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Classical INDIA: Maurya and Gupta Empires

Classical INDIA: Maurya and Gupta Empires. Varna (Social Hierarchy). What is a JATI ?. Brahmins. Kshatriyas . Vaishyas. Shudras. Those with no caste:  U ntouchables. The Caste System. Brahmins. SOCIAL CLASSES= Purusha’s mouth arms legs feet. Kshatriyas. Vaishyas. Shudras.

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Classical INDIA: Maurya and Gupta Empires

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  1. ClassicalINDIA:Maurya and Gupta Empires

  2. Varna (Social Hierarchy) What is aJATI? Brahmins Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudras Those with no caste: Untouchables

  3. The Caste System Brahmins • SOCIAL CLASSES= • Purusha’s mouth • arms • legs • feet Kshatriyas Vaishyas Shudras

  4. Maurya & Gupta India

  5. The Maurya Empire 321 BCE – 185 BCE

  6. CHANDRAGUPTA • Chandragupta Maurya unified northern India. Extremely centralized! • Divided empire into provinces & districts for tax assessments and law enforcement. • Feared assassination  food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc. • 301 BCE  gave up his throne & became a Jain (religion focusing on complete non-violence).

  7. Kautilya • Chandragupta’s advisor. • Wrote the Arthashastra: • 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!

  8. Ashoka 304-232 BCE • Ashoka = most important • ruler of Maurya • Religious conversion after gruesome battle of Kalinga • religiously tolerant • Patronized Buddhism • Put up pillars all over India, declaring the peaceful intent of his empire

  9. Mauryan Empire under Ashoka – HUGE!

  10. Ashoka’s law code • Written mostly in Sanskrit, but one was in Greek and Aramaic – Cosmopolitan (diverse) empire! • Buddhist principles dominate his laws. • Focus on: nonviolence, morality, & religious toleration • Note the pillar on the left!

  11. Turmoil & a power Vacuum:220 BCE – 320 CE Tamils The Mauryan Empire gets divided into many kingdoms

  12. Gupta Empire: 320 CE – 647 CE

  13. Gupta Rulers • Profitable trade of cotton & pepper • Guptas were Hindu, not Buddhists • Buddhism began to merge back within Hinduism (Buddha became just another Hindu god) • Less centralized & smaller than Mauryan • Theater State – Cultural dominance

  14. Xuanzang: Life in Gupta India • Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along the Silk Roads 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.

  15. Empire under Chandra Gupta II

  16. International Trade Routes during the Guptas

  17. Extensive Trade spices silks cotton goods spices horses cotton

  18. GuptaArt Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art & architecture.

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

  20. The Decline of the Guptas • Invasion by White Huns in the 500s = end of the Gupta Golden Age • decline of Gupta empire - north India broke into many separate Hindu kingdoms ruled by rajputs (Hindu princes) • Indian History is marked by a big debate: Unity vs. Disunity

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