Module 7: The Classical Age in India

New kingdoms rose to power in Ganges River valley by 500 B.C.E. Urbanization emerged in the capitals of these kingdoms and near major religious temples. But by the sixth century B.C.E., religious thinkers were beginning to challenge the rituals on which the Brahman elite—Vedic priests—depended. The most important of these thinkers, the Buddha, created a new religion that would have world-wide significance. Moreover, the rivalry between Buddhism and Vedic religion, later known as Hinduism, shaped the nature of Indian culture for many centuries. But out of this turmoil India entered a “Golden Age” under the rule of the Gupta dynasty. During this era, new and sophisticated ideas about literature, art, and science became fixtures of Gupta society.
In this unit, we will see that classical India during this period was defined by political disunity and religious conflict broken only briefly by unification under the Guptas.

Time Advisory

This unit will take you 6 hours to complete.

Section 7.1 The Rise of Buddhism and the Mauryan Age: 3 hours
Section 7.2 The Gupta Age: 2.5 hours
Section 7.3 Module 7 Quiz: 0.5 hours

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:

Trace the origins, development, world-wide expansion, and legacies of Buddhism.
Describe the fundamental characteristics and beliefs of Buddhist philosophy.
Identify the political, cultural, and religious characteristics of the Gupta Empire.

Section 7.1 The Rise of Buddhism and the Mauryan Age

Please read this text in its entirety to better understand the causes, main events, and consequences of the rise and fall of the Mauryan Empire in India.

Mauryan Empire

Please read the entire webpage for an overview of the imperial rule of Ashoka.

The Life of Ashoka Mauryan

Please read the entire article to get a sense of the Mauryan dynasty—from Alexander the Great’s presence in the Indus Valley to the rise of Ashoka.

Mauryan Dynasty

Please read the entire article to learn about Buddhist philosophy.

Ethics in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism

Please read the article in order to get a sense of the traditional “story of Buddha.” Then view the slideshow by clicking on the images above the article.

Life of the Budda

Question & Answer

Section 7.2 The Gupta Age

Please read this entire webpage in order to get an overview of the rise and fall of the Guptas in India.

The Gupta Period of India

Please read “The Gupta Empire” to get an overview of the rise and fall of the Guptas in India.

The Gupta Empire: An Indian Golden Age

Read the introduction as well as the whole text of The Recognition of Sakuntala, also known as Abhijñānaśākuntalam, paying special attention to themes, language, and the intended audience of the play.

The Recognition of Sakuntala

Question & Answer

Section 7.3 Quiz

Please take the assigned quiz and submit for grading. This quiz pertains to Chapter 6 of the textbook World Civilizations: The Global Experience, published by Pearson Education.

Module 7 Quiz