3rd May 2022 | Early Indian Civilizations-Indus and Vedic; Emergence of Religious Movements in the sixth century BC – Jainism and Buddhism | Laex Secure

Syllabus- Early Indian Civilizations-Indus and Vedic; Emergence of Religious Movements in the sixth century BC – Jainism and Buddhism.

Number of questions- Mains: 02, Prelims – 10

Mains Questions of the day- 

1.Explain why Indus Valley Civilization is also called as an Urban Civilization.

Introduction:

Write briefly about the characteristics of Indus Valley Civilization.

Body: –

Mention various features of urban culture related to the Indus Valley Civilization.

Conclusion: –

• The multiple causes were responsible for the decline of Harappan culture. 
• Although no concrete evidence is not there that can lead to any conclusion. The Harappa was one of the greatest and oldest urban and secular civilization in India. 
• How and when the civilization came to an end remains uncertain.

Content: –

• Indus Valley civilization is the oldest urban civilization discovered till date. 
• It flourished in the basins of the Indus River. 
• The civilisation is noted for: –

• urban planning 
• baked brick houses
• elaborate drainage systems
• water supply systems and  
• large and new techniques in handicraft.

Following were the reasons why Indus civilization is also called as an Urban Civilization:

• Planned towns: 

• The Harappan culture was distinguished by its system of town planning.
• It had a citadel and this was possibly occupied by members of the ruling class. 
• Below the citadel in each city lay a lower town with brick houses, that were inhabited by the common people.
• Drainage system: 

• The drainage system, sometimes these drains were covered with bricks and sometimes with stone slabs. 
• Sewers were connected to the whole city.
• Grid system: 

• The arrangement of the houses in a grid system, with roads at virtually right angles to each other. 
• Every house had a tiled bathroom and its own well. 
• Evidence of the flush system has been found.
• Burnt bricks: 

• Fired Bricks were used for foundation and unfired bricks were used for walls. 
• The most important public place is great bath, is a fine example of beautiful brickwork. 
• The floor of the bath was made of burnt bricks. They even had shower systems.
• Technology and Crafts:
• The rise of towns in the Indus was based on :-

• agricultural surplus
• the making of bronze tools 
• various other crafts and 
• widespread trade and commerce. 

• The people of Harappa used many tools and implements of stone, but they were very well acquainted with the manufacture and use of bronze. 
• Several other important crafts flourished in Harappan towns.
• Trade and Commerce: 

• The importance of trade of the Indus people is supported by granaries found at Harappa, Mohenjodaro, and Lothal. 
• Numerous seals, a uniform script, and regulated weights and measures covering a wide area were found. 
• The Harappan conducted considerable trade in stone, metal, shell, etc., within the Indus culture.
• Social organisation: 

• Excavations indicate a hierarchy in urban habitation. 
• Two localities are attributed to the city of Harappa. 
• The citadel or the first locality was where the ruling class lived and the lowest tower was where the common people lived. 
• However, whether hierarchy in settlements corresponded to occupational divisions or socio-economic differentiation is not clear.

2.Post Vedic economy gave rise to religious reform movements in India, among them most prominent religion such as Jainism and Buddhism. Mention the reasons for rise of Jainism and Buddhism in India and their impact?

Introduction: –

Write briefly about the Jainism and Buddhism.

Body: –

Mention the reasons for rise of Jainism and Buddhism in India.

Conclusion: –

• Jainism and Buddhism arose to suit the needs of a changing society, patronised by an emerging class and left an indelible mark on India’s culture, architecture, philosophy and way of living.
• These religions have been adopted by hinduism in their long course of association and have become an integrated part of the society.
• These religions also found their influence in neighbouring countries and helped India expand its footprint in these regions, paving way for a cultural connect to this day.

Content: –

• Jainism and Buddhism emerged as the most potent religious reform movements during later Vedic period.
• Both Jainism and Buddhism was founded in the 6th century BC, and they sprung out of the same roots.

Reasons for rise of Jainism and Buddhism: –

• Degradation of Vedic Religion:

• The religion of the early Vedic people was quite simple and there were no unnecessary rites and rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices in it. 
• In course of time this simplicity of the religion disappeared.
• The priestly class introduced so many rituals into the religion. 
• The people were greatly dissatisfied with these rituals. 
• Some of these sacrifices were so costly that they could not be performed by the common people.
• Social cause:

• Caste system became rigid and it created inequality in the society.  
• The Kshatriyas had resented the domination of the priestly class, and both Buddha and Mahavira belonged to Kshatriya origin.
• Religious unrest:

• Religious life in ancient India was originally very simple. 
• But in the Later Vedic period complex rituals and ceremonies began to dominate the practice of worship. 
• The complex rituals and sacrifices were not acceptable to the common people.
• It became expensive and elaborate. Blind faith and superstitious beliefs confused the people.
• Economic cause:

• The growth of trade led to the improvement in the economic conditions of the Vaisyas. 
• Now, they wanted to enhance their social status but the orthodox Varna system did not allow this. 
• Similarly, money-lending was imperative for traders, which was prohibited in Vedas. 
• Thus, merchant class extended the chief support to these new religions.
• Moreover, rise of agriculture raised demand for drought animals which were being sacrificed for religious ceremonies. 
• The principle of nonviolence, suited settled agrarian community better which was brought by Jainism and Buddhism.
• Brahminical supremacy:

• Priests considered themselves superior and others as inferiors. 
• They took advantage of knowing Sanskrit, and interpreted religion according to their convenience. 
• Whereas these new religions were open for all and preached in local language like Prakrit and Pali, which found appeal to common masses.
• Sacrifices:

• In the course of time a number of sacrifices had been introduced in the Hindu religion. 
• These were fully exploited by the priestly class. 
• They made sacrifices of the animals, which were costly and useful.
• The greatly hurt the feelings of the people and created a spirit revolt in their mind. 
• As most of the common people were unable to perform these costly sacrifices they not only turned against the system item but also the Brahmans who worked out that system.

Prelims Questions of the day: –

1.Which among the following Harappan sites is not located in Gujarat?

1. Surkotada
2. Lothal
3. Dholavira
4. Banawali

Answer:-D

Explanation: –

• Banawali was excavated by R S Bisht in the year 1974 in Haryana.
• Important Findings:

• Beads
• Barley
• Evidence of both pre-Harappan and Harappan culture.

2.Which of the following statements is incorrect about Rig Veda?

1. The Upaveda of Rig Veda is Gandharva Veda.
2. It is recited by Hota or Hotri priest.
3. Gayatri Mantra is taken from third Mandal of Rigveda.
4. None of the above 

Answer: -A

Explanation: –

Rig Veda:

• Rig Veda is the oldest Veda dating back to 1500 to 1000 BC.
• It is divided into 10 mandals.
• 2-7 mandals are the oldest and are family books describe to a particular family of Rishis.
• 8th Mandal is related to the Kanva family.
• 9th Mandal contains the compilation of Soma Hymns.
• 1st and 10th mandals are the latest and contain Purushsukta which defines the four varnas.
• It is recited by Hota or Hotri Priest. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• The Upveda of rigveda is Ayurveda. Hence, statement 1 is Not correct.
• Gayatri Mantra is taken from the third Mandal of Rig Veda and was composed by Vishva Mitra to convert non-Aryans to Aryans. It is devoted to Savitri. Hence statement 3 is correct.
• It consists of 1028 hymns.
• Indra is mentioned 250 times in Rigveda.

3.‘Ashta Mahasthana’ refers to the significant places of the Buddha. Which among the following is NOT one of those?

1. Sarnath
2. Raigad
3. Lumbini
4. Bodh Gaya 

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Ashta Mahasthana associated with the life of the Buddha are :

• Lumbini
• Bodh Gaya
• Sarnath
• Kushinagar
• Shravasti
• Sankissa
• Rajgriha
• Vaishali

• Gautama Buddha was born in the Lumbini village of Kapilavastu, Nepal in 563 B.C, in the Shakya Kshatriya clan. ​​
• Mahabhiraskramana or the Great Going Forth is the event when Gautama Buddha left his home.
• Buddha visited Vaishali and learnt Sankhya darshan.
• He went to Rajgriha and learnt yoga, went to Uruvela where he attained enlightenment.
• He went on to Sarnath where he delivered his first sermon also called Dharmachakrapravartana.
• He died in 483 B.C near Kushinara and the event is known as Mahaparinirvana.

4.Which among the following is a mature-phase of Harappan site situated in the state of Rajasthan?

1. Manda
2. Chanhudaro
3. Nageshwar
4. Kalibangan

Answer: D

Explanation:

• Kalibangan, an ancient site of the Indus valley civilization is in northern Rajasthan state, northwestern India. The site contains both pre-Harappan and Harappan remains, and therein can be seen the transition between the two cultures.
• The site was discovered by Luigi Pio Tessitori, an Italian Indologist and linguist.
• The most important discovery of Kalibangan is a ploughed field, a wooden furrow has been found, 7 fire altars in a row have been found and they suggest the practice of sacrifice.

5.What is the name of the book associated to the rules made by the Buddhist Sanghas?

1. Stotra
2. Vinaya Pitaka
3. Mahabhinishkramana
4. Panchatantra

Answer: B

Explanation:

• The rules made by the Buddhist Sanghas were laid down in Vinaya Pitaka.
• Tripitaka or Three Baskets is a traditional term used for various Buddhist scriptures.
• The three pitakas are Sutta Pitaka, Vinaya Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka.
• ​​Sutta Pitaka: 

• It contains over 10 thousand suttas or sutras related to Buddha and his close companions.
• It also deals with the first Buddhist council which was held shortly after Buddha’s death.
• It is the collection of buddha’s Sermons and Teachings.
• Vinaya Pitaka:

• It is also known as the Book of Discipline.
• The subject matter of Vinay Pitaka is the monastic rules for monks and nuns.
• It deals with the governing rules of sangha and monks. 
• Abhidhammapitaka Pitaka:

It deals with the philosophy and doctrine of Buddhism appearing in the suttas.

6.With reference to the scholars/literateurs of ancient India, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is correct? 

1. Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.
2. Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana.
3. Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta – II.
4. All the above

Answer: C

Explanation:

Panini

• He was born in Shalatula on the Indus River in present-day Pakistan.
• He was a Sanskrit grammarian and gave a comprehensive and scientific theory of phonetics, phonology, and morphology.
• He is considered the founder of the language and literature of Sanskrit.
• His major work involves treatise called Astadhyayi (or Astaka). It consists of eight chapters, each subdivided into quarter chapters.
• Under Astadhyayi, he distinguished between the language of sacred texts and the usual language of communication.
• He gave formal production rules and definitions to describe Sanskrit grammar.
• He gave about 1700 basic elements like nouns, verbs, vowels, consonants he put them into classes.

Pushyamitra Shunga is a post-Mauryan king whereas the birth year of Panini is not known. Experts give dates of Panini in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th century which are all Pre-Mauryan. Hence, Pair 1 is not correct.

Amarsimha

• He was a Sanskrit grammarian and poet from ancient India.
• He is said to have been “one of the nine gems that adorned the throne of Vikramaditya”.
• Most of his work was destroyed with the exception of the ‘Amara-Kosha’.
• The Amarakosha is a vocabulary of Sanskrit roots, in three books, and hence sometimes called Trikanda or the “Tripartite”.

Harshavardhana is a post-Gupta king and Amarasimha belongs to the Gupta era. Hence, Pair 2 is not correct.

Kalidasa

• He is often considered ancient India’s greatest playwright and dramatist.
• Malavika and Agnimitra, Urvashi, and Shakuntala are his the most known dramas.
• His poetry was based on the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.

According to traditional lore, Kalidasa belonged to the court of Chandra Gupta Vikramaditya (Chandra Gupta II). However, the dates of his life events are disputed. Hence Pair 3 is correct.

7.Which one of the following is associated with the term ‘paramitas’?

1. The earliest Dharmashastra text a written in aphoristic (sutra) style 
2. Philosophical schools that did not accept the authority of Vedas
3. Perfections whose attainment led to the Bodhisattva path
4. Powerful merchant guilds of early medieval South India

Answer: C

Explanation: –

• The term ‘paramita’ is commonly translated as “perfection”.
• As per Buddhism, there is a path which consists of perfecting certain qualities, which leads the pilgrim to become a Samma Sambuddha (Enlightened Universal Buddha) or Bodhisattva. The qualities are called the Paramis (perfections) in the Southern traditions and the Paramitas in the Eastern and Northern traditions.
• The Ten Paramitas are-

• Generosity
• Morality
• Patience
• Energy
• Meditation
• Wisdom
• Skilful means
• Resolution
• Power
• Knowledge 
• Despite slight differences in the wording, the two sets of qualities from Southern and Northern traditions are similar.

8. Which of the following is called City on the hills in Junagarh district of Gujarat?

1. Bhilsa
2. Dwarasaamudra
3. Girnagar
4. Sthanesvara

Answer: C

Explanation: –

• Bhilsa is known as Vidisha, the main center of the Sunga dynasty in Madhya Pradesh.
• Dwarasamudra was in Karnataka, as a regal capital of the Hoysalas.
• Girnagar is also known as city-on-the-hills in Junagarh district of Gujarat.
• Sthanesvara is in Haryana. It was here that the Pandavas prayed to Lord Shiva.

9. Which of the following statement/s is /are correct?

1. The first Jain Council was convened at Valabhi in the beginning of 3rd century B.C
2. It was at the first council the final compilation of Jain literature was done.

Select the correct answer:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer:-D

Explanation: –

• The first Jain Council was convened at Pataliputra by Sthulabahu, the leader of the Digambaras, in the beginning of the 3rd century B.C. (Hence, statement 1 is incorrect)
• The second Jain Council was held at Valabhi in 5th century A.D. The final compilation of Jain literature called Twelve Angas was completed in this council. (Hence, statement 2 is incorrect)

10.Which one of the following ancient towns is well known for its elaborate system of water harvesting and management by building a series of dams and channelising water into connected reservoirs?

1. Dholavira
2. Kalibangan
3. Rakhigarhi
4. Ropar

Answer: A

Explanation:

Dholavira – Gujarat:

• Dholavira is one of the very few well-preserved urban settlements in South Asia, dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE.
• It is located on a hillock near present-day Dholavira village in Kutch district, from which it gets its name.
• It is the 6th largest of more than 1,000 Harappan sites discovered so far, and was occupied for over 1,500 years.
• Dholavira has witnessed the entire trajectory of the rise and fall of the early civilization of humankind. 
• It demonstrates its multifaceted achievements in terms of urban planning, construction techniques, water management, social governance and development, art and manufacturing, trading, and belief system.
• Dholavira has two seasonal streams: Mansar in the north, and Manhar in the south.
• According to an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) note on Dholavira, excavations at the site have revealed seven cultural stages documenting the rise and fall of the Indus Civilisation.