A Comprehensive History of India
Lecture – 6
January 8, 2011
The Golden Age
Maharaj Mukherjee
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Time Line Studied So Far
•
Early Inhabitants of India?
– Hunter Gatherers – 15000 Years ago
•
Earliest Civilization in the World?
– Fertile Crescent – 10000 Years ago
•
Earliest Civilization in India – City States
– Indus Valley Civilization – 5000 - 6000 Years ago
•
Arrival of Aryans
– 3500 - 4000 Years ago
•
Time of Ramayana – City States
– 3000 - 3500 Years ago
•
Time of Mahabharata – Start of Empire Building
– 2700 - 3000 Years ago
•
Time of Buddha and Mahavira
– 2500 Years ago or about 600 BC
•
•
•
Persian Empire 500 BC onwards
Alexander’s Greek Empire – 300 BC
Mauryan Empire (Chandragupta and Ashoka) – 300 BC - AD
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Projects for Parents and Students
• Think and Discuss:
– Why did the Persian Empire and the Mauryan
Empire lasted for more than 300 years and
the Greek empire built by Alexander did not
last more than a decade?
• Learn about the Greek Thinkers
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Golden Age of Indian History
• 1 AD – 400 AD
• Time for Great Thinkers:
– Science
– Literature
– Medicine
– Engineering
– Art
• Continued exchange of ideas between
Greek and Indian Thinkers
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Science
• Arya (Arya Bhatta) – Mathematician,
Scientist, Astronomer
• Bhaskara (Bhaskara Acharya) –
Mathematician, Astronomer, Physicist
• Baraha Mihira (Mihira Bhatta) –
Astronomer, Astrologer
• Bramha Gupta – Mathematician
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Development in Astronomy
• Ptolemaic System (Greek System)
Earth is placed at the center of the Universe
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Arya Bhatta’s System
Earth moves around
the sun
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Bhaskara, Baraha Mihir
• Found why and when eclipse happens
• Found the cause of high and low tides
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Mathematics
• Arya Bhatta, Bhaskara Charya, Bramha Gupta:
– Developed basic algebraic systems
– Found methods to solve basic Diophantine Equations
of the form
• A.x + B.y = z
• A.x.x + B.y.y + C.x.y = z
– Found methods to solve quadratic and cubic
equations
– Found methods to find sum of series:
• 1+2+3+...+n=?
• 1.1 + 2.2 +3.3 + . . . + n.n = ?
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Literature
• Kalidasa
– Shakuntala, Meghadutam, Kumar Sambhaba, Raghu
Bansha, Ritu Sanhara, Vikrama Urvashi
• Shudraka:
– Mrichhakatika - The Clay Cart
• Visakha Dutta
– Mudra Rakshasha – The seal of Rakshasha
– The story deals with how Chandra Gupta Maurya
ascended to the throne of Magadha with the help of
Chanakya
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Shakuntala by Kalidasa
The story of the missing ring
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Arts and Architecture
Mathura Art Form
Gandhara Art Form
• Influenced by Greek Arts
• Details of human body are true
to form
• Traditional Indian Art Form
• Bodily curves are smoother
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Engineering
The Iron Pillar of Kumaragupta – in New Delhi, India
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
1 - 400 AD
Golden Age of Indian History
Empires of India
British
100%
Mughala
90%
Maurya
% of India Ruled
80%
Gupta
70%
Harsha
60%
Sultaan
50%
Pala
40%
30%
Nanda
20%
10%
0%
-500
SaatVahana
Kushana
0
Rashtrakuta
Chola
500
1000
1500
2000
Common Era
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Kushana
• Hails from the Shaka Tribe
– Shaka Tribes came from the same regions as the
Aryans came from
• The Caucasian regions (The area near Kazakhstan)
• Some historians say that Shaka-s are also Aryans
• The Kushana empire covered most of North
Western India, Pakistan, Iran, Afganisthan and
China
• Felicitated the trade between far East (China)
and Europe through the Silk Route
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Kushana Empire and the Silk Route
Their Capital was Purushpura – Currently Peswar in Pakistan
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Kanishka – the Kushan Emperor
•
•
•
•
Became Emperor in 89 AD
Started the Shaka Era
Converted to Buddhism
Founder of the Mahayana
Buddhism
– Mahayana-s believe in gods
– They also believe Buddha is God
– It is the most commonly followed
Buddhism now
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Gupta-s
• First Chandra Gupta – The founder of the
Gupta Empire
– Made strong ties with other Indian Kingdoms
• Samudra Gupta
– Fought the Hun-s and other outside attackers
• Second Chandra Gupta – Vikramaditya
– Kalidasa was apparently in his court.
• Kumaragupta – The last strong emperor of
the
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
The Gupta Empire
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Why Golden Age?
• Both Kushan and Gupta Empires helped
develop:
– Stability in the country – Rule of Law
– Strong Empire to Prevent outside attack
– Trade and Business to grow wealth
– Patronized human intellectual activities
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
End of the Golden Age
• Attacks by the Hun-s
– The Huns also come from the same regions
as Aryans and Shaka-s
• The Caucasian regions
– Some historians say that they are also racially
related to the Aryans
– Ruthless fighters
– Efficient horse riders
– Created the folk lore of Kalki Avatara and
Kalki Raja (from Jain religious books)
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee
Quiz
1.
When did the Golden Age Happen?
•
2.
0 – 400 AD
Why is it called the Golden Age?
•
3.
Because of developments in science, art, literature, engineering
What was the contribution of Arya Bhatta in Science?
•
4.
Show that Earth moves around the Sun
Who wrote Shakuntala?
•
5.
Kalidasa
Where did the Shaka-s come from?
•
6.
Caucasian regions
What is the Silk Route?
•
7.
Ancient trade route extending from China to Europe through Asia
Name one of the Shaka Emperor
•
8.
Kanishka
Name One of the Gupta Emperors
•
9.
Chandra Gupta, Samudra Gupta, Kumara Gupta
How did the Golden Age end
•
Outside attacks by Huns
© 2011 Maharaj Mukherjee