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Maurya & Gupta India

Maurya & Gupta India. Chandragupta : 321 BCE-298 BCE. Unified northern India under the Mauryan Empire using an army of 750,000 men. Defeated the Persian general Seleucus . Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement.

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Maurya & Gupta India

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  1. Maurya & Gupta India

  2. Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE • Unified northern India under the • Mauryan Empire using an army of 750,000 men. • Defeated the Persian general Seleucus. • Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement. • He feared assassination so much that he used food tasters and slept in different rooms, etc. • In 301 BCE he gave up his throne & became a Jain.

  3. The Mauryan Empire 321 BCE – 185 BCE

  4. Kautilya • Chandragupta’s advisor. • Brahmin caste. • Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or theArthashastra. • 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! (Compare to Plato’s Republic)

  5. Asoka (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?

  6. Ashoka’s Empire

  7. Ashoka’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.

  8. One of Ashoka’s Stupas “The slaughter, death, and removal of captives is a matter of profound sorrow and regret to his Sacred Majesty”

  9. With Ashoka’s death the Mauryan Empire began to fall apart. Taxes no longer came in sufficient amounts. Buddhism shared in the general decline. In 180 B.C. the last Mauryan emperor gave up his throne. India fell into small territorial states as the central government declined. India experienced invasion from Greeks from Bactria, Scythians, Parthians, and lastly the Kushans who were Buddhist converts. The Brahmins were once again on the defensive. They eventually found a place for all of these invaders in their Hindu caste system.

  10. Turmoil & a power Vacuum:220 BCE – 320 CE Tamils The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.

  11. Gupta Empire:320 ACE – 647 ACE

  12. Gupta Rulers • Chandra GuptaI • ruled. 320 – 335 CE • “Great King of Kings” • Chandra Gupta II • ruled. 375 - 415 CE • Profitable trade with the Mediterranean world! • Hindu revival. • Huns invade – 450 CE

  13. Fa-Hsien: Life in Gupta India • Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along the Silk Road and visited India in the 5th century A.C.E. • 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.

  14. Chandra Gupta 11

  15. International Trade Routes during the Guptas

  16. Extensive Trade:4c spices silks cotton goods spices rice & wheat horses gold & ivory gold & ivory cotton goods

  17. Kalidasa • The greatest of Indian poets. • His most famous play was Shakuntala. • During the reign of Chandra Gupta II.

  18. GuptaArt Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art & architecture.

  19. Gupta Achievements 1000 diseasesclassified 500 healingplants identified Printedmedicinal guides Kalidasa Literature PlasticSurgery Medicine GuptaIndia Inoculations C-sectionsperformed SolarCalendar Astronomy Mathematics DecimalSystem The earthis round PI = 3.1416 Conceptof Zero

  20. The Decline of the Guptas • Invasion of the White Huns in the 4th century 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 700’s a.c.e.

  21. 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.

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