Transcript Maurya & Gupta Empires

Mauryan Empire
And
Gupta Dynasty
The Mauryan and Gupta empires
321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.
India Before the Mauryan
Dynasty
• 520 BCE Persian Emperor Darius
conquers north-west India
• Introduces Persian ruling pattern
• 327 Alexander of Macedon destroys
Persian Empire in India
• Troops mutiny, departs after 2 years
– Political power vacuum
Kingdom of Magadha
• Most significant remaining kingdom after
Alexander’s departure
• Central Ganges plain
• Economic strength
– Agriculture
– Trade in Ganges valley, Bay of Bengal
• Dominated surrounding regions in northeastern India
Chandragupta Maurya
• Took advantage of power vacuum left by
Alexander
• Overthrew Magadha rulers
• Founder of Maurya Empire - creates 1st
unified Indian empire
The Maurya Empire
321 BCE – 185 BCE
Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE
 Founder of Mauryan Empire
 Unified northern India.
 Defeated the Persian
general Seleucus.
 Divided his empire into
provinces, then districts
for tax assessments and law
enforcement.
 He feared assassination  food tasters,
slept in different
rooms, etc.
 301 BCE  gave up his throne & became
a Jain.
Kautilya (or Chanakya)
 Chandragupta’s advisor.
 Brahmin caste.
 Wrote The Treatise on
Material Gain or the
Arthashastra (advice manual).
 A guide for the king and his ministers:

Supports royal power.

The great evil in society is anarchy.

Therefore, a single authority is
needed to employ force when
necessary!
Chandragupta’s Government
• Like Persia & China, built a bureaucratic
administrative system.
• Domestic policies
– Network of spies
• Legend: Chandragupta retires to become
a monk, starves himself to death
Ashoka (304 – 232 BCE)
• Grandson of Chandragupta
• Represents high point of Mauryan
Empire, r. 268-232 BCE
• Expanded empire to include all of
Indian subcontinent except for south
• Positive leadership integrated Indian
society
• Est. capital @ Pataliputra
• Better known as a governor
than conqueror
Ashoka
 Religious conversion
after the gruesome
battle of Kalinga in
262 BCE.
 Dedicated his life to
Buddhism.
 Built extensive roads.
 Conflict  how to balance Kautilya’s
methods of keeping power
and Buddha’s demands to
become a selfless person?
Ashoka’s law code
 Wrote law code on rocks or pillars
(Stupas)
Edicts scattered in
more than 30 places
in India, Nepal,
Pakistan, & Afghanistan.
 Written mostly in
Sanskrit, but one was in
Greek and Aramaic.
 10 rock edicts.
 Buddhist principles dominate his laws.
Women
Under an
Asoka
tree
Decline of the Mauryan Empire
• Economic crisis follows death of Ashoka
• High costs of bureaucracy, military not
supported by tax revenue
• Frequent devaluations of currency to
pay salaries
• Regions begin to abandon Mauryan
Empire
– Disappears by 185 BCE
Regional Kingdom: Bactria
• Northwestern India
• Ruled by Greek-speaking descendants of
Alexander’s campaigns
• Intense cultural activity accompanies
active trade
Turmoil & a Power Vacuum:
220 BCE – 320 CE
The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.
Regional Kingdom: Kush
•
•
•
•
Nomads of Central Asia
Ruled C. 1-300 CE
Maintained silk road trade network
High point under the rule of Kashika,
empire expands thruout So. Asia.
The Gupta Dynasty
• Based in Magadha
• Founded by Chandra Gupta (no relation to
Chandragupta Maurya), c. 320 CE
• Slightly smaller than Mauryan Empire
• Highly decentralized leadership
• Foundations for studies in natural sciences
and mathematics
Gupta Empire:
CE
320 CE – 647
Gupta Rulers
 Chandra Gupta I

r. 320 – 335 CE

“Great King of Kings”
 Chandra Gupta II

r. 375 - 415 CE

Profitable trade with
the Mediterranean
world!
 Hindu revival.
 Huns invade – 450 CE
Fa-Xian: Life in Gupta India
 Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along the
Silk Road and visited India in the 5c.
 He was following the path
of the Buddha.
 He reported the people to
be happy, relatively free of
government oppression, and
inclined towards courtesy and
charity. Other references in
the journal, however, indicate
that the caste system was
rapidly assuming its basic features, including
"untouchability," the social isolation of a lowest
class that is doomed to menial labor.
International Trade
Routes during the
Guptas
Extensive Trade:
4c
spices
gold & ivory
Gupta
Art
Greatly influenced
Southeast Asian art & architecture.
Kalidasa
 The greatest of Indian poets.
 His most famous play was Shakuntala.
 During the reign of Chandra Gupta II.
500 healing
plants identified
1000 diseases
classified
Printed
medicinal guides
Plastic
Surgery
Gupta
Achievements
Kalidasa
Literature
Medicine
Inoculations
C-sections
performed
Decimal
System
Gupta
India
Mathematics
Concept
of Zero
PI = 3.1416
Solar Calendar
and eclipses
Astronomy
The earth
is round and
rotates
Gupta Decline
• Frequent invasions of White Huns, 5th c.
CE
• Gupta Dynasty disintegrates along
regional fault lines
• Smaller local kingdoms dominate until
Mughal Empire founded in 16th c.