Maurya And Gupta Empires

Essential Question: What were the lasting achievements of the Maurya and Gupta?

The next classical civilization is India: The Mauryan and Gupta Empires.

The Mauryan Empire of India Chandragupta Maurya became king of India in 321 BCE (Before Common Era), created a vast army, and conquered surrounding lands The Mauryan Empire of India Chandragupta’s empire controlled most of the Indian subcontinent

MAURYAN EMPIRE’S GOVERNMENT King Chandragupta Maurya used tactics similar to the Persians’ to control his empire The king divided his empire into provinces, each ruled by a local prince that reported to him

The Culture of the Mauryan’s A second, less popular religion was Buddhism.

The Buddhist King Ashoka In 269 BCE, King Ashoka took over; he expanded the Empire to its greatest extent Indus River Valley

The Buddhist King Ashoka During his wars of expansion, Ashoka converted to Buddhism After witnessing an extremely bloody battle, Ashoka developed new policies of tolerance and non-violence for his empire Buddhism spread as a result of Ashoka’s influence Indus River Valley

The Gupta Empire of India After Ashoka’s death, the Mauryan Empire declined and was replaced by the Gupta Empire Chandra Gupta formed the Gupta Empire in 320 CE and expanded the empire

Golden Age of Hindu Culture India experienced a period of peace in which they made many culture achievements Mathematicians invented modern numerals, the number zero, the idea of infinity, and the decimal system Astronomy, Mathematics, and Medicine The expansion of trade spurred the advance of science. Because sailors on trading ships used the stars to help them figure their position at sea, knowledge of astronomy increased. From Greek invaders, Indians adapted Western methods of keeping time. They began to use a calendar based on the cycles of the sun rather than the moon. They also adopted a seven-day week and divided each day into hours. During the Gupta Empire (A.D. 320 to about 500), knowledge of astronomy increased further. Almost 1,000 years before Columbus, Indian astronomers proved that the earth was round by observing a lunar eclipse. During the eclipse, the earth’s shadow fell across the face of the moon. The astronomers noted that the earth’s shadow was curved, indicating that the earth itself was round. Indian mathematics was among the most advanced in the world. Modern numerals, the zero, and the decimal system were invented in India. Around A.D. 500, an Indian named Aryabhata (AHR•yuh•BUHT•uh) calculated the value of pi (π) to four decimal places. He also calculated the length of the solar year as 365.3586805 days. This is very close to modern calculations made with an atomic clock. In medicine, two important medical guides were compiled. They described more than 1,000 diseases and more than 500 medicinal plants. Hindu physicians performed surgery—including plastic surgery—and possibly gave injections

Golden Age of Hindu Culture Astronomers put forward the idea that the Earth was not flat, but round and rotated on it’s own axis.

Golden Age of Hindu Culture Artists painted colorful murals, and intricate architecture and temples were built.

Golden Age of Hindu Culture Physicians set bones, performed minor skin grafts, and wrote books on diseases. Astronomers also calculated the solar year and the shape and movement of bodies in spaces with remarkable accuracy.

Gupta Economics: Trade Impact of Geography on Gupta Identify one GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE and propose how it might impact the culture of Gupta Indian Ocean trade increased; Traders used coastal routes around the rim of the Ocean.

Gupta Economics: Trade Indian merchants acted like middlemen on the Silk Road, selling exotic spices and silks to people throughout Asia and the Mediterranean world, increasing India’s prosperity

Gupta Fall Huns, a nomadic warlike tribe from Central Asia, invaded India and caused the Gupta Empire to fall in 535 CE