Background

India was not always one country. Before the late fourth century BCE, it was divided into hundreds of small kingdoms. These kingdoms were often at war.

Alexander of Macedon is commonly known as Alexander the Great. In 327 BCE, Alexander and his troops entered India. They quickly conquered the Punjab region. Alexander left after only two years. However, he changed India. His defeat of India’s major powers gave other groups the chance to seize control. The kingdom of Magadha was the first of these new powers to arise.

Formation

Magadha grew the kingdom’s size. Then Chandragupta Maurya took control of the Magadha kingdom. Maurya created the Mauryan Empire. Chandragupta Maurya conquered northwestern India and Bactria (modern Afghanistan). The communities in northern and central subcontinental India had long been divided. But Maurya brought them together under one empire.

Administration

Chandragupta ruled from 324 to 297 BCE. Toward the end of his reign, India was hit by famine. The emperor felt terrible for his starving people. As a result, he gave up the throne. His son Bindusara took over as emperor.

Bindusara expanded the empire. He died in 272 BCE. His son, Ashoka, became emperor in 268 BCE.

Ashoka made the Mauryan Empire even larger. He did it through warfare. However, after one particularly bloody battle, Ashoka had a change of heart. He vowed to give up war. Ashoka was transformed by his conversion to Buddhism. From then on, he said, he would win others over through “dharma,” or good deeds. Dharma is one of the main principles of the Buddhist religion. Ashoka focused his reign on spreading Buddhist teachings. In fact, the spread of Buddhism is one of Ashoka’s most lasting legacies. He supported Buddhist missionaries. Ashoka sent missionaries to neighboring regions. This helped the spread of Buddhism outside the Indian subcontinent.

The Mauryan Empire could not last forever. In fact, it only survived Ashoka by fifty years. But three hundred years later, another empire rose in the same region. This was known as the Gupta Empire. Sri Gupta founded this empire between 240 and 280 CE.

The Gupta empire grew through conquest and marriage. Chandragupta II ruled from 380 to 415 CE. He extended the Gupta Empire across northern India. Like Ashoka, Chandragupta II centered his government in the capital, Pataliputra. But he gave local regions more freedom. They were allowed to make their own decisions about their government. The Gupta Empire was a golden age in India. This was a time of peace and public safety. The arts and sciences also grew.

Religion

India has three major religions. They are Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. All three share similar practices. These include fasting, vegetarianism, and nonviolence.

A Jain advisor predicted a famine during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya. The prediction came true. After that, Chandragupta supported the beliefs of Jainism.

Ashoka devoted his energies to spreading Buddhism. He built pillars carved with edicts, or announcements. He also built places for Buddhists to meditate. These were called stupas. The pillars concentrate on respecting all life. Here are some examples:

“Rock Edict VII, King Priyadarsi wishes members of all faiths to live everywhere in his kingdom. For they all seek understanding of the senses and cleanliness of mind. Kalinga Edict II, King Priyadarsi says: All men are my children. I seek the safety and happiness of my own children in this world and the next. I seek the same things for all men. Unconquered peoples along the borders of my dominions may wonder what my disposition is toward them. My only wish with respect to them is that they should not fear me, but trust me; that they should expect only happiness from me, not misery; that they should understand further that I will forgive them for offenses which can be forgiven; that they should be induced by my example to practice Dharma; and that they should attain happiness in this world and the next” (Ashoka, 51-53).

Ashoka had once been known as a cruel man. But Buddhism changed him. His rule helped grow Buddhism into a world religion.

Trade

Trade expanded greatly under the Mauryan emperors. Chandragupta Maurya created a single currency across India. Before then, there were many different kinds of money. Political unity and peace helped trade grow. During Ashoka’s reign, major new roadways were built. They made travel far easier. Trade with other regions quickly increased.

Women and society

Indian society was governed by something called the caste system. This system divided people into upper and lower castes. Lower-caste people were forced to do the work upper-caste people didn’t want to do. They were often treated very badly. Caste was fixed. It was passed down from parents to children.

Caste played a large role in the lives of women. Upper-caste Indian women stayed in the home. Lower caste women could leave the home to work. Many women of lower castes worked in the textile industry. Their work earned money for their families. These women traded extra goods at the market. Their work contributed to India’s export of goods.

Ashoka spread Buddhism throughout India. Buddhists lived outside of the caste system. Many women joined Buddhist nunneries. This offered women a new life outside of India’s caste system.

Decline and fall

The Gupta Empire fell at the end of the fifth century CE. It collapsed after pastoralist tribes from Central Asia invaded.

The age of Indian empires ended with the fall of the Gupta. India once again became divided. It was broken into separate kingdoms.

In the 1500s, India was conquered by the Mughal Empire. Its new rulers reunited much of the country.