Lesson 3 Ancient India

India was divided into small kingdoms by 500 BCE, leading to foreign invasions. Chandragupta Maurya built a strong empire and established a centralized government. His grandson, Ashoka, promoted Buddhism and implemented laws for the welfare of the people. The Gupta Empire followed, with rulers supporting Hinduism and Buddhism, promoting trade and arts. Ancient India contributed to literature, art, mathematics, science, medicine, and astronomy. They used algebra, invented zero, and had advanced medical practices. By the 500 BCE, India was divided into many small kingdoms. Conflict over land and trade weakened the kingdoms, leaving them open for foreign invasions. First, Persian armies conquered the Indus Valley in 500 BCE and made a part of the Persian Empire. The Greeks, under Alexander the Great, defeated Alexander of India but turned back in 325 BCE when his homesick troops threatened to rebel. India's First Empire After Alexander left India, an Indian military officer named Chandragupta Maira built a strong army. He knew that only a large and powerful empire could defend India against invasion. In 321 BCE, Chandragupta set out to conquer northern India and unify the region under his rule. Chandragupta was the first ruler of the Mayan dynasty. He set up on a highly centralized government in his capital city of Palaputra. He divided his empire into provinces which were ruled by governors whom he appointed. This helped him organize such a large territory. Chandragupta was also a skilled administrator. One of his major achievements was an official postal system. The system improved communications throughout his empire. More than 600,000 strong, Chandragupta's powerful army crushed any resistance to his rule. He also used spies to report any disloyalty among his subjects. While he was a strong ruler, Chandragupta was very cautious. He was afraid of being poisoned, so he had several servants taste his food before he ate it. He was so concerned about being attacked that he never slept two nights in a row in the same bed. What did Ashoka accomplish? The Mayan empire reached the height of its glory under Chandragupta's grandson, Ashoka. Ashoka governed most of northern and central India from about 273 BCE to 232 BCE. Ashoka was an unusual king. Like most rulers, Ashoka began his rule with fierce wars or conflicts. Eventually, he began to hate killing. After one battle, he looked at the field and was covered with dead and wounded soldiers. He was horrified by what he saw. Ashoka committed his life to spreading Buddhist teachings and becoming a man of peace. Ashoka kept his promise. During the rest of his life, he tried to improve the lives of his people. Ashoka made laws that encouraged good deeds, family harmony, nonviolence, and toleration of other religions. He created hospitals for people and for animals. He built fine roads with rest roads and shade trees for travelers' comforts. Ashoka was the first ruler to promote Buddhism. He sent teachers to spread the religion throughout India and other parts of Asia. His teachings and laws of Ashoka were carved on rocks and tall stone pillars for all the people to read. Ashoka also had thousands of stupas built throughout India. Stupas are Buddhist shrines shaped like a dome or burial mound. The stupas contained religious objects and served as a place of worship. Although he was a devout Buddhist, Ashoka was tolerant of all beliefs and allowed for his subjects to practice their religion. The able leadership of Ashoka and other Mayan Empires helped the Mayan Empire prosper. India's good roads helped it become the center of a large trade network that stretched the Mediterranean Sea. The Mayan Empire had strong political links with Western Hellenistic states. After Ashoka died in 232 BC, the Mayan Empire declined. The kings who came after Ashoka lacked his kindness and skills. The new rulers made merchants pay heavy taxes and took land from peasants. The Indian people rebelled against the harsh treatment. In 183 BCE, the last Mayan king was murdered by his own general. The land of the Mayan Empire was split into many small warring kingdoms, the Gupta Empire. For over 500 years, small ruling kingdoms fought each other for control of India. Then, in 320 BCE, the Gupta dynasty came to power in the Ganges River Valley. The city of Palaputra had been the capital of the Gupta Empire. Chandragupta I, the first Gupta ruler, had the same name as the first ruler of the Mayan dynasty. Chandragupta I ruled for 10 years. He chose his son, Samudragupta, to rule after him. Samudragupta expanded the Gupta Empire into northern India. He was a great military leader and the patron of arts and literature. Under Chandragupta, India entered a golden age. Gupta rulers practiced the Hindu religion and did many of their subjects. They donated money to support Hindu and Buddhist scholars and built temples and Buddhist vaharas. Many temples had brightly painted sculptures of deities and images of Hindu sacred writings. Trade helped the Gupta Empire thrive. Salt, cloth, and iron were common goods traded with India. Indian merchants also traded with China and with land in Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean area. The Gupta rulers benefited from their control of much of the trade. They owned silver and gold mines and large estates. Cities arose from trade routes. People called pilgrims used the trade routes to journey to holy sites. Cities with famous temples grew wealthy from visiting pilgrims. Some pilgrims came in trade and traveled. Many new Hindu and Buddhist temples were built during the Gupta Empire. Culture in Ancient India Ancient India produced brilliant culture. Artists, builders, writers, and scientists made many contributions while Mayan and Gupta kings ruled. The literature of India The Vedas were among the first works written in Sanskrit language. The literature of Ancient India also includes epics. Hindus consider their epics to be sacred texts that teach important moral lessons. The people could learn the correct and acceptable behavior through interesting stories. The Mahabharata is an ancient religious epic. It is the largest poem in any written language with about 90,000 verses. The Mahabharata describes the struggle for control of an Indian kingdom that took place around 1100 BCE. Its exciting stories about great heroes influenced Hindus then and now. The best known section of the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad Gita or the Song of the Lord. In it, the deity Krishna goes with a prince into battle. The prince does not want to fight because members of his family are on the other side. Krishna reminds the prince to obey his duty as a warrior. The prince makes a painful choice to fight his family. The second epic, Ramayana, is a poem that grew to about 25,000 verses before it was written down. It tells the story of Rama, an incarnation or avatar of Vishnu, the perfect king, and Sita, his faithful wife. When Sita is kidnapped by an evil king, Rama rushes to her rescue with the help of friends. The Arts and Architecture The ancient Hindus believed that music was a gift from the deity. Many sacred texts such as the Bhagavad Gita were probably sung. At festivals, people danced, sang, and played music. Musical instruments included tambourines, flutes, drums, and lutes. Much of early India's art was created on fragile materials such as paper and has not survived. What is left is mostly religious art, elaborate sculptures carved in stone. Sculptures carved images of the Buddha as early as 100 CE. The most important structures in early India were the rulers' palaces and temples used for religious worship. During Ashoka's reign, many stone pillars carved with Buddhist teachings were placed alongside roads. Mathematics Indian mathematicians of the group that appeared made important contributions. Arahabhata was one of the first scientists known to have used algebra. Indian mathematics displayed the idea of infinity, something without ends. They also invented the symbol zero and connected it with the idea of nothing. The Indians' invention of zero affected the study of mathematics and science. Modern technologies such as computers were not to be possible without the concept of zero. Gupta mathematicians developed a symbol for the numbers 1 through 9 that we use today. In the 700s, Arab traders adopted these number symbols or numerals. European traders later borrowed them from the Arabs. In the 1200s CE, use of these numbers spread through Europe and replaced nomen numerals. Today, this system of numbers and symbols is known as the Indian Arabic numerical system. Scientists and scholars in ancient India also made important advancements in astronomy and technology. Indian astronomers mapped the movements of planets and stars. They proposed the idea that the earth was round and revolved around the sun. During the group's period, scientists advanced metalworking. Among their most impressive constructions is a pillar of iron of Delhi, dating around 400 CE. It is still standing, and in spite of its age, it has hardly rusted. Advances in medicine. Can you imagine doctors performing dental surgery 1,600 years ago? Indian doctors treated dental problems using tools such as the bojo. The doctors used this tool, which was normally used to make fire, to drill teeth. Medical practices were quite advanced. Doctors in the Gupta era could set broken bones, sew wounds, and perform complicated surgeries. They were also skilled in making medical instruments, such as the scalpels and needles. A doctor named Shushruta repaired damaged noses in early type of plastic surgery. Indian doctors used herbs to cure illnesses. They also believed in healing the causes of disease, not just treating the disease itself.