Maurya Empire

An ancient Indian empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya around 322 BCE, reaching its greatest extent under Ashoka in the third century BCE.

Chandragupta Maurya: The founder of the Maurya Empire, who ruled from about 322 to 297 BCE. His campaigns established the dynasty and brought much of northern India under Mauryan rule.
Arthashastra: An ancient Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, political economy, and governance, traditionally attributed to Kautilya. It describes administrative practices often compared with evidence for Mauryan government, though its date and relation remain debated.
Nanda Empire: A powerful ancient Indian dynasty that ruled Magadha before the Mauryas. Chandragupta’s takeover displaced the dynasty that controlled the empire’s eastern core.
Dhamma: A moral and social policy Ashoka promoted through inscriptions, emphasizing restraint, welfare, and respect among groups. It became the central message of Ashoka’s public rule after the Kalinga conquest.
Ashoka: A Mauryan emperor who ruled in the third century BCE and promoted dhamma after the Kalinga War. His reign marked the empire’s greatest territorial extent and its most visible moral program.
Pataliputra: An ancient city at the confluence of the Ganges and Son rivers, now largely beneath Patna. It served as the imperial capital and the center of royal administration.
Magadha: An ancient kingdom in eastern India that became a major center of imperial power. Its resources and strategic location provided the base from which the Maurya Empire arose.
Buddhism: A religious and philosophical tradition founded on the teachings of the Buddha. Ashoka supported Buddhist institutions and helped extend the tradition beyond its earlier centers.
Bindusara: The Mauryan emperor who succeeded Chandragupta and ruled before Ashoka. His reign maintained and extended the empire between its founder and its best-known ruler.
Mauryan provincial administration: The system through which Mauryan rulers governed regions beyond the imperial capital. Provincial centers and officials connected distant territories to the court.

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