Mauryan and GuptaIndia

We can not translate their ancient languageMonsoons- seasonal

winds

Mountains in the Northeast

Calm and predictably flooding Indus river

Review

What is the geography of India?

What two belief systems developed in

India?

Why don’t we have much information about the ancient

Indians?

What weather pattern helped establish the

Monsoon Marketplace?

Maurya India 321-185 BCEChandragupta Maurya conquered North India

Chandragupta was able to unite most of northern India, and his descendants continued to grow the empire.

Mauryan India

Set up a bureaucracy

Created more roads and harbors to lead more trade= Infrastructure

Maurya was a ruthless dictator. He used a secret police to spy on the people, looking for crime and corruption.

Bureaucracy Form of government where appointed officials collect taxes, oversee building projects and agriculture

Bureaucracies help the government handle the workload of maintaining a stable government

Emperor

Financial appointee

Agricultural appointee Tax collector

Financial officials

Agricultural appointees

Tax collectors

Ashoka the GreatThe grandson of Maurya led from 268 BCE

Ashoka began as a typical king, leading a military conquest of Northern India and more than doubled the Indian empire

Dynasty!!

Ashoka the Great

Ashoka was horrified by the deaths of his men, over 100,000 dead

Ashoka rejected further conquest and created a peaceful nation

He Converted to Buddhism and promised to rule though moral example

9:20

Ashoka and Buddhism

Ashoka adopted the tenements (rules) of Buddhism including

- Four Noble Truths- Eightfold path- Peace to all

Ashoka continued to expand his empire through peaceful conquest, good leadership and tolerance

Rock Edict Pillars

Ashoka built roads, harbors, hospitals and other public works.

Peace and prosperity reined ushering in another Golden Age

Ashoka set up Rock Edict Pillars around the Empire, spreading the laws and beliefs

Edict:An official order from the government (king)

Gupta India 320-550 CEGolden Age: peace and prosperity led to cultural and intellectual achievements

-Trade and farming flourished

-Developed Arabic numerals and the concept of Zero

-Plastic surgery

-Vaccines

Gupta MathThe Gupta Indians developed Arabic Numerals to replace Roman Numerals

They also developed the concept of zero

Arabic numerals simplify math

Hinduism SpreadsAs Hinduism spread throughout India the Caste System took hold.

Caste determined where people live, what they eat, how they dress and what jobs they can have

Untouchables were shunned and had to live separate and do “dirty” jobs. Untouchables had to announce their arrival with a wooden clapper so people could avoid them

Hindu Women India was a Patriarchal Society

Hindu Women achieved Dharma by obeying their husband

Higher caste women had to be covered head to foot, while lower castes worked in the fields or textile factories

The Ultimate act of loyalty: Sati

Sati- wives would burn themselves on their husbands funeral pyre

Patriarchal- Led by Men

SatiComprehending why a woman would choose to commit sati, however, requires the removal of our western lenses. The act of self-immolation of widows on their husband’s funeral pyre may be construed as a horrific act by the Westerner but in India cases of sati have been documented in their culture for hundreds of years (Oldenburg 1994: 165). More important, the symbolic significance of sati is intricately intertwined in the Hindu belief system.

ReviewMauryan Empire was founded by

1)Chandragupta Maurya2)Ashoka3)Bindusara4)Harshavardhana

ReviewWhat Religion did Ashoka practice that influenced his reign?

1) Hinduism2)Judaism3) Taoism4) Buddhism

ReviewAshoka Spread his laws and beliefs around India on what?1) Rosetta Stone2) Pyramid walls3) Parchment Scrolls4) Rock Pillar Edicts