The Mauryan Empire

The Legacy of the Mauryans

Siddharth Sridhar

Ms. Schliesser
Fifth Period
World History AP 4X4 Project
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Frequently Asked Questions...................................................3

Chapter 2: Things You May Not Know About the Mauryans....................5

Chapter 3: Connections to the Modern World.........................................7

Chapter 4: Opinion Page...........................................................................9

Summary.................................................................................................11

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Chapter 1: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why did the Mauryans need such a large standing army?

The Mauryan Empire, set up Chandragupta Maurya, had a standing army of 700,000 infantry,
9000 elephants, and 10,000 chariots, with a secret police whose numbers were so vast they
formed a class on their own. Chandragupta's closest advisor was Kautilya, who in his treatise on
Material Gain, the "Arthashastra", concluded that, royal power was the means of establishing
and maintaining "Material gain," meaning political and economic stability. The greatest evil to
humankind is anarchy, such as had existed among the small warring states in northern India. To
achieve the aims of statecraft, Kautilya argues, a single authority is needed that will employ
force when necessary. Like Machiavelli, the Renaissance Italian author of a famous book on
statecraft (The Prince), Kautilya advocates deception or unscrupulous means to attain desired
ends. India's numerous physical barriers caused the different clans to war with each other and
made unification a very difficult procedure. To keep his empire together Chandragupta needed
to have an army large enough to dissuade his enemies from revolution.

The First Indian Empire - http://history-world.org/indian_empire.htm

2. Why did Asoka convert to Buddhism?

Chandragupta's grandson Asoka (269-232 B.C.), the most renowned of all Indian rulers, was
more committed to peace than to war. In 261 BCE, Asoka began his first military campaign; the
goal was to conquer the eastern kingdom of Kalinga, whose rich agricultural fields were needed
for the Empire's Economic Growth. According to an Edict raised by Asoka, “When His Sacred
and Gracious Majesty had been consecrated eight years, Kalinga was conquered. From thence a
hundred and fifty thousand people were carried away into captivity, a hundred thousand were
slain, and many times that number died.” His first military campaign was also his last; the
cruelty of the campaign horrified him, and he resolved never again to permit such acts of
butchery. Soon thereafter, he converted to Buddhism, whose teachings increased his aversion
to warfare.

Conscience of King Asoka - http://www.famoushistoricalevents.net/conscience-king-asoka

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3. Why was Kautilya's Arthashastra such a great influence on the Mauryan Empire?

Kautilya or Chanakya as he was sometimes called was a great influence on Chandragupta, the
first emperor, due to his intelligence and Legalist political philosophy, which Chandragupta
needed to maintain his empire. Kautilya helped the young Chandragupta Maurya, who was a
Vaisya, to ascend to the Nanda throne in 321 BC. Kautilya's counsel is particularly remarkable
because the young Maurya's supporters were not as well armed as the Nandas. Kautilya
continued to help Chandragupta Maurya in his campaigns and his influence was crucial in
consolidating the great Mauryan Empire. in the Arthashastra, Espionage and the liberal use of
provocative agents is recommended on a large scale. Murder and false accusations were to be
used by a king's secret agents without any thoughts to morals or ethics. There are chapters for
kings to help them keep in check the premature ambitions of their sons, and likewise chapters
intended to help princes to thwart their fathers' domineering authority.

Kautilya and Arthashastra -

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Ancient/Kautilya.html

4. Why did the Mauryan Empire disintegrate after Asoka's death?

Some scholars attribute the decline to economic pressures: revenues from taxing agriculture
and trade that were inadequate in maintaining the large military and army of bureaucrats.
Perhaps palace politics reduced the ability of Asoka's heirs to govern. Perhaps Asoka's heirs
inherited from Asoka a pacifism that discouraged their using force in keeping the empire
together. Whatever the cause or causes, regions within the empire asserted their
independence, and the empire disintegrated while the Maurya family, in Pataliputra, continued
to rule. In 185 BCE, the rule of the Maurya family ended when an army commander-in-chief,
Pusyamitra Sunga, murdered the last Maurya king during a parade of his troops.

The Maurya Empire and a Dark Age - http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch13.htm

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Chapter 2: Things You May Not Know About the Mauryans

1. Did you know Chandragupta Maurya defeated the Greeks in Battle?

Chandragupta was a brilliant general and administrator. He was responsible for the first military
victory of the East over the West; in 305 B.C., he defeated Seleucus, the general who had
inherited the major part of Alexander's empire and had crossed the Indus in an attempt to
regain Alexander's Indian conquests. Seleucus gave up his Indian claims in return for five
hundred war elephants and established friendly diplomatic relations with the Indian emperor.
This victory enlarged the Mauryan Empire to include most of Afghanistan, which provided a
buffer for the Empire, stopping possible invaders from even considering an attack. The Mauryan
Empire now included all of India, with the exception of the Tamil Lands.

The First Indian Empire -http://history-world.org/indian_empire.htm

2. Did you know that the Mauryans had a governmental organization to control trade and the
economy?
Director of the Marketplace (like US Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Protection
Agency) was created to:
– Protect the consumers from irresponsible traders
– Inspect weights and measures
– Prevent stolen goods from being sold as second hand goods
– Sample goods to ensure quality and mislabeling
– Prevent sales of adulterated foods and medicines
– Prevent collusion among traders to raise prices through artificial scarcity
– Ensures that the goods are sold at the fixed prices and the profit margin of the merchants
does not exceed 5 percent of the full cost (price level or margin maintenance is unclear)
– Balance the interests of the traders by providing exemptions and assistance when the goods
are damaged by unforeseeable circumstances
These measures helped grow the economy and ensured economic growth for the Empire.
According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, without economic progression and general welfare
of the citizens, revolution is likely. This was probably one of the reasons the Mauryans had such
an extensive economic policy.

Trade, Accounting, and Governance in Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra

http://www.som.yale.edu/faculty/Sunder/Kautilyas%20ArthasastraIstanbulJuly2008.pdf

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3. Did you know that The Mauryans traded with the East and West to grow their Economy?
The Mauryan state controlled and encouraged economic life. Kautilya's treatise, which is
thought to reflect much actual practice, advises the ruler to "facilitate mining operations,"
"encourage manufacturers," "exploit forest wealth," "provide amenities" for cattle breeding
and commerce, and "construct highways both on land and on water." Price controls are
advocated because "all goods should be sold to the people at favorable prices," and foreign
trade should be subsidized: "Shippers and traders dealing in foreign goods should be given tax
exemptions to aid them in making profits." Foreign trade did flourish, and in the bazaars of
Pataliputra were displayed goods from southern India, China, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor.
Agriculture, however, remained the chief source of wealth. In theory, all land belonged to the
state, which collected one fourth of the produce as taxes. Irrigation and crop rotation were
practiced, and Megasthenes states that there were no famines.

The First Indian Empire - http://history-world.org/indian_empire.htm

4. Did you know that Asoka's greatest achievement was his promotion of culture?
Emperor Ashoka was dedicated to his new religion and fervently patronized its expansion. Under Asoka,
Buddhist monks were sent in every compass direction: to Burma, Tibet, Nepal, Persia, Mesopotamia,
Syria, and Israel. The eastern evangelical missions were extremely successful; Buddhism spread very
quickly from Nepal and Burma into Tibet and China where it was fervidly embraced. The western
missions, however, were less successful. However, Buddhism left traces in Middle Eastern and even
European culture. For instance, one of the Catholic saints of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance was
Barlam, whose life is based on that of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. Not only is this Catholic saint
the Buddha, but one of the stories of Barlam is the conversion of a cruel king, Iosaphat; this king, in
many ways, corresponds to Asoka, who is presented as intolerant and cruel before his conversion in the
Indian epic, Asokavadana. Therefore, there is tantalizing evidence that Buddhism has had some
influence on Christianity, though we are not quite sure to what extent.

Ancient India: The Mauryans - http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCINDIA/MAURYA.HTM

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Chapter 3: Connections to the Modern World

1. Department of Commerce: Chandragupta developed a governmental department of

commerce. He termed this position as the Director of the Marketplace, whose job was
effectively, to maintain a growing economy. The Director of Trade fixes the price of indigenous
goods to permit 5 percent profit over their full cost (including purchase price, investment of
capital, interest charges, duty paid, transportation, etc., and selling costs. In a market glut,
Director of Trade purchases the entire stock and sells at one place, and private merchants
would not be permitted to sell the good to ensure a fair price to the producers (cf. agricultural
price supports). Chief Controller of State Trading manages state trading. Trading in state
monopoly goods, commodities produced from state owned lands and factories, and
commodities received at the Treasury. In this way Chandragupta created a centralized
hierarchal government, seen today in the US, whose respective "Director of the Marketplace",
is the US Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Protection Agency

Trade, Accounting, and Governance in Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra

http://www.som.yale.edu/faculty/Sunder/Kautilyas%20ArthasastraIstanbulJuly2008.pdf

3. Ashoka Chakra in the Indian Flag: The Indian Flag is consisted of an orange strip, a white
stripe, and a green stripe, with a 24-spoked version of the Buddhist Time Wheel, generally
known as the Asoka Chakra. This was inserted into the flag by the Congress to pay homage to
the nonviolent teachings of Asoka, which they embodied in their struggle for independence
from Britain. In an interview, Mahatma Gandhi said, "Looking at the wheel some may recall that
Prince of Peace, King Asoka, ruler of an empire, who renounced power. He represented all
faiths; he was an embodiment of compassion. Seeing the charka in his chakra adds to the glory
of the charka. The Asoka Chakra represents eternally revolving Divine Law of ahimsa." He also
wrote an article in the Young India, "The message of the spinning-wheel is much wider than its
circumference. Its message is one of simplicity, service of mankind, living so as not to hurt
others, creating an indissoluble bond between the rich and the poor, capital and labor, the
prince and the peasant." "Above all, charka is a symbol of non-violence" (Collected Works of
Mahatma Gandhi, Vol. 71, first edition, p.234).

The Hindu: Fracas over Flag

http://www.hindu.com/mag/2004/08/15/stories/2004081500070400.htm

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2. Governmental Intelligence Network: Chandragupta created a governmental intelligence
network. The ruler needs an intelligence network to watch and ascertain if officials are living
beyond their means (stealing from the state) and Look for forty forms of dereliction of duty:
1. not executing a project,
2. not getting the results,
3. not delivering its gains to the treasury,
4. lending goods from the treasury for personal gain;
5. trading in state commodities;
6. concealing or misrepresenting the due date for payment of taxes or revenue;
7. reducing the fixed revenue or taxes or causing an increase in state’s expenditure;
8. making personal use of the king’s goods;
9. substituting king’s goods;
10. not delivering or recording the accrued income
He created this network of secret police which numbered so vast, according to one source, that
they formed a class of their own.

Trade, Accounting, and Governance in Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra

http://www.som.yale.edu/faculty/Sunder/Kautilyas%20ArthasastraIstanbulJuly2008.pdf

The First Indian Empire

http://history-world.org/indian_empire.htm

4. Spread of Buddhism: The Mauryan King Asoka is the reason why Buddhism is the 4rth
Largest Religion in the world today. Under Asoka, Buddhist monks were sent in every compass
direction: to Burma, Tibet, Nepal, Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Israel. The eastern
evangelical missions were extremely successful; Buddhism spread very quickly from Nepal and
Burma into Tibet and China where it was fervidly embraced. The western missions, however,
were less successful. About the beginning of the Christian era, Buddhism was carried to Central
Asia. From there it entered China along the trade routes by the early 1st century AD. Although
opposed by the Confucian orthodoxy and subject to periods of persecution in 446, 574-77, and
845, Buddhism was able to take root, influencing Chinese culture and, in turn, adapting itself to
Chinese ways. The major influence of Chinese Buddhism ended with the great persecution of
845, although the meditative Zen, or Ch’an (from Sanskrit dhyana, “meditation”), sect and the
devotional Pure Land sect continued to be important.

Buddhism - Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation.

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Chapter 4: Opinion Page

1. Decline of the Mauryan Empire: The Mauryan Empire failed because there were no further
leaders with the personality of Chandragupta or Asoka. Asoka was the last of the great kings of
the Mauryan dynasty. His successors were less energetic and capable; in 184 BC, the last of the
Mauryan kings was assassinated, and the first empire of India came to an end. Whatever the
cause or causes, regions within the empire asserted their independence, and the empire
disintegrated while the Maurya family, in Pataliputra, continued to rule. Chandragupta and
Asoka were leaders whose personality allowed them to hold control over their militaries and
their subjects. One observes several leaders who rule by personality, Julius Caesar, Pericles,
Napoleon, and George Washington to name a few. When the bickering peoples of India did not
have a strong leader to keep them in Unity, they splintered off, waging war with each other and
providing a general environment suited for invasion.

Ancient India: The Mauryans

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCINDIA/MAURYA.HTM

2. Conversion to Buddhism: Asoka converted to Buddhism as a means to overcome his feelings

of remorse. Asoka admitted that, "one-hundred and fifty-thousand were killed, and many times
that number died", in one of his edicts. He also saw in the belief in dharma, a kind of ethical
guide that he felt could unite or discipline the diverse people under his empire. Asoka was so
filled with remorse that he converted to the Religion of Peace, Buddhism. He seems to have
seen Buddhism as a way to rid himself of his guilt and ensure such a massacre does not reoccur
during his lifetime or the lifetime of his posterity. He also sent monks all over the known world
to try to prevent other rulers from making the mistakes he made in his desire for expansion and
wealth.

Patterns in Classical India - World Civilizations: The Global Experience; Third Edition

3. Fear of Revolution: Chandragupta Maurya was paranoid of revolution and assassination.

Chandragupta Maurya displaced a dynasty, defeated the Seleucids, and conquered much of
modern day India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. To prevent the splintering of the several
kingdoms he conquered, he maintained a large standing army, one whose might rivaled the
Persians, of 700,000 infantrymen, 9,000 War Elephants, and 10,000 Chariots. He also
maintained the world's first secret police, so large in number that they formed a social class of

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their own. He also lived secluded from the public living only with those few women who cooked
for and entertained him. Later in his life, he remained secluded, however he converted to
Jainism and lived as an ascetic, fasting himself to death in Southern India, in the hope that the
famines and droughts would end.

The First Indian Empire- http://history-world.org/indian_empire.htm

4. Role of Kautilya: Chandragupta Maurya could not have succeeded in his campaigns without
the intrinsic advice of his teacher and then Prime Minister Kautilya. Chandragupta was
encouraged to raise an army and battle the Nandas by Kautilya, who on observing the decadent
lifestyles of the Nandas, decided that their demise was not far off. Sure enough, Chandragupta's
untrained militia defeated the armies of the Nandas, and he was able to take control of
Northern India. Kautilya also penned The Arthashastra, which became the Mauryan guide to
Political and Economic Stability. The Arthashastra encouraged rulers to use whatever means
necessary to ensure political stability, which Chandragupta immediately pounced upon,
creating a vast standing army, and an equally enormous secret police.

Trade, Accounting, and Governance in Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra

http://www.som.yale.edu/faculty/Sunder/Kautilyas%20ArthasastraIstanbulJuly2008.pdf

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Summary

The Mauryan Empire

The Mauryan Empire was the first,

They paved the way for many more,

At political Philosophy, they were well versed,

Kautilya's Arthashastra at its core.

Chandragupta was the creator,

He beat the Seleucids and the Nandas,

Cruel was he to any traitor,

However, he made sure there was no cause.

Coinage he did learn from Greece,

And Big Government from Arthashastra,

In the Bazaars, you could find fleece,

Protect the Economy said Kautilya.

His Grandson though, was greater than he,

The King they know as The Great Asoka,

His only battle was a killing spree,

Kalinga made him listen to Buddha.

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 He built rock edicts and stupas,

He sent his monks to Syria and China,

And Buddhists were his beti and betas,

They went to as far as Sri Lanka.

So great were the actions of Asoka,

His principle was used by Gandhi and King,

On India's Flag, they put the Chakra,

To respect the independence it did bring.

To sum it up Great were the Mauryans,

They gave us coins, spies, Buddhism and Big Government,

They unified the several clans,

India's First Empire was their great Achievement.

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