Ancient India

Indian Achievements

Religious Art

 Both the Mauryan and Gupta empires created great works of art. Much of it had Hindu or Buddhist themes and many magnificent temples were built during their eras.

Temples

 Early Hindu temples were simple stone structures with few rooms and flat roofs. During the Gupta period, temples would become fancier with large towers covered with carvings of the gods they worshiped within.

Temples

 Buddhist temples were also impressive. Some carved entire temples out of mountainsides, the most famous being Ajanta. The builders filled the caves with wall paintings and sculptures. Stupas have domed roofs and were built to hold sacred items of Buddha.

Paintings and Sculpture

 Painting in the Gupta period was a highly respected, however, we don’t know the name of many of the artists of the time. We do know the name of many of the wealthy Indian patrons that commissioned the works.

Painting and Sculpture

 Most paintings from the Gupta era are clear and colorful showing Indian daily and ceremonial life. Artists from both of the main religions drew upon their faith to create art. As a result, much of the greatest works are found in temples.

Painting and Sculpture

 Sculptors also created great works – many for Buddhist or Hindu temples. Buddhist would carve statues of kings and Buddha while Hindus represented their gods. Some temples would have walls covered with carvings.

Literature

 Sanskrit was the language of ancient India and during the Gupta and Mauryan periods many works in literature were created in Sanskrit. Later they would be translated into other languages

Religious Epics

 The greatest of the Sanskrit writings were the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata is one of the longest works in history. It tells the story of the struggle of two families for control of a kingdom. There are many passages on Hindu beliefs within.

Literature

 The Ramayana according to Hindu tradition was written before the Mahabharata. It is the story of a prince, Rama, who actually was the god Vishnu. He became human so he could rid the world of demons and rescue his wife Sita. For centuries the characters have been seen as models of behavior for Indians.

Other Works

 Writers of the Gupta period also wrote plays, poetry and other styles of works. Kalidasa was a famous writer of the time that was hired by Candra Gupta II to write plays for the court. Indian writers also wrote a book of stories known as the Pancatantra.

Panchatantra

 The stories were intended to teach life lessons. They praise people for cleverness and quic thinking. Each story ends with a message such as winning friends, losing property or other such ideas. Translations would eventually spread around the world.

Scientific Advances - Metals

 Ancient Indians were the pioneers of metallurgy. This knowledge allowed them to create high quality tools and weapons. They also developed the skills of creating alloys which could be easier to work with and stronger.

Metals

 Metalworkers made the strongest items from iron. Indian iron was very pure and strong and was a big trade item. During the Gupta period, iron workers made the famous Iron Pillar near Delhi, which still attracts visitors.

Math and Other Sciences

 Gupta scholars were among the most advanced mathematicians of the time. They developed many elements of modern math, like the Hindu Arabic numerals. They were also the first to create the number zero.

Medicine

 By AD100, Indian doctors were writing textbooks of methods, making medicines from plants and minerals and protecting people from deadly diseases by inoculation – much like we do today. Can you say measles!!!

Medicine

 Indian doctors would perform surgery for injured people as well as deal with conditions like infected tonsils and severed body parts. If they could find no treatment for an illness, doctors would cast spells to heal the afflicted.

Astronomy

 Indians were interested in the heavens early. Indian astronomers knew of seven of the planets. They knew the sun was a star and that planets revolved around it. They also knew the earth was a sphere and rotated on its axis. They could also predict eclipses of the sun and moon.

And so …

 Exit: Of the achievements of early India, which seems the most advanced.

 Stay tuned next time for Ancient India Review