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Maurya Empire

The Maurya Empire at its largest extent under Ashoka.
Imperial Symbol: The Lion Capital of Ashoka
Founder	Chandragupta Maurya
Preceding State(s)	Mahajanapadas, mainly Magadha
Languages	Sanskrit Pali Prakrit Greek (northwest) Aramaic (northwest)
Religions	Hinduism Jainism Buddhism
Capital	Pataliputra
Head of State	Samraat (Emperor)
First Emperor	Chandragupta Maurya
Last Emperor	Brhadrata
Government	Centralized Absolute Monarchy with Divine Right of Kings as described in the Arthashastra
Divisions	4 provinces: Tosali Ujjain Suvarnagiri Takshashila Semi-independent tribes
Administration	Inner Council of Ministers (Mantriparishad) under a Mahamantri with a larger assembly of ministers (Mantrinomantriparisadamca). Extensive network of officials from treasurers (Sannidhatas) to collectors (Samahartas) and clerks (Karmikas). Provincial administration under regional viceroys (Kumara or Aryaputra) with their own Mantriparishads and supervisory officials (Mahamattas). Provinces divided into districts run by lower officials and similar stratification down to individual villages run by headmen and supervised by Imperial officials (Gopas).
Area	5 million km² [1] (Southern Asia and parts of Central Asia)
Population	50 million [2] (one third of the world population [3])
Currency	Silver Ingots (Panas)
Existed	322–185 BCE
Dissolution	Military coup by Pusyamitra Sunga
Succeeding state	Sunga Empire

The Mantriparishad was the council of ministers that was part of the administrative system of the Maurya Empire in Ancient India. Image File history File links Wiki_letter_w. ... The Maurya Empire, ruled by the Mauryan dynasty, was the largest and most powerful political and military empire of ancient India. ... Image File history File links Mauryan_map. ... Allegiance: Magadhan Empire Rank: Emperor Succeeded by: Dasaratha Maurya Reign: 273 BC-232 BC Place of birth: Pataliputra, India Battles/Wars Kalinga War Emperor Ashoka the Great (Devanagari: अशोक(:); IAST transliteration: , pronunciation: ) (304 BC–232 BC) (Imperial Title:Devanampiya Piyadassi ie He who is the beloved of the Gods who, in... The Lion Capital of Ashoka is a sculpture of four lions standing back to back. ... Allegiance: Magadhan Empire Rank: Emperor Succeeded by: Bindusara Maurya Reign: 322 BC-298 BC Place of birth: India Chandragupta Maurya (Sanskrit: चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य; Greek: Sandrakottos) (born c. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ... Sanskrit ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Pali may refer to: Pāli, a Middle Indo-Aryan language Pali, Rajasthan, a town and district in Rajasthan, western India Pali, a Hawaiian word, meaning cliffs Nuuanu Pali, a region on the Hawaiian island of Oahu Ballaleshwar Pali, the Ganapati temple of pali and place in Maharastra This is... Prakrit (Sanskrit prāká¹›ta प्राकृत (from pra-ká¹›ti प्रकृति), original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual, i. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit: eternal law; in several modern Indian languages[1] also known as ), is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... Jaina redirects here. ... Template:Buttism Buttism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, a philosophy, and a system of psychology. ... In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with a countrys government. ... ... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... Allegiance: Magadhan Empire Rank: Emperor Succeeded by: Bindusara Maurya Reign: 322 BC-298 BC Place of birth: India Chandragupta Maurya (Sanskrit: चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य; Greek: Sandrakottos) (born c. ... Brhadrata was the last ruler of the Indian Mauryan dynasty. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Divine Right of Kings is a European political and religious doctrine of political absolutism. ... The Arthashastra (more precisely Arthaśāstra) is a treatise on statecraft and economic policy which identifies its author by the names Kautilya[1] and Viṣṇugupta,[2] who are traditionally identified with the Mauryan minister Cāṇakya. ... Ujjain   (Hindi:उज्जैन) (also known as Ujain, Ujjayini, Avanti) is an ancient city of central India, in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, on the eastern bank of the Kshipra River. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Look up Administration in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Mantri is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in Asian cultures with a Hindu tradition (even if later converted, usually to buddhism or Islam), for various public offices, from fairly humble to ministerial rank, either alone or in a pleiad of compounds. ... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ... Kumara is the general Polynesian word for the sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas Kumara is also the name of a town on the West Coast of New Zealand Kumara or Kumaraswami is a name for Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which... Area is a physical quantity expressing the size of a part of a surface. ... UN Subregion of South Asia. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... An ingot is a mass of metal or semiconducting material, heated past the melting point, and then recast, typically into the form of a bar or block. ... This page attempts to list the many extinct states, countries, nations, lands or territories that have ceased to exist as political entities, grouped geographically and by constitutional nature. ... Pusyamitra Sunga (also Pushyamitra Shunga) was the founder of the Indian Sunga dynasty (185-78 BCE). ... Approximate greatest extent of the Sunga empire (185 BCE-73 BCE) For other uses of the term Sunga see Sunga (disambiguation) The Sunga empire (or Shunga empire) controlled the eastern part of India from around 185 to 73 BCE. It was established after the fall of the Indian Mauryan empire. ... The Maurya Empire, ruled by the Mauryan dynasty, was the largest and most powerful political and military empire of ancient India. ... Ancient India may refer to: the ancient History of India, which generally includes the ancient history of the whole Indian subcontinent the legendary Kingdoms of Ancient India in Sanskrit literature the Iron Age Mahajanapadas the Middle kingdoms of India of Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages Category: ...

History

The Mantriparishad was formed during the reign of the First Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya on the basis of Kautilyas Arthashastra. Allegiance: Magadhan Empire Rank: Emperor Succeeded by: Bindusara Maurya Reign: 322 BC-298 BC Place of birth: India Chandragupta Maurya (Sanskrit: चन्द्रगुप्त मौर्य; Greek: Sandrakottos) (born c. ... Chanakya (c. ... The Arthashastra (more precisely Arthaśāstra) is a treatise on statecraft and economic policy which identifies its author by the names Kautilya[1] and Viṣṇugupta,[2] who are traditionally identified with the Mauryan minister Cāṇakya. ...

Organization and Structure

The Mantriparishad was a small council of few ministers, smaller than the larger assembly of ministers or Mantrinomantriparisadamca. It was led by a Chief Minister or Mahamantri.It was an inner council and close advisory body to the Emperor. The consultations with the Emperor were held privately, often secretly. This was done because Kautilya realized that that is the best way to ensure confidentiality and frankness in their advice. Mantri is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in Asian cultures with a Hindu tradition (even if later converted, usually to buddhism or Islam), for various public offices, from fairly humble to ministerial rank, either alone or in a pleiad of compounds. ...

Provincial Mantriparishads

The Mauryan Empire was divided into 4 provinces. Each province had a viceroy (Aryaputra) and his own Mantriparishad. A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ...

References

Thapar, Romila, "Ashoka and the Decline of the Mauryas", Oxford University Press, 1960 Romila Thapar (born 1931) is a Indian Marxist historian [1] whose principal area of study is Ancient India. ...

See also

• Mauryan Empire