Empires, Dynasties, and China

The Mauryan Empire  Chandragupta Maurya established the Mauryan Empire in India that lasted for 150 years.  He raised an army of 700,000 soldiers, equipped with thousands of chariots and elephants.  He was a clever and harsh leader who administered operating mines and centers for spinning and weaving.  He made many enemies and slept in a different room every night because he feared assassination.  Most of the guards who protected him were armed women.

Ashoka the Great  He was one of India’s greatest rulers and grandson of Chandragupta Maurya.  He enlarged the kingdom through terribly bloody wars in which thousands were killed and captured.  Sickened by the slaughter of battle, he became a devout Buddhist.  He urged religious tolerance and spread the religion throughout India and parts of China.  After his death, the Mauryan empire began to crumble.

The Golden Age under Gupta  Through intermarriage and conquest, the Guptas became India’s next great rulers.  Both society and the arts flourished under their reign.  The Guptas favored Hinduism instead of Buddhism.  Gupta rule ended in 550 A.D.

China  Under the rule of three successive dynasties, the Zhou, the Qin, and the Han, China gradually became a large and powerful country.  The Zhou dynasty lasted 900 years.  Zhou rulers called themselves “Sons of Heaven.”  During Zhou rule internal trade expanded, copper was coined into money and introduction of iron began.

Zhou Dynasty  The Zhou dynasty did not have a centralized form of government.  King Yu cheated on his wife with another women named Pao-Ssu.  For a joke they would light warning fires and beat large drums to signal an attack.  They would watch the army coming galloping in to protect the King. They would laugh at the warrior as they came in.  When there was a real invasion, the army did not show up. The Zhou dynasty was replaced by the Qin dynasty.

Qin Dynasty  The Qin dynasty controlled China more firmly by creating a central government.  This dynasty created the first Chinese empire, which established standardized weights, measures, and coinage.  The Qin dynasty developed the Great Wall of China. One of the Seven Wonders of the World.  The Great emperor Shi Huangdi became famous from his burial tomb full of Terra Cotta soldiers.

The Great Wall of China

Confucianism  Left in poverty at the age of three after his father died, Confucius obtained a good education.  He taught about the importance of the family, respect for one’s elders, and reverence for the past and for one’s ancestors.  These three concepts form the basis of Confucian philosophy.

Confucianism  Confucius believed that every person should accept an appropriated role in society and perform the duties of that role.  Government should be virtuous and set a good example for people to follow.