In the Han Dynasty in China, Confucian beliefs and ideals dictated large parts of life. Confucius was a philosopher that lived during the Warring States period, in which many non-unified states (hence the title) were at odds with each other, battling frequently and causing general chaos in China. Out of this chaos, Confucius designed his plan for an improved system of government and social structure. As I mentioned earlier, his system highly valued education, placing the wisest and most knowledgeable people in positions of power. The government was supposed to be highly intelligent and unquestioned by the populace. Unlike the Han Chinese system, the Aryan civilization did not put as much weight on being an intellectual, rather placing value in physical strength and ability to fight. Some of the most prominent of documents in Confucianism are the Analects, a series of documents recording the beliefs of Confucius. In Aryan society, one of their most well-known series of documents are Vedas, recording religious beliefs and rituals of the Aryan people. These documents were written in Sanskrit, an early language that very serve as the base for some languages that are spoken …show more content…
Before Buddhism was widely-spread in China, Confucian ideals ruled over everyday life. Instead of focusing on one religion, following its teachings and principles, Han China took most of their ideals from Confucius and his disciples, following the set system of beliefs. On the other hand, the Aryans followed a polytheistic folk religion in which there were multiple gods, each controlling a sphere of Aryan life. One of the most prominent gods was Indra, the god of storms and war. He was thought to have controlled the weather and influence the result of battles. His importance in Aryan society showed how much warrior grit and physical strength were valued. The Aryans worshipped their gods by offering sacrifices and praying. The god you prayed to depended on what you needed or hoped to gain. For example, a couple who hopes for children may want to pray to Shiva, the goddess of fertility. Aryans made offerings of food or animal sacrifices to please the gods. Aryans also looked up to Vedic priests to help them achieve their goals and desires. This religious system of priests and offerings can be contrasted with that of Han China, where their were no priests or offerings to Confucius. To practice Confucius’ principles, no sacrifices were needed, as they were more of a political ideology rather than a