Pride of Governance - The Maurya Empire

The Maurya Empire

(322–185 BCE)

Capital city: Pataliputra (modern Patna).

Founded by:  Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty.

Expanse: The Maurya Empire was one of the world's largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent. In its glorious days, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, to the east into Assam, to the west into Balochistan (south west Pakistan and south east Iran) and the Hindu Kush mountains (Afghanistan).

Population: 50-60 million

Important factors under Maurya Empire:

Under Chandragupta Maurya and his successors - internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities - thrived and expanded across India, owing to a single and efficient system of finance, administration, and security.  There was social harmony, religious transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge. Chandragupta Maurya embraced Jainism increased social and religious renewal and reform across his society, while Ashoka's embraced Buddhism (after the Kalinga War) and is said to have been the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India. Ashoka also spread Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe.

Important  records: The Arthashastra and the Edicts of Ashoka are the primary sources of written records of Mauryan times. The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath has been made the national emblem of India.

Chandragupta Maurya: Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Empire with help of Chanakya, a Brahmin teacher at Taxila. He defeated the Nanda Empire and started a new era.

Bindusara: Bindusara was the son of the Chandragupta Maurya and his queen Durdhara. During his reign, the empire expanded southwards, as far as what is known as Karnataka. He inherited the empire when he was just 22 years old.. He brought sixteen states under the Mauryan Empire and thus conquered almost the entire Indian peninsula.

Ashoka the Great: Ashoka was the son of Bindusara. Popularly known as Ashoka the Great, he was one of India’s greatest emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost the entire Indian subcontinent from circa 269 BCE to 232 BCE. His realm stretched from the Hindu Kush mountains in the west to Bengal in the East and covered the entire Indian subcontinent except parts of present day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. His capital was Pataliputra (in Magadha, present-day Bihar), with provincial capitals at Taxila and Ujjain.

In 260 BCE, Ashoka conquered Kalinga (present day odisha), which none of his ancestors had done. But, that was the changing point in his life. Seeing the mass deaths (100,000-150,000) of the Kalinga War, he went into a phase of remorse and gradually converted to Buddhism, beginning 263 BCE. He dedicated his life to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and was instrumental in establishing many Buddhist monasteries.

Decline: Ashoka was followed for 50 years by a succession of weaker kings. Brihadrata was the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty.

Administration under Mauryan Empire:

The Empire was divided into four provinces, the provincial capitals being Tosali (in the east), Ujjain (in the west), Suvarnagiri (in the south), and Taxila (in the north). The head of the provincial administration was the Kumara (royal prince), who governed the provinces as king's representative. The kumara was assisted by Mahamatyas and council of ministers (Mantriparishad).

Timeline of Mauryan Empire

322 BC : Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire by dethroning the Nanda Dynasty.

317–316 BC : Chandragupta Maurya conquers the Northwest of the Indian subcontinent.

305–303 BC : Chandragupta Maurya gains territory from the Seleucid Empire.

301–269 BC : Reign of Bindusara, Chandragupta's son, who conquers parts of Deccan, southern India.

269–232 BC : The Maurya Empire reaches its pinnacle under the leadership of Ashoka, son of Bindusara.

261 BC : Ashoka conquers the kingdom of Kalinga and later moves towards Buddhism

250 BC : Ashoka builds Buddhist stupas and erects pillars bearing inscriptions.

184 BC :The empire collapses when Brihadnatha, the last emperor, is killed by Pushyamitra Sunga, a Mauryan general and the founder of the Sunga Empire.