INTRODUCTION:-

The imperial history of India begins with the rise to power of Chandragupta
Maurya. He founded the first imperial dynasty of India soon after
Alexanders invasion. It was the direct outcome of a foreign invasion, which
aroused the national consciousness of the Indians and gave birth to a strong
national movement. Chandragupta Maurya spearheads this movement, and
within three years of Alexanders return from India, liberated north-western
India and the Punjab from the yoke of foreign rule. Thereafter, he took
possession of Magadha after overthrowing the Nanda dynasty, and
transformed the Mauryan Empire into a strong national monarchy.
Chandragupta Maurya was the first national ruler of India, who successfully
undertook the process of political unification of the country and introduced a
uniform system of government and administration throughout his empire.

The Mauryan Empire lasted more than a century. Chandragupta Maurya ruled
from 322-298 B.C., and his son and successor, named Bindusara, occupied
the throne of Magadha for another twenty five years from 298-273 B.C.
Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, was by far the greatest ruler
of his dynasty, who embraced Buddhism and made it the state religion; he
ruled from 273 to 232 B.C. The Mauryan Empire rapidly disintegrated under
the weak successors of Ashoka, but they continued to rule over Magadha till
185 B.C. The last incumbent of the Mauryan dynasty, named Brihaddratha,
was assassinated by his commander-in-chief Pushyamitra, who laid the
foundation of the Sunga dynasty at Magadha.

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LITERARY SOURCES:-

Kautilyas Arthasastra:- This book in Sanskrit was written

by Kautilya, a contemporary of Chandragupta Maurya.
Kautilya was also called Indian Machiavelli. The
manuscript of Arthasastra was first discovered by R.
Shama Sastri in 1904. The Arthasastra contains 15
books and 180 chapters but it can be divided into three
parts: the first deals with the king and his council and
the departments of government; the second with civil
and criminal law; and the third with diplomacy and war.
It is the most important literary source for the history of
the Mauryas.

Visakadattas Mudrarakshasa:- The Mudrarakshasa

written by Visakadatta is a drama in Sanskrit. Although
written during the Gupta period, it describes how
Chandragupta with the assistance of Kautilya overthrew
the Nandas. It also gives a picture on the socio-
economic condition under the Mauryas.

Megasthenes Indica:- Megasthenes was the Greek

ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. His
book Indica has survived only in fragments. Yet, his
account gives details about the Mauryan administration,
particularly the administration of the capital city of
Pataliputra and also the military organization. His picture

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 on contemporary social life is notable. Certain
unbelievable information provided by him has to be
treated with caution.

Other Literature:-Apart from these three important

works, the Puranas and the Buddhist literature such as
Jatakas provide information on the Mauryas. The
Ceylonese Chronicles Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa throw
light on the role Asoka in spreading Buddhism in Sri
Lanka.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOURCES:-
Edicts of Asoka:- The inscriptions of Asoka were first
deciphered by James Princep in 1837. They are written
in Pali language and in some places Prakrit was used.
The Brahmi script was employed for writing. In the
northwestern India Asokan inscriptions were found in
Karoshti script. There are fourteen Major Rock Edicts.
The two Kalinga Edicts are found in the newly conquered
territory. The major pillar Edicts were erected in
important cities. There are minor Rock Edicts and minor
pillar Edicts. These Edicts of Asoka deal with Asokas
Dhamma and also instructions given to his officials. The

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 XIII Rock Edict gives details about his war with Kalinga.
The Pillar Edict VII gives a summary of his efforts to
promote the Dhamma within his kingdom. Thus the
Asokan inscriptions remain valuable sources for the
study of Asoka and the Mauryan Empire.

EARLY HISTORY:-

The Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya with the help of
his guru Chanakya or Kautilya, a Brahmin teacher at Takshashila. According
to several legends, Chanakya traveled to Magadha, a kingdom that was large
and militarily powerful and feared by its neighbors, but was insulted by its
king Dhana Nanda, of the Nanda Dynasty. Chanakya swore revenge and
vowed to destroy the Nanda Empire.

The Greek generals Eudemus, and Peithon, ruled until around 316 BCE,
when Chandragupta Maurya (with the help of Chanakya, who was now his
advisor) utterly defeated the Macedonians and consolidated the region under
the control of his new seat of power in Magadha.

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Chandragupta Maurya's rise to power is shrouded in mystery and
controversy. On the one hand, a number of ancient Indian accounts, such as
the drama Mudrarakshasa (Poem of Rakshasa Rakshasa was the prime
minister of Magadha) by Visakhadatta, describe his royal ancestry and even
link him with the Nanda family. A kshatriya tribe known as the Mauryas are
referred to in the earliest Buddhist texts, Mahaparinibbana Sutta. However,
any conclusions are hard to make without further historical evidence.
Chandragupta first emerges in Greek accounts as "Sandrokottos". As a young
man he is said to have met Alexander. He is also said to have met the Nanda
king, angered him, and made a narrow escape. Chanakya's original intentions
were to train a guerilla army under Chandragupta's command. The
Mudrarakshasa of Visakhadutta as well as the Jaina work Parisishtaparvan
talk of Chandragupta's alliance with the Himalayan king Parvatka, sometimes
identified with Porus.

LIST OF MAURYAN RULERS:-

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 NAME REIGN REIGN
START (B.C.) END (B.C.)

Chandragupta Maurya 322 298

Bindusara 299 274

Ashoka 273 232

Dasaratha 232 224

Samprati 224 215

Salisuka 215 202

Devavarman 202 195

Satadhanvan 195 187

Brihadratha 187 185

CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA (322-298 B.C.):- He was the founder

of the Maurya Empire by defeating Dhanananda, the then king of the
Nanda Dynasty. He succeeded in conquering almost the entire Indian
subcontinent and is considered the first unifier of India as well as its
first genuine emperor. After Chandragupta's conquests, the Maurya

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 Empire extended from Bengal and Assam in the east,
to Afghanistan and Balochistan, some part of the eastern and south-
east Iran, the west, to Kashmir and Nepal in the north, and to
the Deccan Plateau in the south. Tradition holds that Chandragupta
abdicated his throne to become a Digambara Jain monk and led such
an ascetic life that he starved himself to death. He was succeeded
by his son in 299 BC.

Chandragupta's achievements, which ranged from conquering

Macedonian satrapies in the northwest and conquering the Nanda
Empire by the time he was only about 20 years old, to achieving an
alliance with Seleucus I Nicator and establishing centralized rule
throughout the Indian Subcontinent, remain some of the most
celebrated in the history of India.

BINDUSARA (299-274 B.C.):- Chandragupta Maurya was succeeded

by his son Bindusara. He has been given the tittle of Amitraghat or
Slayer of enemies by the Greek writers. However, we have no idea of
the enemies of Bindusara and the way he defeated them. All that we
know about him is that the people of Taxila revolted twice during the
reign of Bindusara. On the first occasion, the revolt was on account of
the bad administration of the province by Prince Susima. The revolt
was put down by the Ashoka. The second revolt could not be
suppressed on account of the death of Bindusara. The author of the
Arya-Manjusri-Mulkalpa states that Chanakya survived his master and
continued to work as the Minister of Bindusara. The Greek writers tell
us that Bindusara took delight in pleasure. He even requested
Antiochos I Soter, king of Syria, to send him some pigs and raisin
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 wine. During the reign of Bindusara, Deimachos succeeded
Megasthenes as ambassador to the court of Bindusara. Bindusara had a
large number of sons. Prince Susima was the eldest son and he was
appointed as a Viceroy of Taxila. His second son was Asoka who was
put incharge of Ujjain. It is stated that there was fratricidal war among
the children of Bindusara and a large number of persons were killed.
According to the Puranas, Bindusara ruled for 25 years. However, the
Buddhist tradition is that Bindusara ruled for 27 or 28 years.

ASHOKA (272- 232 B.C.):- Ashoka, also known as Devanampiya

Piyadasi (beloved of the Gods), was one of the most distinguished
emperors of the Mauryan dynasty, and is remembered as one of the
greatest emperors of India. Not only was he well known for his able
rule but also for work he did in spreading Buddhist ideas and teachings
throughout the country. Such was his greatness that elements of his
time still exist, for instance the official emblem of the Republic of
India, is the four lion capital which used to adorn the famous Ashoka
pillars, which were used by Ashoka to spread his ideas to the four
corners of his kingdom. Ashoka ruled for almost three decades and his
rule is a fairly well documented period in Indian history. He left us a
variety of sources of information, especially the inscriptions on rocks
and pillars. Ashoka was one of the sons of the earlier Mauryan king,
Bindusara. Early in his political career he was given the important
viceroyalties of Taxila and Ujjain. When his father died, he arrived at
the capital Patiliputra and after a power struggle between his brothers
he emerged as the next ruler of the Mauryan empire. During the early
years of his rule he was involved in the policy of expansion and

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 increased the size of the Mauryan empire. After the conquest of
Kalinga, Ashoka was a different person. He was then a believer of
Dharma (Morality and Piety). Henolongerorderedmilitaryconquests
to take over kingdoms and instead advocated a system known
asdharmavijaya(conquest by piety). Ashoka soon developed an
interestintheteachingofBuddhism,butinitiallydidnotexpressmuch
enthusiasm for joining the faith. This finally did happen, when he
visitedBodhGaya(theplacewhereBuddhareachedenlightenment)
andinteractedwiththemonksoverthere.Theexperiencefinallymade
uphismindandAshokatookupthereligionwithtremendouszeal.He
soonbegantheprocessoftravellingacrossthecountryspreadingthe
ideasofDharmaandaskingpeopletolivetheirlifewithstrongmoral
values. Ashokaalsosentmissionariesabroadsothatevenpeopleof
foreignlandswouldhavetheopportunitytolearnabouttheseideas.
Ashoka is also credited with constructing one of the first Buddhist
structuresinthecountry,theSanchiStupa.

Ashokawasoneofthemostoutstandingpersonalitiesinthehistoryof
India.Apersonwhohadgreatorganizationalskillsandtrulyexcelled
inwhateverhedid,beittheexpansionandgovernanceofhisempireor
hisincredibleworkinspreadingBuddhistteachings.Duringtheearly
partofhisruleheorganizedthefinestmilitaryconquests,defeatinghis
mostpowerfulenemiesandlaterhespentafantasticamountofenergy
propagating his new ideas and beliefs throughout the empire. As a
person,asarulerandasapreacherAshokahashadfewequalsin
Indianhistory.Heissaidtohavediedsometimearound233BC.

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 DASARATHA (232-224 B.C.):- He was Mauryan Emperor from 232
to 224 BCE. He was a grandson of Ashoka and had succeeded his
grandfather as the imperial ruler of India. Dasaratha presided over a
declining imperium and several territories of the empire broke away
from central rule during his reign. He had continued the religious and
social policies of his celebrated grandfather Ashoka. Dasaratha was the
last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty to have issued imperial inscriptions
thus the last Mauryan Emperor to be known from epigraphical
sources. Dasaratha died in 224 BCE and was succeeded by his
brother Samprati.

SAMPRATI (224-215 B.C.):- Samrat Samprati was an emperor

of Maurya dynasty who reigned from c.224215 BC. He was the son
ofAshoka's blind son, Kunala. He succeeded his cousin, Dasharatha as
emperor of the Maurya Empire and ruled almost the entire present-
day Indian subcontinent. He was the follower of Jainism.

SALISUKA (215-202 B.C.):- Salisuka Maurya was a ruler of the

Indian Maurya dynasty. He ruled from 215-202 BC. He was the
successor of Samprati Maurya. While Yuga Purana section of the Gargi
Samhita mentions him as quarrelsome, unrighteous ruler, he is also
called as being of 'Righteous words' but 'unrighteous conduct' due to
his patronage of Jainism.[1] According to the Puranas he was succeeded
by Devavarman. He followed Buddhism.

DEVAVARMAN (202-195 B.C.):- Devavarma Maurya was a king of

the Maurya empire. He ruled from 202 - 195 BC. According to
the Puranas, he was the successor of Salisuka Maurya and reigned for

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 seven years. He was succeeded by Satadhanvan Maurya. He was also
the follower of Buddhism.

SATADHANVAN (195-187 B.C.):- Satadhanva Maurya was a king of

the Maurya dynasty. He ruled from 195-187 BCE. According to
thePuranas, he was the successor of Devavarman Maurya and reigned
for eight years. During his time, the empire lost some of its territories
because of invasions. He was succeeded by Brihadratha Maurya.

BRIHADRATHA (187-180 B.C.):- Brihadratha Maurya was the last

ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. He ruled from c. 187180 BCE. He was
killed by his senapati (commander-in-chief), Pusyamitra Sunga.
According to the Puranas, Brihadratha succeeded atadhanvan and he
ruled for seven years. Mauryan territories, centered around the capital
of Pataliputra, had shrunk considerably from the time of the great
Emperor Ashoka when Brihadratha came to the throne. He was the
follower of Buddhism.

GOVERNMENT:-

The Mauryas have the unique distinction of creating India's first empire, an
empire they administered with remarkable organization and efficiency. The
center of power in the Mauryan system was the king. The priest was also
steadily increasing in political power, and essentially became a chief minister,
with his religious duties remaining in the background. There were also a
council of ministers, and the king was expected to consult them before taking
decisions. However, the importance they had in decision making varied from

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king to king. The basic principles of Mauryan administration remained the
same till the weaker Mauryas lost their hold over the administration.
Following are the principles of Mauryan administration:

Central Government:- The ascendancy of the Mauryas had resulted

in the triumph of monarchy in India. Other systems like republics and
oligarchies that were prevalent in the pre-Mauryan India had collapsed.
Although Kautilya the foremost political theorist of ancient India
supported the monarchial form of government, he did not stand for
royal absolutism. He advocated that the king should take the advice of
his ministry in running the administration. Therefore, a council of
ministers called Mantriparishad assisted the king in administrative
matters. It consisted of Purohita, Mahamantri, Senapati and Yuvaraja.
There were civil servants called Amatyas to look after the day-to-day
administration. These officers were similar to the IAS officers of
independent India. The method of selection of Amatyas was
elaborately given by Kautilya. Asoka appointed Dhamma Mahamatras
to supervise the spread of Dhamma. Thus the Mauryan state had a well
organized civil service.

Revenue Department:- Samharta, the chief of the Revenue

Department, was in charge of the collection of all revenues of the
empire. The revenues came from land, irrigation, customs, shop tax,
ferry tax, forests, mines and pastures, license fee from craftsmen, and
fines collected in the law courts. The land revenue was normally fixed
as one sixth of the produce. The main items of expenditure of the state

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 related to king and his household, army, government servants, public
works, poor relief, religion, etc.

Army:- The Mauryan army was well organized and it was under the
control of Senapati. The salaries were paid in cash. Kautilya refers to
the salaries of different ranks of military officers. According to Greek
author Pliny, the Mauryan army consisted of six lakh infantry, thirty
thousand cavalry, nine thousand elephants and eight thousand chariots.
In addition to these four wings, there were the Navy and Transport and
Supply wings. Each wing was under the control of Adyakshas or
Superintendents. Megasthenes mentions six boards of five members
each to control the six wings of the military.

Department of Commerce and Industry:- This department had

controlled the retail and wholesale prices of goods and tried to ensure
their steady supply through its officers called Adyakshas. It also
controlled weights and measures, levied custom duties and regulated
foreign trade.

Judicial and Police Departments:- Kautilya mentions the existence

of both civil and criminal courts. The chief justice of the Supreme
Court at the capital was called Dharmathikarin. There were also
subordinate courts at the provincial capitals and districts under
Amatyas. Different kinds of punishment such as fines, imprisonment,
mutilation and death were given to the offenders. Torture was
employed to extract truth. Police stations were found in all principal
centres. Both Kautilya and Asokan Edicts mention about jails and jail
officials. The Dhamma Mahamatras were asked by Asoka to take steps
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 against unjust imprisonment. Remission of sentences is also mentioned
in Asokas inscriptions

.Census:- The taking of Census was regular during the Mauryan

period. The village officials were to number the people along with
other details like their caste and occupation. They were also to count
the animals in each house. The census in the towns was taken by
municipal officials to track the movement of population both foreign
and indigenous. The data collected were cross checked by the spies.
The Census appears to be a permanent institution in the Mauryan
administration.

Provincial and Local Administration:- The Mauryan Empire was

divided into four provinces with their capitals at Taxila, Ujjain,
Suvarnagiri and Kalinga. The provincial governors were mostly
appointed from the members of royal family. They were responsible
the maintenance of law and order and collection of taxes for the
empire. The district administration was under the charge of Rajukas,
whose position and functions are similar to modern collectors. He was
assisted by Yuktas or subordinate officials. Village administration was
in the hands of Gramani and his official superior was called Gopa who
was in charge of ten or fifteen villages. Both Kautilya and
Megasthanes provided the system of Municipal administration.
Arthasastra contains a full chapter on the role of Nagarika or city
superintendent. His chief duty was to maintain law and order.
Megasthenes refers to the six committees of five members each to look
after the administration of Pataliputra. These committees looked after:

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 1. Industries 2. Foreigners 3.Registration of birth and deaths 4. Trade
5. Manufacture and sale of goods 6. Collection of sales tax.

ECONOMY:-

Economy of Mauryan Empire witnessed a well organized tax system

devised by Kautilya. Land revenue was going to be a major source of income
from the government. Land was subjected to regular assessments and an
appropriate level of tax was levied. Industries and enterprises were also
taxed. The government also introduced the concept of state owned farms. The
king owned the land and his subjects were employed for its cultivation. Crops
were used to sustain the population that worked on it and the surplus was
taken by the government. This policy of the government eased the problem of
overpopulation.

A stable centralized government and the unity of the sub-continent resulted in

the rapid development of industry. Trade received a major boost as did
various craft guilds. Able administration ensured that trade became easier,
and the guilds soon developed into small scale industries. The development

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of guilds was an important step. Guilds were large organizations which
employed labour for a particular commodity. Artisans joined the guilds as it
provided steady employment and was easier. The government also found the
guilds convenient as they also made the process of tax collection and
administration easier.

All manufactured goods came stamped with a date, which would then be
used by consumers to determine the age of the product. The sale of
merchandise was regulated. Prices were monitored to ensure that a merchant
was not making too much profit. A trade superintendent carefully evaluated
the product, the price and the demand and supply situation. He would fix a
value for the commodity.

One fifth of this value would be charged a toll and a further one fifth tax was
charged on the toll. There was no banking system but the concept of lending
money did exist, and the rate of interest is estimated to have been about 15%
per year. For loans in sectors like sea travel the rates were much
higher.Extensive trade relations were developed. Trade took place with
several countries like Syria and Egypt in addition to several others in the
West. There were many foreign traders who took up residence in Mauryan
cities. Several goods were exported and imported. The Mauryan kings
imported wines, figs, clothes and beautiful vessels made out of silver. The
Mauryan exports were items of luxury like fine muslin cloth. The Mauryans
soon built ships and hired them out for trade to merchants.

The Indian economy was a settled agrarian economy by this time. Animal
rearing was also an important occupation.

RELIGION:-

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Religion during Mauryan dynasty witnessed the tremendous rise in faiths
apart from Hinduism, like Jainism and Buddhism, with men like emperor
Ashoka being in line. This flourishing in religion of the Mauryas, can also
blindly be credited to Chandragupta Maurya, who had been decisive enough
to make his subjects tow the line of faith and worship. Emperor
Chandragupta Maurya became the foremost significant Indian sovereign to
kick off a religious renovation at the highest level when he had thoroughly
espoused Jainism. During that sensitive time period, the orthodox. Hindu
priests attending to the royal court exceedingly objected to such a religious
transformation. During his much matured age, Chandragupta had abdicated
his throne and materialistic possessions to adhere himself with a nomadic
group of Jain monks. Chandragupta had turned a disciple of Acharya
Bhadrabahu. It is also supposed that in his last days, he had observed the
rigid but self cleansing Jain ritual of santhara i.e. fast unto death, at Shravana
Belagola in Karnataka. Religion during Mauryan dynasty, it can be evidently
witnessed, always took a centre position, irrespective of age, time, place and
status. However, Chandragupta Maurya`s successor, emperor Bindusara,
strictly upheld Hindu traditions and remained cold and impassive towards
Jain and Buddhist movements. Samprati, grandson of Ashoka even also had
espoused Jainism. Samrat Samprati was profoundly charmed by the teachings
of Jain monk Arya Suhasti Suri. He is believed to have erected 1,25,000 Jain
temples traversing India. Some of them can still be witnessed in towns of
Ahmedabad, Viramgam, Ujjain and Palitana. Unheeding of what people
might think or state, religion was one aspect during Mauryan dynasty that
had overshadowed even perhaps their reign and rules itself. It is also alleged
that just like Ashoka, Samprati despatched messengers and preachers to
Greece, Persia and middle-east for the circulation and acceptance of Jainism.
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Hence, Jainism had become a crucial force under the Mauryan Empire.
Chandragupta and Samprati have also been acknowledged for spreading
Jainism in South India. An astounding number of Jain temples and Jain
stupas were sculpted during their reign. But due to dearth of royal
benefaction and its strict principles, coupled with the ascension of
Shankaracharya and Ramanujacharya, Jainism, once the principal religion of
south India, declined miserably. The picture in this Indian context was soon
subject to change; religion during Mauryan dynasty was once more prepared
to take a gigantic leap. When Ashoka embraced Buddhism, following the
destiny-defying Kalinga War, he absolutely did away with expansionism and
aggression. The harsher injunctions of Arthashastra pertaining to the use of
force, demanding policing and pitiless measures for tax collection and against
rebels were also completely abdicated. Ashoka despatched a deputation led
by his son and daughter to Sri Lanka, where king Tissa was so carried away
with Buddhist ethics that he espoused them himself and declared Buddhism
the state religion. Ashoka, following this enthusiastic reply, sent many
Buddhist deputations to West Asia, Greece and South East Asia. The emperor
also had accredited the building of monasteries, schools and publication of
Buddhist literature across his empire. The Mauryan emperor is conceived to
have built as many as 84,000 stupas spanning India and he was incidental in
increasing the wide acceptance of Buddhism in Afghanistan. Ashoka helped
in convening the Third Buddhist Council of India and South Asia`s Buddhist
orders, near his capital. The Third Council had successfully undertaken
incredible work of reform and expansion of the Buddhist religion.
A curious factor about emperor Ashoka is that while himself being a
Buddhist, he had wholly kept back the membership of Hindu priests and
ministers in his court. He had been capable enough to sustain religious
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freedom and permissiveness, in spite of Buddhist faith rising in popularity
under his patronage. Religious zealousness, religious dependency was one
coinage that had never been tracked towards a negative angle in Mauryan
times. Religion during Mauryan dynasty was an overspreading and
spontaneous overflowing of veneration, that had touched the simplest of
society. Indian society gradually began sweeping up the philosophy of
ahimsa. And given the amplified prosperity and improved law enforcement,
crime and internal differences decreased drastically.

Mauryan empire also encouraged social sovereignty, which began booming

in an era of peace and prosperity.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE:-

The monuments before the period of Asoka were mostly made of wood and
therefore perished. The use of stone started from the time of Asoka.

Even of the numerous monuments of Asoka, only a few have -

remained. His palace and monasteries and most of his stupas have
disappeared. The only remaining stupa is at Sanchi. The artistic
remains of the Mauryan period can be seen in the following heads:

Pillars
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The pillars erected by Asoka furnish the finest specimen of the Mauryan art.
Asokan pillars with inscriptions were found in places like Delhi, Allahabad,
Rummindai, Sanchi and Saranath. Their tops were crowned with figures of
animals like lion, elephant and bull. The Saranath pillar with four lions
standing back to back is the most magnificent. The Indian government
adopted this capital with some modifications as its state emblem.

Stupas

Asoka built a number of stupas throughout his empire but majority of them
were destroyed during foreign invasions. Only a few have survived. The best
example is the famous Sanchi stupa with massive dimensions. It was
originally built with bricks but later enlarged after the time of Asoka.

Caves

The caves presented to the Ajivikas by Asoka and his son Dasaratha remain
important heritage of the Mauryas. Their interior walls are polished like
mirror. These were meant to be residences of monks. The caves at Barabar
hills near Bodh Gaya are wonderful pieces of Mauryan architecture.

NATURAL HISTORY IN THE TIMES OF MAURYA:-

The protection of animals in India became serious business by the time of the
Maurya dynasty; being the first empire to provide a unified political entity in
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India, the attitude of the Mauryas towards forests, its denizens and fauna in
general is of interest.

The Mauryas firstly looked at forests as a resource. For them, the most
important forest product was the elephant. Military might in those times
depended not only upon horses and men but also battle-elephants; these
played a role in the defeat of Seleucus, one of Alexanders former generals.
The Mauryas sought to preserve supplies of elephants since it was cheaper
and took less time to catch, tame and train wild elephants than to raise
them. Kautilya's Arthashastra contains not only maxims on ancient statecraft,
but also unambiguously specifies the responsibilities of officials such as
the Protector of the Elephant Forests.

On the border of the forest, he should establish a forest for elephants guarded
by foresters. The Office of the Chief Elephant Forrester should with the help
of guards protect the elephants in any terrain. The slaying of an elephant is
punishable by death..Arthashastra

The Mauryas also designated separate forests to protect supplies of timber, as

well as lions and tigers, for skins. Elsewhere the Protector of Animals also
worked to eliminate thieves, tigers and other predators to render the woods
safe for grazing cattle.

The Mauryas valued certain forest tracts in strategic or economic terms and
instituted curbs and control measures over them. They regarded all forest
tribes with distrust and controlled them with bribery and political
subjugation. They employed some of them, the food-gatherers or aranyaca to
guard borders and trap animals. The sometimes tense and conflict-ridden
relationship nevertheless enabled the Mauryas to guard their vast empire.

When Ashoka embraced Buddhism in the latter part of his reign, he brought
about significant changes in his style of governance, which included
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providing protection to fauna, and even relinquished the royal hunt. He was
the first ruler in history to advocate conservation measures for wildlife and
even had rules inscribed in stone edicts. The edicts proclaim that many
followed the king's example in giving up the slaughter of animals; one of
them proudly states: Our king killed very few animals. Edict on Fifth Pillar

However, the edicts of Ashoka reflect more the desire of rulers than actual
events; the mention of a 100 'panas' (coins) fine for poaching deer in royal
hunting preserves shows that rule-breakers did exist. The legal restrictions
conflicted with the practices freely exercised by the common people in
hunting, felling, fishing and setting fires in forests.

DECLINE:-

Asokas death in 232 B.C. was followed by the division of the Mauryan
Empire into two parts western and eastern. The western part was ruled by
Kunala, son of Asoka and the eastern part by Dasaratha, one of the grand
sons of Asoka.

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Due to the Bactrian invasions, the western part of the empire collapsed. The
eastern part was intact under Samprati successor of Dasaratha. The last
Mauryan king was Brihatratha, who was assassinated by Pushyamitra Sunga.

After the death of Asoka, his successors were not able to keep the vast
Mauryan Empire intact. The provinces started declaring their independence.
The northwest India slipped out of the control of the Mauryas and a series of
foreign invasions affected this region. Kalinga declared its independence and
in the further south the Satavahanas established their independent rule. As a
result, the Mauryan rule was confined to the Gangetic valley and it was soon
replaced by the Sunga dynasty.

Causes for the Decline of the Mauryas:

The causes for the decline of the Mauryan empire have been widely debated
by scholars. The traditional approach attributes the decline to Asokas
policies and his weak successors. Another approach holds the inadequate
political and economic institutions to sustain such a vast empire.

It was said that Asokas pro-Buddhist policies antagonized the Brahmins who
brought about a revolution led by Pushyamitra Sunga. But Asoka was never
acted against Brahmins. That Asokas policy of non-violence reduced the
fighting spirit of his army was another charge against him. But Asoka had
never slackened his control over his empire despite following a pacifist
policy. Therefore solely blaming Asoka for the decline of the Mauryan

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empire may not be correct because Asoka was more a pragmatist than an
idealist.

There are multiple causes for the decline of the Mauryan empire such as
weak successors, partition of empire and administrative abuses after Asokas
reign. The combination of these factors speeded up the breakup of the
Mauryan empire and facilitated Pushyamitra Sunga to drive away the
Mauryan power and establish the Sunga dynasty.

CHRONOLOGY:-

324 B.C.- Chandragupta drives the Macedonian garrisons from Punjab and
Sind.
305 B.C.- Seleukos Nicator invades, Chandragupta gains 3 provinces and the
Empire is secured.
301 B.C.-Bindusara becomes Emperor
269 B.C.- Ashoka becomes Emperor
232 B.C.- Ashoka dies, decline begins
184 B.C.- The Empire collapses

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BIBILIOGRAPHY:-

BOOKS

1. Mehta J.L., Mehta Sarita : History of ANCIENT INDIA

2. Mahajan V.D. : Ancient India.
3. Chakraborty A., Biswal S.K. : History of Ancient India.
4. Majumdar R.C., Raychaudhuri H.C., Datta Kalinkar : An
Advanced History of India

WEBSOURCES

1. www.allempires.com
2. library.thinkquest.org
3. edu.holisticthought.com
4. Wikipedia.com

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