Classical India

1
Classical India
2
Geography of India

• India much closer to other civilizations- trade
  with Middle East and later with China
• Topography- Himalayas in the north separated it
  from the rest of Asia
• Most important agricultural regions- Ganges and
  Indus rivers
• Divisions within the subcontinent made full unity
  difficult
• Summer brings monsoon rains, crucial for farming-
  but monsoon unreliable

3
Vedic and Epic ages (c. 1500- 1000 BCE)

• Aryans (Indo-European) migrants- hunting and
  herding peoples originally from central Asia
• Vedas- sacred books of the Aryans
• o  Rig-Veda- 1028 hymns dedicated to the Aryan
  gods
• o  Mahabharata- Indias greatest epic poem
• o  Ramayana
• o  Upanishads- epic poems with a more mystical
  religious flavor
• Encouraged tight levels of village organization
• Indian caste system takes shape- partly because
  Aryan invaders saw indigenous people as inferior

4
Mauryan Dynasty

• 322 BCE soldier named Chandragupta Maurya seized
  power along the Ganges River (in reaction to
  Alexander the Great pushing in)
• Maintained large armies, substantial bureaucracy
  (postal service)
• Autocratic style of government- relying on
  rulers personal and military power
• Ashoka (269-232 BCE) - Chandraguptas grandson
  extended Mauryan control converted to Buddhism
  and spread Buddhism throughout much of India
  improved trade and communication
• After Ashoka the empire began to fall apart and
  regional kingdoms surfaced again
• Kushans- invaders who took over for a brief
  period until 220 CE

5
(No Transcript)
6
Indian Stupa
7
Gupta

• Starting in 320 CE (after period of instability)
  new large empire
• Great impact- expanded influence without constant
  fighting greatest period of political stability
• Overturned in 535 CE by the Huns

8
(No Transcript)
9
Political Institutions

• Strong regionalism, which meant that even great
  empires had a weak foundation
• Political culture not elaborate- no formal
  political theory and few institutions or values
  that carried over
• Caste rules, interpreted by priests, regulated
  many social relationships and work roles
• o  Divided from five classes to over 300
• o  Stronger hereditary principles
• o  Allowed Indias people to live together
  without perpetual conflict
• o  Because of the loyalty to these rules, no
  state could command similar loyalty
• Religion was the cement !!

10
Economy

• Economy became vigorous- rivaling China
• New uses for chemistry- steel the best in the
  world
• Emphasis on trade and merchant activity far
  greater than in China
• Merchants enjoyed relatively high caste status
  and flexibility
• Remained agricultural at its base

11
Trade in the Ancient World

• Theme of the Era- increased trade networks and
  communication
• Trade often conducted by nomads living along the
  trade routes
• 3 networks Silk Road, Indian Ocean, Saharan
  Trade
• Goods, Inventions, Culture diffused- i.e. the
  stirrup
• Technological inventions in sailing- i.e. the
  lateen sail in the Indian Ocean

12
Hinduism

• Origins in the Vedic and Epic Ages
• No founder, no central figure so it unfolded
  gradually
• Encouraged economic and political goals
• Very tolerant
• Upanishads- stressed the shallowness of worldly
  concerns
• Provided several channels for the good life
• Supplied some unity
• Allowed people to hold on to some older rituals

13
Buddhism

• C. 563 BCE Siddhartha Gautama was born
• Argued for the individual and went against the
  caste system and the priests
• Wasnt able to hold a strong portion of India
  ultimately

14
Other Cultural Developments

• Indian thinkers wrote actively about human life
• Important work in math and science
• Vast university center (Guptas)
• Strides in astronomy and medicine
• Numbering system is the one we use today
• Concept of zero and negative numbers
• Lively art including stupas- shrines to Buddha

15
Society

• Caste system
• Family life also emphasized the them of hierarchy
  and tight organization
• Dominance of husbands and fathers
• Arranged marriages
• Women, however, were celebrated in stories and
  theory was much harsher than practice

16
Influence of Classical India

• Indian ocean dominated by Indian merchants
• India had considerable political influence
• Many Indian merchants married into wealthy royal
  families in SE Asia
• Spread of Buddhism and Hinduism