Ancient India: Economic and Political Systems The first civilization in ...

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Ancient India: Economic and Political Systems

The first civilization in India emerged in the Indus River Valley around 2500 BCE. The Harappa culture developed strong agricultural communities in the fertile lands along the unpredictable river. They raised millet, cotton and other crops aided by their irrigation systems. The Harappa traded with Mesopotamia and built great cities, including Mohenjo Daro. However, by 2000 BCE, the civilization had disbanded into less united agrarian communities.

Aryan Migrations

Five hundred years later, in 1500 BCE, the Aryan peoples of Central Asia migrated to the region. The Aryans swept from the Indus River Valley to the Ganges River Valley, across the stretches of the northern Indian subcontinent. The Aryans brought many pieces of their own culture into the region, including their horses, caste (or class) system, language, and religious beliefs--which would become the foundation of Hinduism. The warmer wetlands of the Ganges region made the harvesting of additional crops possible, particularly rice. This region also offered more mineral resources, leading to the making of iron tools, vessels and weapons. By 550 BCE, iron metallurgy had become widespread, improving farm production and making possible the expansion of cities and trade.

Aryan States of India

By the 8th century BCE, dozens of tribal kingdoms and communities had consolidated to form 16 distinct Aryan states, called mahanapadas, meaning "great realms." They became known as the Vedic states, or Vedic India. Each mahanapada had its own capital city, though many cities emerged across India as centers of trade, culture, and politics. In 520 BCE, Persians invaded from the west and conquered the Indus River Valley. The remaining states to the east and

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south competed for power and resources. These states further congealed to just a handful by the 5th century B.C.E.

Under Aryan rule, a caste system evolved that shaped political, economic and social life in the Vedic states. At the top was the ruling class, which comprised nobles, warriors and priests. Landholders, artisans and merchants made up the middle tier, followed by peasants and laborers on the bottom. Over time, this caste system became more complex and more rigid and became linked to religious beliefs. This happened in part to shore up the power of the ruling classes. Farmers, herders, artisans, and merchants all paid taxes on the fruits of their labors to support the state and kingdom.

Siddhartha at the Bodhi Tree, 100-200 AD (stone) | Indian School | Cleveland Museum

of Art, OH, USA | Bridgeman Images

During this period, in 623 BCE, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama was born in the town of Lumbini. Siddhartha would go on to become the Buddha, and launched a new religious tradition that would spread from India throughout Asia.

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Kingdom of Magadha

About this time, the kingdom of Magadha emerged as the most important state, led by King Bimbisara. From its base along the Ganges River, Magadha not only controlled the region's iron, but also exercised great influence over major routes of trade and communication. The river emptied through port cities along the Bay of Bengal, which Magadha soon controlled. King Bimbisara took power around 543 BCE, and began a policy of conquest that lasted for several centuries.

Under the Magadha, trade and culture flourished. New religious traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism emerged. The fertile Ganges River Valley supported a wide variety of agriculture, ranging from cultivation of millet, rice, wheat, barley, cotton, dates to supporting the herding of cattle, sheep, goats, pig, water buffalo and poultry. The large population of the region provided an ample labor supply to work the fields as well as the mines. Mineral resources included gold, silver, tin, copper, iron and lead. Cotton production also supported the making of textiles. Not only were the Indian people supplied with goods, but the abundant raw materials made trade with other regions possible both by river and land trade routes.

Mauryan Empire

Around 343 BCE, the Magadha kingdom came under the rule of the Nanda dynasty. Just two decades later, the Mauryans took power, and made the kingdom into an empire. Under the rule of Chandragupta (320-305 BCE), the Mauryan Empire reclaimed the lands

Coins depicting the King Chandragupta and Queen Durdhara, Mauyra Dynasty (gold) | Indian School | Dinodia / Bridgeman Images

Mauryan rulers introduced a unified system of currency that included gold and silver coins. The gold coins above show Chandragupta and his queen, Durdhara.

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of the Indus River Valley and beyond. Chandragupta accomplished many bureaucratic measures, including centralizing governmental power around a civil bureaucracy and standing military through a codified system of laws, and regulated economic activity and trade, starting a unified system of currency, and launching numerous public works projects, including irrigation systems and road networks.

The Mauryan Empire continued to expand, reaching its peak around 260 BCE. Commerce expanded to include trading partners in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Greece, and East and Southeast Asia. Land trade routes began to form into what would become the Silk Road. The empire centered on imperial rule from the capital of Pataliputra, but the king organized the empire into a series of provinces, with provincial capitals and leaders. Provincial government was led by a governor called the kumara, who received advice from a council known as the mahamatya. The king was advised by a council of ministers called the mantriparishad. The central authority also developed executive, legislative, and judicial functions, which it exercised through a vast civil government and military. The empire lasted until 185 BCE, when the last Mauryan king was killed in a military coup by an army commander in chief

Instructions

In this activity, you will read about the political and economic development of the Vedic State, the Magadha Kingdom, and the Mauryan Empire in India. As you read and study visual aids and artifacts, take notes on the graphic organizer. Then, use your notes to answer the essay question that follows.

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Reading Analysis

Use the graphic organizer below to record notes about the government and economy of different periods in ancient India.

Time period Government

Vedic States

Magadha Kingdom Mauryan Empire

Economy

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