Social Hierarchy: The Varna System
A rigid social hierarchy developed as society became more complex in ancient South Asia. This hierarchy was hereditary, which means ...
that one was the same varna as one's parents or inherited from parents/family
A soul in all living things
atman
Cheating on a test and achieving a high score.
Good or bad karma
Bad
truth, the source of existence, the universe, something humans can not fully comprehend
Brahman
Oldest book in the Veda
Rig Veda
A text known as the ________ _______, which addresses moral, legal, and religious conduct, written around 100 CE, defined the duties and expectations for each varna.
Manu Smriti
Repeated cycle of birth, life and death. (not reincarnation)
samsara
Energy brought about as an effect of choices and actions
Karma
A system in South Asia specific duties based on their societal roles
Varna system
Hinduism has many gods making it a _______________ religion. Name the 3 main of the gods.
polytheistic
Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva
Which group was outside the varna system (you must state their 2 names) and what was their role in society.
Untouchables/ Dalits
street sweepers, waste removers, dead body handlers
Release from the samsara is known as ----------.
moksha
Later Hindu religious texts
Upanishads
A key idea in Hinduism, representing moral duty, ethical behavior, and truth.
Dharma
The exact origins of Hinduism are ______. Hinduism does not have a single _____. While most historians believe that the Vedas were brought to South Asia by the _____, some have noted Hindu beliefs/traditions that have similarities to _______society.
not known
founder
Indo-Aryans
Harappan
The rules about the impurity of certain varnas have created...
Discrimination, poor treatment, inequalities, injustices
Imagine: You have to do a verbal presentation in front of the class about Hinduism. If you where Hindu, which god would be the best to pray and make offerings? Why?
Krishna, Hanuman, Rama, Parvati, Sarawati or Lakshmi
Sarawati - goddess of speech and wisdom
What is the ultimate goal in hinduism? To achieve _________ and become________________________________.
To achieve moksha and become one with brahman
One’s duty to perform the work of one’s varna (societal role) is
svadharma
The Vedas were composed between ________and ___________BCE.
1500 and 400 BCE
State the varnas in order from top to lowest. You must also state their roles in society.
Brahmin (priests and scholars), Kshatriya (warriors and rulers), Vaishya (merchants and farmers), and Shudra (laborers)
The term “Hinduism” is what is known as an exonym. What is an exonym?
a name given by others to a people, place, or concept
Vedas are a collection of ...
*Must name all four things.
hymns, songs, prayers, and rituals
Upanishads, is the ___ (number) book of the Vedas,
4th
History of the words Hindu and Hinduism:
Ancient _________used “Hindu” to describe people living beyond the ____________ River.
The __________, in the 18th and 19th centuries, started using “Hinduism” to group together the diverse religious practices of India that were not part of other religions.
Persians
Indus
British