Religion, Rulers, and Contributions Life in Ancient India Religion, Rulers, and Contributions

What is Hinduism? Hinduism is a blend of many religions. It is polytheistic – there are many gods.

1 of 3 Main Hindu Gods Brahman is the one god which lives in everything.

Reincarnation Hindus believe that when a person dies, the soul is reborn in the body of another living thing.

dharma Dharma is doing the right thing. (Example: it is a man’s duty to protect the women in his family.) Dharma is what you GIVE.

karma Karma is what comes back to you. Karma is what you GET.

The Goal of Hinduism Live a good life and do good things and you will be rewarded.

Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama was a young Hindu prince →lived life of luxury→changed his life after he saw suffering.

Buddhism Did not accept all Hindu beliefs. Meditated – looked inside himself for answers. Followers called him Buddha – “Enlightened One”

Buddhism Eightfold Path – moral code of conduct to make yourself better.

Buddhism If you follow code, Released from reincarnation You will find nirvana: eternal peace

Rulers Chandragupta (chun druh GUP tuh) Strong, ruthless leader who enlarged his kingdom to include most of India.

Chandragupta’s Rule He had absolute power. He had a huge army including a herd of 9,000 war elephants. He traded with Greece, Rome & China. His empire was very wealthy. He used the money to improve his empire.

Chandragupta’s Legacy His rule was harsh, but he brought order and peace to the people. He spent his wealth on irrigation systems, roads for trade, and encouraging crafts and mining to improve his empire.

Asoka Chandragupta’s grandson Further expanded the empire

Asoka’s Leadership At first, Asoka was a warrior. After the bloody Battle of Kalinga that killed many thousands of people, he changed.

Asoka’s Leadership, part 2 He converted to Buddhism. He gave up war & violence. He built hospitals, and dug wells along the road so people & animals would not be thirsty. He encouraged people not to judge others.

Contributions Invented a technique of printing cloth

Contributions Progress in philosophy and literature

Contributions Invented the decimal and number systems that we use today.