AF

Barnett
HISA 2001
10/3/13
The Rise of Buddhism (continued)
Social Organization
o Monastic orders organized
o Bodh Gaya sacred center
o Sacred centers developed all over India under patrons
who would build monuments to Buddha
Monuments= Stupa
Stupa= masonry structure typically
surrounded by fence
Housed in small space, inside that
room a tiny silver canister, relics of
Buddha himself
o Considered to have spiritual
power
Iconic and unique to south Asia
o Covered Upper India and occasionally South
o Converts galore centered on teachings of monks that he
trained and left behind
These monks= Bhikku
Bhikku= biks (alms)
Bhikkus could ask for charity
o Monasteries founded for all year meditation and some
economic activity- keeping tabs on home garden

 Vihara= Monastery
o Monks sent out as missionaries
Abstemious but spiritual
o Buddhist monasteries in competition with Brahmanical
seminaries
o Discipline that had not existed before
o Became popular
o Monks and nun came from all social groups
Women welcomed- members of sangha
o Governments of monasteries mimicked tribal
governments
Rivals to vedic kingdoms
o Buddha has democratic model
Not dictator
o Council of Elders
Republic assemblies prevented aggrandizement of
power
Meetings every 2 weeks
Public meetings held
o Incorporated popular beliefs
o Sacred groves, trees
Worship areas on sacred spots that preexisted
Buddhism
o Wheel, footprint, lotus= sacred items
Lotus= beautiful, fragrant, arises out of muck

Out of any stress, comes enlightenment

Cult objects not Aryan

Decline
o Viharas where Turks would plunder12th Century
Resistance futile
Robbery, not missionary mission
o Main reason for decline
Plasticity of Buddhism
Hinduism absorbed Buddhism
No effect on caste system
Goal- same as goal of Hinduism
Emancipation from reincarnation
o Not actively persecuted for 500 years
Various denominations would occupy Buddhist
shrines and adopt for own purposes
o No strong laity
o Monks and Nuns did not reproduce
o No Buddhist equivalent of
Biggest mistake- no following
Jainism vs Buddhism
o Origins of founders identical- elite, warrior, ruling
houses, well-established tribes
Explain success of teachings

Anti-caste
Mocked animal sacrifices
Used popular languages in lectures
No monopolistic control
Teachings could be read- language
Accepted the Senshar* doctrine
Statuary
Both has cult objects
Both celebrated power of Great Man- Maha
Missionary program- Buddhist more successful
Neither monks nor nuns could marry
Differences
Buddhism disappeared
Jainism had lay support
Buddhism spread well beyond India
Jain is a ponderable element, not a process
Jina (life in objects)- Buddhism does not accept
No distinction between voluntary and involuntary sin in Jain
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Alexander in India
Macedonian Campaigns through the Achaemenid Empire,
Bactra, Soghdiana, Taxila

o Background
Money
Center moved in SE direction- Punjab is barbaric
area
Lands beyond Sutlej dirty
Tribes in Punjab maintained contact with West
Asia- beyond Khiber pass
Achaemenid Empire
Cyrus= ruler
Conquered Bactria
Tobias= successor
Annexed Punjab
Scylax= Greek explorer
o Down the Indus River to take
notes
Brought India into direct contact with
Western world
Headquarters= Persepolis
Indians called Hindus by Greek
Greeks= Yavanas
Ionians
Greeks known- rumor
Herodotus- gold mines of India guarded by
gigantic ants
Linguistic knot- level of inventiveness
between every stage of translation
Marmans- large burrowing rodents near
gold mines

Luvial gold= ant gold= because first see in

water so looks like ants
Tons of gold that Persians wanted
Greeks= India place of untapped wealth (gold)
Gold excites aggression
300 Talents of Gold
Greek imaginary- greenery, forests, of gold in
India
Invaded Persian empire in 334 BC, 330 BC destroyed
Persepolis
Opposition after campaigning for 5 years in Asia minor,
greatest in India, took him 2 years to annex Bactria
327 BC turned to India, met hard fighting in
mountainous region
Showed up in Taxila
Economic crossroads of S and SW Asia
Hard fight against King Omphis
Terrain between Taxila and Gangetic Valley is flat
Difficult to understand philosophy
Kalyana- Brahman priest that befriended Alexander
Burned himself to death
Greeks saw Bride market
Reflection of girls=commodities
Zoroastrian practice of exposing dead to vultures
And custom of widow burning
Battle with King Porus on the Jhelum River

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o Now

King of Pauravas
India army- four wings
Chaturanga- original name for chess
Calvary
Infantry
Elephants
Chariots
Battle lasted all day
Hard fought
Greek and Persian Calvary encircling tactics
200 Elephants panicked trampled own infantry
Army too large
Greek army had slightly better armor and longer
lances
Fight in groups
Porus didnt die
Brought into Alexanders tent and
interrogated
Demanded to be treated like an equal
Alexander impressed
Vice-man of Punjab
what for Greek?
Only part of much larger mercenary army at this
part

United and powerful kingdom to East- Magadha

Alexanders army said were not going farther
Greeks built three towers to commemorate
advance
Mutiny; return to Babylon
o Decided to build boats and follow route of Scylax
o One went by Sea, Alexander went West through
Baluchistan, another group went Northern route
o Didnt make it home
o Nearchus
Images of India
o British loved- they took over whole country
o Exotic
Elephants were tamed!
Grasses and weeds so big and strong
Bamboo
White soft wool grew on bushes
Cotton
White crystal sweet
Sugar
Three crops in one year!
Rivers of amazing length, width, depth
Society also fascinating
Didnt own slaves
Honest- verbal
No Indian is ever known to lie
o Reports exaggerated splendor of India
/supernatural, mythological
Political Results of Campaign after his death in 321 BCE
o Empire of Alexander broke apart
o Pockets of power vacuums
o India ruler from Mauryan annexed Punjab
Fighting deputy of Alexander- Seleukos Nikator
Married Greek wife
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o New Historical Sources