Establishment of the Maurya Empire
When a team wins there is a good coach and a good player behind it. Chandragupta and Chanakya were such a pair.
Chandragupta Maurya removed the unjust Dhanananda of Magadha and founded the Maurya Empire in about 321 BCE. Acharya Chanakya trained him in warfare and administration.
Key idea 1 : Chandragupta and Chanakya — Chanakya recognised the potential in Chandragupta and believed he could end Dhanananda’s unjust rule. He trained him in warfare and administration. The Sanskrit play ‘Mudrarakshasa’ by Vishakhadatta describes how Chandragupta won power by defeating Dhanananda. Chanakya’s ‘Arthashastra’ gives details of administration, taxes, defence, intelligence and politics.
Key idea 2 : The Greeks and Seleucus — In 326 BCE Alexander came as far as Punjab and turned back; he died on the way. The governors he had appointed over conquered areas, called ‘Satrapas’, began fighting for power after his death. In this period the Greek general Seleucus Nicator tried to invade India; Chandragupta stopped him. The provinces of Kabul, Kandahar and Herat came into the Maurya Empire.
Key idea 3 : Megasthenes, Bindusara and Chandragupta’s end — Seleucus’s ambassador Megasthenes stayed in Chandragupta’s court; descriptions in his book ‘Indica’ are an important source of the Maurya period. Tradition says that towards the end of his rule Chandragupta gave up the kingdom, accepted Jainism and lived at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka. His son Bindusara then became king; he expanded the kingdom and made friendly relations with the Indo-Greek Satrapas. After him Ashoka became king.
- Easy : Who founded the Maurya Empire? — Chandragupta Maurya.
- Medium : Which is the book of Megasthenes? — Indica.
- Exam-type : Alexander came (326 BCE), Chandragupta took power (about 321 BCE); the gap? — 326 − 321 = 5 years.
In the figure: Alexander (326) → Chandragupta (about 321) → clash with Seleucus (about 305), all BCE.
What happened before the Mauryan Empire was founded? After many years of fighting Alexander’s army was tired. According to ancient Greek writers, when they reached the Beas river (Hyphasis) in 326 BCE the soldiers refused to go further. Some writers say they were also afraid of a kingdom beyond with a huge army like Magadha’s. Alexander turned back.
What happened after the Mauryan Empire was founded? Around 305 BCE Seleucus advanced east of the Indus. The Greek writer Plutarch says a treaty was made; Chandragupta gave Seleucus 500 elephants and western territories came to the Mauryas. After that Seleucus sent Megasthenes to Pataliputra as ambassador.
According to a story of tradition, as a boy Chandragupta acted as ‘king’ and gave justice in the games of village children. Chanakya saw this and recognised his leadership, so he took him along. The story agrees with the textbook saying Chanakya recognised his potential, but its details differ in different books and it has no contemporary proof.
Founder: Chandragupta (about 321); guide: Chanakya; book: Arthashastra; play: Mudrarakshasa.
‘Indica’ was written by Megasthenes, not Chanakya; Chanakya’s book is the ‘Arthashastra’.
Chandragupta → Chanakya → Megasthenes → Bindusara → Ashoka. Memory clue: ‘Chandra → Bindu → Ashoka’ — three generations.
Spot the difference
| Point | Information |
|---|---|
| Founder | Chandragupta Maurya |
| Guide | Acharya Chanakya (Kautilya) |
| Defeated Nanda king | Dhanananda |
| Greek ambassador and book | Megasthenes — Indica |
| Next king | Bindusara, then Ashoka |
Practice questions
- 1Who founded the Maurya Empire?
- 2What is in the play ‘Mudrarakshasa’?
- 3Which subjects are in the ‘Arthashastra’?
- 4What happened to Alexander’s Satrapas after his death?
- 5Who was Megasthenes?
- 6What did Chandragupta do after giving up the throne?
- 7How did Chandragupta stop Seleucus’s attempt and what was the result?
- 8Without Chanakya what difficulties would Chandragupta have faced? Write your opinion.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Chandragupta Maurya.
- 2Description of how Chandragupta won power by defeating Dhanananda.
- 3Administration, taxes, defence, intelligence and politics.
- 4They began fighting among themselves for power.
- 5The ambassador of Seleucus who stayed at Chandragupta’s court and wrote ‘Indica’.
- 6According to tradition he accepted Jainism and lived at Shravanabelagola.
- 7Seleucus was stopped; the strength of the Maurya Empire grew and Kabul, Kandahar, Herat came into it.
- 8E.g. he would not have got guidance on warfare, administration and policy; removing the Nandas would be hard.
Emperor Ashoka
If we have a big quarrel with a friend and later understand his pain, we decide not to do it again. A big turning point like this came in Ashoka’s life.
Ashoka was the third and most famous emperor of the Maurya dynasty. After the Kalinga War he embraced Buddhism and spread non-violence, compassion and ‘Dhamma’.
Key idea 1 : Ashoka’s empire — Bindusara had appointed Ashoka governor of Ujjayini and Takshashila. He became king by his bravery. His empire stretched from Afghanistan in the north-west and Nepal in the north to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in the south, and from Bengal in the east to Saurashtra in the west.
Key idea 2 : The Kalinga War — The most important event in Ashoka’s life was the Kalinga War. Ancient Kalinga was in today’s Odisha and was not part of the Maurya Empire, so Ashoka invaded it and won. Many soldiers were killed and many imprisoned. Seeing this Ashoka was filled with grief, and the war completely changed him.
Key idea 3 : Ashoka’s Dhamma and inscriptions — Ashoka embraced Buddhism and gave importance to non-violence, serving parents, and respect for teachers and elders. To spread the message he had edicts engraved in Brahmi on rocks and pillars; in them he calls himself ‘Devanam Piyo Piyadasi’ — ‘Beloved of the Gods and he who looks on with affection’. He appointed ‘Dhamma-Mahamattas’ and sent messengers to distant lands. Records mention that he sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka.
- Easy : In which state of today was Kalinga? — Odisha.
- Medium : Whom did ‘Devanam Piyo Piyadasi’ mean? — Ashoka.
- Exam-type : In which script are Ashoka’s edicts? — Brahmi.
In the figure: Stages of Ashoka’s life: governor, emperor, the Kalinga War and the path of Dhamma.
What happened before the Kalinga War? In his 13th rock edict Ashoka himself says he invaded Kalinga eight years after his coronation, in about 261 BCE. Kalinga was the one eastern kingdom not yet in the Maurya Empire.
What happened after the Kalinga War? In the same 13th edict Ashoka says he felt remorse after conquering Kalinga. According to the edict about 150,000 people were taken captive, about 100,000 were killed and many more died; these numbers are given by the king himself. After this he chose the path of victory by Dhamma instead of victory by weapons and appointed Dhamma-Mahamattas.
Kalinga = today’s Odisha; edicts = Brahmi script; title = Devanam Piyo Piyadasi.
After the Kalinga War Ashoka did not leave the kingdom; he continued ruling, but by the path of Dhamma.
Kalinga → remorse → Buddhism → Dhamma-Mahamattas → envoys. Memory clue: ‘Ka-Pa-Bau-Dha-Doo’ — five steps.
Spot the difference
| Point | Information |
|---|---|
| Father | Bindusara |
| As governor | Ujjayini and Takshashila |
| Famous war | Kalinga (today’s Odisha) |
| Script of edicts | Brahmi |
| Spread of Dhamma | Dhamma-Mahamattas, envoys, Mahendra and Sanghamitra |
Emperor Ashoka
In the app you can move this figure with your finger.
Open in the appPractice questions
- 1Where was Ashoka governor before becoming emperor?
- 2Why did the Kalinga War take place?
- 3What effect did the Kalinga War have on Ashoka?
- 4How did Ashoka spread his messages?
- 5What is the meaning of ‘Devanam Piyo Piyadasi’?
- 6Who were the Dhamma-Mahamattas?
- 7What works did Ashoka do for the welfare of the people?
- 8Write in three points the difference in Ashoka’s policy before and after the Kalinga War.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1At Ujjayini and Takshashila.
- 2Kalinga was not part of the Maurya Empire, so Ashoka invaded it.
- 3He was filled with grief; the war changed him completely and he turned to Buddhism.
- 4By engraving Brahmi edicts on rocks and pillars, through Dhamma-Mahamattas and by sending envoys.
- 5‘Beloved of the Gods and he who looks on with affection’.
- 6Officials appointed to carry the message of Dhamma to the people.
- 7Hospitals, dispensaries, rest houses, trees along roads, wells, water stands and veterinary clinics.
- 8Before: expansion and victory by war; after: victory by Dhamma, non-violence and mercy; then welfare works and envoys’ work.
Administrative system of the Mauryas
To run a school there are a headmaster, teachers and class representatives, each with a fixed job. A big empire too needs such a structure.
In the Maurya state the king was supreme and a committee of ministers helped him. Administration worked at three levels: central, provincial and local.
Key idea 1 : King, ministers and Adhyakshas — A committee of ministers helped the king; it had heads of various departments, called ‘Adhyakshas’. E.g. the chief of trade was ‘Panyadhyaksha’ and of agriculture ‘Sitadhyaksha’. The intelligence department was extremely powerful and Kautilya’s Arthashastra gives details of the spy system. The nature of the economy and taxation was clearly defined; funds from the royal treasury were given for public welfare, defence and religious activities.
Key idea 2 : Three levels and four provinces — Central administration: all decisions of the empire were taken in the capital Pataliputra. Provincial administration: regions were governed with the help of a ‘Kumar’ (prince) and a ‘Mahamatya’ (chief administrative officer). Local administration: in villages the ‘Gramani’ (village head) looked after tax, justice and law and order, and in cities local committees did so. For convenience the empire was divided into four provinces.
Key idea 3 : Sudarshan Lake and water management — During Chandragupta’s time the ‘Sudarshan’ lake was built at Junagadh in today’s Gujarat. It was useful for farming, irrigation and drinking water. Special caretakers looked after the water systems and the Arthashastra provides penalties for damaging a water reservoir. A good tax system and maintenance of water bodies made water management efficient. Later Ashoka and the Shaka king Rudradaman also repaired this lake; references to this are in Rudradaman’s Junagadh inscription.
- Easy : How many provinces did the Maurya Empire have? — Four.
- Medium : Who was the Gramani? — The village head.
- Exam-type : Sitadhyaksha headed which department? — Agriculture.
In the figure: Maurya administration: king, ministers-Adhyakshas, provinces (Kumar), villages (Gramani) and the spy department.
The Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman of about 150 CE says that the Sudarshan lake was built by Pushyagupta in Chandragupta’s time and that Tushaspha completed its canals in Ashoka’s time. When a big storm and heavy rain broke the dam, Rudradaman had it repaired. So one lake was built and improved in the times of three different rulers; the inscription can still be seen today.
4 provinces: East — Toshali, West — Ujjayini, North — Takshashila, South — Suvarnagiri.
‘Kumar’ means the prince-officer of a province; ‘Gramani’ means village head — their levels differ.
Centre (Pataliputra) → Province (Kumar, Mahamatya) → Village (Gramani). Memory clue: ‘E-W-N-S’ — Toshali, Ujjayini, Takshashila, Suvarnagiri.
Spot the difference
| Province | Capital |
|---|---|
| East | Toshali |
| West | Ujjayini |
| North | Takshashila |
| South | Suvarnagiri |
Practice questions
- 1Who held the highest position in Maurya administration?
- 2Who were Adhyakshas? Give two examples.
- 3Which are the three levels of administration?
- 4State the capitals of the four provinces.
- 5What was the work of Kumar and Mahamatya?
- 6What work did the Gramani do?
- 7Why is Sudarshan Lake considered a symbol of water management?
- 8Choose two posts in administration today and compare them with posts of Maurya times.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The king.
- 2Heads of departments; Panyadhyaksha (trade) and Sitadhyaksha (agriculture).
- 3Central, provincial and local.
- 4Toshali, Ujjayini, Takshashila and Suvarnagiri.
- 5Helping the king in provincial administration; Kumar is the prince, Mahamatya the chief administrative officer.
- 6Looking after tax, justice and law and order in the village.
- 7It gave water for farming, irrigation and drinking; caretakers maintained it; later kings repaired it.
- 8E.g. Collector — Kumar/Mahamatya of a province; Sarpanch/Gramsevak — Gramani.
Art, architecture and social life
Our coins and notes bear a picture of lions and the national flag has a wheel. Their roots are in the Maurya period.
In the Maurya period a great tradition of sculpture, pillars, stupas and caves began. The lion capital and wheel of Ashoka’s pillars are used in our national symbols.
Key idea 1 : Sculpture, pillars and stupas — The pillars and stupas raised by Ashoka are excellent examples of India’s sculptural tradition. Maurya sculptures show animals like lions, elephants and bulls and the style is realistic. Rock surfaces were polished to a mirror-like finish. The stupas of Sanchi and Sarnath are excellent examples of the architecture of this period.
Key idea 2 : Barabar caves and the palace — The Barabar Caves in Bihar are the most ancient rock-cut caves in India. Accounts of foreign travellers mention the beautiful royal palace at Pataliputra. Ashoka’s lion capital and wheel are taken in our national emblem and the tricolour; ‘Satyameva Jayate’ is the motto under the national emblem.
Key idea 3 : Social life and decline of the empire — Life was prosperous and happy. Farming was important; the diet had milk, curd, ghee, fruits, rice and barley. Chariot and horse races, wrestling, dance-music contests and indoor board games like chess were popular. After Ashoka the strength of the empire declined; local rulers declared independence. Pushyamitra Shunga defeated Brihadratha, the last Maurya king, and founded the Shunga dynasty.
- Easy : Which are the most ancient rock-cut caves? — Barabar Caves (Bihar).
- Medium : Who was the last Maurya king? — Brihadratha.
- Exam-type : Which animals appear in Maurya sculpture? — Lion, elephant, bull.
In the figure: Four kinds of Maurya art: pillars, stupas, caves and sculptures.
The Greek ambassador Megasthenes wrote about people of Maurya times that they were hardworking and frugal, farmers took two crops a year and even during wars farmers were not disturbed. His notes were in the book ‘Indica’; that book does not survive today and its parts are known to us through passages of later writers.
Lion-wheel = national emblem; Barabar = oldest rock-cut caves; Sanchi-Sarnath = stupas.
Sanchi and Sarnath are not caves, they are stupas; caves means Barabar.
Caves — Barabar; stupas — Sanchi, Sarnath; pillars — Ashoka. Memory clue: ‘Cave-Bar, Stupa-San, Pillar-Ash’ — three pairs.
Spot the difference
| Art | Example |
|---|---|
| Cave | Barabar Caves (Bihar) |
| Stupa | Sanchi, Sarnath |
| Pillar | Ashokan pillar (polished surface) |
| Sculpture | Lion, elephant, bull (realistic) |
Practice questions
- 1State the features of Maurya sculptures.
- 2How were the surfaces of Ashoka’s pillars?
- 3Where are the Barabar Caves and why are they important?
- 4What is there at Sanchi and Sarnath?
- 5Which games were popular in Maurya times?
- 6How did the Maurya Empire decline?
- 7What do we learn about social life of Maurya times from Megasthenes’s notes?
- 8Which elements of the national emblem and tricolour are from Maurya times? Write three or four lines.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Realistic style; sculptures of animals like lion, elephant and bull.
- 2Polished like a mirror.
- 3In Bihar; they are the most ancient rock-cut caves in India.
- 4There are stupas at Sanchi and Sarnath.
- 5Chariot and horse races, wrestling, dance-music contests and chess-like board games.
- 6After Ashoka the empire weakened, local rulers became independent and Pushyamitra Shunga defeated Brihadratha.
- 7People were hardworking and frugal, farmers took two crops a year and farmers were not disturbed even in war.
- 8The lion capital is in the national emblem and the wheel in the tricolour; ‘Satyameva Jayate’ is below the emblem; these symbols are taken from Ashoka’s pillars.