Mauryan Empire

By- Manish Shrivastava

Rise of the Mauryas

❏ The last of the Nanda rulers, Dhana Nanda was

highly unpopular due to his oppressive tax regime.
❏ Also, post-Alexander’s invasion of North-Western
India, that region faced a lot of unrest from foreign
powers.
❏ They were ruled by Indo-Greek rulers.
❏ Chandragupta, with the help of an intelligent and
politically astute Brahmin, Kautilya usurped the
throne by defeating Dhana Nanda in 321 BC.
Chandragupta Maurya (321-298 BC)

● He was the founder of the Maurya dynasty

under the guidance of Kautilya (Chanakya).
● He defeated Seleucus who had succeeded
Alexander in the eastern part of his empire.
● Chandragupta on his part married Seleucus
daughter Helena and presented 500
elephants to Seleucus..
● Seleucus sent Megasthenes as his
ambassador to the court of Chandragupta
who produced an eye witness account of
India in his book ‘Indica’
Chandragupta Maurya (321-297 BC)

● Sandrocottus in Greek sources is the name of

Chandragupta maurya.
● The Junagarh Rock Inscription says that he
constructed a lake in Saurashtra region called
Sudarshana Lake for irrigation purposes.
● According to Jaina traditions, Chandragupta in his old
age abdicated the throne, and went to
Shravanabelagola Mysore, Karnataka along with
Bhadrabahu. There he lived on a hill called
Chandragiri Hill, where he deliberately starved
himself to death by Sallekhana method.
Chanakya (375 BCE- 283 BCE)
● Teacher of Chandragupta Maurya, who was
also his Chief Minister.
● Brahmin by birth, he was a teacher and scholar at
Taxila. Other names are Vishnugupta and
Kautilya.
● He was also a minister in the court of Bindusara.
● He is credited to be the master strategist behind
the usurping of the Nanda throne and the rise of
the Mauryan Empire through his student,
Chandragupta.
● He wrote Arthashastra which is a treatise on
statecraft, economics, and military strategy.
 Chanakya (375 BCE- 283 BCE)

● Arthashastra was rediscovered by R Shamasastry in 1905 after it

had disappeared in the 12th century.
● The work contains 15 books and 180 chapters. The main theme is
divided into:
i. King, Council of Ministers and Departments of the Government
ii. Civil and criminal law
iii. Diplomacy of war
● It also contains information on trade and markets, a method to screen
ministers, spies, duties of a king, ethics, social welfare, agriculture,
mining, metallurgy, medicine, forests, etc.
● Chanakya is also called ‘Indian Machiavelli’.
Bindusara (298-272 BC)

● Chandragupta was succeeded by his son

Bindusara.
● Bindusara is known as Amitrochates or
Amitraghata (killer of enemies).
● Bindusara appointed his eldest son
Sumana or Susima as his Viceroy at Taxila
& Ashoka at Ujjain.
● He expanded the borders towards south
India upto Karnataka.
Bindusara (297-272 BC)

● He asked for wine, dry figs and a sophist from a Greek

king Antiochus . The king agreed for the first two things
but refused to send the sophist(not for sale).
● The first ever revolt took place in Taxila under Bindusara
was finally suppressed by Ashoka.
● Bindusara followed Ajivika Sampradaya.
● After the death of Bindusara a war of succession
followed for 4 years. Ashoka killed his 6-brothers &
became king in 272 BC.
 Ajivika Sect

● The Ajivikas’ central belief was that absolutely

everything is predetermined by fate, or niyati, and
hence human action has no consequence one way
or the other.
● Like Jains, Ajivika wore no clothes, and lived as
ascetic monks in organised groups.
● They were known to practice extremely severe
austerities, such as lying on nails, going through fire,
exposing themselves to extreme weather, and even
spending time in large earthen pots for penance!
Thank You