Ch. 4 Ancient India and Ancient China

Maurya Dynasty

Location Capital--Ganges Valley, Pataliputia
Government--Well organized, bureaucracy
Emperors--Chandragupta, Asoka
Cause of Decline--Foreign invaders

Kindoms of the Deccan

Location: Deccan Plain
People:Dravidians
Tamil Kingdoms: Trade was very important
Religion: Hindu, Buddhism, some others

Gupta Dynasty

Location/Capital Northern India
Government strong central government, supports peace and prosperity, feudalistic
Trade and Farming--flourished, wheat, rice, sugar cane
Arts and Learning--students educated in religious schools, Gupta mathematicians devised

Chandragupta Maurya

founder of the Maurya Empire. first gained power in the Ganges Valley, conquered northern India and added the Deccan. 321-185 bc

Asoka

became emperor in 268 bc, a conquering king, converted to Buddhism, sent missionaries

Faxian

Chinese Buddhist Monk who visited India in 400 bc and reported on Gupta rule

Kalidasa

Greatest Gupta poet and play writer, most famous play was Shakuntala--tells the story of a king who marries the lovely orphan Shakuntala

Founder of the first great Indian empire
Asoka
Ajanta
Chandragupta Maurya
Kalidasa
stupa

Chandragupta Maurya...

Emperor who ruled by moral example
Asoka
Ajanta
Chandragupta Maurya
Kalidasa
stupa

Asoka

Dome-shaped Buddhist shrine
Asoka
Ajanta
Chandragupta Maurya
Kalidasa
stupa

stupa

Site of richly decorated cave temples
Asoka
Ajanta
Chandragupta Maurya
Kalidasa
stupa

Ajanta

Playright who wrote Shakuntala
Asoka
Ajanta
Chandragupta Maurya
Kalidasa
stupa

Kalidasa

How did Asoka's changes in governing policy affect the Maurya empire?

The changes brought peace and helped to unite his empire

In which area did women enjoy high status?
Maurya empire
Sri Lanka
Gupta empire
Tamil kingdoms

Tamil kingdoms

In general, how did Deccan rulers react to new religions emerging from the north?
They were basically tolerant of new religions
They moved quickly to stop new beliefs from mixing with their own
They ordered their people to adopt the new religions
There wa

They were basically tolerant of new religions

Untouchables

people forced to perform impure jobs
The lowest rank was the "untouchables" who did the impure jobs. They had to live apart from everyone.

Joint family

household where relations all live together in a common dwelling

patriarchal

system where the eldest man is the head of the household

sati

virtuous woman who joined her husband on his funeral pyre

Complex rules were developed within the caste system to
a. bring equality to all people
b. make everyday life more orderly
c. help rulers keep people under control
d. ensure spiritual purity

ensure spiritual purity

The caste system gave people
a. reason to fight each other
b. a sense of identity
c. an opportunity to develop skills
d. a chance to different jobs

a sense of identity

In a patriarchal household
a. family property belonged only to men
b. the eldest man made family decisions completely on his own
c. the eldest male was held in esteem for his wisdom and experience
d. relatives always shared the same house.

the eldest male was held in esteem for his wisdom and experience

By late Gupta times, upper-class women were
a. in control of the government
b. able to move freely in society
c. encouraged to remarry
d. often restricted to the home.

often restricted to the home

A typical Indian village included a cluster of homes and
a. fields where farmers grew wheat, rice, or cotton
b. a stupa that housed the remains of holy people
c. a royal palace for the emperor
d. was surrounded by a high stone wall

fields where farmers grew wheat, rice, or cotton

Village decisions were made by
a. popular vote
b. the village headsman and council
c. outside rulers
d. priests and scribes

the village headsman and council

Caste System

People were different beings depending on their caste.
There were 100s of castes
To ensure purity, a web of complex rules governed every aspect of life.
Higher caste people had stricter rules than lower caste people in order to protect them from spiritual

Family Life

Family trained children in traditions and duties of their caste. (daughters learned to serve and obey her husband) (sons learned to honor ancestors)
Ideal family was the joint family--all relatives share common dwelling
family was patriarchal--father or o

Village Life

the heart of life.
cluster of homes made of earth or stone
fields of wheat, rice, cotton, sugar cane, or other crops
Each village had people of all castes to perform the tasks needed for daily life
self-sufficient--produced most of goods and foods they ne

Confucianism

Confucius
he attracted many students of his beliefs
he wanted to be an adviser to a local ruler
His students collected his sayings in the Analects
he believed in Five Relationships and that people should know their place in society--harmony exists when pe

Five Relationships

Father to son
elder brother to younger brother
husband to wife
ruler to subject
friend to friend

Hanfeizi

He believed that the "nature of man is evil"
His teachings were called Legalism
The only way to achieve order to have strict laws and punish harshly
Only the ruler possessed power
The laws were so cruel that later generations despised Legalism
started Gre

Laozi

Laozi founded Daoism
known as "Old Master"
hamony with nature
Laozi focused on "the Dao" which was known as "the way"
Those who know the Dao do not speak of it, those who speak of it, do not know it.
Rejected conflict and strife of all kinds
yield like wa

How did the Silk Road benefit the Chinese economy?

Increased the number of foreign merchants present in China under the Han Dynasty
Buddhism spread from India to China
Traded in silk--new foods, slaves
over 4,000 miles

Advances in the Han civilization in science and technology

texts on chemistry, zoology, biology, studied stars and planets
advance calendar
eclipse Wang Chong
paper from wood pulp--Cai Lun
shipbuilding--rudder for steering
bronze, iron stirrups
fishing reels, wheelbarrows, suspension bridges

Analects

a collection of Confucius teachings put into one book

filial piety

respect for parents, it was above all duties

the way

Dao, to reject conflict and strife, to have peace with nature

What was government rule like under the Gupta dynasty?

Much power was left in the hands of individual villages and cities (FEUDALISM)

What impact did Gupta mathematicians have on civilization?

They developed the Arabic number system and the concept of zero.

Ban Zhao

wrote Lessons for Women

Great Wall

was built under the direction of Shi Huangdi

monopoly

Wudi organized a government MONOPOLY of iron and salt production

Silk Road

The SILK ROAD was a trade route that linked China and the west

WUDI

was known as the WARRIOR EMPEROR

What policies did Shi Huangdi embrace to build a strong government?

LEGALIST

Which of the following measures did SHI HUANDGI use to impose unity?

He sent inspectors to spy on local officials

Which of the following did Emperor WUDI not do to improve economic growth?
He improved roads and canals
he set up government monopolies
He established granaries
he made cart axles the same width

he made cart axles the same width

The Way of Virtue

collected writings of Laozi, or the OLD MASTER

The Analects

collected sayings by Confucius

Daoism

Philosophy that taught living in harmony with nature

filial piety

Respect for one's parents

Legalism

Philosophy based on Hanfeizi's teachings

Confucian ideas dealt mainly with

how to ensure social order

Confucius believed the best ruler was

a virtuous man who led by example

According to Legalism, the way to achieve order was to

pass strict laws and enforce them with harsh punishments

Daoists believed that the best government was one that

governed the least

Mahayana Buddhism spread throughout China because

it offered the chance for anyone to achieve salvation

atman

a person's essential self

Jainism

grew out of the principle of ahimsa

karma

People with good KARMA are reborn at a higher level

nirvana

in order to reach NIRVANA Buddhists must commit to following the Eightfold Path

reincarnation

the rebirth of the soul

According to Hinduism, what is the ultimate goal of existence?

to achieve union with brahman

Why do Hindus believe it is important to follow the path of nonviolence?

all people and things are aspects of brahman and should be respected

According to the Buddha, how do you overcome the desire for things like riches?

by following the Eightfold Path

In addition to gaining union with the oneness of the universe, what do you achieve by reaching nirvana?

release from the cycle of rebirth

What sect of Buddhism is easier for ordinary people to follow

Mahayana

dharma

the religious and moral duties of an individual

ahimsa

practice of nonviolence

Founder of Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama

Founder of Hinduism

no single founder

Yin

feminine

yang

masculine

Hinduism

based on ancient beliefs
India--majority
Braham is the creator of the earth
Braham, Vishnu, Shiva are the trinity
They have human and animal gods
Caste System
no violence