Mauryan Empire, Achievements, Administration and Decline

Mauryan Empire : The Maurya Empire (322-185 BCE), ruled by the Maurya dynasty, was a geographically extensive and powerful political and military empire in ancient India. Chandragupta Maurya founded the empire in 322 BCE after overthrowing the Nanda dynasty. The Mauryan Empire, a state centered in Pataliputra (later Patna) near the confluence of the Son and Ganges (Ganga) rivers in ancient India, lasted from 321 to 185 BCE. It was the first empire to cover most of the Indian subcontinent.

Mauryan Empire

The Maurya Empire, founded around 321 BC and ending in 185 BC, was the first pan-Indian empire, a state that covered most of the Indian subcontinent. It stretched across central and northern India and parts of modern-day Iran. As Alexander the Great's power began to wane, Chandragupta Maurya, the first leader of the Maurya Empire, began to consolidate territory. Alexander's death in 323 BC left a power vacuum. Chandragupta took advantage, raising an army and overthrowing the Nanda power in Magadha, present-day eastern India, thus establishing the Mauryan Empire.

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Mauryan Empire Overview

In ancient India, many significant empires evolved. One of them was the Mauryan Empire. Established by Chandragupta Maurya, the Mauryan Empire was an important dynasty in our history.

Mauryan Empire Origin and Expansion

• Following Alexander the Great's demise in 323 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya, the Mauryan dynasty's founder, seized the Punjab region from the southeastern fringes of Alexander's former empire.
• With peace secured along the western border, Chandragupta directed his military efforts eastward and southward. By the end of his reign, he had extended his empire across northern India.
• Bindusara, Chandragupta's son, continued the empire's expansion deep into the Deccan, reaching the region now known as Karnataka.
• Bindusara's son, Ashoka (reigned c. 265–238 BCE or c. 273–232 BCE), added Kalinga to the vast empire.
• However, this addition marked the empire's final expansion, as the brutal conquest of Kalinga prompted Ashoka to renounce military conquest.
• Instead of military pursuits, Ashoka embraced Buddhism and established dharma as the state ideology.
• After Ashoka's death, the empire contracted due to invasions, defections by southern princes, and disputes over succession.
• The last ruler, Brihadratha, was assassinated in 185 BCE by his Brahman commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra, who founded the Shunga dynasty, which ruled central India for about a century.

Mauryan Empire Rulers

Important rulers of the Mauryan Dynasty are:

Chandragupta Maurya (c. 321 BCE-300 BCE)

• He was the founder of the Mauryan empire with the help of Chanakya.
• Chandragupta defeated Seleucus Nicator (General of Alexander). Chanakya provided the strategy while Chandra Gupta executed it.
• A shudra woman in Nanda’s court (Mura) was his mother.
• He converted to Jainism and went to Shravanabelagola with Bhadrabahu.
• Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador at Chandragupta’s court, and He is the author of Indica.
• Chanakya was the chief advisor to Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurya dynasty.
• Chanakya wrote Arthshastra, and it is the most important source of the Mauryan Empire.
• MudraRakshasa was written by Visakha Datta, and it describes the economic conditions under the Mauryas.
• Chanakya is also called Kautilya or Vishnugupta.

Bindusara (c. 298 BCE-273 BCE)

• He was called Amitraghat (slayer of foes) by Greek writers.
• Deimachos visited his court and was said to have conquered the land between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
• He appointed his son Ashoka as the governor of Ujjain.

Ashoka (c. 268 BCE-233 BCE)

• Title: Devanamapriya (dear to gods).
• He was one of the most powerful kings of the Indian subcontinent in ancient times.
• Religion (Buddhism) and Symbol (Lion).
• For the first 8 years, he was ruled like a cruel king and maintained discipline.
• James Princep deciphered the language(scripts) used in inscriptions.
• Kalinga War (261 BC): After the Kalinga War, he converted to Buddhism. The massacre in this war had moved him.
• He held the third Buddhist council.
• His policy of Dhamma was a broad concept which covered the code of conduct, way of life, and set of principles that people should adopt in their daily life.
• He was known for his policy of peace and non-aggression.
• Ashoka built Sanchi Stupa.
• Ashoka's rock edicts mention Tamraparni (as "Tambapanni") in connection with his foreign missions. This suggests that Sri Lanka was known as Tamraparni during the reign of Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.
• Imperial currency of Mauryas (The Punch-marked coins).
• Barabar Caves near Gaya is the e.g. of Mauryan artisans who started the practice of carving caves for monks to live in.
• Two types of detectives (Gudda Purushas): Sansthan(Stationary) and Sanchari(Wandering).
• Ashoka's tenure marked the peak of the Maurya dynasty. After Ashoka's death, the dynasty weakened and successive monarchs ruled for only a few years. The last Mauryan king, Brihadratha, was slain by his military commander, Pushyamitra Sunga, in 187 BCE.

Mauryan Empire Achievements

Chanakya, a brilliant strategist and economist, and Chandragupta Maurya, a young prince, founded the Mauryan Empire in the Magadha region of India. After Alexander the Great's death in 323 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya assembled an army, overthrew the Nanda Empire in the Magadha region of eastern India, and established the Mauryan Empire.

Mauryan Empire Society

The Mauryas inherited a complex and diverse society, helped reinforce the caste system, tolerated different religious beliefs and practices, and significantly contributed to its development.

Mauryan Art and Architecture

Mauryan art, a royal art supported by Mauryan rulers, especially Ashoka, flourished between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC under the Mauryan Empire, the first empire to control much of the Indian subcontinent. Therefore, it marked a significant shift in Indian art from wood to stone. Among the most notable survivors of Mauryan art are pillars, stupas, and caverns.

Mauryan Empire Economy

The Maurya Empire stretched over parts of modern Iran and almost the entire Indian subcontinent, except the southern peninsular region. It was the first all-India empire.

• The Mauryan Empire was a period of great economic prosperity. The primary source of revenue for the state was land revenue, which was collected from both state and private land.
• The economy of the Mauryan Empire was based on agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade. The principal crops were rice, barley, millet, and wheat.
• The main industries during the Mauryan period were spinning and weaving. The state also monopolized some products, such as wine, salt, mines, ships, and forests.
• The Mauryan Empire had a well-developed communication and transportation system. There were four main roads: Uttarapath, Dakshinapath, a road connecting Bhrigukachchha to Mathura, and a road connecting Champa to Kaushambi.
• The Mauryan Empire had a thriving external trade with countries in the west, such as Syria, Egypt, and Greece, and countries in the east, such as Southeast Asia and China. The chief export articles were spices, pearls, diamonds, sandalwood, ivory, cotton cloth, silk yarn, and muslin. The principal imports were linen, silver, gold, and dry fruits.
• The Mauryan Empire also had a state monopoly on mining and metallurgy. The mining superintendent was responsible for prospecting new mines and reopening old and disused ones.
• The Mauryan Empire used a variety of coins, including gold coins (Nishaka/Suvarna), silver coins (Karshapan/Dharan/Pann), and copper coins (Mashak/Kakini). The state had its own minting factories, which the Lakshanadhyaksha headed. The examiner of coins was known as the Rupdarshaka.

Mauryan Administration

The Mauryan administration was a well-organized system with a centralized structure. It featured a comprehensive hierarchy of officials and institutions responsible for various aspects of governance.

Mauryan Military Organisation

The Mauryan army was one of the most powerful and well-organized armies of its time. It was three times larger than the army of the Nanda dynasty, which the Mauryans overthrew. The Mauryan army consisted of four main branches: infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots.

• Infantry: The infantry was the largest branch of the Mauryan army, and it was made up of professional soldiers. The infantrymen were armed with a variety of weapons, including swords, spears, bows, and arrows. They were also protected by shields and armor.
• Cavalry: The cavalry was the second largest branch of the Mauryan army. The cavalrymen were mounted on horses and armed with lances and swords. They were used for scouting, raiding, and flanking attacks.
• Elephants: Elephants were a key part of the Mauryan army. They were used to charge at enemy lines and break their formations. Elephants were also used to transport troops and supplies.
• Chariots: Chariots were another important part of the Mauryan army. They were used to transport warriors and archers into battle. Chariots were also used to break through enemy lines and sow chaos.
• The Mauryan army also had a camel corps and an ass corps. These corps were used for transportation and logistics.

Mauryan Empire Rivals and War

Decline and Disintegration of the Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire was the first empire in the history of India, and it reached its peak under the rule of Ashoka the Great. However, after Ashoka's death, the empire began to decline, and it eventually disintegrated in 185 BCE. There are a number of factors that contributed to the decline of the Mauryan Empire.

• One important factor was the weakness of Ashoka's successors. None of Ashoka's sons were able to match his ability as a ruler, and the empire quickly became destabilized.
• The pacific policy of Ashoka.
• Financial Crisis -During the Mauryan age, a huge expenditure was made on maintaining the army and bureaucracy. thus resulting in economic constraints.
• The Mauryan Empire was vulnerable to foreign invasions. The empire's northwestern frontier was particularly vulnerable and was invaded by the Bactrian Greeks in 185 BCE. This invasion marked the end of the Mauryan Empire.

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