Classical India
Geography of India
India much closer to other civilizations- trade with Middle
East and later with China
* Topography- Himalayas in the north separated it from the
rest of Asia
 Most important agricultural regions- Ganges and Indus
rivers
 Divisions within the subcontinent made full unity difficult
 Summer brings monsoon rains, crucial for farming- but
monsoon unreliable
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Vedic and Epic ages (c. 1500- 1000
BCE)
Aryans (Indo-European) migrants- hunting and herding
peoples originally from central Asia
 Vedas- sacred books of the Aryans
 o Rig-Veda- 1028 hymns dedicated to the Aryan gods
 o Mahabharata- India’s greatest epic poem
 o Ramayana
 o Upanishads- epic poems with a more mystical religious
flavor
 Encouraged tight levels of village organization
 Indian caste system takes shape- partly because Aryan
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Mauryan Dynasty
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322 BCE soldier named Chandragupta Maurya seized power along
the Ganges River (in reaction to Alexander the Great pushing in)
Maintained large armies, substantial bureaucracy (postal service)
Autocratic style of government- relying on ruler’s personal and
military power
Ashoka (269-232 BCE) - Chandragupta’s grandson extended
Mauryan control; converted to Buddhism and spread Buddhism
throughout much of India; improved trade and communication
After Ashoka the empire began to fall apart and regional kingdoms
surfaced again
Kushans- invaders who took over for a brief period until 220 CE
Indian Stupa
Gupta
 Starting
in 320 CE (after period of instability) new
large empire
 Great impact- expanded influence without constant
fighting; greatest period of political stability
Overturned in 535 CE by the Huns
Political Institutions
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Strong regionalism, which meant that even great empires had a
weak foundation
Political culture not elaborate- no formal political theory and few
institutions or values that carried over
Caste rules, interpreted by priests, regulated many social
relationships and work roles
o Divided from five classes to over 300
o Stronger hereditary principles
o Allowed India’s people to live together without perpetual conflict
o Because of the loyalty to these rules, no state could command
similar loyalty
Religion was the cement !!
Economy
 Economy
became vigorous- rivaling China
 New uses for chemistry- steel the best in the world
 Emphasis on trade and merchant activity far
greater than in China
 Merchants enjoyed relatively high caste status and
flexibility
 Remained agricultural at its base
Trade in the Ancient World
 Theme
of the Era- increased trade networks and
communication
 Trade often conducted by nomads living along the
trade routes
 3 networks: Silk Road, Indian Ocean, Saharan
Trade
 Goods, Inventions, Culture diffused- i.e. the stirrup
 Technological inventions in sailing- i.e. the lateen
sail in the Indian Ocean
Hinduism
Origins in the Vedic and Epic Ages
 No founder, no central figure so it unfolded gradually
 Encouraged economic and political goals
 Very tolerant
 Upanishads- stressed the shallowness of worldly concerns
 Provided several channels for the good life
 Supplied some unity
 Allowed people to hold on to some older rituals
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Buddhism
 C.
563 BCE Siddhartha Gautama was born
 Argued for the individual and went against the
caste system and the priests
 Wasn’t able to hold a strong portion of India
ultimately
Other Cultural Developments
Indian thinkers wrote actively about human life
 Important work in math and science
 Vast university center (Guptas)
 Strides in astronomy and medicine
 Numbering system is the one we use today
 Concept of zero and negative numbers
 Lively art including stupas- shrines to Buddha
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Society
 Caste
system
 Family life also emphasized the them of hierarchy
and tight organization
 Dominance of husbands and fathers
 Arranged marriages
 Women, however, were celebrated in stories and
theory was much harsher than practice
Influence of Classical India
 Indian
ocean dominated by Indian merchants
 India had considerable political influence
 Many Indian merchants married into wealthy royal
families in SE Asia
 Spread of Buddhism and Hinduism