The Age of Mauryas

Literary Sources

Kautilya’s Arthshashtra

• Written in Sanskrit by Chanakya / KauFtilya / Vishnugupta / Indian Machiavelli
• Contains 15 books & 180 chapters; with main theme divided into 3 parts
• King & his council and departments of government
• Civil & criminal law
• Diplomacy of war

Vishakadatta’s Mudrarakshasa

• A drama in Sanskrit written during Gupta’s period
• Describes how Chandragupta maurya with the help of Kautilya overthrew Nandas
• Gives socio – economic picture of condition under mauryas.
   

Megasthene’s Indica

• Megasthene was a Greek ambassador in court of Chandragupta maurya
• His book is survived in fragments & provides detail about mauryan administration & military organization, particularly of capital city (Patliputra)
   

Ceylonese Chronicles

• Ceylonese chronicles “Dipavamsa & Mahavamsa” throw light on Ashoka’s role in spreading Buddhism in Srilanka.

Edicts of Ashoka

• Inscriptions of Ashoka were 1st deciphered by James Princep in 1837
• Brahmi scripts were used for writing edicts, particularly Pali & Prakrit.
• In N-W India Ashoka’s inscriptions were also found in Kharosti script
• Name Ashoka occurs only in few minor edicts (Maski & Girnar) (In karnataka & Madhya pradesh), rest at all places edicts mention him as “Devampriya Priyadasi” → Dear to Gods
• Famous Sanchi Stupa & Sarnath Pillar constitutes to Ashoka’s rein

Chandragupta maurya

• Puranas described Mauryas as mainly Sudras and unrighteous
• Mudraraksha of Visakadatta says that the name Maurya was derived from Mura, a Nanda queen, mother or grand-mother of Chandra Gupta Maurya.
• Buddhist text connects them with the tribe of Sakyaas that the region was full of peocock i.e. ‘Moriyas’ and attributed them to Kshatriya clan.
• Chandragupta ascended the throne in 322 B.C.
• Chandragupta fought Selucus in 305 B.C. Selucus surrendered a vast territory including Parapani Sadai (Kabul), Arachosia (Afghanistan), Gedrosia (Baluchistan), Arria (Heart), in return for 500 elephants
• Chandragupta was converted to Jainism abdicated in favour of Simhasena i.e. Bindusar, went with Bhadra Bahu to Sravan Belgola where he died of slow starvation.
• Megasthenese was a Greek ambassador sent by Selecus to court of Chandragupta Maurya.
• The account of Megasthenese ‘INDICA’ does not survived in full but quotations occur in works of several subsequent Greek writers like Strabo, Diodirus, Arrian, pliny.
• ‘Arthasastra’ of Kautilya was finally compiled a few centuries after the Maurya rule, but some of books contain material that is genuine and gives authentic information of about Mauryan administration and economy.

Bindusar

• ‘Simhasena’ of Jain Tradition, ‘Amitro chates’ of Strabo which was Greek version of Sanskrit ‘Amitraghata’ or Slayer of foes.
• Antichus-I of Syria sent Deimachus to his court. Bindusar asked Antichus-I for some sweet wine, dried figs, and sophist. Anticous sent figs and wine but replied politely Greek philosophers are not for sale.
• Bindusar aided Ajivika sect.

Asoka (272 B.C. – 232 B.C.)

• According to ‘Ashokavadana’, Asoka was sent to Taxila to quell a revolt against official oppression.
• He was awarded the viceroyalty of Ujjain.
• According to Buddhist tradition, Ashoka upsuped the throne after killing his 99 brothers and spared Tissa, the youngest one Radhagupta a Minister of Bindusar helped him in fatricidal struggle.
• Asoka fought the Kalinga war in 261 B.C.in the 9th year of his coronation. The king was moved by massacre in this war and therefore abandoned the policy of physical occupation in favour of policy of cultural conquest. In other words Bherighosha was replaced byDhammaghosha.
• The subjects of Kalinga were asked to obey the king as their father (Dhauli/Tosali, Jaguda/Sampa Rock Edict)
• Asoka was not an extreme pacifist. he did not pursue the policy of peace for sake of peace under all conditions. Thus he retained Kalinga after its conquest and incorporated it into his empire.
• He appointed a class of officers known as Rajuka who were vested with the authority of not only rewarding people but also punishing them.
• He visited Lumbini in 21st year of his reign and made a stone bearing wall and caused a stone pillar to set up in order to show that blessed one was born here.
• Rummendei pillar refers to Mauryan Taxation. The village of Lumbini was exempted from Bali (Tribute) and the royal Share of produce i.e., Bhaga was reduced to 1/8th.
• He stared the institution of Dharmamahamattras in 14th year of his reign.
• The institution of Rajukas was started in 27th year of his reign.
• In the 13th year he donated Lomarishi caves in Barabar hills to Ajivikas.
• Ashoka visited to Gaya in 10th year of his reign i.e. (started Dhamma yatras) – 8th Major Rock Edict refere to piligrimage of Asoka.
• Asoka set a very high ideal for himself and this was ideal of paternal kingship (Dhauli and Jaguda) R.E.
• Asoka appointed Dharmamahamatras for propagating Dharma among various social groups including women.

Asoka dhamma

• Asoka’s Dhamma cannot be regarded as sectarian faith. Its broad objective was to preserve the social order it ordained that people should obey their parents, pay respect to Brahmanas and Buddhist
• monks and show mercy to slave and servants.
• He held that if people behaved well they would attain heaven or ‘Swarga’. He never said that they would attain ‘NIRVANA’ which was goal of Buddhist Teaching.
• Asoka’s Teaching were thus intended to maintain the existing social order on the basis of ‘Tolerance’.

Asoka edicts

• He was the first Indian king to talk directly to the people through his inscriptions.
• These inscriptions communicate royal orders. They have been found at more than 45 places and their total version number 181.
• These epigraphs were first deciphered in 1837 by James Princep.
• Composed in prakrit they were written in Brahmi script throughout the greater part of the empire.
• In North western part – Kharosthi and Aramaic script.
• In Afghaistan – Both Aramaic and Greek script and language.
• The Asokan insciptions are generally placed on the highway.

Edicts

• 1st Rock Edicts - Prohibition of animal sacrifice
• 2nd Rock Edicts  - Medical mission sent to land of Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas, Ceylon, etc.
• 3rd Rock Edicts - Yukta, Rajjuka and Pradesika appointed in the 13th Regnal year.
• 4th Rock Edicts- The sound of Bherighosta has become the sound of Dhamma Ghosa.
• 5th Rock Edicts- Duties of Dhammamahamatta laid down.
• 6th Rock Edicts - Taks of Accessibility of king.
• 7th Rock Edicts- Tolerance and compassion.
• 13th R.E.- Kalinga war mentions Cholas, Cheras, Satyputras, Pandyas and Tamrapani as it   neighbours.
• The contemporaries of Asoka are Antichus II of Syria, Prolemy II of Egypt, Antigous of Macedonia, Magas of Cyrene, Alexander of Epirus.
• In Bhabru edict, Asoka states his acceptanceof Buddhist creed, the faith in Budha and Sangha. He refers to himself as ‘King of Magadha’
• In Maski edict – The Name ‘Asoka’ appear.

The imperial organization

• The empire was dividedinto number of province and each province was placed under Kumara (Prince) or Aryaputra.
• The provinces were divided into smaller units and arrangements were made for both rural and urban administration.
• Patliputra, Kaushambhi, Ujjain and Taxila were most important cities in Mauryan times.
• According to Megasthenes the administration of Patliputra was carred by 6 committees, each committee consisiting of 5 members. These committees were entrusted with
• (1)  Sanitation and industrial ores.
• (2)  Supervision of foreigners.
• (3)  Registration of birth and measure.
• (4)  Supervision of sales.
• (5)  Collection of taxes 1/10 of the price.

Army

• The most striking feature of Mauryan administration was maintanence of huge army. The Mauryan also maintained Navy.
• According to Megasthenes the administration of Army was carried by board of 30 officiers divided into six committees, each committee consisting of 5 members.
• The six wing of army were assigned to takecare of separate committees. They are: (1) Army (2) Cavalry (3) Elephants (4) Chariots (5) Navy (6) Transport.
• The state controlled almost all economic activities.
• The state brought new land under cultivation with the help of cultivators and shudras.
• Tax collected from peasant varied form ¼ to 1/6 of the produce.
• The state also provided irrigation facilities and charged water tax.
• Tolls were also levied on commodities brought to town for sale and they were collected at gate.
• The state enjoyed monopoly in mining, sale of liquor, manufacture of arms etc.

Administration

• Important functionaries were called ‘Trithas’ and were paid in cash.
• The high functionaries were minister (Mantri), high priest of palace (Purohita), commander in chief (Senapati) and crown prince (Yuvraja).
• According to Artha Sastra, the state appointed 27 Superintendents (Adhyakshas), mostly to regulate economic activity.

Taxes

Art & architecture

• The Mauryas introduced stone masonry on large scale. Megasthenese states that the Maurya palace at Patliputre was as splendid as that in capital at Iran.
• Fragments of stone pillars and stumps indicating the existence of 80 pillared hall have been discovered at Kumarhar on outskirts of Patna.
• The pillars represents the Masterpiece of Mauryan sculpture. Each pillar is made of single piece of sandstone, only their capitals which are beautiful pieces of sculpure in form of lion or bulls are joined with pillar on the top.
• Single Lion capital at Rampurva and Lavriya Nandangarh.
• Single bull capital at Rampurva.
• Four lion capital at Sarnath and Sanchi.
• A carved elephant at Dhauli and engraved elephant at Kalsi.
• The popular art of Mauryan period is represented by Yakshi in Besanagar, the Yaksha of Park kham and Chaux-Bearer of Didarganj.
• The Mauryan artisans also started the practice of hewing out caves from rocks for monks to live in. The earliest example are Barabar caves in Gaya.

Decline

• The Mauryan empire was finally destroyed by Pushyamitra Sunga in 185 B.C. He was the general of last Mauryan King Brihadratha.
• Other causes included Brahmanical reaction, Financial crisis, Oppressive rule, New knowledge in outlying area (Dissemination of Knowledge of Manufacturing Iron.), Neglect of north-west frontier.

• The period which started in about 200 B.C. did not have any large empire like that of the Mauryas.
• In eastern India, central India and the Deccan, the Mauryas were succeeded by a number of native rulers such as the Sungas, the Kanvas and the Satavahanas.
• In north-western India they were succeded by a number of ruling dynasties from Central Asia.

Shunga or Sunga Dynasty

• Four rulers of Shunga or Sunga Dynasty were PushyamitraSunga (185 BC TO 151 BC), Agnimitra (149 BC -141 BC), Bhagabhadra (114 BC -83 BC) and Devabhuti (87-73 BC)
• Pushyamitra Shunga founded the Shunga dynasty in around 185-183 BC.
•  Capital of Shunga Dynasty Was Pataliputra and its major centers were Ujjain, Mathura, Saket, Sanchi, and Kapilvastu.
• Vidisha was capital of later Shunga rulers.
• The empire included modern West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh, some parts of northern Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh .
• In South India, the contemporary of Mauryas & Shungas were Saatvahanas, Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas.
• The extent of Saatvahana was modern Andhra Pradesh, Pandyas was Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and Cheras was Kerala (Cheras derived from Keralaputra). 

 Pushyamitra Sunga (185 BC TO 151 BC):

• Pushyamitra Shunga the founder and hero of the Shunga dynasty.
• He was viceroy of the Mauryas at Ujjain and was a real war hero.
• He was not happy with his king Brihadratha, who failed in containing the Yavanas and attacks from the western sides.
•  Pushyamitra Shunga was also credited to repulse the two attacks of Greeks and also conquest over Vidarbha.
• The first of these attacks from Greeks, which were repulsed by Pushyamitra Shunga, was under Demetrius and another was under Meander.
• Pushyamitra is also known to have repelled the Kalinga’s king Kharvela conquest.
• He is also known to have performed an Ashvamedha Yagna.
• The Ayodhya Inscription of Dhandeva mentions that he performed two Ashwamedha Yagyas (Horse Sacrifices).
• As per the Puranas, Pushyamitra Shunga reigned for 36 years.
• Some evidences say that Pushyamitra Shunga destroyed many stupas of Asoka.
• But there are also evidences that Barhut Stupa was built during the Shunga Empire only.
• Pushyamitra was succeeded by his son Agnimitra.

Agnimitra : (149 BC -141 BC) :

• Agnimitra the second king of Shunga dynasty, succeeded his father Pushyamitra Shunga and reigned for a short period of 8 years.
• He is the hero of Malvikagnimitram of Kalidasa in which he has been referred to as Raja.
• By the times of Agnimitra, Vidarbha had become independent of the Maurays.
• Agnimitra was succeeded by Vasumitra around 131 BC.
• Who succeeded Vasumitra , not much details are available.
• Different accounts mention the name of different kings such as Andhraka, Pulindaka, Ghosha or Vajramitra.
• The last rulers of Shunga dynasty were Bhagabhadra and Devabhuti, about whom we have some details

Bhagabhadra (114 BC -83 BC):

• We know about the king Bhagabhadra by a Heliodorus pillar, which has been found in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh near modern Besnagar.
• Heliodorus was a Greek ambassador and he dedicated this pillar to God Vasudeva (Vishnu).
• The Heliodorus pillar has a surmounted figure of a Garuda.

Devabhuti (87-73 BC):

• Devabhuti was the last Shunga Ruler who was killed by his own minister Vasudeva Kanva in around 73 BC.
• Vasudeva Kanva thus assassinated the last ruler of Shunga Dynasty and founded the Kanva Dynasty.

Hunas

• Hunas were one of the fierce tribes from Central Asia. They have been periodically invading India since the Sunga period. They were resisted by the rulers uptil the second half of the 5th century A.D. But the weakness of Gupta empire provided them with a chance and by A.D. 485 they were able to occupy eastern Malwa and a good portion of central India.

Kanva Dynasty (72 B.C. – 27 B.C.)

• The rule of the Kanvas lasted for about 45 years. Four kings ruled during this period. Vasudeva ruled for a period of nine years and Bhumimitra for 14 years.
• Narayana held the reigns of administration for almost 12 years— Shusarma was the last of the Kanvas. During the Kanva dynasty, the Brahmanical reaction persisted.

Cheta (Chetis) Dynasty of Kalinga

• The history of Kalinga is not known with any degree of certainty till the first century B.C. The veil of obscurity is lifted by the far famed but damaged Hatigumpha (in the Udaygiri hill near Bhubaneswar) inscription.
• It records the exploits of Kharavela belonging to the Cheta or Cheti line of kings, founded by Maha Meghavahana.
• According to the testimony of the inscription of Kharavela, aged 24, ascended the throne of Kalinga probably in 25 B.C.
• After having served apprenticeship as Yuvaraja for eight years. The inscription which accounts for the 13 years of Kharavela’s rule, describes in detail the digvijaya of the Kalinga prince.