Mauryan Empire

After Alexander went back to Babylon in 324 BC, a man called Chandra Gupta was able to topple the old Aryan kingdom of Nanda and form a new large empire across northern India and Afghanistan. When people asked him how he had done what he said (according to Greek historians) that he got the idea from Alexander. Chandra Gupta conquered the Indus valley back from the Greeks and as part of the peace he married the daughter of Seleucus, who had succeeded Alexander.

The Nanda King Dhanananda, had by his tyrannical ways created many enemies, and one of them, a proud and fiery man of the high Brahmin class, which he had thoughtlessly insulted in court, was fast enough to cause his downfall. This was Chanakya who, under the pseudonym of Kautilya, later wrote the famous political book 'Arthashastra'. A relentless opponent, he had promised not to tie her hair in the traditional Brahminical top-knot, until he had avenged his insult. This was not particularly worried Dhanananda what could be a single Brahmin do anyway? He banished him from Pataliputra and found it at the end of the matter.

On the journey into exile through Vindya mountains behind, Chanakya met Chandra Gupta Maurya, a young man, who was also deeply personal grudge against Nanda. Chandra Gupta Maurya's background is unclear. He was either the son of a Nanda prince and a maid-servant called mura, or came from Moriya Breed of Peacock tamers, the last one might explain why Peacock later became his principal emblem. Anyway, whatever his origin, Chandra Gupta's spirited personality impresssed Chanakya and he decided that he would do a far better king than the oppressive and debauched Dhanananda.

Together, they started to provoke the people of Magadha against Dhanananda and that since there were be many among the population that Dhanananda had violated somehow, it was not long before they had managed to assemble a considerable force. The new Mauryan army was still numerically inferior Dhanananda, but under the inspired leadership, lacked neither courage nor perseverance. There was just as good as success came only after many severe setbacks, and apparently also by Chanakya overheard a mother tell her child to eat his hot meal from the sides inward. Takes hint, stopped Mauryan army tries to seize Pataliputra and began to attack only the peripheral areas of Magadha instead. Flow turned in their favor now. By 321 B.C. Chandra Gupta was succeeded by Nanda and the long reign Mauryans had begun.

The emergence of Mauryans brought them into conflict with the next Greek general Seleucus I Nicator, who had inherited both Alexander's Asian holdings and his empire-building dreams. These, Chandra Gupta crushed in 303 B.C. The resulting treaty gave the loser 500 war elephants and granted to the victorious Changragupta the Seleucid provinces Trans-Indus (Afghanistan), Seleucus daughter Helen in marriage, and future court presence of Seleucid ambassador Megasthenes. The latter is intriguing because of his time, 'Indika', has survived in fragments over centuries.

Stretching from Afghanistan to Bengal to Mysore, was Mauryan Empire subcontinent first centralized power and also its most extraordinarily well administered, guided as it was by the authoritarian state-craft philosophy Chanakya's 'Arthashastra'. State owned all the farms, forests, mines and industries, maintaining a standing army and efficient spy system, followed a fair, if strict judicial policy and a free religious one, had commercial and diplomatic relations with foreign powers such as Egypt, Syria, Rome, Greece and China, invited art and culture, and patronized the famous Universities of Taxila and Pataliputra. Citizens, in general, was prosperous and content, and remained so for the next 136 years.

Chandra Gupta was succeeded by his son Bindusara also proved a capable ruler and significantly extended the Empire's borders. His successor was Ashoka, who according to legend, came to the throne after a fratricide struggle for ascent, and seemed initially to be atleast as much of an Empire-builder, like his predecessors. But he has changed tracks after a brutal war with Kalinga empire, which took an unprecedented toll of lives and property. Racked with guilt, Ashoka forswore war and adopted the principles of Buddhism. The most religious person, they say, is the newest convert, and Ashoka was no exception. The rest of his reign was spent in taking comprehensive measures to spread Buddhism throughout the Indian subcontinent and also abroad. He established trees, highways, rest houses, schools, colleges, even veterinary clinics, gave alms to the poor and the sick, and did many other things which he believed would benefit his subjects. For this he regarded as the greatest of the Mauryan Kings. There was one drawback to all this unlimited kindness itself. By choosing Buddhism of warfare and reject the practical Arthashastra policies, unfortunately, he weakened the kingdom of his descendants, and they are far less talented men, were unable to withstand the disintegrating forces. In 185 BC, was the murder of the last emperor, Brihadratha, the Mauryan Empire no more.