THE MAURYAN DYNASTY

         The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Maurya dynasty. Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (modern Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city at Pataliputra (modern Patna).

Mauryan Literary Sources

• There are mainly two literally sources of the Mauryan period.
• One is the Arthashastra written by Kautilya or Chanakya, the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya, which explains how a good government should be organised.
• The other source is Indica written in Greek by Magasthenes, the ambassador of Seleucus Nicator head the court of Chandragupta.
• Magasthenes wrote not only about the capital city of Pataliputra but also about the Maurya Empire as a whole and about the society.
• The history of Ashoka reign can be constructed mainly on the basis of his edicts.

Arthashastra

• Written by Chankaya/Vishnugupta/Kautilya
• Divided in 15 Adhikarnas and 180 Prakarnas
• Is related to money and politics
• Is divided into 15 parts
• 6000 sholakas
• Comment-Pratipada Panchika commented by-Bhataswamy
• Manuscript discovered by Arya Sharma Shastri in 1904.

Megasthenes’ Indica

• The other source is a very interesting account written by Megesthenes in Greek.
• Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador of Selecus Nicator who spent time in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
• His account was mentioned in his book Indica which was survived only in fragments. Yet, his book gives details about the Mauryan administration.
• The capital city of Pataliputra and its administration and military organization was particularly mentioned. He has given notable picture of contemporary social life.

Visakadatta’s Mudrarakshasa

• It is a drama in Sanskrit.
• Although written during the Gupta period but it describes about the victory of Chandragupta over Nandas with the assistance of Kautilya.
• It also gives a detail account of the socio-economic condition under the rule of Mauryas.

Other Literature

        The Puranas and the Buddhist literature such as Jatakas, apart from other sources provided information on the Mauryas. The Ceylonese Chronicles Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa throw light on the role of Asoka in spreading Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Mauryan Administration

         The Mauryan rule was vast and highly centralised bureaucratic rule with the king as the Fountainhead of all the powers. The king claimed not divine rule; rather it was paternal depotism, Kautilya called the king dharmapravartaka or promulgator of social order.

Mauryan Administration posts (Mantriparsihad)

Mantrin	Chief Minister
Pirohita	High Priest
Senapati	Commander-in-charge
Yuvraj	Crowned Prince
Samaharta	Collector of revenue
Prashasti	Head of prisons
Sannidata	Head of treasury
Nayaka	Had of city security
Paur	City police
Vyabharika	Chief Judge
Karmantika	Head of industries and factories
Dandapala	Had of police
Durgapala	Head of Royal Fort
Annapala	Head of food grains Department
Rajjukas	Officers responsible for land measurement and fixing its boundary
Pradesika	Head of district Administration

Mauryan Art

        Well-known art historian A.K.Coomaraswamy divides Mauryan art into two categories

1. Indigenous

2. Official/Court Art

Indigenous	Office Art/Court Art
Yaksha image from parkam	Pillars (well builts and polished)
Yakshi sculpture from Besnagar	Finest example Sarnath - Lions which originally supported Dharma Chakra
Female Cauribearer from Patna	Animals figure or Maurya period of elephant at Dhauli
	Stupas

Chandragupta Maurya (322 – 297 BC)

• With the help of Chanakya, known as Kautilya or Vishnugupta, he overthrew the Nandas & established the rule of the Maurya dynasty.
• Chandragupta is called Sandrocottus by the Greek scholars.
• Seleucus Necater was one of the generals of Alexander and after his death, had succeeded in gaining control of most of the Asiatic provinces.
• Chandragupta defeated him in 305 BC and was compelled to yield parts of Afghanistan to Chandragupta. There was also a marriage alliance between the two families.
• Built a vast empire, which included not only good portions of Bihar and Bengal, but also western and north western India and the Deccan.
• This account is given by Megasthenes (A Greek ambassador sent by Seleucus to the court of Chandragupta Maurya) in his book Indica. We also get the details from the Arthashastra of Kautilya.
• Chandragupta adopted Jainism and went to Sravanabelagola (near Mysore) with Bhadrabahu, where he died by slow starvation.
• Vishakhadatta wrote a drama Mudrarakshasa (describing Chandragupta’s enemy) & Debi Chandraguptam in sixth century AD.

Chanakya

• Chandragupta's advisers, Chanakya (also known as Kautilya) was author of Arthasashtra and is regarded as the architect of Chandragupta's early rise to power. Chandragupta, according to Jain literature, in his last days converted into Jainism by Bhadrabahu and abdicating his throne in favour of his son bindusara became a monk.
• Born: 371 BC, India
• Died: 283 BC, Pataliputra

Various Names Of Chandragupta Maurya

Name	Source
Palibrothus	Strabo
Androcotus	Arien, Plutarch
Piyadamas	Mudraraksha
Vrishal	Mudraraksha
Chandrasiri	Mudraraksha
Kulihin	Mudraraksha

Bindusara (297 – 273 BC)

• Called Amitraghat by Greek writers.
• Chandragupta was succeeded by his son Bindusara in 297 BC. He is said to have conquered ‘the land between the 2 seas’, i.e., the Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal. At the time of his death, almost the entire subcontinent came under the Mauryan rule. Greek Ambassador, Deimachos visited his court.

Various Names Of Bindusara

Amitraghat	Sanskrit Literature
Amitchetas	Strabo which was Greek verion of Sanskrit 'Amitraghata'
Seemseri	Rajvalli Katha
Bindupala	Fa-Feenchulin or slayer of foes

Ashoka (269 – 232 BC)

• Ashoka was appointed the Viceroy of Taxila and Ujjain by his father, Bindusara. He was at Ujjain when Bindusara, died. His formal coronation was delayed for four years, suggesting a disputed succession. A Buddhist literature says that he came to throne after killing his 99 brothers.
• Regarded as one of the greatest kings of all times. He was the first ruler to maintain direct contact with people through his inscription.
• In his inscriptions following languages have been used:
• Brahmi, Kharoshthi, Armaic and Greek. (James Princep first deciphered the inscriptions).
• Ashoka became the Buddhist under Upagupta.

Asoka's Hellenistic Contemporaries

Antiochus II Theos	Syria
Ptolemy II Philadelpus	Egypt
Magas	Cyrne
Antigonus Gonatas	Macedonia
Alexander	Epirus

Various Names Epithets Of Asoka

Devanamkpriya	Monarchial Epithet
Ashokavardnan	Purana
Piyadassiraja	Barabar cave inscription
Ashoka Maurya	Junagarh Inscription
Piyadasi	Kandhar inscription

        According to Asoka, the true spirit of religion and does not lie in or is not fulfilled by keeping fasts for syncing hymns for reciting prayers. He was, on the contrary, quite sure that true religion consisted in leading a pure life. Asoka's dhamma compromised all the good qualities of the religion of the world, which he was convinced, were not exclusively and monopoly of Buddhism alone.

Asoka's Epic and Inscriptions and they are subject

First major rock edict	Prohibition on animal slaughter
Second major rock edict	Mention of places of Cholas, Pardayans. Satayaputras and Keralputras
Third major rock edict	Directions to Predeshikas. Yuktas and Rajukas for propagation of Dhamma
Forth major rock edict	Impact of Dhamma on society.
Fifth major rock edict	Appointments of Dhammamahamatras.
Sixth major rock edict	Welfare majors
Seventh major rock edict	Propagation of peace, balance of mind and faith
Eighth major rock edict	Details of visit to Bodhi tree.
Ninth major rock edict	Stress on ceremony of Dhamma
Tenth major rock edict	Asoka's desire to gain popularity for Dhamma
Eleventh major rock edict	Appraisal of Dhamma
Twlevth major rock edict	Promotion to religion of different faiths
Thirteenth major rock edict	Largest of all, victory over Kalinga's destruction of war, mention of Greek rulers
Fourteenth major rock edict	Nature of all other rock edicts Inclusion of Asoka into Sangha It is bilingual. It tells that fishermen and hunters gave up hunting Faith of ruler and kingdom in Dhamma.

Extent of Empire : His empire covered the whole territory from Hindukush to Bengal & extended over Afghanistan, Baluchistan & whole of India with the exception of a small area in the farthest south. Kashmir and Valleys of Nepal were also included, first empire to do so.

The Kalinga War History : (261 BC, mentioned in XIII rock edict). It changed his attitude towards life. Ashoka became a Buddhist after that.

Aspects of Ashoks’s Reign

• Ashok’s empire was divided into provinces with a viceroy in each province. He established Dhramshalas, hospitals and Sarais throughout his kingdom.
• He appointed Dharma Mahapatras to propagate dharma among various social groups including women.
• He organized a network of missionaries to preach the doctrine both in his kingdom and beyond. He sent them to Ceylon, Burma (sent his son Mahindra & daughter Sanghamitra to Ceylon) and other south-east Asian regions, notably Thailand.
• Ashoka is called ‘Buddhashakya & Ashok’ in Maski edict and ‘Dharmasoka’ in Sarnath inscription. He was also known as ‘Devanampiya’- beloved of the gods, and ‘Piyadassi’- of pleasing appearance. Significance of Mauryan Rule :
• The emblem of the Indian Republic has been adopted from the 4 – lion capital of the Ashokan pillar at Sarnath.
• Gurukuls & Buddhist monasteries developed with royal patronage. Universities of Taxila & Banaras are the gifts of this era.
• Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Bhadrabahu’s Kalpa Sutra, Buddhist texts like the Katha Vatthu & Jain texts such as Bhagwati Sutra, Acharanga Sutra and Dasavakalik comprise some of the important literature of this era.

Causes of the fall of Mauryan Empire

• Ashoka’s patronage of Buddhism and his anti-sacrificial attitude is said to have affected the income of the Brahmins. So they developed antipathy against Ashoka.
• Revenue from agrarian areas was not sufficient to maintain such a vast empire as booty from war was negligible.
• Successors of Ashoka were too weak to keep together such a large centralized empire.

Note: The last Mauryan king Brihadratha was killed by Pushyamitra Shunga (Commander in Chief) in 185 BC, who started the Shunga dynasty in Magadha.