Mauryan Empire (321-185 BC) in Indian History:
- Major sources for the study of Mauryan Empire are the Arthasastra of Kautilya and Indika of Megasthenes.
- Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of Mauryan Empire.
- Details about his early life are not available
- He is believed to have belonged to Moriya Clan, hence got the name Maurya.
- It is also said that his mother was Mura a women of lower birth hence got the name Maurya.
- In some texts he is referred to as Vrishala and Kulahina.
- He conspired with Chanakya (Kautilya or Vishnugupta) the minister of Nanda to overthrew the last Nanda ruler DhanaNanda.
- Chandragupta Maurya ascended the throne in BC 321.
- He fought against Selucus in 305 BC. Selucus surrendered before him and sent an ambassador, Megasthenese to the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
- Chandragupta’s Governor Pushygupta constructed the famous Sudarshana lake.
- ChandraGupta Maurya was converted to Jainism, abdicated the throne in favour of his son Bindusara, passed his last days at Sravanabelagola (Near Mysore) where he died in 298 BC.
- Chandragupa Maurya was responsible for the political unification of North India for the first time.
- Bindusara was a follower of Ajivika sect.
- Bindusara was known as Amitragatha.
- Ashoka ascended the throne in 273BC and ruled upto 232 BC.
- He was known as ‘Devanampriya priyadarsi the beautiful one who was the beloved of Gods.
- Maski and Gujara Edicts of Ashoka gave the name Devanampriya Priyadarsi.
- Buddhist tradition says Ashoka killed 99 of his brothers to capture the throne.
- Ashoka was the first king in Indian history who had left his records engraved on stones.
- Ashokan inscriptions were written in Kharoshti and Brahmi scripts.
- Ashoka fought the Kalinga war in 261 BC Kalinga is in modern Orissa.
- Ashokan inscriptions were deciphered by James Princep.
- After the battle of Kalinga Ashoka became a Buddhist, being shocked by the horrors of the war.
- Ashoka was initiated to Buddhism by Upagupta or Nigrodha a disciple of Buddha.
- For the propagation of Buddhism Ashoka started the institution of Dharmamahamatras
- The IV Major Rock Edict of Ashoka tells about the practice of Dharma
- The Major Rock Edict XII of Ahoka deals with the conquest of Kalinga.
- Ashoka held the third Buddhist council at his capital Pataliputra in 250BC under the presidentship of Moggaliputa Tissa.
- He sent his son and daughter to Sri Lanka for the spread of Buddhism (Mahendra and Sanghamitra)
- Ashoka spread Buddhism to SriLanka and Nepal.
- He is known as the Constantine of Buddhism.
- In his Kalinga Edict he mentions ‘‘All man are as my children’’.
- Ceylones ruler Devanmpriya Tissa was Ashoka’s first convert to Buddhism
- Ashoka ruled for 40 years and died in 232 BC.
- The emblem of the Indian Republic has been adopted from the four lion capital of one of Ashokas pillars which is located in Saranath.
- Rock-cut architecture in India made a beginning during Ashoka’s reign.
- Brihadratha the last Mauryan ruler was killed by Pushyamitra Sunga who founded the Sunga Dynasty in 185 BC.
- Megasthenese the first foreign traveller to India mentions about the existence of seven castes in India during the Mauryan period.
- Stanika in Mauryan administration refers to tax collector.
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