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Indian Empires, Chinese Dynasties, Philosophies and Religions The Mauryan Dynasty The Kingdom of Guptas Indian Culture Qin & Han Dynasties Chinese Accomplishments Mauryan & Gupta Empires Indian Culture Background A nomadic group of Aryans migrated into India around 1500 B.C. Strong warrior tradition Caste system and varnas (social classes) Priests Warriors Herders, farmers, artisans, merchants Farmworkers, servants, laborers Dalits or untouchables (not part of varna system) The Mauryan Dynasty Founded by Chandragupta Maurya Ruled from 324-301 B.C. Drove out foreign forces Centralized government Divided kingdom in provinces ruled by appointed governors Army & secret police to follow his orders The Reign of Asoka Mauryan Empire flourished under Asoka Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya Considered greatest ruler of India His rule guided by Buddhist ideals Provided hospitals for people & animals Placed trees & shelters alongside roads for travelers to rest India became crossroads for trade & prospered Sent out Buddhist missionaries After his death in 232 B.C., Mauryan Empire began to decline Silk Road Part of the route went through India Arose around 200 BC Covered 4,000 miles, from China to Mediterranean Sea Traded silk, spices, teas & porcelain from China for woolen & linen clothes, glass & precious stones from the west Romans considered silk worth its weight in gold Kingdom of the Guptas Chandragupta established a new kingdom in Ganges Valley in 320 AD His son expanded the kingdom Dominant force in northern India Loose control over central India Chandragupta II Created a new age of Indian civilization-Golden Age Traded with China, Southwest Asia & the Mediterranean Faxian, a Chinese traveler spent several years here, describing Indian culture Indian Culture Literature Oldest: the Vedas, primarily religious texts Written in Sanskrit after Aryan invasion Great historical epics Mahabharata & Ramayana Both epics about great warriors Mahabharata 90,000 stanzas (longest poem in any written language) Written 100 B.C. Bhagavad Gita – sermon by the god Krishna (most famous passage) Ramayana Story of fictional leader Rama, an ideal Aryan leader Written 100 B.C. Indian Culture Architecture Buddhism inspired Mauryan Dynasty architecture Asoka erected stone pillars alongside roads to mark places of events in Buddha’s life Weighed as much as 50 tons & up to 50 ft. high Topped with a carving of some sort, usually a lion Stupa-built in form of burial mounds Became a place of devotion Topped with spires Indian Culture Science Astronomy Charted movements of heavenly bodies Knew the earth was a sphere, that it rotated on an axis & revolved around the sun (heliocentric theory) Mathematics Aryabhata (during Gupta Empire) One of first scientist known to use algebra Introduced the concept of 0 Arab scholars adopted the Indian system European traders adopted Arab system Today, it is called the Indian-Arabic numeral system Religion Hinduism Came with Aryan invaders in 1500 B.C. Reincarnation, karma, dharma, yoga Brought the caste system Buddhism 6th C. B.C. Siddhartha Guatama = the Buddha or “enlightened one” Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path & nirvana Qin & Han Dynasties Chinese Accomplishments Qin Dynasty Shi Huangdi united warring states into one in 221 BC Highly centralized government Adopted Legalism as official ideology Single monetary system System of roads Began Great Wall Terra-cotta army Han Dynasty Established by Liu Bang in 202 BC Han Wudi “Marital Emperor of Han” greatly expanded borders Lasted more than 400 years Confucianism became new state philosophy Introduced civil service exam system to select new government officials Chinese Philosophies Confucianism Emphasized filial piety, Five Constant Relationships Daoism Emphasized harmony with nature Legalism Introduced by Hanfeizi Strict laws & harsh punishments Han Accomplishments Textile manufacturing Iron casting leads to invention of steel Paper making Invention of rudder and fore-and-aft rigging for ships (could sail into wind for first time Increased trade