Chapter 8, Section 2

1
Empires of South Asia

• Chapter 8, Section 2

2
The Maurya Empire

• Founded in 321 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya
• The Maurya dynasty ruled India for 140 years
• Chandraguptas grandson, Asoka, ruled from about
  269 BCE to 232 BCE and brought the Maurya Empire
  to the height of its power.

3
Asoka Maurya

• Early in Asokas reign he fought many wars to
  expand the territory of his empire.
• More than 100,000 men died in the fighting.
• Sickened by this slaughter, Asoka converted to
  Buddhism and renounced violence.
• Asoka preached peace and religious tolerance in
  his empire.
• To spread Buddhism, Asoka ordered thousands of
  stupas, or shrines containing the remains of the
  Buddha, to be build.
• Asoka visited these shrines and encouraged others
  to do the same.
• Asoka also sent missionaries to China and
  Southeast Asia, making Buddhism a major world
  religion.

4
Small Kingdoms

• After Asokas death in 232 BCE the Maurya Empire
  fell apart.
• During the next 500 years, the northern plain of
  India became a battleground for northern
  invaders.
• These invading groups (Bactrians, Pahlavas,
  Kushans) each contributed to the cultural
  diversity of the north.
• In the south, Dravidian culture remained largely
  unaffected by these invasions and continued to
  slowly evolve its culture.

5
The Gupta Empire

• In 320 CE, an ambitious young ruler named
  Chandragupta I united the north.
• He founded the Gupta dynasty which lasted from
  320 CE to 535 CE.
• Under the Guptas, India enjoyed a golden age of
  peace, prosperity, and increased trade.
• The Gupta Empire was overrun by invasions by the
  Huns.

6
Muslim Expansion into India

• In the mid-600s, the religion of Islam rose in
  the Middle East.
• These Muslim invaders, including the Mongols,
  Afghans, Turks, and Persians, swept through
  northern India and set up their own kingdoms.
• Around 1200, Muslim rulers set up a capital at
  Delhi.
• For 300 years, these Delhi ruler, or sultans,
  governed much of northern and central India.
• The Muslim rulers did not force people to convert
  to their religion but taxed Hindus and Buddhists.
• Some people converted to Islam in order to
  acquire high-ranking governmental positions.

7
A Clash of Beliefs

• These Islamic invaders were never absorbed into
  Hindu culture because differences between Muslims
  and Hindus were too great.
• Muslims are monotheistic while Hindus are
  polytheistic.
• Muslims believe that all people are equal before
  God while Hindus believed in the caste system.
• Muslims had the strict laws of the Koran while
  Hindus tolerated many different beliefs.
• To Muslims, cattle were a source of food while
  Hindus believed cattle were sacred animals.
• Such differences led to conflict and Muslim
  armies smashed Hindu temples, destroying images
  of Hindu gods and goddesses.
• Slowly over time Hindus and Muslims learned to
  live with one another and their cultures began to
  intertwine.

8
The Mughal Empire

• The Mongols, a group of invaders from central
  Asia, conquered northern India in 1526.
• The Mongols were led by Babur who founded the
  Mughal Empire.
• The Mughal Empire reached its height under the
  rule of Baburs grandson, Akbar.
• Akbar realized that to rule India he had to lead
  Hindus as well as Muslims.
• Adopting a policy of religious toleration, he
  married a Hindu princess and abolished the
  special tax on Hindus.
• He also appointed Hindus to jobs in the
  government.

9
The Mughal Empire

• Under the Mughals, Islamic and Hindu styles of
  art and architecture blended to create a unique
  Indian style.
• Akbars grandson, Shah Jahan, built the Taj Mahal
  in honor of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.

10
Decline of the Mughal Empire

• Mughal power weakened in the 1700s.
• Akbars successors ended the policy of religious
  toleration, leading many Hindu princes to revolt.
• Civil wars among Muslim princes also weakened
  Mughal power.
• European invaders began to arrive in India in
  larger numbers.