THE NATIONAL LAW INSTITUTE

UNIVERSITY, BHOPAL

FIFTH TRIMESTER

HISTORY I

PROJECT ON

THE FIRST EMPIRE IN INDIAN HISTORY:

THE MAURYAN EMPIRE

SUBMITTED TO

SUBMITTED BY

PROF. U.P. SINGH

NIMISHA JHA

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ROLL NO.: 2009BALLB01

ENROLMENT NO.: A-0863

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION..................................................

..............................................................

..03

CHANDRAGUPTA

MAURYA........................................................

....................................04

BINDUSARA.....................................................

..............................................................

.......09

ASHOKA........................................................

..............................................................

...........11

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THE MAURYAN

ADMINISTRATION................................................

..............................21

THE MAURYAN

ARCHITECTURE..................................................

...............................26

THE DECLINE OF THE

MAURYANS......................................................

........................33

BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................

..............................................................

..35

INTRODUCTION

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The concept of an empire becomes familiar to Indian

historiography in the colonial period. There was an attempt to

identify a few empires from the past and see the current one

as an ongoing part of the legacy.

Empires were defined by extensive territory and their glory

was said to lie in the monumental architecture, grandiose

public works and imperial proclamations.

When the term came to be used for large states in early times

the focus of the definition had to shift. In relation to the

early past, an empire is recognised as a more evolved and

complex form of state, and therefore embedded in the nature of

formation of states that preceded it. The change from non

state to state becomes central to the understanding the

context in which the empires arise. A qualitative change is

also significant.

With the coming of the Maurya in the later part of the fourth

century B.C., the historical scene is illuminated by a

relative abundance of evidence from a variety of sources. Not

only do these provide information, but they also encourage

tangential thoughts on the history of those times. The

political picture is relatively clear, with the empire of the

Maurya covering a large part of the subcontinent, the focus

being control by a single power. Attempts were made to give

the political system a degree of uniformity, and historical

generalisation can be made with more confidence for this

period than in earlier centuries.

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Inevitablely, in an imperial system, there were attempts to

draw together the ends of the empire, to encourage movement of

people and goods and to explore the possibilities of

communication at various levels. These included the use of a

script, of punch marked coins in exchange transactions and the

projection of a new ideology, intended to pursue new precepts.

CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA

Known as the founder of Mauryan Empire, King Chandragupta

Maurya is considered to be one of the most able rulers who

ruled and unified India. Chandragupta Maurya ruled from 320 -

298 B.C approximately. He is considered to be one of the most

authentic and able rulers of India.

Chandragupta Maurya's rise to power is shrouded in mystery and

controversy. On the one hand, a number of ancient Indian

accounts, such as the drama Mudrarakshasa (Poem of Rakshasa -

Rakshasa was the prime minister of Magadha) by Visakhadatta,

describe his royal ancestry and even link him with the Nanda

family. The Mudrarakshasha describes Chandragupta as

Mauryaput.

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Another account by Somadeva represents him as the son of the

last Nanda monarch from his Sudra concubine Maurya by name

from which was derived the name Maurya.

The Mahavamsatika connects the Mauryans with Sakyas who belong

to the solar race of Kshatriyas.

According to the Jains tradition Chandragupta was the son of

the daughter of the chief of a village of peacock -tamers

(Mayur Posakh). The peacock figures that appear in the emblem

of the Maurya in the some punch marked coins and sculptures

testify this.

Others are of the view that he was a commoner and not a

prince.

A Kshatriyas tribe known as the Maurya's are referred to in

the earliest Buddhist texts, Mahaparinibbana Sutta.

However, any conclusions are hard to make without further

historical evidence.

Chandragupta first emerges in Greek accounts as "Sandrokottos".

As a young man he is said to have met Alexander. He is also

said to have met the Nanda king, angered him, and made a

narrow escape.

The Mudrarakshasa of Visakhadutta as well as the Jaina work

Parisishtaparvan talk of Chandragupta's alliance with the

Himalayan king Parvatka, sometimes identified with Porus.6 | P a g e

Yet there are other literary traditions according to which

Chandragupta belonged to Moriyas, a Kshatriya (warrior) clan of

a little ancient republic of Pippalivana located between

Rummindei in the Nepalese Tarai and Kasia in the Gorakhpur

district of Uttar Pradesh. Tradition suggests that this clan

was reduced to great straights in the 4th century BCE under

Magadhan rule, and young Chandragupta grew up among the

peacock-tamers, herdsmen and hunters.

The Buddhist text of the Mahavamsa calls Chandragupta a scion of

the Khattya (Kshatriya) clan named Moriya (Maurya).

Divyavadana calls Bindusara, son of Chandragupta, an anointed

Kshatriya, Kshatriya Murdhabhishikata, and in the same work,

king Ashoka, son of Bindusara, is also styled a Kshatriya. The

Mahaparinnibhana Sutta of the Buddhist canon states that the

Moriyas (Maurya) belonged to the Kshatriya community of

Pippalivana. These traditions, at least, indicate that

Chandragupta may have come from a Kshatriya lineage.

The Mahavamsatika connects him with the Sakyas clan of the

Buddha, a clan which also claimed to belong to the race of

Aditya i.e. solar race.

A medieval age inscription represents the Maurya clan as

belonging to the solar race of Kshatriyas. It is stated that

the Maurya line sprang from Suryavamsi Mandhatri, son of

prince Yuvanashva of the solar race.

Others claim that the Maurya were the Muras or rather Mors.

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Jat authors such as B. S. Dahiya also propose an Indo-Scythian

lineage common to the Maurya and the Jets.

Another school of thought, including scholars such as B. M.

Barua, J. W. McCrindle, D. B. Spooner, H. C. Seth, Hari Ram Gupta, Ranajit Pal, Gur

Rattan Pal Singh and Kirpal Singh have connected Chandragupta to

Gandhara (or Kamboja) in modern day Pakistan. Based on

interpretations of Plutarch and Appian's writings, these scholars

assert that Chandragupta Maurya may have belonged to the

north-west frontier region, possibly to the Assakenoi or

Ashvaka Kshatriya clan of Swat/Kunar valley (modern Koh-I-Mor

or Mer-coh — the Meros of the classical writings; probably

Meru of Sanskrit texts and Mor and Mer in Prakritic). It has

been claimed by several scholars that Chandragupta belonged to

the Ashvaka tribe of this region (known as Mor), and thus, the

dynasty founded by him was called Moriya or Maurya. The

Ashvakas were a section of the Kambojas, who were exclusively

engaged in horse-culture and were noted for providing

mercenary cavalry. H.C. Raychaudhuri noted that the name

Priyadarshi was adopted also by Chandragupta as also noted by

W. W. Tarn.

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According to James Tod, Chandragupta was a descendant of the

Puru dynasty:

“Sandrocottus is mentioned by Arrian to be of this line ; and we can have no

hesitation, therefore, in giving him a place in the dynasty of Puru, the second son of

Yayati, whence the patronymic used by the race now extinct, as was Yadu, the elder

brother of Puru.”

—Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, By James Tod

Another popular legend among the common folks of India is that

Chandragupta was a shepherd (Kuruba/Dhangar) boy who with the

help of the Brahmin Chanakya revolted against the atrocities

of the Nanda kings and established the Mauryan Empire.

Finally the conclusion is that from Buddhist and Jain texts it

has been proved that Chandragupta Maurya belongs to the

"Moriya" chain of the Shakya rulers and hence was the scion of

the solar race. Only the Buddhist scriptures which are one of

the most ancient texts available provide the true and exact

information about the lineage of Chandragupta Maurya

dominating on the other mentioned mythical claims.

CONQUESTS AND EXPANSION

THE CONQUEST OF MAGADH:

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Chanakya had trained Chandragupta under his guidance and

together they planned the destruction of Dhana Nanda. The

Mudrarakshasa of Visakhadutta as well as the Jaina work

Parisishtaparvan talk of Chandragupta's alliance with the

Himalayan king Parvatka, sometimes identified with Porus.

It is noted in the Chandraguptakatha that the protagonist and

Chanakya were initially rebuffed by the Nanda forces.

Regardless, in the ensuing war, Chandragupta faced off against

Bhadrasala – commander of Dhana Nanda's armies. He was

eventually able to defeat Bhadrasala and Dhana Nanda in a

series of battles, ending with the siege of the capital city

Kusumapura and the conquest of the Nanda Empire around 321 BC,

thus founding the powerful Maurya Empire in Northern India by

the time he was about 20 years old.

THE CONQUEST OF SELUECUS’s EASTERN TERRITORIES

Chandragupta destroyed the Greeks when Seleucus I, ruler of

the Seleucid Empire, tried to reconquer the north-western

parts of India, during a campaign in 305 BCE, but failed. The

two rulers finally concluded a peace treaty: a marital treaty

(Epigamia) was concluded, in which the Greeks offered their

Princess for alliance and help from him. Chandragupta snatched

the satrapies of Paropamisade (Kamboja and Gandhara),

Arachosia (Kandhahar) and Gedrosia (Balochistan), and Seleucus

I received 500 war elephants that were to have a decisive role

in his victory against western Hellenistic kings at the Battle

of Ipsus in 301 BCE. Diplomatic relations were established and10 | P a g e

several Greeks, such as the historian Megasthenes, Deimakos

and Dionysius resided at the Mauryan court.

Mainstream scholarship asserts that Chandragupta received vast

territory west of the Indus, including the Hindu Kush, modern

day Afghanistan, and the Balochistan province of Pakistan.

By the time he was only about 20 years old, Chandragupta, who

had succeeded in defeating the Macedonian satrapies in India

and conquering the Nanda Empire, had founded a vast empire

that extended from the Bay of Bengal in the east, to the Indus

River in the west.

THE SOUTHWARD EXPANSION

After annexing Seleucus' eastern Persian provinces,

Chandragupta had a vast empire extending across the northern

parts of Indian Sub-continent, from the Bay of Bengal to the

Arabian Sea. Chandragupta then began expanding his empire

further south beyond the barrier of the Vindhya Range and into

the Deccan Plateau. By the time his conquests were complete,

Chandragupta succeeded in unifying most of Southern Asia.

Megasthenes later recorded the size of Chandragupta's acquired

army as 400,000 soldiers, according to Strabo:

"Megasthenes was in the camp of Sandrocottus, which consisted of 400,000 men."

—Strabo, Geographica, 15.1.53

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On the other hand, Pliny, who also drew from Megasthenes'

work, gives even larger numbers of 600,000 infantry, 30,000

cavalry, and 9,000 war elephants:

"But the Prasii surpass in power and glory every other people, not only in this

quarter, but one may say in all India, their capital Palibothra, a very large and

wealthy city, after which some call the people itself the Palibothri,--nay even the

whole tract along the Ganges. Their king has in his pay a standing army of 600,000-

foot-soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, and 9,000 elephants: whence may be formed some

conjecture as to the vastness of his resources."

—Pliny, Natural History VI, 22.4

BINDUSARA

The son of Chandragupta the Great, by a woman named Durdhara;

Bindusara inherited a large empire that consisted of what are

now, Northern, Central and Eastern parts of India along with

parts of Afghanistan and Baluchistan. Bindusara extended this

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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 the entire 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 didn't conquer the friendly

Dravidian kingdoms of the Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras. Apart

from these southern states, Kalinga (the modern Orissa) was

the only kingdom in India that didn't form the part of

Bindusara's empire. It was later conquered by his son Ashoka,

who served as the viceroy of Ujjaini during his father's

reign.

Bindusara's life has not been documented as well as that of

his father Chandragupta or of his son Ashoka. The philosopher

Chanakya served as prime minister during his reign. During his

rule, the citizens of Taxila revolted twice. The reason for

the first revolt was the maladministration of Suseema, his

eldest son. The reason for the second revolt is unknown, but

it could not be suppressed by Bindusara due to his death; it

was later crushed by Ashoka.

Ambassadors from Seleucid Empire (such as Deimachus) and Egypt

visited his courts. He maintained good relations with the

Hellenic World. Unlike his father Chandragupta (who was a

Jain), he believed in the Ajivika (an ancient Indian sect that

preached equality for all people).

Bindusara died in 272 BC (some records say 268 BC) and was

succeeded by his son Ashoka the Great. Bindusara is known as

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"Born out of Blood drops" reason being Chanakya had to cut

Chandragupta's wife Durdhara's stomach that was in death bed.

CONQUESTS AND EXPANSION

Bindusara extended his empire further as far as south Mysore.

He conquered sixteen states and extended the empire from sea

to sea. The empire included the whole of India except the

region of Kalinga (modern Orissa) and the Dravidian kingdoms

of the south. Kalinga was conquered by Bindusara's son Ashoka.

Early Tamil poets speak of Mauryan chariots thundering across

the land, their white pennants brilliant in the sunshine.

Bindusara campaigned in the Deccan, extending the Mauryan

empire in the peninsula to as far as Mysore. He is said to

have conquered 'the land between the two seas', presumably the

Arabian sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Bindusara did not attack the Dravidian Kingdoms of the Cholas,

the Pandyans and the Cheras perhaps because they were friendly

with the Mauryan Empire.

ADMINISTRATION

He ran the administration smoothly and maintained a good

relation with distant countries like the Greeks, the Syrians14 | P a g e

and the Egyptians. Ambassadors from these countries lived in

the King's Court. He was called 'Amitrochates' or the

destroyer of enemies by the Greeks.

Bindusara maintained good relations with Selucus Nicator and

the emperors regularly exchanged ambassadors and presents. He

also maintained the friendly relations with the Hellenic West

established by his father. Ambassadors from Syria and Egypt

lived at Bindusara's court. He preferred the Ajivika

philosophy rather than Jainism.

Apparently he was a man of wide interest and taste, since

tradition had it that he asked Antiochus I to send him some

sweet wine, dried figs and a sophist:

“But dried figs were so very much sought after by all men (for

really, as Aristophanes says, There's really nothing nicer

than dried figs), that even Amitrochates, the king of the

Indians, wrote to Antiochus, entreating him (it is Hegesander

from Delphi who tells this story) to buy and send him some

sweet wine, and some dried figs, and a sophist; and that

Antiochus wrote to him in answer, The dry figs and the sweet

wine we will send you; but it is not lawful for a sophist to

be sold in Greece Athenaeus, " -Deipnosophistae" XIV.67

ASHOKA

Asoka was almost forgotten by the historians of the early

British India but James Prinsep contributed in the revelation

of historical sources. Another important historian was British

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archaeologist Sir John Hubert Marshall who was director-

General of the Archaeological Survey of India. His main

interests were Sanchi and Sarnath besides Harappa and

Mohenjodaro.

Sir Alexander Cunningham, a British archaeologist and army

engineer and often known as the father of the Archaeological

Survey of India, unveiled heritage sites like the Bharhut

Stupa, Sarnath, Sanchi, and the Mahabodhi Temple; thus, his

contribution is recognizable in realms of historical sources.

Sir Mortimer Wheeler who was a British archaeologist also

exposed Ashokan historical sources, especially the Taxila.

Information about the life and reign of Asoka primarily comes

from a relatively small number of Buddhist sources. In

particular, the Sanskrit Ashokavadana ('Story of Asoka'),

written in the second century and the two Pāli chronicles of

Sri Lanka (the Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa) provide most of the

currently known information about Asoka.

Additional information is contributed by the Edicts of Asoka,

whose authorship was finally attributed to the Asoka of

Buddhist legend after the discovery of dynastic lists that

gave the name used in the edicts (Priyadasi – 'favoured by the

Gods') as a title or additional name of Asoka Maurya.

Architectural remains of his period have been found at

Kumhrar, Patna, which include an 80-pillar hypostyle hall.

Popularly known as Asoka the Great, was an Indian emperor of the

Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost the entire Indian subcontinent

from 269 BC to 232 BC. One of India's greatest emperors,

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Ashoka reigned over most of present-day India after a number

of military conquests. His empire stretched from present-day

Pakistan, Afghanistan in the west, to the present-day

Bangladesh and the Indian state of Assam in the east, and as

far south as northern Kerala and Andhra. He conquered the

kingdom named Kalinga, which no one in his dynasty had

conquered starting from Chandragupta Maurya. His reign was

headquartered in Magadha (present-day Bihar, India).

He embraced Buddhism from the prevalent Vedic tradition after

witnessing the mass deaths of the war of Kalinga, which he

himself had waged out of a desire for conquest. He was later

dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and

established monuments marking several significant sites in the

life of Gautama Buddha. Ashoka was a devotee of ahimsa

(nonviolence), love, truth, tolerance and vegetarianism.

Ashoka is remembered in history as a philanthropic

administrator.

In the history of India Ashoka is referred to as Samraat

Chakravartin Asoka- the Emperor of Emperors Ashoka.

Renowned British author and social critic H. G. Wells in his

bestselling two-volume work, The Outline of History (1920), wrote of

emperor Ashoka:

“In the history of the world there have been thousands of kings and emperors who

called themselves 'their highnesses,' 'their majesties,' and 'their exalted majesties'

and so on. They shone for a brief moment, and as quickly disappeared. But Ashoka

shines and shines brightly like a bright star, even unto this day."

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EARLY LIFE

Ashoka was born to the Mauryan emperor Bindusara and his Queen

'Dharma' (although she was a Brahmin or Shubhadrangi, she was

undervalued as she wasn't of royal blood). Ashoka had several

elder siblings (all half-brothers from other wives of

Bindusara). He had just one younger sibling, Vitthashoka (a

much loved brother from the same mother).

Because of his exemplary intellect and warrior skills, he was

said to have been the favourite of his grandfather

Chandragupta Maurya.

As the legend goes, when Chandragupta Maurya left his empire

for a Jain living, he threw his sword away. Ashoka found the

sword and kept it, in spite of his grandfather's warning.

Ashoka, in his adolescence, was rude and naughty. He was a

fearsome hunter. He was a kshatriya and was given all royal

military trainings and other Vedic knowledge. According to a

legend, he killed a Lion with just a wooden rod. Ashoka was

very well known for his sword fighting. He was very

adventurous and this made him a terrific fighter.

Ashoka was a frightening warrior and a heartless general.

Because of this quality he was sent to destroy the riot of

Avanti.

RISE TO POWER

Developing into an impeccable warrior general and a shrewd

statesman, Asoka went on to command several regiments of the

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Mauryan army. His growing popularity across the empire made

his elder brothers wary of his chances of being favoured by

Bindusara to become the next emperor.

The eldest of them, Susima, the traditional heir to the

throne, persuaded Bindusara to send Asoka to quell an uprising

in Taxshila, a city in the north-west District of Pakistani

Punjab region, for which Prince Susima was the Governor.

Taxshila was a highly volatile place because of the war-like

Indo-Greek population and mismanagement by Susima himself.

This had led to the formation of different militias causing

unrest. Asoka complied and left for the troubled area. As news

of Asoka’s visit with his army trickled in, he was welcomed by

the revolting militias and the uprising ended without a

conflict. (The province revolted once more during the rule of

Asoka, but this time the uprising was crushed with an iron

fist)

Asoka’s success made his stepbrothers more wary of his

intentions of becoming the emperor and more incitements from

Susima led Bindusara to send Asoka into exile. He went into

Kalinga and stayed there incognito. There he met a fisher

woman named Kaurwaki, with whom he fell in love. Recently

found inscriptions indicate that she would later become either

his second or third queen. Meanwhile, there was again a

violent uprising in Ujjain. Emperor Bindusara summoned Asoka

out of exile after two years. Asoka went into Ujjain and in

the ensuing battle was injured, but his generals quelled the

uprising.

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Asoka was treated in hiding so that loyalists of the Susima

group could not harm him. He was treated by Buddhist monks and

nuns. This is where he first learned the teachings of the

Buddha, and it is also where he met Devi, who was his personal

nurse and the daughter of a merchant from adjacent Vidisha.

After recovering, he married her. It was quite unacceptable to

Bindusara that one of his sons should marry a Buddhist, so he

did not allow Asoka to stay in Pataliputra but instead sent

him back to Ujjain and made him the governor of Ujjain. The

following year passed quite peacefully for him, and Devi was

about to deliver his first child. In the meanwhile, Emperor

Bindusara died. As the news of the unborn heir to the throne

spread, Prince Susima planned the execution of the unborn

child; however, the assassin who came to kill Devi and her

child killed his mother instead.

Asoka beheaded his elder brother to ascend the throne.

CONQUESTS AND EXPANSION

In this phase of his life, Asoka was known for his unquenched

thirst for wars and campaigns launched to conquer the lands of

other rulers and became known as Chandashok (terrible Asoka),

the Sanskrit word chanda meaning cruel, fierce, or rude,

Chandi-devi being associated with Kali.

Ascending the throne, Asoka expanded his empire over the next

eight years, from the present-day boundaries and regions of

Burma–Bangladesh and the state of Assam in India in the east

to the territory of present-day Iran / Persia and Afghanistan

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in the west; from the Pamir Knots in the north almost to the

peninsular of southern India (i.e. Tamil Nadu / Andhra

Pradesh).

THE CONQUEST OF KALINGA:

While the early part of Asoka’s reign was apparently quite

bloodthirsty, he became a follower of the Buddha's teaching

after his conquest of Kalinga on the east coast of India in

the present-day state of Orissa. 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

Kshatriya dharma.

This was the first and last battle that Asoka ever fought and

serves as a watermark in his life as it changed his course

forever. It was during this war that he earned the title Asoka

the Great.

Kalinga was a prosperous little kingdom lying between the

river Godavari and Mahanadi, close to the Bay of Bengal. It

had an infantry of 60,000 men, 10,000 horsemen and 600

elephants. Asoka wanted to capture this fertile land, and so

had it surrounded. But the brave and loyal people of Kalinga

did not want to lose their independence.

The pretext for the start of the Kalinga War (265 BC or 263

BC) is uncertain. One of Susima's brothers might have fled to

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Kalinga and found official refuge there. This enraged Asoka

immensely. He was advised by his ministers to attack Kalinga

for this act of treachery. Asoka then asked Kalinga's royalty

to submit before his supremacy. When they defied this diktat,

Asoka sent one of his generals to Kalinga to make them submit.

The general and his forces were, however, completely routed

through the skilled tact of Kalinga's commander-in-chief.

Asoka, baffled at this defeat, attacked with the greatest

invasion ever recorded in Indian history until then. Kalinga

put up a stiff resistance, but they were no match for Asoka’s

brutal strength. The whole of Kalinga was plundered and

destroyed. Asoka’s later edicts state that about 100,000

people were killed on the Kalinga side and 10,000 from Asoka’s

army. Thousands of men and women were deported. There were

more than lakh prisoners of war. In the midst of the

battlefield, Asoka stood with the wounded, crippled and the

dead all around him. This was the consequence of his greed. A

new light dawned on him, and he swore that he would never wage

war again

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ADMINSTRATION

Asoka’s military power was so strong that he was able to crush

those empires that went to war against him still, he was on

friendly terms with kingdoms in the South like Cholas, Pandya,

Keralputra, the post Alexandrian empire, Tamraparni, and

Suvarnabhumi who were strong enough to remain outside his

empire and continued to profess Hinduism.

According to his edicts we know that he provided humanitarian

help including doctors, hospitals, inns, wells, medical herbs

and engineers to his neighbouring countries. In his

neighbouring countries Asoka helped humans as well as animals.

Asoka also planted trees in his empire and his neighbouring

countries.

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Asoka was perhaps the first emperor in human history to ban slavery, hunting,

fishing and deforestation.

Asoka also banned the death sentence and asked the same for

the neighbouring countries. Asoka commanded his people to

serve the orders of their elders parents) and religious monks

(shramana and Brahmin).

Asoka also recommended his people study all religions and

respect all religions. According to Asoka, to harm another's

religion is harm to someone's owns religion. Asoka asserted

his people to live with Dharmmacharana. Asoka asked people to

live with harmony, peace, love and tolerance.

Asoka called his people as his children, and they could call

him when they need him. He also asked people to save money and

not to spend for immoral causes. Asoka also believed in

dharmacharana (dhammacharana) and dharmavijaya (dhammavijaya).

According to many European and Asian historians the age of

Asoka was the age of light and delightment. He was the first

emperor in human history who has taught the lesson of unity,

peace, equality and love.

Asoka’s aim was not to expand the territories but the welfare

of all of his subjects (sarvajansukhay). In his vast empire

there was no evidence of recognizable mutiny or civil war.

Asoka was the true devotee of nonviolence, peace and love.

This made him different from other emperors.

Asoka also helped Buddhism as well as religions like Jainism,

Hinduism, Hellenic polytheism and Ajivikas.

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Asoka was against any discrimination among humans. He helped

students, the poor, orphans and the elderly with social,

political and economic help.

According to Asoka, hatred gives birth to hatred and a feeling

of love gives birth to love and mercy. According to him the

happiness of people is the happiness of the ruler. His opinion

was that the sword is not as powerful as love.

Asoka was also kind to prisoners, and respected animal life

and tree life. Asoka allowed females to be educated.

He also permitted females to enter religious institutions. He

allowed female Buddhist monastic such as Bhikkhuni.

He combined in himself the complexity a king and a simplicity

of a buddhist monk.

Because of these reasons he is known as the emperor of all

ages and thus became a milestone in the History of the world

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BUDDHIST CONVERSION

As the legend goes, one day after the war was over, Asoka

ventured out to roam the city and all he could see were burnt

houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick and he

cried the famous monologue:

What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a

defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent

children and women? Do I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy

the other's kingdom and splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father,

someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this debris of the corpses? Are

these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of

death or evil?

The brutality of the conquest led him to adopt Buddhism and he

used his position to propagate the relatively new religion to

new heights, as far as ancient Rome and Egypt. He made

Buddhism his state religion around 260 BC, and propagated it

and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250

BC. Emperor Asoka undoubtedly has to be credited with the

first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy.

One of the more enduring legacies of Asoka Maurya was the

model that he provided for the relationship between Buddhism

26 | P a g e

and the state. Throughout Theravada South-eastern Asia, the

model of ruler ship embodied by Asoka replaced the notion of

divine kingship that had previously dominated (in the Angkor

kingdom, for instance).

Under this model of 'Buddhist kingship', the king sought to

legitimize his rule not through descent from a divine source,

but by supporting and earning the approval of the Buddhist

sangha. Following Asoka’s example, kings established

monasteries, funded the construction of stupas, and supported

the ordination of monks in their kingdom. Many rulers also

took an active role in resolving disputes over the status and

regulation of the sangha, as Asoka had in calling a conclave

to settle a number of contentious issues during his reign.

This development ultimately lead to a close association in

many Southeast Asian countries between the monarchy and the

religious hierarchy, an association that can still be seen

today in the state-supported Buddhism of Thailand and the

traditional role of the Thai king as both a religious and

secular leader. Asoka also said that all his courtiers were

true to their self and governed the people in a moral manner.

DEATH AND LEGACY

Asoka ruled for an estimated forty years. After his death, the

Mauryan dynasty lasted just fifty more years. Asoka had many

wives and children, but many of their names are lost to time.

Mahindra and Sanghamitra were twins born by his first wife,

Devi, in the city of Ujjain. He had entrusted to them the job

27 | P a g e

of making his state religion, Buddhism, more popular across

the known and the unknown world. Mahindra and Sanghamitra went

into Sri Lanka and converted the King, the Queen and their

people to Buddhism. They were naturally not handling state

affairs after him.

In his old age, he seems to have come under the spell of his

youngest wife Tishyaraksha. It is said that she had got his

son Kunala, the regent in Takshashila, blinded by a wily

stratagem. The official executioners spared Kunala and he

became a wandering singer accompanied by his favourite wife

Kanchanmala. In Pataliputra, Asoka hears Kunala's song, and

realizes that Kunala's misfortune may have been a punishment

for some past sin of the emperor himself and condemns

Tishyaraksha to death, restoring Kunala to the court.

Kunala was succeeded by his son, Samprati, but his rule did

not last long after Asoka’s death.

The reign of Asoka Maurya could easily have disappeared into

history as the ages passed by, and would have had he not left

behind a record of his trials. The testimony of this wise king

was discovered in the form of magnificently sculpted pillars

and boulders with a variety of actions and teachings he wished

to be published etched into the stone.

What Asoka left behind was the first written language in India

since the ancient city of Harappa. The language used for

inscription was the then current spoken form called Prakrit.

28 | P a g e

In the year 185 BC, about fifty years after Asoka’s death, the

last Maurya ruler, Brihadrata, was assassinated by the

commander-in-chief of the Mauryan armed forces, Pushyamitra

Sunga, while he was taking the Guard of Honour of his forces.

Pusyamitra Sunga founded the Sunga dynasty (185 BC-78 BC) and

ruled just a fragmented part of the Mauryan Empire. Many of

the north-western territories of the Mauryan Empire (modern-

day Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) became the Indo-Greek

Kingdom.

In 1992, Asoka was ranked #53 on Michael H. Hart's list of the most influential

figures in history.

In 2001, a semi-fictionalized portrayal of Asoka’s life was

produced as a motion picture under the title Asoka. King

Asoka, the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan dynasty, has

come to be regarded as one of the most exemplary rulers in

world history. The British historian H.G. Wells has written:

"Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of

history ... the name of Asoka shines, and shines almost alone, a star."

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THE MAURYAN ADMINISTRATION

The Mauryan Empire was one of the largest in the whole of the

ancient world. It ushered in a centralized form of government.

From the Arthashastra, Ashokan inscription and from the

fragments available from Megasthenese's account there have a

good idea about the various aspects of administration,

economy, society and religion of the people. The king was head

of the state. He had judicial, legislative and executive

powers. The king issued what was known as sasana or

ordinances. The edicts of Ashoka are examples of the sansanas.

The king was assisted in administration by a council of

ministers (mantriparishad). Besides there were some referred

as Adhyakshas (superintendent).

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The Arthashastra mentions a wide range of scales in salary, the highest being

48000 panas and the lowest 60 panas.

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

The central government was under the direct control of the

Emperor. Though he was an absolute ruler, he was accessible to

his subjects. He was the supreme head of the army. He was

chief justice of the country. He was assisted by the Yuvaraja,

the crown prince and the mantrins or a council of ministers.

There were officials like the Mahamatras. They looked after

the day today work of the administration.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

The Empire was divided into province, districts and villages.

A prince or any other member of the royal family looked after

the provinces. Officials called pradeshikas or Sthanikas were

31 | P a g e

in charge of districts. The Gramanis acted as heads of the

villages.

A group of officials worked in each district. The pradeshika

was the head of district administration who toured the entire

district every five years to inspect the administration of

areas five years to impact the administration of areas under

his control.

The rajjuka was responsible for surveying and assessing the

land, fixing its rent and record keeping besides judicial

functions.

The duties of yukta largely comprised secretarial work

collection and accounting of revenue etc. There were

intermediate levels of administration between district and

that of village. This unit comprised five to ten or more

villages.

The village was the smallest unit of administration. The head

of the village was called gramika who was assisted in village

administration by village elders. It is difficult to say

whether the gramika was a paid servant or was elected by the

village people. The villages enjoyed considerable autonomy.

Most of the disputes of the village were settled by gramika

with the help of village assembly.

.

ADMINISTRATION OF PATLIPUTRA

32 | P a g e

Pataliputra was the Capital of the Mauryan Empire. Six boards

or departments looked after the Municipal administration of

the city of Pataliputra. Every board had five members. These

boards looked after’ the subjects like Industries, Census,

Trade, Manufactures and their sale, Collection of taxes and

Welfare of foreigners living in the city

ARMY

The Mauryans had a huge army. They had six divisions the

Infantry, the Cavalry, Elephants, Chariots, Navy and the sixth

section which looked after the movement of goods and weapons

for the soldiers and the animals.

SPY SYSTEM

The Mauryan kings had spies in all parts of the empire. These

spies secretly brought news about officials, ministers and

people to the king. So the king would always get news about

the mood and attitudes of the people. Women were also

appointed as spies.

REVENUE

The principal revenue of the state was the land revenue, faxes

from traders, artisans and professional taxes were also

collected. The revenue was spent for the welfare of the

people.

Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador to the court of

Chandragupta, has left his ideas regarding Indian society.

33 | P a g e

According to him, there were different social classes like

brahmanas, soldiers, councilors, peasants, traders, artisans,

and shepherds.

Brahmanas were the philosophers who spent large part of their

life in learning. There were different categories of

brahmanas. Some of them lived by the study of ancient texts,

while there were those who predicted the future and there were

others who lived as manual labourers.

During this period there was a great development of

agricultural production. There were both crown lands and

private property which were taxed by the king. The peasants

paid 1/4th of the produce as tax. However, in certain cases,

they paid 1/6 or even 1/8 of the produce as tax. Tax

assessment depended on the fertility of soil and the nature of

agricultural production.

Taxes were also imposed on traders and the goods produced by

artisans. There were guilds of traders and artisans. We can

say that this period was one of economic expansion. The

traders maintained contact with other trade centres of the

world and with other parts of India.

COINS

The officers of the Government received their salaries in

cash. The coins were made of silver. They were called punch

coins because tiny symbols or designs were stamped or punched

on them. These coins were also called Karshapanas.

34 | P a g e

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

The king’s court at Pataliputra was the highest court of

Justice. Judicial courts were set up in all parts of the

country. Petty cases were decided by the village panchayats.

Punishments were severe. The judicial officers were known as

rajukas.

TRANSPORT

Most parts of the Mauryan Empire were linked by roads. There

was one route to Nepal via Visali. Another road linked

Pataliputra with Kalinga in Orissa. Traders, travellers, spies

and soldiers used these roads. Men and goods were transported

by river boats also.

RELATION WITH THE EXTREME SOUTH

The Mauryan Empire included almost the whole of India except

the extreme South. (Present day Kerala and Tamil Nadu) Asoka’s

inscriptions refer to the Cheras as Keralaputras. The Mauryans

traded with the Southern Kingdoms.

RELATION WITH THE WORLD

Alexander the Great’s conquests in Asia led to the creation of

various Greek city states that came to be ruled by his

successors. Alexander’s main failing as a conqueror was to35 | P a g e

fail to provide for his succession adequately and so, after

his untimely death, various of his commanders and members of

his dynasty launched a series of wars aiming to consolidate

control over some or all of the territory that he had

originally seized.

At the eastern reaches of the newly-constituted Greek world,

the Seleucid (Successor) states that were created rubbed up

against the emerging Maurya Empire of northern India. The

Mauryan was the first empire to control most of modern day

India, together with substantial portions of what is now known

as Afghanistan. It was created by the heroic figure of

Chandragupta, at approximately 321-5 BCE, when he defeated the

previous power of Nanda in Magadha and then extending control

across northern India. Chandra signed a treaty with Seleucus I

Nicator, whose Successor state was based in Persia, modern-day

Iran. The treaty, about which details are a little vague, may

have included a marriage alliance, together with 500 elephants

from Chandragupta to Seleucus and the ceding of the trans-

Indus provinces in the opposite direction.

With friendly relations now established, there was

considerable interaction between the two states, both of which

were characterised by intellectual openness and curiosity.

One implication of this was the dispatching of a Greek envoy,

one Megasthenes, into the Indian world for further exchanges.

While journeying, Megasthenes wrote down his impressions in a

multi-volume set known as the Indica. The original of this work

has unfortunately been lost, which has had a rather negative

36 | P a g e

effect on the author’s reputation since he tends to be judged

on the basis of the recreations of later authors. These later

authors were, principally, Strabo, Diodorus and Arrian. The

Indica, as it is now understood, contains some apparent

mistakes.

For example, Megasthenes seems to have confused some details

of the caste and slavery systems, failing to observe the later

in action.

However, he appears to have been on surer ground when he

observes that much of the land was so fertile that it yielded

two crops per year and that tax evasion, a common crime then

as now, was thought of as such a threat to the state that it

was punished severely.

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THE MAURYAN ARCHITECTURE

Coomaraswmy argued that the Mauryan art may be said to exhibit

three main phases.

The first phase was the continuation of the Pre-Mauryan

tradition, which is found in some instances to the

representation of the Vedic deities (the most significant

examples are the reliefs ofSurya and Indra at the Bhaja

Caves.)

The second phase was the court art of Ashoka, typically found in

the monolithic columns on which his edicts are inscribed.

The third phase was the beginning of brick and stone

architecture, as in the case of the original stupa at Sanchi,

the small monolithic rail at Sanchi and the Lomash Rishi cave

in the Barabar Caves, with its ornamentated facade,

reproducing the forms of wooden structure.

According to Niharranjan Ray, the sum total of the Mauryan

treasury of art include the remains of the royal palace and

the city of Pataliputra, a monolithic rail at Sarnath, the

Bodhimandala or the altar resting on four pilars at Bodhgaya,

the excavated Chaitya-halls in the Barabar and Nagarjuni hills

of Gaya including the Sudama cave bearing the inscription

dated the 12th regnal year of Ashoka, the non-edict bearing

and edict bearing pillars, the animal sculptures crowning the

38 | P a g e

pillars with animal and vegetal reliefs decorating the abaci

of the capitals and the front half of the representation of an

elephant carved out in the round from a live rock at Dhauli.

ARCHITECTURE

While the period marked a second transition to use of brick

and stone, wood was still the material of choice. Kautilya in

the Arthashastra advises the use of brick and stone for their

durability. Yet he devotes a large section to safeguards to be

taken against conflagrations in wooden buildings indicating

their popularity.

Megasthenes mentions that the capital city of Pataliputra was

encircled by a massive timber-palisade, pierced by loopholes

through which archers could shoot. It had sixty-four gates and

570 towers.

39 | P a g e

According to Strabo, the gilded pillars of the palace were

adorned with golden vines and silver birds. The palace stood

in an extensive park studded with fish ponds. It was furnished

with a great variety of ornamental trees and shrubs.

Excavations carried out by Spooner and Waddell have brought to

light remains of huge wooden buildings at Bulandibagh and

Kumrahar, both near Patna. The remains of one of the

buildings, a 80 pillared hall at Kumrahar are of particular

significance. Out of 80 stone columns, that once stood on a

wooden platform and supported a wooden roof, Spooner was able

to discover the entire lower part of at least one in almost

perfect conditions. It is more or less similar to an Ashokan

pillar, smooth, polished and made of grey Chunar sandstone.

Ashoka had also built a number of palaces, but most of them

have perished. Ashoka’s palace near Patna was a masterpiece.

Enclosed by a high brick wall, the highlight of the palace was

an immense 76.2 metres high pillared-hall having three

storeys.

The Chinese traveller Fahien was so impressed by this palace

that he stated that "it was made by spirits" and that its carvings are so

elegantly executed "which no human hands of this world could accomplish". Made

mostly of wood, it seems to have been destroyed by fire. Its

existence was pointed out during the excavations at Kumrahar,

near Patna, where its ashes have been found preserved for

several thousand years.

40 | P a g e

The Pillar at Saranath is very famous historical monument. The

lion capital depicts an inverted lotus or bell is a round

drum, decorated with four wheels, Dharma Chakra, with 24

spokes and figures of animals like the lion, horse, bull and

an elephant. Above the drum are four lions seated back to

back. The glory of this piece of mauryan art is so great it

has been adopted as the National Emblem of our Country. Our

currency and coins carry this symbol. The Dharma Chakra has

found place in our National Flag.

Ashoka was responsible for the construction of several stupas,

which were large halls, capped with domes and bore symbols of

the Buddha. The most important ones are located at Bharhut,

Bodhgaya, Sanchi, Amravati and Nagarjunakonda.

The Sanchi Stupa is another famous piece of Mauryan

architecture, it was built with bricks. Its Height is 23

meters and it has 41 meters high entranes of all four sides.

The Stupas at Sanchi the pillar at Saranath and Ajnta Caves

are fine examples of Mauryan art.

Amaravati stupa, built in 2nd or 1st century BC was probably

like the one at Sanchi, but in later centuries it was

transformed from a Hinayana shrine to a Mahayana shrine. The

diameter of the dome of the stupa at ground level was about

48.76 metres and its height was about 30 metres. Amaravati

stupa is different from the Bharhut and Sanchi stupas. It had

41 | P a g e

free-standing columns surmounted by lions near the gateways.

The dome was covered with sculptured panels. The stupa had an

upper circumambulatory path on the drum as at Sanchi. This

path had two intricately carved railings. The stone is

greenish-white limestone of the region.

The Gandhara stupa is a further development of stupasat Sanchi

and Bharhut. In Gandhara stupas the base, dome and the

hemisphere dome are sculpted. The stupa tapers upward to form

a tower like structure. The stupas of Nagarjunakonda in

Krishna valley were very large. At the base there were brick

walls forming wheel and spokes, which were filled with earth.

The Maha Chaitya of Nagarjunakonda has a base in the form of

Swastika, which is a sun symbol.

The Buddhist shrines or the monasteries were built in somewhat

irregular designs following the Gandhara style of

architecture. Built on the patterns of a fort and defended by

a stone wall, the monastery evolved from the site of an

ancient stupa. The principle buildings were housed within a

rectangular courtyard with a stupa in the south and the

monastery in the north.

SCULPTURE

This period marked an imaginative and impressive step forward

in Indian sculpting. Although some would consider the Pillars

of Ashoka as architecture, owing to their free standing nature

and elaborately carved animal capitals most of the art

historians consider them as the examples of sculpture.

42 | P a g e

Coomaraswamy distinguishes between court art and a more

popular art during the Mauryan period. Court art is

represented by the pillars and their capitals. Popular art is

represented by the works of the local sculptors like chauri

(whisk)-bearer from Didarganj.

These pillars were carved in two types of stone. Some were of

the spotted red and white sandstone from the region of

Mathura, the others of buff-coloured fine grained hard

sandstone usually with small black spots quarried in the

Chunar near Varanasi.

The uniformity of style in the pillar capitals suggests that

they were all sculpted by craftsmen from the same region. It

would therefore seem, that stone transported from Mathura and

Chunar to the various sites where the pllars have been found

and here the stone was cut and carved by craftsmen. They were

given a fine polish characteristic of Mauryan sculpture. These

pillars were mainly erected in the Gangetic plains. They were

inscribed with edicts of Ashoka on Dhamma or righteousness.

The monolithic Ashokan pillars are marvels of architecture and

sculpture. These were lofty free standing monolithic columns

erected on sacred sites. Originally there were about thirty

pillars but now only ten are in existence, of which only two

with lion capitals stand in situ in good condition at Kolhua

and Laurya Nandangarh respectively. Each pillar was about

15.24 metres high and weighed about 50 tonnes and was made out

of fine sandstone. The pillar consisted of three parts-the

prop, the shaft and the capitol. The capitol consisted of fine

43 | P a g e

polished stone containing one or more animal figures in the

round. Made of bricks, they carried declarations from the king

regarding Buddhism or any other topic. The pillars did not

stand in isolation and were usually found near stupas in a

spot either unknowingly marked by the Buddha himself or along

the royal route to Magadha, the capital. The Sarnath pillar is

one of the finest pieces of sculpture of the Ashokan period.

The Ashokan pillars also throw light on the contacts India had

with Persia and other countries. Two of the Ashkan edicts

have also been found at Laghman, near Jalalabad in modern

Afghanistan.

The animal capital as a finely carved lifelike representation.

Noteworthy are the lion capital of Sarnath, the bull capital

of Rampurva and the lion capital of Laurya Nandangarh. Much

speculation has been made about the similarity between these

capitals and Achaemenid works.

The work of local sculptors illustrates the popular art of the

Mauryan period. This consisted of sculpture which may not

probably was not commissioned by the emperor. The patrons of

the popular art were the local governors and the more well-to-

do subjects. It is represented by figures such as the female

figure of Besnagar, the male figure of Parkham and the whisk-

bearer from Didarganj (although its age is debated).

Technically they are fashioned with less skill than the pillar

capitals. They express a considerable earthiness and physical

vitality.

44 | P a g e

The stone elephant at Dhauli, which signifies the Emperor's

conversion to Buddhism after his Kalinga victory, was also

probably carved by local craftsmen and not by the special

craftsmen who were responsible for the animal capitals. The

image of the elephant emerging from the rock is a most

impressive one, and its purpose was probably to draw attention

to the inscription nearby.

Terracotta objects of various sizes have been found at Mauryan

sites. A continuation of the tradition of making mother-

goddesses in clay, which dates back to the prehistoric period

is revealed by the discovery of these objects at Mauryan

levels during the excavations at Ahicchatra. They are found

more commonly from Pataliputra to Taxila. Many have stylized

forms and technically they are more accomplished, in that they

have a well-defined shape and clear ornamenation. Some appear

to have been made from moulds, yet there is little

duplication. Terracotas from Taxila consists of primitive

idols, votive reliefs with deities, toys dice, ornaments and

beads. Among the ornaments were round medallions, similar to

the bullae worn by Roman boys. Ringstones probably associated

with a fertility cult have also been found in some quantity.

Terracotta images of folk gods and goddesses which have been

found having an earthy charm.

45 | P a g e

POTTERY

Use of the potter’s wheel became universal. The pottery

associated with Mauryan period consists of many types of ware.

But the most highly developed technique is seen in a special

type of pottery known as the Northern Black Polished (NBP)

ware, which was the hallmark of Mauryan pottery. The NBP ware

is made of finely levitated alluvial clay, which when seen in

section is usually of a grey and sometimes of a red hue. It

has a brilliantly burnished dressing of the quality of a glaze

which ranges from a jet black to a deep grey or a metallic

steel blue.

Occasionally small red-brown patches are apparent on the

surface. It can be distinguished from other polished or

graphite-coated red wares by its peculiar lustre and

brilliance. This ware was used largely for dishes and small

bowls. It is found in abundance in the Ganges valley. Although

NBP was not very rare, it was obviously a more expensive ware

than the other varieties, since potsherds of NBP were

occasionally found riveted with copper pins indicating that

even a cracked vessel in NBP ware had its value.

COINS

The coins issued by the Mauryans are mostly silver and a few

copper pieces of metal in various shapes, sizes and weights

and which have one or more symbols punched on them. The most

common symbols are the elephant, the tree in railing symbol

and the mountain.

46 | P a g e

The technique of producing such coins was generally that the

metal was cut first and then the device was punched. These

symbols are said to have either represented the Royal insignia

or the symbol of the local guild that struck the coin. Some

coins had Shroff marks on them indicating that older coins

were often re-issued. The alloy content closely resembles that

specified in the Arthashastra. Based on his identification of

the symbols on the punch-marked coins with certain Mauryan

rulers, Kosambi argued that the Mauryan punch-marked karshapana

after Chandragupta has the same weight as its predecessor, but

much more copper, cruder fabric, and such a large variation in

weight that the manufacture must have been hasty. This

evidence of stress and unsatisfied currency demand is

accompanied by debasement (inflation) plus vanishing of the

reverse marks which denoted the ancient trade guilds. This in

his opinion indicated that there was a fiscal crisis in the

later Mauryan period. However his method of analysis and the

chronological identification has been questioned.

PAINTING

While we can be sure of Mauryan proficiency in this field

based on the descriptions of Megasthenes, unfortunately no

proper representative has been found to date.

47 | P a g e

THE DECLINE OF THE MAURYAS

Ashok ruled over 40 years and met with his death in 232 BC.

The decline set in and soon after the empire decline set in

and soon after the empire broke up. Seven kings followed

Ashoka in succession in a period of 50 years. 48 | P a g e

The empire was divided into an eastern and western part. The

western part was governed by Kunala, Samprati and others and

the eastern part with southern India with its capital at

Pataliputra by six later Mauryan Kings from Dasarath to

Brihadratha.

The revolt of the Andhras in the south and victorious raids of

Greek king in the west gave a blow to the power and prestige

of the Mauryan Empire. Due to the concern for the empire and

total disillusionment on kings unworthiness Pushyamitra the

commander-in-chief killed the King Brihadratha while he was

reviewing the army. This is the only recorded and undisputed

incident in the history of India till the 12th century AD

where the king was murdered and replaced.

Most of the historians agree that after Ashoka his successors

were weak who could not control the unrest and revolt in

various parts of the empire. Some historians hold Ashoka

responsible for this decline. Ashoka's pacifist policies

weakened the empire in terms of wars and military strength.

The centralised empire needed very strong willed rulers which

were not the case with Ashoka's successors. Some historians

think that Ashoka's welfare measures must have eaten away a

large chunk of income and overall income must have been very

inadequate to maintain the army and the administrative

machinery.

DIVISION OF EMPIRE

The Mauryan empire was divided into two parts: the western and

eastern. This weakened the empire and the Mauryans could not

49 | P a g e

defend their territories from foreign tribes who captured

Mauryan territories and established their kingdoms on the

Indian soil. Among the foreign tribes, the most important were

the Indo-Greeks, the Sakas and the Kushanas.

WEAK SUCCESSORS

Asoka's weak successors were not in a position to continue his

high ideals and they could not control all the aspects of

administration. This factor has been suggested as the main

cause for the fall of the Mauryan empire. The huge Mauryan

empire needed capable monarchs to manage its administration.

ASOKA'S POLICIES

Some scholars have suggested that it was Asoka's policy of

non-violence and peace which was responsible for the fall of

the Mauryan empire. Asoka stopped fighting battles and this

weakened the standing army and encouraged invasion by the

foreign tribes after the death of Asoka. He gave more

importance to the propagation of Buddhism in the world.

BRAHMANICAL REACTION

Another argument is that the brahmanas were not happy with

Asoka as he supported Buddhism and he stopped animal

sacrifices, which reduced the income of the brahmanas. The

50 | P a g e

last Mauryan king was killed by his brahman commander

Pushyamitra, who later established the Shunga dynasty.

However, these theories have been rejected by Romila Thapar and others. They

argue that it is not correct to suggest that it was the

policies of Asoka which led to the downfall of the Maurya.

Asoka did not withdraw capital punishment in his empire which

indicates that he did not relax the rules regarding crime in

the society.

LACK OF NATIONAL UNITY

During those days, there did not exist the concepts of nation

state and national unity. As a result, when the foreigners

invaded India, they were not resisted by all the Indians as a

single force. This is a situation one can notice even in the

medieval period.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurya_Empire

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mauryan_Empire

http://india.mapsofindia.com/the-country/ancient-history/mauryan-

rulers.html

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http://www.livius.org/man-md/mauryas/mauryas.html

http://www.iloveindia.com/history/ancient-india/maurya-dynasty/index.html

http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=mauryan_empire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandragupta_Maurya

http://www.mapsofindia.com/who-is-who/history/chandragupta-maurya.html

http://india.mapsofindia.com/the-country/ancient-history/mauryan-

rulers.html

http://www.culturalindia.net/indian-history/ancient-india/chandragupta-

maurya.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindusara

http://www.mapsofindia.com/who-is-who/history/bind

http://www.historytution.com/the_mauryan_empire/decline_of_mauryan_empi

re.htmlusara.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka

http://www.indiaparenting.com/stories/greatindians/gi014.shtml

http://www.indiaandindians.com/india_history/mauryan_administration.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauryan_art

http://www.indiaandindians.com/india_history/art_and_architecture.php

http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/History/prelims/mauryanart.html

http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/18730/2154/6

http://www.historytution.com/the_mauryan_empire/

decline_of_mauryan_empire.html

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