Chapter 4Section 2 Notes

The Maurya Empire In 321 BC, Chandragupta Maurya

forged the first great Indian empire The capital of the empire was at

Pataliputra Had a well-organized bureaucracy---

royal officials supervised the building of roads and harbors to benefit trade, other officials collected taxes and managed state-owned factories and shipyards

Pataliputra

Chandragupta Maurya

Mauryan Empire

The Maurya Empire Chandragupta’s rule was effective

but harsh A brutal secret police reported on

corruption, crime, and dissent Specially trained women warriors

guarded his palace

The Maurya Empire The most honored Maurya emperor

was Asoka, Chandragupta’s grandson He converted to Buddhism, rejected

violence, and resolved to rule by moral example

He sent missionaries to spread Buddhism across India and to Sri Lanka

He thus paved the way for the later spread of Buddhism throughout Asia

Asoka

Golden Age of the Guptas About 500 years after the Mauryas,

the Gupta dynasty again united much of India

Gupta emperors organized a strong central government that promoted peace and prosperity

Under the Guptas, who ruled from 320-550 AD, India enjoyed a golden age

Golden Age of the Guptas Trade and farming flourished across

the Gupta empire Students were educated in religious

schools The large Buddhist monastery-

university at Nalanda, which attracted students from other parts of Asia, taught mathematics, medicine, physics, languages, literature, and other subjects

Golden Age of the Guptas Indian mathematicians originated the

concept of zero and developed the decimal system of numbers (based on 10) that we still use today

Golden Age of the Guptas Rajahs sponsored the building of stone

temples Hindu temples were designed to reflect

cosmic patterns Check out the chalkboard for the Hindu

symbol for “eternity” Buddhists built splendid stupas, large

domed-shaped shrines that housed the remains of the Buddha or other holy people

Stupa

Golden Age of the Guptas The greatest Gupta poet and

playwright was Kalidasa His most famous work is the play Shakuntala

Bharata Natyam Dancing Hindus developed dances to express

their religion Mudras---complex hand gestures

Bharata Natyam Dancing

Bharata Natyam Dancing

Cooperative Learning Activity

Listen for the explanation for this project!!!