Mauryan Empire

Chandragupta Maurya ( C.322 -297 BC )

The foundation stone of Mauryan Empire was put by “Chandragupta Maurya” with the help of “Kautilya” ( Chanakya or Vishnugupta ) after defeating the last Nanda ruler “Dhana Nanda” ( named on account of his vast tresury ). There is a controversy over the origin

 of Mauryas. According to Buddhist tradition Chandragupta beloged to the Moriya clan of the Buddha's tribe of Shakyas, who lived in a tract full of peacocks ( mora ),  and the Jain tradition makes him a son of a royal superintendent of peacocks ( mayura-poshaka ),  both incapable of proof but less improbable than the claim of late sanskrit literature that Chandragupta was the son or grandson of a Nanda king. The 'Mudrakshasa' ( written by Vishakhadatta ) refers to Chandragupta Maurya as being of low social origin and used the terms Vrishala and Kulahina for him. The early medieval writers ‘Kshemendram' and ‘Somadeva’ called him
                                                                    Purva - Nanda - Suta ( son of a genuine Nanda ).

Conquest of Chandragupta Maurya

Various scholars have different point of views regarding the conquests of Chandragupta Maurya. According to Upinder Singh “Chandragupta Maurya may have first established himself in the Punjab and then moved eastwards until he gained control over Magadha with the help of Kautilya”. Many texts such as Puranas, Milindapanho, Mudraraksha, Mahavamshatika and Parishishtaparvan refers to his conflict with the Nandas. According to Jain and Greek sources Chandragupta Maurya first libirated Punjab from the Greeks. By the time of Ashoka the Mauryan Empire had been extended to the Karnataka region, it is possible that the major conquests had been made by many years earlier by Chandragupta. 
Other conquests of Chandragupta, Gujrat and Malwa. The Junagarh rock inscription of Rudradaman in Saurashtra ( Gujrat ), AD 150 is evident of the fact that Gujrat was the part of Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta.The Girnar inscription of Ashoka appears to be on the same rock. The possession of Gujrat by any power based on Magadha would naturally imply the previous subjugation of Avanti ( Malwa ). Whatever uncertainty about other conquests that he possibly might have made, especially in the Deccan, Chandragupta's success in bringing the whole of North India and much of Afghanistan under his control still represented his outstanding military achievements.

War with the Seleucus Nikator ( 304 B.C. )

By the statement of Plutarch “Not long afterwards, Androcottus, who had by that time mounted the throne, presented Seleucus with 500 elephants and overran and subdued the whole of India with an army of 60,000”. It appears that there was a war fought between Seleucus Nikator and Chandragupta Maurya, when Nekator tried to recover the Indian territory of Alexander, which ended in favor of Chandragupta with a peace treaty (303 B.C.). According to this treaty as stated by Strabo, Chandragupta gifted 500 elephants and obtained Trans Indus region that is the territories of Paropamisade ( Hindukush and Kabul ), Arachosia ( Kandahar ) and Gedrosia ( Baluchistan ). All earlier doubts about Mauryan possession of these territories have been proved by the Ashokan inscriptions that is Ashoka's Aramaic inscriptions at three sites near Kabul, and his Greek and Aramaic inscriptions at Kandahar, 'Aria' ( Herat ), it may be noted, was not among the transferred territories. Also two entered in a marriage alliance but it is not clear who married whose daughter. Seleucus confirmed his alliance by sending Megasthenes as his envoy to the Mauryan court ( Pataliputra ). He spends much time in Arachosia with its governor Sibyrtius and tells us that he frequently visited the Indian king Sandracottus. He lived many years in India and traveled and left an excellent contemporary account ( Indica ) on India, which is in four parts.He was the first Greek writer who note the presence of endogamy and fixed occupations in Indian social communities.

Extant of Mauyan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya

According to Girnar Inscription of Rudradaman 1^st about (about 150 B.C.)  Pushyagupta ( Governor of Chandragupta in Gujarat ) constructed a dam or a reservoir for irrigation. This points out that these areas of North-western India were also part of Mauryan Empire. But unfortunately there is no further evidence which can points how Gujarat was annexed. Ashoka’s Rock Edict at Sopara ( Maharashtra ) points out that Chandragupta extended his empire to the western India beyond the boundaries of Saurashtra at Konkan, where Sopara is located. Ashoka in his Rock Edict 2^nd and 13^th points out his border states      i.e. Panyas, Cholas, Satyaputras, and Keralaputras. As Ashoka apart of Kalinga war did not made any conquest nor Bindusar. So, Chandragupta must have made south Indian conquests.

According to Parisistaparvan, Chandragupta at the end of his life embraced Jainism and step down from the throne in favoure of his son Bindusara. With Bhadrabahu ( Jain Monk ) and other Jain monks he went to Sravana Belgola ( near Mysore ), where he ended his life according to Jaina fashion by starving himself to death. According to Puranas, Chandragupta ruled for 24 years i.e. B.C.301 - B.C.300 or B.C. 298-297.

Bindusara ( 297 - 273 B.C )

The Mahabhashya refers to the Chandragupta Maurya’s successor as Amitraghata, while the Greek aacounts called him Amitrochatas or Allitrochates. The Jaina scholar Hemachandra and the Tibetan historian Taranatha states that Chanakya outlived Chandragupta and continued as a minister of Bindusara.According to Taranatha, the Tibetan buddhist monk who visited India in the 16^th century, Bindusara conquered 16 states comprising ‘the land between two seas’ Presumably Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal.

Greek sources refer to his diplomatic relations with western king. According to Strabo, Antiochus, king of Syria, sent an ambassador - Deimachus to his court. Ptolmey mentions that Ptolemy 2^nd Philadelpuos, ruler of Egypt, sent an ambassador - Dionysius, but whether he was received by Bindusara or Ashoka is not clear. He might have subdued the "Andhras"( modern Andhra ), as they were mentioned in the Ashok's Rock Edict 13 as one of the peoples within the empire. Buddhist legends talks about his control over Taxila and Ujjain. Divyavadana talks about that he sent his son Ashoka to suppress a rebellion in Taxila; and Mahavamsa states that Ashoka was his viceroy at Ujjain when Bindusara hd his last illness. According to Puranas, Bindusara ruled for 25 years; but Mahavamsa put the lenght of his reign at 28 years. In the religious sphere Bindusara was more interested in the Ajivika sect than in other heterodox sects. In fact, there was an Ajivika fortune teller (Pingulavatsa) at Bindusara's court, who, prophesied the Ashoka would become king at the time of his birth.

Ashoka ( 268B.C.-232 B.C. )

Sri Lankan chronicles, Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa speaks of Ashoka putting to sword his 99 brothers, including the eldest, Sumana and leaved only one the youngest Tishya. Although the so called war of succession between Ashoka and his brothers is not to be believed yet but there is an unexplained interval between the death of Bindusara ( 273-272 B.C.) an the coronation of Ashoka ( 269-268 B.C. ). On his accession, Ashoka used the title Devanamapiya Piyadasi Raja, which appears in his inscription. Ashoka's own name was first time appeared only in the inscriptions in the 'Maski Edict', but now further inscriptions containing it have been discovered at Gurjarra, containing the same edict, and at Nittur and Udegolam, in copies of Minor Edict 2. The Minor Rock Edicts are probably the earliest inscribed edicts of Asoka; as in his subsequent edicts, his personal name never appears. In the Puranas he is called by the name of Ashokavardhana and Grinar inscription of Rudradaman mentioned him as Ashoka The Maurya. Ashoka assumed two titles in his edicts Devanampiya and Piyadassi. In the Calcutta-Bhubru Inscrption, Ashoka refers to himself as Piyadasi Laja Magadha, i.e., Piyadasi, the king of Magadha.

According to Buddhist accounts his mother was Jnanapada Kalyani or Subhadrangi. As a prince he served as viceroy of Ujjain and Taxila. Ashoka’s first queen was Devi or Vedisa Mahadevi. His other two wives are Karuvaki and Asandhimitra. Karuvaki is mentioned in the Queen’s Edict inscribed on pillar at Allahabad, in which her religious and charitable donations are mentioned. She is discribed as the mother of prince Tivara, the only son of Ashoka to be mentioned by name in inscriptions. 
     

  Dhamma

Dhamma as explained in “Ashoka’s Edicts” is not a religion or a religious system but a ‘Moral law’, ‘a common code of conduct’ or an ‘ethical order’which is a common meeting ground for all the religions. In pillar edict-2^nd, Ashoka himself put the question “Dhamma is good and what is Dhamma ?” Then he states the two basic attributes and constituents of Dhamma ,i.e, less evil or sins and many good deeds. Ashoak’s learnings of Buddhism is well recorded in his Prakrit edicts, which often led scholars to label Ashoka’s Dhamma as

Buddism and Ashoka as Buddist King. This edict has to be set aside as in the Greek edicts the term Dhamma is translated as ‘Eu’sebeia’ or ‘Doctrine of Peity’ ( edicts from shar-i-kuna ). The same term is translated in Aramaic as ‘Qsyt’( truth ) and ‘Data’ ( law ) respectively in the Shar-i- Kuna and the Taxila pillar edicts. Historians are now more or less agree that Dhamma highlighted a broad social and ethical code of conduct and acceptable to the diverse communities in the vast Mauryan empire.Rock edict 13, naturally leads us to expect, that meseries occured due to the slaughter and suffering of people during his conquest of kalinga, induced him to stop territorial conquest and starts " dhammavijaya", or "dhamma conquest". It is evident from the Rock Edict 7th and 12th that his message of Dhamma is addressed to followers of all religious sects. In Piller Edict 8, he proclaimes that his patronage is not only for samgha, the Buddhist order, but also for the Brahmans, Ajivikas and Jains. The absence of any political demands in the name of dhamma is another suprising element of the Ashokan dhamma. No where he calls his subject to obey his order as part of their dhamma.

Features of Dhamma

Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions are about Dhamma ( the Prakrit form of Dharma ).

Pillar Edicts 6

It mentions the practise of installation of edicts on Dhamma in different parts of the Empire was started 12 years after the coronation of Ashoka. From the time of coronation to the end of his regin it appears that he was obsessed with explaining and propagating Dhamma. Ahimsa is an important feature of Dhamma and is frequently emphasized by Ashoka in his edicts.

Rock Edict 1

It announces ban on animal sacrifices and on certain kind of festive gatherings that probably included the killing of animals also announces reduction should be there in animal killing for the royal kitchen.

Rock Edict 11
It states that Dhamma is the best of all gifts . It is about liberty towards slaves and servants, towards friends and relatives as well as towards Brahmans and Shramans and prohibiting the killing of living beings.

Pillar Edict 2
It states that Dhamma is consisted of least sins and performs very virtuous deeds, compassion, liberty, truth fullness, and purity.

Rock Edict 12
It is all about understanding the Dhamma of other sects and respecting them and king expects from his people that they stop criticising the other sects and praising their own sect.

Rock Edict 2
It is about provision for the medical herbs, roots and fruits and digging of wells.

Rock Edict 7
It mentions not only in his kingdom but also in the neighbouring kingdoms such as Chola and Pandyas provision for medical treatment etc. were there as well.

Rock Edict 9.
It begins with the criticism of ceremonies performed by people especially by woman's for illness, marriage, birth, and going on journeys.

Rock Edict 6
It talks about the ideals and goals to promote the welfare of his people and ensures there happiness in this world and after this world.

Rock Edict 13

It is about “Kalinga War” and its consequent feelings of Ashoka. This edict also mentions the horror of the Kalinga war an the miseries directly and indirectly happened by this war for all. It states that according to Ashoka, Dhamma Vijaya is best kind of conquest and he claims that with the help of this policy he ruled over cholas, Yavanas, Cheras etc.This edict ends with the hope expressing by Ashoka that his successors would not lead any fresh conquest by arms.

The Propagation of Dhamma

Ashoka took a large number of measures to propagate the Dhamma in his empire and in other kingdoms and empires.The significant measures he took for propagating the Dhamma are as below

• Issue of Dhamma lipis and Dhamma stambha respectively in the form of Rock Edicts and Pillar Edicts.
• Appointment of Dhamma-Mahamatas.
• Dhamma yatras, royal tours for promoting Dhamma.
• Administrative measures suited to the principles of Dhamma.

Major Rock Edicts in series

• Major Rock Edict states ' Here no living being must be killed', it prohibits animal sacrifice on holidays or on festive gathering.
• Major Rock Edict II relates to measures of social welfare. It mentions medical treatment for men and animals, construction of roads, wells and tree planting.
• Major Rock Edict III declares that liberality towards Brahmans and Sramanas is a virtuious, and that respecting ones parents is a good quality.
• Major Rock Edict IV comments that because of the policy of Dhamma the lack of morality and disrespect towards Sramanas and Brahmans, violence, unseemly behaviour to friends, relatives and others, and evils of this kind have been checked. The killing of animals to a large extent was also stopped.
• Major Rock Edict V issued in the 26th regnal year, in this edict Ashoka forbade the killing of certain animals ( certain birds, a series of aquatic animals etc.). This edict also refers to the appointment of Dhamma-mahamatta for the first time in the twelfth year of his reign. These special officers were appointed by the king to look after the interests of all sects and religions and spread the message of Dhamma.  Also there is a reference to the release of presioners, he ordered apparently once every year after his accession.
• Major Rock Edict VI is an instruction to Dhamma-mahamattas. They are told that they could bring their reports to the king at any time. The second part of the Edict deals with speedy administration and the transaction of smooth business.
• Major Rock Edict VII is a plea for tolerance amongst all sects. It appears from the edict that tensions among the sects were intense perhaps in open antagonism. The plea is a part of the over all strategy to maintain unity.
• Major Rock Edict VIII states that Dhammayatras ( tours ) would be undertaken by the emperor. The earlier practice of the emperor going out on hunting expeditions was given up. Dhammayatras enabled the emperor to come into contact with various sections of people in the empire.
• Major Rock Edict IX attacks ceremonies performed after birth, illness, marriage and before going on a journey. A censure passed against ceremonies observed by wives and mothers. Ashoka instead lays stress on practice of Dhamma and the uselessness of ceremonies.
• Major Rock Edict X denounces fame and glory and reasserts the merits of following the policy of Dhamma.
• Major Rock Edict XI is a further explanation of the policy of Dhamma. It emphases the respect of elders, abstaining from killing animals, and liberality towards friends.
• Major Rock Edict XII is another appeal for tolerance among sects. This edict reflects the anxiety the king felt because of conflict between sects and carries his plea for harmony.
• Major Rock Edict XIII is of paramount importance in understanding the Ashokan policy of Dhamma. The Rock Edict pleads for conquest by Dhamma instead of war. This is logical culmination of the thought processes which began from the first Rock Edict, and by conquest what is perhaps meant is the adaptation of the policy of Dhamma by a country, rather than its territorial control. It also explains the horror of kalinga war in detail.
• Major Rock Edict XIV Ashoka said, "My dominions are wide, and much has been written, and I shall cause still more to be written. And some of this has been stated again and again because of the charm of certain topics and in order that men should act accordingly"

Extant of Mauryan Empire under Ashoka

Rock Edict 2nd and 13th makes it clear that the north western frontier of the empire bordered on the Seleucid Empire, because Antiochus (1st or 2nd ) is said to be Ashoka's immediate neighbour. 
Ashokan inscription at kandhar in laghman ( in Afghanistan ), and at shahbazgarhi and Mansehra (in north-western frontier province, pakistan ) established that the Mauryan extended deep into the Afghanistan, justifing the reference to Yonas and Kambojas placed with in the Empire in Rock Edict 13 and also in Rock Edict 5. 
It is not certain that Kashmir was in Mauryan possession, but the inscribed rock at Kalsi ( near Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal ) and the Rummindei  and Nigali Sagar Pillar inscription in Neapalese Terai that the Mauryan limits ran in the Gangetic plains along the base of the Himalayan Mountains. 
An official inscription at Mahasthan in Bangladesh suggest that much of Bengal has been subjugated.
In the west, the Girnar Rock inscription of Ashoka and the statement in Rudradaman's Junagarh inscription of AD 150 show that Gujrat was Under Mauryan Empire.
On the Eastern coast the inscription at Dhauli and Jaugada in Orissa fully confirm Ashokan inscriptions on the Karnataka platueau and in southern Andhra.
Non has so far been discovered in Tamil Nadu and Kerela; and this accords with the fact that Ashoka, in Rock Edict 2nd and 13th put the territories of the Chodas, Pandiyas, Satiyaputras and Keralaputras, as well as Tambapamni ( Sri Lanka ), out side the border of his empire.



Sources of Mauryan Empire

Conclusion

The history of Mauryan Empire is a controversial subject as from the beginning there are many stories about the origin of Mauryas like Jaina tradittion , gives their lineage to the Peacock Tamers ( Mayura-Poshakas ) and the sanskrit literature claims that Chandragupta was the son or grandson of a Nanda king.
The Mauryas were the good warriors as well which is evident from the war with Seleucus Nikator and Ashoka's Kalinga war but this warrior quality receded after the Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism and implimentation of Dhammavijaya which also appears from his Rock Edicts.
It appears that aftar Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka extanded the empire to its peak and under him Mauryan Empire reach to its zenath.

Reference

Habib Irfan, ( and )  Jha, Vivekanand., Mauryan India.

Singh Upinder, A history of Ancient and Early Medieval India.

Thapar Romila, Ashoka and the Decline of the Mauryas.
Norman,K.R., Notes on Ashoka's Fifth Pillar Edict.
Norman,K.R., Ashoka and Capital Punishment : Notes on a Portion of Ashoka's Fourth Pillar Edict, with an Appendix on the Accusative Absolute Construction.

Reddy, Krishna k., Indian History.