UNIT – IV Age of Empires 10 Hrs

 Cultural achievements under Mauryas and Guptas.

 Extent of Indian culture beyond its boundaries – Greater India.
 Famous centres of learning in Ancient India – Nalanda and Taxila.
 Schools of art in Ancient India – Mathura, Gandhara and Amaravathi  
 Indian Dynasities

 The Mauryan Empire

 Regional Kingdoms
 The Gupta Empire
The Mauryas and Guptas created powerful empires that united
much of India, while trading kingdoms thrived in southern India.
 Early Indian Empires

• Role of Mauryan Empire unify much of India, and its key rulers
• Regional kingdoms ruled India after the collapse of the
Mauryan Empire
• Key rulers and events shaped the Gupta Empire
 The Mauryan Empire

 Around 323 B.C., a great empire emerged in northern India. It was called the
Mauryan empire.

 The rulers of this empire conquered most of northern and central India.

 It was a vast empire.

E. Napp
I. The Mauryan Empire
a. Many small kingdoms existed across India in 300s BC
b. Each kingdom had own ruler; no central authority united
them
c. Magadha a dominant kingdom near Ganges
d. Strong leader, Chandragupta Maurya gained control
e. Began conquering surrounding kingdoms – Conquests led
to founding of Mauryan empire
II- Chandragupta
a. Harsh Ruler

b. Heavy tax on all farmers who raised

food

c. Used money to create a large army

d. Had a brutal secret police that

reported crime and corruption within
the empire

e. Bureaucracy- A system of managing

government though departments
that are run by appointed officials

f. Very beautiful cities

III. Achievements under Chandragupta:
 The Mauryan Empire

Megasthenes Pataliputra
• Greek ambassador visited • Greatest city, Mauryan
Mauryan Empire during capital: magnificent
Chandragupta’s reign palaces, temples, parks
• Wrote about his • Government controlled
observations economy
• Described land of • Emperor owned land, rent
prosperity money from farmers
funded government
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

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
 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
 Rise of the Mauryan Empire
Alexander the Great
• Alexander conquered force in
northwest India, 326 BC
• Did not remain in India long
• 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
• Mauryan empire controlled
northern India, 303 BC
• Also controlled much of what is
now Afghanistan
 Mauryan Rule
Strong government
• Like Qin, Han rulers, Chandragupta Maurya established centralized
government to control empire, crush resistance
• Relied on brilliant adviser Kautilya, Brahmin, member of the priest caste

Arthasastra
• Manual for statecraft, thought to be written by Kautilya
• Arthasastra called for strict state control
• Also called for use of spies, even assassination

Empire divided
• Chandragupta divided empire into districts, appointed loyalists to rule them
• Organized bureaucracy ran government, spies monitored officials, gathered
information, rooted out threats to state
 Regional Kingdoms
As the Mauryan Empire collapsed, India again divided into
many regional kingdoms. These kingdoms differed in the
north and south.

North India The Greeks The Kushans

• Invaders from • Greek invaders • Conquered much
Central Asia from what is now of north during first
established new Afghanistan formed century AD
dynasties Greco-Indian • Restored some of
• Many had been dynasties grandeur of
displaced by • Introduced Greek Mauryan Empire to
expansion of China art forms to India, region
influenced local • Kushan dynasty
styles fell, AD 250
V. Collapse of the Mauryan Empire
a. Mauryan empire began to decline following death of Ashoka, 232
BC

b. Sons battled for power, central control weakened

c. Distant provinces began to slip away

d. Mauryan empire lasted 140 years, then collapsed

 The Gupta Empire

 The rulers of the Gupta empire encouraged peace,

prosperity, and trade.

 The Gupta empire is considered a golden age of Hindu

culture.

 A golden age is a time of peace, prosperity, and great

achievements.
E. Napp
• During the Gupta empire,
• Indian mathematicians made great advances.
• Discovered the concept of zero &the decimal
system.
• Great works of Hindu literature were produced.
 Indian artists created
beautiful works of art
and great works of
literature were produced
during the golden age
of Hindu culture.

E. Napp
 South India
Powerful kingdoms
• Developed in India south of Deccan Plateau
• Andhra kingdom expanded across south, central India, 100s BC
• Controlled region until about AD 300

Other kingdoms
• In far south, small kingdoms had ruled for some time
• Chera, Chola, Pandya, collectively called Tamil kingdoms
• Carried on active sea trade with Southeast Asia, other regions

Sea Trade
• Brought kingdoms wealth, developed sophisticated culture
• Madurai, capital of Pandya kingdom, became center of Tamil poetry
• Poetry was filled with descriptions of vibrant society of southern India
India’s political history during the
classical period could be
characterized
as fragmented with intermittent Ganges
empires. River

Around 600 BCE, the first empire

united many small kingdoms.

It was called the Mauryan Empire.

The classical empires were

centered on the Ganges river.
In 301 BCE,
Chandragupta’s
grandson, Asoka assumed
the throne. Under Asoka:

•Battled neighbors until

battle of Kalinga, where
he lost 100,000 soldiers.

•Asoka, deeply affected

by the loss of life and
suffering, he began to
study Buddhism.
Asoka:
•Spread Buddhist teachings by constructing huge
pillars inscribed with Buddhist teachings throughout
his empire.

•They were called Asoka’s Edicts.

•These pillars urged non-violence and acceptance of other

religions

•Asoka improved roads, created public wells, built hospitals

and veterinary clinics built rest stops throughout his
kingdom.
Asoka:

Appointed missionaries
who spread Buddhism
throughout India, China
and S.E. Asia

After Asoka died in 232

BCE, the Mauryan
empire fell apart.
A period of disunity and regional kingdoms followed
Asoka’s death and lasted for 500 years.

Then, in 320 CE, Chandra Gupta united India into its

second empire,the Gupta Empire.
Geographically Represenation of Mauryan and
Guptan empire
The Gupta empire brought about the
flowering of Indian and Hindu culture
and advancements in math and
science.
Cultural achievements:
• Literature flourished: Kalidasa wrote
Shakuntala, a classic love story

•Drama and dancing became important

elements of Indian culture
Scientific Achievements:
•Indian astronomers proved
that the earth was round by
observing a lunar eclipse

•Advanced mathematics:
Indian numerals are the
numbers we use today .

• the number “Zero” and the

decimal system
Scientific achievements continued

•Mathemetician Aryabhata
calculated the length of the
solar year very accurately

•Continued advancements
in medicine and surgery-
compiled medical texts
 Commercial Achievements
Indian Merchants were the
middlemen in the emerging Silk
Road trade. Traders also
brought goods such as spices,
diamonds, sapphires, gold,
pearls, sandalwood, ebony and
teakwood.

Traders also spread religion

eastward. Hinduism spread only
as far as Nepal, Sri Lanka and
parts of Indonesia, while
Buddhism later spread
throughout China and
Southeast Asia.
 Ancient and Classical India Timeline
500 years of
disunity
and regional rule
1900 BCE 1500 BCE 500 BCE 563-483 326 BCE 321 BCE 320
CE
Mohenjo The Vedas Siddhartha
Sanskrit Alexander Mauryan
Daro composed Gautama Guptan
was first Invades Empire
And originated Empire
written and departs unites
Harappa Buddhism rules
Indus River India-
thrived India
Aryan Valley Ashoka
invasions rules from
269-232
 The Gupta Empire
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.

Rise of Gupta Empire India under Gupta Rule

• 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
• 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

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

End of Gupta Rule Weakened Empire

• Began to weaken, late 400s
• Loose Gupta control allowed some
parts of empire to break away
• Central Asian nomads, White Huns,
began invading India
• Problems disrupted trade
• Gupta military efforts to defend
empire drained treasury
• Gupta rule ended, 550
• Again India divided into small,
regional kingdoms