Two announcements:

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• Two announcements
• Reaction paper to Gilgamesh due Fri., Jan. 21
• (2) Interested in NOMADS??
• Brown bag talk
• Dr. Daniel Prior, A Trope of Nomadic Life
  in Eurasian
• History and
  Folklore
• Tues., Jan. 18, 1230 in Dulles Hall 250
• Free food and beverages!

2
ARYAN INVASIONS AND INDIAN
CIVILIZATION I. The conventional wisdom on how
the Indus river valley civilization ended
Aryan invasions, ca. 1500 B.C.E.
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• II. Who were the Aryans?
• A. Indo-European invasions, c. 2000 B.C.E.
  (Mycenaens, Hittites)

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B. Nomadic pastoralists from Caucasus Mts.
Aryans, Caucasians
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C. Military technology chariots (?)
D. The original Indo-European religion (1)
Ritual purification (2) Roots of Hinduism
and Zoroastrianism
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E. Aryan religion (1) War god INDRA (2)
Horse sacrifices and territorial expansion
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F. Horse sacrifice allows Aryans to expand from
Indus to GANGES.
Indus
Ganges
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G. Aryan writing SANSKRIT H. Roots of
HINDUISM Aryan poetry ?Vedas, oldest
Hindu scripture Vedic period 1500-800
B.C.E.
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III. Basics of HINDUISM A. SAMSARA
cycle of birth and rebirth, driven by KARMA
(deeds in present life) B. DHARMA
obligation to other living beings C.
AHIMSA non-violence/non-harming to all living
beings D. MAYA illusion of physical
world E. MOKSHA union with universal
godhead and release from MAYA F. YOGA
(union) exercises to overcome physical body
( introduced after Aryan/Vedic period)

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IV. Divinities are all part of universal godhead
take different forms (notably human, but
with many arms and/or heads)
Indra
Brahma
Ganesha
Vishnu
Shiva
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V. The VEDAS introduced the CASTE system,
corresponding to body of creator god
BRAHMA. HEAD Brahmans / Brahmins
(priests) ARMS Kshatriyas (warriors,
rulers) THIGHS Vaishyas (middle class
merchants, farmers, teachers, etc.) FEET
Sudras (unclean tasks butchering meat ,
tanning skins, cutting hair, etc.)
UNTOUCHABLES
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VI. The caste system and DISEASE prevention??
role of disease in world history