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India: Early Empires Ch. 5 L3 Beginnings of ancient Indian Empires. . . • Aryan culture – Created Hinduism & Buddhism – Failed to provide political unity • 1500-400B.C. – Warring kingdoms dominated – No lasting peace • ~400B.C. new threats emerged – Persia – Greeks – Macedonians • Alexander the Great invades 327B.C. – Leaves shortly after as army refuses to fight – Allows for rise of the first dynasty Mauryan Empire • Founded by Candragupta Maurya • 324 BC to 301 BC • Established capital at Pataliputra (Patna in the Ganges valley) – Northern India • Divided empire into provinces • Afraid of assassination – Large army, secret police, tasters Mauryan Empire • Palace ruins at Pataliputra • Candragupta Maurya Mauryan Empire • Asoka 269-232 BC – Considered to be greatest ruler in the history of India – Witnessed the Battle of Kalinga • 100,000 killed • Converted to Buddhism – Used Buddhist ideals to rule • Created hospitals for people and animals • Planted trees for shade • Helped expand trade to bring prosperity to India – Died in 232 B.C. – Empire begins to decline and eventually ends in 183 B.C. – Crossroads of a trade network Kushan Empire • After collapse of Mauryan Empire India falls into warring states • 1st century A.D. nomadic warriors from Bactria (Afghanistan) gain power, creating the Kushan Empire – Over 200 yrs. they spread over northern India to the central Ganges valley Kushan Kingdom • Prospered due to trade – Silk Road – Serica: “Land of Silk” China • Roman Empire to China • About 4,000 miles long Kushan Empire • Indian culture • Influenced by other cultures – China, Persia, Rome – Adapted Greek alphabet to their language – Practiced both Hinduism, Buddhism & Zoroastrianism Kushan Kingdom • Kingdom eventually ended by its own division as well as cultural diffusion. • They faced some difficulties from the Persians. • Part of kingdom was taken on by the Guptas. Gupta Empire • 320 A.D. local prince, Candra Gupta creates new state • Capital at Pataliputra (Patna) • Hinduism becomes the religion of the kingdom • Tolerant of Buddhism Gupta Empire • Golden Age of Indian Culture – Candra Gupta II 380 to 415 AD – Hindu & Buddhist art – Traded with China, SE Asia, Mediterranean • Salt, cloth, iron – Had kings who lived extravagant lifestyles (owned gold mines) – Religious pilgrims provided trade – Faxian (Buddhist monk from China) writer about how good India was Mauryan Gupta Indian Accomplishments: Literature • Vedas: religious chants & stories • Mahabharata: (longest poem ever) – 90,000 two line stanzas – 1000 BC war between cousins & meaning of life – Contains the Bhagavad Gita (Krishna’s sermon on the eve of major battle) Indian Accomplishments: Literature • Ramayana: – Fictional – Characters Rama & Sita – Rama the ruler is banished to the forest and fights a demon-king who had kidnapped his wife – Rama = perfect hero, husband, father, son, avatar of Vishnu – Sita = perfect wife – Religious & moral lessons Indian Accomplishments: Architecture • Three types: – Pillar, Stupa, Rock chamber Indian Accomplishments: Architecture—Pillar • Asoka marked sites of the Buddha’s travels with pillars • Each pillar was marked with a carved lion • Usually made of polished sandstone Indian Accomplishments: Architecture—Stupa • Originally housed the relics of the Buddha • Looked like burial mounds • Asoka ordered the construction of 84,000 of these in India during his reign Sarnath Deer Park Stupa Indian Accomplishments: Architecture—Rock Chamber • Carved out of rock cliffs • Highly decorated (carved & painted) • Housed monks & used for religious ceremonies Ajanta Caves Ajanta Caves Ajanta Caves Indian Accomplishments: Science & Mathematics • Astronomy – Charted movements of the stars – Recognized Earth as a sphere that rotated on its axis & revolved around the sun • Mathematics – Aryabhata: one of the first to use algebra – Concept of zero and its symbol (0) – Indian Arabic numeral system