How Did Buddhism Influence India's Government

1. Contrast Buddhism's influence on India's government with Confucianism's influence on China's government.

Buddhism is a religion that teaches peace to all, so when King Asoka of the Mauryan Empire began practicing Buddhism, he ceased expanding the empire. Instead the government diverted its efforts towards creating a road system and building sculptures. Confucianism was based on the teachings of Confucius who preached the practice of “reverence [respect], generosity, truthfulness, diligence [industriousness], and kindness.” Because Wudi wanted his government employees to embody these qualities, Wudi set up schools that would teach these and had examinations for students for students based on these principles. This placed people of wealth

into government positions as they could afford to enroll into these schools.
2. Which of the three empires—Mauryan, Gupta, or Han—was most successful? Explain and support your opinion.
Of the three empires, Han was the most successful because it had the most stability. The empire had many achievements which includes the development of writing, the development of coinage, and the wheelbarrow. Socially, economically and technologically the Han empire seems most advanced.
3. How significant were the Silk Roads to the economy of India? Defend your viewpoint with text references.
Silk Roads were extremely significant to the economy of India because it boosted it considerably. Indians would use the Silk Road to establish their positions as middlemen by setting trading stations along the Silk Roads. These transactions led to an increase in banking in India.
4. What was the importance of the Chinese invention of paper?

The invention of paper affected the Chinese in many ways. Books helped spread education in China, the convenience and ease of paper allowed for the expansion of the Chinese bureaucracy and it helped improve agricultural technology. It contributed to the development of civilization.