In 324 B. C., a new king named Chandragupta Maurya (kahn-drah-GOOP-tah MOHR-yah; r. 324-301 b. c.) took the throne of Magadha and established a new dynasty. In his capital of Pataliputra (pah-tuh-lee-POO-trah), northwest of modern-day Calcutta (KAL-kuh-tuh) on the Ganges River, he raised an army of 700,000 soldiers and 10,000 chariots, along with a force unique to the India: 9,000 elephants. Taking advantage of the power vacuum left by Alexander's departure, Chan-dragupta created an empire that would grow to include virtually all of the Indian subcontinent, except for the Dravidian stronghold in the south.
Legend has it that Chandragupta had a brilliant advisor, a Brahman named Kautilya (kow-TEEL-yah), who authored a book called the Arthashastra (ahr-thah-SHAHS-trah). The latter provided advice to rulers on how to govern. Although the book certainly existed, historians do not believe that Kautilya wrote the entire work. Nonetheless, the Arthashastra has aided scholars of India in understanding the organization of the Mauryan Empire. So have the writings of
Megasthenes (meh-GAS-theh-neez), a Greek who spent time in the court of Chandragupta.
The Mauryan Empire was a splendid one, and Patalipu-tra was said to be the greatest city of that time. Its size—8 miles (12.9 kilometers) long and 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) wide— shows the extent to which cities had grown since the time of the Indus Valley civilization. Around the city stood some 570 guard towers, and beyond them a moat 900 feet (274.3 meters) wide and 30 feet (9.1 meters) deep. Equally impressive was the level of organization in Chandragupta's government. There was an extensive network of civil servants, including spies who reported to the emperor on any opposition to his rule.
Late in his reign, Chandragupta went up against Seleu-cus, who had taken control of Persia after Alexander's death. By defeating the Seleucids, he secured his control over the western part of the subcontinent. But Chandragupta feared that one of his subjects would assassinate him. When a famine spread throughout the land, he decided to step down from the throne in 301 b. c. He became a Jain, adopting a lifestyle of fasting and later dying of starvation.
Just as Cyrus I of Persia was followed by the much less remarkable Cambyses, the next ruler, Chandragupta's son Bindusara (bin-doo-SAHR-ah), was a minor figure. Bindusara died in about 270 b. c., and as with the Persians, a power struggle ensued. Some time in the 260s b. c., a unifying leader comparable to Persia's Darius I took the throne; but whereas Darius came from outside the royal family, Asoka (ah-SHOH-kah; c. 302-c. 202 B. C.) was the son of Bindusara and the grandson of Chandragupta.
In the beginning of his reign, Asoka behaved like a typical conqueror of ancient times. He fought many wars and spread his empire throughout the subcontinent in a series of victories that left many of his enemies dead. In the eighth year of his reign, however, after a particularly bloody battle, Asoka became disgusted when he realized how many lives he had destroyed. This led him to renounce warfare and convert to Buddhism.
With Asoka's religious conversion, the entire character of the Mauryan Empire changed. He devoted himself to making life better for his subjects, and he commanded that his
Line of eight stupas on top of rocky hillside in the Indus Valley. Corbis/Nevada Weir. Reproduced by permission.
Principles of government be carved onto large rocks that can still be viewed today. One such inscription reads: “There is no better work than promoting the welfare of the whole world. Whatever may be my great deeds, I have done them to discharge my debt to all beings.” These were remarkable words, particularly from an ancient monarch. Asoka reinforced them with deeds. He appointed officials he called “inspectors of morality” to ensure that people were being treated well. He instituted a number of public works projects such as the planting of trees to provide travelers with shady places to rest.
Asoka set out once again to conquer the world, only this time with faith and not the sword. He sent missionaries to bring the Buddhist message to far-flung places, including Egypt and Greece. Though Buddhism never took hold in those countries, it did spread to Ceylon, where it replaced Hinduism as the dominant religion. Both in Ceylon and in India, Buddhists built huge domed temples of stone called stupas (STOO-pahz).
The ten avatars of the Hindu god Vishnu. Illustration. Archive Photos. Reproduced by permission.
After Asoka's death in about 232 b. c., however, Buddhism in India began to decline. So did the Mauryan Empire. During his lifetime, a number of would-be emperors had vied for the throne, and their rivalries helped send the empire into a state of disarray. To rule such a vast state required a strong ruler such as Chandragupta or Asoka, but none appeared. By 186 b. c., the Mauryan Empire had ceased to exist.
World History
