Compare two specific civilizations on a specific subject/area — like religion, economy.
Human beings since the ancient times have dwelled in societies and taken the help of various factors to bind together the various entities of the civilization or the culture (Turner, 2016). Religion is one such factor which has been used as a binding factor to unite the various diverging entities or the people of the civilization who have a tendency to leave the civilization and move away to the other areas (Johnstone, 2015). The various ancient civilizations of the world like “Indus Valley Civilization”, “Maya Civilization”, “Mesopotamian Civilization” and others have since various binding forces like religion, culture, warfare and others to bind the diverging entities of the civilization (Turner, 2016). This particular study will focus on the aspect of religion practiced in the ancient civilizations of “Indus Valley Civilization” and “Maya Civilization” as a uniting factor which held together the various binding entities of those particular civilizations.
Religion is one of the oldest entities of the cultural aspects of the world and it is seen that this particular concept has undergone drastic transformation in the present times since the time of its creation (Herbert, 2017). In the ancient civilizations of the world the factor of religion was used as a binding element to unite the diverse entities of the population. It is also seen that the various forms of religion practiced in the present times are a form of the religions practiced in the ancient times (Herbert, 2017). Therefore, an analysis of the religion of the civilizations of “Indus Valley Civilization” and “Maya Civilization” will help in the understanding of the religion of the present times in a much better manner.
Religion has formed a topic of debate for the various scholars as well as critics for a very long time and therefore is an urge on the part of the diverse scholars and critics to come to the most effective interpretations of the concept of religion and the ideas which they try to propound. Therefore, this particular research work shedding light on the religious practices of the ancient civilizations of “Indus Valley” and Maya will be very significant in the present context.
Religion has formed a topic of much problem to the scholars and the critics for a long time as different religions give a different interpretation of the same concepts or themes. The ancient civilizations when analyzed in the context of their religious practiced also shows that most of the practices followed by them are almost similar in nature with slight modifications in them. Therefore, this particular research will try to understand the concepts and the various precepts of religion through the lens of the “Indus Valley Civilization” and “Maya Civilization”.
This particular research work intends to analyze the role that religion played in the various ancient civilizations of the world and more specifically in the “Indus Valley Civilization” and “Maya Civilization”. The basic rationale of this research work therefore will be to analyze the way by which religion was used as a binding element in these particular civilizations of the ancient world. The issue which the research will try to address is the role which religion played in those civilizations.
“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee”. These lines of Augustine of Hippo from his famous “Confessions” clearly indicate the basis essence of most of the religions (Brown, 2013 pp-54). It is to be noted that religion forms an important aspect of the life of individuals. This fact becomes evident not only in the context of the present day world but in the context of the various ancient civilizations like the Indus Valley Civilization. Religion formed an important aspect of the life of the people of the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the Maya Civilization and it would not be too far-fetched to say that the element of religion was used by our ancestors as a uniting force to bind together the various entities of the civilizations.
The Religious framework of the “Indus Valley Civilization”
The Indus Valley Civilization belonging to the Bronze Age (3300-1300 BCE) was located in the northwestern part of South Asia. This particular civilization along with the Mesopotamian and the Egyptian Civilization is one of the oldest civilizations of the world (Parpola, 2015). This civilization was first described by Charles Masson in his book “Narrative of Various Journeys in Balochistan, Afghanistan, and the Punjab” in the year 1842 (Parpola, 2015). This was mainly an urban civilization and consisted of more than five million people. It is normally believed that the people of the Indus Valley Civilization followed the earliest prototype of the Hindu religion and the relics of the idols found at the various excavation sites have been interpreted in the connotations of the Hindu religion (Parpola, 2015). In the opinion of John Marshall articulated in the year 1931 the people of the Indus Valley Civilization primarily worshiped “a Great Male God and a Mother Goddess” (Marshall, 1931). In addition to this, a sealed relic of a male person surrounded by various animals has been interpreted by the various scholars and historians to be the earliest form of the Hindu God Shiva or Rudra (Parpola, 2015). In the opinion of many historians the worship of the female mother goddess or Shakti was also popular during this particular age (Parpola, 2015). In addition to this, in the later part of this particular civilization, the people started to worship the various forces of nature like the wind, sun, water and others and it is a reflection of this that the various forms of new deities emerged in this particular civilization like the Indra, Surya and others (Parpola, 2015). It is significant to note that although there are recorded instances of human sacrifices in this particular civilization however there are several records which indicate that animal sacrifices did form an integral part of this particular civilization (Marshall, 1931).
The Religious framework of the “Maya Civilization”
The Maya Civilization (2500 BC to 250 AD), on the other hand, was a “Mesoamerican civilization” and is primarily noted for its various “hieroglyphic script” (Demarest, 2004). The natives of this particular civilization are usually called by the name of “Maya people” (Demarest, 2004). The Maya Civilization is believed to have been “encompassed southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador” (Demarest, 2004 pp-67). It is to be noted that the people of this particular civilization were the worshippers of various forms of deities and believed that there existed a realm which was inhabited by these deities (Joyce, 2013). In addition to this, they believed in the concept of human sacrifice and the machinery of the supernatural agents as well (Joyce, 2013). However, it is interesting to note that at the centre of the religious practices of these people was the worship of the deceased ancients as forms of deities (Joyce, 2013). It is significant to note that various kinds of sacrifices and other mechanisms were used by the natives of this particular civilization to appease these spirits and also to gain their blessings (Carmack, Gasco & Gossen, 2016). It is significant to note that in the opinion of scholars it is from this pagan civilization that the modern form of Christianity emerged (Joyce, 2013). However, on the other hand, there are other scholars who have repudiated this particular concept and considered this particular civilization with its human sacrifices and other forms of unholy rites to be essentially a pagan one (Carmack, Gasco & Gossen, 2016). Furthermore, in the opinion of other people along with the various spirits of the ancestors these people also worshipped the various forces of nature. However, the major focus of this particular religion was on the supernatural elements and the role which they played in the lives of the individuals.
Religion as a binding force
Region since the ancient times have been used by the various civilizations as well as the communities of the world as a binding force (Spielvogel, 2014). It is significant to note that the identity of a person in the present day world in very much influenced by the religion which he or she follows. In the ancient civilizations of Indus Valley and Maya the concept of religion formed a part of the cultural as well as personal identity of the native people (Spielvogel, 2014). It is seen that the civilizations in the ancient times and the various societies in the present times are classified on the basis of the religion which they follow and in this particular element is considered to be an important part of the overall cultural as well as the individual identity of the people. In addition to that, it is seen that the various religious practices followed by them are still in use today as the binding agent to hold together the diverse entities of the culture but in more modified form (Samuel, 2017). For example, the religious practices followed in the “Indus Valley Civilization” now form the core precepts of the Hindu religion. On the other form, the religious practices of the “Maya Civilization” form the core precepts of the Christian religion in modified form (Carmack, Gasco & Gossen, 2016). In this particular context the various practices of the Maya people like the worshipping of the various kinds of deities, fasting, marriage ceremonies and others become very significant to note. It is to be noted that although some of the practices like human sacrifice, animal sacrifice, rituals and other aspects of these ancients have now become obsolete however most of them find place in the major religions practiced today in one form or the other (Munson et al. 2014). It is a reflection of this that in most of other religions of the world in the present times it is seen that idol worshipping, fasting and other kinds of sacrifices form an important part of the present day religions. Furthermore, religion formed the core identity of the people of the various ancient civilizations and even today the practice continues. For example, the “Indus Valley Civilization” is often called by the name of the “Hindu Civilization” based on the religion practiced by them (Samuel, 2017). Thus, it can be said that religion forms an important part of the lives of the human beings and is often used as a binding force to hold together the diverging elements of the society. Furthermore, religion also played a significant role in the process of trade as it is often seen that people like to trade with similar religion background people or the people who follow the same kind of religion.
Conclusion
To conclude, religion forms an important part of the lives of the individuals and the society. It is to be noted that since the ancient times the concept of religion has been by the various civilizations as well as societies as a binding element to hold together the diverging entities of the civilization or the society. This becomes especially apparent when the ancient civilizations are taken into consideration. Therefore, this particular research work will try to analyze the role played by religion in the ancient civilizations of Indus Valley and Maya and also try to understand the transformation which the concept of religion has underwent since then.
References
Brown, P. (2013). Augustine of Hippo: a biography. Univ of California Press.
Carmack, R. M., Gasco, J. L., & Gossen, G. H. (Eds.). (2016). The legacy of Mesoamerica: history and culture of a Native American civilization. Routledge.
Demarest, A. (2004). Ancient Maya: the rise and fall of a rainforest civilization (Vol. 3). Cambridge University Press.
Herbert, D. (2017). Religion and civil society: Rethinking public religion in the contemporary world. Routledge.
Johnstone, R. L. (2015). Religion in society: A sociology of religion. Routledge.
Joyce, T. A. (2013). Mexican Archæology: an introduction to the Archæology of the Mexican and Mayan Civilizations of pre-Spanish America. Cambridge University Press.
Lewis, S. (2015). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Health promotion practice, 16(4), 473-475.
Mackey, A., & Gass, S. M. (2013). Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge.
Marshall, J. (Ed.). (1931). Mohenjo-daro and the Indus civilization: being an official account of archaeological excavations at Mohenjo-Daro carried out by the government of India between the years 1922 and 1927 (Vol. 1). Asian Educational Services.
Munson, J., Amati, V., Collard, M., & Macri, M. J. (2014). Classic Maya bloodletting and the cultural evolution of religious rituals: quantifying patterns of variation in hieroglyphic texts. PloS one, 9(9), e107982.
Parpola, A. (2015). The roots of Hinduism: the early Aryans and the Indus civilization. Oxford University Press, USA.
Samuel, G. (2017). Tantric revisionings: new understandings of Tibetan Buddhism and Indian religion. Routledge.
Spielvogel, J. J. (2014). Western civilization. Cengage Learning.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., & DeVault, M. (2015). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Turner, B. S. (Ed.). (2016). The new Blackwell companion to the sociology of religion. John Wiley & Sons.
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