The Golden Ages

Empires of India The Maurya Empire 322 B.C.E – 185 B.C.E  TTYN – What is an empire?

Empires of India The Maurya Empire  Maurya – MOW uhr yuh  Founder - Chandragupta Maurya ( First empire/emperor)  Gained control of the subcontinent through conquest and alliance  Area – From the Indus plain and Himalayas to the tip of the peninsula  Divided empire into provinces  Delegated power to governors

The Maurya Empire  Well-organized bureaucracy  Officials supervised the infrastructure (roads, buildings, harbors)  Officials collected taxes  Managed state-owned factories and shipyards  People justice in royal courts  Secret Police reported on corruption, crime, and dissent  Chandragupta’s rule was effective but hard remind you of someone?  Women were trained as warriors (You go girls!)

The Maurya Empire  Asoka, grandson of Chandragupta; the most honored emperor  Mauryan reached its greatest glory  the two sides of Asoka -  Fought a long and bloody war to conquer the Deccan region  Horrified at the slaughter (over 100K) dead – turned his back on further conquests  Converted to Buddhism- rejected violence; rules by a moral code

The Maurya Empire – Quote from Asoka “All people are my children, and just as I desire for my children that they should obtain welfare and happiness, both in this world and the next, so do I desire the same for all people”  Took steps to help his “children”  building roads, rest houses for travelers, and hospitals.  Preached tolerance for other religions

Decline of the Mauryan Empire Mauryan empire began to decline following death of Ashoka, 232 BC  Sons battled for power, central control weakened  Distant provinces began to slip away  Last Mauryan emperor killed by one of generals, 184 BC  Mauryan empire lasted 140 years, then collapsed

Mauryan

Empires of India The Gupta Dynasty 350 C.E – 550 C.E

The Gupta Dynasty  Controlled much of northern India  Northern plains  Ruled according to the Hindu-Buddhist doctrine of dharma  follow moral law

Golden Age of Gupta Great cultural achievements: Advancements in learning  Literature  Arabic numerals-1,2,3….  Decimal system  Surgeons and vaccinations  Pioneered the use of herbs and other remedies to treat illness  Vaccinating people against smallpox – about a thousands years before this practice was used in Europe  Architecture – stone temples and stupas

Golden Age of Gupta Daily Life in India  Majority of Indians are farmers; entire family raises crops together  Families are patriarchal—headed by the eldest male  Farmers have to contribute work to government and pay heavy taxes

Religions Support of Hinduism  Buddhism prospered, spread during period between Mauryan, Gupta empires  Hinduism lost popularity during this period  Under Guptas, Hinduism became main religion  Rulers supported building Hindu temples, promoted revival of writings  Buddhism began to lose influence during this period Golden Age of Gupta

Decline of Gupta  Weak rulers  Civil war  Foreign invaders  Huns  Destroyed cities and trade  Split into many kingdoms  Rival princes battled for control of the northern plain  India brakes into small, individual kingdoms

 455 Invasions of Huns (ca )  Successive invasions of Huns  Other Central Asian tribes help destroy the Gupta empire. Decline of Gupta

Gupta