RESEARCH PROJECT

on
‘Mauryan period’
Submitted to

MAHARASHTRA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, AURANGABAD

Submitted by

SAMRIDDHI BAMMIDI

B. A.LL.B. (Hons.) Semester-I

Roll No. 2020/BALLB/75
Paper : History

Under the guidance of

Ms. Deeksha Ingle
Assistant Professor of History,
Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad

January, 2021

1
 INDEX
SR. NO. CHAPTER NO. PAGE NO.
1 3
ABSTRACT
2 THE RISE OF MAURYAN 4
EMPIRE
3 FOUNDATION OF 5
MAURYAN EMPIRE (321
BCE)
4 SELUICID-MAURYAN 6
WAR AND EXPANSION
UNDER CHANDRAGUPTA
MAURYA

5 EXPANSION UNDER 7
BINDUSARA

6 ASHOKA THE GREAT 8

7 ASHOKA’S EDICTS 9

8 CENTALIZATION IN THE 10
MAURYAN EMPIRE

9 UNIFICATION AND 11
MILITARY
10 ADMINSTRATION 12

11 CENTRALIZATION AND 13
TAXATION
12 TRADE AND COMMERCE 14

13 ART AND 15-16

ARCHITECTURE
14 CONQUEST OF KALINGA 17
AND ASHOKA’S
CONVERSION
15 18
FALL OF MAURYAN
EMPIRE
16 19
CONCLUSION

2
 ABSTRACT

Mauryan empire, in ancient India, was a state centred at Pataliputra (later Patna) near the
junction of the Son and Ganges (Ganga) rivers. It lasted from about 321 to 185 BCE and was
the first empire to encompass most of the Indian subcontinent. The Mauryan empire was an
efficient and highly organized autocracy with a standing army and civil service. The
bureaucracy and its operation were the model for the Artha-shastra (“The Science of Material
Gain”), a work of political economy similar in tone and scope to Niccolò Machiavelli’s The
Prince.

In the wake of the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, Chandragupta (or Chandragupta
Maurya), founder of the Mauryan dynasty, conquered the Punjab region from the south
eastern edges of Alexander’s former empire. His son, Bindusara, continued the empire’s
expansion well into the Deccan, stopping around the region known today as Karnataka.
Bindusara’s son, Ashoka (reigned c. 265–238 BCE or c. 273–232 BCE), added Kalinga to the
already vast empire.
After Ashoka’s death the empire shrank because of invasions, defections by southern princes,
and quarrels over ascension. The last ruler, Brihadratha, was killed in 185 BCE by his
Brahman commander in chief, Pushyamitra, who then founded the Shunga dynasty, which
ruled in central India for about a century.

This project aims to study ‘Mauryan Empire’ in detail.

3
 The rise of Mauryan Empire

The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India,
ruled by the Maurya dynasty from 322-185 BCE. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha
in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the
Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna). The empire
was the largest to have ever existed in the Indian subcontinent, spanning over 5 million square
kilometres at its zenith under Ashoka.

The Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the
Nanda Dynasty, and rapidly expanded his power, with Chanakya’s help, westward across
central and western India. His expansion took advantage of the disruptions of local powers in
the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great’s armies. By 316 BCE, the
empire had fully occupied North-western India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by
Alexander. Chandragupta then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Macedonian general
from Alexander’s army, and gained additional territory west of the Indus River.

In its time, the Maurya Empire was one of the largest empires of the world. At its greatest
extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, to the
east into Assam, to the west into Baluchistan (southwest Pakistan and southeast Iran) and into
the Hindu Kush mountains of what is now Afghanistan. The Empire was expanded into India’s
central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but it excluded a
small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Odisha), until it
was conquered by Ashoka. It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka’s rule ended, and it
dissolved in 185 BCE with the foundation of the Shunga Dynasty in Magadha.

4
 Foundation of Mauryan Empire (321 BCE)

According to several legends, Chanakya traveled to Magadha, a kingdom that was large and
militarily powerful and feared by its neighbors, but was insulted by its king Dhana Nanda, of
the Nanda Dynasty. Chanakya swore revenge and vowed to destroy the Nanda Empire. The
Nanda Empire originated from the region of Magadha in ancient India during the 4th century
BCE, and lasted until between 345-321 BCE. At its greatest extent, the empire ruled by the
Nanda Dynasty extended from Bengal in the east, to the Punjab region in the west, and as far
south as the Vindhya Range. The rulers of this dynasty were famed for the great wealth that
they accumulated.

Chanakya encouraged the young Chandragupta Maurya and his army to take over the throne
of Magadha. Using his intelligence network, Chandragupta gathered many young men from
across Magadha and other provinces, who were upset over the corrupt and oppressive rule of
King Dhana, as well as the resources necessary for his army to fight a long series of battles.
These men included the former general of Taxila, accomplished students of Chanakya, the
representative of King Porus of Kakayee, his son Malayketu, and the rulers of small states.
Maurya devised a strategy to invade Pataliputra, the capital of the Nanda Empire. A battle was
announced and the Magadhan army was drawn from the city to a distant battlefield in order to
engage Maurya’s forces. Meanwhile, Maurya’s general and spies bribed the Nanda’s corrupt
general, and created an atmosphere of civil war in the kingdom, which culminated in the death
of the heir to the throne.

Upon the civil unrest in the kingdom, Nanda resigned and disappeared into exile. Chanakya
contacted the prime minister, Rakshasa, and convinced him that his loyalty was to Magadha,
not to the Nanda Dynasty, and that he should remain in office. Chanakya reiterated that
choosing to resist would start a war that would severely affect Magadha and destroy the city.
Rakshasa accepted Chanakya’s reasoning, and Chandragupta Maurya was legitimately
installed as the new King of Magadha in 321 BCE, at the age of 21. Rakshasa became
Chandragupta’s chief advisor, and Chanakya assumed the position of an elder statesman.

5
Seleucid-Mauryan war and Expansion under Chandragupta
Maurya

With his new seat of power in Magadha, Chandragupta Maurya defeated the remaining
Macedonian satraps, and consolidated his reign of the new Maurya Empire. He rapidly
expanded his power westward across central and western India, taking advantage of the
disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great’s
Greek armies. By 320 BCE, the empire had fully occupied North-western India. Chandragupta
Maurya would become the first emperor to unify India into one state, creating one of the
world’s largest empires in its time, and the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent.
In 305 BCE, Emperor Chandragupta Maurya led a series of campaigns to retake the satrapies
left behind by Alexander the Great when he returned westward. Seleucus I fought to defend
these territories, but both sides made peace in 303 BCE.
Seleucus, one of Alexander’s generals, received Babylonia and, from there, expanded his
dominions to include much of Alexander’s near eastern territories. Seleucus established
himself in Babylon in 312 BC, the year used as the foundation date of the Seleucid Empire. He
ruled not only Babylonia, but the entire enormous eastern part of Alexander’s empire. The
Seleucid Empire was a major center of Hellenistic culture. In the areas where a Greek-
Macedonian political elite dominated (mostly urban), it maintained the pre-eminence of Greek
customs. In 305 BCE, Seleucus I tried to reconquer the northwestern parts of India in order to
claim them for the growing Seleucid Empire. Little is known of the campaign in which
Chandragupta fought with Seleucus over the Indus Valley and the region of Gandhara—
a very wealthy kingdom that had submitted decades earlier to Alexander the Great.
Seleucus lost the Seleucid-Mauryan War, and the two rulers reconciled with a peace treaty.
The Greeks offered a Macedonian princess for marriage to Chandragupta, and several
territories, including the satrapies of Paropamisade (modern-day Kamboja and Gandhara),
Arachosia (modern-day Kandhahar), and Gedrosia (modern-day Balochistan). In return,
Chandragupta sent 500 war elephants, a military asset which would play a decisive role in
Seleucus’ victory against western Hellenistic kings at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE.

6
 Expansion under Bindusara

Chandragupta Maurya ruled from 322 BCE until his voluntary retirement and abdication, in
favor of his son, Bindusara, in 298 BCE. Bindusara (320-272 BCE) was the son of Maurya and
his queen, Durdhara. During his reign, Bindusara expanded the Maurya Empire southward,
with Chanakya as his advisor.
Historian Upinder Singh estimates that Bindusara ascended the throne around 297 BCE.
Bindusara, just 22 years old, inherited a large empire that consisted of what is now, Northern,
Central and Eastern parts of India along with parts of Afghanistan and Baluchistan. Bindusara
extended this empire to the southern part of India, as far as what is now known as Karnataka.
He brought sixteen states under the Mauryan Empire and thus conquered almost all of the
Indian peninsula (he is said to have conquered the 'land between the two seas' – the peninsular
region between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea). Bindusara did not conquer the friendly
Tamil kingdoms of the Cholas, ruled by King Ilamcetcenni, the Pandyas, and Cheras. Apart
from these southern states, Kalinga (modern Odisha) was the only kingdom in India that did
not form part of Bindusara's empire.

Bindusara's life has not been documented as well as that of his father Chandragupta or of his
son Ashoka. Chanakya continued to serve as prime minister during his reign. According to the
medieval Tibetan scholar Taranatha who visited India, Chanakya helped Bindusara "to destroy
the nobles and kings of the sixteen kingdoms and thus to become absolute master of the territory
between the eastern and western oceans". During his rule, the citizens of Taxila revolted twice.
The reason for the first revolt was the maladministration of Susima, his eldest son. The reason
for the second revolt is unknown, but Bindusara could not suppress it in his lifetime. It was
crushed by Ashoka after Bindusara's death.

Bindusara maintained friendly diplomatic relations with the Hellenic world. Deimachus was
the ambassador of Seleucid emperor Antiochus I at Bindusara's court. Diodorus states that the
king of Palibothra (Pataliputra, the Mauryan capital) welcomed a Greek author, Iambulus. This
king is usually identified as Bindusara. Pliny states that the Egyptian king Philadelphus sent an
envoy named Dionysius to India. According to Sailendra Nath Sen, this appears to have
happened during Bindusara's reign.

7
 Ashoka The Great

Bindusara died in 272 BCE, and was succeeded by his son, Ashoka the Great. Ashoka was the
third king of the Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE) best known for his renunciation of war,
development of the concept of dhamma (pious social conduct), and promotion of Buddhism as
well as his effective reign of a nearly pan-Indian political entity. At its height, under Ashoka,
the Mauryan Empire stretched from modern-day Iran through almost the entirety of the Indian
subcontinent. Ashoka was able to rule this vast empire initially through the precepts of the
political treatise known as the Arthashastra, attributed to the Prime Minister Chanakya (also
known as Kautilya and Vishnugupta, who served under Ashoka’s grandfather Chandragupta
who founded the empire.

Ashoka means “without sorrow” which was most likely his given name. He is referred to in his
edicts, carved in stone, as Devanampiya Piyadassi which, according to scholar John Keay (and
agreed upon by scholarly consensus) means “Beloved of the Gods” and “gracious of men”. He
is said to have been particularly ruthless early in his reign until he launched a campaign against
the Kingdom of Kalinga in c. 260 BCE which resulted in such carnage, destruction, and death
that Ashoka renounced war and, in time, converted to Buddhism, devoting himself to peace as
exemplified in his concept of dhamma. Most of what is known of him, outside of his edicts,
comes from Buddhist texts which treat him as a model of conversion and virtuous behaviour.

As monarch, he was ambitious and aggressive, reasserting the Empire’s superiority in southern
and western India. But it was his conquest of Kalinga (262-261 BCE) that proved to be the
pivotal event of his life. Although Ashoka’s army succeeded in overwhelming Kalinga forces
of royal soldiers and civilian units, an estimated 100,000 soldiers and civilians were killed in
the furious warfare, including over 10,000 of Ashoka’s own men. Hundreds of thousands of
people were adversely affected by the destruction and fallout of war. When he personally
witnessed the devastation, Ashoka began feeling remorse. Although the annexation of Kalinga
was completed, Ashoka embraced the teachings of Buddhism, and renounced war and violence.
He sent out missionaries to travel around Asia and spread Buddhism to other countries.

8
 Ashoka’s Edicts

It was against this background of imperial administration and a changing socioeconomic

framework that Ashoka issued edicts that carried his message concerning the idea and practice
of dhamma, the Prakrit form of the Sanskrit dharma, a term that defies simple translation. It
carries a variety of meanings depending on the context, such as universal law, social order,
piety, or righteousness; Buddhists frequently used it with reference to the teachings of the
Buddha. This in part coloured the earlier interpretation of Ashoka’s use of the word to mean
that he was propagating Buddhism. Until his inscriptions were deciphered in 1837, Ashoka
was practically unknown except in the Buddhist chronicles of Sri Lanka—the Mahavamsa and
Dipavamsa—and the works of the northern Buddhist tradition—the Divyavadana and the
Ashokavadana—where he is extolled as a Buddhist emperor par excellence whose sole
ambition was the expansion of Buddhism. Most of these traditions were preserved outside India
in Sri Lanka, Central Asia, and China. Even after the edicts were deciphered, it was believed
that they corroborated the assertions of the Buddhist sources, because in some of the edicts
Ashoka avowed his personal support of Buddhism. However, more-recent analyses suggest
that, although he was personally a Buddhist, as his edicts addressed to the Buddhist sangha
attest, the majority of the edicts in which he attempted to define dhamma do not suggest that
he was merely preaching Buddhism.
Ashoka addressed his edicts to the entire populace, inscribing them on rock surfaces or on
specially erected and finely polished sandstone pillars, in places where people were likely to
congregate. It has been suggested that the idea of issuing such decrees was borrowed from the
Persian Achaemenian emperors, especially from Darius I, but the tone and content of Ashoka’s
edicts are quite different. Although the pillars, with their animal capitals, have also been
described as imitations of Achaemenian pillars, there is sufficient originality in style to
distinguish them as fine examples of Mauryan imperial art. (The official emblem of India since
1947 is based on the four-lion capital of the pillar at Sarnath near Varanasi.) The carvings
contrast strikingly with the numerous small, grey terra-cotta figures found at urban sites, which
are clearly expressions of Mauryan popular art.
Ashoka defines the main principles of dhamma as nonviolence, tolerance of all sects and
opinions, obedience to parents, respect for the Brahmans and other religious teachers and
priests, liberality toward friends, humane treatment of servants, and generosity toward all.
These suggest a general ethic of behaviour to which no religious or social group could object.
They also could act as a focus of loyalty to weld together the diverse strands that made up the
empire. Interestingly, the Greek versions of these edicts translate dhamma as Eusebia (piety),
and no mention is made in the inscriptions of the teachings of the Buddha, which would be
expected if Ashoka had been propagating Buddhism. His own activities under the impact of
dhamma included attention to the welfare of his subjects, the building of roads and rest houses,
the planting of medicinal herbs, the establishment of centres for tending the sick, a ban on
animal sacrifices, and the curtailing of killing animals for food. He also instituted a body of
officials known as the dhamma-mahamattas, who served the dual function of propagating the
dhamma and keeping the emperor in touch with public opinion.

9
 Centralization in the Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire encouraged economic prosperity through political stability and a
unified central government.

• The Mauryan Empire was divided into four provinces, each governed by the Kumara,
who served as the king’s representative.
• Emperor Ashoka maintained a massive standing army to protect the Mauryan Empire
and instil stability and peace across West and South Asia.
• Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka’s grandfather, had established a single currency across
India, a network of regional governors and administrators, and a civil service to provide
justice and security for merchants, farmers and traders that continued throughout the
Mauryan Dynasty.
• The Mauryan international network of trade extended to the Greek states
and Hellenic kingdoms in West Asia and into Southeast Asia.

Employing a carefully organized bureaucratic system, the Maurya Empire was able to maintain
security and political unity across large parts of western and southern Asia. This included a
common economic system supporting stable agriculture in its vast landholdings, as well as
successful trade and commerce. Through this centralized authority, which included a powerful
military, the rulers of the empire bound together the previously fractured regions of the Indian
Subcontinent.

10
 Unification and Military

Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya Empire, ruled from 324-297 BCE, before
voluntarily abdicating in favour of his son, Bindusara, who ruled from 297 BCE until his death
in 272 BCE. This led to a war of succession in which Bindusara’s son, Ashoka, defeated his
brother, Susima, and rose to the throne in 268 BCE, eventually becoming the greatest ruler of
the Maurya Dynasty.

Before the Mauryan Empire, the Indian subcontinent was fragmented into hundreds of
kingdoms. These were ruled by powerful regional chieftains with small armies that engaged in
internecine warfare. The Mauryan Army eliminated regional chieftains, private armies, and
even gangs of bandits, who sought to impose their own supremacy in small areas.

The Mauryan Army, the largest standing military force of its time, supported the expansion
and defence of the empire. According to scholars, the empire wielded 600,000 infantry, 30,000
cavalry, and 9,000 war elephants, while a vast espionage system collected intelligence for both
internal and external security purposes. Although Emperor Ashoka renounced offensive
warfare and expansionism, he maintained this standing army to protect the empire from
external threats and maintain stability and peace across Western and Southern Asia.

11
 Administration

The Mauryan Empire was divided into four provinces, with the imperial capital at Pataliputra,
near the Ganges River in the modern state of Bihar in India. The Edicts of Ashoka, a collection
of inscriptions made during Ashoka’s reign from 268-232 BCE, give the names of the Maurya
Empire’s four provincial capitals: Tosali in the east, Ujjain in the west, Suvarnagiri in the south,
and Taxila in the north.

The organizational structure began at the imperial level with the emperor and his
Mantriparishad, or Council of Ministers. The head of the provincial administration was the
Kumara, or royal prince, who governed the provinces as the king’s representative, with the
assistance of Mahamatyas, who were essentially regional prime ministers. Through this
sophisticated system of bureaucracy, the empire governed all aspects of government at every
level, from municipal hygiene to international trade.

1
Maurya Empire at its greatest extent (dark orange), including vassal kingdoms (light orange), 265 BCE

12
 Centralization and Taxation

Chandragupta Maurya, the father of the dynasty, established a single currency across India, a
network of regional governors and administrators, and a civil service to provide justice and
security for merchants, farmers, and traders. Through the disciplined central authority of the
Mauryan Empire, farmers were freed of tax and crop collection burdens from regional kings.
Instead, they paid a nationally administered system of taxation that was strict but fair. The
system operated under the principles of the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on
economic policy, statecraft, and military strategy. Written in Sanskrit and adhering to Hindu
philosophies, the Arthashastra includes books on the nature of government, law, civil and
criminal courts, ethics, and economic topics, including markets and trade, agriculture,
mineralogy, mining and metals, forestry, and others.

Although regimental in revenue collection, the Mauryan Empire funded numerous public
works projects to enhance productivity. Like his father and grandfather, Ashoka sponsored the
construction of thousands of roads, waterways, canals, rest houses, hospitals, and other types
of infrastructure.

Under continued Mauryan rule, political unity and military security encouraged a common
economic system, increased agricultural productivity, and enhanced widespread trade and
commerce for the first time in West and South Asia.

13
 Trade and Commerce

The Maurya Empire’s political unity and internal peace encouraged the expansion of trade in
India. Under the Indo-Greek friendship treaty during Ashoka’s reign, the Mauryan international
network of trade saw great expansion.
The system of control was based on certain inevitable provisions. Goods could not be sold at
the place of their origin, field, or factory. They were to be carried to the appointed markets
(panya-sala) where the dealer had to declare particulars as to the quantity, quality and the prices
of his goods, which were examined and registered in the books. Every trader had to get a license
for sale. A trader from outside had to obtain a passport in addition. The Superintendent of
Commerce (Panyadhyaksha) fixed the whole-sale prices of goods as they were entered in the
Customs House. He allowed a margin of profit fix the retail prices. Smuggling and adulteration
of goods were severely punished. Speculation and cornering to influence prices were not
allowed. Strikes of workmen to raise wages were declared illegal.

The State had to undertake a heavy and irksome responsibility in protecting the public,
customers and consumers, against unauthorised prices and fraudulent transactions. It had to
post an army of spies or market inspectors on the trade-routes to detect false declarations as to
goods and apprize merchants of same.

The Khyber Pass, on the modern boundary of Pakistan and Afghanistan, became a strategically
important point of trade and interaction with the outside world. Greek states and Hellenic
kingdoms in West Asia became trading partners. Trade also extended through the Malay
Peninsula into Southeast Asia. India’s exports included silk, textiles, spices, and exotic foods.
The outside world gained new scientific knowledge and technology through expanded trade
with the Mauryan Empire.

14
 Mauryan Empire: Art and Architecture

The architectural remains have been found between the period of the Harappans and the
Maurya’s because in this period buildings are not made up of stone. After the decline of
Harappan civilization, long gap was generated and in the Mauryan period only monumental
stone sculpture, production of masterpieces and architecture appeared. Therefore, Mauryan
rule marks an important phase in our cultural history.

The Mauryans produced architecture for various purposes. The period was marked by the
mature use of stone and the production of masterpieces. The Mauryan period art and
architecture, except that of the relics of the palace of Chandragupta Maurya at Pataliputra, is
mainly Ashokan. It can be classified into Stupas, Pillars, Caves, Palaces, and Pottery.

• It was the beginning of the Buddhist School of architecture in India.

• 6th century BC marked the beginning of new socio-religious movements in Gangetic
valley in the form of Buddhism and Jainism which were part of the Shramana
tradition. By 4th century BC, Mauryas established their power and by 3rd century BC
Ashoka patronized Shramana tradition.
• Shramana tradition gave rise to Jainism and Buddhism and some nastika schools of
Hinduism such as Carvaka and Ajivika
• The art and architecture of the Mauryan Empire are classified into two types. The first
one is Court Art which was initiated by the Empire. It included Pillars, Stupas,
Palaces, etc.
• The second one was Popular Art which was initiated by the common man and it
included sculptures, pottery, cave arts, etc.
• Stupas were known in India before the time of Ashoka but when Ashoka divided up
the existing body relics of the Buddha and erected monuments to enshrine them, the
stupas became the objects of cult worship.
• The Stupas were solid domes constructed of brick or stone, varying in sizes. Samrat
Ashoka built numerous stupas scattered over the country. But most of the stupas have
not survived the ravages of time.
• The most striking monuments of Mauryan art are the celebrated Pillars of Dharma.
These pillars were free-standing columns and were not used as supports to any
structure. They had two main parts, the shaft and the capital. The shaft is a monolith
column made of one piece of stone with exquisite polish. The art of polishing was so
marvelous that many people felt that it was made of metal.
• The pillars are not the only artistic achievements of Ashoka’s reign. The rock-cut
caves of Ashoka and that of his grandson Dasaratha Maurya constructed for the
residence of monks are, wonderful specimens of art. The caves at Barabar hill in the
north of Gaya and the Nagarjuna hill caves, the Sudama caves, etc. are the extant
remains of cave architecture of the Mauryan era.

15
 • The Sarnath column has the most magnificent capital. It is a product of a developed
type of art of which the world knew in the Third Century B.C. It has been fittingly
adopted as the emblem of the Modem Indian Republic. It is seven feet in height. The
lowest part of the capitol is curved as an inverted lotus and bell-shaped. Above it are
four animals, an elephant, a horse, a bull, a lion representing the east, south, west, and
north in Vedic symbol.
• The gilded pillars of the Mauryan palace were adorned with golden vines and silver
birds. The workmanship of the imperial palace was of very high standard.
• Chinese traveler Fa-Hien stated that “Ashoka’s palace was made by spirits” and that
its carvings are so elegantly executed “which no human hands of this world could
accomplish”
• The Mauryan pottery consisted of many types of wares. The black polished type
found in North India is important. It has a burnished and glazed surface.
• The life-size standing image of a Yakshini holding a chauri (fly whisk) from
Didarganj near modern Patna is one of the finest examples of the sculptural tradition
of the Mauryan Period – Made of sandstone. Distinguishing elements in all these
images was its highly polished surface
• Mauryan art and architecture depicted the influence of Persians and Greeks. During
the reign of Ashoka, many monolithic stone pillars were erected on which teachings
of ‘Dhamma’ were inscribed.

The art and architecture of this period was progressive, liberal and secular in nature. The
value of stupa at sanchi and bull capital at sarnath depict the greatness and stand as testimony
to this golden period of Indian history. It can be said that the art and architecture of the
Mauryan Empire constitutes the culminating point of the progress of Indian art.

16
 Conquest of Kalinga and Ashoka’s conversion

While the early part of Ashoka’s reign was apparently quite bloodthirsty, he became a
follower of the Buddha’s teachings after his conquest of Kalinga on the east coast of India in
the present-day states of Odisha and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Kalinga was a state that
prided itself on its sovereignty and democracy. With its monarchical parliamentary
democracy, it was quite an exception in ancient Bharata where there existed the concept of
Rajdharma. Rajdharma means the duty of the rulers, which was intrinsically entwined with
the concept of bravery and dharma. The Kalinga War happened eight years after his
coronation. From Ashoka’s 13th inscription, we come to know that the battle was a massive
one and caused the deaths of more than 100,000 soldiers and many civilians who rose up in
defence; over 150,000 were deported. When he was walking through the grounds of Kalinga
after his conquest, rejoicing in his victory, he was moved by the number of bodies strewn
there and the wails of the bereaved.

Conversion to Buddhism:
Edict 13 on the Edicts of Ashoka Rock Inscriptions reflect the great remorse the king felt
after observing the destruction of Kalinga:
“His Majesty felt remorse on account of the conquest of Kalinga because, during the
subjugation of a previously unconquered country, slaughter, death, and taking away captive
of the people necessarily occur, whereas His Majesty feels profound sorrow and regret.”
The edict goes on to address the even greater degree of sorrow and regret resulting from
Ashoka’s understanding that the friends and families of deceased would suffer greatly too.

After the Kalinga War and Ashoka’s conversion, the Empire experienced nearly half a
century of peace and security. Mauryan India also enjoyed an era of social harmony, religious
transformation, and expansion of the sciences and of knowledge. Chandragupta Maurya ‘s
embrace of Jainism increased social and religious renewal and reform across his society,
while Ashoka’s embrace of Buddhism has been said to have been the foundation of the reign
of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India.

17
 Fall of the Mauryan Empire

The decline of the Maurya Dynasty was rather rapid after the death of Ashoka. One obvious
reason for it was the succession of weak kings. Another immediate cause was the partition of
the Empire into two. Had not the partition taken place; the Greek invasions could have been
held back giving a chance to the Mauryas to re-establish some degree of their previous
power. Mauryan Empire began to decline after the death of Ashoka in 232 BC. The last king
was Brihadratha who was assassinated by his general Pushyamitra Shunga who was a
Brahmin.

The factors which led to the decline of Mauryan Empire are as following:

The religious policy of Ashoka

The religious policy of Ashoka antagonized the Brahmins of his empire. Since Ashoka
banned animal sacrifice it stopped the income of Brahmins who received gifts in form of
various kinds of sacrifices made to them.
Huge Expenditure on army and bureaucracy
During Mauryan age a huge expenditure was done on maintaining army and bureaucracy.
Moreover, Ashoka during his reign made large grants to the Buddhist monks which made the
royal treasury empty. The Mauryan kings who succeeded Ashoka faced the financial crunch.
Oppressive rule in provinces
The provincial rulers in Magadhan Empire were often corrupt and oppressive. This led to
frequent rebellions against the empire. During the reign of Bindusara, the citizens of Taxila
complained against the misrule of wicked bureaucrats. Although Bindusara and Ashoka took
measures to control the bureaucrats, this failed to check the oppression in provinces.
Neglect of North-West frontier
Ashoka was so busy in carrying our religious activities that he seldom paid attention to north-
west frontier of Mauryan Empire. The Greeks took advantage of this and set up a kingdom in
north Afghanistan which was known as Bactria. This was followed by a series of foreign
invasion which weakened the empire.

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 Conclusion

A new era was opened in Indian History after the establishment of Mauryan Empire. It was
very first time in history that whole India was politically united. In addition, from this period
history writing became clear because of accuracy in chronology and sources. Along with these
indigenous and foreign literary sources were available in ample form. This empire left records
in a large number to write the history of this period.

Also, some important archaeological findings associated with Mauryan Empire were stone
sculptures; a tremendous example of typical Mauryan art. Some scholars suggest that message
on Ashoka inscription was entirely different from most other rulers which is a symbol of
powerful and industrious Ashoka and also, he was humble more than other (later) rulers who
adopted grand titles.

When the Maurya rule was thus weakening and the empire was breaking up within the half
century after Asoka’s death, there finally came a death blow to it by an internal revolt. This
revolt was led by the chief of the Maurya army, General Pushyamitra Sunga in about 185 or
186 B.C. when the Maurya King Brihadratha ruled in Magadha. Bana, the famous author of
Harsha-Charita describes the incident saying that Pushyamitra held a parade of the army which
he invited the King to witness, and thus created an occasion to kill him on the spot with the
support of the army.

Thus, ended the dynasty of the Mauryas. The fall of the Maurya Empire was a tragedy no doubt.

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