MandateofHeavenDynas/cCycleDynastyCentralizedGovernmentBureaucracyCivilServiceExamConfucianism5Rela/onshipsFilialPietyTaoismBuddhism

Classical Civilizations Gupta Review

Unit7,Lesson31Name______________________________________Sec/on__________Date_______________________LT:IcandefineandsynthesizeimportanttermsabouttheGuptaEmpireDoNow:Completepart1.

WhatroledidgeographyplayinancientChina?HowdidConfucianismaffectthesocialorder?TheGovernment?WhatdidtheHanaccomplishduringtheirGoldenAge?HowdidtheHanfall?

Religion

Defini/ons

TheCasteSystem

UsethefollowingtermstofillintheblanksontheleX.

MokshaDharmaSamsaraAtmanKarma

Part1:ConceptNoteswithKelly

Ifyouwereanuntouchable,whatdidthissayaboutyourpastlife?Whydidn’tpeoplesimplydowhattheywantedandignoretheircasterules?Howdidyouknowwhatcasteyouwerein?

Hinduismbelievesthateverylivingthinghasasoulinsideit,calledthe________________.Youcanbuildupgood___________________byperforminggooddeedsandfulfillingyourdu/es,or_________________.Everylivingthinghasadifferentduty,dependingonwhatitis.Ifyouhavegoodkarmawhenyoudie,youwillbereincarnatedintoahigherlifeform.Thishappensoverandover,inaprocesscalled_________________.Eventually,youwillachieve___________________.Youwillnolongerbereborn;instead,your_________________willrejointhesupremepower,Brahman.

PolisCity-stateHellenis/c

Part2:Fact-Findingonyourown1.Definethefollowingterms,usingthetextbook.

Name3thingswehavetoday,thankstotheGreeks.Whichonedoyoufeelisthemostimportant,andwhy?

2.Howdidtheloca/onoftheGuptaEmpirecontributetoitswealth?Whatkindsofthingsdidtheytrade?3.DescribetheGuptaEmpire’sculturalandeduca/onalachievementsduringitsGoldenAge.(4-5sentences)4.ExplainhowIndianculture(religion,art,etc)spreadtoothercultures(1-2sentences)

Term DefiniEon(inyourownwords!)

SilkRoad

Centralizedgovernment

Castesystem

Part3:ThinkingBigger

1.  List2featuresofGuptathatyouthinkareuniqueandspecial.List2similari/esyouseebetweenGuptaandeitherHanChina,Rome,orGreece.Bespecific(don’tjustwrite,“socialclasses”orsomething)

2.  Whichempire–Rome,Han,orGupta–doyouthinkwasthemostsuccessful?(3-4sentences)

Themanufactureoftex/les(cloth)ofvariouskindswasoneofthemoreimportantindustriesatthis/me.Muslin,calico,linen,woolandcofonwereproducedingreatquan/ty.Theexportofspices,pepper,sandalwood,pearls,preciousstones,perfumes,indigoandherbscon/nuedasbefore.PepperwasexportedfromtheportsoftheMalabarcoastandsesame,copperandcofongarmentsfromKalyana.Thesouthern/pofIndiaareahadanimportantroletoplayinthepearltrade.Chinesesilkcameingreaterquan/ty,asdidivoryfromAum.ImportsofhorsesfromPersiaalsoincreased.CoppercamefromthewesternMediterraneanregionandsapphirefromSriLanka.

EconomyFromprimarysourceaccounts,itisclearthatthepeoplewererichandthecountrywasprosperousduringtheGuptaperiod.ThediscoveryoflargenumbersofgoldcoinsoftheGuptaperiodindicatetheprosperityofthecountry.

Thewealthoftheperiodisreflectedinitstownplanning.Mostci/eswerelaidoutinsquares;woodenbuildingswerereplacedbybuildingsofbrick;anddrainsandwellswerecarefullyplanned.VeryfewoftheGuptabuildingshavesurvivedasmostofthemhadbeendestroyedbyinvaders.

Art & Architecture

Rock-cutcavearchitecturepersistedinthisperiod.AnexcellentexampleofthiscanbefoundattheAjantaCaves.Thechamberswerecutintothecaves,andthepain/ngsandsculpturesofAjanta,consideredmasterpiecesofBuddhistreligiousart,havehadaconsiderablear/s/cinfluence.

TheGuptasalsoexcelledinthefiledoffineartsandwasfundedbytheGuptagovernment.ThenamewhichimmediatelycomestomindisthatofKalidasa,regardedasthemostoutstandingwriterofclassicalSanskrit.Hismostfamouswork,theplayShakuntala,latercametobeknowninEuropethroughtheimpactitmadeonlaterEuropeanar/sts..Playscon/nuedtoberoman/ccomedies,tragicthemesbeingavoided,sincethepurposeofthetheatrewastoentertain.

Literature

TheGuptarulersencouragedhigherlearningbypatronizingcentersofhighereduca/onatNalanda,Takshila,Ujjain,VikramshilaandVallabhi.Eachuniversityspecializedinapar/cularfieldofstudy.Takshilaspecializedinthestudyofmedicine,whileUjjainlaidemphasisonastronomy.Nalanda,beingthebiggestcenter,handledallbranchesofknowledge.DuringtheGuptaperiodIndiabecameacenterforhigherstudiesbyafrac/ngscholarsfromallpartsofIndiaandfromseveralforeigncountries.PeopleflockedtotheSarnathuniversitytostudyBuddhistreligionandtoAjantatospecializeinart,architectureandpain/ng.Theseeduca/onalins/tu/onswerefinancedbygrantsoflandanddona/onsfromkingsaswellasfromotherrichpeople,likemerchants.

Higher Learning

TheGuptaterritoriesexpandedsogreatlythatithasoXenbeencomparedtogreatconquerorssuchasAlexandertheGreat.Localsquads—whicheachconsistedofoneelephant,onechariot,threearmedcavalrymen,andfivefootsoldiers—protectedGuptavillagesfromraidsandrevolts.In/mesofwar,thesquadsjoinedtogethertoformapowerfulroyalarmy.TheGuptaarmyisthoughttohaveahigherlevelofdisciplinecomparedtotribalrivals.AtitsheighttheGuptaEmpirehad750,000soldiers.Warelephantscon/nuedtobeusedandelephantarmorwasadvancedthroughoutthisaperiod.FirearrowswereusedbytheGupta,theirlongbamboocanearrowsbeingpar/cularlywellsuitedforuseintheseopera/ons.TheGuptaempirealsomaintainedanavytocontrolwaterwaysandtheircoasts.Theyalsohadahighlevelofunderstandingofsiegewarfare,employingcatapultsandothersophis/catedwarmachines.

Gupta Warfare/Military

The24-footironpillarofDelhiwaserectedaspartofalargermonument.Itisnotablefortworeasons.First,at24feet,itwasamongthetallestpillarsinexistence.Second,theblacksmithswhocreateditwereskilledenoughtocoveritinachemicalphosphatemixturethatpreventeditfromrus/ng,explaininghowitcon/nuestostand,rust-free,today.

Science & Mathematics

Aryabhatawasthemostfamousmathema/cianandastronomeroftheGuptaAge,andformanyyearstocome.Hisbook,wrifenattheageof23,proposedmanytheoriesthatwes/llusetoday.AryabhataisbelievedtobethefirsttocomeupwiththeconceptofzeroandwhocreatedthetheorythattheEarthmovesroundtheSun.Aryabhataproposedthattheearthisnotflat,butisinsteadroundandrotatesaboutitsownaxis.HealsomayhavediscoveredthattheMoonandplanetsshinebyreflectedsunlight.Hecalculatedthelengthofthesolaryeartobe365.3586805days,offbyonlyafewminutes.Hises/ma/onofthelengthofEarth’sdaywasoffbyonlyamaferofminutes.Aryabhataalsoworkedoutavalueforpithatequatesto3.1416,veryclosetotheapproxima/onss/llusedtoday.Usingthisvalue,hewasabletocalculatethattheEarthhadacircumferenceof24,835miles.Thisiscorrecttowithin0.2%,andremainedthebestfigureavailableforcloseto500years.

Thegameofchessprobablyoriginatedfromthisperiod,whereitsearlyformwascalledchaturangaandcontainedgamepiecesforinfantry,cavalry,elephants,andchariots,whichwouldeachevolveintothemodernpawn,knight,rook,andbishop,respec/vely.<-Hindugodsplayingchess.