Ashoka
Ashoka
The greatest Mauryan emperor, who spread Buddhism and the ideal of Dhamma.
Maurya Dynasty
India's first great pan-subcontinental imperial dynasty (322-185 BCE).
What you need to know
- Founded 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya
- Guided by the statesman Chanakya (Kautilya)
- Ashoka propagated Buddhism after the Kalinga War
- Administered by the principles of the Arthashastra
Notable Members
India's First Empire
p>The Maurya dynasty (322–185 BCE) was founded by Chandragupta Maurya and became the first dynasty to unify most of the Indian subcontinent under a single administration. Guided initially by the statesman Chanakya, it governed from the great city of Pataliputra according to the principles of the <em>Arthashastra</em>.</p><p>The empire reached its apogee under Ashoka, whose conversion to Buddhism reshaped the ideology of Indian kingship.</p>
The Mauryan Legacy
p>The Mauryas established templates of imperial administration, taxation and diplomacy that later Indian states would draw upon. Ashoka's edicts constitute the earliest deciphered Indian written records and remain vital sources for the period.</p><p>Mauryan art, from the polished Ashokan pillars to the Lion Capital of Sarnath, endures as a defining expression of ancient Indian civilization.</p>