Why this matters now
The Mauryas are a core GS-1 topic — sources (Arthashastra, Megasthenes’ Indica, edicts), Ashoka’s Dhamma and the Kalinga war, the administrative system, and the causes of decline are perennial questions.
Chandragupta and Bindusara
Chandragupta Maurya, guided by Kautilya (Chanakya) — author of the Arthashastra — overthrew the Nandas (c. 322 BCE) and defeated Seleucus Nicator. Megasthenes, a Greek envoy, wrote the Indica about his court. Chandragupta later embraced Jainism; his son Bindusara extended the empire into the Deccan.
Ashoka and Dhamma
Ashoka (c. 268–232 BCE), the greatest Mauryan, fought the bloody Kalinga war (c. 261 BCE), which led him to embrace Buddhism and non-violence. He propagated Dhamma (a moral code of tolerance, non-violence and welfare) through his edicts on rocks and pillars (in Brahmi, Kharosthi, Greek and Aramaic), appointed Dhamma Mahamattas, and sent Buddhist missions abroad.
Administration and decline
The Mauryas built a centralised bureaucracy from the capital Pataliputra, with provinces under princes, a vast spy network, and state control of trade and agriculture (per the Arthashastra). After Ashoka, the empire declined due to weak successors, an over-centralised and costly administration, financial strain and provincial revolts — ending when Pushyamitra Shunga killed the last Mauryan, Brihadratha (c. 185 BCE).
UPSC angle
Know Chandragupta + Kautilya (Arthashastra), Megasthenes’ Indica, Ashoka’s Kalinga war and Dhamma, the edicts (scripts), the centralised administration, and the causes of decline. End: Pushyamitra Shunga.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded the Mauryan Empire?
Chandragupta Maurya, with the guidance of Kautilya (Chanakya), around 322 BCE after overthrowing the Nandas.
What was Ashoka’s Dhamma?
A moral code of non-violence, tolerance, welfare and ethical conduct that Ashoka propagated through his edicts after the Kalinga war.
What is the Arthashastra?
A treatise on statecraft, economy and administration attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya), a key source for Mauryan polity.
Why did the Mauryan Empire decline?
Weak successors, an over-centralised and expensive administration, financial strain and provincial revolts; it ended around 185 BCE.