Mauryan and Gupta India

Review What is the geography of India? What two belief systems developed in India? Mountains in the Northeast Calm and predictably flooding Indus river What weather pattern helped establish the Monsoon Marketplace? Why don’t we have much information about the ancient Indians? We can not translate their ancient language Monsoons- seasonal winds

Maurya India 321-185 BCE Chandragupta Maurya conquered North India Chandragupta was able to unite most of northern India, and his descendants continued to grow the empire.

Mauryan India Set up a bureaucracy Created more roads and harbors to lead more trade= Infrastructure Maurya was a ruthless dictator. He used a secret police to spy on the people, looking for crime and corruption.

Bureaucracy Form of government where appointed officials collect taxes, oversee building projects and agriculture Bureaucracies help the government handle the workload of maintaining a stable government Emperor Financial appointee Agricultural appointee Tax collector Financial officials Agricultural appointees Tax collectors

Ashoka the Great The grandson of Maurya led from 268 BCE Ashoka began as a typical king, leading a military conquest of Northern India and more than doubled the Indian empire Dynasty!!

Ashoka the Great Ashoka was horrified by the deaths of his men, over 100,000 dead Ashoka rejected further conquest and created a peaceful nation He Converted to Buddhism and promised to rule though moral example 9:20

Ashoka and Buddhism Ashoka adopted the tenements (rules) of Buddhism including - Four Noble Truths - Eightfold path - Peace to all Ashoka continued to expand his empire through peaceful conquest, good leadership and tolerance

Edict: An official order from the government (king) Rock Edict Pillars Ashoka built roads, harbors, hospitals and other public works. Peace and prosperity reined ushering in another Golden Age Ashoka set up Rock Edict Pillars around the Empire, spreading the laws and beliefs Edict: An official order from the government (king)

Gupta India 320-550 CE Golden Age: peace and prosperity led to cultural and intellectual achievements -Trade and farming flourished -Developed Arabic numerals and the concept of Zero -Plastic surgery -Vaccines

Gupta Math The Gupta Indians developed Arabic Numerals to replace Roman Numerals They also developed the concept of zero Arabic numerals simplify math

Hinduism Spreads As Hinduism spread throughout India the Caste System took hold. Caste determined where people live, what they eat, how they dress and what jobs they can have Untouchables were shunned and had to live separate and do “dirty” jobs. Untouchables had to announce their arrival with a wooden clapper so people could avoid them

Hindu Women Patriarchal- Led by Men India was a Patriarchal Society Hindu Women achieved Dharma by obeying their husband Higher caste women had to be covered head to foot, while lower castes worked in the fields or textile factories The Ultimate act of loyalty: Sati Sati- wives would burn themselves on their husbands funeral pyre

Sati Comprehending why a woman would choose to commit sati, however, requires the removal of  our  western lenses. The act of self-immolation of widows on their husband’s funeral pyre may be construed as a horrific act by the Westerner but in India cases of sati have been documented in their culture for hundreds of years (Oldenburg 1994: 165).  More important, the symbolic significance of sati is intricately intertwined in the Hindu belief system.

Review Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya Ashoka Bindusara Harshavardhana

Review What Religion did Ashoka practice that influenced his reign? 1) Hinduism 2)Judaism 3) Taoism 4) Buddhism

Review Ashoka Spread his laws and beliefs around India on what? Rosetta Stone Pyramid walls Parchment Scrolls Rock Pillar Edicts