"In the history of the world there have been thousands of k - PowerPoint Presentation

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"In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who called themselves 'their highnesses,' 'their majesties,' and 'their exalted majesties' and so on. They shone for a brief moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Ashoka shines and shines brightly like a bright star, even unto this day."

H.G. WellsSlide2

IndiaEmpires played a less prominent role in IndiaIn the Indus River valley flourished the largest of the First Civilizations (The cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro – urban planning)But in the Indus valley, there was little evidence of any central political authorityAt its demise by 1500 BCE, creation of a new civilization along the Ganges River

Scholars debate the role of the Aryans, a pastoral Indo-European people, and whether they invaded and destroyed or were already a part of the Indus Valley populationSlide3
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Political fragmentation and diversityBy 600 BCE, the classical civilization of South Asia began to take shape in northern IndiaBut emerged as a fragmented collection of towns and cities with diverse political structuresAnd a range of ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity due to endless variety of peoples migrating from Central Asia across mountain passes into India

The source of an identity in the midst of diversity was a distinctive religion (Hinduism)

Linguistic MapSlide5
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But empires had been knownNorthwestern India had been briefly ruled by Persian EmpireNorthwestern India and been briefly conquered by Alexander the GreatPersian and Greek influences encouraged the first and largest of India’s short experiments with empire building

“Surrender of Porus to the Emperor Alexander”Slide8
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The Mauryan EmpireWith a population of perhaps 50 millionA large military force (reported 600,000 infantry soldiers - 30,000 cavalry - 8,000 chariots - and 9,000 elephants)Civilian bureaucracy with various ministries and spiesState also operated many industries – spinning, weaving, mining, shipbuilding, and armaments

Taxes on trade, herds, land (from which the monarch claimed a quarter or more of the crop)Slide10
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Ashoka (reigned 268-232 BCE)Left a record of his activities and thinking in his edicts carved on rocks and pillars (Pillars of Ashoka)Reign began in a ruthless fashion of conquest and expansionBut a particularly bloody battle, the Battle of Kalinga, was a turning point -Disgusted by the violence and carnage, Ashoka converted to BuddhismSlide12
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Adopted a more peaceful approach to governmentEncouraged nonviolence and toleranceWorked for the happiness and well-being of his subjectsAbandoned the royal huntsEnded animal sacrifices in the capitalEliminated most meat from the royal menuGenerously supported Buddhist monasteries as well as the building of stupas (shrines erected by Buddhists which housed relics of important Buddhists)Slide14
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Ordered the digging of wells, the planting of shade trees, and the building of rest stops along the empire’s major highways (integrating the kingdom’s economy)But still retained the power to punish wrongdoing and the death penalty remainedAttempted to develop a moral code for the diverse empireAfter Ashoka’s death, political fragmentation returned with competing regional states

Buddhist symbol - the Dharma wheel – representing

the teachings of the BuddhaSlide16

Political FragmentationSlide17

The Gupta EmpireAnother short-lived experiment in empire building in South AsiaA golden age of Hindu cultureMathematicians developed the concept of zero, the decimal system, and the concept of infinityScientists experimented with vaccinations

Artists created beautiful paintings in the caves of Ajanta and great works of literature in Sanskrit, the holy language of the Hindu religionSlide18
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But India was similar to Western Europe after the collapse of the Roman EmpirePolitical fragmentation was more common than unityPerhaps India’s tremendous cultural diversity was the reasonAlso frequent invasions from Central Asia, which regularly smashed states that might have emerged as empire buildersAnd India’s social system known as the caste system increased local loyaltiesSlide20
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But a vibrant economy encouraged trade and commerceIndia was a focal point of an extensive network of trade in the Indian Ocean basinIts cotton textile industry supplied cloth throughout the Afro-Eurasian worldStrong guilds of merchants and artisans provided political leadership in towns and citiesWealth from commerce patronized the activities of artists and architectsCreativity in religious thinking (from Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism emerged)

Great advances in mathematics and science, especially astronomySlide22

The absence of a consistent imperial unity did not prevent the evolution of a lasting civilizationSlide23
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ReflectionsA Strayer Question: Why were centralized empires so much less prominent in India than in China? Compare and contrast the process of empire building in India and the Roman Empire.How did the religious experience shape the political reality in

South Asia?