Classical Civilizations in India: Mauryan and Gupta Empires

1. Classical Civilizations in India:Mauryan and Gupta Empires

2. Subcontinent – A continent unto itself, but less than a continent; not a discreet land mass; a complete variety of topography, sea level and climate. Partially separated from the rest of Asia Geography

3. The Mauryan and Gupta empires321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.

4. 520 BCE Persian Emperor Darius 327 BCE Alexander of Macedon Destroys Persian Empire in India Troops mutiny, departs after 2 years Political power vacuum Rise of the Mauryan Dynasty

5. Chandragupta Maurya321 BCE – 185 BCE • Power vacuum after Alexander • Unified Indian Empire • Mauryan Dynasty

6. Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE • Divided his empire into provinces, then districts • Bureaucratic administrative system • Army for law and peace • Network of spies • Tax assessments

7. Ashoka (304 – 232 BCE) • Grandson of Chandragupta • Represents high point of Mauryan Empire, r. 268-232 BCE • Expanded empire to include all of Indian subcontinent except for south • Positive leadership integrated Indian society • Much better known as a governor than conqueror

8. Ashoka • Battle of Kalinga in 262 BCE. • Dedicated his life to Buddhism. • Built extensive roads • Tax revenue • Trade and travel • Connected commercial centers • Conflict how to balance Kautilya’smethods of keeping powerand Buddha’s demands tobecome a selfless person?

9. Ashoka’s law code • Edicts of Ashoka • Legal consistency • 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. • Buddhist principles dominate his laws.

12. Economic crisis follows death of Ashoka High costs of bureaucracy, military not supported by tax revenue Frequent devaluations of currency to pay salaries Regions begin to abandon Mauryan Empire Disappears by 185 BCE Decline of the Mauryan Empire

13. Based in Magadha Founded by Chandra Gupta (no relation to Chandragupta Maurya), c. 320 CE Slightly smaller than Mauryan Empire Highly decentralized leadership Foundations for studies in natural sciences and mathematics The Gupta Dynasty

14. Gupta Empire:320 CE – 647 CE

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

16. 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.

17. International Trade Routes during the Guptas

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

19. GuptaArt Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art & architecture.

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

21. 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

22. Frequent invasions of White Huns, 5th c. CE Gupta Dynasty disintegrates along regional fault lines Smaller local kingdoms dominate until Mughal Empire founded in 16th c. Gupta Decline

23. Manufactured goods in big demand Developed in dense network of small workshops Trade intense, capitalizes on trade routes across India Economy: Towns and Manufacturing

24. Persian connection since Cyrus, Darius Massive road-building projects under Persian rule Alexander extends trade west to Macedon Trade routes through Kush mountains, the silk roads Long-Distance Trade

25. Seasonal sea trade expands Spring/winter winds blow from south-west, fall/winter winds blow from north-west Trade from Asia to Persian Gulf and Red Sea, Mediterranean Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin

26. Patriarchy entrenched Child marriage common (8 year old girls married to men in 20s) Women encouraged to remain in private sphere Mahabharata & Ramayana portrayed women as weak-willed and overly emotional Society: Gender Relations

27. Social Order • Caste system from Aryan times • Brahmins (priests) • Kshatriyas (warriors, aristocrats) • Vaishyas (Peasants, merchants) • Shudras (serfs)

28. Increasing economic diversification challenges simplistic caste system Jatis formed: guilds that acted as sub-castes Enforced social order “outcastes” forced into low-status employment Castes and Guilds

29. Upward social mobility possible for Vaishyas, Shudras Wealth challenges varna for status as lower castes often accumulated more wealth than their brahmin & kshatriya contemporaries Wealth and the Social Order

30. Social change generated resentment of caste privilege e.g. Brahmins free from taxation 6th-5th c. BCE new religions and philosophies challenge status quo Charvakas: atheists whose beliefs reflected the increasingly materialistic character of Indian society and economy Religions of Salvation in Classical India

31. Vardhamana Mahavira, 540-468 BCE Abandoned privileged family to lead ascetic life Promotes 7th c. movement based on Upanishads Emphasis on selfless living, concern for all beings Jainism

32. Principle of extreme non-violence Jainists sweep earth, strain water, use slow movements to avoid killing insects Ahimsa continues to inspire modern movements (Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr.) Ahimsa

33. Rejected caste, jati distinctions Obvious appeal to underprivileged groups But asceticism too extreme to become a mass movement 2 million Jainist Indians today Appeal of Jainism

34. Siddhartha Gautama, c. 563-483 BCE Encountered age, sickness, death, then monastic life Abandoned comfortable life to become a monk Early Buddhism

35. Intense meditation, extreme asceticism 49 days of meditation under bo tree to finally achieve enlightenment Attained title Buddha: “the enlightened one” Gautama’s Search for Enlightenment

36. Begins teaching new doctrine c. 528 BCE Followers owned only robes, food bowls Life of wandering, begging, meditation Establishment of monastic communities The Buddha and his Followers

37. Buddha and his Disciples

38. The Four Noble Truths all life is suffering there is an end to suffering removing desire removes suffering this may be done through the eight-fold path (right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration) Buddhist Doctrine: The Dharma

39. Right views Right intention Right speech Right conduct Right livelihood Right effort Right mindfulness Right meditation The Eightfold Path

40. Less dependence on Brahmins for ritual activities No recognition of caste, jati status Philosophy of moderate consumption Public service through lay teaching Use of vernacular, not Sanskrit Monasteries became important institutions in Indian society. Appeal of Buddhism

41. A Buddhist Monastery

42. A stupa (from Sanskrit literally meaning "heap") is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of a Buddha or saint. Stupas

43. Personal conversion to Buddhism Saddened after violent war with Kalinga Banned animal sacrifices, mandated vegetarianism in court Material support for Buddhist institutions, missionary activities Ashoka’s Support of Buddhism

44. 3rd c. BCE – 1st c. CE Buddha considered divine Institution of Boddhisatvas (“saints”) Charitable donations to monasteries regarded as pious activity Changes in Buddhist thought

45. Mahayana (“greater vehicle”), newer development India, China, Japan, Korea, central Asia Hinayana (“lesser vehicle,” also Theravada), earlier version Ceylon, Burma, Thailand Spread of Mahayana Buddhism

47. Buddhist Monastery Quasi-university: Buddhism, Hindu texts, philosophy, astronomy, medicine Peak at end of Gupta dynasty Helped spread Indian thought e.g. mathematical number zero Nalanda

48. Composition of epics from older oral traditions Mahabharata Ramayana Promotes Rama and Sita as the ideal Hindu couple, devoted to each other though hardship Emphasis on god Vishnu and his incarnations Emergence of Popular Hinduism

49. “Song of the Lord” Centuries of revisions, final form c. 400 CE Dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna during civil war The Bhagavad Gita

50. Emphasis on meeting class obligations (dharma) Pursuit of economic well-being and honesty (artha) Enjoyment of social, physical and sexual pleasure (kama) Salvation of the soul (moksha) Hindu Ethics