The Empires of Early India

1
The Empires of Early India

• The Mauryan Empire

2
The Reign of Chandragupta

• Rise to Power
• Chandragupta gathers an army and kills the king
  of the ruling family
• Unifies most of northern India via military
  conquest
• 600,000 soldiers
• 30,000 cavalry
• 9,000 men on elephants

3
The Reign of Chandragupta

• Heavy Taxes
• Farmers could pay ½ of their crop value in taxes
• Bureaucracy
• Divides empire into 4 provinces (Pradesikas)
• Each province divided into local districts
  (Rajjukas Yuktas)
• Local districts controlled taxes and law
  enforcement

4
The Reign of Chandragupta

• Paranoia in the palace
• Food tasters
• Secret Police
• Slept in a different room every night
• Female body guards

5
The Reign of Asoka
6
The Reign of Asoka

• Embraces Buddhism and rules by its teachings
• Edicts
• Monuments that proclaim the reforms policies of
  Asoka

7
The Reign of Asoka

• Unification of Diverse Peoples
• Extensive Roadways
• Trees for Shade
• Watering Stops
• Rest Areas

8
Mauryan Achievements

• Spread of Buddhism throughout India and Asia
• Missionaries of Buddhist monks traveled the Silk
  Road
• Building of Schools and Libraries in major cities

9
Bye-Bye Maurya

• After Asokas death kings challenged the imperial
  rule of the Maurya
• High Taxes
• Farmers couldnt feed empire
• Too much went to military and bureaucracy

• Invasion by the Greeks and Persians in the north
• Series of weak successors
• Asokas policies?

10
The Gupta Empire

• Reinforcement of Hinduism
• Laws reflect Hindu beliefs
• Caste System
• Untouchables - given impure jobs, such as grave
  diggers and street cleaners

11
The Gupta Empire Golden Age

• Math
• Concept of Zero 0, Zilch, Nada, Niente
• Decimal System .00099

12
Gupta Golden Age

• Medicine
• Before Beverly Hills, the Gupta had plastic
  surgery
• Smallpox Vaccine (1,000 years before Europe)

13
Gupta Golden Age

• Architecture
• Stupas
• Large dome shaped Buddhist shrines
• Street level shops with apartments above

14
Gupta Golden Age

• Literature
• Fables and folk tales in Sanskrit
• Adapted by Egypt, Persia, and Greece

15
End of Gupta

• Fall of the Gupta
• Weak Rulers
• Invasion by the Huns