2. Do Now: Read TWEDY on India’s Geography
And evaluate its role on Classical India
3. India Before the Mauryan
Dynasty
563 - 463 BCE : Gautama Buddha
520 BCE Persian Emperor Darius
conquers north-west India
Introduces Persian ruling pattern
327 BCE Alexander of the Great destroys
Persian Empire in India
Troops mutiny, depart after two years ,
political power vacuum
New government will be influenced by
Persian and Greek penetration of
northwest through Khyber Pass of Hindu
Kush Mountains
4. Chronology of Indian
History
400 - 100 BCE:
Mauryan Age:
Emperor Asoka
patronizes Buddhism
320 - 450 CE: Gupta
Dynasty - Golden Age
of Indian Civilization
450 CE: White Hun
invasions
5. The Fortunes of Empire in Classical
India
The Mauryan Dynasty & the Temporary
Unification of India
State, Society, & the Quest for
Salvation in India
The Mauryan & Gupta Empires, 321
B.C.E. – 550 C.E.
6.
7. Chandragupta: 321
BCE-298 BCE
Unified northern India.
Defeated the Persian
general Seleucus.
Divided his empire into
provinces, then districts
for tax assessments and law
enforcement.
He feared assassination [like Saddam
Hussein] food tasters, slept in
different
rooms, etc.
301 BCE gave up his throne &
became
a Jain.
9. Ruled all but southern tip
of India
Population of about 50
million people
Large military and civilian
bureaucracy: the
administration of a
government chiefly
through bureaus or
departments staffed with
nonelected officials
State-operated industries
The Mauryan Dynasty &
the Temporary
Unification of India
10. Asoka (304 – 232 BCE)
§ Religious conversion to
Buddhism 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?
11. Buddhist Doctrine: The
Dharma
The Four Noble Truths
all life is suffering
there is an end to suffering
removing desire removes
suffering
this may be done through the
eight-fold path
(right views, intention,
speech, action, livelihood,
effort, mindfulness,
concentration)
12. Appeal of Buddhism
Less dependence on Brahmins
for ritual activities
No recognition of caste, jati
status
Philosophy of moderate
consumption
Public service through lay
teaching
Use of vernacular, not Sanskrit
14. Asoka’s law
code
§ 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.
§ Each pillar [stupa] is 40’-50’ high.
§ Buddhist principles dominate his laws
as he makes an effort to develop a moral
code for his empire. Religious tolerance,
remorse for aggression (Ahimsa), conquest
through teaching, welfare for all
15. Decline of the Mauryan
Empire
Economic crisis follows death of
Ashoka
High costs of bureaucracy,
military not supported
by tax revenue
Regions begin to abandon
Mauryan Empire
Disappears by 185 BCE
Ashoka Lion Capital ~
Legacy
16.
17. Regional Kingdom: Bactria
Northwestern India
Ruled by Greek-speaking
descendants of Alexander’s
campaigns
Intense cultural activity
accompanies active trade
18. Turmoil & a Power
Vacuum:
220 BCE – 320 CE
The Mauryan Empire is divided into many
kingdoms.
19.
20. 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
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.
22. Gupta Rulers
§ Chandra Gupta
I
v r. 320 – 335
CE
v “Great King
of Kings”
§ Chandra Gupta
II
v r. 375 - 415
CE
v Profitable
trade with the
Mediterranean
world
§ Hindu revival
§ Huns invade –
450 CE
26. The Decline of
the Guptas
Invasion of the White Huns from
Central Asia in the 4th century
signaled the end of the Gupta Golden
Age, even though at first, the Gupta
defeated them.
After the decline of the Gupta
empire, north
India broke into a number of
separate Hindu
kingdoms and was not really unified
again until
the coming of the Muslims in the 7th
century.
Great cultural diversity
Caste system encouraged local
loyalties
27. CONCLUSION
The Mauryan empire was the
famous ancient dynasty.
The Mauryan empire is written
in history in golden worlds.
The famous kings and
emperors of the Mauryan
kingdom were: Samdragupta,
Chandragupta , Bindusara,
and Ashoka.