AIM: Why was the Gupta Empire known as the “golden age” of India?

Do Now: Hinduism and Buddhism – 1,2

HW: Read chapter 4, section 3, fill in worksheet

extra credit – Do Kalidasa worksheet 1-4 and Chandragupta Maurya handout 1-3

The Mauryan Empire

• Many small kingdoms existed across India in 300s BC

• Each kingdom had own ruler; no central authority united them

• Magadha a dominant kingdom near Ganges

– Strong leader, Chandragupta Maurya gained control

– Began conquering surrounding kingdoms

– Conquests led to founding of Mauryan empire

Alexander the Great• Alexander conquered force in

northwest India, 326 BC

• Did not remain in India long

• Battle-weary soldiers wanted to return home, soon left India

Mauryan army• Chandragupta built immense army,

60,000 soldiers

• Chariots, war elephants

• Began conquering northern India

Alexander’s legacy• Alexander’s conquest inspired

Chandragupta Maurya

• Seized throne of kingdom of Magadha, 321 BC

• Began Mauryan empire

Extended empire• Defeated Seleucus I, 305 BC

• Mauryan empire controlled northern India, 303 BC

• Also controlled much of what is now Afghanistan

Rise of the Mauryan Empire

Kalinga campaign

• Violence of fighting at Kalinga appalled Ashoka

• Abandoned policy of conquest and converted to Buddhism

• Began to promote, spread policy of right conduct, Buddhism

• Supported Buddhist missionaries, worked to improve lives of his people

Rule under Ashoka

• Chandragupta gave up throne, 301 BC, became Jainist monk

• Son became emperor, followed by grandson Ashoka

• Mauryan empire reached height under Ashoka

• Through warfare empire expanded, included most of India

The Mauryan Empire

• Mauryan empire began to decline following death of Ashoka, 232 BC

• Sons battled for power, central control weakened

• Distant provinces began to slip away

• Last Mauryan emperor killed by one of generals, 184 BC

• Mauryan empire lasted 140 years, then collapsed

Gupta power expanded under the heirs of Chandra Gupta I, and the empire reached its height under Chandra Gupta II.

India remained divided into small kingdoms for about 400 years. Then around AD 320, the Gupta dynasty took over northern India. Under the Gupta, northern India was reunited, Indian society prospered, and the religion of Hinduism grew in popularity.

• Like Mauryan, Gupta dynasty rose to power in region of Magadha

• Founder was Chandra Gupta I

• From base in Magadha, Chandra conquered neighboring lands, brought much of northern India under Gupta control

Rise of Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire

• Gupta rule less centralized• Divided main part of empire into

units• Royal officials governed each unit• Governed through local rulers in

distant conquered areas• Local rulers had to pay tribute

India under Gupta Rule

The Gupta Empire

• Chandra Gupta II, ruled from AD 375 to 415

• Further expanded empire, strengthened economy

• Reign was period of prosperity, cultural achievement

• Chinese Buddhist monk, Faxian, traveled to India

• Described empire as rich, prosperous, and punishments fair

Support of Hinduism• Buddhism prospered, spread during period between Mauryan, Gupta

empires• Hinduism lost popularity during this period• Under Guptas, Hinduism became main religion• Rulers supported building Hindu temples, promoted revival of writings• Buddhism began to lose influence during this period

• Began to weaken, late 400s

• Loose Gupta control allowed some parts of empire to break away

• Central Asian nomads, White Huns, began invading India

End of Gupta Rule

• Problems disrupted trade

• Gupta military efforts to defend empire drained treasury

• Gupta rule ended, 550

• Again India divided into small, regional kingdoms

Weakened Empire

The Gupta Empire

I. Economy and SocietyWhile the highest classes in northern India enjoyed luxury, most people barely survived

I. Economy and Society

The rajas drew wealth from the farmers who worked the land and claimed one-fourth of each harvest

I. Economy and Society

In southern India many lived by trading, sending luxury goods to the Far East, SW Asia, Africa, and Europe

• Gupta, Tamil kingdoms in southern India traded actively by sea

• Indian sailors used seasonal winds to reach foreign markets across Arabian Sea

• Sea trade also between India and Southeast Asia

• Played key role in cultural diffusion of Indian culture

Sea Trade• Indian civilization flourished during

Gupta empire

• Trade increased, economy strengthened, cities prospered

• Overland routes like the Silk Roads linked India to other markets

• Indian merchants traded ivory, cashmere, cotton, spices for Chinese silk, Roman ceramics

Growth of Trade

Life in Gupta India

Simple Lives• Most Gupta people led simple lives in small villages

• Majority of village dwellers, farmers

• Most villages self-sufficient, but trade between villages occurred

• People from different villages got together for religious festivals, other events

Daily Life• Growth of trade strengthened economy; Gupta Empire’s cities reflected

prosperity

• Use of money became more common; new group of bankers, moneylenders emerged

• Luxury, pleasure for urban rich; enjoyed music, poetry, art

Aim: How did the caste system shape life in India?

Do Now: The caste system in India

Social structure • Most people in ancient India

belonged to specific caste

• Castes determined jobs, interaction with others

• Number grew, developed rules

Gender• Also shaped Indian society

• Men had more rights than women

• Patriarchal society, similar to China

Legal codes• Legal codes also defined people’s

roles

• Laws of Manu, compiled between 200 BC, AD 200

• Defined proper behavior

Laws of Manu• Female child subject to father,

female youth to husband

• Men expected to treat women with respect

• Abused women could leave

Life in Gupta India

I. Economy and Society

Hindu women had few rights, were required to obey male relatives, and could not own property or study sacred writings

I. Economy and Society

In a practice called suttee, widows threw themselves on their husbands’ funeral pyres

Sati (or Suttee) is a rare Indian practice in which a widow sacrifices her life by throwing herself onto her deceased husband’s funeral

pyre. It is not directly derived from or connected to Hinduism, although spiritual beliefs play a large part in its traditional

observation

Like the Han period in China, the Gupta period was a golden age of cultural and scientific achievements.

• Many great works created during Gupta period

• One of greatest writers, Kalidasa

– Poet, playwright

– Wrote plays for royal court

– Sakuntala, most famous

– Play combines myth, humor, court life, lyric poetry

Sanskrit Literature• Another popular work of period

• Five Books, collection of stories meant to teach lessons

• “The good and bad of given schemes

Wise thought must first reveal

The stupid heron saw his chicks

Provide a mongoose meal.”

• Warning to think before acting

Panchatantra

A Gupta Golden Age

II. Cultural AchievementsThe stories of the Panchatantra, or “Five Books,” were animal fables intended to instruct the sons of the royalty

One of India's most influential contributions to world literature, the Panchatantra consists of five books of animal fables and magic tales (some 87 stories in all) that were compiled between the third and fifth centuries AD. It is believed that even then the stories were already ancient. The tales' self-proclaimed purpose is to educate the sons of royalty.

II. Cultural Achievements

The Panchatantra has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible

II. Cultural Achievements

Plays were often performed outside and contained tragic scenes, but ended happily

A. Art and Architecture

The only paintings that survive are murals in caves depicting the Buddha and his followers

The Ajanta Caves. Ancient Paintings of Buddhist India

Religious• Much of art, architecture of Gupta period religious

• Magnificent Hindu, Buddhist temples built across India

• Hindu temples: huge towers, covered with carvings

Most spectacular architecture• Temples, monuments carved out of rock and cliff faces

• Most famous, cave temples at Ajanta and Ellora

• Intricately carved columns; include halls, rooms, windows

Buddhist temples• Included stupas, temples with domed roofs

• Built to house sacred items from life of Buddha

• Like Hindu temples, covered with detailed carvings

Art and Architecture

A. Art and Architecture

Architects designed and built great Hindu temples and Asoka built thousands of Buddhist stupas

Great works of art• Paintings of the time often portray beautiful, graceful Indians wearing fine

jewelry, stylish clothing

• Many of finest paintings found in Buddhist and Hindu temples

Statues• Made for temples

• Buddhist temples, statues of Buddha, kings

• Hindu temples, statues of Siva, Vishnu, other devas

Temple paintings• Hindu artists decorated walls, entrances with devas, aspects of Brahman

• Buddhists covered plaster walls, ceilings with scenes from life of Buddha

• Some of finest examples of Buddhist art found in Ajanta cave temples

Art and Architecture

B. EducationEducation was only for higher caste children and they studied the Vedas, astronomy, mathematics, warfare, and government

The ancient Gurukul system of education where the guru imparts knowledge to the disciples

B. Education

Nalanda was a Buddhist university where thousands of students attended for free

Metallurgy• Ancient Indians pioneers of science of working with metals• Indian iron valued for hardness, purity• Gupta metalworkers built famous Iron Pillar, near Delhi• Iron Pillar is resistant to rust• Still being studied by scholars today

• Gupta scholars most advanced mathematicians of their day

• Developed modern math system• First to use concept, symbol of zero• Hindu-Arabic numerals; created

by Indians, brought to Europe by Arabs

Mathematics• Ancient Indians quite advanced• Made medicines from plants• Knew how to inject small amounts

of viruses to protect against disease

• Doctors could perform surgery, repair broken bones, treat wounds

Medical Science

Science and Technology

C. Mathematics and Astronomy

Mathematicians understood the concepts of abstract and negative numbers, zero, and infinity

C. Mathematics and Astronomy

Aryabhata (late AD 400’s) was one of the first to use algebra and to solve quadratic equations

Science and Technology

Astronomy

• Indians identified seven planets in solar system

• Could predict eclipses of sun, moon

• Aryabhata, one of most famous Indian astronomers

– Correctly argued that Earth rotates on axis, revolves around sun

– Knew Earth was sphere, calculated circumference with remarkable accuracy

C. Mathematics and Astronomy

Indian astronomers identified seven planets, understood the earth’s rotation, and predicted eclipses

D. Medicine

Indian rulers built free hospitals for the people

D. Medicine

Indian physicians understood the importance of the spinal cord, could set bones and performed plastic surgery

D. Medicine

Physicians practiced cleanliness before operations and disinfected wounds, a procedure not practiced in Western medicine until recent times

D. Medicine

Physicians developed inoculation - infecting a person with a mild form of a disease to prevent a more serious form

D. Medicine

They successfully inoculated people against smallpox, something not accomplished in the West until the 1700s