HAPPY TUESDAY. Vedic Age ~1500-800 B.C.E. Background Indo-Aryans among many groups who migrated across Europe and Asia arrived in India to find water.

HAPPY HAPPY TUESDAYTUESDAY

Vedic Age ~1500-Vedic Age ~1500-800 B.C.E.800 B.C.E.

Vedic Age ~1500-Vedic Age ~1500-800 B.C.E.800 B.C.E.

BackgrounBackgrounddIndo-Aryans among Indo-Aryans among

many groups who many groups who migrated across migrated across Europe and AsiaEurope and Asia

arrived in India to arrived in India to find water and find water and horse pastureshorse pastures

built no cities and built no cities and left few artifactsleft few artifacts

Aryan tribes led by rajahs or chiefs

warlike people, warriors were praised as heroes

people divided by occupations and eventually into a more complex system of four castes

Brahmins (priests): mouth

claimed that they alone could conduct ceremonies that won the favor of the gods

Kshatriyas (warriors): arms

Vaisya (farmers, artisans, merchants): legs/thighs

Sudras (farmworkers and servants): feet

CultureCulture

ReligionReligion

The Vedas were their ‘holy books’

deities represented natural forces

IndraIndra, god of war, was the chief god

Religion

as the lives of Aryans changed, so did their beliefs

some began to think that there was a single spiritual power

called brahmanbrahman

force residing in all things

others became mystics

AchievementAchievementss

1.1. first to travel to India through the first to travel to India through the Hindu Kush mountainsHindu Kush mountains

2.2. modern religions developed from the modern religions developed from the Aryan beliefsAryan beliefs

3.3. Indus Valley cities had a well-Indus Valley cities had a well-organized governmentorganized government

4.4. developed a framework for what developed a framework for what would become Indian civilizationwould become Indian civilization

5.5. preserved a strong oral tradition: preserved a strong oral tradition: memorized and recited hymns and memorized and recited hymns and epic poemsepic poems

Mauryan Beginnings• Chandragupta Chandragupta

Maurya Maurya (top 3 classes) gained control of the MagadhaMagadha (influential area) and eventually expanded into India’s 1st empire

• After fall of Greek Empire (death of Alex Gr8) – Mauryan able to extend control over most of the subcontinent

•ArthashastraArthashastra – – guide to political guide to political success, written by success, written by Brahmin guide of Brahmin guide of Chandragupta – Chandragupta – advocates advocates mandalamandala or foreign policy or foreign policy theorytheory

• ¼ of value of ¼ of value of

harvest given to harvest given to king/gov’t – king king/gov’t – king used family & used family & friends to manage friends to manage admin districtsadmin districts

Ashoka & Beyond• ChaGu grandson –

greatly extended the empire but @ high human cost, upset by this so he converted to Buddhism and strict nonviolence & morality

• 1st deciphered Indian writing = Edicts of Edicts of Ashoka Ashoka

• Mauryan collapsed 184 BCE – next 500 yrs characterized by fragmentation

Next Next 500 500

Years…Years…

• Foreigners dominated the NW & Foreigners dominated the NW & even extended into the E & S @ even extended into the E & S @ times – Greeks, Iranians and Chinese times – Greeks, Iranians and Chinese

• Although fragmented, still signs of Although fragmented, still signs of social, intellectual and economic social, intellectual and economic developmentdevelopment last BCE gr8est last BCE gr8est Indian epics (Indian epics (RamayanaRamayana & & MahabharataMahabharata) finalized – reflect ) finalized – reflect Vedic AgeVedic Age

• Bhagavad-GitaBhagavad-Gita resolve issue B/T resolve issue B/T duty to society and to yourself duty to society and to yourself

• Science = herbal remedies, Writing Science = herbal remedies, Writing system = Sanskrit system = Sanskrit

THE GUPTA EMPIRETHE GUPTA EMPIRE

Gupta Empire 320-550 CE

• Similar to/modeled after Mauryan grew out of Magadha, founder named Chandra Gupta (but he stole it), capital PataliaputraPataliaputra

• Never controlled as much land as Mauryan but able to rack up some serious territory

• EconomicEconomic navigated important trade routes, agriculture, control of iron deposits, required 25% tax (like Maur)

Gupta Government

• Not as effective as a Not as effective as a centralized government centralized government outside the core – outside the core – governors (often times governors (often times corrupt and greedy) corrupt and greedy) were pretty much were pretty much allowed free reign on allowed free reign on how they administered how they administered their regionstheir regions

• Kings/rulers not Kings/rulers not interested in day-to-day interested in day-to-day stuff stuff

• Theatre –StateTheatre –State tried to persuade outside areas to follow their lead by having elaborate ceremonies and rituals, wanted to attract with the allure of court life

Gupta StuffGupta Stuff•IntellectualIntellectual math & math & astronomy astronomy developmentdevelopments, most s, most importantly – importantly – the concept the concept of zeroof zero

• declining status B/C of urbanization and complex social & political organizations –

• essentially treated as Shudras (lowest class)

• Lost right to inherit property

• Married @ uber young age, like 6-7

• Expected to cremate themselves upon death of hubby, if not basically died a social death and were outcasted

• Some hope for women joined with Buddhists or Jainist, upper class women could study

WomenWomen

Stuff to Remember about the Stuff to Remember about the GuptaGupta

• Gupta = Hindus – reemergence of the Caste system

• Era of religious tolerance

• Continued thriving commercial connections – used coined money, traded with SE & E Asia (India heavily influenced these areas)

Gupta Collapse

• Theatre-stateTheatre-state++ upkeep upkeep

of big empire of big empire == $$$$$$ $$$$$$$$

• Late 5Late 5thth century – century – pressure from the Huns pressure from the Huns of Central Asia of Central Asia

• Defense campaigns cost Defense campaigns cost a lot of money and a lot of money and eventually bled the eventually bled the treasury drytreasury dry

• Empire collapsed 550 CEEmpire collapsed 550 CE