THE MAURYAN EMPIRE

The foundation of the Mauryan Empire opens a new era in the history of India. For the first time, political unity was achieved in India.

Sources

1. Literary Sources

Kautilya’s Arthasastra: It is in Sanskrit- written by Kautilya, a contemporary of Chandragupta Maurya. Kautilya was also called ‘Indian Machiavelli’. The manuscript of Arthasastra was first discovered by R. Shama Sastri in 1904. The Arthasastra contains 15 books and 180 chapters but it can be divided into three parts:

(a) First deals with the king and his council and the departments of government;
(b) The second with civil and criminal law; and
(c) The third with diplomacy and war.

Visakadatta’s Mudrarakshasa: It was written by Visakadatta in Sanskrit. Although written during the Gupta period, it describes how Chandragupta with the assistance of Kautilya overthrew the Nandas. It also gives a picture on the socio-economic condition under the Mauryas.
Megasthenes’ Indica: Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. It gives details about the Mauryan administration, particularly the administration of the capital city of Pataliputra and also the military organization. His picture on contemporary social life is notable.
Other Literature: Apart from these three important works, the Puranas and the Buddhist literature such as Jatakas provide information on the Mauryas. The Ceylonese Chronicles Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa throw light on the role Asoka in spreading Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

2. Archaeological Sources

Edicts of Asoka

The inscriptions of Asoka were first deciphered by James Princip in 1837.
Written in- Pali(mostly), Prakrit(some places). The Brahmi script was employed for writing. In the northwestern India Asokan inscriptions- found in Kharosthi Script.
There are fourteen Major Rock Edicts. The two Kalinga Edicts are found in the newly conquered territory. The major pillar Edicts were erected in important cities. There are minor Rock Edicts and minor pillar Edicts. These Edicts of Asoka deal with Asoka’s Dhamma and also instructions given to his officials.
The XIII Rock Edict gives details about his war with Kalinga.
The Pillar Edict VII gives a summary of his efforts to promote the Dhamma within his kingdom.

Political History Of the Mauryas

1. Chandragupta Maurya (322 – 298 B.C.)

Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire. At the age of 25, he captured Pataliputra(with the assistance of kautilya) from the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty, Dhanananda.
After establishing his power in the Gangetic valley, he subdued territories up to the Indus in northwest and occupied north of Narmada river in Central India.
He defeated Selukas Niketar and a treaty was signed, and Megasthenes was sent to the Mauryan court as Greek ambassador.
Chandragupta embraced Jainism; then he went to Shravanabelagola, near Mysore along with Jain monks led by Bhadrabhagu and starved himself to death.

2. Bindusara (298 – 273 B.C.)

Bindusara was called by the Greeks as “Amitragatha” meaning slayer of enemies. He is said to have conquered the Deccan up to Mysore. Taranatha, the Tibetan monk states that Bindusara conquered 16 states comprising ‘the land between the two seas’.
The Sangam Tamil literature also confirms the Mauryan invasion of the far south. Therefore, it can be said that the Mauryan Empire under Bindusara extended up to Mysore.
Bindusara received Deimachus as ambassador from the Syrian king Antiochus I.
Bindusara supported the Ajivikas, a religious sect. Bindusara appointed his son Asoka as the governor of Ujjain.

3. Asoka the Great (273 – 232 B.C.)

He acted as Governor of Ujjain and also suppressed a revolt in Taxila during his father Bindusara’s reign. The Ceylonese Chronicles, Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa state that Asoka captured power after killing his ninety nine brothers. But according to Taranatha of Tibet, Asoka killed only six of his brothers. Asoka’s Edict also refers to his brothers acting as officers in his administration.
The most important event of Asoka’s reign was his victorious war with Kalinga in 261 B.C. The effects of the war were described by Asoka himself in the Rock edict XIII. Another most important effect of the Kalinga war was that Asoka embraced Buddhism under the influence of Buddhist monk, Upagupta.

(a). Extent of Asoka’s Empire

Asoka’s inscriptions mention the southernmost kingdoms Cholas, Pandyas, Satyaputras and Keralaputras – as border-states.
According to Rajatarangini, Kashmir was a part of the Mauryan Empire. Nepal was also within the Mauryan empire. The northwestern frontier was already demarcated by Chandragupta Maurya.

(b). Asoka and Buddhism

According to some scholars, his conversion to Buddhism was gradual and not immediate. About 261 B.C. Asoka became a Sakya Upasaka (lay disciple) and later, a Bikshu (monk).
He visited Bodh-Gaya, and organized missions. He appointed special officers called Dharma Mahamatras to speed up the progress of Dhamma. In 241 B.C. He visited- the birthplace of Buddha and other holy places of Buddhism like Sarnath, Sravasti and Kusinagara.
He sent a mission to Sri Lanka under his son Mahendra and daughter Sangamitra who planted there the branch of the original Bodhi tree.
Asoka convened the Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra in 240 B.C. in order to strengthen the Sangha. It was presided over by Moggaliputta Tissa.

(c). Asoka’s Dhamma

His policy of Dhamma- is a way of life, a code of conduct and a set of principles to be adopted and practiced by the people at large. His principles of Dhamma were clearly stated in his Edicts. The main features of Asoka’s Dhamma as mentioned in his various Edicts. Some of them are:

- Prohibition of animal sacrifices and festive gatherings and avoiding expensive and meaningless ceremonies and rituals.
- Efficient organization of administration in the direction of social welfare and maintenance of constant contact with people through the system of Dhamma Yatra.
- Humane treatment of servants by masters and prisoners by government officials.
- Consideration and non-violence to animals and courtesy to relations and liberality to Brahmins.
- Tolerance among all the religious sects.

Similar ideas of Asoka’s Dhamma are identical with the teachings of Buddha. But he did not equate Dhamma with Buddhist teachings. Buddhism remained his personal belief. His Dhamma signifies a general code of conduct. Asoka wished that his Dhamma should spread through all social levels.

4. Later Mauryas

Asoka’s death in 232 B.C. was followed by the division of the Mauryan Empire into two parts – western and eastern. The western part was ruled by Kunala and the eastern part by Dasaratha. Due to the Bactrian invasions, the western part of the empire collapsed. The eastern part was intact under Samprati, successor of Dasaratha. The last Mauryan king was Brihatratha, who was assassinated by Pushyamitra Sunga.

Mauryan Administration

1. Central Government

The ascendancy of the Mauryas had resulted in the triumph of monarchy in India. Other systems like republics and oligarchies that were prevalent in pre-Mauryan India had collapsed.
Although Kautilya - supported the monarchial form of government, he did not stand for royal absolutism.
A council of ministers called Mantriparishad assisted the king in administrative matters. It consisted of Purohita, Mahamantri, Senapati and Yuvaraja.
There were civil servants called Amatyas to look after the day-to-day administration.
Asoka appointed Dhamma Mahamatras to supervise the spread of Dhamma. Thus the Mauryan state had a well organized civil service.

2. Revenue Department

Samharta, the chief of the Revenue Department, was in charge of the collection of all revenues of the empire.
The revenues came from land, irrigation, customs, shop tax, ferry tax, forests, mines and pastures, license fee from craftsmen, and fines collected in the law courts.
The land revenue was normally fixed as one sixth of the produce.
The main items of expenditure of the state related to the king and his household, army, government servants, public works, poor relief, religion, etc.

3. Army

The Mauryan army was well organized and it was under the control of Senapati. The salaries were paid in cash.
According to Greek author Pliny, the Mauryan army consisted of six lakh infantry, thirty thousand cavalry, nine thousand elephants and eight thousand chariots. In addition to these four wings, there were the Navy and Transport and Supply wings.
Each wing was under the control of Adyakshas or Superintendents.

4. Department of Commerce and Industry

This department had controlled the retail and wholesale prices of goods and tried to ensure their steady supply through its officers called Adyakshas.
It also controlled weights and measures, levied custom duties and regulated foreign trade.

5. Judicial and Police Departments

Kautilya mentions the existence of both civil and criminal courts.
The chief justice of the Supreme Court at the capital was called Dharmathikarin. There were also subordinate courts at the provincial capitals and districts under Amatyas.
Different kinds of punishment such as fines, imprisonment, mutilation and death were given to the offenders.
Police stations were found in all principal centres.
Both Kautilya and Asokan Edicts mention about jails and jail officials.
The Dhamma Mahamatras were asked by Asoka to take steps against unjust imprisonment. Remission of sentences is also mentioned in Asoka’s inscriptions.

6. Census

The taking Census was regular and appears to be a permanent institution in the Mauryan administration.
The village officials were to number the people along with other details like their caste and occupation.
The census in the towns was taken by municipal officials to track the movement of population both foreign and indigenous. The data collected were cross checked by the spies.

7. Provincial and Local Administration

The Mauryan Empire was divided into four provinces with their capitals at Taxila, Ujjain, Suvarnagiri and Kalinga.
The provincial governors were mostly appointed from the members of the royal family. They were responsible for the maintenance of law and order and collection of taxes for the empire.
The district administration was under the charge of Rajukas, whose position and functions are similar to modern collectors. He was assisted by Yuktas or subordinate officials.
Village administration was in the hands of Gramani and his official superior was called Gopa who was in charge of ten or fieen villages.
Both Kautilya and Megasthanes provided the system of Municipal administration.
Megasthenes refers to the six committees of five members each to look aer the administration of Pataliputra.
These committees looked after: Industries, Foreigners, Registration of birth and deaths, Trade, Manufacture & sale of goods and Collection of sales tax.

8. Mauryan Art and Architecture

The monuments before the period of Asoka were mostly made of wood and therefore perished. The use of stone started from the time of Asoka.
His palace and monasteries and most of his stupas have disappeared. The only remaining stupa is at Sanchi.
The artistic remains of the Mauryan period can be seen in the following heads:
Pillars: The pillars erected by Asoka furnish the finest specimen of the Mauryan art. Asokan pillars with inscriptions were found in places like Delhi, Allahabad, Rummindai, Sanchi and Saranath. Their tops were crowned with figures of animals like lion, elephant and bull.
The Saranath pillar with four lions standing back to back is the most magnificent. The Indian government adopted this capital with some modifications as its state emblem.
Stupas: Asoka built a number of stupas throughout his empire but majority of them were destroyed during foreign invasions. E.g- the famous Sanchi stupa with massive dimensions. It was originally built with bricks but later enlarged aer the time of Asoka.
Caves: The caves presented to the Ajivikas by Asoka and his son Dasaratha remain an important heritage of the Mauryas. Their interior walls are polished like mirror. These were meant to be residences of monks. The caves at Barabar hills near Bodh Gaya are wonderful pieces of Mauryan architecture.

Causes for the Decline of the Mauryas

The causes for the decline of the Mauryan empire have been widely debated by scholars.

- The traditional approach - Asoka’s policies and his weak successors. Another approach holds the inadequate political and economic institutions to sustain such a vast empire.
- It was said that Asoka’s pro-Buddhist policies antagonized the Brahmins who brought about a revolution led by Pushyamitra Sunga. But Asoka was never acted against Brahmins.
- That Asoka’s policy of non-violence reduced the fighting spirit of his army was another charge against him.
- There are multiple causes for the decline of the Mauryan empire such as weak successors, partition of the empire and administrative abuses after Asoka’s reign. These factors speeded up the breakup of the Mauryan empire and facilitated Pushyamitra Sunga to drive away the Mauryan power and establish the Sunga dynasty.

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Writiy

Monday, 10 January 2022

The Mauryan Empire