NATIONAL LAW INSTITUTE UNIVERSITY BHOPAL

In the partial fulfilment for the requirement of the project on the subject of History-1 of
B.A. LLB (hons), Fifth Trimester.

Submitted on

10th DECEMBER.

of PROJECT ON HISTORY-1

A COMPARITIVE STUDY OF MAURYAN EMPIRE AND GUPTA EMPIRE

SUBMITTED TO; SUBMITTED BY;

PROF. UDAY PRATAP SINGH SHAGUN SINGHAL

2018BALLB114

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 3

SOURCES............................................................................................................................................. 4

ORIGIN, RISE AND EXTENT .......................................................................................................... 4

ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................................................................... 6

ECONOMIC LIFE .............................................................................................................................. 8

SOCIAL LIFE .................................................................................................................................... 11

RELIGIOUS LIFE ............................................................................................................................ 14

DECLINE ........................................................................................................................................... 16

CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 18

BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................. 19

2
 INTRODUCTION

MAURYAN EMPIRE

The Maurya Empire, ruling from 322 B.C. to 185 B.C., was geographically far-reaching, potent and
a political military empire in ancient India. Building up from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-
Gangetic plains in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital city in
Pataliputra (Bihar). Mauryan Dynasty was established in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, a pupil
of famous Brahman teacher, Kautilya. He was the one who had overridden the Nanda Dynasty and
speedily magnified his powers westwards, spanning central and western India. Mauryan Dynasty was
amplified into India’s central and southern realms. This empire was perhaps the largest empire ever
to dominate the Indian subcontinent. Although its downfall began fifty years after Ashoka’s rule
came to an end and was dissolved in 185 BC, with the foundation of the Sunga Dynasty in Magadha.

GUPTA EMPIRE

After five hundred years, India emerged from the 'dark ages' into the classical age of the Gupta
dynasty. The Gupta dynasty ushered in the next major empire. The Gupta dynasty is often known as
the Golden Age of Indian culture because during this period of Indian history, there was peace,
progress and prosperity. Great advances were made in art, literature and science. There was renewed
enthusiasm in religions like Hinduism and the world's first universities were established. The Gupta
dynasty was founded by a man known as Chandra Gupta I. The high points of this cultural creativity
are magnificent architecture, sculptures, paintings and trade. The Gupta period produced scholars
such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma and Vatsyayana who made great
advancements in many academic fields. Science and political administration reached new heights
during the Gupta era. Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural center and set the
region up as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in Burma, Sri Lanka,
and Southeast Asia. The earliest available Indian epics are also thought to have been written around
this period. The empire gradually declined because of factors such as substantial loss of territory and
imperial authority caused by their own erstwhile feudatories and the invasion by the Huna
peoples from Central Asia.

3
 SOURCES

MAURYAN EMPIRE

The main sources for the history of the Mauryan period are literary works and Inscriptions. Literary
works include ‘Indica’ by Megasthenese, ‘Arthasastra’ by Kautilya and Buddhist texts such as
‘Mahavamsa’ and ‘Dipavamsa’. Also the play ‘Mudrarakshasha’ of Vishakhadatta is an
important source. Ashoka’s inscriptions form the most important source of this period. They provide
knowledge about the extension of his empire, religious policy and administration.

GUPTA EMPIRE

The sources of imperial Gupta history are of four classes: literary works, inscriptions, coins and
monuments. The literary works include the Puranas, the play called ‘Devi-Chandraguptam’ by
Vishakhadutta, Bana’s ‘Harshacharita’ and Buddhist Chronicles. The inscriptions are incised on
stone and metal as in Copper plates or Meherauli Iron Pillar. Very famous ones are the Allahabad
Pillar inscription of Samudra Gupta and the Mandsaur Pillar inscription of Yasodharman. The Gupta
coins also present a progressive evolution of indigenous Indian coinage. The monuments of this
period are the Sarnath Museum, sculptures at Eran and temples at Udaygiri in Gwalior.

ORIGIN, RISE AND EXTENT

MAURYAN EMPIRE

Origin of Mauryans is also a great controversial matter. The first view that of Spooner described
them as Persians, which was not agreed by most of the scholars. The second view that of Puranas,
Commentaries of Puranas, Mudrarakhas and Arthasatra describes them as Shudras. However, the
third view that of Buddhist literature, Jain literature, Evidence of the foreigners and Archeological
evidences describes them as Kshatriyas. Amongst these the third one seems to be proper and
reasonable, since there is sufficient reliable evidence to support it.

With an area of 5,000,000 km2, it was the largest empire ever in the Indian subcontinent. At its
greatest extent, the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, and
to the east stretching into what is now Assam. To the west, it conquered beyond modern Pakistan,

4
annexing south eastern parts of Iran and much of what is now Afghanistan. The Empire was
expanded into India's central and southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but
it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga(modern Orissa),
until it was conquered by Ashoka. Its decline began 60 years after Ashoka's rule ended, and it
dissolved in 185 BC.

GUPTA EMPIRE

The origin of the Gupta dynasty still remains unclear. The history of the Gupta dynasty began with
its founding by Sri-Gupta around 240 CE. According to many historians, the Gupta Empire was
a Vaish dynasty. A.S. Altekar, a historian and archaeologist, who has written several books on Gupta
coinage, also regarded the caste of the Guptas as Vaish on the basis of the ancient Indian texts on
law, which prescribe the name-ending with Gupta for a member of the Vaish caste. According to
historian Michael C. Brannigan, the rise of the Gupta Empire was one of the most prominent
violations of the caste system in ancient India. Dr. R. C. Majumdar has pointed out that the picture of
a stupa has been found in Nepal with the label “Mrigasthapana”, this is the same one as
“Mrigashivana” of I-Tsing. As Sri Gupta built a temple here, so historians have pointed out that this
could be their original homeland. Whatever the theory is, the Imperial fabric of the Guptas initiated
the Golden Age in history of ancient India and with passage of time they became the sole authority
of entire Northern India.

During the reign of Sri- Gupta the Gupta Empire comprised of Bengal and some areas of Bihar.
However, the Empire reached its zenith during the rule of Chandragupta I. Chandragupta I was the
grandson of Sri- Gupta and ascended the throne as the ruler of the Gupta Empire after the death of
his father, Ghatotkach. He was considered to be a powerful ruler who expanded the territories of the
Empire. Chandragupta I had acquired the Lichchhavi dynasty Kingdom by virtue of his marriage to
the Lichchhavi Princess. It comprised of area stretching from Ganges River to Prayaga (modern day
Allahabad). Chandragupta I was succeeded by two most capable and powerful rulers like
Samudragupta and Chandragupta II.

5
 ADMINISTRATION

MAURYA EMPIRE

The Empire was divided into four provinces, which one of the four, look like a giant crescents with
the imperial capital at Pataliputra. From Ashokan edicts, the names of the four provincial capitals
are Tosali (in the east), Ujjain (in the west), Suvarnagiri (in the south), and Taxila (in the north). The
head of the provincial administration was the Kumara (royal prince), who governed the provinces as
king's representative. The kumarawas assisted by Mahamatyas and council of ministers. The king
appointed Sachivas (minister or Amatyas). The king was the head of the state. He had legislative,
executive and judicial powers. The Mauryan King did not claim any divine origin yet he was taken to
be the representative of the Gods. Kings were described as Devanampriya, Beloved of the Gods. The
King was the source and centre of all authority, head of administration, law and justice and also the
supreme judge. He was the supreme commander of the army and planned military operations with
his senapati. In Kautilyas Arthashastra the king was called Dharma pravartaka. The king issued
ordinances called 'Sasanasad'. The king was advised by the Mantriparishad.

The normal administrative machinery prescribed for the government of a State was (i) King, (ii) the
Viceroys and Governors functioning as King's representatives, (iii) the Ministers, (iv) the Heads of
Departments, (v) The Subordinate Civil Service, and (vi) the Officers in charge of rural
administration. There was a full complement of departments with their duties well defined. The
Mantris were high ministers. The Amatyas performed judicial and administrative functions and
monitored the affairs of the state.

The Adhyakshas were in charge of various departments. They collected taxes and controlled the
dealings connected to the land. The Samharta was the collector general of revenue of the kingdom.
The Sannidhata was an officer in charge of the treasury. The purohitas, Senapatis and
Dauvarikas and Durgapala were other officials who helped in administration.

The Mauryan empire was the first empire that managed to unite all of India. This was partially
because of their complex army structure. The expansion and defense of the empire was made
possible by what appears to have been the largest standing army of its time. According to
Megasthenes, the Mauryan army had 4 types of troops- elephant (gaja), chariot (ratha), cavalry
(turanga), and infantry (pada).The army was broken into many units. The empire wielded a military
of 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry, and 9,000 war elephants. A vast espionage system collected

6
intelligence for both internal and external security purposes. Having renounced offensive warfare
and expansionism, Ashoka nevertheless continued to maintain this large army, to protect the Empire
and instill stability and peace across West and South Asia.

GUPTA EMPIRE

A study of the epigraphically records of the Gupta empire shows that there was a hierarchy of
administrative divisions from top to bottom. The empire was called by various names such as Rajya,
Rashtra, Desha, Mandala, Prithvi and Avani. It was divided into 26 provinces, which were styled
as Bhukti, Pradesha and Bhoga. Provinces were also divided into Vishayas and put under the control
of the Vishayapatis. A Vishayapati administered the Vishaya with the help of the Adhikarana
(council of representatives), which comprised four representatives: Nagarasreshesthi, Sarthavaha,
Prathamakulika and Prathama Kayastha. A part of the Vishaya was called Vithi. The Gupta system
of government did share some similarities with the Mauryan setup but was on the whole a different
style of government. Like the Mauryan system the Gupta kings were the center of the administration.
The empire was divided into several provinces each of which had viceroys who were appointed from
amongst the members of the royal family. The provinces were further sub-divided into a series of
districts. Each district had its own administrative centre. The local administration of the district was
free to make decisions on governing the area, essentially free from central control, except in matters
which may have dealt with central policies. The highest officer in a district was known as the
Kumaramatya and he was the link between centre and the district. Unlike their Mauryan
predecessors, the Gupta kings were not concerned with every nuance of local administration leaving
such matters to the Kumaramatya.

Villages were organized under rural bodies which consisted of the headman and village elders. In the
cities there was a council which had several officers like the President of the City Corporation, the
chief representative of the guild of merchants, a representative of the artisans and the chief scribe.
The Gupta system of urban and rural administration was based on encouraging as much local
participation unlike the Mauryan system where royally appointed councils were the norm.

The Guptas seem to have relied heavily on infantry archers, and the bow was one of the dominant
weapons of their army. Archers were frequently protected by infantry equipped with shields,
javelins, and long swords. The Guptas also had knowledge of siegecraft, catapults, and other
sophisticated war machines. The Guptas apparently showed little predilection for using horse
archers, despite the fact these warriors were a main component in the ranks of their Scythian,

7
Parthian, and Hepthalite (Huna) enemies. However, the Gupta armies were probably better
disciplined. Able commanders like Samudragupta and Chandragupta II would have likely understood
the need for combined armed tactics and proper logistical organization. Gupta military success likely
stemmed from the concerted use of elephants, armored cavalry, and foot archers in tandem against
both Hindu kingdoms and foreign armies invading from the Northwest. The Guptas also maintained
a navy, allowing them to control regional waters.

The collapse of the Gupta Empire in the face of the Huna onslaught was due not directly to the
inherent defects of the Gupta army, which after all had initially defeated these people under
Skandagupta. More likely, internal dissolution sapped the ability of the Guptas to resist foreign
invasion, as was simultaneously occurring in Western Europe and China.

During the reign of Chandragupta II, Gupta Empire maintained a large army consisting of 500,000
infantry, 50,000 cavalry, 20,000 charioteers and 10,000 elephants along with a powerful navy with
more than 1200 ships. Chandragupta II controlled the whole of the Indian subcontinent; the Gupta
Empire was the most powerful empire in the world during his reign, at a time when the Roman
Empire in the west was in decline.

ECONOMIC LIFE

MAURYA EMPIRE

The Indian economy was by this time a settled agrarian economy. Animal rearing continued to be an
important occupation. Industry and business also flourished. With the development of a strong
empire, an organized system of taxation began to evolve. With agriculture being the backbone of the
economy it was quickly realized that land revenue was going to be a major source of income from
the government. Land was subjected to regular assessments to determine its production capability,
and an appropriate level of tax was levied. The land tax was 1/4th to 1/6th of the produce. Toll tax
was levied on all times which were brought for sale in the market. Tax was also levied on the
manufactured goods. Those who could not pay the tax in cash or kind were to contribute their dues in
the form of labor. Strabo mentions that craftsmen, herdsmen, traders, farmers all paid taxes. The
Arthashastra describes revenues at great length. Among the crops rice of different varieties, coarse
grains, sesame, pepper, pulses, wheat, linseed, mustard, vegetable and fruits of various kinds and
sugarcane were grown. The state also owned agricultural farms, cattle farms and dairy farms etc.

8
Irrigation was given due importance. Water reservoirs and dams were built and water for irrigation
was distributed. The famous inscription of Rudradaman found at Junagarh mention that one of
Chandragupta's governors, Pushyagupta was responsible for building a dam on Sudarshana Lake
near Girnar in Kathiawad. From an inscription of Skandagupta it has been known that this dam was
repaired during his reign almost 800 years after it was built. Industry was organized in various
guilds. Industries and enterprises were also taxed, using a vast mix of techniques, all of which were
derived from the original land revenue tax system. The chief industries were textile, mining and
metallurgy, ship building, jewellery making, metal working etc. The trade was regulated by the state.
India supplied to other states indigo, cotton and silk and medicinal items. Provisions of warehouses,
godowns and transport arrangements were also made. Foreign trade was carried on by land as well as
by sea. Special arrangements were made for the protection of trade routes. The state controlled and
regulated the weights and measures. The artisans and craftsmen were specially protected by the state
and offences against them were severely punished. The guilds were powerful institutions. It gave
craftsmen great economic, political and judicial powers and protection. This entire system was the
brainchild of Kautilya, the prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. With the development of a
taxation system, the government now had money to further develop the kingdom. The government
also introduced the concept of state owned farms where the king owned the land and his subjects
were employed for its cultivation. This became especially prevalent when new areas like waste land
and forest land were brought under cultivation. The government had the resources to organize the
procedure and once the land was ready it would employ the cultivator to work on the land. The 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; it would consistently create new
areas and send people there to establish new settlements. People generally found the option to
relocate attractive as it often made economic sense to do so.

The existence of a stable centralized government and the unity of the sub-continent that it created
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 of guilds was an important step. Guilds were large
organizations which employed labor for the particular commodity that they were producing. Over
time such employment became hereditary with consecutive generations continuing in the same guild.
Artisans willingly joined the guilds for it provided steady employment and was easier than to work
alone and to compete against them. The government also found the guilds convenient, for besides

9
organizing and developing industry they also made the process of tax collection and administration
easier.

The Maurayan economy was fairly developed for its time. For instance 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 strictly regulated. Prices were monitored to ensure that a merchant was
not making too great a profit. A trade superintendent did a careful evaluation of the product, the
price, the demand and supply situation as well as the production cost. He would then fix a value for
the commodity. On one fifth of this value would be charged a toll, and a further one fifth tax was
charged on the toll. Tax evasion did take place, but was heavily punished. There was no formal
banking system, however the concept of lending money did exist, and the rate of interest is estimated
to have been about 15% per year. For loans in riskier sectors like sea travel the rates were much
higher often touching extremely high rates.

The development of trade soon became profitable for the empire and eventually a separate
department looked after trade and commerce and ensured that a transparent system was put in place.
Standard weights and measures were used and all goods bore the official stamp. Towards the later
Mauryan period sea trade began to take place.

GUPTA EMPIRE

The economy of the Gupta era continued to have agriculture as an important part but there was
significant progress in industry and trade. The guilds that existed in the Mauryan period continued
their work and remained centres of organization and were allowed to operate almost free from
government control. They were major contributors in the manufactured goods industry. The guilds
together formed a corporation of guilds which made a set of laws which all guilds were supposed to
follow, and these laws were even respected by the government. Guilds also formed smaller
corporations which were made of a particular types of guilds, for instance there were corporations of
silk weaver guilds. Such corporations had tremendous resources at their disposal and were involved
in various large scale projects like temples. An interesting development was that the Buddhist
Church (the sangha) was very rich and participated in commercial activities. It often acted as a
banker providing various services like lending money on interest. It was also involved in renting
land, an extremely profitable proposition since they received significant grants of land from the
kings. The rates of interest for money varied depending on the intended use of the money. Borrowing
money for sea trade was no longer as expensive as it was under the Mauryan period indicating an

10
increased confidence in this sector. There was no restriction by the government and the rate of
interest could exceed the prevailing levels provided it was agreeable to both parties. It was not
however permitted for the interest to exceed the principal. The free availability of money at
reasonable rates was a positive factor for industry and significant activity took place in this period.

One of the most important industries in the Gupta period was the textile industry. Not only was there
significant internal demand, Indian textiles were sought after in many parts of the world. Silk,
muslin, calico, linen, wool and cotton textiles were the major ones being produced. Other important
industries of the period were ivory work, stone cutting and carving, metal work especially in metals
like gold, silver, copper, iron, lead and bronze. Pearls were a flourishing industry and there seems to
have been many fisheries which catered to the vast demand, with pearls commanding high prices in
foreign markets. There was also a lot of work going on in the processing of precious stones like
jasper, agate, carnelian, quartz, lapis-lazuli amongst many others. These were also exported to
foreign countries. Pottery continued to remain an important industry with various qualities and styles
being developed.

Goods were able to move easily throughout the country. Pack animals and ox carts were used to
transport goods by road. Sea travel had developed significantly by this period and Indian ships were
regularly moving around the Arabian sea, the China seas and the Indian Ocean. There is even
evidence of trade with parts of East Africa.

SOCIAL LIFE

MAURYA EMPIRE

Megasthenes, the Seleucid ambassador at the Mauryan court talks about the existence of seven main
castes in Mauryan society. He mentions them as philosophers, farmers, soldiers, herdsmen, artisans
and magistrates. He has however appeared to have confused caste with occupation, as is evident with
the 'castes' that he has mentioned above. Based on his accounts we are able to draw a clearer picture
of the caste system prevailing at that time. The philosophers in all probability were the brahmans, the
Buddhist monks and the followers of new religious sects. Apparently this caste was exempt from
taxation. The farmers were probably the shudras who cultivated and worked on the land. The soldiers
were probably kshatriyas but they may also have constituted a unique economic class of their own.
The Mauryan army was huge and hence this was a large and influential caste. As for the herdsmen
they were also probably shudras. As for the artisans their caste would depend on the type of work

11
they were engaging in, as also their economic status. Magistrates and councillors being a part of the
administration were probably either the brahmans or the kshatriyas.

During this time the caste system was going through a bit of an upheaval as economic realities were
beginning to challenge age old convictions. For instance over time the vaishyas who were technically
a part of the upper caste were not getting due respect and were being treated as lower by the first two
castes. However, the vaishyas had done extremely well and were economically very well off. This
began to cause conflict as they believed they deserved a higher status. The development of the trade
and manufacturing guilds in urban areas also added a new dimension to the caste system, the Guild
leaders considered themselves important for they controlled vital business interests. They too wished
to be admitted into the higher social strata of society. Thus there appears to have been a conflict
between the socially higher castes and the economically powerful castes.

Slavery in India was beginning to make its appearance, although there are contradictory accounts on
whether it was there or not. However, the Indian system of slavery was very different from its
contemporaries. The slavery that developed can best be described as a sort of flexible voluntary
slavery. A person usually became a slave if he decided to sell himself, was a prisoner of war or was
serving a judicial sentence. The slave was free at anytime to buy back his freedom. Once a slave was
free, if he was an Aryan he could go back to the status he earlier had in the society, retaining his
caste etc. At that time issues like slavery or the degree of their freedom was not so significant, the
deciding factor was the caste of the person.

The people of the time had a variety of ways of entertaining themselves. Dancing, singing and music
were very popular and there appear to have been many festivals where the people would enjoy the
carnival like atmosphere. Wrestling was also popular and wrestlers from all parts of the empire
would compete against each other. There also appears to have been wrestling between man and
animal, and there is mention of wrestling matches between men and elephants. Theatre also existed,
and a variety of plays were performed. Gambling remained a popular game as well. There also
seemed to be the proto-type of a game that would later evolve into what is today known as chess. It
appears to have got more and more popular with time.

GUPTA EMPIRE

During this period there was peace and harmony in the society. The pre-Gupta period in India
witnessed a series of foreign invasions. Indian society had given way to those foreigners who had
become permanent residents here. But during the Gupta period, the caste system became rigid. Many

12
castes and sub- castes evolved. The social ranking or caste of a person was decided by his trade or
profession. The society was classified in four castes namely; Brahmans, who carried out activities
like trade, architecture, service, etc. The Gupta rulers were Vaishayas. The Kshatriya’s practiced
industrial vocation. Sudras were engaged in activities like trade and agriculture. The Brahmins
occupied the top ladder of the society. They were given enormous gifts by the rulers as well as other
wealthy people. The practice of untouchability had slowly begun during this period. Fahien mentions
that Chandalas were segregated from the society. Their miserable condition was elaborated by the
Chinese traveler. The position of women had also become miserable during the Gupta period. They
were prohibited from studying the religious texts like the Puranas. The subjection of women to men
was thoroughly regularized. But it was insisted that they should be protected and generously treated
by men. The practice of Swyamvara was given up and the Manusmriti suggested the early marriage
for girls. In the sphere of religion, Brahmanism reigned supreme during the Gupta period. It had two
branches – Vaishnavism and Saivism. Most of the Gupta kings were Vaishnavaites. They performed
Aswamedha sacrifices. The worship of images and celebration of religious festivals with elaborate
rituals made these two religions popular. Religious literature like the Puranas was composed
during this period. The progress of Brahmanism led to the neglect of Buddhism and Jainism. Fahien
refers to the decline of Buddhism in the Gangetic valley. But a few Buddhist scholars like
Vasubandhu were patronized by Gupta kings. In western and southern India Jainism flourished. The
great Jain Council was held at Valabhi during this period and the Jain Canon of the Swetambras was
written. People lived in joint families and the society was primarily male dominating. There was
over-all prosperity and development in the Gupta society. The women were given secondary
position in the Gupta Empire society. Widow re-marriage was permitted at times. The incidences of
sati were rare but they took place during the Gupta period. The practice of untouchability gained
momentum in this era. Education played an important role in the Gupta period. There were many
educational institutions. Cities like Pataliputra, Ayodhya and Nasik were significant educational
centers. Nalanda and Takshila were two popular universities which attracted students from foreign
countries. Women were allowed to obtain education. The food consumed by the Gupta people was
very simple. It is believed that they were strictly vegetarian and excluded onions, garlic, potatoes and
wine from their diet. Entertainment during those days included dances, musical concerts, gambling,
animal fights, etc. The religion followed during the Gupta period was Hinduism and Buddhism.
Agricultural festivals were celebrated by the people along with other festivals. These festivals were
often associated with religious beliefs of the society. Gods and goddesses like Vishnu, Shiva,
Lakshmi, Parvati and Durga were worshipped and formed an important part of the religion.

13
 RELIGIOUS LIFE

MAURYA EMPIRE

Hinduism was the major religion at the time of inception of the empire, Hindu priests and ministers
used to be an important part of the emperor's court, e.g. Chanakya. James Hastings writes that they
are devotees of Narayana (Vishnu), although Shilanka speaking of the Ekandandins in another
connection identifies them as Shaivas (devotees of Shiva). Scholar James Hastings identifies the
name "Mankhaliputta" or "Mankhali" with the bamboo staff. Scholar Jitendra N. Banerjea compares
them to the Pasupatas Shaivas. Another scholar, Charpentier, believes that the Ajivikas worshiped
Shiva before Makkhali Goshala. As Chanakya wrote in his text Chanakya Niti, "Humbly bowing
down before the almighty Lord Sri Vishnu, the Lord of the three worlds, I recite maxims of the
science of political ethics (niti) selected from the various satras (scriptures)"

Even after embracing Buddhism, Ashoka retained the membership of Hindu Brahmana priests and
ministers in his court. Mauryan society began embracing the philosophy of ahimsa, and given the
increased prosperity and improved law enforcement, crime and internal conflicts reduced
dramatically. Also greatly discouraged was the caste system and orthodox discrimination, as
Mauryans began to absorb the ideals and values of Jain and Buddhist teachings along with
traditional Vedic Hindu teachings. Ashoka initially practiced Hinduism but later
embraced Buddhism; following the Kalinga War, he renounced expansionism and aggression, and
the harsher injunctions of the Arthashastra on the use of force, intensive policing, and ruthless
measures for tax collection and against rebels. Ashoka sent a mission led by his son Mahinda and
daughter Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka, whose king Tissa was so charmed with Buddhist ideals that he
adopted them himself and made Buddhism the state religion. Ashoka sent many Buddhist missions
to West Asia, Greece and South East Asia, and commissioned the construction of monasteries,
schools and publication of Buddhist literature across the empire. He is believed to have built as many
as 84,000 stupas across India i.e. Sanchi and Mahabodhi Temple, and he increased the popularity of
Buddhism in Afghanistan, Thailand and North Asia including Siberia. Ashoka helped convene
the Third Buddhist Council of India and South Asia's Buddhist orders, near his capital, a council that
undertook much work of reform and expansion of the Buddhist religion. Indian merchants embraced
Buddhism and played a large role in spreading the religion across the Mauryan Empire.

Emperor Chandragupta Maurya embraced Jainism after retiring. At an older age, Chandragupta
renounced his throne and material possessions to join a wandering group of Jain monks.

14
Chandragupta was a disciple of Acharya Bhadrabahu. It is said that in his last days, he observed the
rigorous but self-purifying Jain ritual of santhara i.e. fast unto death, at Shravana
Belgola in Karnataka. However, his successor, Emperor Bindusara, was a follower of a Hindu ascetic
movement, Ajivika and distanced himself from Jain and Buddhist movements.

GUPTA EMPIRE

Apart from the various accomplishments of the Gupta Empire in diverse fields like astronomy,
arithmetic, medicine etc was the re-establishment of state policy based on religious tolerance,
following the successful precedent set by Ashoka Maurya. While Hinduism was clearly the religion
favored by the empire's rulers, Buddhism still flourished; Buddhist pilgrims and scholars from
throughout Asia came to India - to study and visit the heartland of this influential religion was
actually a product of Gupta society. One of the facts about the Gupta kings was that that they were a
group dedicated Vaishnavas or devotees of Vishnu, the role played by this religion in their ideology
though has not received much attention from scholars. It is from the coins, inscriptions and literature
of the Gupta age, that the fact can be laid down. They were active participants in the bhakti
devotional movement which was centered on Lord Vishnu. As a matter of fact, the rapid spread of
Vaishnavism in Gupta times was due to a large extent to their patronage. As traditional Hindu
monarchs, the Guptas were strong supporters of vedic religious beliefs and rituals. It is quite
interesting to know that the two components of Gupta religion, namely the vedic as well as the bhakti
elements, were successfully blended by the Guptas along with their advisors to form a workable
ideology of kingship and empire. In formulating their views of kingship, it is clear that they drew
upon many of the concepts and ideas about kingship which are woven into India's great epics, the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata. A close analysis of religion and political power in the Gupta age,
the role played by myth and symbol, especially Vaishnava mythology, in the government of the
empire was a crucial one. Like for instance, the goddess Sri Laksmi and the figure of Garuda, the
family symbol of the Gupta dynasty. All those considerations lead to the main question of the
relationship which was supposed to exist between the king and God in Gupta religion or whether the
Gupta dynasty was a theocratic form of government with the king acting as the incarnation of Lord
Vishnu on earth? Although the king was purposefully associated with Vishnu in the inscriptions as
well as on the coins so produced, it cannot be said with certainty that the Guptas were not claiming to
be incarnations of Vishnu in the same sense as Rama and Krishna were believed to be the
incarnations. Instead they claimed that their authority to rule the land came to them from Lord
Vishnu. They expressed their allegiance to their god through their devotional activities, service to the

15
poor, as also through their royal patronage of the temple movement. Thus, they were kings but also
servants and this pattern of kingship were found in different periods of Indian history as well. It is
often said that the Guptas were chiefly responsible for the spread of Hinduism since the rulers of this
dynasty were basically devoted Hindus. However, the Empires or Dynasties which succeeded the
Gupta Empire, in spite, of being Hindus took extremely little or as good as negligible efforts to
contribute to the spread of Hinduism during the tenure of their rule. Hence, out of the numerous
accomplishments which the Gupta dynasty boasts of, one was the spread of Hinduism.

DECLINE

MAURYA EMPIRE

After Ashoka's death the Mauryan Empire began to decline. Unfortunately the later Mauryan rulers
did not leave behind much recorded material for us to draw a clear picture of exactly what happened.
It appears that the empire was divided up amongst his sons, each founding his own separate
kingdom. The process of decay soon began setting in as once a strong central authority ceased to
exist, many of the outlying provinces ceded away. By about 200 BC many former Mauryan
provinces were independent kingdoms. The process was accelerated by the foreign invaders that
began attacking the country, seeing an opportunity to seize control in the absence of any strong
power. Antiochos III a greek conqueror who was the great great grandson of Seleukos, the general of
Alexander, whom Chandragupta Maurya had defeated to found the Mauryan dynasty, is reported to
have attacked and if some accounts are to be believed reached as far as Pataliputra.

The disintegration of the Mauryan Empire was perhaps inevitable; Ashoka's complete move away
from violence was perhaps what weakened the empire. After the famous Kalinga war which changed
Ashoka completely, he had ordered sweeping changes in the empire. Armed conquest was
discontinued and even the royal hunt was stopped. So for the twenty nine remaining years of his rule,
the Mauryan army remained largely inactive. Mauryan kings that followed soon began to lose touch
with the army, and eventually when the battles came they were no match for a more motivated army.
The kings, unlike in the past, did not command the respect of the soldiers, and could not take the
field and lead the army in war. Once an empire of its size was without a strong ruler or an army, the
disintegration that took place could only be expected. The Mauryan dynasty finally came to an end
when Brihadratha was assassinated in 187 BC by his general Pushyamitra Shunga, who went on to
found the short lived Shunga dynasty. India once again disintegrated into a series of smaller

16
kingdoms and it was not until 320 AD, almost five hundred years later when the Gupta dynasty
founded India's next major empire.

GUPTA EMPIRE

Skandagupta was regarded as the last great ruler of the Empire. The threat of invasion had begun
during the reign of Kumaragupta I. Pushyamitra tribe had made several unsuccessful attempts to
invade the Gupta Empire but were defeated by Kumaragupta. During the reign of Skandagupta, the
Huns tried repeatedly to conquer the Gupta territories but were defeated by Skandagupta. His
successors were weak and could not control the vast Empire. The invasion by the Huns was one of
the main reasons for the decline of the Empire. The Huns were successful in invading the Gupta
Empire after the death of Skandagupta. They conquered many provinces of the Empire like the
Malwa, Gujarat and Thanesar. Despite their continuously declining power the Gupta’s managed to
fight the Huns for some time. Narsimhagupta of the Gupta dynasty formed an alliance with the
independent kingdoms to prevent the Huns from entering the northern Indian regions. The smooth
functioning of the Gupta Empire was severely affected by Yasodharman, the Malwa prince. The
reign of Yasodharman did not last for a long but it certainly challenged the Gupta authority and
power. The Gupta Empire also suffered because of the invasion attempts made by Toramana and his
successor Mihirakula. The Gupta Empire was affected by the expansion of the Vakataka kingdom.
The management and control of the Gupta Empire was also seriously affected by the widespread
unrest within the kingdom. Some states had declared their sovereignty owing to the inability of the
Gupta rulers to control the vast territories of the empire.

17
 CONCLUSION

The Mauryan Empire was a militarily dominant, economically flourishing, and culturally
influential powerhouse of a nation. The reign of the empire began as Alexander the Great pulled
out of India, and Chandra Gupta Maurya, founder of the Mauryan empire, rose up to claim the
lands that were once his. The Civilization grew rapidly, as autocratic leaders invaded smaller city-
states and took them as their own. The Golden Age of the Mauryan Empire, under Asoka, resulted
in the creation and adoption of three major worldly religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism,
as well as booming foreign trade in the areas of gold and metal, leading India to become one of
the wealthiest empires at the time. These riches caused a flood of poets, artists, and writers to
Pataliputra, the nation's capital, which soon became a cultural center for the world.

Even though the Gupta Empire was not as powerful or widespread as the Mauryans, it was stable,
peaceful, and a nearly utopian society. The Gupta's had, for the most part, adopted Buddhism, and
were completely at peace, lead by a strong and powerful central government to keep things in
order. The land of the Gupta Empire was not won by military strength, but rather through
diplomatic measures, particularly the marrying off leaders to the rulers of other lands to add them
into the empire. Under the Gupta leader Chandra Gupta II, the Gupta Empire thrived culturally
and economically. Unlike the Mauryans before them, the Gupta Empire promoted low interest
rate overseas trade helping them to grow. Like the Mauryans, the Guptas developed an abundance
of cultural leaders who populated the nation's capital.

18
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

• Ancient India by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar

• India: From Indus Valley Civilizations to the Mauryas by Gyan Swarup Gupta
• Political History of Ancient India by Hemchandra Raychaudhuri

19