Transcript The Empires of Early India - White Plains Public Schools

The Empires of Early India
The Mauryan Empire
The Reign of Chandragupta
• Rise to Power
– Chandragupta gathers an army and kills the
king of the ruling family
– Unifies most of northern India via military
conquest
• 600,000 soldiers
• 30,000 cavalry
• 9,000 men on elephants
The Reign of Chandragupta
• Heavy Taxes
– Farmers could pay ½ of their crop value in
taxes
• Bureaucracy
– Divides empire into 4 provinces (Pradesikas)
– Each province divided into local districts
(Rajjukas & Yuktas)
• Local districts controlled taxes and law enforcement
The Reign of Chandragupta
• Paranoia in the palace
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Food tasters
Secret Police
Slept in a different room every night
Female body guards
The Reign of Asoka
The Reign of Asoka
• Embraces Buddhism
and rules by its
teachings
• Edicts
– Monuments that
proclaim the reforms &
policies of Asoka
The Reign of Asoka
• Unification of Diverse
Peoples
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Extensive Roadways
Trees for Shade
Watering Stops
Rest Areas
Mauryan Achievements
• Spread of Buddhism
throughout India and
Asia
– Missionaries of
Buddhist monks
traveled the Silk Road
• Building of Schools
and Libraries in major
cities
Bye-Bye Maurya
• After Asoka’s death
kings challenged the
imperial rule of the
Maurya
• High Taxes
– Farmers couldn’t feed
empire
– Too much $ went to
military and
bureaucracy
• Invasion by the
Greeks and Persians in
the north
• Series of weak
successors
• Asoka’s policies?
The Gupta Empire
• Reinforcement of Hinduism
– Laws reflect Hindu beliefs
– Caste System
• Untouchables - given “impure” jobs, such as grave
diggers and street cleaners
The Gupta Empire Golden Age
• Math
– Concept of Zero
– Decimal System
0, Zilch, Nada, Niente
.00099
Gupta Golden Age
• Medicine
– Before Beverly Hills,
the Gupta had plastic
surgery
– Smallpox Vaccine
(1,000 years before
Europe)
Gupta Golden Age
• Architecture
– Stupas
• Large dome shaped
Buddhist shrines
– Street level shops with
apartments above
Gupta Golden Age
• Literature
– Fables and folk tales in Sanskrit
• Adapted by Egypt, Persia, and Greece
End of Gupta
• Fall of the Gupta
– Weak Rulers
– Invasion by the Huns