1. Ancient Indian Empires Vishnu is a form of God, to whom Hindus pray. For Vaishnavas, He is the only Ultimate Reality or God, as is Shiva for Shaivites. In Trimurti belief, He is the second aspect of God in the Trimurti (also called the Hindu Trinity), along with Brahma and Shiva. Known as the Preserver, He is most famously identified with His avatars, or incarnations of God, most especially Krishna and Rama. Additionally, another important name for Vishnu is Narayana. Vishnu is accepted as the Supreme God in Vaishnavism, or Vishnu monotheism. Followers of Vishnu believe that He is the Supreme Being and distinguish Him from Devas, or demigods, who are celestial beings similar to angels as discussed in Judeo-Christian traditions. In this area much less is known of early crops due to the fact that the early writings of these civilizations have not been decoded. There is also a lot of difficulty determining the conditions under which the early people of this region lived. Evidence points to a monsoon type crop being raised in this area. Today there is no such crop being raised because of the climatic conditions. Because of this, many have theorized that there may have been a climatic change in this area between early man and modern day.

2. I. Empire of the Mauryas 1. Chandragupta Maurya (321 BC) a. Took control of Northern India b. Chandragupta’s grandson Asoka -expanded empire to all of India -converted to Buddhism -directed Monks to convert Indian people to Buddhism -died in 239 BC -Maurya Empire declined This is one of the finest murals depicting a scene from the court of the ancient Indian Emperor Chandragupt Maurya

3. II. The Gupta Empire (AD 320-535) 1. “Golden Age of Peace” a. invented decimal # system b. Literature & Art -influenced middle east 2. Fall of the Guptas a. Attacked by Huns (400s BC) b. India’s “Dark Ages” -centuries of weak government and foreign invasions