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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
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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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