1. India’s First Empires

2. Review of Unit 1

3. Indian Sub-Continent

4. The Harappan Civilization
3300 BCE BCE

5. Citadel Of
Mohenjo- Daro

6. Aryan Migration

7. The Aryans Indo-Europeans Light skinned
Sanskrit – first written language
Sacred literature
(Vedas)
Caste System

8. Mauryan Empire Began by Chandragupta Maurya 321 B.C.
Defeated the Nanda family
Defeated Seleucus, one of Alexander’s generals
Empire spanned 2,000 miles
600,000 soldiers
30,000 cavalry
 9,000 elephants

9. Chandragupta Maurya

10. Running the Empire Kautilya  adviser to the emperor
 member of the priestly class
 book (Arthasastra) held empire together
Empire divided into four provinces
 each headed by a royal prince
 province divided by local districts
 each district collected taxes

11. Asoka

12. Height of the Empire Asoka (uh-SOH-kuh) 269 B.C. – 232 B.C.
 name means “without sorrow” in Sanskrit
 Chandragupta’s grandson
 greatest Indian ruler
 adopted Buddhism after a bloody battle
 built road system w/ rest areas
 established trade
 built hospitals and created new laws
 Architecture: pillars, stupa, and rock chamber

13. Ashoka Stupa

14. Rock Chamber

15. The Gupta Empire

16. The Gupta Empire Founded by Chandra Gupta (Gup-tuh)
 No relation to Chandragupta Maurya
 Married into royal family
Coins of Chandra

17. Samudra Gupta Son of Chandra Gupta  became king in 335 AD-380 AD
 appreciation of art
 expanded the empire during 40 reign
 acquired much gold thru
conquest

18. Daily Life Northern India (patriarchal)  eldest male
 farmers irrigated their crops
 paid tax on water
Southern India (matriarchal)
 headed by the mother
 property and sometimes throne passed
through female

19. India’s Golden Age 310-600 AD Chandra Gupta II 375-415 AD
 defeated Shakas to the West
 opened trade to the Mediterranean
 peaceful rule through diplomatic and
marriage alliances
Golden Age
 Art & Learning based on Hindu principles
 “Arabic numerals” developed by mathematicians
 Aryabhata: used algebra & decimal system

20. Arabic Numerals

21. Aryabhata