Key Classical Era Religions AP World History(Part III) Mr. Cautero Caste System

Indo-Europeans brought the Vedic religions with them around 1500 to India (later transcribed to Sanskrit Scriptures – 600 BCE)

In India, a unique system emerged known as the caste system

It essentially setup a system of rebirth and reincarnation in which the human soul attempts to unite with the creator Brahma

To do this, one would live their life fulfilling their caste task, even if they were bad at it (known as dharma)

If they fulfilled their task throughout their lifetime, they received good karma and were reborn in the next life as a higher class until uniting with Brahma; if not, they remain the same or fall down a caste Hinduism

While the Indo-Europeans had brought the Vedic beliefs and caste system, the ideas for modern Hinduism were not codified (made official) until about 600 CE

By 600 CE, priests had begun using Sanskrit (language) to document the core beliefs of Hinduism, although there was debate as to which class was highest

In 400 BCE, a group of priests added a series of writings known as the Upanishads that added rituals and traditions to Hindu belief

The importance of these rituals clearly put priests atop the hierarchy, and cemented the classes of social & religious order

As a result, the caste system developed and functioned as a political system, and created a steeply-segregated society Buddhism

As a response to the rigid, life-loing hierarchy/castes of Hinduism, Buddhism adopted a more egalitarian approach

In Buddhism, life is suffering—greed, desire, and material wealth

The cure is to rid yourself of such desires and lead a simple, meditated life in which any person could achieve nirvana

Monks setup educational establishments, and many moved to monasteries to meditate and separate from society (asceticism)

The movement spread via missionaries, The Mauryan Empire and trade routes, mostly to Central Asia, China, and Southeast Asia Zoroastrianism

Also in about 1500 BCE, Indo-Europeans in Persia (Iran) setup a brand-new type of religion known as Zoroastrianism

It’s unique feature was that is was monotheistic—it had one god

It also believed, for the first time, in a clear sense of good vs. evil, and believed humans must live their lives for one side or the other

Furthermore, humans had free will to choose which way to live, and that one day a messiah would arrive to help the side of the good Judaism

Judaism rose from the influences of Mesopotamian religions, with the amalgamation of Hebrew Scriptures (3000s BCE and onward)

Rather than a large empire, the Jewish people developed and clung to a unique religion, unlike any in Mesopotamia

The divine & perfect Yahweh and the Messiah united the Jews and their culture as they were exiled by Assyria and then Babylon

While their early scriptures varied, with variation in God’s behavior, exposure to Zoroastrianism (Second-Temple Judaism) later developed the same calls for: 1) Good vs. Evil 2) Heaven and hell 3) Free will to choose 4) A later messiah Christianity

Christianity became around 20-33 CE when disciples in Israel began cataloging and following the miracles and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth

The promise of a Messiah was particularly appealing to the occupied Jews, and Jesus and his followers were quickly opposed by the Roman Empire

While Rome attempted to stop Christianity, missionaries such as Paul of Tarsus (later the Apostle Paul) engaged in extensive missionary work and traveling

While many were oppressed, missionaries and merchants continued to spread the young religion throughout the empire

Christianity truly came to prominence when it was later made the official religion of Rome in 380 CE (Edict of Thessalonica), and popularized by Emperor Constantine Greco-Roman Logic

The lasting legacy of Greece lays in the philosophy which dominated Greek, Roman, Indian, Middle Eastern, Islamic, and Western society

The Greek approach to knowledge was that of constantly questioning knowledge, as well as utilizing logic and empirical observation

These writings and concepts of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle would define Arabic and Western medicine, Science, society, and government

Later, such ideas challenged and questioned the concepts of government, hierarchy, and advocated various democratic and republican institutions

When the Romans later took over the Hellenistic Greek states, they adopted and continued much of their culture and philosophy Confucianism

In response to the chaos of China at the beginning of the Warring States Period, Confucius (551-479 BCE) developed the Analects as a solution to the disorder from the warring states

Confucius applied 3 fundamental steps to maintain social harm- ony: from the individual, to the family, and finally to the state

Individually, Confucianism requires that people be both educated and strive to be an honest, respectful moral person

With these personal guidelines, they were to unquestionably adhere to the rigid patriarchal family structure of obedience, and followed by respect and fairness by those above

For both, a series of ancestral-centered rituals and ceremonies gave people a consistent series of responsibilities to model consistent, and respectful character

Lastly, this family hierarchy was the be also applied to the social hierarchy (with the emperor at the top), of obedience to those above, and respect and fairness to those below