an independent state
of their own. Gandhi failed to reconcile the Hindus and the Muslims, and the result
was the partition of India and Pakistan.
On August 15, 1947, the British empire in India was partitioned into two
separate dominion states.
 the Union of India (later Republic of India)
 Dominion of Pakistan (later the Islamic Republic of Pakistan)
Millions of Muslims migrated to Pakistan and millions of Hindus moved down
to India. It was the largest mass migration in world history.
Gandhi toured the country in a mission of peace. On January 30, 1948. he
was shot during a public rally in Ness Delhi by a crazy, Indian anarchist.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
 he was the preeminent political and spiritual leader of the Indian
independence movement.
 He pioneered satyagraha, resistance to tyranny through civil disobedience
and ahimsa (non-violence).
 He was assassinated in 1948 Just as he was about to be awarded the Nobel
Prize for Peace.
 His birthday, October 2, is a national and international holiday.

Class Indian Contributions to Civilization

India gave the world two major religion –Hinduism and Buddhism: and
two minor Religions-Jainism and Sikhism.
India developed philosophy ahead of the West. Long before the Greeks and
Romans, Indian thinkers had founded several philosophical systems,
including yoga, the disciple of the mind and the body by spiritual training,
meditation and ahimsa (non-violence), which Gandhi applied to civil
disobedience against tyranny and oppression (satyagraha).
India enriched world literature with the first fable (Panchatanira); the first
dramatic masterpieces The Clay Cart by Sudakra and Sakuntala by
Kalidasa; the great epics Mahabharata and Ramayana and the world’s
greatest philosophical poem the Bhagavad Gita. It was a part of this poem
which was cited at the first atomic bomb explosion, “I am become death, the
destroyer of worlds”.
 Indian arts and architecture are both graphic and sacred, portraying gods,
and various motifs which spread across the world. In architecture, India gave
the stupa dome and pagoda spire (also claimed by China), also found in
Cambodia, Thailand, And Burma: architectural wonders as the Taj Mahal and
other palaces and temples. In music and dance. The Indian influence seen in
classical dance styles that exist not only in India but also Indonesia, Thailand,
Cambodia. Etc. In music, the guitar, flute, violin and temple bells are of Indian
origin.
The Indians produced many commodities: like cotton cloth, spices, sugar,
palm oil, coconut oil, tamarind. Camphor, sandalwood, lemon, oranges
(naranja), butter, smelted metals and alloys (gold, iron, brass. Tin, copper),
dyes and pigments (indigo. Ochre). They also produced scents, perfumes,
ointment, precious gems and diamonds.
India originated numerals, mathematics, astronomy, algebra and algorithm,
geometry, and invented the concept of zero, square root and cube root. The
numerals were spread by, the Arabs. Hence they became known as “Arabic
numerals, but they were originally Indian. The first books on arithmetic and
algebra were written by Indian mathematicians between 1000 BC and 2000
AD.
Classical India anticipated modern concepts of physics (the atom). Relativity,
they also knew the five basic elements of earth, fire, air, water and ether. As

well as organic and inorganic chemistry, alchemy and metallurgy.

Classical India did cataract and plastic surgery, dental surgery, as well as
Ayurveda, the “science of longevity”.
South Asia and East Asia.
Why did India and China and Japan not know each other in antiquity’?
 The explanation may be found in the isolation of the Indian peninsula by the
Himalayas mountain range and the expanse of the Indian Ocean.
 Secondly the Indian civilization was not notable for maritime adventures,
unlike the Chinese and Japanese admirals of the sea (Zheng He. Koxinga).
 The Indians had a strange belief that if any Hindu crossed the seas, he would
lose his religion (hence his soul). This is why the two great civilizations had
little contact, and also why the Indian influence in the Philippines, as many
studied in history, was brought not by Hindu travelers but by Muslim traders.