1. Empires of India

2. The Maurya Empire This was the first great Indian Empire Started by Chandragupta in 321 BC and lasted until 185 BC Was an effective ruler, harsh Had a secret police and specially trained women warriors guard his palace

3. Maurya Empire Most honored emperor was Asoka. Became emperor in 268 BC Converted the empire to Buddhism, rejected violence, and ruled by moral example. Set up pillars across India announcing laws and promising a righteous government.

4. Maurya Empire Asoka also brought peace and prosperity. After his death in 232 BC, the empire quickly declined. After the Mauryas came the Guptas.

5. Gupta Empire Guptas rule was looser than the Mauryas. Began to trade with other empires and became very wealthy. Invented a system of numbers, came up with a concept of zero, and developed the decimal system

6. Gupta Empire Built Stupas, large dome-shaped shrines that housed the sacred remains of the Buddha or other holy people. Painted murals and carved pictures and stories into the walls.

7. Gupta Empire Had many great writers and wrote stories that carried west to Persia, Egypt, and Greece. While the Gupta Empire reached its peak, the Roman Empire was declining.

8. Gupta Empire Declined for the same reason as the Roman Empire: weak rulers, civil war, and foreign invaders