Golden Age

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• Golden Age
• A kingdom is strong and wealthy
• Has a powerful army
• Achievements in areas such as the arts and
  sciences

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• Gupta Dynasty Indias Golden Age or Classical
  Age of India
• Made possible by the might of the empire riches
  gathered by rulers
• This Golden Age of India reached its height
  during the rule of Chandragupta II
• Gupta Dynasty Many poets and writers produced
  literary works in Sanskrit LANGUAGE OF THE UPPER
  CLASSES
• Kalidasa Well-known poet Dramatist
  Shakespeare of India
• Kalidasa said to have lived at Chandraguptas
  court wrote poems and plays for the king

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• Kalidasa Most famous play Shakuntala a
  story about a young woman who married a king, was
  separated from him by a curse but was reunited
  with him several years later
• Indian writers also famous for their fairy tales
  and fables
• Panchatantra a collection of animal stories
• Shakuntala and Panchatantra reached Europe and
  translated into many languages
• They are still read with much interest today

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• Temples were built and decorated with excellent
  sculpture and paintings
• Buddhists sculptors also cut temples into rock
  walls
• Best-known cave temples
• At Ajanta in the state state of Maharashtra in
  south-central India
• Beautiful paintings and sculpture in bright
  colours showing scenes from the life of Buddha
• Gupta craftsmen also used metal such as copper,
  bronze and iron to create sculpture
• Eg the seven-metre high iron pillar in Delhi
  built over 1,500 years ago. Till today, it has
  not yet rusted.

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• The Indians also made great contributions to the
  world in the area of mathematics. One area of
  contribution was in the development of number
  symbols. We would not know the symbol zero if not
  for the Indians.
• Right?
• WRONG!

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the universal system using the numbers one to
nine known as the Hindu-Arabic system had its
roots in the rod bundles used in China from as
early as 475 BC
The Straits Times, 13 Jun 2002
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• This goes to show that history is never
  deadstagnant
• What was thought to be quite true is not because
  new evidence has surfaced
• Dr Lam Lay Yong, a Singapore mathematician, had
  proven historians wrong
• Dr Lam wrote the book Fleeting Footsteps on how
  the Hindu-Arabic numeral system had its origins
  in the Chinese rod system
• Our textbook also mentions that Gupta
  mathematicians were also the first to invent the
  decimal system. We are unable to dispute this at
  this point in time. So we will take this as true.
• The system was adopted by the Arabs who, in turn,
  took it to Europe.

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• ASTRONOMY Greater understanding in astronomy,
  esp the solar system
• Aryabhata, the Indian astronomer, came up with
  the theory that the earth was a sphere and that
  it revolved around the sun and rotated on its own
  axis
• He predicted correctly the cause of the lunar
  eclipse
• Able to calculate correctly the length of a solar
  year as 365.3586 days
• MEDICINE Indian physicians knew how to clean
  wounds, perform surgery and treat certain
  diseases

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• Many ideas spread from India to other countries
  during its Golden Age and after
• Buddhism spread from India to China where it
  gained popularity during the Tang Dynasty
• Indian influence in SE Asia eg Java and Cambodia
• Indian art made a strong impact on a Buddhist
  dynasty, the Sailendras in central Java
• The kings of Sailendra built the worlds largest
  Buddhist shrine at Borobudur in the 8th or 9th
  centuries
• The people of Cambodia (now Kampuchea)
  constructed an impressive Hindu religious
  building, the temple of Angkor Wat in the 12th
  century

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• Shang Dynasty Chinese already knew how to weave
  silk threads, a well-kept secret
• Silk became an important export item in Chinas
  trade because foreigners like it
• Han Dynasty Seen by many as an age of great
  wealth and expansion also many inventions
• Among the greatest of inventions is the
  seismograph

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• Zhang Heng, an inventor, was a scientist in the
  royal court
• He invented the seismograph, an instrument which
  can predict earthquakes
• In China, earthquakes resulted in floods and
  famines, leading to civil disprder and riots
• Thus important for the Emperor to be able to
  predict earthquakes, especially since the people
  saw earthquakes as a sign that the Emperor was
  not favoured by Heaven and needed to be
  overthrown

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• Paper Han Dynasty - Chinese made paper from
  plant fibres
• It was first used to wrap things and as blankets
• Only later did the Chinese use it for writing
  rather than on bamboo or silk
• The use of paper spread to all parts of the world
• Printing Before printing was invented, each
  book had to be handwritten
• Invention of block printing in the Tang Dynasty,
  ore books became readily accessible
• Can you remember what was the earliest printed
  books?

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• The Diamond Sutra a book of Buddhist prayers
  printed using the woodblock printing method
• Printing probably originated because of the need
  to spread Buddhism
• This, in turn, resulted in the development of
  education and literature

• Song Dynasty Instead of fixed block, a
  movable type block was used
• Before printing, printer arranges the correct
  type or individual Chinese character carved on
  clay on an iron plate
• These types could be rearranged and used again

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• Compass Invented more than 2000 years ago
• First used in town planning to ensure new houses
  were built in the correct direction
• During Song period, used for navigation at sea
• Gunpowder invented in the Tang period
• Used to make fire works and fire arrows
• In the Song period, bombs were made which created
  a loud explosive noise and were used to frighten
  enemies horses
• Fire arrows were the earliest weapons used
• See pg 73
• Only in the Song Dynasty was an arsenal set up to
  make gunpowder

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• Acupuncture Involved needles being placed at
  special points in the body to cure illnesses
• The aim was to affect the balance between systems
  of energy in the body

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• Sima Qian A court historian during the reign of
  Han Wudi
• Wrote the Shiji, a historical account of Chinese
  history from the earliest times
• Based on oral and written evidence
• The Shiji is actually the first real work on
  Chinese history
• It was designed to cover the whole of history in
  the eyes of the Chinese
• This was a new approach to writing history
• Used as a model by later historians

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• Tang Period Well-known for poetry and
  calligraphy these were subjects included in the
  Imperial Examinations
• Famous Tang poets Li Bai and Du Fu
• Even today, their poetry is still appreciated

Source http//www.usglobe.com/Asia/China/lipocom
.html
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• Buddhism an important theme in the sculptures of
  the period
• As we know, Wu Zetian supported the spread of
  Buddhism
• She built many Buddhist sculptures and monuments
  in China and along the Silk Road

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Statue of Qin Shu Bao

• Tang Dynasty Tang artist paid great attention
  to detail
• Meant to achieve a lifelike finish to their
  paintings and sculptures
• Song Dynasty Painters painted landscape
  paintings with mountains, waterfalls, rivers and
  forests
• Human figures were kept small and insignificant
• The aim was to unite heaven and earth in a
  landscape
• Paintings were done on silk or paper in the form
  of hanging scrolls, handscrolls or fans

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Statue of Qin Shu Bao
http//www.chinapage.com/painting/wangximeng.html
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Statue of Qin Shu Bao
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• Tang pottery is still famous today
• Painted in 3 colours cream, chestnut-brown and
  green
• Porcelain was of high quality and in very great
  demand by foreign traders
• Very few intact pieces have survived from Tang
  times

Source http//mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/specex/tang/
tang.htm
Source http//www.chinavista.com/experience/tang
/main.html
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• Song Dynasty More pottery was produced and they
  were very beautiful
• All over China, there were kilns where pottery
  was produced
• Thousands of people were employed

Ewer with Phoenix Head c. 900 A.D. Qingbai
stoneware, translucent glaze 14.5 ' high Source
http//www.artincontext.org/image/chinese/ewer_w
ith_phoenix_head_c_9.html
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• Shang Dynasty Chinese practised human sacrifice
  burying attendants and animals in the same tomb
  as an emperor or noble
• Tang Dynasty Grave figures were used instead
• Tang potters made jars, vases and other vessels
  and used glaze to give these figures shine
• Song porcelain was extremely fine and elegant, in
  soft colours like blue, green and cream

Who is this? Where can you find him? Hint Hes
in Singapore!
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Statue of Qin Shu Bao

• This is Qin Shu Bao
• Qin Shu Bao, together with Wei Chi Jing De were
  generals during the Tang Dynasty in 618 BC
• Possessed with special powers, they were called
  upon to protect the Emperor Tang Taizong from the
  Dragon King who swore vengence on the Emperor
  during a conflict
• In popular Chinese beliefs, they are the
  guardians of doorways. These two statues were
  built in 1975 and weigh 3 tons each.
• Both statues are found outside the Hilton Hotel
  along Orchard Road

General Wei Chi Jing De
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• SEA performing arts borrowed ideas from India
• The story of Rama and episodes from the
  Mahabharata are still being told in dance,
  recitation and drama all over SEA
• Performed in villages and courts of the kings
• Ramayana adapted to suit many SEA cultures
• Eg Indonesians still watch wayang kulit or shadow
  puppet plays about the exploits of Rama
• Scenes from the Mahabharata are also portrayed in
  the wayang orang, another form of theatre in Java

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• In SEA, the Golden Age of Java was achieved
  during the Majapahit empire the empire that
  arose in the late 13thC after the decline of
  Srivijaya
• Works of literature thrived during the time of
  Gagah Mada, a famous PM of King Hayam Wuruk of
  Majapahit
• Nagarakertagama a poem by a Buddhist monk that
  is one of the most famous works of the time

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• Language Pali, a language used in Buddhist
  writings and Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-European
  language form the basis of many words today
• Malay, Thai, Khmer (language of Kampuchea) also
  borrowed from these languages
• Jawi a modified Arab script is used to write
  Malay in SEA
• Many Malay words are borrowed from Arabic
• qasi the Arabic word for judge of kadhi

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• Bronze and stone statues in SEA inspired by
  Buddhist and Hindu ideas
• Originally copied from those in India
• Later, statues were adapted and carved
  differently
• Eg Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva and that of Buddha

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• In SEA, architecture also influenced by Hinduism
  and Buddhism
• Most well-known works in SEA Borobudur and
  Angkor Wat
• Although inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, they
  show the creativity of SEA
• Islamic influences can also be seen in the
  designs of mosques

Source http//www.leidenuniv.nl/pun/ubhtm/mjk/mj
k072.jpg
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Source http//www.bergerfoundation.ch/Home/high_
borobudur.html
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PORCELAIN

• Porcelain was made from a special white clay that
  had been mixed with powdered rock, made moist and
  worked into a paste
• A potters wheel or mould was used to shape the
  pots
• Glazes were also used to give porcelain a soft,
  rich colour and a shine
• Chinese porcelain was so prized by Europeans in
  the West that they called it china, meaning
  quality porcelain.