Early Empires of South Asia

Identifying Essential Information

• Read pages 183-186

• Using any note taking technique we have used in class

• Identify• Leaders

• Accomplishments

• Decline

of the Maurya Empire and Gupta Empire

Maurya Empire

• From 321-200 BC

• Chandragupta Maurya founded empire

• Major Accomplishments• United Northern Plains – large empire

• Government – tax collecting, trade, military

• Architecture – buildings, palaces

• Economy – irrigation, trade (international and domestic)

• Religion – spread of Buddhism

Ashoka: 269B.C -232 B.C.

• Brought empire to height of its power

• Buddhism and Ashoka

• Ashoka Video 6:41

• Crash Course 12:16 5:30 in or 9:34 Gupta

Ashoka: 269B.C -232 B.C.

• Brought empire to height of its power + united

• Military power

• He embraced Buddhism after witnessing the mass deaths of the war of Kalinga

• Around 100,000 Kalinga civilians and more than 10,000 of Ashoka’s own warriors died during this battle.

• Tolerance • “All faiths deserve to be honored for one reason or another”

• Promoted Buddhism

• spread to missionaries to China and Southeast Asia = diffusion – built stupas

Asoka

Sanchi Gate and Stupa, built at time of Asoka

Ashoka's Major Rock Edict at Junagadh contains inscriptions by Asoka

The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 269 BCE to 231 BCE.These inscriptions are dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and represent the first tangible evidence of Buddhism. The edicts describe in detail the first wide expansion of Buddhism through the sponsorship of one of the most powerful kings of Indian history.

Asoka

The four animals in the Lion Capital are believed to symbolize different phases in Lord Buddha’s life.. National Emblem of India

Asoka

Sanchi Gate and Stupa, built at time of Asoka

Ashoka's Major Rock Edict at Junagadh contains inscriptions by Ashoka

Decline

• After Ashoka’s death empire lasted 50 more years

• Followed by 500 years of unrest with many invaders

Gupta Empire

• From 320-535 AD – Northern India • Trade (land and Sea) = Peace and prosperity

• Leader: Chandragupta I

• Major Accomplishments• Government – well organized, tolerance, Hindu

• Art & Architecture – buildings, palaces, paintings of daily life, literature

• Mathematics – “0” (placeholder), size/shape earth, Arabic numerals (based on 10), astronomy (calculated solar year 365.358)

• Trade – with Arabs = diffusion

• Gupta Video 7:00

Decline

• Conquered by the Huns from Central Asia

• The Huns were a nomadic group of people

• 1000 years of fighting among rival Indian princes

Muslim Expansion into

IndiaFile Folder Activity Document

Muslim Expansion into

India**Second significant migration to

South Asia

Expansion

• Starting in 600’s Muslim invaders to South Asia

• Mongols, Turks, Afghans, Persians

Delhi Sultans

• Sultan -Muslim ruling monarch• From 1200-1500

• No forced conversion – special taxes (jizya) on non-Muslims

• Major Accomplishments

• Government – toleration, military, services (education, irrigation, hospitals)

• Sultan Firuz Tughlak

• Architecture – buildings, palaces

• Economy – irrigation, trade with Middle East

• Religion – Islam; cause of future conflicts

Mongol Invasion

• 1398 – Tamerlane – • Timur the Lame

• Destroyed and left

Mongol Invasion• Destroyed and left

• Timur's army of 90,000 crossed the Indus River in September, 1398 and set upon India. The country had fallen to pieces after the death of Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq (r. 1351 - 1388) of the Delhi Sultanate, and by this time Bengal, Kashmir and the Deccan each had separate rulers.

• Mongol invaders left carnage along their path; Delhi's army was destroyed in December, and the city ruined. Timur seized tons of treasure and 90 war elephants

• “The lightning speed with which Tamerlane’s armies struck Delhi was prompted by their desire to escape the stench of rotting corpses they were leaving behind them.

• Sultans back in power for short time but fragmented

Incompatibilities BETWEEN ISLAM AND HINDUISM

Hinduism• Polytheistic -

worship many gods,

• caste system

• born into the religion- no idea of conversion

• Diet

• cow is sacred

Islam• Monotheistic - worship

one God

• all people are seen as equal under the eyes of God

• dietary restrictions

• proselytizers-seek to convert others

• Creedal - statement of beliefs

Mughal Empire Crash Course Mughal 11:43

• Also Mongol

• Persian word for Mongol

• Last Muslim Empire in South Asia

• 1527 – 1800’s: at height united most of South Asia

• Founded by Babur – Battle of Panipat – descendant of Timur

Akbar the Great

9:00

Akbar the Great – 1556-1605

Crash Course Mughal 11:43

• Golden Age of Mughal Empire

• Ruling innovations - compromise• religious toleration

• Eliminated tax on non-Muslims

• Hindus in government

• Supported Hindu poets/artists

• Cultural Blending• Architecture – Indian style

• Urdu: language – Hindi and Persian

Akbar the Great – 1556-1605

• Divine Faith: combination of several faiths – universal religion

• Hope to end religious conflict

• Died with Akbar

• No mass conversion to Islam

Shah Jahan

Taj Mahal

• Shah Jahan – Akbar’s grandson

• Agra – mausoleum to his wife Mumtaz Mahal

Shah Jahan 5:12

Taj Mahal

• Year of Construction: 1631 - 1632Completed In: 1653Time Taken: 22 yearsBuilt By: Shah Jahan Dedicated to: Mumtaz Mahal the wife of Shah JahanLocation: Agra (Uttar Pradesh) Building Type: Islamic tomb

Taj Mahal 4:00

Taj Mahal Mosque

Virtual Tour

National Geographic Secrets of the Taj Mahal Whole VideoStart 1:37 – 5:25 add Shah Jahan to – 5:25 - Then 28:00 – 38:00

Virtual Tour

Dome

Cenotaphs

Taj Video show

Results of Mughal

• Diversity is the norm

• Cultural blending

• Separation will be emphasized

Mughal Decline• By 1700’s• Wasteful spending• Loss of tolerance

• Tax on Hindus, closed Hindu schools, Hindus out of government

• Aurangzeb (31 November 1618 – 3 March 1707)

• Aurangzeb

• notable expansionist Aurangzeb's

• policies partly abandoned the legacy of tolerance

• Rebellions and wars lead to decline of centralized control

• Hindu princes revolted• Civil war among Muslim princes• All weakened empire = opened the door for Europeans

• British East Indian Company

Identify similarities between the Empires

• Maurya, Gupta, Mughal

• Crash Course Mongols – 11:00