Transcript Chapter 6, Section 3 India`s first empires

BELLRINGER
SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
1.
Take out your Chapter 6 Notes Guide
2.
Take out a writing utensil
INDIA’S FIRST EMPIRES
Today we are
learning how the
Mauryan dynasty
built India’s first
great empire
I. THE FIRST EMPIRE
2
invasions – taught the
Indians a lesson
 500
B.C. – Persians invaded
the Indus River valley (India
became part of Persian
empire)
 *327
B.C. – Alexander the
Great invaded – troops grew
homesick, left, led to 1st great
empire.
I. THE FIRST EMPIRE

*Chandragupta –
Indian prince
Conquered large area
in Ganges River valley
thanks to Alexander
◦ United most of
northern India
◦ *Founded the
Mauryan dynasty in
321 B.C.
◦

Dynasty – a series of
rules from the same
family
I. THE FIRST EMPIRE

Achievements
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
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*set up a centralized
gov.
ran everything from
captial city
Strong army
007 – good spy system
Postal system
*Pataliputra–Capital
II. EMPEROR ASOKA’S REIGN
*Asoka – greatest king (273-232 B.C.)
 Unusual rule – hated bloodshed so he followed the
teachings of Buddha
 Achievements –history’s 1st great Buddhist king
 Built :

hospitals for people and animals
 Roads for easy trade routes
 Shelters and put shade trees along the roads for travelers
to rest

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Sent teachers to spread religion
*Stupas are Buddhist shrines that have the shape of
a dome or mound.
Video
STUPAS
III. THE FALL OF THE MAURYAN EMPIRE

Reasons for decline:

Leaders who followed Asoka were not
good leaders

Kings made bad decisions that turned
people against them

Forced merchants to pay heavy taxes

Seized peasant's crops

Last Mauryan ruler was killed by own
general
IV. GUPTA EMPIRE

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*A.D. 320 – prince Chandragupta grew
more powerful than others. *He founded
the Gupta empire. Ruled near Pataliputra
*His son Samudragupta took over after his
father died.
Reasons for success
◦
◦
◦

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Smaller empire was easier to manage
Wealthy from trade
Prosperous cities (happy citizens)
*Pilgrims –used trade routes to travel to a
religious shrine/site
*Golden Age – art/science began to flourish
◦
Brightly painted sculptures of Hindu images
V. INDIAN LITERATURE
Vedas – ancient hymns and prayers for religious
ceremonies
 Development of sanskrit led to Vedas being
recorded

*Mahabharata



–longest poem (88,000
verses) written down –
circa 100 B.C.
Bhagavad Gita –best
known section
“ Song of the Lord”
◦

The god Krishna
preached a sermon
before a battle
Duty –tells how nobles
it is to do one’s duty
even when it is difficult
and painful
Ramayana

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
Rama banished from
kingdom by his enemies.
Forced to live like a hermit
in the forest. Sita
kidnapped by the demon
Ravana. Rama fights and
defeats Ravana and they
live happily ever after.
King Rama – the perfect
hero
Queen Sita – the faithful
wife
Contains many religious
and moral lessons
2 FAMOUS EPICS – BOTH TELL ABOUT A BRAVE
WARRIORS AND THEIR HEROIC DEEDS
V. INDIAN LITERATURE

*Kalidasa – one of India’s best known
authors

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Wrote plays, poems, love stories, and
comedies
Indian fables- talking animals characters
present lessons about life.
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Most lit. stresses importance of dharma
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Each person must do his/her duty
VII. SCIENCE
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Astronomy – followed/mapped
movements of planets and stars
Understood the Earth was round
and revolved around the sun
Understood gravity
Atoms- came up w/ the idea that the
atoms long before the Greeks.
Shushruta – Dr. 90210 (1st plastic
surgeon)
◦

Restored damaged noses
Doctors –
◦
Set broken bones, performed surgery,
treated with herbs
VI. MATH

*Arybhata – leading mathematician of Gupta
empire

Used algebra
Developed idea of zero and created a symbol to
represent it!
 Infinity – something without an end –
explained by Indian mathematicians


Numbers – created numerals 1-9


Gupta  Arab traders  European traders
*Algorithm – a series of steps that solve a
problem
REVIEW QUIZ
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____
____ the Great’s invasion weakened India.
Chandragupta _______________ founded India’s first
empire.
______ ___ was the Mauryan dynasty greatest king.
Asoka was history’s first great _ __________ king.
Chandragupta ______________ founded India’s second
great empire, the Gupta empire.
_
_____ and Ramayana are long poems
that tell about brave warriors and their heroic deeds.
India had a
Age of art and learning
during the Gupta empire.
HOMEWORK

Study for your Chapter 6 Quiz