Download ancient greece - Phillipsburg School District

1
The Growth of Civilization
2100 BC to AD 1500
The Growth of Civilizations
 1. Classical Greece - 2100 BC – 150 BC
 2. Rome and Early Christianity – 750 BC – AD 500
 3. The Americas – 1000 BC – AD 1500
 4. Empires of China and India – 350 BC – AD 600
Ancient Greece: 2100 BC 150 BC
 1. Early Greece
 2. The Classical Age
 3. Greek Achievements
 4. Alexander the Great
 Main Idea
o The small, rugged peninsula in southern Europe – Greece – home of early advanced
civilizations
o From the Minoans and the Mycenaeans to Sparta and Athens to the empire of Alexander
the Great, the Greeks left a legacy that helped shape Western Civilization
The Geography of Greece?
• Ancient Greece is located in southern Europe.
• It is located on the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.
• The land is mountainous and the civilization does not grow around a river.
Archaic Greece: 1650 – 700 BC
 Centered around Trade
Bronze Age Greece
Crete: Minoan Civilization
 The Minoans were the earliest people in the Region.
 They were traders but their civilization disappeared around 1400 BC.
Minoan Civilization
o Excavations done at Knossos reveal clues about their life:
o Private rooms
o Basic Plumbing
o Artwork-tied to the sea
Minoan Civilization
 Language-Linear A- cant decipher
 Most Minoan images of priests are women
Mycenaean Civilization
 The Mycenaeans arose next and were most famous for the Trojan War.

They declined around 1200 BC.
2
The Trojan Wars
 Fought between Troy (Turkey) and Mycenae (Greece)
 The Trojan Horse-not sure if the battle took place
Homer: The “Heroic Age”
 The Odyssey – the account of Greek hero – Odysseus in the Trojan War
 The Ilaid is the second account
The Mask of Agamemnon
 King of Mycenae who was murdered by his wife’s mistress
Hellenic (Classical) Greece: 700 to 324 BC
The Rise of the Greek City States
 The region declined for hundreds of years after the Mycenaeans.
 Around 750 BC, the Greek City state, or polis, starts to develop.
 Cities were built on two levels, with an acropolis on the top level.
Governing the City State
 At first, city states were ruled by one person, usually a king. This is called a monarchy. They
were often called tyrants.
 Next, it was ruled by a small group of nobles. This is called an oligarchy.
 New forms of government would soon develop, especially in Athens.
The Rest of the City State
 Below the Acropolis was the walled part of the city where everyday life took place.
 There were marketplaces, theaters, public buildings, and homes.
 The market was called the agora. It was usually in the center of the city.
Sparta
 Sparta is a city state that develops into a warrior society.
 Men spend their lives dedicated to warfare and training.
 Some women took up household and economic responsibilities because the men were occupied
with war.
Spartan Military Might
 Helots  Messenians enslaved by the Spartans.
The Acropolis-The Gods of Olympus
 The Acropolis
 The acropolis of each city had temples to the Greek gods and goddesses.
 The Greeks shared one set of Gods. There were 12 major gods and goddesses.
Mount Olympus, Home of the Gods
The Gods of Olympus
Athens
3
Athens: Yesterday and Today
 Athens is a city state that develops into a democracy.
 A democracy is a place where people vote.
 Only male citizens could vote.
 Athens also focused on arts and learning.
Early Athenian Lawgivers
$ Draco
 “draconian”
 End Unrest through harsh punishment
$ Solon-took first steps toward democracy
$ Cleisthenes
 created the first democracy!
Piraeus: Athens’ Port City
Persian Wars:
 Fought between Greece and Persia –
 Cause of Conflict region called Ionia
Peloponnesian Wars
$ Marathon (490 BCE)
 26 miles from Athens
 Inspired the Marathon-Greek victory
$ Thermopylae (480 BCE)
 300 Spartans were able to hold back a much larger Persian army
$ Salamis (480 BCE)
 Athenian navy Victory
Golden “Age of Pericles”: 460 BCE – 429 BCE
 The most influential politician in Athens for many years following the Persian Wars
Peloponnesian Wars
 Athens –Delian League
 Sparta-Pelponnesian League
 Tension between the two leagues; Sparta becomes the superpower
 Later fell to Macedonia
Socrates
 Socrates was a famous Athenian philosopher.
 He taught Plato, who then taught Aristotle.
 He was accused of corrupting the minds of the youth and forced to commit suicide.
o Know thyself!
o question everything
o only the pursuit of goodness
brings happiness.
4
Plato




Philosophers were best suited to govern
The Academy
The World of Forms
The Republic – philosophers should be king
Aristotle
 Concerned with nature and the world around him
 The Lyceum and the Golden Mean
o Everything in moderation
o Logic empowers reason
o Scientific method
Hippocrates
 Hippocrates was a famous Greek doctor.
 Doctors today still take the Hippocratic Oath when they begin their careers in medicine.
 Its most important part is to do no harm.
Herodotus
 Herodotus is famous for creating maps of the Ancient Greek world.
 He tried to determine what existed beyond what the Greeks themselves knew about.
Sophocles
 Sophocles was a famous Greek dramatist.
 There were two main types of plays: comedies and tragedies.
 These plays were very popular in Greece.
Phidias’ Acropolis
The Acropolis Today
 Temples for the Gods
The Parthenon
 Temple of the Greek Goddess Athena
The Olympic Games
The Agora
The Classical Greek “Ideal”
Greek Columns
Olympia
The Ancient Olympics: Athletes & Trainers
The Olympic Games
 The ancient Greeks started the Olympic games.
5



They were held to honor the gods.
There were races, discuss throwing, boxing, and a no-holds barred type of fighting called
pankration.
Only eye gouging and biting were prohibited.
Olympia: Temple to Hera
The 2004 Olympics
Macedonia under Phillip II
 Took over Greece along with his son, Alexander the Great
Hellenstic Greece: 324 100 BC
Alexander the Great
 Took over, at age 20, after his father was assassinated
Alexander the Greats Empire
Alexander the Great in Persia
 Within a year, Alexander conquered Persia
Phalanx tactic
The Hellenization of Asia
 Greek Like Culture mixed with others throughout Asia
Pergamum: A Hellenistic City
The Economy of the Hellenistic World
Hellenistic Philosophers
$ Cynics  Diogenes
 ignore social conventions & avoid luxuries.
 citizens of the world.
 live a humble, simple life.
$ Epicurians  Epicurus
 avoid pain & seek pleasure.
 all excess leads to pain!
 politics should be avoided.
$ Stoics  Zeno
 nature is the expansion of divine will.
 concept of natural law.
 get involved in politics, not for personal gain, but to perform virtuous acts for the good of
all.
 true happiness is found in great achievements.
Hellenism: The Arts & Sciences
$ Scientists / Mathematicians:
6
 Aristarchus  heliocentric theory.
 Euclid  geometry
 Archimedes  pulley
 Eratosthenes- calculated the size of the world
$ Hellenistic Art:
 More realistic; less ideal than Hellenic art.
 Showed individual emotions, wrinkles, and age!
The Breakup of Alexander’s Empire
 Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC
At age 33
7
The Growth of Civilization
2100 BC to AD 1500
The Growth of Civilizations
 1. Classical Greece - 2100 BC – 150 BC
 2. Rome and Early Christianity – 750 BC – AD 500
 3. The Americas – 1000 BC – AD 1500
 4. Empires of China and India – 350 BC – AD 600
Rome
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. The Foundations of Rome
2. From Republic to Empire
3. Roman Society and Culture
4. The Rise of Christianity
5. The Fall of Rome
Main Idea
• The city of Rome was the seat of one of the greatest powers of the ancient world
• 1,200 year history
• Roman went through great changes in government and culture
• Many changes were caused by the beginning of the spread of one of the world’s largest
religions - Christianity
The Geography of Rome
 Rome is located in Southern Europe.
 It is in the present day country of Italy.
 Italy is a peninsula, which means it has water on three sides.
 This allowed the Romans to trade with others in the region.
The Mythical Founding of Rome:
• Rome has a mythical beginning.
• Twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, were sons of the war god Mars and left abandoned as babies.
• A she-wolf fed them and kept them alive.
• They grew up, fought over who would name the city.
• Romulus killed Remus; therefore, he called the city Rome.
Influence of the Etruscans
 Introduced the alphabet and number system, helped shape government, built Rome’s first city
walls
The Roman Republic
• Around 500 BC, Rome became a republic.
• A republic is a government where representatives are chosen by the people.
• The people of Rome were represented in the Senate.
How were the people of Rome divided? Twelve Tables
• Romans were split into two main social classes.
• The Patricians were the landholding upper class.
8
•
•
The Plebians were the commoners of Rome.
The majority of the people were Plebians but the Patricians had most of the power.
Republican Government
 2 Consuls
 (Rulers of Rome)
 Senate
 (Representative body for patricians, land holders and the upper class)
 Tribal Assembly
 (Representative body for plebeians, the commoners of Rome)
The Roman Forum
• The Roman Forum was a place where people could express their ideas.
• It was also a place that decrees of the Senate and later the Emperor were announced to the people.
The Carthaginian Empire
• The Punic Wars
• Fought between Early Rome and Carthage (N. Africa)
• Hannibal-perhaps one of the greatest military leaders of all time.
Hannibal’s Route
• The Roman, after suffering serious losses, managed to defeat Hannibal and the Carthaginian Army
Rome becomes an empire
Reform Leaders
 Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
• the poor should be given grain and small plots of free land. Soldier Farmers
Military Reformer
 Gaius Marius
• recruited an army from the poor
and homeless.
• professional standing army.
Civil War and Dictators
• Civil War brought an end to the republic. Pompey and Caesar were successful military leaders
who formed the First Triumvirate
The First Triumvirate
 Julius Caesar-conquered Gaul, modern day France
 Marcus Licinius Crassus,
 Gaius Magnus Pompey, conquered parts of Asia Minor
Crossing the Rubicon
 Caesar took his army over the Rubicon River and marched into Rome
Beware the Ides of March! 44 BCE
• After rising to prominence in a variety of military campaigns, Julius Caesar brings his troops to
Rome in 49 BC and makes himself a dictator.
• He keeps the Senate around but keeps all real power for himself.
9
•
In 44 BC, he is murdered in the Senate by people who want to bring back the old government-the
Republic
The Second Triumvirate
 Octavian Augustus, adopted son of Caesar
 Marc Antony,a loyal officer
 Marcus Lepidus, high priest
The Roman Empire
Octavian Augustus: Rome’s First Emperor
• After Julius Caesar is assassinated, there is a civil war fighting for control.
• Caesar’s nephew Octavian becomes emperor, and changes his name to Caesar Augustus.
The First Roman Dynasty
• The Augustan Age- ruled for 40 years and Rome experienced a peaceful era. After his death,
Julio-Claudians and Flavians ruled Rome. The Good Emperors followed and the empire grew
tremendously
Pax Romana
• After Augustus, there is a 200 year peaceful period called the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace.
Roman’s Early Road System
• Rome was able to expand because of its well trained and organized armies.
• In addition, Rome built roads that connected the Empire that allowed troops easy movement.
Imperial Roman Road System
Roman Roads: The Appian Way
Roman Aqueducts
• The Romans built enormous aqueducts designed to bring water into the city.
• They used a new architectural technique called the arch.
• They had a very small slant that carried water downhill for miles and miles.
The Roman Colosseum
• Romans enjoyed violent entertainment.
• They watched gladiators fight to the death in many arenas, most famously the Coliseum.
• They watched chariot races, which often involved bloody crashes.
The Colosseum Interior
Circus Maxims
• Ancient Roman Chariot Racing Stadium
Roman Religion
• Romans had similar gods to the Greeks, except they had different names. For example: Zeus
becomes Jupiter, Ares becomes Mars.
• They built enormous temples, like the Pantheon.
10
The Rise of Christianity
 Religion based on Jesus of Nazareth, and his earliest followers, the teaching of Judaism
Jesus of Nazareth
 Knowledge comes from the first four books of the New Testament
 The New Testament along with the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, make up the Christian
Bible.
Jesus Christ
• In time, Jesus began to preach a message of redemption and warning of the coming of God’s
Judgment Day. His message alarmed authorities, and Jesus was arrested, tried, and sentenced to
death.
• After he was crucified, Jesus rose from the dead, spent 40 days teaching, and ascended into
heaven.
• Followers named him the Messiah, Jesus Christ
The Spread of Christianity
 Apostles 12 Disciples that Jesus chose to spread Christianity throughout the world
Diocletian Splits the Empire in Two:
• Economic Problems- Inflation, rising prices, and higher taxes to pay for the vast empire
• Diocletian –absolute ruler – himself above his subjects
Constantine
• Diocletian abdicated his thrown and threw Rome into civil war once again
• Constantine, in 312, proclaimed new emperor
• A new Capital-Constantinople –Christian capital; later renamed Istanbul
Byzantine Empire
• The later period of the Eastern Roman Empire became Byzantine Empire-after fall of Western
Roman Empire to German tribes
The Byzantine Empire During the Reign of Justinian
The Byzantine Emperor Justinian
The Empire in Crisis: 3c
Barbarian Invasions: 4c-5c
Attila the Hun
• The inability of the Roman Army to stop the Huns was one reason for the demise of the empire
The Legacy of Rome
• Around 180 AD, problems arose in the empire and the Empire begins to decline.
• In 476 AD, Rome is sacked and the Empire is officially dead.
• Republic Government
• Roman Law
• Latin Language
11
•
•
•
•
Roman Catholic Church
City Planning
Romanesque Architectural Style
Roman Engineering
• Aqueducts
• Sewage systems
• Dams
• Cement
• Arch
Why did Rome decline?
• Government was corrupt.
• government had huge building projects-cost lots of money.
• Tribes invaded from the North.
• Poverty and unemployment were very high.
• Moral values declined.
The Discovery of Pompeii
• In 1748, one of the greatest archeological discoveries of all times occurred.
• The Roman city of Pompeii had been destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD,
preserving the town forever.
12
The Growth of Civilization
2100 BC to AD 1500
The Growth of Civilizations
 1. Classical Greece - 2100 BC – 150 BC
 2. Rome and Early Christianity – 750 BC – AD 500
 3. The Americas – 1000 BC – AD 1500
 4. Empires of China and India – 350 BC – AD 600
The Americas – 1000 BC – AD 1500
•
•
•
1. North America
2. Meso America
3. South America
• Main Idea
• As advanced civilizations developed in Rome, other civilizations developed in the
Americas
• Early American civilizations all found ways to adapt to the varied environments of the
Americas
• Some developed sophisticated governments and engineering that rivaled those of the
ancient Romans
Civilizations in the Americas 1000 BC to AD 1500
Early Human Migrations
 Possible migration for the First Americans
North America
 Kennewick Man – 9,000 year old human skull found along the Columbia River
 Gives us clues to some questions about early Americans
Cultures of North America
 Arctic and the Subarctic
 Far West
 Eastern
Great Plains
Desert West
Woodlands
Cultures of the Desert West
 Hohokam- 300 BC to AD 1500 –adobe-mixtures of clay and straw for homes
 Anasazi – 100 BC to Ad 1300 –adopted the pueblo-aboveground structure used for homes
 Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde Anasazi cliff dwelling
The Mound Builders
 Hopewell – 200 BC to Ad 500 – some form of organized labor
 Mississippian – built some of the earliest cities in North America
Other Cultures in North America
 Inuit – Arctic Region -no vegetation for food- fishing instead
 Plains Indians – treeless grasslands
13
 The Iroquois – Forest Environment formed a confederacy
Sculpture from the Americas

Origins of the Peoples of the Americas?
The “Mother Culture” of Meso – America
 Olmec-predated just about every other civilization in Meso- America.
 First to use writing system and first to use pyramids;
 The one to give rise to later cultures in that region.
Major Pre-Columbian Civilizations
 Mayan, Aztec, and the Inca
Mayans
 The Olmec Civilization was small to the Mayan civilization, which had its height in 1000 BC
consisted of 10 million in over 40 cities.
Lands of the Mayans
 The Yucatan Peninsula
Mayan Cultivation of Maize
 Slash and Burn-farming method that involves burning vegetation to clear it for planting
 Chac, God of Rain
Chichen-Itza – Pyramid
 Mayan cities such as Chichen-Itza and Tikal were some of the more spectacular cities, containing
pyramids, temples, and great palaces.
Chichen-Itza – Observatory
 Mayans made advances in astronomy. They observed the movements of the sun, moon, and
planets. Calendar system – 365 days farming schedule
Chichen-Itza - Ball Court
Overview of Tikal (Guatemala)
 Temple of the Masks
Tikal Jungle View at Sunset
Tikal - Main Court
 Mayan cities functioned as city states each had its own ruler and government.
 Trade linked the cities.
 Warfare also linked other cities.
 Mayan cities never united.
Tikal: Temple of the Masks
Tikal - Wall Mask of the Rain God
Quetzalcoatl:
14
 The God of Wisdom & Learning
Mayan Glyphs
 sky
 king
 house
 child
 city
 The Mayans developed a complex writing system, glyphs, or symbols
Mayan Mathematics
 They also created a number system, using the concept of zero for the first time.
Mayan Underground Granaries: Chultunes
Mayan Drinking Cup for Chocolate
Pakal: The Maya Astronaut
Aztecs
 The Aztecs, just a small group of farmers from northwest Mexico, created the most powerful
empire in Meso -America.
Lands of the Aztecs
 What land did they conquer?
Aztec View of Tenochtitlan
 The Capital City of the Aztecs.
 Covered five miles and had a population of 200,000.
 One of the largest cities in the world at the time.
Tenochtitlan: The “Venice” of the Americas
Aztec Chinampa or Floating Garden:
 15ft. to 30ft. wide
Tenochtitlan – Chinampas
 Tenochtitlan was built on swampy island in the middle of a lake. To create more farm land they
build floating gardens
Aztec Writing
 They kept written records similar to Mayans but not as advanced.
Aztec Math
 They also used Math. Conquered People were required to pay a tribute, a tax.
Aztec Sun Stone – Calendar
 They created a 260-religious calendar and a 365-day solar calendar. They also calculated
movements of planets.
15
The Aztecs Were Fierce Warriors
 Achievements in the Arts and Sciences. Artisans made bright feathers into headdresses, shields,
and wartime costumes. Metalworkers fashioned gold and silver.
Aztec Gold
Aztec Sun Motifs
 Aztecs Sacrifice Neighboring Tribes to the Sun God-needed human blood
Heart Sacrifice on an Aztec Temple Pyramid
Wall of Skulls, Tenochtitlan
Sacrificial Statue, Tenochtitlan
Ruins of the City Center, Tenochtitlan
Aztec Codex
 Lasted a short period of time, 200 years. Contact with the Europeans brought an end to the empire.
The Codex Mendoza:
 The Founding of Tenochtitlan-twenty years after the Spanish Conquest it contains the history of
the city
Incas
 Many years after earlier civilizations such as the Chavin, Moche, and Nazca, the Inca Civilization
brought the entire Andes Mountain region into one empire.
Lands of the Incas
 They began as a small tribe in the Andes, but by the early 1500’s their empire extended almost the
entire Pacific coast throughout the Andes.
Cuzco: Ancient Capital of the Inca (11,000 ft. above sea level)
Machu Picchu
 Pachacuti –leader of the Inca used political alliances and military force to gain control. The
emperor had most of the power.
Incan Suspension Bridges
 The first known bridges spanned cannons, and rivers. Woven out of fibers and vines.
Incan Terrace Farming
 Terraces increased the amount of land available for agriculture.
Incan Digging Sticks
The Quipu: An Incan Database
 Keep track of moving goods they used set of colored and knotted cords.
16
Over 100 Different Types of Potatoes Cultivated by the Incans
Produce from a Typical Incan Market
Incan Ceramic Jars
Maize in Incan Pottery
Inca Gold & Silver
 Artisans made intricate ornaments out of gold and silver.
Incan Mummies
 The Incas lasted only about 100 years. The arrival of the Spanish in Peru in 1532 marked the end.
17
The Growth of Civilization
2100 BC to AD 1500
The Growth of Civilizations
 1. Classical Greece - 2100 BC – 150 BC
 2. Rome and Early Christianity – 750 BC – AD 500
 3. The Americas – 1000 BC – AD 1500
 4. Empires of China and India – 350 BC – AD 600
Empires of China and India - 350 BC to AD 600
• 1. The Growth of China
• 2. Chinese Society and Culture
• 3. Indian Dynasties
• 4. Indian Society and Culture
• Main Idea
• 300 – 200 BC, strong empires unified much of China and India
• Under these empires, China and India became prosperous
• Led to classical periods in their histories, during which China and India developed many of
the characteristics that would define their modern times
Imperial China: the Qin and the Han Dynasties
The Qin Dynasty
 300’s BC, the Warring States Period - era in which the Qin state began to dominate the other states
of China
Qin [Ch’in] Dynasty, 221-206 B.C.E.
 Established China’s first empire 
 Shi Huangdi (First Emperor)
 Legalist rule 
 A powerful and efficient government was key to maintaining order
 Bureaucratic administration
 Centralized control
 Military expansion
 Book burnings  targeted
Confucians
 Buried protestors alive!
 Built large section of the Great Wall
Shi Huangdi’s Terra Cotta Army
 Discovered in 1974 - the immense army of the dead
 A Paranoid Emperor in hope of gaining immortality had artisans create a life-size army with
chariots, horses, and more than 7,000 soldiers to guard him in the afterlife
Shi Huangdi’s Terra Cotta Army
 Army placed in pits around the emperor’s tomb
18
Shi Huangdi’s Terra Cotta Soldiers & Cavalrymen
 Although harsh, Qin policies under Huangdi unified and strengthened China.
 He undertook massive building projects, including an improved irrigation system, an expanded
network of roads and canals, and a defensive wall.
Cavalry
 Despite improvements in trade and transportation, peasants had to pay heavy taxes and some were
forced to work on them
The Eastern terminus of the Great Wall, Shanhai Pass
 To strengthen security and protect his empire from outside threats, Shanhai had workers join the
separate defensive walls creating the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall with Towers
 Hundreds of thousands of peasants were forced to work on the wall and many people died from
the harsh labor.
The Han Dynasty
 When Shi Huangdi died in 210 BC, the Qin Dynasty crumbled in rebellion. Liu Bang, a peasant
leader, founded the Han dynasty, one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history
Han Dynasty, 206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.
 “People of the Han”  original Chinese
 Paper invented [105 B.C.E.] 
 Silk Road trade develops; improves life for many
 Buddhism introduced into China
 Expanded into Central Asia
Liu Bang Tomb (d. 113 BCE)
 His jade suit has 2498 pieces! He ruled with the mandate of heaven (approval of the gods)
 He re-instituted Confucianism and at the same time kept some Legalist policies to maintain firm
control over his empire
Emperor Wudi, 141-87 B.C.E.- the greatest Han emperor
 Started public schools.
 Colonized Manchuria, Korea, & Vietnam.
 Civil service system-pass an exam in the Confucian classics 
 bureaucrats
 Confucian scholar-gentry
 Revival of Chinese landscape painting.
Emperor Wudi and Expansion
 Martial Emperor - expand his empire through warfare
 Xiongnu-nomads who lived in the grasslands of n. China
The Han Decline
 In 184, a Daoist sect called the Yellow Turbans rebelled and through the empire into chaos
 Period of Disunion - 350 years of warfare
19
Trade Routes of the Ancient World
 The Silk Road network of trade routes that stretched from China 4,000 miles across the heart of
Asia to the Mediterranean Sea
Ruins of Jiao he, Turphan depression. Han dynasty outpost in Central Asia
Han Artifacts
 The Han period was a Classical age in China history. During this age, art flourished and science
and technology improved life.
Ceramics, Later Han Period
 The Spread of Buddhism to China, led to an increase in Buddhist art and statues
Acupuncture
 Inserting fine needles into the skin at specific points to cure disease and relieve pain
Imperial India: Maurya and the Gupta Empire (350 BC to AD 600)
Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE
 Unified northern India.
 Defeated the Persian general Seleucus.
 Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement.
 He feared assassination [like Saddam Hussein]  food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc.
 301 BCE  gave up his throne & became a Jain.
The Maurya Empire
 321 BCE – 185 BCE
 The first Indian Empire
 The seizing of the throne of the kingdom of Magadha
Kautilya
 Chandragupta’s advisor.
 Brahmin caste.
 Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or the Arthashastra.-statescraft
 A guide for the king and his ministers:
 Supports royal power.
 The great evil in society is anarchy.
 Therefore, a single authority is needed to employ force when
necessary!
Ashoka (304 – 232 BCE)
 Religious conversion after the gruesome battle of Kalinga in 262 BCE.
 Dedicated his life to Buddhism.
 Built extensive roads.
 Conflict  how to balance Kautilya’s methods of keeping power and Buddha’s demands to
become a selfless person?
 Considered to be one of India’s greatest rulers
20
Asoka’s law code
 Edicts scattered in more than 30 places in India, Nepal, Pakistan, & Afghanistan.
 Written mostly in Sanskrit, but one was in Greek and Aramaic.
 10 rock edicts.
 Each pillar [stupa] is 40’-50’ high.
 Buddhist principles dominate his laws.
Turmoil & a power Vacuum: 220 BCE – 320 CE
The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.
Kushan – invaders from Central Asia
Tamils-far south; carried active sea trade with Southeast Asia
Gupta Empire: 320 CE – 647 CE
India remained divided into small kingdoms for about 400 years.
Then around Ad 320, the Gupta took over northern India.
Gupta Rulers
 Chandra Gupta I
 r. 320 – 335 CE
 “Great King of Kings”
 founder
 Chandra Gupta II
 r. 375 - 415 CE
 Profitable trade with the Mediterranean world!
 Hindu revival.
 White Huns invade – 450 CE
Fa-Hsien: Life in Gupta India
 Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along the Silk Road and visited India in the 5c.
 He was following the path of the Buddha.
 He reported the people to be happy, relatively free of government oppression, and inclined
towards courtesy and charity. Other references in the journal, however, indicate that the caste
system was rapidly assuming its basic features, including "untouchability," the social isolation of a
lowest class that is doomed to menial labor.
Chandra Gupta 11
Where was he located?
International Trade Routes during the Guptas
What continents did they trade with?
Extensive Trade:
Name three products they traded.
Kalidasa
 The greatest of Indian poets.
 His most famous play was Shakuntala.
 During the reign of Chandra Gupta II.
Gupta Art
Greatly influenced
Southeast Asian art & architecture
21
Gupta Achievements
The Decline of the Guptas
 Invasion of the White Huns in the 4c signaled the end of the Gupta Golden Age, even though at
first, the Guptas defeated them.
 After the decline of the Gupta empire, north India broke into a number of separate Hindu
kingdoms and was not really unified again until the coming of the Muslims in the 7c.
Bhartrhari 5c India court poet and philosopher.
 Knowledge is man's crowning mark, A treasure secretly buried,
The source of luxury, fame, and bliss, A guru most venerable,
A friend on foreign journeys, The pinnacle of divinity.
Knowledge is valued by kings beyond wealth--When he lacks it, a man is a brute.