TITLE: CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA AS

AN EMPIRE BUILDER

Picture of Chandragupta

Presented By
SHREYASI SARKAR
Abstract

Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta was the founder of the Mauryan dynasty and the first emperor to
unify most of India under one administration.

He is credited with saving the country from maladministration and freeing it

from foreign domination.

Early Life:

Chandragupta was born into a family left destitute by the death of his father, chief
of the migrant Mauryas, in a border fray.

Buddhist texts say Chandragupta Maurya belonged to the Kshatriya Moriya clan
associated with the Shakyas. Brahmanical texts, however, refer to the Mauryas as
Shudras and heretics.

He was trained by a Brahman politician, Kautilya (also called Chanakya) in Taxila

(now in Pakistan).

A major treatise on political economy in Sanskrit is the Artha-shastra of Kautilya.

Ascending the throne:

After ascending the throne of the Magadha kingdom he destroyed the sources of
Nanda power and eliminated opponents through well-planned administrative
schemes that included an effective secret service.

Chandragupta overthrew the unpopular last king of the Nandas, Dhana Nanda, and
occupied his capital, Pataliputra.
Expansion of empire:

Chandragupta overthrew the Nanda power and then campaigned in central and
northern India.

Greek sources report that he engaged in a conflict in 305 BCE in the trans-Indus
region with Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander’s generals, who, following
the death of Alexander, had founded the Seleucid dynasty in Iran.

The result was a treaty by which Seleucus ceded the trans-Indus provinces to the
Maurya and the latter presented him with 500 elephants.

A marriage alliance is mentioned, but no details are recorded.

The treaty ushered in an era of friendly relations between the Mauryas and the
Seleucids, with exchanges of envoys.

One among them, the Greek historian Megasthenes, left his observations in the
form of a book, the Indica.

Ranging from the Himalayas and the K?bul River valley (in present-day
Afghanistan) in the north and west to the Vindhya Range in the south,
Chandragupta’s Indian empire was one of history’s most extensive.

Chandragupta’s son, Bindusara, continued to expand the empire to the south.

Acceptance of Jainism

Traditionally, Chandragupta was influenced to accept Jainism by the sage

Bhadrabahu I, who predicted the onset of a 12-year famine.
When the famine came, Chandragupta made efforts to counter it, but, dejected by
the tragic conditions prevailing, he left to spend his last days in the service
of Bhadrabahu at Shravanabelagola, a famous religious site in southwestern India,
where Chandragupta fasted to death.

Legacy:

Chandragupta laid the foundations of an extensive and efficient system

of centralised administration and tax-collection that formed the basis of his empire.

Trade and agriculture were reformed and regulated with the building
of infrastructure and standardization of weights and measures, and provisions were
made for a large standing army.

Key words

Chandragupta Maurya, kautilya Alexander's ,selucus ,milindapanho Harisen

Birchit's Brihat kathakos , ratnanandas bhadrabahu charit .
  Introduction

Chandragupta Maurya known as sandrakottos to Greeks was the founder of

mauriya daunasty (4th to 2nd century bce) and is created with the setting up of the
first pan Indian Empire. Aided by his mentor and latter minister Chanakya or
kautilya he set up a vast centralized empire details of whose functioning society
military and economy are well preserved in kautilya's Arthashastra.

 According to Radha Kumud Mukherjee

"The foundation of the mauryan Empire is a unique event in India history. It's
Glory is enhanced by the circumstance in which it was achieved. It was achieved
against formidable difficulties created by the established of a foreign rule in the
country as a consequence of Alexander's Victorious campaigns in the Punjab
during the period of two years, 327 _325 B.c."
  Early Life:
The Maurya dynasty was founded by Chandragupta Maurya who seems to have
belonged to an ordinary family. According to the brah manical tradition, he was
born of mura, a shudra women in the court of the little republic of pipphali-vana in
the region of Gorakhapur near the Nepalese terai. In all like hood Chandragupta
was a member of this clan.

 Influence of Chanakya:

The Buddhist and Hindu source present different versions of how Chandragupta
met chanakya. Broadly they mention young chandragupta creating a mock game of
a royal court that he and his cowhered friends played near vinjha forest. Chanakya
saw him give orders to the others bought him farm the hunter and adopted
chandragupta. chankya taught and admitted him in taxila to study the vedas,
military arts, law and other sastras. After taxila chandragupta and chanakya moved
to pataliputra the capital and a historic learning center in the eastern magadha
kingdom of India.

Pic-1: Influence of Chanakya and Chandragupta

  Expulsion of Nanda Dynasty:

Chandragupta formed the army foueused winning the state. But first there on is
disagreement as to whether he expelled the Nanda dynasty on expelled the greeks
first. However Chandragupta won massive public Support in his ware against the
Nanda dynasty. Because the people were very angry with the financial and political
oppression of Nandaking, According to milinda panha, Chandragupta was defeated
by the Nandas King in the first Campaigns and succeeded in the third campaigns.
After defeating Dhananda in 324 Be, chandragupta seized the throne of magadha.

 Chandragupta Maurya's Conquest to F Greek Rule:-

Another achievement of Chandragupta was to end Greek rule from north west
India. Almost immediately after Alexander's death civil strike broke out among the
Greek states in India. At the same time the public revolt against the Greek
government also started on this occasion, Chandragupta launched an expedition
against a Greek Kingdom and expelled the Greeks fromit. Incorporated into the
empire. Thus sindh'and East punjab belong to the maunyan Empire is included.

 Chandragupta Maury's conquest of western India:

After that Chandragupta occupied the kingdoms of Malava Suvrastra, Gujrat etc, in
western India. According to plutarch Chandragupta's army numbered six lakh
during this campaign.

 Chandragupta Maury's conquest of south India:

there is disagreement about how far Chandragupta's kingdom extended in south

India, According to Listarian Smith, the Mauryan Empire expanded in south India
during Bindusara's regain. But H.C. Roy Chowdhury and other denied this view.
Harishena Bhadra bahu charit or Chandragupta Daskshin in jain texts also India
victory is mentioned.

 Battle with Seleucus:

After the death of Alexander, Seleucus had emerged as the ruler of Babylon. He
was fired by an ambition to recover the lost conquests of Alexnder in India.
Alexainder Golden age Selucus invaded India hoping to recovery. When he arrived
in the Indus regain around 305 B.C, whether or not this battle took place at all or
what its consequences were is not known.

Pic-2: Battle with Seleucus

  Extent of Chandragupta's Empire:

According to Dr. R.K Mookerji "Chandragupta Undoubtedly ruled over a Vast

empire. According to plutarch, he overran and subduend the whole of India with an
army of 600000 men and Justin Also refers his mastery over the country. This is
indirectly supparted by other available evidence on the subject It thus stands to
refers on that the empire over which Alok a ruled was mostly the ereatian of his
grand father Chandragupta. "According to Dr V.A Smith "Chandragupta's
dominions certainly included the country. Now called Afghanistan, the ancient
Ariana, as Far as the Hindu Kush range, the Punjab, the territories now known as
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the peninsula of kathiawar in the far west. probaly they
also comprised Bengal. It is safe to affirm that Chandragupta, when his reign
terminated about 298 BC was master of all India north of the Narbada of all India
north of the Narbada as well as of Afghanistan. At present there is no good
evidence that his conquests extended into the Decan, but it is possible that he may
have carried his victorious arms across the Narbada. Later traditions in mysore go
so far as to assert the extension of the Nanda dominion.

Pic-3: Extent of Chandragupta's

  Good Administrater:

Mauryas organized a very elaborate system of administration. Chandragupta

Maurya was evidently an autocrat who concentrated All Power, and each province
was placed under a prince who was a scion of the royal dynasty the maurya rule
was a structured administration Chandragupta had a council of Ministers. The
empire was divided into a number of provinces and each province, who was a
scion of the royal dynasty. The maurya rule was a structured administration
Chandragupta had a council of ministers. the empire was organized into territories
centers of regional power were protected with farts and state operations were
funded with treasury.

Pic-3: Good Administrater

  Chandragupta Maurya died:

Chandragupta lived as a ascetic at shravana belagola for several years before

fasting to death as per the join practice of sallekhana according to the Digambare
legend.

Pic-4: Chandragupta Maurya died

 Conclusion:

Chandragupta Maurya was undoubtdly a great ruler. He can rightly be called one
of the greatest rulers of ancient India. Dr. V.A. Smith gives his estimate in these
words. "In the course of same eighteen years Chandragupta had expelled the
macedanian garrisans from the punjab and sind repulsed and humbled seleucus the
conqueror, and established himself as undisputed supreme lard of at least all
northern India and a large part of Ariana. These achievements fairly entitle him to
rank among the greatest and most successful kings known to history."
Bibliography:

 Sharma, R. S., India's Ancient past. 2004;

 Singh, upinder, A History of Ancient and Early mediaval India, 2008.

 Majumdar, R.C, Ancient India, 1944.

 Tripathi Rama shankar, History of Ancient India, 1942

 chaurasia Radhey shyam chairasia, History of Ancien India, (Earliest times

to 1200 X.D.),2002.