* Classical Societies built Roads, Trade Networks, & complex Bureaucracies. How did these things help them to govern vast Empires?

The Land of various Empires and Buddha

* Aryans conquered the Indian Subcontinent by 1500 B.C. * They may have crossed the Himalayas from central Asia (this is still up for debate) * They were nomadic herders and warriors * They brought with them Hinduism and the caste system * By 900 B.C. they developed city states and a form of writing called Sanskrit which was only taught to higher castes

Major beliefs of Hinduism * Many gods but they all come from one central God * At death a person’s soul is reborn into another living thing creating an endless cycle of rebirth (reincarnation) * Karma is your behavior in life and good karma means better placement in the next life * Hindu’s belief in sacred objects such as the cow and the Ganges River which has the power to wash away evil and sin

Priests Warriors Landowners Peasants Untouchables * The Aryans created this to secure their stature among the Dravidians (only Aryans could occupy the higher castes) * Caste is based on birth, and one could only move up through reincarnation

* Began around 500 B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama * He was a wealthy prince in Nepal who was disgusted by the suffering around him, so he left it all for truth * He realized after 6 years of searching that all suffering is from human selfishness * You become enlightened by blocking out selfish desires and accepting the world as it is * Reincarnation is believed and you escape it through following the Eightfold path * Buddhism spread rapidly throughout southern Asia * Things to look up and read for your notebook(4 noble truths, Eightfold path, read the Sutras)

* Founded by Emperor Chandragupta * He fought off the Hellenistic Greeks who sought to conquer the land * Created Vast Armies * 600,000 ft Soldiers * 30,000 Calvary * 9,000 Elephants

* Chandragupta conquered a lot of land * When he died his grandson Asoka assumed the throne. * Asoka continued conquering lands for a short period of time

* Horrified after some particularly bloody battles Asoka changed * Decided to rule by Buddhist teachings * Peace to all * Governed instead of conquered * Built Roads * Tolerated different Religions * Equal Laws for all

* After Asoka’s death the Mauryan Empire fell apart. * Groups went to war with each other and carved out little kingdoms * Time of change and cultural blending

* Starting in 320 A.D. a new empire slowly emerged in Central India * The Gupta family ruled for over 300 years. * Brought a FLOWERING OF HINDU CULTURE * Known as the “Golden Age of Hindu Culture”

* Literature & Cultural stories * Touchstone for some modern stories * Astronomy – calculated the Earth was round and spun on its own axis * Medical Advances – performed surgery & skin grafts

* Created modern numbers (0,1,2,3,4) * Understood the concept of infinity * Calculated Pi to 4 decimals * Calculated a year to have days. * Almost as accurate as an Atomic Clock

* The Empire prospered till around 500 A.D. when they were invaded by the Huns. * Yes the same Huns that invaded Rome and will also invade Han China. * There are a lot of Huns.

* Write a paragraph about highlighting a few similarities and differences between the Classical Indian and Roman Empires.