"In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves 'their highnesses,' 'their majesties,' and 'their exalted majesties' and so on. They shone for a brief moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star, even unto this day." H.G. Wells

 Empires played a less prominent role in India  In the Indus River valley flourished the largest of the First Civilizations (The cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro – urban planning)  But in the Indus valley, there was little evidence of any central political authority  At its demise by 1500 BCE, creation of a new civilization along the Ganges River  Scholars debate the role of the Aryans, a pastoral Indo-European people, and whether they invaded and destroyed or were already a part of the Indus Valley population

 By 600 BCE, the classical civilization of South Asia began to take shape in northern India  But emerged as a fragmented collection of towns and cities with diverse political structures  And a range of ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity due to endless variety of peoples migrating from Central Asia across mountain passes into India  The source of an identity in the midst of diversity was a distinctive religion (Hinduism) Linguistic Map

 Northwestern India had been briefly ruled by Persian Empire  Northwestern India and been briefly conquered by Alexander the Great  Persian and Greek influences encouraged the first and largest of India’s short experiments with empire building “Surrender of Porus to the Emperor Alexander”

 With a population of perhaps 50 million  A large military force (reported 600,000 infantry soldiers - 30,000 cavalry - 8,000 chariots - and 9,000 elephants)  Civilian bureaucracy with various ministries and spies  State also operated many industries – spinning, weaving, mining, shipbuilding, and armaments  Taxes on trade, herds, land (from which the monarch claimed a quarter or more of the crop)

 Left a record of his activities and thinking in his edicts carved on rocks and pillars (Pillars of Ashoka)  Reign began in a ruthless fashion of conquest and expansion  But a particularly bloody battle, the Battle of Kalinga, was a turning point -Disgusted by the violence and carnage, Ashoka converted to Buddhism

 Adopted a more peaceful approach to government  Encouraged nonviolence and tolerance  Worked for the happiness and well-being of his subjects  Abandoned the royal hunts  Ended animal sacrifices in the capital  Eliminated most meat from the royal menu  Generously supported Buddhist monasteries as well as the building of stupas (shrines erected by Buddhists which housed relics of important Buddhists)

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!

 Ordered the digging of wells, the planting of shade trees, and the building of rest stops along the empire’s major highways (integrating the kingdom’s economy)  But still retained the power to punish wrongdoing and the death penalty remained  Attempted to develop a moral code for the diverse empire  After Ashoka’s death, political fragmentation returned with competing regional states Buddhist symbol - the Dharma wheel – representing the teachings of the Buddha

Political Fragmentation

 Another short-lived experiment in empire building in South Asia  A golden age of Hindu culture  Mathematicians developed the concept of zero, the decimal system, and the concept of infinity  Scientists experimented with vaccinations  Artists created beautiful paintings in the caves of Ajanta and great works of literature in Sanskrit, the holy language of the Hindu religion

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

 But India was similar to Western Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire  Political fragmentation was more common than unity  Perhaps India’s tremendous cultural diversity was the reason  Also frequent invasions from Central Asia, which regularly smashed states that might have emerged as empire builders  And India’s social system known as the caste system increased local loyalties

 But a vibrant economy encouraged trade and commerce  India was a focal point of an extensive network of trade in the Indian Ocean basin  Its cotton textile industry supplied cloth throughout the Afro-Eurasian world  Strong guilds of merchants and artisans provided political leadership in towns and cities  Wealth from commerce patronized the activities of artists and architects  Creativity in religious thinking (from Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism emerged)  Great advances in mathematics and science, especially astronomy

 The absence of a consistent imperial unity did not prevent the evolution of a lasting civilization

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

 Questions:  Why were centralized empires so much less prominent in India than in China?  Compare and contrast the process of empire building in India and the Roman Empire.  How did the religious experience shape the political reality in South Asia?