• The Mauryan Dynasty, which began about 321 BCE and lasted in 185 BCE, was the first pan-Indian empire, encompassing the majority of India.
• It encompassed sections of central and northern India as well as modern-day Iran.
• Literary sources such as Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Megasthenes’ Indica,and Ashoka’s edicts shed more insight on this period’s history.
• Dhana Nanda, the last of the Nanda monarchs, was widely despised for his severe tax scheme.
• Furthermore, following Alexander’s conquest of North-Western India, that region suffered a great deal of turmoil from other nations.
• Some of these areas were ruled by the Seleucid Dynasty,which was founded by Seleucus Nicator I.
• He was one of Alexander the Great’s generals.
• In 321 BC, Chandragupta, assisted by a clever and politically adept Brahmin, took the kingdom by beating Dhana Nanda.
• Under the leadership of Chandragupta Mauryaand his tutor Chanakya, the Maurya Empire was created in the Magadha area.
• Chanakya took Chandragupta to Taxila to learn about statecraft and governance.
• Chandragupta needed an army, so he recruited and absorbed minor military republics like the Yaudheyas,which had opposed Alexander’s Empire.
• TheMauryan army swiftly rose to prominence as a regional force in the Indian subcontinent’s northwestern area.

Chandragupta Maurya – Founder of Mauryan Empire

• The beginnings of Chandragupta are shrouded in mystery.
• The Greek texts(the earliest) identify him as being of non-warrior ancestry.
• According to Hindu texts, he was a Kautilya discipleof lowly origin (probably born to a Shudra woman).
• According to most Buddhist texts, he was a Kshatriya.
• It is often assumed that he was an orphaned youngster from a poor home who was tutored by Kautilya.
• Sandrokottosis the name given to him in Greek records.
• Alexanderabandoned his invasion of India in 324 BC, and within a year, Chandragupta had beaten several of the Greek-ruled towns in the country’s northwestern region.
• Kautilyadevised the approach, which Chandragupta carried out. They had formed their own mercenary army.
• They then proceeded eastward towards 
• In around 321 BC, he destroyed Dhana Nanda in a series of conflicts, laying the groundwork for the Maurya Empire.
• In 305 BC, he signed a deal with Seleucus Nicator in which he obtained Balochistan, eastern Afghanistan, and the land west of the Indus.
• He also married the daughter of Seleucus Nicator.
• With the exception of a few locations like Kalinga and the far south, Chandragupta spearheaded an expansionist programme that brought practically the whole present-day India under his rule.
• From 321 BC until 297 BC, he ruled.
• He abdicated in favour of his son, Bindusara, and travelled to Karnataka with the Jain monk Bhadrabahu.
• He had converted to Jainism and is claimed to have starved himself to death in Shravanabelagola according to Jain legend.

Kautilya

• Chandragupta Maurya’s teacher and Chief Minister.
• He was a Taxila teacher and scholar.Vishnugupta and Chanakya are two more names.
• He was also a minister inBindusara’s palace.
• He is recognised as being the main planner behind the Nanda throne usurpation and the development of the Mauryan Empire via his disciple, 
• Arthashastra is a book on statecraft, economics, and military strategy that he composed.
• The work is divided into 15 volumes and 180 chapters. The major concept is divided into three sections:
• King, Ministerial Council, and Government Departments.
• Criminal and civil law.

War diplomacy

• It also includes information on commerce and markets, a mechanism for screening ministers and spies, royal responsibilities, ethics, social welfare, agriculture, mining, metallurgy, medicine, and forests, among other things.
• Chanakya is often known as the“Indian Machiavelli.”

Bindusara

• Bindusarawas the son of Chandragupta, the Mauryan Empire’s founder. Several texts, including the Puranas and the Mahavamsa, attest to this.
• Throughout his term, Chanakyaserved as Prime Minister.
• Bindusara maintains cordial diplomatic relations with Greece.
• Deimachus was the Seleucid emperor Antiochus I’s envoy to Bindusara’s court.
• Bindusara, unlike his father Chandragupta (who eventually converted to Jainism), belonged to the Ajivika sect.
• Bindusara’s master, Pingalavatsa (Janasana), was an Ajivika Brahmin.
• Bindusara died around the 270s BCE, according to historical sources.
• Bindusara is credited for extending the Mauryan Empire to Mysore.
• He united sixteen nations into the Mauryan Empire, conquering nearly the whole Indian peninsula.

Ashoka

• Son of Mauryan Emperor Bindusara and Subhadrangi.
• Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson.
• His other names were Devanampiya(Sanskrit Devanampriya, which means Beloved of the Gods) and Piyadasi.
• One of India’s greatest monarchs.
• He was born in 304 BC.
• His rule lasted from 268 BC until 232 BC, when he died.
• As a young prince, Ashoka was a superb commander who suppressed revolts in Ujjain and Takshashila.
• As emperor, he was ambitious and aggressive, re-establishing the Empire’s supremacy in southern and western India. But it was his conquest of Kalinga (262–261 BCE) that proved to be the defining event of his life.
• He became a Buddhist.
• A Buddhist monk namedMoggaliputta Tissa became his guru.
• In 247 BC, Ashoka presided over the third Buddhist Council in Pataliputra, which was presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa.

Mauryan Dynasty – Administration

• The Empire wassplit into four provinces, with Pataliputra serving as the imperial capital.
• According to Ashokan edicts, the four provincial capitals are Tosali (in the east), Ujjain (in the west), Suvarnagiri (in the south), and Taxila (in the north) (in the north).
• The Kumara (royal prince), who controlled the provinces as the king’s agent, was in charge of the provincial government.
• Mahamatyas and the council of ministers helped the kumara.
• The Emperor and his Mantriparishad mirrored this organisational system at the imperial level.
• The Mauryans built a sophisticated currency minting method.
• The majority of coins were made of silver and copper.
• Certain gold coins were also in circulation.
• The coins were frequently used in commerce and trade.

Central Government

• TheMauryan government was well-known for being very centralised.
• It all started with the Emperor possessing enormous power and exerting all authority.
• The state was ruled by a council of ministers known as the ‘Mantriparishad,’ and the ministers were known as ‘Mantris‘ during the time.
• The ‘Mantri Parishad-adhyaksha‘ presided over this Mantri council.
• Mahamattas are titles bestowed upon some of the highest-ranking officials.
• There were also Amatyas, or high-ranking officials who worked in administrative and judicial positions.
• The Adhyakshyaswere organised into departments and a secretariat was formed.
• The government monitored and documented manufacturing, births and deaths, industries, foreigners, product trade and sale, and sales tax collectionto ensure smooth operations.
• Many Adhyakshyasare mentioned in Arthashastra for trade, storehouses, gold, ships, agriculture, cows, horses, city, chariots, mint, infantry, and so on.
• Yuktas are subordinate officers in charge of the Empire’s income.
• Rajjukas:Land measuring and boundary-fixing officers.
• Sanstha Adhyaksha:Mint Superintendent
• Samastha Adhyaksha: Market Superintendent
• Sulka Adhyaksha: Toll Superintendent
• Sita Adhyaksha:Agriculture Superintendent
• Navadhyakshais a ship’s superintendent.
• Loh Adhyaksha:Iron Superintendent
• Pauthavadhyakhsa: Weights and Measures Superintendent
• Mine Superintendent:Nagaradhyaksha
• Vyavaharika Mahamatta: Members of the judiciary
• Public relations officers in Pulisanj
• The administration was in charge of birth and death registration, foreigners, industry, commerce, manufacturing and sale of commodities, and sales tax collection.

Military Administration

• Senapati, the Emperor’s right-hand man, was the commander-in-chief of the whole military. The Emperor appointed him.
• The army received its pay in cash.
• A board of 30 men oversees military administration, which is organised into six committees: infantry, cavalry, elephants, chariots, navy, and transport.
• Gudda Purushas/Detectivesmentions two sorts of detectives:
• Sansthan’s (stationary)
• Sanchari’s (wandering)
• The Mauryan administration was notable for maintaining a large military.
• Kautilya empowered all four Varnas to serve in the military.
• Pliny claims that the Mauryas maintained a force of six lakh men.
• The Mauryans also had a navy in their military.
• All of the major cities have police stations.
• Bandhangarawas the name of the jail, while Charaka was the name of the lock-up.

Justice System

• The ruler was in charge of the legal system.
• The Gramvardhaand Nagarvyavaharika Mahamatras resolved disputes in both villages and towns, respectively.
• There were Rajukasthroughout the state who were equivalent to our present district magistrates.
• Dharmasthiya (Civil Court) and Kantaka Shodhana(Criminal Court) are two further types of courts mentioned by 

Local Administration

• Aside from the directly managed metropolitan zone, the empire was divided into four provinces, each of which was commanded by a prince or a member of the royal family (Kumara or Aryaputra).
• Under Asoka, there were four provinces: the Northern Province (Uttarapatha), which had Taxilaas its capital, the Western Province (Avantiratha), which had Ujjain as its capital, the Eastern Province (Prachyapatha), which had Tosali as its centre, and the Southern Province (Dakshinapatha), which had Suvarnagiri as its capital.
• The kingdom’s headquarters were in the central province of Magadha, with its capital at 
• He nominated some of the viceroy’s officers, including the Mahamattas, who went on tour every five years.
• The village was the smallest administrative entity.
• GramikaVillages had a lot of liberty as a leader.
• The province governors or district magistrates were known as Pradeshika.
• Sthanika:Tax collectors who report to Pradeshikas.
• Durgapal:Fort Governors.
• Antapala:Frontier governors.
• Akshapatala:General Accountant Lipikaras.

Revenue Administration

• Samhartawas the head of the revenue department.
• Sannidhatawas another significant official (treasurer).
• Land, irrigation, shops, customs, woods, ferries, mining, and pastures all generated revenue.
• Artist licence payments were collected, and fines were levied in the courts.
• One-sixth of the output was used to generate the majority of the land revenue.

Espionage

• The Mauryashad a well-developed espionage system.
• Spies provided information to the Emperor on the bureaucracy and markets.
• There were two kinds of spies: Samsthana (stationary) and Sanchari (moving around)
• Gudda Purushas were covert agents or investigators.
• TheMahamatyapasarpa ruled over them. These agents were chosen from various social groups.
• There were additional agents known as Vishakanyas (poisonous girls).

Economy

• For the first time in South Asia, political unity and military stability enabled a single economic system and improved trade and commerce,resulting in higher agricultural output.
• Hundreds of kingdoms,many tiny armies, powerful regional chieftains, and internecine conflict gave way to a disciplined central government.
• Farmerswere liberated from regional rulers’ tax and crop collecting duties, instead paying to a centrally regulated and strict-but-fair taxation system recommended by the Arthashastra principles.
• Chandragupta Maurya introduced a common currency across India, and a network of provincial governors and administrators, as well as a civil service, ensured justice and security for merchants, farmers, and traders.
• Many bands of robbers, regional private armies, andb chieftains who wanted to establish their own rule in local regions were destroyed by the Mauryan army.
• Silk and textiles, spices, and exotic delicacies were among India’s exports. With increased commerce with the Mauryan Empire,the outside world gained access to new scientific knowledge and technology.
• In addition, Ashoka funded the building of hundreds of roads, rivers, canals, hospitals, rest stops, and other public works projects.
• In many aspects, the Mauryan Empire’seconomic state parallels that of the Roman Empire some centuries later.
• Both had substantial commercial relations and institutions that were akin to companies.

Religion

• Brahmanismwas a significant religion throughout the early period of the kingdom.
• The Mauryanswere followers of Brahmanism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Minor religious groups such as Ajivikas were also supported.
• When Chandragupta Mauryaretired, he sacrificed his kingdom and his assets to join a roaming group of Jain monks.
• Acharya Bhadrabahu,a Jain monk, was Chandragupta’s pupil. Thus, under Mauryan rule, Jainism became an important force.
• The spread of Jainism in South India is attributed toChandragupta and Samprati.
• During their reigns, hundreds of thousands of temples and stupas are claimed to have been built.
• Magadha, the empire’s centre, was also the birthplace of Buddhism.
• Following the Kalinga War, Ashokaabandoned expansionism and violence, as well as the harsher injunctions of the Arthashastra on the use of force, intense policing, and brutal means for tax collection and against rebels.

Decline

• For the next 50 years, Ashoka was succeeded by a succession of lesser monarchs.
• Dasharatha Maurya,Ashoka’s grandson, took his place. None of Ashoka’s sons could succeed him to the throne.
• His firstborn,Mahinda, was on a mission to preach Buddhism throughout the world.
• Kunala Mauryawas blind and hence unable to attain the throne, and Tivala, son of Kaurwaki, died even before Ashoka.
• Another son, Jalauka, does not have much of a backstory. 
• Dasharathalost several regions, which were eventually reclaimed by Kunala’s son, Samprati.
• Following Samprati, the Mauryas gradually lost several regions.
• Brihadratha Mauryawas slain in a military display by his general Pushyamitra Shunga in 180 BCE, leaving no successor.
• As a result, the vast Maurya empire came to an end, giving rise to the Shunga Empire.

Art

• Mauryan art is an art created between the 4th and 2nd Century BC under the Mauryan Empire, which was the first empire to control much of the Indian subcontinent
• Around the 6th century BCE, religions of the Shramana tradition, such as Jainism and Buddhism, arose.
• In the 4th century BCE, the Mauryas had established themselves as a powerful force, and by the 3rd century, they had vast swaths of India under their authority.
• There were various religious activities at the period, including the worship of Yakshas and mother-goddesses. Despite this, Buddhism became the most popular religion.
• Only during the Mauryan period, after the Harappan civilization, did colossal stone sculpture and building development.
• Pillars, sculptures, rock-cut architecture, and structures like stupas, viharas, and chaityas served a variety of purposes.
• They are superb in terms of aesthetic quality as well as design and execution.

Pillars and Sculptures

• This time saw a creative and stunning leap ahead in Indian stone sculpture; much of the prior work was likely made of wood and has now vanished.
• The best-known and greatest works of Ashoka are the artistically carved animal capitals that survive from several of his Pillars, particularly the Lion Capital of Sarnath, which is now India’s National Emblem.
• The pillars and capitals reflect court art, while some stone pieces and numerous smaller terracotta works represent surviving popular art.

Paintings

• Megasthenes indicates that the Mauryans possessed some fine paintings, but no examples have remained.
• The paintings of the Ajanta Caves, the earliest notable corpus of Indian art, reveal that there existed a well-developed tradition that may possibly date back to Mauryan periods several years later.

Architecture

• While the time saw a second shift to the use of brick and stone, wood remained the preferred material.
• In the Arthashastra, Kautilya recommends the use of brick and stone because of their endurance.
• Nonetheless, he devotes a substantial section to precautions to be taken against fires in timber structures, demonstrating their popularity.
• The capital city of Pataliputrawas encompassed by a large timber-palisade, punctured by holes or slits through which archers might shoot, according to the Greek envoy Megasthenes.
• Spooner and Waddell excavated at Bulandi Bagh in Pataliputraand discovered the ruins of massive timber palisades.
• The ruins of one of the structures, an 80-pillared hall at Kumrahar, are especially noteworthy.
• During Ashoka’s rule, several stupas, including those at Sanchi, Sarnath, and most likely Amaravati, were created as brick and masonry mounds.
• Unfortunately, they have been remodeled several times, leaving us with little resemblance to the original constructions.