1. The History of India Lecture for SS2 Asian Studies, prepared by Martin Benedict Perez, PSHS Main Campus First Part in a Lecture on Empires SY 2010/11

3. BASIC PERIODIZATION MAURYA KUSHAN GUPTA CHOLAN MUGHAL 321 – 184 BCE 100 - 300 320 - 550 871 - 1279 1526 - 1707

4. History played out differently in the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the north and in the Deccan plateau to the south. The north was open to foreign intrusion, and the south would play a larger role later on as maritime trade intensified. SOUTH ASIA

5. SOUTH ASIA

6. 1 THE FIRST EMPIRES The Maurya and the Kushans

7. INDIA BY THE END OF THE AXIAL AGE Around 1500BCE , a foreign people – the Aryans – migrated into the Indus River Valley. From 1000 to 500BCE , the Indo-Aryan populations moved further eastward into the rest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

8. INDIA BY THE END OF THE AXIAL AGE According to Vedic literature, sixteen ‘great realms’ emerged to compete for supremacy. The power of the Kshatriya increased, and the rights of the common man diminished. This was the political situation during the time of the Buddha.

9. The approximate extent of the Magadha state in the 5th century BCE. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE)

10. The Nanda Empire at its greatest extent under Dhana Nanda circa 323 BCE. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE)

11. The Maurya Empire when it was first founded by Chandragupta Maurya circa 320 BCE, after conquering the Nanda Empire when he was only about 20 years old. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE)

12. Chandragupta extended the borders of the Maurya Empire towards Seleucid Persia after defeating Seleucus circa 305 BCE. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE)

13. Chandragupta extended the borders of the empire southward into the Deccan Plateau circa 300 BC. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE)

14. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE) Chanakya , the King Maker. “ The Indian Machiavelli”

18. Ashoka is most popularly known as the patron of Buddhism THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE)

19. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE) “ All people are my children, and just as I desire for my children that they should obtain welfare and happiness, both in this world and the next, so do I desire the same for all people.”

20. THE MAURYA (321 – 184 BCE)

21. THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM

22. Mahayana Emphasizes faith and belief in the Buddha and the bodhisattva (future Buddha) as compassionate gods. Mahayana Buddhists see nirvana as a place that can be won in the afterlife. Though Mahayana Buddhism deviates from the original vision of the Buddha (“When you see the Buddha, kill the Buddha”), this has become the most popular form of Buddhism. THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM The Great Statue of Buddha Amitabha in Kamakura, Japan

23. Theravada (Doctrine of the Elders) Closest to the original vision of the Buddha, their focus is on individual salvation and the importance of monastic life. THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle or True Word Sect) Stresses the importance of a close relationship between a guru and disciples (symbolized by the Dalai Lama)

24. This is a rough timeline of the development of the different schools/traditions:

25. AFTER THE MAURYA After the death of Ashoka, the Maurya lost their territories and north India dissolved into a number of smaller states ruled by local dynasties. One kingdom in central South Asia, the Savatahana, established its own empire that would last for 400 years.

26. THE KUSHANS (100 – 300) Originating from Chinese Central Asia, the Kushans (also Yuezhi), built an empire supported by the Silk Road . They had diplomatic ties with Rome, Persia, and Han China. Their art was a synthesis of Buddhist and Hellinistic (Greek) styles. The spread of Buddhism also intensified.

27. THE KUSHANS (100 – 300) Gandharan Art

28. THE KUSHANS (100 – 300) Left: Carving that depicts Kushan robes Above: Gold coins depicting Kanishka, the greatest king of the Kushans

29. Silk Routes, over-land and over-sea THE KUSHANS (100 – 300)

30. 2 THE GOLDEN AGE The Gupta and the Cholans

31. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

32. THE GUPTA (320 – 550) Nālandā (Hindi/Sanskrit/Pali: नालंदा ) is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India. The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from 427 to 1197 CE.

33. THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM

34. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

35. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

36. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

38. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

39. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

40. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

41. THE GUPTA (320 – 550)

43. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279)

44. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279) The Cholan is just one example of the many states and empires that occupied South India. Nonetheless, it is perhaps the most prominent empire of the Tamil. There have been mentions of the Cholans as early as 300BCE in the works of Asoka. But it was during the 9 th century that they achieved new heights as an empire. A tower of the Thanjavur temple dedicated to Shiva

45. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279) The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, the oldest city in South India.

46. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279)

47. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279) Madhura Meenakshi Temple

48. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279) The Cholan, at its height, was a cultural superpower in Southeast Asia.

49. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279) Built in the 12 th century by King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat is a fusion of Khmer architecture and South Indian style. It is dedicated to Vishnu.

50. THE CHOLANS (871 – 1279) Built in the 14 th century, Pura Bekasih is the most prominent Hindu temple in Bali. In mostly Muslim Indonesia, Bali is 93% Hindu.

51. 3 PART THREE ISLAM IN INDIA The Mughals

52. 712 – 850: Muslim raiders from Persia are stopped by the Rajputs 997 – 1030: Mahmud of Ghazni raided India and destroyed and looted temples 1210 – 1526: The Delhi Sultanate and its various dynasties implemented a monetary system, and required non-Muslims to pay jizyah ISLAM ENTERS INDIA

53. ISLAM ENTERS INDIA HINDUISM ISLAM Fundamental beliefs Complete freedom of belief Strictly monotheistic; Brahman is the supreme being with many manifestations There is only one God (Allah) and Muhammad is His prophet Society and culture Bhakti (devotion) can be personal Worship is congregational Deities are rendered through idols God has no face; no idols or images Duties and social status are ascribed by caste Social status is defined by birth; duties are in the 5 pillars; egalitarian Government Brahmin and Kshatriya are separate The state is theocratic (ruled by God)

55. Founded by Babur in 1526. Akbar the Great has one of the longest reigns in history (1543 - 1605). THE MUGHALS (1526 – 1707)

57. Completed in 1648, the Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. 1526 to 1707 THE MUGHALS (1526 – 1707)

58. Aurangzeb ’s reign begins the decline of Mughal India. He was an orthodox Muslim who reinstituted the jizyah and attempted to conquer the Deccan. He is notorious for reversing the gains under his predecessors. THE MUGHALS (1526 – 1707)

59. The Mughals aspired to make India a jewel in the East. They accomplished it, but at great expense. Trading towns in the coastal areas were unchecked, local rulers were left to fend for themselves, and a deep animosity began to brew between Hindu and Muslim. This left them ripe for the taking, an opportunity not to be missed by the British empire. THE MUGHALS (1526 – 1707)

60. END OF THE PRESENTATION