1. India and China Establish Empires, 400 B.C.– A.D. 550
India and China establish powerful empires and develop strong, vibrant cultures.

2. India and China Establish Empires, 400 B.C.– A.D. 550
SECTION 1
SECTION 1
India’s First Empires
SECTION 2
SECTION 2
Trade Spreads Indian Religions and Culture
SECTION 3
SECTION 3
Han Emperors in China
These are my notes for slide 2

3. Section-1
India’s First Empires
The Mauryas and the Guptas establish empires, but neither unifies India permanently.

4. India’s First Empires The Mauryan Empire is Established
Section-1
India’s First Empires
The Mauryan Empire is Established
Chandragupta Maurya Seizes Power
In 321 B.C., Chandragupta Maurya seizes power starts Mauryan Empire
Chandragupta Maurya Unifies North India
Chandragupta defeats Seleucus I; north India united for first time
Chandragupta uses taxes to support his large army
Running the Empire
Chandragupta’s chief adviser is Kautilya, a priest
Chandragupta creates bureaucratic government
He divides the government to make it easier to rule
Continued…

5. The Mauryan Empire is Established {continued}
Life in the City and the Country
A Greek ambassador writes glowing praise of the empire
Chandragupta’s son rules from 301 to 269 B.C., 32 years
Asoka—Chandragupta’s grandson, brings the empire to its height
Asoka Promotes Buddhism
After a bloody war with Kalinga, Asoka promotes Buddhism and peace
Preaches religious toleration—accepting people of different religions
Builds roads, with wells along them

6. A Period of Turmoil The Breakup of the Mauryan Empire
Asoka dies in 232 B.C.; kingdoms in central India soon break away
The Andhra Dynasty dominates central India for centuries
Northern India receives immigrants from Greece, other parts of Asia
Tamils—a people living in southern India—remain separate and frequently war with
rival peoples

7. The Gupta Empire is Established
Chandra Gupta Builds an Empire
• Chandra Gupta marries into kingship in north India in A.D. 320
• Starts Gupta Empire—India’s second empire; flowering of Indian civilization, especially
Hindu culture
• His son Samudra Gupta expands empire with conquest
Continued…

8. The Gupta Empire is Established {continued}
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
• Some Tamil families are matriarchal—led by mother rather than father
Continued…

9. The Gupta Empire is Established {continued}
Height of the Gupta Empire
• Chandra Gupta II rules from A.D. 375–415
• He defeats the Shakas and adds western coast to empire
• Gupta Empire sees flourishing of arts, religion, and science
• After Chandra Gupta II dies, the empire declines

10. Trade Spreads Indian Religions and Culture
Section-2
Trade Spreads Indian Religions and Culture
Indian religions, culture, and science evolve and spread to other regions through trade.

11. Trade Spreads Indian Religions and Culture
Section-2
Trade Spreads Indian Religions and Culture
Buddhism and Hinduism Change
Traditional Hindu and Buddhist Beliefs
• Hinduism blends Aryan and other beliefs; belief in many gods
• To Buddhists, desire causes suffering but suffering can be overcome
Continued…

12. Buddhism and Hinduism Change {continued}
A More Popular Form of Buddhism
• Belief in bodhisattvas develops—potential Buddhas who save humanity
• Mahayana sect—Buddhists accepting new doctrines of worship, salvation
• Theravada sect—Buddhists who follow original teachings of Buddha
• Wealthy Buddhist merchants build stupas—stone structures over relics
Continued…

13. Buddhism and Hinduism Change {continued}
A Hindu Rebirth
• Hinduism is remote from people by time of Mauryan Empire
• Hinduism moves toward monotheism; gods part of one divine force
• Chief gods:
Brahma—creator of the world
Vishnu—preserver of the world
Shiva—destroyer of the world

14. Achievements of Indian Culture
Literature and the Performing Arts
• Kalidasa—poet and dramatist, one of India’s greatest writers
• His skillful and emotionally stirring plays still popular
• Madurai writing academies create literature; 2,000 Tamil poems survive
• Drama and dance troupes gain popularity and travel widely
Continued…

15. Achievements of Indian Culture {continued}
Astronomy, Mathematics, and Medicine
• Ocean trade leads to advances in astronomy
• Indian astronomers in Gupta Empire prove that world is round
• Mathematicians develop idea of zero and decimal system
• Doctors write medical guides and make advances in surgery

16. The Spread of Indian Trade
India’s Valuable Resources
• India has spices, diamonds, precious stones, and good quality wood
Overland Trade, East and West
• Trade routes called Silk Roads connect Asia and Europe
• Indians build trading posts to take advantage of the Silk Roads
Sea Trade, East and West
• Indian merchants carry goods to Rome by sea
• Merchants trade by sea with Africa, Arabia, China, Southeast Asia
Continued…

17. The Spread of Indian Trade {continued}
Effects of Indian Trade
• Increased trade leads to rise of banking
• Bankers lend money to merchants, careful of degree of risk
• Increased trade spreads Indian culture to other places
• Trade brings Hinduism, Buddhism to other lands

18. Section-3
Han Emperors in China
The Han Dynasty expands China’s borders and develops a system of government that lasts for centuries.

19. Han Emperors in China The Han Restore Unity to China Troubled Empire
Section-3
Section-3
Han Emperors in China
The Han Restore Unity to China
Troubled Empire
• In Qin Dynasty peasants resent high taxes and harsh labor, rebel
Liu Bang Founds the Han Dynasty
• Liu Bang defeats Xiang Yu, a rival for power, and founds Han Dynasty
• Han Dynasty—begins in 202 B.C., lasts 400 years
• Han Dynasty has great influence on Chinese people, culture
• Liu Bang establishes centralized government—a central authority rules
• Liu Bang lowers taxes and reduces punishments to keep people happy
Continued…

20. The Han Restore Unity to China {continued}
The Empress Lü
• Liu Bang dies in 195 B.C.; wife Lü seizes control of empire
• Empress Lü rules for her young son, outlives him
• Palace plots and power plays occur throughout Han Dynasty
The Martial Emperor
• Liu Bang’s great-grandson Wudi rules from 141 to 87 B.C.
• “Martial Emperor” Wudi defeats Xiongnu (nomads) and mountain tribes
• Colonizes Manchuria, Korea, and as far south as what is now Vietnam

21. A Highly Structured Society
Emperor’s Role
• Chinese believe their emperor has authority to rule from god
• Believe prosperity reward of good rule; troubles reveal poor rule
Structures of Han Government
• Complex bureaucracy runs Han government
• People pay taxes and supply labor, military service
• Government uses peasant labor to carry out public projects
Continued…

22. A Highly Structured Society {continued}3
A Highly Structured Society {continued}
Confucianism, the Road to Success
• Wudi’s government employs 130,000; bureaucracy of 18 ranks of jobs
• Civil service jobs—government jobs obtained through examinations
• Job applicants begin to be tested on knowledge of Confucianism
• Wudi favors Confucian scholars, builds school to train them
• Only sons of wealthy can afford expensive schooling
• Civil service system works well, continues until 1912

23. Han Technology, Commerce, and Culture
Technology Revolutionizes Chinese Life
• Invention of paper in A.D. 105 helps spread education
• Collar harness, plow, wheelbarrow improve farming
Agriculture Versus Commerce
• As population grows, farming regarded as important activity
• Government allows monopolies—control by one group over key industries
• Techniques for producing silk become state secret as profits increase

24. The Han Unifies Chinese Culture
Bringing Different Peoples Under Chinese Rule
• To unify empire, Chinese government encourages assimilation
• Assimilation—integrating conquered peoples into Chinese culture
• Writers encourage unity by recording Chinese history
Women’s Roles—Wives, Nuns, and Scholars
• Most women work in the home and on the farm
• Some upper-class women are educated, run shops, practice medicine

25. The Fall of the Han and Their Return
The Rich Take Advantage of the Poor
• Large landowners gain control of more and more land
• Gap between rich and poor increases
Wang Mang Overthrows the Han
• Economic problems and weak emperors cause political instability
• In A.D. 9, Wang Mang seizes power and stabilizes empire
• Wang Mang is assassinated in A.D. 23; Han soon regain control
The Later Han Years
• Peace restored, Later Han Dynasty lasts until A.D. 220

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