GA Notes: THE MAURYAN EMPIRE

THE MAURYAN EMPIRE

Sources:

• Kautilya’s Arthasastra
• Visakadatta’s Mudrarakshasa
• Megasthenes’ Indica
• Edicts of Asoka
• Apart from these the Puranas and the Buddhist literature such as Jatakas provide information on the Mauryas.

Emperors

Chandragupta Maurya (322 – 298 B.C.):

• Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire.
• He captured Pataliputra from the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty, Dhanananda, in assistance of Kautilya, who was also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta.
• In 305 B.C., he marched against Selukas Niketar, who was Alexander’s General controlling the northwestern India.
• Megasthenes was a Greek ambassador in the Chandragupta Maurya's court.
• Chandragupta embraced Jainism towards the end of his life and stepped down from the throne in favour of his son Bindusara.

Bindusara (298 – 273 B.C.):

• Bindusara was called by the Greeks as “Amitragatha” meaning slayer of enemies.
• Taranatha, the Tibetan monk states that Bindusara conquered 16 states comprising ‘the land between the two seas’.
• The Sangam Tamil literature confirms the Mauryan invasion of the far south.
• Bindusara received Deimachus as ambassador from the Syrian king Antiochus I.
• Bindusara appointed his son Asoka as the governor of Ujjain.

Asoka the Great (273 – 232 B.C.):

• Ashoka acted as Governor of Ujjain and also suppressed a revolt in Taxila during his father Bindusara’s reign.
• The most important event of Asoka’s reign was his victorious war with Kalinga in 261 B.C.
• Asoka embraced Buddhism under the influence of Buddhist monk, Upagupta.
• He sent a mission to Sri Lanka under his son Mahendra and daughter Sangamitra.
• Asoka convened the Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra in 240 B.C. in order to strengthen the Sangha. It was presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa.

Note:
After the decline of the Mauryan empire Pushyamitra Sunga established the Sunga dynasty.

Trick to Remember: