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Classical India

Classical India. AP Information. Topics. Trade Technology/Achievements War/Invasions Cultural Diffusion Social Hierarchy Gender. Trade. Jains turned to commerce to avoid farming Traded for gold with the Roman Empire; w/Persians Asoka’s successors taxed goods sold by merchants

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Classical India

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  1. Classical India • AP Information

  2. Topics • Trade • Technology/Achievements • War/Invasions • Cultural Diffusion • Social Hierarchy • Gender

  3. Trade • Jains turned to commerce to avoid farming • Traded for gold with the Roman Empire; w/Persians • Asoka’s successors taxed goods sold by merchants • Traded gems, spices, cotton, teak, & ebony for horses from Arabia & Central Asia; silk from China • Emphasized trade more than China • Traded w/China, but had little impact; more with Middle East & Mediterranean • Indian merchants traded cotton textiles and bronze statuaries via Indian Ocean

  4. Technology/Achievements • Maurya: Asoka built roads, hospitals, veterinary clinics • Gupta: arts & sciences flourished • Gupta: developed principle of algebra, infinity, and concept of zero; “Arabic numerals”, negative numbers, square roots • Astronomy: earth’s rotation around sun, circumference of earth & planets; gravity • Stupas built by Ashoka • Panchatantra with “Sinbad the Sailor” and “Jack the Giant Killer” • Medicine: set bones, performed operations, invented medical instruments; ethics, cleanliness • Epic poems: Mahabharata (100,000 verses) & Ramayana (24,000 verses) • Upanishads

  5. Social Hierarchy • Caste system made up of varnas: Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Sudras, & Pariah • Only priests and warriors could recite the Vedas • Priests replaced warriors at the top of the caste system • Castes/varnas divided into jatis based on occupation • Castes promoted tolerance; goes hand in hand with Hinduism

  6. War/Invasions • 1500 B.C. - Aryan invasion (Indo-European hunter-herder migrants) • 500 B.C. – Persians under Darius I conquer Indus River valley • 327. B.C. – Alexander the Great’s armies make it to the Indus River • Asoka builds empire through war; renounces violence after much bloodshed • Kushans invade from northwest • Gupta – invasion of the Huns brings end to empire

  7. Cultural Diffusion • Buddhism spreads to other parts of Asia especially China, Japan, Korea, Middle East, & Sri Lanka • Indian art influenced China • Symbols for 1-9 adopted by traders from Middle East; became Arabic numerals that we use today • Hinduism influence spreads to surrounding areas (Angkor Wat in Cambodia is dedicated to Vishnu) • Hellenistic culture transferred to India through Alex the Great’s armies • Stoicism stimulated by Buddhist emissaries to Middle East

  8. Gender • Men dominated the Aryan world (patriarchal) - • Aryan women had choice of choosing husband; • Indian women could remarry if widowed; took part on social affairs; high ranking boys and girls could attend school; were educated in household tasks • Status of women declines after Aryans arrive • Gupta- women & mothers highly respected, but had little independence

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