1. AIM: Why was the Gupta Empire known as the “golden age” of India?
Do Now: Hinduism and Buddhism – 1,2
HW:
Read chapter 4, section 3, fill in worksheet extra credit – Do Kalidasa worksheet 1-4 and Chandragupta Maurya handout 1-3

2. The Mauryan Empire
Many small kingdoms existed across India in 300s BC
Each kingdom had own ruler; no central authority united them
Magadha a dominant kingdom near Ganges
Strong leader, Chandragupta Maurya gained control
Began conquering surrounding kingdoms
Conquests led to founding of Mauryan empire

3. Rise of the Mauryan Empire
Alexander the Great
Alexander conquered force in northwest India, 326 BC
Did not remain in India long
Battle-weary soldiers wanted to return home, soon left India
Alexander’s legacy
Alexander’s conquest inspired Chandragupta Maurya
Seized throne of kingdom of Magadha, 321 BC
Began Mauryan empire
Mauryan army
Chandragupta built immense army, 60,000 soldiers
Chariots, war elephants
Began conquering northern India
Extended empire
Defeated Seleucus I, 305 BC
Mauryan empire controlled northern India, 303 BC
Also controlled much of what is now Afghanistan

4. Rule under Ashoka Kalinga campaign
Chandragupta gave up throne, 301 BC, became Jainist monk
Son became emperor, followed by grandson Ashoka
Mauryan empire reached height under Ashoka
Through warfare empire expanded, included most of India
Kalinga campaign
Violence of fighting at Kalinga appalled Ashoka
Abandoned policy of conquest and converted to Buddhism
Began to promote, spread policy of right conduct, Buddhism
Supported Buddhist missionaries, worked to improve lives of his people

5. The Mauryan Empire
Mauryan empire began to decline following death of Ashoka, 232 BC
Sons battled for power, central control weakened
Distant provinces began to slip away
Last Mauryan emperor killed by one of generals, 184 BC
Mauryan empire lasted 140 years, then collapsed

6. The Gupta Empire
India remained divided into small kingdoms for about 400 years. Then around AD 320, the Gupta dynasty took over northern India. Under the Gupta, northern India was reunited, Indian society prospered, and the religion of Hinduism grew in popularity.
Like Mauryan, Gupta dynasty rose to power in region of Magadha
Founder was Chandra Gupta I
From base in Magadha, Chandra conquered neighboring lands, brought much of northern India under Gupta control
Rise of Gupta Empire
Gupta rule less centralized
Divided main part of empire into units
Royal officials governed each unit
Governed through local rulers in distant conquered areas
Local rulers had to pay tribute
India under Gupta Rule
Gupta power expanded under the heirs of Chandra Gupta I, and the empire reached its height under Chandra Gupta II.

7. The Gupta Empire Chandra Gupta II, ruled from AD 375 to 415
Further expanded empire, strengthened economy
Reign was period of prosperity, cultural achievement
Chinese Buddhist monk, Faxian, traveled to India
Described empire as rich, prosperous, and punishments fair

8. The Gupta Empire Support of Hinduism
Buddhism prospered, spread during period between Mauryan, Gupta empires
Hinduism lost popularity during this period
Under Guptas, Hinduism became main religion
Rulers supported building Hindu temples, promoted revival of writings
Buddhism began to lose influence during this period
Began to weaken, late 400s
Loose Gupta control allowed some parts of empire to break away
Central Asian nomads, White Huns, began invading India
End of Gupta Rule
Problems disrupted trade
Gupta military efforts to defend empire drained treasury
Gupta rule ended, 550
Again India divided into small, regional kingdoms
Weakened Empire

9. I. Economy and Society
While the highest classes in northern India enjoyed luxury, most people barely survived

10. I. Economy and Society
The rajas drew wealth from the farmers who worked the land and claimed one-fourth of each harvest

11. I. Economy and Society
In southern India many lived by trading, sending luxury goods to the Far East, SW Asia, Africa, and Europe

12. Life in Gupta India Growth of Trade Sea Trade
Indian civilization flourished during Gupta empire
Trade increased, economy strengthened, cities prospered
Overland routes like the Silk Roads linked India to other markets
Indian merchants traded ivory, cashmere, cotton, spices for Chinese silk, Roman ceramics
Growth of Trade
Gupta, Tamil kingdoms in southern India traded actively by sea
Indian sailors used seasonal winds to reach foreign markets across Arabian Sea
Sea trade also between India and Southeast Asia
Played key role in cultural diffusion of Indian culture
Sea Trade

13. Daily Life Simple Lives
Growth of trade strengthened economy; Gupta Empire’s cities reflected prosperity
Use of money became more common; new group of bankers, moneylenders emerged
Luxury, pleasure for urban rich; enjoyed music, poetry, art
Simple Lives
Most Gupta people led simple lives in small villages
Majority of village dwellers, farmers
Most villages self-sufficient, but trade between villages occurred
People from different villages got together for religious festivals, other events

14. Aim: How did the caste system shape life in India
Aim: How did the caste system shape life in India? Do Now: The caste system in India

15. Life in Gupta India Social structure Legal codes Gender Laws of Manu
Most people in ancient India belonged to specific caste
Castes determined jobs, interaction with others
Number grew, developed rules
Legal codes
Legal codes also defined people’s roles
Laws of Manu, compiled between 200 BC, AD 200
Defined proper behavior
Gender
Also shaped Indian society
Men had more rights than women
Patriarchal society, similar to China
Laws of Manu
Female child subject to father, female youth to husband
Men expected to treat women with respect
Abused women could leave

16. I. Economy and Society
Hindu women had few rights, were required to obey male relatives, and could not own property or study sacred writings

17. I. Economy and Society
In a practice called suttee, widows threw themselves on their husbands’ funeral pyres
Sati (or Suttee) is a rare Indian practice in which a widow sacrifices her life by throwing herself onto her deceased husband’s funeral pyre. It is not directly derived from or connected to Hinduism, although spiritual beliefs play a large part in its traditional observation

18. A Gupta Golden Age Sanskrit Literature Panchatantra
Like the Han period in China, the Gupta period was a golden age of cultural and scientific achievements.
Many great works created during Gupta period
One of greatest writers, Kalidasa
Poet, playwright
Wrote plays for royal court
Sakuntala, most famous
Play combines myth, humor, court life, lyric poetry
Sanskrit Literature
Another popular work of period
Five Books, collection of stories meant to teach lessons
“The good and bad of given schemes
Wise thought must first reveal
The stupid heron saw his chicks
Provide a mongoose meal.”
Warning to think before acting
Panchatantra

19. II. Cultural Achievements
The stories of the Panchatantra, or “Five Books,” were animal fables intended to instruct the sons of the royalty
One of India's most influential contributions to world literature, the Panchatantra consists of five books of animal fables and magic tales (some 87 stories in all) that were compiled between the third and fifth centuries AD. It is believed that even then the stories were already ancient. The tales' self-proclaimed purpose is to educate the sons of royalty.

20. II. Cultural Achievements
The Panchatantra has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible

21. II. Cultural Achievements
Plays were often performed outside and contained tragic scenes, but ended happily

22. A. Art and Architecture
The only paintings that survive are murals in caves depicting the Buddha and his followers
The Ajanta Caves. Ancient Paintings of Buddhist India

23. Art and Architecture Religious Buddhist temples
Much of art, architecture of Gupta period religious
Magnificent Hindu, Buddhist temples built across India
Hindu temples: huge towers, covered with carvings
Buddhist temples
Included stupas, temples with domed roofs
Built to house sacred items from life of Buddha
Like Hindu temples, covered with detailed carvings
Most spectacular architecture
Temples, monuments carved out of rock and cliff faces
Most famous, cave temples at Ajanta and Ellora
Intricately carved columns; include halls, rooms, windows

24. A. Art and Architecture
Architects designed and built great Hindu temples and Asoka built thousands of Buddhist stupas

25. Art and Architecture Great works of art Temple paintings Statues
Paintings of the time often portray beautiful, graceful Indians wearing fine jewelry, stylish clothing
Many of finest paintings found in Buddhist and Hindu temples
Temple paintings
Hindu artists decorated walls, entrances with devas, aspects of Brahman
Buddhists covered plaster walls, ceilings with scenes from life of Buddha
Some of finest examples of Buddhist art found in Ajanta cave temples
Statues
Made for temples
Buddhist temples, statues of Buddha, kings
Hindu temples, statues of Siva, Vishnu, other devas

26. B. Education
Education was only for higher caste children and they studied the Vedas, astronomy, mathematics, warfare, and government
The ancient Gurukul system of education where the guru imparts knowledge to the disciples

27. B. Education
Nalanda was a Buddhist university where thousands of students attended for free

28. Science and Technology
Metallurgy
Ancient Indians pioneers of science of working with metals
Indian iron valued for hardness, purity
Gupta metalworkers built famous Iron Pillar, near Delhi
Iron Pillar is resistant to rust
Still being studied by scholars today
Gupta scholars most advanced mathematicians of their day
Developed modern math system
First to use concept, symbol of zero
Hindu-Arabic numerals; created by Indians, brought to Europe by Arabs
Mathematics
Ancient Indians quite advanced
Made medicines from plants
Knew how to inject small amounts of viruses to protect against disease
Doctors could perform surgery, repair broken bones, treat wounds
Medical Science

29. C. Mathematics and Astronomy
Mathematicians understood the concepts of abstract and negative numbers, zero, and infinity

30. C. Mathematics and Astronomy
Aryabhata (late AD 400’s) was one of the first to use algebra and to solve quadratic equations

31. Science and Technology
Astronomy
Indians identified seven planets in solar system
Could predict eclipses of sun, moon
Aryabhata, one of most famous Indian astronomers
Correctly argued that Earth rotates on axis, revolves around sun
Knew Earth was sphere, calculated circumference with remarkable accuracy

32. C. Mathematics and Astronomy
Indian astronomers identified seven planets, understood the earth’s rotation, and predicted eclipses

33. Indian rulers built free hospitals for the people
D. Medicine
Indian rulers built free hospitals for the people

34. D. Medicine
Indian physicians understood the importance of the spinal cord, could set bones and performed plastic surgery

35. D. Medicine
Physicians practiced cleanliness before operations and disinfected wounds, a procedure not practiced in Western medicine until recent times

36. D. Medicine
Physicians developed inoculation - infecting a person with a mild form of a disease to prevent a more serious form

37. D. Medicine
They successfully inoculated people against smallpox, something not accomplished in the West until the 1700s