Chap 8.4 Slides

Question 1

What grew during the Gupta empire?

How was the Indian civilization during Gupta empire?

Answer 1

Growth of Trade

• Indian civilization flourished during Gupta empire
• Trade increased, economy better

Question 2

What linked India to the outside?

What were traded?

Answer 2

• The Silk Roads linked India to other markets
• Indian merchants traded ivory, cashmere, cotton, spices for Chinese silk, Roman ceramics

Question 3

Where did trade spread?

How did Indian culture diffuse to outside?

Answer 3

• Traded actively by sea
• Indian sailors reached foreign markets across
• Played key role in cultural diffusion of Indian culture

Question 4

What was used in daily life in India?

What was life like in India?

Answer 4

• Use of money became more common; new group of bankers, moneylenders emerged
• Luxury, pleasure for urban rich; enjoyed music, poetry, art

Question 5

What was life like for the Gupta people?

How did villages get together?

Answer 5

• Most Gupta people led simple lives in small villages
• farmers
• Most villages self-sufficient, but trade between villages occurred
• People from different villages got together for religious festivals, other events

Question 6

What was social structure like?

What did most people belong to?

Why was this important?

Answer 6

• Most people in ancient India belonged to specific caste
• Castes determined jobs, interaction with others

Question 7

What was the role of legal codes?

Answer 7

•Legal codes also defined people’s roles an proper behavior

Question 8

What was the gender role in India?

Answer 8

• Men had more rights than women
• Patriarchal society (men in charge) similar to China

Question 9

What was the laws of MANU?

Answer 9

• Female child subject to father, female youth to husband
• Men expected to treat women with respect
• Abused women could leave

Question 10

Social structure was a pyramid at this time.

What were the 4 groups from top to bottom?

Answer 10

1) BHRAMIN - priests and academics
2) KSHATRYIA- warriors, kings
3) VAISHYA - merchants, landowners
4) SUDRA - commoners, peasants, servants

Question 11

What group was at the very bottom of the social structure?

Answer 11

UNTOUCHABLES

Outcase-Out of Caste, street sweepers, latrine cleaners

Question 12

Why was the Gupta period a golden age?

Answer 12

The Gupta period was a golden age of cultural and scientific achievements

Question 13

What was achievement in literature?

Answer 13

Sanskrit Literature

•Many great works created during Gupta period

Question 14

Who was Kalidasa?

What did he create?

Answer 14

•One of greatest writers, Kalidasa

–Poet, playwright

–Wrote plays for royal court

–Sakuntala, most famous

–Play combines myth, humor, poetry

Question 15

Another popular literature was _________

What was the teaching?

Answer 15

Panchatantra

• Another popular work of period
• Five Books, collection of stories meant to teach lessons
• Warning to think before acting

Question 16

What was art and architecture related to?

What was built across India?

Answer 16

• Much of art, architecture of Gupta period religious
• Magnificent Hindu, Buddhist temples built across India
• Hindu temples: huge towers, carvings

Question 17

What were Buddhist temples like?

Why were they built?

Answer 17

Buddhist temples

• Included stupas, temples with domed roofs
• Built to house sacred items
• Like Hindu temples, covered with detailed carvings

Question 18

How were the temples formed?

Answer 18

• Temples, monuments carved out of rock and cliff faces
• Most famous, cave temples at Ajanta and Ellora

Question 19

What were paintings like?

Where were the finest paintings found?

Answer 19

• Paintings of the time often portray beautiful, graceful Indians wearing fine jewelry, stylish clothing
• Many of finest paintings found in Buddhist and Hindu temples

Question 20

How were temples decorated inside?

What was often depicted in these paintings?

Answer 20

• Hindu artists decorated walls, entrances with devas, religious images
• Buddhists covered walls, ceilings with scenes from life of Buddha
• Some of finest examples of Buddhist art found in Ajanta cave temples

Question 21

What were the statues in temples?

Answer 21

• Made for temples
• Buddhist temples, statues of Buddha
• Hindu temples, statues of Siva, Vishnu, other devas

Question 22

Indians pioneer science of working with __________

What was Indian iron valued for?

A famous metalwork was the _________, near Delhi

Answer 22

Metallurgy

• Ancient Indians pioneers of science of working with metals
• Indian iron valued for hardness, purity
• Gupta metalworkers built famous Iron Pillar, near Delhi
• Iron Pillar is resistant to rust
• Still being studied by scholars today

Question 23

What was ancient Indians’ achievements in mathematics?

What math did it develop?

Answer 23

Mathematics

• Gupta scholars most advanced mathematicians
• Developed modern math system
• Symbol of zero
• Hindu-Arabic numerals; created by Indians, brought to Europe by Arabs

Question 24

What were achievements in medical science?

Answer 24

Medical Science

• Made medicines from plants
• Knew how to inject small amounts of viruses to protect against disease
• Could perform surgery, repair broken bones, treat wounds

Question 25

What was achievement in astronomy?

Answer 25

• Indians identified seven planets in solar system
• Could predict eclipses of sun, moon

Question 26

What did Aryabhata, a famous Indian astronomer, accomplish?

Answer 26

•Aryabhata, one of most famous Indian astronomers

–Correctly argued that Earth rotates on axis, revolves around sun

–Knew Earth was sphere, calculated circumference with remarkable accuracy