We've spend the last two days discussing the development of empire in early India. Remember, what we cover in class is a portion of the required content. You must get into the textbook and do the reading.
I really enjoyed today's discussion about the founding of the Mauryan Empire. As the first unification of the subcontinent - at least most of it - it is central to any understanding of India's origins. Digging into Ashoka's Rock and Pillar Edicts provides us with insight into how the early empire was governed. As I mentioned in closing today, we must view primary sources with a cautious eye. Was Ashoka's battlefield conversion as advertised, or was it political expediency? This an important question to ask when studying the Edicts, and one that we can only leads us only to speculation.
I am always happy when I have an opportunity to share to one of John Green's Crash Course videos. I believe that the episode on Buddha and Ashoka provides a great overview of what we have covered over the past two days.
Tonight's homework is to finish the reading in the current chapter. However, feel free to take the weekend to complete the reading. We will be in the media center tomorrow talking history fair.
Related Links:
PBS: The Story of India
The Edicts of King Ashoka
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