Valley Indus Region Ca. 2500-1600 BC Ca. 2300-1750 BC o Harrapan Culture Based in the city Harrapa Aryan Age Ca. 1500-1000 BC North Indian Conquest and Unification Ca. 1000-450 BC India's First Imperial Unification Ca. 326-184 BC Ca. 324-301 BC Chandragupta -Jainism o Focus on building an empire Credit given to Alexander o 301 BC abdicated the throne to become a Jain monk Arthashastra Text written by Kautilya o Advisor to king Discusses the economic policies of the Mauryan Empire o Compared to the Machiavellian ideas from "The Prince" Ca. 301-269 BC Bhundasara - Hinduism o Hindu leader o Continued to expand trade with the west Ca. 269-232 BC Ashoka Budddhist o Considered the greatest emperor until Moslem times. o Early policy Very strict Buddhism Ruthless with rivals and threats Adopted Buddhist policy of peace and non violence because he had no serious enemies left in India o Famous for the inscriptions, describing ethics and religion, on the stone pillars he constructed throughout his empire o Was the first Buddhist king Classical Age AD 320-ca. 700 Ca. 320-550 - Gupta Reign o Imperial power based in Magadha Chosen for its proximity to iron mines o Chandra Gupta Mauryan ruler who is crowned in 320 Struck coins to commemorate his coronation Assumed title of "Great King of Kings"
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Married into another tribe to consolidate control 335-375 Samudra, son of Chandra, expands empire into Punjab, Bengal and Kashmir, and eventually the Deccan. Held substantial control over India Power struggles emerge in finding Samudra's successor (revealed in writings of Vishakhadatta Chandra Gupta II gains power (not related to orig.) 409 Gupta completely defeat Shakas. Held control of Arabian Sea ports => Western trade Gained more control in Vindhyas by marrying his daughter to king of region Marries into Naga tribe to strengthen eastern control Liberal, enlightened time Tolerance and freedom important Internally peaceful time Hospitals available for public Buddhism flourishes Brahmanic Hinduism revived in N. India Sanskrit literature is secular and highly accredited Kalidasa Plays Shakuntala o Drama re: king's love for more common woman Poetry Cloud Messenger o Long distance love story told from point of view of heavenly onlooker Shudraka Literature Little Clay Cart o Poor Brahman man falls for courtesan Religions Royal support for these religions Hinduism Hindu temple architecture is developed o One god per temple o Place of worship, offerings Buddhism Worship location are caves Encourages intercourse with China and SE Asia Jainism Worship locations are caves Art Cave art Large scale fresco secco fragments Figure sculpture Buddha sculptures Pink, voluptuous mother goddess figurines Commerce and Economics
Trade with China and SE Asia increases Exports cotton, ivory, brassware and exotic animals Imports musk, raw and woven silk, tung oil and amber Opium nor tea large issues Indian cultural enclaves established in SE Asia o Exhibited by Hindu and later Buddhist power within China's southern influence Trade with Rome Faltered after 3rd cent. o Due to fall of roman empire Roman coins still found during first 100 years of Guptan rule o Indian pepper involved in ransom for Rome in AD 410 o Desire in west for Indian goods and resources still high o Arabian horses main import from the west Internal Economic Structure "Land-share" plan still in effect o Harvests of peasants taxed Higher taxes if using irrigation Other taxes based on holdings applies also Forced labor once a month from all o Provides upkeep for infrastructure Agriculture flourishes and new crops from foreign visitors Money economies developed in cities that could support it Artisan guilds (shreni) big roles Problems o Expanding overseas trade leads to high interest rates and wide-spread bankruptcy Contemporary literature often discusses debtors issues o Internal Managing of the State Similarities to Mauryan Empire State owned mines and managed much of industry Maintenance of similar spy/bureaucracy structure Differences Religious endorsement of gov't o Ashoka v. tolerance Guptas of o Outside Disturbances
Central Asian (Huns) forays into India to sack begin during Gupta reign Empire forced to mobilize and push them back After Skanda's (Gupta II's Grandson) death in 467, decline begins Decline Huns take Punjab near AD 500 o Next Hun absorbs Kashmir and most of Gangetic plain after 515 Guptan collapse complete after mid 6th cent. Fragmentation occurs again o Rest of 6th century different smaller ruling regions emerge Including another Guptan group, not related to Imperials AD 606-647 Harsha Vardhana tries to unify N. India o Rule began in Thanesar o Info on Harsha comes from two sources: "Life of Harsha" written by Brahman courtier Bana "The Master of Law" written by visiting Chinese Buddhist Hsuan Tsang o Centralized support for Buddhism (similar to Ashoka's) o Buddhism Develops and changes Tantrism emerges Yoga is developed further o Hinduism Bhakti movement important in S. India South India's Political system o "Imperial" Pallavas Believed to have dominated S. India by AD 600 Really just dominant plunderers Major rival Chola Seafarers and plunderers Other conflicts between agricultural and forest dwellers Ca. AD 600-630 Mahendra Vikrama Varman I Built temples as proof of dominance Ca. AD 640-668 Narasimha Varman I Built monoliths After this... More temple development West Deccan Politics o Vakatakas rule this area by the time of Guptan rule Impact of Islam Ca. 711-1556 ...Islam absent from India before... 711- Muslim power in Iraq pushes in the Sind
o Hinduism is granted Dhimmi status o Islam's first introduction into Indian subcontinent But not where Islam's power in India is based out of th 10 Century o Islam based out of Baghdad o Empire grows too big, breaks apart o Afghani Moslem Rulers lead incursions into India to sack o Rise of Ghaznavid pseudo-Empire Extended even as far as Punjab Eventually taken by Turkish Ghurids o Turkish Ghurids Expand even farther into India Hindu's lose control over India o Rajputs act as opposition against Muslim control Descendents of Aryans Also descendent from Central Asians o Buddhism is absent from India Not sanctioned by Islam Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)- Muslim Turks o First big Muslim Empire in region Transition to Moslem Empires Acts as a predecessor to the Mughal Empire Before this time, Moslems had only led limited incursions into the region These Turks were pushed into India by the Mongol raiders from the East Asian Steppes o Began as cohesive Empire By 14th Century it already began to crumble 1398- Mongol Empire Timur o United Mongols o Started a Mongol empire o Destroys Delhi Sultinate o Ancestor to the Mughal Emperor Akbar Sultinate reemerges o Weaker o Less cohesive o Art and architecture not well developed or funded Mughal Empire 1556-1605 Western Europe in India 1498-1669 1498 Vasco da Gama (Portugese) o Discovered route to East Asia o Backed by royal investors Desire to open open-trade with the East Religious agenda
1580's o Alfonso Albaquerque (Portugese) Monopolize trade by controlling all routes to India Naval Superiority Allowed him to stop others to opening routes Naval Artillery Destroy Islam Strong religious element not exhibited in British or Dutch o Decline of Portuguese presence Never established strong foothold in mainland India Held some major ports and key islands Religious agenda Inferior strength to Dutch 1600 Dutch o VOC (United East India Co.) Joint stock company based in Netherlands Allowed for more people to pool less money Emerging bourgeoisie invested Able to push Portuguese out through superior Naval tech Did not encroach on religious problems Not formally o Decline of Dutch Only capital producing colony No global colonies Problems with Portuguese on home front 1650-1700 British o Able to push Dutch out by supporting the campaign with capital from other colonies New world Africa o Invested in infrastructure o Developed colonies on the mainland Moved into interior of India o Less of a religious agenda than even the Dutch Until the colony and British Indian empire is established Mughal Glory 1605-1707