60-second revision
- Chandragupta Maurya founded the empire c. 321 BCE with Kautilya (Arthashastra); Megasthenes wrote Indica.
- Ashoka fought the Kalinga war c. 261 BCE; it is described in Major Rock Edict XIII.
- Most edicts are in Prakrit in Brahmi script; Kharoshthi in the north-west; Greek and Aramaic in Afghanistan.
- James Prinsep deciphered Brahmi in 1837; Ashoka's own name appears in the Maski edict.
- Pushyamitra Shunga killed the last Mauryan, Brihadratha, c. 185 BCE.
- Kharavela of Kalinga: Hathigumpha inscription, Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar.
- Rudradaman I's Junagadh inscription (c. 150 CE) is the first long inscription in chaste Sanskrit.
- Kanishka: Saka era 78 CE (traditionally), fourth Buddhist council, Gandhara and Mathura art.
Sources
- Arthashastra of Kautilya (Chanakya) — a treatise on statecraft and administration.
- Indica of Megasthenes, Greek envoy of Seleucus Nicator — survives only in quotations by later writers.
- Ashoka's inscriptions — the first royal inscriptions of India.
- Mudrarakshasa of Vishakhadatta (a later play) — tells how Chandragupta came to power.
- Buddhist and Jain texts, and Puranas.
The Mauryan rulers
| Ruler | Rough dates | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Chandragupta Maurya | c. 321–297 BCE | Overthrew the Nandas with Kautilya; defeated Seleucus Nicator, who sent Megasthenes; Jain tradition says he died at Shravanabelagola |
| Bindusara | c. 297–273 BCE | Called Amitraghata ("slayer of foes"); Greek envoy Deimachus |
| Ashoka | c. 268–232 BCE | Kalinga war c. 261 BCE; turned to dhamma; third Buddhist council |
| Brihadratha | ended c. 185 BCE | Last Mauryan; killed by Pushyamitra Shunga |
Ashoka and his dhamma
The Kalinga war, about eight years after Ashoka's coronation, caused huge loss of life. Afterwards he gave up conquest by war and preached dhamma: respect for elders, kindness to slaves and servants, generosity to Brahmins and shramanas, non-violence towards animals and tolerance of all sects. He appointed dhamma mahamattas to spread it, and sent missions abroad — his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra went to Sri Lanka. Ashoka's dhamma was a code of ethics, not a new religion.
| Inscription type | What to know |
|---|---|
| 14 Major Rock Edicts | Girnar, Kalsi, Dhauli, Jaugada, Shahbazgarhi, Mansehra and others; Edict XIII on Kalinga |
| Minor Rock Edicts | Maski, Gujarra, Brahmagiri and others; some mention Ashoka by name |
| 7 Pillar Edicts | On pillars at Delhi-Topra, Delhi-Meerut, Lauriya and elsewhere |
| Language and script | Prakrit in Brahmi; Kharoshthi at Shahbazgarhi and Mansehra; Greek and Aramaic at Kandahar |
Administration, economy and art
- Capital Pataliputra; provincial centres at Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri.
- King advised by a council of ministers (mantriparishad); samaharta collected revenue, sannidhata kept the treasury.
- Land revenue from one-sixth to one-fourth of the produce; the state ran mines, forests and workshops.
- Megasthenes described Pataliputra and divided society into seven classes.
- Polished sandstone pillars (from Chunar) topped with animal capitals; the Sarnath lion capital is India's national emblem.
- Barabar caves (Bihar) gifted to Ajivika monks; Didarganj Yakshi is a famous polished figure.
The empire broke up within about fifty years of Ashoka's death. Historians point to weak successors, the division of the empire, the cost of a huge army and bureaucracy, revolts in distant provinces and pressure from the north-west. An older view blamed Ashoka's pacifism and a Brahmin reaction against his policies, but most historians now treat these as minor factors at best.
After the Mauryas (c. 185 BCE – 3rd century CE)
| Dynasty / ruler | Region | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Shungas (Pushyamitra) | Magadha and central India | Revival of Vedic sacrifices; grammarian Patanjali; Bharhut stupa railings |
| Kanvas (Vasudeva) | Magadha | Short-lived successors of the Shungas |
| Kharavela (Chedi dynasty) | Kalinga | Hathigumpha inscription, Udayagiri; patron of Jainism |
| Satavahanas | Deccan; capital Pratishthana (Paithan) | Mother's names (Gautamiputra Satakarni); lead coins; land grants to monks; Nasik inscription of Gautami Balashri |
| Indo-Greeks (Menander) | North-west | Coins with king's portrait; Milindapanho with Nagasena |
| Shakas (Rudradaman I) | Western India | Junagadh inscription c. 150 CE, first long Sanskrit inscription; Sudarshana lake repaired |
| Parthians (Gondophares) | North-west | Tradition links St Thomas with his court |
| Kushanas (Kanishka) | Central Asia to the Ganga; capital Purushapura (Peshawar) | Saka era 78 CE; fourth Buddhist council; Gandhara and Mathura art; Ashvaghosha, Charaka, Nagarjuna |
The Kushanas issued gold coins on a large scale. Under them two schools of sculpture flourished: Gandhara, with Greek-influenced style in grey schist, and Mathura, an indigenous style in red sandstone. Images of the Buddha became common in this period.
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