Maurya and Gupta Empires
321BC-232BC
PAGE 175
Mauryan Empire
•In the 4th century B.C. the
Greeks tried to invade India.
•King Chandragupta Maurya
established Empire from
Afghanistan to the Ganges
(2000 miles by 303 BC).
•*** UNITED northern India
politically for the very first
time
•TIED to warfare
Asoka and Warfare
•Asoka (Chandragupta’s
grandson) became king in
269 BC and expanded the
empire.
•Asoka converted to Buddhism
and ruled without violence.
•Brought Empire to greatest
level of achievement.
•Treated subjects fairly and
humanely.
Asoka and Buddhism
•Asoka placed importance on the
happiness and welfare of his subjects.
•He built roads and hospitals, and
encouraged peace among religions
(religious tolerance).
•Asoka ordered missionaries to spread
Buddhism throughout India, and built
Buddhist shrines (stupas).
Fall of the Mauryan Empire
•Mauryan Empire under Asoka had
success in health, education, and
individual rights.
•Asoka died in 232 B.C.
•Despite his successes, the Empire began
to fall apart after his death.
The Gupta Empire
•In 320 A.D. – 415 AD united the
territory around the Ganges River.
•Gupta emperors encouraged peace,
prosperity, and trade.
•Patriarchal society.
•All 3 Gupta rulers advanced the
arts, literature, religious thought,
science and mathematics.
The Golden Age
•The 2 hundred years of Gupta rule are
considered the “Golden Age of Hindu Culture.”
•Education flourished - universities.
•ARTS – Classical dance forms and literature,
writing academies
Religion in the Gupta Empire
•Buddhists began to worship Buddha as a
god.
•Hindus made religion more personal and
devoted themselves to Vishnu or Shiva.
•***In most cases, the Gupta emperors
allowed religious tolerance.
Mathematics
•Guptas developed the modern numerals we use
today (1,2,3…).
•Developed the concepts of zero and infinity.
•Developed the decimal system.
•Discovered the value of PI.
Gupta Astronomy
•Gupta astronomers proved that the earth was
round, not flat (eclipse) – 1000 years before
Columbus.
•Used Greek (Western) way of keeping time –
365 day calendar, 7 days in week and divided
days into hours.
•Accurately calculated the solar year and
movements of planets.
Gupta Medicine
•Doctors compiled TWO medical books, listing
diseases and medicinal plants.
•Set bones, performed surgery, and performed
skin grafts.
•Also gave inoculations against disease.
Gupta Trade – Page 179
•The Gupta traded with faraway places such as
Arabia, Africa, China, and Southeast Asia.
•OVERLAND TRADE ---Silk Roads were caravan routes between China
and Rome – INDIA was in the middle of the route
SEA TRADE
• From India to Rome via (by
way of) the Arabian Sea and
Persian Gulf
• Chinese traded SILK for
cotton cloth
RESULTS of Indian Trade
• Increased banking – loans
with interest.
• Merchants spread culture
and religions