Ancient Indian EmpiresChapter 3

Sections 4 & 5

Indian Kingdoms• By the early 500’s

B.C., 16 kingdoms existed in northern India alone– Most powerful:

Magadha until 320 B.C.

Mauryan Empire• Established by

Chandragupta Maurya– Built a grand palace at

Pataliputra on the Ganges River

– Raised an army of 600,000 soldiers

• Equipped with chariots and elephants

– Conquered all of NW India– Standardized weights for the

empire– Established standards for

physicians

Chandragupta Maurya• Had many enemies

– Slept in a different room each night for fear of being assassinated

• Finally gave up the throne in 300 B.C.

Asoka• Chandragupta’s grandson

– Came to power in 270 B.C.• Even better than gramps

– Greatly enlarged the empire• 1st imperial dynasty to hold

nearly all of India

• Became sickened from all the bloody battles– Ordered an end to killing and

became a Buddhist– Greatly spread the Buddhist

faith in India and other countries

Asoka• Read quote on p. 67

– What does it mean?

• Worked to improve living conditions:– Planted trees on roads for

shade– Dug wells and created rest

houses– Build animal hospitals and

created laws to punish those who were cruel to animals

End of the Mauryans• Asoka died in 232

B.C.– Sons battled for control

of the throne– Invaders attacked from

the north and the east• Last Mauryan emperor

was killed by his own general in 184 B.C.

The Gupta Rulers• Chandra Gupta I founded the

Gupta Empire– Expanded territory through

conquest and intermarriage– See map on p. 68

• Favored Hinduism (dominant religion)– Accepted Buddhism

• Chandragupta II reigned from A.D. 374-415– Golden Age: much prosperity

and great progress in the arts

End of the Guptas• Invaders from central

Asia crossed into India in the late A.D. 400s– Last great Gupta king,

Skanda Gupta, used all resources to defend the empire

• Gupta rule ended by A.D. 550

Ancient Indian Life and Culture• Economy

– The majority of people barely got by

– Most people made a living through farming

– Many traded with foreign countries

• Silk, wool, ivory, and spices

• Society– Hindu customs gave

women some protections• Women did not have the

same rights as men

Society• Hindu Laws of Manu

– Written between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D.• Girls required to obey fathers/husbands• Widows expected to obey their sons• Prohibited women from owning property or studying sacred

writings, such as the Vedas• Men allowed more than one wife (polygyny)• Suttee: widows would commit suicide by throwing themselves on

top of their husbands’ flaming funeral pyres– Usually required by upper castes

Suttee

Suttee

Cultural Achievements• Stories

– Panchatantra, “Five Books”• Fables with morals

• Plays– Always ended happily

• Architecture– Shrines, temples, and pillars

• Education– Nalanda: Famous Buddhist

university • Students attended for free

Cultural Achievements• Math

– Aryabhata: one of the first to use algebra and solve quadratic equations

• Astronomy– Predicted eclipses and identified 7

planets• Medicine

– Very advanced– Performed bone setting and plastic

surgery – Practiced inoculation against smallpox – Free, clean hospitals in the A.D. 400’s!

Activity• Imagine you live in ancient India:

– Choose one of the following:• Option 1: Write a diary entry describing

your feelings about the inequities for women in the ancient Indian society.

– Do you agree with it?– How has it affected your life?

• Option 2: Write a diary entry about how one of the ancient Indian achievements has affected your life.

– How is life easier?– Has it changed how you perform your

job?– At least 7 sentences– 10 pts

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