Social Hierarchy and Castes
-Aryans recognized for main castes or classes of people: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors and aristocrats) , Vaishyas (peasants and merchants), and Shudras (serfs)
-Brahmins in particular supported the social order which brought them honor, prestige, and sometimes a lot wealth
-Special honor was given to the Brahmins and Kshatriyas because of the lives they had lead during previous incarnations and the responsibilities they had as priests, warriors, and rulers during their current incarnation
-Vaishya and Shudra gained no special respect; they had to do what the higher castes told them to
-Trade and industry allowed many Vaishyas and sometimes Shudras to become wealthier and more influential in society than Brahmins and Kshatriyas
-Among higher castes, many generations of a family lived on large compounds ruled by powerful patriarchs
-All members of social order played well-defined roles
-Respect for strong patriarchal families
-Women were largely subordinate to men
-Brahmins in particular supported the social order which brought them honor, prestige, and sometimes a lot wealth
-Special honor was given to the Brahmins and Kshatriyas because of the lives they had lead during previous incarnations and the responsibilities they had as priests, warriors, and rulers during their current incarnation
-Vaishya and Shudra gained no special respect; they had to do what the higher castes told them to
-Trade and industry allowed many Vaishyas and sometimes Shudras to become wealthier and more influential in society than Brahmins and Kshatriyas
-Among higher castes, many generations of a family lived on large compounds ruled by powerful patriarchs
-All members of social order played well-defined roles
-Respect for strong patriarchal families
-Women were largely subordinate to men
Religions of Salvation
-Brahmin priests offered ritual sacrifices so that the gods would bless the land with bountiful harvests and large herds
-They were free from taxes and received a lot of fees and gifts for their works
-The new wealthy Vaishyas shunned this later on, resenting the Brahmins' superiority complex
-Many new religions and philosophies rejected the cults
-One specific example would be the Charvaka sect who believed that humans came from dust and would return to dust
-Different religions such as the Jains, Buddhists, and Hindus valued intense spirituality instead of the rituals of the Brahmin
-They were free from taxes and received a lot of fees and gifts for their works
-The new wealthy Vaishyas shunned this later on, resenting the Brahmins' superiority complex
-Many new religions and philosophies rejected the cults
-One specific example would be the Charvaka sect who believed that humans came from dust and would return to dust
-Different religions such as the Jains, Buddhists, and Hindus valued intense spirituality instead of the rituals of the Brahmin
Guilds and Jati
-Individuals working in the same craft or trade usually joined together to form a guild
-The guilds functioned as subcastes known as Jati
-Based on occupation, Jati maintained social order in India.
-Jati regularly organized their own courts
-Guilds and Jati performed services that central governments provided in other places and empires
-The tendency for individuals and their families to associate closely with others of the same occupation remains an important part of Indian culture
-Economic development also generated tremendous wealth within the land
-The guilds functioned as subcastes known as Jati
-Based on occupation, Jati maintained social order in India.
-Jati regularly organized their own courts
-Guilds and Jati performed services that central governments provided in other places and empires
-The tendency for individuals and their families to associate closely with others of the same occupation remains an important part of Indian culture
-Economic development also generated tremendous wealth within the land
Child MArriage
-By the Gupta era child marriage was common
-When girls were eight or nine years of age their parents married them to men in their 20s
-Wives dominated domestic affairs of the household but child marriage put them under the control of older men
-This encouraged them to devote themselves to family matters rather than to public affairs in the larger society
-Made it practically impossible to have a voice in their society, due to the fact that women were already looked down on
-When girls were eight or nine years of age their parents married them to men in their 20s
-Wives dominated domestic affairs of the household but child marriage put them under the control of older men
-This encouraged them to devote themselves to family matters rather than to public affairs in the larger society
-Made it practically impossible to have a voice in their society, due to the fact that women were already looked down on