ANCIENT INDIA Section4 : Indian Empires

BIG IDEA

The Mauryas

and the Guptas

built great

empires in India.

SECTION 4: INDIAN EMPIRES

MAIN IDEA

The Mauryan

Empire unified

most of India.

MAURYAN EMPIRE UNIFIES INDIA

Under Aryan

rule, India was

divided into

several states

with no central leader.

Then, during the 300s BC, the conquests of Alexander the Great brought much of

India into his empire.

Candragupta Maurya

Military leader that seized control of the

northern part of India in the 320s BC, which

created the Mauryan Empire

An Indian military leader named Candragupta Maurya followed Alexander’s example and seized

control of the entire northern part of India.

Candragupta’s complex government included a huge army and a network of spies.

They used War Elephant and

chariots

He taxed the population heavily to pay for the protection

he offered.

http://kingsofhistory.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html

Eventually, Candragupta became a Jainist monk and gave up his throne to his son. His family continued to expand the Indian Empire.

His son continued to expand the empire.

Eventually, Chandragupta's grandson, Asoka, became king. He extended Mauryan ruler to cover most of India. In conquering the other

kingdoms, he made his own empire stronger and richer.

Candragupta’s grandson, Asoka, was the strongest

ruler of the Mauryan dynasty.

http://earlyworldhistory.blogspot.com/2012/04/ashoka.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwSYOw4PM8Q

The empire thrived

under his rule.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HMjvnCjc24

But at last, tired of killing

and war, Asoka

converted to Buddhism

and swore he would not launch any

more wars of conquest.

He spent the rest of his life

making the life of his people

better.

He planted shade trees and made rest

areas for weary travelers.

He constructed roads throughout

his kingdom.

He made public wells.

He sent Buddhist missionaries to

other countries and devoted the rest of

his rule to improving the lives

of his people

In HIN HIS OWN WORDS…..

All men are my children. I am like a father to them. As every father desires the good and the

happiness of his children, I wish that all men should be

happy always. EMPEROR ASHOKA

He built 84,000 stupas across India http://www.buddhachannel.tv/portail/spip.php?article4318

Asoka's Columns: 250 BCE. King Asoka formulated a legal code based on Buddha's teachings that he inscribed on

columns, which he then placed all over his kingdom.

The rest of the family, however, did not follow Asoka’s example.

When Asoka died his sons struggled for power and foreign invaders threatened the country.

Asoka

One of the most

powerful kings of

India, became

Buddhist in the 200s

BC; Built many

temples and schools

and worked to spread

Buddhism to areas

outside of India

The Mauryan Empire lasted for 150 years.

The Mauryan Empire fell in 184 BC India remained divided for about 500 years.

READING CHECK

How did the Mauryans gain control of most of

India? (SEQUENCING)

MAIN IDEA

Gupta rulers

promoted

Hinduism in their

empire.

GUPTA RULERS PROMOTE HINDUISM

The spread of Buddhism steadily increased, while Hinduism declined.

A new dynasty was established in India. During the 300s AD, the Gupta Dynasty rose to unite

and build the prosperity of India.

Not only did the Guptas control India’s military, they were devout Hindus and encouraged the

revival of Hindu traditions and writings.

The Guptas, however, also supported Jainism and Buddhism.

Indian civilization reached a high point under Candra Gupta II.

Candragupta Maurya IS NOT THE SAME AS Candra Gupta I NO FAMILY RELATIONSHIP NOTICE THE LAST NAMES

MAURYA GUPTA JohnMichael Brown VS. John Michael I

He poured money and resources into strengthening the country’s borders, as

well as promoting the arts, literature, and religion.

Candra Gupta II

Emperor of

India from 325

to 415 BC;

During his

reign, art,

architecture,

and sculpture

flourished.

Candra Gupta was followed as emperor by his son, Samudra Gupta, a brilliant military leaders. He continued his father’s wars of conquest, adding land to the empire.

The Guptas

believed the caste system

supported stability.

This was not good for

women, whose role under the

empire was very restricted.

Women were expected to marry, in weddings arranged by their parents, and raise children.

A woman had to obey her husband and had few

rights.

Let’s take a look at India Today for women………

But 45% of Indian girls are married before the age of 18, according to

the International Centre for Research on Women (2010); 56,000 maternal deaths were recorded in 2010 (UN

Population Fund) and research from Unicef in 2012 found that 52% of

adolescent girls (and 57% of adolescent boys) think it is justifiable

for a man to beat his wife. Plus crimes against women are on the

increase: according to the National Crime Records Bureau in India, there was a 7.1% hike in recorded crimes against women between 2010 and 2011 (when there were 228,650 in

total). The biggest leap was in cases under the "dowry prohibition act"

(up 27.7%), of kidnapping and abduction (up 19.4% year on year)

and rape (up 9.2%).

A preference for sons and fear of having to pay a dowry has resulted in 12 million girls being

aborted over the past three decades, according to a 2011 study by the Lancet.

The Indian media reveals a full range of abuse suffered by the nation's women on a daily basis. Today it was reported that a woman had been

stripped and had her head shaved by villagers as punishment for an extramarital affair.

In June, a father beheaded his 20-year-old daughter with a sword, parading her bleeding head around as a warning to other young women

who might fall in love with a lower-caste boy.

This July, the state government in Delhi was summoned to the national high court after failing to amend an outdated law that exempts women

(and turban-wearing Sikh men) from wearing helmets on motorcycles – an exemption campaigners argue is indicative of the lack of respect for

female life.

Life flourished under the Gupta

rulers. The Gupta kings built many Hindu temples.

They also promoted a

revival of Hindu writings and

worship practices.

The Gupta Dynasty lasted until fierce attacks by the Huns from Central Asia during the 400s

drained the empire of its resources.

India broke up

once again into

patchwork of small states.

READING CHECK

What was the Gupta dynasty’s position on

religion? (SUMMARIZING)

SUMMARY: The Mauryas and Guptas united much of India in

their empires.

ANCIENT INDIA - INDIAN EMPIRES - Pages 142 - 145

Empire/ Dynasty

Ruler Years ruled (If known)

Religion Accomplishment(s)

Mauryan

Candragupta Maurya

320 BC – 301 B.C. Converted to Jainism

Complex Government – large army. Control most of N. India

Son of Congragupta

301 B.C. – 270 B.C. ? ?

Asoka 270 B.C – 233 B.C Converted to

Buddhism

Strong Ruler – extended empire, dug wells, planted trees, built roads,

rest houses for travelers, Spread Buddhism

Sons of Asoka 233 B.C. - ?? ? Fought each other for power –

invaders threatened the empire.

Gupta

Candra Gupta I 320 A.D. Hindu Conquered lands in northern India. Built Hindu Temples

Samudra Gupta

? Hindu Added more territory. By his death he controlled almost all of the

Ganges River valley.

Candra Gupta II

375 A.D.

HIndu Gupta society reached highest point. Expanded empire

Economy strengthened. Created fine works of art and literature. Outsiders admired the empires

wealth and beauty

Ap

rox.

15

0 Y

ears

500 Years.

320 B.C.

185/4 B.C.

Middle of the 500’s AD

320 AD

Ap

rox.

23

0 Y

ears

.

Religion: The Gupta empire oversaw the growth and prosperity of Hinduism During the Gupta Empire, large religious thought growth occurred Environment: Draught was common in the Gupta empire, so the irrigation was essential The Ganges and Indus rivers provided water and fertile soil Himalayas helped protect these civilizations from foreign invaders Intellectual/Artistic: Gupta scientists and mathematicians made important discoveries and advances Education took place in Hindu and Buddhist schools;Students learned math, medicine, physics, and languages Developed the concept of zero as well as the decimal system Gupta physicians began to use herbs and other remedies to treat illnesses Surgeons were able to set bones and repair facial injuries with plastic surgery Gupta physicians vaccinated people against smallpox approximately 1,000 years before this practice began in Europe Technology: People lived in tow story building; top was house and bottom was shops Irrigation for crops Economic: Taxes on water Every month people gave a day of labor to maintain wells, irrigation, ditches, reservoirs, and dams Very profitable trade through Mediterranean sea Guilds were used all the time Guilds were free from government control and received grants from the government to help with business