Ancient India
5.2 – Origins of Hinduism
Essential Question: How do India’s rich history and culture affect the world today?
Big Idea: Hinduism, the largest religion in India today, developed out of ancient Indian beliefs and practices.
Key Word Definition Memory Clue Aryan/Indian social divisions similar to other social hierarchies varnas Brahmins - priests Kshatriyas – rulers/warriors Vaisyas – farmers, traders, craftspeople Sudras – laborers, non-Aryans
When the varnas became further divided, the result caste system was more groups, or castes.
The caste system divided Indian society into groups based on a person’s birth, wealth, or occupation.
A group within Indian society that did not belong to untouchables any caste. They could only hold certain, often unpleasant jobs.
sutras The guides that listed the rules for the caste system
Aryan religion was based on the four Vedas, which are religious writings containing sacred hymns & poems. Vedas The oldest is the Rigveda, which includes hymns of praise to many gods.
Hinduism The largest religion in India today, based on the blending of the Vedas, Vedic texts, and other religious ideas from different cultures
Some important Hindu beliefs include polytheism, reincarnation, and karma.
atman This is the Hindu word for soul. It should be reunited with Brahman, the universal spirit.
Key Word Definition Memory Clue The process of rebirth where a soul is born and reincarnation reborn into different physical forms until it can see through the illusion of life and reach salvation
The effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s soul
- Evil actions cause bad karma, which results in being karma reborn into a lower caste in a person’s next life. - Good actions build up good karma and result in being born into a higher caste, eventually leading to salvation.
moksha Hinduism’s salvation, or freedom from life’s worries and the cycle of rebirth
dharma A set of spiritual duties that each person has to fulfill, according to Hinduism
A religion based on four principles: Jainism - injure no life (nonviolence) - tell the truth - do not steal - own no property
nonviolence/ The avoidance of violent actions ahimsa Hindus and Jains practice this.
Sikhism A monotheistic religion based on achieving enlightenment through meditation.
guru Sanskrit word for ‘teacher’
monotheism Belief in only one God
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion.
5.1 – Origins of Hinduism
Essential Question: How do India’s rich history and culture affect the world today?
Big Idea: Hinduism, the largest religion in India today, developed out of ancient Indian beliefs and practices.
A. Indian Society Divides
As Aryan society became more complex, their society became divided into groups, mostly
organized by people’s ____occupation______. Strict rules developed about how people of different
groups could interact. According to the ____Vedas______, there were four main varnas, or
____social______divisions____. They were:
Brahmins - ____priests______
Kshatriyas - ___rulers____ and ____warriors_____
Vaisyas - ____farmers_____, ______craftspeople______, and _____traders_____
Sudras - __laborers___ and ____non-Aryans____
Brahmins were the highest rank because they performed _____rituals____ for the ____gods___.
Rules became stricter, and each varna was divided into even more castes, or ____groups___. This
caste system divided Indian society into groups based on a person’s ___birth______, _____wealth_____,
or ____occupation______. A person’s ___caste____ determined where they belonged/ranked in society,
but a caste’s value could change depending on wealth or power. On rare occasions, people could
___change____ their caste. Over time, ___women’s______rights were limited. Later, a group that did
not belong to any caste developed. They were called ___untouchables____, and they could only hold
certain, often unpleasant, jobs.
To keep the groups separate, the Aryans developed ___sutras_____, or guides, which listed all the
rules for the caste system. People who broke the rules could be banned from their homes and
___castes_____, which would make them ____untouchables______. Because of these rules, people spent
almost all of their time with others in their ___same____ caste.
B. Brahmanism
Because Aryan priests were called Brahmins, their religion is often called
____Brahmanism______. Aryan religion was based on the ____Vedas______. There are four Vedas, each
containing sacred hymns and poems. The oldest of the Vedas, the ____Rigveda_____, includes hymns
of praise to many gods.
Over the centuries, Aryan Brahmins wrote down their thoughts about the Vedas, creating
writings called the ___Vedic______texts_____. One collection of Vedic texts describes Aryan religious
___rituals____. A second collection describes __secret______rituals____ that only certain people could
perform. The final collection of Vedic texts, the ____Upanishads_____, are reflections on the Vedas by
religious ___students____ and ____teachers____.
C. Hinduism Develops
The ___Vedas____, the Upanishads, and other Vedic texts began to blend with ideas from other
cultures, creating a religion called ____Hinduism______, the largest religion in India today. Hindus
believe in many gods, but they believe that all gods are aspects of a single universal spirit called
___Brahman______. Three aspects of Brahman are particularly important to Hinduism -
___Brahma_____, the Creator, ___Siva___, the Destroyer, and ___Vishnu___, the Preserver.
Hindus believe that each person has a soul, or ___atman___, that holds their personality. Hindus
also believe a person’s ultimate goal should be to reunite that soul with ____Brahman____, the
universal spirit, by seeing through the ___illusion____ of the world. In order to do this successfully,
Hindus believe that souls are born and ____reborn____ many times, each time in a new body. This
process of rebirth is called ___reincarnation____. The type of form a person is reborn into depends on
his/her ___karma_____, the effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s __soul_____. Evil actions
built bad karma, and good actions built good karma. Depending on your karma, you were either
reborn into a higher or lower ____caste______. In time, good karma brings ____salvation______, or
freedom from life’s worries and the cycle of rebirth. This salvation is called ____moksha______.
Hinduism taught that each person had a ___dharma______, or set of spiritual duties, to fulfill.
Fulfilling one’s dharma required ___accepting_____ one’s position in life. By teaching people to accept
their positions, Hinduism helped preserve the ___caste______system____.
D. Groups React to Hinduism
Although it was widely followed, not everyone in India agreed with the beliefs of Hinduism. One
religion that developed from Hinduism is known as ___Jainism______, which is based on the teachings
of a man named Mahavira. Mahavira thought Hindus put too much emphasis on ___rituals_____.
Instead, he came up with four principles to live life by:
- Injure __no ___life__
- Tell ___the __truth____
- Do __not __steal___
- Own __no ____property___
Jains believe that everything is alive and part of the cycle of ___rebirth___. Because of this, Jains
practice ____nonviolence______, (ahimsa) the avoidance of violent actions. Hindus also practice
nonviolence, or __ahimsa______. Since they don’t want to hurt living things, Jains do not make
___animal______sacrifices, nor do they eat any food that comes from animals.
Centuries later, a religion called ___Sikhism____ was founded by the Guru Nanak. This man and
teacher was raised a Hindu, but was not satisfied with the religion’s teachings. He blended
Hinduism with ideas from other religions to create ___Sikhism______, a monotheistic religion. Being
monotheistic, Sikhs only believe in __one__ God, who has no physical form, but can be sensed in the
creation. Their ultimate goal is to reunite with __God__ after death by meditating and trying to
achieve ___enlightenment____ over many lifetimes. Therefore, Sikhs also believe in reincarnation.
Sikhism teaches that people should live truthfully, treating all people ___equally____, regardless
of ____gender____, ____social______class_____, or any other factor. Sikhs pray several times a day.
They’re expected to wear five items at all times as signs of their religion:
- __long______hair___
- a ___small______comb___
- a ___steel__ ___bracelet____
- a ___sword___
- a special ____undergarment___
Main Idea #1: Indian society divided into distinct groups under the Aryans.
Q: What were the four varnas?
A: The four varnas are Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras.
Q: What were some rules described in the sutras?
A: People couldn’t marry, or eat with anyone from a different class.
Q: What could happen to someone who broke caste rules?
A: Someone who broke the caste rules could be banned from their home and caste, which would make them an untouchable.
Main Idea #2: The Aryans practiced a religion called Brahmanism.
Q: What is the Rigveda?
A: The Rigveda is the oldest of the Vedas and contains a collections of hymns and praises to many gods.
Q: When was Rigveda probably written?
A: The Rigveda was probably written before 1000 BC.
Q: How did the Upanishads differ from other Vedic texts?
A: The Upanishads were reflections on the Vedas written by religious students and teachers.
Q: Why did priests place sacrifices into a fire?
A: Priests believed that fire would carry the sacrifice to the gods.
Main Idea #3: Hinduism developed out of Brahmanism and influences from other cultures.
Q: According to Hindu belief, what are the three major forms of Brahman?
A: The three forms of Brahman are Brahman, the Creator, Siva, the Destroyer, and Vishnu, the Preserver.
Q: What led to the development of Hinduism?
A: The blending of Brahmanism and religious ideas from other cultures.
Q: How may believing that this world is merely an illusion affect one’s behavior?
A: Answers will vary.
Q: What is karma?
A: Karma is the effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s soul.
Q: How may the role of women in traditional Hinduism be connected to the history of Aryan varnas?
A: N/A
Q: Do you think a wealthy Brahmin would want his or her servants to believe in dharma? Why or why not?
A: Answers may vary, although servants would be more likely to accept their fate in life if they believed in dharma.
Main Idea #4: The Jains and Sikhs reacted to Hinduism by breaking away to form their own religions.
Q: On whose teachings were Jainism and Sikhism based?
A: Jainism was created by Mahavira, and Sikhism was created by Guru Nanak.
Q: How did Jainism differ from Hinduism?
A: The Hindus put an emphasis on religious rituals, but Jains put an emphasis on nonviolence.
Q: Why do Sikhs carry special objects with them at all times?
A: Sikhs carry special objects with them as symbols of their religious faith.
Reading Checks
Q #1: How did a person become a member of a caste?
A: A person became a member of a caste through birth, wealth, or occupation.
Q #2: What are the Vedic texts?
A: The Vedic texts are sacred hymns and poems, collections of writings by Aryan Brahmins.
Q #3: What determined how a person would be reborn?
A: A person’s karma determined how he/she would be reborn.
Q #4: Why do Jains avoid eating meat?
A: Jains avoid eating meat because they don’t want to hurt living creatures.