South Asia:

Maurya & Gupta Empires

AP World History - Unit 0
 Development of States and Empires
As the early states and empires grew in number, size, and population, they frequently
competed for resources and came into conflict with one another. In quest of land,
wealth, and security, some empires expanded dramatically. In doing so, they built
powerful military machines and administrative institutions that were capable of
organizing human activities over long distances, and they created new groups of
military and political elites to manage their affairs. As these empires expanded their
boundaries, they also faced the need to develop policies and procedures to govern their
relationships with ethnically and culturally diverse populations: sometimes to integrate
them within an imperial society and sometimes to exclude them. In some cases, the
successes of these empires created further problems. By expanding their boundaries
too far, they created political, cultural, and administrative difficulties that they could not
manage. They also experienced environmental, social, and economic problems when
they over-utilized their lands and subjects and when disproportionate wealth became
concentrated in the hands of privileged classes.
 Development of States and Empires
Empires and states developed new techniques of imperial administration based,
in part, on the success of earlier political forms.

In order to organize their subjects, in many regions the rulers created administrative
institutions, including centralized governments as well as elaborate legal systems and
bureaucracies. (Ex. of new administrative institutions: China, Persia, Rome, South Asia)

Imperial governments promoted trade and projected military power over larger areas
using a variety of techniques, including issuing currencies; diplomacy; developing
supply lines; building fortifications, defensive walls, and roads; and drawing new groups
of military officers and soldiers from the location populations or conquered populations.
 Development of States and Empires

The Roman, Han, Persian, Mauryan, and Gupta empires created political,
cultural, and administrative difficulties that they could not manage, which
eventually led to their decline, collapse, and transformation into successor
empires or states.

Through excessive mobilization of resources, erosion of established political

institutions, and economic changes, imperial governments generated social
tensions and created economic difficulties by concentrating too much wealth in
the hands of elites.
 Questions to Consider
● What specific methods did the Mauryans and Guptans utilize for
managing their vast, diverse empire?
● What specific administrative institutions did the Mauryans and
Guptans utilize in order to manage their empire?
● Did the Mauryans/Guptas integrate diverse populations or exclude
them?
● What environmental, social, and economic problems did the these
empires experience?
● How did these empires utilize religion/belief systems to consolidate
their power?
 Mauryan Empire
● Equivalent to Persian, Chinese, and Roman empires
● Population of 50 million people
● Large military with 600,000 infantry soldiers, 30,000
calvary, 8,000 chariots, and 9,000 elephants
● Civilian bureaucracy had many ministries and spies to
relay information
● State operated many industries such as spinning,
weaving, mining, shipbuilding, and armaments
● Taxed trade, herds of animals, and land
● Monarch claimed 1/4th of all crops harvested
● Best known for Emperor Ashoka (r. 268-232 BCE)
● Converted to Buddhism and built rock pillar edicts
around his empire
Emperor Ashoka
● Left record of his beliefs and deeds on
carved rock pillars around the kingdom
● Edicts spread his Buddhist beliefs
● Converted to Buddhism
● Enlightened ruler who sought to govern in
accord with the religious values and moral
teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism
● Empire broke apart soon after Ashoka’s
death
Pillars of Ashoka
 Gupta Empire 320-550 CE
● Arose 600 years after the Mauryan Empire
● Generally peaceful and tolerant
● Flourishing of art, literature, temple building, science, mathematics, and
medicine
● Trade with China and Rome increased
● Elements of Buddhist and Hindu culture took root in Southeast Asia
● Culturally diverse with frequent outside invasions
● Use of the caste system
● Center of the cotton textile industry
Gupta Empire
Hinduism
The core beliefs outlined in the
Sanskrit scriptures formed the
basis of the Vedic religions — later
known as Hinduism, a monistic belief
system. These beliefs included the
importance of multiple manifestations
of brahman and teachings about
dharma and reincarnation, and they
contributed contributed to the
development of the social and
political roles of a caste system.
Monistic Religion.

Monism is the metaphysical view that all is of one

essential essence, substance or energy. (i.e. Brahman)
Monism is to be distinguished from dualism, which
holds that ultimately there are two kinds of substance,
and from pluralism, which holds that ultimately there are
many kinds of substance.
 Hinduism
In southern Asia, a number of religions developed to explain the cosmos.
During the eighth and the seventh centuries BCE, Indo-European invasions
of India resulted in tumultuous disruption and movements of people
across the land. The Indo-Europeans brought with them new notions that
melded with indigenous thought, leading to the creation of what we now
call Hinduism.

The dominant culture of the invaders was steeped in the tradition of the
Vedas—a collection of ritual hymns that portrayed Indo-Europeans as
heroes who triumphed over the inferior “alien” peoples they encountered.
It also laid out the cosmological foundations of human society.
 Hinduism
The sculpture of Shiva in the photograph to the
right illustrates the deity whose dance creates
and destroys the world. Shiva is accepted in the
Vedic tradition as one part of the manifestation
of the Hindu trinity, along with Brahman, the
creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. Between
800 and 500 BCE in southern Asia, Vedic
teachers developed a number of speculative
treatises. Called the Upanishads, these texts
postulate that the universe is comprised of only
one reality, personified by an all-inclusive being
called Brahman.
 ● The individual human soul (atman) is part of
the Brahman

● Beyond the usual pursuits of humans, the final

goal of humankind is union with the Brahman,
an end to our perception of a separate
existence

● This is moksha, liberation from the cycle of

reincarnation, samsara

Basic Beliefs in ● Pure actions, appropriate to one’s caste

resulted in rebirth at in a higher caste
Hinduism
 How do you achieve Moksha?
● Various ways appropriate to people of different
temperaments:
● Through knowledge and study
● Detached action in the world; Doing one’s ordinary work
without regard to consequences
● Passionate devotion to a deity
● Extended meditation practices
Holy Books in Hinduism

● Rigveda (1500 – 1200 BCE) – verses

compiled by Aryan brahmins

● Upanishads (800 – 500 BCE) –

philosophical treatises

● Mahabarata (300 BCE – 300 CE) includes

Bhagavad-gita)– prayers and stories

● Ramayana (300- BCE – 300 CE): epic

poem about Rama
 Women in South Asia
● Women were seen as “unclean below the navel”
● Forbidden to learn the Vedas & excluded from public
rituals
● Advocated child marriages for girls to much older
men
● “In childhood a female must be subject to her father;
in youth to her husband; when her lord [husband] is
dead to her sons; a woman must never be
independent.”
● However:
● Sexual pleasure was a goal for both men and
women
● Many female Hindu deities
● Women were popular in growing devotional
cults dedicated to particular deities
As you sow, so
you shall reap.

What goes
around, comes
around.
 Deities of Hinduism
Vishnu (Krishna) = protector and
preserver of creation, associated
with mercy and goodness

Shiva = god of
Ganesha = remover of obstacles
destruction
 Social Life and Duty in Classical India
Caste (Varna) Color/Symbolism Part of Purusha Duties

Brahmin White/spirituality Head Priests, teacher

Kshatriya Red/courage Shoulders Warriors, rulers

Vaisya Yellow/wealth Thighs Farmers,

merchants,
artisans
Sudra Black/ignorance Feet labor

Untouchables were outside the varna system – thus no color and not associated
with Purusha
Hindu Caste System
Caste System in India
The spread of
Hinduism into
Southeast Asia
 Angkor Wat – Evidence of the Spread of
Hinduism
●Largest religious monument in
the world
●Began as Hindu but became

Buddhist
●Built in Siem Reap, Cambodia in

the 12th century C.E.

Click to watch the video!
 Key Concept 2.1 Organization & Reorganization of
Human Societies

As states and empires increased in size and contacts between

regions multiplied, people transformed their religious and cultural
systems. Religions and belief systems provided a social bond among
the people and an ethical code to live by. These shared beliefs also
influenced and reinforced political, economic, and occupational
stratification. Religious and political authority often merged as rulers
(some of whom were considered divine) used religion, along with
military and legal structures, to justify their rule and ensure its
continuation. Religions and belief systems also generated conflict,
partly because beliefs and practices varied greatly within and among
societies.
I. New belief systems and cultural traditions emerged and spread,
often asserting universal truths.

A. The core beliefs preached by the historic Buddha and collected

by his followers in sutras and other scriptures were, in part, a
reaction to the Vedic beliefs and rituals dominant in South Asia.
Buddhism branched into many schools and changed over
time as it spread throughout Asia—first through the support of
the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, and then through the efforts of
missionaries and merchants and the establishment of
educational institutions to promote Buddhism’s core teachings.
Hinduism and Buddhism
 Buddhism
●Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 566-486 BCE)
●Once a prince in Northern India with a sheltered
life – then was shocked upon seeing old age,
sickness, and death
●suffering or sorrow (experiencing life as
imperfect, impermanent, and unsatisfactory)
was the central and universal feature of human
life
●cause of suffering = craving for individual
fulfillment and attachment to the notion of a
core self or ego that is uniquely and solidly “me”
●cure for the “disease” was living a modest and
moral life combined with meditation
●follow the Buddha’s path and you could reach
Nirvana = enlightenment
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
1. All Life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow

2. The cause for suffering is desire

3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome

non-virtue/desire

4. The way to overcome non-virtue is to follow the

Eightfold Path
I teach but one
thing suffering
and the end of
suffering.
● Buddhism appealed
to the impoverished,
women, and those in
low castes as it
offered hope and an
end to suffering.
● It spread quickly via
merchants and
missionaries,
especially along the
Silk Roads.
● As it spread, it
changed to adapt to
new populations
creating Mahayana
Buddhism.
 Mahayana Buddhism
●By the time of India’s Gupta dynasty (320-550 C.E.), the Greo-Roman influence
of the Gandhara style was fading, replaced by more completely Indian images of
the Buddha; these became the “classical” model
●As Buddhism spread, some of the early features (rigorous and time-consuming
meditation, focus on monks and nuns withdrawing from ordinary life, absence of
supernatural figures to offer help and comfort) proved difficult for many
converts
●The religion adapted – forming Mahayana Buddhism which offered greater
accessibility
●Enlightenment became accessible to everyone and was possible within the
context of ordinary life, not just a monastery
●Due to the popularity of Mahayana Buddhism, many Bodhisattva figures became
prominent
 Theravada vs. Mahayana Buddhism
How to cross the river to the far shore of enlightenment?

● Theravada (Teaching of the Elders) – Individuals are on their own in crossing the
river
● Mahayana (Great Vehicle) – help is available for the strenuous voyage in the form
of bodhisattvas (people who postpone their own enlightenment to help others)
 Theravada vs. Mahayana
Theravada Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism

Austere doctrine of self-effort Bodhisattvas assisted those who were still

suffering
Usually just monks and nuns who withdrew from Buddha was something of a god and available to
society in quest for enlightenment help

More psychological than religious Became a religion of salvation (supernatural beings,

levels of heaven and hell)
Set of practices rather then beliefs Religious merit which leads to salvation can be
earned by acts of piety and devotion
Gods played limited role in assisting believers in Much more accessible and popular form of
their search for enlightenment Buddhism
Buddha was portrayed as wise teacher but NOT
divine
 Bodhisattva

(in Mahayana
Buddhism) a person
who is able to reach
nirvana but delays
doing so out of
compassion in order to
save suffering beings.
Guides others in their
pursuit of Nirvana.
 Bodhisattva
Numerous heads, with
which to hear the many
cries of suffering
humanity

Numerous arms to aid

the people

Lotus blossom
represents purity
Buddhist Symbolism

For five centuries after Buddha’s death (5th

century B.C.E) artists represented Buddha as
an empty throne, a horse with no rider, a tree,
a wheel, or some other symbolic way. Among
the most popular symbolic representations of
the Buddha were images of his footprints.
 Buddhist Symbolism
Yakshis: Indian female
earth spirits suggesting
fertility. Position of hands Lotus flower: represents
conveys respectful Buddha’s purity
greeting

Dharmachakra:
wheel-like structure that
symbolizes Buddha’s
teaching

Triaratna: symbolizes the

three things in Buddhists
can take refuge: Buddha
himself, his teaching, and
the sangha (the Buddhist
community)
The tire = wisdom

The spokes = rules of

pure conduct

The hub = modesty &

thoughtfulness

The axle = unchanging

truth
 Let’s Analyze!
●Why might artists have been reluctant to
portray the human figure of the Buddha?
●Why might the wheel serve as an effective

symbol of the Buddha’s message?

●What does the inclusion of the yukshis add to

the message of this image?

●What overall religious message might this

footprint convey to those who gazed on it?

 The Lotus as a Symbol
With its roots in the mud, the lotus emerges on the surface
of the water as a pure, beautiful, and fragrant flower.
 Gandhara Buddha
● By the first century C.E. the impulse to depict
the Buddha in human form had surfaced.
● Earliest examples of depictions of Buddha
come from Gandhara (S.E. Asia – modern
Pakistan) – had been part of empire of
Alexander the Great and Hellenistic
successors
● Early images reflect this Greco-Roman
influence, depicting Buddha with face similar
to the Greek god Apollo – dressed in a Roman
style tog, and with curly hair characteristics of
those in the Mediterranean region
Gandhara Buddha
 Compare this
Buddha statue to
the Greek statue of
the god Apollo.
How are they
similar? How are
they different?
1,001 Bodhisattvas in Japan
Thailand
Thailand
Burma
Hinduism and Buddhism
 Buddhism
●Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 566-486 BCE)
●Once a prince in Northern India with a sheltered
life – then was shocked upon seeing old age,
sickness, and death
●suffering or sorrow (experiencing life as
imperfect, impermanent, and unsatisfactory)
was the central and universal feature of human
life
●cause of suffering = craving for individual
fulfillment and attachment to the notion of a
core self or ego that is uniquely and solidly “me”
●cure for the “disease” was living a modest and
moral life combined with meditation
●follow the Buddha’s path and you could reach
Nirvana = enlightenment
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
1. All Life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow

2. The cause for suffering is desire

3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome

non-virtue/desire

4. The way to overcome non-virtue is to follow the

Eightfold Path
I teach but one
thing suffering
and the end of
suffering.
● Buddhism appealed
to the impoverished,
women, and those in
low castes as it
offered hope and an
end to suffering.
● It spread quickly via
merchants and
missionaries,
especially along the
Silk Roads.
● As it spread, it
changed to adapt to
new populations
creating Mahayana
Buddhism.
 Mahayana Buddhism
●By the time of India’s Gupta dynasty (320-550 C.E.), the Greo-Roman influence
of the Gandhara style was fading, replaced by more completely Indian images of
the Buddha; these became the “classical” model
●As Buddhism spread, some of the early features (rigorous and time-consuming
meditation, focus on monks and nuns withdrawing from ordinary life, absence of
supernatural figures to offer help and comfort) proved difficult for many
converts
●The religion adapted – forming Mahayana Buddhism which offered greater
accessibility
●Enlightenment became accessible to everyone and was possible within the
context of ordinary life, not just a monastery
●Due to the popularity of Mahayana Buddhism, many Bodhisattva figures became
prominent
 Theravada vs. Mahayana Buddhism
How to cross the river to the far shore of enlightenment?

● Theravada (Teaching of the Elders) – Individuals are on their own in crossing the
river
● Mahayana (Great Vehicle) – help is available for the strenuous voyage in the form
of bodhisattvas (people who postpone their own enlightenment to help others)
 Bodhisattva

(in Mahayana
Buddhism) a person
who is able to reach
nirvana but delays
doing so out of
compassion in order to
save suffering beings.
Guides others in their
pursuit of Nirvana.
 Bodhisattva
Numerous heads, with
which to hear the many
cries of suffering
humanity

Numerous arms to aid

the people

Lotus blossom
represents purity
Buddhist Symbolism

For five centuries after Buddha’s death (5th

century B.C.E) artists represented Buddha as
an empty throne, a horse with no rider, a tree,
a wheel, or some other symbolic way. Among
the most popular symbolic representations of
the Buddha were images of his footprints.
 Buddhist Symbolism
Yakshis: Indian female
earth spirits suggesting
fertility. Position of hands Lotus flower: represents
conveys respectful Buddha’s purity
greeting

Dharmachakra:
wheel-like structure that
symbolizes Buddha’s
teaching

Triaratna: symbolizes the

three things in Buddhists
can take refuge: Buddha
himself, his teaching, and
the sangha (the Buddhist
community)
The tire = wisdom

The spokes = rules of

pure conduct

The hub = modesty &

thoughtfulness

The axle = unchanging

truth
 Let’s Analyze!
●Why might artists have been reluctant to
portray the human figure of the Buddha?
●Why might the wheel serve as an effective

symbol of the Buddha’s message?

●What does the inclusion of the yukshis add to

the message of this image?

●What overall religious message might this

footprint convey to those who gazed on it?

 The Lotus as a Symbol
With its roots in the mud, the lotus emerges on the surface
of the water as a pure, beautiful, and fragrant flower.
 Gandhara Buddha
● By the first century C.E. the impulse to depict
the Buddha in human form had surfaced.
● Earliest examples of depictions of Buddha
come from Gandhara (S.E. Asia – modern
Pakistan) – had been part of empire of
Alexander the Great and Hellenistic
successors
● Early images reflect this Greco-Roman
influence, depicting Buddha with face similar
to the Greek god Apollo – dressed in a Roman
style tog, and with curly hair characteristics of
those in the Mediterranean region
Gandhara Buddha
 Compare this
Buddha statue to
the Greek statue of
the god Apollo.
How are they
similar? How are
they different?
1,001 Bodhisattvas in Japan
Thailand
Thailand
Burma
China
Japan
Hinduism and Buddhism
 Buddhism
●Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 566-486 BCE)
●Once a prince in Northern India with a sheltered
life – then was shocked upon seeing old age,
sickness, and death
●suffering or sorrow (experiencing life as
imperfect, impermanent, and unsatisfactory)
was the central and universal feature of human
life
●cause of suffering = craving for individual
fulfillment and attachment to the notion of a
core self or ego that is uniquely and solidly “me”
●cure for the “disease” was living a modest and
moral life combined with meditation
●follow the Buddha’s path and you could reach
Nirvana = enlightenment
FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
1. All Life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow

2. The cause for suffering is desire

3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome

non-virtue/desire

4. The way to overcome non-virtue is to follow the

Eightfold Path
I teach but one
thing suffering
and the end of
suffering.
● Buddhism appealed
to the impoverished,
women, and those in
low castes as it
offered hope and an
end to suffering.
● It spread quickly via
merchants and
missionaries,
especially along the
Silk Roads.
● As it spread, it
changed to adapt to
new populations
creating Mahayana
Buddhism.
 Mahayana Buddhism
●By the time of India’s Gupta dynasty (320-550 C.E.), the Greo-Roman influence
of the Gandhara style was fading, replaced by more completely Indian images of
the Buddha; these became the “classical” model
●As Buddhism spread, some of the early features (rigorous and time-consuming
meditation, focus on monks and nuns withdrawing from ordinary life, absence of
supernatural figures to offer help and comfort) proved difficult for many
converts
●The religion adapted – forming Mahayana Buddhism which offered greater
accessibility
●Enlightenment became accessible to everyone and was possible within the
context of ordinary life, not just a monastery
●Due to the popularity of Mahayana Buddhism, many Bodhisattva figures became
prominent
 Theravada vs. Mahayana Buddhism
How to cross the river to the far shore of enlightenment?

● Theravada (Teaching of the Elders) – Individuals are on their own in crossing the
river
● Mahayana (Great Vehicle) – help is available for the strenuous voyage in the form
of bodhisattvas (people who postpone their own enlightenment to help others)
 Bodhisattva

(in Mahayana
Buddhism) a person
who is able to reach
nirvana but delays
doing so out of
compassion in order to
save suffering beings.
Guides others in their
pursuit of Nirvana.
 Bodhisattva
Numerous heads, with
which to hear the many
cries of suffering
humanity

Numerous arms to aid

the people

Lotus blossom
represents purity
Buddhist Symbolism

For five centuries after Buddha’s death (5th

century B.C.E) artists represented Buddha as
an empty throne, a horse with no rider, a tree,
a wheel, or some other symbolic way. Among
the most popular symbolic representations of
the Buddha were images of his footprints.
 Buddhist Symbolism
Yakshis: Indian female
earth spirits suggesting
fertility. Position of hands Lotus flower: represents
conveys respectful Buddha’s purity
greeting

Dharmachakra:
wheel-like structure that
symbolizes Buddha’s
teaching

Triaratna: symbolizes the

three things in Buddhists
can take refuge: Buddha
himself, his teaching, and
the sangha (the Buddhist
community)
The tire = wisdom

The spokes = rules of

pure conduct

The hub = modesty &

thoughtfulness

The axle = unchanging

truth
 Let’s Analyze!
●Why might artists have been reluctant to
portray the human figure of the Buddha?
●Why might the wheel serve as an effective

symbol of the Buddha’s message?

●What does the inclusion of the yukshis add to

the message of this image?

●What overall religious message might this

footprint convey to those who gazed on it?

 The Lotus as a Symbol
With its roots in the mud, the lotus emerges on the surface
of the water as a pure, beautiful, and fragrant flower.
 Gandhara Buddha
● By the first century C.E. the impulse to depict
the Buddha in human form had surfaced.
● Earliest examples of depictions of Buddha
come from Gandhara (S.E. Asia – modern
Pakistan) – had been part of empire of
Alexander the Great and Hellenistic
successors
● Early images reflect this Greco-Roman
influence, depicting Buddha with face similar
to the Greek god Apollo – dressed in a Roman
style tog, and with curly hair characteristics of
those in the Mediterranean region
Gandhara Buddha
 Compare this
Buddha statue to
the Greek statue of
the god Apollo.
How are they
similar? How are
they different?
1,001 Bodhisattvas in Japan
Thailand
Thailand
Burma
China
Japan
South Korea
 Chinese Popular
Religion
● The term Chinese Popular
Religion is used for the blend
(syncretism) of Daoism,
Confucianism, and Buddhism
practiced by many people in
China
● Especially popular with people in
Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia,
and Singapore
● Synthesis of faiths emphasizes
the immortals, the festivals, and
other religious observances
Todaiji Temple (Buddhist), Nara, Japan (Illustrates the spread of Buddhism to Japan)
Sacred Deer in Nara, Japan
Buddhist Graveyard, Koyasan, Japan
 Reasons for Decline of Buddhism in India
➢ Reincorporated into Hindu traditions

➢ Growing wealth of monasteries separated leaders from ordinary people

➢ Competition from Islam after 1000 C.E.

➢ Bhakti (worship) movement encouraged strong devotion to a specific god or

goddess

➢ Growth of popular Hinduism as seen in the epics Mahabharata and the

Ramayana
Buddhism Hinduism
Let’s Compare Buddhism & Hinduism
Similarities Differences
Use of missionaries
Buddhism ●
● More of a way of life rather than
● Origins in India religion
● Reincarnation ● Social mobility (rejected the caste
● Meditation system)
● Goal is to reach higher state of being ● Individualism
● Women play subservient role ● Not as focused on rituals and
● Emphasize selflessness sacrifices
● Karma ● Not interested in abstract speculation
● Religious texts about creation of the world
● Hope for final relief from cycle of
rebirth
● Ordinary life is an illusion

Caste system (social hierarchy)

Hinduism ●
● Monistic
● Bathing in Ganges
● Centered mostly in India/Sri Lanka
● More accessible to the average
person
Confucianism’s Impact on Hinduism’s Impact on
China / E. Asia India / South Asia