Mauryan dynasty
Rise of the Mauryan dynasty
- The Mauryas were a dynasty with three important rulers — Chandragupta, his son Bindusara, and Bindusara’s son, Ashoka.
- After alexander death, Seleucus, (Alexander general) – Establish his kingdom. Chandragupta defeat seleucus before 301 BCE & final agreements, Chandragupta gave Seleucus 500 war elephants, and Seleucus sent an ambassador to Chandragupta’s court. ambassador was Megasthenes. (written Chandragupta to Indica).
- The Mahavamsa, the comprehensive historical chronicle of mauryan in Pali from Sri Lanka
- Chandragupta was supported by a wise man named Chanakya or Kautilya.
- Chanakya's Arthashastra - Chanakya’s ideas were written down in a book called the Arthashastr.
- He succeeded as emperor in 279 BCE. Continued his father’s tradition of close interaction with the Greek states of West Asia.
- Bindusara died in 272 BCE & Ashoka came thrown in 268 BCE.
- He punitive war against Kalinga, which had broken away from the Magadha Empire – He saw so many people lost their life. So became Buddhist and found new values and beliefs. [dhamma (dharma in Sanskrit)]
- Ashoka’s war in Kalinga - He is the only king in the history of the world who gave up conquest after winning a war.
- I believe that winning people over through dhamma (Dharma) is much better than conquering them through force.
- Ashoka dhamma - treating slaves and servants kindly, and respect for religions and traditions other than one’s own - Inspired by the teachings of the Buddha
- Ashoka’s dhamma - father tries to teach his children, he had a duty to instruct his subjects.
- Dhamma mahamatta – Officials who went from place to place teaching people about dhamma.
- Built roads, dug wells, built rest houses & arrange for medical treatment.
- Spread ideas about dhamma to other lands, such as Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka.
- Died in 231 BCE.
- 33 Edits - 14 Major Rock Edicts, 2 known as Kalinga edicts, 7 Pillar Edicts, some Minor Rock Edicts.
- Brahmi script and in Magadhi and Prakrit.
- Kandahar Inscription - Greek and Aramaic.
- Two inscriptions in North-west Pakistan - Kharosthi script.
- Kalinga Rock Edict 1 – He added that he would send an officer every five years to verify if his instructions were carried out.
- Major Rock Edict 2 - Providing medical care should be one of the functions of the state, the emperor ordered hospitals to be set up to treat human beings and animals.
- Major Rock Edict 3 - yuktas (subordinate officials), rajjukas (rural administrators), pradesikas (heads of the districts). go on tours every five years to instruct people in dhamma.
- Major Rock Edict 6 - Ashoka realised that an effective ruler needed to be fully informed about what was happening in his kingdom and insisted that he should be advised and informed promptly wherever he might be.
- Major Rock Edicts 7 and 12 - He insisted that all religions should co-exist and the ascetics of all religions were honoured.
- Ashoka’s inscriptions were in Prakrit and were written in the Brahmi script.
- Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription) composed in Sanskrit by Harishena, the court poet of Samudragupta.
- Mention Ashoka name in Inscriptions, used instead are titles adopted by the ruler.
- devanampiya, - “beloved of the gods”
- piyadassi, - “pleasant to behold”.
- Third Buddhist sangha (council) in 250 BCE – Outcome sangha (Expand the reach of buddist to other part).
- Missionaries were sent to regions outlying the empire such as Kashmir and South India.
- Sent his two children, Mahinda and Sanghamitta, to Sri Lanka to propagate Buddhism
- Arthasastra (though the work itself is now dated to a few centuries later).
- Arthasastra notes the performing arts of the period, including music, instrumental music, bards, dance and theatre.
- Maintain Internal Security & Defence. Centralised state.
- Bureaucratic set-up covered a hierarchy of settlements from the village, to the towns, provincial capitals and major cities.
- King - assisted by a council of ministers and a purohita or priest.
- Secretaries known as mahamatriyas.
- The capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila & Ujjayini (long-distance trade routes), Tosali and Suvarnagiri (possibly important for tapping the gold mines of Karnataka), Mathura were bustling centres of commercial, cultural and political activity.
- Administered by Governor – Royal princes.
- Collector-general (samaharta).
- Under the command of a sthanika – Official known as gopas.
- Urban administration was handled by a nagarika.
- Villages were semi-autonomous and were under the authority of a gramani.
- Two types of Court
- dharmasthiya courts (Civil law relating to marriage) - 3 judge & 3 amatyas.
- kantakasodhana (Removal of thorns) - 3 judge & 3 amatyas.
- Megasthenes mentions committee with six subcommittees for Military Activity.
- Officials were appointed to collect taxes from farmers, herders, crafts persons and traders Polity.
- Whatever resources were available as tax and tribute.
Agriculture
- Iron-tipped ploughshare.
- North eastern and central parts - practised hoe agriculture.
- Use of irrigation.
- produce a substantial surplus was a major factor in the diversification surplus was a major factor in the diversification commercial production.
- Variety of cloth was produced. Cloth embroidered with gold and silver.
- Specialised textiles - Kasi (Benares), Vanga (Bengal), Kamarupa (Assam) & Madurai.
- Great improvement in technology.
- Wood work, Stone work-stone carving and Polishing. Stupa at Sanch (Expertise stone Sclupture).
- Pamukha (pramukha or leader), jettha (jyeshtha or elder), organized in seni (sreni or a guild).
- Disputes between srenis were resolved by a mahasetthi.
- Hoards of Roman coins found in South India – Explain Roman empire connection through trade.
- Hierarch of markets.
- Gangetic plains – Major way for transporting goods throughout northern India.
- Overseas trade by ships – to Burma, Malay & Sri Lanka.
- Merchants communities – trade together as a caravan for security – leader mahasarthavaha.
- Tolls and octroi were collected.
- Trade links with the west through the Greek states to Egypt. Indigo, through the Greek states to Egypt
- coinage was known, barter. Silver coin known as pana.
- Indo-Greeks, First coins with name and image of rulers.
- Kushanas - first gold coins.
- Copper coins issued by the Yaudheyas.
- Gold coins were issued by the Gupta rulers.
- Hordes of punch-marked coins used.
- Gahapati - The owner, master or head of a household.
- Large landowners or vellalar.
- Ploughmen or uzhavar.
- Slaves or adimai.
- Stone Pillar at Sarnath.
- Mauryas, Including stone sculpture, Example of spectacular art typical of empires.
- Mauryan art and architecture show traces of Persian influence.
- One of the first pre-requisites for Urbanisation.
- Town located near rivers. House built by mud & fired bricks.
- Town with Headquarters of administration, Pilgrim centers, Commercial market center.
Time Line
- 530 BCE - Invasion of Cyrus (Emperor of Persia)
- 362 BCE - Nandas establishing their empire in Magadha
- 326 BCE - Invasion of Alexander
- 321 BCE - Chandragupta founding the Mauryan Empire
- 301 BCE - Defeat of Seleucus by Chandragupta
- 297 BCE - Bindusara succeeding Chandragupta
- 250 BCE - Third Buddhist Sangha convened by Ashoka
- 231 BCE - Death of Ashoka
Miscellaneous
- Prabhavati Gupta – daughter of Chanderagupta II.
- Sanskrit legal texts, women were not supposed to have independent access to resources such as land.
- But, Prabhavati Gupta donated this village with the pouring out of water, to the Acharya (teacher) Chanalasvamin.
- Stories contained in anthologies such as the Jatakas and the Panchatantra.
- Gandatindu Jataka - describes relationship between a king & his subjects.
- At the time of Mauryan empire, china being build Great wall (6400 km).
- Kushanas
- Vast kingdom extending from Central Asia to northwest India.
- Colossal statues of Kushana
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