Empires of India Geography of India Located in

Empires of India

Geography of India • Located in Southern Asia • Hindu Kush Mountain Range • Ganges River (East) • Indus River (West) – Flooding of rivers • Deccan plateau – Dry area • Monsoons- heavy rainfall and winds

Early Societies • Harappa and Mohenjo Daro – Located in Indus Valley • Carefully planned cities • Economy- Agriculture – Used silt from annual flooding • Advanced plumbing system • Well organized government – Ruled by divine guidance. Theocracy

Aryan Civilization • • Society who moved into the Indus River Valley following the collapse of Harrappa and Mohenjo Daro Sanskrit- ancient writing language – • • Vedas (Collection of hymns and prayers) Created the iron plow- allowed farmers to move into dense jungle areas • Used irrigation in farming Families – Extended family all lived together

Social Classes • • • Caste system- rigid social structure, can not move between classes Varnas- 4 sections of society Higher the caste the greater religious purity (Based off of Hinduism) Priests – Warriors – Merchants/ farmers – Peasants/ servants *Untouchables- so impure not in the caste system, demeaning jobs –

Mauryan Empire • Great trading empire, provinces ruled by governors • Bureaucratic Government – Hand chose rulers and officials – 4 provinces- 4 princes – Capital- Pataliputra • Chandragupta Maurya- founder 321 B. C. – Fear of assassination- food always tasted for poison, never slept in the same place 2 nights in a row, secret police

Mauryan Empire Continued • Asoka- Considered greatest Indian ruler – Converted Empire to Buddhism- Tolerance of non -Buddhist – No warfare • Creation of road system – “pit stops” over all care for the people • Declined following Asoka’s death – 500 years of war and problems to follow – Very weak rulers

• Candragupta- founder 320 A. D. • Placed the capital were the palace of the Mauryan empire was (Pataliputra) • “Empire of Luxury”Golden Age of India • Use of The Silk Road in trading – Salt, cloth, and iron trade • Decline- Invaded by the Huns, 5 th Century Gupta Empire

• Literature – Shakuntala • Astronomy- use of a calendar, developed weeks and hours • Architecture- stupa – housed relics of Buddha, domed shaped Accomplishments of the Gupta • Medicine – Catalog of diseases and more than 500 plants • Performing of surgery – Including plastic surgery • Mathematics- Decimal point system and the concept of 0

Mughal Empire • 1526 - Mughals Invaded – Akbar- greatest ruler of the Muhgals (Fair and Just ruler) – Shah Jahan- ruler who built the Taj Mahal • Tomb for his wife • Took 22 years to build • Walls and floors are inlayed with precious stones *Overthrown by his own son