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India’s First Empires Mauryan Empire 321 BC-184 BC Chandragupta Maurya, a military officer, established the first Indian empire by overthrowing an unpopular king. He maintained order by creating: 1. An efficient postal system 2. A strong army 3. An extensive spy network Asoka- emperor from 274-232 BC, converted to Buddhism after viewing the carnage of a bloody battle. He vowed to never rule with terror. Wrote laws on pillars throughout the kingdom in the local language. He also built hospitals, veterinary clinics, roads, rest houses and planted shade trees to help travelers. Also enforced religious tolerance/freedom. Gupta Empire 310-600 AD Started by Chandra Gupta I controlled northern India for over 200 years. Government maintained control through spy network and use of political assassins. Hinduism was the official religion. State sponsored the building of elaborate temples to various deities/gods. Golden Age 375-415 AD under Chandra Gupta II, achievements in literature, mathematics, astronomy, and trade. Trade Spreads Indian Religions & Culture India became a center of trade between China, Africa, the Middle East & eventually Europe Merchants traveled the Silk Road (trade routes from China to the Middle East) Traders also used the monsoons to push their ships to SE Asia and then back to India By 250 BC Hinduism & Buddhism were the main religions in India. Buddhism divideso Mahayana- begins to worship Buddha as a god, they believe one can work to save humanity by self-sacrifice and giving up nirvana o Theravada- traditional Buddhists, they follow the original teachings, the 4 Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path Hinduism had became more personal again with people devoting themselves to one of the many deities Achievements Literature-Kalidasa, poet & playwright & Tamil poetry Sun based calendar, 7 day week, divided the day into hours, determined the earth is round, solar year=365.358605 days Zero, decimal point, value of pi Han Dynasty Liu Bang establishes Han dynasty after the decline of the Qin Dynasty. He centralized the government, lowered taxes, & relaxed the harsh Legalist punishments Empress Lu ruled after Bang’s death by naming infants as emperor Emperor Wudi expanded the empire through war Strict social structure-emperor, official & scholars at the top, soldiers & slaves at the bottom Established civil service- positions given based on knowledge of Confucianism instead of connections. Only wealthy could afford education. System lasted until 1912. Chinese assimilated conquered peoples through settlement and intermarriage Achievements Paper invented in 105 AD Collar harness-allowed horses to pull heavier loads 2 blade plow Wheelbarrow Water Mill to grind grain Silk monopoly Han Dynasty interrupted by peasant revolts due to overtaxing the poor & division of land among all sons upon death of the father Tang & Song Dynasties China was the most powerful & advanced country in the world at this time. Sui Dynasty 581-618 AD—completed the Grand Canal between the Huang He & the Chiang Jiang Rivers, linking the agricultural south to the urban north Tang Dynasty 618-907 AD—expanded the empire & built up the infrastructure (roads & canals) and revived the civil service exams, fell to invasion Empress Wu 625-705—the only woman to ever claim the title emperor & rule China Song Dynasty 960-1279 AD—maintained the power and status of China as the world power through trade, southern China grew rich with international trade Achievements Movable type- made printed materials cheaper Gunpowder-allowed for many new weapons Porcelain-still used today (“china” dishes) Mechanical clock-still used today Paper money-still used today Magnetic compass-quickly spread to the West Fast growing rice-two harvests a year (doubled) Poetry- Li Bo & Tu Fu Art- strong Daoist influence Social Structure—aristocrats lost power to the gentry who maintained status through education, an urban middle class emerged, peasants still worked for rich land owners Women’s status declined, upper class girls had feet bound, effectively crippling them and made them status symbols for husbands & families Mongol Empire The Mongols were nomadic pastoralists Temujin united the Mongols around 1200 AD, he was named Ghengis Khan or universal ruler in 1206 after defeating all of his enemies Ghengis conquered using a well-organized army, brilliant strategies and cruelty to terrify his enemies The Mongols conquered the land from China to Poland within 50 years of Ghengis Khan’s death in 1227, the largest land empire in history Empire divided into 4 Khanates, China, Central Asia, Persia, and the Golden Horde (Russia) Many areas never recovered due to lost population and/or destruction The Mongols did not impose their culture or beliefs on conquered peoples The stability & order brought by the empire is known as the Pax Mongolica (1200s-1300s), travelers, missionaries & merchants could travel throughout Eurasia which fostered cultural diffusion Kublai Khan, grandson of Ghengis Khan, conquered China in 1279 and started the Yuan Dynasty United al of China for first time in 300 years, considered one of the greatest emperors Opened China to more foreign trade Built capital at Beijing, the present day capital Failed to conquer Japan due to a typhoon that destroyed the largest sea invasion until WWII, the typhoon was called a kamikaze or divine wind by the Japanese Venetian trader Marco Polo served in Kublai Khan’s court and published an account of his travels when he returned to Europe around 1300 Mongol Empire weakened after Kublai Khan’s death and was overthrown by the Ming in 1368 The Persian Khanate lost power in the 1330s, the Central Asian Khanate in the 1370s and Ivan the III freed Russia from the Mongols in 1480 Feudal Japan Japan’s location allowed it to be influenced by China but protected from complete domination by its stronger neighbor Japan is an archipelago, group of islands, with limited natural resources The ancient beliefs of Japan combined to form the Shinto religion which focuses on respect for nature and ancestors The Yamato family took control of Japan in the 400s and began ruling as emperors Buddhism also spread to Japan from China in the 400s The Japanese emperor sent people to China to learn and bring the ideas back, like Chinese writing and painting The cultural exchange stopped in the 800s The Heian period, 794 to 1185, was a golden age of Japanese culture Life in the royal court was dominated by complex rituals, careful manners, and an appreciation of art Land owners began to gain power as the power of the emperor declined Land owners hired private armies that developed into the Samurai that followed a strict code of honor called Bushido A civil war in the 12th century ended with the emperor naming a Shogun to lead the samurai The Shogun, Samurai, and a kamikaze (divine wind) defended Japan against the Mongol invasion in the 13th century The Tokugawa Shogunate controlled Japan from 1192 to 1868 Southeast Asia A crossroads of trade, influenced by India & China Khmer Empire ruled over present day Cambodia, peaked around 1200 AD, built Angkor Wat, the largest sacred building in the world, a temple to the Hindu god Vishnu Indonesian islands were home to the Sailendra Dynasty that prospered through international trade Vietnam broke away from China and established an independent kingdom Korea also established an independent kingdom but was strongly influenced by China The Koryu Dynasty was modeled after the Chinese government including civil service but the social structure was controlled by wealthy land owners Koryu culture is known for the celadon porcelain (a milky green pottery) and blocks carved to print Buddhist scriptures The Choson Dynasty overthrew the Koryu after the Mongol threats had weakened it