Document RG
Document RG
Document RG
extensive and powerful political and military empire in ancient India. Chandragupta Maurya founded the
empire in 322 BCE after overthrowing the Nanda dynasty. The Mauryan Empire, a state centered in
Pataliputra (later Patna) near the confluence of the Son and Ganges (Ganga) rivers in ancient India,
lasted from 321 to 185 BCE. It was the first empire to cover most of the Indian subcontinent.
Mauryan Empire
The Maurya Empire, founded around 321 BC and ending in 185 BC, was the first pan-Indian empire, a
state that covered most of the Indian subcontinent. It stretched across central and northern India and
parts of modern-day Iran. As Alexander the Great’s power began to wane, Chandragupta Maurya, the
first leader of the Maurya Empire, began to consolidate territory. Alexander’s death in 323 BC left a
power vacuum. Chandragupta took advantage, raising an army and overthrowing the Nanda power in
Magadha, present-day eastern India, thus establishing the Mauryan Empire.
In ancient India, many significant empires evolved. One of them was the Mauryan Empire. Established by
Chandragupta Maurya, the Mauryan Empire was an important dynasty in our history.
Extent of Empire From present-day Afghanistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east, and from
the Himalayas in the north to the Deccan Plateau in the south
Economic System Agrarian economy with significant revenue from agriculture; Trade and
commerce flourished along well-maintained trade routes.
Religious Policies Initially, favored Jainism but later adopted a policy of religious tolerance; Ashoka
converted to Buddhism and spread its teachings throughout the empire.
Major Achievements Unified a vast territory under one rule, Constructed an extensive network of
roads, and promoted trade; Ashoka’s rock edicts and pillars spread moral and ethical teachings.
Decline and Successors Declined after Ashoka’s death due to weak successors and external invasions;
Overthrown by the Sunga dynasty in 185 BCE
Maurya Empire
Following Alexander the Great’s demise in 323 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya, the Mauryan dynasty’s
founder, seized the Punjab region from the southeastern fringes of Alexander’s former empire.
With peace secured along the western border, Chandragupta directed his military efforts eastward and
southward. By the end of his reign, he had extended his empire across northern India.
Bindusara, Chandragupta’s son, continued the empire’s expansion deep into the Deccan, reaching the
region now known as Karnataka.
Bindusara’s son, Ashoka (reigned c. 265–238 BCE or c. 273–232 BCE), added Kalinga to the vast empire.
However, this addition marked the empire’s final expansion, as the brutal conquest of Kalinga prompted
Ashoka to renounce military conquest.
Instead of military pursuits, Ashoka embraced Buddhism and established dharma as the state ideology.
After Ashoka’s death, the empire contracted due to invasions, defections by southern princes, and
disputes over succession.
The last ruler, Brihadratha, was assassinated in 185 BCE by his Brahman commander-in-chief,
Pushyamitra, who founded the Shunga dynasty, which ruled central India for about a century.