<aside> 🚨 KEY TERMS

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• Buddhism - founded in the 5th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha); various teachings that would guide one to experience reality, ease suffering, rid selfishness, and reach Nirvana
• Hinduism – considered the world’s oldest practiced religion traced to the ancient Vedic civilization; contains many diverse beliefs and traditions, one of which is reincarnation
• Nirvana – literally means “to cease blowing” or state of freedom from the physical world; a state of happiness

<aside> 💭 RECALL

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• Alexander the Great conquered lands reaching as far as India
• Macedonian rule did not last long in these eastern lands
• The death of Alexander the Great (323 BC)
  • Chandragupta Maurya (324 BC–301 BC) rose to power in India

<aside> 📝 03.07 NOTES

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Mauryan Empire

• Chandragupta Maurya rose to power in India, after the death of Alexander the Great
• Maurya's conquest of smaller kingdoms in the northern region of India establishedof India's first dynasty
  • The Mauryan Empire
• The maruyan empire ruled over most of the Indian sub-continent
  • present-day Afghanistan
• Ashoka
  • The greatest ruler of the Mauryan Empire
  • Powerful and Effective military leader
• Ashoka prevented the rise rival kingdoms
  • victories were won at the cost of many lives
• Ashoka was sorry for death and bloodshed he caused
  • In result, he converted from traditional Hinduism to Buddhism
    • Also promised to no longer go to war or cause suffering to others
• Ashoka spread Buddhism throughout India and parts of Asia
  • Had Buddhist shrines built
  • sent missionaries around the world
    • Buddhist missionaries traveled as far as britain?
• Mauryan Empire fell into decline after Ashoka's death (232 BC)
• New empire rose in AD 320