1. Explain the origins of the caste system
- The origins of the caste system in India and Nepal are shrouded, but it seems to have originated some two thousand years ago. Under this system, which is associated with Hinduism, people were categorized by their occupations. Although originally caste depended upon a person's work, it soon became hereditary. Each person was born into an unalterable social status.
2. What does the Aryan term “varna” means?
- The meaning of the word "Varna" is not class or status but skin color.
3. Briefly explain or identify who was in each of the four main varnas
- The Brahmins: scholars, teachers, priests and sages.
- The Kshatriya: kings, soldiers, and rulers.
- The Vaishyas: merchants, cattle herders and agriculturists
- The Shudras: laborers, craftsmen and artisans.
4. What was the fifth varna that was eventually added and what was their role in society?
- The people of this "fifth varna" are now called Dalits (the oppressed) or Harijans; they were formerly known as "untouchables" or "pariahs". However, this last addition social stratum is not a part of the religion of Hinduism.
5. What does the term “jati” mean?
- Jati means that a Hindu caste or distinctive social group of which there are thousands throughout India; a special characteristic is often the exclusive occupation of its male members.; A Hindu caste system; also, any of the subcastes of this system.
6. What were some of the general rules of jati?
- The jati was effectively a system similar to guilds, and was associated with occupation or tribe or sect. For example, as a general rule goldsmiths, carpenters and barbers form separate communities could, and cannot intermingle. Along with this, members of Jati are forbidden from changing from their caste, or community to another.
7. What was the punishment for violating these rules?
- Expelled from the jati
8. What was the believed benefit of having castes and jatis in Aryan society?
- Caste system served as an important instrument of order in a society in which mutual consent rather than compulsion ruled; where the ritual rights as well as the economic obligations of members of one caste or sub-caste were strictly circumscribed in relation to those of any other caste or sub-caste. Also caste system played an influential role in shaping economic activities and ensuring the division of labor.
9. What were the “Upanishads”?
- The Upanishads are philosophical texts considered to be an early source of Hindu religion.; The Upanishads form the core of Indian philosophy. They are an amazing collection of writings from original oral transmissions, which have been aptly described by Shri Aurobindo as "the supreme work of the Indian mind
10. Explain the term “Brahman”
- In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being. Brahman is conceived as personal ("with qualities"), impersonal ("without qualities") and supreme depending on the philosophical school.
11. Explain the term “samsara”
- Sansara is a Sanskrit and Pali term, which translates as "continuous movement" or "continuous flowing" and, in Buddhism, refers to the concept of a cycle of birth, and consequent decay and death, in which all beings in the universe participate, and which can only be escaped through enlightenment.
12. Explain the term “karma”
- Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies.
13. What was “moksha” and what two things were required in order to attain it?
- The spiritual goal of a Hindu is to become one with Brahma. This freedom is referred to as moksha. Until moksha is achieved, a Hindu believes that he/she will be repeatedly reincarnated in order that he/she may work towards self-realization of the truth; the release of the soul (Atman) from the cycle of rebirth. The individual soul (Atman) unites with Brahman the universal soul. There are different ways to Moksha.
- 1. Spiritual - involves acquiring spiritual knowledge through yoga and meditation. devotion to god
- 2. Working selflessly for the good of society.
14. Briefly explain how the Upanishads explained the caste system.
- Upanishads Closely connected with the caste system was the idea, derived from Hindu religious beliefs, that the individual soul would be reincarnated, or reborn into a new life in this world.
In 1402, Zhu Di sent Zheng He and Wang Jinghong to lead a huge fleet to the Western Sea, which is Southeast Asia for today. They carried large quantity of goods to the Southeast Asia, east Africa and Arabia and this was unprecedented great historical period of trade and cultural exchanges. From 1405 to 1433, he led his fleet to voyage to about 30 countries in Africa through West and East Asia for seven times. They carried silk and ceramics and exchanged it with animals, minerals and jewels in tropical area. In the Strait of Malacca, he defeated pirates and reached to Calcutta in India. In 1431, he arrived at Mecca in Saudi Arabia and navigated until the strait of Swahili in eastern part of Africa. However the Hongxi Emperor decided to stop the voyages. So Chinese treasure ship fleets were ended. His voyages are “87 years earlier than that of Columbus, 93 years earlier than that of Gama, and 116 years earlier than that of Magellan.” Zheng he is still remembered navigator, because his museums are in some countries about his legacy such as Sri Lanka and China.
- When: The word "Christian" was first made when Jesus came on this earth. (The mid-1st century)
- When: 1400 years ago
Darius the Great (550 – 486 BCE) was the third king of Achaemend Emperor. Darius proved to be a strong and wise ruler. He was tolerant toward other religions and cultures, promoted learning, agriculture, forestation, and the construction of highways. He also built the great palace cities of Susa and Persepolis. 
Xerces the Great was the grandson of Cyrus and the son of Darius. Like them an Achaemenid, Xerxes I was king of the Persian Empire. (520 - 465 B.C) Xerxes was not the first-born son of Darius, but he was the first son of Darius' wife Atossa, the daughter of Cyrus, which put him in the succession. Xerxes suppressed a revolt in Egypt. He fought against the Greeks in the Persian Wars, winning a victory at Thermopylae and suffering defeat at Salamis.
The Maya lived in subtropical Mesoamerica in parts of the countries that are now Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, and the Yucatan peninsula area of Mexico. The Maya civilization shares many features with other Mesoamerican civilizations due to the high degree of interaction and cultural diffusion that characterized the region. Advances such as writing, epigraphy, calendar and some of arts and architectures gave influence around near countries. Maya influence can be detected from Honduras, Guatemala, and Northern El Salvador and to as far as central Mexico. The ancient Maya were united by a shared religious system and language, although there are actually many Mayan languages. While the political system was also shared among the Maya, each chiefdom had its own ruler. Battles between cities and protective alliances were frequent. Mayan religion was characterized by the worship of nature gods (especially the gods of sun, rain and corn), a priestly class, the importance of astronomy and astrology, rituals of human sacrifice, and the building of elaborate pyramidical temples. Some aspects of Mayan religion survive today among the Mayan Indians of Mexico and Central America, who practice a combination of traditional religion and Roman Catholicism. Human sacrifice usually associated with Maya religion in that people are sacrificed to the gods. The Maya creation myth involved a sacrifice made by the gods that had to be re-enacted by humans from time to time. One of the occasions of human sacrifice was the ball game. It is not known how often sacrifice of the loser ended the game, but the game itself was often deadly. The rules were that the ball couldn't touch the ground and the players couldn't hit the ball with their hands and/or feet. The team that lost was killed and used a sacrifice. They created rubber balls that came in soccer and baseball size. You had to get the ball into a small gold ring. This bull game was one of Maya’s accomplishments that were a matter of life or death, literally. Maya made a lot of accomplishments including bull game, because they were very intelligent. First of all they had a number line that used the number 0 and also made pyramids with no metal tools. And they could use soil smartly and knew how to crop such as corn and beans. They developed mathematics (including zero) and grew maize. They also made own calendar primarily.
