Classical India India’s First Empired

Essenal Queson • How did India establish powerful empires and develop vibrant cultures?

Mauryan Empire

Mauryan Empire in India Aer the river valley era, India challenged the Greeks & transioned into the Mauryan Empire Chandragupta Maurya became king of India in 321 BC, created a vast army, & conquered new lands

Chandragupta’s empire controlled Indus River most of the Indian subconnent Valley Running the Empire

• Chandragupta relied on an adviser named Kaulya • Following Kaulya’s advice, Chandragupta created a highly bureaucrac government. • Kaulya wrote a ruler’s handbook that suggested spying and polical assassinaon • Chandragupta divided his empire into provinces each ruled by a local prince • Each province was then divided into local districts, whose officials assessed taxes and enforced the law. • In 301 b.c., Chandragupta’s son assumed the throne. He ruled for 32 years. Then Chandragupta’s grandson, Asoka brought the empire to it’s greatest heights. In 269 B.C., King Asoka took over & expanded the Mauryan Empire to its greatest extent During his wars of expansion, Asoka converted to Buddhism Asoka developed new policies of tolerance & nonviolence for his empire

Indus River Valley Mauryan Empire

•Asoka’s Achievements: • Improved roads • Built hospitals • Promoted educaon • Built Buddhist shrines • Sent missionaries to spread Buddhism hps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XojmEmy7kw Fall of the Mauryan Empire

• Asoka’s death le a power vacuum • Regional kings challenged the imperial government • Increased populaon in northern India from refugees disrupted Indian society • Southern Indian kingdoms were oen at war with one another. The Kushan Empire

Kushans – nomadic warriors from Central Asia Kushan Empire • Established a kingdom in North India for over 200 years • Kingdoms were fighng for control in other areas of India • Trade – Used Silk Road, navigated the Indian Ocean • Culture – influenced by those around them, Greek alphabet, Hinduism & Buddhism & Zoroastrianism, developed calendar.

The Gupta Empire Kushan kingdom fell to Persian invaders & a local prince established a new empire in the Ganges Valley

Candra Gupta formed the Gupta Empire in 320 A.D. & expanded the empire Classical India • India experienced “golden age” during the Gupta Empire & became a “classical empire” • Indian astronomer, Aryabhata, discovered that earth was round • Mathemacians invented modern numerals, zero, pi, & decimal system • Built universies, supported the arts, plays wrien in Sanskrit • Performed skin gras Indian Architecture

• Ancient Indian Architecture is exemplified by three elements, carved stone pillars, Buddhist stupas, and rock-cut caves • Indian architecture was influenced heavily by the Persians (Lions and bulls) and Roman (Pillars) Merchants sold exoc spices & silks to people in the Mediterranean world – Silk Road Daily Life in India

• Most lived in small villages and were farmers • Farmers owed a large part of their earnings to the king • Most families were patriarchal, headed by the eldest male • Some southern Indian families were matriarchal, headed by the mother, not the father • Property, and somemes the throne, were passed through the female line End of the Gupta Empire • Aer Chandra Gupta II died, new invaders threatened northern India. • These fierce fighters, called the Hunas, were related to the Huns who invaded the Roman Empire. • Over the next 100 years, the Gupta Empire broke into small kingdoms. Many were overrun by the Hunas or other Central Asian nomads. • The Empire ended about 535.

• India GUPTA EMPIRE - YouTube Summary of Indian Empires Mauryan Kushan Gupta

• Chandragupta • Nomadic warriors • Golden Age Maurya • trade along Silk • Candra Gupta • Influenced by Road and Indian • Trade flourished Alexander the Ocean • Luxury Great • Cultural influences: • Carved stone • Divided into Greek alphabet, pillars, stupas, provinces, large Hinduism, rock caves army, spies Buddhism, • Scientific • Asoka – grandson Zoroastrianism knowledge of Chandragupta • Developed • Algebra Maurya calendar • Iron working • Converted to Buddhism, welfare, prosperity Summary of Indian Empires Mauryan Kushan Gupta

• Chandragupta • Nomadic warriors • Golden Age Maurya • trade along Silk • Candra Gupta • Influenced by Road and Indian • Trade flourished Alexander the Ocean • Luxury Great • Cultural influences: • Carved stone • Divided into Greek alphabet, pillars, stupas, provinces, large Hinduism, rock caves army, spies Buddhism, • Scientific • Asoka – grandson Zoroastrianism knowledge of Chandragupta • Developed • Algebra Maurya calendar • Iron working • Converted to • Persian invaders Buddhism, caused collapse in welfare, prosperity 3rd century Summary of Indian Empires Mauryan Kushan Gupta

• Chandragupta • Nomadic warriors • Golden Age Maurya • trade along Silk • Candra Gupta • Influenced by Road and Indian • Trade flourished Alexander the Ocean • Luxury Great • Cultural influences: • Carved stone • Divided into Greek alphabet, pillars, stupas, provinces, large Hinduism, rock caves army, spies Buddhism, • Scientific • Asoka – grandson Zoroastrianism knowledge of Chandragupta • Developed • Algebra Maurya calendar • Iron working • Converted to • Nomadic Huns Buddhism, slowly took power welfare, prosperity from empire, collapsed in 7th century