Classification of the Prehistoric Period

Prehistoric period refers to the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins around 3.3 million years ago till the advent of writing systems.  The Stone Age, which lasted roughly 2.5 to 3.3 million ..

Satavahana Empire

Satavahana followed the Mauryas in Deccan of India. Satavahana dynasty ruled from Pune in Maharastra to Coastal Andhra Pradesh in the second century BC onwards. This dynasty was built up on the ruins of the Maurya Empire and around 1st century ..

Shunga (Sunga) Dynasty

Four rulers of Shunga or Sunga Dynasty were Pushyamitra Sunga (185 BC TO 151 BC), Agnimitra (149 BC -141 BC), Bhagabhadra (114 BC -83 BC) and Devabhuti (87-73 BC) After the Kalinga war, Asoka became a monk and expansion of ..

Bodhisattva

A Bodhisattva means one who has essence of enlightment. Anyone who has a spontaneous wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all is a Bodhisattva. It’s a very popular subject in Buddhist art. A bodhisattva is bound to enlightment ..

Hinayana & Mahayana

A Yana is a vehicle. A Hinayana is a lesser vehicle while a Mahayana is a Great vehicle. Hinayana The other names of Hinayana are: Deficient Vehicle, Abandoned Vehicle or Defective Vehicle. It believes in the original teaching of Buddha ..

Buddhist Councils

Six Buddhist councils have been convened. Here is a short description: First Buddhist Council: 400 BC Held soon after the mahaparinirvana of the Buddha, around 400 BC under the patronage of king Ajatshatru with the monk Mahakasyapa presiding, at Rajgriha, ..

Buddhist Scholars

The most important turning point in the expansion of Buddhism in India was the emergence and conversion of Asoka the Great (304–232 BC). He embraced Buddhism after 8 years of his coronation, he became a Buddhist and made it his ..

16 Mahajanapada and their capitals

In the 8th century BC, India could be broadly understood in terms of five large regions viz. Madhyadesa (the middle country), Pratichya (western lands), Prachya (Eastern region), Uttarpatha (the land in the north of Vindhyas and Dakshinpatha (the land south ..

Vedanta

Vedanta means Veda end or the purpose or goal of the Vedas. It was given by Badrayana or Maharishi Vyasa, who is one of the 7 Chiranjeevis and wrote “Mahabharata”. Advaita Its proponent was Adi Shankara and his Guru Gaudapada. ..

Shatdarshana

Hindu philosophy is traditionally divided into six āstika (orthodox) schools of thought, or darśanam, which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. The āstika schools are: Samkhya, an atheistic and strongly dualist theoretical exposition of consciousness and matter. Yoga, a ..