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, which was erected around 250 BCE . It is the Emblem Of India .]] The Maurya Empire ( 322 – 185 BCE , ruled by the Mauryan Dynasty , was the largest and most Powerful political and military Empire of Ancient India . Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (modern Bihar and Bengal ) in the eastern side of the sub-continent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (near modern Patna ). The Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya , who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and began rapidly expanding his power westwards across central and western India taking opportunistic advantage of the disuptions of local Powers in the wake of the withdrawal westward by Alexander The Great 's Macedonian and Persian armies. By 316 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander. At its greatest extent, the Empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas , and to the east stretching into what is now Assam . To the west, it reached beyond modern Pakistan and significant portions of what is now Afghanistan , including the modern Herat and Kandahar provinces. The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by Emperor Bindusara , but it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga . The Mauryan Empire was perhaps the largest empire to rule the Indian subcontinent until the arrival of the British . 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. Under increased social and religious renewal and reform across his society, while Ashoka's embrace of Buddhism was the foundation of the reign of social and political peace and non-violence across all of India. Ashoka sponsored the spreading of Buddhist ideals into Sri Lanka , Southeast Asia, West Asia and Mediterranean Europe. Chandragupta's minister Kautilya Chanakya wrote the '' Arthashastra '', one of the greatest treatises on Economics , politics, foreign affairs, administration, military arts, war, and religion ever produced in the East. Archaeologically, the period of Mauryan rule in South Asia falls into the era of Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW). The ''Arthashastra'' and the Edicts Of Ashoka are primary sources of written records of the Mauryan times. The Mauryan empire is considered one of the most significant periods in Indian history. The '' Lion Capital Of Asoka '' at Sarnath , is the Emblem Of India . BACKGROUND Although Alexander set up a Macedonian garrison and Satrapies (vassal states) in trans-Indus region of modern day Pakistan , ruled by the previously by kings Ambhi of Taxila and Porus of Pauravas (modern day Jhelum , and the Greek generals Eudemus and Peithon until around 316 BCE . It was Chandragupta Maurya under the clever instructions of his advisor, Chanakya, that they were able to surpise and defeat the Macedonians and consolidate the region under the control of his newly-occupied seat of power in Magadha. Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya See Also: Chanakya Chandragupta Maurya Following Alexander's advance into the , and he re-deployed most of his troops west of the Indus river. When Alexander died in Babylon , soon after in 323 BCE , his empire fragmented, and local kings declared their independence, leaving several smaller satraps in an un-unified state. .]] of Visakhadutta as well as the Jain a work Parisishtaparvan talk of Chandragupta's alliance with the Himalayan king Parvatka, sometimes identified with Porus (John Marshall "Taxila", p18, and al.) This Himalaya n alliance gave Chandragupta a composite and powerful army made up of Yavana s (Greeks), Kambojas , Shaka s (Scythians), Kiratas (Nepalese), Parasika s (Persians) and Bahlikas (Bactrians): :"asti tava Shaka-Yavana-Kirata-Kamboja-Parasika-Bahlika parbhutibhih :"Chankyamatipragrahittaishcha Chandergupta Parvateshvara :"balairudidhibhiriva parchalitsalilaih samantaad uprudham Kusumpurama" :(Sanskrit original, Mudrarakshasa 2) With the help of these frontier Martial Tribe s from Central Asia , Chandragupta was apparently able to defeat the Nanda /Nandin rulers of Magadha so as to found the powerful Maurya Empire in northern India. In the northwest, sometime after the departure of the Greek satraps Peithon and Eudemus in 317 BCE, Chandragupta vanquished the remnants of Greek forces."Later, as he was preparing war against the prefects of Alexander, a huge wild elephant went to him and took him on his back as if tame, and he became a remarkable fighter and war leader. Having thus acquired royal power, Sandracottos possessed India at the time Seleucos was preparing future glory." Justin XV.4.19 "Molienti deinde bellum aduersus praefectos Alexandri elephantus ferus infinitae magnitudinis ultro se obtulit et ueluti domita mansuetudine eum tergo excepit duxque belli et proeliator insignis fuit. Sic adquisito regno Sandrocottus ea tempestate, qua Seleucus futurae magnitudinis fundamenta iaciebat, Indiam possidebat." Justin XV.4.19 Under principles outlined in the ''Arthashastra'', Maurya built an extensive intelligence network, the first of its kind in India — a network of spies and informers who betrayed enemy plans, and mis-informed the enemy themselves of Maurya's true designs. Conquest of Magadha See Also: Chandragupta Maurya Nanda Dynasty Magadha . British Museum .]] Chanakya encouraged Chandragupta and his army to take over the throne of Magadha. Using his intelligence network, Chandragupta gathered many young men from across Magadha and other provinces, men upset over the corrupt and oppressive rule of king Dhana, plus resources necessary for his army to fight a long series of battles. These men included the former general of Taxila, other accomplished students of Chanakya, the representative of King Porus of Kakayee, his son Malayketu, and the rulers of small states. Preparing to invade Pataliputra, Maurya hatched a plan. A battle was announced and the Magadhan army was drawn from the city to a distant battlefield to engage Maurya's forces. Maurya's general and spies meanwhile bribed the corrupt general of Nanda. He also managed to create an atmosphere of civil war in the kingdom, which culminated in the death of the heir to the throne. Chanakya managed to win over popular sentiment. Ultimately Nanda resigned, handing power to Chandragupta, and went into exile and was never heard of again. Chanakya contacted the prime minister, Rakshasas, and made him understand that his loyalty was to Magadha, not to the Magadha dynasty, insisting that he continue in office. Chanakya also reiterated that choosing to resist would start a war that would severely affect Magadha and destroy the city. Rakshasa accepted Chanakya's reasoning, and Chandragupta Maurya was legitimately installed as the new King of Magadha. Rakshasa became Chandragupta's chief advisor, and Chanakya assumed the position of an elder statesman. |
Image:Nanda EmpiregifThe
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Nanda_Dynasty" class="copylinks">Nanda Empire at its greatest extent under Dhana Nanda ''circa'' 323 BCE |
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Image:Chandragupta Empire 320 BCgifThe Maurya Empire When It Was First Founded By
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Chandragupta_Maurya" class="copylinks">Chandragupta Maurya ''circa'' 320 BCE, after conquering the Nanda Empire when he was only about 20 years old |
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Image:Chandragupta Mauryan Empire 305 BCgifChandragupta Extended The Borders Of The Maurya Empire Towards
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Seleucid_Empire" class="copylinks">Seleucid Persia after defeating Seleucus ''circa'' 305 BCE |
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Image:Chandragupta Maurya EmpiregifChandragupta Extended The Borders Of The Empire Southward Into The
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Deccan_Plateau" class="copylinks">Deccan Plateau ''circa'' 300 BCRadhakumud Mookerji (1988) ''Chandragupta Maurya and His Times'' (p 39) Motilal Banarsidass Publ ISBN 8120804058 |
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Image:Mauryan Empire Mapgif
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Ashoka_the_Great" class="copylinks">Ashoka The Great extended into Kalinga during the Kalinga War ''circa'' 265 BCE, and established superiority over the southern kingdoms |
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