The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE.

The Lion Capital of Asoka, erected around 250 BCE. It is the emblem of India.

The Mauryan Empire was one of the largest political and military empire in ancient India. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic plains of modern Bihar and its capital city of Pataliputra (near modern Patna), the Empire was founded in 321 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and began expanding his power across central and western India. The Empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas and to the east, stretching into what is now Assam and Bangladesh. To the west, it reached beyond modern Pakistan and included significant portions of modern Herat and Kandahar in Afghanistan and Baluchistan. The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by Emperor Bindusara, but excluded a small portion of unexplored trial and forested regions near Kalinga. Following the conquest of Kalinga in a major war, Ashoka ended the military expansion of the empire. The kingdoms of Pandya and Chola in southern India thus preserved their independence, accepting the supremacy of the Mauryan emperor. The Mauryan Empire was perhaps the greatest empire to rule the Indian subcontinent second only to the Bharatvarsha. Its decline began fifty years after Ashoka's rule ended, and it dissolved in 185 BCE with the foundation of the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha. Download high resolution version (388x623, 38 KB)Boundary of the Mauryan empire at its greatest extent, ca. ... Download high resolution version (388x623, 38 KB)Boundary of the Mauryan empire at its greatest extent, ca. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC 323 BC 322 BC - 321 BC - 320 BC 319 BC 318... 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The name is mentioned again in Ain-e-Akbari (part 1), written by Abul Fazal, who also mentions that the... Bengal had been quite distant and cut off (by the rivers, especially the Ganga and the Brahmaputra) from the mainland of India for ages. ... ... This is a timeline of Indian history. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ... The Indo-Gangetic Plain is a rich, fertile and ancient land encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, and virtually all of Bangladesh. ... For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ... ... For other uses, see Patna (disambiguation). ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC 323 BC 322 BC - 321 BC - 320 BC 319 BC 318... Chandragupta Maurya (ruled 322–298 BC), also known as Sandrokottos to the Greeks, was the founder of the first the Mauryan Empire. ... Nanda dynasty was established by an illegitimate son of the king Mahanandin of the previous Shishunaga dynasty. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Assam (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... Herāt (Persian هرات) is a city in western Afghanistan, in the valley of the Hari Rud river in the province also known as Herat, and was traditionally known for wine. ... For the 2001 movie by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, see Kandahar (film). ... Baluchistan (or Balochistan), also known as Greater Baluchistan is an arid region of south Asia, presently split between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. ... Bindusara was the second Mauryan emperor (297 - c. ... Kalinga in 265 B.C.E. Kalinga was an ancient kingdom of central-eastern India, in the province of Orissa. ... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (Devanagari: अशोक; IAST transliteration: ) was the emperor of the Mauryan Empire from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. After a number of military conquests, Ashoka reigned over most of South Asia and beyond, from present-day Afghanistan to Bengal and as far south as... The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... The Cholas were the most famous of the three dynasties that ruled ancient Tamil Nadu. ... South India is a geographic and linguistic-cultural region of India. ... Emperor Bharata was the first and the only emperor to rule all India. ... 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Under Chandragupta, the Mauryan Empire liberated the transindus, which was under macedonian occupation. He then defeated the invasion led by Seleucus I, a Greek general from Alexander's army. Under Chandragupta and his successors, internal and external trade, agriculture and economic activities thrived and expanded across India, with the creation of a single and efficient system of finance, administration and security. After the Kalinga War, the Empire experienced half a century of peace and security under Ashoka. Under him, India was a prosperous and stable empire of great economic and military power whose political influence and trade extended across West and Central Asia and Europe. Mauryan India was also exposed to an era of social harmony, religious transformation and expansion of the sciences and knowledge. Chandragupta Maurya's embrace of Jainism increased social and religious renewal and reform across society, while Ashoka's embrace of Buddhism was the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across India. Ashoka sponsored the spreading of Buddhist ideals into Sri Lanka, South East Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe. Silver coin of Seleucus. ... Pre-Kushana Ayagapatta from Mathura Jainism (pronounced in English as //), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धर्म), is a religion and philosophy originating in the prehistory of South Asia. ... Buddhism (more correctly Pāli Buddhadhamma or Sanskrit Buddhadharma) is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five...

Chandragupta's minister, Kautilya Chanakya wrote the Arthashastra - the greatest collection of treatises exploring economics, politics, foreign affairs, administration, military arts, war, religion in the East, often compared to the medieval-era Italian expert Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls in the Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). The Arthashastra and the Edicts of Ashoka are the greatest sources of written records of the Mauryan times. The Mauryan empire is considered one of the greatest periods in Indian history. The Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath, is the emblem of India. Chanakya (c. ... Arthashastra (also spelt Arthasastra) or the Handbook of Profit is an ancient Indian treatise on economics and politics written sometime between the 4th century BC and 150 AD by the kingmaker Chanakya (also known as Kautilya or Vishnugupta) during the early years of the Mauryan Empire. ... Economics (from the Greek οίκος [oikos], family, household, estate, and νομος [nomos], custom, law, hence household management and management of the state) is a social science that studies the production, distribution, trade and consumption of goods and services. ... Detail of the portrait of Machiavelli, ca 1500, in the robes of a Florentine public official Niccolò Machiavelli (May 3, 1469—June 21, 1527) was an Italian political philosopher during the Renaissance. ... One of the covers of the book The fame of Niccolò Machiavelli rests mainly on his political treatise Il Principe (The Prince), originally called De Principatibus (About Principalities) written around 1513, but not published until 1532, five years after his death. ... The Northern Black Polished Ware culture (NBPW) of the Indian subcontinent (ca. ... The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 272 to 231 BCE. These inscriptions are dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Pakistan... The Lion Capital of Ashoka is a sculpture of four lions standing back to back. ... Sarnath (formerly also Mrigadava, Rishipattana, Isipatana), located 13 kilometres from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha was founded. ... Emblem of India The national emblem of India is an adaptation of the Buddhist Lion Capital of Asoka at Sarnath, near Banaras in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. ...

Background

When Alexander the Great conquered the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent in 326 BCE, he allied with king Ambhi of Taxila (called Taxiles or Omphis in Greek sources), and with his support managed to subdue king Porus of Pauravas, a state of eastern Punjab, defeating him at the Battle of the Hydaspes River. Alexander thereafter established vassal states (satrapies), headed by the previous kings Ambhi and Porus, and founded several garrison towns. A Greek satrap named Philippus controlled a Macedonian occupation force. After his assassination he was replaced by the Thracian Eudamus. Alexander's steady inroads into the Indian subcontinent caused instability and panic amongst the small kingdoms who did not possess the strategic resources to forestall the invaders. Like Ambhi, several kings allied themselves with the Alexander to prevent their destruction and rub out regional competitors. Alexander the Great (in Greek , transliterated Megas Alexandros) (Alexander III of Macedon) was born in Pella, Macedon, in July, 356 BC, died in Babylon, on June 10, 323 BC, King of Macedon 336–323 BC, is considered one of the most successful military commanders in world history (if not the... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 331 BC 330 BC 329 BC 328 BC 327 BC - 326 BC - 325 BC 324 BC 323... Taxiles (in Greek Tαξιλης; lived 4th century BC) was a prince or king, who reigned over the tract between the Indus and the Hydaspes rivers, in the Punjab at the period of the expedition of Alexander the Great, 327 BC. His real name was Ambhi, and the Greeks appear to... Taxila (Sanskrit: तक्षशीला, taká¹£aśīlā) is an archaeological site, located in the Punjab province of modern-day Pakistan, west of the Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi, on the border of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province and just off the Grand Trunk Road. ... Alexander and Porus by Charles Le Brun, 1673 Porus, the Greek version of the Indian names Puru, Pururava or Purushottama, was the ruler of a Kingdom that was located between what is now known as the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers (in Greek sources called Hydaspes and Acesines) in the... The pauravas was the name given to the many petty kingdoms and tribes of ancient NW India in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. The Pauravas were all situated on or near the Indus river where their monarchs grew rich and prosperous through trade. ... Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 The Punjab (meaning: Land of five Rivers; also Panjab, Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, Shahmukhi: پنجاب) is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. ... Combatants Macedon Hydaspes (Indian kingdom) Commanders Alexander the Great Porus Strength 4,000 cavalry 50,000 infantry 6,000 cavalry 30,000 infantry 200 war elephants Casualties Many infantry (900-4000 dead) Few cavalry Many cavalry Many infantry ~100 war elephants The Battle of the Hydaspes River was a battle... Satrap (Greek σατράπης satrápēs, from Old Persian xšaθrapā(van), i. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya

Following Alexanders' advance into Punjab, a brahmin named Kautilya Vishnugupta Chanakya travelled across the kingdoms of India's central regions in an attempt to build a coalition that would resist Alexander's forces. But he faced odds that rendered his mission futile: the kingdoms lacked resources and leadership to form the radical concept of a coalition. Chanakya traveled to Magadha, a kingdom that was large and militarily powerful and feared by its neighbors, but was again dismissed by its king Dhana, of the Nanda Dynasty. However, the prospect of battling Magadha in a major war was one of the factors that caused the refusal of his troops to go further east, Alexander returned to Babylon, and redeployed most of his troops west of the Indus. When Alexander died in Babylon soon after in 323 BCE, his empire fragmented, giving rise to Indo-Greek kingdoms across northwest India led by his erstwhile generals. Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 The Punjab (Meaning: Land of five Rivers) (also Panjab, Gurmukhi: ਪੰਜਾਬ, Shahmukhi: پنجاب) is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. ... Panini // Who is a Brahmin? To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Chanakya (c. ... Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ... Nanda dynasty was established by an illegitimate son of the king Mahanandin of the previous Shishunaga dynasty. ... For other uses, see Babylon (disambiguation). ... The Indus is a river; the Indus River. ... For other uses, see Babylon (disambiguation). ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 328 BC 327 BC 326 BC 325 BC 324 BC - 323 BC - 322 BC 321 BC 320...

Chandragupta Maurya's rise to power is complemented by origins 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. On the other, his fortune is often accounted to a twist of fate wherein his preceptor, Chanakya, is said to have observed this village boy's leadership of his peers, and a promising toughness of character. Supposedly the son of a peacock tamer (hence the name Maurya), he was given an advanced education by Chanakya. Chandragupta first emerges in Greek accounts as "Sandrokottos". As a young man, he is said to have met Alexander, angered him, and to have made a narrow escape. Chanakya's original intentions were to train a guerilla army under Chandragupta's command. Gathering young men and ex-soldiers from across central India, the guerilla forces attacked the demoralized and retreating Greek forces and defeated the Macedonian garrisons. Under principles outlined in the Arthashastra, Maurya built an extensive intelligence network, the first of its kind in India - of spies and informers who betrayed enemy plans and mis-informed them of Maurya's design. People named Chandragupta: Chandragupta Maurya. ...

Conquest of Magadha

The actual extent of the Kingdom of Magadha is unknown. Shown here is the approximate extent of Magadha in 500 BCE

Alexander's exit and death created a power vacuum and instability in India. Chanakya thus encouraged Chandragupta and his army to take over the throne of Magadha. Using his intelligence network, Chandragupta gathered many young men from across Magadha who were upset from the corrupt and oppressive rule of king Dhana, and resources necessary for his army to fight a long series of batles. Image File history File links Magadha. ... Image File history File links Magadha. ...

Preparing to invade Pataliputra, Maurya then hatched a plan devised by his preceptor. A battle was announced and the Magadhan army drawn from the city to a distant battlefield to engage Maurya's forces. But upon arrival, the army under the command of Magadha's prime minister, Rakshasa, found no enemy. Maurya re-directed his forces to sneak up on the city, and conducted a secretive and swift raid on the royal buildings, killing the monarch, loyal aides and royal officials. His army overpowered the city guard (weakened by the absence of the army). When the Magadhan army turned around towards the city, Chanakya made a diplomatic effort to make peace. He informed Rakshasa that his king was dead and re-assured him that the city was safe. He encouraged him to understand that his loyalty was to Magadha, not its dynasty, and insisted that he continue as prime minister. Chanakya also reiterated that choosing to fight would start a war that would severely affect Magadha and destroy the city. Rakshasa accepted Chanakya's efforts, and Chandragupta Maurya was legitimately installed as the new King of Magadha. While Rakshasa became Chandragupta's chief advisor, Chanakya assumed the position of an elder statesman.

Building India's first Empire

Becoming the king of one of India's most powerful states, Chandragupta invaded the Punjab, after one of Alexander's satraps, Peithon of Media had tried to raise a coalition against him. He managed to conquer the Punjab capital of Taxila, one of ancient India's most important cities, increasing his power and consolidating his control.

Emperor Chandragupta

Chandragupta was again in conflict with the Greeks, when Seleucus I, ruler of the Seleucid Empire, tried to reconquer the northwestern parts of India which had been lost, during a campaign in 305 BCE. He defeated Seleucus and then the two rulers exchanged a peace treaty, Chandragupta received the daughter of the Seleucid king Seleucus I and the satrapies of Paropamisadae (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 and several Greeks, such as the historian Megasthenes, resided at the Mauryan court. Chandragupta established a strong centralized state with a complex administration at Pataliputra, which, according to Magasthenes, was "surrounded by a wooden wall pierced by 64 gates and 570 towers— (and) rivaled the splendors of contemporaneous Persian sites such as Susa and Ecbatana."Chandragupta's son Bindusara extended the rule of the Mauryan empire towards central and southern India. He also had a Greek ambassador at his court, named Deimachus (Strabo 1–70). Image File history File links Chandragupta. ... Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, in Greek:Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ) (c. ... The Seleucid Empire was one of several political states founded after the death of Alexander the Great, whose generals squabbled over the division of Alexanders empire. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 310 BC 309 BC 308 BC 307 BC 306 BC 305 BC 304 BC 303 BC 302... The Seleucid Empire was one of several political states founded after the death of Alexander the Great, whose generals squabbled over the division of Alexanders empire. ... Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, in Greek:Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ) (c. ... The Paropamisadae is an ancient area of the Hindu-Kush, in the Eastern part of Afghanistan. ... Look up Kamboja in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Gandhāra (also Ghandara, Ghandahra, Chandahara, and Persian Gandara) is the name of an ancient kingdom in eastern Afghanistan and north-west province of Pakistan. ... Arachosia is the ancient name of an area that corresponds to the southern part of today s Afghanistan, around the city of Kandahar. ... Kandahār (or Qandahār, قندهار) is a city in southern Afghanistan, the capital of Kandahar province. ... Gedrosia is the ancient name of an area that corresponds to the southernwestern part of today s Pakistan, from the Indus River to the areas of Baluchistan and Makran. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, in Greek:Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ) (c. ... Indian war elephant, relief at Mathura, 2nd century BC War elephants were important, although not widespread, weapons in ancient military history. ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... The battle of Ipsus was fought between some of the successors of Alexander the Great in 301 BC near the village of that name in Phrygia. ... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - Decades: 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 306 BC 305 BC 304 BC 303 BC 302 BC 301 BC 300 BC 299 BC 298 BC 297 BC Battle of Ipsus: King... Megasthenes (c. ... The term Persian Empire refers to a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau. ... For other uses of the name Susa please see this page. ... Ecbatana (Hañgmatana in Old Persian, Agbatana in Aeschylus, written Agamtanu by Nabonidos, and Agamatanu at Behistun) was the capital of Astyages (Istuvegü), which was taken by the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great in the sixth year of Nabonidos (549 BC). ... Bindusara was the second Mauryan emperor (297 - c. ... Strabo (squinty) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. ...

Ashoka

Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation)

Chandragupta's great grandson Ashokavardhan Maurya, better known as Ashoka (273- 232 BCE), is considered by contemporary historians as perhaps the greatest of Indian monarchs, and certainly one of the greatest throughout the world. Image File history File links Ashoka2. ... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (Devanagari: अशोक; IAST transliteration: ) was the emperor of the Mauryan Empire from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. After a number of military conquests, Ashoka reigned over most of South Asia and beyond, from present-day Afghanistan to Bengal and as far south as... (Redirected from 273 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 320s BC 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC - 270s BC - 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 278 BC 277 BC 276 BC 275 BC 274 BC - 273 BC - 272... (Redirected from 232 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC - 230s BC - 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC Years: 237 BC 236 BC 235 BC 234 BC 233 BC - 232 BC...

As a young prince, Ashoka was a brilliant commander who subjugated Ujjain and Taxila into the Empire. As monarch, he was ambitious and aggressive, re-asserting the Empire's superiority in southern and western India. But it was his conquest of Kalinga which proved to be the pivotal event of his life. Although Ashoka's army succeeded in overwhelming Kalinga forces of royal soldiers and civilian units, an estimated 100,000 soldiers and civilians were killed in the furious warfare. Hundreds of thousands of people were adversely affected by the destruction and fallout of war. When he personally witnessed the devastation, Ashoka began feeling remorse. Although the annexation of Kalinga was completed, Ashoka embraced the teachings of Gautama Buddha, and renounced war and violence. For a monarch in ancient times, this was a historic feat. Kalinga in 265 B.C.E. Kalinga was an ancient kingdom of central-eastern India, in the province of Orissa. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ...

Ashoka implemented principles of ahimsa by banning hunting and violent sports activity and ending indentured and forced labor (many thousands of people in war-ravaged Kalinga had been forced to labor and servitude). While he maintained a large and powerful army to keep the peace and maintain authority, Ashoka expanded friendly relations with states across Asia and Europe, and sponsored Buddhist missions. Embarking on a massive public works building campaign across the country, over 40 years of peace, harmony and prosperity made him one of the most successful and famous monarchs in history. He remains an idyllic figure of inspiration in modern India. Ahimsa is a religious concept which advocates non-violence and a respect for all life. ...

The Edicts of Ashoka, set in stone, some of them written in Greek and Aramaic, refer to the Greeks, Kambojas and Gandharas as a people forming a frontier region of his empire and also attest that Ashoka sent envoys to the Greek rulers in the West as far as the Mediterranean. The edicts faultlessly name each of the rulers of the Hellenic world at the time such as Amtiyoko (Antiochus), Ptolemy, Antigonos, Magas and Alexander.
The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 272 to 231 BCE. These inscriptions are dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Pakistan... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... Kambojas are a very ancient people of north-western parts of ancient Pakistan and India, frequently mentioned in ancient texts, although not in the Rig Veda. ... Gandhāra (also Ghandara, Ghandahra, Chandahara, and Persian Gandara) is the name of an ancient kingdom in eastern Afghanistan and north-west province of Pakistan. ... Hellenic may refer to: the Hellenic Republic (the modern Greek state) the Hellenes, itself a term for either ancient or modern Greeks anything related to Greece in general or Ancient Greece in particular. ... This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; ca. ... Bust of Alexander the Great in the British Museum. ...

Administration

Mauryan ringstone, with standing goddess. Northwest Pakistan. 3rd century BCE. British Museum.

The Empire was divided into four provinces with the imperial capital at Pataliputra. From Ashokan edicts, the name of the four provincial capitals are Tosali (in the east), Ujjain in the west, Suvarnagiri (in the south), and Taxila (in the north). The head of the provincial administration was the Kumara (royal prince) who used to govern the provinces as king's representative. The kumara was in turn assisted by Mahamatyas and council of ministers. This organizational structure was reflected at the imperial level with the Emperor and his Mantriparishad (Council of ministers). ImageMetadata File history File links MauryanRingstone. ... ImageMetadata File history File links MauryanRingstone. ... The main entrance to the British Museum. ... Ujjain (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. ... Taxila (Sanskrit: तक्षशीला, takṣaśīlā) is an archaeological site, located in the Punjab province of modern-day Pakistan, west of the Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi, on the border of the Punjab and North West Frontier Province and just off the Grand Trunk Road. ...

Accordingly, historians theorize that the organization of the Empire was in line with the extensive bureaucracy described by Kautilya in the Arthashastra. As such, a sophisticated civil service governed everything from municipal hygiene to international trade. The expansion and defense of the empire was made possible by what appears to be the largest standing army of its time. According to Megasthenes, the empire wielded a military of 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry, and 9,000 war elephants. A vast espionage system collected intelligence for both internal and external security purposes. Having renounced offensive warfare and expansionism, Ashoka continued to maintain this large army to protect the Empire and instill stability and peace across West and South Asia, where it was an influential entity.

Economy

Silver punch mark coin of the Mauryan empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BCE.

For the first time in South Asia, political unity and military security allowed for a common economic system and enhanced trade and commerce, with increased agricultural productivity. Hundreds of kingdoms, small armies, powerful regional chieftains and internecine warfare gave way to a disciplined central authority. Farmers were liberated of tax and crop collection burdens from regional kings, paying heed to a nationally-administered, strict but fair system of taxation as advised by the principles in the Arthashastra. Chandragupta Maurya established a single currency across India, and a network of regional governors, administrators and a civil service provided justice and security for merchants, farmers and traders. The Mauryan army wiped out many bands of bandits, regional private armies and powerful chieftains who sought to impose their own supremacy in small areas. Although regimental in revenue collection, Maurya also sponsored many public works and waterways to enhance productivity, while internal trade in India expanded greatly due to newfound political unity and internal peace. Coin of the Mauryan empire, c. ... Coin of the Mauryan empire, c. ...

Under the Indo-Greek friendship treaty and during Ashoka's reign, an international network of trade expanded. The Khyber Pass on the modern boundary of Pakistan and Afghanistan became a stategically important post of trade and intercourse with the outside world. Greek states and Hellenic kingdoms in West Asia were important trade partners of India. Trade also extended through the Malay peninsula into South East Asia. India's exports included silk goods and textiles, spices and exotic foods. The Empire was enriched further with an exchange of scientific knowledge and technology with Europe and West Asia. Ashoka also sponsored the construction of thousands of roads, waterways, canals, hospitals, rest houses and other public works. Easing many rigorous administrative practices, including on taxation and crop collection, helped increase productivity and economic activity across the Empire. Looking back towards Pakistan, on the Pakistan side of the Khyber Pass The Khyber Pass (also called the Khaiber Pass in older sources) is the most important pass connecting Pakistan with Afghanistan. ... The Malay Peninsula (Malay: Semenanjung Tanah Melayu) is a major peninsula located in Southeast Asia. ...

 There has been contrev 

Religion

Bilingual Edict of Ashoka (in Greek and Aramaic), found in Kandahar. Circa 250 BCE, Kabul Museum.

Emperor Chandragupta Maurya became the first major Indian monarch to initiate a religious transformation at the highest level when he embraced Jainism, a religious movement resented by orthodox Hindu priests that usually attended the imperial court. At an older age, Chandragupta renounced his throne and material possessions to join a wandering group of Jain monks. However his successor, Emperor Bindusara preserved Hindu traditions and distanced himself from Jain and Buddhist movements. ImageMetadata File history File links AsokaKandahar. ... ImageMetadata File history File links AsokaKandahar. ... The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty during his reign from 272 to 231 BCE. These inscriptions are dispersed throughout the areas of modern-day Pakistan... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... For the 2001 movie by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, see Kandahar (film). ... A view of the old city Kabul Kabul (34°32′N 69°10′E, Kâbl, in Persian کابل) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 2 to 4 million. ... Pre-Kushana Ayagapatta from Mathura Jainism (pronounced in English as //), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धर्म), is a religion and philosophy originating in the prehistory of South Asia. ...

Buddhist proselytism at the time of king Ashoka (260-218 BCE).

But when Ashoka embraced Buddhism following the Kalinga War, he renounced expansionism and aggression, and the harsher injunctions of the Arthashastra on the employ of force, intensive policing and ruthless measures for tax collection and against rebels. Ashoka sent a mission led by his son and daughter to Sri Lanka, whose king Tissa was so charmed with Buddhist ideals that he adopted it himself and made it the state religion. Ashoka sent many Buddhist missions to West Asia, Greece and South East Asia, and commissioned the construction of monasteries, schools and publication of Buddhist literature across the empire. He is believed to have built as many as 84,000 stupas across India, and increased the popularity of Buddhism in Afghanistan. Ashoka helped convene the Third Buddhist Council of India and South Asia's Buddhist orders near his capital, that undertook much work of reform and expansion of the Buddhist religion. Download high resolution version (959x577, 19 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (959x577, 19 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The English language word proselytism is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix pros (towards) and the verb erchomai (to come). ... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (Devanagari: अशोक; IAST transliteration: ) was the emperor of the Mauryan Empire from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. After a number of military conquests, Ashoka reigned over most of South Asia and beyond, from present-day Afghanistan to Bengal and as far south as... (Redirected from 260 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 310s BC 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC - 260s BC - 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC Years: 265 BC 264 BC 263 BC 262 BC 261 BC - 260 BC... (Redirected from 218 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC - 210s BC - 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC Years: 223 BC 222 BC 221 BC 220 BC 219 BC - 218 BC...

While himself a Buddhist, Ashoka retained the membership of Hindu priests and ministers in his court, and maintained religious freedom and tolerance, although the Buddhist faith grew in popularity with his patronage. Indian society began embracing the philosophy of ahimsa, and given the prosperity and law enforcement, crime and internal conflicts reduced dramatically. Also greatly discouraged was the caste system and orthodox discrimination, as Hinduism began inculcating the ideals and values of Jain and Buddhist teachings. Social freedom began expanding in an age of peace and prosperity. Ahimsa is a religious concept which advocates non-violence and a respect for all life. ... The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit , also known as ) and ) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the Vedas, and is among the oldest still practiced today. ...

Decline

The reign of Ashoka was followed for 50 years by a succession of weaker kings. Brhadrata, the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty, ruled territories that had shrunk considerably from the time of emperor Ashoka, but he was still upholding the Buddhist faith. He was assassinated in 185 BCE during a military parade by the commander-in-chief of his guard, the Brahmin general Pusyamitra Sunga, who then took over the throne and established the Sunga dynasty. Brhadrata was the last ruler of the Indian Mauryan dynasty. ... The Mauryan dynasty ruled the Mauryan empire, the first unified empire of India, from 322 BCE to 183 BCE. The rulers of the Mauryan dynasty were: Chandragupta Maurya (322 - 298 BCE) - founder of the Mauryan empire. ... Emperor Ashoka (a possible picturisation) Ashoka the Great (Devanagari: अशोक; IAST transliteration: ) was the emperor of the Mauryan Empire from 273 BCE to 232 BCE. After a number of military conquests, Ashoka reigned over most of South Asia and beyond, from present-day Afghanistan to Bengal and as far south as... (Redirected from 185 BCE) Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC - 180s BC - 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC 130s BC Years: 190 BC 189 BC 188 BC 187 BC 186 BC - 185 BC... Panini // Who is a Brahmin? To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Pusyamitra Sunga (also Pushyamitra Shunga) was the founder of the Indian Sunga dynasty (185-78 BCE). ... The Sunga dynasty ruled the Sunga empire of central and eastern India from 185 BCE to around 73 BCE. The last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty was Brithadratha. ...

The assassination of Brhadrata and the rise of the Sunga empire led to a wave of persecution for Buddhists, and a resurgence of Hinduism. The fall of the Mauryas left the Khyber unguarded, and a wave of foreign invasion followed. The Greco-Bactrian king, Demetrius, capitalized on the break-up of Pan-Indian power and conquered Southern Afghanistan and parts of Northwestern India around 180 BC. The Greeks would maintain holdings on the trans-indus and make forays into central India for about a century. However, the extent of their domains and the lengths of their rule are subject to much debate. Numismatic evidence indicates that they retained holdings in the subcontinent right up to the birth of Christ. Although the extent of their successes against indigenous powers such as the Shungas, Satavahanas, and Kalingas are unclear, what is clear is that Scythian tribes brought about the demise of the Indo-Greeks and retained lands in the trans-indus and Gujarat.

Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... Hinduism (Sanskrit , also known as ) and ) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the Vedas, and is among the oldest still practiced today. ... Approximate extent of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom circa 220 BCE. The Greco-Bactrians were a dynasty of Greek kings who controlled Bactria and Sogdiana, an area comprising todays northern Afghanistan and parts of Central Asia, the easternmost area of the Hellenistic world, from 250 to 125 BCE. Their expansion... Silver coin depicting the Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius (r. ...

MIDDLE KINGDOMS OF INDIA
Timeline:	Foreign Kingdoms	Northern Empires	Southern Kingdoms
6th century BCE 5th century BCE 4th century BCE 3rd century BCE 2nd century BCE 1st century BCE 1st century CE 2nd century CE 3rd century CE 4th century CE 5th century CE 6th century CE 7th century CE 8th century CE 9th century CE 10th century CE 11th century CE Middle kingdoms of India refers to the political entities in India from the 6th century BCE through to the Islamic invasions and the related Decline of Buddhism from the 7th century CE. // Kingdoms and Empires The Aryans had invaded India from the Northwest, according to the Aryan Invasion Theory, and... Coin of the Western Kshatrapas Bhratadaman (278 to 295 CE). ...	(Persian rule) (Greek conquests) The term Persian Empire refers to a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau. ... In ancient times, trade between India and Greece flourished with silk, spices and gold being traded. ... Indo-Greek kingdom Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthian Kingdom Kushan Empire Western Kshatrapas Indo-Sassanians Kidarite Kingdom Indo-Hephthalites (Islamic invasion of India)     The Indo-Greek Kingdom (or sometimes Greco-Indian Kingdom) covered various parts of northwest and northern India from 180 BCE to around 10 CE, and was ruled by a succession of more than thirty Greek kings, often in conflict with each other. ... Early anepigraphic coinage of the Indo-Scythians (c. ... Coin of Gondophares (20-50 CE), first and greatest king of the Indo-Parthian Kingdom. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas ( 35- 405 CE). ... Coin of the Indo-Sassanian king Varahran I (early 4th century). ... Coin of Kidara (reigned circa 360-380 CE), founder of the Kidarite Kingdom Obv: King Kidara standing. ... Billon drachm of the Hephthalite King Napki Malka (Afghanistan/ Gandhara, c. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Islamic conquest of South Asia. ... Shahi (Islamic empires in India) Coin of the Shahi king Spalapati Deva, circa 750-900. ... During the middle ages, several Islamic regimes established empires in India. ...	Magadha empire Nanda empire Mauryan empire Satavahana empire Sunga empire Kuninda kingdom Kalinga Magadha was an ancient kingdom of India, mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. ... Nanda dynasty was established by an illegitimate son of the king Mahanandin of the previous Shishunaga dynasty. ... Approximate extent of the Satavahana Empire, circa 150 CE. The Sātavāhanas, also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled in Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BCE. Although there is some controversy about when the dynasty came to an end, the most liberal estimates... Approximate greatest extent of the Sunga empire (185 BCE-73 BCE) 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. ... Silver coin of the Kuninda Kingdom, c. ... Kalinga in 265 B.C.E. Kalinga was an ancient kingdom of central-eastern India, in the province of Orissa. ... Gupta empire Pratihara Pala Empire Solanki Sena dynasty	Pandya The Gupta Empire in 400 CE (not including vassal states) The Gupta Empire was one of the largest political and military empires in ancient India. ... The Pratiharas, also called the Gurjara-Pratiharas were an Indian dynasty who ruled kingdoms in Rajasthan and northern India from the sixth to the eleventh centuries. ... Buddha and Bodhisattvas, 11th century, Pala Empire. ... For the English cricketer, See Vikram Solanki The Solanki or Chalukya is a Hindu Gurjar,Rajput dynasty of India, who ruled the kingdom of Gujarat from the 10th to the 13th centuries. ... The Sena dynasty ruled Bengal through the 11th and 12th centuries. ... The Pandyan kingdom was an ancient state at the tip of South India, founded around the 6th century BCE. It was part of the Dravidian cultural area, which also comprised other kingdoms such as that of the Pallava, the Chera, the Chola, the Chalukya and the Vijayanagara. ... Chera Cholas Kalabhras The Cheras were one of the three ancient Tamil dynasties who ruled the southern peninsula of India at the beginning of its recorded history. ... Areas under direct control of the Chola Empire, 1030 CE. The Chola Empire rose to power in the 9th century in the Tamil speaking districts of Southern India. ... Kalabhras were the South Indian dynasty who between the 3rd and the 6th century C.E. ruled over entire Tamil country, displacing the ancient Chola, Pandya and Chera dynasties. ... Pallava Chalukya Rashtrakuta

The Pallavas are believed to be hereditary Hindu rulers who dominated southeastern India between the 4th and 9th centuries. ... The Chalukya Dynasty was an Indian royal dynasty that ruled large parts of southern and central India between 550 and 750 from Badami in Bagalkot district, Karnataka state, and again between 973 and 1190 from Manyakheta initially and later from Kalyana in Bidar district. ... The Rashtrakutas were a dynasty which ruled the Deccan during the 8th-10th centuries. ...

The Empire to modern Indians

Being India's first major empire, it holds a special place in the minds of Indian peoples - Indians feel pride in acknowledging the great political and military power the Empire held in its day, and the spirituality and piety of Ashoka, who kept war and violence away from his people. The media in India has also produced works based upon Mauryan times:

• Chanakya (early 1990s) was a Hindi television series that depicted the life and philosophy of Kautilya Chanakya, from fighting Alexander's invasion to the coronation of Chandragupta Maurya.
• Asoka (2001) is a Hindi film by Santosh Sivan starring Shahrukh Khan as the Emperor Ashoka, depicting his aggressive youth, early impetuous rule and his transformation following the war in Kalinga. The film, however, clarifies that it does not claim that its portrayal of Ashoka's life is historically accurate.

Hindi (हिन्दी hind), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North, Central, and Western India, is one of the national languages of India. ... This article is about Ashoka, the emperor. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Hindi (हिन्दी hind), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North, Central, and Western India, is one of the national languages of India. ... Santosh Sivan born in Chennai (Madras), southern India is an influential Indian cinematographer and film director. ... On National Geographic Cover February 2005 Shahrukh Khan (Devanāgarī: शाहरुख़ ख़ान);, a. ...

References

• Robert Morkot, The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece ISBN 0140513353
• Chanakya, Arthashastra ISBN 0140446036
• J.F.C. Fuller, The Generalship of Alexander the Great ISBN 0306813300

Chanakya (c. ...

External links

• Mauryan Empire
• Mauryan Empire of India
• Extent of the Empire
• The Mauryan Empire from Britannica
• Ashoka and Buddhism
• Ashoka's Edicts