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India’s First Empires

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW TERMS & NAMES

POWER AND AUTHORITY The diversity of peoples, cultures, • Mauryan • Tamil

The Mauryas and the Guptas beliefs, and languages in India Empire • Gupta
established empires, but neither continues to pose challenges to • Asoka Empire
unified India permanently. Indian unity today. • religious • patriarchal
toleration • matriarchal

SETTING THE STAGE By 600 B.C., almost 1,000 years after the Aryan migra-
tions, many small kingdoms were scattered throughout India. In 326 B.C.,
Alexander the Great brought the Indus Valley in the northwest under Macedonian
control—but left almost immediately. Soon after, a great Indian military leader,
Chandragupta Maurya (chuhn•druh•GUP•tuh MAH•oor•yuh), seized power.

The Mauryan Empire Is Established TAKING NOTES

Comparing Use a chart
Chandragupta Maurya may have been born in the powerful kingdom of to compare the Mauryan
Magadha. Centered on the lower Ganges River, the kingdom was ruled by the and Gupta empires.
Nanda family. Chandragupta gathered an army, killed the unpopular Nanda king,
and in about 321 B.C. claimed the throne. This began the Mauryan Empire. Mauryan Gupta
Chandragupta Maurya Unifies North India Chandragupta moved northwest, 1. 1.
seizing all the land from Magadha to the Indus. Around 305 B.C., Chandragupta 2 2
began to battle Seleucus I, one of Alexander the Great’s generals. Seleucus had 3 3
inherited part of Alexander’s empire. He wanted to reestablish Macedonian con-
trol over the Indus Valley. After several years of fighting, however, Chandragupta
defeated Seleucus. By 303 B.C., the Mauryan Empire stretched more than 2,000
miles, uniting north India politically for the first time. (See map on page 191.)
To win his wars of conquest, Chandragupta raised a vast army: 600,000 sol-
diers on foot, 30,000 soldiers on horseback, and 9,000 elephants. To clothe, feed,
and pay these troops, the government levied high taxes. For example, farmers
had to pay up to one-half the value of their crops to the king.
Running the Empire Chandragupta relied on an adviser named Kautilya
(kow•TIHL•yuh), a member of the priestly caste. Kautilya wrote a ruler’s hand-
book called the Arthasastra (AHR•thuh• SHAHS•truh). This book proposed tough-
minded policies to hold an empire together, including spying on the people and
employing political assassination. Following Kautilya’s advice, Chandragupta
created a highly bureaucratic government. He divided the empire into four
provinces, each headed by a royal prince. Each province was then divided into
local districts, whose officials assessed taxes and enforced the law.
Life in the City and the Country Eager to stay at peace with the Indian
emperor, Seleucus sent an ambassador, Megasthenes (muh•GAS•thuh•neez), to

India and China Establish Empires 189

 Chandragupta’s capital. Megasthenes wrote glowing descriptions of Chandragupta’s
palace, with its gold-covered pillars, many fountains, and imposing thrones. The
capital city featured beautiful parks and bustling markets. Megasthenes also
described the countryside and how farmers lived:

PRIMARY SOURCE
[Farmers] are exempted from military service and cultivate their lands undisturbed by Analyzing
fear. They do not go to cities, either on business or to take part in their tumults. It Primary Sources
therefore frequently happens that at the same time, and in the same part of the country, What informa-
men may be seen marshaled for battle and risking their lives against the enemy, while tion in this quota-
other men are ploughing or digging in perfect security under the protection of these tion indicates that
soldiers. Mauryan India
MEGASTHENES, in Geography by Strabo
valued agriculture?

In 301 B.C., Chandragupta’s son assumed the throne. He ruled for 32 years. Then
Chandragupta’s grandson, Asoka (uh•SOH•kuh), brought the Mauryan Empire to
its greatest heights.
Asoka Promotes Buddhism Asoka became king of the Mauryan Empire in 269
B.C. At first, he followed in Chandragupta’s footsteps, waging war to expand his
empire. During a bloody war against the neighboring state of Kalinga, 100,000 sol-
diers were slain, and even more civilians perished.
▲ This pillar, on
Although victorious, Asoka felt sorrow over the slaughter at Kalinga. As a
which Asoka’s result, he studied Buddhism and decided to rule by the Buddha’s teaching of “peace
edicts are written, to all beings.” Throughout the empire, Asoka erected huge stone pillars inscribed Vocabulary
is located at with his new policies. Some edicts guaranteed that Asoka would treat his subjects Edicts are
Vaishali. official, public
fairly and humanely. Others preached nonviolence. Still others urged religious
announcements
toleration—acceptance of people who held different religious beliefs.
of policy.
Asoka had extensive roads built so that he could visit the far corners of India. He
also improved conditions along these roads to make travel easier for his

Chandragupta Maurya Asoka

?–298 B.C. ?–232 B.C.
Chandragupta feared being One of Asoka’s edicts states,
assassinated—maybe because he had If one hundredth part or one
killed a king to get his throne. To thousandth of those who died in
avoid being poisoned, he made Kalinga . . . should now suffer
servants taste all his food. To avoid similar fate, [that] would be a
being murdered in bed, he slept in a matter of pain to His Majesty.
different room every night. Even though Asoka wanted to be a
Although Chandragupta was a loving, peaceful ruler, he had to control
fierce warrior, in 301 B.C., he gave up a huge empire. He had to balance
his throne and converted to Jainism. Kautilya’s methods of keeping power
Jains taught nonviolence and respect and Buddha’s urgings to be unselfish.
for all life. With a group of monks, Asoka softened Chandragupta’s
Chandragupta traveled to southern harsher policies. Instead of spies, he
India. There he followed the Jainist employed officials to look out for his
custom of fasting until he starved to subjects’ welfare. He kept his army but
death. sought to rule humanely. In addition,
Asoka sent missionaries to Southeast
▲ This grouping of Asia to spread Buddhism.
RESEARCH LINKS For more on Chandragupta Asoka’s lions is used as a
Maurya and Asoka, go to classzone.com symbol of India.

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