Origin of an Empire By the 500s BC India was divided into many small kingdoms The Greeks under Alexander the Great entered India but turned back when his homesick troops threatened to ID: 1045974
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "The Mauryan Empire Lesson 9.3" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
1. The Mauryan Empire Lesson 9.3
2. Origin of an Empire By the 500s B.C., India was divided into many small kingdoms. The Greeks, under Alexander the Great, entered India but turned back when his homesick troops threatened to rebel.
3. India’s First Empire After Alexander left India, an Indian military officer named Chandra Gupta Maurya built a strong army. He set out to conquer northern India and unify the region under his rule.Chandra Gupta was the first ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. He set up a government in the capital city of Pataliputra where he set up an efficient postal system.Chandra Gupta’s powerful army crushed any resistance to his rule.
4. What did Ashoka Accomplish?The Mauryan Empire reached the height of its glory under Chandra Gupta’s grandson Ashoka.While he started his rule with fierce wars of conquest, he came to hate killing and decided to follow Buddhist teachings and became a man of peace.
5. What did Ashoka Accomplish? Ashoka made laws that encouraged people to do good deeds, practice nonviolence and respect others.The first ruler to promote Buddhism, Ashoka also had thousands of stupas built throughout India. Although he was a devout Buddhist, Ashoka was tolerant of all beliefs and allowed Hindu subjects to practice their religion.
6. Empire:
7. The End of the Mauryan EmpireAfter Ashoka died in 232 B.C., the Mauryan Empire declined. The new rulers made merchants pay heavy taxes and took land from peasants. The Indian people rebelled and the land of the Mauryan Empire split into many small warring kingdoms.
8. The Gupta Empire In A.D. 320, the Gupta dynasty came to power in the Ganges River Valley. Chandra Gupta I, the first Gupta ruler, had the same name as the first ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. He ruled for 10 years.Chandra Gupta I’s son, Samudra Gupta, expanded the Gupta Empire in northern India. Under Samudra Gupta, India entered a golden age.
9. The Gupta EmpireTrade helped the Gupta Empire thrive. Salt, cloth, and iron were common goods traded in India. Gupta rulers benefited from their control of much of the trade – they owned silver and gold mines and large estates.Cities arose along trade routes. Pilgrims used the routes to travel to holy sites.
10. The Gupta Empire
11. Literature of IndiaAlong with Vedas, the literature of ancient India included epics, sacred texts that teach important moral lessons.The Mahabharata is the longest poem in any language with about 90,000 verses. The epic describes a struggle for control of an Indian kingdom.The Ramayana epic tells the story of Rama and is about 25,000 verses long.
12. The Arts & ArchitectureAncient Hindus believed that music was a gift from god. Many sacred texts were probably sung.
13. The Arts & ArchitectureThe most important structures in early India were the rulers’ palaces and the temples used for religious worship. During Ashoka’s reign, many stone pillars carved with Buddhist messages were placed alongside roads.
14. Mathematics Aryabata was one of the first scientists known to have used algebra. The Indians’ invention of zero affected the study of mathematics and science.Gupta mathematicians developed symbols for the numbers 1 to 9 that we use today.
15. Advances in ScienceIndian astronomers mapped the movements of planets and stars. They also proposed the theory that the Earth was round and revolved around the sun.
16. Advances in Medicine Indian doctors treated dental problems using tools such as the bow drill. The tool was usually used to make fire.
17. Advances in Medicine Doctors during the Gupta era could set broken bones, sew wounds, and perform complicated surgeries. Fixing damaged noses was an early type of plastic surgery.
18. Review QuestionsThe Mauryan Empire reached the height of its glory under which ruler? Ashoka was the first ruler to promote what religion? The Gupta Empire came into power around what River Valley?The invention of what number affected the study of math and science?