Unit 2 Essay:
Comparing Origins and History of Hinduism and Buddhism in India
Instructions
Unit 2 Essay:
Comparing the Origins and History of Hinduism and Buddhism in India
A major theme in
India’s ancient and early medieval periods is the early origins and historical
development of Hinduism and Buddhism Chapter 3 of World History repeatedly
returns to this theme, covering religious ideas as well as social and political
dimensions to the history of these traditions
For your essay,
please write a comparative study of the origins and history of these two
traditions in ancient and medieval times As you write it, although you should
judge for yourself what to include in this study, you might think about and
consider the following elements:
The Vedic Age
(1700-600 BCE):
The Vedic
peoples, Rig Veda, Brahmins, and Brahmanism
The Brahmanas and
Upanishads
Varna social
system
Transition to
Empire (600-321):
Siddhartha
Gautama (c 563-480)
Caste system
Mauryan Empire
(321-184 BCE) and King Ashoka
Regional States,
Trade, and Devotional Religion (200 BCE-300 CE)
The Kushan
Kingdom and King Kanishka
New developments
in Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhism
New developments
in Hinduism: Dharma Scriptures, Indian Epics, and devotional Hinduism
Medieval India
(600-1300 CE): Medieval Kingdoms and Hinduism
Although the
timelines may vary somewhat, overviews of the history of these religious
traditions at these two websites will provide you with some additional
assistance in writing this essay:
“The Origins
of Buddhism”
“The History
of Hinduism”
Important Note:
Please note that this should not be an unhistorical, general study of Hinduism
and Buddhism You will not want to write a comparative study of these
traditionsâ major religious ideas and practices, except insofar as those relate
to their historical development and the essay topic You could, for example,
organize your essay by addressing a set of comparative points in the body
paragraphs
1 Compare and
contrast how each tradition began
2 Compare and
contrast how each tradition developed over time
3 Compare and
contrast the social role each tradition played
4 Compare and
contrast the political roles each tradition played