India

India

1. Rise and Fall

   • Gupta Empire
     • Begins around 320 C.E. A "golden age" of peace, prosperity, and advances in learning.
       • Around 540 C.E, empire declines from weak rulers, civil war, and foreign invaders.
   • Mauryan Empire
     • Founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 321 B.C.E. He was harsh but effective
       • Grandson Asoka rules by moral example after war.
         • Empire declines after Asoka's death, until it is split up in 185 B.C.E.
   • Delhi Sultanate
     • In 1100s, sultan of Ghur defeats Hindu armies and makes Delhi his capital
       • Muslim rule changes government and causes Arabs, Turks, and Persians to move to India.
         • In 1398, Tamerlame invades India and enslaves many artisans.
       • Mahmud if Ghanzi

2. Trade

   • Mauryan Empire has royal officials build harbors and roads for trade.
     • Asoka builds roads and rest houses.
   • Tamil kingdoms trade spices and textiles to Roman Empire and China.
   • In Gupta Empire, cotton cloth, pottery, and metalware are exported to East Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
   • Very important exports: Cotton, gold, crystallized sugar

3. Acheivements

   • Math
     • Number system includes 0
   • Literature
     • Bhagavad Gita
     • Mahabharata
     • Vedas
   • Technology
     • Cotton: textiles
     • Crystallized sugar
     • Gold

4. Religious Beliefs

   • Hinduism
     • Brahman underlies everything. Moksha is the goal of like, and one must practice dharma(duties) and ahisma(nonviolence) to break the cycle of reincarnation
   • Buddhism
     • Siddhartha Gautama goes on a journey, meditates and realizes the 4 noble truths and eight fold path.
       • Final goal is nirvana
       • 4 noble truths :all life has suffering. The cause of suffering is nonvirtue. The way to overcome suffering is to overcome nonvirtue . The way to overcome nonvirtue is to follow the eightfold path
       • Eightfold Path: right views, speech, mindset, aspirations, livelihood, effort, conduct, contemplation
   • Aryan Beliefs
     • Vedas
       • The Upanishads address many questions that people have about religion.
     • Mahabharata tells of wars and religion
     • The idea of brahman, a single spiritual force, begins to develop
   • Islam
     • Also has Shiites and Sunnis
     • Sikhism
       • Was created after Muslim rule spread to India
       • Nanak teaches this new, blended religion that believed in one God, reincarnation, and rejected the caste system.
     • At first, Hindus and Muslims crash because of major differences in views, such as how many gods there are. Eventually, they blend/ accept each other.

5. HP