2. In 321 BC, Chandragupta Maurya forged
the first great Indian empire
The capital of the empire was at
Pataliputra
Had a well-organized bureaucracy---royal
officials supervised the building of roads
and harbors to benefit trade, other officials
collected taxes and managed state-owned
factories and shipyards
3.
4.
5.
6. Chandragupta’s rule was effective but
harsh
A brutal secret police reported on
corruption, crime, and dissent
Specially trained women warriors guarded
his palace
7. The most honored Maurya emperor was
Asoka, Chandragupta’s grandson
He converted to Buddhism, rejected
violence, and resolved to rule by moral
example
He sent missionaries to spread Buddhism
across India and to Sri Lanka
He thus paved the way for the later spread
of Buddhism throughout Asia
8.
9. About 500 years after the Mauryas, the
Gupta dynasty again united much of India
Gupta emperors organized a strong central
government that promoted peace and
prosperity
Under the Guptas, who ruled from 320-550
AD, India enjoyed a golden age
10. Trade and farming flourished across the
Gupta empire
Students were educated in religious
schools
The large Buddhist monastery-university at
Nalanda, which attracted students from
other parts of Asia, taught
mathematics, medicine, physics, language
s, literature, and other subjects
11. Indian mathematicians originated the
concept of zero and developed the decimal
system of numbers (based on 10) that we
still use today
12. Rajahs sponsored the building of stone
temples
Hindu temples were designed to reflect
cosmic patterns
Check out the chalkboard for the Hindu
symbol for “eternity”
Buddhists built splendid stupas, large
domed-shaped shrines that housed the
remains of the Buddha or other holy
people
13.
14. The greatest Gupta poet and playwright
was Kalidasa
His most famous work is the play
Shakuntala
