1. INDIA 321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.

2. Maurya Empire Chandragupta Maurya-King Well organized bureaucracy
Village-fundamental unit of government
Tax collecting and courts
Civil and military organization
Effective but harsh
Slavery

3. Asoka-Most honored King
Bloody war
Converted to Buddhism
Missionaries
Hospitals
Roads and rest houses

5. Gupta Empire Strong central government Peace and prosperity
Power left up to villages
Golden Age
Great cultural achievements
Literature
Arabic numerals-1,2,3….
Decimal system-.0123
Surgeons and vaccinations

6. Decline Split into many kingdoms Weak rulers Civil war
Foreign invaders
White Huns
Destroyed cities and trade
Split into many kingdoms

7. “God is one, but wise people know it by many names”
Hinduism
“God is one, but wise people know it by many names”
Brahman–all-powerful spiritual force
Reincarnation-rebirth of the soul in another bodily form
Karma-all the actions of one’s life that affects the fate of the next life
Dharma-religious and moral duties of an individual

8. Hindu Practices Temple Worship Recitation of sacred text Pilgrimage
Meditation
Hindu Practices

9. Caste System Sense of identity Closely tied to Hindu beliefs
Governed everyday life
“Untouchables”
Ensured a stable social order
Sense of identity