Empires of India

Warm-up 12/18 Describe the impact of the Aryan Invasion on Indian culture

Small Kingdoms of India During the time of the Aryans (1500–500 BCE), chiefdoms began to develop – Chiefdom- A group of villages under the control of one leader Over time, these chiefdoms slowly changed into kingdoms with a central government Most of India began to be divided into small states or kingdoms

Chandragupta Maurya Strong military commander who rose to power at the age of 20 United the kingdoms of Northern India, becoming the first true emperor of India Created a dynasty- His sons would go on to rule the Mauryan Empire

Mauryan Empire Lasted from 321 B.C.E to 185 B.C.E (about 150 years) Mostly in modern-day India. Parts in modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Iran Population is estimated to be about 50 million 320 B.C. 305 B.C. 300 B.C.

Maurya Empire Developed a trading network across South Asia – Created a system of finance, administration, and security – Created the world’s first currency (money) Ashoka the Great was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya (ruled from 265 BCE-238 BCE) – Known for being a strong warrior and then later spreading Buddhism

Ashoka the Great He was a great warrior and conquered much land for the Empire – Elephant Armies Elephant Armies After fighting many battles, he was disgusted with the violence and decided to lead a peaceful life – Ashoka changed from being a warrior to spreading education and trade He converted to Buddhism and dedicated his life to spreading the religion – Buddhism is a religion centered around peace and living in harmony with nature

Gupta Empire After Ashoka the Great died, most of India broke off into smaller kingdoms and empires for several centuries Chandra Gupta I was able to unite many kingdoms and form the next large empire of India Lasted 320 CE-550 CE (about 230 years)

Gupta Empire Built roads, linking cities and towns and increasing trade – India was wealthy under the Gupta Empire Hinduism became the main religion, although religious freedom was encouraged

Gupta Empire Many inventions and scientific discoveries – Called the “Golden Age of India” Schools and universities were built Developed Arabic numerals, the basis of our number system – Created the concept of 0 (zero)concept of 0 – The zero makes it possible to use multiple digits and make math operations easier

Create Your Own Currency $ The Mauryan Empire created the world’s first currency (money) $ On construction paper, create your own currency. You can create dollar bills and/or coins – Make sure to include the name of your country – Make sure to include how much your money is worth