Chapter Info (Click Here)
Book No. – 11 (History)
Book Name – India: The Ancient Past (Burjor Avari)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. Chandragupta Maurya and his court
1.1. The mystery of Chandragupta
1.2. Kautilya and the Arthashastra
1.3. The ‘Indica’ of Megasthenes
1.4. Ashoka and his Dhamma
1.5. The Ashokan edicts
2. The Mauryan world
2.1. Agriculture
2.2. Urban life
2.3. Administration
2.4. Architecture and Sculpture
2.5. The decline of the empire: some causes
Note: The first chapter of every book is free.
Access this chapter with any subscription below:
- Half Yearly Plan (All Subject)
- Annual Plan (All Subject)
- History (Single Subject)
- CUET PG + History
LANGUAGE
The Mauryan State: Imperialism and Compassion
Chapter – 6
Table of Contents
Timeline/Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 321 BCE | Chandragupta Maurya establishes the Mauryan state |
| 302 BCE | Chandragupta defeats Seleukos Nicator |
| 302–298 BCE | Megasthenes serves as ambassador at the Mauryan court in Pataliputra |
| 269 BCE | Ashoka becomes the third Mauryan ruler |
| 269–232 BCE | Rock and pillar edicts of Ashoka |
| 250 BCE | Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra |
| CE 1793 | Sir William Jones identifies Sandrocottos as Chandragupta Maurya |
| CE 1837 | James Prinsep deciphers the Brahmi script of Ashokan edicts |
| CE 1905–9 | First English translation of the Arthashastra by Dr. Shamasastry |
- The Mauryan Empire existed for less than two centuries, from the early 4th to late 2nd century BCE, covering most of the Indian subcontinent and the eastern half of Afghanistan.
- The empire’s genesis lay in the economic and military strength of its heartland state of Magadha and the ability of its leaders to extend power beyond its borders.
- The first three Mauryan emperors gathered extraordinarily large material resources to maintain imperial control over South Asia.
- Two contradictory methods of governance were used:
- Bureaucratic institutions and administrative diktats provided security and obedience but also a sense of belonging.
- Under Ashoka (the third emperor), a new cultural coherence based on Buddhism emerged, promoting moral values through inscriptions on stone.
- Ashoka’s messages promoted benignity, civility, and humanity in governance, marking a significant political maturity in India.
- The prosperity of the Mauryan Empire was supported by a base of agricultural wealth and extensive commercial networks.
- The Mauryan experiment in imperial sovereignty did not last long, and most knowledge about the empire was lost.
- Contemporary written historical material and archaeological findings provide insight into the empire, allowing appreciation of its scale.
- The research of the last 200 years has given a new understanding of India’s first debut on the world stage.
Chandragupta Maurya and his court
The mystery of Chandragupta
- The term ‘Maurya’ is derived from moriya (Sanskrit: Mayura), meaning peacock.
- According to Jain tradition, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, Chandragupta, came from a clan of peacock-tamers in Magadha.
- Until the late 18th century, there was uncertainty about Chandragupta’s existence, rule, and identity.
- References to Chandragupta are found in Puranas, the Buddhist Mahavamsa, and the Sanskrit drama Rudra-rakshasa.
- Roman writers mention a king called Sandrocottos (sometimes Sandrokoptos), informed by Megasthenes, an ambassador at the Mauryan court.
- Megasthenes wrote about Sandrocottos’ power and his capital, Palimbothra (identified as Pataliputra, modern Patna).
- Major James Rennell, the ‘father of Indian geography’, helped identify the River Erranoboas with the River Son.
- Sir William Jones, a scholar, clarified that Sandrocottos was Chandragupta Maurya.
- In 1793, Jones correlated Greek and Sanskrit texts, establishing Chandragupta’s rise and his relationship with Seleukos Nicator.
- Jones’s discovery is considered a crucial chronological anchor for Indian history.
- Chandragupta (reigned from 321 BCE to 297 BCE) defeated the Nanda dynasty and expanded his empire through war, diplomacy, and threats.
- His greatest victory was over Seleukos Nicator in 305 BCE, reclaiming Indus basin, Baluchistan, and lands east of Kabul.
- After defeating Seleukos, Chandragupta made a diplomatic alliance, receiving 500 war elephants.
- Chandragupta’s later years were focused on the teachings of Jainism, marking the influence of heterodox religions on future rulers.
- Jain tradition states that Chandragupta ended his life as a pilgrim and recluse in Karnataka, near Sravana Belgola.
Kautilya and the Arthashastra
- Chandragupta’s success was largely due to the help and advice of his chief minister, Kautilya.
- Kautilya was known as Chanakya in ancient texts but remained a marginal figure until the 20th century.
- In 1904, an anonymous pandit presented a four-centuries-old palm-leaf manuscript of the Arthashastra to Dr Shamasastry.
- Dr Shamasastry translated the text in 1905 and published it in 1909, resurrecting Kautilya’s fame.
- Arthashastra is a valuable guide to understanding the Mauryan state and society, dealing with diplomacy, political economy, and secular knowledge.
- The text is not political philosophy but a guidebook for monarchs and a rulebook for citizens.
- It contains information on law, agriculture, manufacturing, trade, and mining, revealing a highly regulated society.
- Kautilya’s thinking is grounded in Vedic ideas, such as a social hierarchy and the dominance of brahmans and kshatriyas.
- The Arthashastra advises a king to choose between war or peace in dealing with other kings, with six possible strategies for each.
- Intelligence gathering through spies was crucial for the ruler’s success.
- Machiavellian strategies in European history were grounded in Kautilya’s principles, centuries before Machiavelli.
- The king’s personal character is emphasized, recommending virtues such as avoiding falsehood, adultery, and bad associates.
- The text focuses on good governance, emphasizing the importance of institutions for prosperity and ethical principles of justice.
- The Arthashastra discusses social rights, including consumer protection, workers’ rights, and laws against sexual harassment.
- Efficient bureaucracy and severe punishments for breaches of law are integral to the governance described.
- The text lists 336 offences with corresponding fines, showing a rigid legal system.
- Scholars debate the date and authorship of the Arthashastra, with some arguing it was a later revision from the 2nd-3rd century CE.
- The text may have undergone recensions and redactions, indicating multiple authors over time.
- Chandragupta Maurya is not mentioned in the text, leading to uncertainty about whether it describes Mauryan, pre-Mauryan, or post-Mauryan society.
- Despite these debates, the Arthashastra confirms details from archaeological and foreign sources, suggesting its reflection of conditions in India during the mid-first millennium BCE.