Mauryan
Dynasty;(322 B.C.E. to
185 B.C.E.)
• Imperial state of the South
Asian subcontinent
• Founder: Chandragupta
Maurya.
• Divided empire into
provinces.
• Each had a capital city
and a prince
(emperor’s
representative).
• Provinces sub-divided into districts.
• A minister in charge of the local bureaucrats.
• Hired from among the district’s people.
• Like the Persian
Empire, Mauryan
rulers relied on
spies to keep taps
on distant
providences.
• Ashoka Maurya (268-232 B.C.E.), Ashoka the Great
• Chandragupta’s grandson
• Converted to Buddhism
• The Rock and Pillar Edicts; laws of Asoka.
Laws designed
to move politics
away from
religion and
magic to
______.
• Decline:
1. Poor leadership
2. Army became
ineffective
3. Government officials
became idle.
Gupta Dynasty:
• Smaller than the Mauryan
Empire (320 C.E. to 550
C.E.)
• Golden Age for India
• Governed same as
Mauryan rulers.
• Pataliputra was
intellectual and
cultural center of
Empire.
•
•
•
Like Western Europe,
after the Gupta Empire
collapses, India becomes
politically decentralized.
Due to the India’s
unparalleled cultural
diversity.
Both regions created
enduring civilizations in
the absence of a
consistent,
encompassing imperial
state.
• Built roads that
connected
commercial centers.
• One long road
connected northeast
and northwest
cities.
• Hinduism was India’s major
religion.
• Like Constantine, Ashoka
policies towards religious
unity allowed for the spread
of Buddism.
• Buddhism develops.
• Spread by Ashoka:
1. Believed his “dhamma”
should show generosity to
Brahmans and ascetics.
2. Built Buddhist
monasteries.
3. Sent missionaries outside
empire.
• Buddhism spreads to China
along the Silk Road.
• Art influenced by
Greeks and
Romans.
• Example: Gandhara
Buddhas
Greek
Indian
•
•
•
Development of the Stupa.
Structure housing the cremated
remains of saintly figure.
Most important type of Buddhist
monument.
• Built free hospitals.
• First to use
inoculations.
•
Developed an easy to use numerical symbols 0 through 9
(known as Arabic numerals).
• Unified
currency
•
•
•
India became trading crossroads.
Goods pass from China to Mediterranean Sea.
Spices and gemstones from Southeast Asia.
•
Indian textiles go to Rome.
spices
gold & ivory
• Indian Ocean Sea Lanes connected Indian ports with East
Africa, Persian Gulf, and Indonesia.
• Regular trading relations with Rome.
Ended
slavery.
Society based on Caste System.
Brahmins
(Priest/Rulers)
Kshatriyas
(Warriors)
Vaishyas (merchants)
Shudras (farmers)
Pariahs [Harijan]  Untouchables (non-Aryans)
That concludes India.
Any questions before the quiz on the next
slide?