india The Mauryan Empire

Origins of The Mauryan Empire

Prior to the rise of the Maurya, numerous states, large and small, covered northern India. This was theclassical age of the history of ancient India, a time of religious ferment when two new faiths, Buddhism and Jainism, appeared.

One of the largest of these states was Magadha. It was located in the eastern part of the Ganges plain, on the periphery of the Aryan cultural area. At this stage in Indian history other states apparently regarded Magadha as semi-barbarous. Perhaps its position on the frontiers of the Aryan world meant that its people were not too strict in their commitment to the old Vedic religion of northern India. It is certainly the case that the two non-orthodox faiths of Jainism and Buddhism flourished here in their early days, and found patrons amongst the Magadha kings.

Gradually, over a century or more, Magadha extended its borders. Then, under a line of kings of the Nanda dynasty (reigned c. 424-322 BC), the kingdom dramatically expanded, to cover a large part of northern India.

Chandragupta

The Mauryan period of ancient Indian history was really inaugurated by the conquest of northwest India byAlexander the Great, in 326 BC. This seems to have destabilized the political situation amongst the Aryan states in the region, allowing the first great conqueror in Indian history, Chandragupta Maurya (reigned 322-298 BC), to rise to power.

Chandragupta - Statue of a standing young man in red stone.

Chandragupta seized control of the throne of Maghada from the last Nanda king, and then proceeded to conquer that part of northern India which still remained outside Magadha's borders. He drove out the Seleucids, Alexander's successors, from the Indian subcontinent, and went on to conquer the easternmost provinces of Alexander's former empire, reaching into Afghanistan and eastern Iran.

Internally, building on foundations laid by the Nanda kings, his reign saw the establishment of a strong central government. This was the work of his highly capable chief minister, Chanakya.

Chandragupta was succeeded by his son, Bindusara (reigned 298-272 BC). He continued his father's conquests by extending Mauryan power down into central India.

Asoka

Bindusara was followed by his son, Asoka (reigned 272-232 BC). Asoka proved to be one of the most remarkable, and attractive, rulers in the history of India, and indeed the whole of world history.

After a bloody war against Kalinga, in eastern India, Asoka renounced warfare and converted to Buddhism. He determined that henceforward he would reign in peace.