HIS 105Chapter 4

Iran, India, and Inner Asia

600 B.C.E. - 200 C.E.

Iranian Achaemenids and Mauryan India In both areas there were:

Sophisticated bureaucracies Professional armies Strong communication systems New cultural, political, and religious

developments

Iran

Found in SW Asia in the middle of east-west trade routes

As a consequence, cities flourished Iranians were descendents of Aryan peoples

who settled there in 1100 B.C.E. 2 major groups of Aryans there:

The Medes The Persians

Achaemenids

Powerful Persian clan in 7th century B.C.E. Took over the Medes by 550 B.C.E. Cyrus the Great was the Persian or

Achaemenid ruler at the time Allowed for local rule and former practices in

the newly captured territory Little disruption for the people

Cyrus the Great

Religion

Emphasis on “right” moral order Monotheistic ; god named Ahura Mazda Zarathustra (Zoroaster) was a trained priest

and religiuos reformer Wanted moral reform in an age of materialism,

power grabbing, and ethical indifference Asked followers to worship Ahura Mazda, do

good, and overcome evil Said there would be a final judgment

His religion was called Zoroastrianism It perhaps influenced Judaism, Christianity,

and Islam -- also monotheistic Zoroastrianism was wiped out when Islam

entered It is still practiced in western India

Zarathustra

First Iranian Empire (550-330 B.C.E.)The Achaemenids & Cyrus the Great During the rise of this Persian power, Cyrus I

ruled Iran moved toward greatness under Cyrus

the Great (r.559-530 B.C.E.), grandson of CyrusI

Cyrus the Great expanded Persian territory: took Assyria, Cilesia, Lydia, and defeated the last Babylonian king

When he continued his battle for territory eastward, he was killed

Cambyses ( r. 529-522 B.C.E.), his successor took Egypt

Darius I succeeded Cambyses (r. 521-486 B.C.E.) Under his rule the Achaemenid Empire

reached its furthest extent Territory extended from Egypt to southern

Russia to the Indus Valley

After Darius, the Achaemenids lost power and control

Cambyses & Darius

Achaemenid Government

It was a stable government until the 3rd century B.C.E.

The king was called Shahanshah or “King of Kings”

Ahura Mazda would bless the king (divine rule)

Achaemenids showed tolerance of other cultures and religions

They established Pax Achaemenica

Governors in the provinces were called Satraps

Taxes were collected Emphasis on rule of law Had a good highway system

Helped trade Helped army Helped couriers

Economy

Coin system Standard wages Basic occupation was agriculture Serfs and slaves made up most of the labor

force

India

First true Indian Empire was established by Chandragupta Maurya (r. 321-297 B.C.E.)

After Alexander the Great’s victories in NW India and the defeat of small kingdoms, there was a need for new Indian leadership

Chandragupta Maurya provided that leadership

He re-conquered NW India taking it from the Greeks left by Alexander

Chandragupta

Chandragupta began conquering territory along the Ganges plain

Chandraguta was succeeded by his son, Bindusara (r. 297-272 B.C.E.) who extended the boundaries further south

Bindusara was succeeded by his son, Ashoka (r. 272-232) who completed the conquests His reign was one of political unity, prosperity,

and rich culture

Bindusara & Ashoka

He became a Buddhist He stopped his conquests after seeing te

suffering he caused Ashoka then worked to promote the welfare of

his people He built roads and hospitals Promoted vegetarianism Would not sanction war or animal slaughter

Brahmans were no longer his political advisors, and they did not like losing their power

Local warrior elite were also losing their power However, many people benefited:

Merchants Artisans Buddhist monks and nuns Women

Ashoka’s reign was followed by weaker rulers The empire divided chaos followed Brahmans pushed to take back power Brahmans persecuted Buddhists and pushed

them to the fringes of society and brought back Hinduism

Brahman Recovery

Brahmans and kings with Brahman advisors began to take power in northern India as other weak leaders fell

Practices of the Buddhists made them vulnerable to the Brahman push Buddhists isolated themselves in monasteries They were supported by the wealthy and lived

in luxury They lost touch with ordinary people

Brahmans tried to make Hinduism more appealing to the Indian people by incorporating some Buddhist gods and by stressing a more personal relationship with their gods

Brahmans also opened temples to people of all castes

Women could act as singers and poets They created more ceremonies Hindus adopted Buddhists’ idea of salvation

New rulers promoted Hinduism As a result, Buddhism slowly died out The Mauryas:

Had centralized bureaucracy Had good communications, civil and military

organization, tax collection, and a secret service

Had trade and productive cities Encouraged cultural development Had some contact with the West