Classical Imperial India: Expansion

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Classical Imperial IndiaExpansion Collapse
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A. The Mauryan Empire (324 b.c.e.184 b.c.e.)

• Agricultural iron production
• 2. Mauryan Empire founded by Chandragupta
• -Kautilya a Machiavellian Brahmin advisor
• -wrote book of political statecraft
• -network of spies
• 3. Imperial government
• -large army
• -25 percent tax on all goods

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• 5. most famous Mauryan emperor Ashoka (r.
  269232 b.c.e.)
• - shaken by carnage in brutal war converted to
  Buddhism
• - inscribed Buddhist policies throughout empire
  on rocks pillars ( rock edicts)
• - built extensive roads

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B. Commerce Culture

• The Mauryan empire collapsed in 184 b.c.e. due
  to political
• fragmentation
• Economic development creation of guilds
  merchants
• Cultural developments creation of epic Indian
  literature
• Ramayana
• Bhagavad Gita

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C. The Gupta Empire (320 c.e.550 c.e.)

• 1. Gupta Empire conquered north central India,
  lead by Chandra Gupta II
• -iron deposits, state monopolies, 25
  agricultural tax
• army controlled core of empire, but provincial
  administration left to governors (hereditary)
• lack of military force created theater-state
• - redistributing wealth from trade elaborate
  ceremonies

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• 4. Achievements
• - math astronomy
• - invented our Arabic numerals
• - concept of zero
• - Chinese monk Faxians travel journal
• through Gupta India
• Womens rights NO inheritance or property
  treated like lowest varna
• - married very young
• - widow may be required to burn herself
• on her husbands funeral pyre (sati)

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• 6. dominated by Hinduism classic form of Hindu
  temples
• Gupta India linked by extensive trade networks
• 550 c.e Gupta empire collapsed under rule of
  local princes financial burden of defense
  against HUNS

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Extensive Trade 4th c.
Out of India cotton, rice, wheat,
SPICES Into India horses, gold, ivory, silk,
SPICES
spices
silks
cotton goods
spices
rice wheat
horses
gold ivory
gold ivory
cotton goods
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Gupta Achievements
1000 diseasesclassified
500 healingplants identified
Printedmedicinal guides
Kalidasa
Literature
Medicine
PlasticSurgery
GuptaIndia
Inoculations
C-sectionsperformed
SolarCalendar
Astronomy
Mathematics
DecimalSystem
The earthis round
PI 3.1416
Conceptof Zero
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ROMANS, HAN GUPTA
Economic
Social
Political