The Indian/South Asian Culture and History of Sumeru : Genshin Impact Lore Analysis / Essay

what makes gentian impact special is that all of its fictional nations are written to represent real-life cultures as for the nation of sumeru it is a broad blend of multiple identities in my past videos I mentioned how Middle Eastern and North African culture influenced sumeru's lore in this video however I am here to discuss the aspects of Indian culture and history that take place in sumeru this includes references to Indian religions of Hinduism and Buddhism connecting sumera's knowledge to that of ancient India Indian Cuisine connecting poor ormos to city-states like Goa and much more a ton of comparisons between genjun and India will be made so timestamps for the video's info are in the description if you would like to skip to a specific part for our first major comparisons to India let's take a deep dive into its native religions of Hinduism and Buddhism to see how they are represented in sumeru Hinduism is a polytheistic religion meaning that worship is offered to more than one God in fact Hinduism features up to 33 million Gods since the religion itself is actually a combination of various beliefs across the diverse population of India to start off our first comparisons to Hinduism let's begin with the original archon of samaru Greater Lord Ruka devata in regards to her name it can be traced back to the ancient indo-aryan language of Pali where it translates to tree goddess this makes sense considering the fact that she was the goddess of dendro which is the element related to both trees and plants in addition to her official title she did have a more personal name given to her by the aranara these little creatures referred to her as Queen aranyani likewise the Hindu goddess arunyani possesses similar traits in the Indian religion just like how the forest dwelling aranara saw queen aryani as their mother aranyani in Hinduism was also considered the mother of all Forest dwelling creatures this makes Ruka devata being the archon of denzhou or plants all the more accurate since her Hindu counterpart was also the goddess of trees and forest plants both of these goddesses in Hinduism and sumeru even possess ownership of similar trees in Hinduism aranyani was the owner of a Divine tree known as kalpavriksha which was considered not just a tree of life but also known by Hindus as the world tree this is connected to Rika devata's ownership of Urban Soul Not only was Urban Soul part of Ruka devata's Consciousness but her tree was physically connected to the Ley lines that made up the world tree of devat just like calproviksha furthermore greater Lord Ruka devata is not the only version of herself to be connected to Hinduism this includes the current archon of samiru we have in the game lesser Lord kusanali what makes her special compared to other archons is the way she succeeded her predecessor or the previous archon that held her position no one really succeeded Ruka devata as the new denzo archon this is because the new dengeo archon kusanali is Ruka devata just a Reincarnation of her but why did the game devs Put The Reincarnation of a goddess in sumeru when it could have been placed in any other nation into vat all the more why make her reincarnation a child when she could have been an adult by the time of the game the truth is there actually is a Hindu practice that sees children as the living reincarnations of goddesses in Hindu practicing countries like India and Nepal there are kids known as Kumari they are thought not to be The Replacements of goddesses but instead their exact reincarnations in the form of a child just like how kusinelli was the child Reincarnation of Ruka devata besides being juvenile reincarnations of goddesses kusanali and the Hindu Kumari also share similar struggles although valued as sacred the two were subject to very restricted lives we all know that the sumero Academia distrusted the capabilities of kusanali so they locked her inside the sanctuary of sirustana as a sort of prison in a similar manner akumari's perceived holiness made their Hindu communities confine them to very limited freedoms oftentimes they won't even be allowed in public or even into education this makes it all the more difficult for a Kumari to assume a normal life once she becomes an adult which is when the Goddess that supposedly possessed her body leaves now that we are on the topic of sumero's current archon even she has more references to Indian religions in the archon quest the mourn a thousand roses bring we were trapped in an endless dream Loop that kusinoli calls a samsura just like Hawaii samsura in sumeru is a cycle of Dreams the samsara in Hinduism as well as Buddhism is the endless cycle of reincarnation in this samsara your form in the next life will be determined by either the good or bad karma collected by your deeds in the current life even before all the major sumero quests we do see Hindu references in our first encounter with kusanali the actual first time we see her was during the summer Fantasia Quest where she visited Us in the form of her Avatar a small bird the concept of an avatar originated from Indian Hinduism and Buddhism where avatars were the physical form used by a God or Spirit when visiting or helping humans typically avatars were in the shape of animals like varaha being a boar or matsya being a fish while we're on the topic of animals another important animal from Indian and Hindu culture is placed in sumeru while exploring sumeru you may have noticed that it is the only country in tibat to have tigers this is because of the Tiger's unique reputation for bravery and Valor in India which all stems from the belief that this animal was the vehicle for Durga the goddess associated with liberation of the oppressed and slaying of demons besides their sentimental value the Bengal tiger's importance to the cultures of the Indian subcontinent is the reason why it became the national animals of both India and Bangladesh most of all the titles of sumeru sub-regions also bear names from Hinduism itself the ominous devantaka Mountain was named after the Hindu god of the same name he was known as the destroyer of gods and was a part of a group of beings known as asuras who were the Hindu equivalent of demons the demon devantaka is mostly known for his death at the hands of the great God Hanuman who killed him in a duel the story of devantaka's death is referenced in the game's description of devantaka mountain which describes the place as the mountain that saw the death of a demon Of course that demon being Asura devantaka and his death being the one given by Hanuman the ilakopalo region is also a callback to the ilakopalas and Dick Palace who are the gods from Hinduism and Buddhism that represent the cardinal directions of North West South and East in spite of the many references to these two natively Indian religions there is another Indian religion that is referenced across sumeru those arastrianism is practiced in India by the Parsi ethnic group both them and their faith Are Persian in origin Ravine is a reference to the Parsi China bridge where Souls use it to cross from the realm of the living to the Land of the Dead lastly the title of sumero's forest region as a whole is a comparison to multiple Indian religions at once the Dharma forest was named aptly after the Dharma principle held by both Indian Hinduism and Buddhism this is Conformity or obedience to the laws of nature and the universe by following them one accomplishes the role set before them and fulfills their own purpose in life besides the name of the forest another reference to Dharma is seen in Wanderer we all know that he was Scaramouche but after being enlightened with a new life and leaving the fatoui kusunali lets him have a new name the idea of enlightened individuals receiving new names actually has a practice in Indian Buddhism and Buddhist initiation rituals recipients would be given what is known as a Dharma name which is presented to them by a Buddhist clergyman in my past videos I mentioned samira's use of Persian Arab and Egyptian food however the majority of samara's food really comes from the diverse cuisine of India like I said before India is extremely diverse and much of these Foods come from all over the country the crispy panipuri from sumero City originally comes from the Pradesh regions of India not only does the real panipuri also use potatoes and chickpeas like a gunchen but is served with a similar condiment the game describes panipuri to be served with some sort of green dipping sauce this is based on mint Chutney a refreshing green sauce paired with dishes across the Indian subcontinent it is important to know that there also exists Tamarind and yogurt chutneys as well another dish in sumeru that is served with Chutney are the samosas which are popular across India Nepal Bangladesh and Pakistan they are crispy triangular shaped pastries filled with potatoes vegetables and sometimes various meat depending on the original differences Muslim areas except beef samosas while Hindu areas side with either vegetarian chicken or lamb fillings these Regional differences in samosas are referenced in the game's description of the food Tandoori roast chicken is a pop pillar dish that originated in Northern India the game mentions that this dish is a humble meal usually prepared in the Clay Oven known as a Tandoor in real life the Tandoor oven comes from what is now the Punjab region and just like in sumeru Punjabi tandoori chicken is marinated with red spices and served with a refreshing yogurt as a side it is also important to know that staple indianan is also cooked in these Hollow ovens butter chicken however is perhaps the most well-known Indian dish across the world especially in the west although this is its anglicized name it originated in the Delhi region of India where it was known as murg makhni genjen makes reference to how the people of sumeru generally eat the dish with rice and flat bread likewise traditional Indian Cuisine seeds flatbreads like naan and Roti served with curry-like dishes such as butter chicken although Western culture normalizes the use of forks and spoons traditional Indian methods actually use Realty and non-flat breads as utensils for the dish the dish Masala cheese balls references another food from Northern India this dish and gentian has cheese mixed in with a masala like Curry in India the unique goat and sheep cheese used in these curries is known as paneer it was introduced to Northern Indians during occupation from Afghan and Persian conquerors though most of these dishes have been from the Northern areas of India there is a dish that represents the southwestern region of India which is the state of Goa this famous Coastal Port region is tropical just like port ormos and is therefore home to a lot of tropical Seafood shrimp Curry is famous in the Goa region as well as food made from pigs since most Goan Indians tend to be Christian due to Portuguese occupation rather than the traditional Hindu or Muslim which bans the consumption of pork as we all know each nation into vat has its own principle when it comes to sumeru it is considered the nation of wisdom and knowledge I mentioned in my middle eastern video that the arrow World advancements may have been the inspiration for samaro's status as the nation of wisdom however India's unique history of academic achievements could have have also been contributed to sumero's role as well ancient India was credited for a ton of accomplishments that last up to this day most of them come from ancient documents known as vidas or Vedic scripts that were written in the old language of Sanskrit much of the sumero Academia borrows from these Vedic teachings though the darshans all have names from the Persian language some of their schools are associated with the old Indian achievement of Botany the study of plants one of the important research sites for members of the sumeru Academia is parties di a greenhouse and garden dedicated for the sole purpose of studying plants and flowers in addition to this we also see dedicated research Gardens in sumero city and even small villages like and darbyville but why is sumeru so obsessed with studying flowers when every other region also loves flowers the truth is some of the earliest examples of Thoroughly trying to study plants comes from the ancient Vedic writings of India these Hindu documents showed how the early inhabitants of India were some of the first people to divide trees herbs and other plants into their own specific categories even more Vedic teachings are found in sumeru's medicinal advancements while rummaging through the ruins of the DAR ashifa hospital we find schedules instructing Sumerian doctors to give special foods to ill patients furthermore we also see medical centers in sumero City placed well within the vicinity of gardens that grow fresh organic food so why is it that sumero often Associates food with Healthcare that could be a callback to ancient ayurvedic medicine in this Indian practice healing properties of natural spices herbs and foods are emphasized instead of boring Western medicine Beyond this even more references to Indian knowledge are present in sumera's story the quest name truth amongst the pages of the piranha was named after the ancient Indian Sanskrit texts also called puranas these documents contain many tales of gods from Hinduism but also many citations that contain research of real academic subjects for example the Agni purana contains subjects ranging from geography historical accounts measuring systems guides on how to build public spaces and even political Theory and that's only one of the many other piranhas India is known for the Piranha's vast info of both practical and religious knowledge is referenced in sumeru's knowledge capsules since the ones presented to us by Dory also contain information pertaining to those exact subjects however there does seem to be a consistency when it comes to sumeru's wisdom almost all of it sprouts from Hindu sentiments for this let's take a look at the name of sumero's official song album the title Forest of janana and Vidya actually Bears similarity to Indian philosophical knowledge the term Vidya is used to describe forms of benevolent and useful knowledge that is seen as Divine and ultimately useful for the use of mankind this primarily includes things like legitimate or valid knowledge which is information that is visible to the naked eye and cannot be contradicted through extensive debate to clarify this valid knowledge that video phrases include sciences and scholarly research the same goes with janana which is the total perception of an object not through personal perspective but how it is in its supreme or original state both janana and vedia focus on knowledge and wisdom as it is not the way you want it however the negative opposite of both janana and Vidya is also present in sumeru one of the major regions of the Dharma Forest is the smaller Avidia Forest Avidia is the opposite of Vidya while video is the knowledge of valid and constant truth Avidia is the state of mental misunderstanding produced by ignorance and constant pondering on incorrect knowledge that distracts one from focusing on Truth specifically the truth of Their Own self-purpose mind you the concept of Enlightenment in most Indian religions comes from acknowledging self-worth and something like Avidia which hinders that sense of self-worth is always seen as bad but you may be wondering why are both video and other video present here aren't they opposites the truth is these two actually serve a purpose and the story behind sumru their importance is pretty vital to know so please pay attention we learn in the main Arcon Quest that sumeru was a country built on Divine knowledge cultivated by goddesses like Ruka devata this flourishing Empire was damaged due to a tragedy that involved Forbidden Knowledge destroying the land that forbidden knowledge is considered either false or too much for humans to handle and it was so harmful that its remnants still caused the withering zones that are still present in the game does this sound familiar to you the Divine knowledge used to build sumeru sounds similar to Vidya while the forbidden knowledge that almost destroyed the entire country perfectly matches the description of Avidia just like Vidya Divine Knowledge from Ruka devata were absolute truths which included scientific literacy to build the advanced cities that still stand in sumeru to this day meanwhile the forbidden knowledge that caused the people of samaru to suffer as described as information from another world that caused its people to freak out that suffering caused by too much worry of self-status and self-worth is what Avidia is which is the discomfort caused by misconception and misunderstanding in fact that is probably why the Avidia Forest has its name the Lush Garden is still infected by weathering zones caused by the Overflow of forbidden knowledge or a video that once ravaged to meru so in the end sumero's use of both good and bad philosophical knowledge Chile makes this nation the land of wisdom especially evil wisdom you may have noticed that much of the Indian influence in sumeru has come from the northern regions of India however samaru does not lack representation of the Southern regions of the country especially Coastal States like Goa and Tamil these places border the large Indian Ocean which is primarily known for tropical geography as well as being the Center of Trade between various cultures for these aspects that make Southern India unique let's take a look at Port ormos you see the entirety of the Indian Ocean was important for international trade ever since ancient times monsoons created by its warm tropical climate would allow people from Africa Arabia and East Asia to trade with India these products that attracted traders to the regions of Southern India were spices which we see in the market stalls of Port ormos while strolling through the streets you'll find merchants selling boxes of cinnamon Ginger and various others at their stalls not only do these spices originate from India but the southern states of Goa and Tamil were all major players in the spice trade as well so much so that the Portuguese all the way from Europe would sail all around Africa just to get a taste of those spicy spices this similarity to India's role in the spice trade is even marked by the fact that spice traders in tavat are found nowhere else but in sumeru spices were not the only part of Indian Ocean trade but also Maritime technology traders that harnessed the power of monsoons to travel the Indian Ocean were famous for using special vessels known as Latin ships which were famous for their triangular shaped sails we see this type of boat all across Port ormos paying tribute to the importance of these boats to the success of the ancient Indian economy of course the whole reason why these monsoons exist is because of the tropical climate of the region this tropical setting makes southern states like Goa inherit very unique Wildlife which is also symbolized in Port ormos we noticed that much of Port ormos is built in and around giant trees that dig their Roots into the water these are famous trees known as mangroves which are found in tropical States like Goa just like how mangroves provide shelter for tons of aquatic Wildlife the mangroves in Port ormos serve as a home for the villagers and sailors that live in this busy town adding on to their trees Port ormos also has very similar geographical placement and relation to Goa other port cities in Tibet like Ruto and leeway Harbor are simply built on a coastline port ormos on the other hand is built next to a river that connects Inland submaru to the rest of the ocean likewise the state of Goa is not just built on a coastline but it's Port City strategically is built around the Mondovi river that also flows into Inland India lastly perhaps the most famous characteristic of Port ormos is their diversity its name is Greek Persian its geography is Indian and its households have Arabic influence but how is this related to Goa the truth is many regions of India including Goa are more culturally mixed than we think so portraying sumeru as a culturally mixed nation is historically accurate for example in Port ormos its Musical theme uses traditional Indian sitars but also Arabic us and kamanjas the presence of Arabic traits in the mostly Indian Port ormos is due to the fact that Goa thrives off the Arabian Sea a smaller portion of the Indian Ocean therefore the Indians had much contact and cultural exchange with the Arab ancestors of modern omanis and emiratis besides this you may also notice that there still exists many Persian aspects in both ormos and the entirety of sumero as well this is because the parsey ethnic group of India were originally migrants from Persia or Iran who took their culture and language with them in fact some may continue to wonder why some of the buildings in Port ormos seem to follow Persian architecture this is because Persian Architects were actually responsible for Designing many palaces across India most especially the Taj Mahal so even if some people thought it was controversial to make sumeru a cultural mixture of Indian Arab and Persian just know that this design of sumero is truly on par with what happened in real life cultures naturally intermingle with one another especially when presented with faster means of travel such as the Indian Ocean the diversity present in vibrant Nations like India will always be an example of that overall there is no better place to blend these cultures in the game than Port ormos the city modeled after one of the most diverse places in all of India [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: Explorer’s Compass

Views: 9,465

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Id: NhIaVpVWYYg

Length: 22min 34sec (1354 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 22 2023