INDIA’S FIRST EMPIRES

Chandragupta MauryaBorn in MagadhaGathered an army and killed the Nanda king.Started the Mauryan Empire in 321 BC

Rise of the Mauryan EmpireMaurya battled one of Alexander the Great’s

generals, Seleucus I, between 305 BC and 303 BC.

After defeating Seleucus I, the Mauryan Empire stretched more than 2,000 miles.

The Mauryan army had 600,000 foot soldiers, 30,000 on horseback, and 9,000 elephants.

Citizens had to pay heavy taxes in order to feed and clothe the army.

Mauryan GovernmentChandragupta’s advisor, Kautilya (priest),

wrote a ruler’s handbook, Arthasatra.This book promoted policies to keep an

empire together, such as spying on people and employing political assassination.

Chandragupta created a bureaucratic government.

Divided the empire into four provinces, each ruled by a prince.

Each province was divided into districts.

Asoka MauryaIn 269 BC Asoka, Chandragupta’s grandson,

assumed the throne of the Mauryan Empire.After a bloody war against a neighboring

state, Asoka began to study Buddhism.He had roads built throughout the empire

with rest houses and wells every 9 miles.

Asoka’s BeliefsRuled by Buddha’s teaching of “peace to all

beings.”Preached nonviolenceUrged religious toleration- acceptance of

people who held different religious beliefs

Asoka’s DeathSoon after Asoka died, in 232 BC, the kingdoms of

central India regained their independence.The Andhra Dynasty emerged to rule central India

for hundreds of years, and flourished through their extensive trade.

Floods of Greeks and Persians flooded into Northern India for 500 years, beginning in 185 BC.

Southern India was home to three kingdoms that were never captured by the Mauryans, the Tamil.

They were always at war with one another.

Chandra GuptaAround 315 BC, Chandra Gupta started the

Gupta Empire.Dominated by Hindu culture.He came to power by marrying the daughter

of an influential royal family.Took the title “Great King of Kings”

Daily Life in IndiaMost Indians lived in small villages; many

farmers.Craftspeople and merchants had shops in

districts.Farmers had to give a day’s worth of labor to

maintain their irrigation systems; tax on water.

Unlike the rest of India, Southern India was matriarchal.

The Gupta EmpireChandra Gupta’s grandson, Chandra Gupta

II, defeated the Shakas and expanded the empire far west

Opened up trade in the Mediterranean SeaHe reigned from AD 375 to 415

Chapter 7 Section 2TRADE SPREADS INDIAN RELIGIONS &

CULTURE

Centuries of turmoil and invaders in the Indian subcontinent brought new ideas, while the Golden Age of the early Gupta Empire encouraged cultural advancements.

Changes in BuddhismBuddhism originally had no gods and taught that people could

achieve nirvana through lifetimes of following the Eightfold Path Focused on self-denial and individual discipline to get rid of

desire and thus escape the suffering of life This original Buddhism became known as the Theravada sect

By the first century AD, the Mahayana sect had emerged Taught that the Buddha was a god and people could become

Buddhas by giving up nirvana and living as bodhisattvas, working to save humanity through good works and self-sacrifice

Offered salvation to all and allowed popular worship of the Buddha

New Trends in Indian ArtHuge statues of the Buddha for people to

worshipStupas - mounded stone structures

surrounding holy relics – became holy sites and were walked around for Buddhist meditation

Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain cave temples were carved out of solid rock and decorated with sculptures and paintings

Big structures often paid for by Buddhist merchants as “good works”

Hinduism Becomes More Personal

Hinduism had hundreds of gods, but they all came to be seen as parts of a single divine force (Brahman)

Most important gods: Brahma, creator of the world; Vishnu, preserver of the world; Shiva, destroyer of the world

Only Brahmin priests could perform sacrifices, but people became more personally devoted to their favorite gods, Vishnu and Shiva

Personal devotion made Hinduism more popular

Growing Dramatic Literature and Poetry

Writing academies in the Tamil kingdoms of southern India produced thousands of poems

Traveling troops of male and female actors combined drama and dance in performances across southern India Much classical Indian dance today based on

their ancient techniquesIndia today continues ancient drama traditions

Bollywood produces more than twice as many movies as US - many popular ones are love stories that blend music, dance, and drama

Advances in ScienceAstronomy knowledge increased to help sailing merchants

navigateAdapted Western methods of keeping time from Greek

invaders, based on sun cycles and using a seven-day weekProved Earth was round 1,000 years before Columbus by

observing eclipseInvented the modern numeral and decimal systems,

including the zeroAryabhata calculated value of pi and length of a solar yearCompiled two important medical guides describing over

1,000 diseases and 500 medical plantsHindu doctors performed surgeries, including plastic

Indian Trade SpreadsValuable items in India included: spices,

sapphires, gold, diamonds, teak and ebony and sandalwood

Already traded with Africa and Mesopotamia over 4.000 years ago

Spread to China, Central Asia, and Rome over 2,000 years ago when they began using the Silk Roads and increasing use of sea routes

Indian merchants also got rich as middlemen, selling between the Chinese and the Romans

Banking increased as bankers were needed and made money from interest on loans to merchants

Spread of CultureBuddhist monks traveled along trade routes to

convert people along the way, and Buddhist missionaries set up monasteries in China and other countries in Southeast Asia

Some Indian merchants moved to other countries and spread culture

Indian styles heavily influenced art, architecture, and dance throughout Southeast Asia, especially nearby

Buddhism is now a major religion in many Southeast Asian countries

Hinduism spread to Nepal and Sri Lanka and Borneo