The Fortunes of Empire in Classical India

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The Fortunes of Empire in Classical India

• State, Society, the Quest for
• Salvation

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Do Now Read TWEDY on Indias Geography And
evaluate its role on Classical India
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Idea of empire was less prominent

• Fall of Indus Valley civilization by 1500 BCE
• Creation of new civilization along Ganges River
• Debate continues over role of Aryan invaders
• 1500-500 BCE Sanskrit language, earliest
  literature caste system nobles, priests,
  poets, warriors, workers

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Foundation of Classical Civilization by 600 BCE

• Enormous political, ethnic, cultural and
  linguistic diversity
• Indian civilization as a whole shaped by
  political fragmentation and cultural diversity
• Identity provided by distinctive religious
  tradition and social organization Hinduism and
  the caste system

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"The genius of India consists of synthesis"

• It is the combination of parts into a new whole.
• India's early language, Sanskrit, is the basis
  for many of modern languages such as Russian,
  Slavic, Indian, Farsi, Greek, Latin and all the
  Romance languages, Germanic, Scandinavian,
  English.
• Its Vedic mythology is the basis for Greek and
  Roman myths.
• India's language was exported to the West while
  part of its religious philosophy, Buddhism, was
  exported to East Asia (China, Japan, SE Asia).

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India Before the Mauryan Dynasty

• 563 - 463 BCE Gautama Buddha
• 520 BCE Persian Emperor Darius conquers
  north-west India
• Introduces Persian ruling pattern
• 327 BCE Alexander of the Great destroys Persian
  Empire in India
• Troops mutiny, depart after two years , political
  power vacuum
• New government will be influenced by Persian and
  Greek penetration of northwest through Khyber
  Pass of Hindu Kush Mountains

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Chronology of Indian History

• 400 - 100 BCE Mauryan Age Emperor Asoka
  patronizes Buddhism
• 320 - 450 CE Gupta Dynasty - Golden Age of
  Indian Civilization
• 450 CE White Hun invasions

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State, Society, the Quest for Salvation in India

• The Fortunes of Empire in Classical India
• The Mauryan Dynasty the Temporary Unification
  of India

The Mauryan Gupta Empires, 321 B.C.E. 550 C.E.
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COT

• Continuities
• Patriarchal
• Hinduism predominates
• Central trading location ( Maritime and Overland)
• Fragmented geographically
• Role of monsoon winds for trade and agriculture
• Caste
• Decentralized political structure due to
  geography
• Dowry/child brides

• Changes
• Kautilya advises Chandragupta Mauryan
• Buddhism state sponsored under Asoka Mauryan
• Greek influence on statuary and literature(Silk
  Routes)
• Increase in trade under Classical leadership
• Rock pillar edicts establish Pax Mauryan
• Division of Buddhism into Theravada and Mahayana
• Buddhist and Hindu monumental architecture
• Gupta Golden Age Mathematics, decimal system,
  surgery techniques, treaties on smallpox,
• Hindu epic literature Mahabharata, Ramayana (
  Baghavad Gita)
• Code of Manu- Hindu laws including Sati ( Window
  immolation)
• Kalidassas poetry

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Chandragupta 321 BCE-298 BCE

• Unified northern India.
• Defeated the Persian general Seleucus.
• Divided his empire into provinces, then
  districts for tax assessments and law
  enforcement.
• He feared assassination like Saddam Hussein
  ? food tasters, slept in different rooms, etc.
• 301 BCE ? gave up his throne became
  a Jain.

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Kautilya

• Chandraguptas advisor.
• Brahmin caste.
• Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or the
  Arthashastra.
• A guide for the king and his ministers
• Supports royal power.
• The great evil in society is anarchy.
• Therefore, a single authority is needed to
  employ force when necessary!

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Mauryan Empire
326 BCE 184 BCE
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The Mauryan Dynasty the Temporary Unification
of India

• Ruled all but southern tip of India
• Population of about 50 million people
• Large military and civilian bureaucracy the
  administration of a government chiefly through
  bureaus or departments staffed with nonelected
  officials
• State-operated industries

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Asoka (304 232 BCE)

• Religious conversion to Buddhism after the
  gruesome battle of Kalinga in 262 BCE.
• Dedicated his life to Buddhism.
• Built extensive roads.
• Conflict How to balance Kautilyas methods of
  keeping power and Buddhas demands tobecome a
  selfless person?

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Buddhist Doctrine The Dharma

• The Four Noble Truths
• all life is suffering
• there is an end to suffering
• removing desire removes suffering
• this may be done through the eight-fold path
• (right views, intention, speech, action,
  livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration)

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Appeal of Buddhism

• Less dependence on Brahmins for ritual activities
• No recognition of caste, jati status
• Philosophy of moderate consumption
• Public service through lay teaching
• Use of vernacular, not Sanskrit

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Asokas Empire, r. 268 - 232 BCE
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Asokas law code

• Edicts scattered in more than 30 places in
  India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan.
• Written mostly in Sanskrit, but one was in
  Greek and Aramaic.
• 10 rock edicts.
• Each pillar stupa is 40-50 high.
• Buddhist principles dominate his lawsas he
  makes an effort to develop a moral code for his
  empire. Religious tolerance, remorse for
  aggression (Ahimsa), conquest through teaching,
  welfare for all

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Decline of the Mauryan Empire

• Economic crisis follows death of Ashoka
• High costs of bureaucracy,
• military not supported by tax revenue
• Regions begin to abandon Mauryan Empire
• Disappears by 185 BCE

Ashoka Lion Capital Legacy
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Regional Kingdom Bactria

• Northwestern India
• Ruled by Greek-speaking descendants of
  Alexanders campaigns
• Intense cultural activity accompanies active trade

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Turmoil a Power Vacuum220 BCE 320 CE
Tamils
The Mauryan Empire is divided into many kingdoms.
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The Gupta Dynasty

• Based in Magadha
• Founded by Chandra Gupta (no relation to
  Chandragupta Maurya), c. 320 CE
• Slightly smaller than Mauryan Empire
• Highly decentralized leadership
• Gupta Decline
• Frequent invasions of White Huns, 5th c. CE
• Gupta Dynasty disintegrates along regional fault
  lines
• Smaller local kingdoms dominate until Mughal
  Empire founded in 16th c.

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Gupta Empire 320 CE 647 CE
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Society Economy

• Gender Relations
• Patriarchy entrenched
• Child marriage common (8 year old girls married
  to men in 20s)
• Women encouraged to remain in private sphere
• Castes Guilds
• Wealth the Social Order
• Economy Towns Manufacturing
• Manufactured goods in big demand
• Developed in dense network of small workshops
• Trade intense, capitalizes on trade routes across
  India

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Gupta Rulers

• Chandra Gupta I
• r. 320 335 CE
• Great King of Kings
• Chandra Gupta II
• r. 375 - 415 CE
• Profitable trade with the Mediterranean world
  
• Hindu revival
• Huns invade 450 CE

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Fa-Hsien Life in Gupta India

• Chinese Buddhist monk traveled along the Silk
  Road and visited India in the 5th century.
• He was following the path of the Buddha.
• He reported the people to be happy,
  relatively free of government oppression, and
  inclined towards courtesy and charity.
  Other references in the journal, however,
  indicate that the caste system was rapidly
  assuming its basic features, including
  "untouchability," the social isolation of a
  lowest class that is doomed to menial labor.

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Extensive Trade4th century
spices
silks
cotton goods
rice wheat
spices
horses
gold ivory
gold ivory
cotton goods
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International Trade Routes during the Guptas
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Gupta Achievements
1000 diseasesclassified
500 healingplants identified
Printedmedicinal guides
Kalidasa
Literature
Medicine
PlasticSurgery
GuptaIndia
Inoculations
C-sectionsperformed
SolarCalendar
Astronomy
Mathematics
DecimalSystem
The earthis round
PI 3.1416
Conceptof Zero
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The Decline of the Guptas

• Invasion of the White Huns from Central Asia in
  the 4th century signaled the end of the Gupta
  Golden Age, even though at first, the Gupta
  defeated them.
• After the decline of the Gupta empire, north
  India broke into a number of separate Hindu
  kingdoms and was not really unified again until
  the coming of the Muslims in the 7th century.
• Great cultural diversity
• Caste system encouraged local loyalties
• QUESTION Is the best literature and art
  written as the civilization is on the rise,
  at its height, or in its decline?

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Indian trade flourished despite lack of unity

• Merchants and artisans patronized public
  buildings and festivals
• Hinduism Buddhism spread through much of Asia
  Indian mathematics astronomy as well
• Trade along the Silk Roads
• Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin
• Seasonal sea trade expands
• Spring/winter winds blow from south-west,
  fall/winter winds blow from north-west
• Trade from Asia to Persian Gulf and Red Sea,
  Mediterranean

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Classical India COT

• Classical Indias caste system regulated social
  order despite the fact that it would have to
  compete with Buddhism in the Mauryan Empire,
  patriarchy through Hinduism minimized womens
  roles, but eventually the increasingly
  decentralized Gupta Empire would be toppled by
  Huns
• In South Asia 600 B.C.E-600 C.E the strategic
  location India would generate greater
  interregional trade with Indian Vaisyas
  (merchant caste) being the most venturesome
  sailors in the Indian Ocean, Hinduism would
  become increasingly more codified through the
  laws of Manu and epic literature like the
  Mahayana, however, Indias fragmented geography
  would continue to contribute greatly to its
  diverse identification of language and culture (
  Deccan Planteau,Thar Desert, Himalayan Mountains,
  etc.)
• Classical India (600 B.C.E-600 C.E) was
  dramatically altered by Asokas conversion in the
  Mauryan Empire to Buddhism establishing a
  pattern of tolerance and understanding,
  facilitating monastic orders to spread Buddhism
  and its rejection of caste, however, Hinduism
  would remain the majority faith based of
  traditions and historical social divisions.
• In South Asia 600 B.C.E-600 C.E the introduction
  of Greco-Buddhism facilitated the spread of
  Buddhism across the silk road with depictions of
  the Buddha in traditional Greek fashion,
  literature became inspired by Homeric Epics in
  the Baghavad Gita, however, the role of caste and
  principles of Dharma (duties) and Karma(
  determination of future rebirths/samsara) would
  continue to guide social and economic
  relationships.

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In South Asia 600 B.C.E-600 C.E the strategic
location India would generate greater
interregional trade with Indian Vaisyas
(merchant caste) being the most venturesome
sailors in the Indian Ocean, Hinduism would
become increasingly more codified through the
laws of Manu and epic literature like the
Mahayana, however, Indias fragmented geography
would continue to contribute greatly to its
diverse identification of language and culture (
Deccan Planteau,Thar Desert, Himalayan Mountains,
etc.)
South Asias location along the silk routes and Indian Ocean trade routes facilitated its middle man status amongst the other classical civlizations Hinduism, already a staple in South Asia would become increasingly more complex and codified through the code of Manu, and literary epics like the Mahabarata and Ramayana. Indias fragmented geography would keep its political system decentralized through the rougly 1200 year time frame governed ( with the exception of the Maurya and Gupta) decentralized Hindu kingdoms.
Finished products from Rome and Silks and Spices from China and SE Asia would see the massive exports of gold into India garnering tremendous wealth and significant outside nfluence. Brahmin would study and establish universities where they would translate Vedas to teach moraility , social cohesiveness and (perhaps Gree inspired) tales of Gods and humans interacting. Its mountainous, diverse and fragmented nature severely hindered its ability to centralized, instead, looking toward Hinduism as its only true cohesive factor ( thousands of languages, ethnici