ANCIENT INDIA : EMPIRES

WE LEFT ALEXANDER THE GREAT IN 326 BC

IN THE INDUS VALLEY IN WESTERN INDIA

1. AT THIS TIME IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT A NEW CULTURE WAS EMERGING CALLED THE 'ARYANS'

2. THIS CULTURE HAD FIRST DEVELOPED IN THE INDUS VALLEY FROM 8OO BC

3. THE ARYANS WERE A RELIGIOUS CULTURE BASED ON A CASTE SYSTEM IN SOCIETY

MADE UP OF :

BRAHMINS - PRIESTS

WARRIORS AND NOBLES

ARTISANS AND MERCHANTS

LABOURERS AND SERVANTS

BY 5OO THERE WAS STRICT DIVISION BETWEEN CLASSES

THE POWERFUL BRAHMIN PRIESTS DEVOTED THEIR TIME TO RELIGEOUS CEREMONIES AND TO THE 'VEDAS' OR KNOWLEDGE OF SPIRITUAL REALITY

4. THE INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM AND SPIRITUAL EXPLORATION WOULD BE A CHARACTERISTIC OF INDIAN LIFE TO TODAY

THE RISE OF THE MAURYA EMPIRE

5. BEFORE ALEXANDER THE GREAT ARRIVED 'KING CHANDRAGUPTA' FOUNDED INDIA'S FIRST GREAT EMPIRE - THE MAURYA EMPIRE

6. KING CHANDRAGUPTA UNITED THE MANY WARING STATES AND THEN EXPANDED HIS EMPIRE TO COVER MOST OF INDIA.

7. HE WAS AN ABSOLUTE KING AND HAD COMMAND OVER A VAST ARMY INCLUDING 9,OOO WAR ELEPHANTS

8. THE MAURYA EMPIRE ENJOYED TRADE WITH THE WEST WITH ATHENS AND ROME

9 . CHANDRAGUPTA PASSED HIS EMPIRE TO HIS GRANDSON ASOKA WHO RULED AFTER HIS SON HAD DIED 273 BC.

KING ASOKA

1O. AS A WARRIOR KING ASOKA RULED FOR 35 YEARS - HE LATER CONVERTED TO BUDDHISM AND RENOUNCED KILLING

11. AFTER ASOKA DIED THE GUPTA DYNASTY CONTROLED INDIA

12. THE GUPTA EMPIRE 32O AD - 55O AD WAS A GOLDEN AGE OF ANCIENT INDIA

WITH A FLOWERING OF THE ARTS, ARCHITECTURE, SCIENCE AND RELIGION