For my semester one project, I chose the Mauryan and Gupta empires. By the 300s BC a number of small kingdoms existed across India. Each kingdom had its own ruler, and no central authority united them. One of the dominant kingdoms was Magadha, located near the Ganges River in northeastern India. In India, there was a powerful leader named Chandragupta Maurya. He gained control and began conquering the surrounding kingdoms. His conquests led to the Mauryan empire. The Gupta empire is often called the golden age of India. The beginning of the Gupta era was 320 BC. This may be the date of his coronation as mahārājādhirāja, or emperor. Chandragupta's marriage to Princess Kumaradevi of the powerful Licchavi family enabled him to expand his territories and lay the foundation of an empire. Chandragupta relied on a…show more content… The next ruler, Chandragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya, reigned until about 413. He added western India, securing nice trades with the Roman world. The Gupta system of government was much less than that of the Mauryas, under whom northern India had last been united in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. During the Gupta period the area under imperial administrative control was reduced when military chieftains emerged as regional kings. Tribute was the main link between the imperial government and these local powers. Fa-hsien, the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who visited India in the time of Chandragupta II, described the imperial government as benign and reported that the people enjoyed peace and freedom. Taxes were light, and the punishments were lenient.
Next came Ashoka, in about 270 BC. Under Ashoka, considered to be one of India’s greatest rulers, the Mauryan Empire reached its height. Initially, Ashoka continued to expand the Mauryan Empire, which soon included most of India. However, a military campaign against the region of Kalinga in eastern India was especially