1. & the Quest for Salvation Ancient Indian Civilization
State, Society,
& the Quest for Salvation
Ancient Indian Civilization

2. The Mauryan and Gupta empires 321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.

3. India Before the Mauryan Dynasty
520 BCE Persian Emperor Darius conquers north-west India
327 Alexander the Great destroys Persian Empire in India
Political power vacuum

4. Kingdom of Magadha
Most significant remaining kingdom after Alexander’s departure
Central Ganges plain
Economic strength
Agriculture
Trade in Ganges valley, Bay of Bengal
Dominated surrounding regions in north-eastern India

5. Chandragupta Maurya Overthrew Magadha rulers
Founder of Maurya Empire - creates 1st unified Indian empire

6. Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE
Founder of Mauryan Empire
Unified northern India.
Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement.
He feared assassination  food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc.

7. Chandragupta’s Government
Like Persia & China, built a bureaucratic administrative system.
Domestic policies
Network of spies
Legend: Chandragupta retires in 301 BCE to become a monk, starves himself to death

8. Ashoka (304 – 232 BCE) Grandson of Chandragupta
Represents high point of Mauryan Empire, r BCE
Expanded empire to include all of Indian subcontinent
Positive leadership integrated Indian society
Better known as a governor than conqueror
Dedicated his life to Buddhism.

9. Decline of the Mauryan Empire
Economic crisis follows death of Ashoka
High costs of bureaucracy, military not supported by tax revenue
Regions begin to abandon Mauryan Empire
Disappears by 185 BCE

10. The Gupta Dynasty Based in Magadha
Founded by Chandra Gupta (no relation to Chandragupta Maurya), c. 320 CE
Slightly smaller than Mauryan Empire
Highly decentralized leadership
Foundations for studies in natural sciences and mathematics

11. Gupta Empire: 320 CE – 647 CE

12. Gupta Rulers Chandra Gupta I Hindu revival. Maintained the Silk Road
r. 320 – 335 CE
“Great King of Kings”
Hindu revival.
Maintained the Silk Road

13. Extensive Trade: spices silks cotton goods rice & wheat spices horses
gold & ivory
gold & ivory
cotton goods

14. Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art & architecture.
Gupta Art
Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art & architecture.

15. 500 healing plants identified Printed medicinal guides
Gupta Achievements
1000 diseases classified
500 healing plants identified
Printed medicinal guides
Kalidasa
Literature
Plastic Surgery
Medicine
Inoculations
Gupta India
C-sections performed
Solar Calendar
Astronomy
Mathematics
Decimal System
The earth is round
PI =
Concept of Zero

16. Gupta Decline Frequent invasions of Huns, 5th century CE
Gupta Dynasty disintegrates along regional fault lines
Smaller local kingdoms dominate until Mughal Empire founded in 16th c.

17. Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin
Seasonal sea trade expands
Spring/winter winds blow from south-west, fall/winter winds blow from north-west
Trade from Asia to Persian Gulf and Red Sea, Mediterranean

18. Social Order Caste system from Aryan times Brahmins (priests)
Kshatriyas (warriors, aristocrats)
Vaishyas (Peasants, merchants)
Shudras (serfs)

19. Early Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama, c. 563-483 BCE
Encountered age, sickness, death, then monastic life
Abandoned comfortable life to become a monk

20. Gautama’s Search for Enlightenment
Intense meditation, extreme asceticism
49 days of meditation under bo tree to finally achieve enlightenment
Attained title Buddha: “the enlightened one”

21. Buddha and his Disciples

22. Buddhist Doctrine: The Dharma
The Four Noble Truths
all life is suffering
there is an end to suffering
removing desire removes suffering
this may be done through the eight-fold path
(right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration)

23. The Eightfold Path Right views Right intention Right speech
Right conduct
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right meditation

24. A Buddhist Monastery

25. Stupas
A stupa (from Sanskrit literally meaning "heap") is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of a Buddha or saint.

27. C H I N A Copyright © Clara Kim 2007. All rights reserved.

28. Political Ruled by dynasties
As Mesopotamia, Egypt and Indus were declining, Shang Dynasty in China was rising to power
Zhou Dynasty
Mandate of Heaven: Justification through right of God
Dynastic Cycle: Pattern of the rise and fall of dynasties
Feudalism: nobles have permission from Kings to own and work king’s land

30. Economic
Because of China’s isolation by natural barriers, early settlers had to supply their own goods within China
Not much trade outside of China

31. Religious Family and Religion are closely linked
Prayed to ancestors because they thought their ancestors could bring them luck or disaster
Consulted the gods through ancestors
Shang Di – Supreme God

32. Social Society was sharply divided between nobles and peasants
Family was central to society
Had arranged marriages
Group was more important than the individual

33. Society
Society
Society
Society
Society
Society
Society

34. Intellectual Shang Dynasty was the first to leave written records
Oracle Bones: animal bone or tortoise shells where priests scratched questions for gods then applied heat until it cracked. Then they priests interpreted the cracks

36. Intellectual No connection between written and spoken Chinese
Advantage: Someone can read Chinese without knowing how to speak it

37. Achievements
Oldest Shang city – Anyang built in the woods mainly from wood
Had massive earth walls for protection
Found a wall 118 feet thick and 1.2 square miles

38. Achievements Introduced the chariot – a major tool of war
Skilled in bronze work, silk and weapons

41. Achievements During the Zhou Dynasty they: Built roads and canals
Developed blast furnaces that allowed them to produce cast iron

42. Geography Surrounded by natural barriers on all cardinal directions
North: Gobi Desert
East: Pacific Ocean
South: Himalaya Mountains
West: Taklaman Desert and Plateau of Tibet

43. GOBI DESERT
TAKLIMAKAN DESERT
PACIFIC OCEAN
HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS

44. Geography Fertile plain found between 2 major rivers
1. Huang He (Yellow River)
Floods left behind LOESS: yellow silt
2. Yangtze River
Flooded unpredictably

45. Huang He (Yellow River)

46. Yangtze River