The Mauryan and Gupta Empires: 321 BCE – 550 CE

Chapter 9: State, Society and the Quest for Salvation in India

Jainism: 5th Century BCEIncreased tradeDevelopment of jatiDevelopment of BuddhismDevelopment of Mahayana Buddhism

3rd century BCEDevelopment of Popular Hinduism

The Bhagavad Gita 400 CE

POWER VACUUM

The necessary education, drill, and discipline to cultivate militarism were confined to the members of one community, the Ksatriyas. This prevented the militant attitude from spreading to other communities and kept the whole social structure unaffected by actual wars and war institutions.

Says the Arthva Veda: "May we revel, living a hundred winters, rich in heroes." The whole countrylooked upon the members of the kshatriya community as defenders of their country and consequently did not grudge the high influence and power wielded by the Kshatriyas, who were assigned a social rank next in importance to the intellectual and spiritual needs of the society

First to unite India:Chandragupta Maurya 320s BCE

ArthashastraOverseeing trade and agriculture(roads/ irrigation canals)

Standarization in taxcollection

Maintaining order

Foreign relations

Waging war

SuccessfulBureaucracy

Spies

Prostitutes

The Four Noble Truths?

EIGHTFOLD PATH

Footprints of the Buddha: early symbols of him/ focus for devotion/ reminder that since he passed on to nirvana, he can not be physically present

1. Why might the wheel serve as an effective symbol of the Buddha’s message?2. What does the inclusion of the yakshis add to the message of this image?

Jainism: 5th Century BCE

Siddhartha as a Boddhisatva

Ashoka Maurya r. 268-232 BCEHigh point of Mauryan Empire

For Ashoka:

Challenge was how to honor theguidelines of the Arthashastraat the same time as honor the Buddha’sdemands to become a selfless person?

As a good Buddhist, Ashoka:

•Banned animal sacrifices•Mandated vegetarianism in court•Material support for Buddhist institutionsand Buddhist missionary activities

Role of women changes?????

"All religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire self-control and purity of heart." Rock Edict Nb7 (S. Dhammika)

"Here (in my domain) no living beings are to be slaughtered or offered in sacrifice." Rock Edict Nb1 (S. Dhammika)

"Contact (between religions) is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions.“ Rock Edict Nb12 (S. Dhammika)

"One benefits in this world and gains great merit in the next by giving the gift of the Dhamma." Rock Edict Nb11 (S. Dhammika)

"Happiness in this world and the next is difficult to obtain without much love for the Dhamma, much self-examination, much respect, much fear (of evil), and much enthusiasm." Pilar Edict Nb1 (S. Dhammika)

Spread of Buddhism under Ashoka Maurya 268-232 BCE

Decline of Empire?Similar to anywhere else?

Achievements:

Territorial ExpansionEfficient collection of taxesIrrigation systems (agricultural surplus)Rock and Pillar EdictsSpread of BuddhismPositive leadership = Political/Cultural UnityAshoka well connectedCommunication links/ roads/ inns and wells

Death of Ashoka = no strong successor = economic crisis =

Devaluation of currency =military not supported by shortfall in tax

revenue = lazy, idleCosts exceeded revenue

states left empire

The Gupta Empire: ~ 320 – 500 CE Chandra Gupta II375 – 415 CE

Chandra Gupta = ALIANCE BUILDINGWith powerful families

Decentralized leadership but stillhad stability and prosperity

Local states still retain some power(compared to Ashoka?)

• Right hand, palm facing viewer =Reassurance, “have no fear”

• Partially webbed fingers= Buddha’s unique status

• Knot on top of head =Enlightenment

• Elongated ear lobes =Reminder of earlier life of luxury/ Ears weighed down by heavy earrings/ jewelry

spices

spices

spicesspices

gold & gold &

ivoryivory

gold & gold & ivoryivory

rice & rice & wheatwheathorseshorses

cotton goods

cotton goods

cotton goods

cotton goodssilkssilks

Extensive Trade of the 4th C CE

International Trade Routes during the Golden Age of the Gupta Empire

MedicineMedicineMedicineMedicine LiteratureLiteratureLiteratureLiterature

MathematicsMathematicsMathematicsMathematicsAstronomyAstronomyAstronomyAstronomy

PrintedPrintedmedicinal medicinal

guidesguides

1000 1000 diseasesdiseasesclassifiedclassified

PlasticPlasticSurgerySurgery

C-sectionsC-sectionsperformeperforme

dd

InoculatioInoculationsns

500 healing500 healingplants plants

identifiedidentified

DecimalDecimalSystemSystem

ConceptConceptof Zeroof Zero

PI = 3.1416PI = 3.1416

KalidasKalidasaa

SolarSolarCalendarCalendar

The The earthearth

is roundis round

GuptaGuptaIndiaIndia

GuptaAchievements

Hindu revivalWith death of Ashoka:Bhagavad Gita

Arabic numerals

The cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahman the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva the destroyer or transformer.

Vishnu:

“preserver of the world who intervened frequently on behalf of virtuous individuals”

Increasingly distinctfrom traditional view ofThe Upanishads

RAMAYANARama (incarnation of Vishnu) andSita (his wife) = women portrayed as weak, devotional to a fault

Bhagavad Gita: Krishna said: devotional worship, abandon selfish concerns, understand the soul and caste duties = faith willbring salvation (a conversation)

POPULARHINDUISM

Prince Arjuna

Krishna

The moral of the game was that a person can attain salvation (Moksha) through performing good deeds whereas by doing evil one takes rebirth in lower forms of life (Patamu). The number of Ladders was less than the number of Snakes as a reminder that treading the path of good is very difficult compared to committing sins. Presumably the number "100" represented Moksha (Salvation).

What led to the decline ofthe GuptaEmpire?

Invasion of The White Huns~ 450 CE

• With invasion, empiresplit along administrative fault lines• Local leaders usurpedpower

first and original vibration manifesting as sound "OM".

After 1000 CE: Buddhism declines inpopularity in South Asia

HinduismBuddhismConfucianismDaoismLegalismJainismZoroastrianismThe AnalectsCode of ManuPopul Vuh

XiongnuHan EmpireMauryan EmpireGupta EmpireWhite HunsYellow Turban UprisingPersian EmpirePersian WarsThe MayaThe Aryans

AshokaAhura MazdaDariusqanatsbodhisattva

Nature of empire building?Gupta/ Han/Persian

Nature of empire administration?Gupta/ Han/ Persian

Nature of religious change?How does Hinduism change?How is Buddhism a response to the Upanishads?

Similarities and differences in religious traditions?