Classical India Foundations: 600 BCE

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Classical IndiaFoundations 600 BCE 600 CE

• Origins in India

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Periods

• Harrapans (river valley)
• Aryans (invasion from NW) 1700-500 BCE
• Invaded by Alexander the Great 327-325 BCE
• Divided into regional states
• United Mauryan Dynasty 321 230s BCE
• Invaded by Kushans (ended by 220 CE)
• Divided into regions
• Gupta Dynasty 320 - 450 CE
• Huns invade 450 CE
  

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Influences of Geography

• Partially separated from Asia by Himalayas
  (Khyber Pass - Indo-Europeans)
• Monsoon wind patterns cause rain in summer
  essential for farming
• Close proximity to Middle East
• Himalayas - herding society

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Aryan Migration/invasion
Years vary from book to book but approximately
1700- 500B CE
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Chandragupta 321 -298 BCE

• Unified northern India - Created the Mauryan
  Dynasty
• Before 16 major states led by warriors,
  princes and priests
• Autocratic, military based rule
• Divided his empire into provinces, then
  districts for tax assessments and law
  enforcement.
• Bureaucracy
• 301 BCE ? gave up his throne became
  religious ? Grandson Ashoka the Great

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Ashoka (273 232 BCE)

• Religious conversion after the gruesome
  battle of Kalinga in 262 BCE.
• Dedicated his life to Buddhism - Promoted
  Buddhism tolerated Hinduism
• Built extensive roads for trade
• Conflict ? balance methods of keeping power and
  Buddhas demands to of a selfless person?

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Invaded by Kushans, then a power Vacuum 220 BCE
320 CE
Tamils
The Maurya Empire is divided into many kingdoms.
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The Gupta Empire

• Height of Classical India
• 320 CE - 450 CE
• Favored negotiations over war
• Greatest period of political stability
• Still dependent on regional princes
• No powerful individual rulers

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Gupta Achievements
1000 diseasesclassified
500 healingplants identified
Printedmedicinal guides
Kamasutra
Literature
Medicine
PlasticSurgery
GuptaIndia
Inoculations
C-sectionsperformed
SolarCalendar
Astronomy
Mathematics
DecimalSystem
The earthis round
PI 3.1416
Conceptof Zero
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Extensive Trade4th century CE
spices
silks
cotton goods
rice wheat
spices
horses
gold ivory
gold ivory
cotton goods
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What is the Caste System? How was Society Divided?

• Created by the Indo-Europeans
• Organized into special groups (castes) that
  determined everything from your job, to your
  political rights, to your religious beliefs, and
  who you would marry

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Varna (Social Hierarchy)
Within each Varna are Jati, smaller groups which
you are to socialize and marry within, often
based on jobs
priests, scholars and teachers
Brahmins
warriors and rulers
Kshatriyas
traders and agriculturists
Vaishyas
manual workers
Shudras
Pariahs- Untouchables