Mauryan Empire

Mauryan Empire

1. Chandragupta

   • inspired by Alexander the Great.
   • unified northern India
     • Defeated Persian Gneral Seleucus
   • Divided empire into provinces and then districts for tax assessments and law enforcements
   • had effective civil service
   • grandson was ashoka
     • Ashoka
       • Lead empire to its peak.
       • He spread buddhism around India.
       • Has pillars with edicts on it which promoted buddhist ideals.
       • Stupas built in his honor.
       • Expected subjects to be moral. Filial piety.
       • Civil service bureaucracy.
       • Had trade routes.traded.
       • Battle of Kalinga
         • occurred in 262 BCE. Kalinga vs. Mauryan.
         • Super bloody war.
         • It was when buddhism converged.
         • Rejected further conquest.
         • Built hospitals, wells, and sponsored art.
         • Ashoka conquered Kalinga and added it to his empire.
       • Eddicts of ashoka
         • collection of 33 inscriptions on pillars written in Sanskrit
           • lion statue sits above each pillar
             • explains ashoka’s belief of Dharma (earnest attempt to solve problems of society)
               • Shows Ashoka’s adherence to buddhist philosophy
                 • He developed buddhist dharma through kingdom