Why was Mauryan Empire considered as the Golden Age?
Why is the time of the Maurya Empire considered a golden age in India? The economy of the empire flourished and the people united.
What are some unknown facts about Mauryan Empire?
- The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath is the national emblem of India.
- The Mauryan Empire grew and thrived during the Iron Age.
- Some friendly kingdoms not annexed to the Mauryan Empire were the Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas.
- At its zenith, the Mauryan Empire was not only the largest empire in the history of the country but also across the globe.
What was the legacy of the Mauryan Empire?
The difference is not that significant. Indeed, while the Greeks left a lasting legacy on Indian art, the lasting legacy of the Mauryan is vvirtually nil, outside perhaps the spread of Buddhism, and boosting the pride of modern Indians. The Mauryan didn't spread their own language, nor did they spread Sanskrit, nor did they found any enduring cities or institutions.
What religion did the Mauryan Empire follow?
What were the main features of Gupta administration?
- The Guptas had strong central government, but they also allowed a certain degree of local government.
- The king was the head of the administrative system.
- The empire was divided into provinces or territorial divisions called Bhukti or Pradesh.
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Who started the Mauryan Empire?
Chandragupta MauryaMauryan Empire (322-185) BCE - Ancient Indian History NCERT Notes for UPSC. In Ancient India, many significant empires evolved. One of them was the Mauryan empire. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya, the Mauryan empire was an important dynasty in our history.
Who came first Maurya or Ashoka?
AshokaCoronation268 BCEPredecessorBindusaraSuccessorDasharathaBornc. 304 BCE Pataliputra, Mauryan Empire (adjacent to present-day Patna, Bihar, India)12 more rows
Who were the first three Mauryan emperors?
Chandragupta Maurya the founder of Mauryan Empire The three great rules of Mauryan Empire were Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and kind Ashoka.
Who was the last Maurya Empire?
Brihadrathahistory of India … the last of the Mauryas, Brihadratha, was assassinated by his Brahman commander in chief, Pushyamitra, who founded the Shunga dynasty.
Who first ruled India?
The Mauryan Empire, which formed around 321 B.C.E. and ended in 185 B.C.E., was the first pan-Indian empire, an empire that covered most of the Indian region. It spanned across central and northern India as well as over parts of modern-day Iran.
Who is first king of India?
The great ruler Chandragupta Maurya, who founded Maurya Dynasty was indisputably the first king of India, as he not only won almost all the fragmented kingdoms in ancient India but also combined them into a large empire, boundaries of which were even extended to Afghanistan and towards the edge of Persia.
Who came first Gupta or Maurya?
What is this? Difference in time: Mauryan empire existed during 325 – 1285 BCE whereas Gupta dynasty existed between 320 and 550 CE.
Who is the first largest Indian empire?
Mauryan empireMauryan empire, in ancient India, a state centred at Pataliputra (later Patna) near the junction of the Son and Ganges (Ganga) rivers. It lasted from about 321 to 185 bce and was the first empire to encompass most of the Indian subcontinent.
Is it Asoka or Ashoka?
Early in development, Ahsoka's name was "Ashla". Lucas renamed her after the ancient Indian emperor Ashoka; the spelling was then altered by screenwriter Henry Gilroy. The Clone Wars supervising director and writer Dave Filoni wrote a fable about Ahsoka's early childhood to help develop the character.
Who ruled after Ashoka?
Dasharatha MauryaAshoka was followed for 50 years by a succession of weaker kings. He was succeeded by Dasharatha Maurya, who was Ashoka's grandson. None of Ashoka's sons could ascend the throne after him. Mahinda, his first born, was on to spread Buddhism in the world.
Who killed last Mauryan king?
general Pushyamitra SungaThe last Mauryan ruler Brihadratha was killed by his general Pushyamitra Sunga in 185 BC.
Who ruled India before Mauryan Empire?
The Gupta empire was founded by Sri Gupta sometime between 240 and 280 CE. Sri Gupta's son and successor, Ghatotkacha, ruled from around 280 to 319 CE. Chandragupta, Ghatokacha's son, ascended the throne around 319 and ruled until 335 CE.
How much does a Bindusara coin weigh?
Obv: Symbols with a sun. Rev: Symbol. Dimensions: 14 × 11 mm. Weight: 3.4 g. Bindusara was born to Chandragupta, the founder of the Mauryan Empire.
What was the Maurya Empire?
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia based in Magadha, founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The Maurya Empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and its capital city was located at Pataliputra (modern Patna ). Outside this imperial center, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities sprinkling it. During Ashoka 's rule (ca. 268–232 BCE) the empire briefly controlled the major urban hubs and arteries of the Indian subcontinent excepting the deep south. It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka's rule, and dissolved in 185 BCE with the assassination of Brihadratha by Pushyamitra Shunga and foundation of the Shunga dynasty in Magadha .
What did Ashoka's pacifism undermine?
Some historians, such as H. C. Raychaudhuri, have argued that Ashoka's pacifism undermined the "military backbone" of the Maurya empire. Others, such as Romila Thapar, have suggested that the extent and impact of his pacifism have been "grossly exaggerated".
What was the extent of the empire during Ashoka?
Outside this imperial center, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities sprinkling it. During Ashoka 's rule ( ca. 268–232 BCE) the empire briefly controlled the major urban hubs and arteries of the Indian subcontinent excepting the deep south.
How old was Bindusara?
Bindusara, just 22 years old, inherited a large empire that consisted of what is now, Northern, Central and Eastern parts of India along with parts of Afghanistan and Baluchistan. Bindusara extended this empire to the southern part of India, as far as what is now known as Karnataka.
When did the Shunga Dynasty dissolve?
It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka's rule, and dissolved in 185 BCE with the assassination of Brihadratha by Pushyamitra Shunga and foundation of the Shunga dynasty in Magadha . Chandragupta Maurya raised an army, with the assistance of Chanakya, author of Arthasastra, and overthrew the Nanda Empire in c. 322 BCE.
Which empire ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent?
See also: List of Mauryan rulers. Prior to the Maurya Empire, the Nanda Empire ruled over most of the Indian Subcontinent. The Nanda Empire was a large, militaristic, and economically powerful empire due to conquering the Mahajanapadas.
Why is Chandragupta Maurya important?
321–297 bce) is significant in Indian history because it inaugurated what... In the wake of the death of Alexander the Great in 323 bce, Chandragupta (or Chandragupta Maurya), founder of the Mauryan dynasty, conquered the Punjab region from the southeastern edges of Alexander’s former empire.
What was the first empire to encompass most of the Indian subcontinent?
It lasted from about 321 to 185 bce and was the first empire to encompass most of the Indian subcontinent. The Mauryan empire was an efficient and highly organized autocracy with a standing army and civil service.
What was the Mauryan Empire?
The Mauryan empire was an efficient and highly organized autocracy with a standing army and civil service. That bureaucracy and its operation were the model for the Artha-shastra (“The Science of Material Gain”), a work of political economy similar in tone and scope to Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince.
What is an encyclopedia editor?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...
Who was Bindusara's son?
Chandragupta, from an Indian postage stamp. Bindusara’s son, Ashoka (reigned c. 265–238 bce or c. 273–232 bce ), added Kalinga to the already vast empire.
Who was the last ruler of India?
The last ruler, Brihadratha, was killed in 185 bce by his Brahman commander in chief, Pushyamitra, who then founded the Shunga dynasty, which ruled in central India for about a century. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Zeidan, Assistant Editor.
What was the Mauryan Empire?
The Mauryan Empire (324–185 BCE), based in the Gangetic plains of India and with its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna), was one of many small political dynasties of the early historic period whose development included the original growth of urban centers, coinage, writing, and eventually, Buddhism. Under the leadership of Ashoka, the Mauryan Dynasty expanded to include most of the Indian subcontinent, the first empire to do so.
Where did the Mauryan Empire come from?
Much of what we know of the Mauryans comes from Mediterranean sources: although the Indian sources never mention Alexander the Great, the Greeks and Romans certainly knew of Asoka and wrote of the Mauryan empire. The Romans such as Pliny and Tiberius were particularly unhappy with the huge drain on resources required to pay for Roman imports from and through India. In addition, Asoka left written records, in the form of inscriptions on native bedrock or on movable pillars. They are the earliest inscriptions in South Asia.
How did Asoka determine the limits of the Mauryan Empire?
Often the limits of the Mauryan empire are determined by the locations of his inscriptions.
How many leaders were there in the Mauryan Dynasty?
These records agree on the names and reigns of five leaders between 3 24 and 185 BCE.
When did Chandragupta Maurya establish the dynasty?
Chandragupta Maurya established the dynasty in the last quarter of the 4th century BCE (circa 324–321 BCE) after Alexander the Great had left Punjab and the northwestern parts of the continent (circa 325 BCE). Alexander himself was only in India between 327–325 BCE, after which he returned to Babylon, leaving several governors in his place.
What was the legacy of the first dynasty?
Legacy: First dynasty to rule over most of India. Helped popularize and expand Buddhism as a major world religion.
What was Maurya's wealth?
Described in some texts as a model of efficient economic management, Maurya's wealth was established in land and sea trade with China and Sumatra to the east, Ceylon to the south, and Persia and the Mediterranean to the west. International trade networks in goods such as silks, textiles, brocades, rugs, perfumes, precious stones, ivory, and gold were exchanged within India on roads tied into the Silk Road, and also through a thriving merchant navy.
What were the main sources of wealth in the Mauryan Empire?
Regular agricultural revenues from the Gangetic heartland provided the basic wealth of the Mauryan empire, and punch-marked coins circulated as currency in certain sectors of the economy. Urban life continued to be important, with manufacturing and commerce forming an important source of individual and state wealth. Beyond inscriptions, another source used by scholars to understand the structure and functioning of the Mauryan empire is the Artha Shāstra, a treatise on government attributed to Chanakya (Kautilya), minister of Chandragupta. While the existing text was probably not compiled in Mauryan times, certain parts may be as early, and thus provide a normative perspective on Mauryan society and polity. Ashoka's edicts and the Artha Shāstra, read together, confirm that a set of regularized ministerial offices, service cadre, judges, and revenue assessors formed the core of the state apparatus. The inscriptions themselves mark the first widespread use of written records (after the undeciphered Indus Valley script). Assessing the structure of Mauryan polity from the evidence is more difficult. Until recently, historians tended to portray the Mauryan empire as a centrally organized, uniformly administered, bureaucratic polity. Recent work has suggested, however, that such an image, driven by modern theories of state, may not be correct. It has been argued that the Mauryan empire should be seen as a metropolitan hub (Magadha) linked to a number of core and peripheral "nodes." Cores and peripheries were not distinguished by geographical location, but by socioeconomic articulation. Core areas, typically represented by clusters of Ashokan inscriptions, were regions where the metropole significantly influenced local econony and society, while peripheral areas, less populated and developed, were largely incorporated for revenue extraction alone. Thus the empire was composed of a network of different local economies and social structures, linked through a relatively simple, but horizontal, imperial system. Although this system disintegrated not long after Ashoka's death in 231 b.c., the Mauryan empire—with its innovations in the technology of rule and its integration of economic networks—had a lasting effect on early India, acting as a catalyst for further economic and political development in many of the empire's core and peripheral regions.
What was the first empire in South Asia?
MAURYAN EMPIRE Arising in the kingdom of Magadha, the Mauryan empire (321–185 b.c.), with its capital Pataliputra (modern Patna), was the first imperial polity in South Asia. Under the able leadership of its founder, Chandragupta Maurya (r. 321–297 b.c.), and his successors Bindusāra (r. 297–272 b.c.) and Ashoka (r. 268–231 b.c.), the empire integrated several key regions of the subcontinent into a loosely structured but tightly drawn imperial network, and bequeathed a significant historical legacy to the subcontinent's history. The sources of Mauryan history include archaeological remains, Brahmanical and Buddhist textual sources, foreign travel accounts, and most importantly, the public edicts of Ashoka.
Chandragupta
One of the greatest emperors of India - Chandragupta Maurya, uprooted the unethical rule of Dhana Nanda from royal stone and created the vast empire spanning almost all of the Greater India (Akhand Bharat). India's boundaries reached till Iran during Chandragupta's reign.
Bindusara
Bindusara was the son of the dynasty's founder Chandragupta and the father of emperor Ashoka. Bindusara consolidated the empire created by his father. The 16th century Tibetan writer Taranatha describes his administration with extensive territorial conquests across India.
Ashoka
Bindusara was succeeded by his son Asoka who is one of the greatest figures in history. He was considered as the greatest of kings and that not because of the physical extent of his empire, extensive as it was, but because of his character as a man, the ideals for which he stood, and the principles by which he governed.
What did Chandragupta Maurya learn?
As a boy, Chandragupta Maurya was taken by Kautilya to Taxila and educated in military tactics and the aesthetic arts. Subsequently, Chandragupta raised a mercenary army, formed an alliance with a Himalayan king (perhaps Parvatka), and attacked the Nanda Empire. Chandragupta’s initial attacks, however, were repelled, as the Nanda Empire, after all, possessed a formidable army.
Why did Dhana Nanda remove Kautilya from his court?
According to another version of the story, Dhana Nanda had insulted Kautilya publicly, and removed him from his court, as a result of an insignificant dispute, thereby incurring the brahmin’s wrath. As a boy, Chandragupta Maurya was taken by Kautilya to Taxila and educated in military tactics and the aesthetic arts.
Why did Kautilya groom Chandragupta?
Kautilya’s decision to groom Chandragupta was not only due to his recognition of the boy’s potential as a ruler, but also as part of personal vendetta against Dhana Nanda, the ruler of the Nanda Empire. Therefore, he sought to obtain his revenge by using Chandragupta to overthrow Dhana Nanda.
Which empire did Chandragupta conquer?
Chandragupta was successful in his campaign, and by around 316 BC, all the satraps in the mountains of Central Asia were conquered and absorbed into the Mauryan Empire. Thus, Chandragupta extended his empire to the borders of present-day Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and most significantly, Iran.
When was Chandragupta born?
Chandragupta Maurya is thought to have been born around 340 BC, though this, along with many other details about his ancestry, is still uncertain. In fact, there are no records about Chandragupta’s life that precede the foundation of the Mauryan Empire , which provides support to the theory that he was from a humble family. This theory also claims that Chandragupta had been abandoned by his parents. Nevertheless, there are several other competing theories regarding Chandragupta’s background.
Where is the statue of Chandragupta Maurya?
In the courtyard opposite Gate No. 5 of Parliament House of India, on a red sandstone pedestal, stands a symbolic bronze statue of Chandragupta Maurya, one of the greatest figures in Indian history and founder of the Mauryan Empire, who reigned from 321 BC to 296 BC. The statue inscription reads: Shepherd boy Chandragupta Maurya dreaming ...
What is Junapani Stone Circles?
Junapani Stone Circles: India’s Astronomical Megalithic Tombs. The Birth of Arthashastra: Ancient Handbook of Science of Politics in India, and Those Who Wielded It. Nevertheless, Chandragupta continued his war, and after many battles, his army finally arrived before the gates of Pataliputra.
Overview
The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia based in Magadha, founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The Maurya Empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, and its capital city was located at Pataliputra (modern Patna). Outside this imperial center, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the ar…
Etymology
The name "Maurya" does not occur in Ashoka's inscriptions, or the contemporary Greek accounts such as Megasthenes's Indica, but it is attested by the following sources:
• The Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman (c. 150 CE) prefixes "Maurya" to the names Chandragupta and Ashoka.
• The Puranas (c. 4th century CE or earlier) use Maurya as a dynastic appellation.
History
Prior to the Maurya Empire, the Nanda Empire ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent. The Nanda Empire was a large, militaristic, and economically powerful empire due to conquering the Mahajanapadas. According to several legends, Chanakya travelled to Pataliputra, Magadha, the capital of the Nanda Empire where Chanakya worked for the Nandas as a minister. However, Chanakya was insulted by the Emperor Dhana Nanda, of the Nanda dynasty and Chanakya swore …
Military
Megasthenes mentions military command consisting of six boards of five members each, (i) Navy (ii) military transport (iii) Infantry (iv) Cavalry with Catapults (v) Chariot divisions and (vi) Elephants.
Administration
The Empire was divided into four provinces, with the imperial capital at Pataliputra. From Ashokan edicts, the names 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 governed the provinces as king's representative. The kumara was assisted by Mahamatyas and council of ministers. This organizational structure was reflected a…
Economy
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. The previous situation involving hundreds of kingdoms, many small armies, powerful regional chieftains, and internecine warfare, gave way to a disciplined central authority. Farmers were freed of tax and crop collection burdens from regional kings, paying instead to a nationally admi…
Religion
In the early period of empire Brahmanism was an important religion. The Mauryans favored Brahmanism as well as Jainism and Buddhism. Minor religious sects such as Ajivikas also received patronage.
Chandragupta Maurya followed Jainism after retiring, when he renounced his throne and material possessions to join a wandering group of Jain monks. Chandragupta was a disciple of the Jain …
Society
The population of South Asia during the Mauryan period has been estimated to be between 15 and 30 million. According to Tim Dyson, the period of the Mauryan Empire saw the consolidation of caste among the Indo-Aryan people who had settled in the Gangetic plain, increasingly meeting tribal people who were incorporated into their eveolving caste-system, and the declining rights of women in the Indo-Aryan speaking regions of India, though "these developments did not affect pe…
King List/Chronology
Founding
- The origins of the Mauryan dynasty are somewhat mysterious, leading scholars to suggest that the dynastic founder was likely of a non-royal background. Chandragupta Maurya established the dynasty in the last quarter of the 4th century BCE (circa 324–321 BCE) after Alexander the Greathad left Punjab and the northwestern parts of the continent (circa...
Alexander's General Seleucus
- In 301 BCE, Chandragupta battled Seleucus, Alexander's successor and the Greek governor who controlled the eastern sector of Alexander's territories. A treaty was signed to resolve the dispute, and the Mauryans received Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan), Paraopanisade (Kabul), and Gedrosia (Baluchistan). Seleucus received 500 war elephants in exchange. In 300 BCE, Chandra…
Asoka, Beloved of The Gods
- The most famous and successful of the Mauryan emperors was Bindusara's son Asoka, also spelled Ashoka, and known as Devanampiya Piyadasi ("the beloved of the gods and of beautiful looks"). He inherited the Mauryan kingdom in 272 BCE. Asoka was considered a brilliant commander who crushed several small revolts and began an expansion project. In a series of te…
Inscriptions
- Much of what we know of the Mauryans comes from Mediterranean sources: although the Indian sources never mention Alexander the Great, the Greeks and Romans certainly knew of Asoka and wrote of the Mauryan empire. The Romans such as Pliny and Tiberiuswere particularly unhappy with the huge drain on resources required to pay for Roman imports from and through India. In a…
Buddhism and The Mauryan Empire
- Prior to Asoka's conversion, he, like his father and grandfather, was a follower of the Upanishads and philosophical Hinduism, but after experiencing the horrors of Kalinga, Asoka began to support the then fairly esoteric ritual religion of Buddhism, adhering to his own personal dhamma (dharma). Although Asoka himself called it a conversion, some scholars argue that Buddhism a…
But Was It A State?
- Scholars are strongly divided as to how much control Asoka had over the regions he conquered. Often the limits of the Mauryan empire are determined by the locations of his inscriptions. Known political centers of the Mauryan Empire include the capital city of Pataliputra (Patna in Bihar state), and four other regional centers at Tosali (Dhauli, Odisha), Takshasila (Taxila, in Pakistan)…
Collapse of The Mauryan Dynasty
- After 40 years in power, Ashoka died in the invasion by Bactrian Greeks at the end of the 3rd c BCE. Most of the empire disintegrated at that time. His son Dasaratha ruled next, but only briefly, and according to the Sanskrit Puranic texts, there were a number of short-term leaders. The last Maurya ruler, Brihadratha, was killed by his commander-in-chief, who founded a new dynasty, les…
Primary Historical Sources
- Megasthenes, who as the Seleucid envoy to Patna wrote a description of Maurya, the original of which is lost but several pieces are excerpted by the Greeks historians Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, and...
- The Arthasastra of Kautilya, which is a compilation treatise on Indian statecraft. One of the authors was Chanakya, or Kautilya, who served as chief minister in Chandragupta's court
- Megasthenes, who as the Seleucid envoy to Patna wrote a description of Maurya, the original of which is lost but several pieces are excerpted by the Greeks historians Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, and...
- The Arthasastra of Kautilya, which is a compilation treatise on Indian statecraft. One of the authors was Chanakya, or Kautilya, who served as chief minister in Chandragupta's court
- Asoka's inscriptions on rock surfaces and pillars
Fast Facts
- Name:Mauryan Empire Dates:324–185 BCE Location:Gangetic plains of India. At its largest, the empire stretched from Afghanistan in the north to Karnataka in the south, and from Kathiawad in the west to northern Bangladesh in the east. Capital:Pataliputra (modern Patna) Estimated population: 181 million Key locations:Tosali (Dhauli, Odisha), Takshasila (Taxila, in Pakistan), Ujj…