The Culture of India (Understanding India) - Academy of the Punjab

346 Pages·2010·22.1 MB·English

by  Kathleen Kuiper

Published in 2011 by Britannica Educational Publishing
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First Edition
Britannica Educational Publishing
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Introduction by Smriti Jacobs
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The culture of India / edited by Kathleen Kuiper.—1st ed.
p. cm.—(Understanding India)
“In association with Britannica Educational Publishing, Rosen Educational Services.”
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61530-203-1 (eBook)
1. India—Civilization. I. Kuiper, Kathleen.
DS423.C875 2011
954—dc22
2010011743
On the cover: A young woman shows her henna-decorated hands as she prepares for her
wedding. © www.istockphoto.com/Mihir Panchal
On the back cover: The Temple at Khajuharo, India, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
© www.istockphoto.com/Keith Molloy
On pages 21, 53, 85, 122, 184, 240, 267, 296, 329, 331, 333, 335: Indian youth perform a
Punjabi traditional folk dance, the Giddha, during Republic Day celebrations at the Guru
Nanak Stadium in Amritsar on January 26, 2010. NarinderNanu/AFP/Getty Images
22
CONTENTS
Introduction 14
Chapter 1: The Peoples of India
and the Caste System 21
Selected Groups 22
Andamanese 24
Badaga 24
Bhil 24
Bhutia 25
Bodo 25
Bohras 26
Bundela 27
Gond 27
28
Ho 29
Kadar 29
Kharia 29
Khasi 30
Khoja 30
Khond 31
Koli 31
Korku 32
Kota 32
Kuki 32
Lepcha 33
Magar 33
Maratha 34
Meithei 34
Mina 36
Mizo 36
Munda 36
Naga 37
Oraon 37
41
Pahari 38
Sansi 39
Santhal 39
Savara 39
Tamil 40
Toda 41
Caste 42
Varnas 42
Jatis 44
Cultural Milieu 45
Family and Kinship 46
50
Festivals and Holidays 48
Cuisine 48
Clothing 49
Sports and Recreation 51
Media and Publishing 51
Chapter 2: Indian Languages
and Writing Systems 53
Indian Languages 54
Indo-Aryan (Indic) 54
General Characteristics 54
Hindi 56
Asamiya (Assamese) 60
56
Bangla (Bengali) 60
Dogri 62
Gujarati 63
Kashmiri 63
Konkani 63
Maithili 64
Marathi 64
Nepali 64
Oriya 65
Punjabi 66
Sanskrit 67
Sindhi 69
Urdu 70
Dravidian 71
The History of the Dravidian
Languages 72
Dravidian Studies 72
Kannada 73
Malayalam 74 61
Tamil 75
Telugu 76
Other Languages and Lingua Francas 76
Munda 76
Tibeto-Burman 77
Indian English 79
Hindustani 80
Indic Writing Systems 82
Kharosthi 82
Brahmi 82
88
Gupta Scripts 82
Grantha Alphabet 83
Devanagari 83
Chapter 3: Hinduism 85
The Term Hinduism 85
General Nature of Hinduism 86
The Five Tensile Strands 87
Doctrine 87
Practice 88
Society 89
Story 90
Devotion 90
109
Central Conceptions 91
Veda, Brahmans, and Issues
of Religious Authority 91
Doctrine of Atman-Brahman 92
Karma, Samsara, and Moksha 92
Dharma and the Three Paths 93
Ashramas: The Four Stages of Life 94
Practical Hinduism 95
Devotion 97
Deities 97
Worship 99
Divination, Spirit Possession,
and Healing 101
Women’s Religious Practices 102
Pilgrimage 103
Rituals, Social Practices, and Institutions 104
Temple Worship 104
Shaiva Rites 106
Vaishnava Rites 107 114
Sacred Times and Festivals 107
Diwali 109
Cultural Expressions: Visual Arts,
Theatre, and Dance 110
Types of Symbols 110
The Arts 112
Hinduism and the World Beyond 117
Hinduism and Islam 117
Hinduism and Christianity 118
Diasporic Hinduism 119
132
Chapter 4: Other Indigenous Indian
Religions and Indian Philosophy 122
Religions 123
Sikhism 123
History and Doctrine 124
The 10 Gurus 124
The 18th and 19th Centuries 133
The 20th Century to the Early
21st Century 137
Sikh Practice 138
The Worship Service 139
The Rejection of Caste 139
Rites and Festivals 139
154
Sects and Other Groups 141
Sects 141
Other Groups 142
Conclusion 143
Jainism 143
History 144
Early History (7th Century BC–
c. 5th Century AD) 144
Early Medieval Developments
(500–1100) 145
Late Medieval–Early Modern
Developments (1100–1800) 147
Later Jain History 148
Important Figures of Jain Legend 149
Doctrines of Jainism 149
Time and the Universe 149
Jiva and Ajiva 150
Karman 151
Theories of Knowledge as Applied to 163
Liberation 151
Jain Ethics 152
Ritual Practices and Religious Institutions 153
Monks, Nuns, and Their Practices 153
Religious Activity of the Laity 155
Image Worship 157
Jainism and Other Religions 159
Buddhism 160
Buddha 161
The Buddha’s Message 162
173
Suffering, Impermanence, and No-Self 164
Karma 164
The Four Noble Truths 165
The Law of Dependent Origination 165
The Eightfold Path 165
Nirvana 166
Expansion of Buddhism 166
Buddhism Under the Guptas and Palas 169
The Demise of Buddhism in India 170
Contemporary Revival 171
Indian Philosophy 174
Significance of Indian Philosophies
in the History of Philosophy 174
174
General Characteristics of Indian
Philosophy 175
Common Concerns 176
Forms of Argument and Presentation 177
Roles of Sacred Texts, Mythology,
and Theism 178
A General History of Development
and Cultural Background 179
The Prelogical Period 179
The Logical Period 181
The Ultralogical Period 182
Chapter 5: Indian Visual Arts 184
General Characteristics of Indian Art 187
The Unity of Indian Art 187
The Materials of Indian Art 188
Indian and Foreign Art 188
Indian Art and Religion 188
The Artist and Patron 189 199
The Appreciation of Indian Art 189
Indian Sculpture 190
Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2500–1800 BC) 191
Maurya Period (c. 3rd Century BC) 193
Second and First Centuries BC 196
Relief Sculpture of Northern
and Central India 196
Relief Sculpture of Andhradesha 201
Relief Sculpture of Western India 201
Relief Sculpture of Orissa 203