Classical Traditions Two - India
October 21st 2007 12:01
Previously I blogged on Classical traditions - China and now for my second blog in this series the subject is India. Read on. There is a tie in with the Chinese tradition blog.
Another major Classical tradition amongst world cultures would surely be the cultures of INDIA. Whereas Chinese culture tends to Sinicize any foreign influences in a process of poetic transformation, Indian culture when interacting with other cultures tends to syncreticize, fuse with local culutres in interesting and creative ways.
There are Indian deities adopted into Chinese culture and religion that are barely recognizable as having an Indian origin even to experts but most Indian deities retain their names in South East Asia. A fusion of imported Hindu concepts with a local animism tradition created the nhat cult of Burma. But in China the deity Skanda also known as Kartiteya or Murugan becomes a guardian warrior depicted as a Chinese general and known as Weito. But Krishna and Ram(a) are known across South East Asia.
From India came Hinduism and Buddhism spread by Merchants along the spice trade routes from Afghanistan and further west to Bali and slightly beyond. It is thought by some experts that Buddhist and Hindu sages who travelled to Alexandria and the Mediterranean influenced the Gnostics.
Those merchants interacted with local cultures and introduced new technologies leading to the beautiful architectures of the temples and palaces of Champa, the Khmer, Laos, Burma, the MON realm, Sukhothai, Java and Bali. Indian Pali script has several variant forms used in SE Asia. Sanskrit Devanagari however moved north. The idea of a syllabary bypassed China yet influenced although somewhat indirectly the creation of Japanese kana and Korean Hangul.
The marriage of Indian culture with outside influence lead to the development of the "Mughal" art styles and to various Anglo-Indian innovations such as pyjamas and Paisley prints and the humble CHUTNEY. Yes Chutney. I know some food scholaras came its origin is primarily Indian as a form of pickled vegetable but the British seem to have contributed the idea of mixing some types of chutney with tomato relish and storing it in glass jars creating the beloved condiment that goes so well on sandwiches and with salads!
Last and not least Indian mathematicans created the ZERO!
Indian traditions - its not just Curry and Call Centres! They date back to the Mohendjaro cultures in which an early form of Shiva is depicted and have influenced most of Asia and beyond!
Classical Traditions Two - INDIA
Another major Classical tradition amongst world cultures would surely be the cultures of INDIA. Whereas Chinese culture tends to Sinicize any foreign influences in a process of poetic transformation, Indian culture when interacting with other cultures tends to syncreticize, fuse with local culutres in interesting and creative ways.
There are Indian deities adopted into Chinese culture and religion that are barely recognizable as having an Indian origin even to experts but most Indian deities retain their names in South East Asia. A fusion of imported Hindu concepts with a local animism tradition created the nhat cult of Burma. But in China the deity Skanda also known as Kartiteya or Murugan becomes a guardian warrior depicted as a Chinese general and known as Weito. But Krishna and Ram(a) are known across South East Asia.
From India came Hinduism and Buddhism spread by Merchants along the spice trade routes from Afghanistan and further west to Bali and slightly beyond. It is thought by some experts that Buddhist and Hindu sages who travelled to Alexandria and the Mediterranean influenced the Gnostics.
Those merchants interacted with local cultures and introduced new technologies leading to the beautiful architectures of the temples and palaces of Champa, the Khmer, Laos, Burma, the MON realm, Sukhothai, Java and Bali. Indian Pali script has several variant forms used in SE Asia. Sanskrit Devanagari however moved north. The idea of a syllabary bypassed China yet influenced although somewhat indirectly the creation of Japanese kana and Korean Hangul.
The marriage of Indian culture with outside influence lead to the development of the "Mughal" art styles and to various Anglo-Indian innovations such as pyjamas and Paisley prints and the humble CHUTNEY. Yes Chutney. I know some food scholaras came its origin is primarily Indian as a form of pickled vegetable but the British seem to have contributed the idea of mixing some types of chutney with tomato relish and storing it in glass jars creating the beloved condiment that goes so well on sandwiches and with salads!
Last and not least Indian mathematicans created the ZERO!
Indian traditions - its not just Curry and Call Centres! They date back to the Mohendjaro cultures in which an early form of Shiva is depicted and have influenced most of Asia and beyond!
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