Nikolas Zazula

6th Hour WHAP

12/15/14

Chapter 9 Analysis Questions

2. In what ways is Hinduism especially related to the land of India?
Although the ideas behind Hinduism may have been brought in through the
Aryan immigrants, the religion was crafted and fine-tuned in India. India itself is a very
diverse in terms of its people. The concept of Hinduism is not inspired by a specific
person, but by the many different traditions of India that eventually came together to
form a single religion. This is very different than most religions, because they worship a
single deity or prophet. Because of the diversity in India, there were various beliefs and
traditions that came along with its people, and this allowed for Hinduism to become
popular. However, the majority of Hinduisms influence is centralized in India, as the
concepts of this religion most likely appealed to these people, as they were their ideas in
the first place. Also, due to the quarantining geography that India has, in regard to the
large natural barriers that surround India, the religion became relatively contained within
Indias borders. Overall, the land of India has been the center of the growth and spread of
Hinduism, and created a religion that appealed to the wide variety of diverse peoples that
inhabit India. (P. 273-282)

4. Describe the key elements in the competition between Hinduism and Buddhism
including such issues as principal beliefs, role of the clergy, role of the home, social
hierarchy, and support of the government.
In the competition between Buddhism and Hinduism in ancient India, there
really wasnt any competition. The ideas behind Hinduism generally appealed to
these Indian people more, as the religion grew and flourished as one of the first

main religious ideas within India. It was forged through a combination of many
religious ideas and, in turn, appealed to the people that helped construct it. But,
for reasons greater than just tradition and a lack of acceptance of Buddhism,
Hinduism was able to rise above its competitor in the battle of influence in
ancient India.
The religion of Hinduism was much more structurally sound than that of
Buddhism. Through its use of the caste system, it was able to establish a concise
and relatively sound system of social organization. This way, everyone was able
to know and understand their place in society compared to the socially
unorganized Buddhism, due to the fact that there was a sense of equality, as
every individual was pursuing the same concept of enlightenment. While this
idea within Buddhism appealed to many Hindus within these lower castes, they
ultimately turned to Brahmin priests for their spiritual needs.

6. What have been the relationships between Buddhism and Confucianism in China?

To Summarize