Indian Empires

World History - Libertyville HS

Mauryan Empire (320-230 BC)• Native rulers of

northern India were disorganized, petty and competing for dominance

• In reaction to invasion by Alexander the Great, local leaders banned together to resist Greeks

• Began consolidation into a centralized state

Mauryan Empire• Over next 90 years,

the Mauryan family emerged as dominant– Based in Ganges

river valley– Conquered most of

subcontinent – Recovered territory

from Seleucids in the West

Mauryan Kings• Chandragupta (322-298

BC)– Threw out Seleucids– Recognized as Indian

ruler by Egypt, Syria• Ashoka the Great (278-

232 BC)– Grandson of

Chandragupta– Completed conquest of

subcontinent, NW into Asia

Mauryan Kings• Ashoka

– Converted to Buddhism after a particularly brutal war

– Conversion encouraged spread of Buddhism• Cultural diffusion (trade)• Syria, Macedonia• Didn’t “stick” in India

– Ashoka ordered thousands of inscripted pillars throughout India• Sayings, stories of

Buddha written on them

Mauryan Culture• Religious tolerance• Respect for human

dignity• Government

– Autocracy at national level

– Democracy at village (local) level

• Caste divisions were well established– Idea was to promote

unity within kingdom

Mauryan Culture• Complex central

government– Collected taxes– Encouraged trade– Maintained

communications through road building program

– Spy system throughout empire

• Planted banyan trees to give shade to travelers

Post Mauryan India (184 BC to 320 AD)

• Last emperor assassinated; empire fragmented

• Two religions worshipped: Hinduism & Buddhism

• Hinduism in form that would be recognized as modern Hinduism

Gupta Dynasty (320-430s AD)• Ruled along Ganges

River Valley• Ushered in golden age

of Hindu culture– Art, science,

architecture flourished– Buddhism spread into

China due to Chinese pilgrims visiting India

Gupta Empire• Guptas directly

ruled densely populated Ganges River Valley

• Indirectly ruled rest of subcontinent– Traded with

Persians, Byzantines– Influence extended

into SE Asia (Cambodia, Burma)

Decline of Gupta Empire• Series of weak

rulers• Invaded by Huns

– Conquered much of India

– Eventually absorbed into dominant Indian culture

• Gupta empire ended in 550 AD w/ death of last king

Muslim Conquest of India

• First contact– First Muslims into India

were Arab traders in 620 AD

– First mosque in India built in 629 AD

• Umayyad Dynasty Expansion– Arabs, Persians gradually

conquered Northern India– By 1000 AD, Caliphate est.

Muslim Conquest of India• Muslim caste system

created– Favored Islamic conquerors– Muslims saw caste as a

social construct, not a religious matter

– Helped influence conversion– Unconverted Hindus were

considered impure (low)– Hindus forced to convert at

swordpoint (pagans; 50-80 million killed over 500 year period)

Mongol Invasion & Mughal Empire

• Mongols under Genghis Khan invaded, conquered Abbasids in 1220 AD

• Later invasion by Babur (Mongol-Persian) conquered N. India, established Mughal Empire– Gradually adopted Indian

culture– Assimilated into Indian

culture, Muslim religion

Mughal Empire• Mughal Empire unified

all of India until arrival of Europeans in mid 1660s

• Mughal Empire disintegrated into several regional states– English emerged

supreme in fight to colonize India

– India became jewel in imperial British crown