1 / 57

Chapter 9:

Chapter 9:. State, Society, & the Quest for Salvation in India. The Mauryan and Gupta empires 321 B.C.E.-550 C.E. 520 BCE Persian Emperor Darius conquers north-west India Introduces Persian ruling pattern 327 Alexander of Macedon destroys Persian Empire in India

jamar
Download Presentation

Chapter 9:

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chapter 9: State, Society, & the Quest for Salvation in India

  2. The Mauryan and Gupta empires321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.

  3. 520 BCE Persian Emperor Darius conquers north-west India Introduces Persian ruling pattern 327 Alexander of Macedon destroys Persian Empire in India Troops mutiny, departs after 2 years Political power vacuum India Before the Mauryan Dynasty

  4. Most significant remaining kingdom after Alexander’s departure Central Ganges plain Economic strength Agriculture Trade in Ganges valley, Bay of Bengal Dominated surrounding regions in north-eastern India Kingdom of Magadha

  5. Took advantage of power vacuum left by Alexander Overthrew Magadha rulers Founder of Maurya Empire - creates 1st unified Indian empire Chandragupta Maurya

  6. The Maurya Empire 321 BCE – 185 BCE

  7. Chandragupta: 321 BCE-298 BCE • Founder of Mauryan Empire • Unified northern India. • Defeated the Persian general Seleucus. • Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law enforcement. • He feared assassination  food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc. • 301 BCE  gave up his throne & became a Jain.

  8. Kautilya (or Chanakya) • Chandragupta’s advisor. • Brahmin caste. • Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or theArthashastra (advice manual). • A guide for the king and his ministers: • Supports royal power. • The great evil in society is anarchy. • Therefore, a single authority is needed to employ force when necessary!

  9. Like Persia & China, built a bureaucratic administrative system. Domestic policies Network of spies Legend: Chandragupta retires to become a monk, starves himself to death Chandragupta’s Government

  10. Ashoka (304 – 232 BCE) • Grandson of Chandragupta • Represents high point of Mauryan Empire, r. 268-232 BCE • Expanded empire to include all of Indian subcontinent except for south • Positive leadership integrated Indian society • Est. capital @ Pataliputra • Better known as a governor than conqueror

  11. Ashoka • Religious conversion after the gruesome battle of Kalinga in 262 BCE. • Dedicated his life to Buddhism. • Built extensive roads. • Conflict how to balance Kautilya’s methods of keeping power and Buddha’s demands to become a selfless person?

  12. Ashoka’s law code • Wrote law code on rocks or pillars (Stupas) • Edicts scattered in more than 30 places in India, Nepal, Pakistan, & Afghanistan. • Written mostly in Sanskrit, but one was in Greek and Aramaic. • 10 rock edicts. • Buddhist principles dominate his laws.

  13. WomenUnder anAsokatree

  14. Economic crisis follows death of Ashoka High costs of bureaucracy, military not supported by tax revenue Frequent devaluations of currency to pay salaries Regions begin to abandon Mauryan Empire Disappears by 185 BCE Decline of the Mauryan Empire

  15. Northwestern India Ruled by Greek-speaking descendants of Alexander’s campaigns Intense cultural activity accompanies active trade Regional Kingdom: Bactria

  16. Turmoil & a Power Vacuum:220 BCE – 320 CE Tamils The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.

  17. Nomads of Central Asia Ruled C. 1-300 CE Maintained silk road trade network High point under the rule of Kashika, empire expands thruout So. Asia. Regional Kingdom: Kush

  18. Based in Magadha Founded by Chandra Gupta (no relation to Chandragupta Maurya), c. 320 CE Slightly smaller than Mauryan Empire Highly decentralized leadership Foundations for studies in natural sciences and mathematics The Gupta Dynasty

  19. Gupta Empire:320 CE – 647 CE

  20. Gupta Rulers • Chandra GuptaI • r. 320 – 335 CE • “Great King of Kings” • Chandra Gupta II • r. 375 - 415 CE • Profitable trade with the Mediterranean world! • Hindu revival. • Huns invade – 450 CE

  21. Fa-Hsien: Life in Gupta India • Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along the Silk Road and visited India in the 5c. • He was following the path of the Buddha. • He reported the people to be happy, relatively free of government oppression, and inclined towards courtesy and charity. Other references in the journal, however, indicate that the caste system was rapidly assuming its basic features, including "untouchability," the social isolation of a lowest class that is doomed to menial labor.

  22. International Trade Routes during the Guptas

  23. Extensive Trade:4c spices silks cotton goods spices rice & wheat horses gold & ivory gold & ivory cotton goods

  24. GuptaArt Greatly influenced Southeast Asian art & architecture.

  25. Kalidasa • The greatest of Indian poets. • His most famous play was Shakuntala. • During the reign of Chandra Gupta II.

  26. Gupta Achievements 1000 diseasesclassified 500 healingplants identified Printedmedicinal guides Kalidasa Literature PlasticSurgery Medicine GuptaIndia Inoculations C-sectionsperformed SolarCalendar Astronomy Mathematics DecimalSystem The earthis round PI = 3.1416 Conceptof Zero

  27. Frequent invasions of White Huns, 5th c. CE Gupta Dynasty disintegrates along regional fault lines Smaller local kingdoms dominate until Mughal Empire founded in 16th c. Gupta Decline

  28. Manufactured goods in big demand Developed in dense network of small workshops Trade intense, capitalizes on trade routes across India Economy: Towns and Manufacturing

  29. Persian connection since Cyrus, Darius Massive road-building projects under Persian rule Alexander extends trade west to Macedon Trade routes through Kush mountains, the silk roads Long-Distance Trade

  30. Seasonal sea trade expands Spring/winter winds blow from south-west, fall/winter winds blow from north-west Trade from Asia to Persian Gulf and Red Sea, Mediterranean Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin

  31. Patriarchy entrenched Child marriage common (8 year old girls married to men in 20s) Women encouraged to remain in private sphere Mahabharata & Ramayana portrayed women as weak-willed and overly emotional Society: Gender Relations

  32. Social Order • Caste system from Aryan times • Brahmins (priests) • Kshatriyas (warriors, aristocrats) • Vaishyas (Peasants, merchants) • Shudras (serfs)

  33. Increasing economic diversification challenges simplistic caste system Jatis formed: guilds that acted as sub-castes Enforced social order “outcastes” forced into low-status employment Castes and Guilds

  34. Upward social mobility possible for Vaishyas, Shudras Wealth challenges varna for status as lower castes often accumulated more wealth than their brahmin & kshatriya contemporaries Wealth and the Social Order

  35. Social change generated resentment of caste privilege e.g. Brahmins free from taxation 6th-5th c. BCE new religions and philosophies challenge status quo Charvakas: atheists whose beliefs reflected the increasingly materialistic character of Indian society and economy Religions of Salvation in Classical India

  36. Vardhamana Mahavira, 540-468 BCE Abandoned privileged family to lead ascetic life Promotes 7th c. movement based on Upanishads Emphasis on selfless living, concern for all beings Jainism

  37. Principle of extreme non-violence Jainists sweep earth, strain water, use slow movements to avoid killing insects Ahimsa continues to inspire modern movements (Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr.) Ahimsa

  38. Rejected caste, jati distinctions Obvious appeal to underprivileged groups But asceticism too extreme to become a mass movement 2 million Jainist Indians today Appeal of Jainism

  39. Siddhartha Gautama, c. 563-483 BCE Encountered age, sickness, death, then monastic life Abandoned comfortable life to become a monk Early Buddhism

  40. Intense meditation, extreme asceticism 49 days of meditation under bo tree to finally achieve enlightenment Attained title Buddha: “the enlightened one” Gautama’s Search for Enlightenment

  41. Begins teaching new doctrine c. 528 BCE Followers owned only robes, food bowls Life of wandering, begging, meditation Establishment of monastic communities The Buddha and his Followers

  42. Buddha and his Disciples

  43. The Four Noble Truths all life is suffering there is an end to suffering removing desire removes suffering this may be done through the eight-fold path (right views, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration) Buddhist Doctrine: The Dharma

  44. Right views Right intention Right speech Right conduct Right livelihood Right effort Right mindfulness Right meditation The Eightfold Path

  45. Less dependence on Brahmins for ritual activities No recognition of caste, jati status Philosophy of moderate consumption Public service through lay teaching Use of vernacular, not Sanskrit Monasteries became important institutions in Indian society. Appeal of Buddhism

  46. A Buddhist Monastery

  47. A stupa (from Sanskrit literally meaning "heap") is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of a Buddha or saint. Stupas

  48. Personal conversion to Buddhism Saddened after violent war with Kalinga Banned animal sacrifices, mandated vegetarianism in court Material support for Buddhist institutions, missionary activities Ashoka’s Support of Buddhism

  49. 3rd c. BCE – 1st c. CE Buddha considered divine Institution of Boddhisatvas (“saints”) Charitable donations to monasteries regarded as pious activity Changes in Buddhist thought

More Related