MandateofHeavenDynas/cCycleDynastyCentralizedGovernmentBureaucracyCivilServiceExamConfucianism5Rela/onshipsFilialPietyTaoismBuddhism
Classical Civilizations Gupta Review
Unit7,Lesson31Name______________________________________Sec/on__________Date_______________________LT:IcandefineandsynthesizeimportanttermsabouttheGuptaEmpireDoNow:Completepart1.
WhatroledidgeographyplayinancientChina?HowdidConfucianismaffectthesocialorder?TheGovernment?WhatdidtheHanaccomplishduringtheirGoldenAge?HowdidtheHanfall?
Religion
Defini/ons
TheCasteSystem
UsethefollowingtermstofillintheblanksontheleX.
MokshaDharmaSamsaraAtmanKarma
Part1:ConceptNoteswithKelly
Ifyouwereanuntouchable,whatdidthissayaboutyourpastlife?Whydidn’tpeoplesimplydowhattheywantedandignoretheircasterules?Howdidyouknowwhatcasteyouwerein?
Hinduismbelievesthateverylivingthinghasasoulinsideit,calledthe________________.Youcanbuildupgood___________________byperforminggooddeedsandfulfillingyourdu/es,or_________________.Everylivingthinghasadifferentduty,dependingonwhatitis.Ifyouhavegoodkarmawhenyoudie,youwillbereincarnatedintoahigherlifeform.Thishappensoverandover,inaprocesscalled_________________.Eventually,youwillachieve___________________.Youwillnolongerbereborn;instead,your_________________willrejointhesupremepower,Brahman.
PolisCity-stateHellenis/c
Part2:Fact-Findingonyourown1.Definethefollowingterms,usingthetextbook.
Name3thingswehavetoday,thankstotheGreeks.Whichonedoyoufeelisthemostimportant,andwhy?
2.Howdidtheloca/onoftheGuptaEmpirecontributetoitswealth?Whatkindsofthingsdidtheytrade?3.DescribetheGuptaEmpire’sculturalandeduca/onalachievementsduringitsGoldenAge.(4-5sentences)4.ExplainhowIndianculture(religion,art,etc)spreadtoothercultures(1-2sentences)
Term DefiniEon(inyourownwords!)
SilkRoad
Centralizedgovernment
Castesystem
Part3:ThinkingBigger
1. List2featuresofGuptathatyouthinkareuniqueandspecial.List2similari/esyouseebetweenGuptaandeitherHanChina,Rome,orGreece.Bespecific(don’tjustwrite,“socialclasses”orsomething)
2. Whichempire–Rome,Han,orGupta–doyouthinkwasthemostsuccessful?(3-4sentences)
Themanufactureoftex/les(cloth)ofvariouskindswasoneofthemoreimportantindustriesatthis/me.Muslin,calico,linen,woolandcofonwereproducedingreatquan/ty.Theexportofspices,pepper,sandalwood,pearls,preciousstones,perfumes,indigoandherbscon/nuedasbefore.PepperwasexportedfromtheportsoftheMalabarcoastandsesame,copperandcofongarmentsfromKalyana.Thesouthern/pofIndiaareahadanimportantroletoplayinthepearltrade.Chinesesilkcameingreaterquan/ty,asdidivoryfromAum.ImportsofhorsesfromPersiaalsoincreased.CoppercamefromthewesternMediterraneanregionandsapphirefromSriLanka.
EconomyFromprimarysourceaccounts,itisclearthatthepeoplewererichandthecountrywasprosperousduringtheGuptaperiod.ThediscoveryoflargenumbersofgoldcoinsoftheGuptaperiodindicatetheprosperityofthecountry.
Thewealthoftheperiodisreflectedinitstownplanning.Mostci/eswerelaidoutinsquares;woodenbuildingswerereplacedbybuildingsofbrick;anddrainsandwellswerecarefullyplanned.VeryfewoftheGuptabuildingshavesurvivedasmostofthemhadbeendestroyedbyinvaders.
Art & Architecture
Rock-cutcavearchitecturepersistedinthisperiod.AnexcellentexampleofthiscanbefoundattheAjantaCaves.Thechamberswerecutintothecaves,andthepain/ngsandsculpturesofAjanta,consideredmasterpiecesofBuddhistreligiousart,havehadaconsiderablear/s/cinfluence.
TheGuptasalsoexcelledinthefiledoffineartsandwasfundedbytheGuptagovernment.ThenamewhichimmediatelycomestomindisthatofKalidasa,regardedasthemostoutstandingwriterofclassicalSanskrit.Hismostfamouswork,theplayShakuntala,latercametobeknowninEuropethroughtheimpactitmadeonlaterEuropeanar/sts..Playscon/nuedtoberoman/ccomedies,tragicthemesbeingavoided,sincethepurposeofthetheatrewastoentertain.
Literature
TheGuptarulersencouragedhigherlearningbypatronizingcentersofhighereduca/onatNalanda,Takshila,Ujjain,VikramshilaandVallabhi.Eachuniversityspecializedinapar/cularfieldofstudy.Takshilaspecializedinthestudyofmedicine,whileUjjainlaidemphasisonastronomy.Nalanda,beingthebiggestcenter,handledallbranchesofknowledge.DuringtheGuptaperiodIndiabecameacenterforhigherstudiesbyafrac/ngscholarsfromallpartsofIndiaandfromseveralforeigncountries.PeopleflockedtotheSarnathuniversitytostudyBuddhistreligionandtoAjantatospecializeinart,architectureandpain/ng.Theseeduca/onalins/tu/onswerefinancedbygrantsoflandanddona/onsfromkingsaswellasfromotherrichpeople,likemerchants.
Higher Learning
TheGuptaterritoriesexpandedsogreatlythatithasoXenbeencomparedtogreatconquerorssuchasAlexandertheGreat.Localsquads—whicheachconsistedofoneelephant,onechariot,threearmedcavalrymen,andfivefootsoldiers—protectedGuptavillagesfromraidsandrevolts.In/mesofwar,thesquadsjoinedtogethertoformapowerfulroyalarmy.TheGuptaarmyisthoughttohaveahigherlevelofdisciplinecomparedtotribalrivals.AtitsheighttheGuptaEmpirehad750,000soldiers.Warelephantscon/nuedtobeusedandelephantarmorwasadvancedthroughoutthisaperiod.FirearrowswereusedbytheGupta,theirlongbamboocanearrowsbeingpar/cularlywellsuitedforuseintheseopera/ons.TheGuptaempirealsomaintainedanavytocontrolwaterwaysandtheircoasts.Theyalsohadahighlevelofunderstandingofsiegewarfare,employingcatapultsandothersophis/catedwarmachines.
Gupta Warfare/Military
The24-footironpillarofDelhiwaserectedaspartofalargermonument.Itisnotablefortworeasons.First,at24feet,itwasamongthetallestpillarsinexistence.Second,theblacksmithswhocreateditwereskilledenoughtocoveritinachemicalphosphatemixturethatpreventeditfromrus/ng,explaininghowitcon/nuestostand,rust-free,today.
Science & Mathematics
Aryabhatawasthemostfamousmathema/cianandastronomeroftheGuptaAge,andformanyyearstocome.Hisbook,wrifenattheageof23,proposedmanytheoriesthatwes/llusetoday.AryabhataisbelievedtobethefirsttocomeupwiththeconceptofzeroandwhocreatedthetheorythattheEarthmovesroundtheSun.Aryabhataproposedthattheearthisnotflat,butisinsteadroundandrotatesaboutitsownaxis.HealsomayhavediscoveredthattheMoonandplanetsshinebyreflectedsunlight.Hecalculatedthelengthofthesolaryeartobe365.3586805days,offbyonlyafewminutes.Hises/ma/onofthelengthofEarth’sdaywasoffbyonlyamaferofminutes.Aryabhataalsoworkedoutavalueforpithatequatesto3.1416,veryclosetotheapproxima/onss/llusedtoday.Usingthisvalue,hewasabletocalculatethattheEarthhadacircumferenceof24,835miles.Thisiscorrecttowithin0.2%,andremainedthebestfigureavailableforcloseto500years.
Thegameofchessprobablyoriginatedfromthisperiod,whereitsearlyformwascalledchaturangaandcontainedgamepiecesforinfantry,cavalry,elephants,andchariots,whichwouldeachevolveintothemodernpawn,knight,rook,andbishop,respec/vely.<-Hindugodsplayingchess.