Transcript Ancient India - Frankfort, KY

Ancient India
Indian Achievements
Religious Art

Both the Mauryan and
Gupta empires created
great works of art.
Much of it had Hindu or
Buddhist themes and
many magnificent
temples were built during
their eras.
Temples

Early Hindu temples
were simple stone
structures with few
rooms and flat roofs.
During the Gupta
period, temples would
become fancier with
large towers covered with
carvings of the gods they
worshiped within.
Temples

Buddhist temples were
also impressive. Some
carved entire temples out
of mountainsides, the
most famous being
Ajanta. The builders
filled the caves with wall
paintings and sculptures.
Stupas have domed roofs
and were built to hold
sacred items of Buddha.
Paintings and Sculpture

Painting in the Gupta
period was a highly
respected, however, we
don’t know the name of
many of the artists of
the time. We do know
the name of many of the
wealthy Indian patrons
that commissioned the
works.
Painting and Sculpture

Most paintings from the
Gupta era are clear and
colorful showing Indian
daily and ceremonial life.
Artists from both of the
main religions drew upon
their faith to create art.
As a result, much of the
greatest works are found
in temples.
Painting and Sculpture

Sculptors also created
great works – many for
Buddhist or Hindu
temples. Buddhist would
carve statues of kings
and Buddha while
Hindus represented their
gods. Some temples
would have walls covered
with carvings.
Literature

Sanskrit was the language
of ancient India and
during the Gupta and
Mauryan periods many
works in literature were
created in Sanskrit. Later
they would be translated
into other languages
Religious Epics

The greatest of the
Sanskrit writings were
the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana. The
Mahabharata is one of the
longest works in history.
It tells the story of the
struggle of two families
for control of a
kingdom. There are
many passages on Hindu
beliefs within.
Literature

The Ramayana according to
Hindu tradition was written
before the Mahabharata. It is
the story of a prince, Rama,
who actually was the god
Vishnu. He became human
so he could rid the world of
demons and rescue his wife
Sita. For centuries the
characters have been seen as
models of behavior for
Indians.
Other Works

Writers of the Gupta
period also wrote plays,
poetry and other styles
of works. Kalidasa was a
famous writer of the
time that was hired by
Candra Gupta II to write
plays for the court.
Indian writers also wrote
a book of stories known
as the Pancatantra.
Panchatantra

The stories were intended to
teach life lessons. They
praise people for cleverness
and quic thinking. Each
story ends with a message
such as winning friends,
losing property or other such
ideas. Translations would
eventually spread around the
world.
Scientific Advances - Metals

Ancient Indians were the
pioneers of metallurgy.
This knowledge allowed
them to create high
quality tools and
weapons. They also
developed the skills of
creating alloys which
could be easier to work
with and stronger.
Metals

Metalworkers made the
strongest items from
iron. Indian iron was
very pure and strong and
was a big trade item.
During the Gupta
period, iron workers
made the famous Iron
Pillar near Delhi, which
still attracts visitors.
Math and Other Sciences

Gupta scholars were
among the most
advanced mathematicians
of the time. They
developed many
elements of modern
math, like the HinduArabic numerals. They
were also the first to
create the number zero.
Medicine

By AD100, Indian
doctors were writing
textbooks of methods,
making medicines from
plants and minerals and
protecting people from
deadly diseases by
inoculation – much like
we do today. Can you
say measles!!!
Medicine

Indian doctors would
perform surgery for
injured people as well as
deal with conditions like
infected tonsils and
severed body parts. If
they could find no
treatment for an illness,
doctors would cast spells
to heal the afflicted.
Astronomy

Indians were interested in the
heavens early. Indian
astronomers knew of seven
of the planets. They knew
the sun was a star and that
planets revolved around it.
They also knew the earth was
a sphere and rotated on its
axis. They could also predict
eclipses of the sun and
moon.
And so …

Exit: Of the achievements of early India, which
seems the most advanced.

Stay tuned next time for Ancient India Review