Indias First Empires

1
Indias First Empires

• The Mauryan Empire 322-187 B.C.E
• The Gupta Empire 320-550C.E

Statue of Chandragupta Maurya-known for creating
Indias 1st Empire
2
Who built Indias First Empire?

• Two Major Invasions in Ancient Indias history
• Persian Invasion in the 500s
  B.C.E
• Alexander the Great in 327 B.C.E
• Indias first empire was founded by Chandragupta
  Maurya.
• He was an Indian prince who conquered a large
  area of land right after Alexander the Great
• Because many of the kingdoms throughout India
  were weak because of Alexander, he was able to
  easily take over when Alexander and his troops
  left.

3
Chandraguptas Dynasty

• A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same
  family
• Chandragupta controlled his dynasty by building a
  strong army and using spies.
• He also established a postal system.

• Early stamps of India were watermarked with an
  elephant's head.

4
Emperor Asoka

• Historians consider him to be Mauryans greatest
  king.
• He began as a strong military leader, but later
  he turned away from violence.
• He made a vow to live a peaceful life and follow
  Buddhism.
• He built hospitals, roads, and sent teachers
  throughout India to teach Buddhism.
• The empire grew weak after his death and the
  Mauryan Empire fell.

5
The Gupta Empire

• After 500 years of fighting, another Chandragupta
  took power and founded the Gupta Empire.
• They ruled for about 200 years. They grew
  wealthy from trade with China, parts of Asia, and
  the Mediterranean.
• Official Religion of the Empire was Hindu
• Pilgrims used trade routes to travel to a
  religious shrine or site. Visiting pilgrims
  helped make cities of the Empire wealthy.

6
What about Indian Culture?
The Golden Age of Art and Learning in India was
during the Gupta Empire.
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