Ashoka, the Emperor Who Gave Up War | The Mauryan Empire | SST | History | Class 6

Chandragupta built a vast empire which included Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Western and Northern India and the Deccan. The Mauryan dynasty was the first great empire in India. Janakya, sources of information about the Mauryan period, expansion of the Mauryan empire, Ashoka, war with Kalinga, Ashoka's edicts, extinct of Ashoka's empire, Ashoka's dharma, relations with foreign countries, Ashoka and the spread of Buddhism. Janakya, also known as Kautilya, was a dismissed Brahmin minister of the Nanda court. Mauryan dynasty. The Mauryan dynasty was the first great empire in India. It was also the first dynasty in India's recorded history. Sources of information. Chandragupta built a vast empire which included Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Western and Northern India and the Deccan. The main sources of information about the Mauryan period are 1. Indica written by Magasthenes, 2. Arthashastra written by Kautilya, 3. Rock edicts of Ashoka, 4. Coins of the Mauryan period, expansion of Mauryan empire, Seleucus Nicator, marriage of Chandragupta, relation with Magasthenes, Bindusara, Seleucus Nicator. Chandragupta soon conquered the whole of Punjab. He then fought Seleucus Nicator, the shattrap left by Alexander of Macedonia before he returned to Greece and inflicted a crushing defeat on him. Seleucus was forced to surrender. Marriage of Chandragupta. There was also a marriage between the two families. Seleucus gave his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta. Relation with Seleucus. As a gesture of goodwill, Chandragupta presented 500 elephants to Seleucus. Relation with Magasthenes. In order to maintain friendly relations, Chandragupta allowed a Greek ambassador named Magasthenes to stay in his court at Patliputra. This was the person who wrote the Indica. Bindusara as an efficient ruler. Bindusara was also an efficient ruler. He extended the Mauryan empire as far south as Mysore. Thus, he ruled over almost the whole of India. But the region of Kalinga, Orissa and the kingdoms of the extreme south were not part of his empire. He maintained good relations with the Greeks and rulers of Syria and Egypt. Ashoka the Great. Kalinga War. Effects of Kalinga War. Ashoka's Dhamma. Ashoka's Tour. Ashoka's Edicts. Relevance of Ashoka's Edict. Ashoka the Great. After Bindusara, his son Ashoka inherited the Mauryan empire. He was the most famous of the Mauryan kings. He was a brave warrior and wanted to extend the boundaries of his empire further. He decided to conquer Kalinga and include it in his empire. Kalinga War. Ashoka raised a large army and attacked Kalinga. The Kalingans, who loved freedom, fought bravely but were defeated. The last battle was fiercely fought. Both the sides suffered heavy losses. About one lakh Kalingans died in the war. This war was probably the most important event of Ashoka's life. The horrors of war created a storm in Ashoka's mind. His heart was moved to see the misery of men. He decided that he would not fight any more wars. Instead, he would try and persuade people to live in peace. Thus, the bloodbath of the Kalinga War changed Ashoka completely. Effects of the Kalinga War. From Ashoka's edicts, after the war of Kalinga, it is evident that he became a follower of Buddhism and made ceaseless efforts to propagate it. Some edicts also laid down rules about how Buddhist monks and nuns were expected to live. Ashoka's dharma. It is clear from Ashoka's rock inscriptions, pillar edicts and cave inscriptions that he made great efforts to propagate the principles of dharma. To respect elders, love the young, follow the path of truth, religious tolerance, charity, non-violence and to always lead a pious life are the basic tenets of dharma. Ashoka appointed officials called dhama mahamatras to propagate dhama. Thus, it soon became very popular. Ashoka tours. Ashoka undertook tours for the propagation of dhama. He periodically toured all the important places related to Buddhism. Some important places where Ashoka went were Vaishali, Bodhgaya, Ellora etc. Ashoka Edict. We estimate the extent of Ashoka's empire from the places where his rock and pillar inscriptions have been found. It is evident that his empire stretched from Kabul in the north to Mysore in the south and from the Bay of Bengal in the east to the Arabian Sea in the west. Relevance of Ashoka's Edict. From Ashoka's edicts, we come to know that Ashoka instructed his state officials to constantly tour the land and attend the people's grievances. He constructed hospitals, roads with shady trees, got rest houses made for travelers and dug wells to provide drinking water. In other words, Ashoka's administration was so good that it set a precedent for future kings to follow. Kalinga Edict. From his edicts, we learn much about Ashoka's character. He loved animals and humans alike. He restricted the slaughtering of animals in his kingdom and made hospitals that cared for sick animals. He worked for the welfare of his people. He writes in the Kalinga Edict, All men are my children and just as I desire for my children that they should obtain welfare and happiness both in this world and the next, the same do I desire for all men. Mauryan Administration. Society. Fall of the Mauryan Empire. Ashoka's Death. Last Mauryan King. Mauryan Administration. The central government was composed of the king and his ministers. The king was the head of the government. He ruled from the capital city of Pataliputra, modern Patna. There was a council of ministers, Mantri Parishad, to help and advise him. Besides these, the king appointed a number of officers who carried out his orders. Pradesh. The empire was divided into four big provinces. Each province was ruled by a viceroy who was directly under the king. The provinces were further divided into districts ruled by pradesikas, nagarkas. There were several officers who looked after the administration in the districts. Some collected taxes and worked as judges. Towns were under officials called nagarkas. Council. A council of thirty members, which was divided into six committees of five members each, ruled Pataliputra. Industries Committee. The first committee looked after industries concerned with the arts. Foreigners Committee. The second committee looked after the foreigners. Birth and Deaths Committee. The third committee kept a record of births and deaths of civilians. Trade and Measure Committee. The fourth was a committee that regulated trade and measures. Sales of Goods Committee. The fifth committee looked after the sales of goods. Tax Committee. The sixth committee collected taxes. Society. Society was divided into four varnas as mentioned in the Arthashastra. The edicts of Ashoka also indicate the presence of the caste system. Society. Brahmin. Agriculture. Occupation. Brahmin. The brahmins commanded great respect. They did not pay taxes to the king. Agriculture. Agriculture was the chief occupation of the people. The farmers lived happily in the villages. Occupation. Besides farmers, weavers, blacksmiths, potters and carpenters lived in the villages and trades flourished in towns. Fall of the Mauryan Empire. After the death of Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire began to break up. There were several reasons for the fall of the Mauryan Empire. 1. The successors of Ashoka were weak. 2. The various regions of the empire were cut off from one another by great distances. 3. The latter Mauryan kings could not collect enough taxes to maintain a large army. 4. The governors of various provinces took advantage of the weaknesses of Ashoka's successors and declared their independence. Death of Ashoka. Ashoka died around 232 BC. His successors were not able to rule. The provinces started breaking away. Around 205 BC, Bactrian rulers invaded India and established their rule in some parts. Last Mauryan King. 20 years later, in 185 BC, Pushyamitra Shunga, the commander-in-chief of the army, killed the last Mauryan king, Brihadratha, and founded the Shunga dynasty.