The Classical Period
(1000 BCE – 500 CE)
CHAPTERS 2-5
Chapter 3
Classical Civilization:
India
PGS. 56-74
Classical India
 Much of its history was shaped by its geography.
 The vast Indian subcontinent is partially
separated from the rest of Asia by northern
mountain ranges (the Himalayas and the Hindu
Kush). (#3)
 Though it was not as isolated as China, the subcontinent
was nevertheless set apart within Asia.
 They had contact with Middle Eastern societies
(Persian Empire) through mountain passes to
the northwest (#2) and eventually by overseas trade
routes.
India’s Geography
The Himalayas
“The Rooftop of the
World”, Mt Everest
stands 29,035 ft. above
sea level making it the
highest point on earth.
In Nepal, its home
country, Mt. Everest’s
name means “goddess
of the sky”.
It is the most visible
symbol of the largest
mountain chain in the
world.
Mt. Everest
India’s Geography
 Rivers also played a
major role in India’s
formation.
 The most important
agricultural regions
are along the two
great rivers, the
Ganges (northeast)
and the Indus, from
which India gets its
name (northwest).
(#3)
Shaping factors of India
 Along with geography, India has been shaped by
outsiders and climate.
 Aryans, nomadic invaders originally from
central Asia, helped to settle the Indian
subcontinent.(between 1500 and 500 BCE) (#1)
 Early records show that Alexander the Great
even invaded India and brought Hellenistic
(Greek) influences. (#2)
 Monsoon rains during the summer are crucial to
farming and India’s livelihood, but very
unpredictable. (#3)
India’s Diversity
 Because of all the different geographical
barriers within India, several different racial
and linguistic barriers arose throughout the
subcontinent.
 There are at least 29 different languages
spoken in India today with hundreds of
different dialects.
 Northern and southern India are vastly
different in types of language, food, climate,
and religion.
Aryan Contributions
 Aryans passed down much of their history orally, until they
were eventually written down in Sanskrit, the first
language of the Indian culture.
 The sacred books written down were called the
Vedas. This included epic poems and stories like
the Rig-Veda, Mahabharata, Ramayana, and
Upanishads. (#4)
 They brought to India a religion of many gods and
goddesses, who regulated natural forces and
possessed human qualities. These deities became
the basis for Hinduism.
 As Aryans settled into the region, they developed
tight village organizations, which later became the
basis for the caste system in India.
The Caste System
 The Indian caste system
developed as a means of
establishing relationships
between Aryan conquerors
and the indigenous people,
whom they considered
inferior. (#5) The castes were as
follows:
The Caste
System (#6)
Eventually,
these five
social classes
became
hereditary,
with marriage
between castes
being
forbidden and
punishable by
death.
Caste System Guidelines (#6)
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Caste rules regulated social relationships and work
roles.
The caste system in India really did what political
institutions in other civilizations did by promoting
political order.
There were very few chances for upward mobility.
In its origin, the caste system allowed the
conquerors and conquered to live together without
ongoing conflict.
The caste system governed marriages and jobs. It
was so effectively enforced that people actually
became more loyal to their caste than their rulers.
Indian Development and Empires
 Indian development during its classical era did not
take on the structure of rising and falling dynasties,
as in China.
 Classical India alternated between
widespread empires and a network of
smaller kingdoms. (#7)
 The invasion of Alexander the Great into
India in 327 B.C.E. encouraged Indian
leaders to unify in order to resist outside
powers. (#7)
 This event will lead to the rise of the Mauryan
dynasty.
The Mauryan Dynasty
The 1st dynasty in classical Indian history.
Established by Chandragupta Maurya. (#8)
They unified much of the Indian subcontinent.
Their most famous ruler was Chandragupta
Maurya’s grandson, Ashoka (269-232 BCE)
(#9)
 He conquered all of the Indian subcontinent
except for the southern tip. (#9)
 Although he was highly religious, his methods of
conquering were bloodthirsty.
 Read on p. 61
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Ashoka (269-232BCE) (#9)
 Ashoka eventually
converted to
Buddhism, hoping
that it could serve as a
unifying force for his
people.
 He also promoted
trade through the
region by building a
series of
interconnected road
networks (Dotted with
wells and rest stops!!)
Ashoka Cont’d (#9)
 He actively worked to
spread Buddhism
beyond the borders of
his empire by
sponsoring
missionaries, but he
still honored Hindu
traditions.
 Trade flourished under
his reign as he poured
money into the road
systems throughout the
empire.
The Guptas (320CE – 535 CE)
 Eventually the Mauryans
dynasty disintegrated and
gave way to the Guptas. (#10)
 The Guptas did not produce as
dynamic a leader as Ashoka, but
they did provide classical India
with its greatest period of stability.
Indian Political Institutions
 The Indian political system
was not very stable but rather
quite diverse from one ruling
dynasty to another
(Regionalism). (#11)
Indian Political Institutions (#12)
 The Gupta rulers did effectively use various devices to
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gain control and support.
They claimed they were appointed by the gods, and
therefore, endorsed Hinduism as opposed to
Buddhism, since Hinduism believed in such gods.
Set up a demanding taxation system.
They spread uniform law codes, but DID NOT impose a
single language.
Served as patrons for much cultural activity like art and
literature.
These reasons combine to make the Gupta period the
golden age in Indian history.
Read on p. 62
How did the Caste System affect Indian politics?
(#13)
 The caste system promoted toleration, allowing
widely different social classes to live next to each
other, separated by social restrictions.
 Caste rules regulated many social relationships and
work roles.
 The caste system along with religious
encouragement helped in the faithful
performance of caste duties (karma) and
helped promote public order.
Religion and Culture
 Two major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, marked
classical India.
 Hinduism, the religion of India’s majority, is
unique among world religions in that no central
figure is credited for developing it. (#14)
 Over time, Hinduism changed and adapted to
meet the various needs of its followers. (#15)
Read on p. 64
 Characteristics of Hinduism include union with Brahma
(moksha) p.64, karma, reincarnation, and yoga.
Hinduism (#16)
 Hinduism reinforced the caste system
by giving people in lower castes hope
for a better time in the lives to come
through reincarnation if they behaved
well in this life.
 It also ensured the upper castes that if
they lived virtuously they could
maintain their status in lives to come.
Hindu gods
Vishnu, the preserver god
Shiva, the destroyer god
Roots of Buddhism
 Buddhism was founded on the teachings of an Indian
prince, Siddartha Gautama, later called Buddha, or
“enlightened one.”
 He actually began as a Hindu prince. Gautama
believed in many of the Hindu staples like
reincarnation, but disagreed with others like the caste
system.
 He believed the material world was full of pain and
suffering and to escape that suffering one had to reach
a state of enlightenment and tranquility called nirvana.
 Buddhism spread through missionaries into
Sri Lanka, China, Korea, and Japan (#18)
Buddhism Cont’d
 Buddhism shared many beliefs with the Hindu faith
such as karma and reincarnation.
 Where as the end goal of Hinduism is moksha, the
union with the divine presence, in Buddhism the end
goal is nirvana, a state of enlightenment where
suffering and pain cease to exist.
 Buddhists did strongly disagree with the
validity of a caste system, believing that each
individual could achieve a holy life, therefore
denying the importance of a caste system.
(#17)
Indian Culture
 Important were the
mathematical
advancements,
including the concept
of zero, “Arabic”
numerals, and the
decimal system.
 Indian artists created
shrines to Buddha
called stupas and
painted in lively
colors.
Economy and Society
 As in every area of Indian life, the caste system played a role
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in society and the economy.
It assigned people to certain jobs and regulated marriages.
Dominance of husbands and fathers in society
remained very strong. (#20)
Early Indian writings stressed women’s
contributions, but as India became more and more
agricultural, that importance declined. (#20)
Early writings emphasize clever, strong-willed
goddesses which increased women’s status. (#20)
More emphasis was placed on love and friendship in
marriages than in other societies. (#20)
Economy and Society
 A system of arranged marriage evolved
in which parents contracted unions for
their children, particularly daughters, to
spouses they had never met. (#20)
 The economy in this era was extremely
vigorous, especially in trade, surpassing
that in China and the Mediterranean
world. Merchants traded from the
Roman Empire to Indonesia to China.
(#21)
Indian Influence
 Because of its
extensive trading
network, Indian
cultural influence
spread widely,
especially in
southeast Asia. (#21)
 Buddhism was a leading
cultural export.
 India was significantly
important in terms of
world history because:
India and the Outer World
 No classical civilization was more
central to cross-cultural exchange.
 Placed between the great empires and
trading networks of the Mediterranean
and of China, India was ideally situated
for its culture to influence both East
and West.