Sacrifices and Debates: Short Notes
- The first millennium BCE marked a significant shift in history with the rise of influential thinkers like Zarathustra in Iran, Kong zi in China, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in Greece, and Mahavira and Gautama Buddha in India.
- This period also saw the growth of kingdoms and cities, shaping social and economic life.
- In terms of rituals, the early Vedic traditions recorded in the Rigveda, compiled between approximately 1500 and 1000 BCE, involved hymns praising various deities like Agni, Indra, and Soma.
- Complex rituals like the Ashvamedha and rajasuya were performed by chiefs who relied on Brahman priests to conduct them.
- As people pondered life’s meaning and the possibility of life after death and rebirth, debates arose, especially questioning the significance of rituals.
- Discussions happened in places like huts with pointed roofs or groves where travelers stopped. Teachers like Mahavira stressed individual empowerment, suggesting that both men and women could seek liberation from life’s challenges, a departure from the Brahmanical beliefs.
- The Buddha, along with other teachers, taught orally, and his teachings were compiled by his disciples after his death, forming the Tipitaka at a council in Vesali.
- Other texts like the Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa chronicled regional histories of Buddhism, particularly in Sri Lanka.
- Additionally, there were differing viewpoints among people: fatalists believed everything was predetermined, while materialists valued physical possessions over spiritual values.
Chapter 4 Sacrifices and Debates| Class 12 History Notes
In this article, we will look into the topic of “Sacrifices and Debates” from Chapter 4 of the NCERT Class 12 History book. These notes are specially curated by an expert team at w3wiki for all the students.
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