The Maurya Empire

Chandragupta Maurya

Asoka

In 321 b.c, Chandragupta Maurya conquered the sought-after Ganges valley, and then North India. He was the first ruler of the Maurya Empire. He was the head of a structured bureaucracy, but he was a very harsh ruler. Chandragupta had a secret police that was brutal and reported on crime, corruption, and dissent. He allowed trade to flourish by building roads and harbors and collecting taxes.

Asoka, Chandragupta's grandson, is one of the honored rulers of the Maurya Empire. After fighting a brutal war for the Deccan, Asoka, absolutely horrified at the suffering he caused, stopped all other conquests. He rejected Chandragupta's violent methods, turned to Buddhism hoping to rule by moral example. Asoka practiced religious tolerance, but sent missionaries throughout India to spread Buddhism. Along with the missionaries, Asoka had extremely tall pillars scattered throughout India with Buddhist principles carved on them (written mostly in Sanskrit). Asoka had a peaceful and prosperous reign, but unfortunately, upon his death, the Mauryan Empire declined.

321 b.c ~ 185 b.c.