The Legacy of the Ancient Indian Empires
Though the two great Indian Empires fell hundreds of years ago, their influence still affects today's India and today's world.
Religion: Buddhism spread throughout the world and gained many followers in China, Japan, and other Asian countries. It influenced architecture, ways of thinking, and people's happiness and contentment. The nonviolent Indian revolution and break away from Britain was strongly affected by Buddhist ideals, and the new Indian nation's flag has a Dharma Wheel, the symbol of Ashoka, in the middle. Ashoka's nonviolence ideals also affects many antiwar movements today. Hinduism is the world's third largest religion today, with almost 1 billion followers. Hinduism is the predominant religion on the Indian sub-continent, and it strongly influences Indian art, philosophy, and politics.
Culture: Indian advances in art affect the Bollywood movies and plays produced today. Ancient rituals and plays eventually developed into the many popular dance forms in India, and is seen in many Indian movies. The idea of 0 and the advances in astronomy, medicine, and mathematics all spread to other countries and contributed to further advances. Ancient Indian plays and legends give modern people something to think about and admire.
Trade: Many of the cultural and religious ideas spread to other countries through the increasing trade with other countries during this time. South Asia, especially, is influenced by Indian culture and religion. Greek and Roman culture was also affected by the influx of Indian goods and ideas through trade. The exchange of goods also helped foriegn nations like Rome and China to build a strong nation and economy, allowing them to advance in culture and science as well.
Religion: Buddhism spread throughout the world and gained many followers in China, Japan, and other Asian countries. It influenced architecture, ways of thinking, and people's happiness and contentment. The nonviolent Indian revolution and break away from Britain was strongly affected by Buddhist ideals, and the new Indian nation's flag has a Dharma Wheel, the symbol of Ashoka, in the middle. Ashoka's nonviolence ideals also affects many antiwar movements today. Hinduism is the world's third largest religion today, with almost 1 billion followers. Hinduism is the predominant religion on the Indian sub-continent, and it strongly influences Indian art, philosophy, and politics.
Culture: Indian advances in art affect the Bollywood movies and plays produced today. Ancient rituals and plays eventually developed into the many popular dance forms in India, and is seen in many Indian movies. The idea of 0 and the advances in astronomy, medicine, and mathematics all spread to other countries and contributed to further advances. Ancient Indian plays and legends give modern people something to think about and admire.
Trade: Many of the cultural and religious ideas spread to other countries through the increasing trade with other countries during this time. South Asia, especially, is influenced by Indian culture and religion. Greek and Roman culture was also affected by the influx of Indian goods and ideas through trade. The exchange of goods also helped foriegn nations like Rome and China to build a strong nation and economy, allowing them to advance in culture and science as well.
The Mauryan and Gupta Empires - great and powerful, but still eventually fell to outside invaders and internal dissent. Their magnificent accomplishments, though eroded by the winds of time, still affects millions of people today. The cultural, social, and economic influence of the Empires greatly affected other countries in their time, and also affects countries today. Their legacy still lives on, which is why it is important to learn about them and how they still affect our lives today.
Click on the other links to learn about two other slightly similar and vastly different Empires - China and Africa.
Click on the other links to learn about two other slightly similar and vastly different Empires - China and Africa.