India and China Establish Empires 300 BCE CE
India and China Establish Empires 300 BCE – CE 550
Mauryan Empire 321 – 185 BCE • Chandragupta Maurya – Seizes land from Magadha (Ganges River) to the Indus River – Politically united north India for the first time in 303 BCE
Mauryan Empire • Money needed to pay for large army • Government collected high taxes from trading, mining, and manufacturing • Farmers were exempt from military service – Farmers were still heavily taxed
Mauryan Empire • Kautilya – Member of priest caste that advised Chandragupta – Wrote a book on how to hold a vast empire together • Arthasastra – Chandragupta followed his advice • Chose his officials & closely supervised them • Divided empire into 4 provinces – Headed by a royal prince – Provinces divided into local districts » Officials in districts assessed taxes and enforced the law
Asoka • Chandragupta’s grandson • Brought Mauryan Empire to its greatest heights • Expanded the empire south at the cost of 100, 000 soldiers’ lives
Asoka • He felt sorrow over the slaughter at Kalinga – Turned to Buddhism • Belief in nonviolence • Peace to all beings – Religious toleration • Acceptance of people who held different beliefs – Built stone pillars that preached nonviolence – Built roads across India • Planted trees along the side for shade • Every 9 miles had wells dug, rest houses built, & water holes for animals
232 BCE = Asoka dies & the empire breaks up North and Central regional kings of India challenged the imperial government
North India • Experienced many different people fleeing political instability • Introductions of several new languages and customs
Andhra Dynasty • Arose and dominated central India • Profited with trade between North and South India
Tamil Kingdoms • South India had their own languages • Divided into 3 kingdoms – Often fought each other • Never were under the control of the Mauryan Empire • Matriarchal society – Households were headed by eldest female
Gupta Empire 320 -415 • Chandra Gupta – Arose to power in northern India – No relation with Chandragupta – Empire stretches across North India
Gupta Empire • Patriarchal society – Households headed by eldest male • Tax on water • Farmers irrigated crops • Every month, everyone donated a day’s worth of labor to maintain wells, irrigation ditches, reservoirs, and dams • High taxes go to the king
Chandra Gupta II • Expanded empire west • Opens trade with Mediterranean world
Changes in Religious Thought • Hinduism – Complex polytheistic religion that blended Aryan and pre-Aryan beliefs • Buddhism – Teaches that desires causes suffering and that humans should overcome desire by following the Eightfold Path
Split in Buddhism after Buddha’s Death • Mahayana – Began to believe Buddha was a god – Believed anyone could become Buddha, too • Working to save humanity through good works and self-sacrifice • Theraveda – Stuck with the stricter & original teachings of Buddha
Hinduism Changes to Embrace the People • Went from worshipping hundreds of gods to concentrating on the three most important gods – 1) Brahma • Creator of the world – 2) Vishnu • Preserver of the world – 3) Shiva • Destroyer of the world
Literature • Kalidasa – Great writer from North India • 2, 000 poems still around in South India from Tamil period
Drama & Dance • Women and men participated on stage together • South India had many traveling performers
Astronomy • Sailors used stars to help figure out their position at sea • Used calendar based on cycles of sun • Adopted a 7 day week – Each day was divided by hours • Discovered world was round during a lunar eclipse – Shadow of earth on the moon was curved – (1, 000 years before Columbus)
Mathematics • Modern numerals • Zero – Biggest contribution to the world • Decimal system • Aryabhata – Calculated the value of pi to four decimal places – Calculated the length of a solar year as 365. 3586805 days
Medicine • Medical guides of 1, 000 diseases & descriptions of more than 500 medicinal plants were compiled • Performed surgery – Including plastic surgery
Spread of Indian Trade • Natural Resources – Spices, diamonds, sapphires, gold, pearls, and woods (ebony, teak, & sandalwood) • After Mauryan rule, India became involved in new trade regions – Silk Road • Caravan traders across Asia connecting the Mediterranean World and China – Sea Trade • Arabian Sea through Persian Gulf to trade with Rome • India to Southeast Asia • India to Arabian Peninsula and East Africa • Increase trade led to a rise of banking in India • Some Indian merchants went to live abroad – Spread of Indian culture • Art, architecture, dance, and Hinduism spread to East and Southeast Asia
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