The Mauryan Empire — Part 7: One-Page Revision Summary & Glossary

One-Page Revision Summary

Period: 322–185 BCE | Capital: Pataliputra (modern Patna) | Ended by: Pushyamitra Shunga (185 BCE)

Three Key Rulers:

• Chandragupta Maurya (322–298 BCE): Overthrew Nandas with Kautilya's help; defeated Greek satraps; hosted Megasthenes; expanded northwest to Afghanistan
• Bindusara (298–272 BCE): Consolidated empire; expanded into Deccan
• Ashoka (272–232 BCE): Kalinga War → conversion to Dhamma; rock edicts and pillar inscriptions; missionary Buddhism

Key Administrative Concepts:

• Saptanga (7 constituents): swami, amatya, janapada, durga, kosha, danda, mitra
• Five provincial centres: Pataliputra, Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali, Suvarnagiri
• Military (per Greek accounts): 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry, 9,000 elephants
• Dhamma Mahamatta: Special officials to spread Dhamma
• Mantri-Parishad: Council of ministers advising the king

Economy: Agriculture (two crops/year); trade guilds (shrenis); punch-marked silver coins; granaries; Uttarapatha and Dakshinapatha trade routes

Edict Details: Prakrit/Brahmi (most), Kharosthi (northwest), Aramaic/Greek (Afghanistan). Piyadassi = Ashoka. Deciphered by James Prinsep (1830s). Maski edict: first to name Ashoka explicitly.

Key Art and Architecture:

• Sarnath Lion Capital → National Emblem + Ashoka Chakra → National Flag
• Sanchi Great Stupa (brick, Ashoka; enlarged in stone, Shunga/Satavahana era)
• Barabar Hill rock-cut caves (Bihar)
• Dhauli elephant rock sculpture (Odisha)
• Polished stone pillars across the empire

Sources: Arthashastra (Kautilya); Indika (Megasthenes); Asokan inscriptions; Buddhist, Jaina, and Puranic texts

Decline: Weak successors; overextension; economic strain; decentralisation; external (Indo-Greek) pressure; Shunga coup 185 BCE

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Glossary

1. Arthashastra: A comprehensive treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya), minister of Chandragupta Maurya; covers administration, law, trade, and public welfare.

2. Saptanga: The seven constituents of the state as defined by Kautilya: king (swami), ministers and officials (amatya), territory with population (janapada), forts (durga), treasury (kosha), army and law (danda), and allies (mitra).

3. Dhamma: The moral code propagated by Ashoka, encompassing non-violence, respect for elders and all religions, generosity to Brahmanas and shramanas, kind treatment of servants, truthfulness, and compassion; inspired by but distinct from Buddhist Dhamma.

4. Dhamma Mahamatta: Special officials appointed by Ashoka to spread the principles of Dhamma across his empire and to neighbouring regions.

5. Piyadassi: Title used by Ashoka in most inscriptions, meaning 'one who regards others with kindness'; also spelled Priyadarshi in Sanskrit.

6. Devanampiya: Another title of Ashoka meaning 'Beloved of the Gods'; appears together with Piyadassi in most edicts.

7. Brahmi: The script in which most Asokan inscriptions are written; regarded as the parent script of virtually all major Indian regional scripts; deciphered by James Prinsep in 1837.

8. Kharosthi: A right-to-left script used in Asokan inscriptions in the northwestern subcontinent (modern Pakistan/Afghanistan); also deciphered by James Prinsep.

9. Shreni (Guild): An association of traders, craftsmen, or moneylenders with its own elected head, internal rules, and significant autonomy in commercial affairs; a cornerstone of the Mauryan commercial economy.

10. Mantri-Parishad: The council of ministers in the Mauryan administrative system, composed of the treasurer, chief tax collector, chief legal advisor, and commander-in-chief; could act independently in exceptional circumstances.

11. Kalinga: Ancient name for the coastal region of present-day Odisha; site of Ashoka's most devastating military campaign, whose aftermath led to his embrace of Dhamma and non-violence.

12. Stupa: A hemispherical dome-shaped structure (anda) erected over relics of the Buddha or Buddhist saints; used for worship through circumambulation (pradakshina); the Great Stupa at Sanchi is the finest surviving example.

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