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
1 | P a g e
ROLL NO.: 2009BALLB01
ENROLMENT NO.: A-0863
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION..................................................
..............................................................
..03
CHANDRAGUPTA
MAURYA........................................................
....................................04
BINDUSARA.....................................................
..............................................................
.......09
ASHOKA........................................................
..............................................................
...........11
2 | P a g e
THE MAURYAN
ADMINISTRATION................................................
..............................21
THE MAURYAN
ARCHITECTURE..................................................
...............................26
THE DECLINE OF THE
MAURYANS......................................................
........................33
BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................
..............................................................
..35
INTRODUCTION
3 | P a g e
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.
4 | P a g e
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.
5 | P a g e
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.
7 | P a g e
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.
8 | P a g e
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:
9 | P a g e
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
11 | P a g e
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
12 | P a g e
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
13 | P a g e
"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
15 | P a g e
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,
16 | P a g e
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."
17 | P a g e
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
18 | P a g e
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.
19 | P a g e
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
20 | P a g e
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
21 | P a g e
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
22 | P a g e
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.
23 | P a g e
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.
24 | P a g e
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
25 | P a g e
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."
29 | P a g e
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).
30 | P a g e
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.
37 | P a g e
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
51 | P a g e
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
52 | P a g e
Top Related