Ancient History of India Test and Flashcards

Name some republics of Ancient India

Sakyas, Licchavis, Mallas. Power of decision vested in Public assembly, which was composed of the tribal representatives or the head of the family

How many kingdoms were in existence during 6th century BC

Four. Avanti, Vatsa, Kosala, MagadhaModern day Ujjain, Kaushambi, Ayodhya, Patna

What factors led to rise of Magadha as Imperial Power

Strategic position between Upper and Lower Gangetic ValleyIts location on centre of highways of trade of those days.Availability of Iron ore at rajgir hills and copper and iron deposits at gaya.political stability under Bimbisara and AjatshatruFertile soil

Bimbisara

First great ruler of Magadha. Consolidated his position through a series of matrimonial alliances. he was contemporary of both Mahavir and Buddha. Both religion claim him as his supporter546-494 B.C.While he alligned Vaishali and Kosala, his successor Ajatshatru fought with them

Ajatshatru

494-462BCFought against Kosala Vaisali. He fortified, Pataligrama, future Pataliputra, to serve as a convenient base of operations against VaisaliGenerally believed that he was initially a follower of Jainism and subsequently endorsed BuddhismHe is said to have met Gautam Buddha, this scene is depicted in Barhut. he created several Chaityas and Viharas,he was instrumental in conducting first Buddhist council at Rajgriha, soon after death of BuddhaHis successor, Udayin, formed new capital at Pataliputra, at confluence of Son and GangaAfter Udayin, the successors were weak rulers and thus Magadha was captured by Saisunaga

Saisunaga Dynasty

It came to power affter Haryanka dynasty of Bimbisar and Ajatshatru.Saisunaga defeated Avanti and made it a part of Magadha.After him Kalasoka came to power. 2nd Buddhist council in Vaisali was held in his reign. He waas killed by founder of Nanda dynasty

Name some Persian Invasions in India and Their cumulative effect.

Cyrus. Greatest conqueror of Achamenian empire. he capture Gandhara. 558-530 BCDarius 522-486BC Grandson of Cyrus, captured Indus valley in 518 BCXerxes465-456 He utilised Indian infantry and cavalry to fight in Greek his opponents. After his defeat Achaemenians influence declined.Effect of Persian Invasion1. Growth of Indo-Iranian trade and commerce2. Kharosti script became popular in NW India, some of Asokan pillars are written in this language.3. Influence of persian art on Mauryas, particularly monolithic pillars of Asoka and Capitols. 4. The very idea of issuing edicts by Asoka and wording used in the edicts are traced to Iranian influence.The Iranian connection proved more fruitful than short lived Indo-Macedonian contact

Battle of Hydaspes

327 BC between Alexander and Porus. Hydaspes in name of river Jhelum. Porus ruled the state between Jhelum and Chambal. Porus lost. Alexander impressed with courage of Porus reinstated him to throne.Alexander proceeded as far as river Beas, fighting tribes. His soldiers refused to march forward. He divided the territory between Indus n Beas in three provinces and put them under his governors. Many tribes attacked him in his return jouney. he reached till Babylon and their he fell ill and died in 323 BC

Kautilya Arthashastra

Discovered in 1905. 180 chappter. Three parts. First deals with King and His council. Second with civil and criminal law. Third with Diplomacy and Law. he was a contemporary of Chandragupta Maurya. A very important source to recreate History of Mauryan Empira

Visakadatta's Mudrarakshasa

Drama. Sanskrit. Gupta Period. Describes how Chandragupta with assistance of Kautilya overthrew Nandas. Throws light on socioeconomic conditions under Mauryas

Ceylonese chronicle Dipvamsa and Mahavamsaa

They throw light on role of Asoka in spreading Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Edicts of Asoka

Mostly written in Pali in Bramhi script.At places Prakrit language is used. In NW, Karosti script was used. 14 Major edicts. They were erected in major cities. XIII Rock edict describes his war with KalingaVII Pilar edict gives a summary of his efforts to promote Dhamma.

Chandragupta Maurya

322-298BCcAPTURED POWER AT 25 AGE.Unified india till Indus. Marched against Selukas Niketar, Alexander general controlling NW India. He was defeated. he gave his daughter in marriage to CM. Megasthenes was sent as an ambassador to Mauryan Court. he embraced Jainism Went to Sravana Belgola near Mysore,with monks led by Bhadrabahu after stepping down from throne for his son Bindusara, and there he committed Sallekhana

Bindusara

298-273 BC.He captured Deccan up to Mysore. Sangam literature also confirms Mauryan invasion of far south. he supported Ajivikas. he appointed his son Asoka as governor of Ujjain. Known as Amitragatha, slayer of enemies. Tibetian monk Taranatha states that he captured 16 states comprising land between two seas.

Asoka the great

273-232 BChe was governor of Ujjain and also suppressed revolts in Taxila. There is a gap of 4 years in his accession to throne and his actual coronation. As per Taranatha of Tibet he killed his 6 brothers including elder Susima. Tissa the youngest was spared. Dipvamsa and Mahavamsa state that Asoka killed his 99 brothersFounght Kalinga war in 261 bc. After war Asoka embraced Buddhism under monk Upagupta. spread Buddhism to all directions including Sri Lanka

Buddha

563BC at Lumbini (Nepal) - 483BC Kushinagar, UPFather Suddhodana was saka ruler, mother Mahamaya (Kosala dynasty) died after Buddha was born. Stepmother Gautami.Married yashodhara at 16. Son named Rahula. Left her at 29.Wandered for 6 years. Attained nirvana at 35 at Gaya in Magadha (Bihar)First sermon called Dharmachakrapavartan was given at Sarnath

4 Buddhist councils

1st 483BC2nd 383BC3rd 250BC4th 72AD

3 Buddhist literatures (Tripitakas)

Vinaya Pitaka (rules for monasteries)Sutta Pitaka (Largest pitaka, contains Buddha's sermons)Abhidhamma Pitaka (explanations of the philosophical principles of Buddhism)

Vardhaman Mahavira

599BC kundagram (Bihar) - 527BC Pava (Patna)father Siddhartha mother Trishlamarried yashoda had a daughter named Priyadarsena Related to Bimbisarabecame ascetic at 30attained supreme knowledge at 43 and so named Jaina, Jitendriya, Arihant and Mahavira.

Jainism

founded by Rishabhanatha23rd tirthankar Parshvanath24th Vardhaman MahaviraTwo Jain councils: 3rd century BC at pataliputhra and 5th century AD at vallabhi (Gujarat)

Magadha empires

Haryanka Empire (Bimbisara dynasty) (c. 684 – c. 413 BC)Shishunaga Empire (c. 413 – c. 345 BC)Nanda Empire (c. 345 – c. 321 BC)Maurya Empire (c. 325 – c. 185 BC)Shunga Empire (c. 185 – c. 75 BC)Gupta Empire (AD 320–7th century)

Haryanka Dynasty

544-492 BCE Bimbisara 492-460 BCE Ajatashatru 460-440 BCE Udayabhadra (Udayin)AnuruddhaMundaNāgadāsaka -till 413BCcapital: rajagriha, and later pataliputra

Shishunaga dynasty

413–395 BCE Shishunaga (was minister of ajatshatru)Kakavarna Kalashoka367–345 BCE MahanandinCapital: Rajgir, Vaishali, later Pataliputra

Nanda Dynasty

Capital: PataliputraMahapadma Nanda 345 – 329 BCEDhana Nanda 329 BC – 321 BC

Mauryan Dynasty

322 BCE : Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire by overthrowing the Nanda Dynasty.317–316 BCE : Chandragupta Maurya conquers the Northwest of the Indian subcontinent.305–303 BCE : Chandragupta Maurya gains territory from the Seleucid Empire.298–269 BCE : Reign of Bindusara, Chandragupta's son. He conquers parts of Deccan, southern India.269–232 BCE : The Mauryan Empire under Ashoka, Bindusara's grandson.261 BCE : Ashoka conquers the kingdom of Kalinga.184 BCE : The empire collapses when Brihadnatha, the last emperor, is killed by Pushyamitra Shunga, a Mauryan general and the founder of the Shunga Empire.

Alexander the great

356 Pella, Macedonia-323 BC BabylonSon of Philip IITaught by AristotleBattle of the Granicus against Persia 334 BCBattle of Issus (Turkey) Against Darius of Syria 333 BCinvaded India in 326 BC, remained here for 19monthsHydaspes battle: Porus fought Alexander at the bank of indus river but all other states (Taxila, Punjab, Gandhara etc) surrenderedReturned to Babylon when soldiers refused to go further than Beas fearing the Nanda army

Shunga Dynasty

ten rulers185–151 BCE Pushyamitra Shunga 151–141 BCE Agnimitra (hero of Kalidasa's Mālavikāgnimitram) 83–75 BCE Devabhuti (last shunga. overthrown by vasudeva of kanva dynasty)Capital: PataliputraReligion: Hinduism

Gupta dynasty

AD 320–7th century240s–280s CE Sri-Gupta280–319 CE Ghatotkacha 319–335 Chandragupta I (Maharajadhiraja)335-380 CE Samudragupta375- 415 CE Chandra Gupta II, Vikramaditya 413-455 CE Kumaragupta I455-467 CE Skandagupta 540–550 Vishnu Gupta (last)The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma and VatsyayanaThis period is called the Golden Age of IndiaThe court of Chandragupta II had the Navaratna (Nine Jewels) including Kalidasa, varahmihir, Amarsimha, Dhanvantri..

Gupta literature 4th-7th century

kalidas: abhijnanashakunthalam, ritusamhara, meghadutam, kumarasambhavam, malavikagnimithram, raghuvansha, vikamurvashi.Vishakhadatta: Mudrarakshasa, DevichandraguptamVishnu sharma: Panchtantra, Hitopdesh

Harshavardhana empire

606-647CEcapital: KannaujRuler of north India except Punjab and Rajasthan regions.Consolidated the small states which had broke up from magadha after Guptas lost power.Empire again broke up after harsha's deathHieun Tsang (prince of travelers visited India at this era)Harsha wrote 3 plays- proyadarshika, ratnavali and nagananda

Vakataka dynasty

250–270 Vindhyashakti 270–330 Pravarasena I 475–500 HarishenaThey were successors of the Satavahanas and predecessors of the chalukyas

chalukya dynasty

Pulakeshin I (543–566)Kirtivarman I (566–597)Mangalesha (597–609)Pulakeshin II (609–642)Vikramaditya I (655–680)Vinayaditya (680 -696)Vijayaditya (696–733)Vikramaditya II (733–746)Kirtivarman II (746–753)

Pandyan dynasty

560–590 CE Kadungon1251-1268 Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan, expanded the empire into Telugu country, conquered Kalinga (Orissa) and invaded and conquered Sri Lanka 1309–1345 CE Vira Pandyan IV1422-1463 CE Jatavarman Parakrama Pandyan

Chola dynasty

848–871 Vijayalaya Chola1246–1279 Rajendra Chola III (conquered parts of Malaysia and Indonesia)had large navy

chera dynasty

3rd century BCE–10th century CE Senguttuvan Chera is famous for the legends surrounding Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil epic SilapathikaramRama Varma Kulashekhara 1090-1102

Gupta era literature: authors and creations

Kalidasa: Abhinjanashakunthalam, kumarasambhavam, malavikagnimitram,Vikramurvashi, (ritusamhara, meghadutam, raghuvansha were epics)Vishakadatta: MudrarakshasaVishnu Sharma: Panchatantra, hitopdeshSudraka: mrichchakattikamBharavi: KiratarjuniyaBhasha: Charudatta and other 12 playsAmarsimha: AmarakoshaVyasa: MahabharataValmiki: Ramayana

Flashcards: Ancient History of India