Ancient India
5.4 – Indian Empires
Essential Question: How do India’s rich history and culture affect the world today?
Big Idea: The Maurayas and the Guptas built great empires in India.
Key Term Definition Memory Clue
A military leader, who seized Candragupta Maurya control of the entire northern part of India and founded the Mauryan Empire
The strongest of all the Mauryan emperors, who eventually Asoka converted to Buddhism and used missionaries to spread the religion's beliefs
The emperor who ruled during Candra Gupta II Gupta society’s most prosperous high point
A. Mauryan Empire Unifies India
In the 320s BC, a military leader named _____Candragupta______Maurya______seized
control of the entire northern part of India. By doing so, he founded the ____Mauryan______Empire,
which lasted for about 150 years. Chandragupta Maurya ruled his empire with the help of a
___complex______government. It included a network of ______spies______and a huge army of some
600,000 soldiers, who used ___war______elephants______and chariots. In 301 BC, Candragupta
decided to become a _____Jainist______monk, so he had to give up his throne. He passed the throne to
his son, who continued to expand the empire.
Around 270 BC, Chandragupta's grandson, ____Asoka______became king. Asoka was the
_____strongest______of all the Mauryan emperors. A few years into his rule, however, Asoka converted
to _____Buddhism______. When he did, he swore that he would not launch any more wars of conquest.
Asoka had ___wells______dug, shade trees planted, rest houses built, and ____roads_____ built throughout
the empire. He also encouraged the spread of Buddhism in India and the rest of Asia through the work
of ___missionaries___. Soon after Asoka died, the empire fell apart and India, once again, was divided
into smaller _____states_____.
B. Gupta Rulers Promote Hinduism
After the collapse of the Mauryan Empire, India remained ____divided______for about 500 years.
During that time, _____Buddhism______continued to prosper and spread in India, and so the popularity
of Hinduism declined. Eventually, however, the _____Gupta______Dynasty took over India around AD
320. Under the Guptas, India was once again __united__, and it became prosperous. Indian civilization
flourished under the Gupta rulers. These rulers were ___Hindus____, so ______Hinduism_____ became
India’s major religion. The Gupta kings built many Hindu ____temples_____ and also promoted a revival
of Hindu writings and worship practices. Although they were Hindus, the Gupta rulers also supported
the religious beliefs of _____Buddhism_____ and ______Jainism_____.
In 375, Emperor ___Candra______Gupta______II____ took the throne in India. Gupta society
reached its highpoint during his rule. The Gupta considered the ____caste______system______an
important part of Indian society because they thought it would keep the empire _____stable_____.
However, by the middle 500s, the ____Huns______had invaded and Gupta rule had ended. India divided
into ___small______kingdoms yet again.
Main Idea #1: The Mauryan Empire unified most of India. .
Q: Who was Candragupta?
A: Candragupta was a military leader, who seized control of the entire northern part of India and founded the Mauryan Empire.
Q: What was Candragupta Maurya’s government like?
A: Candragupta’s military was complex, made up of spies and a large army, including war elephants and chariots.
Q: How did becoming a Buddhist change Asoka’s behavior?
A: Once Asoka became a Buddhist, he vowed not to wage any more wars.
Main Idea #2: Gupta rulers promoted Hinduism in their empire.
Q: What was India like after the fall of the Mauryan Empire?
A: India stayed divided for about 500 years after the Mauryan Empire fell.
Q: Who were Candra Gupta and Candra Gupta II?
A: Candra Gupta I was the founder of the Gupta Empire, and Candra Gupta II was the emperor under whom Gupta society reached its high point.
Q: Why did the Gupta rulers support the caste system?
A: Gupta rulers believed the caste system would make the empire more stable.
Q: How do you think India would be different today if the Gupta rulers had not taken over?
A: Answers may vary. Possibly, India could be mostly Buddhist.
Q: What ended the Gupta rule?
A: The invasion of the Huns ended Gupta rule.
Q: What responsibilities and rights did Gupta women have?
A: N/A
Reading Checks
Q: How did the Mauryans gain control of most of India?
A: Mauryans gained control of most of India by conquering neighboring kingdoms.
Q: What was the Gupta dynasty’s position on religion?
A: Even though Gupta rulers were Hindus, they supported the beliefs of Buddhism and Jainism.