Rise of Empires in India

By about 500 BC kingdoms had emerged in the Ganges Valley and by 322 BC, Chandragupta Maurya gave birth to the first “true” empire in India. He became the first head of the Mauryan empire that covered the whole of Hindustan and most of the northwest.
[The image on the right shows Chandragupta Maurya being saluted by his women bodyguards]

Pataliputra became capital of the empire from which further consolidation of the Mauryan empire would ensue. When Chandragupta died in 297BC he was succeeded by his son Bindusara who continued with his father’s empire building activities in the Indian sub-continent. However, their accomplishments are often overshadowed by Ashoka (grandson of Chandragupta) who assumed the Mauryan throne in 269BC.

Ashoka embraced Buddhism after realizing the devastation and suffering his empire-building campaigns wrought on his people. Upon conversion he sought to spread Buddhism and advocated the indian ideal of non-violence. Consequently, his reign became known for its humanity and vision.

With Ashoka’s death in 232BC, the Mauryan empire disintegrated into the much more normal regionalistic patterns of the Indian subcontinent. By 180BC the Greeks again began invading the northwest, while other groups forayed into the north. It was one of the outsider groups – the Kushans – who would again unify most of the north into another empire.

The kushans restored much of what the Mauryans had established and even ruled from Pataliputra like the Mauryans. The Kushan dynasty lasted for about three centuries and by 200AD the north reverted to the regionalistic pattern.

The southern part of India had a different story though. With the north-south distinction that began at the time of the aryan invasion and the vedic period, the south went their own way. They had thriving and flourishing kingdoms as rich and sophisticated as the arya-influenced north. The three largest kindgoms in the south were: Chola, Pandya, and Pallava. The south was able to resist the early empire building efforts of the northerners, but by the third and second century BC, they already shared a common indian civilization.

There would be a last revival of the Mauryan model of empire in the north with the Gupta Dynasty (320AD to about 550). Pataliputra became the imperial capital again and cultural center of the empire. Gupta rule became a renaissance for the north as well as the south. Sanskrit literature flourished as well as indian sculpture and monumental building. Interestingly, it is only under the Gupta that Hinduism became a much more coherent and codified religion with the efforts of the Guptan kings at fusing elements of Buddhism with Hinduism.

The Gupta dynasty was destroyed by the White Huns in 550AD but another indigenous effort at unification began with Harsha from 606 to 648. Harsha died in 648 and with him his empire; India again dissolved into its regionalistic pattern.
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Midterm Asian Studies Learning Goals

I went through the class learning goals that were posted on the three blogs. I have tried to integrate all of your learning goals into just one that will be common to all sections. But I’m too lazy. So instead, I decided to create a PDF file (which is downloadable through the “box” below the “archives” section). All groups will abide by these learning goals since you were the ones who thought them up after reading through our reference material. Each class is not limited to the learning goals put up by classmates. Each group is responsible for accomplishing all the learning goals posted by the other groups from the other sections. For example: N4A-India Group should also be able to accomplish the learning goals posted by N4B’s and N4C’s India group. The same goes for the other groups.

I will leave it up to you to hammer out a plan (and implement it) for accomplishing these goals. Remember that we agreed to have these learning goals for the midterm; we have to abide by them! You may consult with me on the logistics i.e. if you need to play a video, bring some things, etc. Or check with me if I already have some content (e.g. videos, audio files, etc) relevant to a learning goal. But, as much as possible, you will be responsible for doing the work of accomplishing these learning goals.

Here’s a summary of the learning goals plus my thoughts on them. Take note, that we will follow what is written in the “Class Learning Goals” matrix. The following summary is only to give you a snapshot and is not meant to replace what is in the matrix.

Learning Goals for India

Geography - Take note that when we use the term “India” we are roughly referring to the entire Indian sub-continent of Asia (roughly South Asia). So for India Group, please include the rest of South Asia in whatever output and activities you line up for the class to accomplish these learning goals. The focus, however, is really Indian civilization because of its tremendous influence in South Asia.

History and Culture - This is a common learning goal accoross the three sections. N4A and N4C, however, included a wider scope compared to N4B. Thus, for history and culture, all the sections will have to cover the history of India (i.e. South Asia) until modern times. Noteworthy is the last learning goal of N4C’s India Group: a look at Indians (south asians) in the Philippines. This last learning goal is a good challenge for all the India Groups.

Modern India - N4A would like to find out about the “economic status” of India as well as the role of women in Indian society. These learning goals will be integrated into a much broader exploration into modern Indian society, especially its socio-economic status in modern times.

Learning Goals for China

Geography – Only N4A and N4B included this in their learning goals; N4B, in particular, wants to know the source of the term “China”.

History and culture - Again, all China groups would like for the class to learn about the history and culture of China. China group will cover all the dynasties until the collapse of dynastic rule as well as into the modern era. In particular, N4A wants to look at Mao’s cultural revolution which ties in neatly with N4C’s goal of looking at “China today”. In general, the learning goal, in terms of history and culture, shall cover topics from the origin of chinese civilization until modern china.

An important aspect of the challenge for the China group is to take up N4A’s goal to compare religious and philosophical systems that gained prominence in Chinese civilization. N4B includes contributions of Chinese civilization which would also cover N4A’s goal of looking at important chinese philosophers.

The Great Wall of China - N4A and N4B want to look at the history and significance of the Great Wall of China. I think I have this covered with a short film documentary on the “Secrets of the Great Wall”.

Learning Goals for Japan – Korea

I only found the learning goals of N4A for this region. Admittedly, I assumed that you would post it in your blogs after my instructions for you to “post” it instead of adding it as a “comment”. In any case, the goals from N4A are more than sufficient. After the midterm examinations, we will formulate more learning goals for Japan-Korea to cover the period from the arrival of westerners in Asia up to modern times.

Learning Goals for Southeast Asia

For Southeast Asia, only N4B’s and N4C’s learning goals could be found in the posts.

Geography - N4B pointed out an interesting tidbit about SEA, specifically its two “regions”: Indochina and the Malay archipelago.

History and Culture - N4B and N4A would like to cover history and culture until modern times, but N4B specifically identifies Southeast Asia’s experience with colonization. Admittedly, I don’t know anything about the “Golden Triangle” or even “SEA as economic rival and four origin tigers” – this will be interesting to learn about.

Religious practices, language and other aspects of culture will also be covered. What I’m looking forward to is N4C’s goal of looking at tourism and the “touristy” places to go in Southeast Asia. On tourism, I think I have a book on “Ubud” one of the great tourist places in Southeast Asia. There’s also a blog about “ubud” that you might want to look for.
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Class Requirements and Grading

I know that all of you are wondering how each of you will be graded in our class. Grading will be a mixture of individual and group grades. In general, your grade will be comprised of:

Major Examination (40%)
Tasks and others (30%)
Class Blog (30%)

There will be two major examinations: a midterm and finals. However, I am considering having a culminating activity instead of a final examination. Perhaps a two-day exhibit about Asia to show our class output and activities. I am hoping that the school administration will permit this (cross your fingers) and that (if ever they do) you are up to the task of putting up a two-day “Asian extravaganza” for the school.

The task part of your grade includes the activities (and output) that we will have in class. This will also cover everything else not covered by the other two criteria. Quizzes, writing assignments, class presentations, etc. will be included here as well with each item having equal weight as the others.

For the class blog you will be graded using a rubric that I will make available in our “sharebox” (the one below the “archives” section). Your class blog will be graded in four areas: content, interest, navigation, layout. There are a couple of websites and blogs that make it their business to rate blogs; I’m considering asking them to rate your blogs and base your grades on their rating and comments. Note that I’m just considering the idea and am not yet fully sold to it.

I hope this sufficiently clarifies the grade requirements for the class.
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Why Bamboo Grove?

I agonized over what to call this blog for the course that i'm going to teach this semester. I started out with "SSCHS Asian Studies" but trying to search for it on Google meant that the blog had to compete for attention with the thousand-and-one sites relating to asian studies (all of them too academic for a teacher like me). All i wanted was a title that would be distinctly asian and yet not too academic-sounding. If there's one thing that i wanted to avoid its making the title sound too academic, limiting the scope of its potential audience.

Here's a list of some titles i considered:

Oriental Express
Orient Excess
Our Asia
SSCHS Asian Studies
Asia ini! (This is asia!)
Asiablog
Bamboo Grove
Asia: are you?

After a night's sleep, i knew that i wanted this blog to have a title that would immediately say "asian" to any reader. I narrowed it down to things that are asian and consequently found myself with the word "bamboo", something which almost immediately makes one think of asia.

I chose "Bamboo Grove" not only for its distinct asian flavor but also for it's significance in relation to asia as a community of nations. Each clump of bamboo having its own unique character but part of a larger bamboo grove. Each asian nation and civilization has its unique character but all inextricably linked in some way: history, culture, traditions, world-view.

Exploring the bamboo grove to understand how we are different but so related is the journey for us this semester. Read more!