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Imagine…you are a merchant in India in about 240 B.C. You travel from town to town on your donkey, carrying bolts of colorful cloth. In the heat of summer, you are grateful for the banyan trees along the road. They shelter you from the blazing sun. You stop at wells for cools drinks of water and rest houses for a breaking your journey. You know these are all the work of your king. Asoka. How do you feel about your king? Do Now
Chapter 5 Section 4Indian Empires • Big Idea: The Mauryans & the Guptas built great empires in India
Mauryan Empire • 320BC Chandragupta Maurya founded empire • Military leader who seized northern India. • Centralized his reign through network of spies & huge military • 270BC Asoka (Chandragupta's grandson) took the throne • Quickly expanded to take nearly all of India • Converted to Buddhism dedicated rest of life to building empire • Built infrastructure, dug wells, spread religion • After his death empire soon fell apart
Gupta Empire • India remained divided for about 500yrs until… • New dynasty established by Chandragupta I • Hinduism became main religion • Thought the caste system would strengthen rule • Chandragupta II • Reached Golden Age under his rule • Excelled in art, literature, & inventions • Eventually fell to the Huns, invaders from central Asia
Review • Who began the Mauryan Empire? • What does centralize mean? • Who was Asoka? What were his accomplishments? • Who was Chandragupta I? • Who was Chandragupta II? • How did the Gupta empire fall?
Homework • Page 142 vocabulary / identification & Pg. 145 #1-3