1. FROM THE MAURYANS TO THE GUPTAS
CLASSICAL INDIA
FROM THE MAURYANS
TO THE GUPTAS

2. RISE OF MAURYAN EMPIRE Ganges Republics Western Intrusions
Prior to Alexander, kshatriyan republics dominated, vied for power
Maghda was one of the most dominant
Western Intrusions
Intrusions of Persians (520 B.C.E.) and Alexander (327 B.C.E.)
Persians established Indus satrapy
Alexander’s withdrawal left a political vacuum
Magadha kingdom filled the vacuum
Chandragupta Maurya
The founder of the Mauryan empire
Overthrew the Magadha kingdom in 321 B.C.E.
Conquered the Greek state in Bactria, Selecuid control of Indus
Chandragupta's empire embraced all of northern India
Chandragupta's government
Government procedures devised by Kautalya, the advisor of the empire
The political handbook, Arthashastra, outlined administrative methods

3. ASHOKA Ashoka Maurya (reigned 268-232 B.C.E.)
Chandragupta's grandson,
The high point of the Mauryan empire
Conquered the kingdom of Kalinga, 260 B.C.E.
Ruled through tightly organized bureaucracy
Established capital at Pataliputra
Policies of encouraging agriculture and trade
Converted to Buddhism
Established a tolerant rule of righteousness
Sent out missionaries to Sri Lanka, SE Asia, Central Asia
Decline of the Mauryan Empire
Ashoka died in 232 B.C.E.
Suffered from acute financial and economic difficulties
High cost for maintaining army and bureaucrats
Debasing the currency, not a effective resolution
The empire collapsed by 185 B.C.E.

4. THE GUPTAS The Gupta Dynasty Gupta decline
After Mauryans, India was controlled by regional kingdoms
The Gupta state rose to power in Magadha
Chandra Gupta founded the new dynasty
Gupta dynasty was relatively decentralized
Officially supported revival of Hinduism as state faith
Era seen as the Golden Age of Hinduism
Gupta decline
Invasion of White Huns weakened the empire
After 5th century C.E., Gupta dynasty ruled in name only
Large regional kingdoms dominated political life in India

5. POPULAR HINDUISM The epics The Bhagavad Gita Hindu ethics
Mahabharata
A secular poem revised by brahmin scholars
Honored the god Vishnu, the preserver of the world
Ramayana
Secular story of Rama and Sita was changed into a Hindu story
The Bhagavad Gita
A short poetic work within the Mahabharata
A dialogue between the god Vishnu and Prince Arjuna
Illustrated expectations of Hinduism and promise of salvation
Hindu ethics
Lower demands for achieving salvation
Individuals should meet their responsibilities in detached fashion
Balance of dharma, artha, karma to attain moksha, end samsara
Popularity of Hinduism
Became more popular than Buddhism; Buddhism too aesthetic
The Guptas helped Hinduism become the dominant religion